Preparation and Enhanced Daylight-Induced Photo-Catalytic Activity of Transparent C-Doped TiO_2 Thin Films

The transparent C-doped TiO2 nanostructure films were fabricated on the silicate glass substrates by sol-gel spin-coated method. The as-prepared films were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, UV-visible absorption spectra （UV-vis） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the photocatalytic oxidation of methylene blue in aqueous under daylight irradiation at room temperature. The results show that the daylight-induced photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared films are improved by the C-doping. The calcination temperatures significantly affect the morphology, microstructure and photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples. At 723 K, the C-doped TiO2 films exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity due to the synergetic effects of good crystallization, appropriate oxygen vacancies and strong absorption in the near UV and visible-light region.

The Influence of Morphology on Photo-catalytic Activity and Optical Properties of Nanocrystalline ZnO Powder

ZnO nano-particles were synthesized via an ammonical ammonium carbonate solution by precipitation method in presence of some additives such as urea, oleic and stearic acid. The morphology and crystallinity of the obtained zinc oxide particles depend critically on the type of additive which was used. Additives also affected the crystal orientation of precipitate nano-particles. SEM, XRD, BET and UV-visible were used to characterize morphology, microstructure, specific surface area and optical properties of the products.Photo-catalysis properties of the as-prepared ZnO powders were evaluated by degradation of methyl red(acid red) in aqueous solution exposed to UV-light. Results suggested a close relationship among the morphology,size and surface area on photo-catalysis and optical properties of the particles. The widest Egvalue(3.56 e V),highest degradation and decolorization efficiency(99%) were obtained from a sample with the smallest grain size(largest surface area) which were used urea as an additive.

Photo-Catalytic Activity of Ca_1-xNi_xS Nanocrystals

Ca1-xNixS (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) nanocrystals have been synthesized by facile solid state reaction method. Synthesized nanocrystals are further etched with mild acid solutions to reduce the particle size, which augments the surface to volume ratio and confinement of carriers. Crystallographic and morphological characterizations of synthesized nanomaterials have been done by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, respectively. Comparison of the diffraction and electron microscopy studies reveal the formation of single crystalline nanostructures. Optical characterization of synthesized nanomaterials has been done by UV-vis. absorption spectroscopic studies. The photo-catalytic activity of synthesized nanomaterials under UV irradiation has been tested using methylene blue (MB) dye as a test contaminant in aqueous media. Photo-catalytic behaviour dependence on dopant concentration and etching has been thoroughly studied to explore the potential of synthesized nanomaterials for next era optoelectronic industrial applications as well as polluted water purification.

Association of physical activity with risk of chronic kidney disease in China:A population-based cohort study

Background:Information on the association between physical activity(PA)and the risk of chronic kidney disease(CKD)is limited.We aimed to explore the associations of total,domain-specific,and intensity-specific PA with CKD and its subtypes in China.Methods:The study included 475,376 adults from the China Kadoorie Biobank aged 30-79 years during 2004-2008 at baseline.An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the information about PA,which was quantified as metabolic equivalent of task hours per day(MET-h/day)and categorized into 4 groups based on quartiles.Cox regression was used to analyze the association between PA and CKD risk.Results:During a median follow-up of 12.1 years,5415 incident CKD cases were documented,including 1159 incident diabetic kidney disease(DKD)cases and 362 incident hypertensive nephropathy(HTN)cases.Total PA was inversely associated with CKD risk,with an adjusted hazard ratio(HR,95%confidence interval(95%CI))of 0.83(0.75-0.92)for incident CKD in the highest quartile of total PA as compared with participants in the lowest quartile.Similar results were observed for risk of DKD and HTN,and the corresponding HRs(95%CIs)were 0.75(0.58-0.97)for DKD risk and 0.56(0.37-0.85)for HTN risk.Increased nonoccupational PA,low-intensity PA,and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA were significantly associated with a decreased risk of CKD,with HRs(95%CIs)of 0.80(0.73-0.88),0.85(0.77-0.94),and 0.85(0.76-0.95)in the highest quartile,respectively.Conclusion:PA,including nonoccupational PA,low-intensity PA,and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA,was inversely associated with the risk of CKD,including DKD,HTN,and other CKD,and such associations were dose dependent.

