Space exploration is an arduous journey, with future explorations extending in duration, increasing the risk for common space-related health issues such as bone density loss due to microgravity, impaired gut microbiota, cardiovascular ailments, and exposure to cosmic radiation. These ailments can be addressed using medicinal plants. Enhancing their efficacy entails employing gene editing to target specific secondary metabolite pathways associated with therapeutic properties. Moreover, gene editing can combine multiple medicinal properties from various plants, culminating in a singular 'superplant' with enhanced therapeutic benefits. This review discusses the current usage of medicinal plants in promoting human health during space travel, the application of gene editing technology in modifying medicinal plants and presents a vision for the utilization of gene-edited medicinal plants in space to mitigate the risk of various space-related health issues.

Long Covid has become a blight, its economic consequences overwhelming. But Long Covid (LC) may represent persistent Covid-19 in those with preexisting Candida overgrowth (CO). The features shared by both are striking. LC may be a growing subset of CO. The altered tryptophan metabolism encountered in LC is driven by IFN-γ in reaction to CO. Females are robust producers of IFN-γ, yet estrogen promotes CO.The consequent decline in serotonin and melatonin triggers the mood swings and sleeplessness respectively in LC. The low serotonin, the primary messenger in the gut brain axis, creates autonomic dysfunction. The CO induced gut dysbiosis and leaky gut initiate an autoimmune path. TNFα seen in both LC and this opportunistic yeast is at the center of the cytokine triad that leads to neurodegeneration. The Western diet, high in carbohydrates, alcohol, and glutamate, is exploited by this commensal turned parasite. Residual SARS CoV2 and Candida generate abundant ROS, inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. Alcohol tastes different for many with LC, because acetaldehyde requires functioning hepatic mitochondria. This article delves into the complex physiology and biochemistry that drive the symptoms of this conspicuous connection. Recent research has revealed innovative approaches that might address this global scourge, including D-mannose for the immune dysfunction and butyrate for the gut dysbiosis created by and seen in both LC and intestinal Candidiasis.

The dermatological manifestations of Long Covid (LC) have languished in the shadows of chronic fatigue and brain fog. Yet they are all linked by gut dysbiosis and the cytokine triad of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. The gut microbiome common not only to LC, psoriasis, AA, and vitiligo but also to neurodegenerative disease has been recently described. This gut microbiome induces an altered tryptophan metabolism linked to autoimmune disease. SARS CoV2 invades enterochromaffin cells rich in ACE2 receptors and curtails absorption of the essential amino acid tryptophan and subsequent synthesis of serotonin and melatonin. This review suggests that an etiologic prebiotic (d-mannose)/probiotic (lactobacilli, bifidobacteria)/postbiotic (butyrate) approach to autoimmune skin disease that improves intestinal barrier integrity and that suppresses the triad of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β may enhance or even eliminate the traditional immunotherapy of targeted monoclonal antibodies, Janus kinase inhibitors, and steroids. Health benefits of this approach extend well beyond suppression of autoimmune skin disease.

The liver diseases are posing serious threat to human health associated with abusive use of allopathy medicines, especially in developing economies like Pakistan. The strengthening of detoxification system using natural products might be a suitable option to minimize the liver problems. In this current research, Zingiber officinale and Azadirachta indica were evaluated for their hepatoprotective role. For the purpose, 20 Sprague Dawley rats were equally divided into four groups i.e., negative control, paracetamol positive control, 2.5% ginger and 2% neem powder, respectively. During 42 days study, the levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes significantly elevated due to liver damage. Although, the values dropped (20-25%) in treatment group. Serum glucose and serum lipid profile increased in positive control group, but reduced (5-10%) in both ginger and neem groups. The serum protein profile declined in liver damage group, however, improved (~5%) in treatment groups. The hematological parameters slightly declined in liver damage group, but increased in ginger and neem groups. Moreover, the white blood cells differential count and renal parameters showed abnormal values in liver damage group, but improved after treatment. This study is promising and highlighted the hepato-protective role of neem and ginger that may open several avenues of research.

Improper lifting measures of long-span spatial steel structures during construction process may delay the construction period and even cause safety accidents. Few studies on long-span spatial steel structures considered time-varying mechanical characteristic during construction process. In order to achieve safe and efficient installation in a long-span spatial steel structure, this research presents a time-varying mechanical analysis of the synchronous and asynchronous integral lifting and a single and interlaced point’s asynchronous integral lifting analysis method of a long-span spatial steel structure. The results showed that in the case of asynchronous lifting of single point, the displacement influence on other members is related to the distance. The closer the distance from the lifting point, the greater the influence. In asynchronous integral lifting, the lifting point with large lifting force is first installed to the specified position, and the lifting point with small lifting force is installed to the specified position.

With the increasing demand for medicinal plants and the increasing shortage of resources, improving the quality and yield of medicinal plants and making more effective use of medicinal plants has become an urgent problem to be solved. In the process of growth and development of medicinal plants, due to the threat of various adversity, there are problems such as nutrient loss and yield decline. Using traditional chemical pesticides to control the stress resistance of plants will cause serious pollution to the environment and even endanger human health. Therefore, it is necessary to find suitable pesticide substitutes from natural ingredients. As an important part of the microecology of medicinal plants, endophytes can promote the growth of medicinal plants, improve the stress resistance of hosts, and promote the accumulation of active components of hosts. Because it has a more positive and direct impact on the host, and can metabolize rich medicinal ingredients, so researchers pay attention to it. This paper reviews the research in recent five years, aiming to provide ideas for improving the quality of medicinal plants, developing more microbial resources, exploring more medicinal natural products, and providing help for the development of the research on medicinal plants and endophytes.

Although working memory (WM) is crucial for intellectual abilities, not much is known about its brain underpinnings, especially the structural connectivity. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to look across the whole brain for the white matter integrity correlates of the individual differences in the reading span (verbal WM capacity during reading) in healthy adults. Right-handed healthy native Russian speakers (N = 67) underwent DTI on a 3T Philips Ingenia scanner. Verbal WM was assessed with the Daneman-Carpenter reading span test (Russian version). Fractional anisotropy maps from each participant were entered into the group tract-based spatial statistics analysis with the reading span as a covariate; the results were TFCE-corrected. After taking into account effects of age, sex, education and handedness, reading span positively correlated with the white matter integrity in multiple sites: the body, the genu and the splenium of corpus callosum; bilateral corona radiata (anterior, posterior, and superior); bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus; several tracts in the right hemisphere only, including the internal and external capsule; bilateral superior parietal and frontal white matter. Although the left hemisphere is central for verbal processing, we revealed the important role of the right hemisphere white matter for the verbal WM capacity. Our finding indicates that larger verbal working memory span may originate from additional processing resources of the right hemisphere.

Drugs are known to cause substantial liver injury, with hepatotoxicity ranging from asymptomatic increase of liver enzymes to hepatic failure. HIV/AIDS patients, with compromised immune systems, are especially vulnerable to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis (TB). Patients with co-infection frequently get combined antiretroviral (ART) and antitubercular (ATD) regimens, which can cause hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity has been linked to commonly administered antiretroviral drug regimens as well as first-line antitubercular agents such isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide, which are required for the treatment of both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis. As a result, there is an urgent need to investigate treatments based from traditional herbs known for their hepatoprotective abilities against ART and ATD-induced liver injury. Many researchers have investigated the effectiveness of medicinal plants in treating chemically caused hepatotoxicity. Medicinal plants are high in phytochemicals and secondary metabolites, both of which have a variety of medicinal benefits. Currently, there is a lack of specific therapeutic regimens to address this adverse effect, and management often relies on symptomatic treatment or therapy withdrawal. Traditional medicinal plants may have the potential to restore normal liver function, enzyme activity, and cellular structure in response to ART and ATD-induced hepatotoxicity. This review aims to examine the scientific evidence supporting the use of medicinal plants as hepatoprotective agents against liver damage induced by ART and ATDs.

Epoxy asphalt (EA) concrete is widely used in constructing long-span steel bridge pavements (SBDPs). This study aims to derive a fatigue damage evolution law, conducting an experimental investigation of SBDP. First, a general theoretical form of the fatigue damage evolution law of materials is established based on the thermal motion of atoms. Then, fatigue experiments demonstrate that this evolution law well represents the known damage–life relationships of SBDP. Taking into account the experimental relationships between damage and fatigue life under symmetrical cyclic loadings with different overload amplitudes and temperature variations, a detailed damage evolution law is deduced. Finally, the role of damage accumulation is discussed on the basis of the proposed damage evolution law for the extreme situation of heavy overload and severe environments. The results show that both heavy loading and falling temperatures increase the fatigue damage of SBDP considerably; therefore, SBDP should avoid heavy loading combined with winter temperatures. EA shows a fatigue life two to three times longer than that of modified matrix asphalt (SMA) or guss asphalt (GA). For the same thickness, EA pavement is demonstrated to be more suitable for an anti-fatigue design of large-span SBDP under high traffic flows and low temperatures.

Despite the recent availability of immune checkpoint inhibitors, not all patients affected by Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) benefit from immunotherapy. The reason for this variability relies to a variety of factors which may allow the identification of novel biomarkers. Presently, a variety of biomarkers are under investigation, including the PD1/PDL1 axis, the tumor mutational burden, and the Microbiota. This latter is made by all bacteria and other microorganisms hosted in our body. The gut microbiota is the most represented and has been involved in different physiological and pathological events, including cancer. In this light, it appears that all conditions modifying gut microbiota can influence cancer, its treatment, and its treatment-related toxicities. The aim of this review is to analyze all conditions influencing the gut microbiota and, therefore, affecting response to immunotherapy, iRAEs and their management in NSCLC patients. The investigation of the landscape of these biological events can allow novel insights for optimal management of NSCLC immunotherapy.

Physical exercise is the greatest stress on the cardiovascular system, not only in humans but also in all vertebrates. Consequently, the cardiovascular response cannot be thought of as having only one "anthropocentric" interpretation. The modulation of cardiac output (Q) in response to exercise in the five major groups of vertebrates exhibits considerable variability. Moreover, the response of the heart rate (HR) and the stroke volume (SV), the fundamental factors that cause the rise in Q, is also highly variable. The difference in the range of HR is difficult to determine in many vertebrates, both at rest and at maximal effort. Additionally, the increase in SV varies among vertebrates. For example, while rainbow trout and leopards increase their SV by increasing end diastolic volume (EDV), humans do so at the expense of both increasing EDV and reducing end systolic volume (ESV). The variation in arterial pressure that arises during exercise varies notably among vertebrates, such as amphibians, whose blood pressure values do not increase as significantly as in mammals. Such differences in cardiovascular response among vertebrates may be linked to their habitat or living environment. This review aims to analyze the cardiovascular response of vertebrates to physical exercise as the most common stressor.

The brain being arguably the most complex organ in the human body, its detailed functioning is yet to be fully deciphered, let alone accurately modeled. Nonetheless, the medical community has gathered quite a remarkable amount of studies about the consequences of illnesses and injuries on its development and functioning. This bibliographic review aims to cover mostly the findings related to the changes in the physical distribution of neurons and their connections - the connectome -, both structural and functional, as well as their modelling. It does not intend to offer an extensive medical description of all injuries and diseases affecting the brain, rather presenting the most common ones succinctly so the need for accurate brain modelling can be fully understood and pondered, offering propositions to this aim.

This study focused on the investigation of myeloperoxidase through a Molecular Docking approach with various natural compounds to identify potential substances for cardiovascular research. Recent research has linked elevated myeloperoxidase levels to the severity of coronary artery disease. The results of the docking analysis revealed Polydatin, Daidzin, Astringin, Ginkgetin, and Amentoflavone as promising compounds with excellent binding capacity. To complement this, toxicity prediction studies were conducted using pkCSM. Overall, all four investigated molecules (Amentoflavone, Daidzin, Ginkgetin, and Astringin) were found to be non-toxic, exhibiting high maximum tolerated doses (human) and favorable values for Oral Rat Acute Toxicity and Oral Rat Chronic Toxicity. Moreover, they showed non-AMES toxicity and non-hepatotoxicity. Astringin, in particular, stood out with the highest positive effects, including a high maximum tolerated dose (human) and favorable values for Oral Rat Chronic Toxicity, along with dual inhibition of hERG II and hERG I. These findings suggest the potential utility of these compounds in cardiovascular research with minimized unwanted effects.

