Development of a Multifunctional Chitosan-Based Composite Film from Crab Shell () and Algae () with Enhanced Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties for Active Food Packaging.

Eco-friendly, bioactive and edible films from renewable resources are increasingly regarded as viable replacements for petroleum-based packaging. This study investigates the application of macroalgae powder (ULP) as an active additive in crab () chitosan-based films for natural food packaging. Films with ULP concentrations of 0.

Comparative Analysis of Serum BAFF and IL-17 Levels Pre- and Post-Antipsychotic Treatment for Acute Schizophrenia.

The interplay between the cytokine network and antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of psychotropic medications on serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β1, IL-17, and BAFF, and to explore their relationship with psychopathological features. We recruited 63 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in the acute phase, all of whom were either drug-naïve or had been drug-free for at least three months.

Optimization of a Pressurized Extraction Process Based on a Ternary Solvent System for the Recovery of Neuroprotective Compounds from Leaves.

Green chemistry focuses on reducing the environmental impacts of chemicals through sustainable practices. Traditional methods for extracting bioactive compounds from leaves, such as hydro-distillation and organic solvent extraction, have limitations, including long extraction times, high energy consumption, and potential toxic solvent residues. This study explored the use of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), and gas-expanded liquid (GXL) processes to improve efficiency and selectivity.

Effect of Chemical Treatment on the Mechanical and Hygroscopic Properties of an Innovative Clay-Sand Composite Reinforced with Fibers.

The viability of using fibers as reinforcement material for developing lightweight sustainable non-structural construction materials in compliance with the valorization of local by-products has been investigated in this work. This study aims to investigate the effect of the chemical treatment of fibers on the mechanical and hygric properties of bio-sourced clay-sand- fiber composite. This lightweight specimen has been produced from a mixture of 60% natural clay and 40% sand by mass, as a matrix, and reinforced with different amounts of Juncus fibers.

Exploring the Impact of Structural Modifications of Phenothiazine-Based Novel Compounds for Organic Solar Cells: DFT Investigations.

This paper explores a novel group of D-π-A configurations that has been specifically created for organic solar cell applications. In these material compounds, the phenothiazine, the furan, and two derivatives of the thienyl-fused IC group act as the donor, the π-conjugated spacer, and the end-group acceptors, respectively. We assess the impact of substituents by introducing bromine atoms at two potential substitution sites on each end-group acceptor (EG1 and EG2).

Functional Analysis of Durum Wheat GASA1 Protein as a Biotechnological Alternative Against Plant Fungal Pathogens and a Positive Regulator of Biotic Stress Defense.

Plants are frequently challenged by a variety of microorganisms. To protect themselves against harmful invaders, they have evolved highly effective defense mechanisms, including the synthesis of numerous types of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Snakins are such compounds, encoded by the (Gibberellic Acid-Stimulated Arabidopsis) gene family, and are involved in the response to biotic and abiotic stress.

Melatonin in Male Dromedary Camel () Seminal Plasma and Its Specific MT1 and MT2 Receptors on Sperm Membranes.

Camels () are seasonal short-day breeders, regulated by photoperiod and melatonin secretion. However, no studies have explored melatonin levels in camel seminal plasma or their relationship with testosterone, age, or climatic factors, nor is it known whether melatonin receptors exist in camel spermatozoa to respond to seminal melatonin. This study aimed to analyze melatonin levels in camel seminal plasma and its specific receptors in spermatozoa.

Design of an improved model using federated learning and LSTM autoencoders for secure and transparent blockchain network transactions.

With the advancement of this digital era and the emergence of DApps and Blockchain, secure, robust and transparent network transaction has become invaluable today. These traditional methods of securing the transactions and maintaining transparency have encountered many challenges. It includes some such issues as follows: data privacy, centralized vulnerability, inefficiency in fraud detection and much more.

Association of MTHFR C677T and A1298C variants with preeclampsia risk and angiogenic imbalance in Tunisian women.

Unlabelled: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific vascular disorder associated with endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and proteinuria. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme regulates essential cellular functions in pregnancy owing to its effects on folate metabolism and DNA methylation. Previous studies implicated the association of rs1801133 (C677T; Ala222Val) and rs1801131 (A1298C; Glu429Ala) in the MTHFR gene with PE in different ethnic groups, but with mixed outcomes.

Association analysis of T and B-cell epitopes with humoral alloimmunisation in kidney transplantation: A Tunisian cohort study.

Introduction: HLA matching is critical for successful kidney transplantation. This study aimed to investigate the impact of eplet mismatches and Predicted Indirectly Recognizable HLA Epitopes (PIRCHE-II) scores on the development of de novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) and graft survival in a Tunisian cohort, characterized by a high prevalence of living donors and significant genetic diversity in HLA profiles.

Methods: This retrospective study included 112 adult kidney transplant recipients who underwent transplantation between 2012 and 2018.

Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India.

Heavy metal pollution is a growing environmental concern as it causes the degradation of wetlands by affecting the organisms at different trophic levels. Shorebirds typically feed on benthic invertebrates including polychaete worms, crustaceans and molluscs. Thus, the assessment of bioconcentration of heavy metals in shorebirds provides an insight into the extent of bioaccumulation of these hazardous metals in the upper trophic levels.

