Optimal Activation Research Articles

Ultrasound assisted hot water extraction of polysaccharides from Taraxacum mongolicum: Optimization, purification, structure characterization, and antioxidant activity.

Ultrasound assisted hot water extraction (UAHWE) was applied to extraction of polysaccharides from Taraxacum mongolicum with hot water as extract solvent. Experimental factors in UAHWE process were optimized by response surface methodology. The optimal extraction parameters to achieve the highest Taraxacum mongolicum polysaccharides (TMPs) yield (12.08±0.14)% by UAHWE were obtained under the ultrasound power of 200W, extraction temperature of 62°C, solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:20g/mL, and extraction time of 40min, and then the crude TMPs were further purified by DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 chromatography to obtain a homogenous polysaccharide fraction (TMPs-1-SG). Subsequently, the structure of TMPs-1-SG was characterized by UV-vis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Congo red test. The results display that TMPs-1-SG with an average molecular weight of 5.49 × 104Da was comprised of mannose (Man), galactose (Gal), xylose (Xyl), and arabinose (Ara) with a molar ratio of 39.85:52.61:27.14:6.30. Moreover, TMPs-1-SG did not contain a triple helix structure. Furthermore, TMPs-1-SG and TEM presented a sheet-like, rod-shaped, and irregular structure. Finally, the antioxidant activity of TMPs-1-SG was evaluated by in vitro experiment. The IC50 values of scavenging DPPH and OH radicals for TMPs-1-SG achieved 0.71mg/mL and 0.75mg/mL, respectively. The findings can provide an effective method for extracting polysaccharides from natural resources.

Minimization of fuel cost for generator systems with valve point effect using modified PSO

The goal of this research is to lay the groundwork for understanding the particle swarm optimization technique. The applicability of this technique is proven by solving a variety of Constraint and unconstraint optimization problems. During the operation of the power system, economic load dispatch is a vital optimization activity for allocating generation between the committed units to divide the power while meeting various system constraints economically. In this work, the modified PSO method's application to the electrical power system's economic load dispatch problem on 3-generator, 5-generator and 13-generator systems are also investigated. In this research work Exterior penalty method is applied to convert constraint optimization problem into unconstraint optimization problem

Influence of vanadium and dysprosium co-doping on phase stability, microstructure, and electrical properties of Bi2O3

Herein, we report the synthesis of Dy–V co-doped Bi2O3 ceramics using the solid–state processing technique under atmospheric conditions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns demonstrate the stability of the cubic fluorite δ-Bi2O3 in the V-rich ceramics. However, in Dy-rich ceramics, a mixture of phases, including α and δ, gradually diminishes with increased mutual dopant concentrations, suggesting a transition to the single fcc δ-phase with Fm-3 m space group. According to the Rietveld analysis and electron density representation, it is evident that there are no impure peaks present in α-Bi2O3, which highlights the clear transition to the δ-phase polymorphs. The DTA curves for samples M4 and M7 display a distinct endothermic peak at temperatures around 724.5 and 744.5 °C, indicating a phase transition from the monoclinic α-phase to the cubic δ-phase. These peaks are also attributed to an order-disorder transition (ODT). The FESEM micrographs consistently revealed the existence of irregular and aggregated grains, with an average grain size ranging from 0.80 to 5.57 μm. The level of aggregation became more apparent with the escalation of Dy3+ doping, as opposed to the 5–20 wt% V loading. Moreover, the as-sintered pellets M2 demonstrated the absence of any pore formation compared to other samples, confirming a remarkably high degree of densification. As a result, the as-sintered pellets have a low level of void space, with an apparent porosity of no more than 2.5%. Based on the conductivity measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Bi0.85V0.10Dy0.05O1.5 exhibits the highest electrical conductivity of 0.965 (Ω cm)−1 and an optimal activation energy of 0.537 eV at 627 °C compared to other prepared compositions. This remarkable performance is attributed to the high polarizability and mixed valence cations, especially in V5+-rich ceramics, compared to the Dy3+-rich compositions with a reduced conductivity of 0.010 to 0.097 (Ω cm)−1. The Nyquist plots indicate that impedance decreases with vanadium doping increases until it reaches Bi0.85V0.10Dy0.05O1.5. Higher Dy3+ content increases impedance, leading to lower cell performance. The typical composition can be a solid electrolyte in SOFCs operating at moderate temperatures.

