Search Results (3,007)

Interval training is a popular method for enhancing athletic performance, adjustable through speed, distance, and rest. The acute physiological and subjective responses to isolated manipulation of these components remain unclear. This study examined acute physiological and perceptual responses to systematic manipulation of speed, distance, or rest during interval training. Twenty-two young male physical-education students (average age 25.2 ± 3.5) with high baseline physical activity but no prior structured interval-training experience completed three randomized interval protocols. In all protocols, the first interval was identical (92% vVO₂max, 250 m, 180 s rest). In the remaining five intervals, either speed, distance, or recovery duration was progressively changed in 8% steps (speed, distance, and rest protocols, respectively), while the other two components were kept constant. Blood lactate (La), oxygen consumption (VO₂), ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured throughout. Overall, the speed protocol elicited the highest average peak values across all measured parameters (p < 0.001). However, the percentage change in VO₂ from Interval 1 to Interval 6 did not differ significantly between the speed and distance protocols. Between-protocol differences varied across outcomes: the speed protocol elicited greater changes in Lactate from Interval 2 onward and in VE and HR from Interval 3 onward (p < 0.05). Rate of perceived exertion was highest during the speed protocol (p < 0.001) but did not differ significantly between distance and recovery protocols. Applying the same relative 8% progression across interval components elicited distinct physiological responses. Progressive increases in running speed produced greater acute peak cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses than progressions in distance or reductions in recovery duration. Full article

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of cells located between retinal photoreceptors and the choroid, playing a critical role in maintaining visual function by protecting the retina and supporting photoreceptor metabolism. Damage to RPE cells can lead to visual disorders, including macular degeneration. Chronic exposure to high-energy blue light has been shown to elevate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RPE cells, causing oxidative stress and cellular damage. In this study, a microfluidic platform incorporating a gradient-generating structure was developed to establish controllable and stable gradients of blue light intensity and chemical concentrations. This platform was used to investigate the effects of varying blue light intensities and antioxidant concentrations on oxidative stress in human RPE cells ARPE-19. Cells cultured within the microfluidic channels were exposed to different blue light intensities in combination with chemical treatments. Results demonstrated that ROS production increased with higher blue light intensity, whereas higher antioxidant concentrations effectively reduced ROS accumulation, supporting the ability of these antioxidants to attenuate blue-light-induced intracellular oxidative stress. The present microfluidic device enables simultaneous evaluation of multiple conditions within a single experiment, reducing reagent consumption and enhancing experimental efficiency. This in vitro microfluidic platform integrates chemical and light gradients to assess retinal oxidative damage and antioxidant effects, offering significant potential for ophthalmic drug screening and investigations of retinal protective mechanisms. Full article

Obesity has become a major global public health concern, with prevalence rates rising dramatically over the past several decades and affecting more than one billion people worldwide. The increasing burden of obesity has been largely driven by sedentary lifestyles and the consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor diets, although its etiology is multifactorial, involving complex interactions among genetic, metabolic, endocrine, and environmental factors. Beyond excess adiposity, obesity is closely associated with numerous chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, cancer, and chronic inflammatory disorders. Emerging evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of obesity and its related metabolic complications. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which are generated during normal cellular metabolism, serve important physiological functions in cell signaling and redox regulation. However, excessive production of these reactive species or impairment of endogenous antioxidant defense systems disrupts redox homeostasis, leading to oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Such alterations contribute to cellular dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and disease progression. In this context, dietary antioxidants have attracted considerable attention due to their ability to neutralize free radicals, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and restore redox balance. Natural antioxidants derived from fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods may act individually or synergistically to enhance cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. Furthermore, growing evidence suggests that antioxidant-rich dietary patterns may offer protective effects against obesity-associated metabolic disturbances and chronic diseases. However, clinical benefits of isolated antioxidant supplementation remain inconsistent and appear to depend on dose, bioavailability, baseline redox status, disease stage, and the preservation of physiological redox signaling. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying antioxidant-mediated regulation of redox homeostasis may facilitate the development of nutritional strategies for obesity prevention and management, while contributing to the reduction in oxidative stress and obesity-related disease burden and the promotion of long-term health. Full article

