bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon-Based Ternary Nanocomposite: Bullet Type ZnO–SWCNT–CuO for Substantial Solar-Driven Photocatalytic Decomposition of Aqueous Organic Contaminants
Authors: Shrestha Santu , Sapkota Kamal Prasad , Lee Insup , Islam Md Akherul , Pandey Anil , Gyawali Narayan , Akter Jeasmin , Mohan Harshavardhan , Shin Taeho , Jeong Sukmin , Hahn Jae Ryang
Published: December 2022

A facile two-step synthesis of ternary hetero-composites of ZnO, CuO, and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was developed through a recrystallization process followed by annealing. A series of nanocomposites were prepared by varying the weight ratio of copper(II) acetate hydrate and zinc(II) acetate dihydrate and keeping the weight ratio of SWCNTs constant. The results revealed the formation of heterojunctions (ZnO–SWCNT–CuO, ZSC) of three crystal structures adjacent to each other, forming a ternary wurtzite-structured nanoparticles along with defects. Enhanced charge separation (electron-hole pairs), reduced band gap, defect-enhanced specific surface area, and promoted oxidation potential were key factors for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the ternary nanocomposites. OH• radicals were the main active species during dye degradation, and O2−• and h+ were also involved to a lesser extent. A type II heterojunction mechanism approach is proposed based on the charge carrier migration pattern. Among the synthesized nanocomposites, the sample prepared using copper(II) acetate hydrate and zinc(II) acetate dihydrate in a 1: 9 ratio (designated a ZSC3) showed the highest photocatalytic activity. ZSC3 achieved 99.2% photodecomposition of methylene blue in 20 min, 94.1% photodecomposition of Congo red in 60 min, and 99.6% photodecomposition of Rhodamine B in 40 min under simulated sunlight. Additionally, ZSC3 showed excellent reusability and stability, maintaining 96.7% of its activity even after five successive uses. Based on overall results, the ZSC sample was proposed as an excellent candidate for water purification applications.
Polymeric Nanoparticles with Embedded Eu(III) Complexes as Molecular Probes for Temperature Sensing
Authors: Kuznetsov Kirill M. , Baigildin Vadim A. , Solomatina Anastasia I. , Galenko Ekaterina E. , Khlebnikov Alexander F. , Sokolov Victor V. , Tunik Sergey P. , Shakirova Julia R.
Published: December 2022

Three novel luminescent Eu(III) complexes, Eu1–Eu3, have been synthesized and characterized with CHN analysis, mass-spectrometry and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The complexes display strong emission in dichloromethane solution upon excitation at 405 and 800 nm with a quantum yield from 18.3 to 31.6%, excited-state lifetimes in the range of 243–1016 ms at 20 °C, and lifetime temperature sensitivity of 0.9%/K (Eu1), 1.9%/K (Eu2), and 1.7%/K (Eu3). The chromophores were embedded into biocompatible latex nanoparticles (NPs_Eu1–NPs_Eu3) that prevented emission quenching and kept the photophysical characteristics of emitters unchanged with the highest temperature sensitivity of 1.3%/K (NPs_Eu2). For this probe cytotoxicity, internalization dynamics and localization in CHO-K1 cells were studied together with lifetime vs. temperature calibration in aqueous solution, phosphate buffer, and in a mixture of growth media and fetal bovine serum. The obtained data were then averaged to give the calibration curve, which was further used for temperature estimation in biological samples. The probe was stable in physiological media and displayed good reproducibility in cycling experiments between 20 and 40 °C. PLIM experiments with thermostated CHO-K1 cells incubated with NPs_Eu2 indicated that the probe could be used for temperature estimation in cells including the assessment of temperature variations upon chemical shock (sample treatment with mitochondrial uncoupling reagent).
Cytotoxic Potential of Bioactive Compounds from Aspergillus flavus, an Endophytic Fungus Isolated from Cynodon dactylon, against Breast Cancer: Experimental and Computational Approach
Authors: Kalimuthu Arjun Kumar , Pavadai Parasuraman , Panneerselvam Theivendren , Babkiewicz Ewa , Pijanowska Joanna , Mrówka Piotr , Rajagopal Gopalan , Deepak Venkataraman , Sundar Krishnan , Maszczyk Piotr , Kunjiappan Selvaraj
Published: December 2022

Endophytic fungi are a diverse group of microorganisms that colonize the inter- or intracellular spaces of plants and exhibit mutual benefits. Their interactions with the host plant and other microbiomes are multidimensional and play a crucial role in the production of secondary metabolites. We screened bioactive compounds present in the extracts of Aspergillus flavus, an endophytic fungus isolated from the roots of the medicinal grass Cynodon dactylon, for its anticancer potential. An in vitro analysis of the Ethyl acetate extract from A. flavus showed significant cytostatic effects (IC50: 16.25 μg/mL) against breast cancer cells (MCF-7). A morphological analysis of the cells and a flow cytometry of the cells with annexin V/Propidium Iodide suggested that the extract induced apoptosis in the MCF-7 cells. The extract of A. flavus increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and caused a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in MCF-7 cells. To identify the metabolites that might be responsible for the anticancer effect, the extract was subjected to a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Interestingly, nine phytochemicals that induced cytotoxicity in the breast cancer cell line were found in the extract. The in silico molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed that two compounds, 2,4,7-trinitrofluorenone and 3α, 5 α-cyclo-ergosta-7,9(11), 22t-triene-6beta-ol exhibited significant binding affinities (−9.20, and −9.50 Kcal/mol, respectively) against Bcl-2, along with binding stability and intermolecular interactions of its ligand-Bcl-2 complexes. Overall, the study found that the endophytic A. flavus from C. dactylon contains plant-like bioactive compounds that have a promising effect in breast cancer.
Stability of Dibromo-Dipyrromethene Complexes Coordinated with B, Zn, and Cd in Solutions of Various Acidities
Authors: Aksenova Iuliia , Pomogaev Vladimir
Published: December 2022

