Stratified water columns: homogenization and interface evolution.

Stratified water columns are often found in lakes and oceans. Stratifications result from differences in density due to salt concentration, temperature, solid content and oxygenation. The stability of stratifications affects bioactivity, sedimentation, contaminant transport and environmental remediation. This study investigates the evolution of 6 stratified water columns created by differences in salinity, suspended minerals and the presence of a bottom heat source. We use acoustic wave reflection, photography, and both electrical conductivity and temperature profiles to track changes in stratification. Results show that multiple concurrent processes emerge across layers in otherwise quiescent water bodies. Dissimilar chemo-thermo conditions give rise to chemical and thermal diffusion, convection, and double-diffusion convection. When stratification involves suspended particles, interlayer processes include diffusiophoresis, flocculation/aggregation, sedimentation, osmosis, and chemo-consolidation; in this case, the specific surface and surface charge of suspended particles, and the salt concentration in contiguous layers determine aggregation-sedimentation-consolidation patterns. The interlayer transition zone acts as a high-pass filter that preferentially reflects low-frequency long-wavelength P-waves; invasive thermal and electrical conductivity probes provide complementary information and may identify stratification even when it is undetected by acoustic signals.

Bio-electrochemical degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ): A comprehensive study on effectiveness, degradation pathway, and toxicological assessment.

Recent attention on the detrimental effects of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in natural water has spurred researchers to develop advanced wastewater treatment methods. Carbamazepine (CBZ), a widely recognized anticonvulsant, has often been a primary focus in numerous studies due to its prevalence and resistance to breaking down. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a bio-electrochemical system in breaking down CBZ in polluted water and to assess the potential harmful effects of the treated wastewater. The results revealed bio-electro degradation process demonstrated a collaborative effect, achieving the highest CBZ degradation compared to electrodegradation and biodegradation techniques. Notably, a maximum CBZ degradation efficiency of 92.01% was attained using the bio-electrochemical system under specific conditions: Initial CBZ concentration of 60 mg/L, pH level at 7, 0.5% (v/v) inoculum dose, and an applied potential of 10 mV. The degradation pathway established by identifying intermediate products via High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, revealed the complete breakdown of CBZ without any toxic intermediates or end products. This finding was further validated through in vitro and in vivo toxicity assays, confirming the absence of harmful remnants after the degradation process.

Role of Temperature-Dependent Interfacial Tension on Shear Wave Velocity for Energy Geosystems.

Interfacial tension varies with temperature. This paper investigates the effects of temperature-dependent interfacial tension on shear wave velocity. We designed a nylon cell equipped with bender elements in a cross-hole configuration to measure the shear wave velocity of nine sand-silt mixtures with different degrees of saturation (S = 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 100%). All specimens were subjected to a temperature change from 10 °C to 1 °C. The results demonstrate that shear wave velocity tends to be very sensitive to changes in temperature at a low degree of saturation. Particle-scale analyses overlapped with the experimental results and captured the critical role of temperature-dependent interfacial tension in small-strain skeletal stiffness. In fact, the temperature should be considered during laboratory and field shear modulus measurements of the long-term performance of energy geosystems subjected to thermally induced repetitive loads.

Evaluation of Lentilactobacillus parafarraginis A6-2 strain for aluminum removal and anti-inflammatory effects: implications for alleviating Al toxicity.

