The variation of the cationic composition in I2-II-IV-VI4 semiconductor compounds is an effective tool for altering their properties in a controlled manner. In particular, a partial substitution of Cu for Ag in kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 was proposed to suppress Cu-Zn antisite defects and the improve photovoltaic performance. However, the efficiency of this approach may substantially depend on the fabrication route. Here, we report on the synthesis of (Cu,Ag)-Zn-Sn-S (CAZTS) and Ag-Zn-Sn-S (AZTS) nanocrystals (NCs) by means of "green" chemistry in aqueous solution and their detailed characterization by Raman spectroscopy and by several complementary techniques. Through a systematic variation of the nominal composition and quantification of the constituent elements in CAZTS and AZTS NCs by XPS, we identified the vibrational Raman and IR fingerprints of both the main AZTS phase and secondary phases of Ag-Zn-S and Ag-Sn-S compounds (for the first time). The formation of the secondary phases of Ag-S and Ag-Zn-S cannot be avoided entirely for this type of synthesis. The Ag-Zn-S phase, having its bandgap in near infrared range, is the reason of the non-monotonous dependence of the absorption edge of CAZTS NCs on the Ag content, with a trend to redshift even below the bandgaps of bulk AZTS and CZTS.

Ti and its alloys are the most commonly used materials for biomedical applications. However, bacterial infection after implant placement is still one of the significant rising complications. Therefore, the application of the antimicrobial agents into implant surfaces to prevent implant-associated infection has attracted lots of attention. Scientific papers have shown that inorganic antibacterial metal element (e.g. Ag, Cu, Zn) can be introduced to implant surfaces with the addition of metal nanoparticles or metallic compounds into electrolyte via micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technology. In this review, the effects of the composition and concentration of electrolyte and process parameters (e.g. voltage, current density, oxidation time) on morphological characteristics (e.g. surface morphology, bonding strength), antibacterial ability and biocompatibility of MAO antimicrobial coating were discussed in detail. Anti-infection and osseo-integration can be simultaneously accomplished with the selection of the proper antibacterial elements and operating parameters. Besides, MAO assisted by magnetron sputtering (MS) to endow Ti-based implant materials with superior antibacterial ability and biocompatibility was also discussed. Finally, the development trend of MAO technology in the future was forecasted.

Composites of Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles on cotton fabrics were synthetized in-situ by sono-chemical and hydrothermal methods achieving the successive formation of Ag-NPs and Ti-NPs directly on the fabric. The impregnated fabrics were characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, high resolution microscopy (HREM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with Ener-gy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Raman, photoluminescence, UV-vis and DRS spectroscopies and by tension tests. Results showed the successful formation and impregnation of NPs on the cotton fabric, with a negligible leaching of NPs after several washing cycles. The photocatalytic activity of supported NPs was assessed by the degradation of methyl blue dye (MB) under solar and UV irradiation revealing improved photocatalytic activity of the Ag-TiO2/cotton composites due to a synergy of both Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles. This behavior is attributed to a diminished electron-hole recombination effect in the Ag-TiO2 cotton samples. The biocide activity of these composites on the growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus (Gram+) and Escherichia coli (Gram-) was confirmed, revealing interesting possibilities for the utilization of the functionalized cotton fabric as protective cloth for medical applications.

Flexible and stretchable conductive materials have received significant attention in several applications such as flexible displays and sensors. In this paper, we report a highly dispersed porous Ag nanoflakes with clean surfaces were fabricated through an explosive growth process. The evolution process from silver nanoflakes to nanomeshes occurred by the novel “dissolution–recrystallization” solvothermal process. The as-obtained Ag meshes have the dual nature of nanoflakes and nanoparticles, which could create an intercross and interpenetration conductive network structures between silver and polymer in the printed elastic conductor, therefore, the silver meshes as conductive fillers used in elastic conductor simultaneously exhibit high conductivity and mechanical durability.

Zn–Ni plating is indispensable in various industries because of its high corrosion resistance. However, Ni has been reported to trigger allergies; thus, an alternative Ni-free plating is desired. Zn–Fe plating is considered to be a promising candidate, albeit its corrosion resistance still needs to be improved. The corrosion resistance of Zn–Fe plating is expected to increase by the addition of Mo as the third alloying element as it is more noble than Zn and Fe. In this study, Zn–Fe–Mo plating with a corrosion resistance nearly equivalent to that of the Zn–Ni plating was fabricated. Zn–Fe–Mo plating was electrically deposited from continuously agitated plating baths prepared by mixing ZnSO₄, FeSO₄, Na₂MoO₄, Na₃C₆H₅O₇, and Na₂SO₄ using Fe or Ni plates as the substrate. The surface morphology, composition, crystal phase, and electronic state of Mo of the platings were investigated by SEM-EDS, XRD, and XPS. The anti-corrosion performance was evaluated by Tafel extrapolation method. Formation of plating comprising a Mo containing alloy phase was found to be crucial for improving corrosion resistance. The Zn–Fe–Mo plating demonstrates promise for replacing anti-corrosion Zn–Ni platings.

Silver particles are prepared by dewetting Ag films coated on glass using a fiber laser. The size of the particles is controlled in the range of 92 nm ~ 1.2 μm by adjusting the thickness of the Ag film. The structural properties and surface roughness of the particles are evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the antifungal activity of the Ag particles is examined using spore suspensions of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. It is shown that the particles with a size of 1.2 μm achieve 100% inhibition of the conidia growth of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides after a contact time of just 5 min. Furthermore, the smaller particles also achieve a good antibacterial activity given a longer contact time. Similar results are observed in spore germination and pathogenicity tests performed on mango fruit and leaves. Overall, the results confirm that the Ag particles have an excellent antifungal effect on Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.

PEBAX-2533/metal salt/Al salt membranes were prepared for mixed olefin/paraffin separation. PEBAX-2533 with 80% ether group and 20% amide group was suggested as the polymer matrix for comparison of separation performance according to the functional group ratio in copolymer PEBAX. In addition, Al salts were used to stabilize metal ions for a long time as additives. High permeance was expected with the proportion of high ether groups since these functional groups provided relatively permeable regions. As a result, the PEBAX-2533 composite membrane showed a selectivity of 5 (propylene/propane) with 10 GPU. However, the permeance of membrane was not unexpectedly improved and the selectivity was reduced. The result was analyzed by SEM, FT-RAMAN and TGA, including FT-IR. The reduction in separation performance was determined by FT-IR. From these results, in order to stabilize the metal ions interacting with the polymer through Al(NO3)3, it was concluded that specific ratio of amide group was needed in PEBAX as polymer matrix.

According to research, we have learned that Mg and TiO2 are new types material of marine protective coatings. We found that the addition of Mg can improve the performance of Zn-Al coating passivation film, and TiO2 has excellent photocatalytic self-cleaning performance. In this paper Zn-Al pseudo alloy coating was prepared by cold spray technique, and Zn-Al-Mg-TiO2 pseudo alloy composite coating was prepared by adding Mg and nano-TiO2. The effects of Mg and TiO2 to the marine protective properties of Zn-Al coatings were studied by friction and wear test, dynamic salt water corrosion test, electrochemical test, scanning electron microscope(SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS) and super deep scene 3D microscope. The results show that the addition of Mg and nano-TiO2 not only fills the gap of the coating and improves the density of the coating, but also generates grid-like flocculent corrosion products on the surface of the coating which can gather other corrosion products to improve the density of corrosion products, reduce the friction coefficient and corrosion rate of the coating surface, effectively prevent the invasion of Cl- in solution, and improve the wear and corrosion resistance of the coating.

The Dongtangzi large Zn-Pb deposit is located in the southwest of the Fengxian-Taibai (abbr. Fengtai) ore cluster in the west Qinling orogen, whose origin has been controversial, positing diverse genesis mechanisms such as sedimentary-exhalative (SEDEX), sedimentary-reformed, and epigenetic hydrothermal type. In this work, based on detailed observation and systematic study on ore geology, the results of high-precision Rb-Sr isotopic dating on sulfides of the main orebody and Sm–Nd isotopic dating on associated carbonates have been carried out, which yield isochron ages of 211.6 ± 2.6 Ma and 211 ± 4 Ma, respectively. In-situ S-Pb isotopic studies show that the ore related sulfides display a narrow range of δ³⁴S values from 1.1 ‰ to 10.2 ‰, with ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios of 18.07 to 18.27, 15.64 to 15.66, and 38.22 to 38.76, respectively. While the pyrite of sedimentary period and the granite porphyry dike have δ³⁴S values vary from 15.8 to 21.4‰, and from 2.1 to 4.3‰ (with ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios of 18.09 to 18.10, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios of 15.59 to 15.61, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios of 38.17 to 38.24) respectively. Combining the regional geology, we propose that the Dongtangzi Zn-Pb deposit is the product of multi-stage epigenetic hydrothermal fluid processes, driven by late Triassic regional tectono-magmatic activities in regional extensional regime, with metallic materials originate from a mixture of Triassic magmatic processes and metamorphic basement.

In this paper we propose a simple procedure to obtain multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) decorated with TiO₂-Ag nanoparticles (MWCNT-TiO₂-Ag). MWCNT were decorated with TiO2-Ag via combined functionalisation with -OH and –COOH groups and polymer wrapping technique using poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). TiO₂ modified Ag nanoparticles were synthesized through Pechini method using mixture of acetylacetonate-modified titanium (IV) isopropoxide with silver nitrate (the Ag+/Ti4+ atomic ratio, is 0.5, 1,0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 %, respectively) and the L(+)-ascorbic acid, as reducing agents. XRD analysis revealed the formation of nanocomposite containing CNT, TiO₂ (anatase and rutile) and Ag. By SEM was evidenced the presence of the nanoparticles on MWCNT surface. The increases of the ratio between Ag⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ decrease the band gap energy of the samples. In Raman spectra the characteristic vibration of the TiO₂, Ag and C atoms of graphite are identified. The photocatalytic activity of the MWCNT-TiO₂-Ag nanocomposite was assessed by examining the degradation of Allura red (E129) aqueous solution under UV irradiation. The dye photodegradation process follows a pseudo – first – order kinetic with respect to the Langmuir – Hinshelwood reaction mechanism.

Abstract: Microstructural and mechanical properties of the eutectic Sn58Bi and micro-alloyed Sn57.6Bi0.4Ag solder alloys were compared. With the addition of Ag micro-alloy, the tensile strength was improved and this is attributed to a combination of microstructure refinement and an Ag3Sn precipitation hardening mechanism. However, ductility is slightly deteriorated due to the brittle nature of the Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Additionally, a board level reliability study of Ag micro-alloyed Sn58Bi solder joints produced utilising a surface-mount technology (SMT) process, were assessed under accelerated temperature cycling (ATC) conditions. Results reveal that micro-alloyed Sn57.6Bi0.4Ag has a higher characteristic lifetime with a narrower failure distribution. This enhanced reliability corresponds with improved bulk mechanical properties. It is postulated that Ag3Sn IMCs are located at the Sn-Bi phase boundaries and suppress the solder microstructure from coarsening during the temperature cycling, hereby extending the time to failure.

Tetrathiolate zinc fingers are potential targets of oxidative assault under cellular stress conditions. We used the synthetic 37-residue peptide representing the tetrathiolate zinc finger domain of the DNA repair protein XPA, acetyl-DYVICEECGKEFMSYLMNHFDLPTCDNCRDADDKHK-amide (XPAzf) as a working model to study the reaction of its Zn(II) complex (ZnXPAzf) with hydrogen peroxide and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), as oxidative and nitrosative stress agents, respectively. We also used the Cd(II) substituted XPAzf (CdXPAzf) to assess the situation of cadmium assault, which is accompanied by oxidative stress. Using electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), HPLC, and UV-vis and circular dichroism spectroscopies we demonstrated that even very low levels of H2O2 and GSNO invariably cause irreversible thiol oxidation and concomitant Zn(II) release from ZnXPAzf. In contrast, CdXPAzf was more resistant to oxidation, demonstrating the absence of synergy between cadmium and oxidative stresses. Our results indicate that GSNO cannot act as a reversible modifier of XPA, and rather has a deleterious effect on DNA repair.

Background and Aim: Zinc plays a pivotal role in various zinc enzymes, resulting in the maintenance of liver function. Patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) usually have lower concentrations of zinc, which decrease further as liver fibrosis progresses. It remains unknown whether long-term zinc supplementation improves liver function and reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Patients and Methods: Two hundred sixty-seven patients with CLDs who received a zinc preparation (Zn-group; 196 patients), or who did not receive zinc (no Zn-treatment group; 71 patients) were retrospectively analyzed in this study. The Zn-group was divided into 4 groups according to their serum Zn concentrations at 6 months after the start of Zn treatment. Results: Liver function significantly deteriorated in the no Zn-treatment group, while no notable change was observed in the Zn-group. The cumulative incidence rates of events and HCC at 3 years were lower in the Zn-group (9.5%, 7.6%) than in the no Zn-treatment group (24.9%, 19.2%) (p<0.001). According to the serum Zn concentrations, the cumulative incidence rates of events and HCC were significantly decreased in patients with Zn concentrations ≥ 70 µg/dl (p<0.001). Conclusion: Zinc supplementation appears to be effective at maintaining liver function and suppressing events and HCC development, especially among patients whose Zn concentration is greater than 70 µg/dl.

