Study of Adhesion-Cohesive Interactions of Modified Bitumen Compositions.

The aim of the work was to study the effect of additive concentration on changes in the adhesive and cohesive strength of bitumen. To evaluate the effectiveness of modifiers in the composition of binary and triple bitumen systems in relation to mineral fillers of two grades, the method of determination of the adhesive efficiency and thermodynamic calculations of adhesion and cohesion work were used. The following compounds were used as additives: synthesized from the oil refining waste and (waste sealing liquid).

Impact of Combined Thermo- and Photo-Oxidation on the Physicochemical Properties of Oxo-Biodegradable Low-Density Polyethylene Films.

This research addresses the study of the combined effect of two abiotic treatments, a thermo-oxidative treatment followed by a photo-oxidative treatment with ultraviolet light, on the physicochemical properties of commercially available low-density polyethylene films with an oxo-degradant additive (OXOLDPE) and without (LDPE). The change in the oxidized film properties was characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA, GPC, and SEM analytical techniques. The results indicated that the increment in carbonyl index (CI) and crystallinity percentage (X) was higher for those films that received the combined oxidative treatments compared with those that received only one of them, thermo- or photo-oxidative treatment.

p97 Inhibitors Possessing Antiviral Activity Against SARS-CoV-2 and Low Cytotoxicity.

p97 (also known as valosin-containing protein, VCP) is a member of the AAA+ ATPase family and is intimately associated with protein quality control and homeostasis regulation. Therefore, pharmaceutical inhibition of p97 has been actively pursued as an anticancer strategy. Recently, p97 has emerged as an important pro-viral host factor and p97 inhibitors are being evaluated as potential antiviral agents.

Indomethacin-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats: Gastroprotectivity of in Water.

The plant . is employed in both raw and cooked forms for the treatment of gastric diseases, as an expectorant, and for the treatment of warts and the enhancement of urine. A review of the scientific literature revealed no studies investigating the effect of (MN) water extract on gastric diseases.

Relatedness of White-Tailed Deer from Culling Efforts Within Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zones in Minnesota.

In white-tailed deer (), closely related females form social groups, avoiding other social groups. Consequently, females infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) are more likely to infect social group members. Culling has been used to reduce CWD transmission in high-risk areas; however, its effectiveness in removing related individuals has not been assessed.

A Reusable Capillary Flow-Driven Microfluidic System for Abscisic Acid Detection Using a Competitive Immunoassay.

Point-of-care (PoC) devices offer a promising solution for fast, portable, and easy-to-use diagnostics. These characteristics are particularly relevant in agrifood fields like viticulture where the early detection of plant stresses is crucial to crop yield. Microfluidics, with its low reagent volume requirements, is well-suited for such applications.

Machine Learning Models for the Early Real-Time Prediction of Deterioration in Intensive Care Units-A Novel Approach to the Early Identification of High-Risk Patients.

Predictive machine learning models have made use of a variety of scoring systems to identify clinical deterioration in ICU patients. However, most of these scores include variables that are dependent on medical staff examining the patient. We present the development of a real-time prediction model using clinical variables that are digital and automatically generated for the early detection of patients at risk of deterioration.

Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds and Chemical Elements in Herbs: Effectiveness of Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents in Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction.

In this study, the effectiveness of three choline chloride (ChCl)-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) formed using malonic acid (MalA), glycerol (Gly), and glucose (Glu) as hydrogen bond donors and two conventional solvents (50% methanol and 50% ethanol) for ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) of antioxidant compounds from four herbs (chamomile, lemon balm, nettle, and spearmint) were estimated. The antioxidant capacity (AC) of the obtained herb extracts was determined by the modified 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) methods. Profiles of phenolic acids, flavonoid aglycones, and flavonoid glycosides in the green and conventional herb extracts were quantitatively analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC).

Environmental Applications of Mass Spectrometry for Emerging Contaminants.

Emerging contaminants (ECs), encompassing pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, represent a growing threat to ecosystems and human health due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and often-unknown toxicological profiles. Addressing these challenges necessitates advanced analytical tools capable of detecting and quantifying trace levels of ECs in complex environmental matrices. This review highlights the pivotal role of mass spectrometry (MS) in monitoring ECs, emphasizing its high sensitivity, specificity, and versatility across various techniques such as Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HR-MS).