Association of daily sitting time and leisure-time physical activity with body fat among U.S.adults

Background:Prolonged sitting and reduced physical activity lead to low energy expenditures.However,little is known about the joint impact of daily sitting time and physical activity on body fat distribution.We investigated the independent and joint associations of daily sitting time and physical activity with body fat among adults.Methods:This was a cross-sectional analysis of U.S.nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey2011-2018 among adults aged 20 years or older.Daily sitting time and leisure-time physical activity(LTPA)were self-reported using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire.Body fat(total and trunk fat percentage)was determined via dual X-ray absorptiometry.Results:Among 10,808 adults,about 54.6%spent 6 h/day or more sitting;more than one-half reported no LTPA(inactive)or less than 150 min/week LTPA(insufficiently active)with only 43.3%reported 150 min/week or more LTPA(active)in the past week.After fully adjusting for sociodemographic data,lifestyle behaviors,and chronic conditions,prolonged sitting time and low levels of LTPA were associated with higher total and trunk fat percentages in both sexes.When stratifying by LTPA,the association between daily sitting time and body fat appeared to be stronger in those who were inactive/insuufficiently active.In the joint analyses,inactive/insuufficiently active adults who reported sitting more than 8 h/day had the highest total(female:3.99%(95%confidence interval(95%CI):3.09%-4.88%);male:3.79%(95%CI:2.75%-4.82%))and trunk body fat percentages(female:4.21%(95%CI:3.09%-5.32%);male:4.07%(95%CI:2.95%-5.19%))when compared with those who were active and sitting less than 4 h/day.Conclusion:Prolonged daily sitting time was associated with increased body fat among U.S.adults.The higher body fat associated with 6 h/day sitting may not be offset by achieving recommended levels of physical activity.

Bridging the gap:Unveiling the crisis of physical inactivity in inflammatory bowel diseases

In this editorial we comment on the article titled“Inflammatory bowel diseases patients suffer from significant low levels and barriers to physical activity:The BE-FIT-IBD study”published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroen-terology 2023;29(41):5668-5682.Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD)are emerging as a significant global health concern as their incidence continues to rise on a global scale,with detrimental impacts on quality of life.While many advances have been made regarding the management of the disease,physical inactivity in these patients represents an underexplored issue that may hold the key for further and better understanding the ramifications of IBD.Chronic pain,fatigue,and fear of exacerbating symptoms promotes physical inactivity among IBD patients,while the lack of clear guidelines on safe exercise regimens contributes to a norm of physical inactivity.Physical activity(PA)is accepted to have a positive effect on disease outcomes and quality of life,while inactivity exacerbates comorbidities like cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders.The“BE-FIT-IBD”study,focusing on PA levels and barriers in IBD patients of Southern Italy,revealed that a significant proportion(42.9%)were physically inactive.This lack of PA is attributed to barriers such as fear of flare-ups and misconceptions about exercise exacerbating the disease.The study also highlighted the need for better communication between healthcare providers and patients regarding the benefits of PA and safe incorporation into lifestyles.Moreover,physical inactivity may also contribute to disability in IBD patients,having a great impact on employment status.Of note is the fact that IBD also comes with an important psychological burden with relevant evidence suggesting that regular PA can improve mood,reduce anxiety,and enhance mental health.The“BE-FIT-IBD”study advocated for the integration of PA into IBD management,emphasizing the bidirectional link between PA and IBD.Regular exercise can influence the course of IBD,potentially reducing symptom severity and prolonging remission periods.As such,it is mandatory that healthcare providers actively educate patients,dispel misconceptions,and tailor exercise recommendations to improve the quality of life and reduce IBD-related complications.

