Search Results (71)

FTIR spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection (ATR), and diffuse reflectance (DRIFT) modalities, along with ICP–AES spectroscopy and correlation analysis, including two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS), were used for the detailed analysis of Kastanozem (chestnut) soils. Microaggregates (20–200 μm) and macroaggregates (200–1000 μm) of characteristic horizons of uncultivated (fallow) and cultivated (arable land) chestnut soils of the same origin were physically fractionated by wet sieving. The combination of these molecular and atomic spectroscopy techniques in combination with correlation analysis was able to find direct correlations between matrix-forming anions and soil organic matter (SOM) of Kastanozems. Humic substances were separated from the corresponding soil samples to reveal SOM contributions more explicitly. Microaggregates of the size fractions of 20–40 μm and 40–60 μm bore the most comprehensive information for both techniques used. Most significant differences between land-use Kastanozem samples were observed in topsoil horizons (arable P versus light-colored humic AJ horizon), and for the next pair of horizons along the profile xerometamorphic BMK horizon to structural metamorphic BM horizon. These differences included carbonate matrix and SOM amounts and composition. Topsoil arable land showed significantly smaller amounts of total organic carbon and a decrease in the share of long-chain hydrocarbons compared to fallow, which has a more distinctive character compared to similar land-use samples of Chernozem. An increase in carbonate contents with soil depth was found for both land-use samples, while the amounts and composition of the silicate matrix remained largely unchanged within the depth profile. The heterospectral 2DCOS comparison of FTIR (between horizons and land-use samples), ICP–AES (between land-use samples), and FTIR–AES (for the same sample) showed the possibility of a more reliable attribution of FTIR absorption bands and revealed the differences in the macro- and micro-aggregate elemental and SOM composition of Kastanozems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hypertension represents a leading contributor to cardiovascular disorders and premature mortality. Given the pervasive nature of adverse effects associated with current angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), there is a significant interest in identifying novel bioactive lead compounds from natural sources. This study identifies, for the first time, three novel angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides released from Bungarus multicinctus (BM) via simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGD). Methods: Active fractions were enriched by ultrafiltration and subjected to stability assessment. The peptide sequences were then determined using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and bioinformatics tools, followed by chemical synthesis. Finally, the inhibitory mechanism was investigated using kinetic analysis and molecular docking. Results: The intestinal digest exhibited potent ACE inhibition, with the <5 kDa fraction achieving 79% inhibition at 1 mg/mL and demonstrating favorable stability under varying temperatures, pH, and ionic strengths. Molecular docking revealed strong binding (affinity < −9.9 kcal/mol) of the peptides PPSPPRW, WGFTKF, and PSLFPPRL to key ACE residues—Tyr523, His513, and Arg522—via hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. Enzyme kinetics characterized PPSPPRW and WGFTKF as competitive inhibitors, and PSLFPPRL as mixed type. The peptides demonstrated acceptable cell viability at lower concentrations, establishing a preliminary safety window for therapeutic application. Conclusions: These findings establish BM as a valuable source of stable, bioactive ACE-inhibitory peptides (ACEIPs) acting as promising lead compounds for antihypertensive therapies. Full article

The reuse of industrial waste is essential to reduce environmental impact and move towards sustainable development through methods that do not depend on limited resources. To this end, a fertilizer was developed from recycled alkaline batteries, transformed into a useful product rich in zinc and manganese (black mass). The aim is to use industrial waste to create an environmentally safe fertilizer. An experiment was conducted on young citrus plants grafted onto Carrizo rootstock, grown in pots with coconut fiber under greenhouse conditions in Valencia (Spain) for one year (2023–2024). A total of 120 plants were arranged in randomized blocks with three replicates of 10 plants per treatment. Four nutrient solutions derived from the Hoagland formulation were evaluated: control solution without Zn or Mn (SoC), solution with Zn and Mn sulfates (SoH), solution with Zn and Mn sulfates extracted from black mass (BMS), and solution with Zn and Mn lignosulfonate derived from black mass (BMLS). Morphological, growth, physiological, and nutritional parameters were analyzed in March and October. While morphological traits showed no significant differences among treatments, some physiological (stomatal conductance, transpiration) and biochemical variables (chlorophyll, carotenoids, P, K, Mg, and S concentrations) differed significantly depending on the nutrient source. Nevertheless, all plants maintained healthy growth and nutrient levels within optimal ranges, and no signs of phytotoxicity or heavy metal accumulation were detected. Full article

