Biomass as an alternative feedstock to oleochemicals.

The huge demands for petrochemicals have led to a rapid increase in the production of these fossil-based derivatives. Biomass represents a promising feedstock for addressing the challenges related to petrochemicals in terms of the necessity to apply renewable sources and the need to decrease carbon emissions. Among the natural biomass products, most studies have attempted to upgrade natural oils owing to their promising advantages of worldwide availability, low-cost processing, and built-in functionality.

Bioprosthetic mitral valve thrombosis: the role of cardiac CT in diagnosis and guiding the management.

A patient in his 60s with a bioprosthetic aortic and mitral valve replacement presented with dyspnoea, tiredness and dizziness 2 years postoperatively. Transthoracic echocardiography showed mitral valve stenosis and increased pulmonary artery pressure suggesting bioprosthetic valve failure. Cardiac CT confirmed the diagnosis of bioprosthetic mitral valve thrombosis.

Small molecule NOP agonists reverse locomotor sensitization induced by cocaine in male C57BL/6 mice.

Orphanin FQ/nociceptin (OFQ/N), the endogenous ligand of the nociceptin opioid receptor (NOP) has been shown to block cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in mice and rats, and also reverses this phenomenon when injected intracerebroventricularly in animals with an established sensitized response. In the present study, we determined whether small-molecule NOP agonists would recapitulate this effect after systemic administration. Male C57BL/6 mice treated with cocaine (15 mg/kg) on days 1-3 and showed locomotor sensitization to the same dose of cocaine on day 8 were injected with vehicle or one of the two NOP agonists (AT-202 and AT-524) (but not cocaine) on days 9-11.

Chronic Exposure to E-Cigarettes Elevates CYP2A5 Activity, Protein Expression, and Cotinine-Induced Production of Reactive Oxygen Species in Mice.

Coumarin 7'-hydroxylase activity, a specific marker of CYP2A5 activity, and the protein level were measured in liver microsomes of male mice after chronic exposure to e-cigarettes (e-cigs) (2.4% nicotine). After exposure for 240 minutes per day for 5 days, the activity and the protein level in preproenkephalin (ppENK)-heterozygous [ppENK (+/-)] mice were significantly elevated (0.

Unlocking regional innovation: The role of management and organizational participation in boosting original income.

This study explores the factors influencing the innovation process and examines regional innovation management in regency and city level organizations in Indonesia. Using secondary data from financial and innovation sources, the research adopts a qualitative descriptive approach. The sample is made up of 383 regencies and 95 cities in Indonesia.

Assessing the sustainability of the homestay industry for the East Coast of Malaysia using the Delphi approach.

Homestay ecotourism in Malaysia has been extensively examined in terms of its concepts, approaches, activities, and community engagement. However, a comprehensive assessment of the sustainability factors pertaining to host families remains a critical area awaiting exploration. This is paramount for ensuring the long-term viability of homestays and fostering economic benefits within rural communities.

Genomic analysis of wolves from Pakistan clarifies boundaries among three divergent wolf lineages.

Among the three main divergent lineages of gray wolf (Canis lupus), the Holarctic lineage is the most widespread and best studied, particularly in North America and Europe. Less is known about Tibetan (also called Himalayan) and Indian wolf lineages in southern Asia, especially in areas surrounding Pakistan where all three lineages are thought to meet. Given the endangered status of the Indian wolf in neighboring India and unclear southwestern boundary of the Tibetan wolf range, we conducted mitochondrial and genome-wide sequencing of wolves from Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Donor/recipient origin of lung cancer after lung transplantation by DNA short tandem repeat analysis.

Background: Lung cancer is more common in posttransplant recipients than in the general population. The objective of this study was to examine the chimerism donor/recipient cell origin of graft cancer in recipients of lung transplant.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at Foch Hospital for all lung transplantations from 1989 to 2020.