Structure and immunomodulatory activity of Lentinus edodes polysaccharides modified by probiotic fermentation

Plant-based fermentations provide an untapped source for novel biotechnological applications.In this study,a probiotic named Lactobacillus fermentum 21828 was introduced to ferment Lentinus edodes.Polysaccharides were extracted from fermented and non-fermented L.edodes and purified via DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100.The components designated F-LEP-2a and NF-LEP-2a were analyzed by FT-IR,HPGPC,HPAEC,SEM,GC-MS and NMR.The results revealed that probiotic fermentation increased the molecular weight from 1.16×10^(4) Da to 1.87×10^(4) Da and altered the proportions of glucose,galactose and mannose,in which glucose increased from 45.94%to 48.16%.Methylation analysis and NMR spectra indicated that F-LEP-2a and NF-LEP-2a had similar linkage patterns.Furthermore,their immunomodulatory activities were evaluated with immunosuppressive mice.NF-LEP and F-LEP improved immune organ indices,immunoglobulin(Ig G and Ig M)and cytokines concentrations;restored the antioxidation capacity of liver;and maintained the balance of gut microbiota.F-LEP displayed better moderating effects on the spleen index,immunoglobulin,cytokines and the diversity of gut microbiota than NF-LEP(200,400 mg/kg).Our study provides an efficient and environment-friendly way for the structural modification of polysaccharides,which helps to enhance their biological activity and promote their wide application in food,medicine and other fields.

Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of Lawsonia inermis Leaf Extracts from Burkina Faso

Lawsonia inermis is a hairless plant growing in various regions of North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East. It possesses many medicinal attributes, including curative properties against infectious dermatoses. This study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical profile of the crude ethanolic extract of the plant leaves and its fractions as well as their antimicrobial activities. The phytochemical profile was performed using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, the phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric and the aluminum trichloride methods. Antimicrobial activity was tested using disc diffusion and microdilution methods. The presence of flavonoids, tannins, sterols, and triterpenes was revealed. GC-MS detected twelve compounds main compounds consisting of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and phenolic and terpenoid compounds among twenty-seven components. HPLC also detected high contents of phenolic acids and flavonoids. The most abundant triterpene and sterols were ursolic acid (around 43.14 g/100g DW, 13.9 g/100g dry weight (DW), and 0.68 g/100g DW) in the crude ethanolic extract of leaves (FeLi), hexane fraction (FHLi) and dichloromethane fraction (FDLi), respectively and, β-sitosterol in FeLi (56.7 mg/100g DW), FHLi (10.55 g/100g DW), FDLi (106.1 mg/100g DW) and butanol fraction (FBLi) (357.4 mg/100g DW). Among the flavonoids, rutin = 3.24 g/100g and quercetin = 0.63 g/100g in the ethanolic extract, rutin = 15.73 g/100g in the dichloromethane fraction, and rutin = 0.23 g/100g) in the aqueous fraction;and among phenolic compounds, caffeic acid (37.65 g/100g DW) and vanillic acid (22.70 g/100g DW) were the most important in the ethyl acetate fraction (FAeLi). All organic fractions exhibited interesting antibacterial and antifungal activities against the tested strains, with the best activity recorded with the dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions. The leaf extracts’ phytochemical profile and antimicrobial activity support the use of Lawsonia inermis against infectious skin diseases.

“Active Feedback” Fitbit-Based Physical Activity and Sleep Hygiene Intervention for Memory Assessment Service (MAS) Patients with Cognitive Deficits: Feasibility, Acceptability, Sleep Quality, Stress, and Wellbeing Outcomes

Research Background: Compared to the general population, people experiencing age-related cognitive decline are more likely to have low levels of physical activity and sleep problems. Sufficient physical activity and quality sleep are protective factors against cognitive decline and poor health and can improve coping with stressors. The “Active Feedback” intervention comprises a wearable activity and sleep tracker (Fitbit), access to Fitbit software healthy lifestyle software apps;one session with Memory Assessment Service (MAS) staff providing physical activity and sleep hygiene advice and two further engagement, discussion, and feedback sessions. Purpose/Aim: This study investigates the acceptability and feasibility of Active Feedback and the effect on stress, mental wellbeing, and sleep quality, and the links between these factors. Methods: An open-label patient cohort design with no control group was used. Pre-intervention, 4-week and 8-week intervention assessments were performed using participant self-report measures: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), and Sleep Conditioning Index (SCI). Twenty-five participants completed an eight-week three-session intervention (18 males and 7 females), with the age range of 66 - 84 years old, and average age of 73.8 years (SD = 5.09). Fifteen participants had a diagnosis of MCI, ten participants did not. Results: There were non-significant improvements in SCI scores from 21.0 (SD = 8.84) to 21.6 (SD = 6.20) at 8 weeks, PSS scores from 17.5 (SD = 5.89) to 17.0 (SD = 6.20) at 8 weeks, and WEMWBS scores from 46.9 (SD = 9.23) to 48.8 (SD = 9.69) at 8 weeks. There were negative correlations between WEMWBS and PSS. Conclusion: Active Feedback intervention was found to be feasible and acceptable. Active Feedback could be enhanced to include motivational interviewing and goal setting.

