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Sustainable agronomic strategies and experimental design for Stevia cultivation in the high mountains region of Veracruz, Mexico
Abstract Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni represents a sustainable alternative to conventional sweeteners due to its short growth cycle, low environmental impact, and potential for cultivation in diverse ecological regions. This study evaluated the growth performance of Stevia seedlings under controlled temperature and humidity conditions in the high mountain region of Veracruz, Mexico. A 22 factorial experimental design was implemented to assess the effect of these variables on stem elongation, width, and leaf development. Results indicated that humidity had the most significant influence on plant growth, with optimal development observed under high humidity conditions (R²>0.85). Additionally, the application of Azadirachta indica (Neem) as a bioinsecticide demonstrated effective pest control without compromising seedling vigor, supporting its use as part of sustainable crop management. The findings highlight the potential of Stevia cultivation as a strategy for agroecological diversification and climate-resilient agriculture in Mexico. Future research should incorporate variables such as nutrient supplementation, light intensity, and microbial interactions to enhance predictive growth models and improve cultivation practices.
Softening and instability evolution of strip coal pillar under water immersion in goaf
Machine learning model for predicting in-hospital cardiac mortality among atrial fibrillation patients
Changes in water quality condition at sequential monitoring stations based on IRWQI along the Little Zab River in Northwestern Iran
Abstract Water quality monitoring is essential for understanding ecosystem health and guiding effective water management strategies. In particular, water quality indices (WQI) are crucial tools for assessing the status of surface water bodies, providing a simplified measure of water quality across various parameters along sequential monitoring stations along a river system. This study aims to assess the spatial and temporal variations in water quality along the Little Zab River in northwestern Iran, using the Iranian Water Quality Index (IRWQI). This study examines water quality at four sequential monitoring stations along the river using the IRWQI, incorporating critical water quality parameters. Data for the analysis were collected from 2015 to 2024 and analyzed using non-parametric tests, including Kruskal–Wallis, to detect significant variations in water quality across the monitoring stations. According to the results, water quality varies across the stations. Water quality varies across stations. The upstream Mirabad-Upland station has a low IRWQI (56.51) due to wastewater from Chaku village. It improves at Grzhal-Bridge (60.04) via self-purification but declines at Nalas (57.35) due to pollution from Vavan village and agriculture. Sardasht-Dam records the highest IRWQI (64.46), likely benefiting from self-purification and cleaner inflows. Mirabad-Upland has “Fairly Good” to “Moderate” water quality. Grzhal-Bridge improves slightly, with some “Good” and “Very Good” cases, but occasional “Bad” levels. Nalas declines to mostly “Bad” and “Fairly Bad,” likely due to pollution. Sardasht-Dam shows partial recovery, though some “Bad” cases persist. Overall, water quality worsens downstream due to pollution and hydrological changes. The Little Zab River’s water quality followed a seasonal pattern, improving in wet months and declining in dry months due to flow changes and pollutant levels, indicating the need for year-round monitoring. The results suggest that localized pollution sources, such as wastewater discharge impact water quality, particularly in upstream sections. These results indicate the need for improved pollution control.
Reinstating memories’ temporal context at encoding causes Sisyphus-like memory rejuvenation
As memories age, their immediate retrievability decreases albeit, due to ongoing memory consolidation, their future rate of forgetting weakens. Here, we show in two experiments ( N = 1.216 participants) that mentally traveling back in time to older memories’ temporal context at encoding reverses the two effects and makes the memories similar again to how they were at an earlier point in time. Mental time travel increased both the memories’ immediate retrievability and their future rate of forgetting when individuals attempted to reinstate context deliberately and actively and when they retrieved other memories sharing a similar temporal context. Intriguingly, the forgetting after mental time travel even followed the same trajectory as the forgetting after encoding. Attempts to reinstate memories’ encoding context thus rejuvenated memories, although the degree of rejuvenation decreased as temporal lag between encoding and the reinstatement attempts increased, which was mediated by the fact that, with increasing lag, decreasing proportions of the encoded memories were reactivated and reconsolidated in response to participants’ reinstatement attempts. Mentally traveling back in time creates rejuvenation cycles with enhanced retrievability followed by a restart of forgetting and consolidation processes. Recurring rejuvenation cycles may thus be key to maintain memories’ retrievability over longer periods of time, painting the picture of Sisyphus-like memory resurrection.
