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

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

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

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

Polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) based coatings like Si-C-N and their derivatives are gaining importance day by day in N/MEMS and aerospace due to their thermos-mechanical stability and conductivity. The crystallized, amorphous, and near amorphous morphology of SiCN nanocomposite coatings based on deposition conditions requires thorough investigation for appropriate utilization as they lead to differences in mechanical properties (quantified using nanoindentation in this case). A 4-stage model was proposed based on Raman spectroscopy due to the N₂-Ar pressure variations during the deposition process of SiCN coatings by magnetron sputtering. The integral intensity of the G (graphitic), disorder (D), and tetrahedral (T) peaks namely I_G, I_D, and I_T were calculated after the deconvolution of the spectra. The sp² domain size and defect parameters were evaluated and correlated with the hardness and different bond formation involving Si, C, and N. Image analysis revealed the atomic migration involved during the growth process leading to crystallization along with the formation of voids and defects. The observations were supported by FTIR and TEM-SAED analysis. The outcomes provide a foundation causing an urge to develop similar models with further elemental additions and correlate with various physical properties.

Plants can utilize the different forms of nitrogen (N), including inorganic and organic N nutrients, and show the great difference in the utilizing efficiency of N-form among species and genotypes within a species. In our previous study, we found that Tibetan wild barley (XZ16) was better in utilization of organic nitrogen in comparison with cultivated barley (Hua30). In this study, metabolite profiles of the two barley genotypes were comprehensively compared in their response to four N forms, including nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), urea and glycine. Macro-and micro-nutrient concentrations in shoots were mostly found higher in nitrate and urea treatments than in ammonium and glycine in both the genotypes. XZ16 had higher concentrations of nutrient ions in glycine treatment, but Hua30 accumulated more nutrients in ammonium treatment. Among the total 163 differentially expressed metabolites, highest up-regulation and highest down-regulation was found in XZ16 in glycine and urea treatments respectively. Some important metabolites such as proline, glutamine, serine, asparagine, L-homoserine, aspartic acid, putrescine, ornithine, 4-aminobutyrate were up-regulated in glycine treatment in both the genotypes with higher fold change in XZ16 than in Hua30. Similarly, fructose-6-PO4, aconitic acid and isocitrate were only up-regulated in XZ16 in glycine treatment. Here, we concluded that the genotype XZ16 exhibited higher response to glycine treatment, while Hua30 showed higher response to NH4+ treatment which is attributed to their better utilization of glycine-N and NH4+-N, respectively. .

The article presents comparative results from 5 categories of animals (4 samples originating from pigs, 2 from cows, 1 from chicken, 1 from ostriches, 1 from horses, samples quantified with A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I). These samples were collected from large, medium and small (family) farms. The results were validated by the biogas production generated by the respective samples, using the Automatic Methane Potential Test System (AMPTS II) bio-processor. The largest amounts of biogas (2,464.5 Nml, 2,262.0 Nml) were recorded for the samples from pig farms (Sample B and Sample D), whereas the lowest values were obtained in the case of Sample A (414.1 Nml) and Sample C (558.3 Nml). The heavy metals analyzed in the article are Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ca, K, As. The results corroborate that the C/N ratio can also vary to values lower than 20-30, without affecting the biogas production process, and the heavy metal content must be known especially for the full management of the wastes. All final data presented in the article are based on repeated, triplicate experiments, with less as 2% deviation between data.

Ionic liquid MIE-NH2 displays a new role of development of modification of glycoproteins of lactoferrin through a reductive amination mechanism to synthesize versatile pharmaceuticals. This work introduces a new strategy of modification of Lactoferrin by using methylimidazolium N-ethylamine, this ionic liquid MIE-NH2 linked to N-glycans in Lactoferrin derivatives. Using UPLC/ESI-QTOF and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to perform and detect the modifying of ionic liquid-linked glycoproteins. Relevantly, modifying the lactoferrin by MIE-H2 as a small molecule of ion liquid lactoferrin (IL-Lf), which could be a potential antiviral drug and it is achieved by inhibiting various targets. The probability of the lactoferrin modified as a small IL-Lf-molecule to inhibit any of these targets was investigated to find out its potency as a SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor. Molecular docking disclosed the activity of modifying glycoproteins - small IL-Lf-molecules containing amino groups and interaction with targeted Mpro, RdRp, TMPRSS2, and PLpro. Clinically, this study shows the a volubility to provide small IL-Lf-molecules as significantly important drugs that target main protease (Mpro), RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and Papain-like protease (PLpro).

Curcumin attracts a huge attention because of its biological properties: antiproliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and so on. However, its usage has been limited by poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Herein, to solve these problems we developed curcumin-loaded nanoparticles based on end-capped amphiphilic poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone). Nanoparticles were obtained using the suspension method and were characterized by dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The average particle size was 200 nm, and ζ-potential was -4 mV. Curcumin release studies showed that nanoparticles are stable in water solution. In vitro release study showed prolonged action in gastric, intestinal and colonic fluids, consistently and in PBS. In vitro studies on epidermoid carcinoma and human embryonic kidney cells showed that the cells absorbed more curcumin in nanoparticles compared to pure curcumin. Nanoparticles are safe for healthy cells and show high cytotoxicity for glioblastoma cells in cytotoxicity studies in vitro. Median lethal dose was determined in acute toxicity assay on Zebrafish and was 23 μM. Overall, the curcumin-loaded nanoparticles seem promising for cancer treatment.

This work aimed to synthesize new N-rich triazole compounds. In this article we describe the synthesis of three different 1,2,4-triazole-based systems starting from 1,3-diaminoguanidine hydrochloride monohydrate. The structure of the obtained crystals was established by single-crystal X-Ray diffraction. The high nitrogen content of the synthetized compounds makes them building blocks for the application in the High-Energy-Density material science.

Background The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) possesses a sophisticated sense of smell and is used for a novel cancer screening test that utilizes the chemotaxis index. We designed a single-institution, prospective study to confirm the ability of Nematode Nose (N-NOSE) to determine preoperative chemotherapy's efficacy for esophageal cancer patients. Patients and Methods We investigated the predictability of N-NOSE screening for the clinical effects of preoperative chemotherapy for esophageal cancer patients receiving radical surgery. The index reduction score (IRS) was calculated by chemotaxis of C. elegans at three points: before treatment, before surgery, and after surgery, and its clinical relevance was examined. Result Thirty-nine patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled from August 2020 to December 2021 and 30 patients receiving radical surgery were examined. Complete response or partial response was achieved in 23 cases (76.7%). When the target of the treatment effect was complete response only, the prediction accuracies of the IRS calculated by area under the curve was 0.85 (95% Confidence interval: 0.62-1) in clinically achieving complete response group, and the sensitivity and specificity were 1 and 0.63, respectively. Conclusion Index reduction score using N-NOSE screening may reflect the efficacy of chemotherapy for esophageal cancer patients. A large-scale prospective study at multiple centers is desired in the future.

A controllable synthesis of trisubstituted imidazoles and pyrroles has been developed through rhodium(II)-catalyzed regioselective annulation of N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-trizaoles with β-enaminones. The imidazole ring was formed through 1,1-insertion of N-H bond to α-imino rhodium carbene and subsequential intramolecular 1,4-conjugate addition when α-carbon atom of amino group bearing with methyl, whereas utilizing phenyl substituent constructed pyrrole ring via intramolecular nucleophilic addition. Features such as mild conditions, good functional groups tolerance, gram-scale synthesis, and valuable transformations of the products qualified this unique protocol as an efficient tool for the synthesis of N-heterocycles.

Recently, spam emails have become a significant problem with the expanding usage of the Internet. It is to some extend obvious to filter emails. A spam filter is a system that detects undesired and malicious emails and blocks them from getting into the users' inboxes. Spam filters check emails for something "suspicious" in terms of text, email address, header, attachments, and language. However, we have used different features such as word2vec, word n-grams, character n-grams, and a combination of variable length n-grams for comparative analysis in our proposed approach. Different machine learning models such as support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), logistic regression (LR), and multinomial naïve bayes (MNB) are applied to train the extracted features. We use different evaluation metrics such as precision, recall, f1-score, and accuracy to evaluate the experimental results. Among them, SVM provides 97.6 \% of accuracy, 98.8\% of precision, and 94.9\% of f1-score using a combination of n-gram features.

Optimization of post polymerization processing of polyolefin elastomers (POE) is of considerable industrial interest. To this aim, experimental determination and theoretical interpretation of the thermodynamics and mass transport properties of POE-solvent mixtures is relevant. Sorption behaviour of n-hexane vapour in a commercial propylene-ethylene elastomer (V8880 VistamaxxTM from ExxonMobil) is addressed here, determining experimentally the sorption isotherms at temperatures ranging from 115 to 140 °C and pressure values of n-hexane vapour up to 1 atm. Sorption isotherms have been interpreted with the Non-Random-Hydrogen-Bonding Equation of State model retrieving, from data fitting, the value of the binary interaction parameter for the n-hexane/V8880 system. Both the case of temperature-independent and of temperature-dependent binary interaction parameter have been considered. Sorption kinetics was also investigated at different pressures and has been interpreted using a Fick’s model determining values of the mutual diffusivity as a function of temperature and of n-hexane/V8880 mixture composition. From these values, n-hexane intra-diffusion coefficient has been calculated interpreting its dependence on mixture concentration and temperature by a semi-empiric model based on free volume arguments.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most widely grown important crop in mid altitude areas of intensive maize-based cropping system of western Ethiopia. Agronomic management is the most important input for getting potential yield and high net returns in hybrid maize production. A field experiment was carried out on farmers’ field to find out the effect of varieties (four maize) and nitrogen fertilizer rate (55, 110 kg N ha-1) with one control on yield components and nitrogen use efficiency of different maize varieties in 2013 and 2014 cropping season. It was laid with randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. Mean grain yield, thousand seed weight, dry biomass and harvest index of maize varieties were significantly differed among farms and varieties of maize. Application of nitrogen fertilizer rates was significantly increased mean grain yield maize varieties. Interaction of maize varieties with nitrogen fertilizer rates was significantly affected all yield components of maize varieties. Application half and full recommended nitrogen fertilizer gave mean grain yield advantages of 31 and 41 % over control maize varieties planted without nitrogen application. Maize varieties producing higher mean grain yield was also giving higher mean dry biomass. Mean nitrogen up take was varied from 225 to 357 kg ha-1 among varieties of maize. Higher agronomic efficiency of all maize varieties was obtained from maize planted with application half recommended nitrogen fertilizer compared to full recommend. Agronomic efficiency was ranged from 18 to 33 produced among maize varieties. Significantly higher nitrogen up take efficiency of maize varieties was achieved from maize planted with full recommended nitrogen fertilizer application. Considerably higher nitrogen use efficiency of maize varieties was realized from all maize varieties planted with application half recommended nitrogen fertilizer. Application of half recommended nitrogen fertilizer was gave 32 % fertilizer N use efficiency advantage as compared to full recommended nitrogen fertilizer. Maize varieties BH-661>BH-660> BH-543>BH-540>BH-140 were desirable varieties for further promotion work and use by smallholder farmers in mid altitude area of western Ethiopia.

A field experiment was conducted in Ninghe, Tianjin, China, using 15N isotope method to evaluate the application of organic fertilizer on N distribution patterns of labelled and unlabeled N fertilizer, ammonium sulfate -15N uptake by rice, N use efficiency (NUE), and the fate of (15NH4)2SO4 applied. The experiment included eight treatments: CK-N (control + no-duck), CK-D (control + ducks), CF-N (chemical fertilizer + no-ducks), CF-D (chemical fertilizer + ducks), CM-N (chemical fertilizer + organic fertilizer + no-ducks), CM-D (chemical fertilizer + organic fertilizer + ducks), CD-N (chemical fertilizer 30% off + organic fertilizer + no-ducks), and CD-D (chemical fertilizer 30% off + organic fertilizer + ducks). The results showed that the application of organic fertilizer whether CM or CD significantly increased N and P concentrations over control (CK) and chemical fertilizer (CF). Moreover, no-significant differences were found in 15N fresh grain and husk concentration. Both organs ranged of 14.2-14.4 g kg-1 and 6.2-6.3 g kg-1, respectively. N derived from the fertilizer and soil significantly affected fresh grain compared to fresh husk. However, N uptake and N use efficiency did not show any differences. We concluded that organic fertilizer has a significant influence on rice growth and promote crop productivity.

