Search Results (540)

Reliable models of the lung environment are important for research on inhalation products, drug delivery, and how aerosols interact with tissue. pH fluctuations frequently accompany real physiological processes in pulmonary environments, so monitoring pH changes in lung-on-a-chip devices is of considerable relevance. Presented here are flexible, miniaturized, inkjet-printed pH sensors that have been developed with the aim of integration into lung-on-a-chip systems. Different types of functional pH-sensitive materials were tested: hydrogen-selective plasticized PVC membranes and polyaniline (both electrodeposited and dropcast). Their deposition and performance were evaluated on different flexible conducting substrates, including screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPE) and inkjet-printed graphene electrodes (IJP-Gr). Finally, a biocompatible dropcast polyaniline-modified IJP was selected and paired with an inkjet-printed Ag/AgCl quasireference electrode. The printed potentiometric device showed Nernstian sensitivity (58.8 mV/pH) with good reproducibility, reversibility, and potential stability. The optimized system was integrated with a developed lung-on-a-chip model with an electrospun polycaprolactone membrane and alginate, simulating the alveolar barrier and the natural mucosal environment, respectively. The permeability of the system was studied by monitoring the pH changes upon the introduction of a 10 wt.% acetic acid aerosol. Overall, the presented approach shows that electrospun-hydrogel materials together with integrated microsensors can help create improved models for studying aerosol transport, diffusion, and chemically changing environments that are relevant for inhalation therapy and respiratory research. These results show that our system can combine mechanical behavior with chemical sensing in one platform, which may be useful for future development of lung-on-a-chip technologies. Full article

High-quality, interoperable biodiversity information is a prerequisite for effective conservation policy, compliance with European Union (EU) reporting obligations, and efficient environmental decision-making. Greece’s LIFE EL-BIOS (LIFE20 GIE/GR/001317) developed the first National Biodiversity Information System, aiming to aggregate, standardise, and disseminate spatial and non-spatial data for species, habitats, pressures, and trends. This paper provides an economic valuation of this information system as a public, non-market good. We designed a two-stage stated-preference study: (i) a short pre-survey to calibrate initial bids and (ii) the main survey employing double-bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) contingent valuation with a spike-logit specification. The payment vehicle was a hypothetical monthly subscription in a post-LIFE scenario. The instrument measured time savings (hours), perceived reliability (Likert 1–5), and key demographics/roles. A total of 167 valid responses were collected in September 2025. Participants reported an average of 5.2 h saved per use (median 4; max 14). Among those expressing willingness to pay (WTP), 77% rated EL-BIOS reliability as “High/Very high”. Econometric results indicate time savings as the strongest positive determinant of WTP; perceived reliability is positive and marginally significant; years of experience are negatively associated with acceptance; and cost has a strong negative effect. Mean WTP is estimated at €6.7 per month (median €3.5). Notably, 64% of those unwilling to pay declared protest motives (data should remain public and free). Accordingly, non-payment is decomposed into true zero WTP versus protest-based refusal, i.e., refusal to pay despite acknowledging value. This high protest share reflects principled opposition to paying for public biodiversity data rather than low perceived value of the system. The EL-BIOS database generates measurable productivity gains and social value both through positive WTP and principled protest responses supporting open public data. These findings inform policy on sustainable financing, governance, and long-term operation of national biodiversity information systems. Full article

The sustainability of mollusc aquaculture relies, in part, on overcoming the challenges of spat production in captivity, particularly during the metamorphosis and settlement stages. The optimization of rearing technologies at these stages would ensure possible solutions for sustainably producing mollusc spat while simultaneously improving stock performance. The current work represents a large-scale trial examining the effect of biological and chemical inducers on larval settlement in Mytilus galloprovincialis. For this purpose, one batch of pediveliger larvae was directly transferred to settlement on microalgae-based biofilm (mature cylinders), while another batch was pretreated with gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA (10⁻⁴ M, 10⁻⁵ M and 10⁻⁶ M) and potassium chloride KCl (20 mM and 30 mM) according to two different exposure times (6 h and 24 h), before being transferred for settlement (immature cylinders). The impact of different treatments on larval performance was evaluated in terms of larval settlement rate (Sr), post-larval growth rate (Gr), and spat production rate (Pr). The biofilm treatment had the highest settlement rate and spat production (Sr = 65% and Pr = 46.4 spat/cm²) compared to chemical treatments. The highest settlement rate among chemical treatments occurred under short exposure times (6 h) to low GABA concentrations, i.e., Sr 40% and 45% at GABA 10⁻⁵ M and 10⁻⁶ M, respectively). GABA and KCl treatments ensured a faster post-larval growth rate than the biofilm, i.e., 15.54 ± 7.67 µm/day, 18.26 ± 9.39 µm/day, and 11.35 ± 6.73 µm/day, respectively, while control trials showed the lowest growth rate (6.80 ± 4.39 µm/day). These findings reveal a key trade-off: biofilm is the most effective measure for promoting spat production, while a targeted use of GABA and KCl at short exposure times (6 h) appears to significantly enhance post-larvae growth. Full article