The spectral luminescent properties of dipyrromethenates halogenated with bromine on both ends of the long axis and coordinated using boron fluoride, zinc, or cadmium in neutral ethanol and acidified with hydrochloric acid solutions were studied. The constants of the acid–base equilibrium of the complexes in the proton-donor solvents in the ground and excited states was determined. The mechanisms of complex protonation were discussed, depending on the structure of the compounds. The electronic structures of the neutral and protonated compounds were modeled and analyzed based on the quantum-chemical method. The structures and spectral-luminescence properties were calculated using the SMD model of ethanol solvent using the TD-DFT theory with the B3LYP functional and the composite def2-SVP/def2-TZVP/def2-TZVPP_ECP basis sets, depending on the atomic number of the elements.
Isolation and Identification of Anti-Inflammatory Peptide from Goose Blood Hydrolysate to Ameliorate LPS-Mediated Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in RAW264.7 Macrophages
Authors: Du Yeye , Zhu Shuangjie , Wang Ran , Chen Xingyong , Cai Kezhou
Published: December 2022

This study was designed to isolate an anti-inflammatory activity oligopeptide from goose blood (GBP) for ameliorating LPS-mediated inflammation response and oxidative stress in RAW264.7 macrophages. In this study, GBP was isolated by tangential flow ultrafiltration system (TFUS) combined with size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ion exchange chromatography (IEC), and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC), and then identified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The experiment results indicated that the amino acid sequence of oligopeptide with the best anti-inflammatory activity was IIe-Val-Tyr-Pro-Trp-Thr-Gln-Arg (IVYPWTQR), which had a molecular weight of 1062.5720 Da, and was derived from haemoglobin subunit beta OS in goose blood. In addition, IVYPWTQR was confirmed to have satisfactory stability and maintained high anti-inflammatory activity in a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The mechanism by which the IVYPWTQR protected against LPS-mediated inflammation response was attributed to downregulating the TLR4/NF-kB/iNOS pathway. Moreover, IVYPWTQR ameliorated oxidative stress damage in inflammatory state was attributed to activating antioxidant defence system, which was regulated by Keap-1/NRF2/HO-1 signalling pathway for decreasing the accumulation of reactive oxide species (ROS). In summary, these results indicated GBP could serve as a potential functional factor for prevention and improvement of inflammation mediated by LPS and provided an affordable dietary intervention strategy to prevent inflammation.
Volatile Profiles and Sensory Characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Red Wines in the Sub-Regions of the Eastern Foothills of Ningxia Helan Mountain in China
Authors: Song Xixian , Ling Mengqi , Li Demei , Zhu Baoqing , Shi Ying , Duan Changqing , Lan Yibin
Published: December 2022

To elucidate the effects of the different terroir on wine aroma in six sub-regions of Eastern Foothills of Helan Mountain in Ningxia, a premium wine-producing region in China, 71 Cabernet Sauvignon wines were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), check-all-that-apply (CATA), and quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). The bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (O2PLS-DA) results showed that the Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wines from Xixia (XX) and Yongning (YN) had similar volatile profiles due to their geographical proximity and were characterized by higher concentrations of esters, higher alcohols, and volatile phenols because the similar aromatic profiles were detected in their dry red wines. Shizuishan (SZS) and Hongsipu (HSP) wines showed clear differences compared to the wines of the other four sub-regions, being mainly characterized by relatively higher phenolic aldehydes and volatile phenols. The concentrations of methoxypyrazines and norisoprenoids varied mainly depending on the climate diversity of the sub-regions. The highest 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) concentration was presented in the Helan (HL) wines. The Qingtongxia (QTX) wines have the highest β-damascenone, which might be influenced by the fact that QTX has the lowest effective accumulated temperature and the highest sunshine duration among the five sub-regions. Esters including ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, and isoamyl acetate were the highest in HL. Additionally, the herbaceous, black berry, and red berry notes in HL and QTX were the most outstanding.
Phloretin, as a Potent Anticancer Compound: From Chemistry to Cellular Interactions
Authors: Tuli Hardeep Singh , Rath Prangya , Chauhan Abhishek , Ramniwas Seema , Vashishth Kanupriya , Varol Mehmet , Jaswal Vivek Sheel , Haque Shafiul , Sak Katrin
Published: December 2022

