Search Results (309)

Glutathione (GSH), often referred to as the “master antioxidant,” plays a vital role in protecting cells against oxidative stress. This human pilot study aimed to evaluate the oral absorption and safety profile of a novel formulation of micellar glutathione (LipoMicel^®, LMG) compared with two commonly used dietary supplement forms: standard glutathione (STD) and liposomal glutathione (Setria^® Glutathione, LSG). In the first phase, a randomized, double-blind, crossover study was conducted in healthy adults (n = 14) to assess whole-blood GSH following single oral doses using baseline-adjusted pharmacokinetic parameters (incremental AUC_0–24 [iAUC_0–24], C_max, T_max) and a targeted panel of glutathione-related metabolites. In the second phase, a 30-day, single-arm follow-up assessed the safety and tolerability of the most bioavailable formulation (LMG) in the same participants. Compared with STD (500 mg), LMG (300 mg) produced significantly higher baseline-adjusted systemic GSH exposure and peak response (iAUC_0–24: 1287.5 ± 179.0 vs. 517.8 ± 180.0 µg·mL·h; p = 0.0064; ΔC_max: 103.9 ± 11.8 vs. 42.8 ± 11.5 µg/mL; p = 0.0003), corresponding to ~2.49-fold higher incremental exposure and ~2.43-fold higher peak response at the administered doses. When dose-normalized to a 300 mg equivalent, the incremental exposure (iAUC) and C_max were up to 4-fold higher for LMG than STD. In the targeted metabolite panel, most analytes showed no formulation-dependent differences; however, dose-normalized methionine exposure was significantly higher with LMG than STD (iAUC: 149.9 ± 30.8 vs. 32.7 ± 28.3 µg·mL·h; p = 0.0151; ~4.58-fold). No significant differences were observed in oxidized glutathione (GSSG) exposure, while the GSH/GSSG ratio was higher following LMG versus STD (p = 0.001). No significant changes in clinical safety markers (e.g., ALT, AST, ALP, creatinine) were observed following 30 days of daily LMG administration at 600 mg/d. The novel micellar glutathione formulation demonstrated enhanced oral bioavailability compared with a standard glutathione preparation and was well tolerated over 30 days in healthy adults. These findings present LipoMicel^® as a promising approach for oral glutathione delivery and warrant further investigation into its long-term physiological and clinical effects. This clinical trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under trial ID NCT06345950 on 3 April 2024. Full article

Backgrounds: Roegneria ciliaris is a perennial tetraploid wild relative of wheat that is widely distributed in China. It can be used both as a forage crop and ecological grass (the grasses specifically bred for ecological restoration) due to its strong stress tolerance, early green-up, vigorous seedling growth in spring, and great palatability. Methods: It is necessary to select and validate appropriate reference genes (RGs) for gene expression normalization by qRT-PCR in order to decipher the stress tolerance mechanism of this grass species. Therefore, eight candidate RGs were identified from transcriptome data of R. ciliaris ‘Liao sheng’ in response to drought stress. The expression stability of these RGs was evaluated by five algorithms (∆Ct, geNorm, NormFinder, Bestkeeper and ReFinder) using samples from different tissues and drought stress. Results: The results showed that MDH and RPL19 were the most stable RGs among all samples, while GAPDH and TUBA presented the lowest expression stability. These representative RGs were further used to normalize the expression level of the pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS) and protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) genes in different tissues and under drought stress. The results of P5CS and PP2C expression were consistent with transcriptome data. Conclusion: Our study provided the first systematic evaluation of the most stable RG selection for qRT-PCR normalization in R. ciliaris, which will promote further research on its tissue-specific gene expression and mechanism of drought tolerance. Full article

This study examines how aggregate financial risk tolerance (FRT), measured from repeated survey responses, co-evolves with stock-market dynamics over time. The observed FRT index is treated as a noisy preference signal containing both gradual drift and episodic deviations, and its market relevance is evaluated under time variation, frequency components, and stress regimes. Using monthly data that align the survey-based FRT index with market returns and risk measures, a three-part econometric design is implemented. First, a time-varying parameter VAR (TVP-VAR) characterizes bidirectional, non-constant linkages between FRT and market outcomes. Second, signal-extraction methods decompose FRT into a smooth “normal” component and a high-frequency “abnormal” component (with robustness to alternative filters) to test whether short-run deviations contain distinct information for volatility and downside risk. Third, a Markov-switching specification assesses state dependence by testing whether the FRT–market relationship differs between low-stress and high-stress regimes. Across specifications, the FRT–market linkage is strongly state dependent: the sign and magnitude of FRT effects drift over time and differ across regimes, with high-frequency FRT deviations aligning more closely with risk dynamics than the smooth component. Predictive validation is provided via out-of-sample forecasting of next-month market risk using elastic net and gradient boosting relative to an AR(1) benchmark; explainability analysis (SHAP) indicates that abnormal FRT contributes incremental predictive content beyond standard market-state variables. Overall, the framework offers a mathematically transparent approach to modeling survey-based preference signals in markets and supports regime-aware forecasting and risk-management applications. Full article