Pakistan flora is enriched with potent bioactive compounds that must be explored while Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a global challenge driven by neurochemical imbalances. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors traditionally alleviate symptoms, but addressing the root cause remains elusive. This gap has led to the exploration of herbal sources for interventions. In this context, we analyzed fifty 50 medicinal plants for their phytochemical composition and antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities. AChE activity was measured using Ellman’s method. Santalum album exhibited significant AChE inhibition (86.2%), surpassing galantamine hydrobromide (81.8%). Promising inhibition was also seen in Bombax ceiba (77.8%), Acacia karoo (52.9%), and Phaseolus lunatus (50.1%). Detailed analysis revealed Santalum album's abundance in terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolics, potentially correlating with its antioxidant and AChE inhibitory effects. Acacia karoo demonstrated elevated levels of total alkaloids, antioxidants, terpenoids, and tannins. Both Acacia karoo and Santalum album show promise for AD intervention due to their AChE inhibitory activities and unique phytochemical attributes, warranting further exploration, particularly for Acacia karoo's novel potential in AChE inhibition, to advance targeted AD therapeutics utilizing natural resources. This study contributes to the search for effective AD strategies from nature's pharmacological resources.

South Africa has an abundant heritage of valuable indigenous plants with recognized medicinal value. The reported critical over-harvesting of wild populations is considered an urgent issue for biodiversity conservation. Growing demand for therapeutic products from indigenous medicinal plants have led to increased interest in its cultivation. Cultivation of these indigenous medicinal plants represent a viable option for improving smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, as well as sustaining the availability of these resources for future generations. Serious bottlenecks however exists for subsistent farmers in the cultivation of these valuable plants. It was pertinent to probe whether the cultivation of medicinal plants provide feasible solutions to rural poverty, while effectively conserving threatened indigenous biodiversity. The paper employed a comprehensive review of existing literature to explore relevant issues constraining smallholder farmers from involvement in a potentially lucrative medicinal plants value-chain. Findings indicate challenges such as inadequate domestication of valuable plants species, continued over-harvesting from wild populations, poor knowledge of required agronomic practices, low efficacy perception regarding derivatives from cultivated plants, among a multitude of others. These constraints exists alongside the conservation-oriented strategy driven by international conservation agencies and wholly adopted by the South African government. Recommendations to improve smallholder involvement in the cultivation of medicinal plants include support to research and extension, targeted inducement to smallholders, contracting and off-take agreements, aimed at promoting an alternative poverty-alleviation-focused economic development strategy. The review adds to the conceptual discourse related to plant diversity, resource conservation, poverty alleviation and economic development within the medicinal plants value-chain.

This study investigated the relationship between aluminum adjuvant vaccines and the prevalence of 4 childhood diseases (Autism, Allergies, Asthma, ADD/ADHD) using data from the 2020-2021 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) [1] and the Centers for Disease Control National Immunization Survey (CDC NIS) [2]. The study found an association with aluminum adjuvant dosage and the prevalence of each disease studied (Autism, Allergies, Asthma, ADD/ADHD) through a weighted regression analysis of disease prevalence against the summed likelihood of aluminum adjuvant vaccine uptake.

BACE1 is involved in the production of beta-amyloid peptides, and inhibiting its activity is a potential therapeutic strategy for managing Alzheimer's disease, as excessive beta-amyloid accumulation is a characteristic feature of the disease.Computational results suggest that hypericin has the potential to act as an inhibitor of BACE1. The Molecular Docking results indicate a high binding affinity between hypericin and BACE1, with a notable binding energy score of -10.3 kcal/mol. Additionally, the formation of various chemical bonds, including hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic bonds, further supports the idea that hypericin may effectively interact with the active site of BACE1. It's important to note that while the in silico Molecular Docking results are promising, further in vitro and in vivo studies would be necessary to validate and better understand the inhibitory potential of hypericin against BACE1. Additionally, the practical application of hypericin as a BACE1 inhibitor in a therapeutic context would require careful consideration of factors such as bioavailability, safety, and efficacy.

Bangladeshi medicinal plants (BMP) have been used as traditional medicinal plants to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, but the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the bark of BMP are not yet known. The objective of this study was to determine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using methanolic extracts of bark obtained from 15 medicinal spices of Bangladesh plants. The bark methanol extracts of BMP evaluated the total antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the 15 bark extracts of BMP, Albizia odoratissima (A. odoratissima), Engelhardia spicata (E. spicata), and Shorea robusta (S. robusta) showed the highest total phenolic contents and total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity. In particular, the three bark extracts significantly reduced the mRNA expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and inflammation-inducible enzymes in macrophages. Also, the mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase 2 was significantly suppressed by three bark extracts in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results suggest that among the 15 bark extracts obtained from medicinal plant in Bangladesh, three bark extracts of A. odoratissima, E. spicata, and S. robusta exert total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity and inhibitory effects on LPS-stimulated inflammation in macrophages.

Celtis iguanaea is popularly used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, thorough chemical and pharmacological investigations regarding its activity are lacking. In this study, we investigated the effects of the hydroalcoholic extract from C. iguanaea (CI) on markers of cardiovascular diseases and the glucose metabolism in cholesterol-fed rats. Therefore, hypercholesterolemic rats (1% cholesterol) were orally treated with CI (150, 300, or 600 mg/kg) or simvastatin (4 mg/kg) (n = 6) once a day for 30 days along with a hypercholesterolemic diet. A control group (C) was given saline solution. CI showed significant decreases in serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HMG-CoA-reductase, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ when compared to group C (p ˂ 0.05). Hypoglycemic effects were observed along with a decrease of the activity of sucrase (CI 600), maltase (CI 150, CI 300), and an increase in muscle glycogen levels (CI 300). Antioxidant effects were observed in plasma, and the histopathological analysis showed a significant decrease in the liver fat area for CI compared to group C (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that the biological effects of CI could be related to the presence of flavonoids that possibly exert antioxidant, enzymatic inhibitory, and insulin-mimetic effects.

There is a growing demand and use of herbal cosmetics for skin purposes due to their perceived safety when applied to the skin. Three Cassipourea species commonly known as “ummemezi” are used interchangeable by women in rural areas of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces to treat hypermelanosis as well as sun protection. We conducted a phytochemical comparison of three Cassipourea species; C. flanaganii, C. gummiflua and C. malosana by LC-MS/MS analysis in negative mode. The results obtained from the LC-MS/MS yielded a total number of twenty-four compounds of different chemical classes, including fatty acids, steroids, di- and tri-terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids were detected, and eighteen among them were tentatively identified. Despite the recent popularity of modern cosmetic products, it is clear that plants continue to play an important role in the local cosmetics industry in South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal community provinces. The findings of this study suggest that an alternative treatment for hyper-melanosis disorders should be developed further. The residual wild plant stocks are insufficient to meet commercial needs, thus, encouraging their sustainable use is a means of harnessing the conservation of these plants. Indigenous communities should be supported in the commercialization which could be linked to the rural economic development.

Therapies targeting amyloid, such as monoclonal antibodies like Lecanemab, Aducanumab, and Donanemab, have garnered FDA approval but remain controversial due to limited clinical benefits and significant side effects against Alzheimer. The present theorical work utilized Virtual Screening and Docking techniques to explore potential small natural molecules' interactions with the KIBRA protein, a promising target for drug development. Kibra protein is considered a biomarker for synaptic dysfunction and cognitive decline. Employing Autodock Vina and Pyrx software, on several natural compounds and found Hypericin to exhibit the lowest binding energy of approximately -9 kcal/mol. Previous studies have highlighted Hypericin's strong affinity for Alzheimer's Disease-associated targets like ABAD and BACE1. These findings suggest Hypericin could be as a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's Disease. Further research is warranted to validate its efficacy and safety for clinical use.

Background: Critical states present scale-free dynamics, optimizing neuronal complexity. We explored electroencephalogram (EEG) criticality in amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) patients with clinical improvement in working memory, verbal memory, verbal fluency and overall executive functions after the completion of a 6-month prospective memory training. (2) Methods: We compared “before” and “after” stationary resting-state EEG records of right-handed MCI patients (n = 17; 11 females), using the method of critical fluctuations and Haar wavelet analysis. (3) Results: Significant criticality enhancement was present in frontotemporal electrodes [mean dif: 0.10; Z = 7, p = .019] and isolated electrodes T6 [mean dif: 0.204; t (10) = - 2.3, p = .044] and F4 [mean dif: 0.0194; t (10) = - 2.82; p = .018]. (4) Conclusions: EEG criticality agreed with clinical improvement, consisting a possible monitoring biomarker in MCI and Alzheimer’s disease. Further evaluation is needed in patients under cognitive training or even drug-modifying therapies.

In recent years, the production of renewable energy represents one of the main challenges of modern and future society. The new cultivation method called Agrivoltaic (hereafter AV), combines and associates agricultural production and renewable energy (photovoltaic) production in a collaborative synergy from which both benefit. In this study, the dry matter and essential oils yield of six medicinal species (Salvia officinalis L., Origanum vulgare L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lavendula angustifolia L., Thymus citriodorus L. and Mentha spicata L.) grown underneath a dynamic AV system in comparison to those in full sun (T), were evaluated. In particular, below the dynamic AV system, due to the rotation of the panels, two plot areas on the ground were distinguished: one always covered by the panels (UP), and another one covered alternatively (BP). During the aromatic crop cycles, the solar radiation, infrared leaf temperature and air temperatures in UP, BP and T plot, were measured. In addition, at harvest time, weed survey was carried out. The results showed that, in general, the solar radiation and infrared leaf temperature were lower in UP plot than in either the BP and T plots, while the air temperatures were similar in all compared plots. Also the weed cover percentage was lower in the UP plot than other ones. The essential oils yield in the sage, thyme, mint and rosemary plants were higher in both UP and BP plots than for T plot. Thus, shading and/or less weed infestation may have been the main factors favorably influencing the performance of medicinal crops under a dynamic AV system.

Plants have developed unique mechanisms to cope with the harsh environmental conditions to compensate for their lack of mobility. A key part of their coping mechanisms is the synthesis of secondary metabolites. In addition to their role in plants’ defense against pathogens, they also possess therapeutic properties against diseases, and their use by humans predates written history. Viruses are a unique class of submicroscopic agents, incapable of independent existence outside a living host. Pathogenic viruses continue to pose a significant threat on global health, leading to unprecedented fatalities on a yearly basis. The use of medicinal plants as a natural source for an-tiviral agents has been widely reported in literature in the past decades. Metabolomics is a powerful research tool for the identification of plant metabolites with antiviral potentials and can be used to isolate compounds with antiviral activities in plants and study the biosynthetic pathways involved in viral disease progression. This review discusses the use of medicinal plants as antiviral agents, with a special focus on the metabolomics evidence supporting their efficacy. Additionally, suggestions are made for the optimization of various metabolomics methods for characterizing the bio-active compounds in plants and subsequent understanding of the mechanism of their operation.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by the deficiency of insulin production and is one of the concerning health problems worldwide, especially in developing countries. Considering the systemic toxicity associated with current antidiabetic medications and their limited efficacy, there is an urgent need to discover new plant-based natural antidiabetics. Since time immemorial, medicinal plants have played an important role in the management of health disorders. In recent years, herbal medicine has experienced exponential growth in popularity worldwide, owing to its natural origin and fewer side effects, appealing to both developing and developed nations. Ecuador has a rich cultural history in ethnobotany that plays a crucial role in their people's lives. Several Ecuadorian medicinal plants have hypoglycemic or an-ti-hyperglycemic properties that are rich with bioactive phytochemicals. These medicinal plants were extensively used in traditional medicine preparation in Ecuador for many decades to treat diabetes because of their cost-effectiveness, available traditional knowledge, and low toxicity. Many Ecuadorian medicinal plants are reported to have antidiabetic properties that reduce blood sugar levels, and oxidative stress, regulate intestinal function, improve insulin resistance, inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase, lower gluconeogenic enzymes, stimulate glucose uptake mechanisms, and play an important role in glucose and lipid metabolism, yet there is a substantial lack of integrated approach between the existing ethnomedicinal practice and pharmacological research. Therefore, this review aims to discuss and explore the traditional medicinal plants used in Ecuador for treating DM and their bioactive phytochemicals, which are mainly responsible for their anti-diabetic properties.

