High Effect Research Articles

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Lepidium sativum seed mucilage as a bioreductant/capping agent for efficient antibacterial and photocatalytic activities

Contamination of aquatic resources with organic dyes and pathogenic bacteria ranks among the most serious threats to human survival and the environment. The current work investigated L. sativum seed mucilage as a reducing and capping agent for Ag NPs. From UV–vis spectroscopy, the characteristic surface plasmon resonance peak and the band gap energy of as-fabricated NPs were 440 nm and 2.07 eV, respectively. SEM revealed irregular-shaped NPs with an average diameter of 73.85 nm and EDX disclosed Ag along with C, O, and Si from mucilage’s biomolecules. The antibacterial and antibiofilm results showed higher inhibitory effects against the Gram-positive (B. cereus) than the Gram-negative (E. coli, and E. aerogenes) bacteria. The biosynthesized NPs were impressive in degrading methylene blue (MB, 89.45 %) and methyl orange (MO, 84.78 %) under optimized conditions viz., dye solution (20 ppm), photocatalyst dose (5 mg), light intensity (UV index of 10 +), and irradiation time (120 min). The kinetic data strongly supported the pseudo-first order model with maximum adsorption capacities of 787.40 and 724.64 mg/g for MB and MO, respectively as determined through the Langmuir isotherm model. The photocatalyst exhibited sufficient stability even after six repeated cycles, highlighting its suitability for industrial and commercial applications.

Inhibitory effect of L-arginine on the oxidative aggregation behavior of myofibrillar proteins in the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba): pH and antioxidation

In this study, the effect of L-arginine (L-Arg) on the oxidative aggregation of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) in Antarctic krill was evaluated. The results showed that the oxidized aggregation of MPs was significantly inhibited after the addition of 20 mM L-Arg compared to the oxidized group, the solubility of MPs significantly increased by 25.74 %, the turbidity reduced from 0.56 to 0.18. These effects were primarily attributed to the addition of L-Arg, which prevented the unfolding of the spatial structure of MPs after oxidation, inhibited the formation of disulfide bonds and dityrosine, and improved the stability of MPs structure. Analysis of carbonyl content and hydroxyl radical (•OH) inhibitory capacity showed that carbonyl formation and hydroxyl radicals were effectively reduced by the pH and guanidinium group of L-Arg. The pH of L-Arg exhibited a significantly higher effect than the guanidinium group in inhibiting the oxidative aggregation of MPs.

Comparing the measurement properties of the EQ-5D-5L, SF-6Dv2, QLU-C10D and FACT-8D among survivors of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma.

This study aimed to evaluate the measurement properties of EQ-5D-5L, SF-6Dv2, QLU-C10D, and FACT-8D in survivors of Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma (CHL). A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted from May to August 2022 to collect data. Chinese value sets were used to estimate the utility scores for EQ-5D-5L, SF-6Dv2, and QLU-C10D, while the Australian value set was used for FACT-8D. The measurement properties assessed included ceiling and floor effects, convergent validity (assessing associations between similar dimensions/utility scores using Spearman's rank correlation and intraclass correlation coefficient), and known-group validity (measures could differentiate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between risk groups). A total of 534 CHL survivors participated in the survey and completed the questionnaire. All dimensions of EQ-5D-5L, SF-6D (except for vitality), QLU-C10D, and FACT-8D showed ceiling effects, ranging from 18 to 91.6%. The EQ-5D-5L demonstrated the higher ceiling effects compared to other measures, with 33% of patients reporting full health on this scale. All 30 pairs of associations between similar dimensions from the four measures were statistically significant, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.29 to 0.77. Regarding utility scores, the EQ-5D-5L utility score showed a stronger correlation with SF-6Dv2 than with the other two measures. Statistically significant correlations of utility scores between the four measures were observed. EQ-5D-5L can significantly differentiate HRQoL among all known-groups, while SF-6Dv2, QLU-C10D, and FACT-8D showed a less strong discriminant ability. EQ-5D-5L outperformed SF-6Dv2 in terms of agreement with cancer-specific PRMs and discriminant ability. However, SF-6Dv2 showed stronger associations with similar dimensions of QLU-C10D and FACT-8D, indicating high convergent validity. The generic PBMs are sensitive enough to measure HRQoL in survivors of CHL.

