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On page 6 of reference [[1]], it states that "The ratio of the N SB 4 sb :N SB 5 sb intensities is 9." The N SB 4 sb :N SB 5 sb ratio is 1/9, as can be easily gleaned from an examination of Figure 5. The great intensity at the N SB 5 sb edge is due to an extension of the resonance observed in inverse photoelectron spectroscopy, as discussed in Reference 33 of the article and the references therein. [Extracted from the article]

Maximizing the amount of work harvested from an environment is important for a wide variety of biological and technological processes, from energy-harvesting processes such as photosynthesis to energy storage systems such as fuels and batteries. Here, we consider the maximization of free energy-and by extension, the maximum extractable work-that can be gained by a classical or quantum system that undergoes driving by its environment. We consider how the free energy gain depends on the initial state of the system while also accounting for the cost of preparing the system. We provide simple necessary and sufficient conditions for increasing the gain of free energy by varying the initial state. We also derive simple formulae that relate the free energy gained using the optimal initial state rather than another suboptimal initial state. Finally, we demonstrate that the problem of finding the optimal initial state may have two distinct regimes, one easy and one difficult, depending on the temperatures used for preparation and work extraction. We illustrate our results on a simple model of an information engine.

Engineers, geomorphologists, and ecologists acknowledge the need for temporally and spatially resolved measurements of sediment clogging (also known as colmation) in permeable gravel-bed rivers due to its adverse impacts on water and habitat quality. In this paper, we present a novel method for non-destructive, real-time measurements of pore-scale sediment deposition and monitoring of clogging by using wire-mesh sensors (WMSs) embedded in spheres, forming a smart gravel bed (GravelSens). The measuring principle is based on one-by-one voltage excitation of transmitter electrodes, followed by simultaneous measurements of the resulting current by receiver electrodes at each crossing measuring pores. The currents are then linked to the conductive component of fluid impedance. The measurement performance of the developed sensor is validated by applying the Maxwell Garnett and parallel models to sensor data and comparing the results to data obtained by gamma ray computed tomography (CT). GravelSens is tested and validated under varying filling conditions of different particle sizes ranging from sand to fine gravel. The close agreement between GravelSens and CT measurements indicates the technology's applicability in sediment-water research while also suggesting its potential for other solid-liquid two-phase flows. This pore-scale measurement and visualization system offers the capability to monitor clogging and de-clogging dynamics within pore spaces up to 10,000 Hz, making it the first laboratory equipment capable of performing such in situ measurements without radiation. Thus, GravelSens is a major improvement over existing methods and holds promise for advancing the understanding of flow-sediment-ecology interactions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Quantum dot-polymer composites have the advantages of high luminescent quantum yield (PLQY), narrow emission half-peak full width (FWHM), and tunable emission spectra, and have broad application prospects in display and lighting fields. Research on quantum dots embedded in polymer films and plates has made great progress in both synthesis technology and optical properties. However, due to the shortcomings of quantum dots, such as cadmium selenide (CdSe), indium phosphide (InP), lead halide perovskite (LHP), poor water, oxygen, and light stability, and incapacity for large-scale synthesis, their practical application is still restricted. Various polymers, such as methyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polypropylene (PP), etc., are widely used in packaging quantum dot materials because of their high plasticity, simple curing, high chemical stability, and good compatibility with quantum dot materials. This paper focuses on the application and development of quantum dot-polymer materials in the field of backlight displays, summarizes and expounds the synthesis strategies, advantages, and disadvantages of different quantum dot-polymer materials, provides inspiration for the optimization of quantum dot-polymer materials, and promotes their application in the field of wide-color-gamut backlight display.

