Search Results (469)

We report the development of highly luminescent, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stabilized gold–silver bimetallic nanoclusters (Au-AgNCs@BSA) as a novel platform for high-sensitivity, ratiometric intracellular temperature sensing. Precise and non-invasive temperature sensing at the nanoscale is crucial for applications ranging from intracellular thermogenesis monitoring to localized hyperthermia therapies. Traditional luminescent thermometric platforms often suffer from limitations such as high cytotoxicity and low photostability. Here, we synthesized Au-AgNCs@BSA via a one-pot aqueous reaction, achieving significantly enhanced photoluminescence quantum yields (PL QYs, up to 18%) and superior thermal responsiveness compared to monometallic counterparts. The dual-emissive Au-AgNCs@BSA exhibit a linear ratiometric fluorescence response to temperature fluctuations within the physiological range (20–50 °C), enabling accurate and concentration-independent thermometry in live cells. Time-resolved PL and Arrhenius analyses reveal two distinct emissive states and a high thermal activation energy (E_a = 199 meV), indicating strong temperature dependence. Silver doping increases radiative decay rates while maintaining low non-radiative losses, thus amplifying fluorescence intensity and thermal sensitivity. Owing to their small size, excellent photostability, and low cytotoxicity, these nanoclusters were applied to non-invasive intracellular temperature mapping, presenting a promising luminescent nanothermometer for real-time cellular thermogenesis monitoring and advanced bioimaging applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: Rest–activity rhythm (RAR) disturbances can contribute to aging and dementia via metabolic dysregulation. Hydroxycholesterol (OH) is thought to mediate the link between hypercholesterolemia and neurodegeneration. This study compared sleep and RAR parameters between amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients and normal controls (NCs), and examined their associations with plasma 27-OH levels, reflecting peripheral cholesterol metabolism. Methods In total, 18 aMCI patients (76.6 ± 6.1 years) and 21 NCs (70.4 ± 6.7 years) underwent five-day actigraphy and dim light melatonin onset assessment. Plasma 27-OH levels were measured via high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to analyze the relationships between sleep, RAR, and 27-OH levels. Results: The aMCI group had significantly lower 27-OH levels and 27-OH/total cholesterol ratios (p < 0.05). GLM revealed that longer sleep onset latency (SOL) was associated with higher 27-OH levels in aMCI, distinguishing them from NCs. Additionally, in aMCI, longer SOL, lower sleep efficiency (SE), and higher fragmentation index (FI) were associated with an increased 27-OH/total cholesterol ratio (p < 0.05). Higher relative amplitude of RAR was linked to lower 27-OH levels across groups (p < 0.01), but RAR parameters showed no significant association with the 27-OH/total cholesterol ratio. Sleep disturbances, including prolonged SOL, reduced SE, and increased FI, were associated with altered peripheral cholesterol oxygenation in aMCI. Conclusions: Greater RAR amplitude correlated with lower 27-OH levels, regardless of cognitive status. These findings suggest that peripheral cholesterol oxygenation in aMCI is related to both sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm dysregulation, highlighting their role in cholesterol metabolism and neurodegeneration. Full article

The history of the rabies virus dates back four millennia, with the virus being considered by many to be the first known transmitted between animals and humans. In Brazil, rabies virus variants associated with terrestrial wild animals, marmosets, and different bat species have been identified. In this study, bat samples from different regions of São Paulo State, in Southeast Brazil, were analyzed to identify their genetic variability and patterns. A total of 51 samples were collected over ten years (1999–2009) and submitted to the immunofluorescent technique using monoclonal antibodies for antigenic profile detection (the diagnostic routine used in Latin American countries) and genetic evolution analysis through maximum likelihood approaches. Three antigenic profiles were detected: one related to the rabies virus maintained by hematophagous bat populations (AgV3), part of the monoclonal antibody panel used, and two other profiles not included in the panel (called NC1 and NC2). These antigenic profiles were genetically distributed in five groups. Group I was related to hematophagous bats (AgV3), Groups II and III were related to insectivorous bats (NC1) and Groups IV and V were also related to insectivorous bats (NC2). The results presented herein show that genetic lineages previously restricted to the northwest region of São Paulo State are now found in other state regions, highlighting the need for a comprehensive genetic study of bat rabies covering geographic and temporal space, through expanded genomic analysis using a standard genomic fragment. Full article

