Search Results (36,845)

Background: Actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac) has gained interest in nuclear medicine for use in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) for the treatment of cancer. However, the number of suitable chelators for the stable complexation of ²²⁵Ac³⁺ is limited. The promising physical properties of ²²⁵Ac result in an increased demand for the radioisotope that is not matched by its current supply. To expand the possibilities for the development of ²²⁵Ac-based TAT therapeutics, a new hydroxamate-based chelator, DFO*¹², is described. We report the DFT-guided design of dodecadentate DFO*¹² and an efficient and convenient automated solid-phase synthesis for its preparation. To address the limited availability of ²²⁵Ac, a small-scale ²²⁹Th/²²⁵Ac generator was constructed in-house to provide [²²⁵Ac]AcCl₃ for research. Methods: DFT calculations were performed in ORCA 5.0.1 using the BP86 functional with empirical dispersion correction D3 and Becke–Johnson damping (D3BJ). The monomer synthesis over three steps enabled the solid-phase synthesis of DFO*¹². The small-scale ²²⁹Th/²²⁵Ac generator was realized by extracting ²²⁹Th from aged ²³³U material. Radiolabeling of DFO*¹² with ²²⁵Ac was performed in 1 M TRIS pH 8.5 or 1.5 M NaOAc pH 4.5 for 30 min at 37 °C. Results: DFT calculations directed the design of a dodecadentate chelator. The automated synthesis of the chelator DFO*¹² and the development of a small-scale ²²⁹Th/²²⁵Ac generator allowed for the radiolabeling of DFO*¹² with ²²⁵Ac quantitatively at 37 °C within 30 min. The complex [²²⁵Ac]Ac-DFO*¹² indicated good stability in different media for 20 h. Conclusions: The novel hydroxamate-based dodecadentate chelator DFO*¹², together with the developed ²²⁹Th/²²⁵Ac generator, provide new opportunities for ²²⁵Ac research for future radiopharmaceutical development and applications in TAT. Full article

This study synthesized graphene oxide (GO)/zinc oxide (ZnO)/silver (Ag) composite materials and investigated their photocatalytic degradation performance for ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible light irradiation. GO/ZnO/Ag composites with different ratios were prepared via an impregnation and chemical reduction method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results demonstrated that under optimal conditions (20 mg/L CIP concentration, 15 mg catalyst dosage, GO/ZnO-3%/Ag-doping ratio, and pH 5), the GO/ZnO/Ag composite exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, achieving a maximum degradation rate of 82.13%. This catalyst effectively degraded ciprofloxacin under light irradiation, showing promising potential for water purification applications. Full article

Uneven fruit ripening (UFR) is currently causing a decrease in the quality and value of “Ri 6” durian fruit. The soil moisture and nutrient (K, Ca, and Mg) levels present during the fruit development stage are the two main factors affecting UFR in durian fruit. However, measurements that can be used to determine the decrease in the UFR rate of durian remain unknown. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the impact of plastic mulching (PM) and polyhalite fertilizer (PH) on improving the UFR rate and quality of durian fruit. A field study was conducted at three different durian orchards in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) throughout two seasons (2022−2023 and 2023−2024). We used PM a month before fruit harvesting, combined with PH applied during the fruit development stage. Four treatments were used: (T1) control; (T2) PM, plastic mulching a month before durian fruit harvesting; (T3) PH, polyhalite fertilizer application (3 kg tree⁻¹ year⁻¹); and (T4) PM + PH, polyhalite fertilizer application (3 kg tree⁻¹ year⁻¹) and plastic mulching a month before durian fruit harvesting. The farmer’s fertilization practice (450 g N–450 g P–450 g K per tree⁻¹ during the fruit development period) was used in all treatments. Parameters such as soil physicochemical properties, fruit quality, and leaf mineral nutrient concentration were investigated at the harvesting stage. The results show that using PM + PH decreased soil moisture (>15%) but increased the concentrations of K, Mg, and Ca in both soil and durian leaves, thereby reducing the UFR rate (>80%) compared with the control. Additionally, applying PM + PH increased the aril proportion (>18%) and total soluble solids (approximately 5%) in durian fruit in comparison with the control. In conclusion, combining PM and PH improved the UFR rate and durian fruit quality. Therefore, we recommend that farmers apply these methods to their durian orchards to decrease physiological disorders and enhance fruit quality, thus contributing to achieving sustainable durian production in the VMD. Full article