In recent years, the invasive Atlantic blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus ) has increased its spread throughout the Mediterranean Sea, threatening native biodiversity and local economies. This study aimed to valorize C. sapidus sampled in Sicily by utilizing its exoskeleton as a source of chitosan, astaxanthin, and bio-phenolic compounds. These biomolecules were evaluated for their reducing, radical scavenging, and antitumor activity. The ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the free radical scavenging activity against radical 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were significantly higher for chitosan (3.16 ± 0.10 mg AAE/g and 8.1 ± 0.10 µmol TE/g). No significant differences were observed among the tested biomolecules in their activity in scavenging the radical 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). Both bio-phenolic compounds and astaxanthin exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity on CaCo-2 (IC 50 = 12.47 and 18 µg/mL) and HepG2 (IC 50 = 10.25 and 1.26 µg/mL) cell lines, while only bio-phenols showed no cytotoxic effect on differentiated CaCo-2 cells up to 20 µg/mL. These findings highlight the value of blue crab by-products in supporting a circular economy, offering a sustainable approach to managing this invasive species while providing bioactive compounds with promising medical and nutraceutical applications.

The effective knowledge of emissivity is pivotal to obtain reliable temperature measurements through non-contact techniques like pyrometry and thermal imaging. This is fundamental in high-temperature applications since material emissivity strongly depends on temperature conditions. Given the recent attention in high-temperature applications, especially for replacing fossil-fuel-dependent heating with greener solutions in energy-intensive processes, renewed interest in characterizing materials radiant properties rose. This work presents a measurement procedure for characterizing the total emissivity of high-emissivity materials exploiting microwaves for heating the test material. The procedure grounds on a sequential approach, using a reference material of known emissivity (e.g., high-emissivity coating, already characterized sample holder, etc.) to derive the target material total emissivity. Uncertainty analysis is performed to provide a metrological characterization of the approach. The procedure is validated on target materials of known emissivity, focusing on high-emissivity materials commonly employed in microwave heating processes. Results are compatible with reference literature and material datasheets, demonstrating the validity of the proposed approach.

This study aims to enhance the electrical conductivity of commercially pure aluminium by minimizing impurities and grain boundaries in its microstructure, ultimately improving the efficiency of electric motors constructed from rotors with squirrel cages made from this material. For this purpose, an aluminium-boron (AlB8) master alloy was added to aluminium with a purity of 99.7%, followed by the application of a grain-coarsening heat treatment to the rotors. To obtain commercially pure aluminium with boron additions of 0.05% and 0.1% by weight, specific amounts of the AlB8 master alloy were added into aluminium with a purity of 99.7%. Using these materials, squirrel cage components of rotors were produced via the high-pressure die-casting method. Subsequently, a grain-coarsening heat treatment of the rotors was performed at temperatures of 450 °C, 500 °C, and 550 °C, with holding times of 2, 6, and 10 h. The Box-Behnken design, which is based on statistical experimental design and response surface methodology, was employed to investigate the effects of adding boron and varying the heat treatment temperature and holding time on the electrical conductivity of commercially pure aluminium. The results showed that the synergistic effect of adding boron at 0.05 wt.% and applying the grain-coarsening heat treatment at a temperature of 550 °C for a holding time of 10 h significantly enhanced the electrical conductivity of commercially pure aluminium, increasing it from 60.62% IACS to 63.1% IACS. Correspondingly, the efficiency of the electric motor increased from 90.35% to 91.53%. These findings suggest that this hybrid method not only enhances the electrical conductivity of commercially pure aluminium but also has strong potential to improve its other properties, such as thermal conductivity. This will lead to products composed of components manufactured from the materials exhibiting better performance characteristics, such as increased efficiency and extended service life. Consequently, this innovative method will contribute economically and environmentally by facilitating the manufacture of high-performance products.

