Higher Values Research Articles

Synthesis of Piperazine-containing Derivatives and their Antimicrobial, Antimycobacterial, Antimalarial and Antioxidant Activities

Background: One of the most crucial heterocycles is piperazine for the creation of novel medication candidates with a variety of medicinal applications. The piperazine moiety is a cyclic compound with four carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms in positions 1 and 4. Objective: The objective of this studty is the development of 1-((3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) (substitutedphenyl) substituted -piperazine (A1-A10) analogs via the one-pot synthesis method and evaluation for their preliminary antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobacterial, antioxidant, and antimalarial activity. Methods: Desired piperazine derivatives were obtained in a single step reaction using piperazine, aldehydes, and boronic acid derivatives. The structures of all newly synthesized compounds have been established based on analytical and spectral data. An in silico molecular docking study was carried out for the series. Results: The spectral data using IR, 1 H NMR, and 13C NMR and mass spectra confirmed the structure of the synthesized compounds. Compounds A6 and A10 were found to be the most promising agents for antimalarial activity. A1-A10 showed a higher IC50 value and found less antioxidant activity. Some of the compounds showed higher potency when compared to the standard drugs in this antimicrobial study. Conclusion: The structure-activity study showed that changes in substituents either on aldehyde, piperazine, or boronic acid derivatives can lead to potential active compounds. These facts make the compounds interesting candidates for further evaluation of their efficacy in the treatment of microbial, tubercular and malarial diseases.

Review on Nutritional Potential of Underutilized Millets as a Miracle Grain.

The current situation, which includes changes in eating habits, an increasing population, and the unrestricted use of natural resources, has resulted in a lack of resources that could be used to provide nourishing food to everyone. Natural plant resources are quickly being depleted, so it is necessary to consider new alternatives. In addition to the staple grains of rice and wheat, many other crops are being consumed that need to be utilized to their full potential and have the potential to replace the staple crops. Millets are one of the most important underutilized crops that have the potential to be used as a nutricereal. Millets have a high nutritional value, do not produce acids, do not contain gluten, and can contribute to a healthy diet. Due to a lack of awareness regarding the nutritional value of millets, their consumption is still restricted to the population that adheres to conventional diets and is economically disadvantaged even though millets contain a significant amount of nutrients. Millets are becoming increasingly unpopular due to a lack of processing technologies, food subsidies, and the inconvenience of preparing food with millets. Millets are a Nutricereal rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, energy, essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamin B, and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. These nutrients help to protect against post-translational diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and celiac disease, among others. Millets are beneficial for controlling blood pressure, blood sugar level, and thyroid function; however, despite these functional properties, millets consumption has declined. Utilizing millets and other staple food crops to develop alternative food sources has become a new area of focus for businesses in the food industry. In addition, millet consumption can help foster immunity and health, which is essential in strengthening our fight against malnutrition in children and adolescents. In this article, the authors examine the potential of millets in terms of their nutricereal qualities.

Update on Placenta Accreta Spectrum Diagnosis and Management Challenges

Abstract: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders, also known as morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) include anomalous adherence of the placenta to implantation location. : PAS could be classified into 3 categories based on the penetration distance of trophoblasts via the myometrium and serosa of the uterus into placenta accreta, increta, and percreta. : A recent study in 2020 showed that using the introduced model based on 3 parameters; uterovesical vascularity, unusual lacunae (grades 2 and 3), and bladder wall interruption, has 100% accuracy in the diagnosis of PAS. : Accurate diagnosis of morbidly adherent placenta (MAP), helps in multidisciplinary team management at delivery, with better maternal and neonatal outcomes. : PAS could be suspected early in pregnancy by recognizing women with doubted Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) because CSP in the first trimester and PAS in the second and third trimesters might denote various stages of a similar pathology. : Gray scale US with or without adding color Doppler and made by transabdominal or trans vaginal route are commonly utilized for prenatal screening and diagnosis of PAS. : In a recent study made by Alalfy et al. in 2021 they revealed the systematic combined approach with the use of Alalfy Simple Criteria for assessment of placenta previa and PAS using 3D TUI (Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging and 3D power Doppler has a high diagnostic value in the diagnosis of PAS from the non-adherent placenta, the estimation of the myometrial thickness and the depth of placental invasion with the determination of different PAS subgroup plus defining diffuse from focal invasion (Figs. 1 and 2).

