We study in detail the influence of different chemical potentials (baryon, charged, strange, and neutrino) on how and how fast a free gas of quarks in the zero-temperature limit reaches the conformal limit. We discuss the influence of non-zero masses, the inclusion of leptons, and different constraints, such as charge neutrality, zero-net strangeness, and fixed lepton fraction. We also investigate for the first time how the symmetry energy of the system under some of these conditions approaches the conformal limit. Finally, we briefly discuss what kind of corrections are expected from perturbative QCD as one goes away from the conformal limit.

The gravitational potential characterizes the gravitational field of ordinary bodies and has dimension equal to the square of the velocity. In 2021, a new expression for the law of universal gravitation was obtained, which is completely analogous to Coulomb’s law. Using this result, the presented paper introduces a new formula for the gravitational potential, which has dimension of velocity. This formula establishes a clear boundary for the mass of objects that are transitive from giant planets to stars of the smallest masses (brown dwarfs).

Clusterin (CLU) protein is involved in various pathophysiological processes including carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In recent years, the role of the secretory isoform has been demonstrated in tumor cells, where it inhibits apoptosis and favors the acquisition of resistance to conventional treatments used to treat cancer. To determine the possible therapeutic potential of inhibiting this protein, numerous studies have been carried out in this field. In this paper, we show the existing knowledge on the inhibition of this protein in different types of cancer and discuss the importance it could have in the development of new therapies directed against this pathology.

This article theoretically derives the magnetic field and vector potential produced by a steady current I flowing in an arbitrary plane loop at an arbitrary point r. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the behavior of the magnetic field produced by loops of various shapes such as polygons, circles, ellipses, and p-norm balls. Taking the limit as the loop shrinks to a point and the current I grows to infinity so that the magnetic dipole moment m of the loop (defined as the current I times the vector area of the loop) is kept constant, the magnetic field and vector potential are theoretically shown to converge to those of an ideal point magnetic dipole m.

Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) experience more frequent and intense emotions in response to environmental conditions relative to healthy subjects, which leads to mood instability. The aim of this study was to investigate the time-course of emotion regulation strategies, distraction, and reappraisal, in euthymic BD patients using electroencephalography (EEG). Fourteen BD patients and 13 matched healthy controls took part in an experiment constituted of three conditions, i.e., a passive viewing of positive, negative, and neutral pictures and two regulation conditions, one with reappraisal strategy and the other with distraction strategy. Critically, ERP results indicated that during passive viewing, the Late Positive Potential (LPP) was larger in BD patients compared with healthy controls, but only for neutral pictures. During emotion regulation, LPP amplitude was reduced in distraction condition compared with viewing one, especially for negative emotions in both patients and controls. Importantly, LPP was reduced in reappraisal condition compared with passive viewing in an early time window for negative emotions and in a later time window for positive emotions in controls but not in patients. Our findings showed that the neurochronometry of emotion regulation is faster for negative than for positive emotion in controls but not in BD patients.

The utilization of fermented foods has been a longstanding practice in human civilization worldwide for example sauerkraut from the Roman Empire, Jiangshui, and PaoCai, which are popular traditional foods in China. In Korea, Russia, and Mongolia, Kimchi and Kefir are widely used. Similarly, Japan, Indonesia, and Pakistan have their traditional fermented foods such as Miso, Natto, Tempeh, and sourdough, respectively. In America and Europe, fermented alcoholic beverages made from sorghum and maize are among the most common. Nevertheless, the full potential of fermented foods to enhance the bioavailability of bioactive compounds and restore probiotic communities has yet to be thoroughly explored. In this review, we focus on the bioactive compounds and probiotic stability in food fermented with probiotic bacterial strains. Probiotic fermented food improves the bioactive compound contents and has been gaining interest in basic and clinical research. Bioactive compounds, including phenolic, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, stilbenes, coumarins, tannins, anthocyanidins, flavones, isoflavonoids, and polyphenols, along with beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, Pediococcus, and Weissella demonstrate increased levels and restoration in probiotic fermented foods. These bioactive compounds, combined with a thriving microbiota, play a role in preventing viral infections by targeting influenza, noroviruses (NoVs), Murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1), and COVID-19, while also stimulating the host's immune function. Clinical and pre-clinical investigations are warranted to explore the dose-response and duration efficacy of probiotic fermented foods against viral infections.

The generation and maintenance of membrane potential is considered a fundamental element of the cellular machinery. They are based on elements of physics and chemistry. Mathematics is used to validate the equations and evaluate the results. However, this computation process can lead to a misunderstanding of the phenomena involved or to the masking of crucial events. It is even possible that the calculation no longer corresponds to the hypothesis considered. Membrane theory is no exception to these trivial considerations, which are essential for normal theory validation.

New biocements based on a powdered mixture of calcium phosphate/monetite (TTCPM) modified with the honey addition were prepared by mixing the powder and honey liquid components at a non-cytotoxic concentration of honey (up to 10% (w/v)). The setting process of the cements was not affected by the addition of honey, and the set-ting time of ~4 min corresponded to the fast setting calcium phosphate cements (CPC´s). The cement powder mixture was completely transformed into calcium-deficient nanohydroxyapatite after 24 hours of hardening in simulated body fluid, and columnar growth of long needle-like nanohydroxyapatite particles around the original calcium phosphate particles was observed in honey cements. The compressive strength of honey cements was reduced with the content of honey in the cement. The comparable antibacterial activity of cements with honey solutions was found on Escherichia coli, but very low antibacterial activity was found for Staphylococus aureus for all cements. The enhanced antioxidant inhibitory activity of composite extracts was verified. In vitro cytotoxicity testing verified the non-cytotoxic nature of honey cement extracts, and the addition of honey promoted alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposit production, and upregulation of osteogenic genes (osteopontin, osteocalcin, and osteonectin) by mesenchymal stem cells, demonstrating a positive synergistic effect of honey and CPC on the bioactivity of cements that could be promising therapeutic candidates for the repair of bone defects.

Urumqi City, located in the northwest of China, is a city with high indoor radon concentration in nationwide indoor radon survey in China. This study focuses on the assessment of indoor radon level and its potential sources in this city. Indoor radon measure using RAD7 and solid nuclear track detector (SSNTD), soil gas radon by RAD7 and determining specific activity of uranium and radium in soil samples by a high pure germanium spectrometer were performed from 2021 to 2023. The results reveal a wide range of indoor radon concentrations in Urumqi, with anomalies above 400 Bq/m3 in some dwellings. The arithmetical and geometric mean values of indoor radon concentration in Urumqi are 90.24 ± 83.04 Bq/m3 and 66.25 Bq/m3, respectively. The geometric mean values of radon and thoron by SSNTD is 110 Bq/m3 and 109 Bq/m3. The analysis suggest that the activity of faults and fault structures are the main factors influencing indoor radon levels, with frequent earthquakes contributing to higher average radon concentrations. Additionally, investigations into indoor radon and building material radioactivity in detailed are recommended for buildings with radon anomalies and the source of indoor radon anomalies.

This study was investigate the possible hydrological impact of climate change in stream flow of Arba River based on the downscaled precipitation and temperature data at West Harerghe Zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. The case study, Arba River is one of the tributaries of Awash River Basin and the catchment of the river at Bordode flow gauging station covers around 72 square kilometers. Dynamically downscaled Regional Climate Model (RCM) HIRHAM derived by ICHEC-EC-EARTH global climate model under two scenarios RCP 4.5 and 8.5 was used in this study. The future time periods are divided into two time horizons with equal length of time as the base line period 2021–2050 and 2051–2080. For both projected periods relatively the minimum average monthly percentage change in precipitation will be happened from May to October under RCP4.5 except August and from March to October under RCP8.5. The variation under RCP4.5 is relatively high when compared to RCP8.5. The average monthly per-centage of flow increment may vary from (7.6 to 81.8) for 2021-2050 and (22.3 to 107.8) for 2051-2080 under RCP4.5. Under RCP8.5 scenario, from July to January except the December for 2021-2050, simulated flow is expected to increase while from February to June decreases for both time horizons. Generally, the change of simulated flow under both scenarios and both near and far time period is follows the pattern of precipitation. However, the flow change will have less variation than the precipitation change.

Previous research on video game player aggression has focused on violent content, while recent studies have examined competitive factors. Few research has examined the solely impacts of competitive factors in video games without violent content on aggression, and it is still unknown what neurological processes of these effects. The present study is the first to examine the the electrophysiological characteristics of short-term competitive video game exposure and aggression. Thirty-five participants played a video game in either competitive or solo mode for 15 minutes, followed by an ERP experiment based on the Oddball paradigm and the hot sauce paradigm to measure aggressive behavior. Results showed that playing competitive game mode was associated with faster judgment to aggressive words, larger P300 amplitudes, and selection of more chili powder. The P300 amplitude partially mediated the relationship between competitive game exposure and aggressive behavior. These findings support the general aggression model.

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.

The generation and maintenance of membrane potential is a fundamental part of Membrane Pump Theory. One of the key points of this hypothesis is based on a natural or facilitated molecular diffusion through several types of ion channels and pumps like the Na/K ATPase. Chemistry, physics and especially electrochemistry, however, bring strong contradictions to this theoretical assumption. By respecting the principles of chemistry and electrostatics, it becomes obvious that this theoretical hypothesis cannot work. The ionic diffusion that would be at the origin of this potential cannot take place. Indeed, the topology and the forces involved definitively exclude the current model, which must absolutely be revised according to the current state of our knowledge and allow an advance in the understanding of the phenomena and open new research perspectives.

The vibrational excitation cross section of a diatomic molecule by positron impact is obtained using wavepacket propagation techniques. The dynamics was carried on a two-dimensional potential energy surface which couples a hydrogen-like harmonic oscillator to a positron via a spherically symmetric correlation polarization potential. The cross section for the excitation of the first vibrational mode is in good agreement with previous reports. Our model suggests that a positron couples to the target vibration by responding instantly to an interaction potential which depends on the target vibrational coordinate.

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.

The interest in renewable energy to replace fossil fuel is increasing as the problem caused by climate change become more severe. Small hydropower (SHP) is evaluated as a resource with high development value because of its high energy density compared to other renewable energy sources. SHP may be an attractive and sustainable power generation environmental perspective because of its potential to be found in small rivers and streams. The power generation potential could be estimated based on the discharge in the river basin. Since the river discharge depends on the climate conditions, the hydropower generation potential changes sensitively according to climate variability. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the SHP potential in consideration of future climate change. In this study, the future prospect of SHP potential is simulated for the period of 2021 to 2100 considering the climate change in three hydropower plants of Deoksong, Hanseok, and Socheon stations, Korea. As the results, SHP potential for the near future (2021 to 2040) shows a tendency to be increased and the highest increase is 23.4% at the Deoksong SPH plant. Through the result of future prospect, we have shown that hydroelectric power generation capacity or SHP potential will be increased in the future. Therefore, we believe that it is necessary to revitalize the development of SHP in order to expand the use of renewable energy. Also, a methodology presented in this study could be used for the future prospect of the small hydropower potential.

India’s energy needs are in demand with the increase in energy and other electric uses which is highest among the world. There are sectors which heavily rely on energy generated by fossil fuels but there is also seen a paradigm shift towards renewable energy sources. If India continues to rely on the former then they end up blocking development in energy system meeting uncertainties and face difficulties in supply of fossil fuels. To meet the fast-growing economy, India needs to supply the energy 3-4 times more of what they are supplying now. Government of India has become aware of the situation and has started facilitating polices in action towards a sustainable energy. As of 2019, India’s on grid renewable energy capacity is 85.9 GW. Government is working to establish 500 GW of renewable energy source by 2030.

This study aims to investigate the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange (STE) events and ozone trends over Irene (25.5°S, 28.1°E). Twelve years of ozonesondes data (2000–2007, 2012–2015) from Irene station operating in the framework of the Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesodes (SHADOZ) was used to study the troposphere (0–16 km) and stratosphere (17– 28 km) ozone (O₃) vertical profiles. Ozone profiles were grouped into three categories (2000–2003, 2004–2007 and 2012–2015) and average composites were calculated for each category. Fifteen O₃ enhancement events were identified over the study period. These events were observed in all seasons (one event in summer, four events in autumn, five events in winter and five events in spring), however, they predominantly occur in winter and spring. The STE events presented here are observed to be influenced by the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex. During the STE events, the advected potential vorticity maps assimilated using Modélisation Isentrope du transport Méso–échelle de l’Ozone Stratosphérique par Advection (MIMOSA) model for the 350 K (~12–13 km) isentropic level indicated a transport of high latitude air masses which seems to be responsible for the reduction of the O₃ mole fractions at the lower stratosphere over Irene which takes place at the same time with the enhancement of ozone in the upper troposphere. In general, the stratosphere is dominated by higher Modern Retrospective Analysis for Research Application (MERRA-2) potential vorticity (PV) values compared to the troposphere. However, during the STE events, higher PV values from the stratosphere were observed to intrude the troposphere. Ozone decline was observed from 12 km to 24 km with highest decline occurring from 14 km to 18 km. An average decrease of 6.0 and 9.1% was calculated from 12 to 24 km in 2004–2007 and 2012–2015 respectively. The observed decline occurred in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere with winter and spring showing more decline compared with summer and autumn.