AIM: To assess the effectiveness of Lentilactobacillus parafarraginis A6-2 cell lysate for the removal of aluminum (Al), which induces neurotoxicity, and its protective effect at cellular level. METHODS AND RESULTS: The cell lysate of the selected L. parafarraginis A6-2 strain demonstrated superior Al removal compared to live or dead cells. The Al removal efficiency of L. parafarraginis A6-2 cell lysate increased with decreasing pH and increasing temperature, primarily through adsorption onto peptidoglycan. Neurotoxicity mitigation potential of L. parafarraginis A6-2 was evaluated using C6 glioma cells. C6 cells exposed with increasing concentration of Al led to elevated toxicity and inflammation, which were gradually alleviated upon treatment with L. parafarraginis A6-2. Moreover, Al-induced oxidative stress in C6 cells showed a concentration-dependent reduction upon treatment with L. parafarraginis A6-2. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that L. parafarraginis A6-2 strain, particularly in its lysate form, exhibited enhanced capability for Al removal. Furthermore, it effectively mitigated Al-induced toxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Applied potential assisted biodegradation of amoxicillin (AMX) using bacterial consortium isolated from a waste dump site.

Antibiotics have revolutionized modern day living with their ability to effectively treat infectious diseases in humans and animals. However, the release of antibiotic compounds into the environment has led to toxic consequences. To reduce this environmental impact, it is important to employ an inexpensive and rational technology to reduce the amount of antibiotics released into the ecosystem. This study aims to explore the potential of using a bio-electrochemical system (BES) to remove Amoxicillin (AMX) from artificially contaminated soil using a microbial consortium and pure culture isolates. Under desired conditions, including an initial AMX concentration of 150 mg/L, 5 mg/L tryptone as the nitrogen source, pH of 7, temperature of 29 °C, an applied potential of 0.8 V, and an inoculum dose of 1% w/v, the BES showed a maximum degradation of 97.9% of AMX with the microbial consortium (HP03, HP09, and HP10). High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyse the intermediates formed during the degradation process, and the pathway elucidated revealed complete degradation of AMX. Phytotoxicity studies and degradation efficiency against multiple antibiotics confirmed the environmental significance of the BES with microbial consortium. Overall, this study highlights the potential of BES as a cost-effective and efficient method for reducing the release of antibiotics into the environment and provides valuable insights into the mechanisms and pathways of antibiotic degradation.

Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2: potential bacteria for eliminating bisphenol A and reducing BpA-induced lipid accumulation.

Bisphenol A (BpA) is an endocrine-disrupting substance commonly found in plastics and resins. It is reported that BpA exposure induces lipid accumulation in humans, similar to obesogenic compounds. The main objective of this study is to investigate the removal of BpA using Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2, and to examine its potential for reducing BpA-induced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cell line model. The heat-dried cells of Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2 showed 69.7% removal efficiency for initial BpA concentration of 10 µg/mL, which was 30.5% higher than the live cells. The absence of metabolites or intermediates in BpA removal studies indicates that the Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2 strain removed BpA by adsorption process. The hydrophobic interactions of heat-dried Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2 cells were observed to be higher with 33.7% compared to live cells (15.0%), suggesting a stronger ability to bind with BpA. Although the BpA binding onto Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2 was not affected by pH, it was confirmed that as the temperature increases, the binding ability got decreased due to mass transfer and diffusion of BpA molecules. Treatment with Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2 (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1%) reduced lipid accumulation by 61.7, 58.0, 52.7 and 60.4% in 3T3-L1 cells exposed with BpA. In addition, it was confirmed that Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2 treatment suppressed the protein expression levels of lipogenesis-related PPARγ and C/EBPα in 3T3-L1 cells. The results of the study suggest that the Lactiplantibacillus sp. D10-2 strain can remove BpA and reduce BpA-accelerated lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells.

Effect of fermentation on antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-Helicobacter pylori adhesion activity of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica root bark.

The limited yield of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica root bark (URB) extract is considered an economic loss to the food industry. Improving extraction yield and bioactivity through fermentation increase the industrial usage of URB. The study aims to optimize the fermentation with cellulolytic and pectinolytic bacteria and evaluate the bioactivity and anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of the fermented URB extract. URB fermentation with the Bacillus licheniformis FLa3, isolated from salted seafood (Sardinella zunasi), under optimal conditions (37 °C, pH 6, 10% inoculum dose, and 36 h) improved the extraction yield by 36% compared to the control. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the fermented extract were significantly higher than non-fermented extract. High-performance liquid chromatography results confirmed that the fermentation increased the proportion of bioactive components such as catechin (171.7%), epicatechin (144.3%), quercetin (27.3%), and kaempferol (16.7%). The results confirmed that the fermentation increased both the extraction yield and bioactivity.

