Search Results (325)

This study aims to classify plant communities by applying discriminant analysis based on principal components (DAPC) on near-infrared spectra (FT-NIRS) starting from fresh herbage samples. Grassland samples (n~156) belonged to (i) recent alfalfa pure crops (CAA), (ii) recent grass–legume mixtures (GLM), (iii) permanent meadows derived from old alfalfa stands that were re-colonized (PMA), and iv) permanent meadows originated from old grass–legume mixtures (PLM). Samples were scanned using FT-NIRS, and a multivariate exploration of the original spectra was performed using DAPC. The following two scenarios were proposed: (i) cross-validation, where all data were used for model training, and (ii) semi-external validation, where the group assignment was performed without samples of the training set. The first two components explained 98% of the total variability. The DAPC model resulted in an overall assignment success rate of 77%, and, from cross-validation, it emerged that it was possible to assign the CAA and PMA to their group with more than of 80% of success, which were different in botanical and chemical composition. In comparison, GLM and PLM obtained lower success of assignment (~52%). External validation suggested similarity between PLM and GLM groups (93%) and between GLM and PLM (77%). However, a dataset increase could improve group differentiation. Full article

Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are uncommon but significant cardiovascular abnormalities characterized by an abnormal increase in vascular diameter. CAAs are classified based on their shape as either saccular or fusiform, and their causes can range from atherosclerosis, Kawasaki disease, to congenital and iatrogenic factors. CAAs often present asymptomatically, but when symptoms occur, they can include angina, myocardial infarction, or even sudden cardiac death due to intravascular thrombosis involving the CAA. Diagnosis is typically confirmed through coronary angiography, though CT and other imaging techniques can provide additional details. The management of CAAs is variable depending on their size, location, and the presence of symptoms or complications. Treatment options include medical therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or surgical approaches. In this paper, we describe the case report of a 79-year-old male who presented with palpitations and was diagnosed with a right coronary artery aneurysm, and a review of the literature is delineated, underscoring the importance of individualized treatment strategies for CAAs. Full article

The urgency of water remediation and the conversion of toxic pollutants into non-toxic compounds is increasingly crucial in our industrialized world. Heterogeneous catalysts based on metal nanoparticles, which are cost-effective, non-toxic, and readily available, have garnered significant attention in the market due to their unique catalytic properties. This study presents sol–gel-based hybrid silica matrices that encapsulate nickel, designed for the efficient reductive de-halogenation of tri-bromoacetic acid (TBAA), di-bromoacetic acid (DBAA), mono-bromoacetic acid (MBAA), tri-chloroacetic acid (TCAA), mono-chloroacetic acid (MCAA), and Chloroacetanilide (CAA). A detailed study of the product distribution from each halo-acetic acid (HAA) is presented. The study points out that other products are formed from Ni-catalyzed reduction reactions of HAAs, breaking the conventional rules of stepwise reduction mechanisms. The plausible mechanisms of the catalytic processes are discussed. Full article

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a pediatric vasculitis, leading to coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) in ~4–14%. Attention to the etiology and course of KD was generated by the close mimic of a SARS-CoV-2-induced phenotype, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Methods: A total of 1179 cases were collected from 2012 with ~50% of cases retrospectively included. Clinical characteristics were described and risk factors for CAA (persistence) were investigated. Phenotypic patterns of the prospectively included KD patients were evaluated. These patterns were also compared to the seronegative KD and seropositive MIS-C cases identified during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Results: KD mostly affected boys and children < 5 years. IVIG resistance, CAAs, and giant CAAs occurred in 24.5%, 21.4%, and 6.6%, respectively. Giant CAAs were significantly more likely to normalize to a normal Z score in patients that were younger than 2.5 years old at the time of initial giant CAA (χ² test p = 0.02). In our prospective (SARS-CoV-2-seronegative) KD series, there was a diminishing male predominance over time, whereas the proportions of incomplete presentations (p < 0.001) and patients with circulatory shock (p = 0.04) increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre- and post-pandemic KD cases presented with different levels of C-reactive protein, thrombocyte counts, and hemoglobin levels over the years. Compared to pandemic KD, SARS-CoV-2-seropositive MIS-C patients were older (p < 0.001), and more often required intensive care admission (p < 0.001), with a gradual decrease over time between 2020 and 2022 (p = 0.04). KD carried a substantial risk of CAA development in contrast to MIS-C. Conclusion: the phenotypic changes seen over the last twelve years of our prospective follow-up study suggest a spectrum of hyperinflammatory states with potentially different triggering events within this clinical entity. Full article