Evaluation of Four Anthropogenic Activity Impacts on Heavy Metal Quality of the Kumba River in the South West Region of Cameroon

Anthropogenic activities have contributed to pollution of water bodies through deposition of diverse pollutants amongst which are heavy metals. These pollutants, which at times are above the maximum concentration levels recommended, are detrimental to the quality of the water, soil and crops (plant) with subsequent human health risks. The objective of the work was to evaluate the impacts of human-based activities on the heavy metal properties of surface water with focus on the Kumba River basin. Field observations, interviews, field measurements and laboratory analyses of different water samples enabled us to collect the different data. The results show four main human-based activities within the river basin (agriculture, livestock production, domestic waste disposal and carwash activities) that pollute surface water. Approximately 20.61 tons of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural activities, 156.48 tons of animal wastes, 2517.5 tons of domestic wastes and 1.52 tons of detergent from carwash activities were deposited into the river each year. A highly significant difference at 1% was observed between the upstream and downstream heavy metal loads in four of the five heavy metals tested except for copper that was not significant. Lead concentrations were highest in all the activities with an average of 2.4 mg∙L−1 representing 57.81%, followed by zinc with 1.596 mg∙L−1 (38.45%) and manganese with 0.155 mg∙L−1 (3.74%) for the different anthropogenic activities thus indicating that these activities highly lead to pollution of the Kumba River water. The level of zinc and manganese was significantly influenced at ρ 005 by anthropogenic activities though generally the variations were in the order: carwash (3.196 mg∙L−1) < domestic waste disposal (3.347 mg∙L−1) < agriculture (4.172 mg∙L−1) < livestock (4.886 mg∙L−1) respectively and leading to a total of 14.04 tons of heavy metal pollutants deposited each day.

TransTM:A device-free method based on time-streaming multiscale transformer for human activity recognition

RFID-based human activity recognition(HAR)attracts attention due to its convenience,noninvasiveness,and privacy protection.Existing RFID-based HAR methods use modeling,CNN,or LSTM to extract features effectively.Still,they have shortcomings:1)requiring complex hand-crafted data cleaning processes and 2)only addressing single-person activity recognition based on specific RF signals.To solve these problems,this paper proposes a novel device-free method based on Time-streaming Multiscale Transformer called TransTM.This model leverages the Transformer's powerful data fitting capabilities to take raw RFID RSSI data as input without pre-processing.Concretely,we propose a multiscale convolutional hybrid Transformer to capture behavioral features that recognizes singlehuman activities and human-to-human interactions.Compared with existing CNN-and LSTM-based methods,the Transformer-based method has more data fitting power,generalization,and scalability.Furthermore,using RF signals,our method achieves an excellent classification effect on human behaviorbased classification tasks.Experimental results on the actual RFID datasets show that this model achieves a high average recognition accuracy(99.1%).The dataset we collected for detecting RFID-based indoor human activities will be published.

Physical activity volume,frequency,and intensity:Associations with hypertension and obesity over 21 years in Australian women