Pearl millet, an African-origin crop with exceptional heat tolerance, maintains normal flowering and seed production even under extremely high temperatures. The MADS-box transcription factor family plays a central role not only in floral organs, but also in abiotic stress responses. However, its specific function in pearl millet’s heat stress response remains unclear. In this study, a total of 63 MADS-box genes were identified. These genes were classified into five subfamilies and distributed across seven chromosomes, with chromosome 6 containing the highest number (12 genes). Additionally, expression analysis revealed that 53 MADS-box genes exhibited increased expression levels following heat stress under high-temperature conditions. Differential expression analysis identified five key MADS-box genes responding to heat stress. Further analysis of their expression trends using qRT-PCR revealed that the expression levels of these genes first increased and then decreased after heat stress treatment, with differences in the timing of peak expression among different genes. PMA1G07218.1 was selected for further functional characterization, which exhibited a significant response to heat stress treatment and reached a peak at 6 h. Subcellular localization analysis confirmed that the encoded protein is exclusively nuclear-localized. Through the yeast one-hybrid method (Y1H), we found that PMA1G07218.1 interacts by binding to the AG cis-acting element of F-box gene PMA1G04890.1. These findings provide valuable insight into the role of MADS-box genes in the high-temperature stress response of pearl millet, highlighting PMA1G07218.1 as a promising candidate for enhancing thermotolerance in this species. Full article

Tongue-rolling behavior (TR) is commonly observed in dairy cows and is considered a stereotypic behavior indicative of compromised welfare. Chronic stress can impair lactation and immune function, yet the interaction between behavior (TR vs. normal behavior (NB)) and chronic stress (high vs. low) remains unclear. In this study, hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was used to assess stress levels in cows. The cows were first classified into high- and low-stress cows using K-means clustering. Subsequently, cows exhibiting high levels of TR and those exhibiting NB (i.e., no stereotypic behaviors) were selected from both stress categories to establish four groups (n = 8 per group): high-stress TR (HT), high-stress NB (HN), low-stress TR (LT), and low-stress NB (LN). We analyzed milk protein composition, milk proteome, and plasma immune-inflammatory indicators. Behavior (TR vs. NB) and chronic stress (high vs. low) showed significant interaction effects on plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (p = 0.046), interleukin-6 (p = 0.002), and proteomic profiles, involving multiple guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins (p < 0.05), transferrin (p = 0.001), and complement factors (p < 0.05). In addition, TR cows had significantly lower levels of αs1-casein (p = 0.019), β-casein (p < 0.001), κ-casein (p = 0.016), lactoferrin (p = 0.003), and plasma immunoglobulin A (p = 0.002). These results indicate that, under different chronic stress levels, TR cows differ markedly from NB cows in milk protein expression, immune function, and inflammatory responses. Moreover, milk from TR cows showed reduced quality, and immune dysfunction and inflammation were exacerbated under high stress. Overall, this study provides new insights into the physiological consequences of stereotypic behavior in dairy cows. These findings may help dairy farmers identify cows exhibiting TR as at risk of reduced milk quality and immune dysfunction, allowing for early management interventions to improve animal welfare and productivity. Full article

Liquid coolant jets are commonly used to remove excess heat from workpieces during grinding. There is a pressing need to reduce energy waste that contributes to environmental heat pollution and to limit the spread of oil-based coolants and mist formation. As a liquid jet issues from a nozzle and enters the surrounding air, surface instabilities develop, causing the jet to break into droplets. This breakup diminishes the jet’s ability to deliver maximum momentum to the workpiece and grinding wheel in grinding operations, thereby reducing cooling efficiency. The presence of moving ambient air near the workpiece and rotating grinding wheel further complicates cooling. First, the study investigates jet breakups in stationary air, predicting breakup lengths with reasonable agreement to experiments at varying jet velocities using the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) method equipped with Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω model of turbulence. The coolant jet breakup length for a jet normal to the grinding wheel is different from that for a free jet and affected by the proximity of grinding wheel to nozzle that was not evaluated in prior studies. Simulations were performed using Ansys Fluent software 2023R1, with careful tuning of numerical schemes and selection of breakup criteria. The results include analysis of jet breakup phenomena in presence of rotating grinding wheel and workpieces, determination of breakup lengths across a range of Weber numbers, and effects of nozzle design. Full article