Euglena gracilis is an alga of great biotechnological interest and extensive metabolic capacity, able to make high levels of bioactive compounds, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and β-glucan. Previous work has shown that Euglena expresses a wide range of carbohydrate-active enzymes, suggesting an unexpectedly high capacity for the synthesis of complex carbohydrates for a single-celled organism. Here, we present an analysis of some of the carbohydrates synthesised by Euglena gracilis. Analysis of the sugar nucleotide pool showed that there are the substrates necessary for synthesis of complex polysaccharides, including the unusual sugar galactofuranose. Lectin- and antibody-based profiling of whole cells and extracted carbohydrates revealed a complex galactan, xylan and aminosugar based surface. Protein N-glycan profiling, however, indicated that just simple high mannose-type glycans are present and that they are partially modified with putative aminoethylphosphonate moieties. Together, these data indicate that Euglena possesses a complex glycan surface, unrelated to plant cell walls, while its protein glycosylation is simple. Taken together, these findings suggest that Euglena gracilis may lend itself to the production of pharmaceutical glycoproteins.

The study aimed to investigate the effects of colonization with two arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, Funneliformis mosseae , Diversispora versiformis , alone and in combination on the growth and nutrient acquisition of NaCl-stressed Chrysanthemum morifolium (Hangbaiju) plants in the greenhouse experiment. Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal Hangbaiju plants were grown under different salinity levels imposed by 0, 50 and 200 mM NaCl for five months, following 6 weeks of non-saline pre-treatment. The results showed that root length, shoot and root dry weight, total dry weight, shoot and root N concentration were higher in mycorrhizal than in non-mycorrhizal plants under moderate saline conditions especially with D. versiformis colonization. As salinity increased, the mycorrhizal colonization, the mycorrhizal dependence (MD) decreased. Enhancement of tissue N acquisition is probably the main mechanism underlying salt tolerance in AM plants. It is suggested that the symbiotic associations between D. versiformis fungus and C. morifolium plants may be taken as a biotechnological practice in culture.

One new cassane diterpene possessing an unusual N bridge between C-19 and C-20 named caesalsappanin R (1), as well as another new diterpene caesalsappanin S (2), were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia sappan with methanol extract. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and examined alongside existing data from prior studies. Their biological activities were profiled by their antiplasmodial activity.

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

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a progressive, multifactorial, immune-mediated disease characterized by chronic inflammation of any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Pediatric patients present with a more extensive form of the disease, especially in the upper GI tract with various histopathological inflammatory patterns. Our study aims to analyze the endoscopic and histopathological findings in children with diagnosed CD and compare results on the initial and follow-up tests. Our study included 100 children and adolescents with CD, with performed endoscopic and histopathological (HP) procedures. The results of multiple biopsies performed in these 8 years were matched and compared. We found a statistically significant decrease in stool changes, weight loss, and abdominal pain as presenting symptoms, and in the fecal calprotectin levels. On esophagogastroduodenoscopy and ileo-colonoscopy 36.59% and 64.86% patients had specific findings, respectively. Non-caseating granulomas were found on 9% of oesophageal, 18% of gas-tric, and 12% of duodenal biopsies. In the lower GI tract, we have observed a disease progression in the rectum and descending colon between the first and second biopsies. Our study showed that more than a third of patients had specific endoscopic (36.59%) and histopathologic (32%) findings in the upper GI tract, and an additional 23% had HP findings highly suggestive of CD. We demonstrated the importance of regular endoscopic and histopathological assessments of pediatric CD patients.

In recent years, marine natural products have become one of the most important resources of novel lead compounds for critical diseases associated with age. Spirulina, a dietary supplement made from blue-green algae (cyanobacteria: scientific name Arthrospira platensis), is particularly rich in phycocyanin, a phycobiliprotein, which accounts for up to 20% of this cyanobacterium’s dry weight and is considered responsible for its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Although the anti-aging activity of phycocyanin has been investigated, how exactly this compound works against aging remains elusive. Aim of our research is to use the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism to investigate the anti-aging properties of phycocyanin from A. platensis. Our results show that phycocyanin has a powerful anti-aging effect, greatly extending the chronological life span of yeast cells in a dose-dependent way, being the effect pronounced also when cells were grown in SD medium under calorie restriction conditions (0.2% glucose). Both ROS and accumulation of dead cells were followed by staining chronologically aged cells with dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR123) and propidium iodide (PI). Interestingly, we found that most of the aged phycocyanin treated cells, which were unable to form colonies, were actually ROS+/PI–. Finally, we show that the moment in which phycocyanin is added to the culture does not substantially influence its effectiveness in counteracting chronological aging.

ABSTRACTIntroduction and Purpose: Nurses are expected to be competent in practice based on the domain of standards and interpersonal soft skills (ISS). Nurses are faced with inadequate physical assessment 28%, formulating diagnoses 56%, plans 34%, implementation 31%, evaluation 37,5%, and communication skills 41%. Aims to develop an ISS learning model based on transformative learning theory and digitalization (TLTD) to improve nurses’ competencies. Method: Used Explanatory cross-sectional involved 190 practitioner nurses. Variables of individual characters (X1), facilities (X2), Social environment support/SES (X3), TLTD (X4), ISS (X5), and nursing competencies (Y) were measured. Data was collected using a checklist questionnaire, conducted on 6 June to 10 August 2022 at Dili, Baucau, and Maliana hospitals. Used descriptive and inferential analysis with SEM-PLS. Result: Five of the 11 hypotheses of statistical p-value < 0,05 and T-Test > 1,96, including X2>X4, X3>X5, X4>X5, and X5>y, to form ISS learning model. The characteristic of respondents were 81,8% young adults, 67,9% women, 57,8% undergraduates, judging the previous training 35% was unsuccessful, and 45,8% did not meet expectations. Learning facilities that are still lacking include policies 23,7%, curriculum 23,4%, guideline 22,7%, modules 27,9%, infrastructure 20,3%, social environment support 24,2% low, organizational support, 30,0% low peer support and 26,3% low family support. The average TLTD is 25,3% to 34,2%, ISS 22,1% to 30,5%, and nurse competence 25,3% to 30,5%.Suggestion: Result of the study become base to improve nurse’s competencies. Conclusion: Learning model was formed by facilities, SES, TLTD, ISS, and nurses’ competencies.

Background: Takayasu’s arteritis is a rare type of vasculitis, with severe complications like stroke, ischemic heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, secondary hypertension, aneurysms. Diagnosis is conducted by clinical and angiographic criteria. Treatment is medical and surgical, but unfortunately, the outcome is reserved. Case presentation: A 34- year- old Caucasian women had an ischemic stroke (2009). She was diagnosed with Takayasu’s arteritis and she received treatment with methotrexate, prednisolone, antiplatelet agents, with a mild improvement of clinical state. After 5 years (2014) she associated ascending aorta aneurysm, pulmonary hypertension, mild aortic regurgitation. The surgical treatment solved both ascending aorta aneurysm and left carotid artery stenosis (ultrasound in 2009 and computed tomography angiogram in 2014). Morphopathology revealed typical appearance for Takayasu’s arteritis. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNF-inhibitors) were associated to methotrexate. At 48 years (2023) she developed coronary heart disease (angina, electrocardiogram); echocardiography revealed severe pulmonary hypertension; angiography described normal coronary arteries, abdominal aorta pseudoaneurysm and arterial-venous fistula, with origin in right coronary artery and drainage on medium pulmonary artery. The patient refused surgical/ interventional treatment; she received again TNF- inhibitors, methotrexate, antiplatelet agents, statins. Conclusions: This case report presents us a severe form of Takayasu’s arteritis. We consider that morphopathology had a great importance in revealing to clinicians the typical appearance and the stadialization of inflammatory arterial process: acute or chronic. The verdict of morphopathologist was chronic phase, with acute relapses, so we decided that immunosuppressive treatment was still necessary.

Machine learning approaches are currently used to understand or model complex physical systems. In general, a substantial number of samples must be collected to create a model with reliable results. However, collecting numerous data is often relatively time-consuming or expensive. Moreover, the problems of industrial interest tend to be more and more complex and depending on a high number of parameters. High dimensional problems intrinsically involve the need of large data amount through the curse of dimensionality. That is why, new approaches based on smart sampling techniques are investigated to minimize the number of samples to be given to train the model, such as Active Learning methods. Here, we propose a technique based on a combination of Fisher information matrix and of Sparse Proper Generalized Decomposition that enables the definition of a new Active Learning informativeness criterion in high dimensions. We provide examples proving the performances of this technique on a theoretical 5D polynomial function and on an industrial crash simulation application. The results prove that the proposed strategy over-perform the usual ones.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; sleep disorders; GBA; Parkin

Hypsizygus marmoreus has become one of the most popular edible mushrooms due to its high nu-tritional and economic value. Previous researchers found that Serratia odorifera could promote the growth of H. marmoreus by producing and secreting some of its inducers. However, the specific mechanism of action was still unclear. In this study, we found that exogenous addition of sterile fermentation filtrate (HZSO-1), quorum sensing (QS signaling molecules, 3-oxo-C6-HSL, cy-clo(Pro-Leu), and cyclo(Tyr-Leu) could significantly promote the growth of H. marmoreus, increase the number of clamp junctions, and the diameter of mycelium (P < 0.05). In addition, non-targeted metabolomic analysis has revealed that 706 metabolites were detected in the treated group. Of these, 307 metabolites were significantly different (P < 0.05). Compared with the control, 54 and 86 metabolites were significantly increased and decreased in the HZSO-1 group, respec-tively (P < 0.05). We speculated that the sterile fermentation filtrate of S. odorifera could mediate the carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism of H. marmoreus by influencing the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to increase the energy supply for the growth and development of the mycelium. The above results will further reveal the growth-promoting mechanism of S. odorifera on H. mar-moreus.

Based on the high-precision quantitative measurement ability, the S-band subsystem of China's high- resolution aviation system carried out the agricultural application test for the first time in Jilin elm, China. The experiment is mainly carried out in combination with vegetation growth, soil moisture content inversion, wheat straw returning and ground feature classification. Through the design of quantitative measurement scheme, the results of different straw coverage and observation at different times are compared, which shows the prospect of S-band full polarization synthetic aperture radar system in the field of agricultural application.

A problem involving the government's inspection of coins in Lower Slobbovia is discussed in the \emph{American Mathematical Monthly}. It is desirable to classify and correct counterfeit coins by utilizing the fewest possible measures. However, previous article only proves the existence of the solution, which does not give a practical solution to the problem. This note provides effective methods to achieve the identification of coiners using dirac delta function and singularity function. Moreover, unit-order construction of continuum mappings and discretization of unique basis vectors with semi-expansion are established in S-base space.

Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process in eukaryotic cells. Reactive nitrogen species play roles as inductors and signaling molecules of autophagy. A key mechanism of NO-mediated signaling is S-nitrosylation, a posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins at cysteine resi-dues. In the present work we analyzed the patterns of protein S-nitrosylation during the induc-tion of autophagy in Triticum aestivum roots. The accumulation of S-nitrosylated proteins in the cells during autophagy induced by KNO2 and antimycin A was visualized using monoclonal an-tibodies by Western blot analysis, and proteins were identified using a standard bottom-up pro-teomics approach. Protein S-nitrosylation is a labile and reversible PTM, and therefore SNO group can be lost during experimental procedures. Subsequent bioinformatic analysis using predictive algorithms and protein-ligand docking showed that identified proteins possess hypothetical S-nitrosylation sites. Analyzing protein-protein interaction networks enabled us to discover the targets that can directly interact with autophagic proteins, and those that can interact with them indirectly via key multifunctional regulatory proteins. In this study, we show that S-nitrosylation is a key mechanism of NO-mediated regulation of autophagy in wheat roots. A combination of in silico predictive algorithms with a mass spectrometry analysis provides a targeted approach for the identification of S-nitrosylated proteins.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic progressive disease caused by various factors, and causes various cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Reducing the plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary goal in preventing and treating AS. Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) plays a crucial role in regulating LDL-C metabolism. Panax notoginseng has potent lipid-reducing effects and protects against CVDs, and its saponins induce vascular dilatation, inhibit thrombus formation, and are used in treating CVDs. However, the anti-AS effect of the secondary metabolite, 20(S) -protopanaxatriol (20(S)-PPT), remains unclear. In this study, the anti-AS effect and molecular mechanism of 20(S)-PPT were investigated in vivo and in vitro by western blotting, real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence staining, and other assays. The in vitro experiments revealed that 20(S)-PPT reduced the levels of PCSK9 in the supernatant of HepG2 cells, upregulated low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) protein levels, promoted LDL uptake by HepG2 cells, and reduced PCSK9 mRNA transcription by upregulating the levels of FoxO3 protein and mRNA and decreasing the levels of HNF1α protein and mRNA. The in vivo experiments revealed that 20(S)-PPT upregulated aortic αSMA expression, increased the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, and reduced aortic plaque formation induced by a high-cholesterol fed in ApoE-/- mice (HCF group). Additionally, 20(S)-PPT reduced the aortic expression of CD68, reduced inflammation in the aortic root, and alleviated the hepatic lesions in the HCF group. The study revealed that 20(S)-PPT inhibited LDLR degradation via PCSK9 to alleviate AS.