Erysiphe lonicerigena sp. nov., a Powdery Mildew Species Found on Lonicera harae.

A powdery mildew (Erysiphaceae) has been continuously collected on the leaves of Lonicera harae in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, where this shrub is indigenous. Microscopic examination of the asexual morphs revealed that the current collections are differentiated from the all known Erysiphe species on Lonicera spp. by its longer conidiophores and longer conidia. Although the morphology of the chasmothecia is reminiscent of Erysiphe ehrenbergii and E. lonicerae, the specimens on L. harae differ from them in having smaller ascospores. A phylogenetic tree generated from a combined dataset of the internal transcribed spacer region and 28S rDNA gene sequences demonstrates that sequences obtained from three powdery mildew collections on L. harae clustered together as an independent species clade with high bootstrap values distant from other Erysiphe species on Lonicera, representing a species of its own. Based on morphological differences and molecular-phylogenetic results, the powdery mildew on L. harae is proposed as a new species, Erysiphe lonicerigena, and the holomorph of the fungus is described and illustrated in this study.

Pore topology, volume expansion and pressure development in chemically-induced foam cements.

Foam cement is an engineered lightweight material relevant to a broad range of engineering applications. This study explores the effects of aluminum chips on cement-bentonite slurry expansion, pressure development, and the evolution of pore topology. The terminal volume expansion under free-boundary conditions or the pressure build up under volume-controlled conditions are a function of the aluminum mass ratio, bentonite mass ratio, and aluminum chip size. X-ray CT images show that finer aluminum chips create smaller pores but result in a larger volume expansion than when larger sized chips are used; on the other hand, large chip sizes result in unreacted residual aluminum. Time-lapse CT images clearly show the sequence of processes which lead to the development of foam cement: gas bubble nucleation, bubble growth, capillary-driven grain displacement enhanced by the presence of bentonite, coalescence, percolation, gas leakage and pore collapse. These results illustrate the potential to customize the mixture composition of chemically-induced gassy cement to control expansion and pressure build up, and to minimize percolating discontinuities and gas release.

Rapid production method with increased yield of high-purity extracellular vesicles obtained using extended mitochondrial targeting domain peptide.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized membranous structures involved in intercellular communication and various physiological and pathological processes. Here, we present a novel method for rapid (within 15 min), large-scale production of high-purity EVs using eMTDΔ4, a peptide derived from Noxa. The treatment of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human Wharton's jelly after trypsinization and subsequent eMTDΔ4 stimulation in a chemically defined sucrose buffer with orbital shaking led to a substantial increase (approximately 30-fold) in EV production with markedly high purity (approximately 45-fold). These EVs (TS-eEVs) showed higher regenerative and immunomodulatory potential than natural EVs obtained from the culture media after 48 h. The calcium chelator BAPTA-AM and calpain inhibitor ALLM, but not the natural EV biogenesis inhibitor GW4869, blocked the TS-eEV production induced by eMTDΔ4, indicating that the eMTDΔ4-mediated regulation of intracellular calcium levels and calpain activity are closely associated with the rapid, mass production of TS-eEVs. The present study may lead to considerable advances in EV-based drug development and production of stem cell-derived EVs for cell therapy.

Quality of Life and Associated Factors of International Students in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the WHOQOL-BREF Instrument.