Detecting low concentrations of thyroxine hormone (T4) is of utmost importance to prevent diseases and medical issues caused by hypothyroidism. In this work, we propose the use of a simple technique for T4 sensing, the well-known surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Spherical Au and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and functionalized with ascorbic acid and tannic acid, respectively. They synthesized by a seed-mediated growth method, were used as SERS substrates to quantify T4 at different concentrations. The NPs were characterized by UV-VIS spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Both, Au and Ag NPs, have an average diameter of 50 nm, the first ones have a surface plasmon resonance at 537 nm, while the latter have it at 421 nm. It was noticed the SERS substrates are composed of isolated and agglomerated NPs. From theoreti-cal-numerical calculations, we identified the hot spots |E| of the agglomerate NPs is at least 7 times more intense than that of the isolated NPs. We show the substrates can detect up to 0.01 mM and, for the range of concentration studied, the Ag substrate is more sensitive than Au. Thus, the proposed substrates and the SERS technique constitute a potential prospect for sensing hormones and organic molecules at low concentrations.

Let R be a commutative ring with identity and S be a multiplicatively closed subset of R. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of weakly S-primary ideals as a new generalization of weakly primary ideals. An ideal I of R disjoint with S is called a weakly S-primary ideal if there exists s∈S such that whenever 0≠ab∈I for a,b∈R, then sa∈√I or sb∈I. The relationships among S-prime, S-primary, weakly S-primary and S-n-ideals are investigated. For an element r in any general ZPI-ring, the (weakly) S_{r}-primary ideals are charctarized where S={1,r,r²,⋯}. Several properties, characterizations and examples concerning weakly S-primary ideals are presented. The stability of this new concept with respect to various ring-theoretic constructions such as the trivial ring extension and the amalgamation of rings along an ideal are studied. Furthermore, weakly S-decomposable ideals and S-weakly Laskerian rings which are generalizations of S-decomposable ideals and S-Laskerian rings are introduced.

In this paper, we present a new concept of the generalized core orthogonality (called the C-S orthogonality) for two generalized core invertible matrices $A$ and $B$. $A$ is said to be C-S orthogonal to $B$ if $A^{\tiny\textcircled{S}}B=0$ and $BA^{\tiny\textcircled{S}}=0$, where $A^{\tiny\textcircled{S}}$ is the generalized core inverse of $A$. The characterizations of C-S orthogonal matries and the C-S additivity are also provided. And the connection between the C-S orthogonality and C-S partial order has been given using their canonical form. Moreover, the concept of the strongly C-S orthogonality is defined and characterized.

A two-fold integrated research study was conducted; firstly, to understand effects of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) on the growth and oxidative stress in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus; secondly, to study the beneficial effects of the duckweed Lemna minor L. as a heavy metal remover from wastewater. Experiments were conducted in mesocosms with and without duckweed. Tilapia fingerlings were exposed to Cu (0.004 and 0.02 mg/L) and Zn (0.5 and 1.5 mg/L) and fish fed for four weeks. We evaluated the fish growth performance, the hepatic DNA structure using comet assay, the expression of antioxidative genes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; glutathione peroxidase, GPx and glutathione-S-transferase, GST) and GPx and GST enzymatic activity. The results showed that Zn exhibited more pronounced toxic effects than Cu. Low dose of Cu did not influence the growth whereas higher doses of Cu and Zn significantly reduced the growth rate of tilapia compared to control, but addition of duckweed prevented weight loss. Further, in the presence of a high dose of Cu and Zn, DNA damage decreased, antioxidant gene expressions and enzymatic activities increased. In conclusion, results suggest that duckweed and Nile tilapia can be suitable candidates in metal remediation wastewater assessment programs.

The use of nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents can be one of the strategies to overcome the tendency of microbes to become resistant to antibiotics’ action. In this study, two composites ZnO/Au and ZnO/Ag, having 1% wt. of noble metal content, were synthesized by simple aqueous solution methods. The structure and morphology of the resulting nanocomposites were analyzed by standard structural and optical characterization methods. The formation of Au NPs and Ag NPs in these experiments was also discussed. The antimicrobial properties of ZnO, ZnO/Au and ZnO/Ag nanomaterials were investigated against Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). The electrostatic interaction between ZnO and noble metals nanoparticles have contributed to a better visible light adsorption, which led to an enhanced antimicrobial activity. The photocatalytic tests indicated an improvement in photocatalytic degradation of the methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation using ZnO/Au and ZnO/Ag nanocomposites compared to bare ZnO. The introduction of noble metallic nanoparticles in ZnO matrix proved to be an effective strategy to increase their antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus and their photocatalytic activity evaluated through the degradation of MB dye. Comparing the enhancing effects of Au and Ag, it was found that ZnO/Au was a better antimicrobial agent while ZnO/Ag was more effective photocatalyst under UV irradiation.

Lead-free copper halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are emerging materials with excellent photoelectric properties. Herein, we present a colloidal synthesis route of orthorhombic Cs2CuCl4 NCs with well-defined cubic shape and an average diameter of 24 ± 2.1 nm. The Cs2CuCl4 NCs exhibit bright deep blue photoluminescence, which is attributed to the Cu(II) defects. In addition, passivating the Cs2CuCl4 NCs by Ag+ can effectively improve the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and environmental stability.

In this research, first a binary nanocomposite of magnetic recyclable photocatalyst Fe₃O₄/TiO₂, was synthesized by sol gel technique. Then, in order to enhance the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanocomposite, it was deposited by silver nanoparticles for using in degradation of organic pollutants 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) under visible light. A range of analytical techniques including XRD, FESEM/EDX, DRS, VSM and N₂ physisorption were employed to reveal the crystal structure, morphology and property of the nanocomposites. We obtained 32% and 55% degradation of 2, 4-DCP under visible light after 180 min irradiation in the presence of Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ and Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag respectively. Thus, the excellent visible light photocatalytic activity of Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag sample can be attributed to the surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag nanoparticles deposited on Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ nanocomposite.

A four stage semi-pilot scale RFR reactor with ceramic disks as support for TiO₂ modified with silver particles was developed for the removal of organic pollutants. The design presented in this article is an adaptation of the rotating biological reactors (RBR) and its coupling with the modified catalyst provides additional advantages to designs where a catalyst in suspension is used. The optimal parameter of rotation was 54 rpm and the submerged surface of the disks offer a total contact area of 387 M². The modified solid showed a decrease in the value of its bandgap compared to commercial titanium. The system has a semi-automatic operation with a maximum reaction time of 50 h. Photo-activity tests show high conversion rates at low concentrations. The results conform to the Langmuir heterogeneous catalysis model.

In the present work report, the MgAl₂O₄and the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ samples were successfully synthesized by the modified hydrothermal and the isovolumetric impregnation methods, respectively. The structural properties of the prepared samples were systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, DRS, XPS and et al techniques. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ and MgAl₂O₄ samples was comparatively studied under UV lamp irradiation. The results revealed that the prepared Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) samples were the most active among the samples in photocatalytic of methylene blue. Under UV lamp irradiation, the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) photodegradation of methylene blue reached to 89.6% within 120 min. And the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) complex photocatalysts displayed a high photochemical stability under repeated irradiation. Repeated irradiate the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) compound, which indicated it had a high photochemical stability.

Zinc plays a crucial role in the process of virion maturation inside the host cell. The accessory Cys-rich proteins expressed in SARS-CoV-2 by genes ORF7a and ORF8 are likely involved in zinc binding and in interactions with cellular antigens activated by extensive disulfide bonds. In this report we provide a proof of concept for the feasibility of a structural study of orf7a and orf8 proteins. A conceivable hypothesis is that lack of cellular zinc, or substitution thereof, might lead to a significant slowing down of viral maturation.

In the present research, groups of nanolayered structures and nanohybrids based on organic green dyes and inorganic species are designated to act as fillers for PVA for inducing new optical sites and increasing its thermal stability through producing polymeric nanocomposites. In this trend, different percentages of Naphthol green B were intercalated as pillars inside the Zn-Al nanolayered structures to form green organic-inorganic nanohybrids. The two-dimensional green nanohybrids were identified by X-ray diffraction, TEM and SEM. According to the thermal analyses, the nanohybrid, which has the highest amount of green dyes, was used for modifying the PVA through two series. In the first series, three nanocomposites were prepared depending on the green nanohybrid as prepared. In the second series, the yellow nanohybrid, which was produced from the green nanohybrid by thermal treatment, was used to produce another three nanocomposites. The optical properties revealed that the polymeric nanocomposites depending on green nanohybrids became optical-active in UV and visible regions because the energy band gap decreased to be 2.2 eV. In addition, the energy band gap of the nanocomposites depended on yellow nanohybrids was 2.5 eV. The thermal analyses indicated that the polymeric nanocomposites are thermally more stable than that of the original PVA. Finally, the dual functionality of organic-inorganic nanohybrids that produced from the confinement of organic dyes and the thermal stability of inorganic species converted the non-optical PVA to optical-active polymer in a wide range with high thermal stability

We successfully fabricated Ag@Cu2O core-shell decorated on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites (ACRN) by a simple and convenient in situ substitution method. The properties of these ACRN with heterostructure layers were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopies and absorption spectroscopy. We used p-nitrophenol (4-NP) as a probe molecule to determine the chemical catalytic activity of the ACRN. Upon introduction of rGO, a high electron transfer efficiency was achieved; thus, the catalytic activity was improved significantly. Therefore, the ACRN exhibited significantly improved catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-NP and showed the high application value in the removal of toxic and harmful substances from water. In addition, the fabricated ACRN was used for the reduction of organic dyes and explosive pollutants to generate nontoxic products. Furthermore, the high charge redistribution and transfer among Ag, Cu2O and rGO in the ACRN induced the high catalytic reduction of organic pollutants, indicating the excellent potential of these materials for applications in water pollution treatment.

The Computational theoretical techniques using first principle which make use of the density functional theory as implemented by quantum expresso as well as inter – atomic force constant (IFC) techniques (Born-von Jarman) were used to investigate the phonon dispersion curves of Silver (Ag) and Gold (Au) The results obtained show that for Au, the extension to 1 – 6^th neighbour gave slightly close agreement with the experimental phonon dispersions when compared to the 1 – 5^th neighbor at W_T and L_L symmetry points. The percentage error for Au at W_T are 2.5% and 2.9% ; at point L_L we obtained 0.6% and 0.7% respectively. The Local density Approximation (LDA) results for Ag underestimates the lattice with about 1.6% while the Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA) overestimates it by 1.9%.

Shear deformation of a solid-fluid, two-phase material induces a fluid segregation process that produces fluid-enriched bands and fluid-depleted regions, and crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) characterized by girdles of [100] and [001] axes sub-parallel to the shear plane and a cluster of [010] axes sub-normal to the shear plane, namely the AG-type fabric. Based on experiments of two-phase aggregates of olivine + basalt, a two-phase flow theory and a CPO-formation model were established to explain these microstructures. Here, we investigate the microstructure in a two-phase aggregate with supercritical CO2 as the fluid phase and examine the theory and model, as CO2 is different from basaltic melt in rheological properties. We conducted high‐temperature and high-pressure shear deformed experiments at 1 GPa and 1100ºC in a Griggs-type apparatus on samples made of olivine + dolomite, which decomposed into carbonate melt and CO2 at experimental conditions. After deformation, CO2 segregation and an AG-type fabric occurred in these CO2-bearing samples, inconsistency with basaltic melt-bearing samples. The SPO-induce CPO model was used to explain the formation of the fabric. Our results suggest that the influences of CO2 as a fluid phase on the microstructure of a two-phase olivine aggregate is similar to that of basaltic melt and can be explained by the CPO-formation model for the solid-fluid system.

Cannabis has long been used for its medicinal and psychoactive properties. With the relatively new adoption of formal medicinal cannabis regulations worldwide, the study of cannabinoids, both endogenous and exogenous, has similarly flourished in more recent decades. In particular, research investigating the role of cannabinoids in regeneration and neurodevelopment has yielded promising results in vertebrate models. However, regeneration-competent vertebrates are few, whereas a myriad of invertebrate species have been established as superb models for regeneration. As such, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the endocannabinoid system, with a focus on current advances in the area of endocannabinoid system contributions to invertebrate neurodevelopment and regeneration.