Background: In lung cancer, the occurrence of brain metastasis (BM) is closely associated with the heterogeneity of the primary lung tumor. This study aimed to develop a habitat-based radiomics model using enhanced computed tomography (CT) lung imaging to predict the risk of BM in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A retrospective cohort of 475 patients with NSCLC who underwent enhanced CT of the lungs prior to anti-tumor treatment was analyzed. Volumetric CT images were segmented into tumor subregions via k-means clustering based on voxel intensity and entropy values. Radiomics features were extracted from these subregions, and predictive features were selected using minimum redundancy maximum relevance and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. Two logistic regression models were constructed: a whole-tumor radiomics model and a habitat-based model integrating subregional heterogeneity. Model performance was evaluated via receiver operating characteristic analysis and compared via DeLong’s test. Results: A total of 195 eligible patients with NSCLC were included. The volume of interest of the whole tumor was clustered into three subregions based on voxel intensity and entropy values. In the training cohort (n = 138), the areas under the curve of the clinical model, the whole-tumor model and the habitat-based model were 0.639 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.543–0.731), the whole-tumor model and the habitat-based model were 0.728 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.645–0.812) and 0.819 (95% CI: 0.744–0.894), respectively. The habitat-based model demonstrated superior predictive performance compared with the whole-tumor model (p = 0.022). Conclusions: The habitat-based radiomics model outperformed the whole-tumor model in terms of predicting BM, highlighting the importance of subregional tumor heterogeneity analysis. Full article

Objectives: The potential use of electron density (ED) and effective atomic number (Zeff) derived from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) as novel quantitative imaging biomarkers for differentiating malignant brain tumors was investigated. Methods: Data pertaining to 136 patients with a pathological diagnosis of brain metastasis (BM), glioblastoma, and primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) were retrospectively reviewed. The 10th percentile, mean and 90th percentile values of conventional 120-kVp CT value (CTconv), ED, Zeff, and relative apparent diffusion coefficient derived from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (rADC: ADC of lesion divided by ADC of normal-appearing white matter) within the contrast-enhanced tumor region were compared across the three groups. Furthermore, machine learning (ML)-based diagnostic models were developed to maximize diagnostic performance for each tumor classification using the indices of DECT parameters and rADC. Machine learning models were developed using the AutoGluon-Tabular framework with rigorous patient-level data splitting into training (60%), validation (20%), and independent test sets (20%). Results: The 10th percentile of Zeff was significantly higher in glioblastomas than in BMs (p = 0.02), and it was the only index with a significant difference between BMs and glioblastomas. In the comparisons including PCNSLs, all indices of CTconv, Zeff, and rADC exhibited significant differences (p < 0.001–0.02). DECT-based ML models exhibited high area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for all pairwise differentiations (BMs vs. Glioblastomas: AUC = 0.83; BMs vs. PCNSLs: AUC = 0.91; Glioblastomas vs. PCNSLs: AUC = 0.82). Combined models of DECT and rADC demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance between BMs and PCNSLs (AUC = 1) and between Glioblastomas and PCNSLs (AUC = 0.93). Conclusion: This study suggested the potential of DECT-derived ED and Zeff as novel quantitative imaging biomarkers for differentiating malignant brain tumors. Full article

Flow dynamics were characterized and stable zones in diversions were quantified using physical modeling, in situ experiments, and 3D numerical simulations. ADV (1 cm spatial resolution) and water-level probes (0.01 cm spatial resolution) were used in the physical experiments in a rectangular channel. ADCP (resolution of 50 cm) was employed for in situ validation at a northern China hub. Numerical simulations using ANSYS 2022R2 Fluent software with RNG k-ε and VOF showed little error (<15%) compared to the experiments. The results quantified the diversion zone into four sub-regions: acceleration (length 0.8–1.2 h); stabilization (1.2–3.5 h); diffusion deceleration (3.5–5.0 h); and stagnation (localized eddies, diameter 0.3–0.8 d). The stable zone length was dominantly controlled by the nonlinear coupling of geometric (B_s/B_m, 42%) and hydraulic (Fr, 28%) parameters. Upstream and downstream stable zone empirical models showed high accuracy (R² = 0.83 and 0.76, p < 0.01), with an average relative error <15%. Based on the proposed zoning principles and flow characteristics, measurement facilities in the irrigation area are presented. These tools enhance irrigation diversion design and management for improved water efficiency. Full article