Drilling fluids are vital in oil and gas well operations, ensuring borehole stability, cutting removal, and pressure control. However, fluid loss into formations during drilling can compromise formation integrity, alter permeability, and risk groundwater contamination. Water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs) are favored for their environmental and cost-effective benefits but often require additives to address filtration and rheological limitations. This study explored the feasibility of using vegetable waste, including pumpkin peel (PP), courgette peel (CP), and butternut squash peel (BSP) in fine (75 μm) and very fine (10 μm) particle sizes as biodegradable WBDF additives. Waste vegetable peels were processed using ball milling and characterized via FTIR, TGA, and EDX. WBDFs, prepared per API SPEC 13A with 3 wt% of added additives, were tested for rheological and filtration properties. Results highlighted that very fine pumpkin peel powder (PP_10) was the most effective additive, reducing fluid loss and filter cake thickness by 43.5% and 50%, respectively. PP_10 WBDF maintained mud density, achieved a pH of 10.52 (preventing corrosion), and enhanced rheological properties, including a 50% rise in plastic viscosity and a 44.2% increase in gel strength. These findings demonstrate the remarkable potential of biodegradable vegetable peels as sustainable WBDF additives. Full article

Background: The Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1) gene is an essential component of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. This pathway plays a pivotal role in the regulation of different cellular processes, including immune responses, cell growth, and apoptosis. Mutations in the STAT1 gene contribute to a variety of immune system dysfunctions. Objectives: We aim to identify disease-susceptible single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in STAT1 gene and predict structural changes associated with the mutations that disrupt normal protein–protein interactions using different computational algorithms. Methods: Several in silico tools, such as SIFT, Polyphen v2, PROVEAN,SNAP2, PhD-SNP, SNPs&GO, Pmut, and PANTHER, were used to determine the deleterious nsSNPs of the STAT1. Further, we evaluated the potentially deleterious SNPs for their effect on protein stability using I-Mutant, MUpro, and DDMUT. Additionally, we predicted the functional and structural effects of the nsSNPs using MutPred. We used Alpha-Missense to predict missense variant pathogenicity. Moreover, we predicted the 3D structure of STAT1 using an artificial intelligence system, alphafold, and the visualization of the 3D structures of the wild-type amino acids and the mutant residues was performed using ChimeraX 1.9 software. Furthermore, we analyzed the structural and conformational variations that have resulted from SNPs using Project Hope, while changes in the biological interactions between wild type, mutant amino acids, and neighborhood residues was studied using DDMUT. Conservational analysis and surface accessibility prediction of STAT1 was performed using ConSurf. We predicted the protein–protein interaction using STRING database. Results: In the current study, we identified six deleterious nsSNPs (R602W, I648T, V642D, L600P, I578N, and W504C) and their effect on protein structure, function, and stability. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of approaches to pinpoint pathogenic SNPs, providing a time- and cost-effective alternative to experimental approaches. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study in which we analyze STAT1 gene variants using both bioinformatics and artificial-intelligence-based model tools. Full article

Kiwifruit is widely recognized for its rich nutritional composition and potential health benefits, yet comparative studies on different cultivars remain limited. In this study, we investigated the physicochemical properties, free sugar and organic acid content, and bioactive compounds in four kiwifruit cultivars: Hayward (HW), Halla Gold (HG), Jecy Gold (JG), and Sweet Gold (SG). This study aimed to determine variations in the composition of these cultivars and assess their antioxidant potential. The pH did not significantly differ among the kiwifruit cultivars. Sweetness and acidity are key sensory attributes in fruit, and SG exhibited the highest acidity, soluble solid content, and reducing sugar content. Accordingly, SG had the highest free sugar (11.25 g/100 mL) and organic acid (13.08 g/100 mL) levels. Phenolic acid (473.01 μg/mL) and flavonol (96.43 μg/mL) contents were most abundant in SG. In this cultivar, chlorogenic acid and epigallocatechin levels were the highest, while epicatechin and naringenin were detected only in SG. Finally, antioxidant activities (i.e., DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities and FRAP) were highest in SG, followed by HG, JG, and HW. The SG cultivar used in this study exhibits strong antioxidant activity, disease-suppressing effects, skin protection properties, and the potential to reduce the risk of chronic diseases due to its high phenolic compound content. These findings suggest that SG, which possesses excellent taste and functional properties, may serve as a promising candidate for the development of high-quality kiwifruit-based products. Full article