In this work, pure TiO₂ and binary nanocomposites of Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ and Ag/TiO₂ were synthesized in order to improve photocatalytic performance of these samples for degradation of 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) as an organic pollutant. A range of analytical techniques including XRD, DRS, SEM/EDX, and elemental mapping were employed to reveal the crystal structure, morphology and property of the nanocomposites. XRD data demonstrated that the prepared samples are purely in TiO₂ anatase phase and cubic spinel Fe₃O₄ exist in the synthesized nanocomposite. We calculated the TiO₂ crystal size from XRD patterns, in the range of 8.35-11.09 nm. The presence of Ag, Fe, O, and Ti atoms in the synthesized nanocomposites was confirmed by SEM/EDX. We obtained 30.43, 32.02 and 42.40 % degradation of 2, 4-DCP (100 ml 2, 4-DCP 40 ppm and 0.01 g catalyst) for pure TiO₂, Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ and Ag/TiO₂, respectively, after 180 min of irradiation under visible light. Similar conditions were employed for 2, 4-DCP degradation under UV irradiation, we obtained 53.05, 51.00 and 71.50 % degradation of 2, 4-DCP pure TiO₂, Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ and Ag/TiO₂, respectively. Thus, the synthesized binary nanocomposites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO₂ under visible light.

A prior investigation revealed that a lack of Zinc (Zn) could hinder the intestinal cell proliferation in broiler chickens; however, the mechanisms responsible for this effect remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the possible mechanisms of dietary Zn deficiency in inhibiting the jejunal cell proliferation of broilers. For this study, a total of 112 chickens (21 d old) were randomly divided into two treatments (n = 7, 8 chickens per replicate cage): control (CON) and Zn deficiency groups. The duration of feeding was 21 d. Chickens in the CON group were provided with a basal diet containing an extra addition of 40 mg Zn/kg in the form of Zn sulfate, whereas chickens in the Zn deficiency group were given the basal diet with no Zn supplementation. The results indicated that, in comparison to the CON, Zn deficiency increased (P < 0.05) duodenal and jejunal crypt depth (CD) of broilers on d 28 and jejunal and ileal CD on d 35, and decreased (P < 0.05) duodenal, jejunal and ileal villus height/crypt depth (VH/CD) on d 28 and jejunal VH, jejunal and ileal villus surface area and VH/CD on d 35. Furthermore, Zn deficiency decreased (P < 0.0001) the amount of proliferating cell nuclear antigen positive cells, and down-regulated (P < 0.01) mRNA or protein expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated PI3K, phosphorylated serine threonine kinase (AKT), phosphorylated mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), G protein-coupled receptor 39 (GPR39), and extracellular regulated protein kinase, but up-regulated (P < 0.05) mRNA or protein expression levels of P38 mitogen activated protein kinase, c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1 and JNK2 and phosphorylated Protein Kinase C in the jejunum of broilers on d 42. It was concluded that dietary Zn deficiency inhibited the cell proliferation possibly via GPR39-mediated suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in the jejunum of broilers.

Our concern was to obtain a biocomposite material with improved properties of the constituent materials (poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and zinc–boron (Zn–B) complex) in accordance with the novelties in the field of delivery systems for therapeutic agents which lately redefine the importance of biopolymer nanocomposites with PLGA (biodegradable composites). The advantages of such a biomaterial target the health system, being easy to obtain, through a cost-effective method. The water/oil/water double emulsion method also allows the adjustment of the synthesis parameters, to maximize the degree of Zn–B complex encapsulation. The morphological aspects of the samples (size, shape, porosity) were established by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Particle size distribution (by volume and by number) was determined by direct light scattering (DLS). For all the synthesized materials, the observed morphology was typical for PLGA, spherical one. The particle size distribution showed that depending on the synthesis conditions, the particles can be obtained with diameters between 10–450 nm range and the value of the zeta potential (ZP) shows that the particles have electronegative surface charge, which offers a favorable perspective on the phenomena of aggregation, flocculation, dispersion. It was observed, applying the design of experiments (DoE), that the size of the particles increased with increasing amounts of PLGA and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the formulation, while ZP increased with higher PLGA and smaller PVA. The encapsulation efficiency was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS).

Since the discovery of the first reported case with Zinc-deficiency in Iran¹ by Prasad et al. in 1961, the knowledge on Zinc has increased significantly. Zinc is the second most abundant common trace mineral in the human body, responsible for vital biological functions from cell growth and development to cell homeostasis and immune response ^2,3. Up to a fifth of the global population is estimated to suffer from different degrees of Zinc deficiency⁴. In the western world, Zinc deficiency is more prevalent among the geriatric population³, vegans/vegetarians, and people with certain underlying conditions⁴such as liver cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and various auto-immune disorders^4,5. Zinc and Zinc deficiency has been associated with several infectious diseases ^2,3. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which is responsible for the ongoing pandemic belongs to the family of coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 has a high genetic similarity to another family member, SARS-CoV, which caused the first major epidemic of the 21^st century^6,7. Currently, there is no evidence linking the anti- SARS-CoV-2 response and the element Zinc. Herein and in light of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we marshal the evidence associating the element Zinc with the anti-viral and antibacterial immune response as well as the cytokine storm and lung injury. Such a revisit of the precedent evidence may inspire further investigation assessing the relationship between Zincemia status and the anti-viral response in SARS-CoV-2 patients.

Topological indices have been used to modeling biological and chemical properties of molecules in quantitive structure property relationship studies and quantitive structure activity studies. All the degree based topological indices have been defined via classical degree concept. In this paper we define a novel degree concept for a vertex of a simple connected graph: S degree. And also we define S indices of a simple connected graph by using the S degree concept. We compute the S indices for well-known simple connected graphs such as paths, stars, complete graphs and cycles.

Background: Mounting evidence supports the role of the endocannabinoid system in neurophysiology, includ-ing blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. Recent work has demonstrated that activation of endocannabinoid re-ceptors can mitigate insults to the BBB during neurological disorders, like traumatic brain injury, cortical spreading depression and stroke. As alterations to the BBB are associated with worsening clinical outcomes in these conditions, studies herein sought to examine the impact of endocannabinoid depletion on BBB integrity. Methods: Barrier integrity was investigated in vitro via bEnd.3 cell monolayers to assess endocannabinoid syn-thesis, barrier function, calcium influx, junctional protein expression, and proteome-wide changes. Results: In-hibition of 2-AG synthesis using DAGLα inhibition and siRNA inhibition of DAGLα led to loss of barrier in-tegrity via altered expression of VE-cadherin, which could be partially rescued by exogenous application of 2-AG. Moreover, the deleterious effects of DAGLα inhibition on BBB integrity showed both calcium and PKC (protein kinase C)-dependency. Conclusions: These data indicate that disruption of 2-AG homeostasis in brain endothelial cells, in the absence of insult, is sufficient to disrupt BBB integrity thus supporting the role of the endocannabinoid system in neurovascular disorders.

1) Background: Northwest Syria (NWS), is a conflict-affected and unstable area. Due to its limited health infrastructure, accessing advanced COVID-19 testing services is challenging. COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) have the potential to overcome this barrier. Therefore, a pilot project was implemented to introduce Ag-RDTs in this setting aiming to a) describe the feasibility, uptake, and results of Ag-RDTs; and b) identify facilitators and barriers to Ag-RDTs testing. 2) Methods: A cross-sectional study design involving secondary analysis of data collected during the project’s monitoring was developed. A local NGO implemented 25,000 Ag-RDTs cross boarder through trained community health workers. 3) Results: A total of 27,888 persons were found eligible and enrolled, of which 24,956 (89.5%) consented to test and 121 (0.5%) were found positive. Highest positivity was observed among those with severe COVID-19 symptoms (12.7%), those with respiratory illnesses (2.5%), persons enrolled at Afrin Hospitals (2.5%), and healthcare workers (1.9%). A non-random sample of 236 people underwent confirmatory rt-PCR test. Accordingly, observed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, were 80.0%, 96.1%, 91.4% and 90.3%, respectively. Key encountered challenges included obtaining informed consent and conducting confirmatory rt-PCR testing. 4) Conclusion: This project demonstrated great feasibility utilizing Ag-RDTs as a screening/diagnostic tool for COVID-19 infections with nearly 90% uptake. Considering the high specificity and negative predictive values and the higher positivity rates among severe COVID-19 symptomatic, embedding Ag-RDTs into COVID-19 testing strategies for ruling out and in COVID-19 infections would hold a great advantage.

The solid-state technique was utilized to make a single phase of delafossite CuAlO2, along with 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% silver doped CuAlO2 samples in this study. The content of the samples was investigated using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) equipped with a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The polycrystalline nature of all of the analyzed cases was confirmed by structural analyses utilizing an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern with a simple typical peak of CAO rhombohedral phase. Raman, FT-IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy were used to study the structural, and optical energy band gap (Eg) of Ag doped CuAlO2 nanoparticles. The Kubelka–Munk function was used to calculate the optical band gap of ACAO alloys using diffuse reflectance spectra, and it altered as the Ag ion concentration increased. A. c. impedance spectroscopy was used to investigate the dielectric characteristics of Ag doped CuAlO2 nanoparticles.

This paper investigates the photocatalytic characteristics of Ag Nanowire (AgNW)/TiO2 and AgNW/TiO2/Graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites. Samples were synthesized by the direct coating of TiO2 particles on the surface of silver nanowires. As-prepared AgNW/TiO2 and AgNW/TiO2/GO nanocomposites were characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV/visible absorption spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images confirmed the successful deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of AgNWs. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized nanocomposites was evaluated using Rhodamine B (RhB) in an aqueous solution as the model organic dye. Results showed that synthesized AgNW/TiO2/GO nanocomposite has superior photocatalytic activities when it comes to the decomposition of RhB.

We report here the synthesis of uniform nanospheres-like silver nanoparticles (AgNPs, 5-10 nm) and the dumbbell-like Fe3O4-Ag hybrid nanoparticles (FeAgNPs, 8-16 nm) by the use of seeding growth method in the presence of oleic acid (OA)/oleylamine (OLA) as surfactants. The antibacterial activity of pure nanoparticles and nanocomposites by monitoring the bacterial lag–log growth has been investigated. The electron transfer from AgNPs to Fe3O4NPs which enhances the biological of silver nanoparticles has been proven by nanoscale Raman spectroscopy. The lamellae structure in the spherulite of FeAgNPs/PE nanocomposites seems play the key role to the antibacterial activity of nanocomposites, which has been proven by nanoscale AFM-IR. An atomic force microscopy coupled with nanoscale infrared microscopy (AFM-IR) is use to highlight the distribution of nanoparticles on the surface of nanocomposite at the nanoscale. The presence of FeAgNPs in PE nanocomposites has a better antibacterial activity than that reinforced by AgNPs due to the faster Ag+ release rate from the Fe3O4-Ag hybrid nanoparticles and the ionization of AgNPs in hybrid nanostructure.

The effect of retrogression re-aging treatment (RRA) on corrosion behavior of 7055 Al-Zn-Mg alloy were studied. Results provides the corrosion resistance could be greatly improved by RRA. After the RRA treatment, the isolated precipitates occurred on grain boundaries (GBs) and the low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) presented a larger fraction compared to the single-stage peaking aging. The samples after RRA treatment also show better corrosion resistance than the single-stage peak aging. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that impedance spectrum is consisted of semi-infinite layer diffusion impedance and stagnant Weber impedance. The semi-infinite layer diffusion impedance corresponded a limited retention layer on the electrode surface. In corrosion process, Weber impedance corresponded to stagnant layer of corrosion products generated by the anode branches. The RRA sample has the high Rf and low Cf, Cp values, and the corrosion current density of the RRA samples is ten times less than the single-stage peak aging samples with the 10% hardness losing.

Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiency in cereal grains has deleterious effects on the health of millions of people, especially in developing countries. As wheat, as a staple crop, is consumed in large quantities, its micronutrient content is important. Crops in Africa are often grown under low nitrogen (N) and low phosphorous (P) conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of low N and low P stress on Fe and Zn and phytic acid concentration, in two commercial spring wheat cultivars with excellent baking quality. The two cultivars did not differ significantly for the measured characteristics. Across all treatments the average values for Fe varied between 19.60-28.61 mg kg^-1, Zn between 17.68-33.79 mg kg^-1 and phytic acid between 5.03-6.92 mg g^-1. Low P stress lead to the highest values of Fe and Zn, and the lowest value for phytic acid. Phytic acid:Fe and phytic acid:Zn ratios were also highly significantly reduced under low P stress conditions. Low N conditions caused significantly increased Zn levels. Despite this, the phytic acid:Fe and phytic acid:Zn ratios were relatively high under all conditions, indicating a low bioavailability of both Fe and Zn in these wheat cultivars.

The -blocker (S)-practolol ((S)-N-(4-(2-hydroxy (isopropylamino)propoxy)phenyl)acetamide) was synthesized with 96% enantiomeric excess (ee) from the chlorohydrin (R)-N-(4-(3-chloro-2 hydroxypropoxy)phenyl)acetamide, which was produced in 97% ee and with 27% yield. Racemic building block 1-((1H-indol-4-yl)oxy)-3-chloropropan-2-ol for the -blocker pindolol was produced in 53% yield and (R)-1-((1H-indol-4-yl)oxy)-3-chloropropan-2-ol was produced in 92% ee. The chlorohydrin 7-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one, a building block for a derivative of carteolol was produced in 77% yield. (R)-7-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one was obtained in 96% ee. The S-enantiomer of this carteolol derivative was produced in 97% ee in 87% yield. Racemic building block 5-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropoxy)- 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one, building block for the drug carteolol was also produced in 53% yield, with 99% ee of the R-chlorohydrin (R)-5-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one. The yield of all four chlorohydrins increased by use of catalytic amounts of base. The reason for this was found to be less formation of the dimeric by-products compared to use of higher concentration of the base. An overall reduction of reagents and reaction time was also obtained compared to our previous reported data of similar compounds. The enantiomers of the chlorohydrin building blocks were obtained by kinetic resolution of the racemate in transesterification reactions catalyzed by Candida antarctica Lipase B (CALB) from SyncoZymes Co, Shanghai, China. Optical rotations confirmed the absolute configuration of the enantiopure drugs.

