PL Activity Research Articles

Sex differences in prelimbic cortex calcium dynamics during stress and fear learning

In recent years, research has progressively increased the importance of considering sex differences in stress and fear memory studies. Many studies have traditionally focused on male subjects, potentially overlooking critical differences with females. Emerging evidence suggests that males and females can exhibit distinct behavioral and neurophysiological responses to stress and fear conditioning. These differences may be attributable to variations in hormone levels, brain structure, and neural circuitry, particularly in regions such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In the present study, we explored sex differences in prelimbic cortex (PL) calcium activity in animals submitted to immobilization stress (IMO), fear conditioning (FC), and fear extinction (FE). While no significant sex differences were found in behavioral responses, we did observe differences in several PL calcium activity parameters. To determine whether these results were related to behaviors beyond stress and fear memory, we conducted correlation studies between the movement of the animals and PL activity during IMO and freezing behavior during FC and FE. Our findings revealed a clear correlation between PL calcium activity with movement during stress exposure and freezing behavior, with no sex differences observed in these correlations. These results suggest a significant role for the PL in movement and locomotion, in addition to its involvement in fear-related processes. The inclusion of both female and male subjects is crucial for studies like this to fully understand the role of the PFC and other brain areas in stress and fear responses. Recognizing sex differences enhances our comprehension of brain function and can lead to more personalized and effective approaches in the study and treatment of stress and fear-related conditions.

Transformations in prefrontal ensemble activity underlying rapid threat avoidance learning.

The capacity to learn cues that predict aversive outcomes, and understand how to avoid those outcomes, is critical for adaptive behavior. Naturalistic avoidance often means accessing a safe location, but whether a location is safe depends on the nature of the impending threat. These relationships must be rapidly learned if animals are to survive. The prelimbic subregion (PL) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) integrates learned associations to influence these threat avoidance strategies. Prior work has focused on the role of PL activity in avoidance behaviors that are fully established, leaving the prefrontal mechanisms that drive rapid avoidance learning poorly understood. To determine when and how these learning-related changes emerge, we recorded PL neural activity using miniscope calcium imaging as mice rapidly learned to avoid a threatening cue by accessing a safe location. Over the course of learning, we observed enhanced modulation of PL activity representing intersections of a threatening cue with safe or risky locations and movements between them. We observed rapid changes in PL population dynamics that preceded changes observable in the encoding of individual neurons. Successful avoidance could be predicted from cue-related population dynamics during early learning. Population dynamics during specific epochs of the conditioned tone period correlated with the modeled learning rates of individual animals. In contrast, changes in single-neuron encoding occurred later, once an avoidance strategy had stabilized. Together, our findings reveal the sequence of PL changes that characterize rapid threat avoidance learning.

Terbium (III) and salicylamide doped nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanoparticles synthesized from Olea europaea L. plant extracts via eco-friendly green synthesis approach and co-precipitation method

An eco-friendly and cost-effective NiFe2O4 nanoparticles and its derivatives NiFe2O4:salicylamide, NiFe2O4:salicylamide:Tb3+ and NiFe2O4:salicylamide:Tb3+:Olea europaea L. extracts have been successfully synthesized using a simple and refluxed-assisted chemical co-precipitation method and green route approach followed by thermal treatment steps. In this report, the structural, morphological, optical characteristics and biological activities of the nanoparticles were characterized by using XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-Vis, PL, BET analysis, antibacterial assays and antioxidant activities. The results from XRD revealed that NiFe2O4 has a crystalline structure and EDX elemental mapping confirmed the uniform distributed of all the elements in the matrix. The incorporation of salicylamide, Tb3+ and Olea europaea L. extracts into NiFe2O significantly enriched the luminescence intensities and changed the emission colour coordinates. Colour tunability was achieved with luminescence ranging from bright blue emission to reddish orange light, which makes nanoparticles important candidates for solid-state lighting technologies. Combining olive leaf extracts with NiFe2O4 nanoparticles provided effective antioxidant and antibacterial activity by reducing and stabilizing of nanoparticles. Moreover, all experimental results reveal new ideas for the design and optimization of multifunctional nanomaterials with higher sensitivity and pave the way for the production of new functional nanomaterials.

