Rice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is one of the most devastating diseases on rice worldwide, which results in serious reduction of rice quality and yield. As an airborne fungal disease, early diagnosis of rice false smut, monitoring the epidemics and distribution of its pathogens, is particularly important to management the infection. In this study, a quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (q-LAMP) method for the U. virens detection and quantifying was developed. This method has higher sensitivity and efficiency compared to quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR) method. The species-specific primer sets UV-2 used was design based on the unique sequence of U. virens ustiloxins biosynthetic gene (NCBI accession number: BR001221.1). The q-LAMP assay was able to detect a concentration of 6.4 spores/mL at an optimal reaction temperature of 63.4℃ within 60 min. Moreover, the q-LAMP assay can even achieve accurate quantitative detection when there were only 9 spores on the tape. A linearized equation for the standard curve, y =-0.2866x + 13.829 (x is the amplification time, the spore number = 100.65y), was established for detection and quantifying of U. virens. In field detection applications, this q-LAMP method is more accurate and faster than traditional observation method. Collectively, this study has established a powerful and simple monitoring tool for U. virens, which provide valuable technical supports for forecast and management of rice false smut, and theoretical basis for precise fungicide application.

Background: Dendrobium officinale is not only an ornamental plant, but also a valuable medicinal herb that is both effective and widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, distinguishing D. officinale from other Dendrobium species is usually a difficult task that need much time and complex technologies due to their very similar external morphologies. The aim of this study is to develop a fast, even on-spot approach to identify D. officinale. Methods: We used DNA barcode-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method with species-specific LAMP primers targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA of D. officinale. LAMP reaction time and temperature were optimized and the specificity and sensitivity of LAMP species-specific primers were assessed. Results: This technique showed a high specificity and sensitivity to amplify the genomic DNA of D. officinale and allowed for rapid amplification (within 40 min) of the ITS region under a constant and mild temperature range of 65 °C without using thermocyclers. Besides, by using SYBR® Green I dye as the color developing agent, the color change was easily observed with naked eye. Reaction mixture containing DNA of D. officinale changed from orange to green, while the other Dendrobium species and the negative control retained original orange color. The specificity of this LAMP-based method was confirmed by testing 17 samples of D. officinale and 32 adulterant samples from other Dendrobium species. Conclusions: This LAMP-based rapid identification method does not require expensive equipment or specialized techniques and can be used in field surveys for accurate and fast on site identification.

Migratory flows and international travel are triggering an increase in imported cases of schistosomiasis in non-endemic countries, with serology being the recommended method for screening migrants. The present study aims to evaluate, for the first time, the LAMP technique on patients’ urine samples for the diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis in a non-endemic area in comparison to a commercial immunochromatographic test and microscopic examination of feces and urine. A prospective observational study was conducted in sub-Saharan migrants attending at the Tropical Medicine Unit, Almería, Spain. For schistosomiasis diagnosis, serum samples were tested using an immunochromatographic test (Schistosoma ICT IgG-IgM). Stool and urine samples were examined by microcopy. Urine samples were evaluated by combining three LAMP assays for the specific detection of Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium, and an assay for the genus Schistosoma. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Schistosoma-LAMP in comparison to microscopy and Schistosoma ICT IgG-IgM test, a Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was performed. A total of 115 patients were included; 21 patients (18.3%) were diagnosed with schistosomiasis confirmed by microscopy, with S. haematobium being the most frequent species identified (18/115; 15.7%). The Schistosoma ICT IgG-IgM test resulted 100% positive and Schistosoma-LAMP was 61.9% positive, reaching as high as 72.2% for S. haematobium. The sensitivity and specificity estimated by LCA, respectively, were: 92% and 76% for Schistosoma ICT IgG-IgM, 68% and 44% for Schistosoma-LAMP and, 46% and 97% for microscopy. The Schistosoma-LAMP technique presented a higher sensitivity than microscopy for the diagnosis of imported urinary schistosomiasis, which could improve the diagnosis both in referral centers and in centers with limited experience or scarce resources and infrastructure.

The upregulated expression of thyrosine kinase AXL has been reported in several hematologic and solid human tumors including gastric, breast, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Thus, AXL can potentially serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for various cancers. This paper reports the first-ever use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of the AXL gene as a diagnostic method for ovarian cancer. We demonstrated simple instrumentation toward a point-of-care device to perform LAMP. This paper also reports the first-ever use of core-shell beads as a microreactor to perform LAMP as an attempt to promote environmentally friendly laboratory practices.

The availability of simple SARS-CoV-2 detection methods is crucial to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined whether a commercial LAMP assay can reliably detect SARS-CoV-2 genomes directly in respiratory samples without having to extract nucleic acids (NA) beforehand. Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS, n = 220) were tested by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and with the LAMP assay. For RT-PCR, NA were investigated. For LAMP, NA from 26 NPS in viral transport medium (VTM) were tested. The other 194 NPS were analyzed directly without prior NA extraction [140 samples in VTM; 54 dry swab samples stirred in phosphate buffered saline]. Ten NPS were tested directly by LAMP using a sous-vide cooking unit. The isothermal assay demonstrated excellent specificity (100%) but moderate sensitivity (68.8%), with a positive predictive value of 1 and a negative predictive value of 0.65 for direct testing of NPS in VTM. The use of dry swabs, even without NA extraction, improved the analytical sensitivity; up to 6% of samples showed signs of inhibition. The LAMP could be performed successfully with a sous-vide cooking unit. This technique is very fast, requires little laboratory resources and can replace rapid antigen tests or verify reactive rapid tests on site.

Equines play an important role throughout the world, whether for work, culture, or leisure, providing an ever-growing significant contribution on the economy. The increase in importation and movement of horses, both nationally and internationally, has inevitably allowed for the global equine industry to grow. Subsequently however, the potential for transmission of fatal equine bacterial diseases has also escalated, and devasting outbreaks continue to occur. To prevent such events, disease surveillance and diagnosis must be heightened throughout the industry. Current common, or "gold-standard" techniques, have shown to be inadequate at times, thus requiring newer technology to impede outbreaks. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has proven to be a reliable, rapid, and accessible tool in both diagnostics and surveillance. This review will discuss equine bacterial diseases of biosecurity relevance and their current diagnostic approaches, as well as their respective LAMP assay developments. Additionally, we will provide insight regarding newer technology and advancements associated with this technique, and their potential use for the outlined diseases.

Schistosoma infection in snails can be monitored by microscopy or indirectly by sentinel mice. As both these approaches sometimes miss infections, more sensitive tests are needed, particularly in low-level transmission settings. In this study, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique, designed to detect a specific 28S ribosomal S. japonicum gene with high sensitivity, was compared to microscopy using snail samples from 51 areas endemic for schistosomiasis in five Chinese provinces. The results were compared with those by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) adding DNA sequencing as a reference when needed. The testing of pooled snail samples showed that a dilution factor of 1/50, i.e., one infected snail plus 49 non-infected ones, would still result in a positive reaction after the recommended number of amplification cycles. Testing a total of 232 pooled samples, emanating from 4,006 snail specimens, with the LAMP assay showed a 6.5% rate of infection, while traditional microscopy found only 0.04% positive samples in the same materials. Parallel PCR analysis confirmed the diagnostic accuracy of the LAMP assay, with DNA sequencing even giving LAMP a slight lead. Microscopy and the LAMP test were carried out at local schistosomiasis-control stations demonstrating that the potential of the latter assay to serve as a point-of-care (POC) test with results available within 60–90 minutes, while the more complicated PCR test had to be carried out at the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD) in Shanghai, China. In conclusion, LAMP was found to be clearly superior to microscopy and as good as, or better, than PCR. Application of LAMP testing would be useful for surveillance and risk prediction as it requires less time than other techniques and can be used under field conditions, which improves and accelerates schistosomiasis control.

Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification based-Lateral Flow Testing (INAA-LFT) has emerged as a robust technique for on-site pathogen detection, providing a visible indication of pathogen nucleic acid amplification that rivals or even surpasses the sensitivity of real-time quantitative PCR. The isothermal nature of INAA-LFT ensures consistent conditions for nucleic acid amplification, establishing it as a crucial technology for rapid on-site pathogen detection. However, despite its considerable promise, the widespread application of isothermal INAA amplification-based lateral flow testing faces several challenges. This review provides an overview of the INAA-LFT procedure, highlighting its advancements in detecting plant viruses. Moreover, the review underscores the imperative to address existing limitations and emphasizes ongoing research efforts dedicated to enhancing the applicability and performance of this technology in the realm of rapid on-site testing.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemics prompted a fast development of novel diagnostic methods of the etiologic virus SARS-CoV-2. Methods based on CRISPR-Cas systems have been particularly promising because they can achieve a similar sensitivity and specificity to the golden standard RT-qPCR, especially when coupled to an isothermal pre-amplification step. Furthermore, they have also solved inherent limitations of RT-qPCR that impede its decentralized use and deployment in the field, such as the need for expensive equipment, high cost per reaction, and delivery of results in hours, among others. In this review, we evaluate publicly available methods to detect SARS-CoV-2 that are based on CRISPR-Cas and isothermal amplification. We critically analyze the steps required to obtain a successful result from clinical samples and pinpoint key experimental conditions and parameters that could be optimized or modified to improve clinical and analytical outputs. The COVID outbreak has propelled intensive research in a short time, which is paving the way to develop effective and very promising CRISPR-Cas systems for the precise detection of SARS-CoV-2. This review could also serve as an introductory guide to new labs delving into this technology.

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is largely driven by community transmission, after 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2) crosses the borders. To stop the spread, rapid testing is required at community clinics and hospitals. These rapid tests should be comparable with the standard PCR technology. Isothermal amplification technology provides an excellent alternative that is highly amenable to resource limited settings, where expertise and infrastructure to support PCR are not available. In this review, we provide a brief description of isothermal amplification technology, its potential and the gaps that need to be considered for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Among this emerging technology, loop mediated amplification (LAMP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technologies have been identified as potential platforms that could be implemented at community level, without samples referral to a centralised laboratory and prolonged turn-around-time associated with the standard COVID-19 RT-PCR test. LAMP, for example, has recently been shown to be comparable with PCR and could be performed in less than 30 min by non-laboratory staff, without RNA extractions commonly associated with PCR. More so, it is cost effective and could easily be scaled up to resource limited settings. Diagnostics developers, scientific community and commercial companies could consider this alternative method to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

This study investigates the impact of temperature-induced quantum proton tunneling probability on DNA amplification during polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Using a simulation model based on a Gaussian wavefunction and finite-difference time-domain method, quantum tunneling of protons across square potential barriers is examined. The results unveil consistent probability distributions for quantum tunneling across various PCR temperatures, with distinct oscillation patterns emerging post-barrier crossing. Acknowledging limitations in initial conditions due to temperature-dependent proton energy, the study highlights the need for refined models and experimental validation. These findings accentuate the potential interplay between quantum mechanics and biological systems, prompting further research to understand quantum tunnelling’s comprehensive effect on genetic variations and molecular processes.

The Active Distribution Networks (ADNs) are Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) systems with coupled dynamics which cause interactions among the control loops of the Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). This undesired effect lead to performance degradation in the voltage control. To mitigate the effects of these unavoidable coupling, the present paper proposes a systematic design procedure based on the analysis of the interaction's sources. In details, each DER is equipped with a double loop PI to control the active and reactive powers output by the Voltage Source Converter (VSC) which connects the DER to the network's node. Furthermore, to guarantee Ancillary Services (ASs), the two loops are coupled by a simple mechanism of cooperation of the active power to voltage regulation realized by a filtered droop law. To achieve voltage regulation with reduced loop interactions, the PI parameters and the filter's pulse are designed according to a two sequential steps procedure based on the (Internal Model Control) IMC technique. Simulation studies are finally presented to demonstrate that the proposed design method achieves both reduction of the loop interaction and robust voltage control in presence of model parameter uncertainty in the MIMO model.