Estimation of micro-extraction process hippuric acid for toluene exposure monitoring in urine samples
Time series transformer for tourism demand forecasting
Pathology of stranded blue sharks (Prionace glauca) impaled by swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
Distinct Connexin43, Connexin31, and Pannexin1 expression patterns in the cochlea of a non-human primate
Comparative analysis of molecular and chromatographic methods for detecting palm oil adulteration in yogurt
Abstract Palm oil adulteration in dairy products poses significant concerns for food authenticity, consumer protection, and regulatory compliance. This study presents a validated combined molecular and chromatographic detection strategy to detect and quantify palm oil adulteration in yogurt fat. Yogurt fat samples were fortified with palm olein at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100% (w/w). DNA was extracted using a modified CTAB protocol and analysed for the oil palm-specific MT3-B gene via conventional and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Concurrently, Gas Chromatography–Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) was used to quantify phytosterols in the unsaponifiable lipid fraction. To address this issue, we developed a dual-analytical strategy combining qPCR targeting the chloroplast MT3-B gene of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and gas chromatography for sterol profiling. The qPCR assay demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity, with a detection limit of 0.01 ng and a quantification limit of 0.02 ng. GC-FID analysis showed a dose-dependent increase in phytosterol content, with pronounced rises at 50% and 100% substitution. A strong correlation (r = 0.89) was observed between qPCR-detected DNA levels and GC-measured phytosterol concentrations. To evaluate real-world applicability, the method was applied to 15 commercial yogurt samples, all of which tested positive for molecular and chemical markers of palm oil. This integrated approach offers a rapid and reliable strategy for detecting palm oil adulteration, supporting food quality assurance and regulatory enforcement.
Oral health and the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a multicenter case-control study in Iran
Green synthesis of SAPO-34 via dual bio-templates for enhanced catalytic performance in MTO reaction
Iron oxide/silver-doped iron oxide nanoparticles: facile synthesis, characterization, antibacterial activity, genotoxicity and anticancer evaluation
Abstract Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are extremely sought after due to their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. IONPs were synthesized from Pseudomonas aeruginosa kb1 extracellular supernatant extract. After 48 h at 37 °C in the precursor iron salt, the weak yellow culture supernatant turned yellowish-brown and brown-black, confirming IONP production. To make Ag-doped IONPs, sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduced the silver nitrate (AgNO3) salt on the biosynthesized IONPs. SEM showed that the nanoparticles clustered and had a uniform size distribution and approximately spherical shape. EDX and XRD analysis validated the production of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) IONPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy determined the surface functional groups of Ag-doped and IONPs. The antibacterial activity of Fe3O4 and Ag-doped Fe3O4 NPs against numerous harmful bacterial strains was much higher than that of Fe2O3. The normal retina cell line and human lung cancer cell line A549 were also tested for cytotoxicity using the MTT assay. Ag-doped Fe3O4 NPs were more cytotoxic than IONPs on A549 cells. Therefore, the biosynthesized Ag-doped Fe3O4 NPs, rather than IONPs, have potential applications as pharmaceutical and therapeutic products because they are safe, eco-friendly, and cost-effective.
Exact collective occupancies of the Moshinsky model in two-dimensional geometry
Design and fabrication of a mesoporous silica scaffold for oral delivery of peptides
Enhancing wearable sensor data analysis for patient health monitoring using allied data disparity technique and multi instance ensemble perceptron learning
Correction: Housefly larva bioconversion enhances heavy metal stabilization and antibiotic degradation during chicken manure composting
Task-based functional connectivity in infants after exposure to regular white noise during natural sleep measured by fNIRS
Comparative outcomes of penile skin grafts versus buccal mucosal grafts in urethroplasty for the treatment of extensive anterior urethral strictures
Abstract To compare the outcomes of augmentation urethroplasty (AU) performed with either buccal mucosa graft (BMG) or penile skin graft (PSG) in managing long-segment anterior urethral strictures. A prospective randomized trial involved 98 patients diagnosed with anterior urethral stricture scheduled to AU between June 2022 and December 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to either the PSG or BMG arms. The comparison included patient demographics, clinicopathological characteristics of strictures, and surgical outcomes. The primary outcome was the success rate at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included functional parameters, such as the Urethral Stricture Surgery-Patient Related Outcome Measure (USS-PROM), the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) Score, the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire for Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EJD), Q-max, and perioperative complications. The study arms were comparable regarding the preoperative parameters with a mean stricture length ± SD of 6.4 ± 2.3 and 7.9 ± 4.1 cm for PSG and BMG, respectively (p = 0.11). After a median follow-up of 20 months (12–30), the success rates of AU with PSG and BMG were comparable (93.2% v/s 97.9%, respectively; p = 0.346). There was no statistically significant difference in the IIEF (p = 0.8) and MSHQ-EJD (p = 0.22). The improvements in USS-PROM: LUTS domain (p = 0.19), USS-PROM: peeling voiding score (p = 0.62), IPSS (p = 0.43), and Q-max (p = 0.39) were comparable between the study arms. Clavien–Dindo grade I-III complications were 6.8 and 8.3% (p = 0.8), with patients’ satisfaction of 90.9% and 93.8% (p = 0.5) for PSG and BMG, respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed no statistically significant difference in stricture-free survival among both techniques (hazard ratio 1.19; p = 0.275). Our study demonstrates that PSG and BMG techniques for augmentation anterior urethroplasty have high and comparable success rates, with equal patient satisfaction and similarly low morbidity. Neither technique negatively affected sexual or ejaculatory functions.