Coronary artery aneurysm or ectasia (CAAE) is a term that includes both coronary artery ectasia (CAE) and coronary artery aneurysm (CAA), despite distinct phenotypes and definitions. This anomaly can be found in 0.15–5.3% of coronary angiography. CAE is a diffuse dilatation of the coronary artery at least 1.5 times wider than the diameter of the normal coronary artery in a patient with a length of over 20 mm or greater than one-third of the vessel. CAE can be further subdivided into diffuse and focal dilations by the number and the length of the dilated vessels. Histologically, it presents with extensive destruction of musculoelastic elements, marked degradation of collagen and elastic fibers, and disruption of the elastic lamina. Conversely, CAA is a focal lesion manifesting as focal dilatation, which can be fusiform (if the longitudinal diameter is greater than the transverse) or saccular (if the longitudinal diameter is smaller than the transverse). Giant CAA is defined as a 4-fold enlargement of the vessel diameter and is observed in only 0.02% of patients after coronary. An aneurysmal lesion can be either single or multiple. It can be either a congenital or acquired phenomenon. The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the formation of CAAE are not well understood. Atherosclerosis is the most common etiology of CAAE in adults, while Kawasaki disease is the most common in children. Other etiological factors include systemic connective tissue diseases, infectious diseases, vasculitis, congenital anomalies, genetic factors, and idiopathic CAA. Invasive assessment of CAAE is based on coronary angiography. Coronary computed tomography (CT) is a noninvasive method that enables accurate evaluation of aneurysm size and location. The most common complications are coronary spasm, local thrombosis, distal embolization, coronary artery rupture, and compression of adjacent structures by giant coronary aneurysms. The approach to each patient with CAAE should depend on the severity of symptoms, anatomical structure, size, and location of the aneurysm. Treatment methods should be carefully considered to avoid possible complications of CAAE. Simultaneously, we should not unnecessarily expose the patient to the risk of intervention or surgical treatment. Patients can be offered conservative or invasive treatment. However, there are still numerous controversies and ambiguities regarding the etiology, prognosis, and treatment of patients with coronary artery aneurysms. This study summarizes the current knowledge about this disease’s etiology, pathogenesis, and management. Full article

α-tocopherol (α-T), β-sitosterol (β-S), canolol (CA), and sinapic acid (SA) are the four main endogenous lipid phytochemicals (LP) found in Brassica napus L. seed oil, which possess the bioactivity to prevent the risk of several chronic diseases via antioxidant-associated mechanisms. Discovering the enhancer effects or synergies between LP is valuable for resisting oxidative stress and improving health benefits. The objectives of this study were to identify a potentially efficacious LP combination by central composite design (CCD) and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and to investigate its protective effect and potential mechanisms against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells. Our results indicated that the optimal concentration of LP combination was α-T 10 μM, β-S 20 μM, SA 125 μM, and CA 125 μM, respectively, and its CAA value at the optimal condition was 10.782 μmol QE/100 g. At this concentration, LP combination exerted a greater amelioration effect on H₂O₂-induced HepG2 cell injury than either antioxidant (tea polyphenols or magnolol) alone. LP combination could reduce the cell apoptosis rate induced by H₂O₂, lowered to 10.06%, and could alleviate the degree of oxidative damage to cells (ROS↓), lipids (MDA↓), proteins (PC↓), and DNA (8-OHdG↓). Additionally, LP combination enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GPX, and HO-1), as well as the T-AOC, and increased the GSH level in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, LP combination markedly upregulated the expression of Nrf2 and its associated antioxidant proteins. It also increased the expression levels of Nrf2 downstream antioxidant target gene (HO-1, SOD-1, MnSOD, CAT, GPX-1, and GPX-4) and downregulated the mRNA expression levels of Keap1. The oxidative-stress-induced formation of the Keap1/Nrf2 complex in the cytoplasm was significantly blocked by LP treatment. These results indicate that LP combination protected HepG2 cells from oxidative stress through a mechanism involving the activation of the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathways. Full article

