Search Results (37)

Congenital Chagas disease (CCD) is caused when Trypanosoma cruzi crosses the placental barrier during pregnancy and reaches the fetus, which can lead to serious consequences in the developing fetus. Current treatment is carried out with nifurtimox or benznidazole, but their effectiveness is limited, and they cause side effects, requiring the search for new therapeutic strategies. In this sense, many studies have demonstrated the potential of different compounds of the Copaifera genus in the control of parasitic diseases. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effect of oleoresin (OR) and leaf hydroalcoholic extract (LHE) of Copaifera multijuga on Trypanosoma cruzi infection in human villous trophoblast cells (BeWo line) and human placenta explants. Treatment with both compounds reduced invasion, proliferation, and release of trypomastigotes. Furthermore, OR and LHE affected the trypomastigotes and amastigote morphology, compromising their ability to invade and proliferate in BeWo cells, respectively. Also, treatment with OR decreased ROS production in infected BeWo cells, while LHE induced an increase. In addition, both compounds induced pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine production. In human placental explants, both compounds also decreased T. cruzi infection, in addition to inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, both OR and LHE of C. multijuga control T. cruzi infection at the human maternal–fetal interface, highlighting the possible therapeutic potential of these compounds for the treatment of CCD. Full article

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the interactions between joint angular kinematics and gross motor function in typically developing healthy Ghanaian children. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 150 (69 (46.0%), 3.25 ± 0.08-year-old boys and 81 (54.0%), 3.25 ± 0.06-year-old girls) 2–4-year-old children were recruited. Joint angular kinematic variables [left hip flexion (LHF), left hip extension (LHE), right hip flexion (RHF), left knee flexion (LKF), right hip extension (RHE), left knee extension (LKE), right knee flexion (RKF), left ankle dorsi-flexion (LADF), right knee extension (RKE), right ankle plantar flexion (RAPF), left ankle plantar flexion (LAPF), and right ankle dorsi-flexion (RADF)] and gross motor function (lying and rolling, sitting, crawling and kneeling, standing, and walking, running, and jumping) were measured with standard scales. Results: The correlations between lying and rolling vs. RHE (r = 0.221; p-value < 0.01), LKE (r = −0.267; p-value < 0.01), LAPF (r = 0.264; p-value < 0.01), and RADF (r = 0.240; p-value < 0.01); crawling and kneeling vs. LKE (r = 0.196; p-value < 0.05) and RADF (r = 0.188; p-value < 0.05); and walking, running, and jumping vs. LKE (r = −0.214; p-value < 0.01) and RADF (r = −0.207; p-value < 0.05) were significant. Conclusions: There was a negative correlation between joint angular kinematics and total gross motor function in this sampled population. Typically, developing healthy children should be exposed to a range of motion, flexibility, and active transportation programs for optimal active lifestyles and improvements in gross motor skills. Full article

Plant-based preparation of nanomaterials has become a recent global research focus due to its cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and environmentally friendly approach. This study aims to synthesize silver nanoparticles (HAgNPs) using red lentil husk aqueous extract (LHE) and to assess its antibacterial activity. Synthesized HAgNPs were analyzed by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis.), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The antibacterial efficacy of synthesized HAgNPs was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC No: 25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC No: 29212), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC No: 700603), and Shigella sonnei (ATCC No: 25931) at varying concentrations via the agar well diffusion scheme. The UV-vis absorption maximum observed around 420 nm directed the creation of HAgNPs. The shifting of peak positions in the FTIR spectrum of the synthesized HAgNPs compared to the FTIR spectrum peak positions of LHE indicated the involvement of biomolecules present in LHE in reducing silver ions to metallic silver. XRD examination of the prepared sample suggested face-centred cubic crystals of the HAgNPs. The average particle dimension of prepared HAgNPs was 8.9 nm by the Debye–Scherer equation. An FESEM examination of the synthesized HAgNPs revealed spherical morphology, while the EDX study showed that silver (Ag⁰) was the predominant component, comprising 62.3% by weight. The synthesized HAgNPs displayed a higher DPPH radical scavenging capacity (IC₅₀ = 38.87 ± 3.52 µg/mL) than that of LHE (IC₅₀ = 65.27 ± 1.17 µg/mL). The prepared HAgNPs exhibited significant antibacterial efficacy against some human pathogen bacteria at lower concentrations. Hence, the present study highlights an environmentally benevolent and economical synthetic approach to the preparation of HAgNPs and its potential utility for the production of biomedical products. Full article

