Search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of pseudoscalars in the and final states.

A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson () with a mass of 125 to a pair of light pseudoscalars is performed in final states where one pseudoscalar decays to two quarks and the other to a pair of muons or leptons. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 recorded with the CMS detector is analyzed. No statistically significant excess is observed over the standard model backgrounds.

Alginate Cryogels as a Template for the Preparation of Edible Oleogels.

A high consumption of solid fats is linked to increased inflammation and a risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hence, in recent years, there has been increasing interest in the development of oleogels as a fat substitute in food products. Oleogels are edible gels that contain a large amount of liquid oils entrapped in a 3D network and that can potentially be applied to spreads, bakery goods, meat, and dairy products in order to lower their saturated fat content while maintaining a desirable food texture and mouthfeel.

Synthesis, Surface Modification and Magnetic Properties Analysis of Heat-Generating Cobalt-Substituted Magnetite Nanoparticles.

Here, we present the results of the synthesis, surface modification, and properties analysis of magnetite-based nanoparticles, specifically CoFeO (S1) and CoFeO (S2). These nanoparticles were synthesized using the co-precipitation method at 80 °C for 2 h. They exhibit a single-phase nature and crystallize in a spinel-type structure (space group 3¯).

Unsaturated polyester resin based composites: A case study of lignin valorisation.

Materials from green resources boast a low carbon footprint, forming the foundation of the circular economy approach in materials science. Thus, in this study, waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was subjected to depolymerization using propylene glycol (PG), and subsequent polycondensation with bio-based maleic anhydride (MA) produced unsaturated polyester resin (b-UPR). Bio-derived acryloyl-modified Kraft lignin (KL-A) served as a vinyl reactive filler in the b-UPR matrix to create b-UPR/KL-A composites.

Citric Acid Cross-Linked Gelatin-Based Composites with Improved Microhardness.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of cross-linking and reinforcements in gelatin on the physico-mechanical properties of obtained composites. The gelatin-based composites cross-linked with citric acid (CA) were prepared: gelatin type B (GB) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and novel hybrid composite GB with β-TCP and hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles, and their structure, thermal, and mechanical properties were compared with pure gelatin B samples. FTIR analysis revealed that no chemical interaction between the reinforcements and gelatin matrix was established during the processing of hybrid composites by the solution casting method, proving the particles had no influence on GB cross-linking.

Structural, Mechanical, and Barrier Properties of the Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Bacterial Nanocellulose-Based Hybrid Composite.

This study presents an analysis of films which consist of two layers; one layer is PVDF as the matrix, along with fillers BaTiO (BT), and the second is one bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) filled with FeO. The mass fraction of BT in PVDF was 5%, and the samples were differentiated based on the duration of the mechanical activation of BT. This innovative PVDF laminate polymer with environmentally friendly fillers aligns with the concept of circular usage, resulting in a reduction in plastic content and potential improvement of the piezoelectric properties of the entire composite.

Copy number variation analysis identifies MIR9-3 and MIR1299 as novel miRNA candidate genes for CAKUT.

Background: Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) represent a frequent cause of pediatric kidney failure. CNVs, as a major class of genomic variations, can also affect miRNA regions. Common CNV corresponding miRNAs (cCNV-miRNAs) are functional variants regulating crucial processes which could affect urinary system development.

Structures and growth pathways of AuCl (n ≤ 7) cluster anions.

Gold chloride clusters play an important role in catalysis and materials chemistry. Due to the diversity of their species and isomers, there is still a dearth of structural studies at the molecular level. In this work, anions of AuCl and AuCl (n = 2-4) clusters were obtained by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI MS), and the most stable isomers of AuCl were determined after a thorough search and optimization at the TPSSh/aug-cc-pVTZ/ECP60MDF level.

The MMP-9 promoter genetic variant rs3918242, mRNA and protein expression in advanced carotid plaque tissue.

Background: The MMP-9 is a known player in atherosclerosis, yet associations of the MMP-9 -1562 C/T variant (rs3918242) with various atherosclerotic phenotypes and tissue mRNA expression are still contradictory. This study aimed to investigate the MMP-9 -1562 C/T variant, its mRNA and protein expression in carotid plaque (CP) tissue, as a risk factor for CP presence and as a marker of different plaque phenotypes (hyperechoic and hypoechoic) in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. The MnSOD as an MMP-9 negative regulator was also studied in relation to CP phenotypes.

Application of parallel artificial membrane permeability assay technique and chemometric modeling for blood-brain barrier permeability prediction of protein kinase inhibitors.

This study aims to investigate the passive diffusion of protein kinase inhibitors through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and to develop a model for their permeability prediction. We used the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay to obtain logPe values of each of 34 compounds and calculated descriptors for these structures to perform quantitative structure-property relationship modeling, creating different regression models. The logPe values have been calculated for all 34 compounds.

The involvement of Akt, mTOR, and S6K in the in vivo effect of IGF-1 on the regulation of rat cardiac Na/K-ATPase.

Background: We previously demonstrated that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) regulates sodium/potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na/K-ATPase) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) via phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K). Taking into account that others' work show that IGF-1 activates the PI3K/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway in many different cells, we here further questioned if the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/ribosomal protein p70 S6 kinase (S6K) pathway stimulates Na/K-ATPase, an essential protein for maintaining normal heart function.