Sepsis is a serious and life-threatening medical emergency associated with dysregulated host immune responses to infection. Like cerebral vascular or acute cardiovascular incidents, sepsis is considered a time-dependent condition having severe and long-term consequences on human health. Apart from organ support, prompt administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is crucial to limit the burden of complications related to sepsis in ICU patients. The management of septic patients requires comprehensive and multi-disciplinary strategies for an adequate diagnosis. Most of the ICU population receives empirical antibiotic therapy without having a confirmed diagnosis. The misuse of antibiotics in intensive care units may increase the possibility of developing multidrug resistance along with considerable ecological side effects. The first doses of empirical anti-microbial therapy are slightly higher, regardless of the presence or absence of organ dysfunction, which may upregulate the production of circulating pro-and-anti-inflammatory mediators, having negative effects on the general well-being of the patients. This notion supports the introduction of individualized antimicrobial approaches based on local patterns of resistance to ensure the appropriate dosage of empirical therapy, as well as to limit the emergence of multidrug resistance in advanced-care patients. The adequacy and treatment duration must be viewed at regular intervals for effective de-escalation, and novel diagnostic approaches must be introduced to improve the quality of care in the ICU population.

Till date there are three full length COVID 19 virus genome sequences available from India. The earlier two were reported from Kerala, Southern India and the more recent one has been reported from Gujarat, western part of India. In this paper we report two novel mutations in the Spike protein sequence of Gujarat’s isolate. These mutations are based on comparison with the original Wuhan sequence. The two mutations have been found to be located just upstream and downstream of the receptor binding domain (RBD). Out of these two one has also been found to affect the secondary structure of the S1 domain. Since both of these mutations lie near the receptor binding domain, they might influence the spike receptor interactions by changing the conformation of the spike protein S1 domain. These mutations are uniquely placed and might be important in the context of vaccine engineering and therapeutic interventions.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is recognized worldwide as one of the major agents of dairy cow intra-mammary infections. This microorganism can express a wide spectrum of pathogenic factors used to attach, colonize, invade and infect the host. The present study evaluated 120 isolates from eight different countries that were genotyped by RS-PCR and investigated for 26 different virulence factors to increase the knowledge on the circulating genetic lineages among the cow population with mastitis. New genotypes were observed for South African strains while for all the other countries new variants of existing genotypes were detected. For each country, a specific genotypic pattern was found. Among the virulence factors, fmtB, cna, clfA and leucocidins genes were the most frequent. The sea and sei genes were present in seven out of eight countries; seh showed high frequency in South American countries (Brazil, Colombia, Argentina), while sel was harboured especially in one Mediterranean country (Tunisia). The etb, seb and see genes were not detected in any of the isolates, while only two isolates were MRSA (Germany and Italy) confirming the low diffusion of methicillin resistance microorganism among bovine mastitis isolates. This work demonstrated the wide variety of S. aureus genotypes found in dairy cattle worldwide. This condition suggests that considering the region of interest might help to formulate strategies for reducing the infection spreading.

With the aim to develop novel scaffolds for sustained release of drugs, we initially developed an easy approach for the synthesis of α,ω-homobifunctional mercaptoacyl poly(alkyl oxide)s. This was based on the esterification of the terminal hydroxyl groups of poly(alkyl oxide)s with suitably S-4-methoxytrityl (Mmt) protected mercapto acids, followed by removal of the acid labile S-Mmt group. This method allowed the efficient synthesis of the title compounds in high yield and purity, which were further used in the development a thioether cross-linked liposome scaffold, by thia-Michael reaction of the terminal thiol groups with preformed nano-sized liposomes bearing maleimide groups on their surface. The reaction process was followed by 1H-NMR, using a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) relaxation dispersion NMR experiment (1H-NMR CPMG), which allowed real-time monitoring and optimization of the reaction process. The thioether cross-linked liposomal scaffold that was synthesized was proven to preserve the nanosized characteristics of the initial liposomes and allowed sustained release of calcein (which was used as a chromophore), providing evidence for the efficient synthesis of a novel drug release scaffold consisted of nanoliposome building blocks.

This article is the first part of a scientific project under the general title "Geometrized Vacuum Physics". This study is based on two main postulates: 1) independence of the propagation velocity of electromagnetic waves in vacuum from their frequency; 2) the constancy of the averaged zero vacuum balance, associated with the assertion that only mutually opposite formations are born from vacuum, so that on average they completely compensate for each other's manifestations. In this part of the "Geometrized Vacuum Physics" the foundations of the Algebra of Stignatures are laid, which is the mathematical and logical foundation of the entire project. In the next articles of this project it will be shown that the Algebra of Stignatures can be used for the development of "zero" (vacuum) technologies, algebraic genetics, vacuum cosmology, the vacuum standard model of "elementary particles", vacuum gravity and levitation, vacuum energy, ethics and aesthetics and many other branches of knowledge. At the end of this article, one of the many possible applications of the Algebra of Stignatures is given, in particular, the basics of the stignature-spectral analysis are outlined, with the help of which the possibilities of communication channels can be significantly expanded.

Considering increasingly ambitious pledges by countries, pressure from society, investors, and clients further up the supply chain, the question for companies is not so much whether to take decarbonisation action, but what action and by when. However, determining an ideal mix of measures to apply ‘decarbonisation efficiency’ requires more than knowledge of technically feasible measures and how to combine them to achieve the most economic outcome: In this paper, the author describes seven aspects which heavily influence the composition of an ‘ideal mix’ that executive leadership needs to take a (strategic) position on. These aspects consider underlying motivations and span across (socio-)economic, technical, regulatory, strategic, corporate culture and environmental factors and further underline the necessity of clarity of definitions. How these decisions influence the determination of the decarbonisation-efficient ideal mix of measures, both in principle but also in terms of specific impact is further explored by providing examples. What choices are taken by German manufacturers in several of the aspects is disclosed by insights from about 850 responses to the ‘Energy Efficiency Index of German Industry’. Knowledge of the status quo, and clarity in definitions, objectives, time frames and scope are key.

The plant Allium hookeri, belonging to the Allium genus, has a history of being used both as a common food ingredient and in herbal medicine. It has recently been reported to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. A. hookeri has been also shown to exhibit neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory activities, but the active compounds responsible for these effects have not been identified in previous studies. This study aimed to perform a metabolite profiling using an HRESI-qTOF MS/MS-based molecular networking approach and identify the active compounds from A. hookeri that target senescent cell-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) inhibitory effects, which contribute to neuroprotective activities. As a result, ten compounds, including one new flavonoid (2) and nine known compounds (1 and 3–10), were identified, and their biological activity was tested. The most potent compound was N-trans-feruloyltyramine (7), which inhibited SASP markers and contributed to the senomorphic activities of A. hookeri. These findings suggest that the phenolamides from A. hookeri could be a promising source of bioactive compounds for preventing senescence-associated diseases.

Fifty-two kinds of N’-phenylhydrazides were successfully designed and synthesized. Their anti-fungal activity in vitro against five strains of C. alb. was evaluated. All prepared compounds owned varying degrees of activity and their MIC80, TAI, and TSI values were calculated. The in-hibitory activities of 27/52 compounds against fluconazole-resistant fungi C. alb. 4395 and C. alb. 5272 were much higher than those of fluconazole. The MIC80 values of 14/52 compounds against fluconazole-resistant fungus C. alb. 5122 were less than 4 μg/mL, so it was the most sensitive fungus (TSIB = 12.0). A11 showed the highest inhibitory activity against C. alb. SC5314, 4395, and 5272. The antifungal activities of B14 and D5 against four strains of fluconazole-resistant fungi were higher than those of fluconazole. The TAI values of A11 (2.71), B14 (2.13), and D5 (2.25) are the highest. Further exploring the antifungal mechanism revealed that the fungus treated with compound A11 produced free radicals and reactive oxygen species, and their mycelium mor-phology was damaged. In conclusion, the hydrazide scaffold showed potential in the develop-ment of antifungal lead compounds. Among them, A11, B14, and D5 demonstrated particularly promising antifungal activity and hold potential as novel antifungal agents.

Aberrant glycosylation affects cancer progression and immune evasion. Approximately 15% of colorectal cancers (CRCs) demonstrate microsatellite instability (MSI) and display major differences in outcomes and therapeutic responses as compared to corresponding microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors. We compared the N-glycan profiles of stage II and IV MSI CRC tumors, further subdivided into BRAFV600E wild-type and mutated subgroups (n=10 in each subgroup), with each other and with those of paired non-neoplastic mucosal samples using mass spectrometry. Further, the N-glycans of BRAFV600E wild-type stage II MSI tumors were compared to corresponding MSS tumors (n=9). Multiple differences in N-glycan profiles were identified between MSI CRCs and control tissues, as well as between stage II MSI and MSS samples. MSI CRC tumors showed a lower relative abundance of high-mannose N-glycans than the control tissues or the MSS CRCs. Among MSI CRC subgroups, acidic N-glycans showed tumor stage and BRAF mutation status dependent variation. Especially large, sulfated/phosphorylated, and putative terminal N-acetylhexosamine containing acidic N-glycans differed between the MSI CRC subgroups, showing opposite changes in stage II and IV, when comparing BRAF mutated and wild-type tumors. Our results show that molecular subgroups of CRC have characteristic glycan profiles that may explain certain carcinogenic properties of MSI tumors.

The use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers can have detrimental effects on the environment due to nitrate leaching. This study aims to examine the impact of N fertilizer source and application timing on wheat yield and nitrate leaching in various soil textures. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed to conduct the experiment. The treatments consisted of two N fertilizer sources: ammonium nitrate (AN) and urea (NN), applied at three different times throughout the year, with a control treatment. The three application timings were total application before sowing (T₁), total application in spring (T₂), and half the amount before sowing and the other half in spring (T₃). The experiment was conducted in three different soil textures (sandy loam, silty clay loam, and silty clay), with three replications over three growing seasons: 2018-19 (Y₁), 2019-20 (Y₂), and 2020-21 (Y₃). The results indicated significant effects of different soil textures on grain yield. Specifically, the silty clay loam soil differed significantly from the sandy loam and silty clay soils in terms of grain yield. The interaction effects between the N fertilizer source and application timing were also found to be significant for all soil textures (p<0.01). In sandy loam and silty clay soils, the grain yield increased when using the T₃ application timing compared to the silty clay loam soil. Notably, the silty clay loam soil with the T₂ application timing exhibited the highest grain yield, with a yield of 6863.6 kg ha^-1. Furthermore, the study revealed that N fertilizers and their application timing significantly influenced the protein content in the silty clay and sandy loam soils. The protein percentages were 10.76 and 10.93 for the silty clay and sandy loam soils, respectively, following the T₂ treatment. Additionally, ammonium nitrate (AN) demonstrated a noticeable effect on the percentage of grain protein compared to urea (NN). In conclusion, the application timing of N fertilizers had an impact on grain yield and protein content in different soil textures. Moreover, nitrate concentration increased throughout the experiment, with the highest soil nitrate concentration observed in both fertilizer treatments, particularly in the sandy loam soil.