Aquatic antibiotic pollution represented by ofloxacin (OFX) causes serious ecological hazards and endangers public health due to the high persistence and bioaccumulation of antibiotic residues. Conventional water treatment techniques are insufficient for OFX elimination, limited by low removal efficiency, high energy consumption, and poor operational stability. Herein, a novel MoS₂/CuS heterojunction composite was fabricated via a hydrothermal method and applied to an ultrasound-driven piezocatalysis-coupled peroxymonosulfate (PMS) advanced oxidation system for OFX wastewater remediation. The introduction of CuS effectively remedies the inherent shortcomings of pristine MoS₂, including insufficient active sites and rapid photogenerated carrier recombination. The constructed heterojunction induces a strong interfacial built-in electric field, which significantly accelerates the migration of piezoelectric charges. The synergistic photo-piezoelectric effect further promotes continuous PMS activation and facilitates the massive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The influences of key operating parameters and common water inorganic anions on OFX degradation performance were systematically investigated. Radical trapping experiments confirmed the synergistic mechanism between piezocatalysis and PMS activation during the catalytic reaction. The optimized MoS₂/CuS heterojunction exhibits remarkable OFX degradation efficiency and excellent cyclic stability. This work provides a feasible strategy for the rational design and fabrication of high-efficiency piezocatalysts and offers a promising technical route for the remediation of refractory antibiotic wastewater via piezocatalysis-coupled PMS advanced oxidation. Full article

Accurate estimates of maintenance energy requirements are essential for precision feeding, yet breed-specific values remain scarce for Azawak cattle. This study quantified net energy for maintenance (NE_m), metabolizable energy for maintenance (ME_m), and the efficiency of metabolizable energy use for maintenance (k_m) in Azawak bulls. Nine bulls were evaluated in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin-square design and assigned to three graded metabolizable energy supply levels, designated low, intermediate, and high. The feeding levels were established by varying daily feed allowance while maintaining the same basal forage-based ration. Indirect calorimetry was performed using the GreenFeed system to quantify respiratory gas exchange, urinary nitrogen was determined, and heat production was calculated according to Brouwer’s equation. Increasing energy supply significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide and methane production, urinary nitrogen excretion, and heat production. The heat production (HP) and metabolisable energy intake (MEI) relationship was analysed using a linear mixed-effects model, with bull included as a random effect to account for repeated measurements. The resulting population-level relationship was ln(HP) = −1.1246 + 0.8985 × MEI. The estimated intercept was −1.1246 ± 0.0536 (95% CI: −1.2297 to −1.0195), whereas the MEI slope was 0.8985 ± 0.0850 (95% CI: 0.7320 to 1.0651; p < 0.001). Back-transformation of the intercept yielded an NE_m of 0.325 MJ/kg BW^0.75/day (95% CI: 0.292–0.361), whereas ME_m, estimated at the point where predicted heat production equalled metabolizable energy intake, was 0.517 MJ/kg BW^0.75/day (95% CI: 0.467–0.576). The corresponding k_m was 0.629 (95% CI: 0.566–0.688), indicating that 62.9% of metabolizable energy supplied at maintenance was converted into net energy. These results provide the first breed-specific maintenance energy coefficients for Azawak bulls and offer a robust basis for improving ration formulation, energy-use efficiency, and feeding precision in this important indigenous cattle breed. Full article