Chicken anemia virus (CAV) and Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) are economically important pathogens of the poultry industry worldwide. However, the impact of dual infection of these two pathogens in chickens remains unclear. This study investigated the pathogenic effects of dual infection with CAV and E. tenella using two trials. In Trial A, chickens were infected at 21 days of age (D21) with either CAV and E. tenella simultaneously (C₂₁ + T₂₁), CAV alone (C_21a), E. tenella alone (T₂₁), or PBS as a negative control (NC). In Trial B, chickens received CAV at D21 followed by E. tenella at D28 (C₂₁ + T₂₈), CAV alone at D21 (C_21b), E. tenella alone at D28 (T₂₈), or PBS at D21 (NC). Assays of lesion scores (LS), oocysts per gram (OPG) of feces, packed cell volume (PCV), and thymus index (TI) were used to assess variations in pathogenicity. Both the C₂₁ + T₂₁ and C₂₁ + T₂₈ groups showed higher OPG than the group infected with E. tenella alone, with significantly elevated OPG in the secondary infection scenario and more severe lesions in the concurrent co-infection group (p < 0.05). Anemia, indicated by PCV < 27%, was observed in the C₂₁ + T₂₁ group at day 28 and in the C₂₁ + T₂₈ group at day 35, both of which had significantly lower PCV values than the group infected with CAV alone (p < 0.001). Thymus atrophy was most severe in C₂₁ + T₂₁ at 28 days old (p < 0.05; p < 0.01). In this study, preliminary observations suggested that concurrent and secondary infections with CAV and E. tenella showed variable trends that may indicate potential interactions; however, these exploratory findings require more systematic validation in older chickens. Full article

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of two levels of a precision biotic (PB) within a reduced CP diet for performance, digestibility, and blood biomarkers in Dekalb White laying hens from 24 to 42 weeks of age. A total of four diets were fed: (1) an industry-standard positive control (PC) diet with a formulated CP level of 17.5%; (2) a negative control (NC) diet with a formulated CP level of 15.5%; (3) NC with 0.5 kg/ton PB (NC+PB1); (4) NC with 0.7 kg/ton PB (NC+PB2). The NC diet decreased hen–day egg production compared to the PC diet, and supplementation with both levels of PB led to intermediate levels of production. There was a similar trend for the feed conversion ratio (FCR), measured in kilograms of feed per dozen eggs. Feed cost was lower in the reduced CP diets compared to the PC. Apparent total tract digestibility was decreased with PB supplementation without differences in apparent ileal digestibility. The increased plasma uric acid levels in the NC+PB2 group suggest a shift in protein metabolism toward higher efficiency in ammonia detoxification. While more research is needed on PB, this research suggests that supplementation with PB in laying hens could potentially improve performance parameters. Full article

Age-related neurodegeneration is characterized by oxidative stress and iron-dependent cell death, yet the neuroprotective mechanisms of folic acid in modulating ferroptosis remain unclear. This study systematically investigated the role of folic acid in inhibiting ferroptosis and attenuating neuronal damage in aging, with a focus on the solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)-glutathione (GSH)-glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX₄) antioxidant pathway, using aged rats supplemented with folic acid (<0.1, 2.0, and 4.0 mg/kg·diet) for 22 months, with young adult rats as controls. Brain iron accumulation and ferroptosis-related proteins (SLC7A11, GPX₄, Ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1)) were evaluated. In vitro, HT-22 hippocampal neuronal cells were pre-treated with folic acid (0, 10, 20 μmol/L) for 72 h before combining with Erastin (10 μmol/L)-induced ferroptosis for an additional 24 h. Intracellular Fe²⁺, lipid peroxidation (LPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), along with cystine, GSH, and ferroptosis-related protein levels were quantified. Stable sh-SLC7A11 knockdown and control (sh-NC) cell lines were used to validate the dependency of folic acid’s protective effects on SLC7A11 expression. Folic acid supplementation in aged rats dose-dependently reduced aging-related brain iron accumulation and enhanced the expression of SLC7A11, GPX₄, and FTH1. In Erastin-induced HT-22 cells, folic acid significantly mitigated ferroptosis hallmarks. Mechanistically, folic acid increased extracellular cystine uptake and intracellular GSH synthesis, thereby activating the SLC7A11-GSH-GPX₄ antioxidant pathway. Notably, molecular docking technique suggested that compared to GPX₄, folic acid stabilized SLC7A11’s active conformation. sh-SLC7A11 knockdown completely abolished folic acid-mediated protection against ferroptosis, as evidenced by restored loss of cystine, GSH and GPX₄ production. This study innovatively emphasized the critical role of folic acid supplementation in inhibiting ferroptosis by up-regulating the SLC7A11-GSH-GPX₄ antioxidant pathway, primarily through enhancing cystine availability and SLC7A11 expression. These findings established folic acid as a potential dietary intervention for aging-related neurodegenerative diseases characterized by neuronal ferroptosis, providing preclinical evidence for folic acid based neuroprotection. Full article