High-quality rice (Oryza sativa L.) is increasingly widely planted in China with the improvement of people's living standards and the achievement of rice breeding efforts in recent years. However, the agronomic and physiological performances of high-quality indica rice (HQIR) under different nitrogen(N) application conditions in southern China are little known. Two-year consecutive field experiments were conducted with two HQIR and two ordinary-quality indica rice (OQIR) varieties under moderate and high N application rates, with yield and yield components, biomass, N up-take, and their related traits investigated. We found that grain yields of HQIR were slightly de-creased, but grain yields of OQIR were significantly increased by 6.60%-8.88% under high N rate compared with moderate N rate in both years. Thereby, OQIR produced 8.34%-11.87% and 22.00%-22.50% higher grain yield than HQIR under moderate and high N rates, respectively. The different responses of grain yield to N application rates were mainly due to decreased grain set-ting rate in HQIR and increased spikelets m-2 in OQIR under high N rate. Furthermore, high N rate significantly reduced pre-anthesis AE and improved grain-leaf area ratio, while did not in-crease post-anthesis DM compared with moderate N rate in HQIR, which might result in carbon metabolic deterioration and imbalance of source-sink relationship and subsequently lower supply of carbohydrate to panicle. Our results suggest that a moderate N rate (165 kg N ha-1) is beneficial for HQIR varieties to balance the maximum grain yield and high quality in southern China

Graphene-based nanomaterials have emerged as promising materials for a wide range of applications.. Therefore, in the last years carbon nanoparticles have attracted great attention due to their low toxicity, high biocompatibility and easy preparation. Recently, N-doped carbon nanoparticles have been shown to have improved antibacterial activity over the undoped nanomaterial, but it is difficult to find correlations between the structure of the nanoparticle and its antibacterial activity. With this purpose, here, we analyze the effect of both, the nanoparticle size and the surface chemical composition of four N-doped carbon nanoparticles on the growth of Escherichia coli bacteria. Our results were analyzed using a Ligand-Substrate model based on the Monod´s equation, which allows us to interpret the dependence of the nanoparticle-bacteria affinity with the nanomaterial structure.

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic and antidepressant with several biological targets. Among the many targets, ketamine, notably, has an antagonistic effect on molecular N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and has been identified as a non-competitive inhibitor of these receptors. Although ketamine has a wide range of therapeutic uses in the clinical setting, it is often used recreationally due to its psychoactive and analgesic effects. Regardless of the indication, prenatal exposure to ketamine has been widely investigated. The misuse of this drug, particularly in pregnant women, has been a point of concern. The neurotoxic potential of ketamine positions it as a danger to a developing fetus. Furthermore, the ability of ketamine to cross the blood-placental barrier poses a threat to the health and maturation processes of the neonate. This paper reviewed published work that explores the mechanisms through which prenatal ketamine exposure can cause altered neurodevelopment, neurobehavior, and the physiological consequences that follow. By exploring investigations using multiple different subjects such as: rodents, non-human primates, and human subjects, this paper develops a full picture of the existing data to generate a strong foundation for improved and informed public health policies.

Development of K-Ras independence may explain failure of targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer (PC). In this paper active N as well as K-Ras was shown in all human cell lines tested. In a cell line dependent on mutant K-Ras, it was shown that depleting K-Ras reduced total Ras activity, while cell lines described as independent had no significant decline in total Ras activity. Knockdown of N-Ras showed it had an important role in controlling the relative level of oxidative metabolism but only K-Ras depletion caused a decrease in G2 cyclins, proteasome inhibition reversed this and other targets of APC/c were also decreased by K-Ras depletion. K-Ras depletion did not cause an increase in ubiquitinated G2 cyclins but instead caused exit from G2 phase to slow relative to completion of S-phase, suggesting mutant K-Ras may inhibit APC/c prior to anaphase but stabilizes G2 cyclins independently of this. We propose that during tumorigenesis, cancer cells expressing wild type N-Ras protein are selected because the protein protects cancer cells from the deleterious effects of cell cycle independent induction of cyclins by mutant K-Ras. Mutation independence results when N-Ras activity becomes adequate to drive cell division even in cells where K-Ras is inhibited. Keywords: Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, K-Ras, N-Ras, G2 cyclins.

In recent years, the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in regulating cell physiology has begun to be better understood. Recent discoveries in viral molecular biology have revealed that such cellular functions are disturbed during viral infections mainly due to host cell ncRNAs, cellular factors, and virus-derived ncRNAs. Apart from the interplay between those molecules, other interactions derive from the specific folding of RNA virus genomes. These fulfill canonical regulation functions such as replication, translation, and viral packaging. In some cases, folds serve as precursors of small viral RNAs whose biogenesis is not yet clearly understood. Since ncRNAs and RNA viral genomes modulate complex molecular and cellular processes in viral infections, a new taxonomy is being proposed here overarching three main categories, considering the current information about ncRNA interactions in some well-known viral infections. The first category shows examples of host ncRNAs associated with the trigger of the immune response under viral infections. The second category describes interactions between the virus and host ncRNAs. The last category shows how the shape of the RNA viral genome is essential in processing RNAs derived from viruses. Finally, we introduce evidence of how these three categories can also work as a framework in order to organize known interactions of ncRNAs and cellular factors under DENV infection. This new taxonomy of interactions provides a comprehensive framework for organizing the ncRNA regulatory roles in the context of viral interactions and an RNA world.

The photocatalysis process over N-doped TiO2 under visible light is examined for Pb(II) oxidation to form the less toxic and handleable PbO2 suggesting a new method for Pb(II) remediation. The doping TiO2 with N element was conducted by simple hydrothermal technique and using urea as the N source with various concentrations. The doped photocatalysts were characterized by DRUVS, XRD, FTIR and SEM-EDX instruments. Photocatalysis of Pb(II) through batch experiment was performed for evaluation of the doped TiO2 activity under visible light, with applying various fractions of N doped, photocatalyst weigh, irradiation time, and solution pH. The research results attributed that N doping has been successfully performed, that shifted TiO2 absorption into visible region, allowing it to be active under visible irradiation. The photocatalytic removal of Pb(II) under visible ligth over N-TiO2 showed more effective than that of over the un-doped photocatalyst. The removal of Pb(II) has notably taken place through oxidation, that may form PbO2. The highest photocatalytic oxidation of Pb(II) 15 mg/L in 25 mL of the solution could be reached by using TiO2 doped with 10%w of N, 15 mg of N-TiO2 weight, 30 minutes of time, and at pH 8, suggesting a feseable method for Pb(II) remediation.

A series of chiral complexes of the form Ir(NHC)2(aa)(H)(X) (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene, aa = chelated amino acid, X = halide) was synthesized by oxidative addition of -amino acids to iridium(I) bis-NHC compounds and screened for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Following optimization of the reaction conditions, NHC, and amino acid ligands, high enantioselectivity was achieved when employing the Ir(IMe)2(l-Pro)(H)(I) catalyst (IMe = 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene), which asymmetrically reduces a range of acetophenone derivatives in up to 95% enantiomeric excess.

The infections caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), genus Alphavirus, have become a health problem around the world, due to this virus’s widespread occurrence and high morbidity rate and the absence of vaccines or antiviral drugs. In this study, we analyzed a competitive inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase—an enzyme that is key in the biosynthesis of polyamines (PAs), N-ω-chloroacetyl-L-ornithine (NCAO), which is a possible inhibitor of CHIKV replication because intracellular polyamines participate in the in vitro transcription and translation of CHIKV. NCAO does not have any cytotoxic effect on C6/36 cells even at 1000 μM at 72 h post-exposure. However, in Vero cells, a cytotoxic effect was present above 380 μM at 48 h post-exposure, which was considered when determining the inhibitory effect on viral replication. In this work, we demonstrate that NCAO inhibits the replication of CHIKV in Vero and C6/36 cells in a dose-dependent manner, causing a decrease in the PFU/mL of at least 4 logarithms (p <0.01) in both cell lines. Viral yields were restored by the addition of exogenous polyamines, mainly putrescine. The HPLC analyses showed that NCAO decreases the content of intracellular PAs, even though mainly spermidines and spermines are present in infected cells. NCAO inhibits CHIKV replication by depleting the intracellular polyamines in Vero and C6/36 cells, suggesting that this compound is a possible antiviral for CHIKV infections.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the global pandemic as COVID-19, which is the most notorious global public health crisis in the last 100 years. SARS-CoV-2 is composed of four structural proteins and several non-structured proteins. The multi-facet nucleocapsid (N) protein is the major component of structural proteins of CoVs, However, there are no dedicated genomic, sequences and structural analyses focusing on potential roles of N protein. Hence, there is an urgent requirement of a detailed study on N protein of SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we are presenting a comprehensive study on N protein from SARS-CoV-2. We have identified seven motifs conserved in the three major domains namely N-terminal domain, linker regions and the C-terminal domains. Out of seven motifs, six motifs are conserved across different members of coronaviridae, while motif4 is specific for SARS CoVs with potential amyloidogenic properties. Additionally, we report this protein has large patches of disordered regions flanking with these seven motifs. These motifs are hubs of epitopes with 67 experimentally verified epitopes from related viruses. We report the presence of three nuclear localization signals (NLS1-NLS3 mapped to 36-41, 256-26, and 363-389 residues, respectively) and two nuclear export signals (NES1-NLS2 from 151-161 and 217-230 residues, respectively) in the N protein of SARS-CoV-2. These deciphered two Q-patches as Q-patch1 and Q-patch2, mapped in the regions of 266-306, and 361-418 residues, which potentially help in the aggregation of the viral proteins along with ²¹⁹LALLLLDR²²⁶ patch. Additionally, we have identified 14 antiviral drugs potentially binding to seven motifs of N-proteins using docking-based drug discovery methods.

A hydrothermal pretreatment of the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana at mild temperatures has been studied in order to reduce N and O content in the biocrude obtained by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). The work is focused on the evaluation of temperature, reactor loading and time (factors) to maximize the yield of the pretreated biomass and the heteroatom contents transferred from the microalga biomass to the aqueous phase (responses). The study followed the factorial design and response surface methodology. An equation for every response has been obtained, which leads to the accurate calculation of the operating conditions required to obtain a given value of these responses. Temperature and time are critical factors with a negative effect on the pretreated biomass yield, but a positive one on the N and O recovery in the aqueous phase. The slurry concentration has to be low to increase heteroatom recovery and high to maximize the pretreated microalga yields

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are widely used in geographic and environmental studies. In the current work, the fusion of multi-source DEMs is investigated to improve the overall accuracy of public domain DEMs. Multi-scale decomposition is an important analytical method in data fusion. Three multi-scale decomposition methods – the wavelet transform (WT), bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) and nonlinear adaptive multi-scale decomposition (N-AMD) - are applied to the 1-arc-second Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Global digital elevation model (SRTM-1 DEM) and the Advanced Land Observing Satellite World 3D – 30 m digital surface model (AW3D30 DSM) in China. Of these, the WT and BEMD are popular image fusion methods. A new approach for DEM fusion is developed using N-AMD (which is originally invented to remove the cycle from sunspots). Subsequently, a window-based rule is proposed for the fusion of corresponding frequency components obtained by these methods. Quantitative results show that N-AMD is more suitable for multi-scale fusion of multi-source DEMs, taking the ice cloud and land elevation satellite (ICESat) global land surface altimetry data as a reference. The vertical accuracy of the fused DEM shows significant improvements of 29.6% and 19.3% in a mountainous region and 27.4% and 15.5% in a low-relief region, compared to the SRTM-1 and AW3D30 respectively. Furthermore, a slope position-based linear regression method is developed to calibrate the fused DEM for different slope position classes, by investigating the distribution of the fused DEM error with topography. The results indicate that the accuracy of the DEM calibrated by this method is improved by 16% and 13.6%, compared to the fused DEM in the mountainous region and low-relief region respectively, proving that it is a practical and simple means of further increasing the accuracy of the fused DEM.

