Assessment of Lumbar Vertebrae L1-L7 and Proximal Femur Microstructure in Sheep as a Large Animal Model for Osteoporosis Research.

Sheep have been widely used as a model for osteoporosis research. This study aimed to characterise changes in microstructure and composition in lumbar vertebrae L1-L7 and the proximal femur after implementation of a bone loss induction protocol (in this species). A sham control and experimental group (glucocorticoid-treated ovariectomized sheep) were used ( = 6/group), with a study duration up to the 24th postoperative week.

(COOH, NH)-modified defective MOF-808(Zr) for enhancing photocatalytic oxidation of tetracycline and structural feature determination by Pearson correlation analysis.

Zirconium-based MOF-808 exhibits limited light absorption, restricting its photocatalytic performance. In this study, a dual-doping strategy involving 4-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and colloidal dopamine-melanin (Dpa) was employed to synergistically enhance both the adsorption capacity and light absorption of MOF-808 for photocatalytic tetracycline oxidation. The dual-doped PABA/Dpa-MOF-808 (P/D/MOF-808) sample exhibited extended light absorption in the visible light range (350-800 nm) and a significantly larger surface area (∼1150 m/g) than that of pristine MOF-808 (∼728 m/g).

How and Why Plants Came to Smell Green: The Origins, Biosynthesis, and Roles of Green Leaf Volatiles.

Most terrestrial plants smell green because they produce a family of volatile organic compounds, green leaf volatiles (GLVs). The widespread occurrence of GLVs suggests that these compounds have been evolutionarily acquired to fulfill a common function across land plants. What, then, are their roles? GLVs are hardly detectable in undamaged plant tissues yet are rapidly synthesized from damaged cells within seconds of injury.

Aroma Compounds of Fresh Leaves and their Dried Powders in Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa.

This study aimed to investigate the aroma compounds in fresh leaves and their dried powders in Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa (yamato-tōki). Essential oils were extracted from the dried powders of leaves in A. acutiloba Kitagawa using a simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) technique and analyzed using GC/MS.

Molecular cloning and characterization of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase from Acorus calamus.

Volatile phenylpropenes, including α- and β-asarone, are characteristic aromas of sweet flag (Acorus calamus) and have been used as ingredients in pharmaceutical applications. However, studies on the biosynthetic enzymes involved in the production of volatile phenylpropenes in A. calamus remain limited.

Direct Molecular Evidence for Desolvation-Controlled Lithium-Ion Insertion at Graphite Electrodes in Highly Concentrated Electrolytes.

Understanding the rate-determining step of lithium (Li)-ion insertion at graphite electrodes is essential for designing fast-charging Li-ion battery electrolyte systems. In this study, we quantitatively investigate how Li-ion solvation affects electrode reaction kinetics in highly concentrated electrolytes. By measuring the activation energy () for the Li-ion insertion reaction in a series of 3.

From Inception to Innovation: 20 Years of Nanoarchitectonics.

The term "nanoarchitectonics" emerged as the 21st century approached, and it has been in use for around 20 years. We here look back accomplishments of nanoarchitectonics. However, this review will explore several typical topics and their trends instead of a comprehensive description in a chronicle-like manner.

Structural basis of substrate diversity and functional evolution of archaeal RNA-splicing endonucleases.

Maturation of transfer RNA molecules often requires removal of intronic sequences by endonucleases that recognize diverse RNA secondary structures. Archaeal splicing endonucleases [versatile RNA-splicing endonucleases (VSENs)] exhibit remarkable substrate versatility, yet the structural basis for this broad specificity has remained unclear. Here, we report the 1.

Potential of Pine Bark to Replace Perlite in Coir-Based Substrates: Effects on Nutrient Uptake, Growth, and Phytochemicals in Lettuce Under Two Salinity Levels.

Enhancing the sustainability of growing media is an important objective in soilless vegetable cultivation. Here, we evaluated the potential of pine bark to replace perlite in coir-based substrates for lettuce ( L. cv.

Altered Ground Reaction Force and Dynamic Stability During a Single-Leg Stabilization Task in Female Athletes With Lateral Ankle Sprain History and Dysfunctional Breathing Patterns.

Context: Female athletes frequently experience lateral ankle sprains (LAS) during unilateral jump-landing activities and face a significant risk of recurrent ankle injury. LAS has been associated with reduced diaphragm contractility and altered breathing mechanics. The diaphragm and breathing mechanics are crucial for mitigating landing impact, which is typically impaired in individuals with LAS.

An ensemble method utilising multiple thinking styles that boosts the wisdom-of inner- crowd effect.

Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals can utilize the wisdom of crowds, known as 'the wisdom of the inner crowd'. This requires answering the same question multiple times and averaging the estimates. Although several methods have been proposed to achieve more accurate estimates, its efficacy remains relatively low.

Dual-matrix immobilization of cellulolytic consortium KKU-MC1 for Enhancing biohydrogen production from Napier grass and oil palm frond.

Agricultural residues offer sustainable feedstock for biohydrogen production, but conventional processes face challenges including enzyme inhibition, poor cell retention, and limited catalyst reusability. This study compared separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) versus simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) while developing a dual-matrix entrapment (ENT) system combining sodium-alginate with activated carbon. Using Napier grass (NG) and oil palm frond (10-50 g-volatile solid (VS)/L) without pretreatment, SHF outperformed SSF by 1.

The genetic history of Portugal over the past 5,000 years.

Background: Recent ancient DNA studies uncovering large-scale demographic events in Iberia have presented very limited data for Portugal, a country located at the westernmost edge of continental Eurasia. Here, we present the most comprehensive collection of Portuguese ancient genome-wide data, from 67 individuals spanning 5000 years of human history, from the Neolithic to the nineteenth century.

