Natural Form Research Articles

A REVIEW ON THE β-CAROTENE: PRODUCTION, EXTRACTION, SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

The presence of double bonds gives β-carotene its distinctive hue, making it an oxygen-deficient isoprene-containing molecule. There are cyclic rings at both ends of the molecule. The present review was based on the production, extraction, synthesis and biological properties of β-carotene. Mammals can't produce carotenoids from scratch; therefore, they must get them from somewhere else. Algae, higher plants (in fruits and flowers as esters), fungi, and animals all have these yellow, red, and orange pigments in their natural forms. Carotenoids are found in human breast milk and can be modified through the mother's diet. Hexane, tetrahydrofuran, and acetone are examples of aprotic organic solvents that can be used for solvent-based extraction of -carotene from algae after and before they have been treated. The -carotene in algae, fungi, and plants can be extracted with the help of these solvents. The extraction process for -carotene is sped up and improved by the use of supercritical fluids. Increasing beta-carotene production can be accomplished by tailoring a number of environmental factors, including the type of organism used in the cultivation process, the amount of light available, the amount of salt present, the pH level, and the type and availability of carbon sources. Microalgae, plants, and fungus have all been optimised to increase their beta-carotene synthesis. It concluded that when administered in different doses, it has been shown to have effects like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. it is also effective against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Covid-19 and various other diseases.

Fish Development in Lake Ecosystems, Effect of Heavy Metals

Heavy metals enter the water bodies and combine with the water buffer system, then turn into poorly soluble hydroxides, carbonates, sulfides and phosphates, and also form metal-organic complexes, accumulate in the bottom sediments and in general in the bodies of the fish fauna of the reservoirs of the area, seriously affecting their development. It was determined that the amount of Ca2+ ions varied from 17 mg/l to 112 mg/l, and the amount of Mg2+ ions from 5.5 mg/l to 83.5 mg/l, in other words, towards autumn. water hardness has increased. The amount of alkali metal (Na+ + K+) ions is much lower in spring than in summer and autumn. According to the cations, the amount of chloride and sulfate ions increases in autumn. Thus, the impact of anthropogenic factors on fish is diverse and manifests itself primarily in morphological anomalies and changes in the basic biological parameters of fish populations. The main of them is the reduction of productivity and the complete loss of their natural forms, the increase of individuals and the increase of mortality.

Investigating Role of Intangible Cultural Heritage in constructing the phenomenon of Narmada River Parikrama

The traces of earliest human settlements are found on the bank of rivers which are one the natural forms of drinking water which are considered as a lifeline of the settlements. Since ancient time, Indian Culture assigned motherly values to rivers because of their significance in respective regional settings. Through-out the Indian Subcontinent, traditions and rituals evolved from ages around the rivers have shaped up some commonly followed cultural aspects along with some specific rituals to the rivers. Circumambulation of River Narmada, Shri Krishna Poojan on Yamuna River Banks at Vrindavan are examples of some of these specific cultural aspects. Out of the most sacred seven rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, Godawari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, and Kaweri); River Narmada has special cultural significance with its strategic geographical location dividing Indian subcontinent in Northern and Southern parts. This research is aimed to investigate the role of intangible Heritage in constructing the phenomenon of Narmada River Parikrama based on the parameters like historical importance, poetic references, mentions in Puraans, folk culture, religious importance, TapoBhumi Narmada (रेवा तीरे तप: कुर्यात!) with the very unique cultural aspect of Parikrama (Circumambulation) of a river as a deity. Parameters to understand cultural footprints were delineated to these aspects with the focus of completing one stage of research in stipulated time schedule. The religious aspect includes Tirthsthana (Sacredscapes) on the Parikrama Path on North and South banks, rituals, and activities followed by the devotees, and the connectivity of Lord Shiva with River Narmada. A famous verse says नर्मदा का हर कंकर है शंकर! (Means, each gravel of River Narmada depicts Lord Shiva.) Hence the religious thread in cultural heritage studies is very strong and needs to be established with the Parikrama perspective. The analytical methodology for conducting research included study of various literature references about River Narmada written by historians, poets, Saints, and ancient scriptures like Puraan, Mahatmya etc. available in the form of books, doctoral research thesis, research papers and scholarly articles. These literature sources refer River Narmada focusing on various perspectives. They are critically analysed and inferences regarding role of intangible cultural footprints around Narmada River banks in forming the Phenomenon of Parikrama are summarized in this paper. Next stage of the research or a way-forwards of this research study can be continued further to establish manifestation of Parikrama Concept in the tangible cultural heritage with respect to spatial planning and built forms.

