Background: Transcription factors (TFs) are main regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. The cooperative binding to genomic DNA of at least two TFs is the widespread mechanism of transcription regulation. Cooperating TFs can be revealed through the analysis of co-occurrence of their motifs. Methods: We applied Motifs Co-Occurrence Tool (MCOT) that predicted pairs of spaced or overlapped motifs (composite elements, CEs) for a single ChIP-seq dataset. We improved MCOT capability for prediction of asymmetric CEs with one of participating motifs possessing higher conservation than another does. Results: Analysis of 119 ChIP-seq datasets for 45 human TFs revealed that almost for all families of TFs the co-occurrence with an overlap between motifs of target TFs and more conserved partner motifs was significantly higher than that for less conserved partner motifs. The asymmetry toward partner TFs was the most clear for partner motifs of TFs from ETS family. Conclusion: Co-occurrence with an overlap of less conserved motif of a target TF and more conserved motifs of partner TFs explained a substantial portion of ChIP-seq data lacking conserved motifs of target TFs. Among other TF families, conservative motifs of TFs from ETS family were the most prone to mediate interaction of target TFs with its weak motifs in ChIP-seq.

The present study investigated the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their receptors and binding proteins among different pig breeds during weaning. Sixty Duroc (DR), Taoyuan black (TB), and Xiangcun black (XB) piglets (20 piglets per breed) were selected at 21 and 24 days of age (three days of post-weaning) to analyze organ indices, plasma concentrations of IGF and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) using ELISA kits, and gene expression of IGF system-related components in different tissues. The plasma IGFBP-3 level in TB piglets was higher (P > 0.05) than in the XB and DR piglets at 21 days of age. At 21 days of age, compared with the DR piglets, the IGF-1 expression was lower (P < 0.05) in the kidney but was higher (P < 0.05) in the spleen of XB and TB piglets. At 24 days of age, the IGF-1 expression was higher (P < 0.05) in the kidney of TB piglets than in the XB and DR piglets, while IGFBP-3 in the stomach and IGFBP-4 in the liver of XB and TB piglets were lower (P < 0.05) compared with the DR piglets. Weaning down-regulated (P < 0.05) the IGF-1 expression in the jejunum, spleen, and liver of piglets, while up-regulated (P < 0.05) IGFBP-3 expression in the stomach, IGFBP-4 in the liver, IGFBP-5 in the ileum, and IGFBP-6 in the jejunum of DR piglets. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed a negative correlation (P < 0.05) between plasma IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-5 and the organ index of piglets. Collectively, there were significant differences in IGF system components among different pig breeds. The IGF system components were altered during weaning, which might be involved in weaning stress to decrease the growth of piglets.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD), meningoencephalitis, neonatal sepsis, and even fatal encephalitis in children, thereby representing a serious public health hazard. It is important to determine the mechanisms underlying the regulation of EV71 infection. In this study, we initially reveal that the interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) down-regulates EV71 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50), attenuates EV71 plaque formation unit (PFU), thereby repressing EV71 infection. Moreover, we reveal a distinct mechanism by which EV71 antagonizes ILF2-mediated antiviral effects. Chip data analyses show that ILF2 mRNA is reduced upon EV71 infection. Cellular studies indicate that EV71 infection represses ILF2 mRNA expression and protein production in human leukemic monocytes (THP-1) differentiated macrophages and in human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. Additionally, EV71 non-structural protein 2B interacts with ILF2 in human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells. Interestingly, in the presence of EV71 2B, ILF2 is translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and co-localizes with 2B in the cytoplasm. Therefore, we reveal a distinct mechanism by which EV71 antagonizes ILF2-mediated antiviral effects by inhibiting ILF2 expression and promoting ILF2 translocation from the nucleus to cytoplasm through its 2B protein.

Background and Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent world-wide. It progresses from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fibrosis is often present during NAFLD progression; however, factors determining which subjects develop NASH or fibrosis are unclear. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) is a family of secreted proteins involved in senescence and scarring mainly synthetized in the liver. Here we aimed to study the association of IGFBP and its induced senescence with the progression of NAFLD and liver fibrosis. Materials and Methods: 16 weeks old male C57BL/6 mice weighing 23 ± 3 g were fed either Methionine-Choline Deficient or control diet for 2, 8 or 12 weeks. Blood and liver samples were collected; histological assessment of NAFLD and fibrosis was performed. Fat contents were measured. Cellular senescence was evaluated in the liver. IGFBP levels were assessed in liver and serum. Data was expressed as Mean ± SD and analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed Tukey’s test. Lineal regression models were applied for NAFLD and fibrosis progression. p

The brain’s ability to create a unified conscious representation of an object by integrating information from multiple perception pathways is called perceptual binding. Binding is crucial for normal cognitive function. Some perceptual binding errors and disorders have been linked to certain neurological conditions, brain lesions, and conditions that give rise to illusory conjunctions. However, the mechanism of perceptual binding remains elusive. Here, we present a computational model of binding using two sets of coupled oscillatory processes that are assumed to occur in response to two different percepts. We use the model to study the dynamic behavior of coupled processes to characterize how these processes can modulate each other and reach a temporal synchrony. We identify different oscillatory dynamic regimes that depend on coupling mechanisms and parameter values. The model can also discriminate different combinations of initial inputs that are set by initial states of coupled processes. Decoding brain signals that are formed through perceptual binding is a challenging task, but our modeling results demonstrate how crosstalk between two systems of processes can possibly modulate their outputs. Therefore, our mechanistic model can help one gain a better understanding of how crosstalk between perception pathways can affect the dynamic behavior of the systems that involve perceptual binding.

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are critical modulators of the metabolism. In adults, IGFBPs are associated with obesity and insulin resistance but the association of IGFBPs with metabolic homeostasis in children and adolescents is not fully characterized. In this study we investigated the association of plasma IGFBPs (IGFBP-1, 3 and 7) with weight status, central adiposity and cardiovascular disease markers Hs-CRP and Ox-LDL. A total of 420 adolescents (age 11-14 years) were randomly recruited from public middle schools in Kuwait. IGFBPs were measured using bead-based multiplexing while Hs-CRP and Ox-LDL were measured using ELISA. IGFBP-1 levels were significantly lower in obese and overweight participants compared to normal weight children. Only IGFBP-1 was negatively associated with waist circumference to height (WC/Ht) ratio. IGFBP-1 was negatively correlated with Hs-CRP while IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-7 were negatively correlated with Ox-LDL. These data demonstrate a robust negative association of IGFBP-1, but not IGFBP-3 or -7, with overweight and obesity, and the inflammation marker Hs-CRP. Central adiposity (WC/Ht ratio) was a stronger predictor of IGFBP-1 than BMI-for-age z-score. IGFBP-1 could thus be used as a sensitive predictive diagnostic tool for obesity and its subsequent effects in screening and monitoring of obesity-related metabolic complications in adolescents.

Single-layer core corrugated sandwich panels generally consist of a corrugated core and two layers of panels, while multi-layer core corrugated sandwich panels are formed by stacking multiple layers of panels with multiple layers of core layers. In this study, integrated multilayer core corrugated sandwich panels with different shapes of corrugated cores (triangular, trapezoidal, and rectangular) and the different number of core layers were fabricated using 3D printing technology, and the mechanical behavior of such multilayer core corrugated sandwich panels under quasi-static three-point bending was investigated using experiments and numerical simulations. The effects of core shape and number of core layers on the bending deformation process, damage mode, load carrying capacity, and bending energy dissipation capacity of multilayer core sandwich panels are discussed. Parametric design of multilayer triangular core corrugated sandwich panels was also carried out by finite element software ABAQUS. It was found that a new multilayer corrugated sandwich panel with a multi-layer core is better than the single core shape multilayer corrugated sandwich panel in terms of bending load capacity, energy dissipation capacity and deformation capacity can be obtained through the combination design of different core shapes.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second common hematologic malignancy in children. The incidence of childhood AML is much lower than acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which makes the childhood AML a rare disease in children. The role of genetic abnormalities in AML classification, management and prognosis prediction is much more important than before. The WHO classification of myeloid neoplasms and the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) classification were both revised in 2022. The application of the new information in childhood AML will be upcoming in the next few years. The frequency of each genetic abnormality in adult and childhood AML is different, therefore, in this review we emphasize in well-known genetic subtypes in childhood AML, including Core-binding factor AML (CBF AML), KMT2Ar (KMT2A/11q23 rearrangement) AML, normal karyotypes AML with somatic mutations, unbalanced cytogenetic abnormalities AML, NUP98 11p15/NUP09 rearrangement AML and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Current risk group classification, management algorithm in childhood AML and novel treatment modalities, such as targeted therapy, immune therapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy are reviewed. Finally, the indications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in AML are discussed.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if tests used to assess core stability could be used to determine success in physiological tests applied to assess dynamic balance and agility for a young active population. Methods: Pearson's r correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the core stability tests and the dynamic balance and agility tests. Evaluation of the tests was established using Cronbach's coefficient of variance as part of intra-rater reliability tests. An analysis of 18 active college aged students was conducted (males: n= 13, females: n= 5). The mean ± SD age for males was 19.2 years ± 3.22 years and for females was 19.4 years ± 1.14 years. Conclusion: The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between tests that assess core stability and tests conducted to assess dynamic balance in active young adults. With the exception of the abdominal flexion test, no significant relationship exists between the remaining core stability tests and agility T-Test. Core stability is not a determinant of balance and agility.

Antibodies constitute a major component of serum on protein mass basis. We also know that the structural diversity of these antibodies exceeds that of all other proteins in the body and they react with an immense number of molecular targets. What we still cannot quantitatively describe is, how antibody abundance is related to affinity, specificity and cross reactivity. This ignorance has important practical consequences: we also do not have proper biochemical units for characterizing polyclonal serum antibody binding. The solution requires both a theoretical foundation, a physical model of the system, and technology for the experimental confirmation of theory. Here we argue that the quantitative characterization of interactions between serum antibodies and their targets requires systems-level physical chemistry approach and generates results that should help create maps of antibody binding landscape.

HIV-1, like other viruses, represents an open thermodynamic system. This is why it is important to know its thermodynamic properties. Virus-host interactions are performed at the membrane as antigen-receptor binding. Antigen-receptor binding represents a chemical reaction, similar to protein-ligand interactions. The driving force for antigen-receptor binding is Gibbs energy of binding. Knowing Gibbs energy of binding, it is possible to estimate the rate of virus binding and entry into host cells. In this paper, binding equilibrium constants and standard Gibbs energies of binding between the HIV-1 gp120 antigen and the CD4 receptor have been reported at 4°C, 22°C and 37°C.

Physics behind collimated highly directional nature of lasers, and factors that keep the seven coloured waves that form white light together during their journey from Sun to Earth, in the face of the natural disruptive forces, is not fully understood. Energy levels were measured, in terms of alterations in induced current and voltage, in beams from a red laser, white LED light and the Sunlight before and during their disruption by diffusers (frosted glass for the lasers) and diffractors (diffraction grating for the white light) using a photovoltaic solar cell panel attached to a digital multimeter. Results show that disruption of the beams results in release of extra energy named as ‘Latent Light Binding’ Energy’. It is hypothesized that the ‘binding’ energy keeps laser waves firmly bound together both end-on and side-on enabling laser beams to travel long distances in collimated manner. Likewise, the 7 coloured waves that constitute white light are kept together, probably side-on, in their journey from the Sun to the Earth. The observation that diffraction of sunbeam is associated with increased power generation provides a new lead to improve harnessing of solar energy, where, currently, the focus is mainly on improving efficiency of photovoltaic cell.

In this paper, we consider the behavior of the local energy flow velocity of the fundamental air – core mode at the core – cladding boundary in two types of hollow – core fibers: hollow – core fibers with a negative curvature of the core boundary and single – capillary fibers with similar geometrical parameters. It is demonstrated that the behavior of both axial and radial components of the local energy velocity of the fundamental air – core mode is completely different for these two types of hollow – core fibers. The negative curvature of the core boundary leads to an alternating behavior of the radial projection of the local energy velocity and a decrease by two orders of magnitude compared to the values of this projection for a single capillary. In our opinion, this behavior of the local energy velocity of the fundamental air – core mode is caused by a periodic set of Poynting vector vortices that appear in the cladding capillary walls.

Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γ (RORγ) is a transcription factor regulating the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17 in human T helper 17 (Th17) cells. Activating RORγ can induce multiple IL-17-mediated autoimmune diseases but may also be useful for anticancer therapy. Its deep immunological functions make RORɣ an attractive drug target. Over 100 crystal structures have been published describing atomic interactions between RORɣ and agonists and inverse agonists. In this review, we focus on the role of dynamic properties and plasticity of the RORɣ orthosteric and allosteric binding sites by examining structural information from crystal structures and simulated models. We discuss the possible influences of allosteric ligands on the orthosteric binding site. We find that high structural plasticity favors the druggability of RORɣ, especially for allosteric ligands.