Threat-dependent scaling of prelimbic dynamics to enhance fear representation

Promptly identifying threatening stimuli is crucial for survival. Freezing is a natural behavior displayed by rodents toward potential or actual threats. Although it is known that the prelimbic cortex (PL) is involved in both risk evaluation and in fear and anxiety-like behavior expression, here we explored whether PL neuronal activity can dynamically represent different internal states of the same behavioral output (i.e., freezing). We found that freezing can always be decoded from PL activity at a population level. However, the sudden presentation of a fearful stimulus quickly reshaped the PL to a new neuronal activity state, an effect not observed in other cortical or subcortical regions examined. This shift changed PL freezing representation and is necessary for fear memory expression. Our data reveal the unique role of the PL in detecting threats and internally adjusting to distinguish between different freezing-related states in both unconditioned and conditioned fear representations.

Effects of Manual Lymphatic Drainage with Mobilization and Myofascial Release on Muscle Activities during Dynamic Balance in Adults with Calf Muscle Shortening.

Mobilization with movement (MWM) and myofascial release (MFR) are treatment techniques that increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DFROM). Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) facilitates waste drainage and improves soft tissue tension in peripheral tissues. To date, no studies have investigated how the combination of MLD, MWM, and MFR influences the human body. The purpose of this study is to determine how the combination of MLD, MWM, and MFR affects DFROM and balance ability. We randomly assigned 16 individuals (26 feet) to one of three groups: MWM-MFR (MR), MWM-MLD (MD), or MWM-MFR-MLD (MRD) intervention. To confirm the intervention effect of each group, DFROM was assessed using a modified lunge test, and dynamic balance was measured using a modified star excursion balance test. In the results, differences were found between the MR and MRD groups in PL and mGCM activities in the 1 section (p = 0.008, p = 0.036) and between the MD and MRD groups in mGCM activity in the 4 and 5 sections (p = 0.049, p = 0.004). We suggest that the application of MRD is the most effective intervention for increasing muscle activation of the PL and mGCM during the modified star excursion balance test.

Transcriptome analysis integrated with changes in cell wall polysaccharides of different fresh-cut chili pepper cultivars during storage reveals the softening mechanism

Cell wall disassembly and transcriptomic changes during storage of two fresh-cut chili pepper cultivars displaying contrasting softening rates were investigated. Results showed that Hangjiao No. 2 (HJ-2) softened more rapidly than Lafeng No. 3 (LF-3). Compared with LF-3, HJ-2 had a higher content of WSP, more side chains of RG-I in three pectin fractions, and higher activities of PME, PL, and β-Gal at day-0. During storage, HJ-2 showed more markable pectin solubilization, more severe degradation in CSP and NSP, and greater loss of side chains from RG-I in three pectin fractions, which were correlated with increased activities of PG and α-L-Af. Furthermore, the higher up-regulation of PG (LOC107870605, LOC107851416) and α-L-Af (LOC107848776, LOC107856612) were screened in HJ-2. In conclusion, the different softening rate between cultivars was not only due to the fundamental differences in pectin structure but also pectin degradation regulated by related enzymes and gene expression levels.