Ketamine and Major Ketamine Metabolites Function as Allosteric Modulators of Opioid Receptors.

Ketamine is a glutamate receptor antagonist that was developed over 50 years ago as an anesthetic agent. At subanesthetic doses, ketamine and some metabolites are analgesics and fast-acting antidepressants, presumably through targets other than glutamate receptors. We tested ketamine and its metabolites for activity as allosteric modulators of opioid receptors expressed as recombinant receptors in heterologous systems and with native receptors in rodent brain; signaling was examined by measuring GTP binding, β-arrestin recruitment, MAPK activation, and neurotransmitter release. Although micromolar concentrations of ketamine alone had weak agonist activity at μ opioid receptors, the combination of submicromolar concentrations of ketamine with endogenous opioid peptides produced robust synergistic responses with statistically significant increases in efficacies. All three opioid receptors (μ, δ, and κ) showed synergism with submicromolar concentrations of ketamine and either methionine-enkephalin (Met-enk), leucine-enkephalin (Leu-enk), and/or dynorphin A17 (Dyn A17), albeit the extent of synergy was variable between receptors and peptides. S-ketamine exhibited higher modulatory effects compared with R-ketamine or racemic ketamine, with ∼100% increase in efficacy. Importantly, the ketamine metabolite 6-hydroxynorketamine showed robust allosteric modulatory activity at μ opioid receptors; this metabolite is known to have analgesic and antidepressant activity but does not bind to glutamate receptors. Ketamine enhanced potency and efficacy of Met-enkephalin signaling both in mouse midbrain membranes and in rat ventral tegmental area neurons as determined by electrophysiology recordings in brain slices. Taken together, these findings support the hypothesis that some of the therapeutic effects of ketamine and its metabolites are mediated by directly engaging the endogenous opioid system. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study found that ketamine and its major biologically active metabolites function as potent allosteric modulators of μ, δ, and κ opioid receptors, with submicromolar concentrations of these compounds synergizing with endogenous opioid peptides, such as enkephalin and dynorphin. This allosteric activity may contribute to ketamine's therapeutic effectiveness for treating acute and chronic pain and as a fast-acting antidepressant drug.

Biological effectiveness of uniform and nonuniform dose distributions in radiotherapy for tumors with intermediate oxygen levels.

We propose a criterion of biological effectiveness of nonuniform hypoxia-targeted dose distributions in heterogeneous hypoxic tumors based on equivalent uniform aerobic dose (EUAD). We demonstrate the utility of this criterion by applying it to the model problems in radiotherapy for tumors with different levels of oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) and different degrees of dose nonuniformity.&#xD;Approach. The EUAD is defined as the uniform dose that, under well-oxygenated conditions, produces equal integrated survival of clonogenic cells in radiotherapy for heterogeneous hypoxic tumors with a non-uniform dose distribution. We define the dose nonuniformity effectiveness (DNE) in heterogeneous tumors as the ratio of the EUAD(DN) for a non-uniform distribution DN and the reference EUAD(DU) for the uniform dose distribution DU with equal integral tumor dose. The DNE concept is illustrated in a radiotherapy model problem for non-small cell lung cancer treated with hypoxia targeted dose escalation. A two-level cell population tumor model was used to consider the hypoxic and oxygenated tumor cells.&#xD;Results. Theoretical analysis of the DNE shows that the entire region of the OER can be separated in two regions by a threshold OERth: 1) OER>OERth where DNE>1 indicating higher effectiveness of nonuniform dose distributions and 2) OER<OERth where DNE<1 indicating higher effectiveness of uniform dose distributions. Our simulations show that the value of the threshold OERth in radiotherapy with conventional fractionation is significant in the range of about 1.2-1.6 depending on selected radiotherapy parameters. In general, the OERth increases with reoxygenation rate, relative hypoxic volume and dose escalation factor. The threshold value of OERth is smaller of about 1.1 for hypofractionated radiotherapy.&#xD;Significance. The analysis of dose distributions using the DNE shows that the uniform dose distributions may improve biological cell killing effect in heterogeneous tumors with intermediate oxygen levels compared to targeted nonuniform dose distribution. &#xD.