Assessing the Safety and Therapeutic Efficacy of Cannabidiol Lipid Nanoparticles in Alleviating Metabolic and Memory Impairments and Hippocampal Histopathological Changes in Diabetic Parkinson’s Rats

Diabetic Parkinson’s disease (DP) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with metabolic syndrome that is increasing worldwide. Emerging research suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) is a neuropharmacological compound that acts against this disease, especially CBD in nano-formulation. The safety of cannabidiol lipid nanoparticles (CBD-LNP) was evaluated by assessing in vitro cytotoxicity in neurons and therapeutic outcomes in a DP animal model, including metabolic parameters and histopathology. CBD-LNPs were fabricated by using a microfluidization technique and showed significantly lower cytotoxicity than the natural form of CBD. The DP rats were induced by streptozotocin followed by a 4-week injection of MPTP with a high-fat diet. Rats were treated orally with a vehicle, CBD, CBD-LNP, or levodopa for 4 weeks daily. As a result, vehicle-treated rats exhibited metabolic abnormalities, decreased striatal dopamine levels, and motor and memory deficits. CBD-LNP demonstrated reduced lipid profiles, enhanced insulin secretion, and restored dopamine levels compared to CBD in the natural form. CBD-LNP also had comparable efficacy to levodopa in ameliorating motor deficits and memory impairment in behavior tests. Interestingly, CBD-LNP presented migration of damaged neuronal cells in the hippocampus more than levodopa. These findings suggest that CBD-LNP holds promise as an intervention addressing both metabolic and neurodegenerative aspects of DP, offering a potential therapeutic strategy.

Induction of mutation in Neurospora Crassa using neem (Azadirachta Indica A. Juss) leaf extract

Filamentous fungus has been used as a significant source of biotechnological applications. Neurospora crassa, a type of red bread mold, has been well recognized as a model system in fundamental scientific investigations. It can be effectively utilized as a valuable resource for molecular tools, and many mutations are available. Furthermore, N. crassa exhibits rapid growth and has no harmful properties. These characteristics indicate a significant, although unexplored, capacity of this fungus for use in biotechnological endeavors. The present investigation aimed to induce morphological changes in the N. crassa wild type by employing leaf extracts derived from Azadirachta indica A. Juss. To determine the mutagenic and growth-inhibitory effects of A. indica leaves, morphological mutants were identified and individually examined. Six morphological mutants such as albino (al), cauliflower (clf), conidial band (co.band), ropy light (ro.lig), dirty (dir), and ropy (ro) were obtained from the conidia of the wild-type N. crassa Ema (5297) strain, treated with A. indica A. Juss. leaf extracts. These mutants were compared to the wild-type, natural form of the organism in terms of their morphology, radial growth, and reproduction ability. Apparent variations were observed when a comparative study of Ema and the selected morphological mutants was undertaken. Linkage among the selected mutants in their specific linkage group was determined. Ropy, dirty, and albino were all linked to leu-3 (linkage group I), conidial-band and ropy light to trp-1 (linkage group III), and cauliflower to trp-4 (linkage group VII). Complementation was not observed in similar morphological N. crassa mutants. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 33(1): 79-98, 2024 (January)

Discrimination between the Triglyceride Form and the Ethyl Ester Form of Fish Oil Using Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Although the triglyceride form is the natural form of fish oil found in fish, the ethyl ester form of fish oil, which is used during processing to save costs, is also present on the market. In this study, fatty acids and lipids were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-LIT/MS), respectively, according to developed methods. The identification of fatty acids was based on the mass spectral characteristics and equivalent chain lengths. However, the fatty acid contents of both forms of fish oils are quite similar. The application of the LC-LIT/MS method for the structural characterization of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and the mechanism of LIT/MS fragmentation are also discussed. Neutral losses of CH2=CH2 (m/z 28) and CH3CH2OH (m/z 46), which are LIT/MS characteristics of ethyl ester from fish oil, were found for the first time. The triglyceride form of fish oils was easily and accurately identified using fingerprint chromatography. In conclusion, lipid analysis combined with LC-LIT/MS showed an improved capability to distinguish between types of fish oil.