Recent studies primarily focus on how the fiber content and curing age influence the pore structure and strength of concrete. However, The interfacial bonding mechanism in basalt-fiber-reinforced concrete hydration remains unclear. The lack of a long-term performance-prediction model and insufficient research on multi-field coupling effects form key knowledge gaps, hindering the systematic optimal design and wider engineering applications of such materials. By integrating X-ray computed tomography (CT) with the watershed algorithm, this study proposes an innovative gray scale threshold method for pore quantification, enabling a quantitative analysis of pore structure evolution and its correlation with mechanical properties in basalt-fiber-reinforced concrete (BFRC) and normal concrete (NC). The results show the following: (1) Mechanical Enhancement: the incorporation of 0.2% basalt fiber by volume demonstrates significant enhancement in the mechanical performance index. At 28 days, BFRC exhibits compressive and splitting tensile strengths of 50.78 MPa and 4.07 MPa, surpassing NC by 19.88% and 43.3%, respectively. The early strength reduction in BFRC (13.13 MPa vs. 22.81 MPa for NC at 3 days) is attributed to fiber-induced interference through physical obstruction of cement particle hydration pathways, which diminishes as hydration progresses. (2) Porosity Reduction: BFRC demonstrates a 64.83% lower porosity (5.13%) than NC (11.66%) at 28 days, with microscopic analysis revealing a 77.5% proportion of harmless pores (<1.104 × 10⁷ μm³) in BFRC versus 67.6% in NC, driven by densified interfacial transition zones (ITZs). (3) Predictive Modeling: a two dimensional strength-porosity model and a three-dimensional age-dependent model are developed. The proposed multi-factor model demonstrates exceptional predictive capability (R² = 0.9994), establishing a quantitative relationship between pore micro structure and mechanical performance. The innovative pore extraction method and mathematical modeling approach offer valuable insights into the micro-structural evolution mechanism of fiber concrete. Full article

An electrochemical immunosensor for the quantification of prostate-specific antigens (PSAs) using silver nanocrystals (AgNCs) is reported. The silver nanocrystals were synthesized using a conventional citrate reduction protocol. The silver nanocrystals were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and field effect scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The proposed immunosensor was fabricated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), sequentially, by drop-coating AgNCs, the electro-deposition of EDC-NHS, the immobilization of anti-PSA antibody (Ab), and dropping of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to prevent non-specific binding sites. Each stage of the fabrication process was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Using square wave voltammetry (SWV), the proposed immunosensor displayed high sensitivity in detecting PSA over a concentration range of 1 to 10 ng/mL with a detection limit of 1.14 ng/mL and R² of 0.99%. The immunosensor was selective in the presence of interfering substances like glucose, urea, L-cysteine, and alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) and it showed good stability and repeatability. These results compare favourably with some previously reported results on similar or related technologies for PSA detection. Full article