Higher effect sizes for the detection of accelerated brain volume loss and disability progression in multiple sclerosis using deep-learning

PurposeClinical validation of “BrainLossNet”, a deep learning-based method for fast and robust estimation of brain volume loss (BVL) from longitudinal T1-weighted MRI, for the detection of accelerated BVL in multiple sclerosis (MS) and for the discrimination between MS patients with versus without disability progression. Materials and MethodsA longitudinal normative database of healthy controls (n=563), two mono-scanner MS cohorts (n=414, 156) and a mixed-scanner cohort acquired for various indications (n=216) were included retrospectively. Mean observation period from the baseline (BL) to the last follow-up (FU) MRI scan was 2-3 years. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) at BL and FU was available in 149 MS patients. Annual BVL was computed using BrainLossNet and Siena and then adjusted for age. Repeated-measures ANOVA and Cohen’s effect size were used to compare BrainLossNet and Siena regarding the detection of accelerated BVL and the differentiation between MS patients with versus without EDSS progression. ResultsCohen’s effect size for the differentiation of patients from healthy controls based on the age-adjusted annual BVL was larger with BrainLossNet than with Siena (MS cohort 1: 0.927 versus 0.495, MS cohort 2: 0.671 versus 0.456, mixed-scanner cohort: 0.918 versus 0.730, all p<0.001). Cohen’s effect size for the discrimination between MS patients with (n=51) versus without (n=98) EDSS progression was larger with BrainLossNet (0.503 versus 0.400, p=0.048). ConclusionBrainLossNet can provide added value in clinical routine and MS therapy trials regarding the detection of accelerated BVL in MS and the differentiation between MS patients with versus without disability progression.

Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Co-Culture of Burkholderia vietnamiensis B418 with Trichoderma harzianum T11-W Exhibits Improved Antagonistic Activities against Fungal Phytopathogens.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the biocontrol activity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by microorganisms. This study specifically focuses on the effects of VOCs produced by the co-culture of Burkholderia vietnamiensis B418 and Trichoderma harzianum T11-W for the control of two phytopathogenic fungi, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerium Owen. The antagonistic activity of VOCs released in mono- and co-culture modes was evaluated by inhibition assays on a Petri dish and in detached fruit experiments, with the co-culture demonstrating significantly higher inhibitory effects on the phytopathogens on both the plates and fruits compared with the mono-cultures. Metabolomic profiles of VOCs were conducted using the solid-liquid microextraction technique, revealing 341 compounds with significant changes in their production during the co-culture. Among these compounds, linalool, dimethyl trisulfide, dimethyl disulfide, geranylacetone, 2-phenylethanol, and acetophenone were identified as having strong antagonistic activity through a standard inhibition assay. These key compounds were found to be related to the improved inhibitory effect of the B418 and T11-W co-culture. Overall, the results suggest that VOCs produced by the co-culture of B. vietnamiensis B418 and T. harzianum T11-W possess great potential in biological control.

Targeting Ferroptosis with Small Molecule Atranorin (ATR) as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy and Providing New Insight into the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Background/Objectives: Ferroptosis results from the accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previous research has determined the effect of atranorin (ATR) on other cell death mechanisms, but its potential for a ferroptotic effect depending on ROS levels is unclear. This study details the therapeutic role of small-molecule ATR through ferroptosis by suppressing MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, BT-474, and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells. Methods: The anti-proliferative effect of ATR on cells was evaluated by xCELLigence analysis, and ferroptotic activity was evaluated by enzymatic assay kits. The changes in gene and protein expression levels of ATR were investigated by the qRT-PCR and western blot. In addition, mitochondrial changes were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Results: ATR was found to reduce cell viability in cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner without showing cytotoxic effects on normal breast cells. In BT-474 and MDA-MB-231 cells, ATR, which had a higher anti-proliferative effect, increased iron, lipid peroxidation, and ROS levels in cells and decreased the T-GSH/GSSG ratio. The results revealed for the first time that small-molecule ATR exhibited anti-cancer activity by inducing the glutathione pathway and ferroptosis. Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of ATR as a drug candidate molecule that can be used in the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of triple-negative and luminal-B breast cancer subtypes.