The requirement for developing tools capable of detecting and monitoring heavy metals (HMs) has recently taken on more significance due to worries about their toxic effect on human health and aquatic habitats. In this study, a simple electrochemical sensing carbon paste electrode (CPE) based on composite of Zinc/Iron layered double hydroxide (LDH) and polyaniline (PANI) was developed for the determination of lead ions in aquatic solutions. For this purpose, Zn-Fe LDH/PANI was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Modified carbon electrode based Zn-Fe LDH/PANI was electrochemically characterized compared with unmodified electrode in FCN as a redox probe using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Thus, Zn-Fe LDH/PANI was utilized as sensing material for the electrochemical determination of lead ions using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Zn-Fe LDH/PANI/CPE show limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 167.8 nM and 559.4 nM, respectively. Zn/Mg/Fe LDH was prepared using co-precipitation method and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and BET, used for removal of Pb+2 ions. Removal process was investigated at different conditions as pH, metal ion concentrations, starting adsorbent dose at first and contact time. Zn/Mg/Fe LDH was evaluated as an effective adsorbent material for lead ions elimination in aquatic solutions, with capacity of adsorption 700 mg/g. The elimination of lead ions on Zn/Mg/Fe LDH fitted the pseudo first-order kinetics model and the isotherm was matched with Langmuir model. Studies revealed that the ideal removal conditions were pH = 5.0, an adsorbent mass of 0.05 g, and 20 ml of 50 ppm metal ion concentration at 60 min. The Zn-Fe LDH/PANI composite also showed potential anti-cancer properties against lung cancer cells (A549) while maintaining safety for normal lung fibroblast cells (WI-38). Collectively, advancements in electrochemical sensors offer promising solutions for lead ion detection, with wide-reaching applications in wastewater treatment and cytotoxicity assessment. These innovations have the potential to enhance environmental monitoring and public health safety.

Digital microfluidics (DMF) devices enable precise manipulation of small liquid volumes in point-of-care testing. Printed circuit board (PCB) substrate is commonly utilized to build DMF devices. However, inkjet printing can be used to fabricate DMF circuits, providing a less expensive alternative to PCB-based DMF designs while enabling more rapid design iteration cycles. We demonstrate the fabrication process of the inkjet-printed DMF circuit. We compare Kapton and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as dielectric coatings by measuring the minimal droplet actuation voltage for a range of actuation frequencies. The minimum actuation voltage of 5.6 V was required for droplet movement with the PMMA layer thickness of 0.2 μm and a hydrophobic layer of 0.17 μm. Significant issues with PMMA dielectric breakdown were observed at actuation voltages above 10 V. In comparison, devices that utilized Kapton were found to be more robust even at the actuation voltage up to 100 V.

Fresh Ag nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed on a transparent SiO2 exhibit an intense optical extinction band originating in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in visible range. The intensity of LSPR band weakened when the Ag NPs was stored in ambient air for two weeks. The rate of the weakening and the LSPR wavelength shift, corresponding to visual chromatic changes, strongly depended on the environment in which Ag NPs were set. The origin of a chromatic change was discussed along with both compositional and morphological changes. In one case, bluish coloring followed by a prompt discoloring was observed for Ag NPs placed near the ventilation fan in our laboratory, resulted from adsorption of large amounts of S and Cl on Ag NP surfaces as well as particle coarsening. Such color changes deduce the presence of significant amounts of S and Cl in the environment. In other case, a remarkably blue-shift of LSPR band was observed for the Ag NPs stored in the desiccator made of stainless steel, originated in the formation of CN and/or HCN compounds and surface roughening. Their color changed from maroon to reddish, suggesting that such molecules were present inside the desiccator.

This study aims to establish whether the use of biomaterials, particularly polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), for surgical reconstruction of the esophagus with templates, Montgomery salivary tube, after radical oncology surgery for malignant neoplasia is an optimal choice for patients’ safety and for optimal function preservation and organ rehabilitation. Methods: Structural analysis by Raman spectrometry and biomechanical properties with dynamic mechanical analysis are performed for fatigue strength and toughness, essential factors in durability of a prosthesis in the reconstruction practice of the esophagus. Nanocomposites with silicone elastomers and nanoparticles used in implantable devices and in the reconstruction surgery are facing risks of infection and fatigue strength when required to perform a mechanical effort for long periods of time. Results: This report takes into account the effect of silver (Ag) nanoparticles on the fatigue strength using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix, representative for silicon elastomers used in implantable devices. PDMS with 5% (wt) Ag nanoparticles of 100-150 nm during mechanical fatigue testing at shear strength loses elasticity properties after 400 loading-unloading cycles and up to 15% shear strain. The fatigue strength, toughness, maximum shear strength are the key issues in designing Montgomery salivary tube with appropriate biomechanical behavior for each patient. Conclusions: Prosthesis design needs to indulge both clinical outcome as well as design methods and research in the field of biomaterials.

A new class of nano-cube core-shell heterostructures containing Ag coating on the top of WO₃ was fabricated. Physical vapor deposition was used to produce WO₃ based nano-heterostructures. All kind of wet toxic chemical process was avoided to make the process simple and contaminant free. Sputtering of WO₃ and a subsequent thermal annealing process was done to create nano-cubes of WO₃. After that, sputtering of Ag was performed to form the Ag-WO₃ core-shell nano-heterostructures (CSNH). The CSNHs were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The morphologies, elemental analysis, interfaces, crystallinity, phases, and chemical compositions were analyzed. The bottom-up growth of WO₃ nanocubes was studied using different time periods at 900°C. Ag coating was also studied before and after annealing. Finally, an optical property (band gap) was also analyzed using Tauc plot derive from absorption spectra. The tailoring the band gap of WO₃ from ~2.9eV to ~ 2.45 eV was observed while Ag-WO₃ CSNH formed.

We present a modified version of the Szilard Engine, demonstrating that an explicit measurement procedure is entirely unnecessary for its operation. By considering our modified engine, we are able to provide a new interpretation of Landauer’s original argument for the cost of erasure. From this view, we demonstrate that a reset operation is strictly impossible in a dynamical system with only conservative forces. Then, we prove that to approach a reset yields an unavoidable instability at the reset point. Finally, we present an original proof of Landauer’s principle that is completely independent from the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

This study aimed to delineate the longitudinal antibody responses to the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2) within the Ugandan subset of the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) demographic, filling a significant gap in global datasets. We enrolled 48 participants, collecting 320 specimens over 12 months after vaccination. A validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA concentrations (ng/ml) and optical densities (ODs). Statistical analyses included box plots, diverging bar graphs, and the Wilcoxon test with Bonferroni correction. We showed a robust SIgG response within 14 days of the primary vaccine dose, consistent with global data. Remarkably, we observed no significant surge in S-IgG levels following the booster, contrasting trends other global populations. The S-IgM response was transient, and predominantly established thresholds, reflecting its typical early emergence and subsequent decline. S-IgA increased initially but declined six months post-vaccination, in line with the temporal dynamics of mucosal immunity. Eleven breakthrough infections occurred; however, all were asymptomatic, indicating a protective effect from the vaccination regardless of the participants' initial S-IgG serostatus. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine elicited strong S-IgG responses in the SSA demographic. However, antibody dynamics distinctly differed from global data highlight the significance of region-specific research and the necessity for customized vaccination strategies.

The design and fabrication of low-cost catalysts for highly efficient oxygen reduction is of paramount importance for various renewable energy-related technologies, such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Herein, we report the in situ growth of Fe3N nanoparticles encapsulated N-doped carbon nanotubes on the surface of flexible biomass-derived carbon cloth (Fe3N@CNTs/CC) via a simple one-step carbonization process. Taking advantage of its unique structure, Fe3N@CNTs/CC was employed as a self-standing electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and possessed high activity as well as excellent long-term stability and methanol resistance in alkaline media. Remarkably, Fe3N@CNT/CC can directly play the role of both gas diffusion layer and electrocatalytic cathode in a zinc-air battery without additional means of catalyst loading, and display higher open circuit voltage, power density, and specific capacity in comparison with the commercial Pt/C catalyst. This work is anticipated to inspire the design of cost-effective, easy-preparation, and high-performance air electrodes for advanced electrochemical applications.

Rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their high theoretical capacity of 820 mA h g‒1, low cost and intrinsic safety. However, the electrolyte leakage and the instability issues of Zn negative electrodes originating from side reactions between the aqueous electrolyte and Zn negative electrode, not only restricts the battery stability but also results in short-circuit of aqueous ZIBs. Herein we report a flexible and stable N-isopropylacrylamide/sodium alginate (N-SA) gel electrolyte, which possesses high mechanical strength and high ionic conductivity of 2.96×10‒2 S cm‒1, and enables the Zn metal negative electrode and MnO2 positive electrode to reversibly and stably cycle. Compared to the liquid electrolyte, the N-SA hydrogel electrolyte can effectively form a uniform Zn deposition and suppress the generation of irreversible by-products. The assemble symmetric Zn/Zn cells at a current density of 1 mA cm‒2 shows a stable voltage profile, which maintains a low level of about 100 mV over 2600 h without an obvious short circuit or any overpotential increasing. Specially, the assembled Zn/N-SA/MnO2 batteries can deliver a high specific capacity of 182 mAh g‒1 and maintain 98% capacity retention after 650 cycles at 0.5 A g‒1. This work provides a facile method to fabricate high-performance SA-based hydrogel electrolytes that illustrates their potential for flexible batteries for wearable electronics.

Researchers from around the world are looking for better and cheaper ozone production. One of the methods increasing the efficiency of ozone production is the use to a rotating electrode presented in this paper. Experiments were carried out which shows that the most important parameters are the materials used on the electrodes and the condition of its surface. The metallographic investigations of the electrodes after continuous monthly work was made, which show how the raids layers are formed. As a result of working in a highly oxidizing environment, the electrode is oxidized in the process of chemical corrosion. It is obvious that the layer of corrosion products created during the work of the plasma reactor isolates the surface of the electrode, which reduces the intensity of the electric field, causing a decrease in the amount of plasma generated, which is a direct cause of lowering the concentration of ozone during this process. The dynamics of plasma generation process and the type of electrode material working in changing process conditions are the decisive factors influencing the concentration of ozone produced. The influence of the medium, which is the electrode material, depends mainly on its resistance to corrosion in the environment of dynamically changing conditions, e.g. electrode rotation, oxygen flow through the rotating electric field and the long monthly working time of the plasma reactor.

Aluminum base alloys containing chromium (Cr) and zinc (Zn) were produced using extrusion and heat treated powder metallurgy. Cr addition ranged between 5 to 10 wt. % while Zn was added in an amount between 0 to 20 wt. %. Heat treatment processes were performed during powder metallurgy process at different temperatures followed by water quenching. Similar alloys were extruded, with an extrusion ratio of 4.6 to get proper densification. Optical microscopy was used for microstructure investigations of the produced alloys. The element distribution microstructure study was carried out using the Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis method. Hardness and tensile properties of the investigated alloys have been examined. Wear resistance tests were carried out and the results were compared with these of the Al-based bulk alloys. Results showed that the aluminum base alloys containing 10wt. % Chromium and heat treated at 500°C for one hour followed by water quenching exhibited the highest wear resistance and better mechanical properties.

As one of the typical deposits in Sichuan-Yunnan-Guizhou Pb-Zn metallogenic province, the Daliangzi Pb-Zn deposit has a close genetic relation with the structural system of “black/fracture zone” formed under the action of NWW-approx. EW strike-slip structures in the metallogenic province, but the mechanism of rock and ore-controlling action of the structural system remains unclear. Based on detailed analysis of tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies of R1 “black/fracture zone”, the tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies zones can be divided into 4 types in succession outward from the Pb-Zn mineralization center, i.e., ① brecciated and stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralization-complex breccia facies zone, ② stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralization-simple breccia and cataclasite facies zone, ③ veined pyrite-sulfide-dolomitic cataclasite facies zone, and ④ fine-veined calcite-black carbonized dolomite facies zone; Cl- and SO42--rich high-temperature oxidizing ore-bearing fluid mixes with reducing fluid in Zone ① while migration and precipitation occur in Zone ④. With the evolution of ore-forming fluid, the homogenization temperature decreases from Zone ① to Zone ④, the salinity increases from Zone ① to Zone ② and then decreases to Zones ③ and ④, and the fluid density has little change on the whole; the contents of Zn, Pb, Cu, Ga, Ge, Cd, Ag, and other metallogenic elements, the Zn/Pb ratio, and the CaO/MgO mole ratio decrease gradually from Zone ① to Zone ④; and REE fractionation, calcilization, silicification, and pyritization enhance gradually from Zone ① to Zone ④. This series of changes are the product of diapirism (cryptoexplosion) of strike-slip structures and “black/fracture zone”, among which the second-order structures (F5, F100, and other faults) derived from NWW-approx. EW striking dextral shear-tension faults F1 and F15 control the brecciated and stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralized complex breccia facies zones and the stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralized simple breccia and cataclasite facies zones. Therefore, this paper establishes the zoning mode of tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies of “black/fracture zone” and proposes that Zones ① and ② are important prospecting criteria. conclusions.