Phloretin is a natural dihydrochalcone found in many fruits and vegetables, especially in apple tree leaves and the Manchurian apricots, exhibiting several therapeutic properties, such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activities. In this review article, the diverse aspects of the anticancer potential of phloretin are addressed, presenting its antiproliferative, proapoptotic, antimetastatic, and antiangiogenic activities in many different preclinical cancer models. The fact that phloretin is a planar lipophilic polyphenol and, thus, a membrane-disrupting Pan-Assay Interference compound (PAIN) compromises the validity of the cell-based anticancer activities. Phloretin significantly reduces membrane dipole potential and, therefore, is expected to be able to activate a number of cellular signaling pathways in a non-specific way. In this way, the effects of this minor flavonoid on Bax and Bcl-2 proteins, caspases and MMPs, cytokines, and inflammatory enzymes are all analyzed in the current review. Moreover, besides the anticancer activities exerted by phloretin alone, its co-effects with conventional anticancer drugs are also under discussion. Therefore, this review presents a thorough overview of the preclinical anticancer potential of phloretin, allowing one to take the next steps in the development of novel drug candidates and move on to clinical trials.
Synthesis and Reactions of 3-Halogenated 2-CF3-Indoles
Authors: Muzalevskiy Vasiliy M. , Sizova Zoia A. , Nenajdenko Valentine G.
Published: December 2022

Halogenation of 2-trifluoromethylindole afforded 3-chloro-, 3-bromo- and 3-iodo derivatives in up to 98% yield. Methyl-, benzyl- and tosyl-groups can be installed at the nitrogen atom of prepared indoles in high yields by base catalyzed reaction with the corresponding alkylating (sulfonylating) reagents. A high synthetic utility of the prepared haloindoles in the reaction with various nucleophilies was shown. The reaction with 4-methylthiophenol and copper cyanide afforded the corresponding sulfides and nitriles in high yield. Palladium catalyzed cross-coupling with phenyl boronic acid and phenylacetylene gave the corresponding 3-phenyl-2-CF3-indoles and acetylenic derivatives in 72–98% yield.
Atoms-In-Molecules’ Faces of Chemical Hardness by Conceptual Density Functional Theory
Authors: Kaya Savas , Putz Mihai V.
Published: December 2022

The chemical hardness concept and its realization within the conceptual density functional theory is approached with innovative perspectives, such as the electronegativity and hardness equalization of atoms in molecules connected with the softness kernel, in order to examine the structure–reactivity equalization ansatz between the electronic sharing index and the charge transfer either in the additive or geometrical mean picture of bonding. On the other hand, the maximum hardness principle presents a relation with the chemical stability of the hardness concept. In light of the inverse relation between hardness and polarizability, the minimum polarizability principle has been proposed. Additionally, this review includes important applications of the chemical hardness concept to solid-state chemistry. The mentioned applications support the validity of the electronic structure principles regarding chemical hardness and polarizability in solid-state chemistry.
Bioactivity Guided Study for the Isolation and Identification of Antidiabetic Compounds from Edible Seaweed—Ulva reticulata
Authors: Unnikrishnan Pullikaparambil Sasidharan , Animish Andhere , Madhumitha Gunabalan , Suthindhiran Krishnamurthy , Jayasri Mangalam Achuthananthan
Published: December 2022

Managing diabetes is challenging due to the complex physiology of the disease and the numerous complications associated with it. As part of the ongoing search for antidiabetic chemicals, marine algae have been demonstrated to be an excellent source due to their medicinal properties. In this study, Ulva reticulata extracts were investigated for their anti-diabetic effect by examining its inhibitory effects on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and DPP-IV and antioxidant (DPPH) potential in vitro and its purified fraction using animal models. Among the various solvents used, the Methanolic extract of Ulva reticulata (MEUR) displayed the highest antidiabetic activity in both in vitro and in vivo; it showed no cytotoxicity and hence was subjected to bioassay-guided chromatographic separation. Among the seven isolated fractions (F1 to F7), the F4 (chloroform) fraction exhibited substantial total phenolic content (65.19 μg mL−1) and total flavonoid content (20.33 μg mL−1), which showed the promising inhibition against α-amylase (71.67%) and α-glucosidase (38.01%). Active fraction (F4) was further purified using column chromatography, subjected to thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and characterized by spectroscopy techniques. Upon structural elucidation, five distinct compounds, namely, Nonane, Hexadecanoic acid, 1-dodecanol, Cyclodecane methyl, and phenol, phenol, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) were identified. The antidiabetic mechanism of active fraction (F4) was further investigated using various in vitro and in vivo models. The results displayed that in in vitro both 1 and 24 h in vitro cultures, the active fraction (F4) at a concentration of 100 μg mL−1 demonstrated maximum glucose-induced insulin secretion at 4 mM (0.357 and 0.582 μg mL−1) and 20 mM (0.848 and 1.032 μg mL−1). The active fraction (F4) reduces blood glucose levels in normoglycaemic animals and produces effects similar to that of standard acarbose. Active fraction (F4) also demonstrated outstanding hypoglycaemic activity in hyperglycemic animals at a dose of 10 mg/kg B.wt. In the STZ-induced diabetic rat model, the active fraction (F4) showed a (61%) reduction in blood glucose level when compared to the standard drug glibenclamide (68%). The results indicate that the marine algae Ulva reticulata is a promising candidate for managing diabetes by inhibiting carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes and promoting insulin secretion.
Privileged Scaffold Decoration for the Identification of the First Trisubstituted Triazine with Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity
Authors: Cesarini Silvia , Vicenti Ilaria , Poggialini Federica , Secchi Massimiliano , Giammarino Federica , Varasi Ilenia , Lodola Camilla , Zazzi Maurizio , Dreassi Elena , Maga Giovanni , Botta Lorenzo , Saladino Raffaele
Published: December 2022