Isotopic Transient Kinetic Analysis of Soot Oxidation on MnO, MnO-CeO, and CeO Catalysts in Tight Contact Conditions.

The reaction mechanism of soot oxidation on Mn (MnO), Mn-Ce (MnO-CeO), and Ce (CeO) catalysts in tight contact conditions was investigated using ITKA (isotopic transient kinetic analysis). The obtained results suggest that lattice-bulk oxygen from all studied catalysts takes part in the soot oxidation process but with varying relative contributions: for the Ce catalyst, this contribution is practically 100%, whereas with decreasing Ce content in Mn-Ce catalysts, the significance of lattice-bulk oxygen for soot oxidation diminishes. For the Mn catalyst, it is estimated to be below 50%.

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) Modeling of Chiral CCR2 Antagonists with a Multidimensional Space of Novel Chirality Descriptors.

The development of chirality descriptors for quantitative chirality structure-activity relationship (QCSAR) modeling has always attracted attention, owing to the importance of chiral molecules in pharmaceutical, agriculture, food, and fragrance industries, and environmental toxicology. The utility of a multidimensional space of novel relative chirality indices (RCIs) in the QCSAR modeling of twenty CCR2 antagonists is reported upon in this paper. The numerical characterization of chirality by the RCI approach gives a large pool of chirality descriptors with different degrees of mutual correlation (the correlation coefficient among the computed descriptors varied from 0.

Purine but Not Pyrimidine De Novo Nucleotide Biosynthesis Inhibitors Strongly Enhance the Antiviral Effect of Corresponding Nucleobases Against Dengue Virus.

Every year, dengue virus affects hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. To date, there is no specific medication to treat dengue virus infections. Nucleobases, the base of a nucleoside without ribose, are understudied as potential treatments for viral infections.

Factors Influencing the Choice Between Multi-Target Stool DNA and Colonoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Alaska Native Peoples.

The Alaska Tribal Health System is increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among Alaska Native (AN) peoples, who experience the highest CRC rate in the world. Through a clinical trial (NCT04336397), AN people living in rural/remote Alaska were offered either the previously unavailable multi-target stool DNA test (mt-sDNA; Cologuard) or colonoscopy. From April 2022 to August 2024, 113 (59%) people who completed mt-sDNA testing and 51 (39%) who completed a colonoscopy procedure participated in a survey on factors influencing their screening test choice.

Associations of Voice Metrics with Postural Function in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: This study aimed to explore the potential associations between voice metrics of patients with PD and their motor symptoms.

Methods: Motor and vocal data including the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III), Harmonic-Noise Ratio (HNR), jitter, shimmer, and smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) were analyzed through exploratory correlations followed by univariate linear regression analyses. We employed these four voice metrics as independent variables and the total and sub-scores of the UPDRS-III as dependent variables.

Structural, Electronic, and Magnetic Properties of Neutral Borometallic Molecular Wheel Clusters.

Atomic clusters exhibit properties that fall between those found for individual atoms and bulk solids. Small boron clusters exhibit planar and quasiplanar structures, which are novel materials envisioned to serve as a platform for designing nanodevices and materials with unique physical and chemical properties. Through past research advancements, experimentalists demonstrated the successful incorporation of transition metals within planar boron rings.

Effect of Speciation Transformation of Cadmium (Cd) on P-Wave Velocity Under Moisture Regulation in Soils.

This study aims to investigate the influence of cadmium (Cd) speciation transformation on P-wave velocity under different soil moisture conditions, providing critical insights into the subsurface characteristics of contaminated soils. Taking Cd-contaminated soil as the research subject, P-wave velocity and the speciation distribution of Cd in soils with different moisture contents and Cd adsorption levels were measured. The results reveal that when the soil is contaminated by Cd, the porosity is altered and it eventually lead to change P-wave velocity.

Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of the Novel Compound ErMnGe.

The RE-M-Ge systems (RE: rare earths, M: transition group elements) contain a large number of compounds with special magnetic properties. A novel compound ErMnGe was found during the investigation on the phase diagram of the Er-Mn-Ge ternary system, and its crystal structure and magnetic properties were investigated. Powder X-ray diffraction results show that ErMnGe crystallizes in an orthorhombic YNiSi-type structure with the space group Pnma (No.

