One of the earliest hallmarks of plant immune response is production of reactive oxygen spe-cies (ROS) in different subcellular compartments, which regulate plant immunity. A suitable equilibrium, which is crucial to prevent ROS over-accumulation leading to oxidative stress, is maintained by salicylic acid (SA), a chief regulator of ROS. However, ROS are not only acting downstream of SA signaling, but were also proposed to be a central component of a self-amplifying loop that regulates SA signaling as well as the interaction balance between dif-ferent phytohormones. The exact role of this crosstalk, the position where SA interferes with ROS signaling and ROS interferes with SA signaling and the outcome of this regulation depend on the origin of ROS but also on the pathosystem. The precise spatiotemporal regulation of or-ganelle specific ROS and SA levels determine the effectiveness of pathogen arrest and is there-fore crucial for a successful immune response. However, the regulatory interplay behind still remain poorly understood, as up till now, the role of organelle specific ROS and SA in HR-conferred resistance has mostly been studied by altering the level of a single component. In order to address these aspects, a sophisticated combination of research methods for monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics of key players and transcriptional activity in plants is needed, and will most probably consist of biosensors and precision transcriptomics.

The brain's unique characteristics make it exceptionally susceptible to oxidative stress, which arises from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. This review explores the factors contributing to the brain vascular tone vulnerability in the presence of oxidative damage, which can be of clinical interest in critically ill patients or presenting acute brain injuries. The brain's high metabolic rate and inefficient electron transport chain in mitochondria lead to significant ROS generation. Moreover, non-replicating neuronal cells and low repair capacity increase susceptibility to oxidative insult. ROS can influence cerebral vascular tone and permeability, with a potential impact on cerebral autoregulation. Different ROS species, including superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, exhibit vasodilatory or vasoconstrictive effects on cerebral blood vessels. Reactive nitrogen species (RNS), particularly NO and peroxynitrite, also exert vasoactive effects. This review further investigates the neuroprotective effects of antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), vitamin C, vitamin E, and the glutathione redox system. Various studies suggest that these antioxidants could be used as adjunct therapies to protect the cerebral vascular tone during high oxidative stress conditions. Nevertheless, more extensive research is required to comprehensively grasp the relationship between oxidative stress and cerebrovascular tone, as well as to explore the potential benefits of antioxidants as adjunctive therapies in critical illnesses and acute brain injuries.

Photoacoustic imaging is attracting a great deal of interest owing to its distinct advantages over other imaging techniques such as fluorescence or magnetic resonance image. Availability of photoacoustic probes for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) could shed light on a plethora of biological processes mediated by these key intermediates. Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) is a non-toxic and non-mutagenic colorless dye that develops a distinctive blue color upon oxidation. In this work we have investigated the potential of TMB as photoacoustic probe for ROS/RNS. Our results indicate that TMB reacts with hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen and nitrogen dioxide to produce the blue oxidation product, while ROS such as the superoxide radical anion, sodium peroxide, hydroxyl radical or peroxynitrite yield a colorless oxidation product. TMB does not penetrate Escherichia coli cytoplasm but is capable of detecting singlet oxygen generated in its outer membrane.

Cellular oxidation is responsive to external and internal stimulation and is generated via signal molecules in defense mechanisms through networks of cell proliferation, differentiation, intracellular detoxification, bacterial infection, and immune reactions. Oxidative stress is not necessarily harmful per se; it depends on the balance between oxidation and antioxidation cascades, which are induced according to stimuli and can maintain oxygen homeostasis. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated during influenza virus (IV) infection have critical effects on both the virus and host cells. In this review, we outline the link between viral infection and ROS production, using IV as an example. We introduce the current state of knowledge on the molecular relationship between cellular oxidation mediated by ROS production and various effects of IV infection. We also summarize the potential anti-IV agents that act by targeting oxidative stress.

A heterobifunctional reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive linker for directed drug assembly onto and delivery from a quantum dot (QD) nanoparticle carrier was synthesized and coupled to doxorubicin using EDC/sulfo-NHS coupling. The doxorubicin conjugate was characterized using ¹H NMR and LC-MS and subsequently reacted under conditions of ROS formation (Cu²⁺/H₂O₂) resulting in successful and rapid thioacetal oxidative cleavage which was monitored using ¹H NMR. The deprotected amine linker is amenable to peptide or protein conjugation prior to QD assembly or to direct conjugation to cognate reactive groups on ligands that cap the QD surface.

The present protocol described staining protocol for Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in aromatic crop grown under nutrient stress through DAB and NBT histochemical method. Spearmint (Mentha spicata) were grown under manganese and salt toxicity stresses and after 10 and 20 days of the stress treatments, plants showed stunted growth. The morphological characteristics of leaves under stresses were observed. Manganese toxicity and salt stress induced the production of ROS. Accumulation of hydrogen peroxide was characterised as brown spots from the DAB polymerisation which were emerged and clearly observed in leaves from plant grown under 2.5 and 5 mM concentrations of manganese as well as 300 mM concentration of salt. Furthermore, accumulation of superoxide anion was characterised as blue pigments based upon the ability of cells to reduce NBT. Spearmint leaves showed the distribution of the blue pigment which was obviously observed under the 5 mM of manganese and 300 mM of salt. DAB and NBT staining method can be the rapid method to characterise ROS accumulation in plant cell under the abiotic stresses.

The injury causes resistance in human gastric cancer (GC). This Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) entitled “Increases in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and chronic ROS leading to human treatment-resistant gastric cancer (GC)” consists of molecular initiating event (MIE) as “Increases in cellular ROS” and “Chronic ROS”, followed by series of key events (KEs); “porcupine-induced Wnt secretion and Wnt signaling activation”, “beta-catenin activation”, “epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and adverse outcome (AO) as “human treatment-resistant GC” in the sequence. ROS has multiple roles in disease such as development and progression of cancer, or apoptotic induction causing anti-tumor effects. In this AOP, we focus on the role of sustained levels of chronic ROS to induce the therapy-resistance in human GC. EMT, which is cellular phenotypic change from epithelial to mesenchymal-like features, demonstrates cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics in human GC. EMT is induced by Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, providing the rationale to have Wnt secretion and beta-catenin activation as KEs in the AOP.

Salinity is a serious environmental hazard which limits world agricultural production by adversely affects plant physiology and biochemistry. Hence increase tolerance against salt stress is very important. In this study, we explored the function of β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) in enhancing salt stress tolerance in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). After pretreatment with BABA, seedlings were exposed to NaCl (100 mM and 150 mM) for 2 days. Salt stress increased Na content and decreased K content in shoot and root. It disrupted the antioxidant defense system by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS; H2O2 and O2•−), methylglyoxal (MG) content and causing oxidative stress. It also reduced the growth and photosynthetic pigments of seedlings but increased proline (Pro) content. However, BABA pretreatment in salt-stressed seedlings increased ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) contents; GSH/GSSG ratio; and the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glyoxalase I (Gly I), and glyoxalase II (Gly II) as well as growth and photosynthetic pigments of plants. In addition, compared to salt stress alone BABA increased Pro content, reduced the H2O2, MDA and MG contents and decreased Na content in root and increased K content in shoot and root of rapeseed seedlings.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease induced by many environmental factors. The inhalation of allergens and pollutants promote the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production leading to airway inflammation, hyper-responsiveness and remodeling in allergic asthma. The effects of asthma medications on ROS production are unclear. The present study investigated the anti-ROS effects of current asthma medications including inhaled corticosteroid (ICS; budesonide and fluticasone), leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA; montelukast), long acting β2 agonists (LABAs; salmeterol and formoterol) and a new extra-LABA (indacaterol). The human monocyte cell line THP-1 cells were pre-treated with different concentrations of the asthma medications at different time-points after hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) stimulation. H₂O₂ production was measured with DCFH-DA by flow cytometry. Montelukast, fluticasone and salmeterol suppressed H₂O₂-induced ROS production. Indacaterol enhanced H₂O₂-induced ROS production. Budesonide and formoterol alone had no anti-ROS effects, but the combination of these two drugs significantly suppressed H₂O₂-induced ROS production. Different asthma medications have different anti-ROS effects on monocytes. The combination therapy with LABA and ICS seemed not be the only choice for asthma control. Montelukast may be also a good supplemental treatment for the poorly-controlled asthma because of its powerful anti-ROS effects. Our findings provide a novel therapeutic view in asthma.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor due to its ability to regulate cell survival, growth and proliferation by down-regulating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In addition, PTEN plays an essential role in other physiological events associated with cell growth demands, such as ischemia-reperfusion, nerve injury and immune response. Therefore, recently PTEN inhibition has emerged as a potential therapeutic intervention in these situations. Increasing evidence demonstrates that reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), are produced and required for the signaling in many important cellular processes under such physiological conditions. ROS have been shown to oxidize PTEN at the cysteine residue of its active site, consequently inhibiting its function. Here we provide an overview of studies that highlight the role of oxidative inhibition of PTEN in physiological processes.

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.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP2) maintains mitochondrial integrity in culture myoblasts. In this study, we investigated molecular mechanisms underlying the protective role of USP2 on mitochondria. Knockout (KO) of the Usp2 gene or chemical inhibition of USP2 induced robust accumulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), accompanied by defects in mitochondrial membrane potential, in C2C12 myoblasts. ROS removal by N-acetyl-L-cysteine restored the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by USP2 deficiency. Comprehensive RT-qPCR screening and following protein analysis indicated that both genetic and chemical inhibition of USP2 elicited a decrease of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) at mRNA and protein levels. Accordingly, the introduction of a Ucp2-expressing construct effectively recovered mitochondrial membrane potentials, entailing an increment of the intracellular ATP level in Usp2KO C2C12 cells. In contrast, USP2 deficiency also decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor  coactivator 1 (PGC1 protein in C2C12 cells, while it upregulated Ppargc1a mRNA. Overexpression studies indicate that USP2 potentially stabilizes PGC1 in an isopeptidase-dependent manner. Given that PGC1 is an inducer of UCP2 in C2C12 cells, USP2 might ameliorate mitochondrial ROS by maintaining the PGC1–UCP2 axis in myoblasts.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can act as a nonpermeating cryoprotectant, reducing the toxici-ty of glycerol. The dog spermatozoa were diluted and frozen in freezing extender supplemented with 0 (control), 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 % (w/v) CMC. Post-thaw, the sperm kinematic parameters (CASA), viability (SYBR-14/PI), and acrosome integrity (FITC-PSA) were evaluated. The expres-sion of genes related to apoptosis (BCL2, BAX, and ANAXA), motility (BACTIN), cold shock proteins (YBX3), and ROS (CAT, ROMO1, and SMOX) was evaluated using qPCR. The total mo-tility was higher in the 0.1 % CMC group compared to the other groups (p

Consumption of high amounts of ethanol is a risk factor for development of cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension. The hypertensive state induced by ethanol is a complex multi-factorial event, and oxidative stress is a pathophysiological hallmark of vascular dysfunction associated with ethanol consumption. Increasing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the vasculature triggers important processes underlying vascular injury, including accumulation of intracellular Ca2+ ions, reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), endothelial dysfunction, and loss of the anticontractile effect of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). The enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase plays a central role in vascular ROS generation in response to ethanol. Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is an upstream mechanism which contributes to NADPH oxidase stimulation, overproduction of ROS and vascular dysfunction. This review discusses the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction induced by ethanol, detailing the contribution of ROS to these processes. Data examining the association between neuroendocrine changes and vascular oxidative stress induced by ethanol are also reviewed and discussed. These issues are of paramount interest to public health as ethanol contributes to blood pressure elevation in the general population, and it is linked to cardiovascular conditions and diseases.

Nanoparticle-mediated radiation therapy (NPRT) is an emerging modality for radiosensitization of highly resistant cancers such as brain cancers. This is due to the ability of specific nanoparticles (NPs) to increase physical dose deposition and subsequent direct damage to cells and DNA within their local vicinity, through enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species, ROS. Here, we report the successful use of PEGylated (biocompatible) core-shell quantum dots (QDs) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) to simultaneously enhance and assess ROS generation while radiosensitizing highly radioresistant brain cancer cell lines: T98G and U87 Glioblastoma cells. Relative peak fluorescence intensity ratio calculations and average intensity comparisons show highly significant (***p<0.001) enhancement of ROS generation, for 5 Gy and 20 Gy irradiation, applied using a Faxitron Cell Irradiator. By quantifying post-radiotherapy cell attachment, proliferation, migration, cell survival and cell death using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing and clonogenic assays, we demonstrate potentially improved in vitro radiotherapeutic outcomes for brain cancer cells radiosensitized using PEGylated CdSe/ZnS QDs and CQDs.

Cutaneous mycoses are common infections whose treatment has become more complex due to increasing antifungal resistance and the need for prolonged therapies, hindering patient adher-ence and increasing the incidence of adverse effects. Consequently, the use of physical therapies, especially photodynamic therapy (PDT), has increased for the treatment of onychomycosis due to its antimicrobial capacity mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species. This study investigates the in vitro effect of the combination of blue light (448 nm) and red light (645 nm) with terbinafine on the cell viability of human keratinocytes and the production of reactive ox-ygen species. The combination of terbinafine and blue light exhibits a synergistic effect on the production of reactive oxygen species and a significant increase in the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme involved in the reduction of superoxide ions (O2-) and the genera-tion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Such effect could be useful in clinical practice to improve the response of cutaneous mycoses to pharmacological treatment, reduce their toxicity, and shorten their duration.