Distribution of Nature-based Solutions in cities across Europe

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) is a conceptual framework that seeks to use properties of nature to co-produce ecosystem services to build climate change resilience and improve quality of life by mitigating the relationship between health inequality and socio-economic adversity. This study investigates how the distribution of these forms of urban nature relate to trends in demographic change and social and economic indicators that influence material aspects of quality of life (QoL) in cities. Using macro-scale spatial mapping and descriptive pattern identification, we examine the relationship of distribution trends in the key characteristics of NBS across European cities and social and material factors that influence QoL. Our findings suggest that less than 6% of NBS aim to address poverty or deprivation and fewer than 25% relate to housing or neighbourhood regeneration. We argue inattention to the complex intersectional relationship of socio-economic disparities, historical structural conditions, and the impact of changes to the structural policy on economic convergence across regions leading to the concept being used to address green-growth imperatives in Western Europe rather than mitigate inequalities across eastern and parts of Southern Europe. Failure to address these considerations in the design and deployment of NBS could lead to cities reinforcing or even worsening inequalities within deprived communities, particularly in these areas.

Natural Amino Acid-Bearing Carbamate Prodrugs of Daidzein Increase Water Solubility and Improve Phase II Metabolic Stability for Enhanced Oral Bioavailability.

Daidzein (DAN) is an isoflavone, and it is often found in its natural form in soybean and food supplements. DAN has poor bioavailability owing to its extremely low water solubility and first-pass metabolism. Herein, we hypothesized that a bioactivatable natural amino acid-bearing carbamate prodrug strategy could increase the water solubility and metabolic stability of DAN. To test our hypothesis, nine amino acid prodrugs of DAN were designed and synthesized. Compared with DAN, the optimal prodrug (daidzein-4'-O-CO-N-isoleucine, D-4'-I) demonstrated enhanced water solubility and improved phase II metabolic stability and activation to DAN in plasma. In addition, unlike the passive transport of DAN, D-4'-I maintained high permeability via organic anion-transporting polypeptide 2B1 (OATP2B1)-mediated transport. Importantly, D-4'-I increased the oral bioavailability by 15.5-fold, reduced the gender difference, and extended the linear absorption capacity in the pharmacokinetics of DAN in rats. Furthermore, D-4'-I exhibited dose-dependent protection against liver injury. Thus, the natural amino acid-bearing carbamate prodrug strategy shows potential in increasing water solubility and improving phase II metabolic stability to enhance the oral bioavailability of DAN.

School Electricity Consumption in a Small Island Country: The Case of Fiji

Electricity consumption in buildings is one of the major causes of energy usage and knowledge of this can help building owners and users increase energy efficiency and conservation efforts. For Pacific Island countries, building electricity demand data is not readily accessible or available for constructing models to predict electricity demand. This paper starts to fill this gap by studying the case of schools in Fiji. The aim of the paper is to assess the factors affecting electricity demand for grid-connected Fijian schools and use this assessment to build mathematical models (multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN)) to predict electricity consumption. The average grid-connected electricity demand in kWh/year was 1411 for early childhood education schools, 5403 for primary schools, and 23,895 for secondary schools. For predicting electricity demand (ED) for all grid-connected schools, the stepwise MLR model shows that taking logarithm transformations on both the dependent variable and independent variables (number of students, lights, and air conditioning systems) yields statistically significant independent variables with an R2 value of 73.3% and RMSE of 0.2248. To improve the predicting performance, ANN models were constructed on both the natural form of variables and transformed variables. The optimum ANN model had an R2 value of 95.3% and an RMSE of 59.4 kWh/year. The findings of this study can assist schools in putting measures in place to reduce their electricity demand, associated costs, and carbon footprint, as well as help government ministries make better-informed policies.