In computational neuroscience, spiking neurons are often analyzed as computing devices that register bits of information, with each action potential carrying at most one bit of Shannon entropy. Here, I question this interpretation by using Landauer's principle to estimate an upper limit for the quantity of thermodynamic information that can be dissipated by a single action potential in a typical mammalian neuron. I show that an action potential in a typical mammalian cortical pyramidal cell can carry up to approximately 3.4e11 natural units of thermodynamic information, or about 4.9e11 bits of Shannon entropy. This result suggests that an action potential can process much more information than a single bit of Shannon entropy.

To explore the characteristics of the concentric eyewall of a typhoon during its formation and replacement processes, with Super Typhoon Muifa in 2011 as the example case, the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) mode was used to carry out a numerical simulation to reproduce the entire formation and replacement processes of the concentric eyewall. The physical quantities such as the tangential wind speed, radar echo, radial wind speed, vertical wind speed, and potential vortex were diagnosed and analyzed. The results of the analysis show that the outward expansion of the isovelocity in the lower troposphere was the early signal of the formation of the outer eyewall. After the outer eyewall formed, there was a center of second-highest tangential wind speed in the corresponding area. The second-highest wind speed increased as the strength of the outer eyewall increased, and the position of the second-highest wind speed center was retracted with the retraction of the outer eyewall. The tangential wind speed of the moat area was smaller than that corresponding to the concentric eyewall and this feature gradually disappeared with the increase of the height. The echo in the moat area was weak, and this characteristic was particularly evident when the moat area was relatively wide and the outer eyewall was relatively strong. With the formation and development of the outer eyewall, the intensity of the inflow in the boundary layer corresponding to the inner eyewall was reduced, the intensity of the outflow in the upper layers declined, and the intensities of the inflow and outflow corresponding to the outer eyewall were enhanced. After the second outer eyewall matured, there was a significant inflow in the upper layer of the moat area. Once the outer eyewall formed, a large amount of hydrometeors appeared in the corresponding area, and there was a strong ascending motion inside that area. The strength of the ascending motion and the content of hydrometeors increased as the outer eyewall increased. When the moat area was relatively wide, the divergent airflow generated by the developed outer eyewall in the upper layer would produce a significant descending motion in the moat area.

H9N2 avian influenza viruses have become globally widespread in poultry over the last two decades and represent a genuine threat both to the global poultry industry but also humans through their high rates of zoonotic infection and pandemic potential. H9N2 viruses are generally hyperendemic in effected countries and have been found in poultry in many new regions in recent years. In this review we examine the current global spread of H9N2 avian influenza viruses as well as their host range, tropism, transmission routes and the risk posed by these viruses to human health.

Background: The present study compared corticospinal excitability to the biceps brachii muscle during arm cycling at a self-selected and a fixed cadence (SSC and FC, respectively). We hypothesized that corticospinal excitability would not be different between the two conditions. Methods: The SSC was initially performed and the cycling cadence was recorded every 5 seconds for one minute. The average cadence of the SSC cycling trial was then used as a target for FC of cycling that the participants were instructed to maintain. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex were recorded from the biceps brachii during each trial of SSC and FC arm cycling. Results: Corticospinal excitability as assessed via normalized MEP amplitudes (MEPs were made relative to a maximal compound muscle action potential) were not different between groups. Conclusions: Focusing on maintaining a FC cadence during arm cycling does not influence corticospinal excitability as assessed via TMS-evoked MEPs.

In this study, we describe quark confinement in terms of linear interaction potentials and solve the problem of the net spin of a proton. The three quarks in a proton are assumed to revolve around a common center, and their masses are determined assuming they are Dirac particles. On the basis of these assumptions, the magnetic moment of a proton can be derived. Moreover, the rotation of the quarks is considered, in which an electrical current induces a magnetic field. Thus, the scalar product of the magnetic moment and field describes the linear interaction potential between the quarks, and the mass of the proton can be obtained. The proton mass predicted by this physical model is consistent with experimental values, and no numerical or fitting calculations are required. Furthermore, using the newly derived spins and angular momentum of the three quarks, we derived the net spin of a proton. Additionally, we predicted the mass of a pi-meson from the same model, which agrees with the experimental values.

The aim of this work was to prepare bioplastics from renewable and biodegradable molecules. In particular, the bioplastics were produced by using as biopolymer source the grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) flour, the proteins of which were structurally modified by means of microbial transglutaminase, an enzyme able to catalyze isopeptide bonds between glutamines and lysines. We analyzed, by means of Zeta-potential, the flour suspension with the aim to choose which pH is more stable for the production of film-forming solutions. The bioplastics were produced by casting and they were characterized according to several technological properties. Optical analysis demonstrated that films cast in the presence of the microbial enzyme are more transparent compared to the untreated ones. Moreover, the visualization by Scanning Electron Microscopy demonstrated that the enzyme-modified films possessed a more compact and homogeneous structure. Furthermore, the presence of microbial transglutaminase allowed to obtain film more mechanically resistant. Finally, digestion experiments under physiological conditions performed in order to obtain information useful for applying these novel biomaterials as carriers in the industrial field, indicated that the enzyme-treated coatings might allow the delivery of bioactive molecules in the gastro-intestinal tract.

Potential breeding habitat of egrets and herons was evaluated using the Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt). Model output can help guide management of nuisance egret and heron rookeries in urban forests of Daejeon Metropolitan City, Korea. This study examined 126 locations regarded as breeding sites of egrets and herons at the nationwide census conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Research between 2011 and 2012. In addition, 252 randomly selected locations were used to identify the significant variables among a total of 15 environmental variables within 4 factors (topography, natural environment, distance and climate). Twelve variables were significantly different between the breeding and randomly selected points. The final 10 variables were selected through Pearson’s correlation analysis. Using MaxEnt, breeding area was estimated using the 10 selected variables in Daejeon. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.950, which was the average value through 10-fold cross-validation to estimate the model reliability. The potential breeding habitat for egrets and herons was estimated to be 106.69 km2 (19.76% of the total area) in Daejeon. Within the estimated potential habitat, 11.82 km2 (12.46%) were less than 50 m from the residential district while 79.85 km2 (88.92%) were more than 50m from the residential district. Discriminative management strategies considering the breeding location of egrets and herons should be applied not only to minimize conflicts with residents, but also to maintain stable egret and heron breeding sites in Daejeon, Korea.

A classical origin for the Bohmian quantum potential, as that potential term arises in the quantum mechanical treatment of black holes and Einstein-Rosen (ER) bridges, can be based on 4th-order extensions of Einstein's equations. In Bohm's ontological interpretation, black hole radiation, and the analogous tunneling process of quantum transmission through an ER bridge, are classically allowed if the dynamics are modified to include such a quantum potential. The 4th-order extension of general relativity required to generate the quantum potential is given by adding quadratic curvature terms with coefficients that maintain a fixed ratio, as their magnitudes approach zero. Quantum transmission through the classically non-traversable bridge is replaced by classical transmission through a traversable wormhole. If entangled particles are connected by a Planck-width ER bridge, as conjectured by Maldacena and Susskind, then the classical wormhole transmission effect gives the ontological nonlocal connection between the particles posited in Bohm's interpretation of their entanglement. It is hypothesized that higher-derivative extensions of classical gravity can account for the nonlocal part of the quantum potential generally.

In recent 40 years, the quantity and spatial patterns of farmland in Western Jilin have changed dramatically, which had great impact on soybean production potential. This study used one of the most advanced crop production potential models, the Global Agro-cological Zones model, to calculate the soybean production potential in Western Jilin based on meteorological, terrain, soil and land use data, and analyzed impact of farmland change on soybean production potential during 1975-2013. The main conclusions were the following. First, the total soybean production potential in Western Jilin in 2013 was 89.22 thousand tons. The production potential of eastern area was higher than the other areas of Western Jilin. Second, farmland change led to a growth of 33.03 thousand tons in soybean production potential between 1975 and 2000, and a decrease of 10.30 thousand tons between 2000 and 2013. Third, taking account of two situations of farmland change, the conversion between dryland and other categories, and the change of irrigation percentage led to the total soybean production potential in Western Jilin increased by 23.13 and only 2.87 thousand tons respectively between 1975 and 2000, and increased by 1.13 and 2.81 thousand tons respectively between 2000 and 2013. In general, the increase of soybean potential production was mainly due to grassland and woodland reclamation. The results of this study would be a good reference for protecting safe baseline of farmland, managing land resources, and ensuring continuity and stability of soybean supply and food security.

Sleep quality is known to affect automatic and executive brain functions such as gait control and cognitive processing. This study aimed to assess the effect of dual tasks on gait spatiotemporal parameters among young adults with good and poor sleep quality in the United Arab Emirates. In total, 65 young adults with a mean age of 21.1±2.5 were assessed for gait analysis during single-task and dual-task conditions. The participants’ sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and gait was assessed using the BTS Gaitlab System. The participants were asked to walk at natural speed as a single-task condition, followed by walking while performing a cognitive task as a dual-task condition. The parameters assessed included the gait velocity (m/s), cadence (steps/min), step width (m), and stride length (m). The DTC on each gait parameter was calculated. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the differences in the DTC on gait variables between the good and poor sleep quality groups, and the Spearman correlation test was used to assess the correlation between total PSQI scores and the DTC. At a significance level of p<0.05, a significant difference in cadence between the two sleep quality groups was observed, in addition to a positive correlation between sleep quality and the DTC effect on gait mean velocity, cadence, and stride length. Our findings also revealed a greater DTC on participants with poorer sleep quality. These findings contribute to our understanding of the significance of sleep quality in gait performance while multitasking in younger populations.

Computational simulations of three-dimensional flow around a NACA 0018 wing with an aspect ratio of AR=5 are carried out using the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations with the Shear-Stress Transport turbulence model closure. Simulations were performed to capture the aerodynamic stall hysteresis using a developed Pseudo-Transient Continuation (PTC) method based on a dual time step approach in the CFD code OpenFOAM. The flow was characterized by an incompressible Mach number of M=0.12 and a moderate Reynolds number Re=0.67×10^6. The results obtained indicate the presence of a noticeable aerodynamic hysteresis in the static dependencies of the force and moment coefficients, as well as the manifestation of bi-stable flow separation patterns, accompanied by the development of asymmetry in the stall zone. The URANS simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data obtained for the NACA 0018 finite aspect ratio wing from the low-speed wind tunnel under the same test conditions. A new phenomenological bifurcation model of aerodynamic stall hysteresis under static and dynamic conditions is formulated, which is proven to be able to closely match the experimental data.

The dual-station Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) system can overcome the physical limitations imposed by the baseline of single-station dual-antenna InSAR. It provides greater flexibility and can enhance elevation measurement accuracy through a well-designed baseline configuration.Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with dual-station InSAR, with relatively low cost and high flexibility, are useful for mapping and land resource exploration. However, due to challenges including spatiotemporal synchronization and motion errors, there are limited reports on UAV-borne dual-station InSAR. This paper proposes a comprehensive method for processing data from small UAV-borne dual-station InSAR by integrating two-way synchronization chain signals. The proposed method includes compensation for time and phase synchronization errors, trajectory refinement with synchronized chain and Position and Orientation System (POS) data, high-precision dual-station InSAR imaging and interferometric processing. Height inversion results based on the proposed method is also provided, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method and improving interferometric accuracy at calibration points from 0.66 meters to 0.42 meters.

The dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) alias mitogen-activated protein 3 kinase 12 (MAP3K12) has gained much attention in recent years. DLK belongs to the mixed lineage kinases, characterized by homology to serine/threonine and tyrosine kinase but exerts serine/threonine kinase activity. DLK has been implicated in many diseases including several neurodegenerative diseases, glaucoma, and diabetes mellitus. As a MAP3K, it is generally assumed that DLK becomes phosphorylated and activated by upstream signals and phosphorylates and activates itself, the downstream serine/threonine MAP2K, and ultimately MAPK. In addition, other mechanisms such as protein-protein interactions, proteasomal degradation, dephosphorylation by various phosphatases, palmitoylation, and subcellular localization have been shown to be involved in the regulation of DLK activity or its fine-tuning. In the present review, the diverse mechanisms regulating DLK activity will be summarized to provide a better insight into DLK action and possibly new targets to modulate DLK function.

Pesticides are chemical products are used to protect crops to prevent or eliminate undesirable organisms. Pesticides can contaminate continental waters, air, soil and food products. The presence of pesticide residues must therefore be monitored in water and food using sensitive, reliable and broad-spectrum analytical methods, as there is a huge variety of pesticides. Biosensors are one of the screening methods with great potential for detecting residues below the maximum residue limits. The different sensing principles of enzymatic biosensors for pesticide analysis will be described. This review highlights the great potential of colorimetric, enzymatic biosensors for detecting pesticide residues in water and food. Moreover the development of dual colorimetric and fluorimetric sensors during the past years is presented. These methods are most often based on the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, whose activity is inhibited by pesticides. The different approaches used in the development of these biosensors will be detailed, based on different chemical substrates, fluorophores and nanomaterials. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach will be discussed. Finally, the development prospects for improving these biosensors will be presented.

