Biocomposite Active Whey Protein Films with Thyme Reinforced by Electrospun Polylactic Acid Fiber Mat.

Electrospinning is a versatile technique for obtaining nano/micro fibers which are able to significantly change the active properties of composite materials and bring in new dimensions to agri-food applications. Composite bio-based packaging materials obtained from whey proteins, functionalized with thyme essential oil (TEO) and reinforced by electrospun polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, represent a promising solution for developing new active food packaging using environmentally friendly materials. The aim of this study is to obtain and characterize one-side-active composite films covered with a PLA fiber mat: (i) WF/G1, WF/G2, and WF/G3 resulting from electrospinning with one needle at different electrospinning times of 90, 150, and 210 min, respectively, and (ii) WF/G4 obtained with two face-to-face needles after 210 min of electrospinning.

Secretome of the Olfactory Ensheathing Cells Influences the Behavior of Neural Stem Cells.

Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation demonstrates promising therapeutic results in neurological disorders, such as spinal cord injury. The emerging cell-free secretome therapy compensates for the limitations of cell transplantation, such as low cell survival rates. However, the therapeutic benefits of the human OEC secretome remain unclear.

Portrait of a Cerebral Killer.

: Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by is a rare and devastating infection of the central nervous system, often diagnosed late, due to its rapid progression and nonspecific symptoms. We report one of the youngest documented pediatric Vietnamese cases of PAM in a 10-month-old girl from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The diagnosis was confirmed through multiplex real-time PCR (MPL-rPCR), microscopy, and sequencing.

Applications of Natural Polymers in the Grapevine Industry: Plant Protection and Value-Added Utilization of Waste.

The grapevine industry is confronted with challenges such as plant stress from environmental factors and microbial infections, alongside the need for sustainable waste management practices. Natural polymers offer promising solutions to these issues due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and functional versatility. This review explores the dual role of natural polymers in enhancing the grapevine industry: as protective agents against various stressors and as carriers for the delivery of valuable compounds recovered from grapevine wastes.

Experimental analysis of genetic algorithm-enhanced PI controller for power optimization in multi-rotor variable-speed wind turbine systems.

The direct power control (DPC) algorithm is one of the most popular linear techniques used to implement notable controllers, known for their simplicity and fast dynamic response. However, this approach has drawbacks that cause a decrease in the current quality and disturbances in the network. Therefore, this experimental work presents a simple and efficient solution that uses a proportional-integral regulator based on a genetic algorithm to regulate the power quality.

Immunomodulation Effects of Porcine Cartilage Acellularized Matrix (pCAM) for Osteoarthritis Treatment.

Background: Pain reduction, immunomodulation, and cartilage repair are key therapeutic goals in osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of porcine cartilage acellularized matrix (pCAM) derived from naive tissue and compared it with the synthetic material polynucleotides (PN) for OA treatment.

Methods: pCAM was produced from porcine cartilage through physicochemical processing.

Safety assessment of turmeric-boswellia-sesame formulation in healthy adult volunteers: An open-label prospective study.

Background: Turmeric and boswellia supplements have gained popularity for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is important to critically assess the safety of such supplements for prolonged use.

Objectives: To assess the safety and tolerability of turmeric-boswellia-sesame oil formulation (TBSF) in healthy human volunteers.

Exploring the Microbial Ecology of Water in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Potential of Bacteriophages in Water Quality Monitoring and Treatment to Improve Its Safety.

Access to safe water and food is a critical issue in sub-Saharan Africa, where microbial contamination poses significant health risks. Conventional water treatment and food preservation methods have limitations in addressing water safety, particularly for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms. This review explores the potential application of bacteriophages as an innovative solution for water treatment and food safety in the region.

Longitudinal Comparison of Three T-Cell Assays and Three Antibody Assays Against SARS-CoV-2 Following Homologous mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273 and Heterologous ChAdOx1/ChAdOx1/BNT162b2 Vaccination: A Prospective Cohort in Naïve Healthcare Workers.