The scattering pattern from a narrow absorbing/amplifying grating is investigated. A simple model of a narrow amplifying grating is solved exactly numerically and approximately analytically for the regime where the beam’s wavelength is much shorter than the grating’s wavelength. The main results are: The incident angle divides the scattering pattern into two regimes: below and above the incident angles. The former regime has a weak dependence on the incident angle but has a strong dependence on the scattering one. In this regime, a new grating formula is derived. The opposite occurs in the latter regime, which is very sensitive to the incident angle, but has only weak dependence on the scattering angle. Consequently, at certain incident angles, all the scattering is concentrated in the first regime, i.e., all scattering angles are lower than the incident angle.

In an attempt to reuse fibrous textile waste and, at the same time, to address dye pollution in textile wastewater, waste cotton-based yarn was utilized as both a cheap and sustainable adsorbent and a precursor for carbon adsorbent production. Cotton and cotton/polyester yarn samples underwent thermal modification through carbonization followed by chemical activation with KOH. Various techniques including nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and surface charge determination were employed to analyze the morphological and surface properties of the cotton-based adsorbents. Adsorption properties were evaluated by testing the removal of selected cationic and anionic dyes from water. The impact of temperature, contact time, initial concentration, and pH of the adsorbate solution on adsorption was investigated, with experimental data analyzed using theoretical models. While carbonization alone did not significantly enhance adsorption properties, activated samples exhibited high efficacy in removing both cationic and anionic dyes from water. Despite the negative influence of the polyester component in the carbon precursor on the efficiency of activated samples in removing methyl orange, results indicated that activated cotton and cotton/polyester yarn could be used to prepare highly efficient adsorbents for the rapid removal of methylene blue from real wastewater samples.

Virus taxonomy uses a Linnaean-like subsumption hierarchy to classify viruses into taxonomic units at species and higher rank levels. Virus species are considered monophyletic groups of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) often delimited by phylogenetic analysis of aligned genomic or metagenomic sequences. Taxonomic units are assumed independent organizational, functional and evolutionary units that follow a ‘natural’ historical rationale. Here, I use phylogenomic and other arguments to show that viruses are not self-standing genetically-driven biological systems. Instead, they are crucial components of holobionts, units of biological organization that dynamically integrate the genetics, epigenetic, physiological and functional properties of their co-evolving members. Remarkably, phylogenomic analyses show viruses share protein domain and loop structures with cells throughout history via massive processes of reticulate evolution, helping spread evolutionary innovations across a wider taxonomic spectrum. Thus, viruses are not merely MGEs or microbes. Instead, their genomes and proteomes conduct cellularly integrated processes akin to those cataloged by the GO Consortium. This prompts the generation of compositional hierarchies that replace the ‘is-a-kind-of’ by a ‘is-a-part-of’ logic to better describe the mereology of integrated cellular and viral makeup. My analysis demands a new paradigm that integrates virus taxonomy into a modern evolutionarily centered taxonomy of organisms.

We investigate the use of amplitude amplification on the gate-based model of quantum computing as a means for solving combinatorial optimization problems. This study focuses primarily on QUBO (quadratic unconstrained binary optimization) problems, which are well-suited for qubit superposition states. Specifically, we demonstrate circuit designs which encode QUBOs as ‘cost oracle’ operations UC, which when combined with the standard Grover diffusion operator Us lead to high probabilities of measurement for states corresponding to the optimal and near optimal solutions. In order to achieve these probabilities, a single scalar parameter ps is required, which we show can be found through a variational quantum-classical hybrid approach.

Multiferroics, showing both ferroelectric and magnetic order, are promising candidates for future electronic devices. Especially, the fundamental understanding of ferroelectric switching is of key relevance for further improvements, which however is rarely reported in literature. On a prime example for a spin-driven multiferroic, LiCuVO₄, we present an extensive study of the ferroelectric order and the switching behavior as function of external electric and magnetic fields. From frequency-dependent polarization switching and using the Ishibashi-Orihara theory, we deduce the existence of ferroelectric domains and domain-walls. These have to be related to counterclockwise and clockwise spin-spirals leading to the formation of multiferroic domains. A novel measurement – multiferroic hysteresis loop – is established to analyze the electrical polarization simultaneously as a function of electrical and magnetic fields. This technique allows characterizing the complex coupling between ferroelectric and magnetic order in multiferroic LiCuVO₄.

The utilization of electroporation for delivering the CRISPR/Cas9 system components has enabled efficient gene editing in mammalian zygotes, facilitating the development of genome-edited animals. In our study，This research focused on targeting the ACTG1 and MSTN genes in sheep, revealing a threshold phenomenon in electroporation with a voltage tolerance in sheep in vitro fertilization (IVF) zygotes. Various poring voltages near 40V and pulse durations were examined for electroporating sheep zygotes. The study concluded that stronger electric fields required shorter pulse durations to achieve the optimal conditions for high gene mutation rates and reasonable blastocyst development. The investigation also assessed the quality of Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoprotein complexes (Cas9 RNPs) and their influence on genome editing efficiency in sheep early embryos. It was highlighted that pre-complexation of Cas9 proteins with single-guide RNA (sgRNA) before electroporation was essential for achieving a high mutation rate. The use of suitable electroporation parameters for sheep IVF zygotes led to significantly high mutation rates and heterozygote ratios. By delivering Cas9 RNPs and single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs) to zygotes through electroporation, targeting the MSTN (Myostatin) gene, a knock-in efficiency of 26% was achieved. The successful generation of MSTN-modified lambs was demonstrated by delivering Cas9 RNPs into IVF zygotes via electroporation.

Nanoparticles have been used as a novel drug delivery system. Drug-incorporated nanoparticles for local delivery might optimize the efficacy and minimize the side effects of drugs. The efficacy and safety of intratracheal administration of prostacyclin analog (beraprost)-incorporated nanoparticles and imatinib, a PDGF-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, -incorporated nanoparticles in Sugen-hypoxia-normoxia or monocrotaline rat models of PAH and in human PAH-pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells have been reported. The use of inhaled drug-incorporated nanoparticles might be a novel approach for treatment of PAH.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using raw Whey has never been reported. Silver nanoparticle formation involves a reduction reaction of silver salt solution with Whey extract. Extract and metal salt concentrations, and temperature can control this reaction. In this work, incubation period, extract, AgNO3, and NaOH concentrations were used as the independent factors using central composite design under response surface methodology. The aim was to elucidate the influence these factors have on the measured UV-Vis absorption spectra fitted with a Voigt function, and to optimize the conditions for nanoparticle formation. The fitting parameters, peak wavelength (λ0), peak area (A), and Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), were the responses. Silver nanoparticle formation was only possible in an alkaline environment (pH 10). The peak wavelength and the FWHM are influenced mainly by extract and AgNO3 concentrations. In contrast, the peak area is influenced by a total of 33.54 % from the interaction terms of AgNO3 and extract concentrations with NaOH. Metallic AgNPs were formed for the following parameter ranges: a) Whey (0.4 – 1.6 % v/v), b) AgNO3 (0.15 – 0.6 mM), c) NaOH (10 – 50 mM), and d) Time (20 – 60 min). Silver oxide nanoparticles were also observed.

Biodiesel has several drawbacks, such as being prone to oxidation, having reduced stability, and having limited storage time. Antioxidants compatible with biodiesel are being used to address its drawbacks. Utilizing antioxidants effectively improves the quality of biodiesel. Enhancing the quality of biodiesel for use as a clean energy source benefits both the global economy and ecology. Therefore, we believe that our work will contribute to the advancement of the worldwide industry. The study used blends consisting of 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel fuel. Isatin-thiosemicarbazones were tested as additives in blends at a concentration of 3000 parts per million (ppm) using an oxifast device. Comparing them to the chemical antioxidant Trolox. FT-IR, DSC, and TGA were used to characterize these samples. DSC measured sample crystallization temperatures (Tc). Samples with antioxidants showed decreased values compared to the non-antioxidant diesel sample D100. Several DSC tests were conducted to determine the antioxidant strengths of various samples. The results showed that the FT-IR spectrum's antioxidant effect regions grow clearer with antioxidants. The extra antioxidant is effective. Biodiesel's oxidative stability improves with isatin-thiosemicarbazones at varying concentrations. The kinetics of thermal decomposition of isatin-thiosemicarbazones under non-isothermal conditions have been determined using the Kissinger, Ozawa, and Boswell techniques. The activation energies of compounds 1 and 2 were calculated 137–147 kJ mol^-1 and 173–183 kJ mol^-1, respectively.

Angiogenesis is a critical physiological response to ischemia but becomes pathological when dysregulated and driven excessively by inflammation. We recently identified a novel angiogenic role for tripartite-motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2) whereby lentiviral shRNA-mediated TRIM2 knockdown impaired endothelial angiogenic functions in vitro. This study sought to determine whether these effects could be translated in vivo and to determine the molecular mechanisms involved. CRISPR/Cas9-generated Trim2–/– mice that underwent a periarterial collar model of inflammation-induced angiogenesis exhibited significantly less adventitial macrophage infiltration relative to wildtype (WT) littermates, concomitant with decreased mRNA expression of macrophage marker Cd68 and reduced adventitial proliferating neovessels. Mechanistically, TRIM2 knockdown in endothelial cells in vitro attenuated inflammation-driven induction of critical angiogenic mediators, including nuclear HIF-1α, and curbed the phosphorylation of downstream effector eNOS. Conversely, in a hindlimb ischemia model of hypoxia-mediated angiogenesis, there were no differences in blood flow reperfusion to the ischemic hindlimbs of Trim2–/– and WT mice despite a decrease in proliferating neovessels and arterioles. TRIM2 knockdown in vitro attenuated hypoxia-driven induction of nuclear HIF-1α but had no further downstream effects on other angiogenic proteins. Our study has implications for understanding the role of TRIM2 in the regulation of angiogenesis in both pathophysiological contexts.

The positional cloning of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (Ncf1) gene, advocating that a low oxidative burst drives autoimmune disease, demands an understanding of the underlying molecular causes. A cellular target could be T cells, which have been shown to be regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the pathways by which ROS mediate T cell signaling remain unclear. The adaptor molecule linker for activation of T cells (LAT) is essential for coupling T cell receptor-mediated antigen recognition to downstream responses, and it contains several cysteine residues that have previously been suggested to be involved in redox regulation. To address the possibility that ROS regulate T cell-dependent inflammation through LAT, we established a mouse strain with cysteine-to-serine mutations at positions 120 and 172 (LATSS). We found that redox regulation of LAT through C120 and C172 mediate its localization and phosphorylation. LATSS mice had reduced numbers of double-positive thymocytes and naïve peripheral T cells. Importantly, redox insensitivity of LAT enhanced T cell-dependent autoimmune inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This effect was reversed on an NCF1-mutated (NCF1m1j), ROS-deficient, background. Overall, our data shows that LAT is redox-regulated, acts to repress T cell activation, and is targeted by ROS induced by NCF1 in antigen-presenting cells (APCs).

Commercially cultivated Prunus species are commonly grown in adjacent or mixed orchards, and can be infected with unique or commonly shared viruses. Apple (Malus domestica), another member of the Rosacea and distantly related to Prunus, can share the same growing regions and common pathogens. Pollen can be a major route for virus transmission, and analysis of the pollen virome in tree fruit orchards can provide insights into these virus pathogen complexes from mixed production sites. Commercial honey bee (Apis mellifera) pollination is essential for improved fruit set and yield in tree fruit production systems. Here we describe the metagenomics-based detection of plant viruses through bee and pollen samples collected during the spring bloom period from a mixed Prunus and Malus orchard. Twenty-one unique viruses were detected in samples collected during apricot (Prunus armeniaca), sweet cherry (Prunus avium), peach (Prunus persica), and apple blooms. Ilarviruses prune dwarf virus (PDV) and prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), Secoviridae family members tomato necrotic ringspot virus, tobacco necrotic ringspot virus, and prunus virus F, and Capillovirus cherry virus A (CVA) were detected in all time points, while other viruses were detected with restricted ranges. These results demonstrate the benefits of area-wide monitoring through bee pollination activities, and provide new insights into the diversity of viruses in tree fruit pollination ecosystems.

IgE-mediated wheat allergy is a gluten-related disorder. Wheat is one of the five most common food allergens in children. However, the natural history of IgE-mediated wheat allergy has seldom been described in the research literature. This study presents the current state of knowledge about the IgE-mediated wheat allergy in children.

