Revisiting the potential of natural antimicrobial peptides against emerging respiratory viral disease: a review.

This review assesses the antiviral capabilities of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses, focussing on their therapeutic potential. AMPs, derived from natural sources, exhibit promising antiviral properties by disrupting viral membranes, inhibiting viral entry, and modulating host immune responses. Preclinical studies demonstrate that peptides such as defensins, cathelicidins, and lactoferrin can effectively reduce SARS-CoV-2 replication and inhibit viral spread.

The influence of social networks on finding and selecting healthcare professionals.

Social networks consist of a group of individuals connected by family, work, or other interests and facilitated by an online structure or platform. They are also a relatively recent and widely used marketing phenomenon that is constantly evolving. The healthcare field includes professions such as social work, biology, biomedicine, physical education, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, medicine, veterinary medicine, nutrition, dentistry, psychology, and occupational therapy.

Recent Incarceration and HIV Risk Among Women Who Use Heroin.

Importance: Women who use heroin in sub-Saharan Africa face elevated HIV risk linked to structural vulnerability including frequent incarceration. However, little is known about the association between incarceration and drug use and HIV outcomes among women who use heroin in Africa.

Objective: To estimate associations between incarceration and adverse HIV-related and drug use-related outcomes among women who used heroin.

Combined exercise-induced modulation of Notch pathway and muscle quality in senescence-accelerated mice.

The Notch signaling pathway is crucial for skeletal muscle development, regeneration, inflammation, and aging. This study investigated the association between interleukin-10 (IL-10) and the Notch pathway in C2C12 cells, as well as explored the effects of combined endurance and resistance exercise on the Notch and autophagy pathways in the skeletal muscle of senescence-accelerated mouse-resistant 1 Sedentary (SAMR1 CT), SAMR1 exercised (SAMR1 EX), senescence-accelerated prone mouse 8 Sedentary (SAMP8 CT), and SAMP8 exercised (SAMP8 EX). C2C12 myoblasts were transfected with siIL-10.

Effect of Pre-Processing Treatment and Concentration of , , and Varieties on Texture and Consumer Attribute Preference of Crackers.

This study investigates the effects of three brown seaweed species (, , and ), their pre-processing treatments, and incorporation percentages on the physical and sensory properties of crackers. Significant ( ≤ 0.001) two-way and three-way interactions were observed for moisture content, with seaweed addition generally resulting in drier crackers.

Hypoxia Compromises the Differentiation of Human Osteosarcoma Cells to CAR-R, a Hydroxylated Derivative of Lithocholic Acid and Potent Agonist of the Vitamin D Receptor.

The active metabolite of vitamin D3, calcitriol (1,25D), is widely recognised for its direct anti-proliferative and pro-differentiation effects. However, 1,25D is calcaemic, which restricts its clinical use for cancer treatment. Non-calcaemic agonists of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) could be better candidates for cancer treatment.

Biorefining Brazilian Green Propolis: An Eco-Friendly Approach Based on a Sequential High-Pressure Extraction for Recovering High-Added-Value Compounds.

Propolis is a valuable natural resource for extracting various beneficial compounds. This study explores a sustainable extraction approach for Brazilian green propolis. First, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) process parameters were optimized (co-solvent: 21.

Applying Normalisation Process Theory to a peer-delivered complex health intervention for people experiencing homelessness and problem substance use.

Background: The Supporting Harm Reduction through Peer Support (SHARPS) study involved designing and implementing a peer-delivered, harm reduction intervention for people experiencing homelessness and problem substance use. Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) provided a framework for the study.

Methods: Four Peer Navigators (individuals with personal experience of problem substance use and/or homelessness) were recruited and hosted in six third sector (not-for-profit) homelessness services in Scotland and England (United Kingdom).

Ternary Metal (W-Ni-Sr) Oxide@Polypyrrole Nanotubes: A New Frontier in the Electrochemical Detection of Promethazine Hydrochloride (PMHC).

Promethazine hydrochloride (PMHC) is a vital drug that is used as an anticholinergic, antipsychotic, antihistaminic, analgesic, sedative, and neuroleptic. However, the overdosage of PMHC also causes reproductive variations, cardiac changes, hypotension, and endocrinal variations. Hence, the detection of PMHC is crucial.

Nutritional and technological potential of umbu-caja and soursop co-product flours.

Umbu-caja and soursop from the Northeast region of Brazil are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds and are widely processed by the fruit agroindustry. However, there is a lack of research examining the composition and nutritional/technological potential of these co-product fruits. The present study evaluated the nutritional and technological characteristics of umbu-caja and soursop co-product flours (UCF and SCF, respectively), in addition to cytotoxicity in healthy cells.

Synthesis of zinc oxide/bismuth oxide nanocomposite photocatalyst for visible light-assisted degradation of synthetic dyes and antibacterial application.