Preparation and Physical Properties of Quaternary MnFeSiAl Alloy Powders with Heusler and β-Mn Structures.

Manganese-based alloys with the composition MnFeZ (Z = Si, Al) have been extensively investigated in recent years due to their potential applications in spintronics. The MnFeSi alloy, prepared in the form of ingots, powders, or ribbons, exhibits either a cubic full-Heusler (2) structure, an inverse-Heusler (XA) structure, or a combination of both. In contrast, the MnFeAl alloy has so far been synthesized only in the form of ingots, featuring a primitive cubic (β-Mn type) structure.

Determination of the Entire Existence Composition Range of CrMnFeCoNi High-Entropy Alloys Using Sintered Diffusion Multiple Method.

The sintered diffusion multiple (SDM) method, which has been developed in our research group, has been applied to determine the entire composition range of the CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy stereoscopically and continuously over nearly the entire range. The samples were prepared by sintering mixed elemental powders and were annealed at 970 °C or 800 °C. Several hundreds of thousands of points were analyzed at random within the samples for chemical compositions using electron probe microanalysis.

Controlling Magnetization in Ferromagnetic Semiconductors by Current-Induced Spin-Orbit Torque.

In this paper, we review our work on the manipulation of magnetization in ferromagnetic semiconductors (FMSs) using electric-current-induced spin-orbit torque (SOT). Our review focuses on FMS layers from the (Ga,Mn)As zinc-blende family grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We describe the processes used to obtain spin polarization of the current that is required to achieve SOT, and we briefly discuss methods of specimen preparation and of measuring the state of magnetization.

Effects of Thickness of the Corn Seed Coat on the Strength of Processed Biological Materials.

The strength and energy of processed biological materials depend, among others, on their properties. Despite the numerous studies available, the relationship between the internal structure of corn grains and their mechanical properties has not yet been explained. Hence, the aim of the work is to explore the relationship between the internal composition of maize kernels and its mechanical properties by studying the impact of the maize seed coat thickness on its breakage susceptibility.

Characterizing Stream Condition with Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Southeastern Minnesota, USA: Agriculture, Channelization, and Karst Geology Impact Lotic Habitats and Communities.

Prior to implementing watershed-wide projects to reduce the impacts of agriculture on regional streams and rivers, stream habitats and benthic aquatic macroinvertebrate communities were assessed at 15 sites on the South Branch Root River and its major tributaries in southeastern Minnesota, USA. Triplicate kick-net samples were collected from each site during three time periods (1998, 1999, 2006/2008) and stream habitats were inventoried within 150 m long sections at each site. In total, 26,760 invertebrates representing 84 taxa were collected and used to rate stream sites using a regional multi-metric benthic index of biotic integrity (BIBI).

Resistance of to Trimethoprim: Insights into Genes Encoding Dihydrofolate Reductase, Thymidylate Synthase and Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase in the Rickettsiales.

Bacterial and eukaryotic dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzymes are essential for DNA synthesis and are differentially sensitive to the competitive inhibitors trimethoprim and methotrexate. Unexpectedly, trimethoprim did not reduce abundance, and the Stri DHFR homolog contained amino acid substitutions associated with trimethoprim resistance in . A phylogenetic tree showed good association of DHFR protein sequences with supergroup A and B assignments.

Genome-Wide Association and Genomic Prediction of Alfalfa ( L.) Biomass Yield Under Drought Stress.

Developing drought-resistant alfalfa ( L.) that maintains high biomass yield is a key breeding goal to enhance productivity in water-limited areas. In this study, 424 alfalfa breeding families were analyzed to identify molecular markers associated with biomass yield under drought stress and to predict high-merit plants.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Fibrotic Effects of a Mixture of Polyphenols Extracted from "Navelina" Orange in Human Hepa-RG and LX-2 Cells Mediated by Cannabinoid Receptor 2.

Navelina oranges () are rich in phytonutrients and bioactive compounds, especially flavonoids like hesperidin. This study investigates the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties of hesperidin (HE) and a polyphenol mixture from Navelina oranges (OE) in human hepatocytes (Hepa-RG) and hepatic stellate cells (LX-2), in order to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. In Hepa-RG cells, HE treatment increased expression of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R), which was associated with down-regulation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 MAPK) but had minimal impact on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) levels.