natural agents

This study aimed to identify the status, determining factors, and challenges in adopting climate smart livestock production practices by farmers. Three-staged sampling techniques were used to select the research sites and 233 sample farmer household respondents. Data were collected mainly using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted to complement the household survey data. Descriptive statistics and an ordered logistic regression model were applied to analyze the quantitative data...

A series of 4-carboxyphenyl/4-hydroxyphenyl meso-substituted porphyrins were synthesized, purified, and characterized. The compounds exhibited anti-HIV-1 activities, in vitro, under both non-photodynamic (non-PDT) and photodynamic (PDT) conditions. Specifically, the porphyrins inhibited HIV-1 virus entry, with c-PB2 (OH)2 and PB(OH)3 showing significant anti-HIV-1 activity. All of the porphyrins inhibited HIV-1 subtype B and C virus entry under PDT conditions. Our study demonstrated that the compounds bearing combinations of 4-carboxyphenyl/4-hydroxyphenyl moieties were not toxic even at higher concentrations, as compared to the reference porphyrins 5,10,15,20-tetra-(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) and 5,10,15,20-tetra-(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (THPP), under PDT conditions...

The primary objective of the present study was to produce metal complexes of H4 DAP ligand (N,N'-((pyridine-2,6-diylbis(azanediyl))bis(carbonothioyl))dibenzamide) derived from 2,6-diaminopyridine and benzoyl isothiocyanate with either ML or M2 L stoichiometry. There are three distinct coordination complexes obtained with the formulas [Co(H2 DAP)]·H2 O, [Ni2 (H2 DAP)Cl2 (H2 O)2 ]·H2 O, and [Cu(H4 DAP)Cl2 ]·3H2 O. The confirmation of the structures of all derivatives was achieved through the utilization of several analytical techniques, including FT-IR, UV-Vis, NMR, GC-MS, PXRD, SEM, TEM analysis, and QM calculations...

Defining genetic factors impacting chemotherapy failure can help to better predict response and identify drug resistance mechanisms. However, there is limited understanding of the contribution of inherited noncoding genetic variation on inter-individual differences in chemotherapy response in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Here we map inherited noncoding variants associated with treatment outcome and/or chemotherapeutic drug resistance to ALL cis-regulatory elements and investigate their gene regulatory potential and target gene connectivity using massively parallel reporter assays and three-dimensional chromatin looping assays, respectively...

The coronavirus-2 has led to a global pandemic of COVID-19 with an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome leading to worldwide quarantine measures and a rise in death rates. The objective of this study is to propose a green, sensitive, and selective densitometric method to simultaneously quantify remdesivir (REM) in the presence of the co-administered drug linezolid (LNZ) and rivaroxaban (RIV) in spiked human plasma. TLC silica gel aluminum plates 60 F254 were used as the stationary phase, and the mobile phase was composed of dichloromethane (DCM): acetone (8...

In charged water microdroplets, which occur in nature or in the lab upon ultrasonication or in electrospray processes, the thermodynamics for reactive chemistry can be dramatically altered relative to the bulk phase. Here, we provide a theoretical basis for the observation of accelerated chemistry by simulating water droplets of increasing charge imbalance to create redox agents such as hydroxyl and hydrogen radicals and solvated electrons. We compute the hydration enthalpy of OH- and H+ that controls the electron transfer process, and the corresponding changes in vertical ionization energy and vertical electron affinity of the ions, to create OH• and H• reactive species...

This study investigates the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), owing to the low cost and abundance of selenium. However, the toxicity of SeNP prompts the development of a selenium nanocomposite (SeNC) containing pectin, keratin, and ferulic acid to improve the bioactivity of Se[0]. Further, incorporating the SeNC in a suitable formulation for drug delivery as a transdermal patch was worth studying. Accordingly, various analytical techniques were used to characterize the SeNPs and the SeNC, confirming successful synthesis and encapsulation...

A series of antitumor bicyclic hexapeptide RA-VII analogues modified at residue 2, 3, or 6 were prepared by the chemical transformation of the hydroxy, methoxy, or carboxy groups or the aromatic rings of natural peptides RA-II, III, V, VII, and X. Analogues with modified side chains or peptide backbones, which cannot be prepared by the chemical transformation of their natural peptides, and newly isolated peptides from Rubia cordifolia roots were synthesized by using protected cycloisodityrosines prepared by the degradation of bis(thioamide) obtained from RA-VII or the diphenyl ether formation of boronodipeptide under the modified Chan-Lam coupling reaction conditions...

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol derived from Green Tea, is one of the sources of natural bioactive compounds which are currently being developed as medicinal ingredients. Besides other biological activities, this natural compound exhibits anti-cariogenic effects. However, EGCG has low physical-chemical stability and poor bioavailability. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop and characterize lipid-chitosan hybrid nanoparticle with EGCG and to evaluate its in vitro activity against cariogenic planktonic microorganisms...

Natural products are important for the development of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals; thus, their synthesis and medicinal chemistry research is critical. Developing a total synthesis pathway for natural products confirms their structure and provides the opportunity to modify the structure in a targeted manner. A simple modification of a single oxidation step can increase the biological activity, or the complexity of the molecule can alter the property. Herein, we discuss the asymmetric total synthesis of dihydroisocoumarin-type natural products, the creation of novel antibacterial compounds through partial structural modification, and the development of antioxidants with high activity and low toxicity through dimerization strategies...

