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Phytochemical analysis and biological activities of solvent extracts and silver nanoparticles obtained from Woodwardia unigemmata (Makino) Nakai
Multidrug resistant bacteria are causing health problems and economic burden worldwide; alternative treatment options such as natural products and nanoparticles have attained great attention recently. Therefore, we aimed to determine the phytochemicals, antibacterial potential, and anticancer activity of W. unigemmata. Extracts in different organic and inorganic solvents were prepared, silver nanoparticles were prepared using the green synthesis method. Phytochemicals and antioxidant activity was determined spectrophotometry, anticancer potential was determined against gastric cancer and normal gastric epithelial cells using CCK8 and colony formation assays W. unigemmata was found to have a significant enrichment of various phytochemicals including flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, carotenoids, tannins, saponins, quinines, carbohydrates, phenols, coumarins and phlobatanins. Among them phenolics (5289.89 ± 112.67) had high enrichment followed by reducing sugar (851.53 ± 120.15), flavonoids (408.28 ± 20.26) and ascorbic acid (347.64 ± 16.32), respectively. The extracts prepared in organic solvents showed strong antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa (chloroform, 13.66±0.88, ethyl acetate, 8.66±4.33, methyl alcohol, 13.33±1.66, N-hexane, 12.33±0.88) and S. aureus (chloroform, 15±0.57, ethyl acetate, 16.33±0.33, methyl alcohol, 17.66±0.33 and N-hexane, 16.33±0.33). Aqueously prepared AgNPs showed remarkable activity against P. aeruginosa follwed by E. coli, 17.66 ± 1.85, S. aureus, 16.00 ± 1.73, K. pneumoniae, 14.33 ± 1.20, respectively. The ethanolic extracts (500 μg, 1000 μg, 2000 μg) of the W. unigemmata were found to have cytotoxicity against both gastric cancer (AGS and SGC7901) and normal cell lines (GES-1); a significant cellular proliferation arrest was observed. These results suggest that W. Unigemmata contains numerous bioactive phytochemicals and can be useful as a drug against MDR bacterial strains. These biomolecules covering AgNPs may enhance their biological activities, which can be employed in the treatment of various microbial infections.
Correction to “Chemical Design of Spin Frustration to Realize Topological Spin Glasses”
Temporal changes in hospital readmissions for postpartum hypertension in the US, 2010 to 2019; a serial cross-sectional analysis
Background Hypertension is the most common primary diagnosis associated with postpartum readmissions within 42 days of delivery hospitalization. In the United States, nearly half of the cases of eclampsia, a severe form of preeclampsia, develop during the postpartum period, and the postpartum onset of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, like antepartum hypertension poses long-term health risks to pregnant individuals, including an increased likelihood of developing overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and chronic hypertension. In this paper, we estimate the trends in the incidence of readmissions for postpartum hypertension within 42 days of delivery discharge in the US, disaggregated by median household income. Methods and findings Using National Readmissions Database, we calculated the readmission rates for postpartum hypertension, both overall and stratified by ZIP Code median household income for each year between 2010 and 2019. We also calculated the percentage change and average annual growth rate (AAGR) in the rate of readmissions for postpartum hypertension between 2010 and 2019 for each income group. We then used a logistic regression model to compare the temporal changes in readmission for postpartum hypertension between the lowest and the highest income quartiles. The estimated incidence of postpartum hypertension readmissions doubled for all the income groups between 2010 and 2019 (0.36% vs. 0.8%). While the incidence of postpartum hypertension cases was higher among the lowest-income quartile, the increase in postpartum hypertension readmissions between 2010 and 2019 was greater in the highest-income quartile. Moreover, the incidence of postpartum hypertension readmissions rose faster in pregnant patients without a history of hypertension compared to those with a history of hypertension (AAGR 8.3% vs. 5.1%). Conclusion The increasing postpartum hypertension readmission burden suggests rising future health risks among mothers and a growing cost burden to the U.S. healthcare system. The higher rate of increase in postpartum hypertension readmissions among people without a history of hypertension calls for blood pressure checking in the postpartum period for all patients regardless of risk status.
