A Prototype of Ultrasensitive Time-Resolved Fluoroimmunoassay with Enhanced Fluorescence System for the Trace Determination of Urinary 8-Hydroxy-2`-Deoxyguanosine, the DNA Oxidative Stress Biomarker.

This study presents a new highly sensitive and specific time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) for the measurement of trace amounts of the urinary 8-hydroxy-2`-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) which is a biomarker for oxidative stress on DNA. The assay relied on a competitive binding approach and a mouse monoclonal antibody which recognized 8-OHdG with high specificity. In this assay, 8-OHdG conjugated with bovine serum albumin protein (8-OHdG-BSA) was employed as a solid phase antigen.

Modeling of CO solubility and partial pressure in blended diisopropanolamine and 2-amino-2-methylpropanol solutions via response surface methodology and artificial neural network.

In this study, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were developed to estimate the equilibrium solubility and partial pressure of CO in blended aqueous solutions of diisopropanolamine (DIPA) and 2-amino-2-methylpropanol (AMP). In this study, several key parameters were analyzed to understand the behavior of the aqueous DIPA/AMP system for CO capture. Including DIPA (9-21 wt%), AMP (9-21 wt%), temperature (323.

"It's Like Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde": The Construction of Moral Identity by Israeli Men Who Pay Women for Sex.

This study examined how Israeli men who pay women for sex (MPWS) construct and sustain a moral identity within the social context that often portrays them as deviants, perpetrators, and abusers, thereby challenging their ability to maintain a respectful and dignified image. Twenty-three Israeli MPWS participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were then analyzed using constructivist grounded theory method. Using the theoretical framework moral reflexivity, we conceptualize three central dynamics of constructing and sustaining a moral identity in the context of paying for sex: Maintaining an intact moral self by resisting the moral conflict; presenting a reflexive agonizing moral self; and constructing a moral self through identity fragmentation.

Substituted piperazine conjugated to quinoline-thiosemicarbazide as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors to target hyperglycemia.

Diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 diabetes, is a growing global health challenge characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to insulin resistance. One therapeutic approach to managing this condition is the inhibition of α-glucosidase, an enzyme involved in carbohydrate digestion, to reduce postprandial blood glucose levels. In this study, a series of thiosemicarbazide-linked quinoline-piperazine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, to identify new agents for type 2 diabetes management.

A pilot study comparing three-dimensional models of tumor histopathology and magnetic resonance imaging.

Three-dimensional (3D) modeling is often used to provide better visual understanding. This has become an everyday tool especially in medical imaging. However, modeling soft tissue histopathology in 3D is in its early stages, thus making 3D comparison between radiology and histopathology difficult.

Water hyacinth conversion to biochar for soil nutrient enhancement in improving agricultural product.

The conversion of water hyacinth into biochar offers a sustainable solution to mitigate its proliferation and enhances its potential as a soil amendment for agriculture. This study examined the physicochemical properties of water hyacinth biochar (WHBC) and its impact on soil fertility. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was pyrolyzed at 300 °C for 40 minute with restricted airflow (2-3 m/s), producing biochar with desirable properties and a yield of 44.

A comparative study of LQU and LQFI in general qubit-qutrit axially symmetric states.

We derive the compact closed forms of local quantum uncertainty (LQU) and local quantum Fisher information (LQFI) for hybrid qubit-qutrit axially symmetric (AS) states. This allows us to study the quantum correlations in detail and present some essentially novel results for spin-(1/2, 1) systems, the Hamiltonian of which contains ten independent types of physically important parameters. As an application of the derived formulas, we study the behavior of these two quantum correlation measures at thermal equilibrium.

Hierarchical graph-based integration network for propaganda detection in textual news articles on social media.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the widespread use of social media platforms has facilitated the dissemination of information, fake news, and propaganda, serving as a vital source of self-reported symptoms related to Covid-19. Existing graph-based models, such as Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), have achieved notable success in Natural Language Processing (NLP). However, utilizing GNN-based models for propaganda detection remains challenging because of the challenges related to mining distinct word interactions and storing nonconsecutive and broad contextual data.

Exploring novel solitary wave phenomena in Klein-Gordon equation using model expansion method.