The quality of life (QoL) of an individual is affected in a complex way by the person's physical health, psychological state, social relationships, and their relationship to their environment. We assessed the QoL of international university students using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) tool and explored the QoL-associated factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study between January and March 2021. The WHOQOL-BREF was summarized as a four-domain construct following the WHO guidelines and QoL scores for each domain were compared through a t-test and chi-squared test. To determine the factors associated with international students' QoL we used multiple linear regression models, with each of the domains serving as the outcome variable. In total, 261 students participated, with 52.5% being males. We reported predicted means (PM) along with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Cronbach's alpha for the overall WHOQOL-BREF tool was 0.88. Students' self-reported QoL mean score was 3.67 ± 0.71 and the mean score of their overall satisfaction with health was 3.61 ± 0.83. The social relationships domain had the highest mean score at 56.88 ± 19.55 and was significantly associated with age (>25 years: PM: 59.7; 95% CI: 56.2−63.2, p = 0.033) and region of origin (Asia: PM: 54.4; 95% CI: 42.5−64.8, p = 0.027). Students above 25 years had significantly higher scores in all domains (p < 0.05). Our results showed that the social relationships and psychological health domains have more positive impact on international students' QoL compared to the physical and environmental health domains. To cope with factors influencing international students' QoL, universities should develop and provide efficient support systems for foreign students in South Korea.

Influential Effects of Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship between Job Stress and Burnout among General Hospital Administrative Staff.

Emotional intelligence plays an important role at the time of determination of job stress or in controlling emotions arising from job stress. This study uses a cross-sectional descriptive design to assess the extent of job stress, emotional intelligence, and burnout of general hospital administrative staff, and to identify an influencing effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between job stress and burnout. Data were collected by using a structuralized questionnaire survey conducted on 191 administrative staff at 4 general hospitals in a metropolitan city in Korea in September 2021. The effects of emotional intelligence on the relationship between job stress and burnout were analyzed by using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results of analysis showed: (a) job stress and burnout displayed positive correlation (r = 0.57, p < 0.001) while (b) emotional intelligence and burnout displayed negative correlation (r = -0.26, p < 0.001), and (c) factors with significant effects on burnout included age (≥40 years), job stress, and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence had direct (independent) effects on burnout. Thus, the improvement of emotional intelligence is necessary to decrease burnout levels in general hospital administrative staff.

Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Effect of ε-Polylysine against Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli in Tryptic Soy Broth and Chicken Juice.

ε-Polylysine (ε-PL) is a safe food additive that is used in the food industry globally. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of antibacterial peptides (ε-PL) against food poisoning pathogens detected in chicken (Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli). The results showed that minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranged between 0.031-1.0 mg/mL, although most bacterial groups (75%) showed MICs of 1.0 mg/mL. The reduction in the cell viability of pathogens due to ε-PL depended on the time and concentration, and 1/2 × MIC of ε-PL killed 99.99% of pathogens after 10 h of incubation. To confirm biofilm inhibition and degradation effects, crystal violet assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used. The biofilm formation rates of four bacterial groups (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and multi-species bacteria) were 10.36%, 9.10%, 17.44%, and 21.37% at 1/2 × MIC of ε-PL, respectively. Additionally, when observed under a CLSM, ε-PL was found to induce biofilm destruction and bacterial cytotoxicity. These results demonstrated that ε-PL has the potential to be used as an antibiotic and antibiofilm material for chicken meat processing.

Mitochondrial Targeting Domain Homologs Induce Necrotic Cell Death Via Mitochondrial and Endoplasmic Reticulum Disruption.

The mitochondrial targeting domain (MTD) of Noxa contributes to its mitochondrial localization and to apoptosis induction. As a peptide, MTD fused with octa-arginine (R8), a CPP, induces necrosis related to intracellular calcium influx and destruction of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. We searched for homologs of MTD, and compared their cell killing capability when fused with R8. Three of the seven peptides triggered cell death with similar mechanisms. The comparative analysis of peptide sequences showed that four amino acid sites of MTD are critical in regulating necrosis, suggesting the potential to generate artificial, adjustable cytotoxic peptides, which could be effective medicines for many diseases. Thus, homologs functionality could hint to the functions of their belonging proteins.