For supported catalysts, the interaction between metal active components and the support plays a crucial role in modifying catalyst properties, such as active sites and oxygen vacancies. Herein, a series of CoMnO_x/SBA-15 (Santa Barbara Amorphous-15) catalysts were prepared for catalytic oxidation of toluene, in which the support properties were tailored by varying the hydrothermal crystallization time. The results revealed that subtle changes in support properties could lead to modifications of the supported active component. CM-48 (crystallization time of 48 h) exhibited the optimal low-temperature activity with T₉₀ of 234 °C and good stability for the catalytic oxidation of toluene. The improved performance was attributed to the enhancement of redox properties, abundant oxygen vacancies, and high mobility of lattice oxygen species resulting from the strong interaction between the active components and the support. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism was explored via in situ DRIFTS (Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy), confirming that both surface-adsorbed oxygen and lattice oxygen served as active oxygen species participating in toluene oxidation, with surface-adsorbed oxygen being particularly favorable for the consumption of key intermediates. This work will guide the design of supported catalysts in practical applications for eliminating VOCs. Full article

Background: Candida albicans can adapt to inhibition of the classical mitochondrial respiratory chain by activating an alternative oxidase (AOX)-dependent pathway, whereas Candida glabrata lacks detectable AOX-mediated respiration under the conditions tested. Identifying compounds that selectively inhibit this alternative pathway may provide new therapeutic strategies against fungal pathogens. Methodology: The antifungal activity of 5-Nitro-1,10-phenanthroline (5-Nitro-Phen) and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) was evaluated against C. albicans and Candida glabrata using a diffusion plate assay. Oxygen consumption was measured in intact cells before and after cyanide inhibition of Complex IV, and cyanide-resistant respiration was assessed using salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM). Metal-chelating activity was evaluated relative to EDTA. Molecular docking was performed using SwissDock, ReverseDock, and PrankDock to predict interactions with AOX1. Results: Both compounds showed greater antifungal activity against C. albicans than C. glabrata, with C. glabrata inhibited only above 350 μM. In C. albicans, cyanide revealed a SHAM-sensitive, AOX-dependent respiratory component that was selectively inhibited by Phen and 5-Nitro-Phen. In contrast, C. glabrata showed no detectable cyanide-resistant or AOX-dependent respiration. Although Phen exhibited greater metal-chelating activity (43% relative to EDTA), both compounds showed similar AOX inhibitory potency (IC₅₀ = 2.7 and 2.9 μM, respectively). Docking predicted favorable binding to AOX1 (−7.39 to −8.395 kcal/mol), involving hydrophobic residues including Phe247, Phe251, Val254, and Phe265. Conclusion: Phen and 5-Nitro-Phen inhibit AOX-dependent respiration in C. albicans, supporting AOX as a promising antifungal target and phenanthroline derivatives as potential scaffolds for AOX-directed inhibitor development. Full article

Selective degradation of antibiotics in complex wastewater is often hindered by the non-selective consumption of reactive oxygen species by coexisting organic matter. In this study, an adsorption-coupled heterogeneous Fenton-like strategy was developed to preferentially enrich tetracycline (TC) at the catalyst interface prior to oxidative degradation. MIL-53(Fe), MIL-101(Fe), and NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) were synthesized using a solvothermal method and systematically compared in terms of TC adsorption, catalytic degradation, and degradation selectivity in binary TC/glucose systems. Although MIL-101(Fe) exhibited the highest overall TC degradation efficiency, NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) showed the highest selectivity toward TC. At a TC/glucose concentration ratio of 2:2, NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) achieved a TC degradation selectivity of 73.1%, compared with 50.2% for MIL-101(Fe). Electron spin resonance and radical scavenging experiments demonstrated that ·OH was the dominant reactive species and that TC oxidation occurred predominantly at or near the catalyst surface. The enhanced selectivity was attributed to preferential TC adsorption followed by surface-localized oxidation and repeated adsorption–degradation cycles. Full-scan LC-MS analysis revealed several transformation-related ions, from which a tentative pathway involving possible N-demethylation, oxidative fragmentation, and ring-cleavage-related transformations was proposed; however, the individual product structures were not definitively identified. After five reuse cycles, the TC degradation efficiency remained above 75%, while the degradation selectivity decreased only from 74.7% to 68.7%. NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) also retained preferential TC removal in a TC-spiked domestic wastewater matrix. These results demonstrate that coupling preferential adsorption with localized Fenton-like oxidation provides an effective strategy for enhancing the selective removal of antibiotics from complex aqueous matrices. Full article