Mining and industrial operations are often associated with metalloid and heavy metal contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Heavy metals can weaken the soil’s purification ability to remediate and can accumulate in the human body through crops grown in contaminated soil. In this study, a stabilization method was applied for the remediation of arsenic (As) and heavy metal (Pb and Zn) contaminated soil. Scallop shells (SLS) and starfish (Asterias amurensis, ASF), commonly regarded as waste resource materials, are selected as stabilizers. Proper recycling/reuse measures are required to limit uncontrolled disposal of SLS and ASF, prevent environmental degradation of coastal areas, and take advantage of their high calcium carbonate contents. The stabilizers were processed through −#10 mesh (0.2 mm) and −#20 mesh (0.85 mm) sieves. In addition, calcined stabilizers were produced by calcining SLS and ASF at 900 °C to compare stabilization efficiency based on the presence/absence of high-temperature heat treatment. Each of the three types of processed stabilizers was added to contaminated soil at 2 to 10 wt.%, and the mixtures were subjected to wet curing for 28 days. Extraction with 0.1 N HCl was applied for stabilization efficiency assessment. Crops were cultivated in the stabilized soil to evaluate As and heavy metal immobilization capacity. Analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) established that calcite (CaCO₃) was observed in the natural materials and quicklime (CaO) in the calcined materials. The stabilization efficiency assessment results showed that treatment with SLS and ASF effectively reduced the elution of Pb and Zn. SLS was effective in immobilizing As, but the application of natural ASF increased the leachability of As due to the presence of organic matter. However, applying calcined ASF effectively immobilized As because the organic matter was removed at high temperatures. When the transition of As and heavy metals to crops was evaluated, Pb concentrations that exceeded the criterion for leafy vegetables were detected in the lettuce grown in contaminated soil. However, Pb was not detected in the lettuce grown in SLS- and ASF-treated soil, confirming the stability of heavy metal immobilization. Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analysis showed that the pozzolanic reaction is related to heavy metal immobilization, and Ca–As precipitation is related to the immobilization of As. The results of this study verified that SLS and ASF effectively immobilize As and heavy metals (Pb and Zn) around mines and that they can be used safely in agricultural soil. Full article

Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM) is significant in unmanned driving, being is used to locate vehicles and create environmental maps, and provides a basis for navigation and decision making. However, in inevitable dark night environments, the SLAM system still suffers from a decline in robustness and accuracy. In this regard, this paper proposes a VSLAM pipeline called DarkSLAM. The pipeline comprises three modules: Camera Attribute Adjustment (CAA), Image Quality Enhancement (IQE), and Pose Estimation (PE). The CAA module carefully studies the strategies used for setting the camera parameters in low-illumination environments, thus improving the quality of the original images. The IQE module performs noise-suppressed image enhancement for the purpose of improving image contrast and texture details. In the PE module, a lightweight feature extraction network is constructed and performs pseudo-supervised training on low-light datasets to achieve efficient and robust data association to obtain the pose. Through experiments on low-light public datasets and real-world experiments in the dark, the necessity of the CAA and IQE modules and the parameter coupling between these modules are verified, and the feasibility of DarkSLAM is finally verified. In particular, the scene in the experiment NEU-4am has no artificial light (the illumination in this scene is between 0.01 and 0.08 lux) and the DarkSLAM achieved an accuracy of 5.2729 m at a distance of 1794.33 m. Full article

