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Hyssopus officinalis L. (HO) is, as one of the most prevalently utilized plants, used in traditional medicine to cure various diseases as well as the in food and cosmetic industries. Moreover, HO is a rich source of polyphenols with potent antioxidant properties. However, the studies on the extraction of such compounds from HO are scanty and sparse. This study aims to optimize the extraction of polyphenols and maximize the antioxidant activity in HO extracts. A comprehensive experimental design was employed, encompassing varied extraction parameters to determine the most effective ones. Alongside conventional stirring (ST), two green approaches, the ultrasonic treatment (US) and the pulsed electric field (PEF), were explored, either alone or in combination. The extracted polyphenolic compounds were identified with a high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). According to the results, the employment of ST along with an ethanolic solvent at 80 °C for 150 min seems beneficial in maximizing the extraction of polyphenols from HO, resulting in extracts with enhanced antioxidant activity. The total polyphenol was noted at 70.65 ± 2.76 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight (dw) using the aforementioned techniques, and the antioxidant activity was noted as 582.23 ± 16.88 μmol ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE)/g dw (with FRAP method) and 343.75 ± 15.61 μmol AAE/g dw (with the DPPH method). The as-prepared extracts can be utilized in the food and cosmetics industries to bestow or enhance the antioxidant properties of commercial products. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aims to assess the relationship between physical and psychosocial pre-surgical factors and post-surgical evolution in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. Methods: A cohort study with 3 months of follow-up after maxillofacial surgery was conducted. Participants were recruited from the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, Spain. Primary variables included the range of motion of mouth opening, protrusion tongue force, anxiety, depression and kinesiophobia. Assessments were realised on-site or via video call. Statistical analysis was conducted using mixed-effects models. Results: The initial recruitment yielded 22 patients, with 19 ultimately eligible for analysis. The study found significant impacts of pre-surgical factors on post-surgical evolution. Both ranges of motion and anxiety showed influences from baseline measures, with the range of motion affected by a pre-surgical range of motion (estimate: 3.89) and positive expectations (estimate: 4.83). Anxiety was influenced by both pre-surgical (estimate: 0.48) and baseline anxiety levels (estimate: 0.64). Kinesiophobia demonstrated a trend toward significance, with baseline levels affecting post-surgical evolution (estimate: 0.77). Conclusions: Our results highlight the relationship between pre-surgical factors and post-surgical outcomes in orthognathic surgery patients. Pre-surgical range of motion and positive expectations were found to influence post-surgical range of motion, while pre-surgical anxiety levels impacted post-surgical anxiety evolution. Pre-surgical kinesiophobia also showed potential as a post-surgical kinesiophobia predictor, but further investigation is needed to confirm this relationship. Full article

Fabiana punensis S. C. Arroyo is a subshrub or shrub that is indigenous to the arid and semiarid region of northern Argentina and is known to possess several medicinal properties. The objective of this study was to optimize the extraction conditions so as to maximize the yield of bioactive total phenolic compound (TPC) and flavonoids (F) of F. punensis’ aerial parts by using non-conventional extraction methods, namely ultrasound-assisted extraction, UAE, and microwave-assisted extraction, MAE, and to compare the biological activities and toxicity of optimized extracts vs. conventional extracts, i.e., those gained by maceration. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to apply factorial designs to optimize the parameters of extraction: solid-to-liquid ratio, extraction time, ultrasound amplitude, and microwave power. The experimental values for TPC and F and antioxidant activity under the optimal extraction conditions were not significantly different from the predicted values, demonstrating the accuracy of the mathematical models. Similar HPLC-DAD patterns were found between conventional and UAE- and MAE-optimized extracts. The main constituents of the extracts correspond to phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) and apigenin was identified. All extracts showed high scavenger capacity on ABTS^•+, O₂^•− and H₂O₂, enabling the inhibition of the pro-inflammatory enzymes xanthine oxidase (XO) and lipoxygenase (LOX). They also showed an antimutagenic effect in Salmonella Typhimurium assay and cytotoxic/anti-proliferative activity on human melanoma cells (SKMEL-28). Toxicological evaluation indicates its safety. The results of this work are important in the development of efficient and sustainable methods for obtaining bioactive compounds from F. punensis for the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage. Full article