(1) Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the second largest cause of mortality in female worldwide. Besides from basic risk factors, there are several hereditary variables that contribute to BC. Breast cancer has been linked to a variety of nuclear DNA changes as well as mitochondrial DNA alterations. The aim of this study was to analysis the association of mitochondrial tRNA leucine2 gene with BC. (2) Material and methods: In the current study, 24 samples have been collected from various families in Peshawar. DNA was extracted from Blood. PCR was used to amplify the mitochondrial tRNA MT-TL2 gene, and 22 samples were sequenced. The sequence was compared with accession #NC-012920.1 of the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS). (3) Results: The results (Chromatograph, nucleotide sequence and rCRS alignment) shows mutations in mitochondrial tRNA MT-TL2 gene in our participants is not the cause of Breast cancer. (4) Conclusion: Yet, a significant number of BC patients must be studied, and their full mitochondrial DNA must be analyzed. This will provide an indication of the potential DNA marker that might be used to prevent BC deaths at the earliest stages.

The continuous flowing spacetime forms a spacetime group G, one of its fundamental groups is the Poincare group PO(1,3), and the matter and interaction fields are representations of its intrinsic spacetime group. As a kind of quantized space-time unit, space-time group elements generate both space-time manifolds and matter. Matter and fields are aggregates of the quantum space-time within them and determine their type: the Lorentz group SO(1,3) represents a rotating spacetime corresponding to visible matter and the translation group P^1,3 represents a translational spacetime corresponding to dark matter and dark energy. The aggregation mode of space-time degrees of freedom in matter reveals that charge conjugation symmetry is the inverse symmetry of internal time of charged particles, and the external parity breaking of neutrinos is also due to their internal spatial aggregation mode.

Due to the growing demand for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (PAMs), environmental risks associated with overexploitation and inadequate waste management are increasing. Since MAPs residues have a notable potential to be valorised, the implementation of Circular Economy solutions can play a central role in transforming waste management problems into economic opportunities and in responding to the growing demand for MAPs. Circular economy is viewed as a solution for fostering a sustainable system planet and positively contributes to the economy and society. A systematic review was conducted aiming to identify potential applications for the valorisation of MAP, under a sustainable waste management and circular economy approach. A total number of 47 studies were analysed and it was verified that MAPs residues can be valorised for energy purposes, crop management and applications in chemical, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic industries, among others. Despite the wide range of possible applications, to promote a progressive implementation of circular economy strategies by the industry, further investigation is needed regarding the development of more efficient techniques and technology to develop value-added products and the assessment of sustainable performance in empirical investigations, considering both economic and environmental indicators.

Parasitic diseases continue represent a threat on a global scale, particularly among the poorest countries in the world. This is particularly because of the absence of vaccines, and in some cases, resistance against available drugs, currently being used for their treatment. In this review emphasis is laid on natural products and scaffolds from African medicinal plants (AMPs) for lead drug discovery and possible further development of drugs for the treatment of parasitic diseases. In the discussion, emphasis has been laid on alkaloids, terpenoids, quinones, flavonoids and narrower compound classes of compounds with micromolar range activities against Schistosoma, Trypanosoma and Leishmania species. Suggestions for future drug development from African medicinal plants have also been provided.

Annually, millions of people worldwide are affected by skin diseases, and current therapeutic approaches have limited efficacy. Advances in the treatment of exosomes have led to the development of new therapeutic methods that hold promising potential for improving the treatment options for skin diseases. The aim of this study is to produce pharmaceutical and cosmetic compounds based on exosomes for the treatment of skin conditions such as eczema, pigmentation disorders, skin sagging and aging, cellular skin regeneration, increased skin moisture, and prevention of skin shedding, among others. This study examines the effects of exosomes derived from plants, humans, medicinal algae, and fungi to treat skin diseases. Spectrophotometric analysis reveals the presence of nucleic acids and proteins in exosome samples, indicating their cargo composition. TEM micrographs demonstrate that the exosome isolation process preserves the integrity of the membrane and the crucial spherical structure for their functionality. DLS analysis confirms that isolated exosomes have a size similar to typical exosome dimensions. MTT assays indicate concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects of exosomes on skin cells, with a calculated IC50 representing a significant decrease in cell viability. Real-time PCR shows higher gene expression levels of collagen I and collagen III, indicating the potential of exosomes to enhance collagen synthesis. Tyrosinase enzyme expression analysis demonstrates the influence of exosome treatments on pathways related to melanin production. The use of exosomes derived from various sources provides a promising platform for developing new drugs in the treatment of skin diseases. Additionally, exosomes can be utilized in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer, transforming them into a hopeful field of research. Plant-derived exosomes are environmentally friendly and can serve as the next generation of drug delivery systems for treating various diseases.

: Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are becoming an increasingly severe global problem due to their widespread distribution and complex impact on living organisms. Apart from their environmental impact, the effects of MNPs on living organisms have also continued to attract attention. The harmful impact of MNPs has been extensively documented in marine invertebrates and larger marine vertebrates like fish. However, the research on the toxicity of these particles on mammals is still limited, and their possible effects on humans are poorly understood. Considering that MNPs are commonly found in food or food packaging, humans are primarily exposed to them through ingestion. It would be valuable to investigate the potential harmful effects of these particles on gut health. This review focuses on recent research exploring the toxicological impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on the gut, as observed in human cell lines and mammalian models. Available data from various studies indicate that the accumulation of MNPs in mammalian models and human cells may result in adverse consequences, in terms of epithelial toxicity, immune toxicity, and disruption of gut microbiota. The paper also discusses the current research limitations and prospects in this field, aiming to provide a scientific basis and reference for further studies on the toxic mechanisms of micro- and nanoplastics.

As the demand for aromatic and medicinal herbs increases, so does the pressure to intensify production, increasing the risk of overexploitation of these natural resources. Sustainability corresponds to the preservation of something that exists in the present and must be maintained in the future, implying accountability and obligation. However, in order to maintain the conditions and essential goods for the survival of future generations, consumers and businesses must commit to sustainable practices. The circular economy is considered one of the solutions to promote a sustainable system and can be defined as a transition from a linear model, where resources are transformed, used and discarded, to a circular (regenerative) model, where materials are reused whenever possible. An ecologically correct approach to waste reuse avoids the negative impacts associated with improper disposal of agro-industrial wastes, such as mass proliferation of microorganisms, production of greenhouse gases, loss of energy potential, and other negative impacts on the environment or human health. The objective of this study is to provide a compilation of good agricultural practices that promote sustainability in the production of medicinal and aromatic herbs, particularly in the areas of cultivation, harvesting, drying, extraction, and packaging, and to highlight the potential for evaluating processing residues in medicinal and aromatic herbs.

In this article, we investigate both the Schrödinger and continuity equations in the presence of nonlocal potential that arising from electron-electron interaction and local one in the context of minimal uncertainty in momentum within commutative and noncommutative frameworks. Furthermore, the Frahn–Lemmer potential type is used. Interestingly, the combined effects of both the phase-space noncommutativity and nonlocality on the current density while considering a minimal uncertainty in momentum are examined. We find that the current density, as conventionally defined, does not fulfil the condition of current conservation, thus, a new definition of the current density that encompasses the aforementioned contributions is given. Thereafter, it is shown that the computed current using the new definition of the current density satisfies the current conservation. Noting that using both the $★$product and linear Bopp-Shift, the noncommutativity is inserted.

Gradual disability worsening in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is indicative of confirmed progression that mostly involves progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) and is associated with neurodegeneration. Insights from pathology reveal grey matter involvement (neocortex, hippocampus, spinal cord, and deep grey matter structures) and microglia activation in early stages of MS. Cortical lesions result in thinning and atrophy and are considered accurate predictors of disability progression and cognitive decline.Neuroimaging biomarkers, such as high-resolution 7T MR images and TSPO-PET, have been examined for the detection of cortical pathology linked to cognitive deficits and thus progression, but are limited in clinical practice due to availability, time constraints, and cost.Electroencephalography (EEG) emerges as a non-invasive, cost-effective tool that reflects cortical activity in MS. Its potential in monitoring cognitive impairment is explored by focusing on nonlinear EEG analysis. The MuST PREDICT^TM project aims to extract linear and nonlinear EEG features, investigating their role in predicting disease progression and optimizing treatment. The study employs retrospective, cross-sectional, and prospective designs, utilizing EEGs from various MS forms, cognitive assessments, serum/cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and neuroimaging. The methodology involves time-based and spectral feature extraction, employing artificial intelligence classifiers and brain criticality-based approaches.The conceptual framework of an innovative modality is herein presented, that would EEG for early MS progression detection. Standardization of the methodology could lead to the creation of a digital tool for better prognostication and treatment strategy optimization.

Within the family Solanaceae, Withania is a small genus belonging to the Solanoideae subfamily. Here, we report the de novo assembled, complete, plastomed genome sequences of W. coagulans, W. adpressa, and W. riebeckii. The length of these genomes ranged from 154,198 base pairs (bp) to 154,361 bp and contained a pair of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) of 25,027--25,071 bp that were separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,675--85,760 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,457--18,469 bp. We analyzed the structural organization, gene content and order, guanine-cytosine content, codon usage, RNA-editing sites, microsatellites, oligonucleotide and tandem repeats, and substitutions of Withania plastid genomes, which revealed close resemblance among the species. Both the substitution and insertion and deletion analyses confirmed that the IR region was significantly conserved compared with the LSC and SSC regions. Further comparative analysis among the Withania species highlighted 30 divergent hotspots that could potentially be used for molecular marker development, phylogenetic analysis, and species identification.

The Himalaya is well known for high diversity and ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants. However, not all areas of the Himalayas are well studied. In particular, studies on ethnobotanical uses of plants from the Eastern Himalayas are rare and lacking for many tribes. Past studies primarily focused on listing plants name and their traditional medicinal uses. However, studies on traditional ethnopharmacological practices on medicine preparation had not yet been reported in published literature from the Eastern Himalaya. In this study, we are reporting the first time ethnopharmacological used 24 medicines, their procedures of preparation and listed 53 plant species used for those medicines for Monpa tribe. Such documentations had not yet been done for other tribes in India. Our research demonstrates the urgent need to documents traditional medicine preparation procedures from the local healers before rapid cultural modernization forgets them in transforming country like India. This study should motivate national and international researchers to do more works on ethnopharmacology and bioprospecting.

Astronauts in space are subject to a continuous bombardment of ionizing radiation. The Earth's magnetic field and the ISS shield some biologically damaging particles traveling through. Still, travel beyond low-Earth orbit and extravehicular activities are exceedingly more dangerous and there is a concern for the acute and late-occurring adverse health effects befalling astronauts. So, it is vital to consider the current tools and models used to describe and study the organic consequences of ionizing radiation exposure. It is equally important to see where these models may improve. This article reviews the historical development and current state of knowledge of radiation effects impacting astronauts in orbit. We explain the space radiation environment, cellular microenvironment, and how these may be incorporated in radiobiological models to aid in our understanding of the influence space travel may have on astronaut health. The topics discussed in this paper include a review of DNA damage and repair mechanisms and the numerical models that aim to explain the biological effects resulting from ionizing radiation damage. Historically, radiobiological models focused on how radiation damages nuclear DNA, built upon the hypotheses of Crowther and Lea in the 1940s and 1960s, and neglected other sub-cellular targets outside of nuclear DNA.

