Search Results (15,935)

Pharmaceutical residues are increasingly detected in aquatic environments and are recognized as contaminants of emerging concern. This systematic literature review compiled and evaluated published concentrations of pharmaceutical residues in bottled water, tap water, and surface water in Portugal, applying risk quotient (RQ) and screening-level risk quotient (RQ_screen) approaches to evaluate potential human health risks and prioritize contaminants. Assessment based on the compiled literature data across age groups showed bottled and tap water posed low risk, while surface water presented the highest concern, with compounds spanning the full risk spectrum. Key contributors to potential human health risk included hormones (17-alpha-ethinylestradiol, 17-beta-estradiol, estrone), ramipril, betamethasone, citalopram, and amoxicillin. RQ_screen highlighted compounds relevant for ongoing monitoring even in treated waters, such as carbamazepine, diclofenac, salicylic acid, warfarin, fluoxetine, and erythromycin, due to their persistence and toxicological significance. Both RQ and RQ_screen indicated higher risk values for infants and children, reflecting lower body weight and higher water intake per unit mass, underscoring the need for age-specific evaluations. The RQ_screen method proved useful for contaminant prioritization, identifying substances relevant for monitoring despite low concentrations. Overall, this systematic review highlights pharmaceutical residues as an emerging public and environmental health concern in Portugal and emphasizes the importance of targeted monitoring and risk-based management within a One Health framework. Full article

Industrial contamination can influence the transfer of toxic and essential elements through soil–plant–animal systems and may pose risks to food safety. This study aimed to determine whether contamination patterns in soil are reflected in forage vegetation and meat products and to evaluate trace-element behavior across interconnected components of the soil–plant–animal system. This study assessed the distribution and transfer of 12 elements (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in soil, forage vegetation, and meat products from five industrially affected areas of Central Kazakhstan. Element concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Soil contained the highest concentrations of most elements, confirming its role as the primary reservoir of contamination, whereas forage vegetation reflected local pollution patterns. The highest levels of contamination were generally observed in the industrial centers of Temirtau and Zhezkazgan, with Zhezkazgan exhibiting the most distinct element profile. Soil-to-forage transfer was most pronounced for Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, with significant positive relationships between soil and forage concentrations (p < 0.001). Meat products generally contained lower element concentrations than soil and forage; however, Cd, Hg, and As exceeded regulatory limits in 23 of 279 samples (8.2%). By integrating environmental and animal-derived matrices within a single framework, this study provides new insight into trace-element transfer pathways and facilitates the identification of priority contaminants, high-risk areas, and livestock products requiring enhanced environmental and food safety monitoring in industrial regions. Full article

This study evaluates the chemical composition and bioactivities of essential oils extracted from the leaves and twigs of Glycosmis lanceolata growing in a natural forest in Vietnam. gas chromatography–mass spectrometry identified 42 and 43 constituents in the leaf and twig oils, respectively. The main compounds in the leaf oil were (E)-β-caryophyllene (10.2%), β-bisabolene (23.7%), and brevifolin (21.3%), while the twig oil was dominated by β-bisabolene (11.6%) and brevifolin (12.7%). Neither oil exhibited inhibitory effects against two beneficial bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus fermentum. In contrast, both oils showed weak antimicrobial activity against four pathogenic bacteria—Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa—and one yeast, Candida albicans, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2012 ± 118 to 10,593 ± 557 µg/mL. Notably, the twig oil demonstrated pronounced anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of nitric oxide production (IC₅₀ = 29.7 ± 2.58 µg/mL), whereas the leaf oil showed no detectable activity within the tested concentrations. Similarly, DPPH radical scavenging assays indicated stronger antioxidant activity for the twig oil compared to the leaf oil. These findings provide new insights into the phytochemistry and bioactivities of G. lanceolata essential oils and may support further investigations into their potential applications. Full article