Monitoring bacterial contamination on surfaces is critical for hygiene and safety assurance in food, healthcare, and pharmaceutical settings, although routine methods still remain slow and laboratory dependent. Here, we report a portable respirometric platform based on sealed sensor sachets incorporating optical oxygen sensors to rapidly detect and quantify total aerobic viable counts (TVC) from swabbed surfaces. Following standardized surface swabbing, samples were incubated in the sachets and oxygen depletion kinetics were recorded with a handheld reader and microbial activity was inferred from oxygen consumption. Reference quantification was obtained by serial dilution and aerobic plate counting, enabling direct benchmarking of the respirometric readout against an industry-accepted culture method such as ISO 4833:2013. The platform demonstrated strong agreement with plate counts (R² > 0.94), achieving a median detection limit of 2.69 log₁₀ CFU/cm² and a dynamic range of 0–6 log₁₀ CFU/cm² for surface-associated microbial loads. The sensor system was also applied in a semi-industrial setting in a meat processing plant. Across replicate measurements, the assay provided consistent kinetic signatures and quantitative outputs, suitable for rapid and practical decision-making. Compared with traditional culture-based approaches (requiring up to 72 h), the respirometric sachets delivered actionable results within 10 h using a portable, low-infrastructure workflow, supporting rapid on-site hygiene verification and sanitation control. Full article

Mulberry (Morus spp.) leaves, fruits, branches, and root bark are rich in bioactive compounds, including 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), supporting their potential use in food, medicinal, and feed applications. Their high moisture content, however, makes fresh materials highly susceptible to postharvest quality deterioration, making drying essential for stabilization and high-value utilization. Drying technologies involve trade-offs among efficiency, energy consumption, sensory quality, rehydration, and bioactive-compound retention. This review provides a comprehensive overview of pretreatment and drying technologies for mulberry materials, with particular attention to differences in raw-material characteristics, processing conditions, analytical methods, and reporting bases that limit direct comparisons among studies. Current evidence suggests that low-temperature, low-oxygen, or short-duration technologies, including vacuum freeze-drying, microwave drying, and microwave-vacuum drying, may better preserve quality in certain thermosensitive products, although their benefits remain product- and process-dependent. Hot-air, solar, infrared, heat-pump, and hybrid drying remain practical options for bulk products but require optimization to balance quality, energy efficiency, and scalability. For juice and functional powders, carrier selection, powder properties, and bioaccessibility require further study. Overall, the available evidence is heterogeneous, and some conclusions rely on limited mulberry-specific data or extrapolation from related plant matrices. Future research should emphasize standardized quality evaluation, harmonized reporting, kinetic modeling, multi-objective optimization, online monitoring, energy and carbon-footprint assessment, and industrial-scale validation. Full article

Household food demand mobilizes water, energy, and pollutants throughout supply chains. Using China’s 2023 211-sector input-output table and environmental accounts, this study traces supply-chain water withdrawal, total energy consumption, and actual loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) across 21 food-related sectors, including catering services (restaurants and related commercial food service activities). Household food demand induced 257 km³ of water withdrawal, 11.7 EJ of energy consumption, and the following pollutant loads: COD (1430 × 10⁴ t), NH₃-N (20.9 × 10⁴ t), TN (129 × 10⁴ t), and TP (20.5 × 10⁴ t). Plant-based primary foods led water withdrawal and nutrient loads; animal-source primary foods generated 59.5% of COD; catering services had the largest energy share. Upstream sectors contributed 53.2% of water withdrawal, 75.6% of energy consumption, 45.1% of COD, and 52.2–52.3% of nutrient loads. Covering 80% of each burden required 12 origin–destination links for water withdrawal, 56 for energy consumption, 5 for COD, and 11 for each nutrient, indicating dispersed energy attribution. Grain, other agricultural products, and livestock and other animal products recurred as multi-pressure hotspots. A conditional 20% reduction in their direct intensities lowered water withdrawal by 15.7%, energy consumption by 2.6%, COD by 10.3%, and nutrient loads by 16.1–16.2%. These findings support targeted water and pollution measures alongside broader upstream energy-efficiency action. Full article