During the operation of liquid-phase He-4 (LHe-4) storage tanks, heat leakage changes the thermophysical parameters and phase properties of the LHe-4 in the tanks, resulting in the thermal layering phenomenon. This phenomenon is characterized by the LHe-4 temperature gradient and pressure increase (self-pressurization) phenomena in the tanks. Based on the Layer-by-Layer model, a heat transfer model of a composite adiabatic structure with multilayer insulation and liquid nitrogen screen (LNCS) insulation was established, and the Neumann boundary heat flux of the thermal response model was determined. A numerical simulation model of the thermal response of a liquid helium storage tank was established. The spatial and temporal evolutions of the pressure distribution, natural convection characteristics, thermal stratification characteristics, and self-pressurization characteristics of the LHe-4 tank were investigated. Finally, the self-pressurization thermodynamic model of the LHe-4 storage tank was built based on the isothermal saturation and homogeneous model. It is shown that the predictive performance of the mLee model for the self-boosting characteristics (relative deviation of 14.32%) was significantly improved compared with that of the Lee model (relative deviation of 39.64%). The thermal stratification degree (TSD) of the tank increased with the operation time, with TSDs of 1.023, 1.028, and 1.036 at 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h, which exacerbated the self-pressurization of the tank. The wall surface in contact with the phase interface is a strong evaporation point, so the interfacial mass transfer rate maps show a pattern of high at both ends and low in the middle. Full article

This work investigated the substitution of the aldehyde with a pyran functional group in D-π-aldehyde dye to improve cell performance. This strategy was suggested by recent work that synthesized D-π-aldehyde dye, which achieved a maximum absorption wavelength that was only slightly off the threshold for an ideal sensitizer. Therefore, DFT and TD-DFT were used to investigate the effect of different pyran substituents to replace the aldehyde group. The pyran groups reduced the dye energy gap better than other known anchoring groups. The proposed dyes showed facile intermolecular charge transfer through the localization of HOMO and LUMO orbitals on the donor and acceptor parts, which promoted orbital overlap with the TiO₂ surface. The studied dyes have HOMO and LOMO energy levels that could regenerate electrons from redox potential electrodes and inject electrons into the TiO₂ conduction band. The lone pairs of oxygen atoms in pyran components act as nucleophile centers, facilitating adsorption on the TiO₂ surface through their electrophile atoms. Pyrans increased the efficacy of dye sensitizers by extending their absorbance range and causing the maximum peak to redshift deeper into the visible region. The effects of the pyran groups on photovoltaic properties such as light harvesting efficiency (LHE), free energy change of electron injection, and dye regeneration were investigated and discussed. The adsorption behaviors of the proposed dyes on the TiO₂ (1 1 0) surface were investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The calculated adsorption energies indicates that pyran fragments, compared to the aldehyde in the main dye, had a greater ability to induce the adsorption onto the TiO₂ substrate. Full article

The coating process involves applying a thin material layer to a surface to engender it with specific desirable properties or enhance its performance. In the production of print media (labels, packaging, printed textiles, and promotional materials), the standard functions of the coating process include visual decoration, which involves the addition of appealing colors, textures, and patterns. A pertinent issue in the printing industry is that at present, the predominant coating process uses printing and coating technologies (gravure, flexo, letterset, letterpress, screen printing, inkjet, and electrophotography) and lamination (i.e., attaching decorative layers of materials, such as films or fabrics). In this paper, we present a new method for testing the efficiency with which different-sized metalized printing elements (using gold foil) may be applied to paper substrates; to do so, we gradually vary the amount UV-cured inkjet varnish (or adhesive) that is applied. To test the effectiveness of this method in producing metallic visual effects, we utilize seven different thicknesses of UV-cured varnish with the aid of modular piezo inkjet heads (KM1024 iLHE-30) and three different printing speeds. Our research shows that to achieve optimal production of cold metalized foil, a 21 µm layer should be deposited, and the substrate should move at a speed of 0.30 m/s. Full article