Recycling waste products is an environmental-friendly activity that can bring benefits to accompany, saving manufacturing costs and improving economic efficiency. For the beer industry, recycling bottles can reduce manufacturing costs and reduce the industry's carbon footprint. This paper presents a model for a multi-objective collection-distribution center location and allocation problem in a closed loop supply chain for the beer industry, in which the objective is to minimize total costs and transportation pollution. Uncertainties in the form of randomness and fuzziness are jointly handled in this paper to ensure a more practical problem solution, for which returned bottle sand unusable bottles are considered fuzzy random variables. A heuristic algorithm based on priority-based global-local-neighbor particle swarm optimization (pb-glnPSO) is applied to ensure reliable solutions for this NP-hard problem. A case study on a beer operation company is conducted to illustrate the application of the proposed model and demonstrate the priority-based global-local-neighbor particle swarm optimization.

Chiral interactions play a crucial role in both chemistry and biology. Understanding the behavior of chiral molecules and their interactions with other molecules is essential, and chiral interactions in solutions are particularly important for studying chiral compounds. Chirality influences the physical and chemical properties of molecules, including solubility, reactivity, and biological activity. In this work, we used Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), a powerful technique for studying molecular interactions, including chiral interactions in solutions. We conducted a series of ITC measurements to investigate the heat of dilution and the heat of racemization of several amino acids (Asn, His, Ser, Ala, Met, and Phe). We also performed ITC measurements under different solute concentrations and temperatures to examine the effects of these parameters on chiral interactions, as well as the heat of dilution and racemization. The results of our measurements indicated that the heat of dilution, specifically the interactions between the solvent (water) and solute (chiral molecules), had a significant impact compared to the chiral interactions in the solution, which were found to be negligible. This suggests that the interactions between chiral molecules and the solvent play a more dominant role in determining the overall behavior and properties of the system. By studying chiral interactions in solutions, we can gain valuable insights into the behavior of chiral compounds, which can have implications in various fields, including drug design, chemical synthesis, and biological processes.

Background and Objectives: High job strain is worsening the outcome in coronary artery disease, CAD. Severe dissatisfaction on workplace, imbalance between high demands , and low rewards, are affecting the quality of life, and diminishing the duration of life, especially in CAD patients. Our study included two samples : CAD patients (experimental group), and without CAD patients, but with traditional risk factors (control group). The main objective of the study was the role played by high sensitivity C reactive protein, hs CRP, and microalbuminuria, as mediators of job strain and CAD relationship. Secondary objectives were the following: identification of the most vulnerable patients( with significant job strain) and intervention towards this category, for cardiovascular events prevention (primary or secondary). Materials and Methods: The utilized methods were the following : clinical exam; electrocardiogram; echocardiogram; non contrast enhanced computed chest tomography; laboratory findings ( lipid profile, glycemia, hs CRP, microalbuminuria); type D scale, DS 14; depression questionnaire, PHQ-9; and satisfaction with work scale, SWWS. Results: The highest values for hs CRP and microalbuminuria were noticed in patients with the lowest Likert score, for both samples CAD, and without CAD patients. The highest job strain was noticed in females. More than half of CAD patients ,with low Likert scores, revealed myocardial infarction. Conclusions: Microalbuminuria and hs CRP were statistical significant in the study as intercessors, in job strain and CAD relationship. The most vulnerable patients for vascular events were females, in both groups : CAD and “CAD waiting desk”. In CAD sample, the vascular vulnerability was also increased by high job strain.

Versatility, sensitivity and accuracy have made the real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) a crucial tool for research as well as diagnostic applications. However, for point-of-care (PoC) use traditional qPCR faces two main challenges: long run times mean results are not available for half an hour or more and the requisite high-temperature denaturation requires more robust and pow-er-demanding instrumentation. This study addresses both issues and revised primer and probe designs, modified buffers and low ∆T protocols which, together, speed up qPCR on conventional qPCR instruments and will allow the development of robust, point-of-care devices. Our approach, called "FlashPCR", also allows efficient reverse transcription as part of a one-step RT-qPCR pro-tocol, making it universally applicable for both rapid research and diagnostic applications.

During choriogenesis in insects, chorion (eggshell) is formed by surrounding follicular epithelial cells in ovarioles. However, the regulatory endocrine factor(s) activating choriogenesis and the chemical components on eggshell deserve further exploration. In two representative Coleopterans, a Coccinellid Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata and a Chrysomelid Leptinotarsa decemlineata, genes encoding the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) receptor heterodimer, ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP), and two chitin biosynthesis enzymes UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (UAP) and chitin synthase (ChS1), were highly expressed in ovaries of the young females. RNA interference (RNAi)-aided knockdown of either HvEcR or Hvusp in H. vigintioctopunctata inhibited oviposition, suppressed the expression of HvChS1, and lessened the positive signal of Calcofluor staining on the chorions, which suggests the reduction of a chitin-like substance (CLS) deposited on eggshells. Similarly, RNAi of LdEcR or Ldusp in L. decemlineata constrained oviposition, decreased the expression of LdUAP1 and LdChS1, and declined CLS contents in the resultant ovaries. Knockdown of LdUAP1 or LdChS1 caused similar defective phenotypes, i.e., reduced oviposition and CLS contents in the L. decemlineata ovaries. These results, for the first time, indicate that 20E signaling activates choriogenesis in two Coleopteran species. Moreover, our findings propose the deposition of a CLS on the chorions.

Genetic engineering has become an essential element in developing climate-resilient crops and environmental sustainable solutions to respond to the increasing need for global food security. Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas [Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas)] technology is being applied to a variety of organisms, including plants. This technique has become popular because of its high specificity, effectiveness, and low production cost. Therefore, this technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and contribute to global food security. Over the past few years, increasing efforts have been seen in its application in developing higher-yielding, nutrition rich, disease resistant, stress-tolerant “crops” fruits and vegetables. Cas proteins such as Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14, among others, have distinct architectures and have been used to create new genetic tools that improve features that are important for agriculture. The versatility of Cas has accelerated genomic analysis and facilitated the use of CRISPR/Cas to manipulate and alter nucleic acid sequences in cells of different organisms. This review provides the evolution of CRISPR technology exploring its mechanisms and contrasting it with traditional breeding and transgenic approaches to improve different stress tolerance. We have also discussed the CRISPR/Cas system and explored three Cas proteins that are currently known to exist: Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14 and their potential to generate foreign DNA free or non-transgenic crops that could be easily regulated for commercialization in most countries.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, with a highly variable expression of phenotypes (restricted interest or activity and repetitive behavior in communication and social interactions), genes (mutation), markers (alteration of transcription) and pathways. Loss of function of the CC2D1A gene appears to primarily affect the brain, leading to a range of behavioral problems in humans. In our study published in 2020; we found that the expressions of miR-19a-3p, miR-361-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-3613-3p, miR-126-3p and miR-499a-5p were downregulated in the serum samples of autistic patients and their families. Here, acquired non-Mendelian hereditary character in a genetically defined mouse model of autism (Cc2d1a +/-) correlates with the transcriptional alteration of five miRNAs. We seek to test the hypothesis that miRNA levels are varying by changes in RNA/DNA structure during development, thereby creating transcription alteration. Behavioral tests were conducted on the offspring of Cc2d1a +/- mutant and control mice, such as novel object, social interaction, marble burying and tail suspension behavior. Two RNA fractions were isolated from mouse hippocampal tissues and sperm cells by standard TRIzol extraction: total RNA and fraction of RNA bound to DNA in the form of a DNA/RNA hybrid (R-loop). The expression levels of miR-19a-3p, miR-361-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-126-3p and miR-499a-5p were investigated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. We report differences in the distribution of five miRNAs in the hippocampus between male and female mice in RNA fractions, particularly in colonies of Cc2d1a +/- mice. Furthermore, the number of miRNAs engaged in the DNA/RNA hybrid fraction is generally higher in the mutant pedigree than in the control group. On the other hand, in sperm both fractions are at lower levels than in controls. R-loops contribute to the physiology and pathology of organisms including human disease. Here we report a variation in five miRNA levels between gender and tissue. Our results suggest that the transcription levels of these five miRNAs are directly regulated by their RNA.

Nowadays, unmanned vehicles are widely used in various fields. However, the safety of unmanned vehicles is directly determined by the autopilot systems, and sensor faults are a very critical factor that affects the normal operation of the autopilot systems. To efficiently and comprehensively test unmanned systems for sensor faults, this paper proposes a chip-level testing platform for unmanned vehicle autopilot systems based on FPGA hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Unlike existing testing platforms, the introduction of FPGA technology allows us to achieve nanosecond real-time simulation frequency, thus realizing chip-level simulation of sensors and black-box automated testing. Firstly, we propose a set of general platform and modeling methods, and the paper presents a detailed application of the four most common necessary sensors in autopilot systems as examples. Secondly, we propose for the first time a chip-level fault testing method for unmanned systems, and build a test platform with a quadrotor vehicle, the PX4 software platform, and the Pixhawk4 hardware platform as examples. Finally, the experimental results verify that the testing platform proposed in this paper can adapt to various autopilot systems and has high simulation test reliability.

Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that lead to crop yield reduction worldwide. Melatonin (MT), an endogenous hormone synthesized in plants, plays an important role in responding to abiotic stimuli such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, etc. However, the molecular mechanisms of MT-mediated abiotic stresses remain to be better understood. In order to explore the key genes and pathways of melatonin in alleviating salt stress, physiological and biochemical indicators as well as transcriptomics profile were conducted in alfalfa seedlings. The results showed that the germination rate, bud length and fresh weight of alfalfa seedlings added with melatonin were higher than those treated with salt alone. In addition, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Superoxide anion (O2-) contents also displayed a decreasing trend. The activity and content of Superoxide dismutase (SOD)、peroxidase (POD) and Glutathione (GSH) increased to varying degrees. In order to further reveal the molecular mechanism of MT-mediated salt tolerance of alfalfa, transcriptome analysis was performed on alfalfa seedlings. 2,181 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained in the salt-treated group, including 780 upregulated genes and 1,401 down-regulated genes, while 4,422 DEGs were obtained in the MT group, among which 1,438 were upregulated and 2,984 were downregulated. By using GO functional annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment, we found that DEGs were mainly enriched in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, isoflavones, plant hormones, Glutathione (GSH), soluble sugars and other substances, as well as in the ABC transporter and MAPK signaling pathways. Among them, the DEGs in the MT group was more enriched in these pathways, suggesting that MT can combat salt stress by regulating the expression of genes related to phytohormone and antioxidant capacity, which has important reference value for the breeding of salt-tolerant alfalfa and other crops.

A general method is presented that permits enantiomers, originally present in a low enantiomeric excess (%ee1), to accumulate in a high %ee (%ee2) without a chiral source present. An equation was derived that demonstrates the final %ee2 of any unreacted chiral starting material will become higher when that starting material has reacted to generate an additional chiral center, hence forming two sets of diastereomeric enantiomeric products. Importantly, chiral amplification factor (multiples), %ee2/%ee1, depends on the yield of this reaction (p), which exhibits a nonlinear increase in amplification as p approaches 100%. This process is inevitable. It represents a possible route by which small initial %ee1 values of prebiotic molecules could have been raised to high %ee2 contents during the pre-evolution of life period on Earth, without the need for an added chiral source to be present. This predicted behavior was then experimentally verified in Pictet-Spengler reactions of L-tryptophane methyl ester (L-TME) samples present in low enantiomeric excess (%ee1) with biacetyl or oxaldehyde (model reactions) run to various yields. Each reaction generates stereoisomer products, and chiral amplification of the L-TME’s initial %ee1 values to higher %ee2 values occurs in the unreacted (recovered) L-TME. Repeated cycles of these reactions create very high L-TME %ee values. Self-cyclodimerization of low %ee1 L-amino acids with their D-enantiomers to generate L,L-, D,D- and L,D-cyclic products were computationally studied, leading to the same conclusion. Small %ee1 values are enhanced to larger %ee2 in the unreacted starting materials.