The use of natural organic extracts in nanoparticle synthesis can reduce environmental impacts and reagent costs. With that purpose in mind, a novel biosynthesis procedure for the formation of magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) using Eucalyptus globulus extract in an aqueous medium has been systematically carried out. First, the biosynthesis was optimized for various extract concentrations, prepared by decoction and infusion methods, and yielding IONPs with sizes from 4 to 9 nm. The optimum concentration was found at 5% w/v, where the biosynthesis reaction time and ammonium hydroxide amount were the lowest of all samples. This extract concentration was tested, including in replicated samples, for a scale-up process, yielding a total mass of 70 g. It was found by Rietveld and electron microscopy analyses that the structural and morphological properties, such as crystalline and particle sizes (9 nm), are equivalent when scaling the synthesis process. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy results indicated that Fe ions are atomically ordered and in a trivalent state in all samples, corroborating with structural results found by X-ray diffraction. Magnetic analysis showed that the scale-up sample exhibited ferrimagnetic-like behavior suitable for magnetic remediation performance (55 emu g⁻¹). The eucalyptus functionalization was demonstrated by thermogravimetric measurements, whereas the colloidal analysis supported the stability of the magnetic suspensions at pH = 7 (zeta potential > −20 mV). The kinetic adsorption performance indicated a fast kinetic adsorption time of 40 min and remarkable removal efficiency of 96% for lubricant removal from water (emulsion systems). The infrared analysis confirmed the presence of the eucalyptus chemical groups even after the removal experiments. These results suggest that the scale-up sample can be recovered for future and sustainable magnetic remediation processes. Full article

Bitter melon seed oil (BMSO), as a by-product of bitter gourd fruit processing, is rich in active ingredients and has unique medicinal potential. However, its solubility and dispersibility in water are poor when used directly. Therefore, this study aims to develop an eco-friendly submicron emulsion containing BMSO for intravenous injection and evaluate its safety. The BMSO submicron emulsion (BMSOSE) was prepared by high-pressure homogenization. The size, polydispersity index (PDI), ζ-potential, Turbiscan stability index (TSI), apparent viscosity, and morphology were characterized; in addition, an in vitro hemolysis test and acute toxicity test in mice were investigated in detail to evaluate the emulsion. The results demonstrated that the formulation and technological parameters of the BMSOSE were as follows: BMSO, 8% (w/w); egg yolk lecithin, 1.2% (w/w); F-68, 0.2% (w/w); pH, 5.0; homogenization pressure, 600 Pa; and number of homogenization cycle, 9. The obtained BMSOSE droplets exhibited a spherical shape with uniform size distribution with an average diameter of 221.3 nm, a PDI of 0.2, and a ζ-potential of −36 mV. There was no significant change in the fatty acid composition of BMSO and the BMSOSE. The safety tests demonstrated that the BMSOSE had no signs of hemolysis and had no toxicity to mice with LD50 > 64 mL/kg. This study provides a foundation for further development of BMSO and its preparations. Full article

