Search Results (56,796)

In modern electrical grids, the numbers of customer-owned distributed energy resources (DERs) have increased, and consequently, so have the numbers of points of common coupling (PCC) between the electrical grid and customer-owned DERs. The disruptive operation of and out-of-tolerance outputs from DERs, especially owned DERs, present a risk to power system operations. A common protective measure is to use relays located at the PCC to isolate poorly behaving or out-of-tolerance DERs from the grid. Ensuring the integrity of the data from these relays at the PCC is vital, and blockchain technology could enhance the security of modern electrical grids by providing an accurate means to translate operational constraints into actions/commands for relays. This study demonstrates an advanced power system application solution using distributed ledger technology (DLT) with smart contracts to manage the relay operation at the PCC. The smart contract defines the allowable total power factor (TPF) of the DER output, and the terms of the smart contract are implemented using DLT with a Cyber Grid Guard (CGG) system for a customer-owned DER (wind farm). This article presents flowcharts for the TPF smart contract implemented by the CGG using DLT. The test scenarios were implemented using a real-time simulator containing a CGG system and relay in-the-loop. The data collected from the CGG system were used to execute the TPF smart contract. The desired TPF limits on the grid-side were between +0.9 and +1.0, and the operation of the breakers in the electrical grid and DER sides was controlled by the relay consistent with the provisions of the smart contract. The events from the real-time simulator, CGG, and relay showed a successful implementation of the TPF smart contract with CGG using DLT, proving the efficacy of this approach in general for implementing electrical grid applications for utilities with connections to customer-owned DERs. Full article

This study evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of methanolic extracts derived from oilseed cakes of Lactuca sativa (lettuce), Nigella sativa (black seed), Eruca sativa (rocket), and Linum usitatissimum (linseed). Lettuce methanolic extract showed the highest potential, so it was selected for further investigation. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) analysis and bioassay-guided fractionation of lettuce seed cake extract led to the isolation of five compounds: 1,3-propanediol-2-amino-1-(3′,4′-methylenedioxyphenyl) (1), luteolin (2), luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (3), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (4), and β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucoside (5). Compound (1) was identified from Lactuca species for the first time, with high yield. The cytotoxic effects of the isolated compounds were tested on liver (HepG2) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines, compared to normal cells (WI-38). Compounds (2), (3), and (4) exhibited strong activity in all assays, while compound (1) showed weak antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic effects. The anti-inflammatory activity of lettuce seed cake extract and compound (1) was evaluated in vivo using a carrageenan-induced paw oedema model. Compound (1) and its combination with ibuprofen significantly reduced paw oedema, lowered inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, TNF-α, PGE2), and restored antioxidant enzyme activity. Additionally, compound (1) showed promising COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition in an in vitro enzymatic anti-inflammatory assay, with IC₅₀ values of 17.31 ± 0.65 and 4.814 ± 0.24, respectively. Molecular docking revealed unique interactions of compound (1) with COX-1 and COX-2, suggesting the potential for targeted inhibition. These findings underscore the value of oilseed cakes as a source of bioactive compounds that merit further investigation. Full article

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), a gram-negative bacterium, is a notorious, world-wide plant pathogen with an extended latent period that presents a challenge for early disease detection and control interventions. We used thermal imaging of tissue-cultured, experimentally Xf-infected blueberry plants to identify visually pre-symptomatic leaves and compared the minimum force required to dislodge symptomatic leaves from infected plants to leaves on uninfected (control) blueberry plants. For two different blueberry cultivars and one pathogenic isolate of X. fastidiosa, we found no statistical difference between the mean downward force for leaf dislodgement, regardless of symptom category, on Xf-infected blueberry plants. That force was about 50% to 30% of the mean force to remove leaves from uninfected blueberry plants depending on the cultivar. These results indicate that visually pre-symptomatic leaves may be just as readily lost under field conditions as visually symptomatic leaves, both of which are important for early disease detection. Second, some thermally symptomatic and visually symptomatic leaves appeared to self-prune (abscise) and this may be an unrecognized early symptom of Xf-caused disease in blueberries. Last, it is possible that the self-pruning of visually asymptomatic leaves may occur in other agriculturally and culturally important plants infected by X. fastidiosa, but this remains an unrecognized early disease symptom. Full article