Aeschynomene indica L. has become a problematic weed in the upland direct-seeding rice fields of the lower Yangtze River region, China, leading to substantial yield reductions. A comprehensive understanding of its seed germination ecology and response to herbicides is crucial for developing effective control strategies. This study examined the effects of major environmental factors including temperature, light, pH, salt stress, osmotic potential, and burial depth on seed germination of A. indica and assessed the efficacy of 20 commonly used herbicides in rice under controlled conditions. Results revealed that germination was highly sensitive to temperature, with optimum constant and alternating temperatures of 35 °C and 40/30 °C (day/night), respectively, both achieving germination rates above 90%. The seeds were non-photoblastic, maintaining a high germination rate of 83.33% under complete darkness. Germination remained consistently high across a broad pH range from 4 to 9, with rates ranging from 83.33% to 96.67%. Salt and osmotic stresses markedly suppressed germination, with EC₅₀ values of 195.08 mmol·L⁻¹ NaCl and −0.43 MPa, respectively. Seedling emergence decreased significantly with increasing burial depth, with no emergence occurring at depths greater than 7 cm. The EC₅₀ for emergence was 4.21 cm. Among the herbicides screened, saflufenacil and mesotrione were the most effective pre-emergence treatments, with GR₅₀ values of 5.38 and 12.02 g ai ha⁻¹, respectively. Florpyrauxifen-benzyl and fluroxypyr-meptyl exhibited the highest post-emergence activity, with GR₅₀ values of 0.20 and 19.69 g ai ha⁻¹, respectively. These results underscore the high ecological adaptability of A. indica to paddy fields conditions and provide a scientific foundation for integrating chemical control with cultural practices such as deep tillage into sustainable weed management systems for paddy fields. Full article

The paper analyses the effect of the solvent amount and nature on the structure and mechanical properties of hydrogels based on copolymers of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The synthesis of pHEMA-gr-PVP copolymers was carried out by the copolymerization method in the presence of metal ions of variable oxidation states in solvents with various nature: water, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), diethylene glycol (DEG), and cyclohexanol (HOCy). The structure of the copolymers was evaluated by the PVP grafting efficiency, its actual content in the copolymer, and the molecular weight between crosslinks (M_C). Taking the example of water, an increase in the solvent content up to 50 mass parts causes an increase in the efficiency of PVP grafting, which occurs due to enhanced macromolecule mobility through the dilution of the starting composition, hence the decrease in its viscosity. It was established that the nature of the solvent significantly affects the crosslinking density of the polymer network in the series H₂O, DEG, DMSO, HOCy, an increase in the M_C is observed causing a decrease in the hardness and elasticity of hydrogels and an increase in their water-retention capacity and swelling coefficient. The obtained results prove the possibility of targeted regulation within wide limits of the structure and properties of hydrogels based on pHEMA-gr-PVP copolymers through control of polymerization conditions (selection of the type and concentration of solvent). Full article