Background:Optimal patterns of accrual of recommended levels of physical activity(PA)for prevention of hypertension and obesity are not known.The overall aim of this study was to investigate whether different patterns of accumulation of PA are differentially associated with hypertension and obesity in Australian women over 21 years.Specifically,we investigated whether,for the same weekly volume of PA,the number of sessions(frequency)and vigorousness of PA(intensity)were associated with a reduction in the occurrence of hypertension and obesity in women.Methods:Data from the 1973-1978 and 1946-1951 cohorts of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were analyzed(n=20,588;12%-16%with a Bachelor's or higher degree).Self-reported PA,hypertension,height,and weight were collected using mail surveys every 3 years from 1998/2000 to 2019/2021.Generalized Estimating Equation models with a 3-year lag model were used to investigate the association of PA volume(metabolic equivalent min/week)(none;33-499;500-999;≥1000,weekly frequency(none;1-2 times;3-4times;5-7 times;≥8 times),and the proportion of vigorous PA to total volume of PA(none;0%;1%-33%;34%-66%;67%-100%)with odds of hypertension and obesity from 2000 to 2021.Results:The cumulative incidence of hypertension was 6%in the 1973-1978 and 23%in the 1946-1951 cohort;27%of women in the 1973-1978;and 15%in the 1946-1951 cohort developed obesity over the period.Overall,a higher volume of PA was associated with reduced odds of hypertension and obesity.When the volume of PA was considered,the odds of hypertension did not vary according to the frequency or intensity of PA.However,increased proportion of vigorous PA to the total volume of PA was associated with a small additional reduction in the risk of obe sity.Conclusion:PA volume appears to be more important than the pattern of accumulation for the prevention of hypertension and obesity.Incorporating more sessions,particularly of vigorous-intensity PA,may provide extra benefits for the prevention of obesity.

Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Screening in Acacia rigidula Benth. Leaves

This study aimed to compare the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities of A. rigidula extracts. It also aimed to identify phenolic acids present in the extracts. The 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ferric thiocyanate lipid peroxidation antioxidant assays were performed. High performance liquid chromatography was used to identify phenolic acids. There was no solvent effect on TPC nor on scavenging activities, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (p > 0.05) among solvent extracts. On the other hand, 1:1:3 water: acetone: methanol extract (10.22 mg GAE/g sample) had significantly higher reducing potential than 50% ethanol extract (EE) (9.259 mg GAE/g sample) (p < 0.05);but EE was not significantly different from 80% methanol extract (9.781 mg GAE/g sample) (p > 0.05). Phenolic fraction designated as fraction 4 had the highest antioxidant activity (p < 0.05) with 69.49% ABTS scavenging activity and FRAP reducing potential, 22.26 mg of GAE/g sample. DPPH scavenging activities of fractions 4 (55.59%) and 5 (55.64%) were significantly higher than the other fractions (p A. rigidula extracts contain gallic, caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric, salicylic acids and vanillin.

Static Stretching Combined with Conscious Slower Breathing May Increase Parasympathetic Activity and Reduce Stress in Adult Women

Background: Women are thought to be more susceptible to stress than men in a stressful society, and reducing stress is crucial for women to maintain their health. Static stretching (SST) is applied in various fields to not only increase muscle flexibility but also reduce stress. Additionally, conscious slower breathing (CSB) predominates parasympathetic activity, causing a relaxing effect. These results indicate that combining SST and CSB may be more useful in reducing stress. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of this combination remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the effects of the combination of SST and CSB on autonomic activity and stress in adult women. Methods: Eleven healthy Japanese adult female participants performed SST with nonconscious natural breathing for 20 min. The same participants performed SST in combination with CSB (2 s inspiratory and 4 s expiratory) for 20 min on another day. Salivary cortisol and chromogranin A levels were measured before and after stretching as stress markers of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system. The coefficient of variation of the R-R interval (CVR-R) and high-frequency component (HF), which reflect parasympathetic nerve activity, and heart rate and low-frequency component (LF)/HF ratio, which reflect sympathetic nerve activity, were measured before, during, and after stretching. Results: SST decreased cortisol levels but with no significant changes in chromogranin A, heart rate, CVR-R, HF, or LF/HF ratio. The combination of SST and CSB increased CVR-R and HF levels in addition to decreasing cortisol levels but with no significant changes in chromogranin A, heart rate, or LF/HF levels. Conclusion: These results indicate that the combination of SST and CSB may increase parasympathetic activity and reduce stress. However, future randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes should support this conclusion.