Streptococcus mutans is a key bacterium in dental caries- one of the most prevalent chronic infectious diseases. Conventional treatment both fails to specifically target the pathogenic bacteria and at-tempts to eradicate commensal bacteria as well. Thus, caries remains one of most common and challenging diseases. The use of bacterial viruses as anti-bacterial agents, is gaining interest worldwide. Hardly any phages were described against S. mutans. The objective of this study was to isolate anti-S. mutans phages and to characterize their antimi-crobial properties. Human saliva samples were filtered and screened for potential phages. Standard double-layered agar method was used for isolation. Whole genome sequence analysis and morphology visualization by TEM, were used for anti-S. mutans phage identification. Antibacterial properties were evaluated using clinical strains and ATCC strains of S. mutans in various states. Antibacterial effect was also tested on human cariogenic dentin. One phage against S. mutans was isolated and termed SMHBZ8. This phage showed effective lytic activity in vitro against both planktonic and biofilm S. mutans cultures. Moreover, the phage showed antibacterial effect when used on cariogenic dentin. The isolation and characterization of SMHBZ8 may be the first step in developing a potential phage therapy for dental caries.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an essential analyte for detecting neurodegenerative diseases and in-flammatory processes and plays a crucial role in pharmaceutical, food industry, and environmental monitoring. However, conventional H2O2 detection methods have drawbacks such as lengthy analysis time, high costs, and bulky equipment. Non-enzymatic sensors have emerged as promising alternatives to overcome these limitations. In this study, we introduce a simple, portable, and cost-effective non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor based on carbon black (CB) and silver nano-particle-modified δ-FeOOH (Ag/δ-FeOOH), integrated into a disposable electrochemical cell (DCell). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), confirmed successful CB and Ag/δ-FeOOH immo-bilization on the DCell working electrode. Electrochemical investigations revealed that the DCell-CB//Ag/δ-FeOOH sensor exhibited an approximately twofold higher apparent heterogene-ous electron transfer rate constant than the DCell–Ag/δ-FeOOH sensor, capitalizing on CB ad-vantages. Moreover, the sensor displayed excellent electrochemical response for H2O2 reduction, boasting a low detection limit of 22 µM and a high analytical sensitivity of 214 μA mM-1 cm-2. Notably, the DCell-CB//Ag/δ-FeOOH sensor exhibited outstanding selectivity for H2O2 detection, even in potential interferents such as dopamine, uric acid, and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated its suitability for monitoring H2O2 in complex biological samples, as evidenced by H2O2 recoveries ranging from 92% to 103% in 10% fetal bovine serum. These findings underscore the considerable potential of the DCell-CB//Ag/δ-FeOOH sensor for precise and reliable H2O2 monitoring in diverse biomedical and environmental applications.

In this work, the ternary titanium, copper and silver (Ti-Cu-Ag) system is investigated as a potential candidate for the production of mechanically robust biomedical thin films. The coatings are produced by physical vapor deposition-magnetron sputtering (MS-PVD). The composite thin films are deposited on a silicon (100) substrate. The ratio between Ti and Cu was approximately kept one, with the variation of the Ag content between 10 and 35 at.%, while the power on the targets is changed during each deposition to get the desired Ag content. Thin film characterization is performed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), nanoindentation (modulus and hardness) and Atomic force microscopy to determine the surface topography. The residual stresses are measured by focused ion beam and digital image correlation method (FIB-DIC). The produced Ti-Cu-Ag thin films appear to be smooth, uniformly thick and exhibit amorphous structure for the Ag contents lower than 25 at.%, with a transition to partially crystalline structure for higher Ag concentrations. The Ti-Cu control film shows higher values of 124.5 GPa and 7.85 GPa for modulus and hardness respectively. There is a clear trend of continuous decrease in the modulus and hardness with the increase of Ag content, as lowest value of 105.5 GPa and 6 GPa for 35 at.% Ag containing thin films. In particular, a transition from the compressive (-36.5 MPa) to tensile residual stresses between 229 MPa and 288 MPa are observed with an increasing Ag content. The obtained results suggest that the Ag concentration should not exceed 25 at.%, in order to avoid an excessive reduction of the modulus and hardness with maintaining (at the same time) the potential for an increase of the antibacterial properties. In summary, Ti-Cu-Ag thin films shows characteristic mechanical properties that can be used to improve the properties of biomedical implants such as Ti-alloys and stainless steel.

Mesoporous TiO2/reduced graphene oxide/Ag (TiO2/RGO/Ag) ternary nanocomposite with effective electrons transfer pathway is obtained by an electrostatic self-assembly method and photo-assisted treatment. Compared with bare mesoporous TiO2 (MT) and mesoporous TiO2/RGO (MTG), the ternary mesoporous TiO2/RGO/Ag (MTGA) nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic performance for the degradation of MB under visible light, and the degradation rate reached 0.017 min-1, which was 3.4 times higher than that of MTG. It is proposed that Ag nanoparticles can form the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) to absorb the visible light and distract the electrons into MT, and RGO can accept the electrons from MT to accelerate the separation efficiency of carriers. The establishment of MTGA ternary nanocomposite make the three components act synergistic effect to enhance the photocatalytic performance.

Misfolding of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) is a pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with SOD1 mutations. The development of antibodies specific for misfolded SOD1 deepens our understanding of how the protein participates in ALS pathogenesis. Since the term “misfolding” refers to various disordered conformers other than the natively folded one, which misfolded species are recognized by specific antibodies should be determined. Here, we molecularly characterized the recognition by MS785-MS27, an antibody cocktail experimentally confirmed to recognize over 100 ALS-linked SOD1 mutants. Indirect ELISA revealed that the antibody cocktail recognized Zn-deficient wild-type and mutated SOD1 species. It also recognized conformation-disordered wild-type and mutated SOD1 species, such as unfolded and oligomeric forms, but had less affinity for the aggregated form. Antibody-reactive SOD1 exhibited cytotoxicity to a motor neuron cell model, which was blocked by Zn treatment with Zn-deficient SOD1. Immunohistochemistry revealed antibody-reactive SOD1 mainly in spinal motor neurons of SOD1G93A mice throughout the disease course, and the distribution after symptomatic stages differed from that of other misfolded SOD1 species. This suggested that misfolded SOD1 species exist as heterogeneous populations. In conclusion, MS785-MS27 recognizes various misfolded SOD1 lacking the incorporated Zn ion and should be useful for monitoring Zn availability in SOD1.

The results of electron-beam processing of Mn-Zn ferrite samples using pulsed and continuous electron beams in the forevacuum pressure range (10 Pa) are presented. We find that continuous electron-beam processing leads to surface structuring of the ferrite, changes in elemental composition on the surface, and electrical property modification. The degree of ferrite parameter changes exhibits a threshold behavior. For surface processing temperatures below 900 °C, changes are barely noticeable, while for temperatures over 1100 °C the surface resistance decreases by more than an order of magnitude. Electron-beam processing with millisecond pulse duration and pulse energy density exceeding 15 J/cm² results in the formation of low zinc content melt islands, while the remaining surface area (outside the islands) elemental content and ferrite properties remain largely unchanged. The thickness of the modified layer depends on the processing mode and can be controlled over the range 0.1–0.5 mm. Because of its low resistance, the modified layer can be utilized to enhance the RF-absorbing properties of the ferrite.

The requirements for using noncyanide imitation gold plating as decorative electroplating are increasing; thus, continuously improving the quality of the coating of the imitation gold plating and optimizing the coating process have become the current priority. In this work, hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid (HEDP) was used as the main complexing agent, CuSO4·5H2O, ZnSO4·7H2O and NaSnO3·3H2O were the main salts, and NaOH and anhydrous sodium carbonate were used as the buffers to prepare the electroplating solution. Using sodium citrate (SC), sodium potassium tartrate (SS), sodium gluconate (SG), and glycerol (Gl) as four additives, the effects of the number of carboxyl groups on the properties of a Cu-Zn-Sn alloy coating were compared. The electrochemical analysis showed that Cu-Zn-Sn alloy codeposition occurred at -0.50 V vs. Hg|HgO. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the particle size of the coatings obtained with carboxyl-containing additives was more uniform than that obtained with the electroplating solution without additives. The X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) analysis revealed that the composition of the Cu-Zn-Sn alloy coating obtained by using SC as an additive in the electroplating solution was 89.75 wt% Cu, 9.61 wt% Zn, and 0.64 wt% Sn, and the color of the coating was golden yellow. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern showed that the coating was a mixture of Cu, Cu5Zn8, CuSn, Cu6Sn5, and CuZn phases. The analysis of the electroplating solution by UV, IR and NMR spectroscopy methods indicates that the additives improve the coating by affecting the complexation reaction of metal ions. These results can provide technical and theoretical guidance for developing Cu-Zn-Sn ternary alloy electrodeposition technology with the new cyanide-free HEDP alkaline electroplating system.

Semi-solid feedstock of AZ80 magnesium alloy modified by minor rare-earth Y element (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 wt.%) were fabricated by strain induces melting activated (SIMA) in the form of extrusion and partial remelting. The effect of Y addition on the microstructure evolution of extruded and isothermal treated alloy was observed by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and quantitative analysis. The results show that the Y addition can refine the microstructure and make the β-Mg17Al12 phases agglomerating. During the subsequent isothermal treatment at 570℃, the average solid grain size, shape factor and liquid fractions increased with prolonged soaking time. Smaller spheroidal solid grains and the larger shape factor were obtained due to Y addition. The coalescence and Ostwald ripening of solid grains operated the coarsening process simultaneously. The coarsening rate constants of AZ80M1 (0.2 wt.% Y addition) of 164.22 μm3s-1 was approximately four times less than the un-modified AZ80 alloy of 689.44 μm3s-1. In contrast, the desirable semi-solid structure featured by fine, well globular solid grains and appropriate liquid fractions and shape factor was achieved in AZ80M1 alloy treated at 570℃ for 20-30 min.

The biofilm is a conglomerate of cells surrounded by an extracellular matrix, which contributes to the persistence of infections. The difficulty in removing the biofilm drives the research for new therapeutic options. In this work, the effect of terpenes (-)-trans-Caryophyllene, (S)-cis-Verbenol, (S)-(-)-Limonene, (R)-(+)-Limonene, and linalool was evaluated, individually and in combinations on bacterial growth, by assay with resazurin; the formation of biofilm, by assay with violet crystal; and the expression of associated genes, by real-time PCR, in two clinical isolates of S. aureus, ST30-t019 and ST5-t311, responsible for more than 90% of pediatric infections by this pathogen in Paraguay. All combinations of terpenes can inhibit biofilm formation in more than 50% without affecting bacterial growth. The most effective combination was (-)-trans-Caryophyllene and linalool at a 500 μg/mL concentration for each, with an inhibition percentage of 88%. This combination decreased the expression levels of the sdrD, spa, agr, and hld genes associated with the initial cell adhesion stage and quorum sensing. At the same time, it increased the expression levels of the cap5B and cap5C genes related to the production of capsular polysaccharides. The combinations of compounds tested are promising alternatives to inhibit biofilm formation in S. aureus.

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of cognitive and physical disability worldwide, affecting 15% of the global population. Due to the demographics of aging, the prevalence of neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, will double over the next two decades. Unfortunately, while available therapies provide symptomatic relief for cognitive and motor impairment, there is an urgent unmet need to develop disease-modifying therapies that slow the rate of pathological progression. In that context, biomarkers could identify at-risk and prodromal patients, monitor disease progression, track response to therapy, and parse causality of molecular events to identify novel targets for further clinical investigation. Thus, identifying biomarkers that discriminate between diseases and reflect specific stages of pathology would catalyze the discovery and development of therapeutic targets. This review will describe the prevalence, known mechanisms, ongoing or recently concluded therapeutic clinical trials, and biomarkers of three of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Obesity is treatment-resistant, and is linked with a number of serious, chronic diseases. Adult obesity rates in the United States have tripled since the early 1960s. Recent reviews show that an increased ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids contributes to obesity rates by increasing levels of the endocannabinoid signals AEA and 2-AG, overstimulating CB₁R and leading to increased caloric intake, reduced metabolic rates, and weight gain. Cannabis, or THC, also stimulates CB₁R and increases caloric intake during acute exposures. The present meta-analysis reveals significantly reduced body mass index and rates of obesity in Cannabis users, in conjunction with increased caloric intake. We provide for the first time a causative explanation for this paradox, in which rapid and long-lasting downregulation of CB₁R following acute Cannabis consumption reduces energy intake and storage and increases metabolic rates, thus reversing the impact on body mass index of elevated dietary omega-6/omega-3 ratios.