Current therapy against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are based on the use of Remdesivir 1, Molnupiravir 2, and the recently identified Nirmatrelvir 3. Unfortunately, these three drugs showed some limitations regarding potency and possible drug–drug interactions. A series of derivatives coming from a decoration approach of the privileged scaffold s-triazines were synthesized and evaluated against SAR-CoV-2. One derivative emerged as the hit of the series for its micromolar antiviral activity and low cytotoxicity. Mode of action and pharmacokinetic in vitro preliminary studies further confirm the role as candidates for a future optimization campaign of the most active derivative identified with this work.
Magnetic Resonance and Vibrational Spectroscopy and Imaging in Food Analysis
Authors: Colnago Luiz Alberto , Rodriquez-Saona Luis E. , Wiesman Zeev
Published: December 2022

In the past two decades, there have been remarkable changes in the way we analyze the physical, chemical, and sensory properties of fresh and processed food products, with the progressive replacement of traditional wet analytical methods (destructive, laborious, time-consuming, and requiring the use of hazardous chemicals) with new, fast, non-destructive physical methods where the analysis is performed in a single step, after validation, and without the use of chemical reagents [...]
Precious Gene: The Application of RET-Altered Inhibitors
Authors: Gou Qitao , Gan Xiaochuan , Li Longhao , Gou Qiheng , Zhang Tao
Published: December 2022

The well-known proto-oncogene rearrangement during transfection (RET), also known as ret proto-oncogene Homo sapiens (human), is a rare gene that is involved in the physiological development of some organ systems and can activate various cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer, thyroid cancer, and papillary thyroid cancer. In the past few years, cancers with RET alterations have been treated with multikinase inhibitors (MKIs). However, because of off-target effects, these MKIs have developed drug resistance and some unacceptable adverse effects. Therefore, these MKIs are limited in their clinical application. Thus, the novel highly potent and RET-specific inhibitors selpercatinib and pralsetinib have been accelerated for approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and clinical trials of TPX-0046 and zetletinib are underway. It is well tolerated and a potential therapeutic for RET-altered cancers. Thus, we will focus on current state-of-the-art therapeutics with these novel RET inhibitors and show their efficacy and safety in therapy.
Sulfur-Doped Binary Layered Metal Oxides Incorporated on Pomegranate Peel-Derived Activated Carbon for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions
Authors: Jume Binta Hadi , Valizadeh Dana Niloofar , Rastin Marjan , Parandi Ehsan , Darajeh Negisa , Rezania Shahabaldin
Published: December 2022

In this study, a novel biomass adsorbent based on activated carbon incorporated with sulfur-based binary metal oxides layered nanoparticles (SML-AC), including sulfur (S2), manganese (Mn), and tin (Sn) oxide synthesized via the solvothermal method. The newly synthesized SML-AC was studied using FTIR, FESEM, EDX, and BET to determine its functional groups, surface morphology, and elemental composition. Hence, the BET was performed with an appropriate specific surface area for raw AC (356 m2·g−1) and modified AC-SML (195 m2·g−1). To prepare water samples for ICP-OES analysis, the suggested nanocomposite was used as an efficient adsorbent to remove lead (Pb2+), cadmium (Cd2+), chromium (Cr3+), and vanadium (V5+) from oil-rich regions. As the chemical structure of metal ions is influenced by solution pH, this parameter was considered experimentally, and pH 4, dosage 50 mg, and time 120 min were found to be the best with high capacity for all adsorbates. At different experimental conditions, the AC-SML provided a satisfactory adsorption capacity of 37.03–90.09 mg·g−1 for Cd2+, Pb2+, Cr3+, and V5+ ions. The adsorption experiment was explored, and the method was fitted with the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.99) as compared to the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.91). The kinetic models and free energy (<0.45 KJ·mol−1) parameters demonstrated that the adsorption rate is limited with pseudo-second order (R2 = 0.99) under the physical adsorption mechanism, respectively. Finally, the study demonstrated that the AC-SML nanocomposite is recyclable at least five times in the continuous adsorption–desorption of metal ions.
The Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Polyphenols from Mexican Firecracker (Hamelia patens Jacq.): Evaluation of Bioactivities and Identification of Phytochemicals by HPLC-ESI-MS
Authors: Gutiérrez-Sánchez María del Carmen , Aguilar-Zárate Pedro , Michel-Michel Mariela Ramona , Ascacio-Valdés Juan Alberto , Reyes-Munguía Abigail
Published: December 2022