Results: We identify early admixture between local hunter-gatherers and Anatolian-related farmers in Neolithic Portugal, with a northeastern-southwestern gradient of increasing Magdalenian-associated ancestry persistence in Iberia.

Nutritional Characterization of Fruits from Three African Plant Species: Willd, Jacq. and L.

(velvet tamarind), Jacq. (African locust bean) and L. (baobab) are fruits from African plants whose nutritional potential remains poorly characterised.

Saliva Immunoglobulin Concentrations Are Associated with Colostrum Intake and with Serum Concentrations in Newborn Calves.

The transfer of passive immunity (TPI) is vital for newborn calf health and is typically assessed through blood sampling to measure serum or plasma IgG or total protein levels. Saliva offers a less invasive alternative. This study evaluated the potential of saliva for assessing TPI.

Molecular scale understanding on the oil-water-calcite wettability: role of acid component and effect of CO.

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is a critical strategy for climate change mitigation, often involving CO injection into subsurface reservoirs for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and geological storage. Reservoir wettability significantly impacts these processes, yet carbonate formations frequently become oil-wet due to organic acid adsorption from crude oil, hindering recovery. While CO injection can alter wettability towards a more favorable water-wet state, the underlying molecular mechanisms involving CO, adsorbed organic acids, and the calcite surface are not fully understood.

Influence of aging on dermal elastin fiber architecture and skin firmness assessed by finite element modeling.

Skin firmness and elasticity are largely determined by the dermal extracellular matrix, particularly the elastin fiber network. Age-related degradation of elastin alters its architecture, contributing to diminished skin resilience. However, the quantitative relationship between elastin fiber geometry and macroscopic skin firmness remains incompletely understood.

Critical genomic insights into vancomycin-resistant in Lebanon.

Unlabelled: Vancomycin-resistant (VRE) poses a global public health threat, with particularly severe ramifications in low-resource settings. While is commonly a commensal organism in the human gut, the acquisition of vancomycin resistance has contributed to the emergence of VRE as a major cause of hospital-acquired infections, especially in vulnerable populations. This study investigates the genetic characteristics of VRE isolated from hospitalized patients in Lebanon, focusing on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes and the underlying resistome.

Nitrate-Nitrite Interplay in the Nitrogen Biocycle.

The nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is a cornerstone of global biogeochemistry, regulating nitrogen availability and affecting atmospheric chemistry, agricultural productivity, and ecological balance. Central to this cycle is the reversible interplay between nitrate (NO) and nitrite (NO), mediated by molybdenum-dependent enzymes-Nitrate reductases (NARs) and Nitrite oxidoreductases (NXRs). Despite catalyzing opposite reactions, these enzymes exhibit remarkable structural and mechanistic similarities.

A Systematic Review of Cyber Threat Intelligence: The Effectiveness of Technologies, Strategies, and Collaborations in Combating Modern Threats.

Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) has become critical in enhancing cybersecurity measures across various sectors. This systematic review aims to synthesize the current literature on the effectiveness of CTI strategies in mitigating cyber attacks, identify the most effective tools and methodologies for threat detection and prevention, and highlight the limitations of current approaches. An extensive search of academic databases was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, including 43 relevant studies.

Conformational Flexibility of Solvent Molecules Enables Li-Ion Hopping in Highly Concentrated Electrolytes.

We report the structural characteristics of a highly concentrated electrolyte composed of methyl pyruvate (MP) solvent and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (LiFSA) salt, which exhibits specific ion conduction based on the lithium-ion (Li-ion) hopping/exchange mechanism. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the Li salt concentration () affects the Li-ion coordination structure in the LiFSA/MP electrolyte. At low (≤2.

Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue.

: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is metabolically active and is in dynamic crosstalk with the surrounding cardiomyocytes, modulating their function and metabolism. Oxidative stress is a key contributor to cell death and cardiac remodeling, is a hallmark of diabetes (DM) and cardiovascular disease, such as coronary artery disease (CAD). However, little is known about these processes in EAT from patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Geospatial technologies for targeting priority areas on surveillance and response of visceral leishmaniasis in São Paulo state, Brazil: embracing a One Health integrative approach.

Background: In 2023, Brazil accounted for 93.5% of the reported cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Latin America. This study, employing a One Health approach aims: i) to analyse the spatial distribution of VL using integrated geospatial methods, ii) the temporal trend of VL to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of cases, and iii) identify spatial clusters of municipalities with heightened environmental vulnerability to prioritise surveillance and control efforts for VL in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Magnetic interactions between metal sites in complex enzymes.

Magnetic interactions between iron-sulfur (Fe/S) clusters and transition metal centers such as nickel, molybdenum, and copper play a central role in the function of key metalloenzymes. These interactions, which arise from electronic coupling, spin exchange, and spatial arrangement, directly influence redox behavior and catalytic efficiency. This review highlights three distinct complex enzymes-[NiFe] hydrogenases, mononuclear molybdenum-containing xanthine oxidase (XO) family, and [NiFe] and [MoCu] carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODHs)-as paradigms for understanding (Fe/S)-metal center interactions.

Redox tunable conjugated radicals enable low threshold voltage memristors for artificial synapses.

Organic molecules with reversible redox are emerging as promising materials for low power memristors. However, the structure-property relationship between the molecular structure and threshold voltage is not clear; achieving low threshold voltage memristors is still a challenge. To address this issue, a series of conjugated Blatter radicals with tunable redox were designed and synthesized by varying the functional groups.