Effects of aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy combined with antibiotics on Mycobacterium abscessus skin infections: an in vitro and in vivo study

BackgroundMycobacterium abscessus skin infections have emerged as a major medical issue. Traditional antibiotic treatments are challenging, prolonged, and often lead to recurrence, creating an urgent need for new therapies. This study investigates the effectiveness of aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) combined with antibiotics in treatmenting M. abscessus, using both in vitro and in vivo methods. MethodsWe treated eight patients with M. abscessus skin infections following cosmetic surgery, using ALA-PDT (ALA concentration: 20%; red light: 80J/cm2) combined with oral or intravenous antibiotics,including clarithromycin, moxifloxacin and amikacin, to treat 8 patients with M. abscessus skin infection after medical cosmetic surgery, and assessed the treatment outcomes. Additionally, four bacterial strains (MAB-A1, MAB-A2, MAB-B1, and MAB-B2) isolated from patients were tested in vitro for ALA-PDT efficacy to determine the optimal ALA-PDT dosage. Furthermore, the strains’ single colony morphology, biofilm formation, and genome characteristics of were analyzed to explore the factors influencing ALA-PDT's bactericidal effects. Finally, a combined ALA-PDT and antibiotics sterilization experiment was conducted in vitro. ResultsClinically, ALA-PDT combined with antibiotics showed strong efficacy in treating M. abscessus skin infections, with no recurrence observed during follow-up. In vitro, ALA-PDT effectively killed M. abscessus, although MAB-B1 and MAB-B2 required a higher ALA-PDT dose compared with MAB-A1 and MAB-A2. Compared to MAB-A1 and MAB-A2, MAB-B1 and MAB-B2 exhibited stronger biofilm formation capabilities and bacterial virulence as well as genome mutations primarily affecting fatty acid synthesis and metabolism, potentially explaining their increased ALA-PDT dosage requirement. Notably, the combination of ALA-PDT and antibiotics exerted markedly higher bactericidal effects in vitro compared with antibiotics alone. ConclusionsALA-PDT combined with antibiotics emerged as an effective treatment for M. abscessus skin infections. However, optimal dosage and antibiotic combinations should be tailored to the characteristics of specific clinical strains.

PrescDRL: deep reinforcement learning for herbal prescription planning in treatment of chronic diseases

Treatment planning for chronic diseases is a critical task in medical artificial intelligence, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, generating optimized sequential treatment strategies for patients with chronic diseases in different clinical encounters remains a challenging issue that requires further exploration. In this study, we proposed a TCM herbal prescription planning framework based on deep reinforcement learning for chronic disease treatment (PrescDRL). PrescDRL is a sequential herbal prescription optimization model that focuses on long-term effectiveness rather than achieving maximum reward at every step, thereby ensuring better patient outcomes. We constructed a high-quality benchmark dataset for sequential diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and evaluated PrescDRL against this benchmark. Our results showed that PrescDRL achieved a higher curative effect, with the single-step reward improving by 117% and 153% compared to doctors. Furthermore, PrescDRL outperformed the benchmark in prescription prediction, with precision improving by 40.5% and recall improving by 63%. Overall, our study demonstrates the potential of using artificial intelligence to improve clinical intelligent diagnosis and treatment in TCM.

Efficacy of Nonpharmacological Treatment in Children and Adolescent with Tic Disorder: A Systematic Review

Tic disorders (TDs) are neurodevelopmental conditions which affect 0.3–0.9% of individuals aged &lt; 18 years. Although tics often improve or resolve spontaneously over time, treatment is often recommended. Pharmacological approaches are widely used as primary interventions. However, their side effects encouraged the development and the interest in nonpharmacological approaches, whose efficacy in pediatric populations remains poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments for children and adolescents with TDs. A literature review was performed using PubMed, EBSCOhost, and JABA databases up to 16 May 2024. Eligible articles were randomized controlled trials, written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals, investigating the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments in pediatric populations diagnosed with TDs. Significant evidence supported the efficacy of behavioral interventions such as the Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), its reduced version the Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), and the Exposure and Relapse Prevention (ERP) in reducing tics and tic-related impairment among young people, as assessed through the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale. Behavioral interventions were generally effective in reducing tics, although some studies reported higher effects on motor tics when compared to vocal tics. High level of efficacy was observed for both face-to-face and online treatments. While future studies are needed to improve treatment effects, especially on vocal tics, as well as to have a better understanding of treatment components and modalities, taken together, the present findings support the use of nonpharmacological intervention for TDs in youth.