Background: Physical activity (PA) has been shown to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by reducing amyloid accumulation, lowering inflammatory factors, and increasing hippocampal grey matter. While high lifetime PA engagement is associated with a reduced risk of AD, the relationship between specific types of PA and early-stage AD remains unclear. As AD primarily affects cognitive function before physical capabilities, PA engagement—an important factor in PA—needs further investigation. Objectives: This study explores the potential association between current participation in open-skill sports (OSSs) versus closed-skill sports (CSSs) and early-stage AD. Methods: The sample (N = 128) included a cognitively healthy (HC, n = 78) group and an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) group, combining amnestic mild cognitive impairment due to AD patients (n = 22) and early-stage Alzheimer’s dementia patients (n = 28), reflecting the continuum of progression from aMCI to dAD (n = 50). PA was assessed with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly questionnaire, specifically focusing on PA within the last seven days. The statistical analyses included Mann–Whitney U tests and backwards stepwise logistic regression models. Results: Key predictors of group classification (AD vs. NC) included sex, high frequency of PA, and high duration of PA, each for the last seven days. Participation in OSS was significantly associated with medium PA frequency, high PA duration, both within the last seven days, and age, but not with diagnostic status. No statistically significant differences in PA levels (OSSs or CSSs) executed within the last seven days were observed between the AD and HC groups. Conclusions: Participation in OSSs or CSSs within the last seven days was only a marginally significant predictor of AD vs. HC status, and a diagnosis of AD was not predictive of OSS participation within the last seven days. Given the protective role of PA in AD, future research should aim to identify specific PA types that effectively support cognitive health in older adults with early cognitive decline. Full article

In this work, we investigate the fundamental usability of fluorescent DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) as sensors for Point-of Care-Testing (PoCT) applications. We developed a microfluidic platform for the generation of droplets containing DNA-AgNCs in defined, different chemical environments. The droplets are read out fluorescently at two different emission wavelengths. For the pre-evaluation for the usage of biologically relevant matrices with DNA-AgNCs, the response of two different DNA-AgNCs to a variation in pH and sodium chloride concentration was acquired. Our compact and simple setup can detect DNA-AgNCs well below 100 nM and allows the characterization of the fluorescence response of DNA-based biohybrid nanosensors to changes in the chemical environment within short measurement times. The model DNA-AgNCs remain fluorescent throughout the physiologically relevant chloride concentrations and up to 150 mM. Upon shifts in pH, the DNA-AgNCs showed a complex fluorescence intensity response. The model DNA-AgNCs differ strongly in their response characteristics to the applied changes in their environments. With our work, we show the feasibility of the use of DNA-AgNCs as sensors in a simple microfluidic setup that can be used as a building block for PoCT applications while highlighting challenges in their adaption for use with biologically relevant matrices. Full article

Hierarchical porous N-doped carbon spheres featuring a combination of micropores, mesopores and macropores as well as tuneable properties were synthesised using dopamine as a carbon precursor and triblock copolymers (F127, P123 and F127/P123 composites) as templates via direct polymerisation-induced self-assembly. The structures and textures of these materials were characterised using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherm analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sample synthesised at an F127:P123 molar ratio of 1:3 (NCS-FP3) exhibited the highest surface area (463 m²/g) and pore volume (0.27 cm³/g). The hydrophobic/hydrophilic molar ratios of the templates were adjusted to control the morphology of the corresponding micelles and hence the porous structures and morphologies of the carbon spheres, which exhibited high CO₂ capture capacities (2.90–3.46 mmol/g at 273 K and 760 mmHg) because of their developed microporous structures and N doping. Additionally, NCS-FP3 exhibited an outstanding electrochemical performance, achieving a high specific capacitance (328.3 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g) and outstanding cycling stability (99.2% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles). These high CO₂ capture and electrochemical performances were ascribed to the beneficial effects of pore structures and surface chemistry features. Full article

Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and the number of individuals affected by this condition is expected to rise significantly due to global population ageing. Early diagnosis is crucial, as delayed treatment may result in irreversible vision loss. This study explores and presents a mobile application for Android devices designed for the detection of cataracts using deep learning models. The proposed solution utilizes a multi-stage classification approach to analyze ocular images acquired with a slit lamp, sourced from the Nuclear Cataract Database for Biomedical and Machine Learning Applications. The process involves identifying pathological features and assessing the severity of the detected condition, enabling comprehensive characterization of the NC (nuclear cataract) of cataract progression based on the LOCS III scale classification. The evaluation included a range of convolutional neural network architectures, from larger models like VGG16 and ResNet50, to lighter alternatives such as VGG11, ResNet18, MobileNetV2, and EfficientNet-B0. All models demonstrated comparable performance, with classification accuracies exceeding 91–94.5%. The trained models were optimized for mobile deployment, enabling real-time analysis of eye images captured with the device camera or selected from local storage. The presented mobile application, trained and validated on authentic clinician-labeled pictures, represents a significant advancement over existing mobile tools. The preliminary evaluations demonstrated a high accuracy in cataract detection and severity grading. These results confirm the approach is feasible and will serve as the foundation for ongoing development and extensions. Full article