β-apopicropodophyllin (APP), a derivative of podophyllotoxin (PPT), has been identified as a potential anti-cancer drug. This study tested whether APP acts as an an-ti-cancer drug and can sensitize colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to radiation treatment. APP had an anti-cancer effect against the CRC cell lines HCT116, and DLD-1, SW480 and COLO320DM with IC50 values of 7.88 nM, and 8.22 nM, 9.84 nM and 7.757 nM, respec-tively induction of DNA damage. Colonogenic and cell counting assays indicated that the combined treatment of APP and γ-ionizing radiation (IR) showed greater retardation of cell growth than either alone, suggesting that APP sensitizes CRC cells to IR. Annexin V-propidium iodide (PI) assays and immunoblot analysis showed that the combined treatment of APP and IR increased apoptosis in CRC cells compared with either APP or IR alone. Results obtained from the xenograft experiments also indicated that the combination of APP and IR enhanced apoptosis in in vivo animal model. Apoptosis induction by the combined treatment of APP and IR resulted from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Inhibition of ROS by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) restored cell viability and decreased the induction of apoptosis by APP and IR in CRC cells. Taken together, these results indicate that a combined treatment of APP and IR might promote apoptosis by inducing ROS in CRC cells.

Plant activators have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional pesticides for crop disease manage-ment due to their unique mode of action. By priming the plant's innate immune system, these compounds can induce systemic acquired resistance against a broad spectrum of pathogens without directly inhibiting their proliferation. Key advantages of plant activators include prolonged defense activity, lower effective dosages, and negligible risk of developing pathogen resistance. Among the various defensive pathways tar-geted, the salicylic acid (SA) signaling cascade has been extensively explored, leading to the successful devel-opment of commercial activators like benzothiadiazole for widespread application in crop protection. While the action sites of many SA-targeting activators have been preliminarily mapped to different steps along the pathway, a comprehensive understanding of their precise mechanisms remains elusive. This review provides a historical perspective on plant activator development and outlines diverse screening strategies employed across multiple levels, from whole-plant bioassays to molecular and transgenic approaches. We expound on the intricate components, biological relevance, and regulatory circuits governing the SA pathway, while criti-cally examining the structural features, bioactivities, and proposed modes of action of classical activators such as benzothiadiazole derivatives, salicylic acid analogs, and other small molecules. Insights from field trials as-sessing their practical applicability are also discussed. Furthermore, we highlight the current status, challenges, and future prospects in the realm of SA-targeting activator development globally, with a focus on recent en-deavors in China. Collectively, this comprehensive review aims to synthesize existing knowledge and provide a roadmap for future research toward developing more potent and mechanistically understood plant activa-tors that fortify crop immunity against disease.

(1) Background: The severity of malaria is associated with low bioavailability of antioxidants and high concentration of free radicals that induce oxidative damage in cerebral and pulmonary microcirculation. This can be prevented by the action of consumable antioxidants present in foods. Therefore, we investigated the protective role of lycopene (LYC) on the oxidative changes induced by Plasmodium berghei (Pb); (2) Methods: Mice were infected by intraperitoneal injection of 106 parasitized red blood cells and treated via gavage with LYC (3.11 mg/kg bw/day) or NAC (62 mg/kg bw/day). They were then evaluated for 1, 4, 8 or 12 days after infection. Levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), antioxidant capacity by inhibition of ABTS radicals (AC-ABTS) and DPPH (AC-DPPH), uric acid (UA), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in brain and lung tissues; (3) Results: The infection caused oxidative stress confirmed by increased levels of TBARS, AC-ABTS, AC-DPPH, UA, and NO in the tissues leading to the death of the animals. LYC prevented the increase in TBARS, AU, and NO levels compared to Pb (p< 0.0001) and NAC+Pb groups (p<0.0001), reaching values similar to those of Sham animals; (4) Conclusions: These results are striking evidence of the beneficial effect of lycopene supplementation on oxidative stress in experimental malaria in vivo and emphasize the importance of antioxidant supplementation in the treatment of the disease.

Viral infections induce exosomes containing viral material and inflammatory factors. During respiratory tract infection, exosomes can easily cross the blood-brain barrier and transmit the inflammatory signal to the brain; however, such a hypothesis has no experimental evidence. The study investigated whether exosomes from virus mimetic poly (I:C)-primed airway cells enter the brain and interact with brain immune cells microglia. Airway cells were isolated from Wistar rats and BALB/c mice; microglial cell cultures - from Wistar rats. Exosomes from poly (I:C)-stimulated airway cell culture medium were isolated by precipitation, visualised by transmission electron microscopy, and evaluated by nanoparticle analyser; exosomal markers CD81 and CD9 were determined by ELISA. For in vitro and in vivo tracking, exosomes were loaded with Alexa Fluor 555-labelled RNA. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated by DCFDA fluo-rescence and mitochondrial superoxide - by MitoSOX. The exosomes from poly (I:C)-primed airway cells entered the brain within an hour after intranasal introduction, were internalised by microglia, and induced intracellular and intramitochondrial ROS production. There was no ROS increase in microglial cells was after treatment with exosomes from airway cells untreated with poly (I:C). The data indicate that virus-primed airway cell exosomes might enter the brain and induce the activation of microglial cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in cellular function, and their overproduction contributes to oxidative stress, fatigue, aging, and diseases. To counteract these effects, incorpo-rating antioxidant-rich nutrients is recommended. Functional waters, including electrolyzed hydrogen water (EHW), are gaining attention for potential antioxidant effects through daily in-take. This study employs aquaphotomics and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind the antioxidant activity of EHW. Previous investigation reported a 100% loss in antioxidant functionality through autoclaving, and a 40% decrease with hydrogen gas removal, prompting the current investigation into the mechanisms of antioxidant effects and especially the role of water molecular structure in it. Aquaphotomics analysis of near infrared (NIR) spectral data revealed that the primary characteristic of EHW associated with anti-radical function is presence of water solvation shells. Autoclaving and degassing led to loss of these water molecular species and a significant increase in free water molecules. The study suggests that water shells (solvation shells) in EHW play a crucial role in neutralizing ROS, although the specific ions or nanoparticles responsible for creating these shells remain unidentified. This concept aligns well with existing proposals of the crucial role of water solvation shells in ROS neutralization.

Invasive fungal disease causes high morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. Anti-fungal drug resistance and cytotoxicity highlight the need for effective antifungal therapeutics. In this study, the antifungal potential of the ethanolic extract of Anacardium occidentale (Cashew Leaf) leaves were evaluated against Candida albicans and C. auris. The antifungal activity was tested by the broth microdilution method and growth kinetic test. To further explore its antifungal action mode, spectrofluorophotometry, confocal microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were performed, Additionally, heterozygous knockout strains associated with resistance to oxidative stress were included in the study. We found that A. occidentale could inhibit the proliferation and growth of C. albicans at concentrations of 62.5 and 125 μg/mL. the doubling time was also drastically affected, going from 2.8 hours to 22.5 hours. Which was also observed in C. auris. The extract induced the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, while it did not show cy-totoxicity or hemolytic activity at the concentrations evaluated. Our work preliminarily elucidated the po-tential mechanisms of A. occidentale against C. albicans on a cellular level and might provide a promising op-tion for the design of a new treatment for invasive candidiasis

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is one of three major pathways involved in glucose metabolism, regulated by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), controlling NADPH formation. NADPH, in turn, regulates the balance of oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. G6PD dysfunction, affecting PPP, is implicated in neurological disorders, including epilepsy. However, PPP's role in epileptogenesis and ROS production during epileptic activity remains unclear. To clarify these points, we conducted electrophysiological and imaging analyses on mouse hippocampal brain slices. Using the specific G6PD inhibitor G6PDi-1, we assessed its effects on mouse hippocampal slices, examining intracellular ROS, glucose/oxygen consumption, and ROS production during synaptic stimulation and in the 4AP epilepsy model. G6PDi-1 increased basal intracellular ROS levels and reduced synaptically induced glucose consumption but had no impact on ROS production from synaptic stimulation. In the 4AP model, G6PDi-1 didn't significantly alter spontaneous seizure frequency or H2O2 release amplitude but increased the frequency and peak amplitude of interictal events. These findings suggest that short-term PPP inhibition has a minimal impact on synaptic circuit activity.

Tobacco Free Nicotine (TFN) Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are yet to be classified as tobacco products; consequently, there is ambiguity over whether Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority can be extended to include TFN e-cigarettes. In recent years, a more significant number of e-cigarette companies have been manufacturing TFN-containing e-cigarettes and e-liquids to circumvent FDA regulations. While studies have shown that aerosols generated from tobacco-derived nicotine-containing e-cigarettes contain significant Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels, no comparison studies have been conducted using TFN e-cigarettes. This study uses a single puff aerosol generator to aerosolize TFN and tobacco-derived nicotine-containing vape-products and subsequently involves semi-quantifying ROS generated by these vape products in H2O2 equivalents. We found that the differences between ROS levels generated from TFN and tobacco-derived nicotine-containing vape products vary by flavor. TFN tobacco flavors and fruit flavors are more toxic in terms of ROS generation than menthol/ice and drink/beverage flavored products using TFN. The type of salt nicotine used in vape products, TFN or tobacco-derived nicotine, impacts the level of ROS generated from flavored vape products. Thus, a better understanding of the type of salt nicotine used in e-cigarettes (tobacco-derived or synthetic), has modulating effect on lung oxidative stress.

Astaxanthin (AX) is a carotenoid that exerts potent antioxidant activity and acts in the lipid bilayer. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AX on muscle atrophy-mediated disturbance of mitochondria that have a lipid bilayer. Tail suspension was used to establish muscle- atrophied mouse models. AX diet fed to tail-suspension mice prevented loss of muscle weight and decreased myofiber size in the soleus muscle. Additionally, AX improved down-regulation of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes II and III in the soleus muscle after tail suspension. To confirm the AX phenotype in the soleus muscle, we examined its effects on mitochondria using Sol8 myotubes derived from the soleus muscle. We found that AX was preferentially detected in the mitochondrial fraction; it significantly suppressed mitochondrial complex III-driven production of reactive oxygen species in Sol8 myotubes. Moreover, AX inhibited the activation of caspase 3 via inhibiting the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol in antimycin A-treated Sol8 myotubes. These results suggested that AX inhibited mitochondrial oxidative stress through a mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway and thus prevented muscle atrophy.

Recent studies have indicated that several anti-hypertensive drugs may delay the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the relationships among AD, hypertension, and oxidative stress remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether treatment with resveratrol reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the brain, thereby reducing cognitive impairment in rats with angiotensin II (Ang-II)-induced early AD. Male WKY rats with Ang-II-induced AD were treated with losartan or resveratrol for 2 weeks. Our results revealed that treatment with resveratrol (10 mg/kg/day) decreased blood pressure, increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, and decreased ROS production in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in the Ang-II groups. In addition, inhibition of Tau^T231 phosphorylation in the hippocampus using resveratrol significantly abolished Ang-II-induced expression of Ab precursors, active caspase 3, and glycogen synthase kinase 3b (GSK-3b)^Y216 while increasing Akt^S473 phosphorylation. Notably, resveratrol reversed impairments in hippocampal-dependent contextual memory induced by deleting NADPH oxidase and NOX2. Overall, our results suggest that resveratrol exerts neuroprotective effects against memory impairment and hippocampal damage in a rat model of early stage AD by reducing oxidative stress. These novel findings indicate that resveratrol may represent a pharmacological option for patients with hypertension at a risk of AD during old age.

Sperm during the freezing and thawing process is damaged by oxidative stress. Thus, its antioxidant scavenger is essential for sperm survival and death in frozen-thawed semen. We used melatonin and silymarin in experiments. Our study aimed to identify the effect of melatonin and silymarin on the motility and viability of sperm, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide (NO) production in frozen-thawed boar semen. Melatonin and silymarin were treated alone and co-treated in the fresh boar semen. Boar semen was collected using the gloved-hand method from ten crossbred pigs, and the age of the experimental ten male pigs was 28.7 ± 3.2 months. We evaluated sperm viability using SYBR-14 and PI kit, and ROS and NO production were detected by DCF-DA and DAF-2, respectively. The sperm motility was not significantly different between non-treatment and treatment. ROS and NO production in frozen-thawed sperm were decreased by melatonin and silymarin (P < 0.05). Moreover, silymarin significantly reduced NO production more than melatonin (P < 0.05). Melatonin (46.37 ± 1.10) and silymarin (46.13 ± 0.80) enhanced the viability of sperm (P < 0.05). We suggest that melatonin and silymarin are essential antioxidants in semen cryopreservation for protecting sperm damage and maintaining sperm viability. Melatonin and silymarin may be useful antioxidants in freezing boar sperm.

Black Knot (BK) is a deadly disease of European (Prunus domestica) and Japanese (Prunus salicina) plums caused by the hemibiotrophic fungus Apiosporina morbosa. Generally, phytopathogens hamper the balance of primary defense phytohormones such as salicylic acid (SA)-jasmonic acid (JA) balance for disease progression. Thus, we quantified the important phytohormones titers in tissues of susceptible and resistant genotypes belonging to European and Japanese plums at five different time points. The results suggested auxin-cytokinins interplay driven by A. morbosa appeared to be vital in disease progression by hampering the plant defense system via perturbance in SA, JA, and gibberellic acid. The results further point out that SA and JA in plant defense are not necessarily antagonistic always, especially in woody perennials. Results also suggest that the changes in SA and JA content following BK disease infection and progression in plums could be utilized as phytohormonal markers in the identification of BK-resistant cultivars.