Numerous protocols have been published for extracting DNA from phlebotomines. Nevertheless, their small size is generally an issue in terms of yield, efficiency, and purity, for large-scale individual sand fly DNA extractions when using traditional methods. Even though this can be circumvented with commercial kits, these are generally cost-prohibitive for developing countries. We encountered these limitations when analysing parasite infection in Lutzomyia spp. by PCR [1] and, for this reason, we evaluated various modifications on a previously published protocol ([2] and Acardi personal communication). The most significant variation was the use of a different lysis buffer [3] to which added Ca2+ (buffer TESCa), because this ion protects proteinase K against autolysis, increases its thermal stability, and could have a regulatory function for its substrate-binding site [4]. Individual sand fly DNA extraction success was confirmed by amplification reactions using internal control primers that amplify a fragment of the cacophony gene [5,6]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a lysis buffer containing Ca2+ has been reported for the extraction of DNA from sand flies.

Efficient gene transfer and expression tool is lacking for shrimps and shrimp cells. To solve this, this study has developed a shrimp DNA virus-mediated gene transfer and expression system, consisting of insect Sf9 cells for viral packaging, shrimp viral vector of pUC19-IHHNV-PH-GUS and baculoviral vector of Bacmid or Bacmid-VP28 encoding shrimp WSSV envelope protein VP28. The pUC19-IHHNV-PH-GUS vector was constructed by assembling the genomic DNA of shrimp infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), which had shortened inverted terminal repeats, into pUC19 backbone, and then an expression cassette of baculoviral polyhedron (PH) promoter-driven GUS reporter gene was inserted immediately downstream of IHHNV for proof-of-concept. It was found that the viral vector of pUC19-IHHNV-PH-GUS could be successfully packaged into IHHNV-like infective virions in the Sf9 cells, and gene transfer efficiency of this system had been evaluated and verified in three systems of Sf9 cells, shrimp hemolymph cells and tissues of infected shrimps, but GUS expression could be detected only in the cases when the viral vector was co-transfected or co-infected with a baculovirus of Bacmid or Bacmid-VP28 due to the Bacmid-dependence of PH promoter. Moreover, the packaging and infection efficiencies could be significantly improved when Bacmid-VP28 was used instead of Bacmid.

In the design of multi-loop Networked Control Systems (NCSs) wherein each control system is characterized by heterogeneous dynamics and associated with certain set of timing specifications and constraints, appropriate metrics need to be employed for the synthesis of control and networking policies to efficiently respond to the requirements of each control loop. Majority of the design approaches for sampling, scheduling and control policies include either time-based or event-based metrics to perform pertinent actions in response to the changes of the parameters of interest. We specifically focus in this article on Age-of-Information (AoI) as a recently-developed time-based metric and threshold-based triggering function as a generic event-based metric. As the NCS model, we consider multiple heterogeneous stochastic linear control systems that close their feedback loops over a shared-resource communication network. We investigate the co-design across the NCS, and discuss the pros and cons with AoI and ET approaches in terms of asymptotic control performance measured by linear-quadratic Gaussian (LQG) cost functions. In particular, sampling and scheduling policies combining AoI and stochastic event-triggered metrics are proposed. It is argued that pure AoI functions that generate decision variables solely upon minimizing the average age irrespective of control systems dynamics may not be able to improve the overall NCS performance even compared with pure randomized policies. Our theoretical analyses are successfully validated through several simulation scenarios.

The steady-state multiplicity of the porous, non-isothermal, catalyst pellet when two parallel and consecutive chemical reactions take place was analysed in this work. The geometry selected for the catalyst pellet is finite hollow cylinder. A numerical multigrid continuation technique with the preconditioned conjugate gradient squared as coarse grid solver was used. The continuation parameter is the dimensionless adiabatic heat rise (Prater number) for the first chemical reaction. The effect of the other governing parameters was analysed and the results are compared to those provided by the single chemical reaction.

A novel concept of a finned piston system is presented and analyzed where the compression heat is continuously extracted from the compression chamber. The resulting compression characteristic moves in direction of an isothermal process, reducing so the temperature of the compressed fluid in the compression chamber and reducing the necessary mechanical work for the process. The finned piston concept consists in an integrated heat exchanger inside of the chamber and being constituated of imbricated flat fins placed on the stator part and on the mobile piston. The internal heat exchange surface is strongly increased in comparison with a classical piston/cylinder. The energetic performance of the new system is evaluated with the help of simulation. Pressures, forces and temperature of the compressed gas are simulated as well as the mechanical work needed. The different curves are compared with adiabatic and isothermal characteristics.

The observation that certain therapeutic strategies for targeting inflammation benefit patients with distinct immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) is exemplified by the success of TNF blockade in conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and skin psoriasis, albeit only for subsets of individuals with each condition. This suggests intersecting "nodes" in inflammatory networks at a molecular and cellular level may drive and/or maintain IMIDs, being “shared” between traditionally distinct diagnoses without mapping neatly to a single clinical phenotype. In line with this proposition, integrative tumour tissue analyses in oncology have highlighted novel cell states acting across diverse cancers, with important implications for precision medicine. Drawing upon advances in the oncology field, this narrative review will first summarise learnings from the Human Cell Atlas in health as a platform for interrogating IMID tissues. It will then review cross-disease studies to date that inform this endeavour, before considering future directions in the field.

A convenient and efficient strategy for the preparation of 2-sulfonylindoles has been achieved through iodophor/H2O2-mediated 2-sulfonylation of indoles with readily available sulfonyl hydrazides in aqueous phase. Iodophor is commercially available and serves as the green catalyst and aqueous phase. A series of 2-sulfonylated products from indoles and N-methylpyrrole were synthesized in moderate yields in only 10 min. Control experiments were also conducted to reveal the mechanism. This method is environment friendly, easy to operate and suitable for a wide range of substrates.

Loop quantum gravity (LQG) quantizes gravity through the quantization of the space-time. It begins with general relativity (GR) and brings some concepts from quantum field theory to quantize the space-time. The conceptual background of GR is necessary to comprehend the LQG framework. Therefore, in this paper, prerequisite concepts such as special relativity, general relativity, covariant electromagnetism, tensor analysis, Lagrangian formulation, Hamiltonian formulation and basics of quantum mechanics are briefly introduced; that, are needed to study loop quantum gravity(LQG).

In this paper, a polyacrylic elastomer latex with butyl acrylate (BA) as the core and methyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymerized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as the shell, named poly(BA-MMA-GMA) (PBMG), was synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization. Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was dispersed in the polyacrylic latex to prepare PBMG/CNC dispersions with different CNC contents. The dried product was mixed with polylactic acid (PLA) to fabricate PLA/PBMG/CNC blends. The addition of PBMG and PBMG/CNC improved the mechanical properties of the PLA matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics. The Avrami equation modified by Jeziorny, and the Ozawa, and Mo’s equations were used to analyze the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of PLA and its blends. Analysis of crystallization halftime of nonisothermal conditions indicated that the overall rate of crystallization increased significantly at 1 wt% content of CNC. This seemed to result from the increase of nucleation density and the acceleration of segment movement in the presence of CNC component. This phenomenon was verified by polarizing microscope observation.

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques are widely investigated for the cost-effective use of titanium (Ti) alloys in various aerospace applications. One of the AM techniques developed for such applications is plasma transferred arc solid free-form fabrication (PTA-SFFF). Materials manufactured through AM techniques often exhibit anisotropies in mechanical properties due to the layer-by-layer material build. In this regard, the present study investigates the isothermal directional fatigue of Ti-TiB metal matrix composite (MMC) manufactured by PTA-SFFF. This investigation includes rotating beam fatigue test, electron microscopy, and fatigue calculations. The fatigue experiments were performed at 350 ºC using specimen with the test axis oriented diagonally (45º) and parallel (90º) to the AM builds directions. The fatigue values from the current experiments along with literature data find that Ti MMC manufactured via PTA-SFFF exhibit fatigue anisotropy reporting highest strength in 90º and lowest in perpendicular (0º) AM build directions. Further, the electron microscopy investigations on 0º, 45º, and 90º AM build specimens reveal frequent TiB clusters in all three AM build directions and suggest that the spread of these TiB clusters play a role in fatigue anisotropy. Moreover, the fatigue calculations were performed using both the Paris’ and recently reported modified Paris’ equations. Comparison of R^2 values for these calculations show that modified Paris’ equation predicts the fatigue life of AM Ti-TiB MMC more accurately than the Paris’ equation.

We report a small footprint cost-effective isothermal rapid DNA amplification system, with integrated microfluidics for automated sample analysis and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in human and environmental samples. Our system measures low-level fluorescent signal in real-time during amplification, while maintaining the desired assay temperature, on a low power, portable system footprint. A unique soft microfluidic chip design was implemented to mitigate thermocapillary effects and facilitate optical alignment for automated image capture and signal analysis. The system-on-board prototype coupled with the LAMP primers designed by BioCoS, is sensitive enough to detect viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 in a broad concentration range corresponding to a threshold cycle range of 16 to 39. Clinical specimens were tested at Kingston Health Sciences using a clinically validated PCR assay and variants were determined using whole genome sequencing.

Several Lung diseases can result in lung damage structural changes, with lung transplantation as a only therapeutic option when the disease reaches an advanced progression, unfortunately, the success of lung transplantation is limited. In this context, lung bioengineering is considered a potential therapeutic alternative and the current approach is based on the use of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of the decellularized lung. The use of undifferentiated cells to seed an ECM can be a more practical strategy for lung bioengineering but the sterilization of the organ for this recellularization process is still a challenge. In this sense, Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) can emerge as a potential treatment alternative. Therefore, the objective of this study was to verify if LLLT, can optimize lung recelularization with mesenchymal stem cells by cytokine modulation. For this, we decellularized lungs from C57BL/6 mice perfusing SDS 1% via pulmonary artery, sterilized with LLL (660nm, 100mW, 30s). Whole lung scaffolds were recellularized: (1) Recellularized Lung (2) Recellularized Lung + LLLT. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human tooth pulp (DPSc) were seeded into lungs and incubated for 24 hours at 37ºC, 5% CO₂, in a bioreactor-like conditions, maintaining CPAP at 20cmH2O, 90% O2, and LLL at wavelength of 808nm, 100mW, 30s. Culture medium were analyzed at 24 hours. H&E, immunostaining, SEM and ELISA assay were performed. We produced viable biological scaffolds absent of DNA content, preserving glycosaminoglycans and collagen I, III and IV, fibronectin, laminin and elastin and lung structure (SEM). The levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were stable during the 24 hours of culture. IFN-γ levels showed significant difference in the DPSc and DPSc+LLLT group in the 24-hour evaluation. The levels of IL-10 decreased after LLLT. These findings highlight LLLT's role in cytokine regulation and contamination prevention during lung recellularization with mesenchymal stem cells. Overall, these results demonstrated that LLLT's modulated cytokine levels and could prevent contamination during the lung recellularization process with mesenchymal stem cells, offering promise for enhanced therapeutic strategies in lung bioengineering.

The loop and knot securities of 2 braided and 2 monofilament sutures of four diameters (3.0, 2.0, 0, 1) were evaluated with a tensiometer for four 4-throw knots known to be secure with a 2.0 polyfilament suture. Loop security of monocryl 1 is low, being 14.7 + 3.0 Newton (N) for a 3-throw half-knot (H3) and 15.4 + 2.4 N and 28.3+ 10 N for 2 (SSs) and 4-throw (SSsSsSs) symmetrical sliding half-hitches. This is lower than 18, 24, and 46 N for similar knots with vicryl. Polyfilament sutures have excellent knot security for all diameters. Occasionally, some slide to open with slightly lower knot security, especially for larger diameters, although not clinically problematic. Knot se-curity of monofilament sutures was unpredictable for all 4 knots, especially for larger diameters, resulting in many clinically insecure knots. A secure monofilament knot requires a 6-throw knot with 2 symmetrical sliding half-hitches or 2 symmetrical half-knots secured with 4 asymmetric blocking half-hitches. In conclusion, with polyfilament sutures, 4 or 5-throw half-knot or half-hitch sequences result in secure knots. For monofilament sutures, loop and knot security is much less, half-knot combinations should be avoided, and secure knots require 6-throw knots with 4 asym-metric half hitches. This conclusion is valid for gynecologic laparoscopic and open surgery, and for surgery in general.