The therapeutic, attenuative, and morphological effects of proprietary neural stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (NSC EVs, AB126) produced by Aruna Bio, Inc. were assessed in a range of in vitro and in vivo models of stroke. We emphasize that modulation of neuroinflammation is a key target and suggest further studies to advance our understanding of the mechanisms of action and ultimately how best to dose and monitor the benefits of AB126 in stroke patients.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a recurring global problem, which constantly demands new antimicrobial compounds to challenge the resistance. It is well known that essential oils (EOs) have been known for biological activities including antimicrobial properties. In this study, EOs from seven aromatic plants of Asir region of southwestern Saudi Arabia were tested for their antimicrobial efficacy against four drug resistant pathogenic bacterial isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus typhimurium) and one fungal isolate (Candida albicans). Chemical compositions of EOs were determined by Gas chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed that EOs from Mentha cervina, Ocimum basilicum and Origanum vulgare proved most active against all isolates with inhibitory zone range between17 to 45 mm. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.025mg/ml was observed for Staph. aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes with EO of Origanum vulgare. All the three EOs showed significant anti candida activity. Together form the results the EOs from Mentha cervina, Ocimum basilicum and Origanum vulgare demonstrated a significant antimicrobial efficacy against drug resistant microorganisms.

As Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCD) increase, preventive approaches become more crucial. In this review, Calorie Restriction (CR) effects on human beings were evaluated, comparing benefits and risks of different CR diets: classic CR vs ketosis-inducing diets, including Intermittent Fasting (IF), Classic Ketogenic Diet (CKD), Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) and Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet (SKMD). Special emphasis on Insulin Resistance (IR) was placed, as it mediates Metabolic Syndrome (MS), a risk factor for CNCD, and predicts MS diagnosis. CR is the most robust intervention known to increase lifespan and health span, with high evidence and known biochemical mechanisms. CR improves cardiometabolic risk parameters, boosts exercise insulin sensitivity response, and there may be benefits of implementing moderate CR on healthy young and middle-aged individuals. However, there is insufficient evidence to support long-term CR. CKD is effective for weight and MS management, and may have additional benefits such as prevention of muscle loss and appetite control. SKMD has extreme significance benefits for all the metabolic parameters studied. Studies show inconsistent benefits of IF compared to classic CR. More studies are required to study biochemical parameters, reinforce evidence, identify risks, and seek effective and safe nutritional CR approaches.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting from progressive damage to specific brain regions. Key symptoms encompass involuntary movements (tremor), slowness of movements (bradykinesia), and muscle rigidity. Although the precise cause remains uncertain, a combination of genetic and environmental factors is believed to contribute to its development. This study focuses on the interaction of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase parkin with natural compounds. Docking investigations revealed that Amentoflavone exhibited an excellent binding energy score of approximately -10 kcal/mol. The E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase parkin displayed a robust binding affinity with docked amentoflavone, evident from a high binding energy of -10 kcal/mol. Nonetheless, additional biological studies are crucial not only to validate its potential efficacy against Parkinson's and assess safety in terms of toxicity but also to perform further computational analyses confirming these preliminary assessments.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by memory impairment and existence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neuroinflammation. Due to the pivotal role of oxidative damage in AD, natural antioxidative agents, such as polyphenol-rich fungi, have garnered scientific scrutiny. Here, the aqueous extract of mixed medicinal mushroom mycelia (MMMM) - Phellinus linteus, Ganoderma lucidum, and Inonotus obliquus - cultivated on a barley medium, was assessed for its anti-AD effects. A neuron-like PC12 cells, which were subjected to Zn2+, an Aβ aggregator, was employed as an in vitro AD model. The cells pretreated with or without MMMM assayed for Aβ immunofluorescence, cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis, and antioxidant enzyme activity. 5XFAD mice were administered with 30 mg/kg/day MMMM for 8 weeks and underwent memory function tests and histologic analyses. In vitro results demonstrated that the cells pretreated with MMMM exhibited attenuation in Aβ immunofluorescence, ROS accumulation, and apoptosis, and increment in cell viability and antioxidant enzyme activity. In vivo results revealed that 5XFAD mice administered with MMMM showed attenuation in memory impairment and histologic deterioration such as Aβ plaques accumulation and neuroinflammation. MMMM might mitigate AD-associated memory impairment and cerebral pathologies, including Aβ plaque accumulation, and neuroinflammation, by impeding Aβ-induced neurotoxicity.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is one of the leading causes of death in developing countries. This global health burden is worsened by the emergence of multi-drug resistance, which calls for new interventions to address the pandemic and medicinal plants remain a source for the new interventions. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro immunomodulatory effects of three plants used traditionally for the treatment of PTB in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Eradication of Mycobacterium. tuberculosis in the lung tissue, requires the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype. Thus, a plant extract with a high potential for anti-tuberculosis effects is expected to produce a high concentration of nitric oxide (NO) as the indicator for the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype. To test this effect, lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages were cultured and treated with the ethanolic crude extracts of three plants: Anthrixia philycoides, Lippia javaniva, and Sanicula elata at concentrations of 50µg/ml, 100µg/ml, and 200 µg/ml. After 24h, 50µl Griess reagent was added to the plates and absorbance was measure at 540nm. A standard curve of sodium nitrite dissolved in culture media was used to determine the concentration of NO in each sample. The results showed Anthrixia philycoides, and Lippia javanica, as anti-inflammatory when compared with the positive control, while Sanicula elata pro-inflammatory, producing a high amount of NO, compared with the positive control. Our results revealed the polarizing activity of Sanicula elata on macrophages towards M1 phenotype, with evidence of the nitric oxide production, warranting further in-vivo investigations of medicinal plant for anti-TB activity.

According to the eminent scholar, philosopher, and physician Avicenna, "the doctor has three tools: the word, the plant, the knife." The plant kingdom is recognized as humanity's earliest and most ancient healing source, employed for the management and prevention of illnesses. Tracing back through history, the most ancient documented proof of plants' utilization in medicine dates back to a Sumerian clay slab discovered in Nagpur roughly 5000 years ago. This artifact included a compilation of twelve medicinal recipes that involved over 250 diverse plant species. Sumerian healers extracted powders and infusions from plant roots and stems, while also crediting healing properties to pears and figs. Additionally, they utilized dried and ground young shoots of willow and plum trees, pine and fir needles as a component in compresses and poultices. Often, powders from animal and mineral sources were blended with those extracted from dried and crushed plants. Notably, in addition to water, wine and beer served as solvents. Thus, at least 80 centuries ago, people utilized the most uncomplicated medicinal plant-based preparations for treatment [1]. The "Pen T'Sao," an ancient Chinese text on roots and herbs, authored by Emperor Shen Nung approximately 2500 BC, contains descriptions of 900 medicaments (comprising dried components of medicinal plants). Several of these substances are still in use today, including Rhei rhisoma, camphor, Theae folium, Podophyllum, great yellow gentian, ginseng, datura, cinnamon bark, and ephedra [2]. Regarding Kazakh folk medicine, an area that has yet to be fully explicated and substantiated, it can be stated that the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Kazakh people transcends the mere treatment of ailments and rests on robust theoretical underpinnings. Oteiboydak Tleukabyluly (1388-1478), an astute healer and prominent figure in Kazakh folk medicine during the 15th century, comprehensively explicated the secrets of the healing art in his medical and ethnographic work "Medical Narrative," which he composed between 1466 and 1473 at the behest of az-Zhanibek Khan, who held him in high esteem as a great healer. This medical encyclopedia delineates the functions of various organs of the human body and provides a catalogue of the primary diseases associated with them. Furthermore, it includes a meticulous description of the methods used in traditional medicine at present, such as setting bones, listening to the pulse, and incantations. Through practical experimentation and experimentation conducted in the steppe laboratory, the healer formulated a total of 1,108 different medicinal compounds, of which 858 were derived from medicinal plants, 318 were extracted from animal organs, and roughly 60 were sourced from metals. The moniker "Teacher without a teacher" was bestowed on Oteiboydak Tleukabylov, who discovered methods for treating 1,050 different diseases [3]. At present, the employment of phytotherapy has gained widespread acceptance on a global scale. According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) global review of national policies concerning traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine, as well as the regulation of herbal medicines, there is an evident growth in the European and Asian market for herbal medicines [4]. Kazakhstan boasts a natural flora of over 6,000 plant species [5]. The exact number of medicinal plant species present in Kazakhstan remains uncertain, as the list continues to expand annually. More than 150 plant species have been employed in both official and folk medicine for various ailments. This review focuses on a selection of medicinal plants growing within the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan that have traditionally been used to alleviate skin diseases. In conducting this study (2010-2023), emphasis was placed on the plants' phytochemical composition, with a particular focus on the principal components responsible for their therapeutic effects against inflammatory skin conditions such as dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and eczema.

Rationale:First discovered in 1990, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) was initially shown to have an intimate relationship with central areas of the nervous system associated with pain, reward, and motivation. Recently, however, the ECS has been extensively implicated in the cardiovascular system with contractility, heart rate, blood pressure, and vasodilation. Emerging data demonstrates modulation of the ECS plays an essential role in cardio metabolic risk, atherosclerosis, and can even limit damage to cardiomyocytes during ischemic events.Patient Concerns:This case describes a 63-year-old male who presented to a primary care physician for a medical cannabis (MC) consult due to unstable angina (UA) not relieved by morphine or cardiac medications; having failed all first- and second-line poly-pharmaceutical therapies. The patient reported frequent, unprovoked, angina and exertional dyspnea.Diagnosis:Having a complex cardiac history, the patient first presented 22 years ago after a suspected myocardial infarction (MI). He re-presented in 2010 and underwent stent placement at that time for inoperable triple-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) which was identified via percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. UA developed on follow up and, despite medical management over the past 6 years, his UA became progressively debilitating.Interventions and Outcomes:In conjunction with his standard cardiac care, patient had a gradual lessening of UA related pain, including frequency and character, after using an edible form of medical cannabis (MC) (1:1 CBD:THC). Following continued treatment, he ceased long term morphine treatment and describes the pain as no longer crippling. As demonstrated by his exercise tolerance tests, the patient experienced an improved functional capacity and reported an increase in his daily functioning, and overall activity.Lessons:This case uniquely highlights MC in possibly reducing the character, quality, and frequency of UA; while concordantly improving functional cardiac capacity in a patient with CAD. Additional case reports are necessary to verify this.

The wide use of cadmium (Cd) in industry causes great environmental health problems to humans and animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Xylopia aethiopica fruit ethanol extract (XAFEE) on cadmium-induced inflammation and dyslipidemia in male albino rats. Thirty albino rats weighing 120–180 g were randomly selected into six groups (n = 5): control rats (administered distilled water only), Cd alone group (10 mg/ kg bw), Cd + 150 mg/kgbw XAFEE, Cd + 300 mg/kgbw XAFEE, 150 mg/kgbw XAFEE and 300 mg /kgbw XAFEE groups after 2-week acclimatization. The experiment lasted for 21 days, after which blood sample was collected by cardiac puncture. Changes in tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 10 (IL-10), total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), phospholipids and free fatty acids (FFAs) concentrations in serum were determined. The results of the present study indicated that Cd exposure remarkably increased (p < 0.05) the TC, TAG, phospholipids, FFAs and TNF-α concentrations, and significantly decreased IL-10 concentration (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that inflammatory changes and alterations in lipid metabolism might be one of the mechanisms underlying the subtle effects of Cd toxicity, “dyslipidemia.” XAFEE expressed protective role against toxic influence of Cd on affected parameters in rats. The results raised the possibility of Xylopia aethiopica fruit being considered as a condiment in soup, local drinks, supplements or herbs preparations in areas where there are chances of Cd exposure, occupationally or environmentally.