Electrical Properties of Textured Bismuth Layer-Structured Ferroelectric Ceramics with Large Number of Layers (m = 5)

Bismuth layer-structured ferroelectrics (BLSF) ceramics are attractive materials for high temperature sensor applications, because of their high Curie temperature Tc (300–900 °C), and the large anisotropy of their electromechanical coupling factor kt/kp or k33/k31. In this study, BLSF ceramics with a large number of layers, namely, (K0.5Bi0.5)2Bi4Ti5O18 + MnCO3 0.3 wt%+ Bi2O3 0.025 wt% (KBT5) and Sr0.75Ca0.25Na0.5Bi4.5Ti5O18 + CeO2 1 wt% [(SC)NBT5] ceramics, were prepared by ordinary firing (OF) and hot forging (HF) methods, and their electrical and piezoelectric properties were examined. Both KBT5 and (SC) NBT5 ceramics showed high Tc values of 545 and 424 °C, respectively. The OF-KBT5 ceramic had an electromechanical coupling factor k33 of 0.14 and a piezoelectric constant d33 of 20 pC/N, whereas the HF-KBT5 ceramic had k33 of 0.17 and d33 of 31 pC/N. On the other hand, the OF-(SC) NBT5 ceramic had k33 of 0.13 and d33 of 17 pC/N, whereas the HF-(SC) NBT5 ceramic had k33 that increased to 0.32 and d33 to 41 pC/N. The k33 and d33 of the HF ceramics were improved compared with those of the OF ceramics. Thus, the KBT5 and (SC) NBT5 ceramics with oriented grains were shown to have good piezoelectric properties with high Tc.

In Ukrainian

An important environmental problem is the removal of contaminants and the purification of domestic and industrial water from pollutants of various nature. There is a separate issue of cleaning the effluents of pharmaceutical enterprises. Various chemical and physical methods are used to solve these problems, such as settling, coagulation, filtration, and sorption techniques. Adsorption with using efficient and reusable adsorbents is the most effective and cheap. In recent years special attention has been paid to the use of sorption materials based on hydrolysis lignin, which has a high sorption activity in relation to ions of some heavy metals, dyes, organic compounds and pharmaceuticals. The use of lignin as an adsorbent simultaneously solves two problems: the disposal of paper production waste and the purification of sewage from various types of pollutants. The aim of this work was to study the sorption properties of hydroylysis lignin in aqueous solution in relation to some medical substances of different chemical nature, existing in solution in cationic, anionic or neutral forms. The point of zero charge of hydrolysis lignin was determined, which is equal to рНPZC = 4.95. The adsorption of rivanol, proflavin, doxorubicin, levofloxacin, furacilin, and salicylic acid by hydrolysis lignin was studied as dependence on the pH of the solutions and the concentration of adsorbates. It was found that adsorption largely depends on the structure of the pharmaceuticals and the pH values of the solutions. It is shown that the studied medical compounds, which exist in the solution in the form of cations, are adsorbed the best (rivanol, proflavin, doxorubicin). Adsorption of these substances occurs mainly due to electrostatic interaction with negatively charged surface groups. Adsorption of anionic form (salicylic acid) is the smallest and is observed only at quite low pH values. Levofloxacin is adsorbed mainly in the form of zwitter ions, and furacilin is in neutral form. The adsorption of these both compounds occupies an intermediate value of adsorption amount. The obtained adsorption isotherms are well lined up in Langmuir coordinates. Quantitative parameters of adsorption values - of maximum adsorption and equilibrium constants were calculated. Quite high values of these parameters indicate that hydrolysis lignin can be used as an adsorbent for the removal of these pharmaceuticals.