This study employs density functional theory (DFT) to evaluate the optoelectronic features of five natural dyes (cyanidin, delphinidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and petunidin) in gas and ethanol phases for potential dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. Calculations cover HOMO and LUMO energy levels, charge transfer potential gaps, and light absorption properties correlated with oscillator strengths. Photovoltaic aspects, including light-harvesting efficiency (LHE), electron injection efficiency (ΔG^inject), regeneration efficiency (ΔG^regen), open-circuit voltage (V_OC), excited-state lifetime (τ), and the electronic coupling constant (|V_RP|), were computed to assess DSSC suitability. DFT analysis reveals that cyanidin, delphinidin, and petunidin exhibit favorable LUMOs for efficient electron injection into the semiconductor’s conduction band. Cyanidin demonstrates a high quantum yield for light absorption. Delphinidin and petunidin act as effective light absorbers with high excitation energies and oscillator strengths, while petunidin and delphinidin display strong LHE, indicating excellent electron-donating capabilities. Peonidin shows promising ΔG^inject despite needing more energy for injection. Pelargonidin excels in ΔG^regen and |V_RP|, enhancing DSSC performance. Petunidin and delphinidin exhibit a high V_OC. Petunidin efficiently transmits energy through a large τ, while pelargonidin’s |V_RP| confirms its potential as a favorable sensitizer. In summary, each dye possesses unique properties, and understanding them aids in selecting the most suitable dye for enhanced DSSC performance. Full article

Homomorphic encryption (HE) has emerged as a pivotal technology for secure neural network inference (SNNI), offering privacy-preserving computations on encrypted data. Despite active developments in this field, HE-based SNNI frameworks are impeded by three inherent limitations. Firstly, they cannot evaluate non-linear functions such as $\mathsf{ReLU}$, the most widely adopted activation function in neural networks. Secondly, the permitted number of homomorphic operations on ciphertexts is bounded, consequently limiting the depth of neural networks that can be evaluated. Thirdly, the computational overhead associated with HE is prohibitively high, particularly for deep neural networks. In this paper, we introduce a novel paradigm designed to address the three limitations of HE-based SNNI. Our approach is an interactive approach that is solely based on HE, called iLHE. Utilizing the idea of iLHE, we present two protocols: $\mathsf{ReLU}$, which facilitates the direct evaluation of the $\mathsf{ReLU}$ function on encrypted data, tackling the first limitation, and $\mathsf{HeRefresh}$, which extends the feasible depth of neural network computations and mitigates the computational overhead, thereby addressing the second and third limitations. Based on $\mathsf{HeReLU}$ and $\mathsf{HeRefresh}$ protocols, we build a new framework for SNNI, named $\mathsf{HeFUN}$. We prove that our protocols and the $\mathsf{HeFUN}$ framework are secure in the semi-honest security model. Empirical evaluations demonstrate that $\mathsf{HeFUN}$ surpasses current HE-based SNNI frameworks in multiple aspects, including security, accuracy, the number of communication rounds, and inference latency. Specifically, for a convolutional neural network with four layers on the MNIST dataset, $\mathsf{HeFUN}$ achieves $99.16\%$ accuracy with an inference latency of $1.501$ s, surpassing the popular HE-based framework CryptoNets proposed by Gilad-Bachrach, which achieves $98.52\%$ accuracy with an inference latency of $3.479$ s. Full article

The diagnostic value of the vertebral heart size (VHS) in dogs with mitral valve degeneration (MVD) is compromised when middle thoracic vertebral anomalies are present. The objective of this study was to assess the use of the thoracic inlet heart score (TIHS) to identify left heart enlargement (LHE) secondary to MVD. The cardiac silhouette of 50 clinically healthy dogs and 106 MVD dogs in different stages was assessed on a right lateral chest radiograph. The TIHS and VHS value were calculated for each patient and compared. The TIHS was significantly different between the control dogs and the dogs with MMVD, increasing with disease stage, control 2.91 ± 0.23, Stage B1 2.98 ± 0.36, B2 3.25 ± 0.34, and C 3.53 ± 0.36, p < 0.05. A THIS ≥3.3 showed 69% sensitivity and 81% specificity to identify LHE. The TIHS showed moderate correlation with the VHS, LA/Ao, and LVIDDN 0.59, 0.42, and 0.62, respectively. The intraobserver and interobserver agreement were almost perfect, 0.96, and substantial, 0.73. The TIHS method can be used to identify LHE secondary to MMVD on dogs’ thoracic radiographs. Full article

