Search Results (92)

In this work, a theoretical study on the combined effects of an external electric field and a nonresonant intense laser field on the electronic properties of a quantum dot with a truncated cone shape is presented. This quantum dot was made from a type-II CdTe/CdSe heterostructure (core/shell). Using the effective mass approximation with parabolic bands and the finite element method, the Schrödinger equation was solved to analyze the confined states of electron, hole, and exciton. This study demonstrates the potential of combining nonresonant intense laser and electric fields to control confinement properties in semiconductor nanodevices, with potential applications in optoelectronics and quantum mechanics-related technologies. Full article

Racket sports are very popular not only in professional sports but also among recreational players. As a result, their impact on the field of education has grown significantly in recent years. Table tennis (TT) offers significant advantages in terms of skill acquisition and health improvement. Nevertheless, its application within physical education (PE) curricula remains undetermined. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the use of TT as educational content in the subject of PE in primary school. The PRISMA 2020 methodology was used to conduct the systematic review. Six databases (ERIC, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Sport Discus, and Web of Science) were used during the search process. The search cutoff date was December 31, 2024. After applying the eligibility criteria, 3595 articles were found. Only seven studies were selected for the final analysis and the data included 1526 students from primary school. The results indicate that TT is rarely used in primary education during PE classes. Research indicates interest among teachers and students in playing it during PE. Furthermore, due to the benefits, motivation, and interest this sport generates, educational experiences have been developed, such as roundtable discussions, table top tennis, balloon TT, and TT triathlon. A lack of materials, facilities, and teacher training for teaching this sport is notable. The teaching experiences analyzed in this review confirm that TT is a highly versatile and interesting sport as a subject matter in school PE. The use of TT allows for innovative, comprehensive, and inclusive PE, thanks to the sport’s multiple possibilities. Given its adaptability and low entry barrier, TT could serve as an effective tool for increasing children’s physical activity levels, improving motor skills, and fostering social–emotional development. However further research is needed to quantify its impact on health outcomes such as cardiovascular fitness or obesity prevention. Full article

β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) serves as an alternative cellular fuel during states of low glucose availability, such as fasting or carbohydrate restriction, when the body shifts to using fats and ketone bodies for energy. While BHB has shown potential metabolic benefits, its mechanisms of action in the context of obesity are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the effects of BHB supplementation on subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) metabolism in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model. Adult male mice were first fed a high-fat diet for six weeks, followed by a standard diet with or without BHB supplementation for an additional six weeks. BHB supplementation led to significant body weight loss independent of food intake. This weight reduction was associated with decreased adipocyte differentiation, reflected by reduced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) protein levels and lower uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression, indicating altered SAT function. Transcriptomic analysis of SAT revealed upregulation of genes involved in fatty acid activation and transport (e.g., Slc27a2, Plin5, Acot4, Acsm3, Rik). Functional enrichment highlighted the activation of the PPAR signaling pathway and enrichment of peroxisomal components in the BHB group. Together, these results suggest that BHB promotes lipid remodeling in SAT, enhancing fatty acid metabolism while suppressing thermogenic pathways, and thus may represent a novel mechanism contributing to adiposity reduction and metabolic improvement. Full article

Nanoclays have gained attention in biological applications due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are synthetic nanoclays that have been used as adjuvants and antigen carriers in nanovaccines developed through passive bioconjugation. However, performing active bioconjugation to bind antigens covalently and generate subunit nanovaccines remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated the synthesis, functionalization, and active conjugation of LDH nanoparticles to produce subunit nanovaccines with peptides from SARS-CoV-2. The synthesis of Mg-Al LDHs via a coprecipitation and hydrothermal treatment rendered monodisperse particles averaging 100 nm. Their functionalization with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane was better than it was with other organosilanes. Glutaraldehyde was used as a linker to bind lysine as a model biomolecule to establish the best conditions for reductive amination. Finally, two peptides, P₂ and P₅ (epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein), were bound on the surface of the LDH to produce two subunit vaccine candidates, reaching peptide concentrations of 125 and 270 µg/mL, respectively. The particles were characterized using DLS, TEM, XRD, TGA, DSC, and FTIR. The cytotoxicity studies revealed that the conjugate with P₂ was non-toxic up to 250 µg/mL, while the immunogenicity studies showed that this conjugate induced similar IgG titers to those reached when aluminum hydroxide was used as an adjuvant. Full article

