Search Results (1,787)

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are major contributors to global morbidity and mortality, with disease progression being closely linked to persistent inflammation, oxidative damage, and apoptotic pathways. Icariin (ICA), a bioactive flavonoid compound isolated from Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, has attracted considerable interest because of its diverse pharmacological properties. We evaluated the effect of ICA on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats with or without adenine-induced CKD. This combined model reproduces several key structural and functional characteristics observed in human diabetic kidney disease and advanced CKD. Methods: Male Wistar rats were allocated to five treatment groups and followed for 35 days. Group 1 served as the untreated control and received standard chow; Group 2 was administered streptozotocin (STZ); Group 3 received STZ together with icariin (ICA); Group 4 received a combination of adenine and STZ; and Group 5 was treated with adenine, STZ, and ICA. ICA was administered at a dose of 200 mg/kg by oral gavage. Biochemical, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were assessed. Results: Rats treated with STZ, with or without adenine, exhibited significant hyperglycemia, elevated plasma levels of cystatin C and indoxyl sulphate, increased urinary levels of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and NAG/creatinine ratio, and reduced creatinine clearance. Additionally, there were significant decreases in renalase activity and urine osmolality, significant increases in interleukins IL-1β and IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels, and a decrease in IL-10 level. Oxidative stress biomarkers were also significantly impaired in both groups, along with significant renal histopathological changes. ICA significantly ameliorated these alterations in both experimental groups. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that ICA exerts renoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in a clinically relevant model of advanced diabetic CKD. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and determine the translational relevance of these findings. Full article

The sulphate–carbonate karst in the southern part of the Bratsk Reservoir has been active throughout the reservoir’s operation. Long-term monitoring of the coastal zone, interpretation of multi-temporal images, and field studies at the Khadakhan key site resulted in the creation of a conceptual model of coastal geosystem functioning in areas of sulphate–carbonate rock development under conditions of long-term and seasonal fluctuations in the reservoir water level. The structure of interactions within the coastal geosystem is organized at three hierarchical levels: (1) the intra-rock level, (2) the level of interacting factors, and (3) the level of interacting exogenous geological processes, whose activation is driven by an external factor—changes in the reservoir’s water level. We identified five stages of gully formation and the cyclic nature of the karst–erosion process in the coastal geosystem under conditions of seasonal and long-term reservoir water-level fluctuations. Our findings indicate that, when regulating reservoir water levels, dramatic drawdowns should be avoided. This conceptual model aims to improve the understanding of the impact of large reservoir operation on the dynamics of a complex of interacting coastal processes, as well as on the peculiarities of karst development in a boreal climate. Full article

Copper sulphate pentahydrate is widely used in agriculture to control bacterial and fungal diseases in various crops. Despite its extensive application, limited data exist regarding its potential toxic effects on juvenile rats following early-life exposure. In addition to oxidative stress and inflammation, copper overload may also trigger cuproptosis, a recently identified copper-dependent form of regulated cell death. This study aimed to investigate the histopathological, biochemical, and molecular effects of copper sulphate exposure on major organs in juvenile rats and to elucidate the associated inflammatory and oxidative stress-related mechanisms. Male and female Sprague–Dawley rats (30–40 days old, 50–70 g) were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Following copper sulphate exposure, histopathological examinations were performed on major organs, including the liver, kidney, heart, lung, and reproductive tissues (testis in males and ovary in females). Immunohistochemical analyses of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were conducted. Oxidative stress parameters, including malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS), were measured using ELISA. Gene expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κB were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Copper sulphate exposure induced significant histopathological alterations in all examined tissues of both male and female juvenile rats. Biochemical findings revealed increased oxidative stress, evidenced by elevated MDA and TOS levels along with altered TAS values. Furthermore, immunohistochemical and gene expression analyses demonstrated upregulation of TNF-α and NF-κB, indicating activation of inflammatory pathways. Copper sulphate exposure leads to widespread morphological changes in juvenile rats, potentially mediated by oxidative stress and inflammation. These findings provide insight into the biological impact of early-life pesticide exposure. Further studies are warranted to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms and to develop effective preventive or therapeutic approaches. Full article