The objective of the present work was to optimize the extraction of phytochemicals from Hamelia patens Jacq. by ultrasound-assisted extraction. Taguchi L9 orthogonal array was used to evaluate the factors solid/liquid ratio (1:8, 1:12, and 1:16), extraction time (10, 20, and 30 min), and ethanol concentration (0, 35, and 70%). Total polyphenols were the response variable. Chromatographic fractionation using Amberlite XAD-16 was carried out and the total polyphenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins were quantified. The redox potential, the reduction of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and the lipid oxidation inhibition were determined. Anti-bacterial activity was evaluated. The phytochemicals were identified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Optimal extraction conditions were a solid/liquid ratio of 1:16, ethanol of 35%, and 10 min of ultrasound-assisted extraction. Maximum polyphenol content in the crude extract was 1689.976 ± 86.430 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g of dried plant material. The purified fraction showed a total polyphenols content of 3552.84 ± 7.25 mg of GAE, flavonoids 1316.17 ± 0.27 mg of catechin equivalents, and condensed tannins 1694.87 ± 22.21 mg of procyanidin B1 equivalents, all per 100 g of purified fraction. Its redox potential was 553.93 ± 1.22 mV, reducing 63.08 ± 0.42% of DPPH radical and inhibiting 77.78 ± 2.78% of lipid oxidation. The polyphenols demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Enterococcus faecalis. The HPLC-ESI-MS analysis revealed the presence of coumarins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids.
Zincon-Modified CNTs Electrochemical Tool for Salivary and Urinary Zinc Detection
Authors: Vieira Daniela , Allard Jérôme , Taylor Kathleen , Harvey Edward J. , Merle Geraldine
Published: December 2022

Recently, the abnormal level of zinc emerged as a powerful indicator or risk factor for metabolic, endocrine, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, including cancer. Electrochemical detection has been explored to quantify zinc in a precise, rapid, and non-expensive way; however, most of the current electrochemical systems lack in specificity. In this work we studied a highly selective and sensitive electrochemical method to detect quickly and reliably free zinc ions (Zn2+). The surface of the working electrode was modified with zincon electropolymerized on carbon nanotube (CNT) to enable the binding of zinc in complex body fluids. After being physicochemically characterized, the performances of the zincon-CNT complex was electrochemically assessed. Square Wave Voltammetry (SWV) was used to determine the calibration curve and the linear range of zinc quantification in artificial saliva and urine. This zincon- CNT system could specifically quantify mobile Zn2+ in salivary and urinary matrices with a sensitivity of ~100 ng·mL−1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of ~20 ng·mL−1. Zincon-modified CNT presented as a desirable candidate for the detection and quantification of free zinc in easily body fluids that potentially can become a diagnostic non-invasive testing platform.
Wernicke Encephalopathy Presenting with Dysphagia: A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Cornea Amalia , Lata Irina , Simu Mihaela , Rosca Elena Cecilia
Published: December 2022

Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a well-known neurological condition caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency that occurs in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic populations. We aimed to report a case of a patient with WE who presented with dysphagia and dysphonia and later developed typical symptoms of thiamine deficiency and to conduct a systematic review of the literature on this rare presentation of WE. We searched two databases (PubMed and Scopus) and included publications up to November 2022. We found 12 cases of WE and dysphagia, aged between 12 and 81 years; swallowing problems presented at the onset in nine patients (including the current case report). Our findings suggest that thiamine deficiency should be suspected in patients with dysphagia of unknown cause, even in the absence of alcohol abuse. In contrast to most WE patients, the majority of patients included in this review presented with dysphagia at the onset of their disease, even in the absence of the classic triad of cognitive impairment, ataxia, and oculomotor abnormalities, indicating that there could be varying susceptibilities to clinical manifestations of thiamine deficiency in different brain regions.
Novel Horizons in Postbiotics: Lactobacillaceae Extracellular Vesicles and Their Applications in Health and Disease
Authors: González-Lozano Elena , García-García Jorge , Gálvez Julio , Hidalgo-García Laura , Rodríguez-Nogales Alba , Rodríguez-Cabezas María Elena , Sánchez Manuel
Published: December 2022

Lactobacillus probiotics contained in dietary supplements or functional foods are well-known for their beneficial properties exerted on host health and diverse pathological situations. Their capacity to improve inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and regulate the immune system is especially remarkable. Although bacteria–host interactions have been thought to occur directly, the key role that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from probiotics play on this point is being unveiled. EVs are lipid bilayer-enclosed particles that carry a wide range of cargo compounds and act in different signalling pathways. Notably, these EVs have been recently proposed as a safe alternative to the utilisation of live bacteria since they can avoid the possible risks that probiotics may entail in vulnerable cases such as immunocompromised patients. Therefore, this review aims to give an updated overview of the existing knowledge about EVs from different Lactobacillus strains, their mechanisms and effects in host health and different pathological conditions. All of the information collected suggests that EVs could be considered as potential tools for the development of future novel therapeutic approaches.
A Mechanism of Isoorientin-Induced Apoptosis and Migration Inhibition in Gastric Cancer AGS Cells
Authors: Zhang Tong , Xiu Yun-Hong , Xue Hui , Li Yan-Nan , Cao Jing-Long , Hou Wen-Shuang , Liu Jian , Cui Yu-He , Xu Ting , Wang Ying , Jin Cheng-Hao
Published: December 2022

Isoorientin (ISO) is a flavonoid compound containing a luteolin structure, which can induce autophagy in some tumor cells. This study investigated the impact of ISO in gastric cancer AGS cells, and performed an experimental analysis on the main signaling pathways and transduction pathways it regulates. CCK–8 assay results showed that ISO reduced the survival rate of gastric cancer AGS cells, but the toxicity to normal cells was minimal. Hoechst 33342/PI double staining assay results showed that ISO induced apoptosis in gastric cancer AGS cells. Further analysis by flow cytometry and Western blot showed that ISO induced apoptosis via a mitochondria-dependent pathway. In addition, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in gastric cancer AGS cells also increased with the extension of the ISO treatment time. However, cell apoptosis was inhibited by preconditioning cells with N–acetylcysteine (NAC). Moreover, ISO arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase by increasing intracellular ROS levels. Cell migration assay results showed that ISO inhibited cell migration by inhibiting the expression of p–AKT, p–GSK–3β, and β–catenin and was also related to the accumulation of ROS. These results suggest that ISO-induced cell apoptosis by ROS–mediated MAPK/STAT3/NF–κB signaling pathways inhibited cell migration by regulating the AKT/GSK–3β/β–catenin signaling pathway in gastric cancer AGS cells.
Autophagy-Related ncRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Donati Simone , Aurilia Cinzia , Palmini Gaia , Falsetti Irene , Iantomasi Teresa , Brandi Maria Luisa
Published: December 2022

