The Effect of μ-Limestone Additions on the Mechano-Chemical and Microstructural Properties of Slag and Binary Slag/Ground Fly Ash Alkaline-Activated Binders.

An alternative approach to reducing the clinker factor, i.e., worldwide CO emissions resulting from the production of composite cement, is to replace these materials with supplementary aluminosilicate-based materials that promote the formation of alkali-activated cements, whose elevated temperature resistance, limited permeability, strong binding properties, excellent durability, high chemical corrosion resistance, confinement of toxic waste, and environmentally low impact have attracted a lot of attention in the cement industry.

In Silico Hydrolysis of Lupin ( L.) Conglutins with Plant Proteases Releases Antihypertensive and Antidiabetic Peptides That Are Bioavailable, Non-Toxic, and Gastrointestinal Digestion Stable.

Lupin ( L.) proteins are potential sources of bioactive peptides (LBPs) that can inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE-I) activity. However, the capacity of different enzymes to release LBPs, the pharmacokinetic and bioactivities of the peptides released, and their binding affinities with the active sites of DPP-IV and ECA-I are topics scarcely addressed.

Antiprotozoal Activity Against and of Cyclopeptides Isolated from Saff.

Diseases caused by intestinal parasites such as protozoa represent a worldwide problem mainly for developing countries. From morbidity in different groups of people to cases of mortality in children and/or immunocompromised patients. In addition to the above, there is growing resistance to the drugs used in the treatment of these diseases, as well as undesirable side effects in patients.

Multiple Uses of Wild Edible Trees by a Nahua-Origin Community in Western Mexico.

Wild edible trees (WETs) play an important role in the diet of many rural communities. Therefore, research on their use and management is important to support both food sovereignty and local conservation of biocultural resources. We evaluated the different uses of WETs by the community of Zacualpan, Colima, in western Mexico, through 32 semi-structured interviews registering the species richness, plant parts consumed, and non-food uses.

Development, optimization and comparison of solid-liquid and liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of four flavonols in Schinus molle L. using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with second-order data modeling.

Flavonoids are particularly interesting because they have a broad spectrum of biological effects, including antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. In this work, solid-liquid microextraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction enhanced by ultrasound were developed and compared with the conventional method (Soxhlet extraction) to optimize the extraction of four flavonoids: rutin, quercitrin, quercetin, and myricetin in samples of Schinus molle (Aguaribay). During the development of the analytical method, different chemometric tools were used to optimize the microextraction procedure.

DensToolKit2: A comprehensive open-source package for analyzing the electron density and its derivative scalar and vector fields.

In this article, we provide details of the suite DensToolKit-v2, which consists of a set of cross-platform, optionally parallelized programs for analyzing the molecular electron density (ρ), as well as different fields and chemical indices derived from it. Notably, with this version, the user can compute the Non-Covalent Interaction index, the Density Overlap Regions Index, and fields related to single-spin-type molecular orbitals, such as the spin density. In addition, DensToolKit-v2 includes several programs for analyzing other less-known fields, such as the Density Matrix of order 1, the two-electron pair density function, and the Fourier transforms of these fields, that is, functionals in momentum space.

Nanotechnological approaches to improve corticosteroids ocular therapy.

The administration of corticosteroids is the first-line treatment of the clinical conditions with ocular inflammation. Nonetheless, ocular physiological mechanisms, anatomical barriers and corticosteroid properties prevent it from reaching the target site. Thus, frequent topical administered doses or ocular injections are required, leading to a higher risk of adverse events and poor patient compliance.

Unusual frequency of Trypanosoma cruzi DTU TcI and predominance of hybrid lineages in Triatoma infestans before and after control interventions in the Argentinian Chaco.

Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi involves diverse hosts, vectors and parasitic genotypes, in different environments. In recent decades, the distribution of T. cruzi has altered due to urbanization of affected people and vectors.

Underground fires shape the structure of microbial communities and select for thermophilic bacteria through a temperature gradient.