This research examined the impact of ozone surface alteration on the dye absorption of Tencel textiles using natural dyes devoid of mordants. Fabric specimens received ozonation at two distinct gas flow rates (5 L/min and 15 L/min) for two different durations (30 min and 60 min) before being dyed with madder and barberry root dyes. Dye uptake, oxycellulose content, color properties, and staining-based fastness of the dyed fabrics were examined. Chemical and morphological changes were characterized by FTIR and SEM analyses. The results revealed that ozone surface modification altered the surface properties of the fabrics, leading to an increase in dye uptake and an improvement in color strength. For both natural dyes, the highest color yield was observed at the ozonation condition of 15 L/min for 30 min. Under optimum conditions, the maximum K/S value was determined as 1.61 for madder dyeing and 3.28 for barberry root dyeing. Furthermore, it was determined that the mechanical and staining-based fastness properties of the fabrics remained within acceptable limits under the selected optimum conditions. This enhancement is consistent with the increase in surface roughness observed in SEM analyses and the formation of oxygen-containing functional groups identified in FTIR spectra. The morphological irregularities formed on the fiber surface as a result of ozone treatment increased the effective surface area, while the increase in carbonyl and hydroxyl groups enhanced fiber polarity, thereby strengthening the intermolecular interactions between the dye and the fiber. The research findings show that ozone-based surface modification is an environmentally friendly pretreatment method that reduces chemical consumption while improving the dyeability of cellulose-based fabrics with natural dyes, and holds promise for future sustainable textile applications and natural dyeing research. Full article

Weathering steels have been widely used in transportation, energy facilities, and civil infrastructure because of their good atmospheric corrosion resistance and long service life. Their corrosion resistance is generally achieved by adding alloying elements such as Cu, P, Cr, and Ni, which promote the formation of a stable and protective rust layer. Among these elements, however, Ni and Cr are relatively expensive and their resources are limited. Therefore, reducing the use of Ni and Cr while maintaining good corrosion resistance has become an important issue in the development of weathering steels. Recent studies have demonstrated that rare-earth elements can markedly improve the corrosion resistance of steels through multiple mechanisms, including optimization of rust-layer structure, microstructural refinement, inclusion modification, and regulation of grain-boundary characteristics. Rare-earth microalloying therefore provides an effective approach to reducing the consumption of conventional alloying elements in weathering steels. This paper systematically reviews the corrosion mechanisms of weathering steels, the evolution of rust-layer structures, and the roles of alloying elements, with particular emphasis on the effects of Cu, P, Cr, and Ni on the densification and stabilization of rust layers. The microalloying effects of rare-earth elements, their inclusion-modification behavior, and their deoxidation and desulfurization mechanisms are also summarized, and their roles in reducing pitting susceptibility and promoting the formation of stable protective rust layers are clarified. In addition, the occurrence states of rare-earth elements in steel and their effects on performance stability are discussed. Key challenges encountered in the industrial application of rare-earth steels, including fluctuations in rare-earth yield and continuous-casting nozzle clogging, are also summarized. The available evidence indicates that the effective application of rare-earth elements in weathering steels remains constrained by molten-steel cleanliness, inclusion control, and the stability of continuous-casting operations. Future research should focus on technologies for the stable addition and controlled occurrence of rare-earth elements under low-oxygen and low-sulfur smelting conditions, thereby enabling the efficient utilization and stable industrial application of abundant rare-earth resources in weathering steels. Full article