The wide use of cadmium (Cd) in industry causes great environmental health problems to humans and animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Xylopia aethiopica fruit ethanol extract (XAFEE) on cadmium-induced inflammation and dyslipidemia in male albino rats. Thirty albino rats weighing 120–180 g were randomly selected into six groups (n = 5): control rats (administered distilled water only), Cd alone group (10 mg/ kg bw), Cd + 150 mg/kgbw XAFEE, Cd + 300 mg/kgbw XAFEE, 150 mg/kgbw XAFEE and 300 mg /kgbw XAFEE groups after 2-week acclimatization. The experiment lasted for 21 days, after which blood sample was collected by cardiac puncture. Changes in tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 10 (IL-10), total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), phospholipids, free fatty acids (FFAs) and HDL-TAG concentrations in serum were determined. The results of the present study indicated that Cd exposure remarkably increased (p < 0.05) the TC, TAG, phospholipids, FFAs, HDL-TAG, TNF-α concentrations, and significantly decreased IL-10 concentration (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that inflammatory changes and alterations n lipid metabolism might be one of the mechanisms underlying the subtle effects of Cd toxicity, “dyslipidemia.” XAFEE expressed protective role against toxic influence of Cd on affected parameters in rats. The results raised the possibility of Xylopia aethiopica fruit being considered as a condiment in soup, local drinks, supplements or herbs preparations in areas where there are chances ofCd exposure, occupationally or environmentally.

Abstract: This review addresses the complexities of type 1 diabetes (T1D)and its associated complications, with a par-ticular focus on diabetic retinopathy (DR). This review outlines the progression from non-proliferative to proliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, highlighting the role of dysglycemia in the pathogenesis of these conditions. A significant portion of the review is devoted to technological advances in diabetes management, particu-larly the use of Hybrid Closed Loop systems (HCLS) and to the potential of open-source HCLS systems, which could be easily adapted to different patiens’needs using big data analytics and machine learning. Personalized HCLS algorithms that integrate factors such as patient lifestyle, dietary habits, and hormonal variations are highlighted as critical to reducing the incidence of diabetes-related complications and improving patient outcomes.

Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) is an emerging technology that simulates an artificial organ within a microfluidic cell culture chip. Current cell biology research focuses on in vitro cell culture due to various limitations of in vivo testing. Unfortunately, in vitro cell culture fails to provide an accurate microenvironment, and in vivo cell culture is expensive and has historically been a source of ethical controversy. OOC aims to overcome these shortcomings and provide the best of both in vivo and in vitro cell culture research. The key component of the OOC design is utilizing microfluidics to ensure a stable concentration gradient, dynamic mechanical stress modeling, and accurate reconstruction of a cellular microenvironment. OOC also has the advantage of complete observation and control of the system, which is impossible to recreate in in vivo research. Multiple throughputs, channels, membranes, and chambers are constructed in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) array to simulate various organs on a chip. Various experiments can be performed utilizing OOC technology, including drug delivery research and toxicology. Current technological expansions involve multiple organ microenvironments on a single chip, allowing for studying inter-tissue interactions. Other developments in the OOC technology include finding a more suitable material as a replacement for PDMS and minimizing artefactual error and non-translatable differences.

Non-timber forest products (NTFP) have contributed in various ways to the living, livelihoods, and trading of households and communities who live in rural and urban areas all over the world. This paper analyses the value chain of Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) in the Cao Bang Geopark, Vietnam. 106 actors were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire: experts (agricultural extension officers, farmers' associations), harvesters, traders, primary processors, processors, distributors, and consumers. The results show that a map of Jiaogulan value chain, value added of households in main market channels, and impact of value added and distribution of Jiaogulan products on household income.

Traditional methods of non-metallic materials joining for industrial uses are limited to lasers, or induction or conduction heating. The precision and efficiency for large-scale applications are difficult to be achieved at the same time. Here in this paper, we report a precise microwave welding method induced by localized surface plasmon of metallic macro-gaps under microwave excitation. The proposed method utilizes energy from well-developed commercial microwaver, and benefits from the precision of localized surface plasmon, an oscillating electron cloud excited by electromagnetic waves, which is currently under hot investigation only at micro- or nano-scales. The method is applied to the welding of polymers to solve the problems of complex processing equipment and high processing energy consumption in the traditional welding process, so as to cope with the growing energy and environmental crisis. Finite element numerical simulations are used to study the distribution characteristics of electric fields and temperature fields. The results show that the process is a high quality, efficient, low consumption and environmentally friendly green process compared to traditional polymer welding methods.

“All diseases originate in the gut.” Hippocrates (400 BC) A healthy gut microbiome via the gut-brain-axis (GBA) elevates heart rate variability (HRV), a general measure of health and well-being. A dysbiotic gut microbiome, low in biodiversity and butyrate producers, alters tryptophan metabolism with release of proinflammatory cytokines, predominantly TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. These also characterize chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and a multitude of diseases, all exhibiting low HRV. Gut dysbiosis upregulates IFN-γ and with it IDO (indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase). Tryptophan pivots from serotonin synthesis to that of IDO induced kynurenine, increasing the kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (KTR). An elevated KTR is positively linked to neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases and negatively linked to HRV. Elevated IDO activity is not only enzymatic but also an intracellular signal transducer potentiated by TGF-β. This cytokine is the primary determinant of the TME. Also proposed is the gut-lung dysbiosis concept and consequent degradation of ACE2 (richest in lungs and gut). Leaky gut induced autoantibodies related to G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in combination with increased Ang II further potentiate oxidative stress. Aldosterone and paroxysmal orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) paradoxes are highlighted in the context of GPCR and gut dysbiosis, and the role of Candida is explored. The triple play of a prebiotic (d-mannose), probiotic (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli), and postbiotic (butyrate) might improve intestinal barrier integrity, oppose entry of GPCR antigens, suppress the inflammatory cytokine triad, balance IFN-γ and TGF-β, suppress oxidative stress, depress KTR, elevate HRV, and extend lifespan and its quality.

Exosomes, a subset of extracellular vesicles, have emerged as pivotal mediators of intercellular communication, revolutionizing our comprehension of cellular interactions. Their diverse cargo, comprising proteins, nucleic acids, and bioactive molecules, plays a crucial role in various physiological and pathological processes. In the intricate landscape of adult neurogenesis, exosomes wield significant influence, actively participating in the generation of new neurons within the adult mammalian brain. Originating predominantly from non-niche cells, these vesicles contribute substantially to the regulation of neuroinflammation, thereby impacting neurogenesis and offering therapeutic promise for neurological disorders. In the specific context of Parkinson's disease (PD), exosomes assume a multifaceted role, prominently implicated in the propagation of α-synuclein oligomers and the orchestration of neuroinflammation. Stem cell-derived exosomes present themselves as promising therapeutic agents, capable of reshaping the microenvironment, repairing neuronal damage, and mitigating apoptosis. The ongoing exploration of exosomes continues to unravel intricate biological processes, paving the way for innovative medical interventions and treatments, particularly within the challenging landscape of neurodegenerative diseases such as PD. The comprehensive understanding of exosomal functions holds the potential to advance our therapeutic approaches, offering new avenues for intervention and treatment strategies in the realm of neurodegenerative disorders.

Abstract This study focuses on the toxicity assessment of various flavonoids, with particular emphasis on Hesperidin. Among the investigated compounds, Hesperidin exhibits notable potential and low toxicity in both short and long-term evaluations. The toxicity parameters for Hesperidin include a low Max. Tolerated Dose (Human) (0.525 log mg/kg/day), indicative of its minimal potential harm to humans. Additionally, its Oral Rat Acute Toxicity (LD50) (2.506 mol/kg) suggests a relatively low acute toxicity level. The Oral Rat Chronic Toxicity (LOAEL) (3.167 log mg/kg_bw/day) signifies a higher dose threshold for observing adverse effects over the long term. Furthermore, Hesperidin demonstrates low Minnow Toxicity (7.131 log mM), suggesting minimal impact on aquatic organisms. Overall, this comprehensive assessment positions Hesperidin as a promising flavonoid with favorable properties and minimal toxicity.

This study employs molecular docking experiments to investigate the binding interactions of Hypericin with key proteins implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hypericin demonstrated a significant binding energy of -10.1 kcal/mol with ABAD (3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase type II). The analysis revealed multiple binding interactions, including hydrogen bonds with arginine 6, serine 7, and glutamic acid 140, as well as hydrophobic bonds involving leucine 11, aspartic acid 142, and aspartic acid 86. These findings illuminate the intricate molecular interactions between Hypericin and ABAD, suggesting its potential as a lead compound for further therapeutic development in the context of Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, a parallel docking investigation was conducted for Beta-secretase 1 (BACE1), a protein pivotal in the generation of beta-amyloid peptides—a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Inhibiting BACE1 activity is considered a promising therapeutic strategy for AD. Computational analyses suggest that Hypericin may serve as a potential inhibitor of BACE1. Molecular Docking results reveal a robust binding affinity between Hypericin and BACE1, supported by a significant binding energy score of -10.3 kcal/mol. Notably, both ABAD and BACE1 exhibit high binding affinity with Hypericin. This theoretical exploration provides an initial understanding of the intricate molecular pathways involved in Alzheimer's disease and proposes Hypericin as a potential therapeutic compound for mitigating its progression.

Electromobility has gained significant attention in the auto- motive industry, with car manufacturers striving to improve the charging experience for their users. In this study, we compare multiple realistic charging strategies in order to quantify the benefits arising from better planning of charging sessions. We base our evaluation on electricity price data from three regions: Sweden (SE3 region), Germany (DE region), and Denmark (DK2 region). This data is obtained from the ENTSO-E Transparency Platform, covering the two full years 2021 and 2022. We enhance this dataset with commercial price forecasts from the company StormGeo and benchmark it against a naive forecasting method. The primary aim of our work is to compare how the strategies of varying levels of complexity perform across the three different countries in terms of minimizing energy costs for electric car users.

In this work, several random Boolean networks (RBN) are generated and analyzed from two characteristics: their time evolution diagram and their transition diagram. To do this, its randomness is estimated using three metrics, of which algorithmic complexity is the only one capable of revealing both transitions towards the chaotic regime and the algorithmic contribution of certain states to the transition diagram and their relationship with the order they occupy in the temporal evolution of the respective RBN.

The Serra da Estrela Natural Park (NPSEs) in Portugal stands out as a well-preserved region abundant in medicinal plants, particularly known for their pharmaceutical applications in diabetes prevention and treatment. This comprehensive review explores these plants' botanical diversity, traditional uses, pharmacological applications, and chemical composition. The NPSEs boast a rich diversity with 138 medicinal plants across 55 families identified as traditionally and pharmacologically used against diabetes globally. Notably, the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are prevalent in anti-diabetic applications. In vitro studies reveal their significant inhibition of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, and certain plant co-products regulate genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin secretion. In vivo trials demonstrate anti-diabetic effects, including glycaemia regulation, insulin secretion, antioxidant activity, and lipid profile modulation. Medicinal plants in NPSE exhibit various activities beyond anti-diabetic, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and more. Chemical analysis identifies over fifty compounds like phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides responsible for their efficacy against diabetes. The findings underscore the potential of NPSE medicinal plants as anti-diabetic candidates, urging further research to develop effective plant-based anti-diabetic drugs, beverages, and supplements.

This study explores the potential of natural compounds, including Daidzin, Luteolin, and Silibinin, as inhibitors of human monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Docking simulations were performed using Autodock Vina with Pyrx program to evaluate the binding affinities of these compounds with MAO-B. Results indicate that Daidzin, Luteolin, and Silibinin exhibit promising binding affinities with MAO-B, with Daidzin demonstrating the highest affinity. Toxicity parameters were further predicted using the PkCSM Server, confirming the low toxicity of these compounds. Overall, the findings suggest that Daidzin, Luteolin, and Silibinin have the potential to be effective and safe treatments for Parkinson's disease through their inhibition of MAO-B. Further experimental validation is warranted to support their therapeutic efficacy in clinical settings.

We prove through path integral Monte Carlo computer experiments that the affine quantization of the $\varphi_4^4$ scaled Euclidean covariant relativistic scalar field theory is a valid quantum field theory with a well defined continuum limit of the one- and two-point-function. Affine quantization leads to a completely satisfactory quantization of field theories using situations that involve scaled behavior leading to an unexpected, $\hbar^2/\varphi^2$ which arises only in the quantum aspects.