Core-shell particles are heterogenous micro- or nanoparticles with solid, liquid or gas core encapsulated by a protective solid shell. The unique composition of core and shell materials imparts smart properties to the particles. Core-shell particles are gaining increasing attention as tuneable and versatile carriers for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications including targeted drug delivery, controlled drug release, and biosensing. This review first provides an overview of fabrication methods for core-shell particles, followed by a brief discussion on their application and a detailed analysis on manipulation including assembly, sorting, and triggered release. We compile current methodologies employed for manipulation of core-shell particles and demonstrate how existing methods of assembly and sorting micro/nanospheres can be adopted or modified for core-shell particles. Various triggered release approaches for diagnostics and drug delivery are also discussed in detail.

The sandwich format immunoassay is generally more sensitive and specific than more common assay formats, including direct, indirect, or competitive. A sandwich assay, however, requires two receptors to bind non-competitively to the target analyte. Typically, pairs of antibodies (Abs) or antibody fragments (Fabs) capable of forming a sandwiching with the target are identified through a slow, guess-and-check method with panels of candidate binding partners. Additionally, sandwich assays reliant on commercial antibodies can suffer from changes to reagent quality outside the researchers’ control. This report presents a reimagined and simplified phage display selection protocol that directly identifies sandwich binding peptides and Fabs. The approach yielded two sandwich pairs, one peptide-peptide and one Fab-peptide sandwich for the cancer and Parkinson’s disease biomarker DJ-1. Requiring just a few weeks to identify, the sandwich pairs delivered apparent affinity comparable to other commercial peptide and antibody sandwiches. The results reported here could expand the availability of sandwich binding partners for a wide range of clinical biomarker assays.

Background: Identifying a specific threshold level of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that confers protection in immunocompromised patients has been very challenging. The aim was to assess the threshold of 264 binding antibody units (BAU)/ml using four different SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays (Abbott, Beckman, Roche, and Siemens) and to establish a new optimal threshold of protection for each of the four antibody assays. Methods: This study was performed on data retrieved from 69 individuals, who received at least one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2 or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (Spikevax) at the Alphabio Laboratory in Marseille, France (European Hospital, Alphabio – Biogroup). The results were compared to the percent inhibition calculated using a functional surrogate of a standardized virus neutralization test (Genscript). Results: Samples from 69 patients were analyzed. For a reference cutoff of 264 BAU/ml, assays showed moderate to good overall concordance with Genscript: 87% concordance for Abbott, 78% for Beckman, 75% for Roche, and 88% for Siemens. Overall concordance increased consistently after applying new thresholds, i.e., 148 BAU/ml (Abbott), 48 (Beckman), 559 (Roche), and 270 (Siemens). Conclusion: We suggest specific adjusted thresholds (BAU/ml) for the four commercial antibody assays that are used to assess pre-exposure prophylaxis in immunocompromised patients.

Practical applications of CsPbX3 nanocrystals (NCs) are limited by their poor stability. The formation of heterojunction between CsPbX3 NCs and oxides is an effective means to protect perovskite from polar solvents and other external factors. Significantly improving the stability and photocatalytic properties of the core/shell perovskite is very important for its application in photoelectric and photocatalytic technology. Here, we report the synthesis of asymmetrical CsPbBr3/TiO2 core-shell heterostructure NCs at single particle level by hot injection liquid phase synthesis and sol-gel method, where each CsPbBr3 NCs is partially covered by titanium dioxide. It is shown that the type II arrangement is generated at the heterogeneous interface, which greatly facilitates the separation of electron-hole pairs and increases the carrier transport efficiency. More crucial, due to the protection of titanium dioxide shell, the product has higher long-term stability in humid air compared with bare CsPbBr3 NCs. The asymmetrical core-shell heterostructure prepared in this study not only improves the stability of CsPbX3 NCs, but also provides some ideas for optoelectronic device applications and TiO2-based photocatalysts.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is a multifunctional protein that is involved in proliferation, inflammation and apoptosis mechanism of hepatocytes. HCV core protein genetic variability has been implicated in various outcomes of HCV pathology and treatment. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the role of HCV core protein in tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced death under the viewpoint of HCV genetic variability. Immortalized hepatocytes (IHH), and not the Huh7.5 hepatoma cell line, stably expressing HCV subtype 4a and HCV subtype 4f core proteins showed that only HCV 4a core protein could increase sensitivity to TNFα-induced death. Development of two transgenic mice expressing the two different core proteins under the liver-specific promoter of transthyretin (TTR) allowed for the in vivo assessment of the role of core in TNFα-induced death. Using the TNFα-dependent model of lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/Dgal) we were able to recapitulate the in vitro results in IHH cells in vivo. Transgenic mice expressing HCV 4a core protein were more susceptible to the LPS/Dgal model while mice expressing HCV 4f core protein had the same susceptibility as their littermate controls. Transcriptome analysis in liver biopsies from these transgenic mice gave insights into HCV core molecular pathogenesis, while linking HCV core protein genetic variability to differential pathology in vivo.

This conceptual review aimed to investigate whether "functional training" (FT) programs are different from traditional strength, power, flexibility, and endurance training programs. A search for the twenty most recent papers published involving FT was performed in the PubMed/Medline database. Definition, concepts, benefits, and the exercises employed in FT programs were analyzed. The main results were: 1) there is no agreement about a universal definition for FT; 2) FT programs aim at developing the same benefits already induced by traditional strength, power, flexibility, and endurance training programs; 3) exercises employed are also the same. The inability to define FT makes differentiation difficult. Physical training programs can be easily described and classified as strength, power, flexibility, endurance, and the specific exercises employed (e.g., traditional resistance training, ballistic exercises, plyometrics and Olympic-style weightlifting, continuous and high-intensity interval training). This proper description and classification may improve communication in sports science and improve interdisciplinary integration. Aiming to avoid confusion and misconceptions, and based on the current evidence, we recommend that the terms FT, high-intensity FT, and functional fitness training no longer describe any physical training program.

The state detection of power cable is very important to ensure the reliability of power supply. Traditional sensors are mostly based on electric field detection, the operation is complex, and its efficiency needs to be improved. This paper optimizes the design and development of the magnetic field detection sensor for AC power cables. Firstly, through the establishment of the magnetic field sensor model, it is determined that permalloy is the material of the magnetic core, the optimal aspect ratio of the magnetic core is 20, and the ratio of coil length to core length is 0.3. Secondly, the coil simulation model is established, and it is determined that the optimal number of turns of the coil is 11000 turns, the diameter of the enamelled copper wire is 0.08mm, and the equivalent magnetic field noise of the sensor is 0.06pT. Finally, the amplifying circuit based on negative magnetic flux feedback is designed and the sensor is assembled, and the experimental circuit is built for sensitivity test. the results show that the sensitivity of the magnetic field sensor is 327.6mV/μT. The sensor designed in this paper has the advantages of small size, high sensitivity, easy to carry and high reliability.

We introduce a new generalized inverse (i.e., generalized EP element) which is a natural generalization of EP and *-DMP elements in a Banach *-algebra. We present polar-like characterizations of generalized EP elements. The necessary and sufficient conditions under which the sum of two generalized EP elements is a generalized EP element are investigated. Finally, the generalized core-EP orders for generalized EP elements are characterized.

Matrix Metaloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is an extracellular Zn²⁺ protease specific to type I and IV collagens. Its expression is associated with several inflammatory, degenerative, and malignant diseases. Conformational properties, domain movements, and interactions between MMP-2 and its associated metal ions were characterized using a 1.0 µs molecular dynamics simulation. Dihedral principle component analysis revealed 10 families of conformations with the greatest degree of variability occurring in the link region connecting the catalytic and hemopexin domains. Dynamics cross correlation analysis indicated domain movements corresponding to opening and closing of the hemopexin domain in relation to the fibronectin and catalytic domains facilitated by the link region. Interaction energies were calculated using the MMPBSA-interaction entropy analysis method and revealed strong binding energies for the catalytic Zn²⁺ ion 1, Ca²⁺ ion 1, and Ca²⁺ ion 3 with significant conformational stability at the binding sites of Zn²⁺ ion 1 and Ca²⁺ ion 1. Ca²⁺ ion 2 diffuses freely away from its crystallographically defined binding site. Zn²⁺ ion 2 plays a minor role in conformational stability of the catalytic domain while Ca²⁺ ion 3 is strongly attracted to the highly electronegative sidechains of the Asp residues around the central β-sheet core of the hemopexin domain.

Abstract: With the availability of an increasing number of 3D structures of bacteriophage components, combined with powerful in silico predictive tools, it has become possible to decipher the structural assembly and functionality of phage adhesion devices. In the current study, we examined 113 members of the 936 group of lactococcal siphophages, and identified a number of Carbohydrate Binding Modules (CBMs) in the neck passage structure and major tail protein, on top of evolved Dit proteins as recently reported by us. The binding ability of such CBM-containing proteins was assessed through the construction of green fluorescent protein fusion proteins and subsequent binding assays. Two CBMs, one from the phage tail and another from the neck, demonstrated definite binding to their phage-specific host. Bioinformatic analysis of the structural proteins of 936 phages reveals that they incorporate binding modules which exhibit structural homology to those found in other lactococcal phage groups and beyond, indicating that phages utilize common structural “bricks” to enhance host binding capabilities. The omnipresence of CBMs in Siphophages supports their beneficial role in the infection process, as they can be combined in various ways to form appendages with different shapes and functionalities, ensuring their success in host detection in their respective ecological niches.

The selectivity in selective autophagy pathways is achieved via the selective autophagy receptors (SARs) – proteins that bind a ligand on the substrate to be degraded and the Atg8-family protein on the growing autophagic membrane, phagophore, effectively bridging them. In mammals, the most common ligand of SARs is ubiquitin, a small protein modifier that tags substrates for their preferential degradation by autophagy. Consequently, the most common SARs are the ubiquitin-binding SARs, such as SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1). Surprisingly, there is only one SAR of this type in yeast – Cue5, which acts as a receptor for aggrephagy and proteaphagy – pathways that remove the ubiquitinated protein aggregates and proteasomes, respectively. However, recent studies described the ubiquitin-dependent autophagic pathways that do not require Cue5, e.g. stationary phase lipophagy for intracellular lipid droplets and nitrogen starvation-induced mitophagy for mitochondria. What is the role of ubiquitin in these pathways? Here, we propose that the ubiquitinated lipid droplets and mitochondria are recognized by the alternative ubiquitin-binding SARs. Our analysis identifies the proteins that could potentially fulfill this role in yeast. We think that matching of the ubiquitin-dependent (but Cue5-independent) autophagic pathways with the ubiquitin-and-Atg8-binding proteins enlisted here might uncover the novel ubiquitin-binding SARs in yeast.

The Polyurethane (PU) mixture is a high−performance engineering material with different dynamic properties compared to a hot−mixed asphalt mixture (HMA). This paper analyzed whether the Kramers−Kronig (K−K) relation and thermo−rheological simple properties were applicable to the PU mixture. Based on the result discussion, the PU mixture exhibited thermo−rheological simple properties within the test conditions. The time−temperature superposition principle (TTSP) was applicable for the PU mixture to construct the dynamic modulus master curve using the standard logistic Sigmoidal (SLS) model, the generalized logistic sigmoidal (GLS) model, and the Havriliak−Negami (HN) model. The Hilbert integral transformed SLS and GLS models for the phase angle can accurately fit the measured phase angle data with newly fitted shift factors and predict the phase angle within the viscoelastic range. The Core−Core and black space diagrams both displayed single continuous smooth curves, which can be utilized to characterize the viscoelastic property of the PU mixture. The K−K relation is applicable for the PU mixture to obtain the phase angle master curve model, storage modulus, and loss modulus from the complex modulus test results. The phase angle of the PU mixture cannot be derived from the dynamic modulus data and currently needs to be derived from the laboratory measurement.

Omicron BA.2.75 may become the next globally dominant strain of COVID-19 in 2022. BA.2.75 sub-variant has acquired more mutations (9) in spike protein and other genes of SARS-CoV-2 than any other variant. Thus, its chemical composition and thermodynamic properties have changed comparing to earlier variants. In this paper Gibbs energy of binding and antigen-receptor binding rate is reported for the BA.2.75 variant. Gibbs energy of binding (driving force of binding) of Omicron BA.2.75 variant is more negative than that of the competing variants BA.2 and BA.5.