The subject of CO₂ subsurface storage security has never been more critical, and there is a need to explore the injection of functional materials that are capable of providing both conformance control and in situ CO₂ adsorption, thereby improving overall formation storage integrity. Herein, a molecular dynamics simulation method was used to investigate the adsorptive tendency of two variants of interpenetrating network (IPN) composite materials comprising amine-stabilized hydrophobically modified cellulose sulphates and methylene bisacrylamide crosslinked polyacrylamide. Using the COMPASS III force field and Metropolis Monte Carlo, the diffusivity and adsorption isotherms for CO₂ were determined in the IPN gels, respectively. The results indicate that the two interpenetrating networks D-I-AM-MBA-G-Cl and D-II-AM-MBA-G-Cl demonstrated reasonable CO₂ adsorption. In saline conditions, the adsorption was further enhanced with diffusion coefficients of 4.87 × 10⁻⁴ cm²/s and 2 × 10⁻⁶ cm²/s. The adsorption isotherm of D-I-AM-MBA-G-Cl closely fits the Sips equation, with a regression coefficient of 0.9996, while that of D-II-AM-MBA-G-Cl follows the Temkin isotherm with an R² value of 0.9885. This study revealed that carefully designed plugging agents with strong CO₂ adsorption tendencies can aid in the improvement of the geosequestration integrity of subsurface formations. Full article

Background/Objectives: In case of EDTA-induced pseudothrombocytopenia (PTCP), MgSO₄-anticoagulated tubes are recommended for platelet counting, requiring the collection of an additional tube. The aim of this study was to analyze whether complete blood count (CBC) and differential performed on MgSO₄-anticoagulated tubes were comparable to the results obtained on K₃-EDTA samples, and to characterize the stability of the CBC over a 24 h period. Methods: In 355 patients (70 with a confirmed PTCP and 285 without PTCP), we compared CBC results obtained on K₃-EDTA- and MgSO₄-anticoagulated tubes, using DxH800 analyzers. In 33 cases, a differential was available for both anticoagulants, and for 10 patients, samples were re-analyzed 6, 12, and 24 h after the first determination. Results: In the presence or absence of clumps, white blood cell (WBC) count, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were slightly lower in MgSO₄ than in K₃-EDTA tubes, whereas mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was slightly higher. Mean platelet volume (MPV) was significantly lower on MgSO₄- than on K₃-EDTA-anticoagulated tubes. Values were highly correlated between both anticoagulants, and mean relative biases (MRBs) were below Ricos’s recommendations, except for MCHC and MPV. For differential, neutrophils were significantly lower on MgSO₄- in comparison to K₃-EDTA-anticoagulated tubes (MRB = −2.9%, below Ricos’s optimal bias). The morphology of white blood cells (WBCs) was similar on both anticoagulants. During storage at room temperature, MCV and red cell distribution width increased slightly, but the increase was more pronounced in K₃-EDTA than in MgSO₄ tubes. Conclusions: CBC and differentials obtained with the DxH 800 analyzer on MgSO₄-anticoagulated samples are similar to those obtained with K₃-EDTA, except for MPV. Full article

Background: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is growing in the population. At present, the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease remains unclear, and there is no effective and low-toxic therapeutic drug. This study aimed to investigate the role of Lobenzarit (Lbz) in the treatment of colitis in mice as well as the underlying mechanism. Methods: In this experiment, colitis was induced in mice with dextran sulphate sodium (Dss). Subsequently, the role of Lbz in colitis and its underlying mechanisms were examined using H&E staining, TEM, ELISA, PCR, and other assays. Results: Lbz significantly attenuated the related symptoms of Dss-induced colitis in mice. In addition, Lbz suppressed neutrophil infiltration and restored macrophage polarization towards an anti-inflammatory state. Lbz also inhibited (p < 0.05) the activation of signaling pathways TLR4 and MAPK (51.61% decrease for TLR4 and 56.94% decrease for MAPK), reduced the release of inflammatory factors as it significantly decreased (p < 0.05) colonic IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, COX2, and VEGF (47.63, 42.49, 53.42, 58.74, and 61.28% decreases respectively) thereby attenuating the inflammatory response in mice. Lbz administration also restored the permeability of the intestinal barrier by increasing (p < 0.05) tight junction-associated proteins (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1 with a 5.36- and 2.26-fold increase for claudin-1 and ZO-1, respectively) and decreasing (p < 0.05) MALK levels by 53.51%. In addition, Lbz upregulated colonic Cytochrome C oxidase II, PDH, and ATP synthase levels and upregulated CD163, CD206, c-Maf, and PPAR-γ levels as compared to the DSS-treated group. Conclusions: Lbz has a repairing effect on Dss-induced colitis and may alleviate Dss-induced colitis by targeting the TLR4 pathway and promoting intestinal stem cell proliferation. Full article