The traditional Chinese drug Bombyx Batryticatus mori.L (BBm) which is also named the white stiff silkworm has been widely used in Chinese clinics for thousands of years. It is famous for its antispasmodic and blood circulation promoting effects. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, interstitial cell hyperplasia and myocardial fibrosis are closely related to the N-glycosylation of key proteins. To examine the alterations of N-glycosylation that occur in diabetic myocardium during the early stage of the disease and clarify the therapeutic effect of 1-DNJ extracted from BBm, we used the db/db mouse model and an approach based on hydrophilic chromatography solid-phase extraction integrated with an LC-MS/MS identification strategy to perform a site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of left ventricular cardiomyocyte proteins. AGEs, hydroxyproline, CTGF and other serum biochemical indicators were measured with ELISA. In addition, the α1,6-fucosylation of N-glycans was profiled with LCA lectin blots and FITC-labelled lectin affinity histochemistry. The results indicated that 1-DNJ administration obviously downregulated myocardium protein N-glycosylation in db/db mice. The expression levels of serum indicators and fibrosis-related cytokines were reduced significantly by 1-DNJ in a dose-dependent manner. The glycan α1,6-fucosylation level of the db/db mouse myocardium was elevated, and the intervention effect of 1-DNJ administration on N-glycan α1,6-fucosylation was significant. To verify this result, the well-known TGF-β/smad2/3 pathway was selected, and core α1,6-fucosylated TGFR-βⅡ was analysed semi-quantitatively with western blotting. The result supported the conclusions obtained from LCA lectin affinity histochemistry and lectin blot analysis. The expression level of FUT8 mRNA was also detected, and the results showed that 1-DNJ administration did not cause obvious inhibitory effects on FUT8 expression. Therefore, the mechanism of 1-DNJ to relieve the DCM-associated fibrosis can be concluded as the inhibition of N-GlcNAc formation and the reduction of substrate concentration.

We explore the possibility of using the external regions of galaxy clusters to measure their mass accretion rate (MAR). The main goal is to provide a method to observationally investigate the growth of structures on the nonlinear scales of galaxy clusters. We derive the MAR by using the mass profile beyond the splashback radius, evaluating the mass of a spherical shell and the time it takes to fall in. The infall velocity of the shell is extracted from N-body simulations. The average MAR returned by our prescription in the redshift range z=[0, 2] is within 20-40% of the average MAR derived from the merger trees of dark matter haloes in the reference N-body simulations. Our result suggests that the external regions of galaxy clusters can be used to measure the mean MAR of a sample of clusters.

The editorial explores the realm of emerging translational research in neurology and psychiatry, providing insights into various subjects, including neurodegenerative disorders and innovative therapeutic methods. The main objective is to study neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, with a particular emphasis on techniques for neural regeneration and repair. The editorial highlights the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to studying and treating complex neurological and psychiatric conditions. This involves thoroughly reviewing research papers on the causes, development, biomarkers, and treatment options for these conditions. The editorial emphasizes the necessity of using multidisciplinary and integrative methods to gain a deeper understanding and improve the treatment of these conditions. The development of an animal model for recurrent primary dysmenorrhea showcases the innovative techniques employed in the investigation of gynecological disorders, illustrating the capacity of translational research to connect fundamental scientific knowledge with practical medical applications. The cooperative endeavors of researchers and clinicians emphasized in this editorial lay the foundation for revolutionary advancements that hold the potential to enhance outcomes for individuals afflicted with neurological and psychiatric disorders globally.

Recent research has implicated the gut microbiota in the development of lymphoma. Dysbiosis of the gut microbial community can disrupt the production of gut microbial metabolites, thereby impacting host physiology and potentially contributing to lymphoma. Dysbiosis-driven release of gut microbial metabolites such as lipopolysaccharides can promote chronic inflammation, potentially elevating the risk of lymphoma. In contrast, gut microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, have shown promise in preclinical studies by promoting regulatory T-cell function, suppressing inflammation, and preventing lymphoma. Another metabolite, urolithin A, exhibited immunomodulatory and antiproliferative properties against lymphoma cell lines in vitro. While research on the role of gut microbial metabolites in lymphoma is limited, this article emphasizes the need to comprehend their significance, including therapeutic applications, molecular mechanisms of action, and interactions with standard chemotherapies. The article also suggests promising directions for future research in this emerging lymphoma and gut microbiome investigation field.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prevalent autoimmune condition, yet its alignment with a specific host immunological pathway remains unclear. The THαβ host immunological pathway, recognized for its defense against viruses and prions, has recently emerged as a response to DNA, RNA, and protein pathogens. SLE patients often produce anti-double strand DNA antibodies and anti-nuclear antibodies, suggesting a potential association with the THαβ host immune reaction. Throughout the course of SLE, elevated levels of type 1 interferons, type 3 interferons, interleukin-10, IgG1, and IgA1 are commonly observed. These cytokines and antibody isotypes are indicative of the THαβ host immunological pathway. Similarly, Myasthenia gravis, Grave’s disease, Graft versus host disease, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia, dermatomyositis, and Sjogren’s syndrome are also linked to THαβ-related type 2 hypersensitivities. Considering the potential association of these diseases with dysregulated THαβ immune responses, therapeutic strategies such as anti-interleukin-10 or anti-interferons α/β could be explored to manage these disorders effectively.

Materials based on platinum metals with very good catalytic activity were tested in the reduction of p–nitrophenol (pNP) to p–aminophenol (pAP). The majority of presented catalytic materials are based on the adsorption of p–nitrophenol on the surface of the catalyst simultaneously with molecular hydrogen, coming from sodium borohydride in an aqueous medium, which reduces it. In the present paper, a catalytic material based on osmium dispersed in n–decanol or n–dodecanol is presented, which also works as an emulsion membrane, for the absorption of p–nitrophenol and molecular hydrogen at the n–alcohol aqueous solution interface. The hydrogenation of p–nitrophenol is carried out in a reaction and separation column in which the acid receiving phase emulsion is dispersed in the osmium nanodispersion, in n–alcohols. This emulsion circulates from the base of the column to its upper part in co-current or counter-current with the source phase consisting of p–nitrophenol and sodium borohydride. Experiments show that the circulation of counter-current phases is superior to that in co-current, and the emulsion based on n–decanol is more efficient than the one based on n–dodecanol. The increase in the pH difference between the source and receiving phases leads to the increase in the conversion of p–nitrophenol to p–aminophenol. The efficiency of separation of the reaction product in the receiving phase is lower than the conversion at the same operating time. The apparent catalytic rate constant (kapp) of the new catalytic material based on the emulsion membrane with nanodispersion of osmium nanoparticles (0.1×10−3 for n–dodecanol and 0.9×10−3 for n-decanol) is lower by an order of magnitude compared to those based on adsorption on catalysts from platinum metal group. The advantage of the tested membrane catalytic material is that it extracts p–aminophenol in the acid receiving phase. The paper proposes a mechanism of the studied reduction system.

There has been significant increase of studies investigating plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer’s and their relationship to cognitive functioning. The impact of ethnicity on this relationship has not been extensively studied. The current research investigated the relationship between the plasma biomarkers of total tau, Aβ40, Aβ42 and NfL and neuropsychological test performance in a bi-ethnic sample of cognitively unimpaired, older community dwelling adults. The 1326 cognitively unimpaired participants drawn from The Health & Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities (HABS-HD) study included 765 Mexican American participants and 860 non-Hispanic White participants with complete plasma biomarkers and neuropsychological testing. Plasma samples were assayed using Simoa technology. Significant differences in concentrations were found for all of the plasma biomarkers. NHWs had significantly higher levels of each of the biomarkers with a lower Aβ42/ Aβ40. With none of the biomarkers related to performance on any of the neuropsychological tests. For MAs, Aβ40 was the only biomarker that was significantly related to neuropsychological test performance. Aβ40 levels were negatively related to performance on Trails A, Trails B and Digit Symbol Substitution. Results suggest that the relationship of these biomarkers to cognitive functioning is impacted by ethnicity and may be domain specific.

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.), a root vegetable belonging to the Brassicaceae family, is considered as one of the representative crops displaying sporophytic self-incompatibility (SSI). The utilization of a self-incompatibility system in F1 breeding can improve the efficiency of cross combinations, leading to a reduction in breeding time and aiding in the development of novel F1 varieties. The successful implementation of this system necessitates the rapid and accurate identification of S haplotypes in parental lines. In this study, we identified a total of 9 S haplotypes among 22 elite radish lines through Sanger sequencing. Subsequently, we obtained sequences for showing 95% similarity to 9 S haplotypes, along with sequences identified by other researchers using BLAST. Following this, multiple sequence alignment (MSA) was conducted to identify SRK and SLG sequence similarities, as well as polymorphisms within the class I, II groups. Subsequently, S haplotype-specific marker sets were developed, targeting polymorphic regions of SRK and SLG alleles. These markers successfully amplified each of 9 S haplotypes. these markers will play a crucial role in the rapid and precise identification of parental S haplotypes in the radish F1 breeding process, proving instrumental in the radish F1 purity test.

Background: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are well defined phenotypes of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). A mechanism of inflammation in these diseases is partially controlled by intestinal dendritic cell (DC). In this study we observed a mature CD83+DC in colonic bioptic samples, and its correlation with disease phenotype and activity. Methods: There were 219 subjects included in the study: 100 with UC, 44 with CD and 75 healthy subjects. Colonic biopsy specimens were incubated with primary antibody Anti-CD83. Intraepithelial CD83+DC were counted per 100 enterocytes. Presence of CD83+DC was analysed according type of IBD, histopathologic inflammation activity and treatment outcome. Results: The presence of mature CD83+DCs (0, ≥1) significantly differed among disease types of IBD (p=0.001), histologic inflammation activity (p=0.049) and applied therapy (p=0.001). The odds for CD83+DC presence was 5.2 times higher in CD group than in control/UC group. The odds for CD83+DC presence was 2.6 times higher in subjects without inflammation or chronic inflammation than in acute inflammation. It was also 3.7 times higher in subjects without therapy. The cut-off value 0.5 CD83+DC (Rock analysis area=0.699; SE 0,046;p<0.001;95%CI:0.609-0.788) had been assessed as a differentiation marker between UC and CD. Conclusion: Presence of CD83+DC could be used as a possible parameter in distinction between UC and CD, as well as predictor of inflammation activity and treatment outcome.

Coupling the Maxwell tensor to the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor is shown to lead to a geometricized theory of electrodynamics. While this geometricized theory leads directly to the classical Maxwell equations, it also extends their physical interpretation by giving charge density, mass density and the four-velocity that describes their motions geometric definitions. Assuming the existence of a conserved energy-momentum tensor, all solutions to the geometricized theory of electrodynamics developed here are shown to be consistent with the emergence of gravity obeying the General Relativity field equation augmented by a term that mimics the properties of dark matter and/or dark energy. Finally, due to the symmetries of the theory, the properties and phenomenology of antimatter emerge in solutions.

Brown-Séquard Syndrome (BSS) is a rare spinal cord injury characterized by asymmetrical motor and sensory dysfunction. Trauma to the spinal cord, particularly the hemi section, is the primary cause. Diagnosis involves a thorough medical history, physical examination, and imaging studies. Treatment focuses on stabilization, rehabilitation, and potential emerging therapies. This article provides a comprehensive overview of BSS, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

This article deals with the queueing-inventory system, composed of c junior servers, a senior server, two finite waiting halls, and an infinite orbit. On occasion, junior servers encounter challenges during customer service. In these instances, they approach the senior server for guidance in resolving the issue. Suppose the senior server is engaged with another junior server. The approaching junior servers await their turn in a finite waiting area with a capacity of c for consultation. Concerning this, we study the performance of junior servers approaching the senior server in the retrial queueing-inventory model with the two finite waiting halls dedicated to the primary customers and the junior servers for consultation. We formulate a level-dependent QBD process and solve its steady-state probability vector using Neuts and Rao’s truncation method. The stability condition of the system is derived, and the R matrix is computed. Optimum total cost has been obtained, and sensitivity analyses, which include expected total cost, waiting time of customers in waiting hall and orbit, number of busy servers, and fraction of successful retrial rate of the model, are done numerically.

In the present paper, we introduced a quadratically convergent Newton’s like normal S2 iteration method free from the second derivative for the solution of nonlinear equations permitting 3 f'(x) = 0 at some points in the neighborhood of the root. Our proposed method works well 4 when the Newton method fails. Numerically it has been verified that the Newton’s like normal 5 S-iteration method converges faster than Fang et al. method [A cubically convergent Newton-type 6 method under weak conditions, J. Compute. and Appl. Math., 220 (2008), 409-412]. We studied 7 different aspects of normal S-iteration method. Lastly, fractal patterns support the numerical 8 results and explain the convergence, divergence, and stability of method.