This study presents the first application of machine learning (ML) to detect and map mowed tidal wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland and Virginia, focusing on emergent estuarine intertidal (E2EM) wetlands. Monitoring human disturbances like mowing is essential because repeated mowing stresses wetland vegetation, reducing habitat quality and diminishing other ecological services wetlands provide, including shoreline stabilization and water filtration. Traditional field-based monitoring is labor-intensive and impractical for large-scale assessments. To address these challenges, this study utilized 2021 and 2022 Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and a time-series analysis of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to distinguish between mowed and unmowed (control) wetlands. A bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) neural network was created to predict NDVI patterns associated with mowing events, such as rapid decreases followed by slow vegetation regeneration. The training dataset comprised 204 field-verified and desktop-identified samples, accounting for under 0.002% of the research area’s herbaceous E2EM wetlands. The model obtained 97.5% accuracy on an internal test set and was verified at eight separate Chesapeake Bay locations, indicating its promising generality. This work demonstrates the potential of remote sensing and machine learning for scalable, automated monitoring of tidal wetland disturbances to aid in conservation, restoration, and resource management. Full article

Non-destructive estimation of high-temperature stress effects on tobacco plants is crucial for both scientific research and practical applications. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), chlorophyll index, and spectra in the range of 900–1700 nm of Burley, Oriental, and Virginia tobacco plants under control and high-temperature stress conditions were measured using portable instruments. NDVI and chlorophyll index measurements indicate that young leaves of all tobacco types are tolerant to high temperatures. In contrast, the older leaves (the fifth leaf) showed increased sensitivity to heat stress. The chlorophyll content of these leaves decreased by 40 to 60% after five days of stress, and by the seventh day, the reduction reached 80% or more in all plants. The vegetative index of the fifth leaf also decreased on the seventh day of stress in all tobacco types. Differences in near-infrared spectra were observed between control, stressed, and recovered plants, as well as among different stress days, and among tobacco lines. The most significant differences were in the 1300–1500 nm range. The first characterization of heat-induced changes in the molecular structure of water in tobacco leaves using an aquaphotomics approach was conducted. Models for determining days of high-temperature treatment based on near-infrared spectra achieved a standard error of cross-validation (SECV) from 0.49 to 0.62 days. The total accuracy of the Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) classification models of control, stressed, and recovered plants ranged from 91.0 to 93.6% using leaves’ spectra of the first five days of high-temperature stress, and from 90.7 to 97.7% using spectra of only the fifth leaf. Similar accuracy was obtained using Partial Least Squares–Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). Near-infrared spectroscopy and aquaphotomics can be used as a fast and non-destructive approach for early detection of stress and additional tools for investigating high-temperature tolerance in tobacco plants. Full article

Polymer solutions exhibit radial flow characteristics upon injection into a formation via the wellbore. Accurately characterizing their viscoelastic properties at varying seepage velocities and quantifying their impact on displacement efficiency are crucial for advancing polymer flooding technology. This study simulated shear rate variations during polymer injection and integrated laboratory-measured viscoelastic properties with permeability characteristics in porous media. An analysis of the oil displacement performance between viscoelastic polymer solutions and a purely viscous fluid, glycerol, was conducted. The key findings are as follows: (1) Polymer elasticity, characterized by the first normal stress difference, diminishes with decreasing injection time/solution concentration. Significant viscoelasticity is observed near the wellbore, weakening in deeper reservoir regions. (2) The polymer type and injection conditions govern the development of solution “effective viscosity” during porous medium flow. A fundamental trend under elevated flow velocities is an increase in effective viscosity with shear rate. (3) Comparison with glycerol demonstrates that the viscoelastic effect of polymer solutions enhances heavy-oil displacement efficiency. The magnitude of this viscoelastic effect within the porous medium directly correlates with its contribution to improved displacement efficiency. Full article