A detailed diversity analysis of the prokaryotic and fungal communities in soil impacted by an underground fire located in the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt, Mexico, is described. Microbial diversity data obtained from soils at different depths and temperatures (27 °C, 42 °C, 50 ºC and 54 ºC) were analyzed, and Firmicutes increased in abundance as the temperature augmented, and Proteobacteria mainly decreased in abundance at high temperatures compared to unaffected soils. The fungal phylum Ascomycota was the most abundant, with no significant changes.

Iridoid glycosides from the flowering plant (Cham. & Schltdl.) W.R. Ernst.

Three iridoid glycosides (mussaenoside, geniposide, and 5-hydroxy-8-epi-deoxyloganin) along with mannitol and acteoside, were isolated from , an endemic plant species of Mexico that currently belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. There is no information about the chemical composition of this species, consequently, the present work focuses on the chemical study of the flowers and leaves of , which were collected in two batches in Mexico, identifying the main components of each batch. The chemical structures were completely established by spectroscopic methods.

Variance-based wave function optimization within the unrestricted doubly occupied configuration interaction framework: A half-projection treatment.

The energy-variance-based optimization procedures have proven to be useful tools to describe N-electron spectra. However, the resulting wave functions usually present spin-contaminant contributions. The goal of this work is to reduce the spin contamination of the results arising from the unrestricted doubly occupied configuration interaction method in its energy variance minimization version [Alcoba et al.

Numerical modeling vs experiment of formic acid and formate ion behavior under gamma radiation at several pH values: Implications on prebiotic chemistry.

Formic acid is consistently produced and detected in prebiotic chemistry experiments, constituting a precursor of many carboxylic acids and amino acids. Its behavior with exposure to gamma radiation varies with the pH and solution concentration. This work aimed to model different environmental conditions for formic acid under ionizing radiation using a system of coupled differential equations based on chemical kinetics.

Chemically-Linked Heterostructures of Palladium Nanosheets and 2H-MoS.

The burgeoning field of 2D heterostructures targets the combination of 2D materials with 3D, 1D, or 0D nanomaterials. Among the most popular 2D materials, the 2H polytype of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) features a well-defined bandgap that becomes direct at the monolayer level, which can be exploited for photodetection. A notable limitation of 2H-MoS is its curtailed absorbance beyond the visible range.

Perspectives of LaSrFeCoO perovskite obtained by Pechini and sonochemical methods: a case study.

The sonochemical method is a novel synthesis route that takes advantage of the use of ultrasonic radiation to obtain different nanomaterials with an improvement in the process variables and material characteristics. In this work, two different synthesis routes to obtain a double perovskite structure were compared in detail. The Pechini synthesis method is a widely used and effective way to obtain this kind of structure by the formation of a cross-linked network of metal cations.

A diazirine's central carbon is sp-hybridized, facilitating conjugation to dye molecules.

Diazirines are versatile carbene precursors that are extensively used in biological target identification experiments. However, their photo-activation wavelength ( 365 nm) precludes their use in living organisms. Here we show that a reconceptualization of the diazirine hybridization state leads to conjugation of the diazirine motif to longer-wavelength chromophores.

RANKL regulates differentially breast cancer stem cell properties through its RANK and LGR4 receptors.

Background: Breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) are a subpopulation responsible for cancer resistance and relapse. The receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) is a cytokine capable of activating RANK and LGR4 receptors. RANKL/RANK signaling maintains the self-renewal of BCSCs, however, the effect of RANKL via LGR4 remains unclear.

Quinoa Proteins Isolate, a Candidate for Functional Ingredients Design.

The objective of the present contribution was to design and characterize resveratrol (RSV) and tocopherol (TOC) loaded quinoa protein (QP) nanocomplexes, their antioxidant and antiradical functionality were also evaluated. QP intrinsic fluorescence spectra showed a quenching effect exerted by RSV and TOC, demonstrating protein-bioactive compounds interactions. Stern-Volmer and Scatchard models application confirmed the static quenching effect and allowed to obtain parameters that described the QP-RSV or QP-TOC complexation process.

