Search Results (16,030)

This paper presents the constitution of a computationally intelligent self-adaptive steering controller for a lawn-mowing robot to yield robust trajectory tracking and disturbance rejection behavior. The conventional fixed-gain proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control procedure lacks the flexibility to deal with the environmental indeterminacies, coupling issues, and intrinsic nonlinear dynamics associated with the aforementioned nonholonomic system. Hence, this article contributes to formulating a self-adaptive single-neuron PID control system that is driven by an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to ensure efficient learning and faster convergence speeds. The neural adaptive PID control formulation improves the controller’s design flexibility, which allows it to effectively attenuate the tracking errors and improve the system’s trajectory tracking accuracy. To supplement the controller’s robustness to exogenous disturbances, the adaptive PID control signal is modulated with an auxiliary fuzzy-immune system. The fuzzy-immune system imitates the automatic self-learning and self-tuning characteristics of the biological immune system to suppress bounded disturbances and parametric variations. The propositions above are verified by performing the tailored hardware in the loop experiments on a differentially driven lawn-mowing robot. The results of these experiments confirm the enhanced trajectory tracking precision and disturbance compensation ability of the prescribed control method. Full article

In neuroscience research, chiral metabolomics is an emerging field, in which D-amino acids play an important role as potential biomarkers for neurological diseases. The targeted chiral analysis of the brain metabolome, employing liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS), is a pivotal approach for the identification of biomarkers for neurological diseases. This review provides an overview of D-amino acids in neurological diseases and of the state-of-the-art strategies for the enantioselective analysis of chiral amino acids (AAs) in biological samples to investigate their putative role as biomarkers for neurological diseases. Fluctuations in D-amino acids (D-AAs) levels can be related to the pathology of neurological diseases, for example, through their role in the modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and neurotransmission. Because of the trace presence of these biomolecules in mammals and the complex nature of biological matrices, highly sensitive and selective analytical methods are essential. Derivatization strategies with chiral reagents are highlighted as critical tools for enhancing detection capabilities. The latest advances in chiral derivatization reactions, coupled to LC-MS/MS analysis, have improved the enantioselective quantification of these AAs and allow the separation of several chiral metabolites in a single analytical run. The enhanced performances of these methods can provide an accurate correlation between specific D-AA profiles and disease states, allowing for a better understanding of neurological diseases and drug effects on the brain. Full article

Background: Endurance athletes require tailored nutrition strategies to optimize performance, recovery, and training adaptations. While traditional sports nutrition guidelines provide a foundational framework, individual variability in metabolic responses underscores the need for precision nutrition, informed by genetic, biological, and environmental factors. This scoping review evaluates the application of systems biology-driven sports nutrition for endurance athletes, focusing on ‘omics’ and wearable technologies. Methods: A scoping review of the literature was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Research questions, search strategies, and eligibility criteria were guided by the Population–Concept–Context framework with the following inclusion criteria: original research in English, involving endurance athletes, systems biology approaches, and nutritional interventions or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Results: Fifty-two studies were included, with distance runners as the most studied cohort. Eleven studies used metagenomics, eleven CGM, ten nutrigenetics, ten metabolomics, seven multi-omics, one proteomics, one epigenomics, and one lipidomics. Over half (n = 31; 60%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with generally high methodological quality. Conclusions: Most studies were proof-of-concept investigations aimed at assessing biomarkers; however, the evidence linking these biomarkers to performance, recovery, and long-term health outcomes in endurance athletes remains insufficient. Future research should focus on well-powered replicated crossover RCTs, multivariate N-of-1 clinical trials, 360-degree systems-wide approaches, and the validation of genetic impacts on nutritional interventions to refine dietary guidelines. Full article

The present study investigated the changes in the organoleptic characteristics, nutraceuticals, and antioxidant activity of tomato fruits subjected to different thermal processes: tomato sauce (80 °C for 30 min), blanching treatment (100 °C for 10 s), and the superheated steam method (SHS; 100 °C for 7 min) compared with fresh tomato fruit. Even though SHS negatively modified the color of the product (L* −7% than fresh tomatoes), it was the only technology able to increase the antioxidant activity compared with fresh tomatoes (e.g., +40.3% in ABTS assay), whilst lycopene and ascorbic acid contents reported similar values to fresh tomatoes. Regarding lycopene, only 5Z-lycopene (with a higher bioavailability than (all-E)-isomers) was found in all samples, and SHS maintained the same level observed in fresh tomato fruit. Furthermore, SHS technology preserved the antioxidant effects of fresh tomato extract even in human endothelial cells. This result confirmed those obtained in previous “cell-free” assays and demonstrated that SHS treatment significantly maintains the biological properties of tomato fruit in preventing oxidative stress. However, heat-treated tomato extracts did not show the same effects as fresh tomato extract against noradrenaline-induced vasoconstriction in isolated rat aortic rings. This study demonstrates that the use of SHS technology can be considered an innovative and sustainable thermal process (in terms of maintaining the nutraceutical quality) for tomato fruits, thus paving the way for future investigations on the effects of fresh and heat-treated tomatoes after intestinal absorption in vitro and in vivo. Full article