The basic idea is to expand the completed zeta function $\xi(s)$ in MacLaurin series (infinite polynomial), which can be further expressed as infinite product (Hadamard product) by conjugate complex roots. Finally, the functional equation $\xi(s)=\xi(1-s)$ leads to $(s-\alpha_i)^2 = (1-s-\alpha_i)^2, i \in \mathbb{N}$ with solution $\alpha_i= \frac{1}{2}, i \in \mathbb{N}$, where $\alpha_i$ are the real parts of the zeros of $\xi(s)$, i.e., $s_i =\alpha_i\pm j\beta_i, i\in \mathbb{N}$. Therefore, a proof of the Riemann Hypothesis is achieved.

Lipid metabolism is clearly associated to Parkinson´s disease (PD). Although lipid homeostasis has been widely studied in multiple animal and cellular models as well as in blood derived from PD individuals, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lipidomic profile in PD remains largely unexplored. In this study, we have characterized the CSF lipidomic imbalance between neurologically intact controls (n=10) and PD subjects (n=20). The combination of dual extraction with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-qToF-MS/MS) allowed to monitor 257 lipid species across all samples. Complementary multivariate and univariate data analysis pointed out that glycerolipids (mono-, di-, and triacylglycerides), saturated and mono/polyunsaturated fatty acids, primary fatty amides, glycerophospholipids (phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines), sphingolipids (ceramides, sphingomyelins), N-acylethanolamines and sterol lipids (cholesteryl esters, steroids) were significantly increased in the CSF of PD compared to control group. These results, despite the limitation of being obtained in a small population, demonstrate and extensive CSF lipid remodelling in PD, shedding new light on the deployment of CSF lipidomics as a promising tool to identify potential lipid markers as well as discriminatory lipid species between PD and other atypical parkinsonisms.

The search for novel brewing strains from non-brewing environments represents an emerging trend to increase genetic and phenotypic diversities in brewing yeast culture collections. Another valuable tool is hybridization, where beneficial traits of individual strains are combined in a single organism. This has been used successfully to create de novo hybrids from parental brewing strains by mimicking natural Saccharomyces cerevisiae ale x Saccharomyces eubayanus lager yeast hybrids. Here, we integrated both these approaches to create synthetic hybrids for lager fermentation using parental strains from niches other than beer. Using a phenotype-centered strategy, S. cerevisiae sourdough strains and the S. eubayanus x Saccharomyces uvarum strain NBRC1948 (also referred to as Saccharomyces bayanus) were chosen for their brewing aptitudes. We demonstrated that, in contrast to S. cerevisiae x S. uvarum crosses, hybridization yield was positively affected by time of exposure to starvation, but not by staggered mating. In laboratory-scale fermentation trials at 20°C, one triple S. cerevisiae x S. eubayanus x S. uvarum hybrid showed a heterotic phenotype compared with the parents. In 2L wort fermentation trials at 12°C, this hybrid inherited the ability to consume efficiently maltotriose from NBRC1948 and, like the sourdough S. cerevisiae parent, produced appreciable levels of the positive aroma compounds 3-methylbutyl acetate (banana/pear), ethyl acetate (general fruit aroma) and ethyl hexanoate (green apple, aniseed, and cherry aroma). Based on these evidences, the phenotype-centered approach appears promising for design of de novo lager beer hybrids and may help to diversify aroma profiles in lager beers.

The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a human and animal pathogen recently emerged in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province of China, causing a spectrum of severe respiratory illnesses. Corona viruses makes entry in to human cells through its spike (S) protein that binds to cell surface receptors. Wide spread of 2019-nCoV has been attributed to relatively high affinity of S protein to its receptor. Although S protein is a highly importantdrug target, unavailability of a high-resolution crystal structure and solvent accessible binding surface has made it a tedious target for current rapid virtual screening. A homology model of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of 2019 -n CoV S protein that is reasonably acceptable for drug screening was prepared using a high resolution crystal structure of SARS corona virus (SARS CoV)S protein. Data obtained from RBD- receptor docking experiments and published molecular dynamics experiments were used to map a RBD-receptor interaction hotspot that can be used for designing small molecule inhibitors. The hot spot was then used for virtual screening of more than 3000 drugs approved by U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other authorities for human use. Two anthracycline class drugs (zorubicin and aclarubicin) and a food dye (E 155) were predicted to be potent inhibitors of RBD – receptor interaction. Results of present study provide evidence for the potential of these compounds asprophylactic medications or for use to reduce disease severity of COVID -19.

Longevity risk constitutes an important risk factor for life insurance companies and it can be managed through longevity-linked securities. The market of longevity-linked securities is at present far from being complete and does not allow to find a unique pricing measure. We propose a method to estimate the maximum market price of longevity risk depending on the risk margin implicit within the calculation of the technical provisions as defined by Solvency II. The maximum price of longevity risk is determined for a survivor forward (S-forward), an agreement between two counterparties to exchange at maturity a fixed survival-dependent payment for a payment depending on the realized survival of a given cohort of individuals. The maximum prices determined for the S-forwards can be used to price other longevity-linked securities, such as q-forwards. The Cairns-Blake-Dowd model is used to represent the evolution of mortality over time, that combined with the information on the risk margin, enables us to calculate upper limits for the risk-adjusted survival probabilities, the market price of longevity risk and the S-forward prices. Numerical results can be extended for the pricing of other longevity-linked securities.

S-licarbazepine was prepared by asymmetric reduction of oxcarbazepine with interface-assembled carbonyl reductase at the interface of oil/water biphasic system. The carbonyl reductase was conjugated with polystyrene in the surface of toluene/Tris-HCl biphasic system and formed a surfactant-like structure. The conversion and enantiometric excess of S-licarbazepine reached 97.39% and 99.6% when 3.97 mmol/L oxcarbazepine was reduced by interface-assembled carbonyl reductase with 60 g/L ethanol as co-substrate in toluene/Tris-HCl(12.5:10) biphasic system at 30 °C, 180 rpm for 6 h.

This article deals with special curves similar to those known in mathematics as Lamé curves. Their equations have a certain similarity with the equations of Lamé curves. But these curves are more like ellipses in appearance. Like ellipses, they have major and minor axes. These are such curves that their major and minor semi-axis coincide with an ellipse but are different than an ellipse. The main feature of these curves is that for any triangle whose base coincides with the axis of a given curve and the vertex is on a given curve, the condition aⁿ+bⁿ=cⁿ is obtained. The number “n” is called the degree or rank of this curve. To distinguish this group of curves, we called them Elbe curves. The equations of these lines are also provided in the paper.

Two new compounds, named aspergilins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. A1E3 associated with the fruit of Rhizophora mucronata, together with averufanin (3). The planar structures and absolute configurations of these compounds were unambiguously established by extensive NMR investigations, quantum-chemical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Most notably, the absolute configuration of aspergillin A (1) was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of its tri-pivaloyl derivative 4, conducted with Cu Kα radiation, whereas that of averufanin (3) was first clarified by quantum-chemical ECD calculations. Aspergilin A is the first orsellinic acid–ribose–​pyridazinone-Noxide hybrid containing a unique β-oxo-2,3-dihydropyridazine 1-oxide moiety, whereas aspergilin B and averufanin are the sterigmatocystin and anthraquinone derivative, respectively. From the perspective of biosynthesis, aspergilin A could be originated from the combined assembly of three building blocks, viz., orsellinic acid, β-D-ribofuranose, and L-glutamine. It is an unprecedented alkaloid-Noxide involving biosynthetic pathways of polyketide, pentose, and amino acid. Aspergilin B (2) exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against four cancer cell lines. In addition, Aspergilin B (2) dose-dependently induced G2/M phase arrest in HepG2 cells.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are chronic diseases associated with a high risk of mortality and morbidity. Early detection of CVD is crucial to initiating timely interventions, such as appro- priate counseling and medication, which can effectively manage the condition and improve patient outcomes. Preventive measures should be implemented at the general public level, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and at the individual level, that is, in people with moderate to high risk of CVD or patients already diagnosed with CVD by addressing an unhealthy lifestyle. Personalized early diagnostic systems based on artificial intelligence (AI), ontologies, and other medical information processing systems may prove to be a great preventive measure. In this paper, we focus on the use of ontology-inspired database models in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, as well as their potential for use in web application development.

This article explores the relationship between convex functions defined on integers ($\mathbb{Z}$) and their extension to real numbers ($\mathbb{R}$). We introduce key definitions and investigate the hypothesis that there exists a unique convex curve within this family of functions, leading to a proof by contradiction. Our findings highlight the preservation of convexity as functions transition from integers to real numbers.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive and lethal primary brain tumor with restricted treatment options and a dismal prognosis. Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) has developed as a promising approach for GBM treatment. However, reaching invasive GBM cells may be hindered by tumor-surrounding, non-neoplastic cells when the OV is applied intratumorally. In this study, using a rodent GBM model and immunofluorescence analyses, we investigated the intranasal delivery of the oncolytic adenovirus (OAV) XVir-N-31 via virus-loaded, optimized shuttle cells. Intranasal administration (INA) was selected due to its non-invasive nature and the potential to bypass the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Our findings demonstrate that INA of XVir-N-31 loaded shuttle cells successfully delivers OAVs to the core tumor and invasive GBM cells, significantly prolongs the survival of GBM bearing mice, induces immunogenic cell death and finally reduces tumor burden, all this highlighting the therapeutic potential of this innovative approach. Overall, this study provides compelling evidence for the effectiveness of INA of XVir-N-31 via shuttle cells as a promising therapeutic strategy for GBM. The non-invasive nature of INA of OV-loaded shuttle cells holds great promise for future clinical translation. However, further research is required to assess the efficacy of this approach to ultimately progress in human clinical trials.

Much evidence reveals an important link between gut microbiota and the heart. In particular, the gut microbiota plays a key role in the onset of cardiovascular (CV) disease, including heart failure (HF). In HF, splanchnic hypoperfusion causes intestinal ischemia resulting in the translocation of bacteria and their metabolites into the blood circulation. Among these, the most important is the Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO), which is responsible through various mechanisms for pathological processes in different organs and tissues. In this review, we summarise the complex interaction between gut microbiota and CV disease, particularly with HF, and the possible strategies to influence its composition and function. Finally, we highlight the potential role of TMAO as a novel prognostic marker and new therapeutic target of HF.

This study employed a TSMC 0.18-µm 50 V process to establish a high-voltage n-LDMOS structure. In the reference device, the number of floating-poly (poly-2) turns was 7, and the width and spacing of each turn was 1 µm. Although increasing the number of turns reduces the peak field, directly reducing or increasing the number of poly-2 turns is a common practice. The present experiment was realized in three steps, namely fixing the number of occupied area adjustment turns, adjusting the width of each turn, and adjusting the distance between turns. The first step was fixing the number of occupied area adjustment turns. The number of turns was increased from 7 to 9, and the number of turns was reduced to 5 and 3 in the reference group. A reduction in the number of turns led to a greater decrease in the peak field and increase in the breakdown voltage despite the area remaining unchanged. A comparison of the use of three turns with that of seven turns revealed that the maximum electric field decreased by 42%, from 4.17e+3 to 2.46e+3 V/cm, and that the breakdown voltage (VBK) increased from 30.2 to 35.84 V. The second step was adjusting the width of each turn from 1 to 1.4, 1.2, 0.8, and 0.6 µm in the reference group. This increase in width reduced the maximum electric field and led to a greater increase in VBK. When the width was increased to 1.4 µm, the maximum electric field decreased by 29% from 1.95e+3 to 1.4e+3 V/cm, and the VBK increased by 183% from 30.2 to 85.6 V. The third step was adjusting the spacing of each turn from 1 to 1.4, 1.2, 0.8, and 0.6 µm in the reference group. The results revealed that a reduction in the spacing led to a greater reduction in the maximum electric field and an in-crease in the VBK. When the pitch was reduced to 0.6 µm, the maximum electric field decreased by 33%, from 1.95e+3 to 1.32e+3 V/cm, and the VBK increased by 345%, from 30.2 to 134.4 V.