Background/Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease strongly influenced by genetic factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified numerous non-coding susceptibility loci, but their functional roles remain poorly understood. The single-nucleotide variant (SNV) rs2836882, located in an enhancer near the ETS2 proto-oncogene, has been implicated in immune regulation, though its contribution to SLE is unclear. Methods: We analyzed rs2836882 in 246 Italian patients with SLE and 216 matched controls using TaqMan genotyping. A weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) combining rs2836882 with other known SLE variants was calculated. ETS2 mRNA expression was quantified by RT-qPCR in PBMCs from 60 individuals, and in silico analyses assessed the variant’s functional context. Results: The rs2836882 risk allele was significantly associated with SLE (OR = 1.54, p = 0.02). Patients showed a markedly higher wGRS than controls (p < 0.00001), confirming an additive genetic burden. In silico data indicated that rs2836882 lies within an active enhancer region (H3K4me1/H3K27ac+) containing PU.1 binding motifs and functions as an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) for ETS2. Expression analysis demonstrated that carriers of the risk allele exhibited significantly increased ETS2 expression compared to non-carriers (p = 0.002) in both groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, rs2836882 is a functional regulatory variant that enhances ETS2 transcription and contributes to increased SLE susceptibility. These findings establish a mechanistic link between a non-coding GWAS locus and disease risk, emphasizing the role of regulatory variants in autoimmune pathogenesis and supporting the integration of functional non-coding variants into genetic risk models for improved patient stratification. Full article

A high salt environment seriously affects the physiological metabolism and yield of plants. Hordeum brevisubulatum (Trin.) Link has high biomass and important ecological, feeding and economic values, but its growth conditions have serious saline-alkali effects. The NHX gene family plays a vital role in regulating intracellular Na⁺/K⁺ balance, pH homeostasis, and vesicle and protein transport in plants. In this study, the HbNHX2 gene was cloned from Hordeum brevisubulatum and functionally characterized through phenotypic, physiological, and molecular analyses in transgenic tobacco. Expression profiling revealed that HbNHX2 was most abundant in spikes and least abundant in root tips, and the expression level was significantly induced under salt stress. Overexpression of HbNHX2 led to decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide anion (O²⁻) levels, while it enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). Additionally, the levels of glutathione (GSH), soluble proteins, proline, and chlorophyll were also increased. Several stress-responsive genes, including CBL1, ERF2, BI-1, Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, POD, GR1, KC1, TPK1, TIP, P5CS, BAS1, STN7 and LTP1, were significantly upregulated, while SERK3B was downregulated. These findings suggest that HbNHX2 enhances plant salt tolerance by maintaining osmotic balance, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), and regulating stress-responsive gene expression. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance in Hordeum brevisubulatum and lays a foundation for breeding salt-tolerant forage crops. Full article

Glutathione reductase (GR) is essential for maintaining cellular redox homeostasis by sustaining reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. In Hypsizygus marmoreus, GR silencing led to impaired mycelial growth, elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and disrupted antioxidant enzyme activity, ultimately hindering fruiting body development. Mitochondrial size was markedly reduced in GR-silenced strains, indicating compromised cellular metabolism. Supplementation with the reducing agent vitamin C (Vc) partially restored redox balance and enzyme activity in a developmental stage–dependent manner, alleviating the defects caused by GR suppression. Moreover, GR was found to influence lignocellulose-degrading enzyme activity, further linking redox regulation to substrate utilization. Overall, these findings demonstrate that GR plays a central role in coordinating redox balance, energy metabolism, and enzyme function in H. marmoreus, providing new insights for enhancing industrial mushroom production through antioxidant regulation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Plasma fibronectin (pFN) supports lung metastasis by promoting tumor cell invasion and survival in the context of blood clotting. Here, we set out to test if myeloid cells reiterate the clot-invasive mechanisms that have been established for tumor cells. Methods: We analyzed lung tissue sections from transgenic pFN-deficient mice for the co-localization of intravenously injected B16F1 tumor cells and the surrounding fibrin with myeloid cells, granulocytes, and macrophages. We also tested the role of pFN for macrophage differentiation and invasion in a three-dimensional fibrin matrix. Results: B16F1 melanoma cells, entrapped in the lungs of pFN-competent C57BL/6-Fn(fl/fl)Mx-Cre⁻ mice, were surrounded by a fibrin matrix, CD11b-positive myeloid cells, and Gr-1-positive granulocytes within 1 h of intravenous injection, while homing F4/80-positive macrophages to lung-born tumor cells occurred within 16 h. Compared to pFN-competent C57BL/6-Fn(fl/fl)Mx-Cre⁻ mice, the co-localization of CD11b⁺, Gr-1⁺, and F4/80⁺ cells with B16F1 cells was significantly reduced in the lungs of pFN-deficient C57BL/6-Fn(fl/fl)Mx-Cre⁻ mice. Mechanistically, we found that fibrin–fibronectin complexes promoted macrophage adhesion, differentiation, and invasion in clotted plasma. The pro-invasive function of fibrin–fibronectin depended on the upregulation of integrin β3 and Tie2 expression in macrophages and was reversed after knocking-down integrin β3 and Tie2 with siRNA. Conclusions: Our results suggest that blood clotting plays an important role in the recruitment of macrophages to circulating tumor cells and that the underlying mechanism of macrophage recruitment involves fibrin–fibronectin complexes, integrin β3, and Tie2. Full article