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a malignancy accounting for only 3% of total cancers, but with a low 5-year relative survival rate. Approximately 80% of PC patients are diagnosed at a late stage when the disease has already spread from the primary site. Despite advances in PC treatment, there is an urgently needed for the identification of novel therapeutic strategies for PC, particularly for patients who cannot undergo classical surgery. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process used by cells to adapt to metabolic stress via the degrading or recycling of damaged or unnecessary organelles and cellular components. This process is elevated in PC and, thus, it contributes to the onset, progression, and cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy in pancreatic tumors. Autophagy inhibition has been shown to lead to cancer regression and to increase the sensitivity of pancreatic cells to radiation and chemotherapy. Emerging studies have focused on the roles of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as miRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, in PC development and progression. Furthermore, ncRNAs have been reported as crucial regulators of many biological processes, including autophagy, suggesting that ncRNA-based autophagy targeting methods could be promising novel molecular approaches for specifically reducing autophagic flux, thus improving the management of PC patients. In this review, we briefly summarize the existing studies regarding the role and the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy-related ncRNAs in the context of this cancer.
Implementation of Logic Gates in an Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser (EDFL): Numerical and Experimental Analysis
Authors: Afanador Delgado Samuel Mardoqueo , Echenausía Monroy José Luis , Huerta Cuellar Guillermo , García López Juan Hugo , Reátegui Rider Jaimes
Published: December 2022

At a time when miniaturization and optimization of resources are in the foreground, the development of devices that can perform various functions is a primary goal of technological development. In this work, the use of an Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser (EDFL) is proposed as a basic system for the generation of an optical logic gate. Taking advantage of the dynamic richness of this type of laser and its use in telecommunication systems, the dynamic response is analyzed when the system is perturbed by a digital signal. The emission response of the system is controlled by the intensity of the digital signal, so that it is possible to obtain different logic operations. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental observations. The presented work raises new aspects in the use of chaotic systems as a means of obtaining optical logic gates.
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of Aconitase Gene Family Members Reveals Their Roles in Plant Development and Adaptation to Diverse Stress in Triticum aestivum L.
Authors: Kesawat Mahipal Singh , Kherawat Bhagwat Singh , Ram Chet , Singh Anupama , Dey Prajjal , Gora Jagan Singh , Misra Namrata , Chung Sang-Min , Kumar Manu
Published: December 2022

Global warming is a serious threat to food security and severely affects plant growth, developmental processes, and, eventually, crop productivity. Respiratory metabolism plays a critical role in the adaptation of diverse stress in plants. Aconitase (ACO) is the main enzyme, which catalyzes the revocable isomerization of citrate to isocitrate in the Krebs cycle. The function of ACO gene family members has been extensively studied in model plants, for instance Arabidopsis. However, their role in plant developmental processes and various stress conditions largely remained unknown in other plant species. Thus, we identified 15 ACO genes in wheat to elucidate their function in plant developmental processes and different stress environments. The phylogenetic tree revealed that TaACO genes were classified into six groups. Further, gene structure analysis of TaACOs has shown a distinctive evolutionary path. Synteny analysis showed the 84 orthologous gene pairs in Brachypodium distachyon, Aegilops tauschii, Triticum dicoccoides, Oryza sativa, and Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, Ka/Ks ratio revealed that most TaACO genes experienced strong purifying selection during evolution. Numerous cis-acting regulatory elements were detected in the TaACO promoters, which play a crucial role in plant development processes, phytohormone signaling, and are related to defense and stress. To understand the function of TaACO genes, the expression profiling of TaACO genes were investigated in different tissues, developmental stages, and stress conditions. The transcript per million values of TaACOs genes were retrieved from the Wheat Expression Browser Database. We noticed the differential expression of the TaACO genes in different tissues and various stress conditions. Moreover, gene ontology analysis has shown enrichment in the tricarboxylic acid metabolic process (GO:0072350), citrate metabolic process (GO:0006101), isocitrate metabolic process GO:0006102, carbohydrate metabolic (GO:0005975), and glyoxylate metabolic process (GO:0046487). Therefore, this study provided valuable insight into the ACO gene family in wheat and contributed to the further functional characterization of TaACO during different plant development processes and various stress conditions.
Synthesis of Magneto-Controllable Polymer Nanocarrier Based on Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic Acid) for Doxorubicin Immobilization
Authors: Kusaia Viktoria S. , Kozhunova Elena Yu. , Stepanova Darya A. , Pigareva Vladislava A. , Sybachin Andrey V. , Zezin Sergey B. , Bolshakova Anastasiya V. , Shchelkunov Nikita M. , Vavaev Evgeny S. , Lyubin Evgeny V. , Fedyanin Andrey A. , Spiridonov Vasiliy V.
Published: December 2022