Detection and quantification of disease-related biomarkers in wastewater samples, denominated Wastewater-based Surveillance (WBS), has proven a valuable strategy for studying the prevalence of infectious diseases within populations in a time- and resource-efficient manner, as wastewater samples are representative of all cases within the catchment area, whether they are clinically reported or not. However, analysis and interpretation of WBS datasets for decision-making during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, remains an area of opportunity. In this article, a database obtained from wastewater sampling at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and university campuses in Monterrey and Mexico City between 2021 and 2022 was used to train simple clustering- and regression-based risk assessment models to allow for informed prevention and control measures in high-affluence facilities, even if working with low-dimensionality datasets and a limited number of observations. When dividing weekly data points based on whether the seven-day average daily new COVID-19 cases were above a certain threshold, the resulting clustering model could differentiate between weeks with surges in clinical reports and periods between them with an 87.9% accuracy rate. Moreover, the clustering model provided satisfactory forecasts one week (80.4% accuracy) and two weeks (81.8%) into the future. However, the prediction of the weekly average of new daily cases was limited (R 2 = 0.80, MAPE = 72.6%), likely because of insufficient dimensionality in the database. Overall, while simple, WBS-supported models can provide relevant insights for decision-makers during epidemiological outbreaks, regression algorithms for prediction using low-dimensionality datasets can still be improved.

This paper presents a comparative study of different AI models for indoor positioning systems, emphasizing improvements in localization accuracy and processing time. This study examines Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), and the Kalman filter using a real Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and 9-axis ICM-20948 sensor. An in-depth analysis is provided in this paper for data cleaning and feature selection to reduce errors for all the models. We evaluate these models in terms of localization accuracy and prediction time. The RNN model shows the best performance, achieving a localization error of 0.247 m with a delay of 0.077 s per position location for an area of 12 m × 9.5 m using four anchors. This research highlights the importance of selecting AI models for effective mobile tracking according to test and validation data.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a master regulator of cellular homeostasis, overseeing the expression of a wide array of genes involved in cytoprotective processes such as antioxidant and proteostasis control, mitochondrial function, inflammation, and the metabolism of lipids and glucose. The accumulation of misfolded proteins triggers the release, stabilization, and nuclear translocation of NRF2, which in turn enhances the expression of critical components of both the proteasomal and lysosomal degradation pathways. This process facilitates the clearance of toxic protein aggregates, thereby actively maintaining cellular proteostasis. As we age, the efficiency of the NRF2 pathway declines due to several factors including increased activity of its repressors, impaired NRF2-mediated antioxidant and cytoprotective gene expression, and potential epigenetic changes, though the precise mechanisms remain unclear. This leads to diminished antioxidant defenses, increased oxidative damage, and exacerbated metabolic dysregulation and inflammation-key contributors to age-related diseases. Given NRF2's role in mitigating proteotoxic stress, the pharmacological modulation of NRF2 has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy, even in aged preclinical models. By inducing NRF2, it is possible to mitigate the damaging effects of oxidative stress, metabolic dysfunction, and inflammation, thus reducing protein misfolding. The review highlights NRF2's therapeutic implications for neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular conditions, emphasizing its role in improving proteostasis and redox homeostasis Additionally, it summarizes current research into NRF2 as a therapeutic target, offering hope for innovative treatments to counteract the effects of aging and associated diseases.

Background: Lappula patula (L. patula ) is a plant with known medicinal properties, and its extracts have shown promise as potential anti-cancer agents. This study aimed to evaluate the nematocidal effects of L. patula extracts and investigate their impact on germline development, DNA damage responses, and apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans ), a model organism for studying these processes., Methods: C. elegans was exposed to L. patula extracts to assess survival, development, and incidence of male phenotype. Germline abnormalities were examined using microscopy at different developmental stages. The DNA damage response was evaluated through the expression of the atm-1, atl-1 and pCHK-1 . Apoptosis was quantified by monitoring cell death during the pachytene stage. LC-MS was used to identify bioactive compounds within the extracts., Results: Exposure to L. patula extracts resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in worm survival and larval developmental progress, with no significant impact on the male incidence. Germline defects were observed, including increased nuclear spacing at premeiotic and pachytene stages, altered number of bivalents during diakinesis. These defects correlated with a significant decrease in brood size. Also, L. patula extracts activated the DNA damage response pathway, marked by increased expression of atm-1 and atl-1 . Moreover, the extracts induced apoptosis in the germline in a pCHK-1-independent manner. LC-MS analysis revealed 31 potential anti-tumor compounds, supporting the extract's cytotoxic properties., Conclusions: Lappula patula extracts exhibit potent nematocidal and cytotoxic properties, suggesting their potential for cancer therapy. The observed DNA damage and apoptosis in C. elegans emphasize the extract's promising role in anti-cancer drug development. Further studies are needed to explore the therapeutic potential of these compounds in clinical settings.