Measuring pulmonary nodules accurately can help with early diagnosis of lung cancer, which can improve a patient’s chances of survival. Many methods for segmenting nodules have been developed, but they all rely on input from radiologists in the form of a 3D volume of interest (VOI) or use a constant region of interest (ROI) and only consider the presence of nodule within the given VOI. These approaches limit the networks’ ability to detect nodules outside the given VOI and can also include unnecessary structures in the VOI, leading to potentially inaccurate segmentation. In this work, we propose a novel approach for 3D lung nodule segmentation by using 2D region of interest (ROI) inputted from radiologist or computer-aided detection (CADe) system. Particularly, we design a dual-encoder-based hard attention network (DEHA-Net) which incorporates the full slice of thoracic computed tomography scan along with the ROI mask to produce an accurate segmentation mask of lung nodule in the given slice. The proposed architecture exploits the adaptive region of interest (A-ROI) algorithm to automatically investigates the penetration of lung nodule into surrounding slices while eliminating the need to drawing separate ROIs in each slice. Further, the framework performs the multi-view analysis, i.e., in sagittal and coronal views, to improve the segmentation performance. The proposed scheme has been rigorously evaluated on the lung image database consortium and image database resource initiative (LIDC/IDRI) dataset and an extensive analysis of results have been performed. The quantitative analysis shows that the proposed method not only improves the existing state-of-the-art in term of dice score but also, significantly robust against the different types, shape and dimensions of lung nodules.

In this paper a microstrip Wilkinson power divider with a 90^° phase delay at one output port is proposed to obtain circular polarization to feed a dual port RFID antenna. The 90^° phase delay was obtained by embedding an extra quarter wavelength at one port of the Wilkinson power divider. The feeding circuit is then mounted on the ground plane of the microstrip antenna feeding the radiating patch directly through the ground plane and dielectric layer thus reducing any fringing effect and resulting a mechanically compact unit. The proposed feeding method offers better expectation of antenna performance with minimal attenuation and coupling losses. The design process generalizes geometric pa- rameters of the Wilkinson power divider for variable port distances. The paper considers both UK and US RFID center frequencies, 870 MHz and 915 MHz respectively. Numeri- cally computed values for geometric design parameters for both frequencies are tabled as future design tools for port distances varying from 18 mm up to 34 mm at 870 MHz and 17 mm up to 32 mm at 915 MHz. Simulation results indicate a return loss (S11) of -20 dB and -26 dB at 870 MHz and 915 MHz operational frequencies respectively at 270^° angled quarter wavelength.

The kinetics and modeling of dual-wavelength controlled photopolymerization confinement (PC) are presented and measured data are analyzed by analytic formulas and numerical data. The UV-light initiated inhibition effect is strongly monomer-dependent and different monomers have different C=C bond rate constants and conversion efficacy. Without the UV-light, for a given blue-light intensity, higher initiator concentration (C₁₀) and rate constant (k’) lead to higher conversion, as also predicted by analytic formulas, in which the total conversion rate (R_T) is an increasing function of k’R, which is proportional to k[gB₁C₁]^0.5. However, the coupling factor b₁ plays a different role that higher b₁ leads to higher conversion only in the transient regime; whereas higher b₁ leads lower steady-state conversion. For a fixed initiator concentration C₁₀, higher inhibitor concentration (C₂₀) leads to lower conversion due to stronger inhibition effect. However, same conversion reduction was found for the same H-factor of H₀ = [b₁C₁₀ - b₂C₂₀]. Conversion of blue-only are much higher than that of UV-only and UV-blue combined, in which high C₂₀ results a strong reduction of blue-only-conversion, such that the UV-light serves as the turn-off (trigger) mechanism for the purpose of spatial confirmation within the overlap area of UV and blue light. For example, UV-light controlled methacrylate conversion of a glycidyl dimethacrylate resin formulated with a tertiary amine co-initiator, and butyl nitrite, subject to a continuous exposure of a blue light, but an on-off exposure of a UV-light. Finally, we developed a theoretical new finding for the criterion of a good material/candidate governed by a double ratio of light-intensity and concentration, [I₂₀C₂₀.]/[I₁₀C₁₀].

Lung cancer remains the leading cancer killer worldwide. Early diagnosis can effectively increase the patient cure rate but existing diagnostic methods limit early lung cancer diagnosis. Therefore, development of a simple but efficient lung cancer screening method is important to improvement of both the diagnosis rate and the survival rate of lung cancer patients. In this study, ten photosensitive materials with high sensitivity and high specificity were screened accurately to construct a microarray sensor that can rapidly identify six types of lung cancer biomarkers in exhaled breath. Results from hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and difference maps showed that the classification of the analytes agreed with structure similarity laws. The detection results from parallel experiments and structurally similar analytes, in turn, cluster into a group; the fingerprints of the different analytes have specific response regions. The well-screened sensor chip fabrication workload and cost were both reduced by approximately two thirds, while the microfluidic device sensitivity and stability increased by approximately 1.3 times their corresponding values before optimization. The dual-channel device also offers real-time contrast detection and synchronous parallel detection functions and has potential application prospects for use in extensive screening of high-risk populations for lung cancer.

The description of the electron-electron interactions in two-dimensional materials has a dimensional mismatch, where electrons live in (2+1)D while photons propagate in (3+1)D. In order to define an action in (2+1)D, one may perform a dimensional reduction of quantum electrodynamics in (3+1)D (QED4) into Pseudo quantum electrodynamics (PQED). The main difference between this model and QED4 is the presence of a pseudo-differential operator in the Maxwell term. However, besides the Coulomb repulsion, electrons in a material are subjected to several microscopic interactions, which are inherent in a many-body system. These are expected to reduce the range of the Coulomb potential, leading to a short-range interaction. Here, we consider the coupling to a scalar field in PQED for explaining such mechanism, which resembles the spontanoues symmetry breaking (SSB) in Abelian gauge theories. In order to do so, we consider two cases: (i) By coupling the gauge field to a Higgs field in scalar quantum electrodynamics in (3+1)D and, thereafter, performing the dimensional reduction and; (ii) By coupling a Higgs field to the gauge field in PQED and subsequently calculating its effective potential. In case (i), we obtain a model describing electrons interacting through the Yukawa potential and, in case (ii), we show that SSB does not occur at one-loop approximation. The relevance of the model for describing electronic interactions in two-dimensional materials is also adressed.

Nowadays, the identification and characterization of grapevine cultivars resilient to climate and water stress while preserving quality traits is crucial for the wine industry. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize according to their aromatic potential 9 white and 6 red minority cultivars recently recovered from Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), subjected at two different water deficit regimes: rainfed, with subsistence irrigation, and irrigated. For this, the varietal aromatic potential index (IPAv) and the detailed aromatic composition were analyzed by HS-SBSE-GC/MS, in extracts of two different ph. For IPAv values, red varieties did not show a clear trend with respect to irrigation. However, in white minority varieties, higher values were obtained under irrigation conditions. Thus, a clear differentiation of the minority varieties in comparison to the references was observed, primarily attributed to the content of esters and acids, in both white and red varieties. A notable contrast was observed at different pH, indicating a greater extractability of certain compounds like linalool, under more acidic conditions. This suggests that some recovered minority cultivars could be promising for cultivation in semi-arid regions with limited water, contributing to the wine sector sustainability in the future.

Inhaled particulate matter (PM) is a key player in the millions of yearly deaths worldwide related to air pollution. The oxidative potential of PM provides an indication of its ability to promote an oxidative environment. When the human lungs are exposed to PM, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in such oxidative environment, if excessive, may lead to cell damage via oxidative stress. Inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, airway remodeling, and many different cell death modes (apoptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, among others) can be triggered by oxidative stress via complex molecular pathways, which also involve the adaptive cellular response. But ROS can also directly interact with macromolecules such as proteins and lipids, as well as nucleic acids, having been reported to induce DNA damage and epigenetic modifications, which jeopardizes homeostasis. These facts have been extensively studied in in vitro models and confirmed in in vivo models.In this review, we delve beyond conventional assessments of airborne particles, discussing their oxidative potential and the PM-induced ROS-mediated cellular damage observed in in vitro models. The close link between oxidative stress and inflammation, and the manifestation of different cell death modes is highlighted by reviewing the latest literature. The effects of ROS on the balance of DNA damage and repair, carcinogenicity and epigenetics interplay are then analyzed. Finally, we expand on the latest reports on the antioxidants’ potential to counteract the deleterious effects of ROS, and disclose future perspectives for the topic.

We discuss a central concept of nanothermdynamics; the subdivision potential. We explain how it can be measured or calculated for some typical ensembles, as this has been disputed in the literature. We proceed to discuss its meaning for particular systems, and predict scaling laws for three ensembles. The laws depend on the small system geometry in a predictable way for an ideal gas model with surface adsorption. We provide new equations which relate the subdivision potential to experimental investigations, and give expressions for grand canonical ensembles of spheres, cylinders, slit pores and fluids confined in porous media. The subdivision potential is not compatible with the popular Hadwiger theorem in geometry, and can therefore not be described by a Minkowski set of variables. It is equivalent to Gibbs descriptions when shape- and size variables are defined.

The solutions of the radial Schrödinger equation for a pseudoharmonic potential and Kratzer potentials has been studied separately in the past. The Kratzer potential despite different reports, the basic theoretic quantity such as Fisher information has not been reported. In this study, the solution of the radial Schrödinger equation for the combination of the pseudoharmonic and Kratzer potentials in the presence of a constant-dependent potential is obtained using the concepts and formalism of the supersymmetric and shape invariance approach. The position expectation value and momentum expectation value are calculated employing the Hellmann-Feynman Theory. The expectation values are used to calculate the Fisher information for both the position and momentum spaces in both the absence and presence of the constant-dependent potential. The obtained results revealed that the presence of the constant-dependent potential leads to an increase in the energy eigenvalue, as well as in the position and momentum expectation values. The presence of the constant-dependent potential also increases the Fisher information for both position and momentum spaces. Furthermore, the product of the position expectation value and the momentum expectation value along with the product of the Fisher information, satisfies both the Fisher’s inequality and the Cramer-Rao’s inequality.

Non-timber forest Products (NTFPs) are a broad category of natural resources harvested from forests that do not involve cutting down trees for their wood or timber. NTFPs play a vital role in the livelihoods and economies of many rural communities, particularly in forest-dependent regions. Despite the benefits obtained from NTFPS, little is known about its potential to alleviate poverty in the local communities. The objective of this review is to comprehensively assess the potential of NTFP's contribution to poverty reduction within forest fringe communities. The study employed the systematic review method to delve into the multifaceted relationship between NTFPs and poverty alleviation. We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocol (PRISM-P). In all, 58 research articles were reviewed. The results indicated that NTFPs hold significant promise as a tool for poverty alleviation. Globally, NTFPs have the potential to alleviate poverty and increase household incomes between 19% and 78% within forest fringe rural communities. In addition, the review indicated that countries in Africa and Asia depend highly on NTFPs and provide substantial amounts of income to the locals. However, the potential for NTFPs to reduce poverty is not uniform. It is highly contingent upon local ecological conditions, market accessibility, community involvement, and supporting policies and interventions. In conclusion, this systematic review demonstrates that NTFPs have a substantial role in poverty alleviation. This study underscores the need for continued research and targeted development initiatives to unlock the vast potential of NTFPs in addressing poverty challenges.

Adipose stem cells (ASCs) have multilineage differentiation capacity and hold great potential for regenerative medicine. Compared to bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (bmMSCs), ASCs are easier to isolate from abundant sources with significantly higher yields. It is generally accepted that bmMSCs show age-related changes in their proliferation and differentiation potentials, whereas this aspect is still controversial in the case of ASCs. In this review, we evaluated the existing data on the effect of donor age on the osteogenic potential of human ASCs. Overall, a poor agreement has been achieved because of inconsistent findings in the previous studies. Finally, we attempted to delineate the possible reasons behind the lack of agreements reported in the literature. ASCs represent a heterogeneous cell population and the osteogenic potential of ASCs can be influenced by donor-related factors such as age, but also gender, lifestyle, and the underlying health and metabolic state of donors. Furthermore, future studies should consider experimental factors in in-vitro conditions, including passaging, cryopreservation, culture conditions, variations in differentiation protocols, and readout methods.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by chronic synovitis and progressive destruction of cartilage and bone. RA is commonly accompanied by extra-articular comorbidities. The pathogenesis of RA and its comorbidities is complex and not completely elucidated. Assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome activates caspase-1, which induces the maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 and leads to cleavage of gasdermin D with promot-ing pyroptosis. Although the available therapeutic agents are effective for RA treatment, their high cost and increased infection rate are causes for concern. Recent evidence revealed the components of NLRP3 inflammasome as potential therapeutic targets in RA and its comorbidities. This nar-rative review summarizes the current research evidence regarding the pathogenic role and the therapeutic potential of NLRP3 inflammasome in RA and its comorbidities. Areas covered. We searched the MEDLINE database using the PubMed interface and reviewed English-language literature on NLRP3 inflammasome from 2000 to 2023. Its pathogenic role and therapeutic potential in RA and its comorbidities are the focus of this review. Expert opinion. NLRP3 inflammasome may play a critical role in both innate and adaptive im-munity, and its dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of RA and its comorbidities. Conse-quently, the components of NLRP3 inflammasome signaling represent promising therapeutic tar-gets, and ongoing research might lead to the development of new, effective treatments for RA and its comorbidities.