Titanium boride (TiB2) is a material classified as ultra-high temperature ceramics. The TiB2 structure is dominated by covalent bonds, which gives materials based on TiB2 very good mechanical and thermal properties, but also makes them difficult to sinter. Obtaining dense TiB2 polycrystals requires chemical or physical sintering activation. Carbon and molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) were chosen as sintering activation additives. Three series of samples were made, the first with carbon additives: 0 to 4 wt.%; the second with 2.5, 5 and 10 wt.%. MoSi2 and the third with both additions of 2 wt.% carbon and 2.5, 5 and 10 wt.% MoSi2. MoSi2. On the basis of dilatometric sintering analysis, all additives were found to have a favourable effect on sinterability of TiB2, and it was determined that sintering of TiB2 with carbon addition can be carried at 2100°C and with MoSi2 and both additives at 1800°C. The polycrystals were sintered using the hot pressing technique. On the basis of the studies conducted in this work, it was found that addition of 1 wt.% of carbon allows to obtain single-phase TiB2 polycrystals of high density (>90%). The minimum MoSi2 addition required to obtain dense sinters with a cermet-like microstructure was 5 wt.%. High density was also achieved by materials containing both additives. Samples with higher MoSi2 content, i.e. 5 and 10% showed densities close to 100%. Mechanical properties such; as Young's modulus, hardness and fracture toughness (KIc) of the polycrystals and composites were similar for samples with densities exceeding 95%. The Vickers hardness was 23 to 27 GPa, the fracture toughness (KIC) was 4 to 6 MPa·m0.5 and the Young's modulus was 480 to 540 GPa. The resulting TiB2-based materials showed potential in high-temperature applications.

The research hypothesis states that the impregnation of the honeycomb paper core of lightweight sandwich panels with modified starch, sodium silicate and LiquidWood® resin has a significant effect on the elastic properties of it. In the study, a recycled paper was used in three thicknesses, seven types of cell shapes, including two after numerical optimization and three types of impregnating agents. The method of digital image analysis determined the elastic constants of manufactured paper cores, which were subjected to axial compression in two directions. Based on the experimental results, elastic constants of the cores were calculated and compared with the results of numerical calculations. It has been shown that each of the impregnating solutions used improves the stiffness of the paper core. The best results were obtained for LiquidWood® epoxy resin and modified starch. An important parameter of cell geometry affecting their rigidity is the angle of the cell wall φ, as well as the arrangement of the common cell wall in relation to the direction of load. The numerical models developed were positively verified.

Mercury is a neurotoxin, with certain organic forms of the element being particularly harmful to humans. The Minamata Convention was adopted to reduce the intentional use and emission of mercury. Because mercury is an element, it cannot be decomposed. Mercury-containing products and mercury used for various processes will eventually enter the waste stream, and landfill sites will become a mercury sink. While landfill sites can be a source of mercury pollution, the behavior of mercury in solid waste within a landfill site is still not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the depth profile of mercury, the levels of methyl mercury (MeHg), and the factors controlling methylation in an old landfill site that received waste for over 30 years. Three sampling cores were selected, and boring sampling was conducted to a maximum depth of 18 m, which reached the bottom layer of the landfill. Total mercury (THg) and MeHg were measured in the samples to determine the characteristics of mercury at different depths. Bacterial species were identified by 16S rRNA amplification and sequencing, because the methylation process is promoted by a series of genes. It was found that the THg concentration was 19–975 ng/g, with a geometric mean of 298 ng/g, which was slightly less than the 400 ng/g concentration recorded 30 years previously. In some samples, MeHg accounted for up to 15–20% of THg, which is far greater than the general level in soils and sediments, although the source of MeHg was unclear. The genetic data indicated that hgcA was present mostly in the upper and lower layers of the three cores, merA was almost as much as hgcA, while the level of merB was hundreds of times less than those of the other two genes. A significant correlation was found between THg and MeHg as well as between MeHg and MeHg/THg. In addition a negative correlation was found between THg and merA. The coexistence of the three genes indicated that both methylation and demethylation processes could occur, but the lack of merB was a barrier for demethylation.

Two novel sizable multicharged cationic complexes, of the formulae [(η6-[12]CPP)[Ru(η5-Cp)]12]Χ12 and [(η6-[11]CPP)[Ru(η5-Cp)]11]Χ11, CPP= cycloparaphenylene, Cp = cyclopentadienyl, X = [PF6]-, (1), (3) and [Cl]-, (2), (4), were synthesized and characterized using NMR techniques, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses. The complexes, (1) and (3) were stable in acetone and acetonitrile solutions over 48 h. In contrast, the water-soluble, (2) and (4), begins to decompose in aqueous media after 1h, due to the [Cl]- tendency for nucleophilic attack on ruthenium of the {Ru(η5-Cp)} units. Fluorescence quenching experiments conducted during the stability window of (2) with the d(5′-CGCGAATTCGCG-3′)2-EtBr adducts, revealed remarkably high values for Ksv = 1.185 × 104 ± 0.025 M-1 and Kb = 3.162 × 105 ± 0.001 M-1. Furthermore, the cytotoxic activity of (2) against A2780, A2780res, and MCF-7 cancer cell lines shows that it is highly cytotoxic with IC50 values in the range of 4.76 ± 1.85 to 16 ± 0.81 μΜ.

The in silico studies were performed in order to assess the binding affinity of selected organophosphorus compounds towards the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE). Quantum mechanical calculations, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) with molecular mechanics Generalized-Born surface area (MM/GBSA) were applied to assess quantitatively differences between the binding energies of acetylcholine (ACh; the natural agonist of AChE) and neurotoxic, synthetic correlatives (so-called “Novichoks”, and selected compounds from the G- and V-series). Several additional quantitative descriptors like root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) and the solvent accessible surface area (SASA) were briefly discussed to give – to the best of our knowledge – the first quantitative in silico description of AChE – Novichok non-covalent binding process and thus facilitate the search for an efficient and effective treatment for Novichok intoxication and in a broader sense - intoxication with other warfare nerve agents as well.

Currently, hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antibody (anti-HBc antibody) and HBV core-related antigen (HBcrAg) are widely used as serum markers for diagnosis based on the HBV core region. While anti-HBc is very significant for clinical diagnosis, the clinical significance of quantitative assay of anti-HBc antibody has been reevaluated with improvements in diagnostic performance, including its association with clinical stage and prediction of carcinogenesis and reactivation. In addition, concerning the new HBcrAg, a high-sensitivity assay method has recently been established, and its diagnostic significance, including the prediction of reactivation, is being reevaluated. On the other hand, the quantitative level of anti-HBc antibody expressed in different units among assay systems, complicating the interpretation of the results. However, it is difficult to standardize assay systems as they vary in advantages, and caution is needed in interpreting the assay results. In this review, the clinical usefulness and remaining problems of anti-HBc antibody and HBcrAg were summarized.

It is necessary to manage the power consumption and use fault-tolerance techniques to meet high reliability in Real-Time Embedded Systems, . Hence, in recent years, this is the main reason for providing an ideal approach to decrease power consumption through the worst-case behavior of instantaneous power management (peak-power management), while observing the Thermal Design Power (TDP). Although the multi-core chips in real-time embedded systems provide great opportunity for implementation of Two-phase Triple modular redundancy to meet high reliability, the energy overhead management of concurrently executing tasks is one of the challenges facing designers. In this article, we propose a scheme named Permanent Fault Aware, Two-Phase Peak-Power Management (PFA-TP3M), for scheduling real-time tasks in multi-core systems to eliminate peak power overlap from concurrent running tasks to maintain peak power consumption at the chip TDP. and through mapping different parts of each task on separate cores, prevents consecutive conflicts on cores, which have faced permanent faults to design the fault-tolerant system. Our simulation results show that our proposed scheme provides up to 700x fault tolerance increase (630x on average) compared to the state-of-the-art power management algorithm, an achievement costs up to 14%. (average 11%) increase the length of the task graph compared to it.

Estuaries are excellent environments of identifying pollution episodes that have affected river basins, as their sediments are the final destination of some of the pollutants. This paper studies the geochemical evolution of five elements (As, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn) in a core extracted from the middle estuary of the Tinto River (SW Spain). Results are based on facies interpretation, ICP Atomic Emission Spectrometry analysis, the application of a regional background to obtain the geoaccumulation index and dating. Four pollution episodes have been detected at ~5.8 cal. kyr BP (acid mine drainage?), 4.7-4.5 kyr BP (first mining activities), the 1850-1960 interval (intensive mining) and the second half of the 20th century (intensive mining and industrial inputs). All episodes show an increase in one or more of these elements, as well as changes in their geochemical classes deduced from the geoaccumulation index.

Fermented bamboo shoots are a distinctive ingredient in Southern cuisine. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology (HTS) were employed to investigate the relationship among physicochemical properties, characteristic volatile compounds, and core microbial communities. The results show that the chewiness, fracturability, hardness, and pH decreased, while total acidity increased during 60d-fermentation. The contents of reducing sugar and nitrite reached the peak on the 14th day of fermentation and then decreased. A total of 80 volatile compounds were detected during sour bamboo shoot fermentation, with 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol having the highest concentration. Among them, 12 volatile compounds (VIP ≥ 1) were identified as characteristic aroma substances of sour bamboo shoots. The dominant bacterial phyla in sour bamboo shoots were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Bacillus and Acinetobacter were the dominant genus. Correlation analysis showed that Firmicutes positive correlation with 3,6-Nonadien-1-ol, (E,Z)-, Oxalic acid, isobutyl hexyl ester ,(-)-O-Acetylmalic anhydride, TA Bacillus was negative correlation with Silanediol, dimethyl-, and Oxime-, methoxy-phenyl-. This study provides a theoretical basis for screening flavor-enhancing microorganisms as fermentation agents in sour bamboo shoots, which can contribute to the improvement of their quality.

Several theories have been proposed on the subject of fundamental psychological human needs. A brief overview was given for some of these major theories. A more recent theory on core emotional needs, derived from the vantage point of schema therapy, was also proposed and comparisons were drawn with the other models, each with different psychological boundaries. Implications and what these psychological needs mean to parents were also discussed covering cultural norms that may inadvertently inflict harm on young children and adolescents.

Recent advances in microscopy imaging and image analysis motivate more and more institutes world-wide to establish dedicated core-facilities for bio-image analysis. To maximize the benefits research groups at these institutes gain from their core-facilities, they should be established to fit well into their respective environment. In this article, we introduce common collaborator requests and corresponding potential services core-facilities can offer. We also discuss potential conflicts of interests between the targeted missions and implementations of services to guide decision makers and core-facility founders to circumvent common pitfalls.

Microorganisms inhabiting subsurface petroleum reservoirs are key players in biochemical transformations. The interactions of microbial communities in these environments are highly complex and still poorly understood. This work aimed to assess publicly available metagenomes from oil reservoirs and implement a robust pipeline of genome-resolved metagenomics to deci-pher metabolic and taxonomic profiles of petroleum reservoirs worldwide. Analysis of 301,2 Gb of metagenomic information derived from heavily flooded petroleum reservoirs in China and Alaska to non-flooded petroleum reservoirs in Brazil enabled us to reconstruct 148 MAGs of high and medium quality. At the phylum level, 74% of MAGs belonged to bacteria and 26% to ar-chaea. The profiles of these MAGs were related to the physicochemical parameters and recovery management applied. The analysis of the potential functional core in the reservoirs showed that the microbiota was specialized for each site, with 31.7% of the total KEGG orthologies annotated as functions (1,690 genes) common to all oil fields, while 18% of the functions were site-specific, i.e., present only in one of the oil fields. The oil reservoirs with lower level of intervention were the most similar to the potential functional core, while the oil fields with longer history of water in-jection had greater variation in functional profile. These results show how key microorganisms and their functions respond to the distinct physicochemical parameters and interventions of the oil field operations such as water injection and expand the knowledge of biogeochemical trans-formations in these ecosystems.