The complex signaling network within the breast tumor microenvironment is crucial for its growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, therapy escape, stem cell maintenance, and immunomodulation. An array of secretory factors and their receptors activate downstream signaling cascades regulating breast cancer progression and metastasis. Among various signaling pathways, the EGFR, ER, Notch, and Hedgehog signaling pathways have recently been identified as crucial in terms of breast cancer proliferation, survival, differentiation, maintenance of CSCs, and therapy failure. These receptors mediate various downstream signaling pathways such as MAPK, including MEK/ERK signaling pathways that promote common pro-oncogenic signaling, whereas dysregulation of PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin, and JAK/STAT activates key oncogenic events such as drug resistance, CSC enrichment, and metabolic reprogramming. Additionally, these cascades orchestrate an intricate interplay between stromal cells, immune cells, and tumor cells. Metabolic reprogramming and adaptations contribute to aggressive breast cancer and are unresponsive to therapy. Herein, recent insights into the novel signaling pathways operating within the breast TME that aid in their advancement are emphasized and current developments in practices targeting the breast TME to enhance treatment efficacy are reviewed.

The integration of electronics into textiles has gained considerable attention in recent years, due to the development and high demand of wearable and flexible electronics. One of the promising fields is healthcare, which often involves the utilization of textile-based electrodes. These electrodes often offer advantages such as conformability, breathability, and comfort. This article presents the development of 3D-formed textile-based electrodes together with a narrow fabric-based interconnect system. This study showcases the methods and materials for the fabrication of the textile-based electrodes and the interconnect system, including a durability assessment, by performing standardized washing (ISO 6330-2012) and user tests. The results demonstrated that the developed 3D-formed textile-based electrodes and stretchable interconnect system are durable and effective for wearable applications, maintaining performance under extensive washing.

As urbanisation and infrastructure development continue to drive rising cement demand, the imperative to significantly reduce emissions from this emissions-intensive sector has become increasingly urgent, especially in the context of global climate goals such as achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This review examines the status, challenges and prospects of low-carbon cement technologies and mitigation strategies through the lens of the U.K. cement industry. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining structured literature searches across academic databases with analyses of industry reports, market data and technological roadmaps to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. Following an outline of cement production, resource flows and the sector's landscape in the U.K., the review delves into an array of decarbonisation pathways. This includes deploying the best available technologies (BATs), fuel switching, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), clinker substitution and low-carbon cement formulations. A critical assessment is provided on the technological readiness, costs, resource availability considerations and scalability aspects governing the widespread implementation prospects of these approaches within the U.K. cement industry. Furthermore, this study proposes a roadmap that considers priority avenues and policy needs essential for facilitating the transition towards sustainable cement production aligned with the U.K.'s net zero obligations by 2050. This evaluation contributes significantly to the ongoing decarbonisation discourse by holistically mapping technological solutions and strategic imperatives tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the U.K. cement sector.