The Photodynamic Antibacterial Activity Properties of a Series of Indium(III) Porphyrins and their Gold and Silver Nanoparticle Conjugates

AbstractIn(III) tetraarylporphyrin complexes with 4‐thiomethylphenyl (1‐InPor), thien‐3‐yl (2‐InPor), thien‐2‐yl (3‐InPor) and 5‐bromothien‐2‐yl (4‐InPor) meso‐aryl rings have been synthesized and characterized. The complexes have been conjugated to gold and silver nanoparticles (AuNPs and AgNPs). The photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) activities of 1–4‐InPor and their AuNP and AgNP conjugates have been investigated against both planktonic bacteria and biofilms of Gram‐(+) S. aureus and Gram‐(−) E. coli. 2.5 μg.mL−1 solutions of 1–4‐InPor exhibited favorable PACT activities against planktonic S. aureus with high Log10 reduction values in the 4.28–7.69 range upon 75 min photoirradiation with a Thorlabs M625L3 LED (240 mW.cm−2) mounted onto the illumination chamber of a Modulight 7710 medical laser system to provide a dose at the well‐plate of 86 mJ.cm−2.min−1. In contrast, low values in the 1.4–1.9 range were obtained against E. coli with 10 μg.mL−1 solutions. 1–4‐InPor exhibited relatively low PACT activity against the biofilm cells of S. aureus and E. coli. Conjugation of 1–4‐InPor to AgNPs and AuNPs significantly enhanced the PACT activities. This is demonstrated by the complete eradication of planktonic S. aureus at shorter irradiation times with high Log10 values>7.69 and moderate Log10 values>2 against planktonic E. coli for the meso‐thienylporphyrin conjugates.

Oil-source correlation in the Yangjiang Uplift, South China Sea: A comparative analysis of mathematical and fingerprint methods

In recent years, significant exploration breakthroughs have been achieved in the Yangjiang Uplift. However, the source of crude oil is ambiguous, and the prevailing view suggests a remote hydrocarbon supply. To clarify the source of the crude oil in the Yangjiang Uplift, 30 source rocks and 15 crude oil samples collected from the Wenchang A Sag and Yangjiang Uplift are subjected to Rock-Eval pyrolysis, maceral analysis, vitrinite reflectance, and biomarker analysis, among other experiments. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analyses are performed. The results indicate that the source rocks in the Yangjiang Uplift exhibit robust hydrocarbon-generating potential, with S1 + S2 values ranging between 0.04 and 140.5 mg/g (averaging: 13.54 mg/g), indicative of reaching the oil generation period. Using 13 biomarker compounds, two types of biomarkers are selected to compare the sources of the crude oils: pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) representing the depositional environment and tricyclic terpanes (TTs) representing the source input. The crude oil in the Yangjiang Uplift can be divided into two types: one with high values of bicadinane-T (T)/C30 hopane and ΣC30-4 methyl sterane/ΣC29 regular sterane and another with a low ratio of (C19TT + C20TT)/C23TT according to the charting method. The investigated crude oil is mixed with the source rocks of the Wenchang A Sag and the Yangjiang Uplift. Furthermore, owing to the differences in the mixing ratios, the crude oil in the study area exhibits two distinct characteristics. Type A is characterized by a higher proportion of the Wenchang A Sag crude oil in the mixture, whereas type B is characterized by a higher proportion of local crude oil. This study establishes that the Yangjiang Uplift boasts large petroleum resources.

Synthesis of Sterically Hindered Dialkyl Ethers via Palladium-Catalyzed Fluoro-alkoxylation of gem-Difluoroalkenes.

Organofluorine compounds are of high value in medicinal and agricultural chemistry. Herein, we report a palladium-catalyzed fluoro-alkoxylation of gem-difluoroalkenes for the synthesis of much more challenging sterically hindered ethers. This reaction represents a direct synthesis method for α-trifluoromethyl ethers with a broad functional group tolerance and excellent regioselectivity. This system employs N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) as an electrophilic fluorine source and alcohols as nucleophilic donors, including but not limited to sterically hindered tert-substituted alcohols.

Progress and Challenges in Polystyrene Recycling and Upcycling.

Polystyrene is a staple plastic in the packaging and insulation market. Despite its good recyclability, the willingness of PS recycling remains low, largely due to the high recycling cost and limited profitability. This review examines the research progresses, gaps, and challenges in areas that affect the recycling costs, including but not limited to logistics, packaging design, and policymaking. We critically evaluate the recent developments in upcycling strategies, and we particularly focus on tandem and hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) upcycling strategies. We conclude that future upcycling studies should focus on not only reaction chemistry and mechanisms but also economic viability of the processes. The goal of this review is to stimulate the development of innovative recycling strategies with low recycling costs and high economic output values. We hope to stimulate the economic and technological momentum of PS recycling towards a sustainable and circular economy.