Late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, is a devastating disease of potato worldwide. In Israel, potatoes are grown twice a year, in autumn and spring, with late blight causing extensive damage in both seasons. While tuber seeds for the autumn planting are produced locally, seed tubers for the spring planting are imported from Europe due to dormancy of local tubers. Here, we demonstrate that seed tubers imported from Europe for the spring season carry asymptomatic infection with EU genotypes of P. infestans, which alters the population structure of the pathogen each spring. The proportion of imported tubers carrying asymptomatic infections ranged between 1.2 and 3.75%, varying by year and cultivar. Asymptomatic tubers produced late blight-infected sprouts about one month after planting. The sporangia produced on these sprouts served as primary inoculum, causing intensive foliage attacks on neighboring plants. When sprout-infected plants were uprooted and the mother tuber was washed, sliced, and placed in moistened dishes at 18 °C, profuse sporulation of P. infestans developed on the slices’ surfaces within 1–2 days. The dominant genotype of P. infestans in the autumn season in Israel is 23A1, but genotypes in the following spring season changed to include 13A2 or 36A2. Surprisingly, genotype 43A1, which might be resistant to CAA and OSBPI fungicides and appeared in Europe in 2022, emerged in Israel in spring 2024. The immigrating genotypes do not persist in the country, allowing 23A1 to regain predominance in the following autumn. Long-term monitoring data suggest that the population structure of P. infestans changes yearly but temporarily due to the import of new genotypes from Europe. Full article

Small object detection in traffic sign applications often faces challenges like complex backgrounds, blurry samples, and multi-scale variations. Existing solutions tend to complicate the algorithms. In this study, we designed an efficient and simple algorithm network called StarCAN-PFD, based on the single-stage YOLOv8 framework, to accurately recognize small objects in complex scenarios. We proposed the StarCAN feature extraction network, which was enhanced with the Context Anchor Attention (CAA). We designed the Pyramid Focus and Diffusion Network (PFDNet) to address multi-scale information loss and developed the Detail-Enhanced Conv Shared Detect (DESDetect) module to improve the recognition of complex samples while keeping the network lightweight. Experiments on the CCTSDB dataset validated the effectiveness of each module. Compared to YOLOv8, our algorithm improved [email protected] by 4%, reduced the model size to less than half, and demonstrated better performance on different traffic sign datasets. It excels at detecting small traffic sign targets in complex scenes, including challenging samples such as blurry, low-light night, occluded, and overexposed conditions, showcasing strong generalization ability. Full article

The antioxidant activities of lycopene (LY), lutein (LU), chlorogenic acid (CA), and delphinidin (DP) were tested in vitro on H9c2 cell-based models. Some indicators, such as the generation of reactive oxygen (ROS), the quantification of cell antioxidant activity (CAA), and the expressions of SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT, were calculated to examine their antioxidant interactions. From our results, the phytochemical mixtures (M1: CA-LU: F3/10, M2: DP-CA: F7/10, M3: DP-LY: F5/10) displayed strong synergistic effects based on the generation of ROS and the quantification of CAA. However, great antagonistic bioactivities were seen in the combinations of LY-LU: F5/10 (M4), CA-LU: F9/10 (M5), and DP-LY: F7/10 (M6). Western blotting analysis indicated that the possible mechanism underlying the synergistic antioxidant interactions among phytochemical combinations was to enhance the accumulation of Nrf2 in the nucleus and the expression of its downstream antioxidant enzymes, HO-1 and GCLC. The combinations (M1–M3 groups) showed significant protection against the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential than individual groups to avoid excessive ROS production. The M4–M6 groups exerted antagonistic protective effects compared with the individual groups. In addition, lutein and lycopene absorption was improved more because of the presence of chlorogenic acid and delphinidin in the M1 and M3 groups, respectively. However, delphinidin significantly reduced the cellular uptake of lycopene in the M6 group. It appeared that antioxidant interactions of phytochemical combinations may contribute to the restoration of cellular redox homeostasis and lead to an improvement in diet quality and collocation. Full article

The vortex shedding and shock generated inside the pump used in nuclear power plants during operation lead to energy loss and efficiency reduction, and the noise induced by the flow affects the system’s safety and reliability. The groove-type geometry of shark skin surface has features such as low hydraulic drag coefficient and low turbulence noise and has been widely applied in energy engineering. This study adopted computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational aerodynamic acoustics (CAA) methods to research the effects of Space-V-groove and V-groove bionic impellers on hydraulic performance and acoustic characteristics. In addition, the impacts of both bionic groove geometries on the external characteristics, wall shear stress, blade surface velocity, and vortex core distribution were compared and analyzed. The results found that Space-V-groove can effectively improve hydraulic performance. At the rated flow rate, the drag reduction rates of Space-V-groove and V-groove pumps are 2.86% and 1.82%, while the total sound pressure level is reduced by 1.36% and 1.2%, respectively. The Space-V-groove geometry is more effective in destroying the shedding vortex and trailing vortex, thereby modifying the turbulence in the impeller flow path and reducing energy loss and noise. Full article