The article presents the issues related to the operation and modelling of the ship main propulsion steam boiler. Such objects are used widely in seagoing ships especially the very large crude oil carriers as a main propulsion turbine feed. The advantages of such along with simple construction thus great reliability make oil feed boilers an excellent source of power for chosen type of the large ships. It must be pointed out that a lot of research work was done in the previous years regarding automatic control of boiler automation but since then this technology was not in the focus of the researchers. In the future the fossil fuels will become less important than they are now, but the control techniques of boilers would eventually change due to different fuel parameters therefore, development of such is necessary. The article presents the results of research collected in real ship boilers during their operation and then, based on the results, a digital model of such an object was created. This model was implemented into Hardware-In-Loop which is the initial step for preparing the full model (including sensors etc.) of a steam heated boiler. Theoretical background along with chosen simulation and experimental results of control implemented into HIL were presented to validate assumptions...

Oral candidiasis is a common problem among immunocompetent patients. The frequent resistance of Candida strains to popular antimycotics makes it necessary to look for alternative methods of treatment. The authors conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The objective of this review was to determine whether curcumin-mediated aPDT and blue light could be considered as an alternative treatment for oral candidiasis. PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library databases were searched using a combination of the following keywords: (Candida OR candidiasis oral OR candidosis oral OR denture stomatitis) AND (curcumin OR photodynamic therapy OR aPDT OR photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy OR PACT OR photodynamic inactivation OR PDI). The review included in vitro laboratory studies with Candida spp., in vivo animal studies, and randomized control trials (RCTs) involving patients with oral candidiasis or prosthetic stomatitis, published only in English. The method of elimination of Candida species in the studies was curcumin-mediated aPDT. 757 studies were identified. Following the analysis of the titles and abstracts of the studies, only 42 studies were selected for in-depth screening, after which 26 were included in this study. All studies evaluated the antifungal efficacy of curcumin-mediated aPDT against C. albicans and non-albicans Candida. In studies conducted with planktonic cells solutions, seven studies demonstrated complete elimination of Candida spp. cells. The remaining studies demonstrated only partial elimination. In all cases, experiments on single-species yeast biofilms demonstrated partial, statistically significant inhibition of cell growth and reduction of biofilm mass. In vivo, curcumin-mediated aPDT has shown good antifungal activity against oral candidiasis also in an animal model. However, its clinical efficacy as a potent therapeutic strategy for oral candidiasis requires further RCTs.

In this paper, a horizontally moving suspended mass pendulum base is designed and controlled using robust control theory. H infinity optimal loop shaping with first and second order desired loop shaping function controllers are used to improve the performance of the system using Matlab/Simulink Toolbox. Comparison of the H infinity optimal loop shaping with first and second order desired loop shaping function controllers for the proposed system have been done to track the desired angular position of the pendulum using step and sine wave input signals and a promising result has been obtained succesfully.

Bacterial phylogenetics has largely been determined via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Observed utility of this approach has driven the popularity of the 16S rRNA gene amplicon metagenomics method for profiling and identifying diverse microbes from specific habitats. This work sought to develop universal primers for amplifying the 16S rRNA gene from a consortium of disparate microbial species. Using multiple sequence alignment of the 16S rRNA gene of a variety of microbes, the resulting highly conserved region of the consensus sequence was used for design of universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers for 16S rRNA gene. Application of the universal primers in simulated PCR reveals poor amplification efficiency where only 12 species out of 31 generated an amplicon. BLAST analysis of the resulting amplicons reveals a classification error of 50%. More significantly, analysis of the amplicon length indicates variable read length ranging from 81 to 122 base pair compared to the predicted read length of 100 base pairs. This suggests that the 16S rRNA gene harbours significant hitherto underappreciated sequence diversity, and may have unknown alternative splicing and recombination mechanisms. Overall, results from this study suggests that primer design for 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomics may be application and habitat specific, where it is difficult to design universal primers for all bacterial species. Conceptually, this meant that there may be sequence co-evolution in 16S rRNA gene for microbial species in the habitat where environmental and nutritional conditions impact on 16S rRNA gene structure and sequence. In essence, 16S rRNA gene may habour epigenetics signals at the gene level.

In this article, we describe an immunochromatographic test system developed for rapid serodiagnostics of cattle brucellosis using two markers: gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and quantum dots (QDs). The test system was compared with immunochromatographic serodiagnostics systems that use only one marker. The approbation of the test system was conducted on samples of cattle sera with low, but diagnostically significant titers of specific antibodies. We show that when two conjugates are used, the intensity of the detectable signal increases by 2–3 times compared with the test system using the QD conjugate and by more than 9 times compared with the system using the GNP conjugate.

We present theoretical designs of high performance optical filters in integrated silicon photonic nanowire resonators. We use mode interference in formed by zig-zag waveguide coupled Sagnac loop reflectors (ZWC-SLRs), tailored to achieve diverse filtering functions with good performance. These include compact bandpass filters with improved roll-off, optical analogues of Fano resonances with ultrahigh spectral extinction ratios (ERs) and slope rates, and resonance mode splitting with high ERs and low free spectral ranges. The analysis verifies the feasibility of multi-functional integrated photonic filters based on ZWC-SLR resonators for flexible spectral engineering in diverse applications.

We developed an ovarian cancer-targeted drug delivery system based on a follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) peptide. The lipophilic chemotherapeutic drug SN38 and the photosensitizer IR820 were loaded into the phospholipid bilayer of liposomes. Near-infrared laser irradiation stimulated the generation of reactive oxygen species, causing short-term reactive molecular species and spatial-temporal restricted photodamage to the biological targets. The reactive molecular species and spatial-temporal restricted photodamage enhanced the release and uptake of chemotherapy drugs and increased the sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs in ovarian cancer cells. FSH liposomes loaded with SN38 and IR820 (SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH) were prepared using thin-film hydration-sonication. FSH peptide binding was analyzed using 1H NMR spectrum and Maldi-Tof. The average size and zeta potential of SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH were 105.1 ± 1.15 nm (PDI: 0.204 ± 0.03) and −27.8 ± 0.42 mV, respectively. SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH exhibited good drug-loading properties and the in vitro release was slow. FSH significantly increased the uptake of liposomes, inhibited cell proliferation, and induced apoptosis in A2780 cells. Moreover, SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH exhibited good tumor-targeting ability and anti-ovarian cancer activity in vivo. The SN38/IR820-Lipo@FSH exhibited specific targeting to A2780 ovarian cancer cells. The combination of chemotherapy and photodynamic treatment based on an FSH peptide-targeted delivery system may be an effective approach to treating ovarian cancer.

Although rRT-PCR is the gold standard method for SARS-CoV-2 detection, some factors, such as amplification inhibitors presence, lead to false-negative results. Here we describe differences between rRT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 infection in normal and diluted samples, simulating the need for dilution due to amplification inhibitors presence. Viral RNA extraction of nasopharyngeal swabs samples from 20 patients previously detected as 'Negative' and 21 patients detected as 'Positive' for SARS-CoV-2 was realized with the EasyExtract DNA-RNA (Interprise®). rRT-PCR was realized with OneStep/COVID-19 (IBMP) kit with normal and diluted (80µl of H₂O RNAse free) samples, totaling 82 tests. The results indicate that there is an average variation (ɑ < 0.05) delaying Cq between the amplification results of internal control (IC), N Gene (NG), and ORF-1ab (OF) of 1.811 Cq, 3.840 Cq, and 3.842 Cq, respectively. The extraction kit does not completely purify the inhibitor compounds, therefore non-amplification by inhibitors may occur. In this study, we obtained a 19.04% false-negative diagnosis after sample dilution, and this process reduces the efficiency of rRT-PCR to 29.80% for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Knowing the rRT-PCR standards of diluted samples can help in the identification of false-negative cases, and consequently avoid a wrong diagnosis.

This work probes the combined effects of magnetic field and viscous dissipation on heat field and examine the second law analysis (entropy generation) in an electrically conducting fluid under the effect of wall mass transfer over continuous stretched non-isothermal surface with variable viscosity. The viscosity of the fluid is assumed to be an inverse linear function of temperature. The governing equation for the problem are changed to dimensionless ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformation and solved numerically by using Rung Kutta and Shooting technique. Velocity, concentration and temperature distribution are obtained and used to compute the entropy generation and the Bejan number in the flow field. The effect of variable viscosity, Schmidt number, Hartman and Reynolds number on the velocity, concentration, temperature, entropy generation and Bejan number are studied and discussed.

Oxidative stress-mediated cell death is a major cause of dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra (SN) of Parkinson’s disease patients. Ergothioneine (ET), a natural dietary compound, has been shown to have cytoprotective functions, but neuroprotective actions against PD have not been well established. 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is a widely used neurotoxin to simulate the degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in Parkinson's disease. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of ET on 6-OHDA treated iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons (iDAs) and further confirmed the protective effects in 6-OHDA treated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. In 6-OHDA treated cells, metabolic stress in the form of decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS), reduced cellular ATP levels, and increased total protein carbonylation levels was observed. 6-OHDA treatment also significantly decreased tyrosine hydroxylase levels. These effects were significantly abrogated when ET was present. Verapamil hydrochloride (VHCL), a non-specific inhibitor of the ET transporter, OCTN1, abolished ET’s cytoprotective effects, indicative of an intracellular action. These results suggest that ET could be a potential therapeutic for Parkinson’s disease.

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

Expressions for the axial pressure profiles in a cylindrical channel and between parallel plates or a rectangular channel with large aspect ratio, with Maxwell slip gas flow are derived from first principles. The resulting expressions, which only involve the inlet and outlet pressures and the channel dimensions, will be useful in modelling or simulations of channel flows at Knudsen numbers in the range 0.001–0.1, such as in MEMS and NEMS. The expression for a cylindrical channel is validated by deriving from it an expression for the channel mass flow, which is shown to agree with a known expression for the mass flow through cylindrical channels with Maxwell slip flow. The expression for flow between parallel plates is found to agree with the zeroth order relation derived by Arkilic et al. using perturbation analysis. The effect of the accommodation coefficient on the pressure profile in a cylindrical channel is shown.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) form through non-enzymatic glycation of various proteins. Optic nerve degeneration is a frequent complication of diabetes, and retinal AGEs accumulation is strongly linked to diabetic retinopathy development. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), with patients often exhibiting optic axon degeneration in the nerve fiber layer. Notably, a gap exists in our understanding of how AGEs contribute to neuronal degeneration in the optic nerve within the context of both diabetes and AD. Our previous work demonstrated that glyceraldehyde (GA)-derived toxic advanced glycation end-products (TAGE) disrupt neurite outgrowth through TAGE-β-tubulin aggregation and tau phosphorylation in neural cultures. In this study, we further illustrated GA-induced suppression of optic nerve axonal elongation via abnormal β-tubulin aggregation in mouse retinas. Elucidating this optic nerve degeneration mechanism holds promise for bridging the knowledge gap regarding vision loss associated with DM and AD.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous damage to social economy and people’s health. Some major issues fighting COVID-19 include early and accurate diagnosis and the shortage of ventilator machines for critical patients. In this work, we propose a closed-loop solution to deal with COVID-19: portable biosensing and wearable photoacoustic imaging for early and accurate diagnosis of infection and magnetically neuromodulation or minimally invasive electrical stimulation to replace the traditional ventilation. Proposed technique can guarantee ubiquitous and onsite detection, and electrical hypoglossal stimulator can be more effective in helping severe patients as well as reducing complications caused by ventilators.