This work is a natural extension of the author’s previous work: “Multiple scattering theory for heterogeneous elastic continua with strong property fluctuation: theoretical fundamentals and applications” (arXiv:1706.09137 [physics.geo-ph]), which established the foundation for developing multiple scattering model for heterogeneous elastic continua with either weak or strong fluctuations in mass density and elastic stiffness. Polycrystalline material is another type of heterogeneous materials that widely exists in nature and extensively used in industry. In this work, the corresponding multiple scattering theory for polycrystalline materials with randomly oriented anisotropic crystallites is developed. To validate the theory, the theoretical results for a series of materials such as OFHC copper, 304 stainless steel, and Inconel 600 are compared to experimental measurements and the numerical results obtained using finite element simulations. Detailed analysis shows that the new theory is capable of predicting the dispersion and attenuation of polycrystals with satisfactory accuracy. The results also show the new model can give an estimate on the average grain size with a relative error equal to or less than ten percent. As applications in ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation, we calculated the dispersion and attenuation coefficient of one of the most important polycrystalline materials in aeronautics engineering: high-temperature titanium alloys. The effects of grain symmetry, grain size, and alloying elements on the dispersion and attenuation behaviors are examined. Key information is obtained which has significant implications for quantitatively evaluating the average grain size, monitoring the phase transition, and even estimating gradual change in chemical composition of titanium components in gas turbine engines. For applications in seismology, the velocities and Q-factors for both hexagonal and cubic polycrystalline iron models for the Earth’s uppermost inner core are obtained in the whole frequency range. Using the realistic material parameters of iron under the high temperature and high-pressure conditions calculated from ab initio simulations, the numerical results show that the Q-factors range from 0.001 to 0.05, which shows good agreement with that inferred from real seismic data. The new model predicts the velocity of longitudinal waves varies between ± 1% to ± 5 % relative to the Voight average velocity, while the velocity of transverse waves varies from ± 10% to ± 20%, which gives promising explanation to the abnormally slow transverse velocity observed in practical measurements. The numerical results support the conjecture that the Earth’s uppermost inner core is a solid polycrystalline medium. The comprehensive numerical examples show the new model is capable of capturing the most important scattering features of both ultrasonic and seismic waves with satisfactory accuracy. This work provides a universal, quantitative model for characterization of a large variety of polycrystalline materials. It also can be extended to incorporate more complicated microstructures, including ellipsoidal grains with or without textures, and even multi-phase polycrystalline materials. The new model demonstrates great potential of applications in ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation and inspection of aerospace and aeronautic structures. It also provides a theoretical framework for quantitative seismic data explanation and inversion for the material composition and structural formations of the Earth’s inner core.

Microbe-plant interactions are linked with the core microbiota, and both the plant and the microbial partners depend on one other to thrive in nature. However, why and how the below-ground core microbiota become established aboveground is poorly understood. We tracked the movement of a probiotic Streptomyces endophyte throughout a managed strawberry ecosystem. Probiotics in the rhizosphere and anthosphere were genetically identical, yet these niches were segregated in space and time. The probiotic in the rhizosphere moved upward via the vascular bundle, relocated to aboveground plant parts, and protected against Botrytis cinerea. It also moved from flowers to roots, and among flowers via pollinators that were protected against pollinator pathogens. Our results reveal a solid evidence in tripartite interaction with Streptomyces exploiting plant and pollinator partners.

In this study, the coating order of two monomers in the shell polymerization process of core–shell nanoparticles was altered to facilitate easy coating and optimize the properties of the coated surface to simplify the additional coating formulation process. To obtain a glass transition temperature suitable for coating, a core was synthesized by the copolymerization of an acryl monomer. A perfluoro monomer and silane monomer were additionally added to synthesize nanoparticles exhibiting both water–oil repellency and anchoring properties. In order to realize various surface properties, the nanoparticles underwent surface modification and cellulose fiber was introduced. Through the various data described in this text, the surface properties improved with the order of introduction of the two monomers.

A simple optimization strategy for the computation of 3D finite-differencing kernels on many-cores architectures is proposed. The 3D finite-differencing computation is split direction-by-direction and exploits two level of parallelism: in-core vectorization and multi-threads shared-memory parallelization. The main application of this method is to accelerate the high-order stencil computations in numerical relativity codes.

The overarching aim of this paper is to investigate the lake ecosystem response to different drivers over a long term period by a paleolimnological study in Lake Narlay (46°64N, 5°91E) located in the Jura Mountains of France. It is a small, hard-water lake with a maximum water depth of 40 m and extended anoxic condition of the bottom water. Previous results on sediments analysis have documented a differential response of the lake to the environmental changes that occurred in AD 1600 when major shift in the trophic reliance on methane of the benthic food web were observed. From 1920 with intensification of modern agriculture, animal farming and the construction of a cheese making facility, the lake become eutrophic, with Oscillatoria rubescens bloom. However, the lake showed pronounced changes in an older period that remained unanswered. In this paper we aim at reconstructing in more detail the limnological conditions of this Lake over the last 1200 yrs. using combined analyses of specific algal carotenoids and subfossil diatom remains. A comparison with other proxies (chironomid, pollen, and instrumental climatic reconstruction) will be used to better identify, between the complex combination of climate and anthropogenic pressure, the driving factors that determined the ecological trajectory of Lake Narlay.

Ice-binding proteins are crucial for adaptation of various organisms to low temperatures. Some of these, called antifreeze proteins, are usually thought to inhibit growth and/or recrystallization of ice crystals. However, prior to these events, ice must somehow appear in the organism, either coming from outside or forming inside through the nucleation process. Unlike most other works, our paper is focused on ice nucleation rather than the behavior of the already existing ice. The nucleation kinetics is studied both theoretically, with special attention paid to ice nucleation on ice-binding surfaces, and experimentally. For experimental studies, we use the ice-binding protein mIBP83, a previously constructed mutant of a spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana antifreeze protein. We show that mIBP83 does not affect the ice nucleation temperature in the buffer in test tubes, but hinders the impact of potent ice nucleators of various chemical natures, namely CuO powder and ice-nucleating bacteria Pseudomonas syringae. Additional experiments on human cells show that mIBP83 is concentrated in some regions, but only in cooled cells. Thus, the antifreeze protein not only binds to ice, but also blocks various sites that act or can act as ice nucleators. Such ice-preventing binding may be the crucial biological task of antifreeze proteins.

This study aimed at investigating the quality statuses of graduates’ sustainable core competences development and the causes behind the identified competence statuses by applying the core competencies’ model. The study employed case study design with thematic analysis involving seven interviewees. This study used tracer study findings and national exit exam results as exhibits. The study revealed “very good” and “excellent” quality statuses for the graduates’ core competence development of College of medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS). Similarly, this study identified “Good +” statuses for the quality of graduates’ core competence development in College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences ( CAES) and College of Science (CS). Furthermore, the study identified "good" - and +” statuses for the quality of graduates’ competence development at the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) and Faculty of Humanities (FH). Improved instruction with a balance of theory and practice, task-oriented deans’ leadership behavior with fairness and shared vision- mission identity, handling internal conflicts, and external ethnic-based war influences were the major reasons for the identified higher competence quality statuses in CMHS, CAES, and CS, whereas the opposite direction decline of these factors were the causes for the low statuses of FSS and FH. Sustainable graduates’ core competence development leads to sustainable employability, labor force, and individual to nation-wide holistic sustainable development

Abstract: Background: Hemopexin (Hx) is a plasma glycoprotein that scavenges heme (Fe(III) protoporphyrin IX), Hx have important implication in hemolytic disorders and hemorrhagic condition because the release of hemoglobin increase labile heme, which is potentially toxic producing oxidative stress. Hx has been considered for therapeutic use and diagnostics. In this work, we analyzed and mapped interaction sequences of Hx with hemin and hemoglobin (2) Methods: Spot-synthesis technique was used to map human hemopexin (P02790) binding to hemin and human hemoglobin, a library of 15 amino acid peptides with a 10-amino acid overlap was designed to represent the entire coding region (aa 1-462) of hemopexin and synthesized onto cellulose membranes. In silico approach was performed to analyze amino acid frequency in identified interaction regions, and molecular docking was applied for protein-protein interaction (3) Results: Seven linear peptide sequences in Hx were identified to bind hemin (H1-H7), and five were described for Hb (Hb1-Hb5) interaction, with just two sequences shared between hemin and Hb. Amino acid composition of identified sequences demonstrated that Histidine residues are relevant for heme binding, H105, H293, H373, H400, H429, and H462 was distributed in H1-H7 peptide sequences, but other residues may also play an important role. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated Hx association with the β-chain of Hb, with several hot spot amino acids that coordinated interaction. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights new insights on Hx-hemin binding motifs and protein-protein interactions with Hb. Binding sequences and identified specific peptides can be used for therapeutic purposes and diagnostics, as hemopexin is under investigation to treat different diseases, and there is an urgent need for diagnostics of labile heme for monitoring hemolysis.

The main aim of this study is to identify inhibitory binding potent of the available commercially alkaloids, against the crystal structure of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) protein by in silico studies. The inhibitory data of the compounds should be compared with the internal ligand as well as standard AChE inhibitor Aricept (which is used for the treatment of all stages of Alzheimer’s disease). AutoDock 4.0 is used for the docking study, conformational orientation site analysis, and, with the help of docking, we have calculated parameters like binding energy and inhibition constant. Docking's study showed that Glabridin, Isorosmanol, Quercetin, Honokiol, Eckol, Sargaquinoic acid, and Ginsedosides revealed strong binding affinity with the enzyme. Moreover, The ADMET profiling and physicochemical properties of the selected compounds are evaluated using the Molinspiration and Data warrior software. By showing a strong binding affinity value, positive bioactivity score, and good pharmacokinetic properties, the top compound was determined. After evaluation with all parameters, the compound Glabridin and Ginsedosides show the most potent inhibitory effect towards the acetylcholinesterase, so this compound could be used as a novel is required to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Two novel core-shell composites SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb, SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb-phen with SiO2 as the core and terbium organic complex as the shell, were successfully synthesized. The terbium ion was coordinated with organic ligand forming terbium organic complex in the shell layer. The bi-functional organosilane ((HOOC)2C6H2(CONH(CH2)3Si(OCH2CH3)3)2 (abbreviated as PMDA-Si) was used as the first ligand and phen as the second ligand. Furthermore, the silica-modified SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb@SiO2, SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb-phen@SiO2 core-shell-shell composites were also synthesized by sol–gel chemical route. An amorphous silica shell was coated around the SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb and SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb-phen core-shell composites. The core-shell and core-shell-shell composites both exhibited excellent luminescence in solid state. The luminescence of core-shell-shell composites was stronger than that of core-shell composites. Meanwhile, an improved luminescence stability property for the core-shell-shell composites was found in the aqueous solution. The core-shell-shell composites exhibited bright luminescence, high stability, long lifetime, and good solubility, which may present potential applications in the field of bio-medical.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Its treatment includes antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) to modulate the function of cardiac ion channels. However, AADs have been limited by proarrhythmic effects, non-cardiovascular toxicities as well as often modest antiarrhythmic efficacy. Theoretical models showed that combined blockade of Nav1.5 (and its current INa) and Kv1.5 (and its current, IKur) ion channels yield a synergistic anti-arrhythmic effect without effect on ventricles. We focused on Kv1.5 and Nav1.5 to search for structural similarities in their binding site (BS) for flecainide (a common blocker and widely prescribed AAD), as a first step for prospective rational multi-target directed ligand (MTDL) design strategies. We presented a computational workflow for flecainide BS comparison in a flecainide-Kv1.5 docking model and a solved structure of flecainide-Nav1.5 complex. The workflow includes docking, molecular dynamics, BS characterization and pattern matching. We identified a common structural pattern in flecainide BS for these channels. The latter belongs to the inner cavity and consist of a hydrophobic patch and a polar region, involving residues from S6 helix and P-loop. Since the rational MTDL design for AF is still incipient, our findings could advance multi-target atrial-selective strategies for AF treatment.

The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have great potential to produce homoexopolysaccharides (HoPS), have been the subject of extensive research efforts, given their health benefits and physicochemical properties. The HoPS functional properties are determined by structural characteristics of varied molecular weights, types of glycosidic linkages, degrees of branching and chemical composition. The dextransucrases (DSases) are responsible of the synthesis of a kind of HoPS (dextran polymers), which are among the first biopolymers produced at industrial scale with applications in medicine and biotechnology. The concept of glycodiversification opens additional applications for DSases. In that sense the design and characterization of new DSases is of prime importance. Previously, we described the isolation and characterization of a novel extracellular dextransucrase (DSR-F) encoding gene. In this study, from DSR-F, we design a novel chimeric dextransucrase DSR-F-∆SP-∆GBD-CBM2a, where DSR-F-∆SP-∆GBD is fused to the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM2a) of the β-1-4 exoglucanase/xylanase Cex (Xyn10A) of Cellulomonas fimi ATCC 484. This dextransucrase variant is active and without alteration in its specificity. The DSR-F-∆SP-∆GBD-CBM2a is purified by cellulose affinity chromatography for the very first time. Our results indicate that new hybrids and chimeric DSases with novel binding capacity to cellulose can be designed to obtain glyco-biocatalysts from renewable lignocellulosic materials.