The Semantic-Enhanced Tree-LSTM (SeT-LSTM) network, a novel advancement in the realm of linguistic modeling, marks a significant step forward from traditional Tree-based Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks. By intricately weaving in the nuances of typed grammatical dependencies, SeT-LSTMs offer a more nuanced understanding of language semantics. Traditional models often overlook the semantic shift caused by variations in word or phrase roles, a gap this paper aims to fill by focusing on the types of grammatical connections, or typed dependencies, within sentences. Our proposed architecture, dubbed the Semantic Relationship-Guided LSTM (SRG-LSTM), leverages a control mechanism to model the interplay between sequence elements. Additionally, we present a novel Tree-LSTM variant, the Semantic Dependency Tree-LSTM (SDT-LSTM), which integrates dependency parse structures with dependency types for more robust sentence embedding. The SDT-LSTM demonstrates superior performance in Semantic Relatedness Scoring and Sentiment Analysis compared to its predecessors. Qualitatively, it shows resilience to changes in sentence voice and heightened sensitivity to nominal alterations, aligning well with human intuition. This research underlines the pivotal role of grammatical relationships in sentence understanding and paves the way for further exploration in this domain.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in over 720 million confirmed cases and 7 million deaths worldwide, with insufficient treatment options. Innumerable efforts are being made around the world for faster identification of therapeutic agents to treat the deadly disease. Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 (PASC), also called Long COVID, is still being understood and lacks treatment options as well. A growing list of drugs are being suggested by various in silico, in vitro and ex vivo models, however currently only two treatment options are widely used: the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor remdesivir, and the main protease inhibitor nirmatrelvir in combination with ritonavir. Computational drug development tools and in silico studies involving molecular docking, molecular dynamics, entropy calculations and pharmacokinetics can be useful to identify new targets to treat COVID-19 and PASC, as shown in this work and our recent paper that identified alendronate as a promising candidate. We have now investigated all bisphosphonates which can bind competitively to nidovirus RdRp-associated nucleotidyl (NiRAN) transferase domain, and systematically down selected seven candidates (CHEMBL608526, CHEMBL196676, CHEMBL164344, CHEMBL4291724, CHEMBL4569308, CHEMBL387132, CHEMBL98211), two of which closely resemble the approved drugs minodronate and zoledronate. This work and our recent paper together provide an in silico mechanistic explanation for alendronate and zoledronate users having dramatically reduced odds of SARS-CoV-2 testing, COVID-19 diagnosis, and COVID-19-related hospitalizations, and indicate that similar observational studies with minodronate could be valuable.

In small animal models of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) infection, ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) have been used to investigate the pathogenesis. Podoplanin (PDPN) is an essential marker in lung type I alveolar epithelial cells, kidney podocytes, and lymphatic endothelial cells. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against ferret PDPN (ferPDPN) are useful for the pathological analyses of those tissues. We previously established an anti-ferPDPN mAb, PMab-292 using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. In this study, we determined the critical epitope of PMab-292 using flow cytometry. The N-terminal ferPDPN deletion mutants analysis revealed that the Val34 is located at the N-terminus of the PMab-292 epitope. Furthermore, the PA tag-substituted analysis (PA scanning) showed that Asp39 is located at the C-terminus of PMab-292 epitope. The epitope sequence (₃₄-VRPEDD-₃₉) also exists between Val26 and Asp31 of ferPDPN, indicating that PMab-292recognizes the tandem repeat of the VRPEDD sequence of ferPDPN.

This article seeks to strengthen efforts in technological developments based on the classification of PET plastic that positively impacts sustainable development and contributes to suitable solutions in collection centers in Mexico. Three experiment designs and machine learning tools for data processing were developed. For the experimentation, three factors were considered: the bottle's size, the amount of liquids inside the bottle, and the label on the bottle. The first experiment was to identify the distance of the sensor from post-consumer PET bottles. The second experiment was to determine the detection ability of the sensor with different levels of liquids inside the bottles, and the third was to determine the detection ability on the bottle labels. A digital lux meter on a microcontroller was developed to monitor illuminance on post-consumer PET plastic when it contains liquid as it passes through a conveyor belt for processing at an average rate of three bottles per second. With the implemented methodology, liquids were satisfactorily detected inside the transparent PET bottles when they had beverages between 25% and 100% of their capacity. Finally, this paper highlights that it is possible to implement an affordable design to identify bottles with liquids for collection centers.

The ordinary 3D wave equation for nondissipative, homogeneous, isotropic media admits solutions where the point sources are permitted to move, but it does not admit solutions where the receiver is allowed to move. To overcome this limitation, the new wave equation is derived, permitting both the receiver and the source to move. This new wave equation is a generalization of the standard wave equation, and it reduces to the standard wave equation when the receiver is at rest. To derive this new wave equation, we first mathematically define a diverging spherical wave caused by the stationary point source. From this purely mathematical definition, the wave equation for the stationary source and the moving receiver is derived together with the corresponding free-space Green's function. Utilizing the derived Green's function, it was shown that this new wave equation also permits the solutions where both the receiver and the source are permitted to move. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that, instead of an ordinary wave equation, the wave equation for the moving source and the moving receiver governs the waves emitted by the moving point sources and received by the moving receivers.

The future index prices are viewed as a critical issue for any trader and investor. For this craving, various models have shown up in the literature. The Geometric Brownian motion (GBM) is one of the popular models. This work examines four types of GBM as per the presence of memory or kind of volatility. These models include classical GBM with memoryless and constant volatility assumptions, SVGBM with memoryless and stochastic volatility assumption, GFBM with memory and constant volatility assumption, and SVGFBM with memory and stochastic volatility assumption. These models are utilized in an empirical study to forecast the future index price of Energy Sector in the Saudi Stock Exchange Market. The assessment was led by utilizing two error standards, mean square error (MSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The outcomes showed that the SVGFBM occupies the highest level of accuracy according to smallest values of MSE and MAPE. While the accuracy of GBM come in the tail of the list models under study. These results have affirmed the positive affection of combining memory and stochastic volatility assumption into the GBM model, which agreed findings of numerous earlier works. Furthermore, the findings showed the GFBM models are more accurate than GBM models regardless of the type of volatility. While, under the same type of memory, the models with stochastic volatility assumption are more accurate than the corresponding models of constant volatility assumption. In general, all models considered in this work uncovered high accuracy through the value of MAPE ≤ 10%. This indicates of the ability of applying these models in a real financial environment. Through this empirical study, we can say that the Energy Sector in Saudi Arabia is predictable and stable and afterward we urge financial investors and stockholder to trade and invest in this sector.

This study employs molecular docking techniques to investigate a spectrum of targets within Escherichia coli (E. coli), with a specific focus on four key proteins: Beta-lactamase, MccE protein, Penicillin G acylase, and DNA polymerase II. The research explores the binding interactions of various natural compounds, emphasizing Hypericin. Through computational analyses, the study aims to unveil the potential interactions between these compounds and essential proteins in E. coli. Notably, Hypericin demonstrates remarkable binding energy scores of approximately -10.5 kcal/mol within the Ligand Binding Site of the specified proteins. This observation suggests Hypericin's potential as a potent modulator of E. coli targets, prompting further investigation into its antimicrobial properties and therapeutic applications.

The assessment of Histone deacetylases in conjunction with Curcumin, conducted through the Mcule Database employing the Autodock Vina algorithm, involves an examination of molecular interactions. This analysis includes the calculation of binding energies, revealing the strength and stability of the interactions between Curcumin and various Histone deacetylase targets. The comparison encompasses diverse aspects such as binding energies, specific binding sites, interactions across different targets, structural details, and potential implications for biological activity. The results imply that Curcumin shows heightened affinity for Histone deacetylase 4 in comparison to other investigated histone deacetylases.

Cities are complex systems requiring urban design models that balance order and disorder. Collective creativity initiatives engage citizens in these processes, empowering bottom-up approaches that prioritize people and social well-being within urban development. This paper investigates an 'Urban Laboratory' as a case study, examining the potential of collective creativity to address urban complexity. The successful and ongoing project 'El Campo de Cebada' in Madrid, Spain, demonstrates how a community transformed a vacant lot into a vibrant social hub. The phases of this study include case selection, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of the results. This study identifies key enabling factors, including agents, management, social dynamics, infrastructure, and actions. These insights offer a methodological framework for designing future collaborative, resilient, and inclusive urban spaces, addressing the complex needs of communities within our cities.

Sublingual vaccines offer the benefits of inducing mucosal immunity to protect against respiratory viruses, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza, while also enabling needle-free self-administration. Previously, we developed a sublingual vaccine formulated with the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain antigen and Poly(I:C) adjuvant in nonhuman primates, cynomolgus macaques. This study examined the immune and inflammatory responses elicited by the sublingual influenza vaccine containing hemagglutinin (HA) antigen and Poly(I:C) adjuvant and assessed the safety of this vaccine in nonhuman primates. The Poly(I:C)-adjuvanted sublingual vaccine induced both mucosal and systemic immunities. Specifically, the sublingual vaccineproduced HA-specific secretory IgA antibodies in saliva and nasal washings, and HA-specific IgA and IgG were detected in the blood. This vaccine appeared to be safe, as judged from the results of blood tests and plasma C-reactive protein levels. Notably, sublingual vaccination neither increased the production of inflammation-associated cytokines—IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-17—in the blood, nor upregulated the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines—IL12A, IL12B, IFNA1, IFNB1, CD69, and granzyme B—in white blood cells. Moreover, DNA microarray analyses revealed that sublingual vaccination evoked both enhancing and suppressing expression changes in genes associated with immune-related responses in cynomolgus monkeys. Therefore, the sublingual vaccine with Poly(I:C) adjuvant is safe and creates a balanced state of enhancing and suppressing the immune-related response.

The work contains a detailed analysis of the electromagnetic field originating from a point source placed above the layered structure.The surface impedance of the multilayer dielectric structure was determined. Based on the boundary conditions, a method for determining the surface impedance of a layered structure with a perfectly conductive screen and or a magnetic screen is presented. The resonance conditions and the conditions for the excitation of surface waves are derived. The integral expression defining the generalized impedance was analyzed with a view to adapting it to numerical implementation. This allowed the development of a computer program based on which calculations were made of the effect of excitation of waves on multilayer dielectric substrates.

Conventional text style transfer (TST) methodologies primarily utilize style classifiers to segregate the content and stylistic elements of text for effective style transformation. Despite the pivotal role of these classifiers, their influence on TST techniques remains largely unexplored. This study embarks on a detailed exploration of the limitations inherent in style classifiers within current TST frameworks. We reveal that these classifiers often inadequately comprehend sentence syntax, leading to diminished performance in TST models. In response, we introduce the Syntax-Enhanced Style Transfer (SEST) model, a groundbreaking approach incorporating a syntax-sensitive style classifier. This classifier ensures that the extracted style representations robustly encapsulate syntax nuances, enhancing TST effectiveness. Rigorous evaluations across diverse TST benchmarks demonstrate that SEST significantly surpasses contemporary models in performance. Additionally, our case studies highlight SEST's proficiency in producing syntactically coherent sentences that aptly retain original content.

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

The study focused on Molecular Docking simulations using Autodock Vina in conjunction with the Pyrx program to investigate potential drugs and natural compounds against the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. From initial virtual screening of 200 compounds, 11 potential candidates were selected for further evaluation. Additional investigations included toxicity prediction using the pKCSM server. Among the compounds, Diosmin and Hesperidin showed high maximum tolerated doses in humans and low toxicity. Conversely, only Eltrombopag among the selected drugs exhibited excellent parameters, albeit with a potential risk of liver damage at high dosages. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive evaluation of efficacy and safety in the development of potential treatments targeting the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein.

For the first time, this study identified seven potential ligands with high binding energies through the docking approach against the Crystal Structure of human Melanoma-associated antigen B1 (MAGEB1). The ligands—Imatinib, Bafatinib, Diosmin, Ginkgetin, Bilobetin, Amentoflavone, and Hypericin—showing strong binding energies around -10 kcal/mol, indicate a potentially robust interaction with the target protein. Moreover, the additional step of predicting toxicity properties using the pKCSM server provides valuable insights into the safety profiles of these ligands. From these results, the parameters for Diosmin: —Max. tolerated dose (human),- Oral Rat Acute Toxicity (LD50), and - Oral Rat Chronic Toxicity (LOAEL)—suggest a favorable safety profile, making it a potential candidate for further consideration against Melanoma. Moving forward, it's advisable to conduct further experimental validations, including in vitro and in vivo studies, to confirm the efficacy and safety of Diosmin and other potential ligands. Consideration of pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and specific mechanisms of action will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of these compounds' potential as therapeutic agents.