Progress of artificial intelligence in anesthesia and perioperative medicine

Perioperative medicine is a series of medical activities throughout the perioperative period, including preoperative optimization, intraoperative safety, postoperative rehabilitation, and other activities. Anesthesia is closely integrated with perioperative medicine to guarantee smooth progress of operations, comfortable recovery, and favorable long-term outcome for patients. There are a huge number of clinical data in anesthesia and perioperative medicine, and artificial intelligence (AI) has a powerful ability to analyze and evaluate data; thus, applying AI is a significant advantage in analysis and prediction based on real clinical big data in anesthesia and perioperative medicine. AI has made some progress in the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This review introduces the most encountered computerized techniques of AI in anesthesiology, main clinical applications themes of AI in anesthesiology, as well as limitations and ethical implications involved in deployment of this technology.

Loan classification using a feed-forward neural network

Objectives. The purpose of the study is to construct and study the use of a feed-forward neural network to solve the problem of loan classification, as well as to conduct a comparative analysis of the neural networkbased approach with the existing approach based on logistic regression.Methods. Based on a feed-forward neural network using historical data on loans issued, the following metrics are calculated: cost function, Accuracy, Precision, Recall, and measure, calculated on Precision and Recall values. Polynomial parameters and the principal component method are used to determine the optimal set of input data for the studied neural network.Results. The impact of data normalization on the final result was analyzed, the influence of the number of units in the hidden layer on the outcome was evaluated using a two-stage method and the Monte Carlo method, the effect of balanced data use was determined, the optimal threshold value for output layer of the neural network under investigation was calculated, the optimal activation function for the hidden layer units was found, the effect of increasing input indicators through missing values imputation and the use of polynomials of varying degrees was studied and the redundancy in the existing set of input indicators was analyzed.Conclusion. Based on the results of the research, we can conclude that the use of a direct distribution network to solve problems of loan classification is appropriate. Compared to logistic regression, implementing a solution using a feed-forward neural network requires more time and computing resources. However, the obtained most important values of Accuracy and measure are higher than those calculated using logistic regression [1].

Pressurized liquid extraction of glucosinolates from Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz by-products: Process optimization and biological activities of green extract

The cultivation of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is rapidly increasing due to oil production resulting in a substantial volume of by-products, which still have an interesting composition in secondary metabolites, especially glucosinolates. Therefore, a green extraction procedure of glucosinolates by Pressurised Liquid Extraction was developed and optimized using a chemometric approach. Furthermore, the glucosinolates were purified by solid phase extraction, and a preliminary study on bioaccessibility and bioavailability study was carried out to evaluate the resistance of the glucosinolates to the digestive process. The application of pressurised liquid extraction to the recovery of glucosinolates from camelina sativa by-product, is a green, automatic, and rapid method, representing a valid alternative to conventional extraction method to obtain ingredients for food industries.

Abstract 6726: Costimulatory IgM T-cell engagers with enhanced and durable cytotoxicity