A tunable near-infrared surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on gate-controlled graphene plasmons is investigated theoretically. The novel characteristics of chemical potential sensing make the proposed sensor promising in the application of ultra-sensitive and highly specific biosensing technology. The sensitivity of chemical potential sensing in wavelength interrogation mode can be calculated to be 1.5, 1.89, 2.29, 3.21, 3.73 and 4.68 nm/meV respectively at the central wavelength of 1100, 1200, 1310, 1550, 1700 and 1900 nm. The much smaller full width half maximum (FWHMs) comparing with that of 2D nanomaterial-enhanced metal SPR sensors indicates higher figure of merit. The sensitivity of chemical potential sensing in gate voltage interrogation mode also can be calculated to be 156.9822, 143.6147, 131.0779, 111.0351, 101.3415 and 90.6038 mV/meV respectively at the incident wavelength of 1100, 1200, 1310, 1550, 1700 and 1900 nm. It can be estimated theoretically that the limit of detection (LOD) in DNA sensing of the proposed sensor can reach femtomolar level and even attomolar level, comparable to and even lower than that of 2D nanomaterial-enhanced metal SPR sensors with AuNPs as a sensitivity enhancement strategy. The feasibility of preparation and operation of this new concept SPR biosensor is also analyzed and discussed.

In Ethiopia, climate change risks are anticipated to have significant consequences for agriculture and food security. This study investigated the past (1981-2010) and the future (2041-2070) climate change trends and their influence on crop length of growing seasons in North-Western (NW) Ethiopian highlands. Climate data were obtained from National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia and the most valid and high resolution CMIP5 rcp6 (Coupled models Intercomparison Project representative concentration path six) model data were extracted and applied for the analysis purpose. Standard statistical methods are then applied to compute soil water content as well as to evaluate climate variability and trends and their impact on crop Length of Growing Season (LGS). Maximum temperature (tasmax) and minimum temperature (tasmin) inter-annual variability anomalies show the region has experienced coolest years than hottest years during the past. However, in the future the coolest years will highly decrease by -1.2oC while the hottest years increase by +1.3oC. During the major rainfall season (JJAS), the area has received an adequate amount of rainfall in the past and is very likely to get similar rainfall in the future. Whereas the February to May (FMAM) season assists only for early planting and October to January (ONDJ) season for lengthen growing season of JJAS if properly utilized. Otherwise, the season will have the possibility to destroy crops before and during the harvesting time. The soil water content change in the future remains close to past condition, The length of growing seasons has less variable onset and cessation dates while the projected length of growing period (LGP) 174 to 177 days will be suitable for short, long cycle crops and double cropping that could benefit crop production yield of NW-Ethiopian highlands in the future.

Membrane potential generation and maintenance are fundamental parts of membrane theory. However, since its inception, theories and assumptions have remained simple, whereas the amount of knowledge available has only grown. Unfortunately, this simplification and reductionism lead to its loss of validity on both microscopic and macroscopic scales. This article shows that assumptions made outside the context of factual reality lead to contradictions that cannot be compared with science. Membrane theory must be thoroughly revised, taking into account all forgotten and unanswered assumptions and questions to conform to facts and science to maintain credibility.

An investigation of pair partial radial distribution functions and molecular pair potentials within a system has established that the existing potential functions are rooted in the assumption of a static arrangement of atoms, overlooking their distribution and vibration. In this study, Hill’s proposed radial distribution function polynomials are applied for the pure gaseous state to a binary liquid alloy system to derive the pair potential energy. The partial radial distribution functions of 36 binary liquid alloy systems reported in literature were examined and then validated using four thermodynamic models. Results show that the molecular interaction volume model (MIVM) and regular solution model (RSM) outperform other models when an asymmetric method is used to calculate the partial radial distribution function. The MIVM exhibits a mean standard deviation (SD) of 0.095 and a mean absolute relative difference (ARD) of 32.2%. Similarly, the RSM demonstrates a mean SD of 0.078 and an ARD of 32.2%. The Wilson model yields a mean SD of 0.124 and a mean ARD of 226%. The nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) model exhibits a mean SD of 0.225 and a mean ARD of 911%. On applying the partial radial distribution function symmetry method, the MIVM and RSM outperform the other approaches, with a mean SD of 0.143 and a mean ARD of 165.9% for the MIVM. The RSM yields a mean SD of 0.117 and an ARD of 208.3%. The Wilson model exhibits the mean values of 0.133 and 305.6% for SD and ARD, respectively. The NRTL model shows an average SD of 0.200 and an average ARD of 771.8%. Based on this result, the influence of the symmetry degree on the thermodynamic model is explored by examining the symmetry degree as defined by the experimental activity curves of the two components.

The GPA is a universally recognised and utilised metric of academic performance that is considered to also measure a student’s potential for academic performance in the future. In this short communication we examine to what extent the GPA of the first grade of high school predicts performance in the later grades of high school, either generally (as classified in excellent student, strong student, weak student or very weak student) or more accurately (as indicated by the exact GPA in the next grade). We also put to the test the widely held notion that it might be best if core courses such as language and mathematics contributed more to the calculation of the GPA compared to secondary courses such as physical education or music. Our findings confirm the predictive properties of the GPA but strongly rebut the notion that a weighted GPA might achieve a better reflection of students’ potential. The study is based on the academic records of every student in Greece that progressed from first to third grade of high school in the 2016-2019 period. This data set contains records of more than 85,000 students, making it one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the topic of the properties of the GPA.

Diabetes and its complications are a global health burden, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches. Natural products and derivatives are gaining attention as potential agents for managing diabetes due to their diverse constituents and pharmacological activities. Algae, in particular, offer promising bioactive compounds with antidiabetic properties. This review provides an overview of natural products derived from algae in diabetes management, including advancements and future prospects. It highlights the significance of natural products in diabetes, explores algae's diversity, bioactive compounds, and mechanisms of action. The challenges, limitations, and strategies for optimizing algae-based interventions are discussed, alongside future research directions. Algae's multifaceted pharmacological activities and chemical constituents make them attractive for developing novel antidiabetic therapeutics. Further research and optimization of algae-based interventions have the potential to address the global burden of diabetes and improve patient outcomes.

It is widely reported that the mitochondrial membrane potential, ∆Ψm, is reduced in aging animals. It was recently suggested that the lower ∆Ψm in aged animals modulate mitochondrial bioenergetics and that this effect is a major cause of aging since artificially increased ∆Ψm in C. elegans increased lifespan. Here I review, critically, studies that reported reduction of ∆Ψm in aged animals, including worms, and conclude that many of these observations are best interpreted as evidence that the fraction of depolarized mitochondria is increased in aged cells because of the enhanced activation of the mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore, mPTP. Activation of the voltage-gated mPTP depolarizes the mitochondria, inhibits oxidative phosphorylation, releases large amounts of calcium and mROS, and depletes cellular NAD+, thus accelerating degenerative diseases and aging. Since the inhibition of mPTP was shown to restore ∆Ψm and retard aging, the reported lifespan extension by artificially generated ∆Ψm in C. elegans is best explained by inhibition of the voltage-gated mPTP. Similarly, the reported activation of the mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response by reduction of ∆Ψm, and the reported preservation of ∆Ψm in dietary restriction treatment in C. elegans are best explained as a resulting from activation or inhibition of the voltage-gated mPTP, respectively.

Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening infectious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which affects the liver. Every year, about 390,000 people die from HBV-related diseases in China, about 86 million people are carriers of HBV, accounting for about 6% of the total population, and 30 million people are chronically infected. From 2002 to 2007, though China government launched “The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI)” program to reduce HBV infection in children, but the number of hepatitis B cases in China remains high. Reasonable estimation of potential HBV carriers is crucial to prevention and control the spread hepatitis B virus. This study is based on the case data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China from 2003 to 2021. We build a dynamic model that includes potential hepatitis B virus carriers, use nonlinear least squares and genetic algorithms to fit the parameters in the model, and calculate the reproduction number of hepatitis B virus transmission in the population and obtain R_c=1.741. The number of potential hepatitis B virus carriers is estimated to be 449,535 (95%CI [415651 to 483420]) based on our model, which is 30.49% of the total number of hepatitis B cases, and the simulation results show the number of chronic hepatitis B incidence decreases as the vaccination rate α increases, increasing α by 20%, the number of chronic hepatitis B incidence decreases by 169,469 on average.

This article investigates the potential for carbon reduction in urban parks in Shangqiu City using high-resolution remote sensing imagery. The aim is to guide modern urban carbon neutrality strategies. The carbon reduction potential is estimated based on the mitigation of the urban heat island effect by park greenery, which reduces energy consumption. The parks are regarded as cool island centers, and 100 cooling gradients are gradually formed outward until the temperature reaches that of impermeable urban surfaces. The energy saved by the parks in mitigating the heat island effect is statistically calculated as the carbon reduction potential of urban park greenery. Additionally, this article classifies the sample parks into different categories and selects 26 landscape metrics to analyze their relationship with carbon-saving potential and driving factors.

The biodegradability of water hyacinth for biogas and biofertiliser production was studied under mesophilic conditions. The effects of water hyacinth pre-treatments were also included in this investigation. It was found that water hyacinth has a low biodegradability of 27% when monodigested while at a 3:1 ratio with cow manure, the biodegradability increases to 46%. At this elevated biodegradability, the water hyacinth biomethane potential was 185 LCH4/kgVS, while that of cow manure was 216 LCH4/kgVS. The Gompertz kinetic model had superior parameters than the Logistic model for most of the water hyacinth-cow manure combined substrate digestion. Based on the Gompertz model, the lag phase and daily maximum methane production rate were 5.5 days and 22.9 ml /day respectively for the 3:1 codigestion (R2 of 0.99). These values were 6.7 days and 15.2 ml/day respectively, in the case of water hyacinth monodigestion (R2 = 0.996). The dominant microbial species detected in the digestates were Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. A few microbial species were indigenous to water hyacinth but a more diverse consortia which is key to efficient substrate biodegradation, came from cow manure. The digestate contained ammonium nitrogen at 68 mg/kg with phosphorous and potassium at 73 and 424 mg/kg respectively. Nitrogen was lower but phosphorous and pottasium were comparable to previously studied digestates of other substrates. Only water hyacinth pretreated through aerobic composting proved to unlock a higher methane yield that matched a 3:1 codigestion with cow manure. Other pretreatments induced better biodegradation performance than that observed on untreated water hyacinth but this improvements were not as good as that of the 3:1 codigestion scheme. It was concluded that water hyacinth sourced from the Hartbeespoort dam, could be treated through anaerobic digestion to recover biogas and biofertilizer. However, more experiments are required to fully understand and harness the optimisation opportunities available in applying this technology to manage water hyacinth.