Countermovement jump (CMJ) analysis is widely used to assess lower limb neuromuscular function, but commercial force plates often suffer from high cost, closed algorithms, and lack of bilateral independent measurement. This study developed and evaluated a dual channel strain gauge force plate system featuring open architecture and hardware-triggered video synchronization. The system consists of two physically isolated plates, each with four full bridge strain beams, a precision analog front end, and a 2000 Hz acquisition unit. A microcontroller-based hardware trigger synchronizes force data with video capture. Custom host software implements adaptive jump phase recognition and calculates peak force (PF), concentric impulse, jump height, rate of force development (RFD), and asymmetry index (ASI). Validation included static mass measurements in 14 participants, low-load static calibration (5.0–30.0 kg), free-fall impulse validation (7.00 to 31.32 N·s), 240 fps high-speed video cross validation of flight time, ecological-validity comparison with published AMTI-based force-plate data, and 48 h test–retest reliability assessment. Static mass measurement showed a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 1.01% and a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.9992, while low-load testing confirmed excellent linearity (R² > 0.996) and minimal absolute error (mean absolute error = 0.34 kg) at lighter weights. Dynamic impulse validation yielded R² > 0.997 and MAPE < 3%. Flight time agreement with high-speed video was within ±10 ms. Test–retest reliability was excellent for concentric impulse (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.997) and jump height (ICC = 0.987), and good for PF (ICC = 0.962) and rate of force development at 100 ms (RFD_100ms) (ICC = 0.883). The physically isolated dual-plate architecture effectively captured bilateral force differences, although the ASI demonstrated moderate reliability (ICC = 0.748), likely reflecting the inherent biological variability in bilateral coordination. The ecological-validity comparison further indicated that the macroscopic kinetic outputs of the proposed system fell within the expected physiological and biomechanical ranges reported for adult CMJ testing. Overall, these findings support the study hypothesis that the proposed dual-channel force plate system provides a valid, reliable, and cost-effective solution for synchronized bilateral CMJ kinetic assessment in sports performance monitoring and biomechanical research, while offering improved accessibility through an open-source and transparent analysis framework with a hardware cost below 500 USD. Full article

This study investigates the phytochemical and pharmacological profiles of Crinum asiaticum L. var. anomalum Baker from Vietnam. Phytochemical screening identified diverse secondary metabolites, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the n-hexane fractions revealed 19 major compounds. While all extracts showed moderate antioxidant activity, the chloroform fraction exhibited superior antidiabetic potential via α-amylase inhibition (IC₅₀ = 83.13 ± 6.67 µg/mL). Furthermore, at non-cytotoxic concentrations (3.13 to 50 µg/mL), this fraction effectively rescued mouse β-TC6 insulinoma cells from thapsigargin. In anti-inflammatory assays, the n-hexane fraction significantly suppressed nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages (IC₅₀ = 53.12 ± 1.63 µg/mL). Notably, the extracts displayed remarkable selective anticancer activity, particularly the chloroform fraction against HeLa cervical and HepG2/Huh-7 hepatoma cell lines. In silico ADMET and Lipinski’s Rule of Five analyses confirmed that the key bioactive constituents possess favorable pharmacokinetic profiles and drug-likeness. These findings demonstrate C. asiaticum L. var. anomalum Baker as a promising natural source for developing multitarget therapeutic agents against inflammation, diabetes, and cancer. Full article