In agriculture, soil-borne fungal pathogens, especially Fusarium oxysporum strains, are posing a serious threat to efforts to achieve global food security. In the search for safer agrochemicals, silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) have recently been proposed as a new tool to alleviate pathogen damage including Fusarium wilt. Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs), a unique class of SiO2NPs, have been widely accepted as a desired pesticide carrier. However, their role in enhancing the disease resistance and the specific mechanism remain unknown. In this study, three sizes of HMSNs (19, 96 and 406 nm as HMSNs–19, HMSNs–96 and HMSNs–406, respectively) were synthesized and characterized to determine their effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseolus (FOP) suppression in cowpea roots by foliar spray using phenotypes, fresh biomass and disease progression as indicators. The results revealed that three HMSNs exhibited no adverse impacts on seed germination and tended to improve plant growth. Also, they exert their FOP suppression with a size- and concentration-dependent manner. HMSNs–406 possessed the best control effect at a concentration of 1000 mg/L showing an upto 40.00% decline in the disease severity. The Si(OH)4 control was also effective on FOP suppression at a lower concentration of 100 mg/L, whereas its higher concentrations exhibited obviously adverse impacts on FOP control, seed germination and plant growth. Moreover, we conformed that HMSNs posed their Fusarium wilt suppression in cowpea plant by activating SA (salicylic acid)-dependent SAR (systemic acquired resistance) responses rather than directly suppressing FOP. A higher level of SA content and elevated expression of its maker genes of PR-1 and PR-5 in HMSNs–406 treated cowpea roots provided substantial evidences of this mode of action. Other resistance-related genes, as well as defense-responsive enzymes, were also involved in the HMSNs-activated SAR pathway. Overall, for the first time, our results extended a new role of HMSNs as a potent elicitor to serve as a versatile alternative for plant disease protection of low cost, highly efficiency and sustainability.

Antler is the fastest growing tissue. Because is based on proto-oncogenes, to avoid the risk of cancer, antlers evolved strong anticancer mechanisms, and thus its extract (DVA) is effective also against the few human tumours studied so far. We assessed whether DVA is a general anticancer compound testing direct effects in cells of different tumours: glioblastoma (GBM), colorectal and breast cancer, and leukaemia. DVA reduced viability of tumour but not healthy cells. Mobility decreased at least at the longest test (72 h). Intraperitoneal/oral 200 mg DVA/kg administration in GBM xenograft mice for 28 d reduced tumour weight 66.3% and 61.4% respectively, and also spleen weight. In addition, tumours treated with DVA showed symptoms of liquefactive necrosis. Serum cytokines showed DVA up-regulated factors related with tumour fighting and down-regulated those related with inducing immune tolerance to the tumour. DVA shows general anticancer effects in the lines tested and, in GBM mice, also strong indirect effects apparently mediated by the immune system.

Abstract: — management of the Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) operation has proven to be a difficult undertaking due to the complex and ever-changing nature of its behavior, which is both nonlinear and dynamic, which is further compounded by its instability. Attempts have been made to use Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controllers for such processes, but the performance is often poor due to the inherent limitations of the controllers. In contrast, heuristic algorithms have been employed to tune the controllers, but these methods can only provide optimal performance for a restricted range of parameter variations. This paper presents a novel approach that involves using a conventional gain scheduling PID controller in combination with a fuzzy gain scheduling (FGS) controller method to calibrate set-point weighted PID controllers for the CSTR process. The paper outlines the design of the controllers and evaluates their performance by subjecting them to varying input signals within the given bandwidth.

Consumer preference for products made from transgenic technology has been widely studied, yet few studies exist exploring the factors influencing producers’ adoption of transgenic technology. Based on field surveys in Chinese provinces of Shanxi, Henan and Shandong, we employed a gambling experiment to capture producers’ risk preferences by estimating their risk aversion coefficients. We further estimated producers’ risk amplification and risk perception of GM technology. Using ordered logit model and Poisson model we identified the major factors influencing producers’ adoption of transgenic technology. We found the factors impacted the decision of producers from different regions in different ways. The results showed that over 60% of participants amplified the risk of transgenic crops. When there was potential risk, producers might not be rational even if they had high level of knowledge and cognition about the technology. Our results shed light on government policies aiming to increase the adoption of new technologies by producers.

Cervical cancer is the most common female reproductive tract tumor and is currently the only cancer that can be prevented by vaccination. Early detection and treatment of cervical cancer can be achieved through regular screening for human papillomavirus (HPV). Therefore, in this paper, an electrochemical sensor was designed to detect HPV 16 using a dual signal amplification technique. APTES modified glassy carbon electrode to improve stability. Combining gold nanoparticles and chain amplification reactions for signal amplification purposes. The limit of detection (LOD) was 1.731×10-16 mol/L, and the detection range of this electrochemical sensor was increased in comparison to previous research, with a linear response range from 1.0×10-13 mol/L to 1.0×10-5 mol/L (R2 = 0.99232) for the target detector.In addition, the sensor showed equally good recovery in sophisticated human serum samples. It shows that it has good interference resistance and the designed biosensor can be a powerful and reliable tool for clinical disease diagnosis.

Climacteric fruits undergo a characteristic ripening process regulated by ethylene, a key plant hormone. Extending the shelf life of these fruits while preserving their postharvest quality poses a significant challenge for the food industry. This review provides a comprehensive overview of physiological and molecular strategies to delay ethylene-mediated ripening in climacteric fruits and their impact on shelf life, postharvest quality, sensory attributes, and volatile compounds. Additionally, it examines the role of ethylene in fruit ripening analysing various ethylene managing strategies including ethylene inhibitors, ethylene adsorbents and ethylene scavengers by catalytic oxidation The review concludes with future research directions including integrated strategies, environmental considerations and commercial applications for improving postharvest handling and fruit quality.

Phosphite (Phi) has gained attention in agriculture due to its biostimulant effect on crops. This molecule has been found to benefit plant performance by providing protection against pathogens, improving yield and fruit quality, and improving nutrient and water use efficiency. It is still unclear how Phi enhances plant growth and protects against multiple stresses. It has been hypothesized that Phi acts by directly affecting the pathogens and interacting with the plant cellular components and molecular machinery to elicit defense responses. This study delves into elucidating the mechanisms underlying Phi’s beneficial effects on plants, revealing a complex interplay with fundamental signaling pathways. A RNA-seq study of Arabidopsis seedlings under optimal and limiting phosphate conditions helped us unveil Phi’s role in promoting plant growth by activating the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis and signaling pathways associated with abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonic acid (JA). Expression of ABA-related genes, known for their involvement in stress response and development regulation, is triggered by Phi treatment, contributing to enhanced resilience and growth. Simultaneously, the activation of the SA pathway, associated with defense responses, suggests Phi’s potential in bolstering plant immunity. Moreover, Phi influences JA biosynthesis and signaling, which are crucial for defense against herbivores and pathogens, thereby strengthening plants’ defenses. Our findings reveal a multifaceted mechanism through which Phi benefits Arabidopsis development. Understanding its intricate interplay with key signaling pathways opens avenues for leveraging Phi as a strategic tool to enhance plant resilience, immunity, and growth in agricultural and ecological contexts.

The water-soluble vitamin - vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism, particularly in DNA synthesis, methylation, and mitochondrial functionality. Its de-ficiency can lead to hematological and neurological disorders, however the manifestation of these clinical outcomes is relatively late. It leads to difficulties in its early diagnosis, often resulting in the development of hidden subclinical cobalamin deficiency. Prolonged lack of vitamin B12 con-dition may have severe consequences including increased morbidity to neurological and cardio-vascular diseases. Beyond inadequate dietary intake, vitamin B12 deficiency might be caused by insufficient bioavailability, blood transport disruptions, or impaired cellular uptake and metabo-lism. Despite nearly 70 years of knowledge since its isolation and characterization, there are still gaps in understanding its metabolic pathways. Thus, this review aims to gather current knowledge about the crucial proteins necessary to efficiently process vitamin B12 in humans, presenting it as a multi-protein mediated network. Based on these findings, we also highlight new potential methods for supporting the evaluation of the risk of epidemiological consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency or clinical warnings of increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency based on already testing targeting specific moonlighting proteins engaged in vitamin B12 metabolic path-ways.

Transmembrane transport of small organic and inorganic molecules is one of the cornerstones of cellular metabolism. Among transmembrane transporters, solute carrier (SLC) proteins form the largest, albeit very diverse, superfamily with over 400 members. It has been early on recognized that xenobiotics can directly interact with SLCs and that this interaction can fundamentally determine their efficacy, including bioavailability and intertissue distribution. Apart from the well-established prodrug strategy, the chemical ligation of transporter substrates to nanoparticles of various chemical composition has recently been used as a means to enhance their targeting or absorption. In this review, we summarize efforts in drug design exploiting interactions with specific SLC transporters to optimize their therapeutic effects. Furthermore, we describe current and future challenges as well as new directions for the advanced development of therapeutics that target SLC transporters.

Yaws is a skin debilitating disease caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue with most cases reported in children. World Health Organization (WHO) aims at total eradication of this disease through mass treatment of suspected cases followed by an intensive follow-up program. However, effective diagnosis is pivotal in the successful implementation of this control program. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), an isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique offers a wider range of differentiation of pathogens including those isolated from chronic skin ulcers with similar characteristics such as Haemophilus ducreyi (H. ducreyi). We have developed a duplex RPA assay for the simultaneous detection of Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) and H. ducreyi (TPHD-RPA). TPHD-RPA assay demonstrated no cross-reaction with other pathogens and enable detection of T. pallidum and H. ducreyi within 15 minutes at 42 oC. The duplex RPA assay was validated with 49 clinical samples from individuals confirmed to have yaws by serological tests. Compared with commercial multiplex real-time PCR, the TPHD-RPA assay demonstrated 94-95% sensitivity for T. pallidum and H. ducreyi confirmed samples, respectively and 100% specificity. This simple novel TPHD-RPA assay enables the rapid detection of both T. pallidum and H. ducreyi in yaws-like lesions. This test could support the yaws eradication programs by ensuring effective diagnosis as well as enable monitoring of eradication efforts success or failure and planning of follow-up interventions at the community level.

Extensive genome structure variation, such as copy number variations (CNVs) and presence/absence variations, is the basis for the remarkable maize genetic diversity; however, the effect of CNVs on maize herbivory defense remains largely underexplored. Here, we report that the naturally occurring duplication of the maize 9-lipoxygenase gene, ZmLOX5, leads to increased resistance of maize to herbivory by fall armyworms (FAW). Previously, we showed that ZmLOX5-derived oxylipins are required for defense against chewing insect herbivores and identified several inbred lines, including Yu796, that contained duplicated CNVs of ZmLOX5, referred to as Yu796-2×LOX5. To test whether introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus into the herbivore-susceptible B73 background that contains a single ZmLOX5 gene is a feasible approach to increase resistance, we generated a series of near-isogenic lines that contained either 2, 1 or 0 copies of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in the B73 background by six back crosses (BC6). Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) confirmed the successful introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in B73. The resulting B73-2×LOX5 inbred line displayed increased resistance against FAW associated with increased expression of ZmLOX5, increased wound-induced production of its primary oxylipin product, the α-ketol, 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9,10-KODA), and the downstream defense hormones regulated by this molecule, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Surprisingly, wound-induced JA-Ile production was not increased in B73-2×LOX5, resulting from the increased JA catabolism. Furthermore, B73-2×LOX5 displayed enhanced drought tolerance likely due to increased ABA and 12-OPDA content. Taken together, this study revealed that the duplicated CNV of ZmLOX5 quantitively contributes to maize antiherbivore defense and presents proof-of-concept evidence that the introgression of naturally occurring duplicated CNVs of a defensive gene into the productive, but susceptible, crop varieties is a feasible breeding approach for enhancing plant resistance to herbivory and tolerance to abiotic stress.

The paper describes a new formula for calculating the mutual inductance between a thin conical sheet inductor and a filamentary circular loop, which are coaxial. The presented formula is derived semi-analytically using the complete elliptic integrals of the first, second, and the third kind, along with the integral term which will be solved numerically. The results are validated using double and single integration methods, as well as the semi-analytical formula. The mutual inductance between a thin wall solenoid and a filamentary circular loop can be obtained using the new formula for the conical coil and circular loop. Presented formulas can be useful in various applications, such as broadband RF and wireless power transfer systems that utilize conical inductors. Overall, the paper presents a valuable contribution to the field of inductor design and can be useful in various applications involving conical inductors.