Food innovation that utilises agricultural waste while enhancing nutritional value is important for waste valorisation and consumer health. This study investigated incorporating spinach (Spinacia oleracea), as a model leafy agricultural waste, into wheat bread. We analysed the nutrient content, colour, texture, sensory attributes and purchase/consume intention ratings. Adding 10–40% spinach (w/w) yielded loaves with similar heights but significantly different colour and texture (p < 0.05) from white bread. Increasing spinach decreased total carbohydrates (including starch) while significantly increasing other nutrients (protein, fibre, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium, vitamins A, C, E, folate, niacin, pyridoxine, nitrate/nitrite and polyphenols) (p < 0.05). Spinach addition increased bread porosity, linked to higher pasting parameters (peak, trough, breakdown, final and setback viscosity) with reduced pasting time and temperature. Texture analysis resulted in decreased hardness, chewiness, gumminess and firmness while increasing cohesiveness, with maximum resilience at 20% spinach enrichment. Sensory analysis with 21 untrained panellists revealed decreased visual appeal, less preferred taste, odour and overall liking (p < 0.05) with increasing spinach, with no significant difference in texture acceptance, but the 20% enrichment had comparable acceptance to white bread. Enriching staple foods like bread with leafy vegetable waste offers a promising approach for increasing daily vegetable intake. Full article

Fluid infiltration into Proterozoic and Early Palaeozoic dry, orthopyroxene-bearing granitoids and gneisses in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, has caused changes to rock appearance, mineralogy, and rock chemistry. The main mineralogical changes are the replacement of orthopyroxene by hornblende and biotite, ilmenite by titanite, and various changes in feldspar structure and composition. Geochemically, these processes resulted in general gains of Si, mostly of Al, and marginally of K and Na but losses of Fe, Mg, Ti, Ca, and P. The isotopic oxygen composition (𝛿¹⁸O_SMOW = 6.0‰–9.9‰) is in accordance with that of the magmatic precursor, both for the host rock and infiltrating fluid. U-Pb isotopes in zircon of the altered and unaltered syenite to quartz-monzonite indicate a primary crystallization age of 520.2 ± 1.0 Ma, while titanite defines alteration at 485.5 ± 1.4 Ma. Two sets of gneiss samples yield a Rb-Sr age of 517 ± 6 Ma and a Sm-Nd age of 536 ± 23 Ma. The initial Sr and Nd isotopic ratios suggest derivation of the gneisses from a relatively juvenile source but with a very strong metasomatic effect that introduced radiogenic Sr into the system. The granitoid data indicate instead a derivation from Mid-Proterozoic crust, probably with additions of mantle components. Full article

This study explores the impact of sulfur oxidation on the structural, optical, and electronic properties of [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT) derivatives, specifically focusing on 2,7-dibromo BTBT (2,7-diBr-BTBT) and its oxidized forms, 5,5-dioxide (2,7-diBr-BTBTDO) and 5,5,10,10–tetraoxide (2,7-diBr-BTBTTO). The bromination of BTBT followed by sequential oxidation with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid yielded the target compounds in good yields. They were characterized using a wide array of analytical techniques including different spectroscopic methods, X-ray analysis, thermal analysis, and quantum chemical calculations. The results revealed that sulfur oxidation significantly alters the crystal packing, thermal stability, and optoelectronic properties of BTBT derivatives. Notably, the oxidized forms exhibited increased thermal stability and enhanced emission properties, with quantum yields exceeding 99%. These findings provide valuable insights for designing advanced organic semiconductors and fluorescent materials with tunable properties, based on the BTBT core. Full article

Aim: The aim of this review was to identify the microRNAs (miRNAs) present in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) that can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of periodontal diseases, and to determine which of them has a higher diagnostic yield for periodontitis. Methods: The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines (reference number CRD42024544648). The Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for clinical studies conducted in humans investigating periodontal diseases and miRNAs in GCF. The methodological quality of the articles was measured with the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 3222 references were identified in the initial literature search, and 16 articles were finally included in the review. The design of the studies was heterogeneous, which prevented a meta-analysis of the data. Most of the studies compared miRNA expression levels between patients with periodontitis and healthy controls. The most widely researched miRNA in periodontal diseases was miR-200b-3p and miR-146a. Conclusions: the miRNAs most studied are miR-146a, miR-200b, miR-223, miR-23a, and miR-203, and all of them except miR-203 have an acceptable diagnostic plausibility for periodontitis. Full article

In this paper, the microstructure of an alloy was regulated by means of strengthening solution aging, and microstructure observation and composition analysis were carried out by means of an optical microscope and X-ray diffractometer. Combined with the Vickers hardness tester, electronic universal testing machine and high-temperature persistent creep testing machine, the mechanical properties and high-temperature properties of the alloy were tested, and the strengthening mechanism of the alloy was explored. The results showed that the dendritic morphology and structure of the alloy decreased with an increase in temperature during the solution process, and the γ′ phase morphology also changed with the solution temperature: oval → cross → cubic. The γ′ phase after solid solution at 1295 °C was closest to the cubic form. Therefore, it is believed that the 1295 °C solution treatment had the best effect. In the aging process, the uniform cubic degree of γ′ phase distribution was the highest at 1090 °C. On the basis of fixed aging temperature (1090 °C), it was found that the volume fraction of the γ′ phase increased significantly after 8 h. The γ′ phase, which was closest to the cubic form, had the largest proportion of precipitation, and the volume fraction increased to 70.3%. The minimum carbide volume was 1.0%. The hardness of the alloy reached 435.8 HV; the yield strength increased to 280.1 MPa; and the durability of the alloy under the conditions of 1000 °C/230 MPa and 870 °C/655 MPa was 99.7 h and 42.7 h, respectively, which achieved the purpose of alloy design. Full article