Response of Transitional Mixtures Retaining Memory of In-Situ Overburden Pressure Monitored Using Electromagnetic and Piezo Crystal Sensors.

The major and minor components in granular soil materials determine their properties and behavior. This study explores the transitional behavior within threshold fines fraction of soil mixtures based on the data from the literature and experiments. From the literature survey, the void ratio, shear wave velocity, compression index, and friction angle capture the transitional turning point between the low and data-adjusted high threshold fines fractions. In particular, there is a dramatic change in hydraulic conductivity below the low threshold fines fraction that highlights the critical role of small amounts of fines in the fluid flow (e.g., clogging). From an experimental study, the engineering properties of natural soil samples identified using deformation and elastic wave sensors show transitional trends within the Revised Soil Classification System framework. The evolution of compressibility and shear wave velocity indicate that either coarse, fine, or both particles are likely to contribute to large and small strain stiffnesses when the effective stress is below 400 kPa. Thereafter, both engineering properties indicate that the soil sample retains a memory of in-situ overburden pressure when the effective stress is around 400 kPa. There is a critical role of fines that are slightly higher than low threshold fines fraction on engineering properties that promote the application of Revised Soil Classification System RSCS to natural soils.

Evolution of Small Strain Soil Stiffness during Freeze-Thaw Cycle: Transition from Capillarity to Cementation Examined Using Magnetic and Piezo Crystal Sensors.

Freeze-thaw cycles caused by seasonal temperature fluctuations significantly affect the geotechnical engineering properties. This study investigated the crucial role of water distribution patterns in the characterization of elastic wave properties for the fine F-110 sand during a freeze-thaw cycle. Sand specimens with four different water distribution patterns were prepared, namely homogeneously-mixed, evaporation-driven, vertically-, and horizontally-layered specimens. The P- and S-wave signatures of the specimens were monitored using piezo crystal sensors. Results indicated the criticality of water distribution patterns in the determination of small-strain soil properties even though the specimens had identical global water saturation. The nuclear magnetic resonance-based water volume depth profiles indicated that the evaporation-driven specimens had more heterogeneous pore-invasive ice-bonding layers at a high water saturation region; by contrast, the drying process facilitated uniform meniscuses around the particle contacts near the air percolation threshold. Elastic wave measurements for laboratory-prepared specimens might over/underestimate the small-strain soil stiffness of sediments in nature, wherein the drying processes prevailed to control the water saturation. This study highlighted a clear transition from capillary-controlled to cementation-controlled elastic wave properties during temperature oscillations.

The critical role of pore size on depth-dependent microbial cell counts in sediments.

Cell counts decrease with sediment depth. Typical explanations consider limiting factors such as water availability and chemistry, carbon source, nutrients, energy and temperature, and overlook the role of pore size. Our analyses consider sediment self-compaction, the evolution of pore size with depth, and the probability of pores larger than the microbial size to compute the volume fraction of life-compatible pores. We evaluate cell counts vs. depth profiles gathered at 116 sites worldwide. Results confirm the critical role of pore size on cell counts in the subsurface and explain much of the data spread (from ~ 9 orders of magnitude range in cell counts to ~ 2 orders). Cells colonize pores often forming dense biofilms, thus, cell counts in pores are orders of magnitude higher than in the water column. Similar arguments apply to rocks.

Protective efficacy of the recombinant lysozyme-PMAP36 fusion protein-inactivated Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine candidate via oral immunization in a murine model.