From oxidative eustress and distress, to bioenergetic metabolism, and cell death, the reactive species interactome (RSI) and mitochondria are two connected metabolisms that require further investigation improving redox medicine. The step before, finding new clues needs a comprehensive discussion of the two metabolisms, and their relationship. Here, the review focuses on the RSI-mitochondria axis, from mitochondrial roles to crosstalk between mitochondria and other organelles, and the major implication of the RSI in mitochondrial roles. Specifically, the review discussed the apoptosis-necroptosis-ferroptosis death traingle, mitochondrial protein quality control system, calcium homeostasis, and mitochondrial metabolome. Through mitochondrial diseases, and mitochondrial dysfunction associated with diseases, the RSI-mitochondria axis is proposed as a brand-new perspective, including with the involvement of bacterial microbiota, on redox signaling, and redox medicine.

The application of melatonin (MT) has been shown to improve the quality during the storage of fruits and vegetables. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effects of MT on the quality of fresh-cut Gastrodia elata during low temperature (4°C) storage. The results indicate that MT treatment could suppress the respiratory rate and malondialdehyde content of fresh-cut G. elata, while also slowing down the decline in total acidity and total soluble solids. The treatment with MT reduced the superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide production, inhibited the activity and expression of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase. Additionally, it led to increased activity and expression of antioxidant-related enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase, while also resulted in elevated levels of ascorbic acid and glutathione. Furthermore, the treatment with MT induced an increase in total phenolic and flavonoid content of fresh-cut G. elata and enhanced the activity and expression of key enzymes involved in phenylpropanoid pathway (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate: CoA ligase). In summary, MT enhances the antioxidant capacity by activating both ROS metabolism and phenylpropanoid pathway, thus maintaining the quality of fresh cut G. elata.

Background: Barleria lupulina Lindl. (Hop-headed) is a small shrub, possess potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-leukemic, antitumor, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-amoebic, virucidal, diuretic, bactericidal and antibiotic properties. Methods: Cytotoxicity, bioactive assay and genetic analysis of B. lupulina were investigated in the present communication. The leaf extract was investigated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), Neutral red uptake (NRU), DNA fragment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assay, gene expression analysis and cDNA synthesis to evaluate anti-cancerous potency using cancerous THP-1 cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Results: HPTLC analysis reveals four spots and GC-MS analysis displayed the presence of eleven bioactive compounds among which benzofuranon, hexadecanoic acid, ethyl 9,12,15-octadecatrienoate, and 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecanoic acid were the most prominent compounds. The ethanolic extract showed significant cytotoxicity (P<0.5) against THP-1 cell line at a concentration of 1mg/mL. The cells were also observed for apoptosis through DNA fragmentation in B. lupulina treated cells. Conclusions: It can be concluded that if the dose range was further refined within the range of 100-1000 µg/mL there could be dose at which the entire population of the THP-1 cell line would be apoptosis induced. The extract induced ROS in the cells after 30 minutes of exposure displaying cytotoxic effects and DNA fragmentation assay.

Water deficit is one of the factors that most influence plant growth and yield. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of silicon and salicylic acid application and water deficit on the growth and photosynthetic and osmoregulatory metabolism of Talisia esculenta Radlk seedlings and their recovery potential after the resumption of irrigation. Six treatments were performed: irrigation, irrigation suspension, irrigation suspension + silicon at 0.5 g L−1, irrigation suspension + silicon at 1.0 g L−1, irrigation suspension + salicylic acid at 50 mg L−1, and irrigation suspension + salicylic acid at 100 mg L−1. The evaluations were carried out at the beginning of the experiment (T0), at 10 and 15 (DIS) days after irrigation suspension, when the seedlings showed a photosynthetic rate close to zero, and at recovery (REC). The plants were submitted to water restriction for up to 15 days, being then re-irrigated until the recovery point, which was monitored based on the photosynthetic rate. Silicon application attenuated the harmful effects of water deficit on gas exchange, initial fluorescence, promoted proline accumulation in the leaf and root, and provided higher seedling quality. Salicylic acid application contributed to the maintenance of the relative water content of leaves during the water deficit period. Silicon and salicylic acid applications can attenuate the harmful effects of water stress, with silicon being the most effective agent in maintaining its growth and metabolism.

The pharmacokinetics of salicylic acid (SA) in sheep was evaluated following intravenous (IV) and oral administration of sodium salicylate (sodium salt of salicylic acid) at different doses. Six healthy sheep were administered sodium salicylate (SS) IV at doses of 10, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight and another six sheep were drenched with 100 and 200 mg/kg of SS orally. Both studies were randomised crossover trials. A one-week washout period between each treatment was allowed in both studies. Blood samples were collected at 0, 15, 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours after IV and oral SS administrations. Plasma SA concentrations were determined using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection method. Pharmacokinetic variables were calculated in a non-compartmental model. The elimination half-life (T_{1/2 el}) of SA after IV administration of 200 mg/kg SS was 1.16 ± 0.32 hours. Mean bioavailability of SA was 64%, and mean T_{1/2 el} was 1.90 ± 0.35 hours, after 200 mg/kg of oral SS. The minimum plasma SA concentration (16.8 µg/mL) required to produce analgesia in humans was achieved after IV administration of 100 and 200 mg/kg SS in sheep for about 0.17 hour in this study. Experiments on pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamics modelling are required to determine the actual effective plasma concentration range of SA in sheep.

In this paper, carbon nanotubes modified screen-printed electrode (CNTs/SPE) was prepared and the CNTs/SPE was employed for the electrochemical determination of antioxidant substance Chlorogenic acids (CGAs). A pair of well-defined redox peak of CGA was observed at the CNTs/SPE in 0.10 mol∙L^-1 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.2) and electrode process is adsorption-controlled. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method for the determination of CGA were proposed based on the CNTs/SPE. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method exhibited linear ranges from 4.73×10^-7 to 4.45×10^-5 mol∙L^-1, the linear regression equation was Ipa(µA) = 4.1993 C (mol∙L^-1)+1.1039 (r = 0.9976) and the detection limit for CGA could reach 3.25×10^-6 mol∙L^-1. The recovery of matrine was 94.74~106.65% (RSD = 2.92%) in coffe beans. The proposed method is quick, sensitive, reliable, and can be used for the determination of CGA.

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.

Abstract: A multitude of biotic and abiotic stress factors do harm to plants by bringing about diseases and inhibiting normal growth and development. As an omnipotent signaling molecule, salicylic acid (SA) plays crucial roles in plants' tolerance responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses, thereby maintaining plants’ normal growth and improving yields under stresses. In view of this, this paper mainly discusses the role of SA in both biotic stresses, and abiotic stresses of plants. SA regulates the expression of genes involved in defense signaling pathways, thus enhancing plants’ immunity. In addition, SA mitigates the negative effects of abiotic stresses, and acts as a signaling molecule to induce the expression of stress-responsive genes and the synthesis of stress-related proteins. In addition, SA also improves certain yield-related photosynthetic indexes, thereby enhancing crop yield under stresses. On the other hand, SA acts with other signaling molecules in regulating plants’ growth and improving tolerances under stresses. This paper reviews recent advances in SA’s roles in plant stress tolerances, so as to provide theoretical references for further studies concerning the decryption of molecular mechanisms for SA’s roles and the improvement of crop management under stresses.

Atmospheric turbulence, which produces chaotic motions in the planetary boundary layer, can inhibit mixing between fast-reacting species produced or released at different locations. This segregation process modifies the effective rate at which reactions occur between these species, and are not appropriately accounted for in coarse resolution models since these models assume complete mixing of tracers within each gridbox. Here we present a few examples of LES-based simulations applied to chemically reactive species in a forested area with high emissions of biogenic hydrocarbons, an urban area rich in anthropogenic emissions; and a maritime area with high emissions of reduced sulfur species.

Powdery mildew disease, caused by Sphaerotheca fusca, is a major disease affecting cucumbers cultivated in greenhouses. This study was conducted to find defense genes induced by DL-3-amino-butyric acid (BABA) and powdery mildew in cucumber. The 2000 and 5000 mg/L BABA treated cucumber exhibited disease severity of 25% and 5%, respectively, whereas the water treated cucumber leaves were severely infected, with a disease severity of 90%. BABA did not effect spore germination of the powdery mildew pathogen,. showing BABA is not antifungal agent against the pathogen. In quantitative real-time PCR analysis, BABA treated cucumber upregulated transcriptional level of the defense genes CsPAL, CsPR3,CsPR1, CsLOX1, CsLOX23, Cs LecRK6.1, CsWRKY20, and Cupi4 in cucumber to maximum levels at 48 h, whereas CsLecRK6.1 reached maximum expression after 24 h and futher salicylic acid (SA) levels were significantly increased in BABA-treated cucumber plants. In addition, the infected cucumber with powdery mildew enhanced the expression levels from1.6 to 47.3 fold of the defense genes PAL, PR3, PR1, Lox1, Lox 23, LecRK6.1, WRKY20, and Cupi4 compared to heathy cucumber. The results suggests the BABA induced defense response is associated with SA signal pathway-dependent systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in cucumber, which is involved in plant resistance mechanisms.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a periodontopathogenic bacterium that can adhere and colonize periodontal tissues leading to inflammatory process, and consequently tissue destruction. New therapies using flavonoids such as hesperidin are being studied, and its promising properties have been highlighted. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hesperidin on epithelial barrier function, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and on inflammatory response caused by P. gingivalis in in vitro models. Integrity of the epithelial tight junctions challenged by P. gingivalis was determined by monitoring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). P. gingivalis adherence to a gingival keratinocyte monolayer and a basement membrane model were evaluated by a fluorescence assay. A fluorometric assay was used to determine the ROS production in gingival keratinocytes. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secretion was evaluated by ELISA, while to assess NF-κB activation, the U937-3xjB-LUC monocyte cell line transfected with a luciferase reporter gene was used. Hesperidin protected against gingival epithelial barrier dysfunction caused by P. gingivalis and reduced the adherence of P. gingivalis to the basement membrane model. Hesperidin dose-dependently inhibited P. gingivalis-mediated ROS production by oral epithelial cells as well as the secretion of IL-1β, TNF- IL-8, MMP-2 and MMP-9 by macrophages challenged with P. gingivalis. Additionally, it was able to attenuate NF-κB activation in macrophages stimulated with P. gingivalis. These findings suggested that hesperidin has a protective effect on the epithelial barrier function, in addition to reduce ROS production and attenuate the inflammatory response associated with periodontal disease.

The present study aims to unravel the mechanisms of salicylic acid and rehydration and the physiological benefits in pepper plants grown under water deficit. 3x4 factorial scheme adopted, with three water regimes (irrigated, dry and rehydration) and four SA concentrations, namely: 0 (control), 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mM. Evaluated leaf moisture percentage, leaf water potential, chlorophylls (a and b), carotenoids, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a fluorescence and H2O2 concentration at different times throughout the day and water conditions (irrigated, dry and rehydration) and SA applications (without the addition of the regulator (0) and with SA addition at concentrations equal to 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mM). Exogenous SA application favored stomatal conductance responses(gs) and modified fluorescence parameters (Fm, Fo, Fm', Fo', Fv/Fm, qP, ETR and NPQ) of sweet pepper plants subjected to drought followed by rehydration. SA concentration of 0.5 mM allowed a more expressive recovery of gs indices, effective quantum yield of photosystem II, with emphasis on excess energy (E) and maximum quantum yield (FV/FM) over time in plants subjected to drought and rehydration. We discovered that the use of SA, especially in association with rehydration, by modulating the variables gs and chlorophyll a fluorescence, prevents damage to membranes and consequently mitigates water deficit in pepper plants.

Studies have shown that aerosols generated from flavored e-cigarettes contain Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), promoting oxidative stress-induced damage within pulmonary cells. Our lab investigated the ROS content of e-cigarette vapor generated from disposable vape bars, a product exempt from the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency’s (FDA) 2020 flavor ban. Specifically, we analyzed vape bars belonging to multiple flavor categories (Tobacco, Minty Fruit, Fruity, Minty/Menthol, Desserts, and Drinks), manufactured by various vendors and of various nicotine concentrations (0-6.8%). Aerosols from these flavored vape bars were generated by a single puff aerosol generator and individually bubbled through a fluorogenic solution to detect and semi-quantify ROS in H2O2 equivalents generated by the vape bars. We compared and contrasted the ROS levels generated by each flavor as an indirect determinant of oxidative stress potential by these disposable vape bars. Our results showed that ROS concentration (μM) of aerosols produced from the vape bars varied significantly between different flavors and a function of nicotine concentration. Likewise, our results suggest that flavoring chemicals and nicotine concentration play a role in alerting ROS production in e-cigarette aerosols. Our study provides insight into the differential health effects of flavored disposable vape bars and the need for their regulation.

Objectives: To rate the effects of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMWHA) solution and high concentration oxygen (HCO) through a specific medical device (Caress Flow©), compared to topical administration of hyaluronic acid (HA) alone on symptoms of mild and moderate stress and mixed urinary incontinence in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Methods: A total of 68 postmenopausal women were enrolled (from October 2021 to September 2023). Patients were separated in two groups: one group used therapy with LMWHA solution and HCO combined and the second group used therapy with HA alone. Patient Global Impres-sion of Improvement (PGI-I) as the first outcome was used. As secondary outcomes International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - short form (ICIQ-SF) questionnaire and Internation-al Quality of Life (IQoL) questionnaire were used. Results: Sixty-eight (68) women, 35 (51%) and 33 (49%), were treated with LMWHA solution and HCO combined and HA alone for 10 weeks, respectively. 28 (80%) versus 7 (20%) women reported an improvement (PGI-I score ≤3) of the symptoms in LMWHA solution and HCO com-bined group versus HA alone group. According to the ICIQ-SF, a statistically significant differ-ence was recorded after treatment between the two groups (median, 7 [5-11] vs 10 [8-11]; P = 0.03). According to the IQoL questionnaire, a statistically significantly lower median score was recorded in the LMWHA solution and HCO combined compared with the HA group, before (71 [IQR 55-81] vs 89 [IQR 67-94]; P < 0.01) and after (78 [IQR 65-86] vs 88 [IQR 72-99]; P = 0.04) treatment. Conclusions: LMWHA solution and HCO combined might improve the mild and moderate stress and mixed urinary incontinence in this set of women and that it is superior to HA therapy alone. However, these results need to be confirmed in further studies with a controlled design and a larger population.