Superior retention of aged fat graft by supplementing young adipose-derived stromal cells in a murine model.

In 2021, a meta-analysis showed fat graft retention varied from 26 to 83%. In a retrospective study including patients with Parry-Romberg syndrome, the younger age group had higher satisfaction scores (3.8 vs. 3.0) after fat grafting. Cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL) could be an alternative to overcome the instability of volume loss; however, no study investigated its effect on old recipients. In an in vitro study, adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) from aged and young (52- and 8-weeks old) DsRed B6 mice were characterized by proliferation rates as percentages of Ki-67-positive cells. 68-week-old wild type B6 mice received 150 µL of green fluorescent protein fat (from 69-week-old B6 mice) mixed with saline, 3 x 105 aged or young DsRed ASCs (N, A, and Y groups, respectively) on the scalp (n = 6/group). After 8 weeks, graft volumes were evaluated using micro-computed tomography. Vessel densities were tracked by percentages of CD31 using immunofluorescence staining. Young ASCs showed higher proliferation than the aged (47.1% and 26.2%, respectively, p < 0.05). The Y group showed the highest graft retention (median: N = 41.0%, A = 52.2%, Y = 65.2%, p < 0.05) and percentage of blood vessels (median: N = 27.7%, A = 43.5%, Y = 54.7%, p < 0.05) among the three groups. CAL is effective with old recipients; higher effect was observed by supplementation with younger ASCs due to higher angiogenesis stimulation. However, this is autologous grafting model, further validation of safety, toxicity, and allogenic grafting is required. The results suggest that it is clinically possible to conduct CAL for old adults using autologous ASCs. However, further validation of using allogenic ASCs from young donors to improve graft retention in old adults is required.

Terra Preta production from Ghanaian and Zambian soils using domestic wastes

Quests for productive soils to close yield gaps call for innovative strategies. This study tested an off-site formation of the Amazonian Terra Preta (TP) in a potential modern analogon under coastal savannah climatic conditions of Ghana. Four Ghanaian and two Zambian soils; two types of biochar (i.e., rice husk biochar and charcoal residues); domestic wastes (i.e., kitchen leftovers, animal manures, human urine, and kitchen ash) were mixed with the soils wetted to 100% water holding capacity, and incubated under aerobic conditions for nine months. Indicators of the TP include total carbon (C), pH, base saturation, basic cations, and plant-available P, which were measured using standard methods of soil analysis. The TP formation enhanced soil pH by 0.02 to 2.9, ranging from pH 7.2 to 8.2, with charcoal residues having the highest effect on pH. The modern TP was characterized by relatively high total C, pH, K, Ca, Mg, Na, base saturation, and plant-available P. These properties reflect unique interactions between the chars, wastes, and soils, suggesting the potential for on-site TP formation. It calls for further studies, commitment, and perseverance in their formation in the future.

Sumac extract as a natural preservative in mayonnaise: Effects on lipid oxidation, microbial growth, physicochemical, rheological, and sensory characteristics

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of sumac extract (SE) as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent on the quality characteristics of low-fat mayonnaise during 63 days of storage. The SE was used at levels of 1 % (SE1%), 3 % (SE3%), and 5 % (SE5%) in the formulations. The two control treatments were produced with chemical preservatives (C1) and without preservatives (C2). The SE caused a significant decrease in peroxide and anisidine values compared to controls after 63 days (4.73–5.77 meq/kg vs. 6.33–6.73 meq/kg for peroxide values, and 6.29–11.21 vs. 12–13.60 for anisidine values, P < 0.05). The higher inhibitory effects of SE on microbial growth in mayonnaises were revealed after 63 days, where the total viable count declined from the highest value (36.5 log CFU/g) in C2 to the lowest count (12 log CFU/g) in SE5%. The yeasts and molds count in SE1% (4.5 log CFU/g) were lower than the counts of 20.5 log CFU/g and 23.5 log CFU/g observed in C1 and C2, respectively. Moreover, significant reductions in Lactic Acid Bacteria were observed in SE-enriched treatments (P < 0.05). The phenolic and flavonoid contents of mayonnaise treatments besides antioxidant capacity were enhanced by increasing SE concentrations. However, the lowest storage modulus and complex viscosity were observed in SE5%. The highest overall acceptance belonged to C1 followed by SE1% at the end of storage. Finally, SE has the potential to be used as a natural preservative in mayonnaise.