Plastic film, also known as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), poses serious environmental challenges due to mass production, short life cycle, and poor waste management. The main aim of this paper was to examine the suitability of using agricultural waste film as a binder in construction composites instead of the traditional cement slurry. Molten at temperatures of around 120-150 °C wastes was mixed with fine sand and gravel aggregate as filler. Twelve samples consisting of different mixtures were produced-F20, F25, F30, F35, F40, F45, F50, F60, F70, F80, F90, and F100-where a given number indicates the weight ratio of film waste to aggregate used. The composites were subjected to various tests, including volumetric density, compressive strength, and flexural strength. The volumetric density (ρ) of the composites decreased with increasing amounts of waste. Composites containing 100% recyclate (F100) depicted density, ρ = 0.74 g/cm 3 , was 50.7% lower than for a composite that contained 20% recyclate (F20). The highest soakability was recorded in F20 (2.19%). Subsequently, the absorbency tested in composites decreased with increasing recyclate content. Compression strength (σ comp ) was highest for F40 (σ comp = 39.46 MPa). In contrast, F20 had the lowest recorded compressive strength value (σ comp = 11.13 MPa) and was 71.8% lower than F40. F70 had the highest recorded flexural strength value (σ flex = 27.77 MPa). The other composites showed lower strength for higher amounts of recyclate and the amount of sand. SEM imaging proved that the contact zone between the aggregate grains and the bonding phase of the recycled film was consistent, with no anomalies, cracks, or voids. The results prove that LDPE film waste is suitable for use as a binder in building composites. However, appropriately selecting proportions of the recyclate, sand, and gravel aggregate is crucial to obtain a composite with technical parameters similar to those of cementitious composites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Striking velocity is a key performance indicator in striking-based combat sports, such as boxing, Karate, and Taekwondo. This study aims to develop a low-cost, accelerometer-based system to measure kick and punch velocities in combat athletes. Utilizing a low-cost mobile phone in conjunction with the PhyPhox app, acceleration data was collected and analyzed using a custom algorithm. This involved strike segmentation and numerical integration to determine velocity. The system demonstrated moderate reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 3,1 = 0.746 to 0.786, standard error of measurement (SEM) = 0.488 to 0.921 m/s), comparable to commercially available systems. Biological and technical variations, as well as test standardization issues, were acknowledged as factors influencing reliability. Despite a relatively low sampling frequency, the hardware and software showed potential for reliable measurement. The study highlights the importance of considering within-subject variability, hardware limitations, and the impact of noise in software algorithms. Average strike velocities exhibited higher reliability than peak velocities, making them a practical choice for performance tracking, although they may underestimate true peak performance. Future research should validate the system against gold-standard methods and determine the optimal sampling frequency to enhance measurement accuracy.

The increasing global population and urbanization have led to significant challenges in waste management, particularly concerning vacuum blackwater (VBW), which is the wastewater generated from vacuum toilets. Traditional treatment methods, such as landfilling and composting, often fall short in terms of efficiency and sustainability. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has emerged as a promising alternative, offering benefits such as biogas production and digestate generation. However, the performance of AD can be influenced by various factors, including the composition of the feedstock, pH levels, and the presence of inhibitors. This review investigates the effects of calcium oxide (CaO)-modified biochar (BC) as an additive in AD of VBW. Modifying BC with CaO enhances its alkalinity, nutrient retention, and adsorption capacity, creating a more favorable environment for microorganisms and promoting biogas production, which serves as a valuable source of heat, fuel and electricity. Additionally, the digestate can be processed through plasma pyrolysis to ensure the complete destruction of pathogens while promoting resource utilization. Plasma pyrolysis operates at extremely high temperatures, effectively sterilizing the digestate and eliminating both pathogens and harmful contaminants. This process not only guarantees the safety of the end products, but also transforms organic materials into valuable outputs such as syngas and slag. The syngas produced is a versatile energy carrier that can be utilized as a source of hydrogen, electricity, and heat, making it a valuable resource for various applications, including fuel cells and power generation. Furthermore, the slag has potential for reuse as an additive in the AD process or as a biofertilizer to enhance soil properties. This study aims to provide insights into the benefits of using modified BC as a co-substrate in AD systems. The findings will contribute to the development of more sustainable and efficient waste management strategies, addressing the challenges associated with VBW treatment while promoting renewable energy production.

Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) is a perennial flowering plant of the Asteraceae family that has spread globally and is well-known for its traditional uses. The aim of this work is to provide a detailed review of scientific literature on the genus Taraxacum from the last two decades, with particular emphasis on the biological and pharmacological characteristics of dandelions. The traditional use of Taraxacum species and their potential use in medicine are assessed. In addition, individual papers describing principal pathways and molecules modulated by Taraxacum in antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities are presented. This review of phytochemical studies reveals that dandelions contain a wide range of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, phytosterols, flavonoids, carotenoids, terpene, and coumarins, whose biological activities are actively explored in various areas of human health, some constituents having synergistic activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. The study provides a screening of Taraxacum sp. chemical composition, an assessment of the main pharmacological properties, and a description of relevant studies supporting the use of dandelion for its particularly valuable and diversified therapeutic potential in different diseases.