Heparin is a highly sulphated polyelectrolyte, and its properties depend strongly on its shape in solution. In this study, we closely examined the structural behaviour of low-molecular-weight heparin under aerobic ultraviolet-C (UVC, 100–280 nm) radiation. Using controlled photodegradation, we prepared native, small, and ultra-small molar-mass fractions, enabling us to investigate how structural properties vary with molecular weight. We examined relationships among molar mass, radius of gyration, second virial coefficient, and critical overlap concentration to characterise different conformational states. Our results showed that as molar mass decreased, the chain diameter and persistence length also dropped, while the overlap concentration increased. This indicates a reduced hydrodynamic volume and increased chain flexibility. Positive second virial coefficient values indicate that polymer–solvent interactions remained favourable after photodegradation. The scaling exponents suggest that degraded heparin behaves as a semi-flexible polyelectrolyte and adopts an extended-coil shape in water with electrolytes. Further analysis showed that the characteristic ratio and chain stiffness decreased as chains were broken by irradiation. Overall, aerobic UVC irradiation provides a reliable way to modify the physical structure of these molecules while maintaining solution stability. These findings show a clear link between reduced molecular weight and changes in shape, which is useful for developing better low-molecular-weight heparins for several applications, including pharmaceutical and medical use. Full article

Groundwater quality assessment in urban and peri-urban environments is often constrained by incomplete monitoring records, irregular sampling frequencies, and heterogeneous environmental datasets. The primary objective of this study is to predict the Water Quality Index (WQI) in the Attica River Basin, Greece, using advanced machine learning (ML) techniques. A groundwater quality dataset comprising 958 observations from 80 monitoring stations was analyzed using six physicochemical parameters, namely electrical conductivity, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, and sulphate. Three modeling approaches, namely TabNet (with Winsorization), SVM, and Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), were implemented to estimate groundwater quality conditions. To address the challenge of missing data, Multiple Imputation by Chained Equations (MICE) with Predictive Mean Matching (PMM) was implemented and systematically compared against conventional imputation approaches, including smoothed averages, interpolation, and forward-fill methods. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of open-access groundwater chemistry data, advanced multivariate imputation (MICE-PMM), and attention-based deep learning (TabNet) for groundwater quality prediction in a Mediterranean peri-urban area under data-scarce conditions. Using a multi-year groundwater monitoring dataset, the results indicate that the integrated MICE-PMM and TabNet framework achieved the highest predictive performance, with R² = 0.91, NSE = 0.91, RMSE = 52.21, and MAE = 25.68. Feature importance and sensitivity analyses identified nitrate as the dominant driver of WQI variability, highlighting the strong influence of anthropogenic nutrient loading on groundwater quality. Overall, the proposed framework provides a transferable, data-driven approach for groundwater quality prediction, environmental monitoring, and groundwater resource management in urban and peri-urban aquifer systems characterized by incomplete environmental datasets. Full article

A multi-analytical investigation was carried out to elucidate the deterioration processes affecting the stone materials of the Arca di Cansignorio della Scala in Verona (Italy) and to characterize the surviving traces of its original polychrome and gilded decoration. The study combined macroscopic mapping, stratigraphic sampling, optical microscopy (OM), environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X ray spectroscopy (ESEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ion chromatography (IC). The monument, predominantly carved from Candoglia marble, exhibits three principal weathering patterns: (i) rain washed areas affected by marble decohesion, (ii) grey deposits corresponding to dirt accumulation areas; and (iii) sulphation-induced black crusts developed in dirt wetting areas. In addition, severe mechanical deterioration was found to be associated with early twentieth-century structural consolidation interventions involving embedded iron bars, whose corrosion-driven volumetric expansion generated vertical cracking. Stratigraphic and microanalytical investigations revealed the presence of original azurite-based polychromy, proteinaceous and lipidic binding media, lead white preparatory layers, and multiple applications of gold leaf. The analytical results highlight the complex interplay between environmental exposure, atmospheric pollution, the incompatibility of materials introduced during past restorations campaigns. Furthermore, they contribute to a better understanding of the composition, execution techniques and preservation state of the surviving decorative layers, providing a scientific basis for future conservation strategies. Full article