The Role of Mu Opioid Receptors in High Fat Diet-Induced Reward and Potentiation of the Rewarding Effect of Oxycodone.

Excessive high fat diet (HFD) consumption can induce food addiction, which is believed to involve the communication between the hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). These brain areas are densely populated with opioid receptors, raising the possibility that these receptors, and particularly mu opioid receptors (MORs), are involved in rewards elicited by palatable food. This study sought to investigate the involvement of MORs in HFD-induced reward and if there is any difference between male and female subjects in this response.

The Involvement of Endogenous Enkephalins in Glucose Homeostasis.

Obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 and is predicted to continue to escalate. The surge in obesity is expected to increase the risk of diabetes type 2, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and stroke. Therefore, it is essential to better understand the mechanisms that regulate energy and glucose homeostasis.

Identification of 5-Hydroxycotinine in the Plasma of Nicotine-Treated Mice: Implications for Cotinine Metabolism and Disposition in Vivo.

Two oxidation products of cotinine, 5-hydroxycotinine (5-HC) and cotinine N-oxide (CNO), were identified for the first time in vivo in the plasma of C57BL/6 mice after injection of nicotine (1 mg/kg) or exposure to an e-cigarette (e-cig) containing 2.4% nicotine. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to separate 3-hydroxycotinine (3-HC), 5-HC, and CNO and to quantify each by the sensitive direct detection of their parent ion with m/z of 193.

Improving cardiovascular health with the patient-centered, integrated primary care HEARTS model in Trinidad and Tobago.

This article describes the introduction of the Pan American Health Organization's HEARTS in the Americas program in Trinidad and Tobago and the successful experiences and challenges encountered in introducing and scaling it up as a strategy for strengthening the health system's response to cardiovascular diseases. Evidence about implementation of the HEARTS program in the World Health Organization's Region of the Americas was reviewed to identify the progress made, barriers, success factors and lessons learned. In 2019, the Ministry of Health commenced implementation of the program in 5 (4.

Composition optimization of PLA/PPC/HNT nanocomposites for mandibular fixation plate using single-factor experimental design.

The need to overcome the secondary surgery to remove implanted metal fixation plate leads to the idea of replacing the material with degradable bionanocomposite. In this research, polylactic acid/polypropylene (PLA/PPC) blends incorporated with halloysite nanotubes (HNT) (0-6 wt %) were considered as the candidate material for mandibular fixation plate. A single-factor design using Design Expert software was used to determine 20 different compositions of PLA/PPC/HNT nanocomposites and their mechanical properties were then measured.

Recent advancement in polymer/halloysite nanotube nanocomposites for biomedical applications.

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) have recently been the subject of extensive research as a reinforcing filler. HNT is a natural nanoclay, non-toxic and biocompatible, hence, applicable in biomedical fields. This review focuses on the mechanical, thermal, and functional properties of polymer nanocomposites with HNT as a reinforcing agent from an experimental and theoretical perspective.

A real-world experience of subcutaneous and transvenous implantable cardiac defibrillators-comparison with the PRAETORIAN study.

Background: PRAETORIAN is the first randomized controlled trial that demonstrated the noninferiority of subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) in comparison with transvenous ICD (TV-ICD). We retrospectively reviewed electronic records of patients with ICD implanted over the past 6 years, with the primary objective to compare our real-world single tertiary center experience with the randomized data from the PRAETORIAN study.

Methods: Seventy S-ICD patients were compared with 197 TV-ICD patients, from July 2014 to June 2020 retrospectively, over a median period of 1304 days (296-2451 days).

Meta-analysis comparing outcomes of high-power short-duration and low-power long-duration radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Objective: High power short duration (HPSD) ablation strategy is proposed to be more effective than low power long duration (LPLD) for radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation. Although small trials abound, data from a large cohort are lacking. This meta-analysis compares all the existing studies comparing these two approaches to evaluate perceived advantages of one over the other.