Formation of Fe- and Mg-rich smectite and zeolite under alkaline conditions is concerned as secondary minerals after alkaline alteration of bentonite in a repository of radioactive wastes. It might be crucial for safety assessment whether smectite will be formed or not as secondary minerals after alkaline alteration of bentonite. In present paper, Fe- and Mg-rich smectite which are currently interacting with hyperalkaline groundwater was found at Narra in Palawan, Philippines. Mineralogical and geochemical investigation was conducted to understand formation process of smectite and factors determined secondary mineral species. Our study revealed a certain amount of smectite may have been produced under hyperalkaline conditions, altered from amorphous or poorly crystalline material such as M-S-H and F-S-H. Key factor which decides smectite or zeolite as secondary minerals after alkaline alteration of bentonite might be whether nuclei of M-S-H and/or F-S-H will be formed or not. This might be decided by the presence of dissolved Mg2+ and Fe2+ in the system. Our suggested formation process of smectite under alkaline conditions is analogue with generally-accepted model of smectite formation that might have been occurred on early Mars.

The conformity assessment of products or a measured value with the given standards is carried out based on the global risk of producers and consumers calculation. A product may conform to specifications but be falsely rejected as non-conforming. This is about the producer's risk. If a product doesn't meet the requirements but is falsely accepted as conforming, that poses a risk to the consumer. The conventional approach to risk assessment, which yields only a single numerical value for the global risk of producers and consumers, is naturally extended, and utilized for assessing risk in measurement models with linear regression. The outcomes of the two-dimensional extension, along a moderate scale, are the parabolas with an opening upwards. Risk surfaces were obtained through three-dimensional extension over the area limited by the moderate scale and guard band axes. Four models with different ranges of tolerance intervals were used to test this innovative method of risk assessment in linear regression. The corresponding standard measurement uncertainties are determined by applying a simplified measurement model with the use of comprehensive data on the measurement performance and by determining measurement uncertainty derived from consideration of the functional relationship obtained by linear regression analysis. Models that utilize information from linear regression analysis to determine measurement uncertainty are biased towards risks at the edges of the moderate scale. Testing the model's performances with metrics related to the confusion matrix, such as the F1 score, further substantiated this assertion. The diagnostic odds ratio has been proven to be extremely effective in identifying the curve along the guard band axis, along which the global risks of producers and consumers are at their lowest.

Let R be a commutative graded ring with unity, S be a multiplicative subset of homogeneous elements of R and P be a graded ideal of R such that P\bigcap S=\emptyset In this article, we introduce several results concerning graded S-prime ideals. Then we introduce the concept of graded weakly S-prime ideals which is a generalization of graded weakly prime ideals. We say that P is a graded weakly S-prime ideal of R if there exists s\in S such that for all x, y\in h(R), if 0\neq xy\in P, then sx\in P or sy\in P. We show that graded weakly S-prime ideals have many acquaintance properties to these of graded weakly prime ideals.

We discuss two queueing-inventory systems with catastrophes in the warehouse. Catastrophes occur according to Poisson process and upon arrival of a catastrophe all inventory in the system is instantly destroyed. But consumer customers in the system (in the server or in the buffer) continue still waiting for the replenishment of the stock. The arrivals of the consumer customers follow a Markovian Arrival Process (MAP) and they can be queued in an infinite buffer. Service time of a consumer customer follows a phase-type distribution. The system receives negative customers whose have Poisson flows to service facility and upon arrival of a negative customer one consumer customer is pushed out from the system, if any. One of two replenishment policies can be used in the system: either (s,S) or (s,Q). If upon arrival of the consumer customer, the inventory level is zero, then according to the Bernoulli scheme, this customer is either lost (lost sale scheme) or join the queue (backorder sale scheme). The system is formulated by a four-dimensional continuous-time Markov chain. Steady state distribution is obtained using the matrix-geometric method. A comprehensive numerical study is performed on the performance measures under various replenishment policies. Finally, an optimization study is presented.

Single-Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SADI-S) is a modification of the duodenal switch in which only one anastomosis is performed, with a longer common limb and an expected less malabsorptive effect. The present study analyzes presentation and treatment of malnutrition after SADI-S. 258 consecutive patients undergoing SADI-S between May 2007 and September 2017 were included. The common limb length was 200 cm in 50 cases, 250 cm in 156 and 300 in 52. 30 patients were admitted for severe hypoalbuminemia and 16 patients were submitted to revisional surgery and constitute the series of our study. Mean weight before reoperation was 57 kg and mean body mass index (BMI) was 21 kg/m2. Mean number of daily bowel movements was 5,6. Mean time to reoperation was 56 months. Revisional surgery consisted mainly in elongation of the common limb. Mean weight regain was 14 kg and mean final BMI was 26 kg/m2. Daily bowel movements were decreased to 1,3. Factors related to hypoalbuminemia were hypertension, poor controlled diabetes, age over 55 years and a shorter common limb. Although SADI-S is expected to be less malabsorptive than previous biliopancreatic diversions, caution has to be taken with selected patients to avoid postoperative malnutrition.

Brain capillary endothelial cell(s) (BECs) have numerous functions including their semipermeable interface-barrier (transfer and diffusion of solutes), trophic (metabolic homeostasis), tonic (vascular hemodynamics), and trafficking (vascular permeability, coagulation, and leukocyte extravasation) functions to provide brain homeostasis. BECs also serve as the brain’s sentinel cell of the innate immune system and are capable of antigen presentation. In metabolic syndrome (MetS) there are two regions resulting in proinflammatory signaling of BECs. Namely, visceral adipose tissue depots supplying excessive peripheral cytokines/chemokines (pCC) and gut microbiota dysbiotic regions supplying excessive soluble lipopolysaccharide (sLPS), small LPS-enriched extracellular vesicle exosomes (lpsEVexos), and pCC. This dual signaling of BECs at their receptor sites results in BEC activation and dysfunction (BECact/dys) and neuroinflammation. sLPS and lpsEVexos signal BECs toll-like receptor four, which then signals translocated nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB). Translocated NFkB promotes the synthesis and secretion of BEC proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Specifically, the chemokine CCL5 (RANTES) is capable of attracting microglia cells to BECs. BEC neuroinflammation activates perivascular space(s) (PVS) resident macrophages. Excessive phagocytosis by reactive resident PVS macrophages results in a stagnation-like obstruction, which along with increased capillary permeability due to BECact/dys could expand the fluid volume within the PVS to result in enlarged PVS (EPVS). Importantly, this remodeling may result in pre- and post-capillary EPVS that would contribute to their identification on T2-weighted MRI, which are considered to be biomarkers for cerebral small vessel disease.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can boost the pristine Raman signal by ~ 108 times that could be exploited for producing innovative sensing devices with advanced properties. However, the inherent complexity of SERS systems restricts their further applications in rapid detection, especially in situ detection in narrow aera. Here, we construct an efficient and flexible SERS-based LOP sensor by integrating Ag/Au nanocap arrays obtained by Ag/Au coating polystyrene nanospheres on the optical fiber face. We obtain rich “hotspots” at the nanogaps between neighboring nanocaps and further achieve the excellent SERS performance with the assistance of laser induced thermophoresis on the metal film that can achieve high efficiency aggregation of detected molecules. We achieve a high Raman enhancement with a low detection limitation of 10-7 mol/L for the most efficient samples based on the above sensor. This sensor also exhibits good repeatability and stability under multiple detections, revealing the potential application in situ detection based on the reflexivity of optical fiber.

Breakthrough curves for the adsorption of H2S using a metal-oxides mixture were predicted using the Bohart-Adams model of fixed bed adsorption. This mixture (ZnMn2O4+ZnO+Mn2O3) came from the processing of an urban waste as spent alkaline batteries were. The H2S adsorption experiments were carried out in a fixed-bed column at 20º C, and under various experimental conditions: gas flow rate, inlet H2S concentration and adsorbent dosage. Curves predicted by the model matched well with experimental data, providing data for the possible scale-up of the system. At the various experimental variables, the efficiency of the column, were also provided in the work. This investigation demonstrated the usefulness of a waste material, like spent alkaline batteries, to provide an adsorbent material to mitigate the problem of the presence of this harmful gas.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a set of progressive, chronic, and incurable diseases characterized by the gradual loss of neurons, culminating in the decline of cognitive and/or motor functions. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most common NDs and represent an enormous burden both in terms of human suffering and economic cost. The available therapies for AD and PD only provide symptomatic and palliative relief for a limited period and are unable to modify the diseases’ progression. Over the last decades, research efforts have been focused on developing new pharmacological treatments for these NDs. However, to date, no breakthrough treatment has been discovered. Hence, the development of disease-modifying drugs able to halt or reverse the progression of NDs remains an unmet clinical need. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD and PD and the drugs available for pharmacological treatment. It also sheds light on potential directions that can be pursued to develop of new, disease-modifying drugs to treat AD and PD, thereby decreasing the social and economic burdens linked to these NDs.

Research on the development of new lightweight Al-Li alloys using selective laser melting pro-cess has great potential for industrial applications. This paper reports on the development of novel aluminum-lithium alloys using selective laser melting technology. Al-Cu-Li-Mg-Ag-Sc-Zr pre-alloyed powders with lithium contents of 1 wt.%, 2 wt.% and 3 wt.%, respectively, were prepared by inert gas atomization. After SLM process optimization, the microstructure and me-chanical properties of the as-formed specimens were investigated. The densification of the three newly developed alloys are 99.51 %, 98.96 % and 92.01 %, respectively. They all have good form-ability, with the lithium loss rate about 15 %. The as-formed alloy with 1% Li content presents good comprehensive properties with a yield strength of 412.6 ± 16.0 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 461.1 ± 11.7 MPa, and an elongation of 13.6 ± 1.1%. The three alloys exhibit a layered molten pool stacking morphology and have a typical heterostructure. The columnar crystals and equiaxed fine grains are alternately arranged, and most of the precipitated phases are enriched at the grain boundaries. The change of Li content mainly affects the precipitation of Cu-containing phase. When the Li content is 1 wt.%, there are θ phase, T1 phase and TB phase. When Li increased to 2 wt.%, T1 and T2 phases precipitated together. When Li reaches 3 wt.%, δ' phase precipitates with T2 phase. This study provides useful guidance for the future SLM form-ing of new crack-free and high-strength Al-Li alloys.

Q345 steel is widely used in the construction industry, vehicle manufacturing industry, bridge construction industry and many other aspects due to its excellent comprehensive performance. However, due to its high silicon content, direct hot-dip galvanizing will lead to a series of problems, such as easy peeling of the coating due to the "silicon reactivity". In this paper, we adopt the "two-step hot-dipping method", first hot-dip aluminizing and then hot-dip galvanizing, to isolate the substrate and zinc liquid direct contact, so as to avoid the occurrence of "silicon reactivity". Through the microstructure characterization, neutral salt spray corrosion experiments, electrochemical experiments, the results show that: Al-Zn composite coatings from the inside out were perpendicular to the substrate growth of loose Fe2Al5 layer and Al-Zn layer, outbursts generation; Al-Zn composite coatings resistance to neutral salt spray corrosion was far more than the substrate; Al-Zn composite coatings polarization curve corrosion potential than the substrate was lower than that of the substrate by 0.512V, showing a strong corrosion resistance. It shows extremely strong corrosion resistance.

Here we report a new synthetic protocol based on Microwave- Assisted Synthesis (MAS) for the preparation in higher yields of zinc and copper MOFs based on different bis(pyrazolyl)-tagged ligands ([M(BPZ)]n where M = Zn(II), Cu(II), H2BPZ = 4,4′-bipyrazole, [M(BPZ-NH2)]n where M = Zn(II), Cu(II); H2BPZ-NH2 = 3-amino-4,4’-bipyrazole, and [Mx(Me4BPZPh)] where M = Zn(II), x = 1; Cu(II), x = 2; H2Me4BPZPh = bis-4′-(3′,5′-dimethyl)- pyrazolylbenzene) and a detailed study of their antibacterial activity, tested against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria, as representative agents of infections. The results show that all MOFs exert a broad-spectrum activity and strong efficiency in bacterial growth inhibition, with a mechanism of action based on surface contact of MOFs particles with bacterial cells through the so-called “chelation effect” and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, without a significant release of Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions. In addition, morphological changes were elucidated by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and bacterial cell damage was further confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) test.

Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy has high specific strength, good corrosion resistance, fracture toughness and fatigue resistance. It is one of the most important structural materials in the fields of aviation, aerospace, weapons, transportation and so on, which plays a huge role in the field of aerospace.In order to optimize the strength, toughness and corrosion properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy, alloying has always been the focus of research on Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy. The effects of main alloying elements, trace alloying elements and rare earth elements on the microstructure and properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu aluminum alloy were briefly introduced in the paper, and the future research directions were prospected.