Species belonging to the Bauhinia genus, usually known as "pata-de-vaca", are popularly used to treat diabetes. Among them is Bauhinia ungulata var. obtusifolia (Ducke) Vaz, whose leaves are used, as a tea, for medicinal purposes in the Amazon region. The microencapsulation of the aqueous extract of its leaves, containing phenolic compounds, using five different wall materials (maltodextrin: DE11-14, and DE4-7; β-cyclodextrin; pectin, and sodium carboxymethylcellulose) is described in this paper. The microstructure, particle size, thermal behavior, yield, and encapsulation efficiency were investigated and compared using different techniques. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, phenolics, and flavonoids were detected and quantified in the microparticles. Microparticles, obtained with yield and phenolics encapsulation efficiency ranging between 60-83 % and 35-57 %, respectively, showed a particle size distribution between 1.15 and 5.54 µm, spherical morphology, and wrinkled surface. Among them, those prepared with sodium carboxymethylcellulose and pectin proved to be thermally the most stable. They had the highest flavonoid content (23.07 and 21.73 mgRUTE/g Extract) and total antioxidant activity by both the DPPH· (376.55 and 367.86 µmolTrolox/g Extract) and ABTS·+ (1085.72 and 1062.32 µmolTrolox/ g Extract) assays. The chromatographic analyses allowed for quantification, in the microparticles, chlorogenic acid (1.67-1.98 mg/g Extract), p-coumaric acid (0.06-0.08 mg/g Extract), rutin (11.1-12.9 mg/g Extract) and isoquercitrin (0.47-0.53 mg/g Extract), compounds considered responsible for the antidiabetic property attributed to the species.

This study employs molecular docking simulations using Autodock Vina with the Pyrx program to investigate the binding interactions between Human prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and natural compounds, namely Amentoflavone, Ginketin, Rutin, and Hypericin. The evaluation reveals excellent binding energy values, averaging around -10 kcal/mol, suggesting robust and favorable interactions between the selected compounds and PSA. The results provide valuable insights into the potential therapeutic applications of these natural compounds in the context of prostate cancer treatment or management. Further experimental validation is warranted to confirm these findings and explore the viability of these compounds as promising candidates for innovative therapeutic strategies. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge in the field of molecular docking and its applications in drug discovery and bioinformatics.

My innovative entropy measure, Ismail entropy, namely, (IE) is an ultimate generalization to numerous generalized entropies within the literature. The fractal dimension of IE is identified in this paper. On another applicative note, this paper offers some potential applications of fractal dimension to smart cities. The paper ends with closing remarks combined with some challenging open problems and the next phase of research.

This paper is a brief review of our own work on the Planck quantized version of general relativity theory. It demonstrates several other straightforward methods to simply rewrite the same equations that we have already presented.

Background: While the clinical factors of the post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) are becoming clearer, the economic implications remain uncertain, posing a challenge to healthcare professionals in terms of understanding and managing this emerging phenomenon. This article aims to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of PCC patients and quantify the economic impact of their healthcare resource utilisation. Methods: A retrospective and case-control observational study was conducted, comparing the case group of PCC population before and after diagnosis with a control group. Demographic and clinical variables were analysed with the objective of describing the population. Economic analysis was performed to evaluate the resource costs in procedures and primary, secondary (both outpatient and inpatient) and emergency care. Findings: PCC patients (N=341) exhibited older age and elevated cardiovascular risk factors compared to controls (N=49,078). There were differences in the socio-economic distribution between male and female patients in the PCC patients. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus type 2 were the most common chronic diseases observed among the case patients. Economic analysis revealed that PCC patients were approximately four times as costly as control patients, with increased utilisation of healthcare resources. However, post-diagnosis PCC patients showed a reduction in costs, primarily driven by decreased primary care visits and hospitalisations. Conclusion: Coordinated care management for PCC patients is associated with reduced costs and improved healthcare resource utilisation. Further research is warranted to investigate long-term health outcomes and establish causal relationships between COVID-19 sequelae and healthcare resource utilisation.

Medicinal plants are generally defined as rare herbals with potent medicinal activities that can be used as an alternative treatment for diseases. Recent studies exploring novel medicine developments, originating from folk-medicinal practices challenges this notion and suggests that both the circumference of the term medicinal plant and their potential application covers a substantially extensive verse than previously suggested. While medicinal plants are not limited to the borders of any country, Bangladesh and its south-east Asian neighbors do boast a huge collection of potent medicinal plants with considerable folk-medicine history compared to most other countries of the world. MPDB 2.0 is the continuation of MPDB 1.0, it serves as both a data repertoire for medicinal of Bangladesh and a user-friendly interface for researchers, health practitioners, drug developers, and students who wish to study the various medicinal & nutritive plants scattered around Bangladesh and the underlying phytochemicals contributing to their efficacy in folk medicine. While in developing MPDB 2.0 human diseases have been highly focused upon, the information in this database is not limited in its application for human diseases or diseases only, as many of the plants indexed here can serve in developing biofuel or bioremediation technologies or nutritive diets or cosmetics, etc. MPDB 2.0 comprises a collection of more than five hundred medicinal plants from Bangladesh along with a record of their corresponding scientific, family, and local names together with their utilized parts, information regarding ailments, active compounds, and PubMed ID of related publications.

C-C motif chemokine receptor-8 (CCR8) belongs to class A of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). CCR8 interacts with the specific chemokine ligand CCL1/I-309 in humans, which is produced by various cells, including tumor-associated macrophages and regulatory T cells (Treg). CCR8 is highly expressed on Treg and T-helper 2 (T_H2) cells recruited to the inflammation site and is implicated in allergy, asthma, and cancer progression. The CCR8⁺Treg has been suggested to be an important regulator in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME); therefore, it has been desired to develop sensitive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for CCR8. This study developed a specific mAb for human CCR8 (hCCR8), which is useful for flow cytometry by employing the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. The established anti-hCCR8 mAb, C₈Mab-21, (mouse IgM, kappa) reacted with hCCR8-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/hCCR8) cells, TALL-1 (acute T lymphoblastic leukemia), CCRF-HSB2 (human T-lymphoblastic leukemia), and natural killer cells, which express endogenous hCCR8 by flow cytometry. Furthermore, C₈Mab-21 demonstrated a moderate binding affinity for CHO/hCCR8 and TALL-1 with a dissociation constant of 6.5×10^-8 M and 2.0×10^-8 M, respectively. C₈Mab-21, which was established by the CBIS method, could be a useful tool for analyzing the hCCR8-related biological response using flow cytometry.

Studies have established the crucial role of sleep among the students which plays a significant role in their mood. This study aimed to examine the mood disorders and sleep quality among undergraduate students at the University of Georgia (UG) and comparison between students’ nationality.This cross-sectional study was a self-reported questionnaire comprised of demographics including age, gender, year of study, current location, lifestyle data (Exercise and smoking), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DAS21) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). We performed a descriptive analysis, and the Chi-square was statistically significant at p<0.05. The prevalence was at a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as multivariate analysis examined the multicollinearity. The female students were most of the respondents, below the age of 20 years. The student's mean age was 20.20 (SD± 3.0). DAS report presented 72.7% of students with depressive symptoms, 77.8% with anxiety symptoms, and 62.2% had stress. Georgian students were more at risk of having depressive complaints (95% Cl[1.567-3.788]), anxiety (95% Cl[1.612-4.285]), and stress symptoms (95% Cl[1.743-3.831]). There was a strong relationship between the students who experienced poor sleeping patterns and depressive complaints (aOR 0.10). The students who were smokers (aOR 0.39) were more likely to report anxiety symptoms than the students that do not exercise (aOR 1.68). It was observed that students with depressive symptoms, anxiety, and complaints of stress had a significantly high risk of poor sleep quality. Further studies are recommended to curb psychological symptoms of mood changes in association with sleep disorders among students.

Security in the Internet of Things (IoT) is a critical concern due to the growing number of connected devices and the limited resources to implement robust security mechanisms in most of them. Adopting standard assessment frameworks, such as CVSS (Common Vulnerability Score System), allows for systematic vulnerability assessment. At the same time, CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) records provide unique identifiers for known security issues, making it easier to share information. However, comparing security solutions is still challenging due to the diverse nature of IoT devices and the ever-evolving threat landscape, requiring continual innovation and collaboration between stakeholders. Furthermore, there still needs to be a simple way to compare technologies and solutions, taking into account the security provided by them. In this sense, in this article, we propose a tool for calculating a security score based on the CVSS index of each existing vulnerability in a given technology. We explain how the tool performs the calculation, discuss some challenges, and propose improvements for future work.

Coastal resources in Lian, Batangas, have undergone significant degradation due to a combination of human activities and natural factors, including sea-level rise, changes in sea-surface temperature, fluctuations in rainfall, increased storm frequency, and sedimentation. This has led to adverse effects on key ecosystems such as corals, mangroves, and seagrasses. To assess the extent of climate change hazards on these coastal resources, a Vulnerability Assessment was conducted in the municipality of Lian, Batangas. The assessment employed a combination of the Coastal Integrity Vulnerability Assessment Toolkit (CIVAT) and Integrated Coastal Sensitivity, Exposure, and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change (ICSEA-C) guidelines. Additionally, the analysis incorporated detailed mapping using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data for mangroves and LandSat 8 imagery for corals and seagrasses. The findings at the municipal scale revealed that a staggering 90% of mangroves in Lian, Batangas, were highly vulnerable. This vulnerability was attributed to a high score in intrinsic characteristics and a low adaptive capacity. Similarly, a majority of seagrasses in the area were classified as medium and highly vulnerable at the municipal level. Only 10–20% of seagrasses received low to medium vulnerability scores. Shockingly, almost 100% of the coral reefs in Lian, Batangas, were deemed highly vulnerable, indicating a critical threat to this crucial marine ecosystem.

The objective of the this study was to reduce the benzo[a]pyrene-induced hepatotoxicity method in herbal medicine products and to give proof that neferine, daidzein, genistein possess antihepa-totoxic effects. B[a]P which classified as a group 1 carcinogen and metabolized to B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) causes mutagenic DNA addition products. The reduc-tion of BPDE-DNA adduct formation by B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) was derived by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). In HepG2 cells, B[a]P exhibited toxicity and substance treatment of the cells with B[a]P with neferine in lotus and daidzein, genistein in soybean reduced the BPDE-DNA ad-ducts level. The level of B[a]P-metabolites in the substance treatment of the cells was presented that BPDE levels were reduced by neferine in lotus and daidzein, genisten in soybean. These results suggest that neferine in lotus and daidzein, genistein in soybean prevent B[a]P-induced hepato-toxicity for BPDE-DNA adduct formation.

This study provides a comprehensive comparison of the Peter Chew Sum method and Newton's Sum in Quadratic Root Function Computations. Both methods offer significant advancements by alleviating the need for memorization of multiple formulas. However, when confronted with higher-order quadratic root functions such as the calculation of power 33. Newton's Sum method proves cumbersome due to its requirement of all previous answers for final computation, leading to increased steps and error risks. In contrast, the Peter Chew Sum method simplifies the computational process by requiring only a few previous answers, resulting in a more straightforward series of operations. We contextualize our analysis within the historical progression of mathematical techniques, highlighting the transformative leap represented by the Peter Chew Sum method in quadratic root function computations. Peter Chew Sum addressing the limitations of Newton's Sum , especially concerning higher-order functions such as the calculation of power 256. Furthermore, study demonstrates that the innovative approach of the Peter Chew Sum method not only simplifies complex computations but also fosters enhanced conceptual understanding among students. In conclusion, study findings underscore the profound impact of the Peter Chew Sum method on quadratic root function computations.

Docking results suggest that Amentoflavone has a higher affinity for investigated Serine/threonine-protein kinases, indicating potential interactions that may influence the activities of these kinases. The negative values of the binding energies signify strong and stable interactions, suggesting that Amentoflavone could be a key molecule in modulating the functions of these kinases, which play crucial roles in cellular processes such as cell cycle regulation and apoptosis.