An in vitro cytotoxicity study on PANI/ZnO nanocomposites against HCT- 116 cancer cells using MTT assay

Polyaniline/ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized with different weight percentage of ZnO (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) using an in situ chemical polymerization method. The prepared composite samples were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TEM, SEM with EDAX, UV-Vis, PL, electrical conductivity, photocatalytic properties, antibacterial and anticancer activity. The presence of functional groups in PANI-ZnO NCs is identified by FTIR spectral analysis. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the nanocomposites exhibit preferential orientational growth along the (002) plane with a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The intensity of the maximum reflection (101) increases with increasing ZnO doping concentrations. The TEM analysis indicates that the spherical shape,the particle size was found to be 36.8 nm. SAED pattern closely matched the peaks of the XRD pattern, confirming that the relevant SAED patterns correspond to hexagonal Wurtzite crystals of ZnO. SEM image shows a spherical morphology and ZnO nanoparticles are homogeniously mixed with PANI matrix. EDAX analysis showed the presence of Zn, C and O.UV-vis absorption spectra reveals increasing wavelength leads to the redshift in which there is a strong interaction between PANI and PANI/ZnO. The band gap energy of PANI/ZnO NCs is decreased to 1.30 eV by adding different concentrations of ZnO. PL analysis showed that the addition of ZnO dopants reduced the bandgap and increased oxygen defect vacancies of PANI/ZnO composites. An increase in ZnO content in the PANI matrix was also seen to cause a decrease in electrical conductivity. This alteration might be connected to ZnO’s doping and dedoping activity in the PANI matrix. Photocatalytic activity of 80 wt%ZnO-doped PANI-NPs through the degradation of methylene blue (MB) pigment studied under UV-A light and had detected 95% of degradation throughout 260 min. The lowest bandgap of 80 wt% ZnO shows the highest photocatalytic MB degradation performance. PANI/ZnO nanocomposite with high concentration of ZnO had good antibacterial activity against both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. An in vitro study was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of PANI and PANI/ZnO NPs on the HCT-116 cell line. The results of the MTT test reveal that PANI/ZnO NPs have a significantly greater cytotoxic effect on the HCT-116 cell line than PANI.

Impacts of pH on photocatalytic efficiency, the control of energy and morphological properties of CuO nanoparticles for industrial wastewater treatment applications

Copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesised using a microwave oven method at different pH conditions (2, 5, 9, 12) in this study. FTIR, PL, FE-SEM, EDAX, XRD, TEM, XPS, and photocatalytic activity were used to investigate the prepared materials. The standard monoclinic structure of the CuO nanoparticle is seen by XRD. The FE-SEM image depicts an agglomerated spherical granular shape. A PL spectrum of copper oxide nanoparticles reveals three peaks at 362 nm, 528 nm, and 596 nm. The existence of CuO nanoparticles in the molecular structure was confirmed by FTIR. HRTEM images indicate spherical morphology at 100 nm, 50 nm, and 20 nm. The SAED diagram's diffraction rings matched nicely with the XRD diagram's peaks. The EDAX spectra confirm the presence of copper and oxygen in abundance in these nanoparticles. During a malachite green dye treatment, the highest pH concentration was 98.33 % higher photocatalytic activity than the other samples. According to the XPS study, the two satellite peaks at 939 eV to 946 eV and 959 eV to 965 eV show the formation of CuO with the oxidation state Cu (+2). As part of the application to meet the needs of the company, the samples were tested for the photocatalytic decomposition of malachite green industrial dye under the irradiation of a visible light source, and the samples demonstrated an excellent result in the waste water decomposition of industrial dye in a very short period of time.the band gap energy values were found to be 1.71, 1.70, 1.69 and 1.68 eV.

Effect of Smilax spp. and Phellinus linteus combination on cytotoxicity and cell proliferation of breast cancer cells