: Cellular and humoral immunity are key to the immune response against SARS-CoV-2, but the comparability and correlation across different assays remain underexplored. This study compares three T-cell and three antibody assays in two vaccine groups. : This prospective longitudinal cohort study involved 46 naïve healthcare workers: a total of 11 in the homologous mRNA-1273 group (three doses) and 35 in the heterologous ChAd group (two ChAd doses followed by a BNT booster).

Molecular Testing of Zoonotic Bacteria in Cattle, Sheep, and Goat Abortion Cases in Botswana.

Abortion is one of the major causes of economic losses in livestock production worldwide. Because several factors can lead to abortion in cattle, sheep and goats, laboratory diagnosis, including the molecular detection of pathogens causing abortion, is often necessary. Bacterial zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, coxiellosis, leptospirosis, and listeriosis have been implicated in livestock abortion, but they are under diagnosed and under-reported in most developing countries, including Botswana.

Microbial Communities in and Around the Siboglinid Tubeworms from the South Yungan East Ridge Cold Seep Offshore Southwestern Taiwan at the Northern South China Sea.

To date, only a few microbial community studies of cold seeps at the South China Sea (SCS) have been reported. The cold seep dominated by tubeworms was discovered at South Yungan East Ridge (SYER) offshore southwestern Taiwan by miniROV. The tubeworms were identified and proposed as sp.

Closing the Loop: Solid Oxide Fuel and Electrolysis Cells Materials for a Net-Zero Economy.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOECs) represent a promising clean energy solution. In the case of SOFCs, they offer efficiency and minimal to zero CO emissions when used to convert chemical energy into electricity. When SOFC systems are operated in regenerative mode for water electrolysis, the SOFCs become solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOECs).

Outdoor Pollution Comparison Between Bucharest and Its Outskirts Using Mobile Laboratory.

This study presents a modern mobile laboratory to monitor outdoor air quality in Bucharest, Romania, with a focus on pollutants associated with transportation. Particulate matter (PM., PM), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O), sulfur dioxide (SO), nitrogen oxides (NO, NO), and BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) were among the significant pollutants that were examined in the lab.

Anti-Graying Effects of External and Internal Treatments with Luteolin on Hair in Model Mice.

Little is known about the anti-graying effects of antioxidants on hair. The anti-graying effects of three antioxidants (luteolin, hesperetin, and diosmetin) on hair were investigated according to the sequential processes of hair graying that were previously clarified in model mice [Ednrb(+/-);RET-mice]. External treatment with luteolin, but not that with hesperetin or diosmetin, alleviated hair graying in Ednrb(+/-);RET-mice.

Survey of foodborne pathogenic Vibrio species in commercial Tasmanian bivalve shellfish and predictors of risk at harvest.

There has been an increase in foodborne vibriosis outbreaks globally, with Vibrio parahaemolyticus emerging as a foodborne issue in temperate commercial shellfish growing regions, including southern Australia. The food safety concerns associated with these microorganisms have led to the need for specific guidance on potential risk management strategies for their control. This is the first Australian multi-seasonal survey of V.

Long-term impact of tillage on microbial communities of an Eastern European Chernozem.

As conservation agricultural practices continue to spread, there is a need to understand how reduced tillage impacts soil microbes. Effects of no till (NT) and disk till (DT) relative to moldboard plow (MP) were investigated in a long-term experiment established on Chernozem. Results showed that conservation practices, especially NT, increased total, active and microbial biomass carbon.

Human Footprint and Forest Disturbance Reduce Space Use of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) Across Europe.

Three-quarters of the planet's land surface has been altered by humans, with consequences for animal ecology, movements and related ecosystem functioning. Species often occupy wide geographical ranges with contrasting human disturbance and environmental conditions, yet, limited data availability across species' ranges has constrained our understanding of how human pressure and resource availability jointly shape intraspecific variation of animal space use. Leveraging a unique dataset of 758 annual GPS movement trajectories from 375 brown bears (Ursus arctos) across the species' range in Europe, we investigated the effects of human pressure (i.