Phytostabilization of metals involves the inactivation of metals in the soil through the use of various materials as soil amendments, which reduces the bioavailability of metals, and then the introduction of vegetation. There are limited data comparing the effectiveness of different phytostabilization amendments under the same soil and environmental conditions. Therefore, the aim of this research was to compare the effectiveness of a range of soil amendments on reducing the extractability of metals, metal uptake by plants, microbial activity in soil and nutrient availability to plants. Eight materials potentially limiting metal availability were used in a pot experiment: two composts (CG, CM), municipal biosolids (SB), bentonite (BEN), phosphorus fertilizer (PF), amorphous iron oxide (FE), waste rock material (WR), calcium carbonate (LM); and these materials were compared with typical fertilization (NPK) and an untreated soil as the control (CTL). The following trace metal-contaminated soils were used in the pot experiment: soil taken from the area of strong dust fall from the zinc and lead smelter (soil P); soil taken from an outcrop of ore-bearing rocks near a smelter waste heap (soil H); soil artificially polluted through smelter dust spill in the 1990s (soil S). In general, the greatest yields of plants (oat and white mustard) were recorded for compost-treated soils. Changes in the solubility of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) after the application of various amendments largely reflected changes in soil pH. Biosolids caused a significant increase in extractable Zn and Cd, which was related to the decrease in soil pH, while a significant reduction in Cd extractability was observed across soils after the application of both composts, especially the compost characterized by alkaline pH. Interestingly, low extractability of Cd in the soil with the addition of another compost was observed, despite the pH decrease, as compared to the control pots. This fact proves the high sorption capacity of the compost towards Cd. The microbiological analyses revealed the highly beneficial effect of composts for dehydrogenases and nitrification activities, and for soil respiration, whereas soil amendment with iron oxide caused an increase in respiration activity across soils. Full article

An ultrafiltration (UF) installation was used to separate the actual wastewater from a car wash. Following these studies, the plant was washed several times; however, severe membrane fouling was observed during the filtration of sterile deionised (DI) water. As a result, the permeate flux decreased by more than 50% after 5 h of the UF process. The source of the fouling was the release of deposits, particularly bacteria, from the surfaces of plant elements such as pipes and pumps. The paper presents the effectiveness of biofilm removal from the surface of the equipment during a cyclically repeated washing process. Chemical washing was carried out using acid solutions and alkaline cleaning solutions containing NaOH (pH = 11.5–12). After installation cleaning, the filtration tests were carried out using DI water as a feed. It was determined how biofouling, which develops under these conditions, reduces permeate flux. Despite 3 h of installation washing, there was a 50% reduction in flux after 10 h of UF. Repeating the installation wash (4 h) resulted in a similar decrease in flux after 4 days of UF. Stabilisation of the flux at a level of 500 LMH was achieved after an additional 5 h of washing, including application of hot (323–333 K) alkaline cleaning solutions. The number of bacteria in the biofilm collected from the surface of the membranes, the pump inlet and the surface of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) hoses forming the pipeline was also investigated. Despite repeated chemical cleaning, the number of bacteria on the pump and hose surfaces was 50–100 CFU/cm². Studies were carried out to determine which bacterial species survived the chemical cleaning of the installation. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were determined, and taxonomic characteristics of the isolated bacteria were identified. Full article

A novel protease was isolated from the fruiting bodies of the straw mushroom Volvariella volvacea. The protease was purified 13.48-fold using a series of techniques, including ammonium sulfate precipitation, ultrafiltration, diethylaminoethyl fast-flow (DEAE FF) ion-exchange chromatography, and Superdex 75 gel filtration chromatography, resulting in a specific enzyme activity of 286.82 U/mg toward casein as a substrate. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed that the purified protease had a molecular weight of 24 kDa. The enzyme exhibited optimal activity at pH 7 and 50 °C, showing sensitivity to alkaline conditions and instability at elevated temperatures. The presence of Ca²⁺ significantly enhanced enzyme activity, whereas Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ exerted strong inhibitory effects, with other metal ions showing weak inhibition. β-mercaptoethanol, Tween-80, and Triton X-100 had more pronounced inhibitory effects, whereas PMSF, EDTA, and CTAB had weaker inhibitory effects. The Michaelis constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vm) of the protease were determined to be 1.34 g/L and 3.45 μg/(mL·min), respectively. The protease exhibited a greater degree of enzymatic degradation of soybean-isolate protein (7.58%) compared to trypsin (5.24%), with the enzyme product containing a high percentage of medicinal amino acids (73.54%), particularly phenylalanine (Phe) and arginine (Arg), suggesting their presence at the enzyme’s active site. These findings suggest that the protease from V. volvacea holds promising potential for applications in the food industry, particularly in protein hydrolysate production and flavor enhancement. Full article