BackgroundAlthough the prevalence of breast cancer (BC) has been reduced in recent years, proficient therapeutic regimens should be further investigated with the aim of further reducing the mortality rate. To obtain more effective treatment, the present study aimed to observe the effects of PL synergistically combined with Smilax corbularia and S. glabra extracts (PSS) on BC cell lines, MCF7, T47D, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468.MethodsThe half-maximal inhibition (IC50) concentrations of PSS and PL were determined in a dose- and time-dependent manner using MTT assay. The activity of PSS and PL on anti-BC proliferation was evaluated using BrdU assay, and colony formation assay. Moreover, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis induction as a result of PSS and PL exposure were investigated using propidium iodide (PI) staining and co-staining of annexin V DY634 and PI combined flow cytometric analysis, respectively. Finally, changes in the mRNA expression of genes involved in proliferative and apoptotic pathways (MKI67, HER2, EGFR, MDM2, TNFα, PI3KCA, KRAS, BAX, and CASP8) were explored using RT-qPCR following PSS and PL treatment.ResultsThe PSS and PL extracts exhibited significant potential in BC cytotoxicity which were in were in dose- and time-dependent response. This inhibition of cell growth was due to the suppression of cell proliferation, the cell cycle arrest, and the induction of apoptosis. Additionally, an investigation of the underlying molecular mechanism revealed that PSS and PL are involved in downregulation of the MKI67, HER2, EGFR, MDM2, TNFα, and PI3KCA expression.ConclusionsThis present study has suggested that PSS and PL possess anti-BC proliferative activity mediated via the downregulation of genes participating in the relevant pathways. PSS or PL may be combined with other agents to alleviate the adverse side effects resulted from conventional chemotherapeutic drugs.

Contextual fear conditioning with a time interval induces CREB phosphorylation in the dorsal hippocampus and amygdala nuclei that depend on prelimbic cortex activity.

In temporal associations, a conditioned stimulus (CS) is separated by a time interval from the unconditioned stimulus (US), which activates the prelimbic cortex (PL) to maintain a CS representation over time. However, it is unknown whether the PL participates, besides the encoding, in the memory consolidation, and thus directly, with activity-dependent changes or indirectly, by modulation of activity-dependent changes in other brain regions. We investigated brain regions supporting the consolidation of associations with intervals and the influence of PL activity in this consolidation process. For this, we observed in Wistar rats the effect of pre-training PL inactivation by muscimol in CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) phosphorylation, which is essential for memory consolidation, in subdivisions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala 3h after the training in the contextual fear conditioning (CFC) or CFC with 5-s interval (CFC-5s), fear associations without or with an interval between the CS and US, respectively. Both the CFC-5s and CFC training increased phosphorylation of CREB in the PL and infralimbic cortex (IL); lateral (LA) and basolateral (BLA) amygdala; dorsal CA1 (dCA1); dorsal (dDG), and ventral dentate gyrus, and the CFC-5s training in the central amygdala (CEA). PL activity was necessary for the CREB phosphorylation in the PL, BLA, CEA, dCA1, and dDG only in animals trained in the CFC-5s. The cingulate cortex, ventral CA1, and ventral subiculum did not have learning-induced phosphorylation of CREB. These results suggest that the mPFC, hippocampus, and amygdala support the consolidation of associations with or without intervals and that PL activity influences consolidation in the dorsal hippocampus and amygdala in temporal associations. Thereby, the PL contributes directly and indirectly by modulation to memory consolidation. The time interval engaged the PL early in recent memory consolidation. Results expanded PL's role beyond the time interval and remote memory consolidation.

Amino acid and Dicyclohexylurea Linked Pyrazole Analogues: Synthesis, In Silico and In Vitro Studies

AbstractPancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitors have received considerable attention by several researchers because of its ability to hydrolyse the triglycerides in the small intestine. This study reports the (i) synthesize of new pyrazole derivatives binding amino acid and Dicyclohexylurea (DCU), (ii) their pharmaceutical potentials‐ via enzyme inhibitory activity towards PL and antioxidant activities (using complementary antioxidant methods including FCR, FRAP and ORAC), (iii) the possible interactions between pyrazole compounds and PL enzyme through in silico studies, and the pharmacokinetic properties of the tetra‐substituted pyrazole analogues by PreADMET. Enzyme activities with IC50 values of the pyrazole analogues were found to be in a high range of 6.6±0.4 μM to 13.5±0.2 μM. However, antioxidant activities of the pyrazole analogues exhibited low binding affinities against FCR, FRAP, and ORAC. The pyrazole analogues with docking scores were in the range of −7.3 to −15.2 and their SAR analysis were demonstrated to highlight the importance of amino acid and DCU linked scaffolds. Two web tools were utilized for the purpose of predicting ADMET parameters of drugs and drug‐like pyrazole analogues. These results suggested that the amino acid and DCU linked pyrazole analogues have potential as PL inhibitors.