The genus Amomum encompasses six medicinal species that are extensively utilized and have a significant historical background. Due to their morphological similarities, however, the presence of counterfeit and substandard products remains a challenge. Accurate plant identification is therefore essential to address these issues. This study utilized 11 newly sequenced samples along with extensive data from NCBI to perform molecular identification of these six species. The plastomes of Amomum displayed a typical quadripartite structure with conserved gene content, yet showed independent variations in the SC/IR boundary shifts at both inter- and intra-specific levels. Our approach incorporated ITS, ITS1, ITS2, complete plastomes, matK, rbcL, and psbA-trnH sequences for molecular identification, which effectively differentiated the six medicinal species within the genus Amomum, as confirmed by distance-based and phylogenetic tree analyses. Among these, the ITS, ITS1, and complete plastomes sequences demonstrated the highest identification success rate (3/6), followed by ITS2, matK, and psbA-trnH (1/6). In contrast, rbcL failed to identify any species. This research successfully established a reliable molecular identification method for Amomum plants, to protect wild plant resources and promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants and restrict the exploitation of these resources.

Plants harbor a large diversity of endophytic microbes. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) is a cool-season grass known for its symbiotic relationship to the systemic and vertically- via seeds - transmitted fungal endophyte Epichloë uncinata but the effect of the endophyte on the microbial endophyte community and phytohormones is largely unexplored. Here, we sequenced the endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in the leaves and roots, analyzed phytohormone concentrations and plant performance parameters in Epichloë-symbiotic (E+) and Epichloë-free (E-) individuals of two meadow fescue cultivars. The endophytic leaf microbial community differed between leaf and root tissues independent of endophyte symbiosis while the fungal community was different in leaves of Epichloë-symbiotic and Epichloë-free plants in both cultivars. At the same time, endophyte symbiosis decreased salicylic acid and increased auxin concentrations in leaves. Epichloë-symbiotic plants showed a higher biomass, chlorophyll content (SPAD) and higher seed mass at the end of the season. Our results demonstrate that Epichloë-symbiosis alters the leaf fungal microbiome, which coincides with changes in phytohormone concentrations, indicating that Epichloë endophytes affect both, plant immune responses and other fungal endophytes. Whether the effect of Epichloë endophytes on other fungal endophytes is connected to changes in the phytohormone concentrations remains to be elucidated.

A challenge in building large-scale superconducting quantum processors is the precise control and manipulation of the qubit state. However, the crosstalk between the microwave control lines impedes the parallel execution of high-fidelity digital and analog quantum operations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a universal compensation protocol for calibrating the microwave signal crosstalk. We also introduce amplified error sequences to optimize the accuracy. Furthermore, we show a definitive improvement in parallel gate operations with crosstalk cancellation, demonstrating the technique's effectiveness. This work paves the way for superconducting hardware that features automated calibration of microwave crosstalk, leading to enhanced fidelities in multiqubit circuits.

Galanthus elwesii Hook is an important plant species of the Amaryllidaceae family and is used for medicinal purposes with its valuable bioactive compounds. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar salicylic acid (SA) and zinc (Zn) treatments on proline, carotenoid, chlorophyll content and anti-oxidant enzyme activity in G. elwesii. The ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) enzyme activity, and protein contents were determined with ascorbate oxidation, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and Bradford experiments, respectively. The plants were treated with three different concentrations of SA (0.5, 1, and 2 mM) and, and Zn (40, 80, and 120 mM) were compared with the control. Fresh leaves were harvested in the study. APX (3.99 ± 0.58 EU/mg protein) and CAT (154.64 ± 4.10 EU/mg protein) were obtained from Zn 80 and 120 mM treatments at the highest level, respectively. Proline, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid content increased 12.4, 1.54 and 3.95-fold, respectively, in 0.5 mM SA treatments when matched with control group. It was found that increasing doses of SA and Zn increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), but this was not at a significant level. The total chlorophyll content increased 2.27-fold in Zn 120 mM + SA 2 mM treatment and the chlorophyll content increased 2.41-fold in Zn 40 mM + SA 1 mM treatment.

Salinity is considered as one of the most important abiotic challenges that affect crop productivity. Plant hormones, including salicylic acid (SA), are key factors in the defence signalling output triggered during plant responses against environmental stresses. We have previously reported in peach a new SA biosynthetic pathway from mandelonitrile (MD), the molecule at the hub of the cyanogenic glucoside turnover in Prunus sp. In this work, we have studied whether this new SA biosynthetic pathway is also present in plum and the possible role this pathway plays in plant plasticity under salinity, focusing on the transgenic plum line J8-1, which displays stress tolerance via an enhanced antioxidant capacity. The SA biosynthesis from MD in non-transgenic and J8-1 micropropagated plum shoots was studied by metabolomics. Then the response of J8-1 to salt stress in presence of MD or Phe (MD precursor) was assayed by measuring: chlorophyll content and fluorescence parameters, stress related hormones, levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants, the expression of two genes coding redox-related proteins, and the content of soluble nutrients. The results from in vitro assays suggest that the SA synthesis from the MD pathway demonstrated in peach is not clearly present in plum, at least under in vitro conditions. Nevertheless, in J8-1 NaCl-stressed seedlings, an increase in SA was recorded as a result of the MD treatment, suggesting that MD could be involved in the SA biosynthesis under NaCl stress conditions in plum plants. We have also shown that the plum line J8-1 was tolerant to NaCl under greenhouse conditions, and this response was somewhat different in MD-treated plants. In that regards, the MD treatment produced an increase in SA, jasmonic acid (JA) and reduced ascorbate (ASC) contents as well as in the coefficient of non-photochemical quenching (qN) and the gene expression of Non-Expressor of Pathogenesis-Related 1 (NPR1) and thioredoxin H (TrxH) under salinity conditions, suggesting a crosstalk between different signalling pathways (NPR1/Trx and SA/JA) leading to salinity tolerance in the transgenic plum line J8-1.

In recent years, electrochemical methods utilizing reactive electrochemical membranes (REM) have been recognized as the most promising technologies for the removal of organic pollutants from water. In this paper, we propose a 1D convection-diffusion-reaction model concerning the transport and oxidation of oxalic acid (OA) and oxygen evolution in the flow-through electrochemical oxidation system with REM. It allows the determination of unknown parameters of the system by treatment of experimental data and predicts the behavior of the electrolysis setup. There is a good agreement in calculated and experimental data at different transmembrane pressures and initial concentrations of OA. The model provides an understanding of the processes occurring in the system and gives the concentration, current density, potential and overpotential distributions in REM. The dispersion coefficient was determined as a fitting parameter and it is in good agreement with literary data for similar REMs. It is shown, that the oxygen evolution reaction plays an important role in the process even under the kinetic limit, and its contribution decreases with increasing total organic carbon flux through the REM.

To examine the role of RNA silencing in defense against viroid, a Dicer-like 2 and 4 (DCL2&4)—double knockdown transgenic tomato line 72E was created. The expression of endogenous DCL2 and DCL4 in line 72E decreased to about a half of the empty cassette line EC. When challenged with potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), 72E allowed significantly higher level of PSTVd accumulation early in infection and showed lethal systemic necrosis. The size distribution of PSTVd-derived small RNA was significantly changed: the numbers of 21 and 22 nucleotides (nt) species in line 72E was approximately 66.7% and 5% of those in line EC, respectively. Conversely, the numbers of 24-nt species increased by 1100%. Furthermore, expression of miR398a-3p and miR398 increased 770–868% in the PSTVd-infected 72E, compared to the PSTVd-infected EC. In parallel, superoxide dismutase (SOD1) in PSTVd-infected 72E showed higher expression levels. In concert with miR398a-3p, SOD1 controls detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in cells. Since high levels of ROS production and its scavenging activity were observed in PSTVd-infected 72E, the lack of full-activity of DCLs was thought to have made the plant incapable to control excessive ROS production and thus resulted in to develop lethal systemic necrosis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, mainly attributed to accelerated atherosclerosis. Methods: Thirty-two women (aged more than 18 years) with RA, and 25 age-matched healthy women were included in this study. Biomarkers of inflammation, red blood cells (RBCs) redox balance, estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) expression as well as ERK 1/2 phosphorylation content were evaluated in RA patients at baseline and six months after treatment with disease modifying anti‐rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Results: For the first times we demonstrated that in RA patients: i) disease activity score (DAS-28) positively correlated with RBC ER-α expression, and negatively with total antioxidant capacity of plasma; ii) RBC ER-α expression positively correlated with systemic inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress parameters as well as ERK 1/2 phosphorylation; and iii) DMARDs treatments improved the clinical condition measured by DAS-28 score decrease, although the RBCs appeared to be more prone to pro-oxidant status associated to the expression of survival molecules. Conclusion: Our data strongly suggest that RBCs could also participate in vascular homeostasis through fine modulation of an intracellular signal linked to the ER-α.

The signaling complex around voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels includes accessory proteins and kinases crucial for regulating neuronal firing. Previous studies showed that one such kinase, WEE1—critical to the cell cycle—selectively modulates Nav1.2 channel activity through the accessory protein fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14). Here, we tested whether WEE1 exhibits crosstalk with the AKT/GSK3 pathway for coordinated regulation of FGF14/Nav1.2 channel complex assembly and function. Using the in-cell split luciferase complementation assay (LCA), we found that the WEE1 inhibitor II and GSK3 inhibitor XIII reduce FGF14/Nav1.2 complex formation, while the AKT inhibitor triciribine increases it. However, combining WEE1 inhibitor II with either one of the other two inhibitors abolished its effect on FGF14/Nav1.2 complex formation. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings of sodium currents (INa) in HEK293 cells co-expressing Nav1.2 channels and FGF14-GFP showed that WEE1 inhibitor II significantly suppresses peak INa density, both alone and in the presence of triciribine or GSK3 inhibitor XIII, despite the latter inhibitors’ opposite effects on INa. Additionally, WEE1 inhibitor II slowed the tau of fast inactivation, and caused depolarizing shifts in the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation. These phenotypes either prevailed or were additive when combined with triciribine but were outcompeted when both WEE1 inhibitor II and GSK3 inhibitor XIII were present. Concerted regulation by WEE1 inhibitor II, triciribine and GSK3 inhibitor XIII were also observed on long-term inactivation and use-dependence of Nav1.2 currents. Overall, these findings suggest a complex role for WEE1 kinase—in concert with the AKT/GSK3 pathway—in regulating the Nav1.2 channelosome.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in cellular senescence and aging, as well as in the onset and progression of many diverse genetic and acquired diseases and conditions. The search for biomarkers of oxidative stress has become relevant to many biomedical fields using many different methods and approaches. Fluorescence methodology is advantageous because of its simplicity and high sensitivity. Fluorescent probes are frequently used to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress in experimental or clinical settings, often involving the use of flow cytometry and related single-cell based technologies. To assess the specific role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress studies by cytometric methodologies, it is essential to detect and characterize these species accurately. However, the detection and quantitation of individual intracellular ROS is still a challenge, but different and complementary strategies may focus on other endpoints of oxidative stress. In this review we present and discuss briefly the limitations and perspectives of such approaches. Based on our results, we also provide recommendations for proper design of cytometric studies of oxidative stress in order to prevent or minimize experimental errors..

Using density functional theory (DFT), the density of states of NH4V3O8 (NVO) was analyzed pre and post-oxygen defects (Od) formation. The findings revealed a reduced bandgap in NVO after Od introduction, emphasizing the role of Od in enhancing conductivity of the material, thus improving its electrochemical attributes. Through the water bath method, both NVO and its oxygen-deficient counterpart, (NH4)2V10O25⸱8H2O (NVOd), were synthesized as potential cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Experimental outcomes resonated with DFT predictions, highlighting the beneficial role of oxygen defects in boosting electrical conductivity. Notably, the refined material displayed a remarkable capacity of 479.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, underscoring its promise for advanced energy storage solutions.

Effects of oxygen content on microstructure and creep property of FGH96 superalloy were investigated. When oxygen content increased from 135ppm to 341ppm, prior particle boundary (PPB) rose from degree 2 to degree 3, and the size of γ′ phase on PPB enlarged from 1.07μm to 1.27μm, and MC carbide size grew from 77.4nm to 104.0nm. Meanwhile, the steady creep rate accelerated form 4.34×10-3 h-1 to 1.87×10-2 h-1, and the creep rupture life shortened from 176h to 94h, and the creep rupture mode transferred from intergranular and transgranular mixed fracture to along PPB fracture. During creep, the micro-twins formation and gliding will be restrained by ∑3 boundaries. FGH96 superalloy with higher oxygen content contains less ∑3 boundaries and its micro-twins cross slipped instead of single direction slip in lower oxygen content superalloy. Consequently, specimen with higher oxygen content creeped faster and raptured earlier.