One of the most prevalent types of cancer among women is ovarian cancer. The search for ovarian cancer markers is constantly ongoing. Evaluation of LAG-3 and TIM-3 protein expression in ovarian cancer tissue and its role in distinguishing the clinical signs stated were the objectives of this study. Methods: A total of 58 ovarian cancer patients were recruited for this study. The cohort was split into two groups: one for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and another for ovarian cancer that was not HGSOC (non-HGSOC). LAG-3 and TIM-3 protein expression in ovarian cancer tissue samples was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. StatView 5.0 software (Carry, NC, USA) was used for all statistical analyses. Both LAG-3 and TIM-3 proteins mostly showed positive, moderately positive, or strongly positive expression. This study shows that LAG-3 could be a marker associated with BMI in the non-HGSOC group. TIM-3 may be a marker associated with age in a group of all ovarian cancers. LAG-3 expression is associated with TIM-3 expression in the total cohort and the HGSOC and non-HGSOC groups. Full article

Aim. This study aimed to assess the SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity in the Republic of Armenia (RA) by late 2022. Materials and Methods. A randomized study was conducted from 28 November to 2 December (2022) by the Saint Petersburg Pasteur Institute (Russia) in collaboration with the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Armenia). This study was approved by the ethics committees at both organizations. A volunteer cohort (N = 2974) was formed and grouped by participant age, region, or activity. Antibodies (Abs) to viral nucleocapsid antigen (Nc) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) in plasma were determined by ELISA. The statistical significance of differences was calculated using a p < 0.05 threshold, unless noted. Results. At the end of 2022, estimated SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence (Nc and/or RBD Abs) among the Armenian population was 99% (95%CI: 98.5–99.3). It was evenly distributed throughout the cohort without any significant differences by age, region, or activity. Volunteers with low (32–124 BAU/mL) or medium (125–332 BAU/mL) anti-Nc Ab levels prevailed: 32.4% (95%CI: 30.7–34.1) and 25.5% (95% CI: 24.0–27.1), respectively. Regarding anti-RBD Abs, maximum levels (>450 BAU/mL) were detected in 40% of children. The share of individuals with high anti-RBD Abs levels increased with age, reaching 65% among those aged 70⁺ years. The important contribution to the formation of herd immunity to coronavirus infection was made by vaccination in the preceding period (1 April 2021 to 1 May 2022). The contribution from individuals with post-vaccination immunity was estimated to be above 80%. Hybrid immunity, formed after vaccination of those who had earlier experienced COVID-19, was characterized by greater effectiveness than post-vaccination immunity alone. Conclusions. Within the context of mass prophylactic vaccination, effective herd immunity to SARS-CoV-2 was formed, which helped to stop epidemic spread in the Republic. Full article

Background/Objectives: Allogeneic transfusion is a commonly used method to replace blood and blood elements lost during cardiac surgery, but it also has quite undesirable effects. The use of Cell Saver is now almost routinely recommended. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical and laboratory outcomes of the use of Cell Saver in elective CABG. Methods: Patients who had undergone elective CABG between January 2022 and October 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, and 344 patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: Cell Saver used (CS, n = 110) and not used (NCS, n = 234). The groups were compared in terms of pre- and postoperative clinical and laboratory outcomes. Results: The mean age of the cases included in the study was 63.65 ± 9.05 years (340 patients, range 36–87). The mean amount of drainage in the first 6 h postoperatively was 298.18 ± 155.81 mL in the NCS group and 388.64 ± 173.62 mL in the CS group (p < 0.001). In the first 24 h, it was 703.22 ± 320.39 mL in the NCS group and 827.73 ± 344.69 mL in the CS group (p = 0.001). Prolonged drainage was more frequent in the CS group (p = 0.004) and the length of hospital stay was longer (p = 0.014). The postoperative albumin level was lower in the CS group (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Although the use of Cell Saver reduces the need for allogeneic transfusions, it leads to increased bleeding in the initial period, prolonged drainage, and thus a longer hospital stay. In elective procedures, blood management should be evaluated and optimized using all methods. Full article