High-efficient synthesis of carbon quantum dots from orange pericarp as fluorescence turn-on probes for Ca2+ and Zn2+ ion detection and their application in trypsin activity characterization.

In this work, we propose an efficient preparation process for the synthesis of natural carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) by the usage of orange pericarp as the carbon natural resource, which is performed through hydrothermal treatment and top-down approaches. The structural, morphological, average size, and optical properties of synthesized NCQDs were investigated via dynamic light scattering (DLS), transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and fluorescence PL spectra. The shape of obtained NCQDs was observed to be spherical in the results of TEM analysis with an average size of 6-7 nm which confirms NCQDs essence. The signs of a strong peak (absorption) at around 282 nm throughout the UV-vis spectrum have been detected. The provided FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the existence of functional groups above the NCQDs surface. Furthermore, the surface charge of -11 mV through the obtained zeta potential regarding the synthesized NCQDs has been identified. MTT assay on mouse colon carcinoma cells (C26) demonstrated the lack of any signs of toxicity in NCQDs. The obtained NCQDs contain high photo-stability, excellent PL activity, and efficient fluorescent emission based on excitation. The results of kinetic studies revealed the ability of NCQDs to inhibit trypsin activity in a non-competitive model, which qualifies them as potent inhibitors and quenchers of trypsin. It can be suggested that the synthesized NCQDs have the potential of functioning as a sustainable and eco-friendly source for various applications such as sensors for detecting Ca2+ and Zn2+ and trypsin biosensor for determining enzyme activity.

Fluorometric Sensing and Detection of p-Nitroaniline by Mixed Metal (Zn, Ni) Tungstate Nanocomposite

Aromatic amines are important chemical intermediates that hold an irreplaceable significance for synthesizing many chemical products. However, they may react with substances excreted from human bodies to generate blood poisoning, skin eczema, and dermatitis disease and even induce cancer-causing high risks to human health and the environment. Metal tungstates have been proven to be highly efficient materials for developing various toxic gases or chemical detection sensor systems. However, the major factors of the sensors, such as sensitivity, selectivity, stability, response, and recovery times, still need to be optimized for practical technological applications. In this work, Ni-doped ZnWO4 mixed metal tungstate nanocomposite material was synthesized by the hydrothermal method and explored as a sensor for the fluorometric determination of p-nitroaniline (p-NA). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used for the elucidation of the optimized particle diameter. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to observe the surface morphological changes in the material during the solid-state reactions. The vibration modes of as-prepared samples were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The chemical bonding and oxidation states of individual elements involved in material synthesis were observed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PL activities of the metal tungstate nanoparticles were investigated for the sensing of p-nitroaniline (p-NA). The obtained results demonstrated that ZnNiWO4 was more effective in sensing p-NA than the other precursors were by using the quenching effect. The material showed remarkably high sensitivity towards p-NA in a concentration range of 25-1000 μM, and the limit of detection (LOD) value was found to be 1.93 × 10-8 M for ZnWO4, 2.17 × 10-8 M for NiWO4, and 2.98 × 10-8 M for ZnNiWO4, respectively.