Neuropathologic Validation and Diagnostic Accuracy of Presynaptic Dopaminergic Imaging in the Diagnosis of Parkinsonism.

Degeneration of the presynaptic nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is one of the main biological features of Parkinson disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD), which can be measured using single-photon emission CT imaging for diagnostic purposes. Despite its widespread use in clinical practice and research, the diagnostic properties of presynaptic nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DAT) imaging in parkinsonism have never been evaluated against the diagnostic gold standard of neuropathology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic parameters of DAT imaging compared with pathologic diagnosis in patients with parkinsonism. Retrospective cohort study of patients with DAT imaging for the investigation of a clinically uncertain parkinsonism with brain donation between 2010 and 2021 to the Queen Square Brain Bank (London). Patients with DAT imaging for investigation of pure ataxia or dementia syndromes without parkinsonism were excluded. Those with a pathologic diagnosis of PD, MSA, PSP, or CBD were considered presynaptic dopaminergic parkinsonism, and other pathologies were considered postsynaptic for the analysis. DAT imaging was performed in routine clinical practice and visually classified by hospital nuclear medicine specialists as normal or abnormal. The results were correlated with neuropathologic diagnosis to calculate diagnostic accuracy parameters for the diagnosis of presynaptic dopaminergic parkinsonism. All of 47 patients with PD, 41 of 42 with MSA, 68 of 73 with PSP, and 6 of 10 with CBD (sensitivity 100%, 97.6%, 93.2%, and 60%, respectively) had abnormal presynaptic dopaminergic imaging. Eight of 17 patients with presumed postsynaptic parkinsonism had abnormal scans (specificity 52.9%). DAT imaging has very high sensitivity and negative predictive value for the diagnosis of presynaptic dopaminergic parkinsonism, particularly for PD. However, patients with CBD, and to a lesser extent PSP (of various phenotypes) and MSA (with predominant ataxia), can show normal DAT imaging. A range of other neurodegenerative disorders may have abnormal DAT scans with low specificity in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism. DAT imaging is a useful diagnostic tool in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism, although clinicians should be aware of its diagnostic properties and limitations. This study provides Class II evidence that DAT imaging does not accurately distinguish between presynaptic dopaminergic parkinsonism and non-presynaptic dopaminergic parkinsonism.

Investigating the tolerance of different strawberry cultivars to Botrytis cinerea infection and its relation with fruit quality

BACKGROUND: Strawberries are a delicate, high nutritional value fruit with an extremely short shelf life and high susceptibility to tissue infection, mainly by Botrytis cinerea. Control of the disease requires an extensive amount of fungicide that is applied in varying complexes because the pathogen easily develops resistance against the active compounds. Planting tolerant cultivars seems to be a promising alternative for fruit growers, but there are currently no cultivars available combining tolerance to B. cinerea with attractive horticultural traits. OBJECTIVE: In this study, four well-defined strawberry cultivars (‘Romina’, ‘Cristina’, ‘Silvia’, and ‘Sibilla’) were selected and tested under treatment with Botrytis cinerea to determine the tolerance of each cultivar and its association with fruit quality. METHODS: Fruits were harvested and then stored for four days after inoculation (treatment) or not (control) with spores of B. cinerea; then, every day the level of decay was detected, and fruits were frozen for successive evaluation of fruit quality. RESULTS: The ‘Silvia’ cultivar is the one that demonstrated a higher level of tolerance to Botrytis infection during the treatment, and the ‘Romina’ cultivar was the cultivar most susceptible to the treatment. The results of the study also highlighted qualitative changes in all strawberry cultivars infected with Botrytis cinerea, by a decrease in the soluble solids content and an increase of acids. Generally, in all cultivars, phenolic acids, and vitamin C decreased in both control and infected but there was a strong decrease in infected fruit compared to control. Anthocyanin content increased in control fruits but strongly decreased in infected. CONCLUSION: As a preliminary outcome, a positive correlation was obtained between fruit nutritional quality and tolerance to decay, as a high amount of nutritional compound content provides lower susceptibility of fruits to Botrytis cinerea. To confirm this result more studies need to be done.