The aim of this study was to evaluate protective efficacy of S. Typhimurium ghost vaccine candidate lysed by the recombinant lysozyme-PMAP36 fusion protein via oral immunization in a murine model. Sixty BALB/c mice were equally divided into 4 groups. Group A mice were inoculated with 20 µL of sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Groups B-D mice were immunized with approximately 1 × 107, 1 × 108, and 1 × 109 cells of the vaccine candidate, respectively, in 20 µL of PBS. Salmonella-outermembrane-proteins-specific serum IgG was considerably higher in groups B-D than in group A. The interleukin-10 and interferon-γ levels in groups B-D were significantly higher than in group A. Following challenge with wild-type S. Typhimurium, all immunized groups showed a significant level of protection compared with group A. The highest protection was shown in group D. Overall, these results show that oral immunization with the candidate vaccine can effectively protect mice from S. Typhimurium infection.

L'objectif de la présente étude était d'évaluer l'efficacité protectrice d'un vaccin candidat préparé à partir de cellules fantômes de Salmonella Typhimurium lysés par la protéine de fusion recombinante lysozyme-PMAP36 via immunisation orale dans un modèle murin. Soixante souris BALB/c ont été réparties également en quatre groupes. Les souris du Groupe A furent inoculées avec 20 µL de saline tamponnée stérile (PBS). Les souris des groupes B-D furent immunisées avec approximativement 1 × 107, 1 × 108, et 1 × 109 cellules du vaccin candidat, respectivement, dans 20 µL de PBS. Les IgG sériques spécifiques aux protéines de la paroi externe de Salmonella étaient considérablement plus élevées dans les groupes B-D que dans le groupe A. Dans les groupes B-D les niveaux d'interleukine-10 et d'interféron-γ étaient significativement plus élevés que dans le groupe A. À la suite d'une infection-défi avec une souche sauvage de S. Typhimurium, tous les groupes immunisés ont présenté un degré de protection significatif comparativement au groupe A. La meilleure protection était retrouvée dans le groupe D. De manière globale, ces résultats montrent que l'immunisation orale avec le vaccin candidat peut effectivement protéger des souris contre une infection par S. Typhimurium.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

Development of the Mammalian Expression Vector System that can be Induced by IPTG and/or Lactose.

Techniques used for the regulation of gene expression facilitate studies of gene function and treatment of diseases via gene therapy. Many tools have been developed for the regulation of gene expression in mammalian cells. The Lac operon system induced with isopropyl ß-D-1- thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) is one of the employed inducible systems. IPTG mimics the molecular structure of allolactose and has a strong affinity for the corresponding repressor. IPTG is known to rapidly penetrate into mammalian cells and exhibits low toxicity. In the present study, we developed a new inducible expression system that could regulate the expression of genes in mammalian cells using IPTG. Here we confirm that unlike other vector systems based on the Lac operon, this expression system allows regulation of gene expression with lactose in the mammalian cells upon transfection. The co-treatment with IPTG and lactose could improve the regulatory efficiency of the specific target gene expression. The regulation of gene expression with lactose has several benefits. Lactose is safe in humans as compared to other chemical substances and is easily available, making this technique very cost-effective.

Effect of panchakavya (organic formulation) on phytoremediation of lead and zinc using Zea mays.

Chelate-assisted phytoextraction is proposed to be an effective approach for the removal of metals from contaminated soil. Organic chelators can improve this biological technique by increasing metal solubility. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of improving the phytoextraction of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) by the application of panchakavya, a traditional Indian organic formulation. Panchakavya was prepared by fermentation process in open environment using cow dunk, cow ghee, cow urine, cow milk, cow curd, tender coconut water, crude jaggery, and mashed bananas. Soil metal fraction studies indicate that the panchakavya treatment decreased (73%) water-soluble fraction of Pb. Plant growth analysis indicated the application of panchakavya to increase Zea mays fresh root weight, shoot biomass and superoxide dismutase level in Zn contaminated soil. Similarly, a significant increase in the Zn accumulation (12% in shoots and 9% in roots) was observed in panchakavya treated plants. However, when compared to control plants, panchakavya treatment significantly decreased (32% in shoots and 37% in roots) Pb accumulation in Z. mays. Obtained results point out that panchakavya could potentially increase the phytoremediation of Zn in Z. mays.