Search Results (3,319)

Background: currently, there is a growing trend toward multifunctional cosmetics, which combine several active ingredients in a single product to enhance efficacy and user convenience. As ingredients may influence one another, it is important to study the behavior of mixing multiple compounds in complex formulations, especially regarding their interaction with the skin. Piceatannol, for instance, is a naturally occurring stilbene recognized for its in vitro potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging activities, making it a promising candidate for dermocosmetic use in suncare. But despite its beneficial biological activities, its cutaneous permeation remains poorly understood, particularly when delivered from complex formulations containing multiple ingredients. Objectives: in this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the in vitro skin diffusion profile of piceatannol from a passion fruit seed extract (P_ext) incorporated into a topical base (B_em) or an organic sunscreen emulsion (O_em), with or without a spilanthol-rich Acmella oleracea extract (J_ext) used as a natural permeation enhancer. Methods: due to ethical and variability issues with human and animal skins, the Strat-M™ synthetic membrane was chosen as a standardized model for the in vitro skin permeation assays. Piceatannol localization within membrane layers was examined by confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), while compound identification in donor and receptor compartments was performed via UHPLC-DAD. Results: piceatannol from B_em was detected up to 140 µm from the Strat-M™ surface and exceeded 180 µm in depth when J_ext and organic sunscreens were included in the formulation. Notably, formulations containing J_ext and those based on O_em promoted enhanced accumulation in both the stratum corneum and deeper skin layers, suggesting an improved delivery potential in lipid-rich vehicles. Conclusions: even though some instability issues were observed, piceatannol penetration into Strat-M™ from the proposed formulations was confirmed, and the results provide a foundation for further research on its topical delivery, supporting the rational development of formulations capable of harnessing its demonstrated biological properties. Full article

The sustainability of Arctic ecosystems that are extremely vulnerable is contingent upon the state of cryosoils. Understanding the principles of ecosystem stability in permafrost conditions, particularly under external natural or human-induced influences, necessitates an examination of the thermal and moisture regimes of the seasonally thawed soil layer. The study concentrated on the variability in the soil’s thermophysical properties in Central Siberia’s permafrost zone (the northern part of Krasnoyarsk Region, Taimyr, Russia). In the industrially affected area of interest, we evaluated and contrasted the differences in the thermophysical properties of soils between two opposing types of landscapes. On the one hand, these are soils that are characteristic of the natural landscape of flat shrub tundra, with a well-developed moss–lichen cover. An alternative is the soils in the landscape, which have exhibited significant degradation in the vegetation cover due to both natural and human-induced factors. The heat-insulating properties of background areas are controlled by the layer of moss and shrubs, while its disturbance determines the excessive heating of the soil at depth. In comparison to the background soil characteristics, degradation of on-ground vegetation causes the active layer depth of the soils to double and the temperature gradient to decrease. With respect to depth, we examine the changes in soil temperature and heat flow dynamics (q, W/m²). The ranges of thermal conductivity (λ, W/(m∙K)) were assessed using field-measured temperature profiles and heat flux values in the soil layers. The background soil was discovered to have lower thermal conductivity values, which are typical of organic matter, in comparison to the soil of the transformed landscape. Thermal diffusivity coefficients for soil layers were calculated using long-term temperature monitoring data. It is shown that it is possible to use an adjusted model of the thermal conductivity coefficient to reconstruct the dynamics of moisture content from temperature dynamics data. A satisfactory agreement is shown when the estimated ($W_{calc}$, %) and observed ($W_{exp}$, %) moisture content values in the soil layer are compared. The findings will be employed to regulate the effects on landscapes in order to implement sustainable nature management in the region, thereby preventing the significant degradation of ecosystems and the concomitant risks to human well-being. Full article

Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a significant complication in patients with diabetes, often leading to severe clinical complications including amputation and increased mortality rates. The effective management of these infections is complicated by the rise in antibiotic resistance among the microbial populations involved. In this paper, we undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the bacterial profiles, as well as their antibiotic resistance patterns in DFIs, encompassing studies published between 2014 and 2024. A total of 28 studies were selected from several databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, and ScienceDirect, published from 2014 to 2024, specifically focusing on diabetic foot infections and antibiotic resistance. Diabetic foot infections arise from a combination of factors, including peripheral neuropathy, poor circulation, and immune system impairment, making diabetic patients prone to unnoticed injuries, impaired wound healing, and a higher risk of infections. The severity of DFIs often depends on the size and depth of the ulcers, with larger, deeper ulcers posing additional risks of infection and complications, such as osteomyelitis and sepsis. Our study synthesizes information on the total isolates of microbes, their resistance to one or more groups of antibiotics, and resistance panel results across multiple antibiotics, including amoxicillin/clavulanate, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and others. We meticulously catalog the resistance of key bacterial strains—Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Proteus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and others—highlighting patterns of resistance to single and multiple antibiotic groups. This systematic review also analyzes the correlations of various comorbidities reported by the diabetic foot infection patient populations in the included studies with multiple antibiotic resistance patterns. Subsequently, this analytical review study addresses the rising prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and underscores the need for antibiotic stewardship programs to promote judicious use of antibiotics, reduce the spread of resistant strains, and enhance therapeutic outcomes. In addition, the review discusses the implications of resistance to empirical antibiotic treatments, underscoring the necessity for tailored antibiotic therapy based on culture and sensitivity results to optimize treatment outcomes. Full article

To design novel imaging devices, we use masks coded with numerical sequences. These masks work in conjunction with varifocal systems that implement zero-throw tunable magnification. Some masks control field depth, even when the size of the pupil aperture remains fixed. Pairs of vortex masks are used to implement tunable phase radial profiles, like axicons and lenses. The autocorrelation properties of the Barker sequences are applied to the generation of narrow passband windows on the OTF. For this application, we apply Barker matrices in rectangular coordinates. A similar procedure, but now in polar coordinates, is useful for sensing in-plane rotations. We implement geometrical transformations by using zero-throw, tunable, anamorphic magnifications. Full article

Experimental measurement of dose distributions is a pivotal step in the quality assurance of radiotherapy treatments, especially for those relying on high delivery accuracy such as hadron therapy. This study investigated the response of a polymer gel dosimeter to determine its suitability in performing geometric beam characterizations for hadron therapy under high-quenching conditions. Different extraction energies of proton and carbon ion beams were considered. Gel dose–response linearity and long-term stability were confirmed through optical measurements. Gel phantoms were irradiated with pencil beams and analyzed via magnetic resonance imaging. A multi-echo T₂-weighted sequence was used to reconstruct depth–dose profiles and transversal distributions acquired by the gels, which were benchmarked against reference data. As expected, a response-quenching effect in the Bragg peak region was noted. Nonetheless, the studied gel formulation proved reliable in acquiring the geometric characteristics of the beams, even without correcting for the quenching effect. Indeed, depth–dose distributions acquired by the gels showed an excellent agreement with measured particle range with respect to reference values, with mean discrepancies of 0.5 ± 0.2 mm. Single-spot transverse FWHM values at increasing depths also presented an average agreement within 1 mm with values determined with radiochromic films, thus supporting the excellent spatial resolving capabilities of the dosimetric gel. Full article

This pilot study uses Raman spectroscopy and SERS to monitor monthly water composition changes in two adjacent hypersaline lakes (L1 and L2) at a balneary resort, during the peak tourist season (May–October 2023). In situ pH and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements, along with evaporite analyses, complemented the spectroscopic data. Although traditionally considered similar, the lakes frequently raise public questions about their relative bathing benefits. While not directly addressing the therapeutic effects, the study reveals distinct physicochemical profiles between the lakes. Raman data showed consistently higher sulfate levels in L2, a trend also observed in winter monitoring. pH levels were higher in L1 (8–9.8) than in L2 (7.2–8), except for one October depth reading. This trend held during winter, except in April. Surface waters showed more variability and slightly higher values than those at 1 m depth. SERS spectra featured β-carotene peaks, linked to cyanobacteria, and Ag–Cl bands, indicating nanoparticle aggregation from inorganic ions. SERS intensity strongly correlated with pH and EC, especially in L2 (r = 0.96), suggesting stable surface–depth chemistry. L1 exhibited more monthly variability, likely due to differing biological activity. Although salinity and EC were not linearly correlated at high salt levels, both reflected seasonal trends. The integration of Raman, SERS, and physicochemical data proves effective for monitoring hypersaline lake dynamics, offering a valuable tool for environmental surveillance and therapeutic water quality assessment, in support of evidence-based water management and therapeutic use of salt lakes, aligning with goals for sustainable medical tourism and environmental stewardship. Full article