According to the requirements of the small double-pulse solid rocket motor, a compartmentalized isolation device has been designed. This device consists of a metal diaphragm and a support frame. An experimental study and numerical simulation were used to verify the bidirectional working process of the metal diaphragm during operation of the double-pulse motor. The results show that the pressure-bearing capacity of the metal diaphragm meets the requirements under the working conditions of pulse I without affecting pulse II, because the metal diaphragm can provide insulation and flame retardancy. The metal diaphragm can be cracked in the direction of the preset V-groove in a relatively short time under the working conditions of pulse II, which allows the gas to flow to the first pulse combustion chamber normally. This indicates that the metal diaphragm can meet the requirements of bidirectional working process in dual-pulse motors. Full article

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are probiotic microorganisms widely used for their health benefits in the food industry. However, recent concerns regarding their safety have highlighted the need for comprehensive safety assessments. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety of L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601, isolated from homemade plain yogurt, via genomic, phenotypic, and toxicity-based analyses. L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 possessed a single circular chromosome of 1,865,001 bp, with a GC content of 49.72%, and 1910 predicted coding sequences. No virulence or antibiotic resistance genes were detected. Although L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 exhibited antibiotic resistance to gentamicin and kanamycin, this resistance is an intrinsic feature of this species. L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 did not produce biogenic amines and did not exhibit hemolytic activity. Phenotypic analysis of enzyme activity and carbohydrate fermentation profiles revealed the metabolic features of L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601. Moreover, no deaths or abnormalities were observed in single-dose oral toxicity tests, suggesting that L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 has no adverse effect on human health. Finally, L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 inhibited the growth of potential carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Therefore, our results suggest that L. bulgaricus IDCC 3601 is a safe probiotic strain for human consumption. Full article

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) affects a large part of the aging population. It is characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxia and associated with neurocognitive dysfunction. One hypothesis is that the blood–brain barrier (BBB) functions could be altered by exosomes. Exosomes are nanovesicles found in biological fluids. Through the study of exosomes and their content in tau and amyloid beta (Aβ), the aim of this study was to show how exosomes could be used as biomarkers of OSAS and of their cognitive disorders. Two groups of 15 volunteers from the PROOF cohort were selected: severe apnea (AHI > 30) and control (AHI < 5). After exosome isolation from blood serum, we characterized and quantified them (CD81, CD9, CD63) by western blot and ELISAs and put them 5 h in contact with an in vitro BBB model. The apparent permeability of the BBB was measured using sodium-fluorescein and TEER. Cell ELISAs were performed on tight junctions (ZO-1, claudin-5, occludin). The amount of tau and Aβ proteins found in the exosomes was quantified using ELISAs. Compared to controls, OSAS patients had a greater quantity of exosomes, tau, and Aβ proteins in their blood sera, which induced an increase in BBB permeability in the model and was reflected by a loss of tight junction’ expression. Elderly patients suffering severe OSAS released more exosomes in serum from the brain compartment than controls. Such exosomes increased BBB permeability. The impact of such alterations on the risk of developing cognitive dysfunction and/or neurodegenerative diseases is questioned. Full article

The epigenetic variation in protoplast regeneration is a topic that has attracted interest recently. To elucidate the role of DNA methylation in the regeneration of protoplasts from the ponkan (Citrus reticulata), this study employs the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) molecular marker technique to analyze changes in DNA methylation levels and patterns during the isolation and culture of protoplasts from ponkan and tobacco. Additionally, differential DNA methylation fragments are cloned, sequenced, and subjected to bioinformatics analysis. The results reveal that, for non-regenerable ponkan mesophyll protoplasts, DNA methylation levels increase by 3.98% after isolation and then show a trend of initial decrease followed by an increase during culture. In contrast, for regenerable ponkan callus protoplasts and tobacco mesophyll protoplasts, DNA methylation levels decrease by 1.75% and 2.33%, respectively, after isolation. During culture, the DNA methylation levels of ponkan callus protoplasts first increase and then decrease, while those of tobacco mesophyll protoplasts show an opposite trend of initial decrease followed by an increase. Regarding DNA methylation patterns, ponkan mesophyll protoplasts exhibit primarily hypermethylation changes accompanied by a small amount of gene demethylation, whereas ponkan callus protoplasts are dominated by demethylation changes with some genes undergoing hypermethylation. The methylation exhibits dynamic changes in protoplast isolation regeneration. By recovering, cloning, sequencing, and performing BLASTn alignment analysis on specific methylation modification sites in the ponkan, 18 DNA sequences with high homology are identified which are found to be involved in various biological functions, thereby establishing a foundational basis for genetic editing in protoplasts. Full article