Enhancing the Aesthetic and Economic Value of Potted Zinnia through Pinching and Paclobutrazol Spray

Potted plants constitute a significant portion of the global floriculture trade, highlighting the importance of pot presentation for commercial competitiveness. Despite being a commonly grown annual crop in flower beds during its season, zinnia's potential as a potted plant has been limited by its natural growth form that looks disproportionate in a pot. This study examines the impact of pinching and paclobutrazol application on enhancing the suitability of zinnia for pot presentation. It was conducted during the rabi season at the College of Horticulture, Hyderabad.The results indicate that both pinching and paclobutrazol treatment significantly reduce plant height while improving plant spread. Among the treatments, the combination of 100 ppm paclobutrazol application and double pinching demonstrated the highest pot presentation score at 87.41, followed by the treatment involving 50 ppm paclobutrazol and double pinching with a score of 85.31. Conversely, the control treatment without pinching or spray exhibited the lowest score of 60.33 points. Furthermore, when assessing the benefit-cost ratio, double pinching with 100 ppm of paclobutrazol proved to have significant commercial advantages with a B:C ratio of 1.4.

The benefits of breastfeeding for the health of the infant, the mother and the impact this has on public health in Brazil

Breastfeeding is a fundamental practice for a baby's health and proper development, offering a number of short- and long-term benefits for the baby and the mother. This natural form of feeding provides all the essential nutrients a baby needs in the first 6 months of life, promoting proper, healthy growth and strengthening the newborn's immune system. In nutritional terms, breast milk is a complete source of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins. Breastfeeding provides a deep emotional connection between mother and child, allowing the release of feel-good hormones, promoting an emotional bond and a sense of security and tranquillity for the baby. For mothers, breastfeeding also brings numerous benefits. The release of oxytocin during breastfeeding helps to reduce postpartum bleeding and increases contraction of the uterus, aiding postpartum recovery and preventing hemorrhage. Breastfeeding can help with post-pregnancy weight loss and reduce the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The (WHO) and (UNICEF) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby's life, followed by the gradual introduction of complementary foods up to the age of two. However, despite the numerous benefits, many women face challenges to breastfeeding, including lack of support, returning to work and lack of information. It is therefore crucial to promote policies that support breastfeeding, such as paid maternity leave, breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and education programs for pregnant women and health professionals.

Unlocking Amides: A General Method for the Self-Immolative Release of Amide-Containing Molecules.

The controlled liberation of molecules from a constructed framework is a subject of profound interest across various chemical fields. It allows for the masking of a molecule's properties and precise deployment upon a single controllable release event. While numerous methodologies have been developed for amines, alcohols, and thiols, approaches for utilising amides as payload-release handles are still in their early stages of development, despite the prevalence of amides in therapeutic compounds and materials. Herein, is presented a comprehensive strategy for the controlled and selective release of a diverse range of amides with stable linkers. The versatility of this approach is demonstrated by its successful application in the targeted release of various amide-containing drugs in their natural form via the use of commonly used trigger motifs, such as dipeptides or glycosides. As a proof of concept, the FDA-approved antibiotic linezolid has been successfully converted into a prodrug form and released selectively only in the presence of the trigger event. Significantly, in its prodrug state, no activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis was exhibited. Linezolid's full potential was achieved only upon controlled release, where an equipotent efficacy to the free linezolid control was demonstrated, thus emphasising the immense potential of this method.