The study of phytotherapy in dentistry is relevant due to the low occurrence of research in the treatment of oral pathologies, such as caries and periodontal disease. Thus, the aim of this research was to characterize the chemical composition of extracts from the leaves of Couroupita guianensis Aubl, including toxicological evaluation and the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans. Three extracts were prepared using assisted ultrasound, originating the Crude Ultrasound Extract (CUE) and Soxhlet apparatus, originating the Crude Soxhlet Extract (CSE) and the Ethanol Soxhlet Extract (ESE). In the analysis of the chemical composition, the presence of flavonoids, tannins and saponins were detected. LC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of caffeic acid, sinapic acid, rutin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol and apigenin in all extracts. In the GC-MS analysis, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were identified in CUE and CSE. The antioxidant potentials, determined by the DPPH• and ABTS•+ methods, the ESE showed higher antioxidant activity (2.98 ± 0.96 and 4.93 ± 0.90, respectively). In the evaluation of toxicity, the CUE 50µg/mL and the ESE 50 µg/mL presented growth stimulation of Allium cepa roots. At a concentration of 750µg/mL, all extracts inhibited root growth. None of the extracts showed toxicity against Artemia salina. Antibacterial action was detected in all extracts, mainly against the microorganisms S. aureus and S. mutans; however, the antifungal action against C. albicans was not detected. From the results, the extracts of C. guianensis have therapeutic potential for use in the control of microorganisms in the oral microbiota.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to identify and quantify polyphenolic compounds in skin extracts from four Bulgarian grape varieties and compare to those of seed extracts. The values of total phenolic contents (TPC), flavonoids, anthocyanins, procyanidins, ascorbic acid in grape skin extracts were determined. The antioxidant capacities of skin extracts were evaluated by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and CUPRAC methods. The TPC values of skin extracts were 2-3 times lower than those of seed extracts. The significant difference between total parameters values of individual grape varieties were also found. According to the TPC and antioxidant capacity of skin extracts the different grape varieties were in the following order: Marselan ≥ Pinot Noir ˃ Cabernet Sauvignon ˃ Tamyanka. The individual compounds in the grape skin extracts were determined by RP-HPLC and compared with those of seed extracts. The determined composition of skin extracts was significant different from seed extracts composition. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the procyanidins and catechins in the skins were carried out. A correlation between phenolic contents, individual composition and antioxidant capacity of different extracts was found. The studied grape extracts have a potential to be applied as natural antioxidants in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Children under two years old are at risk for anemia because young children have an increased need for iron for their physical growth and brain development. The purpose of this study was designed to evaluate the effects of a caregiver potential support program on anemia prevention in children six months to two years old attending the subdistrict health-promoting hospital in Thasala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. This study was quasi-experimental. The sample included children aged six months to two years old and their caregivers, who were selected by random sampling and allocated to either the experimental or control group, with 40 pairs per group. The experimental group received a potential support program, while the control group received regular care. Both groups were followed for 12 weeks. The instruments used were the potential caregiver assessment, children’s anemia assessment, and a program to support the potential of primary caregivers. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and t-tests were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that 11.4% of the children had anemia, and a hematocrit count of less than 33% (range = 30-40, M = 34.89, SD = 1.97). The mean scores of knowledge about anemia and iron supplementation after using the program in the experimental group and control group were significantly different (p < 0.001). The mean scores of knowledge about anemia in the experimental and control group were 15.75, SD = 0.54, and 13.28, SD = 1.43 respectively. The mean scores of knowledge about iron supplementation in the experimental and control group were 10.75, SD = 0.49, and 8.15, SD = 1.54 respectively. It was found that the experimental group had a higher mean score on food care behaviors than the control group for 6-11 months and 1-2 years, with statistical significance. The experimental group also had a higher mean score of care behaviors concerning children’s consumption of medicine than the control group (M = 58.20, SD = 4.05; M = 45.78, SD = 9.66, respectively), (p < 0.001). The mean score of the hematocrit level for the experimental group was found to be higher than the control group after receiving the program (M = 35.80, SD = 1.55; M = 34.83, SD = 2.14, respectively), (p < 0.05). Therefore, healthcare providers should support caregivers' capacity to provide continued care for children to prevent anemia.

As a consequence of a three-stage synthesis from terephthalic aldehyde, a series of 3,3 '- (1,4-phenylene) perchlorates including methyl, hydrogen, acetyl, bromio, methoxy and nitro groups (R = Br, H, Me). The matching formazans were reacted with formalin in dioxane in the presence of perchloric acid to produce tetrazin ium salts. Formazans were synthesized by reacting terephthalic aldehyde phenylhydrazone with ar ene diazonium tosylates in a DMF/pyridine combination. The use of ar ene diazonium tosylates greatly simplified the separation and purification of formazans. The p henylhydrazone was produced in aqueous dioxane using the usual approach from terephthalic aldehyde and phenylhydrazine/hydrochloric acid. Individual f ormazans and tetrazinium perchlorates were isolated and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, NMR, UV spectroscopy. The electrochemical reduction of tetrazinium perchlorates was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Thus, all salts in the cathode region have two one-electron reduction peaks, which are connected to the sequential production of a radical cation and a biradical. It was discovered that donor substituents (R: OMe, Me) in the aromatic ring at position 1 accelerate tetrazinium cation reduction, whereas acceptor substituents (R: NO₂, COMe,) inhibit this process. On this premise, it was proposed that in the presence of donor substituents in the aromatic ring at position 1, the matching bis-verdazyl radicals should be easily generated. As a result, 3,3'- (1,4-phenylene) perchlorates are possible antecedents of symmetric biradical systems based on verdazyl radicals.

Ternate Island is a volcanic island resulting from the activity of the Gamalama Volcano which is located in the northern Maluku archipelago, Indonesia. Ternate Island is famous as the only island that produces special spices and is the zero point of the world's spice route because the main producer of cloves is here. As a small island, Ternate Island has several limitations including the availability of water resources. Given the scarcity of surface water on the island of Ternate, groundwater in shallow aquifers and deep aquifers is the main source of fresh water which is important for irrigation activities, tourism, services and supporting urban and industrial infrastructure, as well as drinking water needs for people who live densely and are concentrated in the east. and the southern part of the island which is now the city of Ternate. The phenomenon of groundwater utilization in Ternate City is generally massively carried out to support economic activities in the city of Ternate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential and quality of groundwater resources which are an important part of water management on the island of Ternate by microzoning the quality of groundwater for the sustainability of the city which is famous as the world's spice city based on its groundwater potential. Determination of groundwater samples as many as 67 wells distributed on the island of Ternate, 58 well sample points were categorized as free aquifers (MA-SG) and 7 points of depressed aquifers (SB). Ternate island area of ​​102 km2 with volcanic geology in 3 rock categories. Geological distribution also affects the hydrogeological potential and groundwater quality on the island of Ternate. Piper's trilinear diagram and stiff diagram methods were adopted for the assessment of the main ion quality of groundwater and the distribution of groundwater potential was interpolated with cubic splines to obtain correlations between sample points based on basic parameters of volcanic hydrogeology. The total potential for groundwater recharge is 1,291 million m3/year, there are 5 groundwater quality zones spread among 67 sample points with 76% distribution of elements Calcium Bicarbonate (CaCO3), Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO₂), magnesium bicarbonate Mg(HCO3)2 and widely distributed on the island of ternate, while 25% magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and potassium chloride (KCL) are scattered locally on the island of ternate. On an ongoing basis the bicarbonate facies micro-zonation is hydrogeochemical with local flow interactions in volcanic deposits, where infiltration tends to be close to the groundwater sample point, while the chloride facies is a groundwater zone that is correlated with flow patterns from upstream to downstream and has interacted with magma or was intruded. seawater is characterized by high Ca and TDS.

Expression levels of Cav3.2, BKCa, and anoctamin 1 were previously found to be significantly elevated in patients with chronic kidney disease–associated pruritus (CKD-aP). On the other hand, the expression of TRPV1 was significantly reduced. We further compared CKD patients with and without CKD-aP in terms of the expression levels of several ion channels in the skin, including in peripheral nerve endings。Based on CKD-aP severity, subjects were divided into two groups: non-CKD-aP (no or slight pruritus; n = 16) and CKD-aP (mild, moderate, or severe pruritus; n = 16). Skin samples were obtained from the forearm or elbow during arteriovenous fistula surgery. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure the skin expression levels of the following ion channels in the skin: Nav1.7, Kv7.2, TREK1, HCN2, TrkA, and Piezo2.　RT-PCR analyses showed that CKD-aP patients had significantly higher levels of TREK1 and Piezo2 transcripts and significantly lower levels of HCN2 transcripts than non–CKD-aP patients. No significant differences were noted between groups in the expression of Nav1.7 or TrkA. Moreover, Kv7.2 transcripts were not detected in either group. In skin samples collected from CKD-aP patients, ion channel expression patterns were altered to enhance hyperpolarization of pruriceptive neurons.

Due to the use of structural and seismic techniques an attempt has been made in this study to determine the hydrocarbon potential and future exploration in Pakistan's Lower Indus basin area and offshore region. In addition to the possibility of hydrocarbon accumulation, the major goals of this research are to analyze structural patterns in the subsurface of the study region, identify the horizons of various formations using surface seismic, and interpret seismic lines. Seismic data has been used to find and integrate the exposed Cretaceous/Tertiary basalt at Ranikot in the lower Indus basin to the well-known Deccan basalts of the Indo-Pak plate, which is the secondary goal of the current investigation. According to the interpretation of seismic data, the Indo-Pakistan plate has experienced rifting because of tectonic activity. Graben and horst structures have been identified in the study area horizon, which indicates that the area has undergone major structural and depositional changes. While faults provide a pathway for hydrocarbons to migrate from their source to reservoir rock, grabens are principally responsible for the accumulation of hydrocarbons. We further deduce that the prior exploration failures in the area were due to a lack of knowledge of the subsurface formations and structural trends, which are essential for characterizing the hydrocarbon play and trap features. Our results can be productive for the local hydrocarbon drilling projects as well as worldwide tectonic stratigraphy studies on passive continental edges.

This study aimed to exploring the intra-species distribution of genetic characters that favor the persistence in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and host interaction of bacteria belonging to the species Lacticaseibacillus genus. These bacterial species comprise commercial probiotics with the widest use among consumers and strains naturally occurring in GIT and in fermented food. Since little is known on the distribution of genetic traits for adhesion capacity, polysaccharide production, biofilm formation, utilization of substrates critically important for survival in GIT, that influence probiotic characteristics, a list of genetic determinants involved in such functions was created by a search for specific genes involved in the above aspects in the genome the extensively characterized probiotic L. rhamnosus GG. The presence/absence and variability of each gene in other Lacticaseibacillus spp. genomes was assessed by alignment with the publicly available fully annotated genome sequences. Eighty-two gene loci were compared, and 49 of these were found to be absent in some genomes in a species or strain-specific mode. A set of genes was found to be conserved, indicating that all strains of the genus may exert some probiotic effects. Among the variable loci a taurine utilization operon and a α-L-fucosidase were examined for presence/absence in 26 strains isolated from infant feces by PCR based tests. Results were variable among the isolates, though their common origin indicated the capacity to survive in the intestinal niche. This study indicated that the capacity to exert probiotic actions of Lacticaseibacillus spp. depends on a conserved set of genes and is enhanced by variable genetic factors whose role is only in part elucidated. The selection of strains of the most promising probiotic candidates to be used in food is feasible by analyzing presence/absence of a set of variable traits.

The antioxidant potential (capacity and activity) of aqueous fullerene dispersions (AFD) of non-functionalized C₆₀, C₇₀, and Gd@C₈₂ endofullerene (in micromolar concentration range) was estimated based on chemiluminescence measurements of the model of luminol and generation of organic radicals by 2,2’-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (ABAP). The antioxidant capacity was estimated by the TRAP method, from the concentration of half-suppression, and from the suppression area in the initial period. All three approaches agree and show that the antioxidant capacity of AFDs increased in the row Gd@C₈₂ < C₇₀ < C₆₀. Mathematical modeling of the long-term kinetics data was used for antioxidant activity estimation. The effect of C₆₀ and C₇₀ is found to be quenching of the excited product of luminol with ABAP-generated radical and not an actual antioxidant effect; quenching constants differ insignificantly. Apart from quenching with a similar constant, the AFD of Gd@C₈₂ exhibits actual antioxidant action. The antioxidant activity in Gd@C₈₂ is 300-fold higher than quenching constants.

The brain rhythms are essential for information processing in neuronal networks. Oscillations recorded in different brain regions can be synchronized and have a constant phase difference, i.e. be coherent. Coherence between local field potential (LFP) signals from different regions in the brain may be correlated with the performance of cognitive tasks, from which it is concluded that these regions of the brain are involved in the task performance together. In this review, we discuss why coherence occurs and how it is coupled to the information transfer between different regions of the hippocampal formation. Coherence in theta and gamma frequency ranges is described since these rhythms are most pronounced during the hippocampus-dependent attention and memory. We review in vivo studies of interactions between different regions of the hippocampal formation in theta and gamma frequency bands. The kay provisions of the review: 1) coherence emerges from synchronous postsynaptic currents in principal neurons, occurring as a result of synchronization of neuronal spike activity; 2) synchronization of neuronal spike patterns in two regions of the hippocampal formation can be realised through induction or resonance; 3) coherence at a specific time point reflects the transfer of information between regions of the hippocampal formation, in particular, gamma coherence reflects the coupling of active neuronal ensembles. Overall, coherence is not an epiphenomenon, but an important physiological process that has certain generation mechanisms and performs important functions in information processing and transmission across the brain regions.

Along with climate change, the native forest replacement by exotic species, such as Eucalyptus globulus, is contributing to a highly fire-prone environment. Since E. globulus detains several post-fire regeneration strategies, sustainable practices are needed to manage eucalyptus stands. Thus, eucalyptus allelopathic potential can be used for weed control. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the herbicidal potential of post-fire regenerated E. globulus leaves in Portulaca oleracea, and unraveling the main physiological processes disturbed by biocide application. For this, an aqueous extract prepared with fresh leaves (FLE; 617 g_{fresh weight}L^-1) and other with oven-dried leaves (DLE; 250 g_{dry weight}L^-1) were prepared and foliar-sprayed twice-a-week at different dilutions in 7-days-old purslane plants. As positive control, glyphosate was used. After five weeks, results revealed that DLE at the highest dose detained the greatest herbicidal activity against P. oleracea. To understand how DLE impacted weed physiology, several biochemical and redox-related parameters were evaluated in purslane plants treated with DLE highest dose. Results suggested an overproduction of hydrogen peroxide, causing severe oxidative damage in roots. Overall, this study showed that young E. globulus dried leaves had powerful herbicidal properties against P. oleracea and can represent a feasible approach for weed management, while reducing fire hazard.