We aimed to develop a species-specific ELISA for qualitatively and quantitatively determining serum amyloid A (SAA) in horses. Current methods for measuring SAA in horses utilize ELISA or immunoturbidimetric tests designed for human SAA, which are not specific to horses. Mice and rabbits were used to generate polyclonal antibodies against equine SAA. The study examined serum samples from 32 horses with acute inflammatory disease (SG) and 25 clinically healthy horses. Furthermore, the SAAeq kinetics were observed in three horses from the SG group at three different timepoints. The SAA-ELISA established a cut-off at 0.06 OD₄₉₂nm, where values equal to or higher than this were deemed positive, while values below it was considered negative. The test exhibited a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 92%, resulting in an overall accuracy of 93%. The positive and negative predictive values were 94% and 92%, respectively. Coefficients of variation for inter- and intra-assay were 6.1% and 7.46% for SG and 9.6% and 9.63% for the control group (CG). The detection limit was determined to be 0.067. The SAA-ELISA proved its worth by demonstrating satisfactory performance, paving the way for the development of automated quantitative tests and species-specific semi-quantitative tests. This paves the way for their application in practical field settings. Full article

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a pathogenic bacterium that threatens food safety by infecting humans and marine organisms. Among its virulence factors, lecithin-dependent hemolysin (vpLDH) has been identified as a promising target for attenuating its pathogenicity. This study explores the inhibitory mechanisms of three natural flavonoids—quercetin, morin, and EGCG—on LDH using enzyme kinetics, fluorescence quenching, and molecular dynamics simulations. The flavonoids quercetin, morin, and EGCG inhibited vpLDH phospholipase A2 activity via a competitive mechanism with inhibition constants of 17.1, 17.27, and 24.24 µM, respectively. Fluorescence quenching experiments confirmed that the evaluated flavonoids formed a stable, non-fluorescent complex (1:1 stoichiometry) with vpLDH. Also, via Stern–Volmer plots, the dissociation constant was calculated (Kd); quercetin showed the highest affinity, followed by morin and EGCG. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that all evaluated ligands bind to the vpLDH active site vicinity with oscillations < 1.7 nm (100 ns), indicating that both the flavonoids and substrate vpLDH complexes are stable. These findings demonstrate that quercetin, morin, and EGCG are stable competitive inhibitors, highlighting their potential as natural anti-virulence agents against V. parahaemolyticus. Full article