Abstract T-cell engagers (TCEs) have established therapeutic effect in treatment of various cancers by harnessing the power of the immune system against tumors in a targeted manner. IgM-based TCEs may offer high avidity, specificity, and safety advantages over other modalities because of their multivalent architecture and unique positioning of the CD3 binding domain on the J-chain. We have built a costimulatory IgM TCE platform that engages both signal 1 and signal 2 on T-cells, with the goal of enabling their optimal activation and survival for more robust and durable cytotoxic activity. Multiple antigen targeting costimulatory IgM TCEs were generated and activity was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo to assess the role of CD28 co-stimulation. Costimulatory IgM TCEs engaged both CD3 and CD28 on the T-cell surface, enhancing in vitro cytotoxicity and T-cell activation. Levels of IL-2 increased significantly with dual signal engagement promoting proliferation and survival of T-cells. In long-term culture assays, costimulatory IgM TCEs promoted better T-cell proliferation and survival compared to IgM TCEs with only a CD3 binder, and was even more pronounced at low E:T ratios. In the absence of CD3 engagement, CD28 binding alone did not induce any T-cell activation, cytotoxicity, or cytokines. Activation of T-cells was also fully dependent on the presence of target cells, underscoring the safety profile of the platform. In Hu-PBMC xenograft tumor models, costimulatory IgM TCEs exhibited stronger in vivo anti-tumor activity compared to TCEs only engaging CD3. Tumor growth inhibition was maintained for longer after dosing was stopped with costimulatory IgM TCEs, indicating the durability of responses. Costimulatory IgM TCEs suppressed tumor growth in xenograft studies using cell lines that expressed both high and low target copy numbers suggestive of their broad utility against multiple tumor types. Enhanced in vivo anti-tumor activity of costimulatory IgM TCEs was associated with significant increases in intra-tumoral CD8/CD3+T-cells.Both peripheral and intra-tumoral T-cells exhibited enhanced anti-apoptotic and cytotoxic phenotypes indicative of the costimulatory activation. IgM-based costimulatory TCEs provide enhanced cytotoxicity through optimal T-cell activation and proliferation/survival. This dual engagement of T-cell activation signals, along with the high avidity target binding offered by IgM platform, could enable the creation of effective therapeutics targeting pathogenic cells in autoimmune diseases and solid tumors that will maintain activity even in conditions with low T-cell counts. Citation Format: Jie Xue, Keyu Li, Poonam Yakkundi, Palak Chadasama, Tina Mao, Zee Malik, Vidhya Rao, Madhura Joglekar, Kristene Mai, Gene Li, Deepal Pandya, Rodnie Rosete, Zhongde Ye, Leyla Tahrani, Jinqiu Wang, Nardeen Hanna, Elizabeth Perez, Yue Wang, Sachi Ahmed, Lusiana Widjaja, Paul Hinton, Krzysztof Bzymek, Bruce Keyt, Miho Oyasu, Liqin Liu, Angus Sinclair, Umesh S. Muchhal. Costimulatory IgM T-cell engagers with enhanced and durable cytotoxicity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6726.

Abstract 2479: Discovery of agonist CD28-specific single domain antibodies from alpaca

Abstract Upon immune activation, in addition to the first signal driven by the TCR-peptide/MHC interactions, the costimulatory signals are indispensable to optimal T-cell activation, the absence of which will trigger naive T cells to an anergic state. The CD28-CD80/CD86 pathway is widely known as the most classical and critical costimulatory signal for the initial activation of T cells. Bispecific T-cell engagers targeting CD3e can activate cytotoxic T-cells and have shown remarkable tumor regressions in clinical trials. However, the absence of a costimulatory signal through CD28 results in insufficient T-cell activation and early exhaustion. Combination of both CD3e and CD28 targeting antibodies offers attractive approach to optimally boost T-cell activity. Development of superagonistic CD28-targeting antibody has been paused after TeGenero‘s TGN1412 Phase 1 trial in 2006 due to life-threatening cytokine release syndrome. Unlike superagonist TGN1412, which activates T cells and induce cytokine storm, tumor targeting antigen and cross-linking dependent CD28 bispecific antibody is supposed to display little or no toxicity. In the present study, we explored Alpaca immunized phage library approach to generate cross-linking dependent agonist CD28 single domain antibody for bispecific antibody development. Alpacas were immunized subsequently with recombinant human CD28 extracellular domain and 293F cells stably expressing human CD28. Serum samples after immunizations showed decent immune response against CD28. At the end of Boost 2 and 3, peripheral blood was collected and phage display libraries were constructed using VHH specific primers. Phage display libraries were panned against recombinant CD28 ECD protein and CHOK1 cells overexpressing CD28. After one round of panning, both protein and cell panning tracks showed robust enrichment in output titer and repeating sequences. Next, 600 clones were randomly picked for screening by the binding to U266B1 cells endogenously expressing CD28. Of the 326 clones showed positive binding to U266B1, 79 unique sequences were identified. Secondary screening by ELISA and FACS using periplasmic extract confirmed 69 unique sequences that bound to both CD28 protein and cells expressing CD28. Seventeen unique sequences were selected for VHH-Fc production. All purified VHH-Fc showed sub-nanomolar affinity by ELISA and bind to primary T cells by flow cytometry. Three VHH-Fc induced IL-2 production in a primary T cells activation assay only when cross-linked and in the presence of CD3 co-stimulation and are suitable for further bispecific T cell engager development. Citation Format: Yunyun Chen, Yannan Ding, Xiaoyan Liu, Qianqian Zhu, Wenfang Xin, Hu Liu, Teddy Yang, Yikai Qiu. Discovery of agonist CD28-specific single domain antibodies from alpaca [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2479.