The current landscape of 1,2,3-triazole-(fused) six-membered nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring hybrids with anticancer therapeutic potential.

Cancer, characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells potentially influencing almost all tissues in the body, is one of the most devastating and lethal diseases throughout the world. Chemotherapy is one of the principal approaches for cancer treatment, but multidrug resistance and severe side effects represent the main barriers to the success of therapy, creating a vital need to develop novel chemotherapeutic agents. The 1,2,3-triazole moiety can be conveniently constructed by "click chemistry" and could exert diverse noncovalent interactions with various enzymes in cancer cells.

Scrutinizing neurodegenerative diseases: decoding the complex genetic architectures through a multi-omics lens.

Neurodegenerative diseases present complex genetic architectures, reflecting a continuum from monogenic to oligogenic and polygenic models. Recent advances in multi-omics data, coupled with systems genetics, have significantly refined our understanding of how these data impact neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. To contextualize these genetic discoveries, we provide a comprehensive critical overview of genetic architecture concepts, from Mendelian inheritance to the latest insights from oligogenic and omnigenic models.

Shedding light on DNA methylation and its clinical implications: the impact of long-read-based nanopore technology.

DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mechanism for regulation of gene expression, through which many physiological (X-chromosome inactivation, genetic imprinting, chromatin structure and miRNA regulation, genome defense, silencing of transposable elements) and pathological processes (cancer and repetitive sequences-associated diseases) are regulated. Nanopore sequencing has emerged as a novel technique that can analyze long strands of DNA (long-read sequencing) without chemically treating the DNA. Interestingly, nanopore sequencing can also extract epigenetic status of the nucleotides (including both 5-Methylcytosine and 5-hydroxyMethylcytosine), and a large variety of bioinformatic tools have been developed for improving its detection properties.

Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries-Technologies, Environmental, Human Health, and Economic Issues-Mini-Systematic Literature Review.

Global concerns about pollution reduction, associated with the continuous technological development of electronic equipment raises challenge for the future regarding lithium-ion batteries exploitation, use, and recovery through recycling of critical metals. Several human and environmental issues are reported, including related diseases caused by lithium waste. Lithium in Li-ion batteries can be recovered through various methods to prevent environmental contamination, and Li can be reused as a recyclable resource.

Ketoprofen Associated with Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel for Temporomandibular Disorder Treatment: An In Vitro Study.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a public health problem that affects around 12% of the global population. The treatment is based on analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, or arthrocentesis associated with hyaluronic acid-based viscosupplementation. However, the use of hyaluronic acid alone in viscosupplementation does not seem to be enough to regulate the intra-articular inflammatory process.

Is anti-müllerian hormone useful for monorchidism diagnosis in the tomcat?

Monorchidism is an uncommon condition in tomcats, defined by the congenital absence of one of the testicles. Due to the lack of information regarding possible biomarkers, most monorchidism cases require laparotomy in order to differentiate it from cryptorchidism. Human data suggest that monorchid patients have lower serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels when compared to cryptorchids, premises that has been also scrutinized in veterinary medicine.

Innovative auxin-micronutrient based nanocomposites (IAA-FeONPs and IAA-MnONPs) shield strawberry plants from lead toxicity.

Smart nanohybrid technology with potential advantages to plants has recently been developed formanaging the widespread pollution of heavy metals. Herein, we disclose a novel strategy to combat Pb stress in strawberry (Fragaria spp. cv.

Phylogenetic diversity and morphological characterization of cordycipitaceous species in Taiwan.

Species classified in () include multiple entomopathogenic fungi. Numerous changes have recently occurred in the nomenclature of cordycipitaceous fungi due to the single naming system proposed for pleomorphic fungi in 2011. Species of are widely applied as herbal medicines, especially in Asian cultures.