Association of metabolic syndrome with risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality among Malaysian adults: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: This study is aimed at determining the association between metabolic syndrome and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all-cause mortality among Malaysian adults.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: The Malaysian Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance (MyNCDS-1) 2005/2006.

Invalidation in fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis and its effect on quality of life in Indian patients.

Aim: Fibromyalgia (FM) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients face invalidation in the form of "discounting" and "lack of understanding". Invalidation can have effects on the quality of life (QoL) in these patients. We planned this study to look for invalidation in FM and RA Indian patients and see the correlation between invalidation and QoL.

Soybean herbage yield, nutritional value and profitability under integrated manures management.

Organic manures are more preferred and environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizers for minimally contaminating soil, water and environmental resources, but the determination of right source of organic manures continues to remain an unexplored aspect. Considering the important issue, a multi-year field trial was carried out to determine the response of forage soybean to four sources of nutrients such as chemical fertilizers (IF), poultry litter (PL), bovine's farm yard slurry (BFYS) and sewage sludge (SS) and their seven binary combinations (PL+BFYS, PL+SS, PL+IF, BFYS+SS, BFYS+IF, SS+IF and PL+BFYS+SS). Supplementation of organic manures with mineral fertilizers remained superior to their sole application, particularly BFYS + IF was found significantly (p≤0.

Historical and current distribution ranges and loss of mega-herbivores and carnivores of Asia.

Ecosystem functioning is dependent a lot on large mammals, which are, however, vulnerable and facing extinction risks due to human impacts mainly. Megafauna of Asia has been declining for a long, not only in numbers but also in their distribution ranges. In the current study, we collected information on past and current occurrence and distribution records of Asia's megafauna species.

The Impact of Sex on Changes in Plasma Corticosterone and Cotinine Levels Induced by Nicotine in C57BL/6J Mice.

We assessed if there were any sex-related differences in the ability of nicotine to increase plasma corticosterone secretion after single or repeated nicotine administration. For single-dose studies, male and female mice were habituated to the test room for 1 h and injected with saline or nicotine (0.25 or 1 mg/kg, subcutaneously (s.

Predicting children's energy expenditure during physical activity using deep learning and wearable sensor data.

This study examined a series of machine learning models, evaluating their effectiveness in assessing children's energy expenditure, in terms of the metabolic equivalents (MET) of physical activity (PA), from triaxial accelerometery. The study also determined the impact of the sensor placement (waist, ankle or wrist) on the machine learning model's predictive performance. Twenty-eight healthy Caucasian children aged 8-11years (13 girls, 15 boys) undertook a series of activities reflective of different levels of PA (lying supine, seated and playing with Lego, slow walking, medium walking, and a medium paced run, instep passing a football, overarm throwing and catching and stationary cycling).

The role of pituitary adenylyl cyclase activating polypeptide in affective signs of nicotine withdrawal.

Recent evidence implicates endogenous pituitary adenylyl cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the aversive effect of nicotine. In the present study, we assessed if nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) or affective signs of nicotine withdrawal would be altered in the absence of PACAP and if there were any sex-related differences in these responses. Male and female mice lacking PACAP and their wild-type controls were tested for baseline place preference on day 1, received conditioning with saline or nicotine (1 mg/kg) on alternate days for 6 days and were then tested for CPP the next day.

Probing the physio-chemical appraisal of green synthesized PbO nanoparticles in PbO-PVC nanocomposite polymer membranes.

Different plants can be used to prepare nanoparticles. This is termed as green technology. It is one of the best ecofriendly and low-cost method for the preparation of nanoparticles which has no harmful effects.

Possible Epigenetic Role of Vitexin in Regulating Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been clinically characterized by a progressive degeneration of neurons which resulted in a gradual and irreversible cognitive impairment. The accumulation of A and proteins in the brain contribute to the severity of the disease. Recently, vitexin compound has been the talk amongst researchers due to its pharmacological properties as anti-inflammation and anti-AD.