Ambrosia artemisiifolia is a well-known invasive species in Europe, causing health issues with its extremely allergenic pollen and yield loss through competition in agriculture. One potential biological control agent is Ophraella communa, accidentally introduced in Europe in 2013. This species was discovered in France in 2023, but before planning further mass releases for biological control, it is necessary to assess its safety for agricultural crops and local plant biodiversity. Prior to its first detection in France, we conducted a host-range study of the beetle in a confined laboratory with no-choice and choice tests for 16 plant species, selected based on the centrifugal phylogenetic method. Results showed a restricted host range to the Heliantheae tribe and minimal risk to indigenous European plant species, with no larval survival and barely any eggs laid on these plants. Choice tests also showed a strong preference of O. communa for A. artemisiifolia. Our results combined with previous studies and observations in the field in other countries suggest a low risk to sunflower, Helianthus annuus, which is an important crop in France. This confirms that O. communa could be a low-risk biological control agent that can be used in classical biological control programs against A. artemisiifolia in France. Full article

Alterations in metabolism caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection have been highlighted in various investigations and have been used to search for biomarkers in different biological matrices. However, the selected biomarkers vary greatly across studies. Our objective is to provide a robust selection of biomarkers, including results from different sample treatments in the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in urine samples from patients with COVID-19. Between September 2021 and May 2022, urine samples were collected from 35 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 32 healthy controls. The samples were analyzed by headspace (HS) solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Analyses were conducted on untreated urine samples and on samples that underwent specific pretreatments: lyophilization and treatment with sulfuric acid. Partial Least Squares Linear Discriminant Analysis (PLS-LDA) and Subwindow Permutation Analysis (SPA) models were established to distinguish patterns between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. The results identify compounds that are present in different proportions in urine samples from COVID-19 patients compared to those from healthy individuals. Analysis of urine samples using HS-SPME-GC-MS reveals differences between COVID-19 patients and healthy individuals. These differences are more pronounced when methods that enhance VOC formation are used. However, these pretreatments can cause reactions between sample components, creating additional products or removing compounds, so biomarker selection could be altered. Therefore, using a combination of methods may be more informative when evaluating metabolic alterations caused by viral infections and would allow for a better selection of biomarkers. Full article

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma acquired resistance to chemotherapy poses a major limitation to patient survival. Despite understanding some biological mechanisms of chemoresistance, much about those mechanisms remains to be uncovered. Mechanobiology, which studies the physical properties of cells, holds promise as a potential target for addressing the challenges of chemoresistance in PDAC. Therefore, we, here in an initial step, assessed the altered mechanobiology of PDAC cells with acquired chemoresistance to gemcitabine and paclitaxel. Methods: Five PDAC cell lines and six stably resistant subclones were assessed for force generation on elastic micropillar arrays. Those measurements of mechanical phenotype were complemented by single-cell motility and invasion in 3D collagen-based matrix assays. Further, the nuclear translocation of Yes-associated protein (YAP), as a measure of active mechanical status, was compared, and biomarkers of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were evaluated using RT-qPCR. Results: The PDAC cells with acquired chemoresistance exert higher traction forces than their parental/wild-type (WT) cells. In 2D, single-cell motility was altered for all the chemoresistant cells, with a cell-type specific pattern. In 3D, the spheroids of the chemoresistant PDAC cells were able to invade the matrix and remodel collagen more than their WT clones. However, YAP nuclear translocation and EMT were not significantly altered in relation to changes in other physical parameters. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate and report on the altered mechanobiological features of PDAC cells that have acquired chemoresistance. A better understanding of mechanical features could help in identifying future targets to overcome chemoresistance in PDAC. Full article

With the intensification of global climate change and environmental stress, research on abiotic and biotic stress resistance in maize is particularly important. High temperatures and drought, low temperatures, heavy metals, salinization, and diseases are widespread stress factors that can reduce maize yields and are a focus of maize-breeding research. Molecular biology provides new opportunities for the study of maize and other plants. This article reviews the physiological and biochemical responses of maize to high temperatures and drought, low temperatures, heavy metals, salinization, and diseases, as well as the molecular mechanisms associated with them. Special attention is given to key transcription factors in signal transduction pathways and their roles in regulating maize stress adaptability. In addition, the application of transcriptomics, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and QTL technology provides new strategies for the identification of molecular markers and genes for maize-stress-resistance traits. Crop genetic improvements through gene editing technologies such as the CRISPR/Cas system provide a new avenue for the development of new stress-resistant varieties. These studies not only help to understand the molecular basis of maize stress responses but also provide important scientific evidence for improving crop tolerance through molecular biological methods. Full article