Background/Objectives: The “Land of Fires” (LF) in the Campania Region has attracted considerable attention due to massive environmental contamination deriving from decades of illegal disposal, burial, and burning of urban, industrial, and toxic waste. Cadmium (Cd) has been repeatedly proven to affect male reproductive function by a plethora of endocrine and non-endocrine mechanisms. The scientific literature is almost devoid of large studies addressing semen quality in this area, particularly by directly correlating seminal parameters to objectively measured pollutant burden in biological samples. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to comprehensively evaluate semen quality of males of reproductive age living in the LF, by correlating seminal parameters to cumulative local male reproductive tract Cd burden objectively quantified in whole semen samples. Methods: The current single-center, observational, cross-sectional study evaluated semen quality in 493 males aged 14–50 (29.07 ± 7.17) years living in three LF municipalities. Moreover, the association of semen quality with whole semen Cd (sCd) levels measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was addressed in a subgroup of participants; semen samples suitable for semen Cd measurements were available from 383/493 (77.7%) participants of the total cohort, and all analyses involving semen Cd were performed within the measured subset. Results: In the total cohort, seminal parameters were as follows: semen pH 8.32 ± 0.3, semen volume 3.13 ± 1.67 mL, sperm concentration 37.58 ± 30.18 × 10⁶/mL, total count 111.2 ± 104 × 10⁶/ejaculate, total motility 56.83 ± 16.09%, progressive motility 50.22 ± 16.63%, in situ motility 6.72 ± 3.43%, immotile spermatozoa 43.07 ± 15.88%, normal morphology 7.97 ± 4.02%, and viability 64.75 ± 15.34%. Prevalence of normozoospermia and pathological seminal parameters was as follows: normozoospermia 66.5% (328/493), pathological seminal parameters 33.5% (165/493), specifically, oligozoospermia 14% (69/493), cryptozoospermia 0.8% (4/493), azoospermia 2.2% (11/493), asthenozoospermia 3% (15/493), teratozoospermia 0.6% (3/493), oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia 6.1% (30/493), necrozoospermia 5.7% (28/493), and different combined seminal parameters alterations 7.1% (35/493). Whole semen Cd was below (undetectable) or above (detectable) the limit of detection (LoD) (0.2 μg/L) in 66.6% (255/383) and 33.4% (128/383) whole semen samples, respectively. In samples with detectable sCd, sCd level was below or above the median value (0.76 μg/L; min–max 0.1–5.95 μg/L) in 23.4% (30/128) and 76.6% (98/128) whole semen samples, respectively. Participants with detectable sCd levels had a significantly reduced sperm total count (93.28 ± 84.88 × 10⁶/ejaculate vs. 113.2 ± 101.5 × 10⁶/ejaculate; p = 0.037), and normal morphology (7.29 ± 3.71% vs. 8.23 ± 3.91%; p = 0.034), and a significantly lower prevalence of normozoospermia (60.2% vs. 72.2%; p = 0.02) and significantly higher prevalence of pathological seminal parameters (39.8% vs. 27.8%; p = 0.02), specifically, a significantly higher prevalence of oligozoospermia (21.1% vs. 12.6%; p = 0.036) than those with undetectable sCd levels. Whole semen Cd levels were significantly higher in participants with pathological seminal parameters (1.08 ± 0.84 μg/L vs. 0.93 ± 0.74 μg/L; p = 0.037) than those with normozoospermia. Participants with sCd levels above the median value (N = 98) had a significantly reduced sperm concentration (29.12 ± 24.84 × 10⁶/mL vs. 43.62 ± 29.55 × 10⁶/mL; p = 0.015) and displayed a trend towards reduced sperm normal morphology (6.92 ± 3.38% vs. 8.55 ± 4.49%; p = 0.057) than those with sCd levels below the median value (N = 30). Moreover, participants with sCd levels above the median value (N = 98) had a significantly reduced sperm concentration (29.12 ± 24.84 × 10⁶/mL vs. 35.3 ± 26.29 × 10⁶/mL; p = 0.03), total count (85.77 ± 80.52 × 10⁶/ejaculate vs. 113.2 ± 101.5 × 10⁶/ejaculate; p = 0.008) and normal morphology (6.92 ± 3.38% vs. 8.23 ± 3.91%; p = 0.006), and a significantly lower prevalence of normozoospermia (57.1% vs. 72.2%; p = 0.008) and significantly higher prevalence of pathological seminal (42.9% vs. 27.8%; p = 0.008), specifically, a significantly higher prevalence of oligozoospermia (23.5% vs. 12.6%; p = 0.014) than those with undetectable sCd levels. Conclusions: The results of the current study demonstrate an association between the environmental Cd exposure and the impairment of seminal parameters, with a significantly poorer semen quality in participants with detectable sCd, and, more markedly, in those with sCd level above the median value, compared to participants with undetectable sCd, although subgroups comparisons highlighted a homogeneous profile in major confounders including age, BMI, and smoking habits among subgroups of participants with different sCd burden. Full article

The synergistic co-production of ceramic fibers from fly ash and coal gangue offers a promising path for their high-value utilization. However, research in this area remains limited, hindering its broader application. This study employs numerical simulations to assess the influence of high-wheel rotational speed and melt temperature on the mass of inter-wheel melt transfer, as well as their effects on ligament size and slag-ball fraction. The results show that the high wheel, responsible for melt pre-fragmentation and transfer, plays a crucial role in determining the mass of inter-wheel melt transfer and controlling ligament dimensions. In contrast, the low wheel does not directly affect ligament size but aids in transforming pre-fragmented droplets into ligaments and modulates their dispersion. Melt temperature impacts both transfer mass and ligament size by modifying melt properties. The slag-ball fraction increases with the melt temperature and decreases with the high-wheel speed, while the low-wheel speed has a negligible effect. Under the optimal operating conditions of a melt temperature of 1745 °C and equal rotational speeds of 10,000 rpm for both the high and low wheels, a ligament structure with a relatively concentrated size distribution is obtained, with the slag-ball fraction effectively controlled within the range of 8–13%. Full article