In recent years, cerium dioxide (CeO2) has attracted considerable attention owing to its remarkable performance in various applications, including photocatalysis, fuel cells, and catalysis. This study explores the effect of nickel (Ni) doping on the structural, thermal, and chemical properties of CeO2 nanorods, particularly focusing on oxygen vacancy-related phenomena. Utilizing X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), alterations in crystal structure and peak shifts were observed, indicating successful Ni doping and the formation of Ni2O3 at higher doping levels, likely due to non-equilibrium reactions. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed changes in oxygen release mechanisms, with increasing Ni doping resulting in the release of lattice oxygen at lower temperatures. Raman spectroscopy corroborated these findings by identifying characteristic peaks associated with oxygen vacancies, facilitating the assessment of Ni doping levels. Overall, this study underscores the substantial impact of Ni doping on CeO2 nanorods, shedding light on tailored catalytic applications through modulation of oxygen vacancies while preserving the nanorod morphology.

Within the past several decades, the emergence of new viral diseases with severe health complications and mortality is evidence of an age-dependent, compromised bodily response to abrupt stress with concomitantly reduced immunity. The new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has increased morbidity and mortality in persons with underlying chronic diseases and those with a compromised immune system regardless of age and in older adults who are more likely to have these conditions. While SARS-CoV-2 is highly virulent, there is variability in the severity of the disease and its complications in humans. Severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, lung fibrosis, cardiovascular events, acute kidney injury, stroke, hospitalization, and mortality have been reported that result from pathogen–host interactions. Hallmarks of aging, interacting with one another, have been proposed to influence health span in older adults, possibly via mechanisms regulating the immune system. Here, we review the potential roles of the hallmarks of aging coupled with host–coronavirus interactions. Of these hallmarks, we focused on those that directly or indirectly interact with viral infections, including immunosenescence, inflammation and inflammasomes, adaptive immunosenescence, genomic instability, mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, and impaired autophagy. These hallmarks likely contribute to the increased pathophysiological responses to SARS-CoV-2 among older adults and may play roles as an additive risk of accelerated biological aging even after recovery. We also briefly discuss the role of anti-aging drug candidates that require paramount attention in COVID-19 research.

This study investigated the effect of partially replacing fish meal with krill and copepod meals in inert diets, co-fed with shrimp, on the growth and nutrient digestibility of long-snout seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus). A control diet (Diet 1) using raw starch and four experimental diets with similar protein (≈44.8%) and energy (≈15.1 MJ/kg) levels were tested. Diet 2 used fish meal as the sole protein source, while in Diets 3-5, krill and copepod meals replaced 44% of the fish meal. Seahorses fed Shrimp + Diets 2-5 showed significantly higher growth rates (P &lt; 0.05) than those fed Shrimp + Diet 1, though there were no significant growth differences among Diets 2-5. Digestibility of dry matter (46.1% to 72.2%), lipids (73.3% to 85.5%), crude protein (89.8% to 95.8%), energy (82% to 92.2%), and phosphorus (28.7% to 64.4%) varied with diet, being consistently lower in seahorses fed Shrimp + Diet 1. As an agastric species, H. guttulatus did not exhibit impaired digestibility for any of the tested nutrients, minerals, or energy. This study suggests that crustacean meals can effectively substitute fish meal in inert diets for this species, contributing to the sustainability and optimization of captive seahorse husbandry practices.

Abstract: Toxicity of emerging organic pollutants to photosystems of aquatic plants are still not well clarified. This study aimed to develop a novel ecotoxicological experimental protocol based on nanoscale electrochemical mapping of photosynthetic oxygen evolution of aquatic plants by SECM (scanning electrochemical microscopy). The protocol was also checked by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), the traditional Clark oxygen electrode method and chlorophyll fluorescence technique. The typical persistent organic pollutant 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in water environment and the common aquatic Microsorium pteropus (M. pteropus) were chosen as the model organic pollutant and tested plant, respectively. It was found that the SECM method could well discriminated the responses of stoma micromorphology and spatial pattens of photosynthetic oxygen evolution on single stoma. The shape of stoma blurred with increasing 2,4-DCP concentration, which was in good agreement with the CLSM images. The dose-response curves and IC50 values obtained from the SECM data were verified by the data measured by the traditional Clark oxygen electrode method and chlorophyll fluorescence test. The IC50 value of single stoma oxygen emission of 24 h exposed plant leave, which was derived from the SECM current data (32535 μg L-1), was close to those calculated from the maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) measured by chlorophyll fluorescence test (33963 μg L-1), and the Clark oxygen electrode method photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate (32375 μg L-1). The 72 h and 96 h 2,4-DCP exposure data further confirmed the reliability of the nanoscale stoma oxygen emission mapping methodology for ecotoxicological assessment. In this protocol, the procedures for how to collect effective electrochemical data and how to extract useful information from the single stoma oxygen emission pattern were well established. This study showed that SECM is a feasible and reliable ecotoxicological tool for evaluation of toxicity of organic pollutants to higher plants with unique nanoscale visualization advantage over the conventional methods.

Diabetes is a major health concern that the next-generation of on-demand insulin releasing implants may overcome for personalized therapy. Therein, 3D-printed phenylboronic acid-containing subcutaneous implants with on-demand glucose-triggered drug release abilities are produced using high resolution stereolithography technology. To that end, the methacrylation of phenylboronic acid is targeted following a two-step reaction. The resulting photocurable phenylboronic acid derivative is accordingly incorporated within bioinert polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate-based hydrogels at varying loadings. The end result are sub-centimeter scaled 3D-printed bionert implants that can be remotely activated with 1,2-diols and 1,3-diols such as glucose for on-demand drug administration such as insulin. As a proof of concept, varying glucose concentration from hypoglycemia to hyperglycemia levels readily allow the release of pinacol, i.e. a model molecule with similar release properties than insulin, at respectively low and high rates. In addition, the results demonstrated that adjusting the geometry and size of the 3D-printed part is a simple and suitable method for tailoring the release behavior and dosage.

Leishmaniasis is a complex infectious parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, belonging to a group of neglected tropical diseases. It poses significant global health challenges, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged regions. Macrophages, as innate immune cells, play a crucial role in initiating the inflammatory response against the pathogens responsible for this disease. Macrophage polarization, the process of differentiating macrophages into pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes, is essential for the immune response in leishmaniasis. The M1 phenotype is associated with resistance to Leishmania infection, while the M2 phenotype is predominant in susceptible environments. Notably, various immune cells, including T cells, play a significant role in modulating macrophage polarization by releasing cytokines that influence macrophage maturation and function. Furthermore, other immune cells can also impact macrophage polarization in a T-cell-dependent manner. Therefore, this review comprehensively examines macrophage polarization's role in leishmaniasis and other immune cells' potential involvement in this intricate process.

The ascidian fauna of the Bahamas remains grossly understudied. Here, we examined specimens of the genus Clavelina collected from four Bahamian islands using morphological observations and genetic barcoding. Only 3 species of Clavelina have been previously reported in the Caribbean: C. picta, C. oblonga, and C. puertosecensis. Here, we report C. picta (Verrill, 1900) and three new species in the Bahamas: C. rochae; C. pawliki; and C. erwinorum. C. picta and C. pawliki were found in the northernmost island surveyed, while C. rochae and C. erwinorum were particularly prevalent on the southeastern Bahamian islands. A complete review of genetic barcoding data and morphological characters of accepted Clavelina species was performed. The unique combination of in vivo coloration, morphological characteristics, haplotypes, and species distribution all supported the establishment of three new species, significantly adding to the diversity of the genus Clavelina in the Caribbean.

The Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering (R-SPS) method is compared in this work with the two-steps SHS-SPS route, based on combination of the Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis (SHS) with the SPS process, for the fabrication of dense (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ti0.2Ta0.2Nb0.2)B2-SiC and (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ti0.2Ta0.2Zr0.2)B2-SiC ceramics. A multiphasic and inhomogeneous product, containing various borides, is obtained at 2000°C/20min by R-SPS, from transition metals, B4C and Si. In contrast, if the same precursors are first reacted by SHS, and then processed by SPS under the optimized condition of 1800°C/20min, the desired ceramics are successfully attained. Both High-Entropy-Boride/SiC products display densities > 97%, uniform microstructures and contained only small amounts of residual oxides (<2.4 wt.%). The presence of SiC makes the sintering temperature milder, i.e. 150°C below to that needed by the corresponding additive-free system. Fracture toughness is also markedly improved, particularly when considering the Nb-containing system processed at 1800°C/20min, whereas KIC progressively decreases (from 7.35 to 5.36 MPa m1/2) as the SPS conditions become more severe. SiC addition is found to inhibit the volatilization of metal oxides like MoO3 formed during oxidation experiments, thus avoiding mass loss in the ceramics. The benefits above also likely take advantage of the fact that the two composite constituents are synthesized in parallel, according to the SHS-SPS approach, rather than being produced separately and combined subsequently, so that strong interfaces between them are formed.

This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the neural systems involved in regulating wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS), and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) in mammals. Specifically, we focus on the anatomical connections between the subiculum, a component of the hippocampal formation, and the regions responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle. The subiculum exhibits direct connections with key areas involved in sleep regulation, such as the lateral hypothalamus, tuberomammillary nucleus, basal forebrain, ventrolateral preoptic nucleus, ventrolateral tegmental area, and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Additionally, second-order projections from the subiculum are received by the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and locus coeruleus, suggesting potential involvement of the subiculum in the regulation of circadian rhythms, particularly the circadian sleep-wake cycle. We also discuss alterations in the subiculum observed in individuals with sleep disorders and sleep-deprived mice, underscoring the significance of investigating neuronal communication between the subiculum and pathways promoting both sleep and wakefulness.

In this study, four kinds of animal bone marrow powders were extracted with n-hexane using the Soxhlet extraction method. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were enriched by urea inclusion and low temperature crystallization method, then were further evaluated antioxidant and antibacterial activities. These results showed that the oil composition of the n-hexane extracts of four kinds of animal bone marrow primarily consisted of palmitic acid (18.57–31.01%), stearic acid (3.6–20.95%), and oleic acid (40.22–58.69%). The ratios of saturated fatty acids (SFA)/unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) were 1/1.417, 1/1.327, 1/2.140, and 1.285/1 for sheep, bovine, horse, and camel bone marrow oil, respectively. The SFA/UFA ratios determined by the urea inclusion method were 1/1.518, 1/1.390, 1/2.037, and 1.216/1, respectively. The SFA/UFA ratios according to the low temperature crystallization method with acetone were 1/1.920, 1/2.141, 1/2.360, and 1/1.157 for sheep, bovine, horse, and camel bone marrow oil, respectively. These enrichment methods effected the concentrations of UFAs from the camel bone marrow oil. Among the methods, the low temperature crystallization method effectively enriched the UFAs. All four bone marrow oils exhibited strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The horse bone marrow oil showed the strongest antioxidant activity. Both antioxidant and antimicrobial activity improved after enrichment of the UFAs. These results lay a theoretical basis for application bone marrow oil resources in food and medicine.

Mushroom cultivation vastly improves the yield of mushrooms under optimized, controlled conditions, but may be susceptible to opportunistic colonization by pest species that can establish themselves, as well as the pathogens and pests they may transmit. Here we describe our investigation into the bacterial communities of adult Lycoriella ingenua (Diptera: Sciaridae) and Megaselia halterata (Diptera: Phoridae) collected from button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) production houses in Pennsylvania. We collected adult flies and sequenced the hypervariable v4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA using the Illumina MiSeq. The most abundant bacterial genus detected in both species was Wolbachia, but phylogenetic analysis revealed that the infections are from different clades. Future studies include the characterization of Wolbachia infections on fly behavior and biology, comparison of microbial diversity of fly species colonizing wild mushrooms, and other microbiota that may contribute to the success of certain pest fly species.

Living in extreme environments, marine organisms face constant exposure to a range of stressors, such as high radiation levels, fluctuations in temperature, and oxidative stress. Understanding extremophile fishes is crucial because it gives us valuable insights into the biochemical, physiological, and developmental processes that govern life, by observing how they operate under natural stressors. Among the most fascinating adaptations is the existence of specialised enzymes and compounds that function as potent antioxidants, successfully counteracting reactive oxygen species' deleterious effects. In this review, we analysed the findings from several studies on Antarctic and deep-sea fish species, while highlighting the environmental stressors effects toward the antioxidant system. The antioxidant defences of the considered extremophile fishes have been extensively studied, but there is still much to learn to fully understand this complex system, while the relative research is still ongoing. Consequently, we are properly anticipating further advancements over the next few years about our understanding of crucial physiological processes that support cell survival.

Curcumin, found in the rhizome of turmeric, has extensive therapeutic promises via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties. Preclinical in vitro and in vivo data have shown curcumin to be an effective treatment for multiple cancers. These effects are drived by curcumin's ability to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest, induction of autophagy, activation of apoptotic pathways, disruption of molecular signaling, inhibition of invasion and metastasis, and by increasing the efficacy of existing chemotherapeutics. Here we focused on the hormetic behaviour of curcumin. Frequently, low doses of toxins and other stressors not only are harmless but also activate an adaptive stress whereas high dose activates acute responses like autophagy and cell death. This phenomenon is referred to as hormesis. Many molecules that cause cell death elicite an initial autophagic step that is a cytoprotective mechanism relying on elimination of dysfunctional structures intracellular, notably by mitophagy. This phenomenon is considered as a primarily protective mechanism against stressors. At higher doses, cells undergo mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization due to calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum and die. Herein, we address the complex crosstalk between the induced mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial destabilization accompanied by mitophagy and cell death that can also be at play.