Efficient Green Enzymatic Synthesis of Lipophilic Piperic Acid Esters By Immobilized Rhizopus oryzae Lipase: Optimization and Antioxidant Activities

Efficient Green Enzymatic Synthesis of Lipophilic Piperic Acid Esters By Immobilized Rhizopus oryzae Lipase: Optimization and Antioxidant Activities

Mediated Peroxymonosulfate Activation at the Single Atom Fe-N3O1 Sites: Synergistic Degradation of Antibiotics by Two Non-Radical Pathways.

The activation of persulfates to degrade refractory organic pollutants is a hot issue in advanced oxidation right now. Here, it is reported that single-atom Fe-incorporated carbon nitride (Fe-CN-650) can effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal. Through some characterization techniques and DFT calculation, it is proved that Fe single atoms in Fe-CN-650 exist mainly in the form of Fe-N3O1 coordination, and Fe-N3O1 exhibited better affinity for PMS than the traditional Fe-N4 structure. The degradation rate constant of SMX in the Fe-CN-650/PMS system reached 0.472min-1, and 90.80% of SMX can still be effectively degraded within 10min after five consecutive recovery cycles. The radical quenching experiment and electrochemical analysis confirm that the pollutants are mainly degraded by two non-radical pathways through 1O2 and Fe(IV)═O induced at the Fe-N3O1 sites. In addition, the intermediate products of SMX degradation in the Fe-CN-650/PMS system show toxicity attenuation or non-toxicity. This study offers valuable insights into the design of carbon-based single-atom catalysts and provides a potential remediation technology for the optimum activation of PMS to disintegrate organic pollutants.

Bionanofactory for green synthesis of collagen nanoparticles, characterization, optimization, in-vitro and in-vivo anticancer activities

Collagen nanoparticles (collagen-NPs) are promising biological polymer nanoparticles due to their exceptional biodegradability and biocompatibility. Collagen-NPs were bio-fabricated from pure marine collagen using the cell-free supernatant of a newly isolated strain, Streptomyces sp. strain NEAA-3. Streptomyces sp. strain NEAA-3 was identified as Streptomyces plicatus strain NEAA-3 based on its cultural, morphological, physiological properties and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The sequence data has been deposited under accession number OR501412.1 in the GenBank database. The face-centered central composite design (FCCD) was used to improve collagen-NPs biosynthesis. The maximum yield of collagen-NPs was 9.33 mg/mL with a collagen concentration of 10 mg/mL, an initial pH of 7, an incubation time of 72 h, and a temperature of 35 °C. Using the desirability function approach, the collagen-NPs biosynthesis obtained after FCCD optimization (9.53 mg/mL) was 3.92 times more than the collagen-NPs biosynthesis obtained before optimization process (2.43 mg/mL). The TEM analysis of collagen-NPs revealed hollow sphere nanoscale particles with an average diameter of 33.15 ± 10.02 nm. FTIR spectra confirmed the functional groups of the collagen, collagen-NPs and the cell-free supernatant that are essential for the efficient capping of collagen-NPs. The biosynthesized collagen-NPs exhibited antioxidant activity and anticancer activity against HeP-G2, MCF-7 and HCT116 cell lines. Collagen-NPs assessed as an effective drug loading carrier with methotrexate (MTX), a chemotherapeutic agent. The TEM analysis revealed that the average size of MTX-loaded collagen-NPs was 35.4 ± 8.9 nm. The percentages of drug loading (DL%) and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) were respectively 22.67 and 45.81%.