Twelve white-rot fungal isolates were evaluated for their potential to produce mycelium leather from rice straw, based on growth characteristics, biomass production, and mechanical properties. Among these, Trametes sp. SW25-2 exhibited rapid growth on culture medium and dense mycelial formation on rice straw substrate. The effects of nutrient supplementation, substrate-to-medium ratio, and processing conditions on mycelium-leather formation were systematically examined. No significant differences were observed among different carbon (glucose, maltose, and sucrose) and nitrogen sources (yeast extract, peptone, and ammonium sulphate), indicating that the fungus effectively utilised rice straw as the primary substrate. An optimal ratio of 1 g rice straw to 10 mL culture medium (90.9% moisture content) enabled complete colonisation and the formation of a compact mycelial structure, achieving a maximum tensile strength of 2.78 MPa under optimised hot-pressing conditions (120 °C, 60 s, 1 MPa). Hot-pressing conditions significantly influenced material properties. A higher temperature (120 °C) increased tensile strength but reduced elongation at break, while a lower temperature (60 °C) produced more flexible materials. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that post-treatment and hot pressing transformed the mycelial network into a dense and cohesive structure. The resulting mycelium leather demonstrated suitable physical properties and was successfully fabricated into prototype products, highlighting its potential as a sustainable bio-based material derived from agricultural waste. Full article

Brewing water must meet potability standards, as its chemical composition directly affects beer quality and process consistency. Understanding spatial and temporal variability in water composition is essential for quality control and risk management in brewing. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal variation of six key brewing parameters (pH, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, and sulphate) in the Basque Country (Spain) from 2019 to 2023. A comprehensive dataset of drinking water analyses from multiple municipalities was assessed using spatiotemporal analysis tools to identify trends, variability patterns, and potential deviations from recommended brewing water ranges. Water composition showed notable spatial variability, while temporal fluctuations were generally limited. Most parameters remained within recommended ranges for brewing. However, isolated exceedances were identified for sulphate (two municipalities) and sodium (one municipality), representing less than 0.06% of the total records. These deviations may affect flavor profiles and process stability if not properly managed. The findings highlight the importance of continuous monitoring of source water to ensure consistent brewing quality, despite limitations associated with heterogeneous monitoring practices and multi-year data aggregation. The proposed spatiotemporal approach supports risk-based decision-making for brewery location, contributing to improved quality control in the brewing industry. Full article

Chronic joint disease is a major cause of lameness and reduced performance in sport horses and is characterized by persistent synovial inflammation and protease-mediated matrix degradation. This exploratory prospective pilot study investigated clinical outcomes and synovial biomarker changes following intra-articular administration of an α-2-macroglobulin plasma-derived preparation. Twenty client-owned sport horses were observed in the treatment group (n = 10) or a comparison group (n = 10) and monitored for up to 180 days under field conditions. Clinical outcomes were assessed longitudinally, while synovial fluid was analyzed at baseline and 30 days post-treatment only in treated horses. Mixed-effects analysis showed significant group × time interactions for American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) lameness score, flexion test response, and joint effusion. Treated horses showed early and sustained improvement in clinical scores, whereas minimal changes were observed in the comparison group. At 30 days, treated horses exhibited consistent within-subject reductions in synovial total protein, total nucleated cell count, polynuclear cell percentage, pro-inflammatory cytokines (PGE₂, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9, MMP-13), sulphated glycosaminoglycans, and neurogenic mediators (NGF, Substance P). These findings indicate a coherent pattern of clinical improvement associated with parallel changes in synovial biomarkers in treated horses. However, as longitudinal biomarker data were not collected in the comparison group, these observations should be interpreted as exploratory and do not establish causality. The observed findings support the rationale for further investigation of protease-targeted approaches in equine joint disease. Full article