Curcumin-loaded zein nanoparticles: A quality by design approach for enhanced drug delivery and cytotoxicity against cancer cells

Zein, a maize protein, has been explored for constructing potential biomaterial due to its hydrophobic nature, self-assembly capability, and biocompatibility. In its nanoparticulate form, zein is a promising material for drug delivery applications, particularly in cancer treatment. Despite the importance of colloidal stability for effective drug delivery, systematic studies investigating the effect of various surface modifying agents (MAs) on the zein nanoparticles (ZNPs)-based formulations are limited. This study employs quality-by-design (QbD) approach to optimize curcumin-loaded ZNPs, enhancing colloidal stability, size, and drug-encapsulation efficiency using different MAs for potential cancer therapy. Gum arabic (GA) emerged as the optimal stabilizer, with GA-stabilized curcumin-loaded ZNPs (GA-Cur-ZNPs) achieving a particle size of 184.8 ± 2.85 nm, zeta potential of −23.4 ± 0.56 mV and 87.1 ±1.55 % drug encapsulation efficiency, along with excellent colloidal stability over two months. The optimal formulation also demonstrated sustained release of Cur over 72 h. GA-Cur-ZNPs demonstrated lower IC50 values and higher anti-proliferative effects on three different cancer cell lines compared to the free drug, while also exhibiting superior intracellular uptake. With negligible toxicity to human dermal fibroblast cells, the optimized Cur-GA-ZNPs show promise for safe and effective killing of cancer cells.

Irradiance level and elevation shape the soil microbiome communities of Coffea arabica L.

BackgroundThe nexus plant-microbe-environment is essential to understand the ecosystem processes shaping plant health and fitness. Within this triangle, soils and associated microflora are among the key ecosystem’s drivers, underpinning plant productivity and evolution. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis (physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and taxonomic diversity) of soils under the canopy projection of Coffea arabica trees along a gradient of elevation (600, 800, and 900 m) and shade (0, 50, 100%).ResultsWhile shade had no influence on most parameters, altitude shaped the dynamics of microbial communities. Available phosphorus, soil organic carbon, and nitrate were significantly higher at 800 m, likely due to the higher activities of β-glucosidase and phosphatases at this altitude. Microbial biomass (carbon and nitrogen) and moisture were significantly higher at 600 and 900 m, which might be attributed to the abundance and richness of soil microorganisms. Indeed, metabarcoding analysis revealed a complex pattern of microbial consortia (bacteria, archaea, fungi) at the three altitudes, with the lowest index of richness recorded at 800 m. The highest number of Amplicon Sequence Variants was observed in bacteria, whose functional analysis revealed distinct metabolic adaptations across different altitudes. At 900 m, the main functional attributes favored the responses to environmental stimuli and microbial interactions; at 800 m, the predominant metabolic pathways were related to organic matter, fermentation, and bioremediation; and at the lower 600 m, the pathways shifted towards the breakdown of plant-derived compounds (e.g. geraniol, limonene, and pinene degradation).ConclusionOverall, the results indicate a higher effectiveness of the microbial consortium at 800 m, which might result in better nutrient cycling. The study highlights the importance of canopy shade species and elevation for the composition of microbial consortia in C. arabica, unveiling ecological functions beyond plant health, with implications for bio-based solutions and biotechnology.