Process optimization and kinetics for ultrasonication assisted extraction of phospholipids from ghee residue

AbstractGhee is a major Indian dairy product with a pleasant flavor. During its manufacture, ghee residue is obtained as the by‐product, which consists of substantial quantity of phospholipids. Phospholipids exhibit emulsifying properties and offer some health benefits. The present study aimed to optimize the process parameters for the extraction of phospholipids from ghee residue (GR) using ultrasonication. The GR was subjected to a series of pre‐treatments before ultrasonication. The hot water treatment led to reduction in nonpolar lipids and improved polar lipids (35.47% fat basis). Taguchi orthogonal array design was employed for optimization of ultrasound power, treatment temperature, time and solvent:solid (S:S) ratio with phospholipid content and antioxidant activity as the response variables. The phospholipid content ranged between 18.54% and 23.89% and antioxidant activity of the extracted samples varied from 47.01% to 50.64% expressed as radical scavenging activity by DPPH assay, while for the untreated GR, the PL and antioxidant activity were 4.98% and 32.75%, respectively. The power level of 80%, 80°C treatment temperature, S:S ratio of 15 and sonication time of 4 min. resulted in maximum extraction of phospholipids (24.12%). The yield of phospholipids was quantified as 13.1% and 8.88% by two elution techniques using solid phase extraction methods. The predicted and experimental values for the responses were in good agreement with R2 value of 0.98. Power and temperature were found to be significant (p < 0.01) in influencing phospholipids yield. For antioxidant activity of the extract, S:S ratio exerted significant effect (p < 0.01). The experimental data were fit in four defined empirical models for understanding the extraction kinetics. Based on the R2 values, the models explained the kinetics in the following order: Parabolic model>Power law>Peleg's model>Elovich's model.Practical applicationsPresently, ghee residue is often discarded as waste or used as animal feed by most of the ghee manufacturing dairy plants. Few studies were conducted to incorporate ghee residue as an ingredient in different food products. However, the present study opens new avenues for utilization of this by‐product for extraction of high value bioactive components, that is, phospholipids, with the help of novel technology; namely ultrasonication. The phospholipids have techno‐functional properties as an emulsifier. One of the classes of phospholipids, that is, sphingomyelin has unique health benefits, therefore this extract will also have scope as a nutraceutical. Thus, there is great practical utility for the present findings. In addition, for the scaling up of extraction techniques, the understanding of mass transfer kinetics is very vital and the same had been studied in the present investigation. Thus, the findings of this study are helpful in determining the ideal ultrasound‐assisted extraction conditions for extraction of phospholipids from ghee residue. Kinetics of extraction will help to explore opportunities for scale‐up of the process.

A Genesis Potential Index for Polar Lows

Abstract Polar lows (PLs) are intense maritime mesocyclones that typically develop during marine cold-air outbreak events over the high latitudes. The impacts posed by these systems to humans and the broader environment demand a robust understanding of the environmental factors that promote PL formation and, in turn, skillful prediction of PL activity. We hypothesize that the variability of PL activity is associated with some key large-scale climate variables skewed toward “extreme” values, which can provide predictable information on PL activity beyond the synoptic time scale. A PL genesis potential index (PGI) is developed that relates the climatological spatial distribution of PL genesis frequency and key climate variables in a Poisson regression framework. The optimal set of predictors consists of a static stability parameter and an environmental baroclinicity parameter. The optimal predictor categories are shown to be robust across different reanalyses and PL track datasets. The observed spatial distribution and seasonal cycle of PL genesis frequency are represented well by the PGI, and the interannual variability of PL activity is captured skillfully. The effects of the Arctic Oscillation (AO), El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and a few other climate modes on the interannual variability of PL activity are explored. Overall, our results suggest that the PGI may be used to inform skillful subseasonal to seasonal prediction of PL activity. Significance Statement Polar lows are intense mesocyclones over high-latitude oceans, and they have destructive impacts on coastal and island communities, and maritime and air operations. However, skillful prediction of polar lows on the subseasonal and longer time scales remains challenging. This study links polar low activity to large-scale environmental conditions in the Arctic through a statistical modeling approach. This work is based on the hypothesis that a shared statistical relationship exists between the large-scale climate variables and polar low activity across the Arctic, which enables a geographical unification of the controlling factors on polar low activity. Our results reveal two dominant factors, one related to the lower-tropospheric stratification and the other to the hydrodynamic instability of the lower-tropospheric flow. This statistical framework has potential applications to climate prediction and projection of polar low activity.