Background and Objective: The alteration of mitochondrial functions, especially the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), has been proposed as a key mechanism in the development of lesions in cerebral ischemia, wherefore it is considered as an important target for drugs against ischemic injury. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of mitochondrial complex I inhibitors as possible regulators of mPTP using an in vitro brain ischemia model of the pentobarbital/ketamine (PBK)-anesthetized rats. Results: We found that PBK anesthesia itself delayed Ca²⁺-induced mPTP opening and partially recovered the respiratory functions of mitochondria, isolated from rat brain cortex and cerebellum. In addition, PBK reduced cell death in rat brain slices of cerebral cortex and cerebellum. PBK inhibited the adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-stimulated respiration of isolated cortical and cerebellar mitochondria respiring with complex I-dependent substrates pyruvate and malate. Moreover, pentobarbital alone directly increased the resistance of isolated cortex mitochondria to Ca²⁺-induced activation of mPTP and inhibited complex I-dependent respiration and mitochondrial complex I activity. In contrast, ketamine had no direct effect on functions of isolated normal cortex and cerebellum mitochondria. Conclusions: Altogether, this suggests that modulation of mitochondrial complex I activity by pentobarbital during PBK anesthesia may increase the resistance of mitochondria to mPTP opening, which is considered the key event in brain cell necrosis during ischemia. Full article

Background: Schizophrenia (SZ) is a multifactorial chronic psychiatric disorder with a worldwide prevalence of 1%. Altered expression of PLCβ occurs in SZ patients, suggesting alterations in the PLCβ/IP₃/Ca²⁺ signaling pathway. This cascade regulates critical cellular processes in all cell types, including the neuronal lineage; however, there is scarce evidence regarding the functionality of this transduction signaling in neuronal cells derived from SZ patients. Objective: We evaluated the functionality of the PLCβ/IP₃/Ca²⁺ pathway in olfactory neuronal precursor cells (hONPCs) obtained from SZ patients. Methods: Cryopreserved hONPCs isolated from SZ patients and healthy subjects (HS) were thawed. The cellular types in subcultures were corroborated by immunodetection of the multipotency and lineage markers SOX-2, Musashi-1, nestin, and β-III tubulin. The PLCβ/IP₃/Ca²⁺ pathway was activated by GPCR (G_q) ligands (ATP, UTP, serotonin, and epinephrine). In addition, PLCβ and IP₃R were directly stimulated by perfusing cells with the activators m-3M3FBS and ADA, respectively. Cytosolic Ca²⁺ was measured by microfluorometry and by Ca²⁺ imaging. The amount and subcellular distribution of the PLCβ1 and PLCβ3 isoforms were evaluated by confocal immunofluorescence. IP₃ concentration was measured by ELISA. Results: The results show that the increase of cytosolic Ca²⁺ triggered by GPCR ligands or directly through either PLCβ or IP₃R activation was significantly lower in SZ-derived hONPCs, regarding HS-derived cells. Moreover, the relative amount of the PLCβ1 and PLCβ3 isoforms and IP₃ production stimulated with m-3M3FBS were reduced in SZ-derived cells. Conclusions: Our results suggest an overall functional impairment in the PLCβ/IP₃/Ca²⁺ signaling pathway in SZ-derived hONPCs. Full article