Nose mask is a fomite and its usage was mandatory during the COVID-19 outbreak. Its effectiveness has been established; however, as a fomite, it can harbor opportunistic respiratory pathogens such as Streptococcus spp., which could complicate COVID-19 infections. This study profiled Streptococcus species resident on nose masks obtained from consenting participants. Phenotypic assays and 16S rRNA sequencing were used to identify Streptococcus spp. resident on the interior and exterior of 100 nose masks analyzed. Antibiotic resistance (AMR) was determined with disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays. AMR and virulence makers were profiled with primer-specific PCR amplification. 23% of the analyzed samples had Streptococcus isolates. The isolates were highly resistant to the antimicrobials, including conventional, last-resort antibiotics, disinfectants and antiseptics. All the isolates are multidrug resistant with 80-100% levels of AMR to the 16 antibiotics tested with a Multiple-Antibiotic Resistance index greater than 0.2, indicative of potential pathogens. The isolates harbored tetB, ermB, pbp2B, pbp2b1 (resistance) and lytA, lytA1, ply1, cbpA, lytA, pavA (virulence) markers, which might constitute a serious public health risk. Overall, the study emphasizes the need to assess mask usage and the risks associated with opportunistic pathogens that are resident on frequently used nose masks in the COVID-19 era.

Refractoriness to antiseizure medications is still a major concern in the pharmacotherapy of epilepsy. For this reason, we decided to evaluate the combination of levetiracetam and cannabidiol, administered at a subthreshold dose, to limit the possible adverse effects of this phytocannabinoid. We administered levetiracetam (300 mg/kg/day, via osmotic minipumps), cannabidiol (120 mg/kg/day, injected once a day subcutaneously), or their combination for one week in epileptic rats. Saline-treated epileptic rats were the control group. Animals were monitored with video electroencephalography the week before and after the treatment. No changes were found in the controls. Levetiracetam did not significantly reduce the total seizure number or the overall seizure duration. Still, the overall number of seizures (p&lt;0.001, Duncan’s new multiple range test) and their total duration (p&lt;0.01) increased in the week following treatment withdrawal. Cannabidiol did not change seizures when administered as a single drug. Instead, levetiracetam combined with cannabidiol resulted in a significant reduction in the overall number and duration of seizures (p&lt;0.05), when comparing values measured during treatment with both pre- and post-treatment values. These findings depended on changes in convulsive seizures, while non-convulsive seizures were stable. These results suggest cannabidiol determined a remarkable potentiation of levetiracetam antiseizure effects at a subthreshold dose.

This study examines the differential impact of proactive and reactive job crafting behaviors on job well-being, drawing from the perspective of boundary theory. The increasing popularity of work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) after work has attracted widespread attention from scholars on the relationship between WCBA and employee well-being. One view suggests that the impact of WCBA is negative, while another view suggests it is positive. Obviously, the impact of (WCBA) on well-being at work is still contradictory. To clarify the complexity of the impact of WCBA on well-being at work, based on boundary theory, we divided WCBA into proactive WCBA (PC) and reactive WCBA (RC), and examined the double-edged sword effect of WCBA on well-being at work, as well as the mediating mechanisms of job control and work-to-home conflict, and the moderated effects of boundary segmentation preferences. This study uses empirical sampling method to collect data from 125 employees for a period of five days for quantitative research. The results show that, first, PC has an inverted U-shaped effect on job control, and job control is negatively related to well-being at work. Thus the mediating effect of job control is significant. Second, RC has a negative impact on job control, and there is also a negative relationship between job control and well-being at work. Therefore, the mediating effect of job control is significant. Third, PC and RC are positively correlated with work-to-home conflict, and work-to-home conflict has a significant positive impact on well-being at work. Therefore, the mediating effect of work-family conflict is significant. Fourth, the study also found that integration preference moderates the relationship between work-to-home conflict and PC on well-being at work, that is, the mediating effect of work-to-home conflict is stronger for employees with low integration preference. This study enriches our understanding of WCBA, PC and RC from the perspective of proactive and passive employee behaviors. The study also provides a new interpretation of the impact of WCBA on well-being at work and offers valuable insights for the sustainable development in digital social transformation and the application of boundary theory and the theory of empowerment-subjugation in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the study deepens our understanding of the heterogeneous regulatory role played by work-family integration preferences in influencing well-being at work under different types of WCBA.

Auxin and ethylene pathways cooperatively regulate a variety of developmental processes in plants. Growth responses to ethylene are largely dependent on auxin, the key regulator of plant morphogenesis. Auxin, in turn, is capable of inducing ethylene biosynthesis and signaling making the interaction of these hormones reciprocal. Recent studies discovered a bunch of molecular events underlying auxin-ethylene crosstalk. In this review, we summarize the results of fine-scale and large-scale experiments on interaction of auxin and ethylene pathways in Arabidopsis. We integrate the knowledge on the molecular crosstalk events, their tissue specificity and associated phenotypic responses to decipher the crosstalk mechanisms at a systems level. We also discuss the prospects of applying systems biology approaches to study the mechanisms of crosstalk between plant hormones.

Psychotherapy is a comprehensive biological treatment modifying complex underlying cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and regulatory responses in the brain, leading patients with mental illness to a new interpretation of the sense of self and others. Psychotherapy is an art of science integrated with psychology and/or philosophy. Neurological science studies the neurological basis of cognition, memory, and behavior as well as the impact of neurological damage and disease on the functions, and their treatment. Both psychotherapy and neurological science deal with the brain; nevertheless, they continue to stay polarized far. Existential phenomenological psychotherapy (EPP) has been in the forefront of meaning-centered counseling for almost a century. The phenomenological approach in psychotherapy originated in the works of Martin Heidegger, Ludwig Binswanger, Medard Boss and Viktor Frankl, and it has been committed to account for the existential possibilities and limitations of one’s life. EPP provides philosophically rich interpretations and empowers counseling techniques to assist mentally suffering individuals by finding meaning and purpose of life. The approach has proven to be effective in treating mood and anxiety disorders. This narrative review article demonstrates the development of EPP, the therapeutic methodology, evidence-based accounts of its curative techniques, current understanding of mood and anxiety disorders in neurological science, and a possible converging path to translate and integrate meaning-centered psychotherapy and neuroscience, concluding that the existential phenomenological psychotherapy potently plays a synergistic role with the currently prevailing medication-based approaches for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.

Abstract: The gut microbiome refers to microorganisms and their genetic material influencing local and systemic inflammation. Inflammation is known to contribute to cancer development, progression, and treatment. Evidence suggests that modulating the gut microbiome may affect responses to various cancer therapies. The gut microbiota has been suggested to have an impact on immunotherapy efficacy, especially the currently widely used immune checkpoint inhibitors in various malignancies. Microbial Interventions like fecal microbiota transplantation, various probiotics, or even antibiotics can increase or de-crease the tumor's sensitivity to immunotherapy. However, not all tumors react in the same manner, highlighting the tumor microenvironment heterogeneity across tumor types and the influence this has on the crosstalk between the microbiome and therapy outcomes. In this study, we intend to review the association between the gut microbiota and immunotherapy response in cancer patients and the factors regulating this interaction.

Bacteriophages (phages) are potential alternatives to chemical antimicrobials against pathogens of public health significance. Understanding the diversity and host specificity of phages is important for developing effective phage biocontrol approaches. Here, we assessed the host range, morphology, and genetic diversity of eight Salmonella enterica phages isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. The host range analysis revealed that six out of eight phages lysed more than 81% of the 43 Salmonella enterica isolates tested. The genomic sequences of all phages were determined. Whole genome sequencing data (WGS) data revealed that phage genome sizes ranged from 41 to 114 kb with GC contents be-tween 39.9 and 50.0 %. Two of the phages SB13 and SB28 represent new species Epsep-timavirus SB13 and genera Macdonaldcampvirus, respectively as designated by the In-ternational Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) as per genome based taxonomic classification. One phage (SB18) belonged to the Myoviridae morphotype while the re-maining phages belonged to the Siphoviridae morphotype. The gene content analyses showed that none of the phages possessed virulence, toxin, antibiotic resistance, type I-VI toxin-antitoxin modules or lysogeny genes. Three (SB3, SB15 and SB18) out of the eight phages possessed tailspike proteins. Whole genome-based phylogeny of the eight phages with their 113 homologs revealed three clusters A, B, C and seven subclusters (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1 and C2). While cluster C1 phages were predominantly isolated from animal sources, cluster B contained phages from both wastewater and animal sources. The broad host range of these phages highlights their potential use to control the presence of S. enterica in foods.

This experiment aimed to determine the temperature limits beyond which seahorse growth and reproduction become suboptimal due to climate change. Four temperatures (16, 20, 24, and 28°C) were tested to evaluate their effect on juvenile (1-56 days post-parturition (DPP)) and adult (one year old) seahorses. Additionally, the reproductive performance of adults was observed. Another experiment measured oxygen consumption (MO2) in the same age groups and temperatures. Adults showed significantly higher growth rates at 20 and 24°C compared to 16 and 28°C. Adult mortality rates were 0%, 0%, 6.2%, and 62.5% at the respective temperatures. Juvenile growth performance was higher at 20°C and 24°C but significantly lower at 16°C, with survival rates of 8%, 62%, 10%, and 0%, respectively. Oxygen consumption increased with age and temperature, ranging from 106.3±3.1 to 203.3±3.1 μmol O2/g BW/h at 16°C, and from 128.8±3.8 to 273.3±3.1 μmol O2/g BW/h at 28°C. The study highlights that juvenile and adult H. guttulatus have narrow thermal boundaries, beyond which reproduction, growth, and survival are seriously affected. Under climate change, the species appears unable to cope, potentially leading to their rapid disappearance.

Background: Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) have shown efficacy in delivering adequate oxygen for various patient scenarios; however, there is a lack of research on POCs’ efficacy across different respiratory rates specifically among COPD patients. Methods: This bench study was conducted using the IngMar Medical Active Servo Lung 5000 attached to flexible tubing, which simulated an adult patient’s nares. An oxygen analyzer (Maxtec Handi+) was connected to the tubing 6 inches below the nares to estimate the inspired oxygen concentration at the adult trachea. A standard nasal cannula was placed in the simulated patient nares, which was also attached to each POC. The IngMar Lung was programmed to simulate a COPD patient at the following respiratory rates: 15, 20, 30, and 40 breaths/min. POC devices were then compared to an oxygen wall outlet and a standard oxygen concentrator (non-portable CAIRE device). The POCs included the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort (with Autosat), CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort (without Autosat), Inogen G4, Inogen G5, Phillips SimplyGo Mini, GCE Zen-O lite, Drive Medical iGo2, and Kingon POCs. Descriptive statistics and ANOVAs were computed to determine statistically significant differences between POCS and control devices (wall oxygen and standalone oxygen concentrator). Results: Across most respiratory rate scenarios, the wall oxygen and standalone oxygen concentrator (control group) resulted higher oxygen measurements compared to the POCs. Among the POCs on setting 2, the highest oxygen measurement for 15, 30, and 40 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort with AutoSat on sensitivity 5 (24.43%, 24.81%, and 25.0%, respectively). On setting 2, the 20 breaths/min highest oxygen measurement was the Inogen G4 (24.43%). For setting 5, the highest oxygen measurement for 15 breaths/min and 40 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort without AutoSat (31.56% and 26.13%, respectively), while the highest oxygen measurement for 20 breaths/min was the Inogen G5 (30.26%), and the highest oxygen measurement for 30 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort with AutoSat on sensitivity level 5 (27.89%). Conclusions: The oxygen administered through the wall and the standalone CAIRE oxygen concentrator all delivered higher oxygen levels compared to the POCs (with the exception of the 40 breaths/min scenario on setting 2). However, among the POCs, the CAIRE Freestyle Comfort with AutoSat, CAIRE Freestyle Comfort without AutoSat, and the Inogen G4 all performed the best among the various breathing rate scenarios.

Soot combustion experiments with 5%O2/He were conducted using model soot, and four distinct compositions of CexPr1-xO2-δ oxides were prepared, varying nominal cerium com-positions (x=0, 0.2, 0.3, and 1). The catalyst samples were comprehensively characterized using techniques such as XRD, Raman spectroscopy, HR-TEM, N2 adsorption at −196 °C, XPS, O2-TPD, H2-TPR, and work function measurements. The Pr-rich compositions, rang-ing from Ce0.3Pr0.7O2-δ to PrO2-δ, resulted in a significant increase in the total evolved O2 amounts and enhanced catalyst reducibility. However, a decrease in textural properties of the catalysts was noted, being particularly important for the pure praseodymia under the synthesis route conducted. The catalytic activity was investigated under two contact modes of mixing between soot and catalyst: loose and tight. The results revealed that the catalytic performance is associated with the surface contact in tight contact mode and with the combination of surface/subsurface/bulk oxygen mobility and the BET surface ar-ea in loose contact mode. Notably, the T10 and T50 parameters were achieved at much lower temperatures than the uncatalyzed soot combustion, even under loose contact conditions. Specifically, the 50% conversion was achieved at 511℃ and 538℃ for Ce0.3Pr0.7O2 and Ce0.2Pr0.8O2, respectively. While no direct correlation between catalytic activity and work function was observed a significant relationship emerges between work function values and the formation of oxy-gen vacancies, whatever the conditions used for these measurements. On the other hand, the ability to generate a high population of oxygen vacancies at low temperatures, rather than the direct activation of gas-phase O2, influences the catalytic performance of Pr-doped ceria catalysts, highlighting the importance of surface/subsurface oxygen vacancy generation, which was the parameter which showed better correlation with the catalytic activity, whatever the soot conversion value or the mode of contact considered.