The rapid growth of low-power Internet of Things (IoT) applications has created an urgent demand for compact, battery-free power solutions. However, most existing RF energy harvesters rely on active rectifiers, multi-phase topologies, or complex tuning networks, which increase circuit complexity and static power overhead while struggling to maintain high efficiency under microwatt-level inputs. To address this challenge, this work proposes a harmonic-recycling, passive, RF-energy-harvesting system with integrated power management (HR-P-RFEH). The system adopts a planar microstrip architecture compatible with MEMS fabrication, integrating a dual-stage voltage multiplier rectifier (VMR) and a stub-based harmonic suppression–recycling network. The design was verified through combined electromagnetic/circuit co-simulations, PCB prototyping, and experimental measurements. Operating at 915 MHz under a 0 dBm input and a 2 k$\Omega$ load, the HR-P-RFEH achieves a stable 1.4 V DC output and a peak rectification efficiency of 70.7%. Compared with a conventional single-stage rectifier, it improves the output voltage by 22.5% and the efficiency by 16.4%. The rectified power is further regulated by a BQ25570-based unit to provide a stable 3.3 V supply buffered by a 47 mF supercapacitor, ensuring continuous operation under intermittent RF input. In comparison with the state of the art, the proposed fully passive, harmonic-recycling design achieves competitive efficiency without active bias or adaptive tuning while remaining MEMS- and LTCC-ready. These results highlight HR-P-RFEH as a scalable and fabrication-friendly building block for next-generation energy-autonomous IoT and MEMS systems. Full article

This paper presents the first demonstration and comparison of two identical oscillator circuits employing piezoelectric zinc oxide (ZnO) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators, implemented on conventional printed-circuit-board (PCB) and three-dimensional (3D)-printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) substrates. Both oscillators operate simultaneously at dual frequencies (260 MHz and 437 MHz) without the need for additional circuitry. The MEMS resonators, fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, exhibit high-quality factors (Q), ensuring superior phase noise performance. Experimental results indicate that the oscillator packaged using 3D-printed chip-carrier assembly achieves a 2–3 dB improvement in phase noise compared to the PCB-based oscillator, attributed to the ABS substrate’s lower dielectric loss and reduced parasitic effects at radio frequency (RF). Specifically, phase noise values between −84 and −77 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset and a noise floor of −163 dBc/Hz at far-from-carrier offset were achieved. Additionally, the 3D-printed ABS-based oscillator delivers notably higher output power (4.575 dBm at 260 MHz and 0.147 dBm at 437 MHz). To facilitate modular characterization, advanced packaging techniques leveraging precise 3D-printed encapsulation with sub-100 μm lateral interconnects were employed. These ensured robust packaging integrity without compromising oscillator performance. Furthermore, a comparison between two transistor technologies—a silicon germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) and an enhancement-mode pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (E-pHEMT)—demonstrated that SiGe HBT transistors provide superior phase noise characteristics at close-to-carrier offset frequencies, with a significant 11 dB improvement observed at 1 kHz offset. These results highlight the promising potential of 3D-printed chip-carrier packaging techniques in high-performance MEMS oscillator applications. Full article

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is strongly correlated with the severity of obesity, and the extent of liver fibrosis is associated with a higher risk of liver-related complications, cardiovascular events, and overall mortality. Leptin circulating levels are directly correlated with the amount of adipose tissue. Aims: In the present study, we investigated the association between circulating leptin levels and liver steatosis and fibrosis. Methods: Eighty-six patients (41.7 ± 12.6 yrs, 35 men, 41%), naïve to medications, who attended the Nutrition Center for the Research and Care of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases at the National Institute of Gastroenterology “Saverio de Bellis” for weight management, were cross-sectionally evaluated. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. All patients underwent liver ultrasonographic assessment by FibroScan to diagnose liver steatosis (controlled attenuation parameter, CAP > 275 dBm) and fibrosis (liver stiffness measurement, LSM > 8.2 kPa). Results: Sixty-three individuals (73.3%) had liver steatosis, and 17 (19.8%) had liver fibrosis. The mean leptin levels were 22.3 ± 14.1 ng/mL, while the BMI and waist circumference were 36.7 ± 7.2 kg/m² and 114.5 ± 16.4 cm, respectively. CAP values exhibited no correlation with leptin (r = 0.09, p = 0.436), while a significant connection was seen between leptin and LSM (β = 0.065; p = 0.038). Specifically, for each unit increase in leptin, LSM values were varied by +0.065 units (p = 0.038). This association was independent of gender, age, insulin resistance, adiponectin, RBP4, and visfatin. This is the first study showing these results by using FibroScan assessment in patients naïve to medications. Conclusions: Circulating leptin concentrations are independently correlated with hepatic fibrosis in individuals with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². These findings indicate a function for leptin in promoting liver fibrosis; however, longitudinal studies are required to elucidate the causal nature of this interaction. Full article