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of All Cosmos Industries (ACI) bio-organic and bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer (N-Bio Booster) on the paddy yields based on the field trial plots at Langkat, Medan, Indonesia. This application of ACI bio-organic fertilizer (NPK 5/5/5) and ACI bio-chemical (NPK 15/15/15) fertilizer and ACI N-Fixer tests were conducted at the paddy farm at Langkat from May-October 2018. This study employed a factorial randomized complete block design which consisted of two factors, namely: Factor I with four types of fertilizers while Factor II consisted of two paddy varieties (Inpari 30 and Inpari 32). Overall, the filled grains in the ACI treatments are significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those in the control treatments that used Normal Chemical Compound NPK. Overall, total weight per meter² (368-617g) in ACI treatments are also significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those (319-371g) in the control treatments. At harvesting time at 105 days after transplanting, significantly higher (P< 0.05) colony counts (13-15 x 10⁶ CFU/mL) (for ACI treatments), than those (8 x 10⁶ CFU/mL) in the controls positively indicated higher total yields of paddy grains per hectare. It was found that the application of ACI bio-organic and bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer can improve paddy yields of the two rice varieties, between 16.4-38.2% (up to 5.75 MT/ha), in the field trial plots at Langkat. These commercial fertilizers play an imperative role in refining the soil fertility and thereby can increase the yield of rice production. Therefore, it is highly recommended that ACI bio-organic and ACI bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer (N-Bio Booster) can be employed to increase the paddy yield in this region.

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2, continues to spread rapidly around the world, there is a need for well validated serological assays that allow the detection of viral specific antibody responses in COVID-19 patients or recovered individuals. In this study, we established and used multiple indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)-based serological assays to study the antibody response in COVID-19 patients. In order to validate the assays we determined the cut off values, sensitivity and specificity of the assays using sera collected from pre-pandemic healthy controls, COVID-19 patients at different time points after disease-onset, and seropositive sera to other human coronaviruses. The developed SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit of the spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid (N)-based ELISAs not only showed high specificity and sensitivity but also did not show any cross-reactivity with other CoVs. We also show that all RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 patients tested in our study developed both virus specific IgM and IgG antibodies as early as week one after disease onset. Our data also suggest that the inclusion of both S1 and N in serological testing would capture as many potential SARS-CoV-2 positive cases as possible than using any of them alone. This is specifically important for tracing contacts and cases and conducting large-scale epidemiological studies to understand the true extent of virus spread in populations.

In this paper, we have used magnetron sputtering to grow the high-quality GeSn layer on Ge (100) with Sn compositin up to 7%. The crystallinity of the GeSn layer is pretty good, and the strain relaxation degree of the GeSn layer is evaluated to be approximately 50%. The root mean square (RMS) value is 0.8 nm, and the averaged TDDs in the GeSn layer is 8.7×109 cm-2, which is obtained from the rocking curve of GeSn layer along (004) plane. PL measurement result shows the significant optical emission from the deposited high-quality GeSn layer, which also means that magnetron sputtering is an optional way to achieve the higher Sn composition GeSn luminescent material. To verify whether our deposited GeSn can used for optoelectronic devices, we fabricate the simple vertical p-i-n diode, and the room temperature current-voltage (I-V) characteristic was obtained. This result paves the way for future sputtered-GeSn optimization, which is critical for the optoelectronic application.

Field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) is newly emerged as an edible insect in several countries. Anti-inflammatory effect of glycosaminoglycan derived this cricket was not fully investigated on chronic disease animal model such as diabetic mouse. For potential therapeutic agents, anti-diabetic activities of field cricket glycosaminoglycan (GbG) was evaluated in diabetic mice based on their abilities to reduce glucose, ALT, AST, LDL-cholesterol, and BUN levels, compared with dung beetle (Catharsius molossus) glycosaminoglycan (CaG) as a positive control glycosaminoglycan. Db mice were orally administered for one month according to their groups: Db Hetero (normal), Db Homo (type-2 diabetic), CaG (5 mg/kg), GbG (5 mg/kg), and metformin (10 mg/kg). Blood glucose level was decreased after 1^st week treatment with GbG. It also inhibited LDL-cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase levels. Regarding oxidative damage of diabetic state, levels of hepatocellular biomarkers levels and protein carbonyl content were reduced in db mice treated with GbG. Especially anti-oxidative activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase were significantly increased in GbG treated group compared to those in the control. GbG was composed of heparin disaccharides and main N-glycan was identified as Hex₉GlcNAc₂ (m/z 1905.7) of with neutral mono-sugar mainly comprising of hexose, L (+) rhamnose by mass spectroscopy. These results from sero-biochemical, hepatocellular anti-oxidant assay in db mice data suggest cricket (G. bimaculatus) glycosaminoglycan might play a role in its anti-diabetic action.

In this work, nylon 6/ P(N-phenylmaleimide-alt-styrene) blends were prepared by melt blending, and the mechanical, heat-resistant, crystallographic and dynamical mechanical properties of nylon 6/ P(N-phenylmaleimide-alt-styrene) blends with different contents were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that the mechanical properties decreased with increasing PNS, while the heat deflection temperature (HDT), relative crystallinity (Xn), and storage modulus (G’) increased with increasing PNS. The results of differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) proved the PNS played the positive role of nucleating PA6. And the results of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) proved the PNS could improve the rigidity of PA6/PNS blends. From the SEM, these PNS domains were between 0.2 and 4 μm in diameter. The experimental results indicated that the addition of PNS improved the rigidity of PA6/PNS blends, and then improved the heat-resistant property.

Fabrication of a nanocrystal zinc oxide (ZnO)/nitrogen-doped (N-doped) graphene composite using a novel and facile in situ sol-gel technique is demonstrated. Two-dimensional nanostructure morphology with uniform ZnO nanoparticles (average diameter of 10.25 nm) anchored on N-doped graphene nanosheets was observed via electron microscopy. Because of the polar heteroatoms on the graphene sheets, an abundance sites for polysulfide absorption were provided. More importantly, the strong chemical interaction between ZnO and polysulfides efficiently hindered the transport of polysulfides. Consequently, the lithium/sulfur (Li/S) battery with the ZnO/N-doped graphene composite-coated separator delivered enhanced performance in terms of discharge capacity and cycling stability when compared to the cell with a normal separator. With the modified separator, the battery achieved a discharge capacity as high as 942 mAh g^-1 for the first cycle and remained at 90.02 mAh g^-1 after the 100th charge/discharge test at 0.1 C. Results indicate that impeding the shuttling of polysulfides contributes to efficiently improving the behavior of the Li/S battery.

Fabrication of a nanocrystal zinc oxide (ZnO)/nitrogen-doped (N-doped) graphene composite using a novel and facile in situ sol-gel technique is demonstrated. Two-dimensional nanostructure morphology with uniform ZnO nanoparticles (average diameter of 10.25 nm) anchored on N-doped graphene nanosheets was observed via electron microscopy. Because of the polar heteroatoms on the graphene sheets, an abundance sites for polysulfide absorption were provided. More importantly, the strong chemical interaction between ZnO and polysulfides efficiently hindered the transport of polysulfides. Consequently, the lithium/sulfur (Li/S) battery with the ZnO/N-doped graphene composite-coated separator delivered enhanced performance in terms of discharge capacity and cycling stability when compared to the cell with a normal separator. With the modified separator, the battery achieved a discharge capacity as high as 942 mAh g^-1 for the first cycle and remained at 90.02 mAh g^-1 after the 100th charge/discharge test at 0.1 C. Results indicate that impeding the shuttling of polysulfides contributes to efficiently improving the behavior of the Li/S battery.

The Chinese drug Bombyx Batryticatus mori.L which also named as the white stiff silkworm is widely used in clinics, due to the significant antispasmodic and promotional blood circulation effects. In addition, its hypoglycemic effect is also recognized in recent years. From a pathological point of view, the enzymatic glycosylation and non-enzymatic glycation both have important roles in regulating properties of proteins and are associated with Diabetes. With the db/db mouse model, we examined the alterations of N-glycosylation of diabetic myocardium at primary stage and clarify the differences in glycosylation of myocardium before and after with 1-DNJ treatment. Hydrophilic chromatography solid phase extraction enrichment and LC-MS/MS identification was applied to profile the alternations in protein glycosylation. Meanwhile, N-glycan α1, 6-fucosylation alterations were profiled with LCA lectin blot and FITC-labelled lectin affinity histochemistry. Our results showed that AGES, hydroxyproline, CTGF and other serum indicators and fibrosis related cytokines expressional levels were reduced significantly by 1-DNJ in a dose-dependent manner. In order to verify this result, the well-known pathway of TGF-β/smad2/3 was picked out and α1, 6-core fucosylated TGFR-βⅡwas semi-quantified with western blot method. The result sustained the conclusion from LCA lectin affinity histochemistry and lectin blot analysis. The expressional level of α1, 6-fucosyltransferase mRNA was increased in the myocardium of db/db mice, however, the 1-DNJ administration did not show obvious inhibitory effect on FU8 expression. This unexpected result can be interpreted as 1-DNJ plays the roles by reducing the concentration of substrate rather than inhibiting α1，6-fucose glycosyltransferase expression. Meanwhile, 1-DNJ crude extract from BBm with some flavonoids accompany can also play the roles of anti-oxidant, and all the chemicals protect the diabetic myocardium from hyperglycemia damage commonly.

Following our previous success in identifying new steroid-based anticancer agents, we herein disclosed the structural requirements for retaining high potency against cancer cells and associated modes of action. The structurally novel steroidal dimer by001 inhibited growth of different esophageal cancer cells and colony formation at low micromolar levels, elevated cellular ROS levels and caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Mechanistic studies showed that by001 induced cell death through the mitochondria and death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathways and autophagy induction, as well as inhibited migration.

We monitored the water quality and hydrological conditions of a horizontal subsurface constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) in Beijing, China, for 2 years. We simulated the area rate constant and the temperature coefficient with the first-order kinetic model. We examined the relationships between the nitrogen (N) removal rate, N load, seasonal variations in the N removal rate, and environmental factors, such as the area rate constant, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The effluent ammonia (NH₄⁺-N) and nitrate (NO₃⁻-N) concentrations were significantly lower than the influent concentrations (p<0.01, n=38). The NO₃⁻-N load was significantly correlated with the removal rate (R²=0.9566, p<0.01), but the NH^₄+-N load was not correlated with the removal rate (R²=0.0187, p>0.01). The area rate constants of NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N at 20 °C were 27.01±26.49 and 16.63±10.58 m∙yr⁻¹, respectively. The temperature coefficients for NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N were estimated at 1.0042 and 0.9604, respectively. The area rate constants for NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N were not correlated with temperature (p>0.01). The NO₃⁻-N area rate constant was correlated with the corresponding load (R²=0.9625, p<0.01). The NH₄⁺-N area rate was correlated with DO (R²=0.6922, p<0.01), suggesting that the factors that influenced the N removal rate in this wetland met Liebig's law of the minimum.

Several vaccines against COVID -19 have been developed and licenced to enhance the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. Similarly, infection with SARS-CoV-2 before vaccination has been shown to provide significant protection against severe infection and hospitalisation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of three doses of Sinopharm vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 infection on the specific immune response in 103 volunteers, measuring neutralizing antibodies, anti-S1 IgG, anti-RBD IgM, anti-N IgM, anti-N IgG antibodies and interferon γ. Our results showed that the presence of cardiovascular diseases increased the level of anti-N-IgG antibodies, while endocrinological diseases decreased the level of neutralizing antibodies and anti-N-IgG antibodies, suggesting that these diseases alter the effect of vaccine immunity. In addition, there was a significant decrease in anti-S1 IgG levels 6 months and in anti-N IgG levels 18 months post-infection, while neutralizing antibody and interferon γ levels were constant at 3, 6 and 18 months post-infection. Therefore, our results confirm the importance of hybrid immunity as the strongest and most durable compared to exclusively natural or vaccine-induced immunity. Significant positive correlations were found between humoral and cellular immunity markers: neutralizing antibodies, anti-S1 IgG, anti-N IgG and interferon γ, indicating a unique coordinated response specific to COVID-19.