In this study, the -model expansion method is showed to be useful for finding solitary wave solutions to the Klein-Gordon (KG) equation. We develop a variety of solutions, including Jacobi elliptic functions, hyperbolic forms, and trigonometric forms, so greatly enhancing the range of exact solutions attainable. The 2D, 3D, and contour plots clearly show different types of solitary waves, like bright, dark, singular, and periodic solitons.

Green synthesized FeNPs ameliorate drought stress in Spinacia oleracea L. through improved photosynthetic capacity, redox balance, and antioxidant defense.

The present study was designed to highlight the ameliorative role of iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) against drought stress in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) plants. A pot experiment was performed in two-way completely randomize design with three replicates.

Assessment of upper respiratory and gut bacterial microbiomes during COVID-19 infection in adults: potential aerodigestive transmission.

SARS-CoV-2 is the viral pathogen responsible for COVID-19. Although morbidity and mortality frequently occur as a result of lung disease, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is recognized as a primary location for SARS-CoV-2. Connections and interactions between the microbiome of the gut and respiratory system have been linked with viral infections via what has been referred to as the 'gut-lung axis' with potential aerodigestive communication in health and disease.

Experimental evaluation of DC-DC buck converter based on adaptive fuzzy fast terminal synergetic controller.

This study suggests an enhanced version of the adaptive fuzzy fast terminal synergetic controller (AF-FTSC) for controlling the uncertain DC/DC buck converter based on the synergetic theory of control (STC) and newly developed terminal attractor technique (TAT). The benefits of the proposed SC algorithm involve the features of finite-time convergence, unaffected by parameter variations, and chattering-free phenomenon. A type-1 fuzzy logic system (T1-FLS) make the considered controller more robust and is utilized to estimate the undefined converter nonlinear dynamics without resorting to the usual linearization and simplifications of the converter model.

Therapeutic potential of brentuximab vedotin in breast cancer and lymphoma via targeted apoptosis and gene regulation.

This study was designed to assess the effect of brentuximab vedotin on several breast cancer cell lines in terms of promoting apoptosis and managing cancer progression. Additionally, the study investigated the potential of repurposing this drug for new therapeutic reasons, beyond its original indications. The study evaluates the cytotoxic effects of Brentuximab vedotin across five cell lines: normal human skin fibroblasts (HSF), three breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and T-47D), and histiocytic lymphoma (U-937).

Integrating machine learning and structure-based approaches for repurposing potent tyrosine protein kinase Src inhibitors to treat inflammatory disorders.

Tyrosine-protein kinase Src plays a key role in cell proliferation and growth under favorable conditions, but its overexpression and genetic mutations can lead to the progression of various inflammatory diseases. Due to the specificity and selectivity problems of previously discovered inhibitors like dasatinib and bosutinib, we employed an integrated machine learning and structure-based drug repurposing strategy to find novel, targeted, and non-toxic Src kinase inhibitors. Different machine learning models including random forest (RF), k-nearest neighbors (K-NN), decision tree, and support vector machine (SVM), were trained using already available bioactivity data of Src kinase targeting compounds.

Design, evaluation, and in vitro-in vivo correlation of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems to improve the oral absorption of exenatide.

The ability to predict the absorption of exenatide (Ex), a GLP-1 analogue, after oral dosing to rats in self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS), using in vitro methods, was assessed. Ex was complexed with soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC) prior to loading into SNEDDS. A design of experiments (DoE) approach was employed to develop SNEDDS incorporating medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), medium-chain mono- and diglycerides (MGDG), Kolliphor® RH40, and monoacyl phosphatidylcholine.

We are a family! Exploring flexitarian households' meat reduction practices.

It is widely accepted that the (over)consumption of meat is negatively linked to environmental problems and public health issues, yet research shows that actual meat consumption remains (too) high. While most research related to the protein transition focuses on consumers' motivations, perceptions and acceptance towards plant-based meat alternatives, a clear need arises to extensively study the context in which (plant-based) meals are consumed. In this research, a generative research approach was applied to extend knowledge on flexitarian households' meat reduction practices.

Subgroups varying in risk and density highlight the potential for stratified breast cancer screening.

Most breast cancer screening programs rely only on demographic data without considering individual risk factors of the population, which might limit their effectiveness by over- and underscreening specific subgroups. Therefore, the aim of this study is to highlight health and economic disparities in outcomes from such a uniform screening strategy. With the microsimulation model MISCAN, we simulated outcomes of the Dutch screening program considering 16 subgroups varying by their 5-year breast cancer risk and breast density.