In this work, we present some results related with the issue of the Loop Quantum Black Holes (LQBH) thermodynamics by the use of the tunneling radiation formalism. The information loss paradox is also discussed in this context, where we have considered the influence of back reaction effects.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), a group of small peptides capable of promoting the transport of molecular cargo across the plasma membrane, have become important tools in promoting the cellular uptake of exogenously delivered macromolecules. GV1001, a peptide derived from a reverse-transcriptase subunit of telomerase (hTERT) and developed as a vaccine against various cancers, reportedly has unexpected CPP properties. Unlike typical CPPs, such as the HIV-1 TAT peptide, GV1001 enabled the cytosolic delivery of macromolecules such as proteins, DNA and siRNA via extracellular heat shock protein 90 (eHSP90) and 70 (eHSP70) complexes. The eHSP-GV1001 interaction may have biological effects in addition to its cytosolic delivery function. GV1001 was originally designed as a MHC class II-binding cancer epitope, but its CPP properties may contribute to its strong anti-cancer immune response relative to other telomerase peptide-based vaccines. Cell signaling via eHSP-GV1001 binding may lead to unexpected biological effects, such as direct anticancer or antiviral effects. In this review, we focus on the CPP effects of GV1001 bound to eHSP90 and ehsp70.

The entropy and charge distributions have been calculated for a simple model of polyelectrolytes attached to the surface of DNA using a field-theoretic method that includes fluctuations to the lowest one-loop order beyond mean-field theory. Experiments have revealed correlation-driven behavior of DNA in charged solutions, including charge inversion and condensation. In our model, the condensed polyelectrolytes are taken to be doubly charged dimers of length comparable to the distance between sites along the phosphate chains. Within this lattice-gas model, each adsorption site is assumed to have either a vacancy or a positively-charged dimer attached with the dimer oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the double helix DNA chain. We find that the inclusion of the fluctuation terms decreases the entropy by ∼50% in the weak binding regime. There, the bound dimer concentration is low because the dimers are repelled from the DNA molecule, which competes with the chemical potential driving them from the solution to the DNA surface. Surprisingly, this decrease in entropy due to correlations is so significant that it overcompensates for the entropy increase at the mean field level, so that the total entropy is even lower than in the absence of interactions between lattice sites. As a bonus, we present a transparent exposition of the methods used that could be useful to students and others wishing to use this formulation to extend this calculation to more realistic models.

Loop detectors are probably the widest-used technology for traffic state estimation. Previous research has shown that loop detector positions within the link significantly affect the estimation of the macroscopic fundamental diagram (MFD) of a given network. This paper examines the biases produced by the positioning of loop detectors on the MFD, using both analytical and simulation methods, as well as empirical data from UTD-19. We confirm earlier results that a uniform distribution of loop detector positions reduces the bias. For non-uniform distribution, we found that: (i) the subsets of the MFD by the loop detector position help estimate whether the loop detector MFD will have a bias; (ii) if the detectors in the network are positioned more downstream with a larger variation, the loop detector MFD is more likely to have a discrepancy in position subsets of the MFD; (iii) a lower ratio of link length to green signal time elevates the MFD bias as well. This research opens the possibility for the bias of MFD induced by the loop detector data to be corrected by only using itself.

In this article, Planck star and remnant scenario i.e., solution of black hole information paradox in loop quantum gravity (LQG) are elaborated. Since, Black hole is the final fate of collapse scenario in general relativity; firstly, gravitational collapse with two possible final outcomes i.e., black hole and naked singularity, is outlined. Thereafter, black hole thermodynamics along with four laws of black hole thermodynamics, Hawking radiation, brief introduction to information theory and cause of information paradox are given. Then, solution of black hole information paradox outside the LQG are briefly explained. Thereafter, basic concepts of LQG along with loop quantum cosmology (LQC) are described. LQG can solve information paradox by its natural cut off on the value of quantum volume operator. In LQG, a star namely, Planck star is also proposed that is formed at Planck density and resides at so-called singularity point. Since, LQG removes singularity through big bounce and proposes Planck star which provides enough room for information to escape; hence, it can solve information paradox. LQG predicts remnant of black hole of the order of \(10^{-14} m\); which, is under current technological regime. In the remnant scenario, black hole makes quantum transition into white hole and this white hole behaves as a long lived remnants that can solve information paradox. In this quantum transition, a black hole tunnels into a white hole at the end of evaporation.

We theoretically investigate advanced multi-functional integrated photonic filters formed by three waveguide coupled Sagnac loop reflectors (3WC-SLRs). By tailoring the coherent mode interference, the spectral response of the 3WC-SLR resonators is engineered to achieve diverse filtering functions with high performance. These include optical analogues of Fano resonances that yield ultrahigh spectral extinction ratios (ERs) and slope rates, resonance mode splitting with high ERs and low free spectral ranges, and classical Butterworth, Bessel, Chebyshev, and elliptic filters. A detailed analysis of the impact of the structural parameters and fabrication tolerances is provided to facilitate device design and optimization. The requirements for practical applications are also considered. These results theoretically verify the effectiveness of using 3WC-SLR resonators as multi-functional integrated photonic filters for flexible spectral engineering in diverse applications.

Sensor fusion technology is one of extensive used methods in the field of robot, aerospace and target tracking control. In this paper, the generalized sensor fusion framework, named the closed-loop fusion (CLF) is analyzed and the optimal design principle of filter is proposed in detail. Fusion error optimization problem, which is the core issue of fusion design, is also solved better through the feedback compensation law of CLF framework. Differently from conventional methods, the fusion filter of CLF can be optimally designed and the determination of superposition of fusion information is avoided. To show the validity, simulation and experimental results are to be submitted.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the professional antigen-presenting cells that recognize and present antigens to naïve T cells to induce antigen-specific adaptive immunity. Among the T-cell subsets, T helper type 2 (Th2) cells produce the humoral immune responses required for protection against helminthic disease by activating B cells. DCs induce a Th2 immune response at a certain immune environment. Basophil, eosinophil, mast cells, and type 2 innate lymphoid cells also induce Th2 immunity. However, in the case of DCs, controversy remains regarding which subsets of DCs induce Th2 immunity, which genes in DCs are directly or indirectly involved in inducing Th2 immunity, and the detailed mechanisms underlying induction, regulation, or maintenance of the DC-mediated Th2 immunity against allergic environments and parasite infection. A recent study has shown that a genetic defect in DCs causes an enhanced Th2 immunity leading to a severe atopic dermatitis. We summarize the Th2 immune-inducing DC subsets, the genetic and environmental factors which involved in DC-mediated Th2 immunity, and current therapeutic approaches for Th2-mediated immune disorders. This review is to provide an improved understanding of DC-mediated Th2 immunity and Th1/Th2 immune balancing, leading to control over their adverse consequences.

Using optical characterization, it is evident that the spin state of the spin crossover molecular complex [Fe{H2B(pz)2}2(bipy)] (pz = tris (pyrazol-1-1y)-borohydride, bipy = 2,2’-bipyridine) depends on the ferroelectric polarization of an adjacent thin film of the polymer ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP). The UV-Vis spectroscopy reveals that room temperature switching of [Fe{H2B(pz)2}2(bipy)] molecules in bilayers of PVDF-HFP/[Fe{H2B(pz)2}2(bipy)] as a function of ferroelectric polar polarization. The electric polarity dependence of bilayers of PVDF-HFP/[Fe{H2B(pz)2}2(bipy)] shows a strong dependence on the thickness of the PVDF-HFP layer. The PVDF-HFP/[Fe{H2B(pz)2}2(bipy)] interface may affect polarization retention in the PVDF-HFP thin film limit.

Modified mRNAs (modRNAs) are an emerging delivery method for gene therapy. In particular, the modRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have proven that modRNA is a safe and effective therapeutic tool. Moreover, modRNA has the potential to treat various human diseases including cardiac dysfunction. Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cardiac disorder that currently lacks curative treatment options. MI is commonly accompanied by fibrosis and impaired cardiac function. Our group previously demonstrated that the matricellular protein CCN5 inhibits cardiac fibrosis (CF) and improves cardiac dysfunction. However, it remains elusive whether the early intervention of CF under stress conditions is beneficial or more detrimental due to potential adverse effects such as left ventricular (LV) rupture. To obtain acute CCN5 expression, we used modRNA-mediated gene transfer in a mouse MI model. To evaluate CCN5 activity, we established two independent experimental schemes: 1) preventive intervention and 2) therapeutic intervention. Cardiac function and structural changes were measured by echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Finally, fibrosis and the underlying molecular pathway were analyzed by western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry. The modRNA-CCN5 gene transfer successfully ameliorated CF and enhanced cardiac function in both preventive and therapeutic interventions without LV rupture or any adverse cardiac remodeling. Conclusively, early intervention in CF by modRNA-CCN5 gene transfer is an efficient and safe therapeutic modality for treating MI-induced heart failure without adverse structural remodeling.

The quality of cellular products used in biological research can directly impact the ability to ob-tain accurate results. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a latent virus that spreads extensively world-wide, and cell lines used in experiments may carry EBV and pose an infection risk. The presence of EBV in a single cell line can contaminate other cell lines used in the same laboratory, affecting experimental results. We developed three EBV detection systems: (1) a polymerase chain reac-tion (PCR)-based detection system, (2) a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-based de-tection system, and (3) a combined RPA-lateral flow assay (LFA) detection system. The mini-mum EBV detection limits were 1×103 copy numbers for the RPA-based and RPA-LFA systems and 1×104 copy numbers for the PCR-based system. Both the PCR and RPA detection systems were applied to 192 cell lines, and the results were consistent with those obtained by the EBV assay methods specified in the pharma-ceutical industry standards of the People's Republic of China. 10 EBV-positive cell lines were identified. The combined RPA-LFA system is simple to operate, allowing for rapid results visualization. This system can be implemented in laborato-ries and cell banks as part of a daily quality control strategy to ensure cell quality and experi-mental safety and may represent a potential new technique for the rapid detection of EBV in clinical samples.

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel betacoronavirus and the aetiological agent of the current COVID-19 outbreak that originated in Hubei Province, China. While polymerase chain reaction is the front-line tool for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance, application of amplification-free and culture-free methods for isolation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, partnered with next-generation sequencing, would provide a useful tool for both surveillance and research of SARS-CoV-2. We here release into the public domain a set of bait capture hybridization probe sequences for enrichment of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from complex biological samples. These probe sequences have been designed using rigorous bioinformatics methods to provide sensitivity, accuracy, and minimal off-target hybridization. Probe design was based on existing, validated approaches for detecting antimicrobial resistance genes in complex samples and it is our hope that this SARS-CoV-2 bait capture platform, once validated by those with samples in hand, will be of aid in combating the current outbreak.

This study investigates the magnetization of Cobalt (Co) nanoparticles with two different crystal structures: a centered cubic (fcc) and an hexagonal close packed (hcp), under the magnetic field of the Earth. For that reason, the hysteresis loops of the two material samples are exported and compared with the corresponding value by experimental procedure in the laboratory under the Earth’s magnetization. For both samples, the nanoparticle number variation and the nearest neighbor distance effect, in the Co hysteresis loop are investigated, structural information that is useful for the sample preparation. For the simulations the Finite Element Method (FEM) was used, while experiments are conducted using a measurement set-up based on fluxgate magnetometers. From the simulation, it is proven that, for both samples, the nanoparticle number effect does not change the hysteresis loop. In contrast, when the distance between the nanoparticles increases, the magnetization obtains smaller value. This study aims to build a novel, simple and economical measurement arrangement enabling in situ magnetic measurements for ferromagnetic nano-material characterization. As the need for continuous knowledge of the condition and the phase of ferromagnetic nanoparticles that is crucial in many applications, like catalytic processes, this work aims to introduce an alternative approach that will add another dimension to conventional chemical reaction engineering this of the magnetic state of the material resolved in time and space and to contribute in the field of the monitoring and the early fault diagnosis of nanoparticle materials.

This paper aims at computing feasible control strategies and the corresponding feasible state trajectories to drive an autonomous rear-axle bicycle robot from a given initial state to a final state such that the total running cost is minimized. Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle is applied and derives the optimality conditions from which the feasible control functions, expressed as functions of state and costate variables, are substituted into the combined state-costate system to obtain a new free-control state-costate nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations. A computer program was written in Scilab to solve the combined state-costate system and obtain the feasible state functions, the feasible costate functions and the feasible control functions. Associated Computational Simulations were provided to show the effectiveness and the reliability of the approach.