In aerobic environments, bacteria are exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS). To avoid an excess of ROS, microorganisms are equipped with powerful enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Corynebacterium glutamicum, a widely used industrial platform organism, uses mycothiol (MSH) as major low molecular weight (LMW) thiol and non-enzymatic antioxidant. In aerobic bioreactor cultivations C. glutamicum becomes exposed to oxygen concentrations surpassing the air saturation, which are supposed to constitute a challenge for the intracellular MSH redox balance. In this study, the role of MSH was investigated at different oxygen levels (pO2) in bioreactor cultivations in C. glutamicum. Despite the presence of other highly efficient antioxidant systems, such as catalase, the MSH deficient ΔmshC mutant was impaired in growth in bioreactor experiments performed at pO2 values of 30%. At a pO2 level of 20% this growth defect was abolished, indicating a high susceptibility of the MSH-deficient mutant towards elevated oxygen concentrations. Bioreactor experiments with C. glutamicum expressing the Mrx1-roGFP2 redox biosensor revealed a strong oxidative shift in the MSH redox potential (EMSH) at pO2 values above 20%. This indicates, that the LMW thiol MSH is an essential antioxidant to maintain the robustness and industrial performance of C. glutamicum during aerobic fermentation processes.

The role of hydrogen in a future energy system with a high share of variable renewable energy sources (VRES) is regarded as crucial in order to balance fluctuations in electricity generation. These fluctuations can be compensated for by flexibility measures such as the expansion of transmission, flexible generation, larger back-up capacity and storage. Salt cavern storage is the most promising technology due to its large storage capacity, followed by pumped hydro storage. For the underground storage of chemical energy carriers such as hydrogen, salt caverns offer the most promising option owing to their low investment cost, high sealing potential and low cushion gas requirement. This paper provides a suitability assessment of European subsurface salt structures in terms of size, land eligibility and storage capacity. Two distinct cavern volumes of 500,000 m³ and 750,000 m³ are considered, with preference being given for salt caverns over bedded salt deposits and salt domes. The storage capacities of individual caverns are estimated on the basis of thermodynamic considerations based on site-specific data. The results are analyzed using three different scenarios: onshore and offshore salt caverns, only onshore salt caverns and only onshore caverns within 50 km of the shore. The overall technical storage potential across Europe is estimated at 84.8 PWh_H2, 27% of which constitutes only onshore locations. Furthermore, this capacity decreases to 7.3 PWh_H2 with a limitation of 50 km distance from shore. In all cases, Germany has the highest technical storage potential, with a value of 9.4 PWh_H2, located onshore only in salt domes in the north of the country. Moreover, Norway has 7.5 PWh_H2 of storage potential for offshore caverns, which are all located in the subsurface of the North Sea Basin.

In these times electricity is big trouble of problem facing by the world. Therefore, there is necessitating for the property basis of energy that is employed for as bio-electricity. Many of the scientists and researchers are trying to find out the sustainable energy generates with the help of plant microbial fuel cell. Plant microbial fuel cell (P-MFCs) could be feasibility technology approach of bio-electricity generation which is mutualism interaction of the plants along with their rhizospheric bacteria. In the present study, Plant-microbial fuel cell was observed in grass e-table evaluated in term of bioelectricity generation from Cynodon dactylon (Dooba Ghas). This e-table was connected with electrode and different condition (physical and chemical) to detect the change in bioelectric potential. It was found that maximum voltage generated among all the conditions was 4.24 ±2V at 15 days by using Cynodon dactylon through P-MFCs. The potential difference generated through P-MFCs was measured using a multimeter. The generation of bioelectricity was observed under different conditions like exposure to light and shade condition measured for voltage was found to be significantly different parameters. The maximum recorded under light and shade conditions were 3.82 ±2 V and 4.25 ±2 V respectively at 15 days of incubation.

The vibration feature of weak gear fault is often covered in strong background noise, which makes it necessary to establish weak feature enhancement methods. Among the enhancement methods, stochastic resonance (SR) has the unique advantage of transferring noise energy to weak signals and has a great application prospection in weak signal extraction. But the traditional SR potential model cannot form a richer potential structure and may lead to system instability when the noise is too great. To overcome these shortcomings, the article presents a periodic potential underdamping stochastic resonance (PPUSR) method after investigating the potential function and system signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In addition, system parameters are further optimized by using ant colony algorithm. Through simulation and gear experiments, the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified. We concluded that compared with the traditional underdamped stochastic resonance (TUSR) method, the PPUSR method had a higher recognition degree and better frequency response capability.

Extracts obtained from leaves of Moringa tree (Moringa oleifera) are a rich source of many bioactive compounds: flavonoids, phenolic acids or carotenoids. It also contains such components as, vitamins (A, C, niacin, pantothenic acid), alkaloids, tannins or saponins. Extracts and plant substances derived from the leaves of Moringa oleifera L. have a strong antioxidant, toning and anti-inflammatory effect. The work attempts to obtain a multifunctional plant extract derived from Moringa tree leaves. Obtained extracts was analyzed for their biochemical and physicochemical properties. The obtained results indicate on a strong antioxidative potential of the tested extracts. The further step was an attempt to apply the extracts in the model body wash cosmetic. The biological activity of extracts and model cosmetic formulation were assayed by in vitro analysis on two human cell lines: keratinocytes (HaCat,) and fibroblasts (BJ). The results showed that the tested extracts may affect on increasing of cell proliferation and reduce oxidative stress in cells. The addition of the tested extracts to the model cosmetic formulation, were contributed to the reduction of their ability to irritate the skin and improve the safety of use of the product.

Highly colloidal Eu-doped Gd2O3 nanoparticles(core-NPs) were synthesized by thermal decomposition via weak base at low temperature (150oC), subsequently, silica layers were deposited to increased colloidal stability, solubility, biocompatibility and no-toxicity at the environmental condition. XRD results indicate the highly purified, crystalline, single phase cubic phase Gd2O3 nanocrystals. TEM image shows the mesoporous thick silica layer was effectively coated over the core nanocrystals, which have irregular size with nearly spherical shape and a mean grain size is about 10-30 nm. Absorption spectra and zeta potential results in aqueous media revealed that solubility, colloidal stability, and biocompatibility character was enhanced from core to core-shell structure because of silica layer surface encapsulation. The samples demonstrate excellent photoluminescence properties (dominant emission 5D0→7F2 transition in red region at 610 nm) indicated the advantage to use in optical bio-detection and bio-labeling etc. The photoluminescence intensity of the silica shell modified core/shell nanoparticles were suppressed relatively core-nanoparticles, it indicates the multi-photon relaxation pathways arising from the surface coated high vibrational energy molecules of the silanol groups. The core/nSiO2/mSiO2 nanocrystals display strong emission (5D0→7F2) transition along with excellent solubility and biocompatibility, which may find promising applications in photonic based biomedical applications.

Carbon nanotubes are hybridized with metal crystals to impart multifunctionality into the nanohybrids (NHs). Simple but effective synthesis techniques are desired to form both zero-valent and oxides of different metal species on carbon nanotube surfaces. Sol-gel technique brings in significant advantages and is a viable technique for such synthesis. This study probes the efficacy of sol-gel process and aims to identify underlying mechanisms of crystal formation. Standard electron potential (SEP) is used as a guiding parameter to choose the metal species; i.e., highly negative SEP (e.g., Zn) with oxide crystal tendency, highly positive SEP (e.g., Ag) with zero-valent crystal-tendency, and intermediate range SEP (e.g., Cu) to probe the oxidation tendency in crystal formation are chosen. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction are used to evaluate the synthesized NHs. Results indicate that SEP can be a reliable guide for the resulting crystalline phase of a certain metal species, particularly when the magnitude of this parameter is relatively high. However, for intermediate range SEP-metals, mix phase crystals can be expected. For example, Cu will form Cu₂O and zero-valent Cu crystals, unless the synthesis is performed in a reducing environment.

The purpose of this paper is to apply China’s economy growth prospects and its potential drivers of future. China's fast rise and its growth model have accelerated important existing structural trends in the global economy and made them decisive characteristics of the world economy. China's role in the world economy over the coming decades, an exercise which would not be possible without an investigation of the prospects for China's continued economic rise. On the one hand, China is a large export market for the United States. A lot of U.S. firms use China as the final destination of assembly in their global supply chain networks. China’s huge holdings of U.S. Treasury securities support the federal government finance its budget failures. However, some analysts contend that China consolidates a number of distortive economic policies such as protectionist industrial policies and an undervalued currency that undermine U.S. economic interests. They warn that efforts by the Chinese government to promote indigenous innovation, often through the use of subsidies and other distortive measures, could negatively affect many leading U.S. industries

The accumulation of high levels of lead or lead ions in a human body is harmful, particularly to children. Its neurotoxic effect is profound, damaging the central and peripheral nervous systems, resulting in stunted growth, behavioral problems and learning disabilities. The major source of lead or lead ions comes from the drinking water and tap water. The assessment of the water quality, including lead or lead ion content, is usually completed by a regional water department professional. This assessment is time-consuming and requires expensive instruments and skilled operators. Therefore, there is a need to produce a simple-use and relatively inexpensive method to detect lead or lead ions in water samples. This research has developed a simple-use, cost effective sensor system for the detection of lead ions in tap water. An under-potential deposited bismuth sub-layer on a thin gold film based electrochemical sensor was designed, manufactured and evaluated. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurement technique was employed in this detection. Tap water from the Cleveland, Ohio, USA regional water district was the test medium. Concentrations of lead ion in the range of 8 X 10^-8 M to 8 x 10^-4 M were evaluated. This DPV detection system required 3 -6 minutes to complete the detection measurement. A longer measurement time of 6 minutes was used for the lower lead ion concentration. The selectivity of this lead ion sensor was very good, and Fe III, Cu II, Ni II and Mg II at a concentration level of 5×10^-4 M did not interfere with the lead ion measurement.

Osteoporosis is considered a serious public health problem, particularly affecting the postmenopausal period. In 2018, in the Republic of Kazakhstan the total and primary incidence was 10 and 3.7 cases per 100,000 adults, respectively. The objective is to study osteoporosis prevalence and indicate main factors affecting low bone mineral density by screening adult population of Abay region, Kazakhstan. The target group were 641 respondents aged between 18 and 65 years old, Kazakh population living in Abay region since birth. All participants filled out questionnaire and had a bone mineral density measurement by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) between July 15, 2023 and February 29, 2024. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between low bone mineral density and key demographic characteristics, aforementioned lifestyle factors and nutrition habits. We identified the prevalence of low bone density and osteoporosis at the level of 34.1% with the highest prevalence in the older population group (50+ years) - 48.3%. Regression analysis revealed a number of indicators associated with the likelihood of bone sparing. However, only 4 of these showed significance in the final multivariate model (R2=22.4%). These included age (AOR 1.05), body mass index (AOR 0.92), fracture history (AOR 1.64), consumption of nuts and dried fruits were associated with lower prevalence of osteoporosis (AOR 0.48). Our study was the first in Kazakhstan that investigates the association of key demographic, behavior and anamnestic factors with low mineral density.

Ralstonia solanacearum is the pathogen responsible for Ralstonia solanacearum, which is soil-borne, infests plant conduits to cause disease.They are not easy to control and are harmful.Therefore the development of a controlled-release agent responsive to the pathogen's soil temperature and moisture conditions could aid in its control. Corn kernel powder is used as a carrier for Tetramycin biopesticide, with various compounds tested for bonding.They were then made by extrusion moulding.Temperature and wetness responsive components, including Pentaerythritol Tetrastearate, Pentaerythritol Tetraoleate, Polyethylene Glycol Stearate, and Polyethylene Glycol Monooleate,are compounded and coated onto Tetramycin cores to form an intermediate shell layer. Finally, Ethyl cellulose(EC)and Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose(HPMC) are dissolved and sprayed onto the outermost layer to complete the pellet's shell layer.After the evaluation of texture performance test,DSC analysis,TG test,temperature and humidity response performance test, as well as pellet cross-section SEM observation, field effectiveness test, etc., the preferred formulations were screened.The results showed that the preferred Core formulation:Corn kernel powder:Tetramycin aqueous:Xanthan gum mass ratio=13.5:23:2; Intermediate Shell layer:PETS: PETO: PEG400MO mass ratio=10:30:10; and Outer Shell layer: Ethyl cellulose (EC):Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) mass ratio=5:1.Under soil conditions of high incidence of Ralstonia solanacearum, i.e., sustained warmth (30-35℃) and high humidity (30% moisture content), the formulated pills showed a release rate of 95.18% to 96.24% over a period of 35 days. Moreover, they showed a stepwise cyclic release process under alternating warm and humid-dry and cold conditions.In field tests on tobacco, a relative preventive efficacy of 54.74% was achieved 106 days post-transplanting. Soil bacterial community structure analysis revealed a significant decrease (2.28-2.84 times) in the abundance of Solanaceae Raelia under Tetramycin pellet treatment compared to the control. Additionally, fungal community structure showed highter consistency initially across various soil depths, with diversity differences between soil layers reestablished later (106 days), while the predominant categories of bacteria and fungi remained unchanged.In this study, we successfully developed a nucleoshell-type slow-controlled release pill embedded with Tetramycin. This pill effectively responded to temperature and humidity changes, resulting in high efficacy in disease prevention.This development holds significant promise for effectively improving drug utilization and easing application challenges, offering broad prospects for Ralstonia solanacearum prevention and control in agriculture.