A scoping review of methodologies for applying artificial intelligence to physical activity interventions

Purpose This scoping review aimed to offer researchers and practitioners an understanding of artificial intelligence(AI)applications in physical activity(PA)interventions;introduce them to prevalent machine learning(ML),deep learning(DL),and reinforcement learning(RL)algorithms;and encourage the adoption of AI methodologies.Methods A scoping review was performed in PubMed,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,and EBSCO focusing on AI applications for promoting PA or predicting related behavioral or health outcomes.AI methodologies were summarized and categorized to identify synergies,patterns,and trends informing future research.Additionally,a concise primer on predominant AI methodologies within the realm of PA was provided to bolster understanding and broader application.Results The review included 24 studies that met the predetermined eligibility criteria.AI models were found effective in detecting significant patterns of PA behavior and associations between specific factors and intervention outcomes.Most studies comparing AI models to traditional statistical approaches reported higher prediction accuracy for AI models on test data.Comparisons of different AI models yielded mixed results,likely due to model performance being highly dependent on the dataset and task.An increasing trend of adopting state-of-the-art DL and RL models over standard ML was observed,addressing complex human–machine communication,behavior modification,and decision-making tasks.Six key areas for future AI adoption in PA interventions emerged:personalized PA interventions,real-time monitoring and adaptation,integration of multimodal data sources,evaluation of intervention effectiveness,expanding access to PA interventions,and predicting and preventing injuries.Conclusion The scoping review highlights the potential of AI methodologies for advancing PA interventions.As the field progresses,staying informed and exploring emerging AI-driven strategies is essential for achieving significant improvements in PA interventions and fostering overall well-being.

Elevated brain temperature under severe heat exposure impairs cortical motor activity and executive function

Background:Excessive heat exposure can lead to hyperthermia in humans,which impairs physical performance and disrupts cognitive function.While heat is a known physiological stressor,it is unclear how severe heat stress affects brain physiology and function.Methods:Eleven healthy participants were subjected to heat stress from prolonged exercise or warm water immersion until their rectal temperatures(T_(re))attained 39.5℃,inducing exertional or passive hyperthermia,respectively.In a separate trial,blended ice was ingested before and during exercise as a cooling strategy.Data were compared to a control condition with seated rest(normothermic).Brain temperature(T_(br)),cerebral perfusion,and task-based brain activity were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging techniques.Results:T_(br)in motor cortex was found to be tightly regulated at rest(37.3℃±0.4℃(mean±SD))despite fluctuations in T_(re).With the development of hyperthermia,T_(br)increases and dovetails with the rising T_(re).Bilateral motor cortical activity was suppressed during high-intensity plantarflexion tasks,implying a reduced central motor drive in hyperthermic participants(T_(re)=38.5℃±0.1℃).Global gray matter perfusion and regional perfusion in sensorimotor cortex were reduced with passive hyperthermia.Executive function was poorer under a passive hyperthermic state,and this could relate to compromised visual processing as indicated by the reduced activation of left lateral-occipital cortex.Conversely,ingestion of blended ice before and during exercise alleviated the rise in both T_(re)and T_(bc)and mitigated heat-related neural perturbations.Conclusion:Severe heat exposure elevates T_(br),disrupts motor cortical activity and executive function,and this can lead to impairment of physical and cognitive performance.

Preparation,characterization and antioxidant activity analysis of three Maillard glycosylated bone collagen hydrolysates from chicken,porcine and bovine

Bone collagen hydrolysates(peptides)derived from byproduct of animal product processing have been used to produce commercially valuable products due to their potential antioxidant activity.Maillard glycosylated reaction is considered as a promising method to enhance the antioxidant activity of peptides.Hence,this research aims at investigating the Maillard glycosylation activity and antioxidant activity of bone collagen hydrolysates from different sources.In this study,3 glycosylated bone collagen hydrolysates were prepared and characterized,and cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity were analyzed and evaluated.The free amino groups loss,browning intensity,and fluorescence intensity of G-Cbcp(glycosylated chicken bone collagen hydrolysates(peptides))were the heaviest,followed by G-Pbcp(glycosylated porcine bone collagen hydrolysates(peptides))and G-Bbcp(glycosylated bovine bone collagen hydrolysates(peptides)).The results of amino acid analysis showed that amino acid composition of different bone collagen hydrolysates was significantly different and the amino acid decreased to different degrees after Maillard glycosylated reaction,which may lead to differences in Maillard glycosylated reaction activity.Furthermore,the 3 glycosylated hydrolysates showed no significant cytotoxicity.The results showed that glycosylation process significantly increased the antioxidant activity of bone collagen hydrolysates,and G-Cbcp showed the strongest antioxidant activity,followed by G-Pbcp and G-Bbcp.Therefore,compared with the bone collagen hydrolysates,3 glycosylated hydrolysates showed significant characteristic and structural changes,and higher antioxidant activity.