This paper aims at computing feasible control strategies and the corresponding feasible state trajectories to drive an autonomous rear-axle bicycle robot from a given initial state to a final state such that the total running cost is minimized. Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle is applied and derives the optimality conditions from which the feasible control functions, expressed as functions of state and costate variables, are substituted into the combined state-costate system to obtain a new free-control state-costate nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations. A computer program was written in Scilab to solve the combined state-costate system and obtain the feasible state functions, the feasible costate functions and the feasible control functions. Associated Computational Simulations were provided to show the effectiveness and the reliability of the approach.

Different factors seemingly account for the emergence of present-day languages in our species. Human self-domestication has been recently invoked as one important force favouring language complexity mostly via a cultural mechanism. As a consequence, evolutionary changes impacting on aggression levels are expected to have fostered this process. Here we hypothesise about a positive effect of dog-human interactions on aggression management and more generally, on our self-domestication, ultimately, contributing to aspects of language evolution. We review evidence of diverse sort (ethological mostly, but also archaeological, genetic, and physiological) supporting a positive feedback loop between dog domestication and human-self domestication that might have favoured the mechanisms promoting structural complexity in human languages.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a conserved “stress hormone” in unicellular organisms, plants and animals. In mammals, ABA and its receptors LANCL1 and LANCL2 stimulate insulin-independent cell glucose uptake and oxidative metabolism: overexpression of LANCL1/2 increases, and their si-lencing conversely reduces, mitochondrial number, respiration and proton gradient dissipation in muscle cells and in brown adipocytes. We hypothesized that the ABA/LANCL hor-mone/receptors system could be involved in thermogenesis. Heat production by LANCL1/2-overexpressing vs. double-silenced cells was compared in rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes with two different methods: differential temperature measurements using sensitive thermistor probes, and differential isothermal calorimetry. Results indicate that overexpressing cells generate an approx. double amount of thermal power compared with double-silenced cells, and that addition of ABA further doubles heat production in overexpressing cells. With the temperature probes, we find a time-scale of approx. 4 min for thermogenesis to “turn on” after nutrient addition. These results identify the ABA/LANCL hormone receptors system as a hitherto unknown regu-lator of cell thermogenesis. Pharmacologic means of increasing metabolic energy dissipation are considered a promising strategy to reduce oxidative stress and lipid accumulation at a cellular and organismic level: from this study, LANCL1-2 proteins emerge as targetable controllers of ther-mogenesis through their natural ligand ABA.

The transfer of protein-encoding genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, a process formalized as the “Central Dogma of Molecular Biology”, has undergone a significant evolution since its inception. It was amended to account for the information flow from RNA to DNA, the reverse transcription, and for the information transfer from RNA to RNA, the RNA-dependent RNA synthesis. These processes, both potentially leading to protein production, were initially described only in viral systems, and although RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity was shown to be present, and RNA-dependent RNA synthesisfound to occur, in mammalian cells, its function was presumed to be restricted to regulatory. However, recent results, obtained with multiple mRNA species in several mammalian systems, strongly indicate the occurrence of protein-encoding RNA to RNA information transfer in mammalian cells. It can result in the rapid production of the extraordinary quantities of specific proteins as was seen in cases of terminal cellular differentiation and during cellular deposition of extracellular matrix molecules. A malfunction of this process may be involved in pathologies associated either with the deficiency of a protein normally produced by this mechanism or with the abnormal abundanceof a protein or of its C-terminal fragment. It seems to be responsible for some types of familial thalassemia and may underlie the overproduction of beta amyloid in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of the present article is to systematize the current knowledge and understanding of this pathway. The outlined framework introduces unexpected features of the mRNA amplification such as its ability to generate polypeptides non-contiguously encoded in the genome, its second Tier, a physiologically occurring intracellular polymerase chain reaction, iPCR, a Two-Tier Paradox and RNA Dark Matter. RNA-dependent mRNA amplification represents a new mode of genomic protein-encoding information transfer in mammalian cells. Its potential physiological impact is substantial, it appears relevant to multiple pathologies and its understanding opens new venues of therapeutic interference, it suggests powerful novel bioengineering approaches and its further rigorous investigations are highly warranted.

The increasing emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens causes difficult-to-treat infections, with long-term hospitalizations and high incidence of death, thus representing a global public health problem. To manage MDR bacteria bugs, new antimicrobial strategies are necessary, and their introduction in practice is a daily challenge for scientists in the field. An extensively studied approach to treat MDR infections consists in inducing high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by several methods. Although further clinical investigations are mandatory on the possible toxic effects of ROS to mammalian cells, clinical evaluations are extremely promising, and their topical use to treat infected wounds and ulcers, also in presence of biofilm, is already clinically approved. Biochar (BC) is a carbonaceous material obtained by pyrolysis of different vegetable and animal biomass feedstocks, at 200−1000 °C in limited presence of O2. Recently, it has been demonstrated that BC capability of removing organic and inorganic xenobiotics is mainly due to the presence of persistent free radicals (PFRs), which can activate oxygen, H2O2 or persulfate in the presence or not of transition metals by electron transfer thus generating ROS, which in turn degrade pollutants by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). In this context, the antibacterial effects of BC containing PFRs have been demonstrated by some authors against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, thus giving birth to our idea of the possible use of BC-derived PFRs as a novel method capable of inducing ROS generation for antimicrobial oxidative therapy. Here, the general aspects concerning ROS physiological and pathological production and regulation, and the mechanism by which they could exert antimicrobial effects have been reviewed. The methods currently adopted to induce ROS production for antimicrobial oxidative therapy have been discussed. Finally, for the first time, BC-related PFRs have been proposed as a new source of ROS for antimicrobial therapy via AOPs.

Hypoxia contributes to tumor progression and metastasis, and hypoxically dysregulated RNA molecules may thus be implicated in poor outcomes. Canine oral melanoma (COM) has a par-ticularly poor prognosis, and some hypoxia-mediated miRNAs are known to exist in this cancer; however, equivalent data on hypoxically dysregulated other non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are lacking. Accordingly, we aimed to elucidate non-miRNA ncRNAs that may be mediated by hy-poxia, targeting primary-site and metastatic COM cell lines and clinical COM tissue samples in next generation sequencing (NGS), with subsequent qPCR validation and quantification in COM primary and metastatic cells, plasma and extracellular vesicles (EVs) for any identified ncRNA of interest. Findings suggested that a number of non-miRNA ncRNA species are hypoxically up- or downregulated in COM. We identified one ncRNA, the long ncRNA fragment EN-SCAFT00000084705.1, as a molecule of interest due to its consistent downregulation in COM tissues, hypoxically and normoxically cultured primary and metastatic cell lines, when compared to the oral tissues from healthy dogs. However, this molecule was undetectable in plasma and plasma EVs, suggesting that its expression may be tumor tissue-specific and it has little potential as a biomarker. Here, we provide evidence of hypoxic transcriptional dysregulation for ncRNAs other than miRNA in COM for the first time, and suggest that ncRNA ENSCAFT00000084705.1 is a molecule of interest for future research on the role of the transcriptome in hypoxia-mediated progression of this aggressive cancer.

Customers make purchases through a multi-stage, omnichannel process, which now extends to social media. A loyalty loop can be achieved when an existing customer bypasses the initial stages –consider and evaluate– to make a direct purchase. However, to build that loyalty loop, a retailer must embrace techniques and software across social media marketing, social CRM, and omnichannel CRM. Reviewing literature from academic researchers and industry practitioners, this paper identifies emerging industry trends and discusses an illustrative case study of a UK digital retailer. The importance of social media for omnichannel retailing and building loyalty is highlighted and discussed.

In this paper we establish a topological framework of τ-structures to quantify the evolutionary transitions between two RNA sequence-structure pairs. τ-structures developed here consist of a pair of RNA secondary structures together with a non-crossing partial matching between the two backbones. The loop complex of a τ-structure captures the intersections of loops in both secondary structures. We compute the loop homology of τ-structures. We show that only the zeroth, first and second homology groups are free. In particular, we prove that the rank of the second homology group equals the number γ of certain arc-components in a τ-structure, and the rank of the first homology is given by γ−χ+1, where χ is the Euler characteristic of the loop complex.

Reactions of Fe(II) with the tris-(pyridin-2-yl)ethoxymethane (py3C-OEt) tripodal ligand in presence of the pseudohalide ancillary NCE- (E = S, Se, BH3) ligands led to a series of three mononuclear complexes formulated as [Fe(py3C-OEt)2][Fe(py3C-OEt)(NCE)3]2·2CH3CN, with E = S (1), BH3 (2) and Se (3). Single crystal characterizations (complexes 1-2) and X-ray powder diffraction (complexes 1-3) reveal monomeric isomorph structures formed by the spin crossover (SCO) anionic [Fe(py3C-OEt)(NCE)3] complex, associated with the low spin (LS) cationic [Fe(py3C-OEt)2]2+ complex and two solvent acetonitrile molecules. In the [Fe(py3C-OEt)2]2+ cation, the Fe(II) is coordinated by two py3C-OEt tridentate ligands, while the [Fe(py3C-OEt)(NCE)3] anion displays a hexacoordinated environment involving three N-donor atoms of one py3C-OEt ligand and three nitrogen atoms arising from of the three (NCE) coligands. The magnetic studies show the presence of gradual SCO behavior for the three complexes: a one-step transition around 205 K for 1 and two step-transitions for compounds 2 and 3, centred at 245 K and 380 K for 2, and at 170 K and 298 K for 3. The magnetic behaviors of complexes 1 and 2 remain unchanged when heating up to 500 K, while complex 3 shows significant changes which are caused by the crystallisation solvent loss above room temperature.

The work is devoted to the study of a MEMS resonator dynamics under the action of phase-locked and automatic gain control loops. Particular attention is directed to the study of the nonlinearity factor of the resonator elastic restoring force. It was found that the determination of control system parameters based on the stability analysis of the operating resonant mode, in the general case, does not provide the required phase adjustment and stabilization of the oscillation amplitude. Stable multifrequency modes of oscillations are found, an analytical study of the mechanisms of their appearance and evolution is carried out under variation of the key parameters of the system. The real regions of the control system stable operation are determined (which do not coincide, as was found, with the regions of stability of the operating resonant mode, due to the presence of hidden attractors in the phase space of the system). A methodology has been developed for identifying such areas of stable operation. A significant complication of the structure of possible motions in the system with an increase in the Q-factor of the resonator is revealed.

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a member of the TLR family. Members of the TLR family play an important role in innate immune responses and are induced by recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns. They are also involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis in cancer. We investigated the role of TLR4 in apoptotic cell death in gynecological cancer cells; gynecological cancer is associated with infertility and spontaneous abortion. To examine the effect of TLR4 activation on apoptotic signaling in cancer cells, cultured primary cancer cells were treated with the TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The morphology of cancer cells was compared with normal myometrial cells. Enhanced growth rate and loss of contact inhibition with cellular overlap was observed in the cancer cells. The molecular mechanism analysis revealed differential expression of tumor suppressor genes in LPS-treated cancer cells. The expression of apoptosis-related caspase-3 was increased significantly in cancer cells with TLR4 activation after exposure to LPS. Taken together, these results suggest the pro-apoptotic activity of TLR4 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of gynecological cancers.

In recent times, the increasing concern for climate control has led to the widespread application of grid-connected inverter (GIC) based renewable energy systems. In addition, the increased usage of non-linear loads and electrification of the transport sector cause ineffective grid-frequency management and the introduction of harmonics. These grid conditions affect power quality and result in uncertainty and inaccuracy in monitoring and measurement. Incorrect measurement leads to overbilling/underbilling, ineffective demand and supply forecasts for the power system, and inefficient performance analysis. To address the outlined problem, a novel three-phase frequency component extraction and power measurement method based on Digital Lock-in Amplifier (DLIA) and Digital Lock-in Amplifier Frequency-Locked Loop (DLIA-FLL) is proposed to provide accurate measurement under the conditions of harmonics and frequency offset. A combined filter with a lowpass filter and notch filter for DLIA is employed to improve computation speed. A comparative study is performed to validate the performance of the proposed power measurement method, by comparing the proposed method to the windowed interpolated fast Fourier transform (WIFFT). The ZERA COM 3003 (a commercial high-accuracy power measurement instrument) is used as the reference instrument in the experiment