Impacts of climate change on storm event-based flow regime and channel stability of urban headwater streams.

Due to the recent improved availability of global and regional climate change (CC) models and associated data, the projected impact of CC on urban stormwater management is well documented. However, most studies are based on simplified design storm analysis and unit-area runoff models; evaluations of the long-term, continuous hydrologic response of extensive stormwater control measures (SCM) implementation under future CC scenarios are limited. Moreover, channel stability in response to CC is seldom evaluated due to the input data required to develop a long-term, continuous sediment transport model.

Molecular Clip Strategy of Modified Sulfur Cathodes for High-Performance Potassium Sulfur Batteries.

Potassium-sulfur (K-S) batteries are severely limited by the sluggish reaction kinetics of the cyclooctasulfur (cyclo-S) electrode with low conductivity, which urgently requires a novel cathode to facilitate activity to improve sulfur utilization. In this study, using the wet chemistry method, the molecular clip of Li is created to replace cyclo-S molecular with the highly active chain-like S molecular. The molecular clip strategy effectively lowers the reaction barrier in potassium-sulfur systems, and the stretching of S─S bonds weakens the binding between sulfur atoms, facilitating the transformation of potassium polysulfides (KPSs).

Self-Assembling of Multilayered Polymorphs with Ion Beams.

Polymorphism determines significant variations in materials' properties by lattice symmetry variation. If they are stacked together into multilayers, polymorphs may work as an alternative approach to the sequential deposition of layers with different chemical compositions. However, selective polymorph crystallization during conventional thin film synthesis is not trivial; changes of temperature or pressure when switching from one polymorph to another during synthesis may cause degradation of the structural quality.

First year of in-house forensic neuropathology consultations in Helsinki, Finland.

In July 2023, an in-house forensic neuropathology consultation pilot was established at the Helsinki office of the Forensic Medicine Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. This offered an alternative to the previous practice of full outsourcing to a hospital neuropathology department. This paper aims to introduce the first year experiences of the pilot.

Cyclometalated Au(III) complexes with alkynylphosphine oxide ligands: synthesis and photophysical properties.

A series of cyclometalated Au(III) complexes [Au(C^N^C)(C-L-P(O)Ph)] with C^N^C = 2,6-diphenylpyridine and alkynylphosphine oxide ligands (L = no linker, Au1; phenyl, Au2; biphenyl, Au3; naphthyl, Au4; anthracenyl, Au5) were synthesized and fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and single crystal XRD analysis. The complexes obtained exhibit triplet (Au1-Au3) and dual (Au4, Au5) emissions in solution, in the solid phase and in the PMMA film, whose characteristics depend on the linker's nature of the alkynylphosphine oxide ligand. The description of electronic transitions responsible for energy absorption and emission in Au(III) complexes was made on the basis of a detailed analysis of the results of DFT calculations and has shown to involve ILCT, LLCT and MLCT transitions of singlet and triplet nature.

An electrospray-active N-heterocyclic carbene ligand for real-time analysis of organometallic reactions.

A charge-tagged N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has been synthesized and its utility in allowing the dynamic behaviour of metal complexes to be monitored in real time using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry demonstrated. This compound was used to prepare different metal-NHC complexes, and the kinetic behaviour of complex formation and ligand exchange was monitored in real time through the use of pressurized sample infusion electrospray mass spectrometry (PSI-ESI-MS).

A dataset of blood slide images for AI-based diagnosis of malaria.

Malaria is a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Timely and accurate diagnosis of malaria is vital to reduce the caseload and mortality rates associated with malaria The use of microscopy in malaria screening is the gold standard recommended method by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In Uganda, utilization of microscopy is challenged by insufficient expertise to interpret the images accurately, affecting the efficiency, effectiveness and accuracy of malaria detection and diagnosis.

Circadian rhythms of microbial communities and their role in regulating nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in the rhizosphere of tea plants.

The circadian clock mediates metabolic functions of plants and rhythmically shapes structure and function of microbial communities in the rhizosphere. However, it is unclear how the circadian rhythm of plant hosts regulates changes in rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities and nutrient cycles. In the present study, we measured diel changes in the rhizosphere of bacterial and fungal communities, and in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling in 20-year-old tea plantations.