In Romania’s wild flora, several Iris species exhibit important ornamental characteristics, such as early spring flowering and resilience to abiotic stress. This study assessed the behavior to new ecological conditions, the ornamental potential, and the antioxidant capacity of the wild species of Iris brandzae using morpho-anatomical, physiological, and biochemical biomarkers. The study of phenotypic characteristics (number and size of leaves on sterile and fertile shoots, size of flowering stems, bracts protecting the flowers, and perianth-segments) aimed to confirm and supplement existing information in the literature, as well as to evaluate the ornamental potential of this species. Morphological analyses revealed clear differences between fertile and sterile shoots, while photosynthetic activity across phenophases showed values within normal parameters, with the maximum recorded during flowering and with the chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b ratio maintained at values close to 3:1, indicating favorable cultivation conditions. Biochemical investigations (total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity) demonstrated that dried plant material, particularly roots, contained higher levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and exhibited stronger antioxidant activity compared to fresh material. By integrating morpho-anatomical, physiological, and biochemical data, this research provides the first comprehensive characterization of I. brandzae beyond taxonomic and ecological descriptions. Our findings emphasize the species behavior under cultivation conditions, its ornamental value, and its potential as a source of bioactive compounds relevant to pharmaceutical applications. Full article

Global warming has been associated with various adverse effects on human physiology, yet its potential impact on brain structure remains largely unexplored. The present pilot study investigated the relationship between core body temperature and whole-brain gray matter volume (GMV) in healthy adults. Twenty-seven participants (19 males, 8 females; mean age = 38.6 ± 10.3 years) underwent MRI scanning and core temperature assessment. Correlation and partial correlation analyses were performed to examine the association between core body temperature and GMV, controlling for demographic and physiological covariates summarized by the first principal component. Core body temperature showed a significant negative correlation with whole-brain GMV (r = −0.496, p = 0.009; 95% CI = −0.737 to −0.143) and a trend-level significant partial correlation after covariate adjustment (r = −0.373, p = 0.060; 95% CI = −0.660 to 0.008). These trends remained after correction for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate. Exploratory analyses across 116 AAL regions identified the left Fusiform gyrus as showing a significant negative correlation with core body temperature (r = −0.643, p < 0.001). Given the modest sample size, these findings should be interpreted cautiously as preliminary, hypothesis-generating evidence. They suggest that even subtle variations in body temperature within the normal physiological range may relate to differences in global brain structure. Possible mechanisms include heat-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased metabolic load on neural tissue. Understanding how individual differences in body temperature relate to brain morphology may provide insights into the neural health consequences of rising environmental temperatures. Full article

Background: Ilex verticillata belongs to the genus Ilex of the family Aquifoliaceae. It has extremely high ornamental value, and its drought tolerance is crucial for expanding its cultivation range. Therefore, studying the metabolic regulation mechanism of I. verticillata in response to drought stress at different stages under natural drought conditions provides a basis for the expanded cultivation of I. verticillata and important theoretical support for the drought-resistant breeding of woody plants. Methods: Two-year-old cutting seedlings (0.3~0.4 m high) of I. verticillata were used as experimental materials. A control group (normal watering) and a drought treatment group (natural drought after watering by the basin immersion method) were set up. Leaves were collected at the non-drought stage, and after 10, 20, and 30 days of drought and 1 day of rehydration for metabolomic analysis. Results: I. verticillata showed an obvious gradient of physiological responses under drought stress: the relative water content and chlorophyll content of leaves decreased gradually from the normal level and increased gradually after rehydration; the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the content of malondialdehyde increased continuously with the extension of drought stress and decreased significantly after rehydration. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the content of most lipid metabolites was down-regulated in the early stage of drought, which might reduce peroxidative damage by decreasing lipid synthesis; all lipid metabolites were up-regulated in the late stage of drought to alleviate stress by enhancing membrane stability; most lipid metabolites remained up-regulated after rehydration, promoting membrane structure reconstruction. Conclusions: The lipid metabolism of I. verticillata under drought stress presents a typical “first inhibition then promotion” pattern. Glycerophospholipid metabolism is a common metabolic pathway under both drought and rehydration conditions, which proves that this metabolic pathway is closely related to the drought-resistant characteristics of I. verticillata. Full article