Organic solar cells (OSCs) made of electron-acceptor and electron-donor materials have significantly developed in the last decade, demonstrating their enormous potential in cutting-edge optoelectronic applications. Consequently, we designed seven novel non-fused ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) (BTIC-U1 to BTIC-U7) using synthesized electron-deficient diketone units and reported end-capped acceptors, a viable route for augmented optoelectronic properties. The DFT and TDDFT approaches were used to measure the power conversion efficiency (PCE), open circuit voltage (Voc), reorganization energies (λ_h, λ_e), fill factor (FF), light harvesting efficiency (LHE) and to evaluate the potential usage of proposed compounds in solar cell applications. The findings confirmed that the photovoltaic, photophysical, and electronic properties of the designed molecules BTIC-U1 to BTIC-U7 are superior to those of reference BTIC-R. The TDM analysis demonstrates a smooth flow of charge from the core to the acceptor groups. Charge transfer analysis of the BTIC-U1:PTB7-Th blend revealed orbital superposition and successful charge transfer from HOMO (PTB7-Th) to LUMO (BTIC-U1). The BTIC-U5 and BTIC-U7 outperformed the reference BTIC-R and other developed molecules in terms of PCE (23.29% and 21.18%), FF (0.901 and 0.894), normalized Voc (48.674 and 44.597), and Voc (1.261 eV and 1.155 eV). The proposed compounds enclose high electron and hole transfer mobilities, making them the ideal candidate for use with PTB7-Th film. As a result, future SM-OSC design should prioritize using these constructed molecules, which exhibit excellent optoelectronic properties, as superior scaffolds. Full article

Laminaria spp. and their extracts have preventative potential as dietary supplements during weaning in pigs. The first objective of this study was to evaluate increasing concentrations of four whole seaweed biomass samples from two different Laminaria species harvested in two different months in a weaned pig faecal batch fermentation assay. Particularly, February and November whole seaweed biomass samples of L. hyperborea (LHWB-F and LHWB-N) and L. digitata (LDWB-F and LDWB-N) were used. In the next part of the study, the increasing concentrations of four extracts produced from L. hyperborea (LHE1–4) and L. digitata (LDE1–4) were evaluated in individual pure-culture growth assays using a panel of beneficial and pathogenic bacterial strains (second objective). The LHE1–4 and LDE1–4 were obtained using different combinations of temperature, incubation time and volume of solvent within a hydrothermal-assisted extraction methodology (E1–4). In the batch fermentation assay, the L. hyperborea biomass samples, LHWB-F and LHWB-N, lowered Bifidobacterium spp. counts compared to the L. digitata biomass samples, LDWB-F and LDWB-N (p < 0.05). LHWB-F and LDWB-N reduced Enterobacteriaceae counts (p < 0.05). LHWB-F and LDWB-F were selected as the most and least promising sources of antibacterial extracts from which to produce LHE1–4 and LDE1–4. In the pure-culture growth assays, E1- and E4-produced extracts were predominantly associated with antibacterial and bifidogenic activities, respectively. LHE1 reduced both Salmonella Typhimurium and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli with LDE1 having a similar effect on both of these pathogenic strains, albeit to a lesser extent (p < 0.05). Both LHE1 and LDE1 reduced B. thermophilum counts (p < 0.05). LDE4 exhibited strong bifidogenic activity (p < 0.05), whereas LHE4 increased Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum counts (p < 0.05). In conclusion, antibacterial and bifidogenic extracts of Laminaria spp. were identified in vitro with the potential to alleviate gastrointestinal dysbiosis in newly weaned pigs. Full article