Tourmalines are a group of minerals which may concentrate various accessory components, e.g. Cu, Ni, Zn, Bi, Ti, Sn. The paper presents fluor-elbaite and elbaite from a dyke of the Julianna pegmatitic system at Piława Górna, at the NE margin of the Bohemian Massif, SW Poland, containing up to 6.32 and 7.37 wt.% ZnO, respectively. Such high amounts of ZnO are almost two times higher than in the second most Zn-enriched tourmaline known to date. The compositions of the Zn-rich tourmalines from Piława Górna, studied by electron microprobe and Raman spectroscopy, correspond to the formulae: (Na0.73Ca0.01•0.25)Σ1(Al1.03Li0.79Zn0.76Fe2+0.33Mn0.09)Σ3Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(F0.66OH0.34), and (Na0.78Ca0.01•0.21)Σ1(Al1.06Li0.87Zn0.88Fe2+0.10Mn0.09)Σ3Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(OH0.84F0.16), respectively, with Zn as one of the main octahedral occupants. A comparison with other tourmalines and associated Zn-rich fluor-elbaite and elbaite from the pegmatite indicates that atypically high Zn-enrichment is not a result of Zn-Fe fractionation, but dissolution and reprecipitation induced by a late (Na,Li,B,F)-bearing fluid within the assemblage of gahnite spinel and primary schorl-type tourmaline. This strongly suggests Na-Li-B-F metasomatism of gahnite-bearing mineral assemblages as that is the only environment that can promote crystallization of a hypothetical Zn-dominant tourmaline. The compositions of the Zn-rich fluor-elbaite and elbaite suggest three possible end-members for such a hypothetical tourmaline species: NaZn3Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(OH), •(Zn2Al)Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(OH) and Na(Zn2Al)Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3O.

Background and objective: Symptoms of most neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), usually do not occur until substantial neuronal loss occurs. This makes the process of early diagnosis very challenging. Hence, this research used variant call format (VCF) analysis to detect variants and novel genes that could be used as prognostic indicators in the early diagnosis of prodromal PD. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), and we analyzed prodromal patients with gVCF data collected in the 2021 cohort. A total of 304 participants were included, including 100 healthy controls, 146 prodromal genetic individuals, 21 prodromal hyposmia individuals, and 37 prodromal RBDs. A pipeline was developed to process the samples from gVCF to reach variant annotation and pathway and disease association analysis. Results: Novel variant percentages were detected in the analyzed prodromal subgroups. The prodromal subgroup analysis revealed novel variations of 1.0%, 1.2%, 0.6%, 0.3%, 0.5%, and 0.4% for the genetic male, genetic female, hyposmia male, hyposmia female, RBD male, and RBD female, respectively. Interestingly, 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300 and PPP6R2) that were recently detected in PD patients were detected in the prodromal stage of PD. Conclusion: Genetic biomarkers are crucial for the early detection of Parkinson’s disease and its prodromal stage. The novel PD genes detected in prodromal patients could aid in the use of gene biomarkers for early diagnosis of the prodromal stage without relying only on phenotypic traits.

Dynamic virtual testing by Hardware in the Loop (HIL) real time simulation systems is common to minimize physical tests to validate and verify control algorithms, logics and software, under normal and emergency conditions. The accurate but costly HIL models setup activities could have an extended use to simulate faulty conditions that are seldom observable in the real system, yet they must be detected in advance and recognized. Data driven diagnostic methods have reached a mature development, in various sectors, proving effective in early detecting slowly varying deviations from nominal patterns of signals, even without a priori knowledge of their nature and behavior. These methods rely on vast amount of data logged from real systems that are ever and ever richer of monitoring telemetries that are worth being exploited. However, due to the usually reliable and safe systems being managed, it is often difficult to collect enough data on anomalous situations to validate fault detection and isolation and limit false positives. HIL model-based simulations allow generating and observing operational domains or transients rarely observed in real operations. This allows identifying the signals that are most correlated to faults and that could be selected to setup data-based diagnostic models of parts or subsystems, which are more suitable than the whole HIL model for online diagnostics, as well as to identify the features and trends that are most symptomatic of anomalous conditions.

The article proposes asymptotic methods for calculating Sommerfeld integrals, which enable us to calculate the integral using the expansion of a function into an infinite power series at the saddle point, where the role of a rapidly oscillating function under the integral can be fulfilled either by an exponential or by its product by the Hankel function. The proposed types of Sommerfeld integrals are generalized on the basis of integral representations of the Hertz radiator fields in the form of the inverse Hankel transform with the subsequent replacement of the Bessel function by the Hankel function. It is shown that the numerical values of the saddle point are complex. During integration, auxiliary or so-called standard integrals, which contain the main features of the integrand function, were used. As a demonstration of the accuracy of the technique, a previously known asymptotic formula for the Hankel functions was obtained in the form of an infinite series. The proposed method for calculating Sommerfeld integrals can be useful in solving the half-space Sommerfeld problem. An example is the expression in the form of an infinite series for the magnetic field of reflected waves, obtained directly through the Sommerfeld integral (SI).

Recently, the conformable derivative and its properties have been introduced. In this paper, we propose and prove some new results on conformable Boundary Value Problems. First, we introduce a conformable version of classical Sturm´s separation, and comparison theorems. For a conformable Sturm-Liouville problem, Green's function is constructed, and its properties are also studied. In addition, we propose the applicability of the Green´s Function in solving conformable inhomogeneous linear differential equations with homogeneous boundary conditions, whose associated homogeneous boundary value problem has only trivial solution. Finally, we prove the generalized Hyers-Ulam stability of the conformable inhomogeneous boundary value problem.

In this paper, I introduce a new concept of representing numbers in base ; in other words, I have found new series for any number similar to series that could be written according to the collatz sequence which is called zi(n) in this article. These series need to end with 1. Then, we use two sets of rules to make a diagram which then proves the existence of such series for any number.In this diagram, by branching numbers into different branches in accordance to the modularity of 4 and continuing branching to the point that their numbers have enough common terms in their collatz series, we could reduce zi(n) to zi(k) so that k<n in any branch by Rule Number One. This diagram shows that zi(n) exists for every number, in other words, this proves the theorem (A) or zi-existence theorem. The proof of zi-existence theorem leads to a proof of the collatz conjecture because the collatz series could be written as a linear combination of such series that all of them end with 1, so the collatz series for any number ends with 1.

Malocclusions have a continuously increasing prevalence from a generation to another as a result of climate changes, soil, atmosphere and water pollution. All of these aspects have unfavorable consequences on the nutritional scheme. Thus, nutrition together with other etiopathogenic factors contribute to complex alterations in the somatic development of the entire organism and, implicitly, of the cephalic extremity. The study group included 4147 children from randomly selected schools from Vâlcea County, Romania. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of malocclusions in schoolchildren from Vâlcea County, Romania, according to the three main classes of malocclusions (according to Angle’s classification), age groups (from 6 to 10 years old and from 11 to 14 years old), gender (male and female) and place of origin (rural and urban). For Angle class I malocclusions we recorded the highest prevalence (48,78% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions), followed by Angle class II malocclusions (45,85% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions) and for Angle class III malocclusions we found the lowest prevalence (5,37% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions).According to gender, we found the highest prevalence in female gender (29,90% from the total number of female subjects), while in male gender we recorded a prevalence of 27,70% from the total number of male subjects. Regarding the place of origin, there is a higher prevalence of malocclusions in the urban areas (29,16%). The study subgroup included 140 children randomly selected from the total number of subjects from the study group. They were included in a more advanced study. The aim is to find potential associations between the presence of malocclusions and various oral variables. Categorical variables were expressed as numerical values and percentages, and their association was evaluated with either the Chi-square test of association or homogeneity, or the Fisher Exact test. The acquired data were incorporated into a binomial logistic regression model to assess the likelihood of developing malocclusions in relation to the following variables: defective phonation, bruxism, frequency of teeth brushing, onychophagia, oral respiration, infantile deglutition, placing objects between the maxillaries, thumb sucking and salivary aspects. It is also aimed to compare the results obtained with similar ones from the specialized literature.

Histone post-translational modification is one of the main mechanisms of epigenetic regulation, which plays a crucial role in the control of gene expression and various biological processes. However, whether or not it affects fungal virulence is not clear in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. In this study, we identified and cloned the histone methyltransferase Defective in methylation 5 (Dim5) in S. sclerotiorum, which encodes a protein containing a typical SET domain. SsDim5 was found to be dynamically expressed during infection. Knockout experiment demonstrated that deletion of SsDim5 reduced the virulence in Ssdim5-1/Ssdim5-2 mutant strains, accompanied by a significant decrease in H3K9 trimethylation levels. Transcriptomic analysis further revealed the downregulation of genes associated with mycotoxins biosynthesis in SsDim5 deletion mutants. Additionally, the absence of SsDim5 affected the fungus's response to oxidative and osmotic, as well as cellular integrity. Together, our results indicate that the H3K9 methyltransferase SsDim5 is essential for H3K9 trimethylation, which regulating fungal virulence to host plants through impacting on mycotoxins biosynthesis, and the response to environmental stresses in S. sclerotiorum.

Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are reported to be responsible for 50-60% of bloodstream infections in very preterm (&lt;1500 g) infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Staphylococcus capitis is an increasingly prevalent pathogen in neonatal setting, frequently causing central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) that can be difficult to eradicate. CVC removal versus in situ treatment of CoNS CLABSIs is a matter of debate, with no clear consensus emerging in the existing literature. We revised all S. capitis CLABSIs in our NICU between 2019 and 2022, focusing on the role of catheter removal for eradication. Among 25 cases, 17 CVCs were removed after diagnosis, leading to a 76.5% eradication rate in this group. 3 infants had a persistently positive blood culture after CVC substitution. A new catheter was than inserted after a 48-hours washout period, resulting in resolution of the infection. Only 2 of 8 patients (25%) who retained the catheter after diagnosis, underwent infection eradication with antibiotic therapy alone. Catheter removal, when feasible, seems to be the most effective strategy to eradicate S. capitis CLABSIs, sometimes even requiring a 48-hours washout period before reinsertion. Further studies on this subject are needed to better standardize the management of this kind of infections.

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is considered to be a useful therapeutic agent for degenerative cartilage diseases, although its mechanism is not clear. We previously found that polyamines stimulate expression of differentiated phenotype of chondrocytes. We also found that cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) played a huge role in the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized that polyamines and CCN2 could be involved in the chondroprotective action of SAM. In this study, we initially found that exogenous SAM enhanced proteoglycan production but not cell proliferation in human chondrocyte-like cell line-2/8 (HCS-2/8) cells. Moreover, SAM enhanced gene expression of cartilage-specific matrix (aggrecan and type II collagen), Sry-Box transcription factor 9 (SOX9), CCN2 and chondroitin sulfate biosynthetic enzymes. Blockade of the methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) enzyme catalyzing intracellular SAM biosynthesis restrained the effect of SAM on chondrocytes. The polyamine level in chondrocytes was higher in SAM-treated culture than control culture. Additionally, alcian blue staining and RT-qPCR indicated that the effects of SAM on the production and gene expression of aggrecan were reduced by the inhibition of polyamine synthesis. These results suggest that the stimulation of polyamine synthesis and gene expression of chondrogenic differentiation factors, such as CCN2, account for the mechanism underlying the action of SAM on chondrocytes.

Cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), which may occur in various severities, represents one of the commonest and most disabling non-motor manifestations during the course of the disease, causing a negative impact on patients’ quality of life. Eventually, it becomes a burden for the family members and/or the caregivers of patients, as it progresses to PD dementia. Current pharmacological treatments for cognitive impairment in PD exhibit partial efficacy, while novel effective therapeutic strategies are required. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence shows that several agents may provide beneficial effects on patients with PD and cognitive impairment, including ceftriaxone, ambroxol, intranasal insulin, nilotinib, atomoxetine, mevidalen, blarcamesine, prasinezumab, SYN120, ENT-01, NYX-458, GRF6021, fosgonimeton, INT-777, Neuropeptide S, silibinin, osmotin, cordycepin, huperzine A, fibroblast growth factor 21, Poloxamer 188, ginsenoside Rb1, thioredoxin-1, tangeretin, istradefylline, and Eugenia uniflora. Potential underlying mechanisms include the inhibition of a-synuclein aggregation, improvement of mitochondrial function, regulation of synaptic plasticity, impact on gut-brain axis, modulation of neuroinflammation, upregulation of neurotrophic factors, as well as cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotoninergic and norepinephrine neurotransmission. In this overview, we aim to cover the clinical aspects of PD associated cognitive impairment, highlighting recent evidence on emerging treatment approaches that are currently under investigation at a preclinical and clinical level.