In recent years, the electrochemical conversion of CO₂ gasses into renewable fuels (e.g., ethylene, ethanol, and propanol) has attracted much attention. In this process, electrocatalysts play a crucial role in accelerating the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) process. In this review, the role of electrocatalysts in the synthesis of C₂₊ products (e.g., ethanol, ethylene, and propanol) from CO₂ was investigated. To this end, various classifications of electrocatalysts such as metals, metal oxides, metal alloys, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), carbon-based electrocatalysts, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their utilization in CO₂ conversion into C₂₊ chemicals were fully investigated. Also, the impact of various factors such as catalyst stability, temperature, membrane type, pressure, current density, pH, and the type of electrolyte on the CO₂RR process to generate C₂₊ valuable products was investigated. Moreover, the mechanism of this process for producing renewable fuels was investigated. Furthermore, the limitations and future perspective of CO₂RR were surveyed. Finally, the industrial application of this process for producing value-added products was investigated. Based on our investigation, Cu and Cu₂O-based electrocatalysts are suitable catalysts for C₂₊ products, particularly ethylene and ethanol. Full article

Heavy metals, extensively used in various industrial applications, are among the most significant environmental pollutants due to their hazardous effects on human health and other living organisms. Removing these pollutants from the environment is essential. In this study, activated carbon (AC) (Carbon C) was employed to eliminate Pb(II) from water. The optimal removal conditions were determined as follows: a 50 mg dose of activated carbon, an initial Pb(II) concentration of 100 mg/L, pH 4, a temperature of 30 °C, and a contact time of 60 min Under these conditions, activated carbon achieved a Pb(II) removal efficiency of approximately 97.86%. The adsorption data for Pb(II) closely aligned with the 2nd-order kinetic model, and the equilibrium data were effectively described by the Langmuir isotherm equation. The maximum adsorption capacity of Pb(II), as determined by the Langmuir model, was 48.75 mg/g. These methods were successfully applied to remove Pb(II) from various environmental and industrial wastewater samples. To accurately predict the percentage of Pb(II) removal based on parameters such as pollutant type, carbon dosage, pH, initial concentration, temperature, and treatment duration, feed-forward neural networks (FFNNs) were utilized. The FFNN model demonstrated outstanding predictive accuracy, achieving a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.03 and an R² value of 0.996. Full article

Cannabis sativa is used for multiple purposes, notably for its medicinal properties. It produces various secondary metabolites, including cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, which have therapeutic value and typically produce high amounts in female plants. The growth of the global cannabis market has led to intensive breeding efforts to develop elite cultivars with enhanced secondary metabolite profiles. As a dioecious and anemophilous plant, it produces staminate and pistillate inflorescences on separate plants and relies on wind for pollination, rendering traditional propagation methods challenging owing to high genetic recombination in progeny. Consequently, asexual propagation (micropropagation) is commonly employed to maintain female clones entirely. Micropropagation/direct organogenesis is a tissue culture technique that produces numerous disease-free clone plants in vitro more rapidly than traditional rooted cuttings. Factors such as sterilization, hormonal balance, explant type, nutrient additives, carbon source, pH, and environment influence the success of cultivar-specific micropropagation. In this review, we discussed how these factors affect cannabis micropropagation based on recent findings, emphasizing the importance of optimizing cultivar-specific protocols for long-term germplasm conservation and efficient breeding based on a mechanistic background. Full article

The present study aims to create porous materials through the acid activation of bentonites using 0.5 M oxalic acid at different pH values. Two types of bentonites (containing aluminum montmorillonite and ferruginous montmorillonite) were treated with oxalate solutions at pH 1 to 5. During acid activation at the three pH values, Al, Fe, Mg and Si kinetics were monitored; the porosity of the samples was modified; and the specific surface area increased, while the crystal structure did not completely collapse. The optimum conditions occurred at pH 1, where the highest metal leaching was obtained for both samples. For the sample with aluminum smectite, the specific surface increased from 28.1 m²/g to 149 m²/g and the pore volume quadrupled. In the case of samples with ferruginous smectite, the specific surface area rose from 63. 2 m²/g to 372 m²/g and the pore volume increased sixfold. The mechanism of smectite activation was investigated, revealing that at the optimum experimental conditions, which is ferruginous bentonite activation at pH 1, the products have the highest concentration of small 30 to 50 Å pores, which is attributed to the creation of an adequate number of active sites and the formation of aluminum complexes with the oxalate anions. The modified bentonites have elevated porosity; therefore, they could be used as adsorbents in industry. Full article