Chest X-ray (CXR) is the first tool globally employed to detect cardiopulmonary pathologies. These acquisitions are highly affected by scattered photons due to the large field-of-view required. Scatter in CXRs introduces background in the images, which reduces their contrast. We developed three deep learning-based models to estimate and correct the scatter contribution to CXRs. We used a Monte Carlo (MC) ray-tracing model to simulate CXRs from human models obtained from CT scans using different configurations (depending on the availability of dual-energy acquisitions). The simulated CXRs contained the separated contribution of direct and scattered X-rays in the detector. These simulated datasets were then used as the reference for the supervised training of several NN. Three NN models (single and dual energy) were trained with the MultiResUNet architecture. The performance of the NN models was evaluated on CXRs obtained with the MC code from chest CTs of patients affected by COVID-19. The results showed that the NN models were able to estimate and correct the scatter contribution to CXRs with an error &lt;5%, being robust to variations in the simulation setup and improving the contrast in soft tissue. The single-energy model was tested with real CXRs, providing robust estimations of the scatter-corrected CXRs.

Legume-rhizobial symbiosis leads to to the formation of root nodules, where rhizobia reside and develop into bacteroids to reduce nitrogen into ammonium for plant growth, which leaves an opening question as how plant immunity is attenuated in nodules in the presence of large number of foreign bacteria. In Medicago truncatula, mutation in NAD1 (Nodules with Activated Defense 1) only produces necrotic nodules with overactivated immunity, indicating NAD1 is an indispensable component required for suppressing immunity in nodules. In this study, a dual RNA-seq transcriptomic technology was performed to extensively analyze gene expressions in nad1-1 mutant nodules. We indenifited 89 DEGs in symbiotic nitrogen fixation and 89 DEGs in immunity in Medicago truncatula at 10 dpi. Simultaneously, we indenifited 27 DEGs in fix and nif genes in Sinorhizobium meliloti. Then we identified 56 DEGs related to stress, including ROS, NO, and NCR, most of which were upregulated in Sinorhizobium meliloti. Our analyses of nitrogen fixation-defective plant nad1-1 mutants with overactivated defense indicate that host use plant immunity to control massive bacterial colonization during early and late symbiotic stages. Our findings provide insight into the function of NAD1 in improvement or inhibition of plant immune response to maintain symbiosis during rhizobial endosymbiosis.

To compare the quality of low-energy VMIs obtained with three DECT platforms according to phantom diameter. Three sections of the Mercury Phantom 4.0 were scanned on two generations of split-filter CTs (SFCT-1st and SFCT-2nd) and on one Dual-source CT (DSCT). Noise power spectrum (NPS), task-based transfer function (TTF) and detectability index (d’) were assessed on VMIs from 40 to 70keV. Highest noise magnitude values were found with SFCT-1st and noise magnitude was higher with DSCT than with SFCT-2nd for 26-cm (10.2±1.3%) and 31-cm (7.0±2.5%), and the opposite for 36-cm (-4.2±2.5%). The highest average NPS spatial frequencies and TTF values at 50% (f50) values were found with DSCT. For all energy levels, f50 values were higher with SFCT-2nd than SFCT-1st for 26-cm (3.2±0.4%) and the opposite for 31-cm (-6.9±0.5%) and 36-cm (-5.6±0.7%). The lowest d’ values were found with SFCT-1st. For all energy levels, d’ values were lower with SFCT-2nd than with DSCT for 26-cm (-6.2±0.7%), similar for 31-cm (-0.3±1.9%) and higher for 36-cm (5.4±2.7%). In conclusion, compared to SFCT-1st, SFCT-2nd exhibited lower noise magnitude and higher detectability values. Compared with DSCT, SFCT-2nd had lower noise magnitude and higher detectability for the 26-cm but the opposite was true for the 36-cm.

Relay protection service is the most crucial service carried by the electric power communication network, which is directly linked to the safe operation of the power grid. In the route planning of power services, a route planning architecture for the power communication network is constructed in this paper, considering the operation and maintenance requirements, such as relay protection service overload (RPSO) and dual route. To minimize network risk variance, the problem of single-service route allocation is formulated by taking the factors into account such as service delay, link bandwidth utilization, and RPSO constraints. Based on $k$ shortest paths algorithm, a route planning scheme for the power services is proposed, which considers RPSO and risk balance, and a strategy for implementing multi-service route planning of the communication network is studied. The simulation results show that the proposed route planning strategy can effectively avoid relay protection service overload, reduce network risk variance, and balance network risk.

Cross-field innovation in faba bean breeding has added significant value to the traditional faba bean planting industry by allowing for the selection of faba bean varieties with a dual purpose as ornaments and food. In order to improve the selection efficiency, we determined 17 phenotypes related to ‘dual purpose’ faba beans and evaluated 37 new breeding lines, which were bred for 10 years by our team, and two traditional faba bean varieties by means of an Analytic Hierarchy Process. The lines and varieties were evaluated and sorted into five grades, from which two breeding lines with excellent comprehensive phenotypes and dual ornamental and food functions were selected. The new line GS5 passed the identification of Crop Identification Committee of Chongqing Seed Industry Association on November 25, 2021 and was renamed "Doumei 1 hao" with the identification number of " 202111". The results confirmed that the comprehensive evaluation system constructed in this study can be used for the effective selection of dual-purpose faba bean lines, providing an empirical approach for strategic decision-making by breeders.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for one-sixth of deaths, globally, whereas cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. T2DM is a known risk factor for many cancers. This review examines the link of Reactive oxygen Species (ROS)-altered metabolic and signaling pathways in T2DM to cancer. These reprogrammed metabolic and signaling pathways are activated that contribute to diabetic complications, impact redox balance (Oxidative Stress), and have differential roles in early and late stages of cancer. If the respiratory chain is highly reduced (as under hyperglycemic conditions) or if reduced cofactors accumulate, ROS are greatly elevated. ROS may cause mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that result in further ROS elevation. Amplification of ROS results in activation of PKC, an overarching signaling pathway that activates MAPK with subsequent regulation of several factors that result in pathophysiological manifestations of T2DM and cancer. Upregulation of PKC leads to deregulation of NF-kß that regulates the PKB/P13/Akt pathway that orchestrates cell survival, growth, proliferation, and glucose metabolism manifested in cancer. It also affects Insulin Receptor Substrate (IRS-1), decreasing insulin stimulated glucose transport and glucose uptake, disrupting subsequent cell signaling pathways contributing to the development of T2DM. Dyslipidemia is a hallmark of T2DM and cancer. ROS-induced lipid peroxidation leads to systemic inflammation, producing inflammatory prostaglandins, cytokines and chemokines that result in tumor proliferation, rapid tumor growth, and modulation of immunity. The dual role of ROS in early and late stages of cancer make antioxidant therapy precarious and may be responsible for controversial results. A system that delivers an antioxidant directly to mitochondria may be useful in inhibiting formation of ROS early during the pre-diabetic stage whereas antioxidant therapy must be halted in later stages to retard metastasis.

Starch is widely applied in various industrial sectors, including the food industry. Starch is used as a thickener, stabilizer, or emulsifier. However, arrowroot starch generally has weaknesses, such as unstable under heating and acidic conditions, which are generally applied to processing in the food industry. Modifications were applied to improve the characteristics of native arrowroot starch. In this study, arrowroot starch was modified by heat-moisture treatment (HMT), octenylsuccinylation (OSA), and dual modification between OSA and HMT in a different sequence, namely HMT followed by OSA, and OSA followed by HMT. This study aims to determine the effect of different modification methods on the physicochemical and functional properties of native arrowroot starch. The result shows that both single HMT and dual modification caused damage to native starch granules, such as the formation of cracks and roughness. Especially for single OSA treatment, there is no significant change in granule morphology after modification. All modification treatments did not change the crystalline type of starch but reduced the RC of native starch. Both single HMT and dual modifications (HMT-OSA, OSA-HMT) increased pasting temperature and setback, conversely decreasing the peak and breakdown viscosity of native starch. Whereas, single OSA has the opposite trend compared with the other modifications. HMT played a greater role in increasing the thermal stability and retrogradation ability of arrowroot starch. Both single modifications (HMT and OSA) increase the hardness and gumminess of native starch, conversely for dual modifications. HMT has a greater effect on color characteristics, where decreased the lightness and whiteness index of native arrowroot starch. Single OSA modification increased swelling volume higher than dual modification. Both single HMT and dual modifications increase water absorption capacity and decrease the oil absorption capacity of native arrowroot starch.

Environmental regulation has dual effects on water resource utilization performance through various channels such as the "three red lines" and the "Porter hypothesis". Based on the detailed analysis of the impact path of environmental regulation on water resource utilization performance, the two-step system GMM method was adopted to test the dual effects of environmental regulation on water resource utilization performance by using panel data of 30 provinces and cities from 2004 to 2020. The results show that: (1) Environmental regulation has a significant direct impact on water resource utilization performance, and is currently in the stage of positive relationship of an inverted u-shaped relationship. (2) Environmental regulation has a significant indirect impact on water resource utilization Environmental regulation has dual effects on water resource utilization performance through various channels such as the "three-red lines" and the "Porter hypothesis". In accordance with a detailed examination of the influence path of environmental regulation on the performance of water resource utilization, the double effects of environmental regulation on water resource utilization performance were examined using panel statistics from 30 provinces and cities from 2004 to 2020 using the two-step system GMM approach. The results demonstrate that: (1) Environmental regulation has a direct effect on water resource utilization performance which is currently in the stage of the positive relationship of an inverted u-shaped relationship. (2) The influence of environmental regulation on water resource utilization performance through government intervention and industrial structure adjustment is indirect, among which government intervention can significantly improve water resource utilization performance, while the growth of the tertiary industry as a percentage can lower water resource utilization performance. (3) Both direct and indirect impacts indicate that enhancing the efficiency of the use of water resources is sustainable, and the water resource utilization performance of the preceding period had a major positive impact over the present phase. Therefore, the paper sets out a few policy suggestions, such as choosing reasonable environmental regulation tools, actively guiding the market-oriented reform with constraints, and upgrading the industrial structure in a green way.

The tumour-associated isoenzymes, hCA IX and hCA XII catalyze the hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons. These isoforms are highly overexpressed in many types of cancer, where they contribute for the acidification of the tumor environment promoting the tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In this work, in order to identify novel dual hCA IX and XII inhibitors, virtual screening techniques and biological assays were combined. A structure based virtual screening towards hCA IX and XII was performed using a database of approximately 26000 natural compounds. The best shared hits were submitted to a thermodynamic analysis and 3 promising best hits were identified and evaluated in terms of their hCA IX and XII inhibitor activity. In vitro biological assays are in line with the theoretical studies and revealed that Syringin, Lithospermic acid, and (-)- Dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol behave as good hCA IX and hCA XII dual inhibitors.

The hybrid numbers are a generalization of complex, hyperbolic and dual numbers. In this paper, we introduce the Horadam hybrid polynomials called Horadam hybrinomials. We also give some special cases and algebraic properties of the Horadam hybrinomials. Finally we obtain some applications related to the Horadam hybrinomials in matrices.

Though the energy density of lithium-ion batteries continues to increase, safety issues related with the internal short-circuit and the resulting combustion of highly flammable electrolyte impede the further development of lithium-ion batteries. It has been well-accepted that a thermal stable separator is important to postpone the entire battery short-circuit and thermal-runaway. Traditional methods to improve the thermal stability of separators includes surface modification and/or developing alternate material systems for separators which may always affect the battery performance negatively. Herein, a thermostable and shrink-free separator with little compromise in battery performance is prepared by coaxial electrospinning and tested. The separator consists of core-shell fiber networks where poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) layer serves as shell and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the core. This core-shell fiber network exhibits little or even no shrinking/melting at elevated temperature over 250 °C. Meanwhile, it shows excellent electrolyte wettability and can take large amount of liquid electrolyte three times more than that of conventional Celgard 2400 separator. In addition, the half-cell using LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 as cathode and the aforementioned electrospun core-shell fiber network as separator demonstrates superior electrochemical behavior, stably cycling for 200 cycles at 1 C with a reversible capacity of 130 mAh g-1 and little capacity decay.