Combined optimization of spot positions and weights for better FLASH proton therapy

Objective. In Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT), the weights of individual pencil-beams or spots are optimized to fulfil dosimetric constraints. Theses spots are usually located on a regular lattice and their positions are fixed during optimization. In many cases, the range of spot weights may however be limited, leading sometimes to sub-optimal plan quality. An emblematic use case is the delivery of a plan at ultra-high dose rate (FLASH-RT), for which the spot weights are typically constrained to high values. Approach. To improve further the quality of IMPT FLASH plans, we propose here a novel algorithm to optimize both the spot weights and positions directly based on the objectives defined by the treatment planner. Main results. For all cases considered, optimizing the spot positions lead to an enhanced dosimetric score, while maintaining a high dose rate. Significance. Overall, this approach resulted in a substantial plan quality improvement compared to optimizing only the spot weights, and in a similar execution time.

Geomorphic evolution of a tropical river basin in the Deccan Volcanic Province: a critical water supply source to Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR), India

ABSTRACT Reservoir siltation lowers a dam’s effective storage capacity, which is mostly determined by the sediment discharge from soil erosion in the watersheds. The morphometric parameters are significant in determining erosional susceptibility of watersheds. In the present study, morpho-hypsometric aspects of the Surya sub-basin, a major tributary of Vaitarna river, has been considered. This river system and associated dams provide the major source of drinking water supply to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). A major part of the river flows through the Deccan Volcanic Province (comprising basalts) and Quaternary alluvial deposits. The seven sub-watersheds (SWs) of Surya sub-basin were analysed using the morphological parameters (linear, areal, and basin shape aspects), along with ratio factors and hypsometric integral (HI) values. The HI values for the SWs range from 0.11 (SW-1) to 0.51 (SW-6) with a HI value of 0.21 for the whole Surya sub-basin. The relatively high HI values of SW-6 (0.51) and SW-7 (0.31) indicate that these SWs are relatively prone to high erosion and sediment discharge resulting in dam siltation, and will be a great threat to livelihood of millions of people in the MMR. Therefore, prioritizing these SWs for proper engineering measures could reduce erosion and improve recharge.

First-principles study of two-dimensional transition metal carbide M n+1 C n O2 (M = Nb,Ta)

In the present work, the three stable MXenes M n+1 C n O2 (M = Nb,Ta) are explored based on first-principles calculations. These materials are important derivatives of 2D materials and exhibit distinctive properties, holding vast potential in nanodevices. All these M n+1 C n O2 (M = Nb,Ta) materials exhibit outstanding superconducting performance, with corresponding superconducting transition temperatures of 23.00 K, 25.00 K, and 29.00 K. Analysis reveals that the high superconducting transition temperatures of MXenes M n+1 C n O2 (M = Nb,Ta) are closely associated with the high value of the logarithmic average of phonon frequencies, ωlog , and the strong electron–phonon coupling, attributed to the crucial contribution of low-frequency phonons. Additionally, we applied strain treatments of 2% and 4% to M n+1 C n O2 (M = Nb,Ta), resulting in varying changes in superconducting transition temperatures under different strains.

Comparative genomic analysis of Bradyrhizobium strains with natural variability in the efficiency of nitrogen fixation, competitiveness, and adaptation to stressful edaphoclimatic conditions.