At subsurface waste disposal sites, degradation of containment materials can cause leaks of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) in the vadose zone. Material Disposal Area L (MDA L) is a heavily monitored waste site at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Northern New Mexico where a sharp increase in contaminant concentrations was measured in February 2019. Subsequently, soil vapor extraction (SVE) was performed as part of an ongoing interim measure. Here, we demonstrate a new method to introduce possible leakage within an existing numerical framework to bound possible leakage related to concentration increases seen in site monitoring data. A previously calibrated three-dimensional (3-D) model for SVE at MDA L is used to simulate the three conceptual stages from June 2017 to July 2024. The three conceptual stages based on the observed events are: leakage, passive diffusion, and soil vapor extraction. We use a 3-D multiphase flow simulator to introduce a simulated leak and attempt to approximately match monitoring data collected in February 2019, May 2024, and July 2024. After approximately matching the observed leak, outputs from the 3-D simulations were used to quantify the simulated mass of Cl-VOC leaked. Simulated results for a leak on the order of 40 kg of Cl-VOC showed general agreement with the monitoring data. Although the solution is non-unique, this paper presents a proof-of-concept addition to an existing case study, to show that a suspected subsurface container failure could create a signal consistent with the measured data and sets the stage for further analysis of future potential leak signals at the site. The work can also be adapted at other sites where changing subsurface conditions can require innovative modeling techniques to answer regulatory questions. Full article

Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is a multifaceted condition marked by sustained elevations in arterial blood pressure. Its occurrence is closely related to alterations in target organs, such as the liver. Non-pharmacological treatments have been proposed for these effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of açaí supplementation and resistance training, applied individually or in combination, on blood pressure and liver structural parameters. An experimental, quantitative, and longitudinal study was conducted using young Wistar rats (~60 days old) and spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) strains. Fifty rats were divided into five experimental groups: Wistar Control (C), Hypertensive Control (H), Hypertensive Trained (HT), Hypertensive Açaí-Supplemented (HA), and Hypertensive Trained plus Açaí Supplementation (HAT). Each group consisted of ten animals. Subsequently, analyses were performed for the antioxidant capacity and proximate composition of the açaí pulp, systolic blood pressure assessment, and histological evaluation of the liver. The açaí used exhibited high antioxidant capacity. At the end of the experimental period, the trained groups increased their maximal load carried, along with a reduction in systolic blood pressure in all treated groups. Açaí supplementation resulted in lower relative liver mass compared with the H group. The hypertensive condition promoted extracellular matrix expansion and a reduction in hepatocyte proportion. Both interventions attenuated these effects, and the combined treatment (HAT) produced the greatest improvement, indicating an additive response. Hypertension also elevated hepatic glycogen concentration, and the treatments reduced this alteration. It is concluded that açaí supplementation and resistance training could promote positive adaptations in the liver of hypertensive animals. Full article

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in older adults and has been increasingly recognised as a potential contributor to cognitive decline, depressive symptomatology, and functional impairment. However, the clinical significance of specific 25-hydroxyvitamin D thresholds in relation to this multidomain geriatric phenotype remains incompletely characterised. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1438 consecutive patients aged 65 years or older admitted for comprehensive geriatric assessment at a tertiary centre in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, between January 2023 and November 2025. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was categorised as deficient (<20 ng/mL), insufficient (20–30 ng/mL), or sufficient (≥30 ng/mL). Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), depressive symptoms using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30 and GDS-SF), and functional status using Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Multivariable linear regression analyses were adjusted for age, body mass index, serum albumin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: Suboptimal vitamin D status was highly prevalent in this geriatric cohort, with 43.3% of participants meeting criteria for frank deficiency (<20 ng/mL). Lower 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly associated with worse cognitive performance, greater depressive symptom burden, and higher functional dependency. Serum 25(OH)D correlated positively with MoCA and MMSE scores and inversely with ADL, IADL, and GDS scores. In adjusted models, vitamin D remained independently associated with MoCA, IADL, and GDS. Stratified analyses suggested that the main clinical deterioration occurred below 20 ng/mL, while the 20–30 ng/mL range behaved as an intermediate phenotype closer to sufficiency than to frank deficiency. Conclusions: In this large cohort of hospitalised older adults, serum 25(OH)D deficiency below 20 ng/mL was independently associated with poorer cognition, more depressive symptoms, and greater functional impairment. These findings support routine vitamin D assessment in geriatric practice and suggest that the <20 ng/mL threshold identifies a clinically relevant high-risk phenotype. Full article