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

This paper proposes a method of extracting energy from zero-point energy and evaluates the amount of energy gained. In addition, this electric circuit-based approach exhibits the Meissner effect, suggesting a new type of superconductivity that does not require refrigeration. The proposed method can provide extremely large amounts of energy, which is more than a conventional power station, without consuming fossil fuels or emitting radiation. Thus, it has the potential to solve the global energy problem. It involves preparing two electric loops containing diodes and connecting the loops together with current sources. The diodes are oriented in the same direction within each loop but in opposite directions in different loops. With this setup, the currents from the current sources build iteratively within the loops, resulting in large output currents. Our numerical analysis indicates that extremely large electric potentials are produced, which in turn yield large output currents. In addition, we confirm numerically that the voltage is zero around a loop and show analytically that the Meissner effect is present, proving the existence of a new type of superconductivity. Furthermore, when we introduce induction coils to not break the loop’s symmetry, they store extremely large amounts of energy and we can thus obtain energy from them via discharge currents.

The emergence of the H3N2 influenza virus in 1968 marked a significant event as it crossed the species barrier. Since then, ongoing mutational dynamics have led to the formation of antigenic clusters, prompting the World Health Organization to advocate for regular updates to H3N2 vaccines. Research in the Western Pacific region underscores the necessity for heightened awareness and effective control strategies. Stemming from avian influenza A, the 1968 H3N2 influenza pandemic resulted in the deaths of one million people globally, with its seasonal variants primarily affecting older individuals and causing severe illness due to antigenic drift. To address the challenge of vaccine efficacy against H3N2 mutations, researchers are exploring innovative strategies such as precise antigenic material administration, controlled release patterns, understanding immune system mechanisms, and glycan engineering. This review comprehensively examines various aspects of the Influenza A (H3N2) virus, encompassing its virological characteristics, evolutionary trends, global epidemiology, vaccination strategies, antiviral interventions, and emerging diagnostic approaches. It underscores the impact of antigenic variation on vaccine design and effectiveness, seasonal outbreak patterns, pandemic potential, and the interplay between viral factors and host immune responses. Moreover, the review evaluates antiviral therapies and the issue of drug resistance, emphasising the necessity for multidisciplinary approaches involving researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to comprehend H3N2 and enhance public health interventions.

The medicinal plant Abrus precatorius L. was traditionally used in Siddha and Ayurvedic systems of medicine in India. The Indian centre of origin holds vast variability for its seed color. The objective of this study was to assess the total monomeric anthocyanin, flavonol, antioxidative potential, protein content and ash content among the accessions. A total of 99 accessions conserved in the Indian National Genebank were used in this study. The method used for the estimation of total monomeric anthocyanin, flavonol, antioxidative potential, protein content and ash content was pH differential method, Oomah method, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Potential, Dumas method and gravimetric method respectively. The completely black colored accession was recorded with highest total monomeric anthocyanin (51.95 mg / 100 g of cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalent) and flavonol content (66.41 mg/g of quercetin equivalent). Red + black colored accessions have recorded the maximum value with respect to antioxidants (14.18 mg/g of gallic acid equivalent). Highest amount of protein content was found in a completely white colored accession (20.67%) and maximum ash content was recorded in red + black seed colored accession (4.01%). The promising accessions identified can be used by pharmaceutical companies in drug development and in curing degenerative diseases.

Zeta potential refers to the electrokinetic potential present in colloidal systems, exerting significant influence on the diverse properties of nano-drug delivery systems. The impact of dielectric constant on the zeta potential and charge inversion of highly charged colloidal particles, immersed in a variety of solvents spanning from polar, such as water, to nonpolar solvents, and in the presence of multivalent salts, was investigated through primitive model Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Zeta potential ξ is decreased as decreasing the dielectric constant of the solvent, and upon further increase in the salinity and the valency of the salt. At elevated levels of salt, the colloidal particles become overcharged, in all solvents. As a result, their apparent charge becomes opposite in sign to the stoichiometric charge. This reversal of charge intensifies until reaching a saturation point with further increase in salinity, as a result, their apparent charge becomes opposite in sign to the stoichiometric charge. This reversal of charge intensifies until reaching a saturation point with further increase in salinity.

Zn2+ has been implicated in the regulation of intestinal redox and microbial homeostasis, and we recently reported that transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) 6 channel activity contributes to intracellular Zn2+ homeostasis in mammalian cells. This study aims to investigate the role of TRPC6-mediated Zn2+ influx in stress resistance of intestine. Expression profile of TRPC1-C7 mRNAs in the actively inflamed mucosa from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients was analyzed using GEO database. Systemic TRPC3-knockout (KO) and TRPC6-KO mice were treated with dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) to induce colitis. The Zn2+ concentration and the mRNA expression levels of oxidative/inflammatory markers in colon tissues were quantitatively analyzed, and gut microbiota profiles were compared. TRPC6 mRNA expression level was increased in IBD patients and DSS-treated mouse colon tissues. DSS-treated TRPC6-KO mice, but not TRPC3-KO mice, showed severe weight loss and increased disease activity index compared with DSS-treated WT mice. The mRNA abundances of antioxidant proteins were basically increased in TRPC6-KO colon, with changes in gut microbiota profiles. Treatment with TRPC6 activator prevented the DSS-induced colitis progression accompanied by increasing Zn2+ concentration. We suggest that TRPC6-mediated Zn2+ influx activity plays a key role in stress resistance against IBD, providing a new strategy for treating colitis.

Suicide is an important public health problem, fundamentally affecting the younger population and responding to multiple biological, psychological, and social causes. The objective of this study was to characterize changes suicide mortality, suicide methods and years of potential life lost during 2005 and 2019 in Paraguay. This observational, descriptive study used data from the Vital Statistics Information Subsystem of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare. The average mortality rate from suicide was 4.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, with an increase from 4.2 between 200-2009 to 5.8 during 2014 and 2019. Suicide was more common in men (75%) than in women. In men, the highest mortality rate was observed among the 20-24 years-old whereas in women the age most affected were the 15–19-year-old age group. The most used method for suicide was strangulation. The most frequent places of suicide occurrence were at home (73%). The seasonality of suicide occurrence showed a slight increase in the spring-summer months compared with autumn winter (53% vs 47%). The rate of potential years of life lost statistically significantly increased from2005 to 2019. Public health measures need to be implemented to investigate the underlying reasons and to implement interventions in the population to decrease suicide mortality in Paraguay.

Onion skin waste (OSW), the primary non-edible byproduct from onion processing, offers a renewable source of bioactive compounds. This study aims to valorize OSW through subcritical water extraction (SWE), aligning with circular economy and biorefinery principles. SWE was carried out at 145 °C, 50 bar and 50 min in a discontinuous reactor, producing a phenolic-rich extract (32 ± 3 mg/g), dominated by protocatechuic acid (20 ± 3 mg/g), quercetin-4´-O-glucoside (7.5 ± 0.2 mg/g), and quercetin (3.2 ± 0.6 mg/g). Additionally, it contains sugars (207 ± 20 mg sucrose-Eq/g), proteins (22.8 ± 1.6 mg BSA-Eq/g) and free amino acids (20.4 ± 1.2 mg arginine-Eq/g). Its phenolic richness determines its scavenging activity against ●NO and O2●- radicals, and its α-glucosidase and aldose-reductase inhibition without affecting α-amylase. Notably, the extract demonstrates significant α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 76 ± 4 µg/mL), surpassing acarbose (IC50 = 129.5 ± 1.0 µg/mL), in both pure enzyme and cell culture tests without showing cytotoxicity on AGS, HepG2 and Caco-2 human cell lines. The extract’s bioactivity and nutritional content make it suitable for developing antioxidant and antidiabetic nutraceutical/food components, highlighting the SWE potential for OSW valorization without using organic solvents.

The increase in fungal infections, accompanied by adverse effects and acquired resistance associated with the use of antifungal agents used for their clinical management, have facilitated the search for new substances with antifungal properties. Naphthoquinones have been investigated due to their multiple biological activities, including their significant antifungal potential. This study aimed at evaluating the antifungal potential of naphthoquinones against opportunistic fungi and dermatophytes and to assess the impact of a selected naphthoquinone on the formation of the cell wall, ergosterol membrane, and cellular membrane of Candida albicans ATCC 60193. Additionally, cytotoxicity in the MRC-(Medical Research Council-)5 cell lineage, Artemia salina, and tomato as well as arugula seeds was evaluated. The antifungal activity of four naphthoquinones was assessed using well-characterized fungal strains, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined applying the microdilution assay technique. Antifungal activity of the assessed naphthoquinones could be confirmed, particularly for 2,3-DBNQ (2,3-dibromo-1,4-naphthoquinone), which showed prominent antifungal activity (MIC of &lt;1.56 - 6.25 µg/mL) in all chosen test settings. However, its toxicity in MRC-5 cells (IC50 = 15.44 µM), a recorded 100% mortality in A. salina at a concentration of 50 µg/mL, as well as inhibition of 94.8% of the tomato seeds at a concentration of 400 µg/mL and inhibition of 64.1% of arugula seeds at a concentration of 200 µg/mL may limit hypothetical therapeutic applications. It was demonstrated that the likely mechanism of action of 2,3-DBNQ involves interfering with fungal membrane permeability, leading to increased leakage of nucleotides. This study adds to available knowledge on antifungal effects of naphthoquinones, especially of 2,3-DBNQ, against opportunistic yeasts and dermatophytes. However, the observed cytotoxicity in the MRC-5 cell lineage, A. salina, as well as tomato and arugula seeds highlights a need for further research to optimize the selectivity and safety profile of naphthoquinones like 2,3-DBNQ before potential clinical use may be assessed.

This paper presents a study of human blood sera samples, collected in various regions of the Russian Federation, with regard to both vaccine and pandemic avian influenza viral strains. Just before the 2022-2023 epidemic season, herd immunity to seasonal influenza A viruses was reportedly lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since no stable circulation of A/H5Nx and A/H9N2 influenza in the human population was observed during this period, we believe 100% vaccination against seasonal influenza is necessary for employees of poultry farms and other organizations, closely connected to the breeding and processing of poultry. In addition to protection against seasonal influenza, vaccination can hamper the emergence of new viral variants, driven by genome reassortment, during simultaneous infection of humans with seasonal human and animal influenza viruses.

(1) Background: The Gárdos channel (KCNN4) and Piezo1 are the best-known ion channels in the red blood cell (RBC) membrane. Nevertheless, the quantitative electrophysiological behavior of RBCs and its heterogeneity are still not completely understood.; (2) Methods: Here we use state-of-the-art biochemical methods to probe for the abundance of the channels in RBCs. Furthermore, we utilize automated patch-clamp, based on planar chips, to compare the activity of the two channels in reticulocytes and mature RBCs. Besides this characterization, we performed membrane potential measurements to demonstrate the effect of channel activity and interplay on the RBC properties.; (3) Results: Both, Gárdos channel and Piezo1, albeit their average copy number of activatable channels per cell is in the single digit range, can be detected by transcriptome analysis of reticulocytes. Proteomics analysis of RBCs could only detect Piezo1 but not the Gárdos channel. Furthermore, they can be reliably measured in the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp method. While for the Gárdos channel the activity is higher in reticulocytes compared to mature RBCs, for Piezo1 the tendency is the opposite. While the interplay between Piezo1 and Gárdos channel cannot be followed using the patch-clamp measurements, it could be proved based on membrane potential measurements in populations of intact RBCs.; (4) Conclusions: We discuss the Gárdos channel and Piezo1 abundance, interdependencies and interactions in the context of their proposed physiological and pathophysiological functions, which are the passing of small constrictions, e.g., in the spleen, and their active participation in blood clot formation and thrombosis.

The purpose of this article is to present a multi-criteria model designed to evaluate the potential of Sincelejo's cultural identity for tourism development. A descriptive quantitative methodology was used, which included a survey of 211 participants. A decision support method was applied, using the Weighted Additive Sum approach, following the multi-attribute method. Based on the information gathered, the elements of cultural identity shared by most of the criteria were identi-fied, highlighting the gastronomic, social, and cultural traditions and customs of the region, the results of which made it possible to design a composite indicator to evaluate the tourism potential of cultural identity in the area.

In this study, we investigated, for the first time, the effects of the spatially varying effective mass, asymmetry parameter, and well width on the electronic and optical properties of the quantum well which has an improved Rosen-Morse potential. Calculations are made within the framework of the effective mass and parabolic band approximations. We have used the diagonalization method by choosing a wave function based on the trigonometric orthonormal functions to find eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the electron confined within the improved Rosen-Morse potential. Our results show that the position-dependence mass, asymmetry, and confinement parameters cause significant changes in the electronic and optical properties of the structure we focus on since these effects create a significant increase in electron energies and a blue shift in the absorption spectrum. The increase in energy levels enables the development of optoelectronic devices that can operate at wider wavelengths and absorb higher energy photons. This offers potential advancements in fields such as optical communication, imaging technology, and solar cells.