Nexus between digital financial inclusion and economic growth: a panel data investigation of Asian economies

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between digital financial inclusion and economic growth in specific Asian countries, emphasizing the exploration of how digital financial inclusion dynamics impact gross domestic per capita income.Design/methodology/approachThe study creates a digital financial inclusion composite index (DFII) by incorporating essential metrics from the Global Findex report. Economic growth is measured using Gross Domestic Product per capita income in its natural logarithmic form (LnPCI), with three control variables– employment-to-population ratio; population growth and inflation. The analysis utilizes a fixed-effect dummy variable model to examine the relationship, considering unobserved country-specific heterogeneity. 30 Asian countries have been selected for the study for the periods 2014, 2017 and 2021 based on their availability, as outlined in Table 4.FindingsThe research revealed a robust positive correlation between the Digital Financial Inclusion Index (DFII) and logarithmic GDP per capita income (LnPCI), indicating higher per capita income with enhanced digital financial inclusion. Employment and population exhibited minimal influence, whereas inflation had a notable negative effect on per capita income. Population growth showed a limited impact. The model demonstrated a high explanatory power for the dependent variable (high R-squared), and the residuals displayed low autocorrelation (Durbin–Watson of 1.96).Originality/valueThis study adds to the existing literature by examining the intricate connection between digital financial inclusion (DFI) and economic growth in 30 Asian countries, employing a comprehensive composite index for analysis.

Non-excludable Bilateral Trade between Groups

Bilateral trade is one of the most natural and important forms of economic interaction: A seller has a single, indivisible item for sale, and a buyer is potentially interested. The two parties typically have different, privately known valuations for the item, and ideally, they would like to trade if the buyer values the item more than the seller. The celebrated impossibility result by Myerson and Satterthwaite shows that any mechanism for this setting must violate at least one important desideratum. In this paper, we investigate a richer paradigm of bilateral trade, with many self-interested buyers and sellers on both sides of a single trade who cannot be excluded from the trade. We show that this allows for more positive results. In fact, we establish a dichotomy in the possibility of trading efficiently. If in expectation, the buyers value the item more, we can achieve efficiency in the limit. If this is not the case, then efficiency cannot be achieved in general. En route, we characterize trading mechanisms that encourage truth-telling, which may be of independent interest. We also evaluate our trading mechanisms experimentally, and the experiments align with our theoretical results.

Potentiality of using guarumã natural fiber (Ischinosiphon koern) in sustainable coating mortars

Brazil, a country with the greatest biodiversity in the world due to its favorable geographic location and climate, has an abundant variety of natural fibers still unexplored with great potential of use in cementitious composites. In this context, the guarumã fiber (Ischinosiphon koern) of Amazonian origin, endemic to the banks of rivers and streams, stands out. This study proposes to evaluate the potential of this type of vegetable fiber, still unexplored, as a reinforcement material for coating mortars. For this purpose, initially, the fiber was characterized in its natural form and after a surface treatment based on NaOH. The material with and without treatment was used as an addition in the proportions of 0% (reference), 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% in relation to the Portland cement mass in the production of mortars with a ratio of 1:3:0.66 (cement: sand: water/cement factor). The experimental program included tests in the fresh state, in the hardened state and durability cycles. From the results, it was found that the matrices with additions of 0.5% and 1% of fibers were the ones that presented the best performance, indicating that guarumã is a promising new material in the composition of coating mortars.

Analysis of The Causes of Defects In Products in Cup Filing Machines

Drinking water is good water and can be in natural form or processed like sea water for desalination, itmust meet the drinking water standards set. Drinking water standards are divided into ordinary water, mineral water, natural mineral water and bottled water. AMDK is drinking water that has been treated, packaged and is safe for direct consumption in accordance with industrial standards in Indonesia. Manufacturing machines including glass, bottle and gallon filling machines often experience product defects outside the planned schedule and machine damage causes production to stop, thereby reducing machine performance and suggestions and input for improvements so that it can run as desired.

Most recent advances and applications of extracellular vesicles in tackling neurological challenges.

Over the past few decades, there has been a notable increase in the global burden of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Despite advances in technology and therapeutic options, neurological and neurodegenerative disorders persist as significant challenges in treatment and cure. Recently, there has been a remarkable surge of interest in extracellular vesicles (EVs) as pivotal mediators of intercellular communication. As carriers of molecular cargo, EVs demonstrate the ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier, enabling bidirectional communication. As a result, they have garnered attention as potential biomarkers and therapeutic agents, whether in their natural form or after being engineered for use in the CNS. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to EVs, encompassing various aspects such as their diverse isolation methods, characterization, handling, storage, and different routes for EV administration. Additionally, it underscores the recent advances in their potential applications in neurodegenerative disorder therapeutics. By exploring their unique capabilities, this study sheds light on the promising future of EVs in clinical research. It considers the inherent challenges and limitations of these emerging applications while incorporating the most recent updates in the field.