Background and objectives: the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the necessity of understanding the factors influencing susceptibility and disease severity, as well as a better recovery of functional status, especially in postcritical patients. evidence regarding the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the severity of COVID-19 is still insufficient due to the lack of primary robust trial-based data and heterogeneous study designs. the principal aims of our study were to determine the impact of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency on complications during intensive care unit (icu) stay, as well as its role in muscle mass and strength improvement as well as morphofunctional recovery during a multispecialty 6-month follow-up program based on adapted nutritional support and specific physical rehabilitation. as a secondary objective, we compared the association mentioned above between patients with sarcopenic obesity and non- sarcopenic obesity. methods: this prospective observational study included 94 outpatients postcritical COVID-19. two weeks after hospital discharge, patients were divided into sufficient (≥30 ng/mL), insufficient (20.01–29.99 ng/mL), or deficient (≤20 ng/mL) vitamin D levels. the differences in in-hospital complications and morphofunctional parameters including phase angle (PhA), body cell mass (BCM), handgrip strength (HGS), timed get-up-and-go (UAG), 6 min walk test (6MWT), and proinflammatory biochemical variables were analyzed. Incremental (Δ) changes in these parameters were also analyzed at the end of follow-up according to vitamin D levels and the presence vs. absence of sarcopenic obesity. A multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to detect possible confounding factors in the impact analysis of vitamin D changes on functional recovery in patients with obesity. Results: A total of 36.2% of patients exhibited vitamin D deficiency, 29.8% vitamin D insufficiency, and only 32.9% showed sufficient levels at hospital discharge. A total of 46.8% of patients had obesity, and 36.1% had sarcopenic obesity. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with longer hospital stays (p = 0.04), longer ICU stays (p = 0.04), more days of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (p = 0.04), lower skeletal muscle mass/weight (SMM/w) (p = 0.04) and skeletal muscle index (SMI) (p = 0.047), higher fat mass percentage (FM%) (p = 0.04), C-reactive-protein (CRP) (p = 0.04), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (p = 0.03), and better performance in R-HGS (p = 0.04), UAG (p = 0.03), and 6MWT (p = 0.034) when compared with those with normal vitamin D levels. At six months, Δvitamin D significantly correlated with ΔHbA1c (p = 0.002) and CRP (p = 0.049). Patients with normal vitamin D values showed better recovery of ΔSMI (p = 0.046), ΔSMM/w (p = 0.04), ΔR-HGS (p = 0.04), and ΔUAG (p = 0.04) compared to those with abnormal vitamin D levels, and these improvements in ΔR-HGS and ΔUAG were greater in the subgroup of sarcopenic obesity compared than in nonsarcopenic obesity (p = 0.04 and p = 0.04, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis detected that these results were also attributable to a longer hospital stay and lower ΔCRP in the subgroup of patients with sarcopenic obesity. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with longer hospital stays, longer VMI requirement, worse muscle health, and a higher degree of systemic inflammation. Furthermore, normal vitamin D levels at the end of the follow-up were associated with better morphofunctional recovery in postcritical COVID-19, particularly in patients with sarcopenic obesity partly due to a higher degree of inflammation as a result of a longer hospital stay. Full article

Prime editing (PE) is a CRISPR-based tool for genome engineering that can be applied to generate human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based disease models. PE technology safely introduces point mutations, small insertions, and deletions (indels) into the genome. It uses a Cas9-nickase (nCas9) fused to a reverse transcriptase (RT) as an editor and a PE guide RNA (pegRNA), which introduces the desired edit with great precision without creating double-strand breaks (DSBs). PE leads to minimal off-targets or indels when introducing single-strand breaks (SSB) in the DNA. Low efficiency can be an obstacle to its use in hiPSCs, especially when the genetic context precludes the screening of multiple pegRNAs, and other strategies must be employed to achieve the desired edit. We developed a PE platform to efficiently generate isogenic models of Mendelian disorders. We introduced the c.25G>A (p.V9M) mutation in the NMNAT1 gene with over 25% efficiency by optimizing the PE workflow. Using our optimized system, we generated other isogenic models of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), including the c.1481C>T (p.T494M) mutation in PRPF3 and the c.6926A>C (p.H2309P) mutation in PRPF8. We modified several determinants of the hiPSC PE procedure, such as plasmid concentrations, PE component ratios, and delivery method settings, showing that our improved workflow increased the hiPSC editing efficiency. Full article

Government plans are crucial for strengthening democratic regimes by defining clear policies and priorities, and by serving as essential channels of communication with voters and social groups within electoral systems. The political commitment to align these plans with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda reflects an effort to integrate global priorities into local agendas. Such alignment is critical for fostering sustainable and inclusive progress. However, despite its importance, research on the intersection between government plans and the SDGs remains limited. In this study, we used natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence, and statistical analysis to examine the government plans of ten candidates in the 2022 gubernatorial election in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Our analysis identified key policy topics, explored patterns and trends, and assessed alignment with the 17 SDGs across the social (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 16), environmental (SDGs 6, 13, 14, and 15), and economic (SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12) dimensions. The findings emphasize the need for government plans that are more closely aligned with sustainable development goals and that demonstrate a strong political commitment to addressing critical issues, particularly the impacts of climate change. This is especially urgent for the state of São Paulo, which faces significant challenges, including natural disasters, heat waves, flooding, water scarcity, and infrastructure deficiencies. Full article