Adipose tissue dysfunction, which is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), is a significant factor in the pathophysiology of obesity. Obesity-related inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling promote colorectal cancer metastasis (CRCM) by shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME). When CRC occurs, the metabolic symbiosis of tumor cells recruits adjacent adipocytes into the TME to supply energy. Meanwhile, abundant immune cells, from adipose tissue and blood, are recruited into the TME, which is stimulated by pro-inflammatory factors and triggers a chronic local pro-inflammatory TME. Dysregulated ECM proteins and cell surface adhesion molecules enhance ECM remodeling and further increase contractibility between tumor and stromal cells, which promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT increases tumor migration and invasion into surrounding tissues or vessels and accelerates CRCM. Colorectal symbiotic microbiota also plays an important role in the promotion of CRCM. In this review, we provide adipose tissue and its contributions to CRC, with a special emphasis on the role of adipocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, ECM, and symbiotic gut microbiota in the progression of CRC and their contributions to the CRC microenvironment. We highlight the interactions between adipocytes and tumor cells, and potential therapeutic approaches to target these interactions. Full article

High blood pressure (BP) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) are two common risk factors for intracranial hemorrhage, potentially leading to cognitive impairment. Less is known about the relationship between BP and CAA, the examination of which was the objective of this study. We analyzed data from 2510 participants in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) who had information on longitudinal BP measurements before death and on CAA from autopsy. Using the average of four systolic BPs (SBPs) prior to death, SBP was categorized into three groups: <120 mmHg (n = 435), 120–139 mmHg (n = 1335), and ≥140 mmHg (n = 740). CAA was diagnosed using immunohistochemistry in 1580 participants and categorized as mild (n = 759), moderate (n = 529), or severe (n = 292). When adjusted for age at death, sex, APOE genotype, Braak, CERAD, antihypertensive medication use, and microinfarcts, the odds ratios (95% CIs) for CAA associated with SBPs of 120–139 and ≥140 mmHg were 0.91 (0.74–1.12) and 1.00 (0.80–1.26), respectively. Findings from predictor effect plots show no variation in the probability of CAA between the three SBP categories. Microbleeds had no association with CAA, but among those with SBP ≥ 130 mmHg, the proportion of those with microbleeds was numerically greater in those with more severe CAA (p for trend, 0.084). In conclusion, we found no evidence of an association between SBP and CAA. Future studies need to develop non-invasive laboratory tests to diagnose CAA and prospectively examine this association and its implication on the pathophysiology and outcome of Alzheimer’s disease. Full article

Since 1991, several genetic disorders caused by unstable trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) have been identified, collectively referred to as triplet repeat diseases (TREDs). They share a common mutation mechanism: the expansion of repeats (dynamic mutations) due to the propensity of repeated sequences to form unusual DNA structures during replication. TREDs are characterized as neurodegenerative diseases or complex syndromes with significant neurological components. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17) falls into the former category and is caused by the expansion of mixed CAA/CAG repeats in the TBP gene. To date, a five-unit organization of this region [(CAG)3 (CAA)₃] [(CAG)n] [CAA CAG CAA] [(CAG)n] [CAA CAG], with expansion in the second [(CAG)n] unit being the most common, has been proposed. In this study, we propose an alternative organization scheme for the repeats. A search of the PubMed database was conducted to identify articles reporting both the number and composition of GAC/CAA repeats in TBP alleles. Nineteen reports were selected. The sequences of all identified CAG/CAA repeats in the TBP locus, including 67 cases (probands and b relatives), were analyzed in terms of their repetition structure and stability in inheritance, if possible. Based on the analysis of three units [(CAG)₃ (CAA)₂] [CAA (CAG)n CAA CAG] [CAA (CAG)n CAA CAG], the organization of repeats is proposed. Detailed analysis of the CAG/CAA repeat structure, not just the number of repeats, in TBP-expanded alleles should be performed, as it may have a prognostic value in the prediction of stability/instability during transmission and the possible anticipation of the disease. Full article