Formation Mechanism and Lattice Parameter Investigation for Copper-Substituted Cobalt Ferrites from Zingiber officinale and Elettaria cardamom Seed Extracts Using Biogenic Route.

Biogenic routes for the synthesis of nanoparticles are environmentally friendly, nontoxic, biocompatible, and cost-effective compared to traditional synthesis methods. In this study, cobalt ferrite was synthesized using Zingiber officinale and Elettaria cardamom Seed extracts. Effect of copper contents (x = 0.0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9) on the plant extracted was investigated by XRD, SEM, EDX, UV-Vis., PL, FE-SEM, FTIR and photocatalytic activity. XRD results revealed that nanoparticles exhibit a cubical spinel structure with an average diameter of 7–45 nm, calculated by the Debye Scherer formula. The value of the lattice parameter decreased from 8.36 Å to 8.08 Å with substitution of copper, which can be attributed to mismatch of ionic radii of Cu2+ (0.73 Å) and Co2+ (0.74 Å) ions. SEM analysis showed that nanoparticles exhibit a spherical shape (~13 nm diameter) for undoped samples and low Cu concentration, while they changed to a hexagonal structure at higher Cu concentration (x = 0.9) with a diameter ~46 nm and a decreased degree of agglomeration. FE-SEM further confirmed the nanoparticles’ size and shape. EDX analysis confirmed the presence of cobalt, iron, and oxygen without contamination. The optical absorption spectra of UV-vis and PL showed red-shift, which can be accredited to larger crystalline sizes of nanoparticles. FTIR spectra showed two main bands at 410 and 605 cm−1, indicating the presence of intrinsic vibrations of the octahedral and tetrahedral complexes, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of Co0.4Cu0.6 Fe2O4 nanoparticles was investigated using methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes under visible light irradiation. The degradation rate (93.39% and 83.15%), regression correlation coefficient (0.9868 and 0.9737) and rate constant (0.04286 and 0.03203 rate·min−1) were calculated for MB and MO, respectively. Mechanisms for the formation and photocatalytic activity of Cu-substituted plant-extracted cobalt ferrite were discussed. The Co0.4Cu0.6 Fe2O4 nanoferrite was found to be an efficient photocatalyst, and can be exploited for wastewater treatment applications for MB/MO elimination.

Foliar application of titanium on potato crop

Although titanium (Ti) is not considered a nutrient, researches demonstrate that Ti leaf application can provide beneficial effects on plants growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of foliar applications of Ti levels on the metabolism, nutrient uptake and yield of potato crop, Agate cultivar. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with five treatments and four replications. The treatments were composed of 0, 10.2, 15.3, 20.4 and 22.9 g Ti ha-1, divided into three applications during the growth stage, tuberization stage and tuber filling stage. Foliar applications of Ti increase the chlorophyll content (Spad value) in the tuber filling stage. Ti levels do not interfere with N, Zn and Cu nutrient accumulation. Increasing Ti levels linearly reduce the Mn, lipid peroxidation (PL) and urease content and increase the activity of peroxidase (POD), nitrate reductase (ANR), catalase (CAT), proline and Fe content in the growth stage, with maximum level around 3 to 6 g Ti ha-1. In the tuberization stage, at high levels of Ti, there is an increase in urease activity and CAT while ANR has its lowest value. In the tuber filling stage, high Ti levels are related to high Fe, Mn, high ANR and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and low PL activity. The ideal level of titanium applied by leaf for greater yield of tubers is 11.3 g of Ti ha-1.

Prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex has bidirectional control over the expression of behavioral sensitization to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) depending on the context of drug administration

Behavioral sensitization to MDMA is observed in the vast majority of rats if tested in the same environment in which previous MDMA exposure occurred, but not if tested in a novel, unpaired context. Previous studies have revealed a critical role for the prelimbic region of medial prefrontal cortex (PL) in the expression of sensitization to MDMA, but these studies assessed sensitization only in MDMA-paired environments. Given that PL activity can both facilitate and suppress behavior depending on context, we tested the hypothesis that PL has bidirectional control over the expression of locomotor sensitization to MDMA depending on the context of drug administration. Rats were treated with either saline or MDMA (5.0 mg/kg) twice daily for 5 days, in either their home cages (unpaired groups) or the activity monitors that were used for tests of sensitization on challenge days (paired groups). Prior to MDMA challenge injections (2.5 mg/kg; at ∼ 2 weeks of withdrawal), rats received bilateral PL microinjections of either lidocaine (100 μg/0.5 μl/side) or physiological saline (0.5 μl/side). Locomotor activity in response to MDMA challenge was unaffected by PL inactivation in saline pretreated rats. However, PL inactivation caused a decrease in locomotion to the challenge injection in MDMA/paired rats and an increase in locomotion in MDMA/unpaired rats. These results establish a novel role for PL in suppressing the expression of behavioral sensitization when subjects are challenged in a drug-unpaired context, adding to the literature implicating PL activity in both the expression and inhibition of other drug-related behaviors.

The Response of Northern Hemisphere Polar Lows to Climate Change in a 25 km High‐Resolution Global Climate Model

AbstractPolar lows (PLs) are small, intense cyclones that form at high latitudes during the winter. Their high wind speeds and heavy precipitation can have substantial impacts on shipping, coastal communities and infrastructure. However, low‐resolution climate models poorly simulate PLs, which reduces the confidence in their future projections. In this study, Northern Hemisphere (NH) PLs are assessed for the first time in a high‐resolution (25 km) global atmosphere‐only climate model, N512 HadGEM3‐GA3, for both present‐day and future RCP8.5 climate scenarios. The representation of PLs is found to agree reasonably well with the NCEP‐CFS reanalysis. The number of NH PLs are projected to substantially decrease (by over 60%) by the end of the 21st century, which is largely due to an increase in atmospheric static stability. Large decreases in PL activity are found in the Norwegian Sea, north‐east Atlantic and north‐west Pacific Oceans. Smaller changes are found in regions of current PL activity, such as the Barents and Labrador Seas, while new regions of PL activity along the northern Russian coastline are found where the Arctic sea ice is projected to disappear. The spatial differences found in future PL activity could have a substantial impact on human activity in the Arctic region.

Topical Pirfenidone-Loaded Liposomes Ophthalmic Formulation Reduces Haze Development after Corneal Alkali Burn in Mice.

Corneal chemical burns (CCBs) frequently result in corneal fibrosis or haze, an opacity of the cornea that obstructs vision and induces corneal blindness. Diverse strategies have been employed to prevent or reduce CCB-related corneal haze. In this study, we evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and biologic effects of a topical pirfenidone (PFD)-loaded liposomal formulation (PL) on a corneal alkali burn mice model. We found that PL was appropriate for ocular application due to its physiologic tear pH, osmolarity and viscosity suitable for topical ophthalmic use. Regarding its therapeutic activity, PL-treated mice had significantly reduced haze size and density, corneal edema, corneal thickness, and corneal inflammatory infiltration, in contrast to PFD in aqueous solution (p < 0.01). Importantly, the antifibrotic activity of PL (reduction of corneal haze) was associated with modulation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and Interleukin (IL)-1β genes. PL suppressed TGF-β expression and restored normal IL-1β expression in corneal tissue more efficiently in contrast to PFD in aqueous solution. In conclusion, PFD showed essential anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in the treatment of alkali burns. Noteworthy, a new formulation of PFD-loaded liposomes remarkably improved these effects, standing out as a promising treatment for corneal haze.