Gossypol is a polyphenolic toxic compound present in cotton plants. To determine whether the candidate cytochrome P450BM3 enzymes could reduce gossypol in vitro, functional recombinant cytochrome P450BM3 enzymes were successfully expressed in E. coli. Site-directed mutagenesis generated mutants (R162H, R162K, Q129H, Q129N) to explore structural determinants of catalytic efficiency. Both wild-type P450BM3 and mutants exhibited significant ability to reduce gossypol levels, with R162H and R162K showing 33.4% and 24.2% reduced catalytic efficiency compared with the wild-type enzyme, respectively. Q129H and Q129N mutants maintained comparable catalytic efficiency to the wild type. Metabolomic profiling revealed two distinct reducing pathways catalyzed by wild-type P450BM3 and its mutants (R162H/Q129H), involving decarboxylation, hydroxylation, and C-C bond cleavage. This study demonstrated the feasibility of P450BM3 as a highly efficient biocatalyst for reducing gossypol levels, speculated that Arg162 might be a critical active residue, and hypothesized the potential pathways by which P450BM3 catalyzes the reduction of gossypol content, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the enzymatic reduction of gossypol. Full article

Background/Objectives: Finding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and candidate genes that influence the expression of key traits is essential for genomic selection and helps improve the efficiency of poultry production. Here, we aimed to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for egg production traits in an F₂ resource population of chickens (Gallus gallus). Methods: The examined F₂ population was produced by crossing two divergently selected breeds with contrasting phenotypes for egg performance traits, namely Russian White (of higher egg production) and Cornish White (of lower egg production). Sampled birds (n = 142) were genotyped using the Illumina Chicken 60K SNP iSelect BeadChip. Results: In the course of the GWAS analysis, we were able to clarify significant associations with phenotypic traits of interest and economic value by using 47,432 SNPs after the genotype dataset was filtered. At the threshold p < 1.06 × 10⁻⁶, we found 23 prioritized candidate genes (PCGs) associated with egg weight at the age of 42–52 weeks (FGF14, GCK), duration of egg laying (CNTN4), egg laying cycle (SAMD12) and egg laying interval (PHF5A, AKR1B1, CALD1, ATP7B, PIK3R4, PTK2, PRKCE, FAT1, PCM1, CC2D2A, BMS1, SEMA6D, CDH13, SLIT3, ATP10B, ISCU, LRRC75A, LETM2, ANKRD24). Moreover, two SNPs were co-localized within the FGF14 gene. Conclusions: Based on our GWAS findings, the revealed SNPs and candidate genes can be used as genetic markers for egg weight and other performance characteristics in chickens to attain genetic enhancement in production and for further genomic selection. Full article

Based on the B-site modification strategy, excellent energy storage properties were achieved in this work by substituting Nb with Ta of the same valence in niobate-based glass ceramics. Ta substitution was found to lead to the transformation of crystal structures, and the space point group evolved from the non-centrosymmetric P4bm to the centrosymmetric P4/mbm, resulting in a transition from relaxor ferroelectric to paraelectric glass ceramics. Furthermore, the addition of Ta led to a significant decrease in grain size and interfacial activation energy, as well as an increase in the optical band gap, resulting in a dramatic increase in BDS from 800 kV/cm to 1300 kV/cm. The KBSN-4.0mol%Ta₂O₅ glass ceramic exhibited optimal energy storage properties, including a discharge energy density of ~5.62 J/cm³ and a superfast discharge rate of ~9.7 ns, resulting in an ultrahigh discharge power density of about ~1296.9 MW/cm³ at 1300 kV/cm. Furthermore, this KBSN-Ta glass ceramic also displayed good thermal stability over a temperature range of 20–120 °C, with the W_d decreasing by 9.0% at 600 kV/cm. B-site modification engineering in glass ceramics has proved to be an important way to effectively optimize energy storage performance. Full article