The surface characterization of indium tin oxide (ITO) films was processed by oxygen (O2) plasma gas using a magnetron sputtering method of varying O2-plasma gas from 20 sccm to 100 sccm for potentially fostering in electronic devices applications on dye-sensitize solar cells (DSSC) in this work. In order to gain an outstanding performance rate with high-quality thin films, the affect of correlation between the electrical, optical, and morphology properties was significantly investigated. Clearly, the content of investigation exhibited that the films properties was changed by variation of the gas composition. These changes have contemporary relevance to the sputtering gas during the deposition process. To conclude, the greatest electrical properties was displayed by O2 -plasma gas flow rate of 20 sccm, which showed the lowest resistivity. In addition to this, the final products were practically fabricated to active layers for dye-sensitize solar cells (DSSC) applications. The highest efficiency of DSSC device was indicated of approximately 0.35% which was located by 40 sccm of the O2-plasma gas. Consequently, the study could be a possibility way of preparing ITO thin films with improved special properties of substantial applications for solar cells devices in the near future.

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are major contributors to the production of fermented vinegar, offering various cultural, culinary, and health benefits. Although the residual unpasteurized AAB after vinegar production are not pathogens, these are necessary the safety evaluations including antibiotic resistance for the use as starters. In this research, we investigated the antibiotics resistance profiles of 26 AAB strains, including various species of Komagataeibacter and Acetobacter, against ten different antibiotics using the E-test method. All strains exhibited resistance to aztreonam and clindamycin. Komagataeibacter species demonstrated a 50% resistance rate to ciprofloxacin, analogous to Acetobacter species, but showed twice the resistance rates to chloramphenicol and erythromycin. Genomic analysis of K. saccharivorans CV1 identified intrinsic resistance mechanisms, such as multidrug efflux pumps, thereby enhancing our understanding of antibiotic resistance in acetic acid-producing bacteria. These findings enhance understanding of antibiotic resistance in AAB for food safety and new antimicrobial strategies, suggesting the need for standardized testing methods and molecular genetic study.

Field experiments were carried out during 2011-2014 at the Research and Experimental Center to Combating Desertification located in the Elsen Tasarkhai station of central Mongolia. The study was aimed to identify the effects of oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilizer on the relative growth rate of several trees for forest rehabilitation. The trees used were Populus sibirica, Salix ledebouriana and Acer tataricum. The experiment was carried out with the concentrations of 2,000, 10,000 and 20,000 mg L-1 of humic acid fertilization treatments. The measurement of relative height growth rate (RHGR) was conducted for a period of 4 years. The treatments showed significant differences within humic fertilizer concentrations which differed depending on the species. Compared to the monthly RHGR over the study, the treatment of fertilizers were significantly better for tree growth. P. sibirica in the 10,000 and 20,000 mg L-1 humic acid fertilizers had significant height growth rates. In addition, when the humic acid treatments were compared to control, A. tataricum decreased over the years which were statistically significant for high growth rate and a positive effect of humic acid fertilization treatments was observed. Furthermore, results showed that oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilizers as organic fertilizer can have a positive effect for the growth of A. tataricum during the study years. The results showed that the soil chemical properties EC, CO2, NO3, and K2O were significant among all the treatments compared to the control. The effect on P2O5 statistically significantly increased among all the treatments. However, pH and Mg were not significant effect among all the treatments. Combining the results obtained from the oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilization with sustainable land management practices can help improve soil organics for environmental issues in degraded sandy soil regions.

Terrestrial orchid tubers are an important source of food in some parts of Africa and are traditionally included in the diets of most rural communities in Malawi. However, there is limited information on the nutritional and phytochemical content of the Malawian orchids to substantiate their traditional use. The present study evaluates the nutritional and phytochemical variation of four orchid species: Disa zombica, Satyrium buchananii, Satyrium carsonii, and Satyrium trinerve, collected from the same ecological zone of Malawi. The proximate content, minerals, phytochemicals, and functional properties were analysed using official procedures. Protein ranged from 2.19% to 4.65%, whereas carbohydrate ranged from 65.24% to 80.22%, with S. carsonii and S. trinerve registering the highest protein and carbohydrate contents, respectively. Iron and potassium were highest in D. zombica, while sodium and calcium were highest in S. buchananii. The total phenolics ranged from 228.56 to 500.00 mg GAE/100 g, with D. zombica registering the highest. The water absorption capacity ranged from 4.10 to 10.88 g/g. Albeit variable levels, the study provides evidence that orchid species contain essential nutrients and phytochemicals important for human nutrition and health. Furthermore, the functional properties can be utilised in the development of food products, such as baked products.

The Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) includes socioeconomically important pathogens that cause disease and/or mycotoxin contamination on numerous crops. Here, we used comparative genomics to elucidate processes underlying the ability of pine-associated and grass-associated FFSC species to colonize tissues of their respective plant hosts. We characterized the identity, possible functions, evolutionary origins, and chromosomal positions of the host-range-associated genes encoded by the two groups of fungi. The 72 and 47 genes identified as unique to the respective genome groups were potentially involved in diverse processes, ranging from transcription, regulation, and substrate transport, through to virulence/pathogenicity. Most emerged early during the evolution of Fusarium/FFSC and were subsequently retained only in some lineages, while some had origins outside Fusarium. Although differences in the densities of these genes were especially noticeable on the conditionally dispensable chromosome of F. temperatum (representing the grass-associates) and F. circinatum (representing the pine-associates), the host-range-associated genes tended to be located towards the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that multiple mechanisms drive the emergence of genes in grass- and pine-associated FFSC taxa examined and highlighted the diversity of molecular processes potentially underlying niche-specificity in these and other Fusarium species.

Buttonweed (Cotula coronopifolia) is native to South Africa but invasive in wetlands in Europe, North America, and Australasia, where it excludes native plants. Despite being dry-fruited, field studies suggest migratory waterbirds can disperse its seeds via gut passage (endozoochory), aiding its expansion. To explore the potential for endozoochory in different regions and habitats, we collected seeds from six populations in Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Germination was tested under different salinity levels (0, 5, 10, 15 g/L) and simulated gut passage treatments: scarification, acidification, or both. No germination occurred at 15 g/L. Higher salinity reduced and delayed germination, but full gut passage treatment increased germinability and accelerated germination. Scarification or acid treatment alone resulted in intermediate germination patterns. There were significant salinity x population and gut passage x population interactions on germinability. The acceleration effect of gut passage on germination was stronger at 5-10 g/L than at 0 g/L. This study highlights how migratory birds can facilitate the spread of alien plants introduced by humans. Non-classical endozoochory by waterbirds is an understudied mechanism for the long-distance dispersal of dry-fruited alien plants. Further research on C. coronopifolia, including population genetics, is necessary to understand dispersal mechanisms and facilitate management strategies.

The inclusion of spent hemp biomass (SHB), an extracted byproduct from industrial cannabidiol (CBD) production, in the diets of dairy cows and lambs appear to be safe with minor effects on the metabolism, including a decrease of circulating cholesterol and increase bilirubinemia, both associated with liver metabolism. Those effects could be consequence of the presence of cannabinoids, particularly Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD in the SHB. This study aimed to study the transcriptional profile of the liver of dairy cows and lambs fed SHB. Dairy cows received SHB or alfalfa pellet for four weeks of intervention (IP) and four weeks of withdrawal periods (WP). Finishing lambs were fed a control diet (CON), 10% (LH2) or 20% (HH2) SHB for 2 months or 1 month followed by 1-month SHB withdrawal (LH1 and HH1, respectively). RNA sequencing was performed, and the mRNA was annotated using the latest reference genomes. The RNAseq data were filtered, normalized for library size and composition, and statistically analyzed by DESeq2. The bioinformatic analysis was performed by using DAVID, Gene Set Enrichment (GSE) analysis, and the Dynamic Impact Approach. Using a 0.2 FDR cut-off, we identified only ≤24 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the liver by feeding SHB in dairy cows and a larger number of DEG in lambs (from 71 in HH1 vs. CON to 552 in LH1 vs. CON). The KEGG analysis demonstrated that feeding SHB in dairy cows and lambs had relatively minor to moderate metabolic alterations in dairy cows and lambs mainly associated with amino acids and lipid metabolism whereas cholesterol synthesis was overall activated in lambs. GSE analysis identified activation of PPAR signaling pathway only in dairy cows. We found an opposite effect on activation of metabolism of drug and xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 enzymes in dairy cows and lambs receiving less SHB but an inhibition in HH2 lambs. Immune system-related pathways were inhibited by feeding SHB in lambs, but the impact was minor. Cumulatively, inclusion of SHB containing cannabinoids in dairy and lambs demonstrate very little effects on the alteration of transcriptomic profile of the liver.

Brucellosis is a zoonoses caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which causes economic losses in livestock and threatens public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Brucella species and risk factors in smallholder dairy cattle in six regions of Tanzania from July 2019 to October 2020. Dairy cattle (n=2048) were sampled from 1371 farms. DNA ex-tracted from blood and vaginal swabs was tested for Brucella using qPCR targeting the IS711 gene and positives were tested for the alkB marker for B. abortus and BMEI1172 marker for B. melitensis. The molecular prevalence was 3.5% (95% CI: 2.8-4.4) with the highest prevalence 8.1% (95%CI: 4.6-13.0) in Njombe region. B. melitensis was the predominant species detected (66.2%). Logistic regression revealed PCR positivity in dairy cattle was higher in the animals with a history of abortion (OR: 3.17, 95%CI: 1.05-9.62) and farms without dogs around (OR: 2.68, 95%CI: 1.12-5.90). Further studies are recommended to understand the source of B. melitensis and the implications to veterinary public health. Livestock keepers should be informed of the risks and biosecurity practices to reduce introduction and control Brucella. Cattle and small ruminant vaccination pro-grams could be implemented to control brucellosis in high-risk populations in the country.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a global agricultural pest that poses a threat to crop production, characterized by its refractory polyphagous nature that makes it difficult to control and may lead to damage to woody plants. However, research on its adaptability to woody plants remains limited. This study compares the feeding adaptations (survival rate, pupation time, pupation rate, weight, length, and feeding volume), protective enzyme activities, and feeding preferences of S. frugiperda on leaves of six economically significant tree species (Areca catechu, Aquilaria sinensis, Cocos nucifera, Camellia oleifera, Dalbergia odorifera and Hevea brasiliensis) and maize as a control treatment. The results indicate that A. sinensis as the most vulnerable trees in high risk, H. brasiliensis and C. nucifera presented varying degrees of susceptibility, A. catechu, C. oleifera, and D. odorifera were unsuitability for S. frugiperda. In conclusion, this report extensively explores the feeding effects of S. frugiperda on six economically important tree species, and provides insights into the feeding preferences on these plants, thereby informing the potential threat posed by S. frugiperda to economically vital trees.

Chronic pulmonary diseases such as asthma, COPD, and Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are significant causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Currently, there is no radical treatment for many chronic pulmonary diseases, and the treatment options focus on relieving the symptoms and improving lung function. Therefore, efficient therapeutic agents are highly needed. Bronchial epithelial cells and airway smooth muscle cells and their crosstalk play a significant role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Thus, targeting the interactions of these two cell types could open the door to a new generation of effective therapeutic options. However, the studies on how these two cell types interact and how their crosstalk adds up to respiratory diseases are not well established. With the rise of modern research tools and technology, such as lab-on-chip, organoids, co-culture techniques, and advanced immunofluorescence imaging, a substantial degree of evidence about these cell interactions emerged. Hence, this contribution aims to summarize the growing evidence of bronchial epithelial cells and airway smooth muscle cells crosstalk under normal and pathophysiological conditions. The review first deliberates the effects of both healthy and stressed epithelial cells on airway smooth muscle cells, taking into account three themes; contraction, migration, and proliferation. Then, it discusses the impact of airway smooth muscle cells on the epithelium in inflammatory settings. Later, it examines the role of airway smooth muscle cells in the early development of bronchial epithelial cells and their recovery after injury.

(1) Background: Breast cancer is a frequent heterogeneous disorder diagnosed in woman and is a high cause of mortality of them in reason to rapid metastasis and disease recurrence. Ferroptosis can inhibit breast cancer cell growth, improve the sensitivity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and inhibit distant metastases so potentially acts on tumor micro-environment; (2) Methods: Ferroptosis/Extracellular matrix remodeling literature text-mining results were integrated in breast cancer transcriptome cohort according their distant relapse free survival (DRFS) under adjuvant therapy (anthracyclin+taxanes) and also in MDA-MB-231 transcriptome functional experiments with ferroptosis activations (GSE173905); (3) Results: Ferroptosis/Extracellular matrix remodeling text-mining identified 910 associated genes in at list 10 articles. Univariate Cox analyses censored on breast cancer (GSE25066) selected 252 individual significant genes and 171 of them found with an adverse expression. Functional enrichment of these 171 adverse genes predicted basal breast cancer signatures. By text-mining some ferroptosis significant adverse selected genes shared citations in domain of ECM remodeling such as: TNF, IL6, SET, CDKN2A, EGFR, HMGB1, KRAS, MET, LCN2, HIF1A, TLR4. A molecular score based on expression the eleven genes was found predictive of worst prognosis breast cancer at univariate level: basal subtype, short DRFS, high grade values 3 and 4, estrogen and progesterone receptors negative and nodal stages 2 and 3. This eleven gene signature was validated as regulated by ferroptosis inductors (erastin and RSL3) in triple negative breast cancer cellular model MDA-MB-231.; (4) Conclusions: Crosstalk between ECM remodeling-Ferroptosis functionalities allowed to define a molecular score which have been characterized as an independent adverse parameter in prognosis of breast cancer patients. Gene signature of this molecular score have been validated to be regulated by erastin/RSL3 ferroptosis activators. This molecular score could be promising to evaluate ECM impact of ferroptosis target therapies in breast cancer.