The Namib Desert is characterized by a number of abiotic stresses, including high temperature, high salinity, osmotic pressure, alkaline pH, and limited water availability. In such environments, dry soils typically exhibit a low water potential, scarce nutrients, and high concentrations of dissolved ions, collectively creating a challenging habitat for microbial life. In this study, 89 bacterial isolates belonging to 20 genera were identified. Bacteria demonstrated significant osmotolerance, with some strains thriving at polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations exceeding 20%. Furthermore, these bacteria demonstrated halotolerance, high pH tolerance, and capacity to produce plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits under conditions of osmotic stress. Osmotolerant bacteria exhibited higher proficiency in siderophore production, potassium solubilization, and phosphorus solubilization, all of which are critical for supporting plant growth in nutrient-scarce and stressful environments, such as deserts. However, alginate production was higher in isolates that were less osmotolerant, indicating the potential for a compensatory mechanism in strains that were more sensitive. These findings highlight the complex strategies employed by desert bacteria to survive and support host plants in extreme environments. The present study not only enhances our understanding of microbial adaptations in arid ecosystems, but also provides important information for the development of potential applications for these bacteria in the reclamation of arid land and agricultural practices aimed at improving crop resilience to abiotic stress. Full article

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the most important fibre crop worldwide. Black root rot and Fusarium wilt are two major diseases of cotton caused by soil-borne Berkeleyomyces rouxiae and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov), respectively. Phenotyping plant symptoms caused by soil-borne pathogens has always been a challenge. To increase the uniformity of infection, we adapted a seedling screening method that directly uses liquid cultures to inoculate the plant roots and the soil. Four isolates, each of B. rouxiae and Fov, were collected from cotton fields in Australia and were characterised for virulence on cotton under controlled plant growth conditions. While the identities of all four B. rouxiae isolates were confirmed by multilocus sequencing, only two of them were found to be pathogenic on cotton, suggesting variability in the ability of isolates of this species to cause disease. The four Fov isolates were phylogenetically clustered together with the other Australian Fov isolates and displayed both external and internal symptoms characteristic of Fusarium wilt on cotton plants. Furthermore, the isolates appeared to induce varied levels of plant disease severity indicating differences in their virulence on cotton. To contrast the virulence of the Fov isolates, four putatively non-pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) isolates collected from cotton seedlings exhibiting atypical wilt symptoms were assessed for their ability to colonise cotton host. Despite the absence of Secreted in Xylem genes (SIX6, SIX11, SIX13 and SIX14) characteristic of Fov, all four Fo isolates retained the ability to colonise cotton and induce wilt symptoms. This suggests that slightly virulent strains of Fo may contribute to the overall occurrence of Fusarium wilt in cotton fields. Findings from this study will allow better distinction to be made between plant pathogens and endophytes and allow fungal effectors underpinning pathogenicity to be explored. Full article

The prevalence of plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) in the Irish peatlands was investigated in five different peatland habitats—raised bog, cutover scrub/woodlands, fens and peat grasslands, which were further sub-categorised into fourteen different sub-habitats. Within the raised bog habitat were healthy bog hummock (HBH), healthy bog lawn (HBL), degraded bog hummock (DBH) and degraded bog lawn (DBL) and the fen habitats were fen peat (FP) and rich fen peat (R-FP). Cutover scrub or woodland habitat included cutover scrub rewetted (C-RW), cutover scrub non-rewetted (C-NRW), woodlands rewetted (W-RW) and woodlands non-rewetted (W-NRW). Grassland included wasted peat (WP), rough grazing (RG-I) and improved fen peat grassland (IFPG-RW and IFPG-NRW). Soil samples from peatlands were all collected between July and December 2023 when the temperature ranged from 12 to 20 °C. One half of each sample was used for molecular nematode analysis and the other half for morphological identification of nematodes. For the morphological identification, a specific nematode extraction protocol was optimised for peatland soils, and the extracted nematodes were fixed onto slides to be studied under a high-power light microscope. Subsequently, the other part of the soil was processed to isolate total DNA, from which the 18S rRNA gene was sequenced for the identification of nematode taxa. The extracted DNA was also used for randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting analysis to determine banding patterns that could classify different bog habitats based on PPN random primers. Compared to that in the climax habitats (HBH, HBL, DBH, DBL, FP, R-FP), PPN prevalence was recorded as being higher in grasslands (WP, RG-I, IFPG-RW and IFPG-NRW) and scrub/woodland ecosystems (C-RW, C-NRW, W-RW, W-NRW). The results indicate that nematode populations are different across the various bog habitats. Emerging and current quarantine PPN belonging to the families Pratylenchidae, Meloidogynidae, Anguinidae and Heteroderidae were noted to be above the threshold limits mentioned under EPPO guidelines, in grassland and wooded peatland habitats. Future actions for PPN management may need to be considered, along with the likelihood that these PPN might impact future paludiculture and other crops and trees growing in nearby agricultural lands. Full article