A bacterial protein Rhp-PSP inhibits plant viral proliferation through endoribonuclease activity

Plant virus causes massive crop losses globally.However,there is currently no effective measure to control plant viral disease.Previously,we identify an antiviral protein Rhp-PSP,produced by the bacterial Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain JSC-3b.In this study,we discover that the antiviral activity of Rhp-PSP relies on its endoribonuclease activity.Converting the arginine(R)residue at position 129 onto alanine(A)abolishs its endoribonuclease activity on coat protein(CP)RNA of tobacco mosaic virus(TMV),consequentially,compromises the antiviral activity of Rhp-PSP.Further investigation demonstrates that,the mutant Rhp-PSP^(R129A)is unable to form the homotrimer as the wild type,indicating the importance of quaternary junction for the endoribonuclease activity.Overexpression of Rhp-PSP in Nicotiana benthamiana significantly enhances the resistance against TMV of seedlings,while expression of Rhp-PSP^(R129A)did not,confirming that endoribonuclease activity is responsible for the antiviral activity of Rhp-PSP.In addition,foliar spray of Rhp-PSP solution on tomato and pepper plants significantly reduces the disease index of viral diseases,indicating that Rhp-PSP shows potential to develop antiviral agent in practice.

Diabetic Retinopathy: Diagnostic Challenges and Impact of Physical Activity

Introduction: Diabetes represents a major public health challenge, affecting over 463 million people according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Among its complications, diabetic retinopathy stands out as the leading cause of blindness in industrialized countries. Physical activity is now recognized as a cornerstone of diabetes management, and its impact on diabetic retinopathy is of growing interest. Observation: Mr. A.E, a 54-year-old man, presents with progressive deterioration of his vision. Family history of diabetes and hypertension is noted. He engages in one hour of physical activity daily, including treadmill running and indoor cycling. Despite recent optical correction, his visual acuity remains at 3/10 unimproved. Ocular imaging, notably fluorescein retinal angiography and optical coherence tomography, reveals proliferative diabetic retinopathy with bilateral macular edema. Blood tests, performed after physical activity, show normal values of blood glucose and HbA1c, delaying the initiation of treatment and promoting the progression of retinopathy. Despite appropriate management, no significant improvement in visual function is observed during follow-up. Conclusion: The management of diabetic retinopathy requires an approach integrating physical activity. A better understanding of the interaction between physical activity and diabetic retinopathy is needed to optimize prevention and treatment strategies.

Design of a Lightweight Compressed Video Stream-Based Patient Activity Monitoring System

Inpatient falls from beds in hospitals are a common problem.Such falls may result in severe injuries.This problem can be addressed by continuous monitoring of patients using cameras.Recent advancements in deep learning-based video analytics have made this task of fall detection more effective and efficient.Along with fall detection,monitoring of different activities of the patients is also of significant concern to assess the improvement in their health.High computation-intensive models are required to monitor every action of the patient precisely.This requirement limits the applicability of such networks.Hence,to keep the model lightweight,the already designed fall detection networks can be extended to monitor the general activities of the patients along with the fall detection.Motivated by the same notion,we propose a novel,lightweight,and efficient patient activity monitoring system that broadly classifies the patients’activities into fall,activity,and rest classes based on their poses.The whole network comprises three sub-networks,namely a Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN)based video compression network,a Lightweight Pose Network(LPN)and a Residual Network(ResNet)Mixer block-based activity recognition network.The compression network compresses the video streams using deep learning networks for efficient storage and retrieval;after that,LPN estimates human poses.Finally,the activity recognition network classifies the patients’activities based on their poses.The proposed system shows an overall accuracy of approx.99.7% over a standard dataset with 99.63% fall detection accuracy and efficiently monitors different events,which may help monitor the falls and improve the inpatients’health.