Dictyostelium discoideum is gaining increasing attention as a model organism for the study of calcium binding and calmodulin function in basic biological events as well as human diseases. After a short overview of calcium-binding proteins, the structure of Dictyostelium calmodulin and the conformational changes effected by calcium ion binding to its four EF hands is compared to its human counterpart, emphasizing the highly conserved nature of this central regulatory protein. The calcium-dependent and -independent motifs involved in calmodulin binding to target proteins are discussed with examples of the diversity of calmodulin binding proteins that have been studied in this amoebozoan. The methods used to identify and characterize calmodulin binding proteins is covered followed by the ways Dictyostelium is currently being used as a system to study several neurodegenerative diseases and how it could serve as a model for studying calmodulinopathies such as those associated with specific types of heart arrythmia. Because of its rapid developmental cycles, its genetic tractability, and a richly endowed stock center, Dictyostelium is in a position to become a leader in the field of calmodulin research.

(1) Background: Transcription factors (TFs) are main regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. The cooperative binding of at least two TFs to genomic DNA is the widespread mechanism of transcription regulation. Massive analysis of co-occurrence of overrepresented pairs of motifs (composite elements, CEs) for different target TFs studied in ChIP-seq experiments can clarify the mechanisms of TF cooperation. (2) Methods: We focused on homotypic CEs representing the same motif models and considered only CEs with spacers. We improved the capability of the Motifs Co-Occurrence Tool (MCOT) to predict asymmetric homotypic CEs in which one of par-ticipating motifs has higher conservation than the other. We categorized the target TFs from the data of M. musculus ChIP-seq and A. thaliana ChIP-seq/DAP-seq according to the structure of DNA-binding domains (DBDs) into classes. (3) Results: For all TF classes the predominance of asymmetric CEs over both symmetric and those with no enrichment in both directions was re-vealed. Target TFs from classes Basic helix-loop-helix factors (bHLH) and Basic leucine zipper factors (bZIP) showed the highest fractions of datasets with asymmetric CEs. We showed that pioneer TFs, despite their DBD types, have a higher significance of asymmetry within homotyp-ic CEs compared to other TFs. (4) Conclusion: Asymmetry within homotypic CEs is a promising new feature decrypting the mechanisms of gene transcription regulation.

Polypyrrole (PPy)-capped caped silver nanowire (Ag NW) nanomaterials (core–shell rod-shaped Ag NW@PPy) were synthesized suing a one–port suspension polymerization technique. The thickness of PPy layer on the 50-nm-thickness/15-μm-length Ag NW was effectively controlled to 10, 40, 50, and 60 nm. Thin films cast from one-dimensional conductive Ag NW@PPy formed a three-dimensional (3-D) conductive porous network structure and provided excellent electrochemical performance. The 3-D Ag NW@PPy network can significantly reduce the internal resistance of the electrode and maintain structural stability. As a result, a high specific capacitance of 625 F/g at a scan rate of 1 mV/s was obtained from the 3-D porous Ag NW@PPy composite film. The cycling performance over a long period exceeding 10,000 cycles was also evaluated. We expect that our core–shell-structured Ag NW@PPy composites and their 3-D porous structure network films can be applied as electrochemical materials for the design and manufacture of supercapacitors and other energy storage devices.

Wide bandgap semiconductors-based photocatalysts are usually limited by their low solar energy conversion efficiency due to their limited absorption solar wavelength, surface’s fast recombination of photoelectron–hole pairs and low charge-carrier mobility. Here we report a new stepwise solution synthesis for making a new photocatalytic core/shell of titanate nanowire/reduced graphene oxide shell (or titanate/rGO) 1D-nanocomposite. The new core/shell nanocomposite maximized the specific surface area, largely reduced the charge transfer resistance and reaction energy barrier, and significantly improved the absorption of the visible light. The core/shell nanocomposites’ large on/off current ratio and rapid photo-responses boosted the photocurrent by 30.0%, the photocatalysis rate by 50.0%, and the specific surface area by 16.4%, when comparing with the pure titanate nanowire core. Our numerical simulations support the effective charge separation on the new core-shell nanostructure, which can help further advance the new photocatalysis.

The advantage of FPGAs lies in the ability to implement a fully hardware solution for interfacing with various input/output (I/O) devices. Each block can work in parallel with all the others, simplifying the satisfaction of timing constraints. However, this hardware utilization consumes FPGA resources that could otherwise be allocated to the primary project. An alternative involves employing a small "soft-core" processor implementing I/O in software. With the goal to design and evaluate a new tiny soft-core processor optimized for FPGA resources in I/O , a novel processor named Baby8 is developed. It is an 8-bit CISC soft-core processor optimized for reduced FPGA resources including program size for 8-bit applications. The number of instructions is not large but any instruction can access arbitrary memory locations. The performance and resource utilization of the newly designed processor are evaluated and compared with a variety of other soft-core processors. The results demonstrate its competitive performance, achieving an average maximum clock frequency of approximately 57 MHz and a power consumption of around 2mW. Furthermore, it conserves nearly half of the FPGA resources in implementation.

Extensive genomic analyses of Enterococcus cecorum isolates from sepsis outbreaks in broilers suggests a polyphyletic origin likely arising from core genome mutations rather than gene acquisition. This species is normal intestinal flora in avian species with particular isolates associated with osteomyelitis. More recently, the species has been associated with sepsis outbreaks affecting broilers during the first 3 weeks post hatch. Understanding the genetic and management basis of this new phenotype is critical for developing strategies to mitigate this emerging problem. Phylogenomic analyses of 227 genomes suggest that sepsis isolates are polyphyletic and closely related to both commensal and osteomyelitis isolate genomes. Pangenome analyses detect no gene acquisitions that distinguish all sepsis isolates. Core genome SNP analyses identify a number of mutations, affecting protein coding sequence, that are enriched in sepsis isolates. Analysis of the protein substitutions supports mutational origins of sepsis isolates.

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.

In this study, we presented a simple highly sensitive sensor based on commercially available solid core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for measuring the refractive index (RI) of analytes. The numerical simulation based on the finite element method (FEM) has been examined to compute the optical properties such as confinement loss, power spectrum, and transmission intensity of the sensor. The most sensitive and inert plasmonic materials (gold and silver) have been assumed to be coated inside the fiber with the range of analytes RI from 1.32 to 1.40. The performance of the proposed sensor has been evaluated by tracing the several optical features like wavelength sensitivity, amplitude sensitivity, resolution of the sensor, and figure of merit. As a result, the comparative study between silver and gold elements has been carried out in which the maximum sensitivity received as 1.15 μm/RIU and 1.10 μm/RIU respectively. Whereas, on the base of power spectrum the obtained sensitivity was 513 μm/RIU for the gold layer. Moreover, the effect of other structural parameters (air holes and plasmonic layers thickness) on the sensing performance has been taken into an account. According to the simulation analysis and results, this sensor would have a great potential in various sensing applications of biomedical and liquid refractive index.

In this study, we investigate the magnetization behavior of coaxial nanowires fabricated through the sol-gel electrospinning method. Our analysis uncovers a significant reduction in coercivity for CoFe2O4 nanowires when BaTiO3 is used as the shell material, effectively transforming them from hard to soft magnetic. This intriguing behavior is attributed to the magnetization reversal effect at the interface between ferromagnetic and paramagnetic regions, and it is also observed in NiFe2O4 and Fe2O3 nanowires. Surprisingly, introducing a GdBa2Cu3O7 shell induces a similar effect. Additionally, we employ magnetic impedance measurements on the coaxial nanowires, unveiling their potential for magnetic field sensing applications.

The encapsulation of proteins into core-shell structures is a widely utilised strategy for controlling protein stability, delivery and release. Despite the recognised utility of these microstructures, however, core-shell fabrication routes are often too costly or poorly scalable to allow for industrial translation. Furthermore, many scalable routes rely upon emulsion-techniques implicating denaturing or environmentally harmful organic solvents. Herein, we investigate core-shell protein encapsulation through single-feed, aqueous spray drying: a cheap, industrially ubiquitous particle-formation technology in the absence of organic solvents. We show that an excipient’s preference for the surface of the spray dried particle is well-predicted by its hydrodynamic diameter (Dh) under relevant feed buffer conditions (pH and ionic strength) and that the predictive power of Dh is improved when measured at the spray dryer outlet temperature compared to room temperature (R2 = 0.64 vs. 0.59). Lastly, we leverage these findings to propose an adaptable design framework for fabricating core-shell protein encapsulates by single-feed aqueous spray drying.

Sharing activity is getting higher attention due to increasing popularity in recent years. In the paper, the authors investigated the main elements affecting the sharing activity. (1) Literature review: The theoretical part starts from the revision of definitions of sharing activity; description of the links between sharing and sustainable development, policy recommendations and relevant regulation in the field; later on, the study emphasises the key elements important for sharing. Finally, the authors investigated how the Covid-19 pandemic affected sharing activity; (2) Methods: During empirical research, the authors revised the list of 37 variables. The study uses data for each of the 27 EU countries from 2011 to 2020. The authors investigated correlation between macroeconomics variables to determine key variables for the regression model; (3) Results: The authors constructed a dynamic regression model that can be applied to predict the number of participants visiting sharing platforms in the European Union (EU); (4) Conclusions: The study shows that seeking to forecast the number of visits to sharing platforms it is necessary to use values of main macroeconomic variables such as consumer price index, productivity index, total unemployment rate, the number of users and households connected to the Internet, etc.

Core-shell structured magnetic nanoparticles combine hard and a soft phases to improve energy efficiency. The mutual interaction of the two phases can lead to the exchange spring effect leading to higher magnetic energy. In this regard, synthesis of Nd2Fe14B based core-shell structured powders have proven to be elusive due to the relatively reactive nature of this phase. In this study, a process has been established for successfully coating the surface of Nd2Fe14B powders with FeCo layer using galvanic displacement method. Initially, a binary phase magnetic powder was synthesized containing Nd2Fe14B and Nd2Fe17 phase. Subsequently, the powders were coated using a Co precursor at 303 K. During coating the metastable Nd2Fe17 phase was dissolved and the Fe ions were released into the solution. Subsequently, the Fe ions deposited together with the Co ions on the surface of Nd2Fe14B powder to form a FeCo shell. The deposited layer thickness and composition was confirmed using TEM analysis.

The paper describes model of human affect based on quantum theory of semantics. The model considers emotion as subjective representation of behavioral context relative to a basis binary choice, organized by cyclical process structure and an orthogonal evaluation axis. The resulting spherical space, generalizing well-known circumplex models, accommodates basic emotions in specific angular domains. Predicted process-semantic structure of affect is observed in the word2vec data, as well as in the previously obtained spaces of emotion concepts. The established quantum-theoretic structure of affective space connects emotion science with quantum models of cognition and behavior, opening perspective for synergetic progress in these fields.

Pantoea stewartii subsp. indologenes (Psi) is a causative agent of leafspot of foxtail millet and pearl millet; however, novel strains were recently identified that are pathogenic on onion. Our recent host range evaluation study identified two pathovars; P. stewartii subsp. indologenes pv. cepacicola pv. nov. and P. stewartii subsp. indologenes pv. setariae pv. nov. that are pathogenic on onion and millets or on millets only, respectively. In the current study we developed a pan-genome using the whole genome sequencing of newly identified/classified Psi strains from both pathovars [pv. cepacicola (n= 4) and pv. setariae (n=13)]. The full spectrum of the pan-genome contained 7,030 genes. Among these, 3,546 (present in genomes of all 17 strains) were the core genes that were a subset of 3,682 soft-core genes (present in ≥16 strains). The accessory genome included 1,308 shell genes and 2,040 cloud genes (present in ≤ 2 strains). The pan-genome showed a clear liner progression with >6,000 genes, suggesting the pan-genome of Psi is open. Comparative phylogenetic analysis showed differences in phylogenetic clustering of Pantoea spp. using PAVs/wgMLST approach in comparison to core genome SNP-based phylogeny. Further, we conducted a horizontal gene transfer (HGT) study including four other Pantoea species namely, P. stewartii subsp. stewartii LMG 2715T, P. ananatis LMG 2665T, P. agglomerans LMG L15, and P. allii LMG 24248T. A total of 317 HGT events among four Pantoea species were identified with most gene transfers observed between Psi pv. cepacicola and Psi pv. setariae. Pan-GWAS analysis predicted a total of 154 genes including seven cluster of genes associated with the pathogenicity phenotype on onion. One of the clusters contain 11 genes with known functions and are found to be chromosomally located.