Recently, numerous studies have exploited satellite Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) to estimate near-surface particulate matter (PM) concentrations, with the aim of overcoming the limited spatial and temporal coverage of ground-based air quality monitoring networks. Despite significant progress, the relationship between AOD and PM remains highly uncertain, mainly due to the inadequate representation of local aerosol microphysical properties and of hygroscopic growth effects. In particular, satellite AOD is retrieved at ambient relative humidity, whereas standard PM measurements are performed under dry conditions. This study proposes a physics-informed, semi-empirical approach that overcomes these limitations by directly relating satellite AOD to PM measured at ambient humidity. Co-located measurements, from a Light Optical Aerosol Counter (LOAC) in the urban area of Bologna (Po Valley, Italy) during 2023, are used. This study is designed as a pilot application to evaluate the physical consistency of the proposed framework under well-characterised observational conditions, including spatial co-location, temporal matching to satellite overpasses, and exclusion of precipitation and desert dust events. The LOAC provides particle number size distribution and particle-type classification, which are used to estimate key aerosol properties controlling the AOD–PM theoretical relationship, including the Effective Radius, Extinction Efficiency, and aerosol Mass Density. These quantities, together with Mixing Layer Height, are combined within a theoretical framework linking PM and AOD, allowing for the derivation of a physically based scaling coefficient without relying on empirical hygroscopic growth corrections. The results show that using ambient PM_2.5 alone already yields a moderate linear correlation with AOD normalized by Mixing Layer Height (Pearson’s R = 0.56) whereas no meaningful correlation is found when using standard dry PM_2.5. When aerosol microphysical properties derived from LOAC measurements are incorporated, the correlation substantially improves (R = 0.76), with regression slopes close to unity and reduced errors, independently of the season. These results demonstrate that explicitly accounting for aerosol size and optical properties enhances the physical consistency and robustness of satellite-based PM estimates. The proposed framework also provides a pathway to indirectly derive aerosol hygroscopic growth factors by coupling ambient PM estimates from satellite observations with conventional dry PM measurements. This opens new perspectives for characterizing aerosol–humidity interactions from space and for improving air quality monitoring in regions lacking of dense in situ networks. Full article

Bisphenol A type epoxy resin has the problem of relatively high brittleness after curing. Although traditional polysiloxane toughening methods can improve toughness, they often come at the expense of strength. In this paper, methylphenyl dimethoxysilane (MPS) was used as a monomer to synthesize end-hydroxyl poly(methylphenyl)siloxane (PMPS), which was then used to modify E51 epoxy resin. The structure and reaction degree were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry and viscosity tests. The mechanical test results show that when the PMPS content is 20 wt%, the tensile, flexural, compressive and impact strengths of the modified resin increase by 31.26%, 26.16%, 18.53% and 98.66%, respectively, compared with the unmodified resin, and the tensile and flexural elastic moduli increase by 38.36% and 32.25%, respectively. The fracture toughness increases by 60.29%, indicating that the strength, stiffness and toughness of the material have all been improved. Dynamic mechanical analysis shows that the glass transition temperature and crosslinking density of the system gradually decrease with increasing PMPS content. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that the introduction of PMPS increases the char yield and decreases the maximum thermal decomposition rate, thereby enhancing the thermal stability of the system. Microscopic morphology analysis by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy shows that the system has good compatibility, and the internal different modulus phases are distributed in a network-like manner, forming a uniform co-continuous or bicontinuous phase structure. This structure effectively promotes stress transfer and energy dissipation, alleviates local stress concentration, and thus comprehensively improves the mechanical properties of the resin system. Full article