Celestine (SrSO₄) is the principal ore of Sr and a sensitive tracer of diagenetic fluid–rock interaction in carbonate–evaporite successions. This study presents integrated petrographic mineral chemistry and Sr–S isotopic data for epigenetic celestine hosted by Asmari carbonates at Jabal Hafit, Al Ain (UAE), to constrain fluid source, and mechanisms of SrSO₄ precipitation during basin diagenesis. Field and SEM observations show celestine as stratabound, vug- and fracture-filling euhedral to subhedral crystals within dolomitised limestone, suggesting precipitation after initial lithification during early-to-mid burial diagenesis. Electron microprobe analyses show nearly stoichiometric SrSO₄ (55.15–57.30 wt.% SrO; 42.43–44.35 wt.% SO₃) with very low Ba and Ca. The characteristically high Sr/Ba signature of the celestine reflects a complex diagenetic history driven by efficient Sr remobilisation during carbonate recrystallisation within an inherently Ba-poor marine sequence. Measured ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are tightly clustered (0.707841–0.707854) with a high degree of isotopic homogeneity, which indicates a stable, well-buffered fluid reservoir, while the absolute values align with an Oligocene marine signature. Sulphur isotope values (δ³⁴S = +27.3 to +29.1‰) are enriched relative to coeval marine sulphate, which could be attributed to closed-system Rayleigh fractionation driven by bacterial sulphate reduction. We propose that celestine precipitated from stable, marine-buffered burial brines, where supersaturation was achieved through coupled Sr enrichment from carbonate diagenesis and microbial modification of the sulphate reservoir. Full article

Seawater and sea sand as constituents in concrete are valuable alternatives to freshwater and river sand. Further, the use of seawater and sea sand in projects located in the proximity of a sea/ocean can reduce the overall project cost and lower the carbon footprint. Nevertheless, seawater contains high concentrations of chloride (Cl⁻), sulphate (SO₄²⁻) and magnesium (Mg²⁺), which can react with tricalcium aluminate (C₃A) in cement and the byproduct calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂), and form Friedel’s salt, delayed ettringite and brucite, respectively. These chemical compounds are aggressive and can degrade the strength and durability of the concrete. Differences in the physical properties of sea sand compared to river sand can also lead to weak and porous concrete. In reinforced concrete, steel bars are susceptible to corrosion due to the formation of corrosion products as a result of high concentrations of Cl⁻. Whilst mitigation strategies such as the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcements have been investigated in the literature, no validated method that enables the use of concrete with seawater and sea sand has been established. Based on research reported in the literature, the present study investigates the chemistry, strength and microstructure of concrete mixed with seawater and sea sand as a means of establishing their use in concrete without compromising the properties of the concrete. The study shows that the compressive strength of seawater–sea sand mixed concrete (SWSSC) is increased in the short term (up to 28 days) due to the formation of additional chemical compounds in the former. However, the long-term (i.e., beyond 28 days) compressive strength of concrete reduces by up to 20% after one year due to the weakening of the microstructure (more flaws/expansions), which further reduces the durability of the reinforced concrete. Although the long-term degradation of SWSSC has been noticed, the underlying causes are not fully understood. The present critical review study provides chemical and microstructural insight into the degradation of concrete with seawater and sea sand, and the current developing understanding is used to develop a mitigation strategy towards the use of seawater and sea sand in real-world concrete applications. Full article

Ningbo City is endowed with abundant mineral water resources. Investigating their chemical characteristics and formation mechanisms is essential for understanding hydrochemical evolution and supporting sustainable resource utilization. Based on hydrochemical data from 12 drinking natural mineral water sources in Ningbo City, this study investigates the hydrochemical features and genesis of mineral water by integrating statistical analysis, hydrochemical diagrams, ionic ratios, and mineral equilibrium modeling. The results indicate that metasilicic acid (as H₂SiO₃) and strontium (Sr) are the principal characteristic components of the drinking natural mineral water in Ningbo City, with concentrations of 32.87–60.8 mg/L and 0.05–4.59 mg/L, respectively. The mineral waters are neutral to slightly alkaline and weakly mineralized, with the pH values ranging from 6.70 to 8.16, and total dissolved solids (TDS) contents of 76.8–767.2 mg/L. The predominant hydrochemical facies are HCO₃-Ca-Na, HCO₃-Ca, HCO₃-Na-Ca. Their chemical composition is mainly governed by rock weathering, whilst also being influenced by cation exchange and mineral dissolution–precipitation equilibrium. H₂SiO₃ is mainly derived from the weathering and hydrolysis of silicate minerals such as plagioclase. Sr enrichment is associated with the dissolution of Sr-bearing silicate minerals and certain sulphate minerals, as well as prolonged water–rock interaction. The Sr- and Si-rich aquifers provide the material basis for the enrichment of Sr and H₂SiO₃ in groundwater. Structural fractures and weathering fractures provide transport pathways and storage spaces for groundwater, facilitating the migration and enrichment of these characteristic components. The mechanism of mineral water emergence can be summarized as of the tectonic fracture-controlled circulation-leaching type. Full article