Harnessing concerted functions in confined environments: cascading enzymatic reactions in nanofluidic biosensors for sensitive detection of arginine.

We developed an arginine-responsive biosensor by integrating cascade enzymatic reactions into nanochannels functionalized with weak polyelectrolytes, which serve as "reactive signal amplifiers." This approach enhances device performance and broadens the detectable analyte range by generating high local analyte concentrations. The nanofluidic biosensor operates rapidly (<5 minutes) with a low detection limit of 3 μM.

Prevalence of celiac disease-specific antibodies and their association with clinical status and environmental factors.

Background And Aims: Celiac disease (CeD) affects 1-2% of the world's population. The aim of this study was to relate the incidence of CeD-related serological markers to symptoms, pathologies, and environmental exposure to wheat flour, given the number of flour mills present in the region.

Materials & Methods: Serum samples were collected from 537 inhabitants from a rural city.

Age and growth patterns of the ten spotted live-bearing fish (Cnesterodon decemmaculatus) along a polluted freshwater system.

Age and growth patterns of fish provide important information about the effects of environmental disturbances, which can be used as comparative tools in subsequent studies that attempt to assess freshwater quality. The main goal of our study was to provide information on relevant biological aspects of a native fish species used as a bioindicator in an extensive area of South America. In particular, we evaluated the age and growth patterns of Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (Poeciliidae) to establish reference species values and to compare them in different sites along an environmental quality gradient in a South American freshwater system.

MIBiG 4.0: advancing biosynthetic gene cluster curation through global collaboration.

Specialized or secondary metabolites are small molecules of biological origin, often showing potent biological activities with applications in agriculture, engineering and medicine. Usually, the biosynthesis of these natural products is governed by sets of co-regulated and physically clustered genes known as biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). To share information about BGCs in a standardized and machine-readable way, the Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG) data standard and repository was initiated in 2015.

Enhancing Stability of Microwave-Synthesized CsSnTiBr Perovskite by Cation Mixing.

The double-perovskite material CsTiBr shows excellent photovoltaic potential, making it a promising alternative to lead-based materials. However, its high susceptibility to degradation in air has raised concerns about its practical application. This study introduces an interesting synthesis approach that significantly enhances the stability of CsTiBr powder.

A quality-by-design approach for optimizing the functionalization of gold nanoparticles onto the surface of doxorubicin-encapsulated liposomes.

Stimulus-responsive liposomes (L) are increasingly recognized for their potential in enhancing therapies, especially in cancer nanomedicine, owing to their ability to encapsulate drugs of diverse properties efficiently. In this study, a quality-by-design (QbD) strategy was proposed to optimize the surface functionalization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded L intended for improving cancer treatment. Thin-film hydration and pH-gradient methods were applied for L preparation and Dox loading, respectively.

The impact of host genetics on porcine gut microbiota composition excluding maternal and postnatal environmental influences.

The gut microbiota of the pig is being increasingly studied due to its implications for host homeostasis and the importance of the pig as a meat source and biomedical model of human diseases. However, most studies comparing the microbiome between different breeds do not consider the influence of maternal environment during the colonization of the microbiota. The aim of the present study was to compare the gut microbiota during postnatal growth between two pig genotypes (purebred Iberian vs.

Topological Superconductivity in Heavily Doped Single-Layer Graphene.

The existence of superconductivity (SC) appears to be established in both twisted and nontwisted graphene multilayers. However, whether their building block, single-layer graphene (SLG), can also host SC remains an open question. Earlier theoretical works predicted that SLG could become a chiral -wave superconductor driven by electronic interactions when doped to its van Hove singularity, but questions such as whether the -wave SC survives the strong band renormalizations seen in experiments, its robustness against the source of doping, or if it will occur at any reasonable critical temperature () have remained difficult to answer, in part due to uncertainties in model parameters.