Several studies have shown that tapering or stopping disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in sustained remission is feasible. However, tapering/stopping bears the risk of decline in physical function as some patients may relapse and face increased disease activity. Here we analysed the impact of tapering or stopping DMARD treatment on the physical function of RA patients. The study was a posthoc analysis of physical functional worsening for 282 patients with RA in sustained remission tapering and stopping DMARD treatment in the prospective randomized RETRO study. HAQ and DAS-28 scores were determined in baseline samples of patients continuing DMARD (arm 1), tapering their dose by 50% (arm 2), or stopping after tapering (arm 3). Patients were followed over 1 year, and HAQ and DAS-28 scores were evaluated every 3 months. The effect of treatment reduction strategy on functional worsening was assessed in a recurrent-event Cox regression model with a study-group (control, taper, taper/stop) as the predictor. 282 patients were analysed. In 58 patients, functional worsening was observed. The incidences suggest a higher probability of functional worsening in patients tapering and/or stopping DMARDs, which is likely due to higher relapse rates in these individuals. At the end of the study, however, functional worsening was similar among the groups. Point estimates and survival curves show that functional decline after tapering or stopping DMARDs in RA patients with stable remission is small and related to relapses but to on overall functional decline.

Chloride (Cl-) is applied in coffee in rates as a “macronutrient” due that potassium (K+) is one of the most demanded nutrients by the coffee plant, and the potassium muriate (KCl) bases fertilizer is one the most used by the coffee growers. Does not exist scientific evidence that addresses the question regarding with which is the influences of the Cl- applied in the K fertilization base on MOP on coffee growth, nutrient uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Over four years, two trials were conducted on greenhouse and field conditions to address these questions. The trials set up were designed to test the influence of increased Cl- and reduced S rates on biomass accumulation, nutrient uptake, and NUE. A significant effect of the Cl- rates on growth was observed under greenhouse conditions but a non-significant effect on yield under field conditions. Cl- and S significantly influence the NUE in coffee. The result allows us to conclude that Cl- rates need to be balanced with S rates and that Cl- applied as a macronutrient can improve the NUE in coffee when those rates do not exceed 180 mg. L-1 Cl- and 80 mg.L-1 S in the greenhouse and 150 kg.ha-1.year-1 Cl- and 50 kg. ha-1.year-1 S in field conditions. In practical terms, coffee farmers need to balance the K base fertilizers sources to improve the nutrient use efficiency, especially the NUE.

INTRODUCTION: Superficial cutaneous bacterial infections have a high incidence in geriatric patients. The most implicated pathogens are gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes) while gram-negative germs are also implicated. Resistances to common topical antibiotics (mupirocin, fusidic acid) require alternatives to gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms.Ozenoxacin cream for topical use (non-fluorinated bactericidal quinolone), in other countries and with other galenics, is indicated in children older than 6 months and in adults as a treatment of superficial bacterial infections, such as acne. In Spain, ozenoxacin cream is indicated only for non-bullous impetigo; scientific evidence show effectiveness also in other superficial skin bacterial infections.A cases series of clinical use of ozenoxacin in bacterial superficial skin infections in geriatric patients (institutionalized or community dwelling) is presented.METHODS: Multicenter case series (March-August 2022) of bacterial superficial skin infections treated with ozenoxacin cream (10mg/g every 12h, 5days); data from medical records (controls: 1-3-5 days), after obtaining informed consent (use of data and images).RESULTS: Series of 28 patients (mean age: 84,79) from nine nursing homes and one outpatient geriatric service, including acute and subacute/chronic cases.In all cases treatment was ozenoxacin 10mg/g topical cream applied every 12 hours for 5 days according to medical prescription (except for one case in which 3 days were enough for complete healing and another case treated for 10 days).Results showed complete healing in all 20 acute cases and significant clinical improvement in all subacute/chronic cases (with complete healing in one of them). Professionals scored the effectiveness in acute cases as a mean 4.5 points (maximum score: 5, p<.0001) and in subacute/chronic cases as 3.8 points (p=.010).There was no skin irritation or other adverse effects in anyone of the patients, and clinical improvement of pain, itching and other symptoms was observed, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our results seem to demonstrate the effectiveness and tolerability of ozenozacin cream in bacterial infections other than non-bullous impetigo. Ozenoxacin cream is indicated only for the treatment of non-bullous impetigo; however, it is also shown to be effective, both in the scientific evidence and in our case series, for other superficial bacterial skin infections, both acute and subacute/chronic, suggesting the opportunity for clinical studies with an experimental design to evaluate the findings of clinical practice and to be able to have a therapeutic alternative to compensate for the complications of the appearance of resistance.

We have proposed a simple algorithm to retrieve the total ozone column and snow properties (spectral albedo and effective light absorption path) using the high spatial resolution single – view MSI/S-2 measurements over Antarctica.

This study was designed to assess the reliability of geographic information using satellite image information in ungauged basins. For this, this study constructed geographic information using actual gauged data and satellite information data and conducted runoff analysis through S-RAT, a rainfall–runoff model, and performed the comparison and analysis of geographic information and runoff data. For actual gauged data, the gauged geographic information of the Water Resources Management Information System (WAMIS) was collected, and for satellite information, the image information of moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) observation sensor loaded on Terra Satellite was collected. As analysis areas, three basins where mountains occupy more than 80% and another three basins where urban areas occupy more than 7% in the Han River basin were selected. According to the analysis result, the gauged information and satellite image information showed great difference in runoff, maximum 50% in peak flood and maximum 17% in total flood, in the rivers with many urban areas, while the runoff difference in the rivers with many mountains showed maximum 13% in peak flood and 4% in total flood. What showed the greatest difference in image information was land use, and it turned out that the MODIS satellite recognized the urban rivers as cities for more than maximum 60% compared to WAMIS-gauged data. Meanwhile, in the forest area, the MODIS satellite image showed error of less than 5% of the WAMIS-gauged data, which indicates that it has higher applicability in Mountain Rivers.

Family Fabaceae traditionally serves as food and herbal remedies source. Several plants are already used for menopausal symptoms treatment based on a presence of typical secondary metabolites, isoflavones. Beside soybean and clovers, isoflavones could be produced by other plants or in vitro cultures. This type of production can be further enhanced by elicitation that stimulates metabolites biosynthesis via stress reaction. Vanadium compounds have been already described as potential elicitors and the aim of this study was to determine an impact of NH₄VO₃ and VOSO₄ solutions on isoflavones production in Genista tinctoria L. cell cultures. The significant increase of isoflavones content such as genistin, genistein or formononetin was measured in a nutrient medium or dry mass after NH₄VO₃ treatment for 24 or 48 hours. The possible transport mechanism of isoflavones was also evaluated. An incubation with different transport inhibitors prior elicitation took effect on isoflavones content in the medium. However, there was non-ended result for particular metabolites such as genistein and daidzein, where ABC or alternatively MATE proteins can participate. Possible elicitation by some inhibitors was also discussed as result of their pleiotropic effect. Despite this outcome, the determining of transport mechanism is important step for identification of specific transporter.

In this paper, we propose an extension of the Planck distribution function derived from the Boltzmann principle. That is, we consider extending Planck's law with new distribution functions. In addition, using ideas applied to the expansion of the Planck distribution function, Von Koch's inequality is derived without using the Riemann hypothesis, showing that the abc conjecture is negated. We also describe some challenges for the future. Namely, we will discuss that Entropy is related to dynamical systems described by logistic function models, such as the bacterial and the population growth.

This study explores the intricate relationship between the angle of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) conflicts and the severity of conflicts at signalized intersections during traffic signal failures, leveraging the advanced capabilities of LiDAR sensor technology. The research delves into the impact of conflict angles on collision outcomes and introduces LiDAR as a novel and precise tool for capturing spatial dynamics during unregulated traffic movements. Findings reveal that as the angle of V2V conflicts increases, indicating a wider approach between vehicles, the severity of conflicts tends to decrease. This reduction in severity is attributed to the detailed spatial data provided by LiDAR, enabling the identification of glancing impacts rather than direct head-on collisions. The mitigation of forces involved in collisions at increased angles contributes to a decreased likelihood of severe consequences, such as extensive vehicle damage and serious injuries to occupants.Conversely, as the angle of V2V conflicts decreases, signifying a narrower approach between vehicles, the potential for severe collisions tends to increase. LiDAR technology facilitates precise measurements of spatial coordinates and temporal dynamics, revealing that collisions occurring at smaller angles involve more direct and concentrated impact forces. This heightened risk of extensive damage to vehicles and increased injury severity is crucially captured by LiDAR, providing valuable insights into the relationship between conflict angles and collision outcomes during traffic signal failures. This study underscores the efficacy of LiDAR sensor technology in understanding the nuanced dynamics of V2V conflicts and highlights its role in developing targeted safety interventions. The integration of LiDAR data into traffic safety analyses offers a sophisticated approach to mitigating the impact of conflicts and enhancing overall safety at signalized intersections during signal failures. The research also highlighted that as the angle of V2P conflicts widens, PET experiences a proportional increase. A larger conflict angle signifies a more complex interaction between vehicles and pedestrians, leading to prolonged PET values. Conversely, a decrease in the angle of V2P conflicts is associated with a reduction in PET during traffic signal failures.The study commences with an examination of traffic characteristics at the E Cold Spring Ln – Hillen Rd intersection in Baltimore City, MD, utilizing a deployed LiDAR sensor. When the signal at this intersection experienced a temporary malfunction on a regular working day in September 2023, the LiDAR captured data related to vehicle and pedestrian volumes, as well as V2V and V2P conflicts. The primary objective of the research is to evaluate the repercussions of traffic signal failures on both traffic flow and safety, specifically V2V and V2P conflicts, occurring during periods of improper signal functionality. Additionally, this investigation delves into various factors that impact traffic signal performance, encompassing traffic demand, geometric layout, pedestrian interactions, and the incorporation of emerging technologies.

In this present paper, we deal with the generalized (k, s)-fractional integral and differential operators recently defined by Nisar et al. and obtain some generalized (k, s)-fractional integral and differential formulas involving the class of a function as its kernels. Also, we investigate a certain number of their consequences containing the said function in their kernels.

The responses of the aromatic and medicinal plant Salvia sclarea (clary sage) to 900 µM Zn exposure for 8 days in a hydroponic culture were investigated. The tolerance mechanisms under excess Zn exposure were assessed by changes in nutrient uptake, photosynthetic characteristics and leaf structure. The uptake and the distribution of Zn, as well as some essential nutrient elements such as: Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Cu, were examined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results revealed that Salvia sclarea is a Zn accumulator plant that tolerates significantly high toxic levels of Zn in the leaves by increasing the leaf content of Fe, Ca and Mn ions to protect the photosynthetic function and even stimulate photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) activities. Additionally, the leaf photosynthetic pigments and the total phenolic and anthocyanin content were also studied. Data showed that the exposure to excess Zn significantly increases the synthesis of phenolic compounds in the leaves which plays an important role in the Zn detoxification and protection against oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage in leaves used as clear indicators for heavy metal damage were slightly increased. All these data highlight that Salvia sclarea is an economically interesting plant for phytoextraction and/or phytostabilization of Zn contaminated soils.

In this work we looked for a stable and accurate procedure to perform feature selection in datasets with a much higher number of predictors than individuals, as in Genome-Wide Association Studies. Due to the instability in feature selection when many potential predictors are measured, a variable selection procedure is proposed that combines several replications of shrinkage regression models. A weighted formulation is used to define the final predictors. The procedure is applied to investigate Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) predictors associated to Alzheimer’s disease in the Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. Two data scenarios are investigated: one considering only the set of SNPs and another with the covariates age, sex, educational level and APOE4 genotype. The SNP rs2075650 and the APOE4 genotype are given as risk factors for AD, which is in line with the literature, and other four new SNPs are pointed, opening new hypotheses for in vivo analyses. These experiments demonstrate the potential of the new method for stable feature selection.

The screen-printed carbon nanofibers electrodes (SPCNFE) represent an alternative with great acceptance due to their results, as well as their low impact for the environment. In order to improve their performance, in the present work they were modified with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and electrochemically characterized by using anodic stripping voltammetry. From the Ag-NPs synthesis, silver seeds (Ag-NS) and silver nanoprisms (Ag-NPr) were obtained. The Ag-NPs formation was confirmed by micrographs where Ag-NPs with diameters of 12.20±0.04 nm for Ag-NS, and 20.40±0.09 nm for Ag-NPr were observed. The electrodes were modified by using three different deposition methods: drop-casting, spin-coating and in-situ approaches. It was observed that the last methodology showed a low amount of Ag-NS deposited on the electrode surface and a deep alteration of this surface. Those facts suggested that the in situ synthesis methodology were not appropriate for the determination of heavy metals and it was discarded. The incorporation of the nanoparticles by spin-coating and drop-casting strategies showed different spatial distribution on the electrode surface as proved by scanning electron microscopy. The electrodes modified by these strategies, were evaluated for the cadmium(II) and lead(II) detection using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry, obtaining detection limit values of 2.1 and 2.8 µg L^-1, respectively. The overall results showed that the incorporation route does not change directly the electrocatalytic effect of the nanoparticles, but the shape of these nanoparticles (spherical for seeds and triangular for prisms) has a preferential electrocatalytical enhancement over Cd(II) or Pb(II).