Since the development of the "cholinergic hypothesis" as an important therapeutic approach in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the scientific community has made a remarkable effort to discover new and effective molecules with the ability to inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The natural function of this enzyme is to catalyze the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain. Thus, its inhibition increases the levels of this neurochemical and improves the cholinergic functions in patients with AD alleviating the symptoms of this neurological disorder. In recent years, attention has also been focused on the role of another enzyme, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), mainly in the advanced stages of AD, transforming this enzyme into another target of interest in the search for new anticholinesterase agents. Over the past decades, Nature has proven to be a rich source of bioactive compounds relevant to the discovery of new molecules with potential applications in AD therapy. Bioprospecting of new cholinesterase inhibitors among natural products has led to the discovery of an important number of new AChE and BChE inhibitors that became potential lead compounds for the development of anti-AD drugs. This review summarizes a total of 260 active compounds from 142 studies which correspond to the most relevant (IC50 ≤ 15 μM) research work published during 2012-2022 on plant-derived anticholinesterase compounds, as well as several potent inhibitors obtained from other sources like fungi, algae, and animals.

Abstract This study investigates the frictional behavior and wear protection capacity of polyalphaolephin (PAO) oils additivated with combinations of zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), metal sulfides, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on steel surfaces. Various oil formulations, comprising PAO base oil with differing proportions of ZDDP, metal sulfides, and CNTs, were utilized to lubricate steel-steel contacts in block-on-ring tests. Both the blocks and rings were made of SAE 52100 bearing steel. The testing conditions selected for all the tests were 1 GPa of Hertzian contact stress, 1 m/s of sliding speed, and a total sliding distance of 3,600 m. Surface analysis was performed by means of SEM-EDS, laser confocal microscopy, and Raman microspectrometry. Results indicated that combining metal sulfides or CNTs with ZDDP notably reduced friction compared to ZDDP-only oil, with reductions ranging from 24 to 60%, depending on the formulation. However, wear rates varied considerably among formulations. Those containing ZDDP and Bi2S3 exhibited significant wear rate increases of 160 to 180% compared to ZDDP-only oil. Optimal wear protection for steel surfaces was achieved with ZDDP + CNTs and ZDDP + MoS2 combinations, resulting in wear rate reductions of 19 to 14% respectively.

A Synchronverter (SV) equipped with an Output Admittance Synthesizer is modified to avoid the usual transient instability of grid forming inverters in presence large grid disturbances, keeping the injected currents at safe values. The proposal consists of changing the control objective of the SV: instead of controlling the injected active and reactive powers, the injected active and reactive currents are controlled (as in a Grid Following Inverter). The resulting system [called here Current Controlled SV, (CCSV)], injects balanced currents, even against asymmetric faults. The CCSV is capable of operating both in island mode and in grid connected mode, and can switch between these modes without prior synchronization. Like the SV, the CCSV does not use a dedicated algorithm for synchronization (such as a PLL).

Abstract The Austral Pampa hosts extensive and diverse grasslands, which, over the last century, have been exposed to climate change and unprecedented disturbance regimes, including domestic herbivory and a novel fire regime. Predicting community responses to these changing conditions and designing appropriate conservation plans requires dissociating the individual contribution of each factor to community filtering. We ask whether fire, herbivory, temperature and drought, favor distinct communities in Pampean grassy ecosystems and which plant traits. Field surveys were conducted in three areas of the Ventania Mountain System in Pampa Austral (Argentina) exposed to varied fire, herbivory, and drought regimes. A total of 140 plant species were examined across 8 sampling areas, selected as representing different disturbance regimes. We measured 17 functional traits related to plant height, reproduction, and leaf area. The relationships between these traits and environmental variables were analyzed using RLQ and fourth-corner methods. RLQ analysis revealed that temperature, rainfall, and herbivory influenced plant communities, while fire frequency had less impact. We identified five distinct plant functional groups (PFGs) that differed in perenniality, type of pollination, resprouting capacity, spinescence, leaf hairiness and leaf area. Separating the effects of herbivory, fire, and drought reveals that multiple stresses could influence communities, resulting in higher resprouting and shorter life cycles. Analyzing how functional traits respond to environmental factors and disturbances provides insights into the conservation challenges posed by these changing disturbance dynamics in the Pampa biome.