The respiratory tract is a dynamic biological interface where microbiome, environmental exposure, epithelial integrity, and host metabolic regulation converge to maintain pulmonary homeostasis. Once considered sterile, the lung is now recognized as a low-biomass yet structured microbial ecosystem that contributes to immune calibration, colonization resistance, epithelial barrier function, and tissue resilience. Disruption of this equilibrium, known as pulmonary dysbiosis, has been increasingly associated with acute and chronic lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, bronchiectasis, and lung cancer. In parallel, mitochondria have emerged as central regulators of pulmonary cell function, extending beyond ATP production to control redox signaling, apoptosis, innate immunity, epithelial repair, and inflammatory responses. This review examines the bidirectional crosstalk between the respiratory microbiome and mitochondria as an integrated pathogenic axis in lung disease. Dysbiotic microbial communities and respiratory pathogens can induce mitochondrial stress through toxins, virulence factors, microbial metabolites, and pattern-recognition receptor activation, leading to mitochondrial alteration and the release of mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns. Conversely, dysfunctional mitochondria reshape the pulmonary microenvironment by altering oxygen consumption, nutrient availability, cytokine production, redox balance, and barrier repair, thereby favoring pathogen persistence and chronic inflammation. Understanding mitochondria–microbiome interactions may support precision medicine strategies that integrate microbial, metabolic, inflammatory, and bioenergetic biomarkers to improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of inflammatory-related lung diseases. Full article

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is considered one of the most important cereals globally, contributing significantly to the human population’s caloric and protein requirements. Therefore, ensuring a sufficient yield of wheat for global consumption plays a significant role in maintaining food security in different parts of the world. With increasing demand and dwindling production capacity, due to increasingly uncertain growing conditions, projections indicate that there should be an upswing of 60–70% in wheat productivity by 2050 to fulfill the requirement. However, drought represents the most significant and widespread abiotic limitation to global wheat production, currently resulting in approximately 10% yield losses worldwide. Furthermore, each additional 1 °C increase in temperature is anticipated to decrease staple calorie production by 4.4%. The factors contributing to drought in wheat, as well as its impact on the plant’s biochemical, physiological, and morphological structures, include altered rainfall patterns, elevated atmospheric CO₂ levels, increased temperatures, hot and dry winds, and restricted soil water availability. These factors initiate a series of morphological, physiological, and biochemical disruptions that hinder wheat growth and productivity. Drought impact on wheat starts at biochemical levels through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and degradation of chlorophylls, and tolerance to stress is influenced by a polygenic system where numerous genes contribute minor effects and interact significantly with environmental factors transitioning to osmoprotectants. At the physiological level, drought alters the water content in the plant body, leading to reduced net photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates, and water utilization efficiency. At the morphological level, drought impacts all kinds of structures such as roots, shoots, leaves and reproductive parts. To counter these effects, wheat develops a set of tolerant mechanisms called drought escape, avoidance and tolerance. An increase in trichomes and leaf waxes, alteration of root–shoot ratios, the staying green phenomenon, production of stress proteins like proline, activity of enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, etc., osmotic adjustment, abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation, expression of dehydration proteins called dehydrin, etc., contribute towards drought tolerance. This comprehensive review investigates the intricate interactions between drought and various wheat genotypes, emphasizing their substantial impacts on plant physiology, biochemistry, growth dynamics, and grain yield. Additionally, this review assesses a variety of genetic and biotechnological strategies aimed at enhancing the resilience of wheat genotypes to drought stress. By integrating recent research findings with practical applications, this review provides a detailed framework for improving the adaptive capacity of wheat plants to withstand the escalating threats of drought stress, thereby supporting sustainable wheat production in a changing climate. Addressing drought stress through genetic and biotechnological management practices is crucial for maintaining wheat productivity. Full article