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses significant environmental and health concerns. Microbial-based biofertilizers are increasingly being promoted as safe alternatives. However, they have limitations such as gaining farmers’ trust, the need for technical expertise, and the variable performance of microbes in the field. The development of nanobiofertilizers as agro-stimulants and agro-protective agents for climate-smart and sustainable agriculture could overcome these limitations. In the present study, auxin-producing Enterococcus sp. SR9, based on its plant growth-promoting traits, was selected for the microbe-assisted synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). These microbial-nanoparticles SR9AgNPs were characterized using UV/Vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, and a size analyzer. To test the efficacy of SR9AgNPs compared to treatment with the SR9 isolate alone, the germination rates of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds were analyzed. The data revealed that seeds simultaneously treated with SR9AgNPs and SR9 showed better germination rates than untreated control plants. In the case of vigor, wheat showed the most positive response to the nanoparticle treatment, with a higher vigor index than the other crops analyzed. The toxicity assessment of SR9AgNPs demonstrated no apparent toxicity at a concentration of 100 ppm, resulting in the highest germination and biomass gain in wheat seedlings. This work represents the first step in the characterization of microbial-assisted SR9AgNPs and encourages future studies to extend these conclusions to other relevant crops under field conditions. Full article

Species identification of Listeria isolates remained a tedious process still based on culturing methods that, in recent years, have led to the description of many species that are not even part of the genus Listeria. It is advisable to provide new precise techniques since this taxon includes two pathogens that are usually transmitted through the food chain, Listeria monocytogenes and L. ivanovii. The approach, so-called multilocus phylogenetic analysis (MLPA) that uses several concatenated housekeeping gene sequences, provides accurate and affordable classification frameworks to easily identify Listeria species by simple Sanger sequencing. Fragments of seven housekeeping genes (gyrA, cpn60, parE, recA, rpoB, atpA, and gyrB) from 218 strains of all Listeria species currently described were used to build an MLPA of the concatenated sequence, a total of 4375 bp. All isolates subjected to identification were clustered within the species of Listeria sensu stricto, L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, and L. welshimeri, and some reference strains were reclassified as L. ivanovii and L. seeligeri. Housekeeping-gene sequencing has been demonstrated to represent a pragmatic tool that can be firmly considered in food control. Full article

Acyl-quinic acids (AQAs), present in various plants with many health benefits, are regarded as therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of chronic and cardiovascular diseases. The molecular network-guided identification of ten AQA compounds, two new (5 and 7) and eight known compounds, were isolated from V. rotundifolia L. f. by using a newly applied extraction method. Their structures were determined through spectroscopic means, reaction mixtures, and modified Mosher and PGME techniques. These compounds were assessed for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities. Notably, compounds 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9 exhibited notable DPPH radical scavenging activity. In LPS-induced HT-29 cells, compounds 2–7 significantly inhibited IL-8 production. Furthermore, compounds 3–5 and 7 markedly suppressed NO production, while compounds 1–10 effectively inhibited IL-6 production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Western blot analyses revealed that compounds 3–5, and 7 reduced iNOS and COX-2 expression, and compounds 2–5, 7, and 8 also diminished the expression levels of p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Docking studies demonstrated the active compounds’ binding affinity with the IL-8, iNOS, COX-2, and p38 MAPK proteins through interactions with essential amino acids within the binding pockets of complexes. The findings suggest that compounds 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9, and compounds 3–5, and 7, hold promise as potential therapeutic agents for treating antioxidative and inflammatory diseases, respectively. Full article