Hybrid microparticles based on an iron core and amphiphilic shell have been prepared to respond simultaneously to external (magnetic and ultrasounds field) and internal (pH) stimuli for delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin. The microparticles have been prepared in three main steps; including surface modification of the iron core followed by conjugation with the amphiphilic chitosan and drug loading. The particles demonstrate spherical shape and dimension in the range 1-3 m with tunable surface charge by changing the pH of surrounding environment. The microparticles demonstrate good stability in simulated physiological solutions and able to allocate up to 400 g of drug per mg of bare carrier. The response to ultrasound and the changes in the shell structure when exposed to different pH allows to control the doxorubicin release. In vitro cytotoxicity tests performed on fibloblast NIH/3T3 demonstrate a reduction in the cell viability when doxorubicin was administrated by microparticles compared to the free formulation; in particular when ultrasound were applied. The bare microparticles demonstrate cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility up to 50g/mL and 60 g/mL, respectively.

This study investigated the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the mechanical properties of hardened self-compacting concrete for varying column heights. A column (100×20×300 cm) was fabricated by C30 self-compacting concrete in the laboratory and 10 cube samples (10x10x10 cm) were taken from fresh concrete as the references. After a period of 28 days, 160 core specimens (Ø67 mm in diameter) were taken from different column heights. Unit weight, water absorption, compressive strength, and freeze-thaw tests were performed on these 170 (10 reference cubic and 160 core) samples. The mechanical properties of the core specimens before freeze-thaw and after 8-56 freeze-thaw cycles were reported for varying column heights. The average compressive strength value of the reference cubic samples was determined as 40.28 MPa, while the compressive strengths of the core specimens before freeze-thaw were ranged from 40.25 MPa to 49.62 MPa, impying an increase in compressive strength values up to 23.18% compared to the reference cubic samples. Compressive strengths of the specimens subjected to 8 and 56 freeze-thaw cycles varied between 38.71‒48.07 MPa and 31.72‒39.11 MPa, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the compressive strength of the concrete exposed to 56 freeze-thaw cycles was significantly different from that of the other specimens.

This study investigated the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the mechanical properties of hardened self-compacting concrete for varying column heights. A column (100×20×300 cm) was fabricated by C30 self-compacting concrete in the laboratory and 10 cube samples (10x10x10 cm) were taken from fresh concrete as the references. After a period of 28 days, 160 core specimens (Ø67 mm in diameter) were taken from different column heights. Unit weight, water absorption, compressive strength, and freeze-thaw tests were performed on these 170 (10 reference cubic and 160 core) samples. The mechanical properties of the core specimens before freeze-thaw and after 8-56 freeze-thaw cycles were reported for varying column heights. The average compressive strength value of the reference cubic samples was determined as 40.28 MPa, while the compressive strengths of the core specimens before freeze-thaw were ranged from 40.25 MPa to 49.62 MPa, impying an increase in compressive strength values up to 23.18% compared to the reference cubic samples. Compressive strengths of the specimens subjected to 8 and 56 freeze-thaw cycles varied between 38.71‒48.07 MPa and 31.72‒39.11 MPa, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the compressive strength of the concrete exposed to 56 freeze-thaw cycles was significantly different from that of the other specimens.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is among the most widely spread viruses on the planet. However, the rate of binding to the receptor is not among the greatest ones. Gibbs energy of binding, which represents the driving force for antigen-receptor binding, of HSV-1 is less negative than can be expected. Furthermore, the Gibbs energy of biosynthesis of HSV-1 is among the most negative in nature. This implies high rate of multiplication of HSV-1. Obviously, HSV-1 uses specific strategy in virus-host interaction. While most other viruses increase infectivity through a high rate of antigen-receptor binding and cell entry/ highly negative Gibbs energy of binding, HSV-1 uses another strategy. It is related to a relatively slow reaction of antigen-receptor binding, which is followed by a higher rate of multiplication, which is a consequence of a highly negative Gibbs energy of biosynthesis. We can conclude empirically that both strategies are successful.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are generally membrane-active compounds that physically disrupt bacterial membranes. Despite extensive research, the precise mode of action of AMPs is still a topic of great debate. This work demonstrates that the initial interaction between the Gram-negative E. coli and AMPs is driven by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that act as kinetic barriers for the binding of AMPs to the bacterial membrane. A combination of SPR and NMR experiments provide evidence suggesting that cationic AMPs first bind to the negatively charged LPS before reaching a binding place in the lipid bilayer. In the event that the initial LPS-binding is too strong (corresponding to a low dissociation rate), the cationic AMPs cannot effectively get from the LPS to the membrane and their antimicrobial potency will thus be diminished. On the other hand, the AMPs must also be able to effectively interact with the membrane to exert its activity. The ability of the studied cyclic hexapeptides to bind LPS and to translocate into a lipid membrane is related to the nature of the cationic charge (arginine vs lysine) and to the distribution of hydrophobicity along the molecule (alternating vs clumped tryptophan).

Adipocytes play a critical role in maintaining a healthy systemic metabolism by storing and releasing energy in the form of fat and helping to regulate glucose and lipid levels in the body. Adipogenesis is the process through which pre-adipocytes are differentiated into mature adipocytes. It is a complex process involving various transcription factors and signaling pathways. Dysregulation of adipogenesis has been implicated in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate adipogenesis and the factors that contribute to its dysregulation may provide insights into the prevention and treatment of these conditions. RNA Binding Motif Single Stranded Interacting Protein 1 (RBMS1) is a protein that binds to RNA and plays a critical role in various cellular processes such as alternative splicing, mRNA stability, and translation. The RBMS1 polymorphism has been shown to be associated with obesity and Type 2 diabetes, but the role of RBMS1 in adipose metabolism and adipogenesis is not known. We show that RBMS1 is highly expressed during the early phase of differentiation of the murine adipocyte cell line 3T3-L1 and is significantly upregulated in adipose tissue depots and adipocytes of high-fat-fed mice, implying a possible role in adipogenesis and adipose metabolism. Knockdown of RBMS1 in pre-adipocytes impacted the differentiation process and reduced the expression of some of the key adipogenic markers. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis indicated that RBMS1 depletion affected the expression of several genes involved in major metabolic processes, including carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Our findings imply that RBMS1 plays an important role in adipocyte metabolism and may offer novel therapeutic opportunity for metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Exogenous RNA comprises the genetic material associated with several diseases which require immediate treatment, and thus mechanisms to hinder intracellular translation and reproduction of RNA viral agents are of great importance. Applying recent developments from this lab in methods relating to the interaction of DNA with steroid hormones, cyclic compounds are presented for intermolecular binding to nucleic acids. The requirements to achieve binding with RNA nucleotide pairs are described, which involve at a minimum functional elements positioned to interact with the lateral phosphate groups for each of the RNA strands through coupling with a positively charged ion, such as Mg2+, Ca2+, or Zn2+ ions; and an intermolecular hydrogen bond with the oxygen element of uracil at the carbon two location. Additional features of the binding molecules are examined for enhancements and differentiation in binding capability and include aromatic groups that have both a structural role of steric hindrance and a functional role to stabilize the binding mechanisms. Several categories of cyclic compounds are associated to have specific binding capabilities, and the interaction of these structures with potential receptor molecules are evaluated for assessment in delivery and binding of the compound to nucleic acids.

Abstract: The worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a significant economic and social burden on a global scale. Even though the pandemic has concluded, there remains apprehension regarding the emergence of highly transmissible variants capable of evading immunity induced by either vaccination or prior infection. The success of viral penetration is the specific amino acid residues of the Receptor Binding Motif (RBM) involved in viral attachment. This region interacts with the cellular receptor ACE2, triggering a neutralizing antibody (nAb) response. In this study, we have evaluated the immunogenicity of serum from individuals who received either a single dose or a combination of different vaccines against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and mutated linear RBM. Despite a modest antibody response to the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 RBM, the Omicron variants exhibit four mutations in the RBM (S477N, T478K, E484A, F486V) that result in even lower antibody titers. The primary immune responses observed were directed towards IgA and IgG. While nAbs typically target the RBD, our investigation has unveiled a reduced seroreactivity within the RBD's crucial subregion, the RBM. This deficiency may have implications for the generation of protective nAbs. Evaluation of S1WT and S2WT RBM peptides binding to nAbs using microscale thermophoresis revealed a higher affinity (35 nM) for the S2WT sequence (GSTPCNGVEGFNCYF), which includes the FNCY patch. Our findings suggest that the linear RBM of SARS-CoV-2 is not an immunodominant region in vaccinated individuals. Comprehending the intricate dynamics of the humoral response, its interplay with viral evolution, and host genetics is crucial for formulating effective vaccination strategies, not only targeting SARS-CoV-2 but also anticipating potential future coronaviruses.

Global economic and social burden was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 spread worldwide. Despite the end of the pandemic, there is a concern about virulent evolving variants of the virus which can bypass the humoral immune response induced by vaccination or infection. Crucial to the viral entrance, amino acid residues in the RBM region, which interacts with cellular receptor ACE2, can elicit neutralizing antibody response. Herein we determine the immunogenicity of one-dose or heterologous dose vaccinated serum against wild-type and mutated RBM region. Despite low antibody response to wild-type SARS-CoV-2 RBM, omicron variants possess four mutations in RBM (S477N, T478K, E484A, F486V) that induce even less antibody titers. The most predominant responses were against IgA and IgG. While neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) predominantly target the RBD, our investigation revealed a diminished seroreactivity within the RBD's crucial region, the receptor-binding motif (RBM), potentially impacting the production of protective nAbs. S1WT and S2WT RBM peptides binding to nAbs were evaluated through microscale thermophoresis, and higher affinity (35 nM) was obtained for sequence S2WT (GSTPCNGVEGFNCYF), containing the FNCY patch. Our data indicates that SARS-CoV-2 RBM is not an immunodominant region in vaccinated individuals. Understanding the intricate dynamics of the humoral response and its interplay with viral evolution and host genetics is essential for the formulation of effective vaccination strategies, not only against SARS-CoV-2 but also for future emerging coronaviruses.

In mesoscale eddies, chemical properties and biological composition are different from those in surrounding water, due to their unique physical processes. It is unclear how physical-biological coupling occurs in warm-core eddies, particularly since no study has examined the relationship between bacteria and viruses. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of anticyclonic warm eddy on the relationship between bacterial and viral abundances as well as viral activity (viral production) in different depths. In the core of warm eddy, bacterial abundance (0.48 to 2.82 ×105 cells mL−1) fluctuated less than that of the outside eddy (1.12 to 7.03×105 cells mL−1). In particular, there was four-folds higher of viral-bacterial abundance ratio (VBR) estimated within the eddy below DCM than the outside eddy. We suggest that prevailing physical forces with downwelling at the center of the anticyclonic warm eddy, viruses can also be transmitted into the deep ocean directly through adsorption on particulate organic matter during sinking. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the interaction between bacterial and viral communities and their ecological mechanism within the warm eddy.

The concentration of heavy metals in sediment is an important factor for assessing the quality of the nearshore environment. Geochemical background values are the normal concentrations of heavy metals in the natural environment. The use of different background values results in different evaluation results. Heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg) concentration profiles along a sediment core were investigated to obtain background values and assess the depositional processes and contamination levels in Laizhou Bay. Apart from As and Hg, all other metals had similar distribution patterns and could be divided into four stages since marine isotope stage (MIS) 2. The results of the enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Nemerow pollution index, principal component analysis, and potential ecological risk index showed that element enrichment or contamination in the core sediments was absent and that all heavy metals were mainly naturally sourced. The changes in heavy metals since MIS 2 in the core sediments were predominantly related to the sedimentary environment, sediment sources, and mean grain size. The average values of the heavy metals in the U2 unit formed during the Middle Holocene can be used as reference values for background values.

Polyethyleneimine (PEI) has been reported to have good potential for the adsorption of metal ions. In this work, PEI was covalently bound to NiFe2O4@SiO2 nanoparticles to form the new adsorbent NiFe2O4@SiO2–PEI. The material allowed magnetic separation and was characterized via powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA). The adsorption of CrO42‒, Ni2+, and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions was studied at different pH, temperatures, metal ion concentration, and adsorbent dosage. Maximum adsorption capacities of 149.23, 156.68, and 161.25 mg/g were obtained for CrO42‒, Ni2+, and Pb2+, respectively under optimum conditions using 0.075 g of the adsorbent material 250 mg/L ion concentration, at pH = 6.5 and room temperature.

Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes (18O and 2H) in polar ice offer strong evidence of both long-term and abrupt climate changes. However, reliably estimating surface air temperatures from past climates has proven difficult because the relationship between 18O and temperature cannot be calibrated. In this study, we investigated the 17O and 18O of modern rain and ice cores using published data. We found that precipitation 17O is influenced by two factors: mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) that occurs during ocean evaporation, and mass-independent fractionation (MIF) that happens in the stratosphere. The MDF contribution remains constant and can be understood from studying tropical rain, as the overall movement of mass in the tropics is upward towards the stratosphere. On the other hand, the MIF effect comes from the mixing of stratospheric air in the troposphere, which is a result of the Brewer-Dobson circulation. This MIF effect on precipitation 17O increases from the tropics towards the poles. Therefore, the relative 17O and 18O composition, denoted as '17O, in modern precipitation can be calibrated with surface air temperature, creating a new, independent tool for estimating past temperatures. We used this calibration along with '17O of Antarctic and Greenland ice cores and our results for past temperatures are in excellent agreement with those from borehole thermometry or gas phase analysis of air trapped in the ice. The 17O method overcomes the problems associated with using 18O for paleothermometry. Our findings align with climate models that suggest a weakening of the Brewer-Dobson circulation during the Last Glacial Maximum. Furthermore, our method could be used to monitor future changes in response to a warming climate caused by increasing greenhouse gases.