Locally advanced nasopharyngeal follicular dendritic cell sarcoma misdiagnosed as meningioma.

Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is a rare malignancy, often challenging to diagnose due to its nonspecific presentation and resemblance to other neoplasms. This case highlights a locally advanced nasopharyngeal FDCS initially misdiagnosed as a meningioma, underscoring the importance of differential diagnosis in unusual tumor presentations. A 77-year-old patient presented with nasal obstruction for 3 months.

New Insights on Iron-Trimesate MOFs for Inorganic As(III) and As(V) Adsorption from Aqueous Media.

Arsenic contamination of water endangers the health of millions of people worldwide, affecting certain countries and regions with especial severity. Interest in the use of Fe-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) to remove inorganic arsenic species has increased due to their stability and adsorptive properties. In this study, the performance of a synthesized Nano-{Fe-BTC} MOF, containing iron oxide octahedral chains connected by trimesic acid linkers, in adsorbing As(III) and As(V) species was investigated and compared with commercial BasoliteF300 MOF.

The Relationship Between Early Maladaptive Schemas and Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: The Moderating Effect of Childhood Trauma.

The study objectives were to test the hypothesis that childhood trauma moderates the associations between early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in the specific Lebanese patriarchal context. This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted on Lebanese women between September and December 2018; 1,655 participants enrolled in this study were from all of Lebanon's governorates and were selected using an equitable representative sample. The "Disconnection and Rejection" EMS domain showed the strongest correlations with both physical and nonphysical IPV ( = .

Impact of Pediatric Posterior Fossa Tumor Treatments on Working Memory Tracts Using Resting-State fMRI and Tractography.

Background And Purpose: Working memory, a primary cognitive domain, is often impaired in pediatric brain tumor survivors, affecting their attention and processing speed. This study investigated the long-term effects of treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy (CT), on working memory tracts in children with posterior fossa tumors (PFTs) using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and diffusion MRI tractography.

Methods: This study included 16 medulloblastoma (MB) survivors treated with postoperative RT and CT, 14 pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) survivors treated with surgery alone, and 16 healthy controls from the Imaging Memory after Pediatric Cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults study (NCT04324450).

A sweeping view of avian mycoplasmas biology drawn from comparative genomic analyses.

Background: Avian mycoplasmas are small bacteria associated with several pathogenic conditions in many wild and poultry bird species. Extensive genomic data are available for many avian mycoplasmas, yet no comparative studies focusing on this group of mycoplasmas have been undertaken so far.

Results: Here, based on the comparison of forty avian mycoplasma genomes belonging to ten different species, we provide insightful information on the phylogeny, pan/core genome, energetic metabolism, and virulence of these avian pathogens.

Efficacy of laser therapy on primary burning mouth syndrome: a systematic review.

The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature to determine the overall efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in managing burning mouth syndrome (BMS). A literature search was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from their inception up to 28 March 2023. The search terms were defined by combining (Mesh Terms OR Key Words) from "Burning mouth syndrome" AND (Mesh Terms OR Key Words) from "Laser therapy".

Geospatial mapping of drug-resistant tuberculosis prevalence in Africa at national and sub-national levels.

Objectives: To map subnational and local prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) across Africa.

Methods: We assembled a geolocated dataset from 173 sources across 31 African countries, comprising drug susceptibility test results and covariate data from publicly available databases. We used Bayesian model-based geostatistical framework with multivariate Bayesian logistic regression model to estimate DR-TB prevalence at lower administrative levels.

Effects of Real-Life Motor Complexity on Walking and Mobility in Trained and Sedentary Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities: A Motor Dual-Task Investigation.

Adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) often encounter challenges in walking and mobility due to cognitive and motor impairments. This study aimed to investigate the impact of real-life motor complexity on walking and mobility in this population, particularly focusing on dual-task scenarios. Twenty-four adolescents with ID, divided into trained and sedentary groups, participated in the study.

PFAS contamination in tap water: Target and suspect screening of zwitterionic, cationic, and anionic species across Canada and beyond.

This study investigated the occurrence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including anionic, cationic, and zwitterionic compounds, in drinking water. Between 2021-2023, an expanded list of 76 target PFAS was screened in tap water samples mainly from Canada, but also including tap water samples from the Eastern United States, Mexico, South America (Argentina), the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Cuba), Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia), Europe (France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) and Asia (Japan, Vietnam, Iran, and Türkiye). An additional ∼ 200 suspect-target PFAS were screened using high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Detection of Echinococcus spp. and other taeniid species in lettuces and berries: Two international multicenter studies from the MEmE project.

Cystic and alveolar echinococcosis are severe zoonotic diseases characterized by long asymptomatic periods lasting months or years. Viable Echinococcus spp. eggs released into the environment through the feces of canids can infect humans through accidental ingestion via hand-to-mouth contact or consumption of contaminated food or water.

Unlocking advanced thermometric capabilities: BiVO: Er/Yb nanophosphors with dual-mode up-conversion and down-shifting features.

Luminescent materials doped with rare-earth (RE) ions have emerged as powerful tools in thermometry, offering high sensitivity and accuracy. However, challenges remain, particularly in maintaining efficient luminescence at elevated temperatures. This study investigates the thermometric properties of BiVO: Yb/Er (BVO: Er/Yb) nanophosphors synthesized the sol-gel method.