Driven by a growing global interest in natural products, macroalgae have emerged as a prime source for nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical applications. In the current research, the effect of oven-drying (OD) and freeze-drying (FD), as well as the pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) conditions, were investigated in relation to the polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and tocochromanols levels in Cladophora glomerata extracts. The ethanol–water extracts (1:1) obtained with PLE-150 °C from macroalgae oven-dried (OD)-80 °C displayed the highest total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFCs), reaching 29.62 mg GAE/g and 5.92 mg QE/g. Aqueous extracts using PLE-200 °C were also an excellent environmentally friendly option for TPC and TFC isolation, which were the main factors accounting for the ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP antioxidant activity of the extracts. The remarkable effects of drying conditions positively affect the carotenoids, chlorophyll α-tocopherol, and α-tocotrienol levels from extracts showing 1.3–6 times higher amounts in extracts of Cladophora glomerata OD at 80 °C compared with other research approaches. Nanotechnology approaches allowed the formulation of antioxidant-loaded nanoemulsions from Cladophora glomerata extracts, providing stability and a great internalization rate that ameliorates to 85% the ROS levels, attenuating the oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂ in J774.1 macrophage cell line. Full article

In recent years, the demand for solid, thin, and flexible energy storage devices has surged in modern consumer electronics, which require autonomy and long duration. In this context, hybrid supercapacitors have become strategic, and significant efforts are being made to develop cells with higher energy densities while preserving the power density of conventional supercapacitors. Motivated by these requirements, we report the development of a new high-performance dual-redox-mediator supercapacitor. In this study, cells were constructed using fully moldable buckypapers (BPs), composed of carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers, as electrodes. We evaluated the compatibility of BPs with hydrogel polymer electrolytes, based on 1 mol L⁻¹ H₂SO₄ and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), supplemented with different redox species: methylene blue, indigo carmine, and hydroquinone. Solid cells were constructed containing two active redox species to maximize the specific capacity of each electrode. Considering the main results, the dual-redox-mediator supercapacitor exhibits high energy density of 32.0 Wh kg⁻¹ (at 0.8 kW kg⁻¹) and is capable of delivering 25.9 Wh kg⁻¹ at high power demand (4.0 kW kg⁻¹). Stability studies conducted over 10,000 galvanostatic cycles revealed that the PVA polymer matrix benefits the system by inhibiting the crossover of redox species within the cell. Full article

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is a rare genetic disease characterized by progressive cerebellar syndrome and macular degeneration. In a previous study, we clinically and genetically characterized a group of Mexican patients, which represented one of the largest cohorts of SCA7 patients worldwide and demonstrated that all patients had a unique genetic origin. Our laboratory developed a program for the diagnosis, medical care, and long-term follow-up of these patients living in Veracruz State, and in this report, we present an update to this research, covering 2013 to 2024. So far, we identified 172 SCA7 carriers, with a few cases outside Veracruz, and our data support that the length of the CAG repeat tract mainly determines disease severity and life expectancy, and accordingly, we define three different phenotypes, early-onset (EO), classical-onset (CO), and late-onset (LO), with EO patients showing the lowest life expectancy. Furthermore, we found that parental transmission of mutant alleles leads to increased CAG repeat instability, compared to maternal ones. Interestingly, a haplotype analysis revealed that patients outside Veracruz may have different genetic origins. In conclusion, longitudinal observations of SCA7 patients provide insight into the natural history of SCA7 and help to design strategies for diagnosis, genetic counseling, physical rehabilitation, and therapeutic alternatives. Full article