Here we investigate how the local properties of particles in a thermal bath may influence the thermodynamics of the bath, and consequently alter the statistical mechanics of subsystems that comprise the bath. We are guided by the theory of small-system thermodynamics, which is based on two primary postulates: that small systems can be treated self-consistently by coupling them to an ensemble of similarly small systems, and that a large ensemble of small systems forms its own thermodynamic bath. We adapt this “nanothermodynamics” to investigate how a large system may subdivide into an ensemble of smaller subsystems, causing internal heterogeneity across multiple size scales. For the semi-classical ideal gas, maximum entropy favors subdividing a large system of “atoms” into an ensemble of “regions” of variable size. The mechanism of region formation could come from quantum exchange symmetry that makes atoms in each region indistinguishable, while decoherence between regions allows atoms in separate regions to be distinguishable by their distinct locations. Combining regions reduces the total entropy, as expected when distinguishable particles become indistinguishable, and as required by a theorem in quantum mechanics for sub-additive entropy. Combining large volumes of small regions gives the usual entropy of mixing for a semi-classical ideal gas, resolving Gibbs paradox without invoking quantum symmetry for atoms that may be meters apart. Other models presented here are based on Ising-like spins, which are solved analytically in one dimension. Focusing on the bonds between the Ising-like spins we find similarity in the equilibrium properties of a two-state model in the nanocanonical ensemble and a three-state model in the canonical ensemble. Thus, emergent phenomena may alter the thermal behavior of microscopic models, and the correct ensemble is necessary for fully-accurate predictions. Another result using Ising-like spins involves simulations that include a nonlinear correction to Boltzmann’s factor, which mimics the statistics of indistinguishable states by imitating the dynamics of spin exchange on intermediate lengths. These simulations exhibit 1/f-like noise at low frequencies (f), and white noise at higher f, similar to equilibrium thermal fluctuations found in many materials.

We study here what can be learned from our experience with COVID-19 vaccination for an initially naïve population, that can inform planning for vaccination against the next novel, highly transmissible pathogen. We focus on the first two pandemic years (wild strain through Delta), because after the Omicron wave in early 2022, few people were still SARS-CoV-2-naïve. Almost all were vaccinated, infected, or often both. We review the evidence on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE), waning effectiveness over time, and what we should expect about VE and waning from a future pathogen. As a basis for our analysis, we conducted a PRISMA-compliant review of all studies on PubMed through August 15, 2022 reporting VE against four endpoints: any infection, symptomatic infection, hospitalization, and death, for the four principal vaccines used in developed Western countries (BNT162b2, mRNA1273, Ad26.CoV2.S, and ChAdOx1-S). The mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2, mRNA1273) had high initial VE against all endpoints but protection waned after approximately six months, with BNT162b2 declining faster than mRNA1273. Both mRNA vaccines initially outperformed the viral vector vaccines. A third “booster” dose, roughly six months after the primary doses, substantially reduced symptomatic infection, severe disease, and mortality, and in hindsight should be seen as part of the normal vaccination schedule.

A new series of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles derivatives was synthesized, characterized and evaluated for their in vitro and in vivo anti-thrombotic activity. Compounds (3a-3i) exhibited significant clot lysis with respect to negative control and reference drug streptokinase (30,000 IU) while enhanced clotting time (CT) values were observed (130-342 sec) for these tested compounds than the standard drug heparin (110 sec.). High affinity towards 1NFY with greater docking score was observed for the compounds (3a, 3i, 3e, 3d and 3h) than the control ligand RPR200095. In addition, very good inhibitory potential against factor Xa (F-Xa) was observed with higher docking scores (5612-6270) with ACE values (–189.68 to –352.28 kcal/mol) than the control ligand RPR200095 (Docking score 5192; ACE –197.81 kcal/mol. In vitro, in vivo and in silico results proposed that these newly synthesized compounds can be used as anti-coagulant agents.

Ecuador is an important center of biodiversity of the plant family Amaryllidaceae, specially the subfamily Amaryllidoideae, known as a source of important bioactive molecules. The aim of this study was to assess the chemical and biological potential of four different species of Amaryllidoideae collected in Ecuador: Urceolina formosa, Urceolina ruthiana, Clinanthus incarnatus, and Stenomesson aurantiacum. Sixteen alkaloids were identified in the bulb extract of these species by GC-MS, which the extract of S. aurantiacum exhibiting the greatest structural diversity. The potential of these three genera against Alzheimer’s disease was evaluated by measuring their AChE and BuChE inhibitory activity, revealing that C. incarnatus and U. formosa (from Sucumbíos province) showed the best results with IC50 values of 1.73 ± 0.25 and 30.56 ± 1.56 g·ml-1, respectively. Molecular dynamic assays were conducted to elucidate the possible interactions that occurs among 2-hydroxyanhydrolycorine and AChE enzyme, suggesting some similarity with those observed for galanthamine. This study enhances our understanding of the biodiversity of Amaryllidoideae species from Ecuador, highlighting their potential as a source of chemical compounds with pharmaceutical potential.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) presents a significant challenge in the wake of its multifaceted nature, characterized by cognitive decline, memory impairment, and neuroinflammation. Despite extensive research, effective pharmacological interventions remain elusive, prompting exploration into non-pharmacological approaches. Microcurrent therapy (MC), utilizing imperceptible currents, has emerged as a potent clinical protocol. While previous studies have focused on its therapeutic effects, this study investigates its impact on neuronal damage and neuroinflammation in an AD mouse model, specifically addressing potential side effects. Utilizing 5xFAD transgenic mice, we examined the effects of MC therapy on neuronal integrity and inflammation. Our findings suggest that MC therapy attenuates memory impairment and reduces neurodegeneration, as evidenced by improved performance in memory tests and preservation of neuronal structure. Additionally, MC therapy significantly decreases amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque deposition and inhibits apoptosis, indicating its potential to mitigate AD pathology. Our study discovered that MC therapy effectively reduces glial activation by inhibiting the TLR4-MyD88-NFκB pathway, consequently leading to decreased levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, thus implicating TLR4 in neurodegenerative disease-related neuroinflammation. Furthermore, while our study did not observe significant adverse effects, further clinical trial into potential side effects and neuroinflammatory responses associated with MC therapy is warranted.

In Mexico viticulture represents the second source of employment in the agricultural area after the fruit and vegetable sector. In developed countries, remote sensing is widely used for vineyard monitoring, however, this tool is barely used in developing countries of Iberoamerica. In this re-search, our overall objective is to characterize two vineyards in the state of Queretaro (Mexico) using Sentinel-2 and meteorological data, specifically spectral and thermal indices. Results showed that spectral indices obtained from Sentinel-2 bands have characterized adequately the phenolog-ical evolution of the different varieties of the vineyards. The Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) was adequately used to discriminate the first stages of vineyards, while the Nor-malized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was useful to monitor vineyards during the rest stages of vineyards. Thermal indices have shown that the best grape varieties were those that can adapt to both cooler and warmer temperatures, have a reasonable ripening period, and can produce wines with balanced acidity and flavors. In conclusion, the combination of meteorological (including thermal indices) and remote sensing data (NDVI and MSAVI) provide information for choosing the suitable grape variety for this region.

Entropy as a mathematical concept is the first of its own kind, and second to none. Barely one or two papers in literature have investigated fractal dimensions of very basic entropies, such as Shannon, Tsallis, and Rényi entropic expressions. This was a thoughtful inspiration to delve into a step forward towards a unified information- theoretic fractal theory. The storytelling of this current paper starts by introducing my third entropy formula, namely Ismail’s entropy, , as a novel generalization to Shannonian entropy with a visionary link to both long- and short-range interactions, (LRIs), (SRIs) respectively. Clearly, this would generate a fourfold unification with statistical mechanics as well as contemporary physics. Hence, this adds more credibility and weight for this study. The fractal dimension of , is identified in this paper. As an essential part of this work, it was influential to spotlight the importance of fractal geometry to space industry as well as education, which is crucial to develop our societies. Thus, some potential fractal applications to CubeSat Technologies and Education are highlighted. So, will the deep search for more ground-breaking research has come to an end. Certainly, not. This was another inspiration to propose new open problems to widen research gates to the scientific community for more research pathways. Consequently, the paper ends with closing remarks combined with some challenging open problems and the next phase of research.

Vectorial Boolean functions and codes are closely related, and each corresponding domain gives been to each other. On the one hand, various requirements of binary linear codes are needed for their theatrical interests but, more importantly, for their practical applicants (such as few-weight codes or minimal codes for secret sharing, locally recoverable codes for storage, etc.). On the other hand, various criteria and tables have been introduced to analyse the security of S-boxes that are related to vectorial Boolean functions, such as the Differential Distribution Table (DDT), the Boomerang Connectivity Table (BCT), and the Differential-Linear Connectivity Table (DLCT). In previous years, two new tables have been proposed for which the literature was pretty abundant: the $c$-DDT to extend the DDT and the $c$-BCT to extend the BCT. In the same vein, we propose extended concepts to study further the security of vectorial Boolean functions, especially the $c$-Walsh transform, the $c$-autocorrelation, and the $c$-differential-linear uniformity, and its accompanying table, the $c$-Differential-Linear Connectivity Table ($c$-DLCT). We study these properties of the novel functions at their optimal level concerning these concepts and describe the $c$-DLCT of the crucial inverse vectorial (Boolean) function case. Finally, the derived functions could lead to new families of binary minimal codes, as the recent achievements on minimal codes from low differential uniformity. We draw new avenues for future research toward linear code designs.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of corona-virus disease 19 (COVID-19) and employs angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the recep-tor. Although the expression of ACE2 is crucial for cellular entry, we found that the interaction of ACE2 with the Spike (S) protein in the same cells led to its downregulation through degradation in the lysosomal compartment via the endocytic pathway. Interestingly, the ability of the S protein from previous variants of concern (VOCs) to downregulate ACE2 was variant-dependent and correlated with disease severity. The S protein from the Omicron variant, associated with milder disease, exhibited a lower capacity to downregulate ACE2 than that of the Delta variant, which is linked to a higher risk of hospitalization. Chimeric studies between the S proteins from the Delta and Omicron variants revealed that both the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and S2 subunit played crucial roles in the reduced ACE2 downregulation activity observed in the Omicron var-iant. In contrast, three mutations (L452R/P681R/D950N) located in the RBD, S1/S2 cleavage site, and HR1 domain were identified as essential for the higher ACE2 downregulation activity ob-served in the Delta variant than that in the other VOCs. Our results suggested that dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system due to the ACE2 downregulation activity of the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 may play a key role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are commensal on human body surfaces and for years, they were not considered a cause of bloodstream infection and were often regardered as contamination. However, the association of CoNS with nosocomial infection is increasingly recognized. The insertion of cannulas and intravascular catheters represents the first source of CoNS entry into the bloodstream, causing bacteremia and sepsis. They owe their pathogenic power to their ability to produce biofilms on surfaces, such as medical devices. In this study, we evaluate the adhesive capacity of CoNS isolated from blood cultures by comparing spectrophotometric phenotypic assay with genotypic analysis based on the evidence of the ica operon. We retrospectively reviewed the database of CoNS isolated from blood cultures, that were considered to be responsible for 361 bloodstream infections. Among them, we selected 89 ones who had full records. Our data show that S. epidermidis was the predominant species isolated, and with greater adhesive capacities, especially those with the complete operon. Knowing the adhesive capabilities of a microorganism responsible for sepsis can be useful in implementing appropriate corrective and preventive measures, as conventional antibiotic therapy cannot effectively eradicate biofilms.

Staphylococcus aureus are commensal bacteria present on skin and mucosae in both humans and animals, but they can also be found in food, water and in various environments. They are also considered a major pathogen having a great morbidity leading to a wide range of infections. They are included in the list of most virulent and antimicrobic resistant bacterial pathogens (ESKAPE, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and faecium)) by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and S. aureus is part of the worldwide threat represented by the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The outcomes of an epidemiological investigation on 26,430 S. aureus isolates from a global public database (NPDIB; NCBI Pathogen Detection Isolate Browser) support the evidence of significant differences in the distribution of isolates and ARGs (Antimicrobial Resistance Genes) clusters among geographical areas of origin and among sources of the isolates. Moreover, the ARGs cluster patterns suggest an association between the isolates from human and animal populations. This outcome and the large diffusion of the pathogens among human and animal populations support the importance of gaining information on the epidemiology of these infections with a One Health approach.