Iron-Catalyzed Aerobic Carbonylation of Methane via Ligand-to-Metal Charge Transfer Excitation
Correction: A bicycle can be balanced by stochastic optimal feedback control but only with accurate speed estimates
Tetrafluoro(aryl)sulfanylated Bicyclopentane Crystals That Self-Destruct upon Cooling
Problematic social media use in 3D? Relationships between traditional social media use, social virtual reality (VR) use, and mental health
This research expanded on prior work exploring the relationship between social media use, social support, and mental health by including the usage of social virtual reality (VR). In Study 1 (undergraduate students; n = 448) we examined divergent relationships between problematic social media use (e.g., Facebook, TikTok), total use, and users’ mental health indicators (e.g., depression, anxiety, social isolation). To determine whether problematic social media use patterns extended to immersive 3-D environments, we sampled active social VR users (e.g., Rec Room) in Study 2 (n = 464). Problematic social VR use was related to decreased real-life social support (β = -.62, 95%CI [-.80, -.44]), but not to VR social support (β = -.06, 95%CI [-.25, .14]). Conversely, the amount of social VR use was only related to increased social VR (β = .06, 95%CI [.04, .15]) but not to real-life social support (β = -.02, 95%CI [-.05, .04]). Study 2 also revealed a finding that may be unique to the 3-D immersive environment: the amount of social VR use facilitated better mental health for VR users, but only through stronger perceived social support on social VR but not in real life. This result highlights the potential of immersive media to promote mental well-being by facilitating engaging and meaningful social interactions.
Light-Controlled Intracellular Synthesis of Poly(luciferin) Polymers Induces Cell Paraptosis
Changes in enzymatic activity and oxidative stress in honeybees kept in the apiary and laboratory conditions during the course of nosemosis
The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the level of oxidative stress and lysozyme-like and phenoloxidase (PO) activity under the influence of nosemosis. Honeybees were kept in natural (apiary) and artificial (laboratory) conditions. In this study, it was shown for the first time that honeybees kept in apiaries have higher levels and activity of the studied parameters than honeybees kept in the laboratory. The greatest difference was noted in the case of PO activity in 28-day-old infected honeybees in May, when the activity was 32.3 times higher in honeybees kept in the apiary than in the laboratory, suggesting that environmental conditions have a significant influence on the immune response of honeybees. Simultaneously, the apiary conditions resulted in higher level of oxidative stress, indicating lower effectiveness of antioxidative mechanisms. Additional nosemosis infection increased the level of oxidative stress as well as lysozyme and PO activities. In July, in 28-day-old infected honeybees kept in laboratory, the highest increase in PO activity (by 10.79 fold) was detected compared to healthy honeybees. This may indicate that infection causes a decrease in the effectiveness of primarily antioxidant mechanisms, whereas immune mechanisms are still activated during infection. Another interesting factor is the age of the honeybees. It was found that in the summer months (June, July) the lysozyme-like and PO activities increased with age, while in the case of oxidative stress the opposite trend was observed, suggesting better effectiveness of both immune and antioxidant mechanisms. Another important element is seasonality, which significantly affected only the lysozyme-like activity. It was found that in July in all the groups studied this activity was higher than in the other months. The results allow us to better understand the mechanisms of honeybee immunity, which are constantly being studied due to the complex social structure created by these insects. Our research emphasizes that honeybee immunity is dynamic and depends on a number of factors, such as environment, age, season or the presence of pathogens.