Rapid urbanization and frequent extreme events have made urban flooding a growing threat to residents. This issue is acute in old urban districts, where extremely limited land resources, outdated standards and poor infrastructure have led to inadequate drainage and uneven pipe settlement, heightening flood risk. This study applies InfoWorks ICM Ultimate (version 21.0.284) to simulate flooding in a typical old urban district for six return periods. A risk assessment was carried out, flood causes were analyzed, and mitigation strategies were evaluated to reduce inundation and cost. Results show that all combined schemes outperform single-measure solutions. Among them, the green roof combined with pipe optimization scheme eliminated high-risk and medium-risk areas, while reducing low-risk areas by over 78.23%. It also lowered the ponding depth at key waterlogging points by 70%, significantly improving the flood risk profile. The permeable pavement combined with pipe optimization scheme achieved similar results, reducing low-risk areas by 77.42% and completely eliminating ponding at key locations, although at a 50.8% higher cost. This study underscores the unique contribution of cost-considered gray-green infrastructure retrofitting in old urban areas characterized by land scarcity and aging pipeline networks. It provides a quantitative basis and optimization strategies for refined modeling and multi-strategy management of urban waterlogging in such regions, offering valuable references for other cities facing similar challenges. The findings hold significant implications for urban flood control planning and hydrological research, serving as an important resource for urban planners engaged in flood risk management and researchers in urban hydrology and stormwater management. Full article

T cell receptor (TCR) profiling using next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables high-throughput, in-depth analysis of repertoire diversity, offering numerous clinical applications. We developed a DNA-based strategy to analyse the TCRβ-chain using NGS and established reference values for T cell repertoire characteristics in 74 healthy donors, including 44 adults, 20 paediatrics, and 10 cord blood units (CBUs). Additionally, four paediatric patients with combined immunodeficiency (CID) or severe CID (SCID) due to deleterious mutations in recombination activating genes (RAG) were analysed. The developed strategy demonstrated high specificity, reproducibility, and sensitivity, and all functional variable and joining genes were detected with minimal PCR bias. All donors had a Gaussian-like distribution of complementary-determining region 3 length, with lower presence of non-templated nucleotides and higher proportion of non-functional clonotypes in CBUs. Both CBUs and paediatrics showed greater convergence and TCRβ diversity was significantly lower in adults and donors with cytomegalovirus-positive serostatus. Finally, an analysis of paediatric patients with RAG-SCID/CID showed significantly shorter CDR3 region length and lower repertoire diversity compared to healthy paediatrics. In summary, we developed a reliable and feasible TCRβ sequencing strategy for application in the clinical setting, and established reference values that could assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of pathological conditions affecting the T cell repertoire. Full article

Soil contamination with heavy metals (HM) poses a risk to human health and can impact different soil functions. This study aimed to determine the influence of heavy metal pollution on the physical and physicochemical characteristics of the two profiles of alluvial–deluvial soil under grassland located at different distances from the Aurubis-Pirdop Copper smelter in Bulgaria. Data for soil particle-size distribution, soil bulk and particle densities, mineralogical composition, soil organic carbon contents, cation exchange properties, surface charge, soil water retention curves, pore size distribution—obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP)—and thermal properties were obtained. The contents of Pb, Cu, As, Zn, and Cd were above the maximum permissible level in the humic horizon and decreased with depth and distance from the Copper smelter. Depending on HM speciation, the correlations are established with SOC and most physicochemical parameters. It can be concluded that the HMs impact the clay content, specific surface area, distribution of pores, and the water stability of soil aggregate fraction 1–3 mm to varying degrees. Full article

Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most common hematological malignancies and remains incurable. However, the survival of multiple myeloma patients has significantly increased due to the implementation of novel therapies along with autologous stem cell transplantation, changing the natural history of the disease. Consequently, there is an unmet need for more sensitive response assessment techniques capable of quantifying minimal tumor burden to identify patients at higher risk of early relapse. Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) is an essential tool for diagnosing and monitoring patients with various hematological conditions and has recently gained prominence in identifying, characterizing, and monitoring malignant plasma cells. The implementation of Next-Generation Flow (NGF) by EuroFlow aims to overcome the pitfalls of conventional MFC, including lack of standardization and lower sensitivity, by offering standardized and optimized protocols for evaluating response depth. Both MFC and NGF have wide-ranging applications in MM for diagnosis and measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring. Plasma cell identification and clonality evaluation through MFC and NGF assist in diagnostic workup and are routinely used to assess therapeutic response through MRD analysis. Additionally, flow cytometry is applied for circulating tumor plasma cell (CTPC) enumeration, which has demonstrated significant prognostic value. Immune composition studies through MFC may provide better understanding of disease biology. Furthermore, MFC provides additional information about other bone marrow cell populations, assessing cellularity, immunophenotypic characteristics of plasma cells, and possible hemodilution. This review explores the applications of MFC and NGF in MM, highlighting their roles in diagnosis, response assessment, and prognosis. Beyond their established use in MRD monitoring, flow cytometry-derived immunophenotypic profiles show strong potential as cost-effective prognostic tools. We advocate for future studies to validate and integrate these markers into risk stratification models, complementing cytogenetic analyses and guiding individualized treatment strategies. Full article

This work presents the development of a Z-depth system for Confocal Raman Spectroscopy (CRS), which allows for the acquisition of Raman spectra both at the surface and at depth profile in heterogeneous samples. The proposed CRS system consists of the coupling of a commercial 785 nm Raman Probe Bifurcated (RPB) with a 20x/0.40 infinity plan achromatic polarizing microscope objective, a Long Working Distance (LWD) of 1.2 cm, and a 50 $\mathsf{\mu }$m core-multimode optical fiber used as a pinhole filter. With this implementation, it is possible to achieve both a high spatial resolution of approximately 16.2 $\mathsf{\mu }$m and a spectral resolution of ∼14 cm${}^{-1}$, which is determined by the FWHM of the thin 1004 cm${}^{-1}$ Raman profile band. The system is configured to operate within 400–1800 cm${}^{-1}$ spectral windows. The implementation of a system of this nature offers a favorable cost–benefit ratio, as commercial CRS is typically found in high-cost environments such as cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and biological laboratories. The proposed system is low-cost and employs a minimal set of optical components to achieve functionality comparable to that of a confocal Raman microscope. High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) Raman spectra (∼660.05 at 1447 cm${}^{-1}$) can be obtained with short integration times (∼25 s) and low laser power (30–35 mW) when analyzing biological samples such as in vivo human fingernails and fingertips. This power level is significantly lower than the exposure limits established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for human laser experiments. Raman spectra were recorded from the surface of both the nails and fingertips of three volunteers, in order to characterize their biological samples at different depths. The measurements were performed in 50 $\mathsf{\mu }$m steps to obtain molecular structural information from both surface and subsurface tissue layers. The proposed CRS enables the identification of differences between two closely spaced, centered, and narrow Raman bands. Additionally, broad Raman bands observed at the skin surface can be deconvolved into at least three sub-bands, which can be quantitatively characterized in terms of intensity, peak position, and bandwidth, as the confocal plane advances in depth. Moreover, the CRS system enables the detection of subtle, low-intensity features that appear at the surface but disappear beyond specific depth layers. Full article

Despite the increasing recognition of the role of urban orchard ecosystems in sustainable urban development, the mechanistic understanding of how tree species soil biochemical heterogeneity drives microbial community assembly, the spatial patterns governing microbe-environment interactions, and their collective contributions to ecosystem multifunctionality remain poorly characterized. This study investigated how Prunus species and soil depth affect microbial biodiversity and metabolomic signatures in an urban orchard in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Soil samples were collected from five fruit tree species (apricot, peach, plum, cherry, and sour cherry) across three depths (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm), resulting in 225 samples. The microbial community structure was analyzed through phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling, whereas the soil metabolome was analyzed by mass spectrometry techniques, including gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) and MALDI time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) MS, which identified 489 compounds across 18 chemical classes. The results revealed significant tree species-specific effects on soil microbial biodiversity, with bacterial biomarkers dominating and total microbial biomass varying among species. The soils related to apricot trees presented the highest microbial activity, particularly in the surface layers. Metabolomic analysis revealed 247 distinct KEGG-annotated metabolites, with sour cherry exhibiting unique organic acid profiles and cherry showing distinctive quinone accumulation. Depth stratification influenced both microbial communities and metabolite composition, reflecting oxygen gradients and substrate availability. These findings provide mechanistic insights into urban orchard soil biogeochemistry, suggesting that strategic species selection can harness tree species-soil microbe interactions to optimize urban soil ecosystem services and enhance urban biodiversity conservation. Full article