In this work, the preparation procedure and properties of anionic magnetic microgels loaded with antitumor drug doxorubicin are described. The functional microgels were produced via the in situ formation of iron nanoparticles in an aqueous dispersion of polymer microgels based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PNIPAM-PAA). The composition and morphology of the resulting composite microgels were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, laser microelectrophoresis, and static and dynamic light scattering. The forming nanoparticles were found to be β-FeO(OH). In physiological pH and ionic strength, the obtained composite microgels were shown to possess high colloid stability. The average size of the composites was 200 nm, while the zeta-potential was −27.5 mV. An optical tweezers study has demonstrated the possibility of manipulation with microgel using external magnetic fields. Loading of the composite microgel with doxorubicin did not lead to any change in particle size and colloidal stability. Magnetic-driven interaction of the drug-loaded microgel with model cell membranes was demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy. The described magnetic microgels demonstrate the potential for the controlled delivery of biologically active substances.
A Mini Review of Physicochemical Properties of Starch and Flour by Using Hydrothermal Treatment
Authors: Subroto Edy , Mahani Mahani , Indiarto Rossi , Yarlina Vira Putri , Izzati Afifah Nurul
Published: December 2022

Starch and flour from various plants have been widely used for sundry applications, especially in the food and chemical industries. However, native starch and flour have several weaknesses, especially in functional, pasting, and physicochemical properties. The quality of native starch and flour can be improved by a modification process. The type of modification that is safe, easy, and efficient is physical modification using hydrothermal treatment techniques, including heat moisture treatment (HMT) and annealing (ANN). This review discusses the hydrothermal modifications of starch and flour, especially from various tubers and cereals. The discussion is mainly on its effect on five parameters, namely functional properties, morphology, pasting properties, crystallinity, and thermal properties. Modification of HMT and ANN, in general, can improve the functional properties, causing cracking of the granule surface, stable viscosity to heat, increasing crystallinity, and increasing gelatinization temperature. However, some modifications of starch and flour by HMT and ANN had no effect on several parameters or even had the opposite effect. The summary of the various studies reviewed can be a reference for the development of hydrothermal-modified starch and flour applications for various industries.
Solid-State Fermentation from Organic Wastes: A New Generation of Bioproducts
Authors: Oiza Nicolás , Moral-Vico Javier , Sánchez Antoni , Oviedo Edgar Ricardo , Gea Teresa
Published: December 2022

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is part of the pathway to consolidate waste as a relevant alternative for the valorization of organic waste. The objective of SSF is to produce one or several bioproducts of added value from solid substrates. Solid-state fermentation can use a wide variety of organic waste as substrates thus, it is an excellent candidate in the framework of the circular bioeconomy to change the status of waste from feedstock. The development of SSF was boosted in the previous decade by scientific efforts devoted to the production of hydrolytic enzymes. Nowadays, SSF has expanded to other valuable products: biosurfactants, biopesticides, aromas, pigments, and bio-flocculants, among others. This review explores the conditions to obtain the main emerging SSF products and highlight and discuss the challenges related to the scale-up of these processes and the bioproducts downstream, which hamper their further commercialization.
Information Visualisation for Antibiotic Detection Biochip Design and Testing
Authors: Craig Paul , Ng Ruben , Tefsen Boris , Linsen Sam , Liu Yu , Hendel Joshua
Published: December 2022

Biochips are engineered substrates that have different spots that change colour according to biochemical reactions. These spots can be read together to detect different analytes (such as different types of antibiotic, pathogens, or biological agents). While some chips are designed so that each spot on its own can detect a particular analyte, chip designs that use a combination of spots to detect different analytes can be more efficient and detect a larger number of analytes with a smaller number of spots. These types of chip can, however, be more difficult to design, as an efficient and effective combination of biosensors needs to be selected for the chip. These need to be able to differentiate between a range of different analytes so the values can be combined in a way that demonstrates the confidence that a particular analyte is present or not. The study described in this paper examines the potential for information visualisation to support the process of designing and reading biochips by developing and evaluating applications that allow biologists to analyse the results of experiments aimed at detecting candidate bio-sensors (to be used as biochip spots) and examining how biosensors can combine to identify different analytes. Our results demonstrate the potential of information visualisation and machine learning techniques to improve the design of biochips.
Cavity Size Effect on Host-Guest Property of Tiara-like Structural Mn(SR)2n Nanoclusters Probed by NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Zhou Changlin , Gong Shida , Chen Jishi , Wang Zonghua
Published: December 2022