Bradyrhizobium is known for fixing atmospheric nitrogen in symbiosis with agronomically important crops. This study focused on two groups of strains, each containing eight natural variants of the parental strains, Bradyrhizobium japonicum SEMIA 586 (=CNPSo 17) or Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens SEMIA 566 (=CNPSo 10). CNPSo 17 and CNPSo 10 were used as commercial inoculants for soybean crops in Brazil at the beginning of the crop expansion in the southern region in the 1960s-1970s. Variants derived from these parental strains were obtained in the late 1980s through a strain selection program aimed at identifying elite strains adapted to a new cropping frontier in the central-western Cerrado region, with a higher capacity of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and competitiveness. Here, we aimed to detect genetic variations possibly related to BNF, competitiveness for nodule occupancy, and adaptation to the stressful conditions of the Brazilian Cerrado soils. High-quality genome assemblies were produced for all strains. The core genome phylogeny revealed that strains of each group are closely related, as confirmed by high average nucleotide identity values. However, variants accumulated divergences resulting from horizontal gene transfer, genomic rearrangements, and nucleotide polymorphisms. The B. japonicum group presented a larger pangenome and a higher number of nucleotide polymorphisms than the B. diazoefficiens group, possibly due to its longer adaptation time to the Cerrado soil. Interestingly, five strains of the B. japonicum group carry two plasmids. The genetic variability found in both groups is discussed considering the observed differences in their BNF capacity, competitiveness for nodule occupancy, and environmental adaptation.IMPORTANCEToday, Brazil is a global leader in the study and use of biological nitrogen fixation with soybean crops. As Brazilian soils are naturally void of soybean-compatible bradyrhizobia, strain selection programs were established, starting with foreign isolates. Selection searched for adaptation to the local edaphoclimatic conditions, higher efficiency of nitrogen fixation, and strong competitiveness for nodule occupancy. We analyzed the genomes of two parental strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens and eight variant strains derived from each parental strain. We detected two plasmids in five strains and several genetic differences that might be related to adaptation to the stressful conditions of the soils of the Brazilian Cerrado biome. We also detected genetic variations in specific regions that may impact symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our analysis contributes to new insights into the evolution of Bradyrhizobium, and some of the identified differences may be applied as genetic markers to assist strain selection programs.

Arsenazo III-spectrophotometry for the determination of thorium content

ABSTRACT The complexation interaction between arsenazo III chromogenic agent and tetravalent thorium ion (Th4+) is the theoretical basis for the determination of thorium by spectrophotometry. In this paper, the effects of the acidity, temperature, interfering ions and Th4+ concentration on the absorbance and stability of arsenazo III-Th4+ solution by spectrophotometry were systematically studied. The results showed that the solutions to be tested had high absorbance values and stability only when the concentration of hydrochloric acid was greater than 6 mol·L−1. The absorbance decreased only 0.02 when the temperature was changed from 15°C to 40°C. The absorbance of arsenazo III-Th4+ solution at 662 nm showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of Th4+ under the same experimental environment (R2 = 0.9986), and the apparent molar absorption coefficient was 9.95 × 104 L·mol−1·cm−1, showing that thorium can be accurately quantitatively measured according to the Lambert-Beer law under these conditions.

Improvement of Yield and Quality of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), Some Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants Activity in Response to Zn-Nano Fertilizer in Different Irrigation Regimes

ABSTRACT Peanut, as an oilseed, have high nutritional value for humans and livestock and poultry. The seed yield (SY) of peanut decreases under drought stress conditions, and the zinc (Zn) nano-fertilizer can reduce the negative impacts of water deficiency on peanut plants and improves its SY. This experiment carried out as split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Astara, Iran, during the 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons. Three irrigation regimes at 50 mm (IR50), 75 mm (IR75) and 100 mm (IR100) evaporation from class A evaporation pan in main plot and three levels of Zn nano-chelate, including 0.5 g. l−1; (Zn0.5), 1 g. l−1; (Zn1) and 1.5 g. l−1; (Zn1.5) in sub plot, comprised experimental treatments. The results indicated that the highest pod yield (PY), SY, oil yield (OY) and protein yield (PRY) of peanut (3633, 2900, 1582 and 826 kg. ha−1, respectively) were obtained in response to Zn nano-chelate with a dose of 1.0 g. l−1 in IR50 treatment. Nonetheless, under foliar spraying of Zn1 and severe drought stress conditions (IR100) were observed the highest proline (14.84 µmol g−1 FW), superoxide dismutase (53.42 Unit mg−1 proteinmin−1), catalase (72.87 nmol mg−1 proteinmin−1), peroxidase (64.17 nmol mg−1 protein min−1), soluble sugar content (172.04 mg g−1 FW), soluble protein content (114.16 mg g−1 DW) and anthocyanin pigments (11.20 µmol g−1 FW). Generally, application of Zn1 treatment, through increasing antioxidant enzymes activity and non-enzymatic antioxidants, improved peanut SY. Hence, foliar application of Zn nano-chelate could be recommended to enhance peanut yield.

An evaluation model of hepatic steatosis based on CT value and serum uric acid/HDL cholesterol ratio can predict intrahepatic recurrence of colorectal cancer liver metastasis.