In this work, we discuss the conditions that allow the establishment of an equivalence between $f(R,T)=R+\lambda h\left(T\right)$ gravity models and General Relativity (GR) coupled to a modified matter sector. We do so by considering a D-dimensional spacetime and the matter sector described by nonlinear electrodynamics and/or a scalar field. We find that, for this particular family of models, the action and field equations can indeed be written in terms of a modified matter source within GR. However, when several matter sources are combined, this interpretation is no longer possible if $h\left(T\right)$ is a nonlinear function, due to the emergence of crossed terms that mix together the scalar and vector sectors. Full article

Submergence stress is a major constraint in direct-seeded rice production. This study investigated the effect and biochemical mechanism of sprouting, a traditional agronomic practice, on improving submergence tolerance in rice. Our findings demonstrate that sprouting is an effective seed treatment that significantly enhances the plant’s ability to withstand flooding. Specifically, 48 h sprouting increased shoot height and root length by 163% and 423%, respectively, in the YLYJ48 variety under 6-day submergence. Sprouting upregulated the activity of glutathione reductase (GR) and the expression of its related genes, thereby significantly promoting the biosynthesis of glutathione (GSH). GSH content in seeds increased from 64.86 µg g⁻¹ FW (0 h) to 83.00 µg g⁻¹ FW (48 h) in HZ, and from 82.14 to 92.52 µg g⁻¹ FW in YLYJ48. This process provides critical antioxidant protection for seedlings to implement a rapid “escape strategy,” ultimately enhancing their submergence tolerance. Functional verification showed that seed soaking with exogenous GSH (0.1%) effectively improved submergence tolerance by increasing antioxidant reserves. Exogenous GSH treatment elevated shoot height by approximately 50% in both HZ and YLYJ48 varieties under submergence. Field trials further demonstrated that exogenous GSH application significantly enhanced seedling establishment rates by 30–35% and improved seedling growth traits under submergence tolerance stress across multiple rice varieties. This study reveals part of the mechanism by which sprouting enhances submergence tolerance by influencing glutathione metabolism, offering practical strategies for flood-resilient direct-seeded rice cultivation. Full article

Mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of eight distinct substrate mixtures of agroindustrial and food wastes was assessed to determine the most efficient waste mixture for maximizing hydrogen production. To evaluate the impact of adding various mixtures on dark fermentation (DF), batch tests were conducted for 250 h at 37 °C and a pH range between 5.0 and 5.9. Ethanol, butyric, propionic, acetic, and isobutyric acids were identified as the principal fermentation end products. The hydrogen production rate reached in a decreasing order from a mixture comprising 55% Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW), 40% Cheese Whey (CW), and 5% Sewage Sludge (SS) or Liquid Pig Manure (LPM) (38 NmL/gVS) to 55% OMW, 40% CW and 5% diluted Food Waste (FW_dil) (30 NmL/gVS), 60% CW and 40% Grape Residues (GR) (27 NmL/gVS), 80% CW and 20% LPM (13 NmL/gVS), 60% OMW and 40% FW_dil. (10 NmL/gVS), 60% CW and 40% FW_dil, (8 NmL/gVS) and 70% OMW and 30% SS (5 NmL/gVS). These results indicated that H₂ was generated through mixed fermentation pathways, while the addition of OMW > 55% inhibited microbial activity and reduced hydrogen production. The highest hydrogen yield (38 NmL/gVS), accompanied by 27.6%, Volatile Solids (VS) reduction and the highest Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) concentration (6.1 g/L). The same substrate mixture resulted in the highest accumulation of acetic and butyric acid in the acidified effluent, indicating the dominance of hydrogen-producing metabolic routes. The data suggest that co-fermentation of the selected residues not only enhances hydrogen production but also creates more stable operational conditions -including improved pH regulation, increased carbohydrate conversion, and greater VFAs accumulation- making the process more robust and viable for practical application. Full article