FDI and product and process innovation of SMEs in Vietnam: The role of institutions

AbstractConceptually, institutional arrangements in the host economy are likely to moderate the effect of inward FDI on domestic firms' product and process innovation, which is however not well explored empirically. Filling the gap, this research investigates how such FDI impacts are contingent upon local institutional arrangements, using survey data of 2690 manufacturing SMEs in Vietnam in 2011, 2013 and 2015. We find that institutional quality exerts positive moderating effects on FDI spillovers. That is, higher institutional quality leads to a higher marginal effect of FDI presence on the innovation performance of domestic SMEs. The moderating effects are stronger for developed‐country FDI than for developing‐country FDI. We also distinguish different institutional components and find that seven out of nine institutional sub‐indices have significant moderating effects, of which the control of corruption is the most important factor in promoting FDI spillovers, whilst the effects of business support and labour training policies are negligible.

Cascade enzyme-mimicking with spatially separated gold-ceria for dual-mode detection of superoxide anions

Metal-semiconductor nanozyme of dumbbell Au-CeO2 with spatially separated heterostructure has cascade superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like and peroxidase (POD)-like activities for superoxide anions detection. It was synthesized by selective growth of CeO2 at the ends of Au nanorod (Au NR). Taking advantage of the excellent local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of Au NR, the spatially separated Au-CeO2 has a higher photothermal effect than the continuously growing core-shell structure of Au@CeO2. Meanwhile, the hot electrons of Au NR could transfer to CeO2 under 808 nm laser irradiation, changing the ratio of Ce3+/Ce4+ redox couples over CeO2 and facilitating H2O2 decomposition thus enhancing POD-like activity. Based on the SOD-like activity of Au-CeO2, superoxide anion (O2·−) can be transformed into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Dual-mode including absorbance and temperature sensing detection of O2·−, with the detection range from nM to μM i.e., 0.1–150 μM and LOD of 0.033 μM (S/N = 3) was achieved through the cascade catalysis and photothermal effect. The as-proposed method was applicable to both cancer and normal cell samples with satisfactory accuracy and recovery.

Liposomes in Anticancer Strategies

Chemotherapy drugs are not fully selective for cancer cells - they can also destroy healthy cells. Recent advances in nanotechnology have offered hope to overcome this problem. Liposome carriers are widely studied for their use to deliver drugs and genes inside cancer cells. Gemini quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) show great application potential among lipid carriers. Structures made of Gemini surfactants are characterized by a lower critical micelle concentration (CMC) and higher effectiveness in lowering the surface tension compared to monomeric forms of this type of compound. Encapsulation of a drug or genetic material is one of the critical steps in the formation of liposomal carriers. This efficient process allows one to minimize the number of necessary liposomes capable of delivering a certain amount of active substance. Delivery of a liposome to a solid tumor depends on the physiological factors of the tumor - vascularity, lymphatic drainage, interstitial fluid pressure – and on the physicochemical properties of the carrier. Many nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery have been tested in animal studies but have not achieved satisfactory clinical success. Promising preclinical research results are not always reflected in the treatment of patients. Therefore, understanding the relationships governing the transport of the drug and the carrier to the cancer cell seems to be a key challenge in modern nanotechnology.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Alfalfa Using DNA Polymorphism Analysis and Statistical Tools

The cultivation of alfalfa is crucial for farmers as it is an excellent forage crop with a high nitrogen-fixing capacity, making it indispensable in crop rotations. Breeding programs face challenges in advancing more rapidly in genetic diversity to achieve a higher heterosis effect and, consequently, greater yield. In this study, we used 30 alfalfa varieties, which were used for molecular analyses by 5 ISSR primers and 13 RAPD primers. The results obtained highlighted the greater efficiency of ISSR primers in identifying genetic diversity. On the other hand, the simultaneous use of ISSR + RAPD allowed for clearer clustering of varieties that enabled more efficiently distinguishing the genetic diversity. The most efficient ISSR primer, A17, generated 31 polymorphic bands, while the most efficient RAPD primer, L-07, generated only 21 bands. Varieties such as “Pastoral” and “F1413-02” exhibited low similarity coefficients (0.39), suggesting their potential for enhancing genetic variability through crossbreeding, thereby increasing the potential of achieving a greater heterosis effect. Conversely, varieties with high similarity coefficients, such as ”Cristal” and “Viking” (0.81) are less suited for this purpose. The correlation between specific markers highlights that using both ISSR and RAPD markers together offers a clear understanding of genetic diversity in alfalfa, aiding in more effective selection for crossbreeding in breeding programs.