Background/Objectives: Due to the high frequency and severity of upper respiratory bacterial infections, probiotics could offer a new medical approach. We explored the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of the new strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BIA and formulated a nasal spray. Methods: L. plantarum BIA was isolated from orange peel and taxonomically identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Its antibacterial activity was tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, while anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated by Griess assay. BIA genome was fully sequenced and analyzed to assess its safety. BIA was formulated in a freeze-dried matrix, containing prebiotics and cryoprotectants, to be reconstituted with a polymer solution. Solutions containing two types of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and hyaluronic acid were evaluated as resuspending media and compared in terms of pH, viscosity, and mucoadhesion ability. The biological activity of BIA formulated as nasal spray was verified together with the stability of the selected formulations. Results: L. plantarum BIA inhibited human pathogens’ growth and showed anti-inflammatory activity and a safe profile. In the best-performing formulation, the probiotic is lyophilized in 10% fructooligosaccharides, 0.1% ascorbic acid, and 0.5% lactose and reconstituted with HPMC high viscosity 1% w/v. This composition ensured the probiotic’s viability for up to six months in its dried form and one week after reconstitution. It also allowed interaction with the nasal mucosa, preserving its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. Conclusion: The developed nasal spray could become a promising formulation in the field of nasal infectious and inflammatory diseases. Full article

Aloe vera is well known for its biological properties as a bioflavonoid anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent. It has been used frequently in the food sector as a food coating due to its hygroscopic properties and as an ingredient in the lucrative cosmetic industry. Studies have also included aloe vera as an eco-friendly green solution based on these properties. The current research focuses on the use of aloe vera gel in printing pastes as an alternative sustainable solution to synthetic thickeners, evaluating its wet performance and ease of fabric stitching, and has been inspired by studies that similarly used this substance and measured its effect on the fabric’s coefficient of friction and antimicrobial action. In the current study, printing pastes with natural colourants, such as saffron, curcumin, and annatto, and aloe vera gel thickener derived from natural leaves from Crete increased the fabric’s mechanical resistance to abrasion compared to the untreated pastes. The measured performance did not differ substantially from prints with traditional synthetic pastes, hence tolerating the substitution with the non-contaminant variant. The enhanced resistance to abrasion and wear extends the fabric’s serviceable life and resulting garments, decreasing the need for high industry processing volumes and, as a result, reducing pollution. The resistance to wear was evaluated using the dominant method in textile testing of the Martindale apparatus, which measured the cycles to failure, weight loss, and general appearance deterioration using the official photographic standards. Full article

The multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family is the latest class of novel secondary transporters discovered in plants. However, there is currently no comprehensive analysis of the MATE gene family in the tea plant. In this study, 68 CsMATE genes were identified from the tea plant genome using bioinformatic methods. In general, we analyzed the evolutionary relationships, intron–exon structure, distribution in chromosomes, conserved domains, and gene expression patterns in different tissues and stresses of the CsMATE gene family. The 68 CsMATEs were phylogenetically divided into four major clusters (Class I to Class IV). The CsMATE genes within the same class exhibit similar structural features, while displaying certain distinctions across different classes. Evolutionary analysis indicated that the CsMATE gene family expanded mainly through gene duplication events, in addition to proximal duplication. Through the analysis of cis-acting elements, it was found that CsMATE genes may be involved in the growth, development, and stress response. Furthermore, we observed that certain CsMATE genes could be induced to exhibit expression under abiotic stress conditions such as low temperature, high salinity (NaCl), osmotic stress (PEG), and methyl jasmonate treatment (MeJA). The findings presented herein offer a crucial theoretical foundation for elucidating the biological functions of CsMATE genes, particularly in response to abiotic stress, and furnish valuable potential genetic resources for tea plant resistance breeding. Full article