Microorganisms exert antagonistic effects on pathogens through different mechanisms, thereby achieving biological control of plant diseases. Many Burkholderia strains can produce complex secondary metabolites and substances that have toxic effects on host cells. The phage tail-like bacteriocins (tailocins) is a compound with antibacterial activity. However, its function in B. multivorans has not yet been reported. This article explores the ability of B. multivorans WS-FJ9 to antagonise plant pathogenic fungi and oomycetes, screening the potential tailocins in the strain WS-FJ9 and verifying their function, to reveal its novel antimicrobial mechanisms. We found that WS-FJ9 had strong antagonistic effects on the plant pathogenic fungi Phomopsis macrospore and Sphaeropsis sapinea, and the pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi. The phage tail-like protein Bm_67459 was predicted from the WS-FJ9 strain genome. The Bm_67459 cDNA encoded 111 amino acid sequence, and the relative molecular weight was approximately 11.69 kDa, the theoretical isoelectric point (pI) was 5.49, and it was a hydrophilic protein. Bm_67459 had no transmembrane helix region or signal peptide, and it belonged to the Phage_TAC_7 super family. qRT-PCR results showed that Bm_67459 gene expression was significantly upregulated during contact between WS-FJ9 and P. cinnamomi. The purified Bm_67459 protein significantly inhibited P. cinnamomi mycelial growth at 10 μg·mL⁻¹. In summary, the WS-FJ9 strain had broad-spectrum anti-phytopathogenic activity, and the tailocin Bm_67459 was an important effector against the plant pathogen P. cinnamomi, which helps to reveal the antagonistic mechanism of this strain at the molecular level and provides excellent strain resources for the biological control of plant diseases. Full article

We introduce a robust distributed collaborative beamforming (RDCB) approach for addressing channel estimation challenges in dual-hop transmissions within wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSANs) of K nodes. WSANs enhance wireless communication by reducing data transmission, latency, and energy consumption while optimizing network load through integrated sensing and actuation. The source S transmits signals to the WSAN, where nodes relay them to the destination D using beamforming weights to minimize noise and preserve signal integrity. These weights depend on channel state information (CSI), where estimation errors degrade performance. We develop RDCB solutions for three first-hop propagation scenarios—monochromatic [line-of-sight (LoS)] or “M”, bichromatic (moderately scattered) or “B”, and polychromatic (highly scattered) or “P”—while assuming a monochromatic LoS or “M” link for the second hop between the nodes and the far-field destination. Termed MM-RDCB, BM-RDCB, and PM-RDCB, respectively (“X” and “Y” in XY-RDCB—for X $\in \{\mathrm{M},\mathrm{B},\mathrm{P}\}$ and Y $\in \left\{\mathrm{M}\right\}$—refer to the chromatic natures of the first- and second-hop channels, respectively, to which a specific RDCB solution is tailored), these solutions leverage asymptotic approximations for large K values and the nodes’ geometric symmetries. Our distributed solutions allow local weight computation, enhancing spectral and power efficiency. Simulation results show significant improvements in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and robustness versus WSAN node placement errors, making the solutions well suited for emerging 5G and future 5G+/6G and Internet of Things (IoT) applications for different challenging environments. Full article

Non-clinical enterococci are relatively poorly studied by means of acquired antibiotic resistance to tetracycline and by the distribution, functionality and role of their CRISPR systems. Background: In our study, 72 enterococcal strains, isolated from various non-clinical origins, were investigated for their phenotypic and genotypic (tet(M), tet(O), tet(S), tet(L), tet(K), tet(T) and tet(W)) tetracycline resistance. Methods: The genetic determinants for HGT (MGEs (Int-Tn and prgW), inducible pheromones (cpd, cop and cff), aggregation substances (agg, asa1, prgB and asa373) and CRISPR–Cas systems were characterized by PCR and whole-genome sequencing. Results: Four tet genes (tetM, tetO, tetS and tetT) were detected in 39% (n = 28) of our enterococcal population, with tetM (31%) being dominant. The gene location was linked to the Tn6009 transposon. All strains that contained tet genes also had genes for HGT. No tet genes were found in E. casseliflavus and E. gilvus. In our study, 79% of all tet-positive strains correlated with non-functional CRISPR systems. The strain E. faecalis BM15 was the only one containing a combination of a functional CRISPR system (cas1, cas2, csn2 and csn1/cas9) and tet genes. The CRISPR subtype repeats II-A, III-B, IV-A2 and VI-B1 were identified among E. faecalis strains (CM4-II-A, III-B and VI-B1; BM5-IV-A2, II-A and III-B; BM12 and BM15-II-A). The subtype II-A was the most present. These repeats enclosed a great number of spacers (1–10 spacers) with lengths of 31 to 36 bp. One CRISPR locus was identified in plasmid (p.Firmicutes1 in strain E. faecalis BM5). We described the presence of CRISPR loci in the species E. pseudoavium, E. pallens and E. devriesei and their lack in E. gilvus, E. malodoratus and E. mundtii. Conclusions: Our findings generally describe the acquisition of foreign DNA as a consequence of CRISPR inactivation, and self-targeting spacers as the main cause. Full article