Plants are constantly exposed to a variety of different environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, and elevated temperatures. These stress cues are assumed to aggravate in the future driven by the global climate change scenario which we are currently experiencing. These stressors have largely detrimental effects on plant growth and development and, therefore, put global food security in jeopardy. For this reason, it is necessary to expand our understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which plants respond to abiotic stresses. Especially boosting our insight into the ways by which plants balance their growth and their defense programs appears to be of paramount importance, as this may lead to novel perspectives that can pave the way to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner. In this review, our aim was to present a detailed overview of different factettes of the crosstalk between the antagonistic plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin, two phytohormones that are the main drivers of plant stress responses, on the one hand, and plant growth, on the other.

Biochirality is evident in the hierarchical relation of molecular and cellular physiology during organism development and aging. Chirality influences the higher levels of biological processes, such as perception, memory and cognition, through intermolecular interactions between DNA, proteins, and lipids. At the molecular level, an organism's aging is the accumulation of macro-molecules with the aberrant composition, chirality, and folding. Cellular aging is driven by the non-physiological phase transitions (PhTs) withing membrane-bound and membrane-less compartments. Genomic instability and protein aging, as the interconnected root-causes of cell and organism aging, share two essential feature – spontaneous nature and accumulation over a lifetime. Consequently, we will analyze the interaction between the enzymatic (Enz) and spontaneous (Sp) post-translational modifications (PTMs^Enz and PTMs ^Sp). Both forms of PTMs significantly contribute to the balance of L- and D-amino acids (L/D-AAs) in organisms, modulating the functions of nervous and immune systems. The most abundant form of PTM - enzymatic phosphorylation is bio-chemically associated with the spontaneous racemization (Rz^Sp). The crass talk of enzymatic phosphorylation and spontaneous racemization, as an essential determinant of protein aging and aggregation, associated with the aberrant autophagy, apoptosis, and cell signaling, is discussed in this review.

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are the principal superfamily of enzymes responsible for degrading the secondary messengers 3’,5’-cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP. Their refined subcellular localization and substrate specificity contribute to finely regulate cAMP/cGMP gradients in various cellular microdomains. Redistribution of multiple signal compartmentalization components is often perceived under pathological conditions. Thereby PDEs have long been pursued as therapeutic targets in diverse disease conditions including neurological, metabolic, cancer and autoimmune disorders in addition to numerous cardiovascular diseases. PDE2 is a unique member of the broad family of PDEs. In addition to its capability to hydrolyze both cAMP and cGMP, PDE2 is the sole isoform that may be allosterically activated by cGMP increasing its cAMP hydrolyzing activity. Within the cardiovascular system, PDE2 serves as an integral regulator for the crosstalk between cAMP/cGMP pathways and thereby may couple chronically adverse augmented cAMP signalling with cardioprotective cGMP signalling. This review provides a comprehensive overview of PDE2 regulatory functions in multiple cellular components within the cardiovascular system and also within various subcellular microdomains. Implications for PDE2 mediated crosstalk mechanisms in diverse cardiovascular pathologies are discussed highlighting the prospective use of PDE2 as a potential therapeutic target in cardiovascular disorders.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder caused by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. The disease process leads from lower motor neuron involvement to progressive muscle atrophy, weakness, fasciculations for the upper motor neuron involvement to spasticity. Muscle atrophy in ALS is caused by a dysregulation in the molecular network controlling fast and slow muscle fibres. Denervation and reinnervation processes in skeletal muscle occur in the course of ALS and are modulated by rehabilitation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that modulate a wide range of biological functions under various pathophysiological conditions. MiRNAs can be secreted by various cell types and they are markedly stable in body fluids. MiR-1, miR-133 a, miR-133b, and miR-206 are called “myomiRs” and are considered markers of myogenesis during muscle regeneration and neuromuscular junction stabilization or sprouting. We observed a positive effect of a standard aerobic exercise rehabilitative protocol conducted for six weeks in 18 ALS patients during hospitalization in our center. We correlated clinical scales with molecular data on myomiRs. After six weeks of moderate aerobic exercise, myomiRNAs were down-regulated, suggesting an active proliferation of satellite cells in muscle and increased neuromuscular junctions. Our data suggest that circulating miRNAs modulate during skeletal muscle recovery in response to physical rehabilitation in ALS.

Nucleoli are emerging as key sensors of cellular stress and regulators of the downstream consequences on proliferation, metabolism, senescence and apoptosis. NF-kB signalling is activated in response to a similar plethora of stresses, which leads to modulation of cell growth and death programs. Although these pathways are distinct, it is increasingly apparent that they converge at multiple levels. Exposure of cells to certain insults causes a specific type of nucleolar stress that is characterised by degradation of the PolI complex component, TIF-IA, and increased nucleolar size. Recent studies have shown that this atypical nucleolar stress lies upstream of cytosolic IkB degradation and NF-kB nuclear translocation. Under these stress conditions, the RelA component of NF-kB accumulates within functionally altered nucleoli to trigger a nucleophosmin dependent, apoptotic pathway. In this review, we will discuss these points of crosstalk and their relevance to the anti-tumour mechanism of aspirin and small molecule CDK4 inhibitors. We will also briefly discuss how NF-kB-nucleoli crosstalk may be more broadly relevant to the regulation of cellular homeostasis and how it may be exploited for therapeutic purpose.

Due to the imbalance between the supply and demand of oxygen, the oxygen system of iron- and steel-making enterprises in China has problems with high oxygen emission and high pressure in the pipelines, resulting in the energy consumption of oxygen production being high. To relieve this problem, using a large-scale iron- and steel-making mill as a case study, the research on demand forecasting and optimal scheduling of the oxygen system was carried out. The ARIMA model and the GABP model are employed to forecast oxygen demand. Based on the forecast results, an optimal scheduling model for the oxygen system was developed to conduct optimal scheduling. The case study shows that based on the oxygen demand forecast and the optimal scheduling, the oxygen emission and the pipeline pressure in the studied iron- and steel-making enterprise can be significantly reduced, thereby achieving considerable energy-saving effects and economic benefits. Specifically, the following conclusions are obtained: (1) For the oxygen demand forecast, the prediction accuracy of the GABP model is better than that of the ARIMA model. The average MAPE of the 12 sets of data of the ARIMA and GABP models are 23.8% and 20.2%, respectively. (2) By comparing the scheduling results and the field data, it is found that after the scheduling, the amount of oxygen emission has decreased by 6.32%, the pipeline pressure has decreased by 0.61%, and the energy consumption of oxygen compression has decreased by 1.6%. Considering both the oxygen emission loss and the energy consumption of oxygen compression, the total power consumption of the oxygen system is reduced by 1.38%, which saves the electricity cost of about 9.03 million RMB per year.

Background: The predictive value of changes in C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin and leukocyte levels, which are commonly used in the diagnosis of infection in sepsis and septic shock, remains a topic of debate. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of changes in CRP, procalcitonin, and leukocyte counts on the prognosis of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a diagnosis of pneumosepsis and pneumonia-related septic shock, and to investigate whether any of these markers have a superior predictive value over the others in forecasting prognosis. Methods: The study analyzed the demographic data, Charlson Comorbidity Index score (CCIS), CURB-65 score (confusion, uremia, respiratory rate, BP, age ≥ 65 years), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) scores of 230 patients admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of pneumosepsis and pneumonia-related septic shock between April 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. The levels of CRP, procalcitonin, and leukocytes were also recorded and analyzed to assess their impact on 1-month and 3-month mortality outcomes. Results: According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, low BMI, male gender, high CCIS, CURB-65, and APACHE-II scores were found to be significantly associated with both 1-month and 3-month mortality (p<0.05). An elevated SOFA score was associated with 1-month mortality, while advanced age was related to 3-month mortality (p<0.05). Although there was no significant relationship between the first-day levels of leukocytes, CRP, and PCT and mortality, their levels on the third day were observed to be at their highest in both 1-month and 3-month mortality cases (p<0.05). Additionally, a concurrent increase in any two or all three of CRP, PCT, and leukocyte values was found to be higher in patients with 3-month mortality compared to those who survived (p=0.004). Discussion: Although PCT, CRP, and leukocyte values measured at the time of admission were not significantly associated with 1-month mortality in patients with pneumosepsis or pneumonia-related septic shock, the persistent elevation and concurrent increase of these values, along with male gender, advanced age, low BMI, and high CCIS, CURB-65, and APACHE-II scores, were found to be significantly associated with 3-month mortality.

Fine dust causes various disorders, including cardiovascular, neurological, renal, reproductive, motor, systemic, respiratory, and cancerous diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to study functional materials to prevent these problems. In this study we used various methods, including quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, ELISA, and Alizarin O staining, to study the beneficial effects of erucic acid against fine dust. Erucic acid and erucic acid-induced exosomes (EIE) strongly suppress the attenuation of osteocytic differentiation and inflammation induced by fine dust. Erucic acid effectively suppresses inflammation in fibroblasts exposed to fine dust. Notably, despite exposure to fine dust, EIE promoted osteocytic differentiation in adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) and osteogenesis in macrophages, in addition to phagocytosis. Dramatic upregulation of RunX2 and BMP7 by EIE indicates that it is a strong activator of osteocytic differentiation in ASC and protects them from the effects of fine dust. Moreover, EIE induces immune activity and acts as an osteogenic trigger for macrophages. Therefore, this study suggests the potential use of erucic acid and erucic acid-induced exosomes (EIE) as biomaterials to prevent environment-borne diseases.

The commercial oxygen-free copper sheets were cold-rolled with reduction rates ranging from 20% to 87% reduction rate and annealed at 400, 500 and 600 °C. The microstructure and texture evolution during cold-rolling and annealing processes were studied using optical microscopy (OM), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The results show that the deformation textures of {123} (S) , {112} (Copper) and {110} (Brass) were continuously enhanced with the increase of cold-rolling reduction. The orientations along the α-oriented fiber converged towards Brass and the orientation density of β fiber obviously increased when the rolling reduction exceeded 60%. The recrystallization texture was significantly affected by the cold-rolling reduction. After 60% cold-rolling reduction, Copper and S textures components gradually decreased and {011} recrystallization texture component formed with the increase of annealing temperature. After 87% cold-rolling reduction, a strong Cube texture formed and other textures were inhibited with the increase of annealing temperature. The strong Brass and S deformation texture was conducive to the formation of a strong Cube annealing texture. The density of annealing twin boundary decreased with the increase of annealing temperature, and more annealing twin boundaries formed in the oxygen-free copper sheets with the increase of cold rolling reduction.

The general synthesis of boron-containing cyclic compounds (boracycles) necessitates toxic organotin precursors or highly reactive boron halides. Here we report the synthesis of seven- and five-membered boracycles utilizing arylboronic acid pinacol esters (ArBpins) as stable boron sources. Grignard reagents generated from 2,2′-dibromodibenzyl or 2,2′-dibromobiphenyl reacted with ArBpins, where Ar = 9-anthryl (Anth), 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (Mes), 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl (Tip), to give 10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,f]borepins or dibenzoborole derivatives. This Bpin-based method was successfully applied to a one-shot double boracycle formation, providing a dihydrodibenzoborepin–anthracene–dihydrodibenzoborepin triad molecule in a good yield. The dihydrodibenzoborepin bearing the Anth group was directly converted to the unsaturated borepin by NBS/AIBN. All products were characterized by NMR, HRMS, and in some cases, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, the photophysical properties of the products are also reported.

A new two-step method for developing a nanocomposite of polypropylene (PP) decorated with photocatalytically active TiO2 nanoparticles (nTiO2) is proposed. This method involves low-temperature plasma functionalization of polypropylene followed by ultrasound-assisted anchoring of nTiO2. The nanoparticles, polymeric substrate, and resultant nanocomposite were thoroughly characterized using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), microscopic observations (SEM, TEM, EDX), spectroscopic investigations (XPS, FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was evaluated through the degradation of methyl orange. The individual TiO2 nanoparticles ranged from 2-6 nm in size. Oxygen plasma treatment of PP generated surface functional groups (mainly -OH and -C=O), transforming the surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, which facilitated efficient deposition of nTiO2. Optimized plasma treatment and sonochemical deposition parameters resulted in an active photocatalytic nTiO2/PP system, degrading 80% of methyl orange under UVA irradiation in 200 minutes. The proposed approach is considered versatile for the functionalization of polymeric materials with photoactive nanoparticles and, in a broader perspective, can be utilized for the fabrication of self-cleaning surfaces.

A decanter centrifuge has been employed to successfully separated phosphoric acid and rare-earth-element (REE)-containing particles from phosphoric acid sludge with concentrations ranging from 1,000 to 2,200 ppm REEs. Operating efficiently with up to 35 wt.% solids, the centrifuge was demonstrated to achieve approximately 95% phosphoric acid recovery and 90% REEs recovery in a single pass, eliminating the need for additional processing steps. This breakthrough supports a proposed REEs oxide recovery process integrating phosphoric acid (PA), elemental phosphorus (P4), and REEs into two potential pathways: PA-REO and PA-P4-REO. These processes aim to reintroduce recovered phosphoric acid into the main product to significantly increase output and revenue. Post-separation, phosphorus-rich particles can be converted to P4, while REEs-containing solids undergo further treatment including acid leaching, extraction/stripping, precipitation, and calcination to produce a marketable rare-earth oxide (REO) material. Techno-economic analysis indicates promising profitability, with the PA-REO process showing a delta net present value (∆NPV) of $441.8 million and an expected return within a year of construction, while the PA-P4-REO process yields a ∆NPV of $178.7 million over a 12-year return period. Both pathways offer robust financial prospects and demonstrate the feasibility of commercial-scale REEs recovery from phosphoric acid sludge.