Contamination of water resources by artificial coloring agents and the increasing incidence of bacterial illnesses are two significant environmental and public health issues that are getting worse day by day. Traditional treatment techniques frequently fail to address these problems adequately in a sustainable and environmental friendly way. In response, our study presents a novel photocatalyst that demonstrates superior photodegradation capability and antibacterial qualities in catering the above issues.

Machine Learning-Based Modeling of pH-Sensitive Silicon Nanowire (SiNW) for Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET).

The development of ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) sensors based on silicon nanowires (SiNW) has recently seen significant progress, due to their many advantages such as compact size, low cost, robustness and real-time portability. However, little work has been done to predict the performance of SiNW-ISFET sensors. The present study focuses on predicting the performance of the silicon nanowire (SiNW)-based ISFET sensor using four machine learning techniques, namely multilayer perceptron (MLP), nonlinear regression (NLR), support vector regression (SVR) and extra tree regression (ETR).

Nanocarriers for Delivery of Anticancer Drugs: Current Developments, Challenges, and Perspectives.

Cancer, the most common condition worldwide, ranks second in terms of the number of human deaths, surpassing cardiovascular diseases. Uncontrolled cell multiplication and resistance to cell death are the traditional features of cancer. The myriad of treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy to treat this disease.

Small Molecule with Big Impact: Metarrestin Targets the Perinucleolar Compartment in Cancer Metastasis.

Metarrestin (ML246) is a first-in-class pyrrole-pyrimidine-derived small molecule that selectively targets the perinucleolar compartment (PNC). PNC is a distinct subnuclear structure predominantly found in solid tumor cells. The occurrence of PNC demonstrates a positive correlation with malignancy, serving as an indicator of tumor aggressiveness, progression, and metastasis.

Obesity, Physical Activity, and Cancer Incidence in Two Geographically Distinct Populations; The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries and the United Kingdom-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The relationship between obesity, physical activity, and cancer has not been well studied across different countries. The age-standardized rate of cancer in the UK is double-triple that in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCCCs). Here, we study the association between obesity, physical activity, and cancer incidence with the aim to elucidate cancer epidemiology and risk factors in two geographically, ethnically, and climatically different parts of the world.

Biosurfactants: A review of different strategies for economical production, their applications and recent advancements.

Biosurfactants are biodegradable, non-toxic, and environmentally beneficial substances that are produced by microorganisms. Due to their chemical characteristics and stability in various environmental circumstances, biosurfactants are low-molecular-weight, surface-active molecules of great industrial importance. The choice of the producer microbe, kind of substrate, and purification technique determine the chemistry of a biosurfactant and its production cost.

Mapping species of greatest conservation need and solar energy potential in the arid Southwest for future sustainable development.

The need for renewable energy has become increasingly evident in response to the climate change crisis, presenting a paradoxical challenge to biodiversity conservation. The Southwest United States is desirable for large-scale solar energy development (SED) due to its high global horizontal irradiance (GHI) values and vast open landscapes. However, this region is also rich in unique ecological and biological diversity.

Study of interaction in dual-species biofilm of Candida glabrata and Klebsiella pneumoniae co-isolated from peripheral venous catheter using Raman characterization mapping and machine learning algorithms.

Polymicrobial biofilm infections, especially associated with medical devices such as peripheral venous catheters, are challenging in clinical settings for treatment and management. In this study, we examined the mixed biofilm formed by Candida glabrata and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which were co-isolated from the same peripheral venous catheter. Our results revealed that C.

Polypyrrole functionalized MoS for sensitive and simultaneous determination of heavy metal ions in water.

Assessing heavy metal ion (HMI) contamination to sustain drinking water hygiene is a challenge. Conventional approaches are appealing for the detection of HMIs but electrochemical approaches can resolve the limitations of these approaches, such as tedious sample preparation, high cost, time consuming and the need for trained professionals. Here, an electrochemical approach is developed using a nano-sphered polypyrrole (PPy) functionalized with MoS (PPy/MoS) by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry for the detection of HMIs.

A novel adaptive FOCV algorithm with robust IMRAC control for sustainable and high-efficiency MPPT in standalone PV systems: experimental validation and performance assessment.

This paper introduces an innovative, adaptive Fractional Open-Circuit Voltage (FOCV) algorithm combined with a robust Improved Model Reference Adaptive Controller (IMRAC) for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) in standalone photovoltaic (PV) systems. The proposed two-stage control strategy enhances energy efficiency, simplifies system operation, and addresses limitations in conventional MPPT methods, such as slow convergence, high oscillations, and susceptibility to environmental fluctuations. The first stage dynamically estimates the Maximum Power Point (MPP) voltage using a novel adaptive FOCV method, which eliminates the need for irradiance sensors or physical disconnection of PV modules.

Validation of the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-R) in rural contexts in South Africa.

Resilience is central to young children's healthy and happy development. The Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-R) has been widely used in several countries. However, its construct validity among young children in rural South Africa has not been examined.