In this study, we investigate the improvement of physical and electrical characteristics in 4H-silicon carbide (SiC) MOS capacitors using Aluminum Oxynitride (AlON) thin films fabricated via Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PEALD). AlON thin films are grown on SiC substrates using a high ratio of NH₃ and O₂ as nitrogen and oxygen sources through PEALD technology, with improved material properties and electrical performance. The AlON films exhibited excellent thickness uniformity, with a minimal error of only 0.14%, a high refractive index of 1.90, and a low surface roughness of 0.912 nm, demonstrating the precision of the PEALD process. Through XPS depth profiling and electrical characterization, it was found that the AlON/SiC interface showed a smooth transition from Al-N and Al-O at the surface to Al-O-Si at the interface, ensuring robust bonding. Electrical measurements indicated that the SiC/AlON MOS capacitors demonstrated Type I band alignment with a valence band offset of 1.68 eV and a conduction band offset of 1.16 eV. Additionally, the device demonstrated a low interface state density (D_it) of 7.6 × 10¹¹ cm⁻²·eV⁻¹ with a high breakdown field strength of 10.4 MV/cm. The results highlight AlON’s potential for enhancing the performance of high-voltage, high-power SiC devices. Full article

This study aims to investigate the syntactic complexity in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by conducting a comprehensive analysis that incorporates mean dependency distance (MDD), fine-grained grammatical metrics, and dependency network structures. A total of 150 adults with AD and 150 healthy controls (HC) responded in English to interview prompts based on the Cookie Theft picture description task, and the results were compared. The key findings are as follows: (1) The primary syntactic change is a strategic shift from hierarchical, clause-based constructions to linear, phrase-based ones, a direct consequence of working memory deficits designed to minimize cognitive load. (2) This shift is executed via a resource reallocation, where costly, long-distance clausal dependencies are systematically avoided in favor of a compensatory reliance on local dependencies, such as intra-phrasal modification and simple predicate structures. (3) This strategic reallocation leads to a systemic reorganization of the syntactic network, transforming it from a flexible, distributed system into a rigid, centralized one that becomes critically dependent on the over-leveraged structural role of function words to maintain basic connectivity. (4) The overall syntactic profile is the result of a functional balance governed by the principle of cognitive economy, where expressive richness and grammatical depth are sacrificed to preserve core communicative functions. These findings suggest that the syntactic signature of AD is not a random degradation of linguistic competence but a profound and systematic grammatical adaptation, where the entire linguistic system restructures itself to function under the severe constraints of diminished cognitive resources. Full article

Forecasting electricity consumption is one of the most important scientific and practical tasks in the field of electric power engineering. The forecast accuracy directly impacts the operational efficiency of the entire power system and the performance of electricity markets. This paper proposes algorithms for source data preprocessing and tuning XGBoost models to obtain the most accurate forecast profiles. The initial data included hourly electricity consumption volumes and meteorological conditions in the power system of the Republic of Tatarstan for the period from 2013 to 2025. The novelty of the study lies in defining and justifying the optimal model training period and developing a new evaluation metric for assessing model efficiency—financial losses in Balancing Energy Market operations. It was shown that the optimal depth of the training dataset is 10 years. It was also demonstrated that the use of traditional metrics (MAE, MAPE, MSE, etc.) as loss functions during training does not always yield the most effective model for market conditions. The MAPE, MAE, and financial loss values for the most accurate model, evaluated on validation data from the first 5 months of 2025, were 1.411%, 38.487 MWh, and 16,726,062 RUR, respectively. Meanwhile, the metrics for the most commercially effective model were 1.464%, 39.912 MWh, and 15,961,596 RUR, respectively. Full article