Obesity has become increasingly prevalent, impacting up to 41 percent of women in the United States between 2021 and 2023, leading to a rise in short- and long-term adverse health events. With regard to reproductive health, obesity is associated with menstrual irregularities, poorer reproductive and obstetric outcomes, and an increased risk of endometrial cancer. Obesity can lead to hyperandrogenism and anovulation, which is consistent with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The prevalence of obesity is higher in women with PCOS compared to the general population. Although PCOS increases the risk of obesity, not all women with PCOS are obese, and not all women with obesity develop PCOS. However, individuals with both PCOS and obesity often present with a more extreme phenotype, with increased risk of chronic anovulation, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, vitamin D deficiency, and decreased fertility. Therefore, weight loss is the backbone of patient management in women with obesity and PCOS, and is associated with improvement in cardiovascular risk, as well as improvement in menstrual cycles, ovulation, and pregnancy rate. Lifestyle modifications are often the first-line intervention, with data supporting low glycemic index diets, including ketogenic and DASH diets, along with vitamin D supplementation to improve hormonal imbalances, insulin sensitivity, and menstrual cycles in those who do not have normal vitamin D levels. Furthermore, with the recent widespread adoption of newer FDA-approved medications for weight loss, including GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide) receptor agonists, new data are emerging regarding the impact of PCOS and longer-term cardiovascular risk. The treatment of PCOS requires a personalized approach, with consideration of a patient’s reproductive goals, tolerance of risk, and acceptance of behavioral and financial commitments, as well as consideration of other medical comorbidities. This narrative review explores different weight loss treatment options, comparing lifestyle modifications (including diet, physical activity, mindfulness, stress management, and cognitive behavioral training), weight loss medications, and bariatric surgery and their respective impact on PCOS to assist clinicians in guiding their patients towards an effective, individualized intervention. Full article

Monitoring plant water status is vital for optimizing irrigation in precision agriculture. This study explores the use of two simple, affordable, and non-invasive sensor systems, electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, to assess plant water status directly from leaf tissues. This approach is well-suited for the realization of large networks of distributed sensors wirelessly connected to a central hub. An outdoor experiment was conducted over two phases of 20 day-experiment involving six Hydrangea macrophylla plants subjected to two irrigation treatments: a control group (well-irrigated) and a test group (poorly irrigated) designed to induce water stress. The standard relative water content (RWC) method validated the treatment effects on the plants, and both EIS and IR sensors effectively distinguished between the two groups. Impedance-derived parameters, particularly the normalized intracellular resistance (R0) and the cell membrane capacitance (C0), exhibited statistically significant differences between the treatments. In addition, the IR measurements showed moderate correlations with RWC, with determination coefficients of R² = 0.56 and R² = 0.51 for first and second phases of the experiment, respectively. Despite some limitations concerning the electrode–leaf conformity and external sunlight interference, the results point to the advantages of these methods for real-time plant monitoring and decision-making in smart irrigation systems. Full article

When jointed rock masses are in a high-stress environment, the roughness of the joints is the key factor controlling their shear strength. Their loading behavior is also different from the constant normal load (CNL) conditions controlled in conventional laboratories; rather, they follow the constant normal stiffness (CNS) conditions. To investigate the effects of normal stiffness and roughness on the shear mechanical properties of unfilled joint surfaces, shear tests were simulated using PFC3D (5.0) software under CNS conditions. The effects of normal stiffness of 0 (constant normal stress of 4 MPa), 0.028 GPa/m (low normal stiffness), 0.28 GPa/m (medium normal stiffness), and 2.8 GPa/m (high normal stiffness), and joint roughness coefficients (JRC) of 2~4 (low roughness), 10~12 (medium roughness), and 18~20 (high roughness) on the shear stress, normal stress, normal deformation, surface resistance index, and block failure characteristics of the joint surface were obtained. The results indicate that for different combinations of normal stiffness—JRC—the shear simulation process primarily exhibits three deformation stages: linear stage, yield stage, and post-peak stage. Shear stress increases initially and then decreases as shear displacement increases. When normal stiffness is no less than 0.28 GPa/m, both normal stress and JRC increase gradually with increasing JRC and normal stiffness. When the normal stiffness is no greater than 0.028 GPa/m, the normal stress shows no significant change. The normal displacement changes from “shear contraction” to “shear expansion” with increasing shear displacement and from positive to negative values while the displacement gradually increases; the maximum normal displacement decreases with increasing normal stiffness and increases with increasing JRC. The peak SRI value increases with increasing JRC and decreases with increasing normal stiffness. As normal stiffness increases, the number of tensile cracks for JRC 2~4 first decreases and then increases, while the number of shear cracks gradually increases; for JRC 10~12 and 18~20, both the number of shear cracks and tensile cracks increase with increasing normal stiffness. This paper simulates the actual mechanical environment of deep underground joints to expound the influence of normal stiffness and joint roughness on the stability of deep rock masses. The research results can provide certain theoretical references for predicting the stability of deep surrounding rocks and the stress of support structures. Full article