Activation delay and aborting policy minimizing expected losses in consecutive attempts having cumulative effect on mission success

This paper proposes a new mission system model where the task may be attempted multiple times by different components that are activated one by one with dissimilar delays. The mission success depends on the cumulative effect of components that have completed the task operation. Each component may abort the task operation according to an individual shock-driven aborting policy defined by the number of experienced shocks and a threshold of operation time during the attempt. Dependent on the status of the cumulative effect, a common abort command (CAC) may also be issued to terminate all the ongoing operations to reduce the expected number of lost components. The optimal activation delay and aborting policy (ADAP) problem is formulated and solved, which determines the individual component aborting parameters, the CAC issuing parameter, and the component activation delays to minimize the expected mission losses (EML). A detailed case study of unmanned aerial vehicles executing a target destruction mission is provided to demonstrate the proposed model and investigate the effects of several key parameters on the mission performance and optimization solutions. The effectiveness of shock-driven and CAC-driven aborts in reducing the EML is also studied and compared using the case study.

Sequentially optimized process towards sustainable synthesis of activated carbon from wild thornbush for 4-nitrophenol and industrial effluent treatment.

Environmental nuisance thornbush Prosopis juliflora was utilized as an inexpensive and renewable biomass raw material for the sustainable production of activated carbon. Previously, the sequential muffle furnace-microwave arrangement was effective with acid activation for activated carbon synthesis. However, the intermediate synthesis steps were not optimized. In this work, we have optimized the intermediate steps, viz. chemical impregnation, carbonization, and microwave activation. Sequential optimization for base activation was developed and compared with acid activation. The base-activated carbon (BAC) exhibited a more crystalline nature and faster uptake kinetics than AAC. BAC demonstrated an adsorption capacity of 576mg/g for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) surpassing that of optimized acid-activated carbon (AAC) by 45%. The optimal base activation required 1.85 times lower microwave energy than that of the acid activation. BAC exhibited significantly higher BET surface area (1319 m2/g) and micropore volume (0.524 cm3/g) which were about 28% and 26% higher than those of AAC. When compared to biochar obtained from the same thornbush, the BAC exhibited an 11-fold increase in adsorption capacity. The adsorbents could be easily regenerated with ethanol and used up to five cycles. Adsorption using BAC also could achieve 80% COD removal for industrial wastewater, while AAC led to 61% removal. Continuous packed column with BAC revealed a breakthrough time of 3.5h for industrial effluent while for 500mg/L 4-nitrophenol, it was 25h. Prosopis juliflora thornbush, an environmental nuisance, could be converted into a high-capacity adsorbent for environmental remediation after careful sequencing and optimization of the intermediate synthesis steps.

A simple but effective method for the enrichment of Al in red mud waste

This study proposes transforming red mud, an abundant byproduct from the aluminum industry, into minerals using Na2CO3 activation for efficient water leaching. It was aimed at breaking down the rigid Al-Si network structure. The investigation compares the effects of sodium salts, with Na2CO3 achieving an 88.90 % aluminum leaching rate crucial for activating katoite and cancrinite in red mud. Using XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, in situ hot-stage microscopy, FactSage, and Material Flow Analysis, the study explores changes in Na2CO3-loaded red mud, elucidating its role in converting aluminum-bearing minerals into water-soluble aluminates at a low temperature of 900 °C for an optimum activation duration of 90 min, with a preferred loading of 32 % Na2CO3. Introducing a new cyclic aluminum extraction method from red mud, utilizing sodium salts, especially Na2CO3, the study optimizes the activation process through a comprehensive exploration of thermal and mineral transformation behaviors. Quantitative analysis of Na and Al elements ensures successful recovery and cyclic utilization of Na2CO3, maintaining aluminum extraction efficiency above 82 % after six cycles. This economically feasible closed-loop system aligns with principles of industrial efficiency and climate change mitigation. Na2CO3, acting as an activator and a carbon sink, showcases significant potential for sustainable aluminum production.