The lack of detect technology hinders the understanding of host-guest (H-G) chemical properties for thiolate-protected tiara-like structural nanoclusters (Mn(SR)2n). In this work, NMR spectroscopy is demonstrated as a powerful tool to probe the H-G structure of Mn(SR)2n both experimentally and theoretically. A low-field shifting and wide chemical shift (CS) signal of the H nucleus in CH2Cl2 is observed in the NMR spectrum of the mixture of CH2Cl2 and Pd8(PET)16 (PET is 2-phenylethanethiol), agreeing with the theoretical results that a deshielding area appears in the central cavity of Pd8(SR)16. All Mn(SR)2n own similar nucleus-independent chemical shift maps and deshielding cavities, which means that the H nucleus in small molecules trapped by Mn(SR)2n should have consistent low-field shifted CSs. However, such a phenomenon was only observed in the NMR spectrum of the mixed solution of Pd8(SR)16 and CH2Cl2, indicating that Pd8(SR)16 is the only one in the series of Pdn(SR)2n (n = 4~16) analogues that can capture a CH2Cl2, the H-G properties of Mn(SR)2n are highly dependent on their cavity sizes, and a guest molecule only inserts into the matching cavity of Mn(SR)2n. We anticipate that the realization of such convenient probe strategy will give a deeper understanding of the H-G properties of Mn(SR)2n.
Multi-Scale Spatiotemporal Pattern Analysis and Simulation (MSPAS) Model with Driving Factors for Land Cover Change and Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study of Nepal
Authors: Jia Wenqi , Gu Xingfa , Mi Xiaofei , Yang Jian , Zang Wenqian , Liu Peizhuo , Yan Jian , Zhu Hongbo , Zhang Xuming , Zhang Zhouwei
Published: December 2022

In pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), land cover change (LCC) has been utilized to explore different dynamic processes such as farmland abandonment and urban expansion. The study proposed a multi-scale spatiotemporal pattern analysis and simulation (MSPAS) model with driving factors for SDGs. With population information from the census, multi-scale analysis criteria were designed using the combination of administrative and regional divisions, i.e., district, province, nation and ecological region. Contribution and correlation of LCC or population were quantified between multiple scales. Different kinds of driving factors were explored in the pattern analysis and then utilized for the definition of adaptive land suitability rules using the Cellular Automata-Markov (CA-Markov) simulation. As a case study of the MSPAS model, Nepal entered into a new era by the establishment of a Federal Republic in 2015. The model focused on four specific land cover classes of urban, farmland, forest and grassland to explore the pattern of Nepal’s LCC from 2016 to 2019. The result demonstrated the performance of the MSPAS model. The spatiotemporal pattern had consistency, and characteristics between multiple scales and population were related to LCC. Urban area nearly doubled while farmland decreased by 3% in these years. Urban areas expanded at the expense of farmland, especially in Kathmandu and some districts of the Terai region, which tended to occur on flat areas near the existing urban centers or along the roads. Farmland abandonment was relatively intense with scattered abandoned areas widely distributed in the Hill region under conditions of steep topography and sparse population. The MSPAS model can provide references for the development of sustainable urbanization and agriculture in SDGs.
SegMarsViT: Lightweight Mars Terrain Segmentation Network for Autonomous Driving in Planetary Exploration
Authors: Dai Yuqi , Zheng Tie , Xue Changbin , Zhou Li
Published: December 2022

Planetary rover systems need to perform terrain segmentation to identify feasible driving areas and surround obstacles, which falls into the research area of semantic segmentation. Recently, deep learning (DL)-based methods were proposed and achieved great performance for semantic segmentation. However, due to the on-board processor platform’s strict comstraints on computational complexity and power consumption, existing DL approaches are almost impossible to be deployed on satellites under the burden of extensive computation and large model size. To fill this gap, this paper targeted studying effective and efficient Martian terrain segmentation solutions that are suitable for on-board satellites. In this article, we propose a lightweight ViT-based terrain segmentation method, namely, SegMarsViT. In the encoder part, the mobile vision transformer (MViT) block in the backbone extracts local–global spatial and captures multiscale contextual information concurrently. In the decoder part, the cross-scale feature fusion modules (CFF) further integrate hierarchical context information and the compact feature aggregation module (CFA) combines multi-level feature representation. Moreover, we evaluate the proposed method on three public datasets: AI4Mars, MSL-Seg, and S5Mars. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed SegMarsViT was able to achieve 68.4%, 78.22%, and 67.28% mIoU on the AI4Mars-MSL, MSL-Seg, and S5Mars, respectively, under the speed of 69.52 FPS.
Anisotropic Weighted Total Variation Feature Fusion Network for Remote Sensing Image Denoising
Authors: Qi Huiqing , Tan Shengli , Li Zhichao
Published: December 2022

Remote sensing images are widely applied in instance segmentation and objetive recognition; however, they often suffer from noise, influencing the performance of subsequent applications. Previous image denoising works have only obtained restored images without preserving detailed texture. To address this issue, we proposed a novel model for remote sensing image denoising, called the anisotropic weighted total variation feature fusion network (AWTVF2Net), consisting of four novel modules (WTV-Net, SOSB, AuEncoder, and FB). AWTVF2Net combines traditional total variation with a deep neural network, improving the denoising ability of the proposed approach. Our proposed method is evaluated by PSNR and SSIM metrics on three benchmark datasets (NWPU, PatternNet, UCL), and the experimental results show that AWTVF2Net can obtain 0.12∼19.39 dB/0.0237∼0.5362 higher on PSNR/SSIM values in the Gaussian noise removal and mixed noise removal tasks than State-of-The-Art (SoTA) algorithms. Meanwhile, our model can preserve more detailed texture features. The SSEQ, BLIINDS-II, and BRISQUE values of AWTVF2Net on the three real-world datasets (AVRIS Indian Pines, ROSIS University of Pavia, HYDICE Urban) are 3.94∼12.92 higher, 8.33∼27.5 higher, and 2.2∼5.55 lower than those of the compared methods, respectively. The proposed framework can guide subsequent remote sensing image applications, regarding the pre-processing of input images.