There are a number of emissions produced by internal combustion engines that are regulated to limit atmospheric pollution. However, it is equally important for both environmental and human health to also monitor and control polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Using high-carbon alcohols with straight-chain structures, such as n-propanol (Pro), n-butanol (Bu) and n-pentanol (Pen), together with diesel fuel (D), can be a way to reduce these harmful pollutants. In this study, nine different test fuels were created by mixing each higher alcohol with diesel fuel at 5%, 20% and 30% mixing ratios. In order to compare the effects of these test fuels on regulated pollutants and PAH compounds, fuel blends were evaluated in a diesel engine at partial loads and at a constant speed. Regulated emissions were measured using a standard 5-gas analyzer, and PAHs were detected and quantified using rigorous analytical chemistry methods, such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). While higher carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) pollutants were emitted by the binary blends due to their high oxygen content and latent heat of evaporation (LHE), a decrease in nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions between 4.98% and 20.08% was observed depending on the alcohol concentration. With the exception of the 20% n-pentanol mixture, PAH concentrations in the exhaust gas were significantly reduced in other binary blends. The 35% n-butanol mixture stood out in reducing total PAHs by 80.98%. In toxicity reduction, the 20% n-propanol mixture was the most effective with a decrease of 91.23% in toxicity. Overall, higher alcohols have been shown to be effective additives not only in reducing overall PAH emissions and toxicity, but also in reducing high-ring and heavier PAHs, which are more carcinogenic and cause a greater risk to engine lifedue to wet stacking under cold starting or low-load conditions. Full article

Herein, some novel metal-free 1,3,4-oxadiazole compounds O1–O7 were evaluated for their photovoltaic properties using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations to determine if they can serve as metal-free organic dyes in the use of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). To understand the trends in the relative efficiencies of the investigated compounds as dyes in DSSCs, their electron contributions, hole contributions, and electron–hole overlaps for each respective atom and fragment within the molecule were analyzed with a particular focus on the electron densities on the anchoring segments. As transition density matrices (TDM) provide details about the departure of each electron from its corresponding hole during excitations, which results in charge transfer (CT), the charge separation distance (Δr) between the electron and its corresponding hole was studied, in addition to the degree of electron–hole overlap (Λ). The latter, single-point excitation energy of each electron, the percentage electron contribution to the anchoring segments of each compound, the incident-photon-conversion-efficiency (IPCE), charge recombination, light harvesting efficiency (LHE), electron injection (Φ_inj), and charge collection efficiency (n_collect) were then compared to Δr to determine whether the expected relationships hold. Moreover, parameters such as diffusion constant (D_π) and electron lifetime (t), amongst others, were also used to describe electron excitation processes. Since IPCE is the key parameter in determining the efficiency, O3 was found to be the best dye due to its highest value. Full article

The optoelectronic advantages of anchoring plasmonic silver and copper particles and non-plasmonic titanium particles onto zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflower (NF) scaffolds for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are addressed in this article. The metallic particles were sputter-deposited as a function of sputtering time to vary their size on solution-grown ZnO NFs on which methylammonium lead iodide perovskite was crystallized in a controlled environment. Optical absorption measurements showed impressive improvements in the light-harvesting efficiency (LHE) of the devices using silver nanoparticles and some concentrations of copper, whereas the LHE was relatively lower in devices used titanium than in a control device without any metallic particles. Fully functional PSCs were fabricated using the plasmonic and non-plasmonic metallic film-decorated ZnO NFs. Several fold enhancements in photoconversion efficiency were achieved in the silver-containing devices compared with the control device, which was accompanied by an increase in the photocurrent density, photovoltage, and fill factor. To understand the plasmonic effects in the photoanode, the LHE, photo-current density, photovoltage, photoluminescence, incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency, and electrochemical impedance properties were thoroughly investigated. This research showcases the efficacy of the addition of plasmonic particles onto photo anodes, which leads to improved light scattering, better charge separation, and reduced electron–hole recombination rate. Full article

It is difficult for enterprises to adapt to the rapidly developing market demand and increasingly intense competition by relying only on internal resources to carry out innovation activities. We identify three new issues for the Cross-Functional Consortium Families (CFCFs, CF²s) open innovation model based on a cooperating network: participation of large-scale high-tech enterprises (LHEs), impact from open source, and motivation of keeping resource independence. By studying the series cases of Tesla, Inc. (Austin, TX, USA) cooperating with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through an open source CF² model, we examined and discussed these three issues and gave new connotations to both open innovation and the CF² model from perspectives of open source and resources. This paper also provides strategic reference for other LHEs to mitigate the dependency on key resources and generate new key resources accepted by the environment. Full article