Rice is a staple food grown worldwide. While white rice varieties have been extensively studied, there is limited information on the performance of pigmented rice genotypes and their tolerance to water deficit. This study evaluated nineteen black rice genotypes and one white cultivar over three years under contrasting water regimes: traditional flooding and non-flood irrigation (NFI). Genotype–environment interactions and their impact on agronomic, yield, and grain quality traits were assessed. Black genotypes under NFI showed reduced flowering and grain quality. The average yield was 31% lower than the white cultivar. Significant genetic correlations were found between grain yield and days to anthesis (DSA), grain weight (TGW), chalkiness (CHA), and translucency (TRAN), with high broad-sense heritability (H² > 0.9). Most traits exhibited high heritability (H² > 0.7), indicating strong genetic stability. Grain yield (GR) was highly and negatively correlated with percent sterility (PS) (r = −0.84) and had a heritability of 0.76. Environmental conditions significantly influenced yield, confirming the potential for selecting water stress–tolerant genotypes. These findings provide valuable insights into black rice breeding and optimizing water management practices to support sustainable production. To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the performance of a diverse set of black rice genotypes across multiple seasons under contrasting water regimes in a Mediterranean environment. Full article

In this work, samples of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were prepared by treating graphite oxide (GrO) with thiourea (TU) and ascorbic acid (AA). Aerogels rGO-TU and rGO-AA were prepared using the freeze-drying method and were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, TEM, and SEM-EDS. Based on the NMR, FTIR, SEM-EDS, and TEM data, GO with TU is reduced with simultaneous functionalization of its oxygen-containing groups. According to ¹H and ¹³C NMR data, the reduction of GO occurred simultaneously with an interaction of the amino groups of thiourea with carbonyl groups on the graphene sheets, forming an imine bond. This is evidenced by the appearance of additional signals in the ¹³C spectrum of GO-TU samples in the region of 140–230 ppm. The Boehm titration method showed that the number of oxygen-containing groups in rGO-TU aerogels decreased by about five times compared to GO. However, thiourea interacts with the GO surface, most likely due to electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonds. The adsorption capacity of rGO-TU aerogel with respect to methylene blue (MB) after 1440 min was 60.2 mg/g, while for rGO-AA it was 71.4 mg/g. This fact indicates the importance of optimizing GO reduction to increase the number of active sites. Full article

Glucocorticoids are essential for fetal organ maturation and form the basis of antenatal corticosteroid therapy that has significantly reduced preterm-related morbidity such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). However, neonatal morbidity remains a clinical challenge regardless of antenatal corticosteroid therapy. Currently, it is thought that adverse intrauterine environments dysregulate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) homeostasis, yet the biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to study ex vivo glucocorticoid sensitivity in cord blood immune cells from two independent preterm cohorts to identify associations with neonatal morbidity and uncover potential mechanisms of dysregulated glucocorticoid homeostasis. In the first cohort, thawed cord blood mononuclear cells were exposed to betamethasone in the presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) for 4 h. In the second cohort, freshly isolated white blood cells were treated with dexamethasone under unstimulated and LPS-stimulated conditions for 48 h. GR isoform expression and regulation of transactivated and transrepressed genes were assessed via qPCR, immunoblotting, flow cytometry, and ELISA. In both cohorts, reduced GR expression, particularly of the GRα isoform, was observed in neonates with morbidity, but only with culture time and not in freshly isolated cells. Ex vivo impaired glucocorticoid-mediated transrepression of proinflammatory genes IL6 and TNF was also observed in the morbidity groups. In contrast, all samples were comparable in basal immune cell distributions and transactivation of glucocorticoid response element (GRE)-dependent genes GILZ and FKBP5, irrespective of neonatal morbidity. These findings suggest that neonates that develop morbidities experience an early postnatal GR dysfunction that is potentially programmed in utero. Moreover, under conditions of decreased GR abundance, classical transactivation functions appear to be preserved at the expense of more complex regulatory mechanisms such as transrepression. Full article