A Review on the Upgradation of Biomass-derived Hard Carbon Materials

Abstract: Sodium-ion battery is a promising alternative to lithium-ion battery because of its abundant raw material resources, low price, and high specific capacity. Amorphous carbon materials (hard carbon) have micropores and impurities, facilitating the intercalation of sodium ions to form "quasi-metallic sodium," resulting in a high sodium storage capacity and a low sodium storage potential. Consequently, hard carbon is one of the most widely studied negative electrode materials. It can be prepared from biomass by thermochemical conversion and has the advantages of large specific capacity, low cost, good cycling stability, and renewability. This review focuses on the recent advances in biomass-based hard carbon materials. Firstly, the preparation methods of hard carbon, including precursor selection, pretreatment, drying methods, and carbonization processes, are summarized. Secondly, the effects of precursor composition and heteroatom doping structure and properties of hard carbon are examined, and the changes in carbon material pores during the activation process, as well as the selection of optimal drying method, pyrolysis temperature, carbonization temperature, activator dosage, and additive, are discussed. Thirdly, the impact of preparation methods on hard carbon's cost, efficiency, and stability is briefly summarized, and the relevant improvement measures and prospects are proposed. Finally, some insights are provided into preparing highperformance biomass-based anode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Highly efficient expression of Rasamsonia emersonii lipase in Pichia pastoris: characterization and gastrointestinal simulated digestion in vitro.

Acidic lipases with high catalytic activities under acidic conditions have important application values in the food, feed and pharmaceutical industries. However, the availability of acidic lipases is still the main obstacle to their industrial applications. Although a novel acidic lipase Rasamsonia emersonii (LIPR) was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, the expression level was unsatisfactory. To achieve the high-efficiency expression and secretion of LIPR in Pichia pastoris GS115, the combinatorial optimization strategy was adopted including gene codon preference, signal peptide, molecular chaperone co-expression and disruption of vacuolar sorting receptor VPS10. The activity of the combinatorial optimization engineered strain in a shake flask reached 1480 U mL-1, which was 8.13 times greater than the P. pastoris GS115 parental strain. After high-density fermentation in a 5-L bioreactor, the highest enzyme activity reached as high as 11 820 U mL-1. LIPR showed the highest activity at 40 °C and pH 4.0 in the presence of Ca2+ ion. LIPR exhibited strong tolerance to methanol, indicating its potential application in biodiesel biosynthesis. Moreover, the gastrointestinal digestion simulation results demonstrated that LIPR was tolerant to pepsin and trypsin, but its activity was inhibited by sodium taurodeoxycholate. This study provided an effective approach for the high expression of acidic lipase LIPR. LIPR was more appropriate for lipid digestion in the stomach than in intestine according to the gastrointestinal digestion simulation results. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dynamic reconfigurable intelligent surface deployment for physical layer security enhancement in mmWave systems

AbstractIn next‐generation wireless communications, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) has emerged as a cost‐effective technique for enhancing physical layer security (PLS) in millimeter‐wave (mmWave) communications, especially under challenging scenarios with adversarial entities and obstructions. However, the primary studies for RIS incorporation in mmWave communication systems utilized static deployments, lacking adaptability and efficiency in complex environments. To address this problem, a dynamic RIS deployment design framework is introduced for PLS enhancement in mmWave systems against jamming and eavesdropping attacks. For the design, it is aimed to maximize the secrecy rate by jointly optimizing the RIS selection with the beamforming design. The resulting optimization problem is challenging to solve due to the coupling of the RIS control factor, joint beamforming design, and non‐convex constraints. To tackle these issues, an efficient multi‐RIS‐aided PLS enhancement algorithm is proposed. It transforms the objective into a series of subproblems and employs the fractional programming technique and prox‐linear block coordinate descent updating method to solve them alternatively and obtain the optimal solution. The simulations demonstrate the advantage of the dynamic deployment, which exhibits enhanced security performance with reduced complexity compared with benchmarks. Further examinations also provide insight into optimal RIS activation configurations, achieving optimal balance for securing mmWave communications against emerging threats while maintaining system efficiency.