Methods And Results: There were 14 adult male Wistar rats, half of whom received bolus injections of IGF-1 (50 μg/kg) for 24 h.

Unraveling Broadband Near-Infrared Luminescence in Cr-Doped CaYGeO Garnets: Insights from First-Principles Analysis.

In this study, we conducted an extensive investigation into broadband near-infrared luminescence of Cr-doped CaYGeO garnet, employing first-principles calculations within the density functional theory framework. Our initial focus involved determining the site occupancy of Cr activator ions, which revealed a pronounced preference for the Y sites over the Ca and Ge sites, as evidenced by the formation energy calculations. Subsequently, the geometric structures of the excited states E and T, along with their optical transition energies relative to the ground state A in CaYGeO:Cr, were successfully modeled using the ΔSCF method.

Fabrication of Porous Anorthite Ceramic Insulation Using Solid Wastes.

Porous anorthite (CaAlSiO) ceramics, suitable for thermal insulation in buildings, were obtained using waste seashells as a source of CaO, kaolin as a source of AlO and SiO and banana peel as a pore former. Changing the volume of banana peel as well as the processing temperature was found to be an effective approach to control the thermo-mechanical properties of the obtained anorthite ceramics. The sintering of powder compacts containing up to 30 wt% banana peel at temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1200 °C resulted in anorthite ceramics possessing up to 45% open porosity, a compressive strength between 13 and 92 MPa, a bulk density between 1.

Synthesis and characterization of antimicrobial colloidal polyanilines.

The potential application of colloidal polyaniline (PANI) as an antimicrobial is limited by challenges related to solubility in common organic solvents, scalability, and antimicrobial potency. To address these limitations, we introduced a functionalized PANI (fPANI) with carboxyl groups through the polymerisation of aniline and 3-aminobenzoic acid in a 1:1 molar ratio. fPANI is more soluble than PANI which was determined using a qualitative study.

The Roles of Impurities and Surface Area on Thermal Stability and Oxidation Resistance of BN Nanoplatelets.

This study considers the influence of purity and surface area on the thermal and oxidation properties of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanoplatelets, which represent crucial factors in high-temperature oxidizing environments. Three h-BN nanoplatelet-based materials, synthesized with different purity levels and surface areas (~3, ~56, and ~140 m/g), were compared, including a commercial BN reference. All materials were systematically analyzed by various characterization techniques, including gas pycnometry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared radiation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, gas sorption analysis, and thermal gravimetric analysis coupled with differential scanning calorimetry.

Effect of Covalence and Degree of Cation Order on the Luminous Efficacy of Mn Luminescence in the Double Perovskites, BaTaO ( = Y, Lu, Sc).

The spectroscopic properties of the Mn ion are investigated in the series of isostructural double perovskite compounds, BaTaO ( = Y, Lu, Sc). A comparison of these properties highlights the influence of covalent bonding within the perovskite framework and the degree of order between the B-Ta cations on the energy and intensity of the MnE → A emission transition (R-line). These two parameters of the emission spectrum are of importance for practical application since they determine the phosphor luminous efficacy.

Observation of WWγ Production and Search for Hγ Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.

The observation of WWγ production in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} is presented. The observed (expected) significance is 5.6 (5.

Hybrid nanostructures of nitrogen-doped carbon dots and aromatic amino acids: Synthesis, interactions at interfaces and optical properties.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCD) were synthesized using a simple and fast hydrothermal route, employing citric acid and urea as precursors. The resulting NCDs were non-covalently functionalized (conjugated) with aromatic amino acids, namely phenylalanine (Phe) and tryptophan (Trp). Atomic force microscopy revealed that the NCDs exhibit a disk-like morphology with an average diameter of approximately 60 nm and an average height of about 0.

New Structures in the J/ψJ/ψ Mass Spectrum in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.

A search is reported for near-threshold structures in the J/ψJ/ψ invariant mass spectrum produced in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV from data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 135  fb^{-1}. Three structures are found, and a model with quantum interference among these structures provides a good description of the data. A new structure is observed with a local significance above 5 standard deviations at a mass of 6638_{-38}^{+43}(stat)_{-31}^{+16}(syst)  MeV.

Comparative Study on the Removal Efficiency of Clomazone and Amitriptyline via Adsorption and Photocatalysis in Aqueous Media: Kinetic Models and Toxicity Assessment.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of adsorption and photocatalysis techniques at removing the herbicide clomazone (CLO) and the antidepressant known as amitriptyline (AMI) from water. This study employed kinetic models to analyze the removal processes and assess the potential toxicity of the treated water. The structure and morphology of the prepared multi-walled carbon nanotubes were characterized as adsorbents by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared techniques, and Raman spectroscopy.

Green Extraction Strategy Using Bio-Based Aqueous Biphasic Systems for Polyphenol Valorization from Grape By-Product.

Polyphenols are natural compounds with enhanced antioxidant properties. They are present in relatively high concentrations in fruit/vegetable by-products. Therefore, there is a need for the development of efficient and cost-effective methods for the separation and purification of these valuable compounds.