Epithelial cells can undergo apoptosis by manipulating the balance between pro-survival and apoptotic signals. In this work, we show that TRAIL-induced apoptosis can be differentially regulated by the expression of α(1,6)fucosyltransferase (FucT-8), the only enzyme in mammals that transfers the (1,6)fucose residue to the pentasaccharide core of complex N-glycans. Specifically, in the cellular model of colorectal cancer (CRC) progression formed using the human syngeneic lines SW480 and SW620, knockdown of the FucT-8-encoding FUT8 gene significantly enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in SW480 cells. However, FUT8 repression did not affect SW620 cells, which suggests that core fucosylation differentiates TRAIL-sensitive premetastatic SW480 cells from TRAIL-resistant metastatic SW620 cells. In this regard, we provide evidence that phosphorylation of ERK1/2 kinases can dynamically regulate TRAIL-dependent apoptosis and that core fucosylation can control the ERK/MAPK pro-survival pathway in which SW480 and SW620 cells participate. Moreover, the depletion of core fucosylation sensitises primary tumour SW480 cells to the combination of TRAIL and low doses of 5-FU, oxaliplatin, irinotecan or mitomycin C. In contrast, combination of TRAIL and oxaliplatin, irinotecan or bevacizumab reinforces resistance of FUT8-knockdown metastatic SW620 cells to apoptosis. Consequently, FucT-8 could be a plausible target for increasing apoptosis and drug response in early CRC.

A highly sensitive strain sensor based on tunable cascaded Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Cascaded FPIs consist of a sensing FPI and a reference FPI which effectively generate the Vernier Effect (VE). The sensing FPI comprises a hollow core fiber (HCF) segment sandwiched between single-mode fibers (SMFs), and the reference FPI consists of a tunable air reflector, which is constituted by a computer programable fiber holding block to adjust the desired cavity length. Simulation results predict the dispersion characteristics of modes carried by HCF. The sensor’s parameters are designed corresponding to a narrow bandwidth range, i.e., 1530 nm to 1610 nm. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed sensor exhibits optimum strain sensitivity of 23.9 pm/με in the range of 0 to 3000 με which is 13.73 times higher than the single sensing FPI strain sensitivity of 1.74 pm/με. The strain sensitivity of the sensor can be further enhanced by extending the source bandwidth. The proposed sensor exhibits ultra-low temperature sensitivity of 0.49 pm/°C in the wider temperature range of 25 °C to 135 °C, providing good isolation for eliminating cross-talk between strain and temperature. The sensor is very robust, cost-effective, easy to manufacture, repeatable, and shows a highly linear and stable response in the wider range of axial strain. Based on the sensor’s performance, it may suit plenty of practical applications in the real sensing world

This studies the plasmonic properties of the bimetallic quantum dot Ag@Au core-shell nanostructures embedded in the non-absorbent host medium. Local field enhancement factor and coefficient of absorption of Ag-core and Au-shell are primarily studied based on quasi-static approximation of classical electrodynamics for 6-10 nm composite radius. In this quantum dot geometry, two set of plasmonic resonances in visible spectral region are observed: the first resonance associated with inner interface of gold (Ag@Au) and the second resonance associated with outer interface of gold (Au@medium). The two plasmonic resonances are close each other and enhanced when the size of composite decreased for a fixed core size while shifted to in opposite direction and the amplitude of peak decreased when the core size is increased for a fixed composite size. For the optimized size of core/composite or shell thickness and other parameters to the desired values, such type of composites are recommended for various applications like; photocatalysis, biomedical, nano-optoelectronics.

Soils harbor diverse bacteria, and these bacteria play important roles in soil nutrition cycling and carbon storage. Numerous investigations of soil microbiota had been performed, and the core microbiota in different soil or vegetation soil types had been described. However, the complexity of soil environments and relatively limited information of many geographic areas had attracted great attention on comprehensive exploration of soil microbes in enormous types of soil. To reveal the core soil microbiota in Huabei plain, soil samples from metropolis and countryside regions in the Huabei plain were investigated using high-throughput sequencing strategy. The results showed that the most dominant bacteria are Proteobacteria (38.34%), Actinobacteria (20.56%), and Acidobacteria (15.18%). At the genus-level, the most abundant known genera are Gaiella (3.66%), Sphingomonas (3.6%), Acidobacteria Gp6 (2.1%), and Arthrobacter (2%). Moreover, several dominant operational taxanomy units (OTU), such as OTU_3 and OTU_17, were identified to be associated with the soil environment. Microbial distributions of the metropolis samples were different from the countryside samples, which may reflect the environments in the countryside were more diverse than in the metropolis. Microbial diversity and evenness were higher in the metropolis than in the countryside, which might due to the fact that human activity increased the microbial diversity in the metropolis. The soil core microbiota of the Huabei plain were complex, and microbial distributions in the Huabei plain might be mainly affected by the human activity and environmental factors, not by the distance. Our data highlights the soil core microbiota in Huabei Plain, and provides insights for future soil microbiota distribution studies in central China.

In this work, magnetic CuFe₂O₄/Ag nanoparticles activated by porous covalent organic frameworks (COF) was fabricated to evaluate the heterogenous reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The core-shell CuFe₂O₄/Ag@COF was successfully prepared by polydopamine reduction of silver ions on CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, followed by COF layer condensation. With integrating the intrinsic characteristics of the magnetic CuFe₂O₄/Ag core and COF layer, the obtained nanocomposite exhibited features of high specific surface area (464.21 m² g^-1), ordered mesoporous structure, strong environment stability, as well as fast magnetic response. Accordingly, the CuFe₂O₄/Ag@COF catalyst showed good affinity towards 4-NP via π-π stacking interactions and possessed enhanced catalytic activity compared with CuFe₂O₄/Ag and CuFe₂O₄@COF. The pseudo-first-order rate constant of CuFe₂O₄/Ag@COF (0.77 min^-1) is 3 and 5 times higher than CuFe₂O₄/Ag and CuFe₂O₄@COF, respectively. The characteristics of bi-catalytic CuFe₂O₄/Ag and the porous COF shell of CuFe₂O₄/Ag@COF made a contribution to improve the activity of 4-NP reduction. The present work demonstrated a facile strategy to fabricate COF activated nano-catalysts with enhanced performance in the fields of nitrophenolic wastewater treatment.

Due to the fact that abrasive media can deform flexibly in abrasive flow machining (AFM) making this method easily to polish the complex holes and the curved surface of the hard machining shapes. Although abrasive media dominate the polishing behavior in AFM process, the mechanism of the abrasive media are not easy to understand because of the high viscous gels, therefore, many finishing works need lots of time to design AFM process. Power laws of the abrasive gels is studied here to evaluate the non-Newtonian flow of abrasive gels in complex holes polishing firstly, at the mean time different abrasive gels are utilized to finish the complex holes to follow the results by non-Newtonian flow calculation. Moreover, traditional AFM has difficulty to achieve a uniform roughness of radial distribution in the complex holes polishing because of the non-uniform abrasive forces. So a helical passageway is proposed to create a multiple motion of abrasive medium and to obtain the even surface of the complex holes in AFM process.

Many studies discuss carbon-based materials because of the versatility of its element. They include different opinions for scientific problems and discuss fairly at convincing and compelling levels within the scope and application. A gas-state carbon atom converts into various states depending on its conditions of processing. The electron transfer mechanism in the gas-state carbon atom is responsible to convert it into various states, namely, graphite, nanotube, fullerene, diamond, lonsdaleite and graphene. The shape of ‘energy trajectory’ enables transferring electrons from the left- and right-sides of an atom is like a parabola. That ‘energy trajectory’ is linked to states (filled state and suitable nearby unfilled state) where force-exertion along the poles of transferring electrons is remained balance. So, the mechanism of originating different states of a gas-state carbon atom is under the involvement of energy first. This is not the case for atoms executing confined inter-state electron-dynamics as the force is involved first. Graphite-, nanotube- and fullerene-state atoms ‘partially evolve partially develop’ (form) their structures. These possess one-dimensional, two-dimensional and four-dimensional ordering of atoms, respectively. Their structural formation also comprises ‘energy curve’ having a shape-like parabola. Transferring suitable filled state electron to suitable nearby unfilled state is under a balance force exerting along the poles. The graphite structure under only attained-dynamics of atoms can also be formed but in two-dimension. Here, binding energy between graphite-state carbon atoms is for a small difference of exerting forces along their opposite poles. Structural formation in diamond, lonsdaleite and graphene atoms involve energy to gain required infinitesimal displacements of electrons through which they maintain orientationally-controlled exerting forces along dedicated poles. In this study, the growth of diamond is found to be south to east-west (ground) where atoms bound ground to south. Thus, diamond atoms merge for a tetra-electron ground to south topological structure. Lonsdaleite atoms merge for a bi-electron ground to just-south topological structure. The growth of graphene is found to be north to ground where atoms bound ground to north. Thus, graphene atoms merge for a tetra-electron ground to north topological structure. Glassy carbon exhibits layered-topological structure where, tri-layers of gas-, graphite- and lonsdaleite-state atoms successively bind in repetitive order. Nanoscale hardness is also sketched based on different force-energy behaviors of different state carbon atoms. Here, structure evolution in each carbon state atom explores its own science.

A quantum particle constrained between two high potential barriers provides a paradigmatic example of a system sustaining quasi bound (or resonance) states. When the system is prepared in one of such quasi bound states, the wave function approximately maintains its shape but decays in time in a nearly exponential manner radiating into the surrounding space, the lifetime being of the order of the reciprocal of the width of the resonance peak in the transmission spectrum. Naively, one could think that adding more lateral barriers would preferentially slow down or prevent the quantum decay since tunneling is expected to become less probable and because of quantum backflow induced by multiple scattering processes. However, this is not always the case and in the early stage of the dynamics quantum decay can be accelerated (rather than decelerated) by additional lateral barriers, even when the barrier heights are arbitrarily large. The decay acceleration originates from resonant tunneling effects and is associated to large deviations from an exponential decay law. We discuss such a counterintuitive phenomenon by considering the hopping dynamics of a quantum particle on a tight-binding lattice with on-site potential barriers.

Bioinformatics analysis of the sequences of orthologous zinc-containing peptidases of the M15_C subfamily revealed the presence of a conserved tryptophan residue near the active site, which is not involved in the formation of the protein core. Site-directed mutagenesis of this Trp114/109 residue using two representatives of the family, L-alanoyl-D-glutamate peptidases of bacteriophages T5 (Calcium-activated EndoT5) and RB49 (EndoRB49, without ion regulation) as an example, and further analysis of the 1H NMR spectra of the mutants showed that a decrease in the volume of the W → F → A residue leads to changes in the hydrophobic core and active center of the protein, and also decreased affinity for regulatory Ca2+ in the EndoT5 mutants. The inactive T5W114A mutant lacks the ability to bind the substrate. In general, the conserved Trp114/109 residue, due to the spatial restrictions of its side chain, significantly affects the formation of the catalytically active form of the enzyme and is critical for catalysis.

2-Methylquinazolin-4(3H)-one was prepared by reaction of anthranilic acid, acetic anhydride and ammonium acetate. The reaction of 2-methylquinazolin-4(3H)-one with N-aryl-2-chloroacetamides in acetone in the presence of potassium carbonate gave nine N-aryl-2-(2-methyl-4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)acetamide compounds. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of their IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and HR-MS spectral data. These synthesized compounds containing the 2-methyl-3,4-dihydroquinazolin-4-one moiety exhibited excellent activity against Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae with LC50 values in the range of 2.085-4.201 μg/mL after 72 h exposure. Interestingly, these compounds did not exhibit toxicity to the non-target organism Diplonychus rusticus. In silico molecular docking revealed acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to be potential molecular targets. These data indicated the larvicidal potential and environmental friendliness of these N-aryl-2-(2-methyl-4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)acetamide derivatives.