Aviation networks exhibit multi-layer characteristics and heterogeneity of nodes and edges. Identifying key nodes in a multi-layer heterogeneous aviation network (MHAN) and elucidating its cascading failure process are of great practical significance for enhancing the ability to resist failure and strengthening network resilience. Therefore, this paper first establishes the basic model of MHAN and then designs an intra-layer node importance evaluation method based on the improved TOPSIS-grey correlation analysis (ITG) method and an inter-layer influence weight quantification method based on the gravity model. By integrating the information transmission characteristics between network nodes, a key node identification method in MHAN through aggregating multi-source information is proposed. Finally, based on the actual overload operation of aviation networks, the initial load adjustment coefficient, capacity limit, and overload coefficient are introduced based on the traditional capacity–load model, a cascading failure model of MHAN considering overload condition and failure probability is constructed, and a node influence index based on this model is defined to verify the accuracy of the key node identification results. The instance analysis conducted on the aviation network in western China demonstrates that the intra-layer node importance evaluation method based on ITG yields results with better distinguishability and higher accuracy. The key nodes are predominantly hub en-route nodes and sector nodes. In the cascading failure model, increasing the overload coefficient and capacity limit within a specific range while reducing the initial load adjustment coefficient helps reduce the network failure scale. The key nodes identified by the node influence index are consistent with those identified by the method proposed in this paper, validating the accuracy and effectiveness of the key node identification method in MHAN through aggregating multi-source information herein. Full article

Brittle fractures of iron and steel above twinning temperatures are caused by cementite grain boundary wall cracks. These were revealed by an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). At temperatures below the ductile–brittle transition (DBT), cracks must propagate longitudinally within cementite walls until the stress is sufficiently high for the cracks to propagate across ferrite grains. Calculations using these concepts correctly predict the stress and temperature at the DBT required for fractures to occur. At temperatures above the DBT for hypoeutectoid ferritic steels, dislocations must be emitted across the walls transversely for plastic deformation to continue. This is responsible for the upper yield point at the elastic limit in these steels followed by a large drop in stress to the lower yield point. Here, the walls completely surround all of the grains. Where the walls are segmented, such as in iron, dislocations can pass around the walls, resulting in a gradual change from elastic to plastic deformation. The Cottrell atmosphere theory of yielding is not supported experimentally. It was the best available until later experiments, including those using the AFM, were performed. Methods are presented here giving yield strength versus temperature and also the parameters for the Hall–Petch and Griffith equations. Full article

This paper expands a recently proposed peak current-mode (PCM) control method for a power factor correction (PFC) boost converter to include the totem-pole converter and solves the controller’s compatibility problem with the totem-pole converter by proposing three input current sensing methods. Using MATLAB/Simulink 2023b, simulation experiments on a 2 kW totem-pole converter utilizing the PFC PCM controller were carried out to assess the performance of the controller with the proposed sensing methods. The findings indicate that under steady-state conditions, all three proposed sensing methods performed input current shaping successfully and yielded nearly identical THD% of about 4.4% in the input current waveform. However, it is noteworthy that method 2, referred to as the memory method, exhibited a sluggish and less robust transient response in comparison to the swift and resilient responses observed with method 1 and method 3. Additionally, the third proposed method, which involves a single current sensor positioned across the input inductor, emerged as the optimal and cost-effective sensing solution. This method achieved the same desirable attributes of fast and robust control while utilizing only a single current sensor, a notable advantage over method 1, which employs two current sensors. Full article

The cacao fruit is a rich source of polyphenols, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, which possess significant health benefits. The accurate identification and quantification of these bioactive compounds extracted from different parts of the cacao fruit, such as pods, beans, nibs, and cacao shells, require specific treatment conditions and analytical techniques. This review presents a comprehensive comparison of extraction processes and analytical techniques used to identify and quantify polyphenols from various parts of the cacao fruit. Additionally, it highlights the environmental impact of these methods, exploring the challenges and opportunities in selecting and utilizing extraction, analytical, and impact assessment techniques, while considering polyphenols’ yield. The review aims to provide a thorough overview of the current knowledge that can guide future decisions for those seeking to obtain polyphenols from different parts of the cacao fruit. Full article