Biomineralization in plant tissues is a widespread process accompanied by carbon fixation in biogenic minerals. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CaCO₃ application to soil on the formation and localization of biominerals in the pericarp of fruits of Buglossoides arvensis (L.) I.M. Johnst., as well as on the accumulation of carbon in minerals. B. arvensis seeds were sown in the soil treated with CaCO₃ at concentrations of 0.0 (0 Ca), 2.5 (2.5 Ca), 5.0 (5 Ca), 7.5 (7.5 Ca), and 10.0 (10 Ca) t ha⁻¹. As a result of CaCO₃ application, on average across all treatments, the increase in soil pH was 30%, and the calcium and silicon content in the soil increased by 60 and 39%, respectively. The fruit weight was 4, 28, 42, and 21% higher in 2.5 Ca, 5 Ca, 7.5 Ca, and 10 Ca plants than in 0 Ca plants. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed the presence of silica and calcium carbonate in the pericarp of B. arvensis fruits, but showed no significant differences in the localization of biominerals in the pericarps between the treatments. The content of biosilica (phytoliths) was lower in 2.5 Ca, 5 Ca, 7.5 Ca, and 10 Ca plants than in 0 Ca plants, respectively, by 11, 14, 25, and 19%. The content of organic carbon occluded in a unit mass of phytoliths was, on average, 49% higher in treated than in 0 Ca plants. The content of carbonate fraction in fruits was 13, 14, 20, and 21% higher in 2.5 Ca, 5 Ca, 7.5 Ca, and 10 Ca plants than in 0 Ca plants, reflecting the effect of soil calcium levels on carbonate content in B. arvensis pericarp. Thus, in the pericarp of fruits, the ratio of silica to carbonates changed towards a decrease in silica content and an increase in carbonate content as the availability of calcium in the soil increased. In summary, B. arvensis responds to increased soil calcium and soil pH by increasing carbon accumulation in biominerals formed in fruit pericarps, supporting the potential for variability in plant biomineralization characteristics under changing growth conditions. Full article

The present study investigated the effect of liquid smoke (LS) on the physicochemical, structural, barrier, and functional properties of okra mucilage–corn starch (OMCS) films. Formulations containing varying concentrations of LS (0–3%) were prepared using the casting method. The incorporation of LS modified the rheological behavior of the film-forming dispersions, as evidenced by increased apparent viscosity and consistency index. In the films, water solubility increased from 43.6 to 53.2%, contact angle increased from 31.9° to 55.6°, and opacity increased from 4.73 to 8.83, while water vapor permeability decreased from 1.05 to 0.88 g·mm·m⁻²·h⁻¹·kPa⁻¹, indicating modifications in matrix organization and surface hydrophobicity. Tensile strength increased from 26.3 to 40.5 MPa at 3% LS, accompanied by a slight reduction in elongation, suggesting enhanced structural rigidity. Structural analyses revealed interactions between the LS phenolic compounds and the polysaccharide hydroxyl groups, resulting in a more cohesive polymeric network. LS was the main contributor to the film’s antioxidant activity owing to its elevated phenolic content and free radical scavenging capacity. The films also showed substantial degradation under soil burial conditions, with mass loss ranging from 61% to 96%. Overall, LS proved to be an effective functional additive, improving the structural and antioxidant performance of OMCS films and expanding their potential for active food packaging applications. Full article

Peripheral blood metabolite concentrations vary with food intake and time of day, risking confounding effects in metabolomics studies with non-standardised sampling conditions or incomplete metadata. Such effects are often overlooked during study design, limiting the clinical translation of biomarkers and wasting resources for researchers, funders and clinicians. In our random sample of 100 human metabolomics studies, 56% did not control for food intake, and 59% did not explicitly control for sampling time. To provide a study design resource, we analysed a liquid-chromatography–mass-spectrometry-targeted dataset from controlled laboratory studies of 24 young, healthy participants (12 male, 12 female) sampled every 2 h for 34 h, with fixed-macronutrient meals provided at set times. Acute postprandial responses were quantified by effect size using pre- and post-meal windows, while daily rhythmicity was assessed using a mixed-effects cosinor model. Analyses were sex-stratified, and metabolites were classified as meal-responsive, time-of-day-responsive, both, or neither. Amino acids and their derivatives showed strong postprandial increases, whereas lipid classes showed minimal changes. Rhythmicity varied across metabolites, enabling the identification of features sensitive to meal timing and/or time of day. These results aim to provide a comprehensive dictionary of metabolite effect sizes for study design and metadata collection to support reproducibility and the clinical translation of potential biomarkers. Full article