Crystal Lattice Analysis for 2D Nanomorphology Prediction of Phase-Separated Materials
Development and optimization of a new competitive ELISA using recombinant (rPSA D15 and rCag11) antigens for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection
H. pylori (Hp) is highly causative agent of chronic gastritis, gastric cancer and human death worldwide. To address the challenge of H. pylori infection, numerous immunological assays have been developed for its diagnosis and management. However, the limited availability of these assays in certain laboratories, coupled with their high cost, inconsistent specificity, and sensitivity, has hampered their widespread adoption, particularly in developing countries where H. pylori infection is prevalent. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) assay for detecting H. pylori infections by targeting the Protective Surface Antigen (PSA) and Cytotoxic-Associated Gene Pathogenesis Island (Cag11) proteins in H. pylori stool antigen sample. In the current study, the optimal conditions including the dilution of anti-rPSA D15 and anti-rCag11 antibodies at 1:1000, coating antigens (rPSA D15 and rCag11) at a concentration of 1 μg/well, the dilution of HRP-labelled antibody at 1:5000 and H. pylori stool antigen dilution at 1:1000 with a 1hour incubation and color development time of 30 minutes for cELISA were determined using an ELISA checkerboard titration assay. Based on the optimized conditions, novel rPSA D15-cELISA and rCag11-cELISA assays with a respective optimum cut-off value of 20.80% PI and 24.16% PI were developed. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis on the diagnostic performance of the newly developed rPSA D15-cELISA and rCag11-cELISA assays using 60 clinical H. pylori stool samples, the rPSA D15-cELISA test assay established an optimum cut-off point of 20.80% with sensitivity and specificity of 90% (95% confidence of interval (CI) 74.38–96.54), Area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9556 (95% CI = 0.896–1.000) and P value <0.0001. Similarly, the rCag11-cELISA assay revealed optimum cut-off value of 24.16% with sensitivity of 93.33% (95% CI 78.68–98.82), specificity of 90% (95% CI 74.38–96.54), AUC of 0.986 (95% CI = 0.967–1.000) and P <0.0001. Furthermore, the reproducibility assay coefficients of variation (CV) of the newly developed rPSA D15-cELISA and rCag11-cELISA assay were less than 10%, indicating that the two cELISA assays exhibits excellent reproducibility and reliability. To validate their clinical diagnostic application, the comparative study results of rPSA D15-cELISA and rCag11-cELISA showed a high agreement (k = 0.766 and 0.799) with the commercially available H. pylori antigen test immunochromatographic kit and more accurate than the reference kit by detecting stool antigen of H. pylori strain, indicating it is promising for clinical testing. In conclusion, these results indicated that the newly developed rPSA D15-cELISA and rCag11-cELISA H. pylori stool antigen test assays were a potential reliable and a clinically useful assay for rapid, specifically, sensitively and accurately diagnosis and large-scale epidemiological investigation of H. pylori infection.
The co-occurrence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy among middle-aged and older adults in Canada: A cross-sectional study using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN)
Background There is an increasing prevalence of multiple conditions (multimorbidity) and multiple medications (polypharmacy) across many populations. Previous literature has focused on the prevalence and impact of these health states separately, but there is a need to better understand their co-occurrence. Methods and findings This study reported on multimorbidity and polypharmacy among middle-aged and older adults in two national datasets: the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN). Using consistent methodology, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of CLSA participants and CPCSSN patients aged 45 to 85 years as of 2015. When multimorbidity was defined as two or more conditions, the prevalence was 66.7% and 52.0% in the CLSA and CPCSSN cohorts, respectively. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 14.9% in the CLSA cohort and 22.6% in the CPCSSN cohort when defined as five or more medications. Using the same cut-points, the co-occurrence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy was similar between the two cohorts (CLSA: 14.3%; CPCSSN: 13.5%). Approximately 20% of older adults (65 to 85 years) were living with both multimorbidity and polypharmacy (CLSA: 21.4%; CPCSSN: 18.3%), as compared to almost 10% of middle-aged adults (45 to 64 years) living with this co-occurrence (CLSA: 9.2%; CPCSSN: 9.9%). Across both cohorts and age groups, females had consistently higher estimates of multimorbidity, polypharmacy and the co-occurrence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Conclusions This study found that multimorbidity and polypharmacy are not interchangeable in understanding population health needs. Approximately one in five older adults in the CLSA and CPCSSN cohorts were living with both multimorbidity and polypharmacy, double the proportion in the younger cohorts. This has implications for future research, as well as health policy and clinical practice, that aim to reduce the occurrence and impact of multimorbidity and unnecessary polypharmacy to enhance the well-being of aging populations.
Molecular Drillers for 2 nm Resolution Nanochannel Perforation of 2D Nanoplates
Do higher educated people feel happier?—Evidence of Han and minority nationalities from China
Based on the data of China General Social Survey (CGSS), this study adopts empirical analysis method to explore the impact of education on residents’ subjective well-being and its differentiated mechanism in different ethnic groups. The results show that, first of all, education significantly improves residents’ subjective well-being, and the conclusion is still robust after controlling for endogenous problems. Secondly, compared with Han nationality, education has a more significant effect on the subjective well-being of ethnic minority residents. Finally, by comparing the internal mechanism of education on the subjective well-being of Han and ethnic minority residents, the research finds that education mainly improves subjective well-being by improving residents’ relative income level and enhancing their social class identification, in which the intermediary effect of income is particularly prominent. However, in the Han population, education may weaken the sense of fairness, and thus reduce happiness to some extent; This phenomenon has not been verified in ethnic minority groups. This study not only expands the literature on the relationship between education and subjective well-being, but also has important policy implications, providing a strong empirical basis for formulating more accurate education policies, improving the happiness of ethnic minority residents, and enhancing national cohesion.