In this work, the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT1, MWCNT2, and MWCNT3) with different outer diameters and specific surface areas on the mechanical and electrical properties of cement mortar have been investigated. Various concentrations of MWCNTs were used (0.05, 0.10, and 0.15%), the effective dispersion of which was carried out by an Ultrasonic machine (for 40 min with 160 W power and a 24 kHz frequency) using a surfactant. Composites have been processed with a biosilica content of 10% by weight of cement and without it. Compressive strength tests were carried out on days 7 and 28 of curing. The 7-day compressive strength of samples prepared without biosilica increased compared to the result of the control sample (6.4% for MWCNT1, 7.4% for MWCNT2, and 10.8% for MWCNT3), as did those using biosilica (6.7% in the case of MWCNT1, 29.2% for MWCNT2, and 2.1% for MWCNT3). Compressive strength tests of 28-day specimens yielded the following results: 21.7% for MWCNT1, 3.8% for MWCNT2, and 4.2% for MWCNT3 in the absence of biosilica and 8.5%, 12.6%, and 6.3% with biosilica, respectively. The maximum increase in compressive strength was observed in the composites treated with a 0.1% MWCNT concentration, while in the case of 0.05 and 0.15% concentrations, the compressive strengths were relatively low. The MWCNT-reinforced cement matrix obtained electrical properties due to the high electrical conductivity of these particles. The effect of MWCNT concentrations of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 wt% on the electrical properties of cement mortar, especially the bulk electrical resistivity and piezoresistive characteristics of cement mortar, was studied in this work. At a concentration of 0.05%, the lowest value of resistivity was obtained, and then it started to increase. The obtained results show that all investigated specimens have piezoresistive properties and that the measurements led to a deviation in fractional change in resistivity. Full article

In this study, hot water treatment (WT), ultrasonic treatment (UT), ultrasonic-sodium hydroxide treatment (UST), ultrasonic-enzyme treatment (UET), and ultrasonic-microwave treatment (UMT) were used to treat sweet potatoes. The structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of the extracted soluble dietary fibres (SDFs) were named WT-SDF, UT-SDF, UST-SDF, UET-SDF, and UMT-SDF, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal properties, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis were employed. The structural results indicated that the UST-SDF exhibited the best thermal stability, highest crystallinity, and maximum specific surface area. Moreover, compared to hot water extraction, ultrasonic extraction, or ultrasonic extraction in combination with other methods, enhanced the physicochemical and functional properties of the SDF, including extraction yield, water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-holding capacity (OHC), glucose adsorption capacity (GAC), glucose dialysis retardation index (GDRI), sodium cholate adsorption capacity (SCAC), cholesterol adsorption capacity (CAC), nitrite ion adsorption capacity (NIAC), and antioxidant properties. Specifically, the UST-SDF and UMT-SDF showed better extraction yield, WHC, OHC, GAC, CAC, SCAC, and NIAC values than the other samples. In summary, these results indicate that UST and UMT could be applied as ideal extraction methods for sweet potato SDF and that UST-SDF and UMT-SDF show enormous potential for use in the functional food industry. Full article

Upper motor neuron (UMN) dysfunction is an important feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for the diagnosis and understanding of pathogenesis. The identification of UMN signs forms the basis of ALS diagnosis, although may be difficult to discern, especially in the setting of severe muscle weakness. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) techniques have yielded objective physiological biomarkers of UMN dysfunction in ALS, enabling the interrogation of cortical and subcortical neuronal networks with diagnostic, pathophysiological, and prognostic implications. Transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques have provided pertinent pathogenic insights and yielded novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Cortical hyperexcitability, as heralded by a reduction in short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and an increase in short interval intracortical facilitation (SICF), has been associated with lower motor neuron degeneration, patterns of disease evolution, as well as the development of specific ALS clinical features including the split hand phenomenon. Reduction in SICI has also emerged as a potential diagnostic aid in ALS. More recently, physiological distinct inhibitory and facilitatory cortical interneuronal circuits have been identified, which have been shown to contribute to ALS pathogenesis. The triple stimulation technique (TST) was shown to enhance the diagnostic utility of conventional TMS measures in detecting UMN dysfunction. Resting-state EEG is a novel neurophysiological technique developed for directly interrogating cortical neuronal networks in ALS, that have yielded potentially useful physiological biomarkers of UMN dysfunction. The present review discusses physiological biomarkers of UMN dysfunction in ALS, encompassing conventional and novel TMS techniques developed to interrogate the functional integrity of the corticomotoneuronal system, focusing on pathogenic, diagnostic, and prognostic utility. Full article