Biogeomorphological response to river restoration of a suburban river with large wood: Creating a restoration vision and cost‐effectively monitoring the response trajectory using the citizen science MoRPh survey

AbstractBiogeomorphological responses to river restoration are rarely reported. Despite a transition in the emphasis and priorities of river management over the last 40 years from controlling river channel forms and processes to restoring and supporting natural processes, forms and functions, remarkably little information is available on project outcomes. Here, using the example of Beverley Brook within Wimbledon Common, Greater London, UK, we illustrate how standardised detailed monitoring information can be assembled at a very low cost using the citizen science MoRPh survey and we demonstrate the importance of having a pre‐project vision of likely outcomes that can be tracked by the monitoring programme. We show how a pre‐project and five post‐project surveys undertaken over 4 years according to a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) design provides scientifically robust data. Analysis of the survey data quantifies the nature, abundance and spatial distribution of restoration interventions, the immediate responses to those interventions, and the ensuing trajectory of biogeomorphological adjustments. Changes in the persistence, size, position, abundance and evolution of habitats reveal the degree to which the restoration achieved the pre‐project biogeomorphological vision and why the recovery trajectory progressed at the observed rate and to the observed end point over 4 years. Our approach has enormous potential for monitoring the outcomes of river interventions. Whilst our project was limited in its spatial scale and focus on physical habitats, we suggest how these limitations could be overcome whilst still containing costs.

Physico-Chemical Parameters and Bacteriological Quality Assessment of Some Domestic Water Sources in Pankshin LGA of Plateau State Nigeria

Due to human activity and other natural influences, drinking water is seldom found in 100% pure forms in nature. Drinking polluted water is a major source of sickness in underdeveloped nations. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and standard methodologies for the investigation of water and wastewater were followed in the analysis of the collected water samples, which were conducted using automated instrumental methods. The obtained results indicated that the samples used had the following ranges of concentrations: SO42- ranges from ND to 19.00 mg/L; NO3-  ranges from 4.40 to 100.32 mg/L; PO42- from 2.02-11,34 mg/L; pH 6.64 to 7.70; Cd from 0.0020 ± 0.001 to 0245 ± 0.01 mg/L; Ni, from 0.0074 ± 0.003 to 0.848 ± 0.021 mg/L; Cr, ND to 0.386 ± 0.082 mg/L; Pb ND to 0.428 ± 0.003 mg/L; total bacteria count TaBC, 4 x 102 to 3.3 x 104 CFU/mL. Most of the physicochemical parameters were above acceptable limits. The bacteriological study of the water samples also revealed that the water samples were all polluted with bacteria and coliforms. From the foregoing, these drinking water sources, therefore require treatment before consumption to minimize or avoid the incidences of water-related diseases.

A Survey on Speech Emotion Recognition System using CNN Algorithm

The speech emotion recognition system (SER) plays an important role in decoding and predicting the speaker's emotional state by analyzing audio signals. Emotions are often simplified and grouped into categories such as anger, happiness, sadness, and even neutral emotional states. These emotions serve to communicate one's thoughts and provide insight into one's physical and mental health. Speech is the most basic and natural form of communication when interacting with others. Voice signals enable rapid communication between individuals, making them a valuable and effective method of expression. Over the past decades, countless research initiatives have been devoted to the development of voice-based automatic emotion recognition systems, especially to improve human-machine communication. Voice is gradually taking center stage in the field of Human-Machine interfaces in the IT sector. This interdisciplinary field draws on a variety of fields, including computer science, signal processing, psychology, linguistics, and more. As technology advances, it allows for seamless communication between humans and machines. Speech recognition not only interprets speech but also captures nuances in a person's tone and expressions, similar to body language. Therefore, it becomes an essential element of the Human-Machine communication system.