Power quality measurements are essential to monitor, analyse and control the operation of smart grids within power systems. This work aims to develop and calibrate a PQ network analyser. As the penetration of non-linear loads connected to power systems is increasing every day, it is essential to measure power quality. In this sense, a power quality (PQ) analyser is based on the high-speed sampling of electrical signals in single-phase and three-phase electrical installations, which are available in real time for analysis using wireless Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity) networks. The PQAE (Power Quality Analyser Embedded) power quality analyser has met the calibration standards for Class A devices from IEC 61000-4-30, IEC 61000-4-7 and IEC 62586-2. In this paper, a complete guide to the tests included in this standard has been provided. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) obtains the harmonic components from the measured signals and the window functions used reduce spectral leakage. The window size depends on the fundamental frequency of, intensity of and changes in the signal. Harmonic measurements from the 2nd to 50th harmonics for each phase of the voltage and each phase and neutral of the current have been performed, using the Fast Fourier transform algorithm with various window functions and their comparisons. PQAE is developed on an open-source platform that allows you to adapt its programming to the measurement needs of the users. Full article

In ovine populations, the enzootic nature of Chlamydia abortus (C. abortus) is attributed to its capacity to establish persistent intracellular infections, which necessitate a cellular immune response mediated by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) for effective resolution. In both natural hosts and murine models, interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been demonstrated to modulate the cellular immune response crucial for the eradication of C. abortus. During gestation, it has also been shown to play a role in preventing inflammatory damage to gestational tissues and foetal loss through the downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This paradigm can be key for events leading to a protective response towards an infectious abortion. Previous research successfully established a mouse model of chronic C. abortus infection using transgenic mice overexpressing IL-10 (IL-10tg), simulating the dynamics of chronic infection observed in non-pregnant natural host. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an experimental inactivated vaccine against C. abortus and to elucidate the immune mechanisms involved in protection during chronic infection using this model. Transgenic and wild-type (WT) control mice were immunized and subsequently challenged with C. abortus. Vaccine effectiveness and immune response were assessed via immunohistochemistry and cytokine serum levels over a 28-day period. Morbidity, measured by daily weight loss, was more pronounced in non-vaccinated transgenic IL-10 mice, though no mortality was observed in any group. Vaccinated control mice eliminated the bacterial infection by day 9 post-infection (p.i.), whereas presence of bacteria was noted in vaccinated transgenic IL-10 mice until day 28 p.i. Vaccination induced an early post-infection increase in IFN-γ production, but did not alter IL-10 production in transgenic mice. Histological analysis indicated suboptimal recruitment of inflammatory cells in vaccinated transgenic IL-10 mice compared to WT controls. In summary, the findings suggest that IL-10 overexpression in transgenic mice diminishes the protective efficacy of vaccination, confirming that this model can be useful for validating the efficacy of vaccines against intracellular pathogens such as C. abortus that require robust cell-mediated immunity. Full article

The aim of our cross-sectional and longitudinal study is to assess the relationship between daytime and night-time sleep duration and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with metabolic syndrome after a 1-year healthy lifestyle intervention. Analysis of the data from 2119 Spanish adults aged 55–75 years from the PREDIMED-Plus study was performed. Sleep duration was assessed using a wrist-worn accelerometer. HRQoL was measured using the SF-36 questionnaire. Linear regression models adjusted for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors and morbidity were developed. In cross-sectional analyses, participants with extreme night-time sleep duration categories showed lower physical component summary scores in Models 1 and 2 [β-coefficient (95% confidence interval) <6 h vs. 7–9 h: −2, 3 (−3.8 to −0.8); p = 0.002. >9 h vs. 7–9 h: −1.1 (−2.0 to −0.3); p = 0.01]. Participants who sleep less than 7 h a night and take a nap are associated with higher mental component summary scores [β-coefficient (95% confidence interval) 6.3 (1.3 to 11.3); p = 0.01]. No differences between night-time sleep categories and 12-month changes in HRQoL were observed. In conclusion, in cross-sectional analyses, extremes in nocturnal sleep duration are related to lower physical component summary scores and napping is associated with higher mental component summary scores in older adults who sleep less than 7 h a night. Full article