Pathogens such as bacteria, fungi and viruses are important components of soil and aquatic communities, where they can benefit from decaying and living organic matter, and may opportunistically infect human and animal hosts. One-third of human infectious diseases is constituted by sapronotic disease agents that are natural inhabitants of soil or aquatic ecosystems. They are capable of existing and reproducing in the environment outside of the host for extended periods of time. However, as ecological research on sapronosis is infrequent and epidemiological models are even rarer, very little information is currently available. Their importance is overlooked in medical and veterinary research, as well as the relationships between free environmental forms and those that are pathogenic. Here, using dynamical models in realistic aquatic metacommunity systems, we analyze sapronosis transmission, using the human pathogen Mycobacterium ulcerans that is responsible for Buruli ulcer. Our work constitutes the first set of metacommunity models of sapronotic disease transmission, and is highly flexible for adaptation to other types of sapronosis. The importance of sapronotic agents on animal and human disease burden needs better understanding and new models of sapronosis disease ecology to guide the management and prevention of this important group of pathogens.

Scholars and policymakers see sustainability as depending on the interrelationships between the three pillars of the environment, society and the economy. However, it remains less clear how key stakeholders with a responsibility for educating the next generation perceive the concept of sustainability and act accordingly. In order to gain new insights, this research scrutinises participant perceptions on sustainability and climate change in two eco-schools in England for primary children (aged 5-11 years). Our case study involved individual interviews with classroom teachers and headteachers, group interviews with fourth- and fifth-year students (ages 10-12 years), and in-class observations. We also analysed data from student exercise books and photographs of school grounds to understand participants’ self-reported knowledge and perceptions of sustainability and climate change. Within a framework drawing on theories of science communication and transformative learning (a learning approach based on having challenging experiences), the results show that the integration of sustainability into the curriculum was limited and problematic. That is despite the fact that all students and teachers were aware of the environmental dimensions of sustainability, like climate change and the overuse of natural sources. These findings suggest that schools are no different to other institutional settings when it comes to dealing with the challenges of integrating sustainability into daily practice. We conclude that there is a need for in-service teacher education programmes to enable and motivate teachers to provide richer teaching-learning environments so as to enable effective learning in schools about sustainability and climate change.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD), a common dermatological condition, is often associated with significant economic and social burdens. Despite extensive studies globally, there is a gap in understanding the comprehensive impact of this condition in Romania. Objectives:This study evaluated the economic burden and quality of life impact of AD in Romania, considering both direct and indirect costs. Materials & Methods: A mixed methods cost of illness study was conducted from April to October 2023. A patient survey, expert reviews, and national health data analysis were used to assess direct medical costs (treatments, medical services), direct non-medical costs (transportation, accommodation), and indirect costs (productivity losses). Quality of life was evaluated using the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L instrument. Results: In 2022, the total cost of atopic dermatitis in Romania was 32.983.498 EUR for adults and 31.573.968 EUR for children. Adult costs included 24.534.603 EUR in direct and 8.429.884 EUR in indirect medical costs, with an average annual cost per patient of 447 EUR. Pediatric costs involved 15.026.781 EUR in direct and 16.516.410 EUR in indirect costs, averaging 290 EUR per patient annually. Conclusion: Care expenditure with AD management in Romania is substantially lower than in other countries, posing a significant economic burden, primarily driven by indirect costs. This study provides a foundation for future policy interventions and highlights the need for targeted management strategies for AD.

Background : Probiotics are composed of microorganisms that have positive effects on health when consumed in prescribed quantities. Lately, studies have attempted to establish this role of probiotics in enhancing health. Aim : The aim of this study was to compare the antifungal activity of 3 different probiotics against Candida albicans.Methodology :This was an in-vitro study. 3 types of commercially available probiotics - Bifilac, Pre pro HS and VSL-3 were cultured separately with Candida albicans and were placed under incubation. The maximum zone of inhibition was recorded for each of the probiotic solutions.Results : In this study, it was found that among the three probiotic products, Bifilac exhibited a maximum zone of inhibition of 13mm at concentration of 100µL against C. albicans, while Pre pro HS and VSL-3 showed zone of inhibition of 11mm at concentrations of 50µL and 100µL, respectively.Conclusion : Within the limits of the present study, This study could prove that probiotics can be considered as an alternative and safe treatment option for treatment of Oral candidiasis infections.

In order to search possible residual minor phases in Y-Ba-Cu-O family, powdered mixtures of Y₂O₃ + BaCO₃ + CuO and, independently, superconducting compound YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x have been treated in evacuated cells and elevated temperatures.YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x was reduced to YBa₂Cu₃O₅ by use of the special home designed Taconis-Knudsen vacuum device. A subsequent doping by oxygen converts produced insulator YBa₂Cu₃O₅ to semiconductor or metal YBa₂Cu₃O_5+x (0<x<0.3). In addition to YBa₂Cu₃O₅, 0.05 volume percent of the minor delafossite phase Y₂Cu₂O₄ was being spotted in the powder mixture 1/2 Y₂O₃ + 2BaCO₃+6Cu₂O, heated up to 818 °C in an inert gas atmosphere. An attempt to prepare the insulating bulk delafossite samples was successful, and subsequent doping by oxygen produces novel metallic phases.

A cell-surface ectonucleotidase CD39 mediates the conversion of extracellular ATP into immunosuppressive adenosine with another ectonucleotidase CD73. The elevated adenosine in the tumor microenvironment (TME) attenuates antitumor immunity, which promotes tumor cell immunologic escape and progression. Anti-CD39 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which suppress the enzymatic activity, can be applied to antitumor therapy. Therefore, an understanding of the relationship between the inhibitory activity and epitope of mAbs is important. We previously established an anti-mouse CD39 (mCD39) mAb, C₃₉Mab-1 using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. In this study, we determined the critical epitope of C₃₉Mab-1 using flow cytometry. We performed the PA tag (12 amino acids)-substituted analysis (named PA scanning) and RIEDL tag (5 amino acids)-substituted analysis (named RIEDL scanning) to determine the critical epitope of C₃₉Mab-1 using flow cytometry. By the combination of PA scanning and RIEDL scanning, we identified the conformational epitope, spanning three segments of 275^th to 279^th, 282^nd to 291^st, and 306^th to 323^rd amino acids of mCD39. These analyses would contribute to the identification of the conformational epitope of membrane proteins.

Molecular docking, a computational method predicting how molecules bind to target proteins, is employed in this study to explore Polydatin's interactions with Ras-related protein Rab (Rab) proteins using the Mcule Database. This database validates the docking results and offers insights into the pharmacological properties of Polydatin. Notably, specific Rab proteins like Rab-5A, HRas, and Rab-18 exhibit robust interactions with Polydatin, indicated by favorable binding energies.These findings illuminate the potential roles of Polydatin in therapeutic and biological contexts, emphasizing its interaction with Rab proteins. The Mcule Database enhances the credibility of the study, providing additional perspectives on Polydatin's applications. The observed interactions, particularly with key proteins like HRas, present a promising avenue for modulating cellular signaling pathways. This modulation holds therapeutic potential, potentially addressing conditions associated with pathway overactivity, including specific cancer types.

Multilingual classrooms are becoming more common worldwide due to increasing mobility. Teaching foreign languages using the mother tongue in multilingual classrooms has become problematic; some of the significant concerns in Japanese language acquisition – such as the high contextuality of the language, vocabulary and kanji learning – make the direct teaching method confusing for many students, especially at the beginner and elementary levels. This article provides the preliminary results of a study carried out as a component of a more extensive empirical research project on instructional languages in classrooms teaching Japanese as a foreign language. It aims to gather, analyse and synthesise data from a survey conducted at a supranational level. The results of the first two sections of a questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions were used for a quantitative analysis of the profile of Japanese language instructors with a focus on finding possible connections. The wide geographic distribution of the respondents (274 teachers from fifty-seven countries and regions) made it possible to collect data from a more representative sample and draw meaningful conclusions about the spread of multilingual classrooms that would be impossible in smaller-scale research. The study’s primary results show the proportion of multilingual classrooms among countries in different regions and across different educational stages, the distribution of Japanese language instructors in various educational stages depending on the highest level of formal education attained, and the proportion of part-time instructors working in different academic institutions.

Halitosis can be defined as bad breath or a condition frequently characterized by a disagreeable or unpleasant odor emanating from the oral cavity. Most modern toothpaste used today cater for general oral hygiene and not for specific tooth-mouth maladies like halitosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce herbal toothpaste for halitosis control. Using the method of Mamatha and Naveen (2007) for herbal toothpaste production, the following natural components; Bridelia ferrugeinea and alum were utilized. Different toothpaste samples were also produced using different components in different proportions. Bacteria were isolated from the oral cavity of selected respondents. To assay the efficacy of the herbal toothpaste produced, sensitivity tests, and physiochemical tests for toothpaste efficacy were used. Comparative analysis between the toothpaste produced and commercial toothpaste was also carried out. Physicochemical properties of the herbal toothpastes produced showed that they were purely alkaline, while the selected commercial toothpaste was slightly alkaline. Also, they had consistency in foaming ability, moisture contents, and volatile contents. Sensitivity tests of the herbal toothpastes produced showed that they were effective antimicrobial agents against Staphylococcus aureus isolates. From the results obtained our toothpaste showed efficacy in terms of halitosis control.

We demonstrate how a rigorous mathematical approach can be used to extract a current CMB temperature of 2.7276 ±0.0723 K from the 580 type Ia supernova data points in the Union2 database. Using redshift formula: z = Sqrt(Rh/R_t) − 1, incorporated into our new CMB redshift prediction redshift formula, we find that the above current CMB temperature value is a remarkably good match for this particular data set. In addition, we can alternatively start out with the measured current CMB temperature and extract the Hubble constant from all 580 supernovae. We then get an estimated Hubble constant of H0 = 66.8711+0.0019 km/s/Mpc when using the CMB temperature from the recent Dhal et al study [1] in combination with redshifts from all 580 supernovae. Furthermore, we get an estimated Hubble constant value of H_0 = 66.8943+0.0287 km/s/Mpc when using the CMB temperature measured by Fixsen [2]. In summary, our simple model essentially perfectly matches all 580 type Ia supernova redshifts while extracting H_0 or T_0 values. The Hubble constant we extract by this method fits very well with the Hubble constant extracted from the CMB by other studies. We believe that our new approach likely solves the Hubble tension problem, at least inside R_h = ct cosmology.

The Jakarta LARP community, established in March 2020 and primarily active in Gelora Bung Karno, fosters inclusivity, diversity, and physical role-playing activities. It adheres to a policy of excluding ultra-nationalist ideologies and integrates new members despite language barriers. Bruhn (2011) defines this kind of community sharing the same goals, values, and lifestyles, while McMillan & Chavis (1986) outline four aspects of the sense of community.The research discovered that communities endure by utilizing solidarity built on the basis of their peculiarities. This study employed ethnographic methods alongside grounded research to identify the community's culture and their efforts to sustain and utilize it as community solidarity.

The C-C motif chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) is highly and selectively expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells and is associated with tumor progression. The massive accumulation of Treg cells into tumors suppresses the effector function of CD8⁺ cells against tumor cells. Therefore, selective depletion of Treg cells using anti-CCR8 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reinvigorates antitumor immune responses and improves responses to cancer immunotherapy. Previously, we developed an anti-mouse CCR8 (mCCR8) mAb, C₈Mab-2, using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. In this study, the binding epitope of C₈Mab-2 was investigated using flow cytometry. The mCCR8 extracellular domain-substituted mutant analysis showed that C₈Mab-2 recognizes the N-terminal region (1–33 amino acids) of mCCR8. Next, 1×alanine (or glycine) scanning and 2×alanine (or glycine) scanning were conducted in the N-terminal region. The results revealed that the _17-DFFTAP_-22 sequence is important for the recognition by C₈Mab-2, and Thr20 is a central amino acid of the epitope. These results revealed the involvement of the N-terminus of mCCR8 in the recognition by C₈Mab-2.