In the comment on our paper, Prevosti et al. (2024) make a series of criticisms regarding the alleged lack of information provided on the dated samples and their geographic and stratigraphic provenance. In this contribution, we will give a reply to their comments. Our new zircon dating achieves the objective of the original study and provides valuable insights into the paleoecological dynamics of the period. It was out of the scope for our work to undertake a high resolution stratigraphical/sedimentological and dating analysis of each of the selected outcrops/sites.

AbstractUsing a chemoselective, sustainable and highly efficient method, new 4-thiazolidinones and 1,4-thiazepan-3-ones substituted with a glycosidic residue derived from d-fructose were synthesized. Microwave-assisted cascade multicomponent reaction under solvent-free conditions gave very good yields in short reaction times, which was followed by a nontoxic purification method of one of the diastereomers by precipitation–centrifugation. The new purified compounds isolated as diastereomers were evaluated as factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors.

This paper presents an active damping control for LCL-filtered grid-connected converters to meet strict grid codes and power quality standards. The control strategy allows unifying into a single design procedure different requirements demanded by system operators. A model-matching approach is used to set the reference tracking and disturbance rejection transfer functions separately, which provides an additional degree of freedom to the converter control design. On the other hand, the measurement stage and digital implementation effects are considered in the control design to maximize the control bandwidth. The proposed control strategy uses a reduced number of sensors and is able to compensate unbalanced and distorted grid voltage conditions; it presents a systematic design and is formulated in the discrete-time domain, enabling a direct digital implementation. Performance assessment and comparison of different control strategies are performed using eigenvalue and transient response analyses. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed strategy are validated through an experimental setup.

ABSTRACT The early Jurassic syn-rift phase generated a significant set of half-grabens, calderas, and pull-apart basins along the southwestern margin of South America. In particular, the Loncon Complex, located in the western Extra-Andean region of North Patagonia (∼40°S), forms part of such structures. In the present contribution, we characterize and define the Early Jurassic extensional architecture of the Loncon Complex, constituted of a small-scale pull-apart basin associated with polygenetic volcanism, based on outcrop-scale kinematic data from strike-slip faults, and stratigraphic analysis. Lithofacies analysis, texture, componentry, and structural data allow us to distinguish four stages during the evolution of the Complex; the three early stages are followed by a deformational phase, and crowned by a limited felsic monogenetic volcano; stages consist of a) A continental alluvial to fluvial sedimentation related with an early pull-apart basin phase; b) local phreatomagmatic explosions with syn-eruptive sedimentation periods of a medium life cycle (~104-105 years), b) effusive andesitic stage generated by strike-slip transtension, resulting in partial deformation and development of a local unconformity, and c) a final short-term silicic tuff ring volcano construction (days to months’ time span). The measured faulting pattern is synchronous with the Loncon Complex’s sedimentation and volcanism. Kinematic data allow us to characterize the Loncon Complex evolution under NNE-NNW minimum horizontal stress (SHmin). This local NNE-oriented extension is interpreted as a consequence of a regional process, in a similar way to the report for the Neuquén Basin and the surrounding region in Patagonia. New U-Pb data indicate the onset of volcanism began in the Sinemurian (193.08 ± 1.13 Ma) also supporting an equivalent timing with the vicinity half-grabens areas of the North Patagonia region and the Neuquén Basin (Figure S1a). The process that occurred during the Sinemurian, and probably during the Pliensbachian, affected the entire back-arc basin developed along the southwestern border of Gondwana.

The microcenter of Bahía Blanca (Argentina) has been hard hit by the pandemic and the economic crisis. Traffic is falling sharply, and many stores have been closed for good. Consequently, the final objective of this research is to have a software tool for decision-making that allows the establishment of intelligent marketing strategies. The chosen software resource is an Intelligent Decision Support System (IDSS). This paper describes the conceptual design of a generalized IDSS that will improve the commercial turn of Bahia's micro-center. Artificial intelligence is included in the data collection and analysis and in an optimizer that employs a predictive genetic algorithm. Among the innovative contributions of this study, the combination of predictive and prescriptive analytics is highlighted as a valuable tool to address the non-trivial task of optimizing the urban commercial turn. This IDSS can evaluate and categorize hypothetical scenarios, providing clues about their economic feasibility and desirability. It is the first tool in our region aimed at reorganizing physical stores to sustain jobs in the sector.