Studying the Optimization, Characterization, and Antioxidant Activities of Phenolic Extracts Extracted from Rhus chinensis Mill. Leaf using Microwave-assisted Extraction System with Glycerol as a Green Solvent

Background: The leaves of Rhus chinensis Mill., a common deciduous tree found in the mild temperate zone of Asia, have many medicinal effects, including antioxidant properties. Objectives and Methods: This study aims to optimize the conditions for extracting phenols from Rhus chinensis Mill. (RCM) using a microwave-assisted extraction system with glycerol (MAEG) via response surface methodology (RSM). It also aims to compare the extraction efficacy of decoction and MAEG methods in terms of the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of the extracts obtained through them, identify bioactive compounds in both extracts via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QTOFMS/ MS), and determine the cytotoxicity and cellular antioxidant activity of MAEG extract. Results: Temperature and glycerol concentration significantly affected the total phenolic content (TPC) of the extracts. The validated value of TPC was 84.11 ± 4.28 mg GAE/g for the sample obtained under the optimal conditions of 12.76 min at 54.08°C and 34.48% glycerol concentration. MAEG extract exhibited higher antioxidant properties compared to the decoction extract. Different phenolic compounds in the extracts were tentatively identified by LC-QTOF. MAEG concentrations from 1 mg/mL to 7.5 mg/mL were considered non-cytotoxic to NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Furthermore, the cell viability of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts increased after being treated with MAEG extract (from 2.5 mg/mL to 7.5 mg/mL) and subjected to H2O2- induced oxidative stress compared to H2O2 treatment alone. Conclusion: Finally, MAEG can be used as a novel green extraction method for obtaining bioactive compounds for cosmetic and medicinal applications.

MAP3K1 regulates female reproductive tract development.

Mitogen-activated protein 3 kinase 1 (MAP3K1) has a plethora of cell type-specific functions not yet fully understood. Herein, we describe a role for MAP3K1 in female reproductive tract (FRT) development. MAP3K1 kinase domain-deficient female mice exhibited an imperforate vagina, labor failure and infertility. These defects corresponded with shunted Müllerian ducts (MDs), the embryonic precursors of FRT, that manifested as a contorted caudal vagina and abrogated vaginal-urogenital sinus fusion in neonates. The MAP3K1 kinase domain is required for optimal activation of the Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and cell polarity in the MD epithelium, and for upregulation of WNT signaling in the mesenchyme surrounding the caudal MD. The MAP3K1-deficient epithelial cells and MD epithelium had reduced expression of WNT7B ligands. Correspondingly, conditioned media derived from MAP3K1-competent, but not -deficient, epithelial cells activated a TCF/Lef-luciferase reporter in fibroblasts. These observations indicate that MAP3K1 regulates MD caudal elongation and FRT development, in part through the induction of paracrine factors in the epithelium that trans-activate WNT signaling in the mesenchyme.

Temperature-switchable deep eutectic solvent extraction of polysaccharides from wolfberry fruits: Process optimization, structure characterization, and antioxidant activity

Polysaccharides of wolfberry (LBPs) with complex structures are most commonly used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as biologically active phytochemicals. However, the structure and yield of LBPs vary according to the extraction method used, and selecting their extraction media remains difficult. A novel type of temperature-switchable deep eutectic solvent (TS-DES), consisting of L-menthol and phenyl salicylate, was designed to extract LBPs from wolfberry fruits. TS-DES was a recyclable extractant above the maximum critical solution temperature (UCST). The increased dispersibility of extraction solvents was imparted by combining them with a high-speed shear dispersion emulsification (HSDE) machine. TS-DES was in full contact with the cell walls of wolfberries, leading to the complete opening of the cell walls, resulting in the efficient extraction of LBPs. Compared with traditional extraction, the yield of LBPs-D reached 4.35%, which was higher than that of LBPs-W (1.78%). This study showed that LBPs-D were high molecular weight, highly branched polysaccharides with antioxidant activity. TS-DES was separated at a lower level than UCST for regeneration and reuse. After 5 cycles, TS-DES still had excellent recovery and extraction performance. This study provides valuable information for efficiently extracting structurally rich bioactive polysaccharides from plants using TS-DES.