The prediction of drug-target interactions plays a fundamental role in facilitating drug discovery, where the goal is to find prospective drug candidates. With the increase in the number of drug-protein interactions, machine learning techniques, especially deep learning methods, have become applicable for drug-target interaction discovery because they significantly reduce the required experimental workload. In this paper, we present a spontaneous formulation of the drug-target interaction prediction problem as an instance of multi-instance learning. We address the problem in three stages, first organizing given drug and target sequences into instances via a private-public mechanism, then identifying the predicted scores of all instances in the same bag, and finally combining all the predicted scores as the output prediction. A comprehensive evaluation demonstrates that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art methods on three benchmark datasets.

Muscle is one of the most critical organs for mammals, which governs multiple movement and physiological functions. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a kind of novel endogenous RNA without 5'-Caps and 3'-poly(A) structures formed by pre-mRNA's back-splicing. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) control the production and degradation of circRNA, help nucleus-cytoplasm transport and locate circRNA, and regulate circRNA translation. Therefore, circRNAs and the chaperoned RBPs play critical roles in muscle growth, development, and disease progression. In this review, we systematically characterize the possible molecular mechanism of circRNA-protein interactions. Also, we summarize the latest researches on circRNA-protein interactions in muscle development and diseases. Besides, we provide several valid prediction methods and experimental verification approaches. Our review reveals the importance of circRNAs and their protein chaperones and provides a reference for further study in this field.

Viral protein 24 (VP24) from Ebola virus (EBOV) was first recognized as a minor matrix protein that associates with cellular membranes. However, more recent studies shed light on its roles in inhibiting viral genome transcription and replication, facilitating nucleocapsid assembly and transport, and interfering with immune responses in host cells through downregulation of interferon (IFN)-activated genes. Thus, whether VP24 is a peripheral protein with lipid binding ability for matrix layer recruitment has not been explored. Here we examined the lipid binding ability of VP24 with a number of lipid binding assays. The results indicated that VP24 lacked the ability to associate with lipids tested regardless of VP24 posttranslational modifications. We further demonstrate that the presence of the EBOV major matrix protein VP40 did not promote VP24 membrane association in vitro or in cells. Further, no protein-protein interactions between VP24 and VP40 were detected by co-immunoprecipitation. Confocal imaging and cellular membrane fractionation analyses in human cells suggested VP24 did not specifically localize at the plasma membrane inner leaflet. Overall, we provide evidence that EBOV VP24 is not a lipid binding protein and its presence in the viral matrix layer is likely not dependent on direct lipid interactions.

Thanks to the continued development of experimental structural biology and the half-a-century old Protein Data Bank, 2021 saw a big step forward in the development of protein structure prediction with deep learning algorithms. Recently, DeepMinds AlphaFold has determined the structures of ∼ 200 million proteins from 1 million species. The speed of this progress raise the question of what becomes possible for computational drug discovery and design when we have a systems-wide account of the structures and motions of most proteins. Therefore, this article puts forward the concept of a general intermolecular binding affinity calculator (GIBAC): Kd = f(molA, molB, envPara), towards the acceleration of traditional computer-aided drug design (CADD) and artificial intelligence-integrated drug discovery (AIDD), for both small molecules and biologics such as therapeutic proteins.

The primary objective of this current study is to conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature that discusses research on post and core restorations, covering aspects such as their composition, manufacturing methods, and clinical effectiveness. The methodology employed in this review encompasses the implementation of a well-defined search strategy, the establishment of criteria for inclusion and exclusion, and the selection of relevant studies to summarize their findings. To gather relevant literature published between 1993 and 2023, the research team conducted separate searches on PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases. In total, 165 titles were initially retrieved from these electronic databases. By applying the predefined exclusion criteria, the researchers identified 73 articles that specifically address the conventional and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies employed in post and core restorations. These restorations are frequently utilized procedures for repairing teeth that have undergone endodontic treatment and subsequently lost dental structure. The development of computerized technology for the creation of customized posts and cores has emerged as a straightforward and efficient alternative to traditional methods. The review encompasses a synthesis of papers discussing the various techniques and materials employed in constructing post and cores using CAD/CAM technology. Notably, different strategies for restoring endodontically treated teeth through CAD/CAM post and cores have been documented, revealing both direct and indirect approaches. The most mentioned materials for these restorations include zirconia, composite resin, and hybrid ceramics. While the available literature on CAD/CAM post and core procedures is somewhat limited, the review underscores the need for further research to explore the long-term outcomes and efficacy of this treatment approach.

Nano- and microparticles are increasingly widely used in biomedical research and applications, particularly as specific labels and targeted delivery vehicles. Silica has long been considered the best material for such vehicles, but it has some disadvantages limiting its potential, such as the proneness of silica-based carriers to spontaneous drug release. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is an emerging alternative, being easily available, cost-effective, biocompatible material with high porosity and surface reactivity, which makes it an attractive choice for targeted drug delivery. CaCO3 particles are used in this field in the form of either bare CaCO3 microbeads or core/shell microparticles representing polymer-coated CaCO3 cores. In addition, they serve as removable templates for obtaining hollow polymer microcapsules. Each of these types of particles has its specific advantages in terms of biomedical applications. CaCO3 microbeads are primarily used due to their capacity for carrying pharmaceutics, whereas core/shell systems ensure better protection of the drug-loaded core from the environment. Hollow polymer capsules are particularly attractive because they can encapsulate large amounts of pharmaceutical agents and can be so designed as to release their contents in the target site in response to specific stimuli. This review focuses first on the chemistry of the CaCO3 cores, core/shell microbeads, and polymer microcapsules. Then, systems using these structures for the delivery of therapeutic agents, including drugs, proteins, and DNA, are outlined. The results of systematic analysis of available data are presented. They show that the encapsulation of various therapeutic agents in CaCO3-based microbeads or polymer microcapsules is a promising technique of drug delivery, especially in cancer therapy, enhancing drug bioavailability and specific targeting of cancer cells while reducing side effects. To date, research in CaCO3-based microparticles and polymer microcapsules assembled on CaCO3 templates has mainly dealt with their properties in vitro, whereas their in vivo behavior still remains poorly studied. However, an enormous potential of these highly biocompatible carriers for in vivo applications is undoubted. This last issue is addressed in depth in the Conclusion and Outlook sections of the review.

The technique of optical interferometry has many applications in various fields of knowledge, including astronomy, optical metrology, biology, and chemistry. The visible interference pattern of a conventional single mode fiber (SMF-28) tapered and core-offset structured in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been demonstrated. The white source is generated by an LED, with a wavelength range of 400 nm to 650 nm emission. We analyze the performance of the interference emission with a waist length of 1.8 mm to 6 mm and with a waist diameter of 10 µm to 60 µm for the tapered structure. The achieved visibility is V=0.14 with an FSR of 23 nm. The core-offset structure interferometer is analyzed with different displacements in x and y axis and with a separation length L of 2.5 cm, 4.0 cm and 5.0 cm between two core joints. The output interference emission has a visibility of V= 0.3, V=0.27 and V=0.34 with an FSR of 23 nm, 17 nm and 8 nm, respectively. The sensitivity obtained from the temperature sensor is of 3.53 a.u./°C, with R2 of 0.99769. The proposed MZIs are low cost and can be used for implementation of sensing system in the field as the industry and medical applications.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) ranks fifth as the most crucial cereal crop globally, yet its seed morphology remains relatively unexplored. This study investigated seed morphology in sorghum based on 115 mini core and 130 Senegalese germplasms. Eight seed morphology traits encompassing size, shape, and color parameters were assessed. Statistical analyses explored potential associations between these traits and resistance to three major sorghum diseases: anthracnose, head smut, and downy mildew. Furthermore, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted using phenotypic data from over 24,000 seeds and over 290,000 publicly available single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) through the Genome Association and Prediction Integrated Tool (GAPIT) R package. Significant SNPs associated with various seed morphology traits were identified and mapped onto the reference sorghum genome to identify novel candidate defense genes.

Cobalt-doped alumina catalysts were prepared by different methods, applying either the conventional wet impregnation (WI) and/or the advanced spray impregnation (SI), and evaluated as novel oxidation catalysts for CO and MeOH oxidation. The spray impregnation technique aims towards the synthesis of core-shell catalytic nanostructures to secure chemical/thermal stability of the active sites on the catalyst carrier. The catalysts were further promoted with low Pd content (0.5 wt.%) applying either incipient wetness impregnation (DI) or spray impregnation. The results revealed the superior performance of spray impregnated catalysts (Co/γ-Al2O3-SI) for both reactions. The deposition of Co oxide on the outer surface of the alumina particle (SEM images) and the availability of the active Co phase, resulted in the enhancement of Co/γ-Al2O3 catalysts oxidation activity. Pd incorporation increased catalysts reducibility (TPR-H2) and improved the catalysts performance for both reactions. However, Pd incorporation method affected the catalytic performance; as with the SI method the active phase of Co3O4 was probably covered from PdO and was not available for the oxidation reactions. On the contrary, the incorporation of Pd with the DI method resulted in better dispersion of PdO all over the Co/Al catalyst surface, maintaining available Co active sites and better Pd-Co interaction. MeOH desorption studies revealed the methanol oxidation mechanism; Co/Al catalysts promote partial oxidation of MeOH to formaldehyde (HCHO) and dehydration to dimethyl ether (DME), while Pd-based Co/Al catalysts enhance the complete oxidation of methanol to CO2 and H2O.

This article discusses the fabrication of pullulan/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PVA blends as carrier polymers for drug delivery. This study utilized coaxial electrospinning to encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX), a common anticancer drug, within nanofibers, which helped mitigate the adverse effects of DOX on normal cells. The study also demonstrated that the coaxial electrospinning technique using PVA/pullulan cores was effective in inhibiting the attachment and proliferation of HeLa cells, a type of cervical cancer cell. The use of pullulan/PVA and PVA blends as carrier polymers in conjunction with coaxial electrospinning could provide a safe and effective drug delivery system for the treatment of cervical and other solid malignancies. The study concluded that nanofibers showed promising results in inhibiting the growth of HeLa cells, indicating their potential as safe and effective drug delivery systems for treating cervical cancer and other solid malignant tumors.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of cranio-cervical position on the electromyographical activity of the core muscles during the prone plank exercise. Twenty healthy participants were enrolled in this study. Muscle activation was registered using surface electromyography (sEMG) in the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO) and lumbar portion of erector spinae (LES). Three prone plank conditions were randomly evaluated, varying the position of the cranio-cervical segment during the prone plank performance (NEUTRAL, FLEXION and EXTENSION). sEMG signals of each individual muscle, Total Intensity (TI) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were analysed with statistical significance set at P&lt;0.05. FLEXION revealed significantly higher TI values compared to NEUTRAL and EXTENSION (p = 0.000; effect size (ES) &gt; 0.90). The RA presented larger activation in FLEXION compared to the other variations (p &lt; 0.05; ES &gt;0.70). FLEXION elicited a greater response compared to NEUTRAL for both sides of EO when compared to EXTENSION, and also for both sides of IO compared to the other conditions. Both FLEXION and EXTENSION reported higher RPE values compared to NEUTRAL. Cranio-cervical segment position influenced the electromyographical activation of core musculature, showing highest values when performing prone plank in a cranio-cervical flexion.

Introduction: Diclofenac is the most prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug worldwide and used to reliev pain and inflammation for inflammatory arthritis. Diclofenac do not slows disease progression and cartialge damage of Rheuamtoid Arthritis individuals. Moreover, it associated with seriuos adverse effects even using regular dose regimens. Drug delivery systems can overcome this issues reducing adverse effects and optmizing efficacy. Objectives: to evaluate the activity of a lipid-core nanocapsule loaded of Diclofenac (DIC-LNC) in an experimental model of adjuvant-induced arthritis and its anti-arthritic properties at the joint components. Methods: The diclofenac nanoformulation was obtained by self-assembling methodology. The stereology analysis aproach was applied for morphological quantification of the volume, density and cellular profile count of the metatarsophalangeal joints of rats induced to adjuvant arthritis. Proinflamatory cytokines and biochemical profile was also obtained. Results: DIC-LNC is able to reduce arthitis compared to control group (p<0.0001) and DIC group (p=0.009). The TNF and IL1 cytokine as well as C-reative protein and Xanthine-oxidade were efficiently reduced by DIC-LNC. Additionally, DIC-LNC reduces synovites and condrocytes lossing compared to DIC (p<0.05)and control group (p<0.05). The synovial space volume was higher for DIC-LNC compared to DIC (p<0.05) and Control (p<0.05). These data are suggesting that DIC-LNC is showing anti-arthritic actvity preserving deep joint components. Conclusion: DIC-LNC is a promissing nanoformulation for clinical use, since is able to reduce joint inflamation and synovits, avoiding damage of cartilage and synovial space at advjuvant athrits. Further studies and developments are necessary to achieve future clinical use.