Intrahepatic recurrence is one of the main causes of treatment failure in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM). Hepatic steatosis was reported to provide fertile soil for metastasis. The effect of irinotecan-inducted hepatic steatosis on the progression of liver metastasis remains to be verified. Therefore, we aim to clarify the effect of hepatic steatosis on postoperative intrahepatic recurrence in CRLM and whether it is relevant to irinotecan-based chemotherapy. Data for a total of 284 patients undergoing curative surgical treatment for CRLMs were retrospectively reviewed between March 2007 and June 2018. Hepatic steatosis score (HSS) was established by combining Liver to Spleen CT ratio (LSR) and Uric acid to HDL-cholesterol ratio (UHR) to detect the presence of hepatic steatosis. The evaluation model is consistent with pathological results and has high prediction ability and clinical application value. Patients with HSS high risk (HSS-HR) had significantly worse prognosis than those with HSS low risk (HSS-LR) (3-year intrahepatic RFS: 42.7% vs. 29.4%, P = 0.003; 5-year OS: 45.7% vs. 26.5%, P = 0.002). Univariate and multivariate analysis confirmed its essential role in the prediction of intrahepatic RFS. Besides, patients treated with preoperative irinotecan chemotherapy were more likely to end up with HSS-HR than those with non-irinotecan chemotherapy (63.3% vs. 21.8%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, irinotecan chemotherapy is relevant to worse prognosis in baseline HSS-HR patients. In summary, patients with HSS-HR had significantly worse 5-year OS and 3-year intrahepatic RFS. Irinotecan chemotherapy is more likely to lead to HSS-HR and pre-existing hepatic steatosis may be a worse prognostic factor limiting patients underwent IRI-based chemotherapy.

Relationship of lncRNA FTX and miR-186-5p levels with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes and its bioinformatics analysis.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) frequently occurs as a secondary condition in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To explore the relationship of lncRNA FTX and miR-186-5p levels with DPN in T2DM. The study enrolled 50 patients withT2DM and 45 patients with DPN. Expression levels of FTX and miR-186-5p were measured by RT-qPCR. The levels of MDA, GSH, and SOD in the serum were measured to assess the patients' oxidative stress levels. In addition, the target genes of miR-186-5p were analyzed by bioinformatics. Serum FTX levels were increased and miR-186-5p levels were decreased in patients with T2DM and DPN. Both of them had high diagnostic value for T2DM and DPN. In addition, FTX and miR-186-5p were risk factors for the onset of DPN in people with T2DMand were significantly correlated with oxidative stress indicators in patients. FTX and miR-186-5p are closely related to the disease progression of DPN in people with T2DM and may become therapeutic targets for DPN in people with T2DM.

Analysis and authentication of avocado oil by low-field benchtop NMR spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Avocado oil is a nutritious, edible oil produced from avocado fruit. It has high commercial value and is increasing in popularity, thus powerful analytical methods are needed to ensure its quality and authenticity. Recent advancements in low-field (LF) NMR spectroscopy allow for collection of high-quality data despite the use of low magnetic fields produced by non-superconductive magnets. Combined with chemometrics, LF NMR opens new opportunities in food analysis using targeted and untargeted approaches. Here, it was used to determine poly-, mono-, and saturated fatty acids in avocado oil. Although direct signal integration of LF NMR spectra was able to determine certain classes of fatty acids, it had several challenges arising from signal overlapping. Thus, we used partial least square regression and developed models with good prediction performance for fatty acid composition, with residual prediction deviation ranging 3.46-5.53 and root mean squared error of prediction CV ranging 0.46-2.48. In addition, LF NMR, combined with unsupervised and supervised methods, enabled the differentiation of avocado oil from other oils, namely, olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, high oleic (OL) safflower oil, and high OL sunflower oil. This study showed that LF NMR can be used as an efficient alternative for the compositional analysis and authentication of avocado oil. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Here, we describe the application of LF-NMR for fatty acid analysis and avocado oil authentication. LF-NMR can be an efficient tool for targeted and untargeted analysis, thus becoming an attractive option for companies, regulatory agencies, and quality control laboratories. This tool is especially important for organizations and entities seeking economic, user-friendly, and sustainable analysis solutions.