Fine-tuning nucleation and growth of colloidal liquid crystalline (LC) droplets, also known as tactoids, is highly desirable in both fundamental science and technological applications. However, the tactoid structure results from the trade-off between thermodynamics and non-equilibrium kinetics effects, and controlling liquid-liquid crystalline phase separation (LLCPS) in these systems is still work in progress. Here we introduce a single-step strategy to obtain a rich palette of morphologies for tactoids formed via nucleation and growth within an initially isotropic phase exposed to a gradient of depletants...

SARS-CoV-2 continues to threaten human health, antibody therapy is one way to control the infection. Because new SARS-CoV-2 mutations are constantly emerging, there is an urgent need to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies to block the viral entry into host cells. VNAR from sharks is the smallest natural antigen binding domain, with the advantages of small size, flexible paratopes, good stability, and low manufacturing cost. Here, we used recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike-RBD to immunize sharks and constructed a VNAR phage display library...

Thallium (Tl) is a potential toxicity element that poses significant ecological and environmental risks. Recently, a substantial amount of Tl has been released into the environment through natural and human activities, which attracts increasing attention. The determination of this hazardous and trace element is crucial for controlling its pollution. This article summarizes the advancement and progress in optimizing Tl detection techniques, including atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-based methods, spectrophotometry, and X-ray-based methods...

Herein, we reported a new contaminant purification paradigm, which enabled highly efficient reductive denitration and dechlorination using a green, stable reducing agent thiourea dioxide (TDO) coupled with biochar (BC) over a wide pH range under anoxic conditions. Specifically, BC acted as both activators and electron shuttles for TDO decomposition to achieve complete anoxic degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP), p-nitroaniline, 4-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol within 2 h. During this process, multiple strongly reducing species (i...

In this introduction to a thematic issue dealing with free will, some possibilities of free will in different physical, social, and technological worlds, as well as discussions of the possibilities are considered. What are the possibilities and limitations of free will in various other worlds differing from our world? What are the possibilities and limitations of free will in different species, both in our world and in other hypothetical worlds, including future species, naturally evolving, and artificially modified? What are the possibilities and limitations of free will related to the development of AI? How can the diversity of free will levels in an agent be related to possible levels (depth) of its self-knowledge? What can agents differing in levels of self-knowledge know and think about the issue of free will? How do different societies (social worlds) support and inhibit different manifestations of free will in different areas? What is the role of hard neurodeterminism and "mindless neuroscience" in general neuroscience? What are ethical aspects of the questions, including the initial one: "If a neuroscientist denies free will, how can they write a text of voluntary informed consent and propose to sign it?"...

Natural products are chemical compounds produced by living organisms. They are isolated and purified to determine their function and can potentially be used as therapeutic agents. The ability of some bioactive natural products to modify the course of cancer is fascinating and promising. In the past 50 years, there have been advancements in cancer therapy that have increased survival rates for localized tumors. However, there has been little progress in treating advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is resistant to radiation and chemotherapy...

AIM AND BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the potential synergistic interaction of virgin coconut oil (VCO) and virgin olive oil (VOO) mixture against Streptococcus sanguinis , Streptococcus mutans , and Lactobacillus casei in a single and mixture species through the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), antiadherence, and antibiofilm activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The broth microdilution technique was used to individually determine the MIC of both oils and an oil mixture (in the ratio of 1:1) in a 96-well microtiter plate...

Introduction: Multi-agent systems are an interdisciplinary research field that describes the concept of multiple decisive individuals interacting with a usually partially observable environment. Given the recent advances in single-agent reinforcement learning, multi-agent reinforcement learning (RL) has gained tremendous interest in recent years. Most research studies apply a fully centralized learning scheme to ease the transfer from the single-agent domain to multi-agent systems. Methods: In contrast, we claim that a decentralized learning scheme is preferable for applications in real-world scenarios as this allows deploying a learning algorithm on an individual robot rather than deploying the algorithm to a complete fleet of robots...

In situ vaccines (ISVs) utilize the localized delivery of chemotherapeutic agents or radiotherapy to stimulate the release of endogenous antigens from tumors, thereby eliciting systemic and persistent immune activation. Recently, a bioinspired ISV strategy has attracted tremendous attention due to its features such as an immune adjuvant effect and genetic plasticity. M13 bacteriophages are natural nanomaterials with intrinsic immunogenicity, genetic flexibility, and cost-effectiveness for large-scale production, demonstrating the potential for application in cancer vaccines...

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) ranks as the highest cause of cancer-related deaths globally. GIC patients are often diagnosed at advanced stages, limiting effective treatment options. Chemotherapy, the common GIC recommendation, has significant disadvantages such as toxicity and adverse effects. Natural products contain substances with diverse pharmacological characteristics that promise for use in cancer therapeutics. In this study, the flower of renowned Asian medicinal plant, Shorea roxburghii was collected and extracted to investigate its phytochemical contents, antioxidant, and anticancer properties on GIC cells...