Dearomative Addition-Hydrogen Autotransfer for Branch-Selective <i>N</i>-Heteroaryl C–H Functionalization via Ruthenium-Catalyzed C–C Couplings of Diene Pronucleophiles
The role of psychosocial factors in mediating the treatment response of epidural steroid injections for low back pain with or without lumbosacral radiculopathy: A scoping review
Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are often used to treat low back pain (LBP) due to lumbosacral radiculopathy as well as LBP without a clear component of radiculopathy, in some cases. While it is increasingly recognized that psychosocial factors are associated with pain outcomes, few studies have assessed the contribution of these factors to common pain interventions like ESIs. This study aimed to summarize the scope and nature of how psychosocial factors are accounted for in research on ESIs for the treatment of LBP with or without lumbosacral radiculopathy and to identify gaps and recommendations for future research. A scoping review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis-Scoping Review Extension framework was conducted. Publications dated before September 2023 were searched in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Of the 544 records identified through database searching, a total of 51 studies cumulatively totaling 10,447 participants were included. Sample sizes ranged from 12 to 5,104 participants. Of the 51 included studies, only 10 (20%) analyzed and reported the relationship between at least one psychosocial variable and post-injection pain at any follow-up timepoint. The other 41 (80%) included no analyses examining ESI response as a function of psychosocial variables. Based on the studies that included analysis by psychosocial variables, poor psychosocial functioning appears to be associated with inferior treatments outcomes following ESI for back pain with or without lumbosacral radiculopathy. Relative to the vast body of literature on ESIs for LBP and lumbosacral radiculopathy, minimal attention has been directed to the influence of psychosocial factors on ESI treatment outcomes. Future research evaluating predictors of the effect of ESI on pain relief should include development of more comprehensive models containing modifiable psychosocial variables as predictors of ESI response.
Metallo-azapeptides: Controlled Metal Chelation to Peptide Backbone Nitrogen
The influence of board, CEO, and audit committee chairman busyness on the value relevance of accounting information in Saudi listed firms
This study investigates the impact of board, CEO, and audit committee chairman busyness on the value relevance of accounting information in Saudi listed firms from 2018 to 2022. Utilizing a data of 125 Saudi firms, the research investigates how the busyness of these key governance figures influences the relevance of earnings per share (EPS) and book value per share (BVPS). The findings reveal that board and audit committee chairman busyness significantly enhance the value relevance of EPS, suggesting that their broader networks and strategic oversight improve financial reporting. Conversely, CEO busyness negatively affects the value relevance of BVPS, indicating that divided attention and reduced managerial oversight hinder performance monitoring. These results underscore the dual roles of governance figures and their influence on financial reporting quality. These results highlight the dual effects of governance busyness on financial reporting quality. The study provides novel insights into an emerging market context, offering practical recommendations for policymakers and corporate leaders in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. It emphasizes the need for regulatory frameworks to manage director workloads, ensuring enhanced financial reporting and governance effectiveness.
An ensemble deep learning framework for energy demand forecasting using genetic algorithm-based feature selection
Accurate energy demand forecasting is critical for efficient energy management and planning. Recent advancements in computing power and the availability of large datasets have fueled the development of machine learning models. However, selecting the most appropriate features to enhance prediction accuracy and robustness remains a key challenge. This study proposes an ensemble approach that integrates a genetic algorithm with multiple forecasting models to optimize feature selection. The genetic algorithm identifies the optimal subset of features from a dataset that includes historical energy consumption, weather variables, and temporal characteristics. These selected features are then used to train three base learners: Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM), and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). The predictions from these models are combined using a stacking ensemble technique to generate the final forecast. To enhance model evaluation, we divided the dataset into weekday and weekend subsets, allowing for a more detailed analysis of energy consumption patterns. To ensure the reliability of our findings, we conducted ten simulations and applied the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to the results. The proposed model demonstrated exceptional precision, achieving a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 130.6, a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 0.38%, and a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 99.41 for weekday data. The model also maintained high accuracy for weekend predictions, with an RMSE of 137.41, a MAPE of 0.42%, and an MAE of 105.67. This research provides valuable insights for energy analysts and contributes to developing more sophisticated demand forecasting methods.