Organic molecular fluorophores have been extensively utilized for biological imaging in the visible and the first near-infrared windows. However, their applications in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window remain constrained, primarily due to the insufficient fluorescence brightness. Herein, we employ a theoretical protocol combining the thermal vibration correlation function with the time-dependent density functional theory method to investigate the mechanism of the planar-twisted strategy for developing fluorophores with balanced NIR-II emission and fluorescence brightness. Based on a planar donor–acceptor–donor molecular skeleton, various ortho-positioned alkyl side chains with steric hindrances are tactfully incorporated into the backbone to construct a series of twisted fluorophores. Photophysical characterizations of the studied fluorophores demonstrate that the emission spectra located in the NIR-II region exhibited a hypsochromic shift with the structural distortion. Notably, conformational twisting significantly accelerated the radiative decay rate while simultaneously suppressing the nonradiative decay rate, resulting in an improved fluorescence quantum efficiency (FQE). This enhancement can be mainly attributed to both the enlarged adiabatic excitation energy and reduced nonadiabatic electronic coupling between the first excited state and the ground state. Compared with the planar fluorophore, the twisted structures possessed a more than fivefold increase in FQE. In particular, the optimal twisted fluorophore BBTD-4 demonstrated a desirable fluorescence brightness (16.59 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹) on the premise of typical NIR-II emission (980 nm), making it a promising candidate for NIR-II fluorescence imaging in biomedical applications. The findings in this study elucidate the available experimental observations on the analogues, highlighting a feasible approach to modulating the photophysical performances of NIR-II chromophores for developing more highly efficient fluorophores toward optical imaging applications. Full article

Accurately extracting underwater images has never been more challenging, as the lack of clarity of detail due to issues such as scattering and light absorption is more noticeable than ever before. This research method addresses these problems while clarifying the limitations of existing methods and proposes a comprehensive approach to underwater image processing. Current methods tend to focus only on the effects of individual factors, such as color shifts, visibility, or contrast enhancement, and do not take into account biological vision applications. In contrast, the method proposed in this paper applies a color correction module that takes into account the effects of biological vision in LAB color space, and an enhanced Type-II Fuzzy set visibility enhancement module. This synchronized approach overcomes the limitations of the previous methods in that the contrast enhancement utilizes a curve transform and a multi-scale fusion strategy that preserves the essential image details. The framework not only adjusts the overall image features, but also finely handles the local details, resulting in a significant enhancement of both the overall quality and the local detail clarity of underwater images. The experimental results demonstrate that the application of the method of this study on two datasets gives results that are better than those of the top 10 existing algorithms. By explicitly addressing the limitations of existing methods, the method becomes an advantageous solution in underwater image processing, providing enhancements in image quality and task-specific applications in a concise and efficient manner. Full article

Background/Objectives: The escalating challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) necessitates the development of targeted antibiotic delivery platforms, minimising systemic administration. Polymer-based drug delivery emerges as a promising solution, ensuring sustained release and prolonged efficacy of bioactive compounds, ensuring long-term efficacy. Methods: This study focuses on encapsulating rifampicin (RIF), a key antibiotic for orthopaedic and wound-related infections, within Poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), a biodegradable polymer, through solvent casting, to formulate a PLGA-RIF composite membrane. Comprehensive characterisation, employing Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), confirmed the integrity of both the starting and produced materials. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed a controlled drug release profile over 21 days in various media, with the chosen media influencing the drug release, notably the tryptic soya broth (TSB) caused the highest release. The quantitative assessment of the antimicrobial efficacy of the developed PLGA-RIF composite was conducted by measuring the size of the inhibition zones against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Results: The results confirmed the composite’s potential as a robust antibacterial biomaterial, demonstrating a rapid and effective antibacterial response. Cytocompatibility tests incorporated human fibroblast and osteoblast-like cell lines and demonstrated that the RIF:PLGA (1:8) formulation maintained eukaryotic cell viability, indicating the composite’s potential for targeted medical applications in combating bacterial infections with minimal systemic impact. Conclusions: This study presents the significance of investigating drug release within appropriate and relevant physiological media. A key novelty of this work therefore lies in the exploration of drug release dynamics across different media, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of how varying physiological conditions may influence drug release and its effect on biological responses. Full article

The Guangling Large-Tailed sheep is renowned for its unique tail fat deposition, with a significant proportion of its total body fat being localized in the tail region. Fat deposition is a complex biological process regulated by various molecular mechanisms. Our previous studies have identified a large number of differentially expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the tail adipose tissue of the Guangling Large-Tailed sheep. These circRNAs may play a pivotal role in the process of fat deposition. Given the potential regulatory functions of circRNAs in adipose metabolism, investigating their roles in tail fat deposition is of significant scientific importance. In this study, we identified novel circARID1A. Using various experimental methods, including lentivirus infection, RNase R treatment, actinomycin D assay, qPCR, western blotting, and dual-luciferase reporter assays, we determined that circARID1A inhibits the expression of miR-493-3p through competitive binding, thereby regulating adipocyte differentiation. Further research revealed that miR-493-3p promotes adipocyte differentiation by targeting YTH domain family 2 (YTHDF2), and this regulatory effect is also influenced by circARID1A. In conclusion, our findings suggest that circARID1A inhibits tail fat cell differentiation in the Guangling Large-Tailed sheep through the circARID1A/miR-493-3p/YTHDF2 axis, providing theoretical support for improving meat quality and fat deposition in sheep. Full article