Axillary crutches assist people with lower limb injuries but can lead to upper limb strain with extended use. Spring-loaded crutches offer a potential solution, yet they are rarely tested in clinical settings. This study developed spring-loaded crutches with an integrated force-measuring system to analyze gait dynamics. Three prototypes, each with different spring constants (k), were tested. To measure ground reaction force (GRF), a Nylamid cover was around the crutch stem. Two participants with different weights completed a 15-m route using both the designed spring-loaded and standard crutches. Findings showed that spring-loaded crutches increased mean GFR and impulse, with the prototype matched to the user's weight yielding the best results. The study's findings suggest that when properly adjusted to the user's weight, spring-loaded crutches can offer significant improvements in gait, which may have important implications for the design of mobility assistive devices.

Physical activity (PA) should be an essential part of all children's lives, as it can promote physical and mental health, enhance general well-being, and positively impact learning outcomes. Schools offer an ideal setting to encourage physical activity during the school day, as nearly all children attend school. However, schools present a complex environment for implementing PA, and sedentary behavior is common in classroom teaching. This study explores the feasibility of two types of school-based physical activity interventions: one based on research in exercise and cognition (Run, Jump & Fun) and another grounded in embodied learning (Move & Learn). Run, Jump & Fun can be conceptualized as extra non-curricular physical activity implemented into the school day while Move & Learn is integrated into curricular time. The 8-week study involved third-grade students and their teachers from seven schools, with educational strategies applied to support adoption. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected before, during, and after the 8-week period. The results indicated that both interventions were feasible to implement, leading to a series of recommendations for further refinement. These recommendations can guide the development of future school-based PA interventions and inspire other researchers to assess and improve their implementation strategies.

Field implementations of fully underground sensor networks face many practical challenges that have limited their overall adoption. Power management is a commonly cited issue, as operators are required to either repeatedly excavate batteries for recharging or develop complex underground power infrastructures. Prior works have proposed wireless inductive power transfer (IPT) as a potential solution to these power management issues, but misalignment is a persistent issue in IPT systems, particularly in applications involving moving vehicles or obscured (e.g., underground) coils. This paper presents an automated methodology to sense misalignments and align IPT coils using robotic actuators and sequential Monte Carlo methods. The misalignment of a Class EF inverter-driven IPT system was modeled by tracking changes as its coils move apart laterally and distally. These models were integrated with particle filters to estimate the location of a hidden coil in 3D, given a sequence of sensor measurements. During laboratory tests on a Cartesian robot, these algorithms aligned the IPT system within 1 cm (0.025 coil diameters) of peak lateral alignment. On average, the alignment algorithms required less than four sensor measurements for localization. After laboratory testing, this approach was implemented with an agricultural sensor platform at the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station in Kaysville, Utah. In this implementation, a buried sensor platform was successfully charged using an aboveground, vehicle-mounted transmitter. Overall, this work contributes to the field of underground sensor networks by successfully integrating a self-aligning wireless power delivery system with existing agricultural infrastructure. Furthermore, the alignment strategy presented in this work accomplishes coil misalignment correction without the need for complex sensor or coil architectures.

The scientific interest in the chemical modification of chitosan to increase its solubility and application has led to its conjugation with Schiff bases, which are interesting scaffolds endowed with diverse biological properties. The resultant chitosan-based Schiff bases (CSBs) are widely studied in scientific literature due to the myriad of activities exerted, both catalytic and biological, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and especially antimicrobial ones. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major public health challenges of the twenty-first century because it represents a threat to the prevention and treatment of a growing number of bacterial, parasitic, viral, and fungal infections that are no longer treatable with the available drugs. Thus, in this review, we present a brief outline of the biological activities of CSBs as well as their complexes with metals, with a particular focus on the recent literature regarding the antimicrobial effect of these captivating derivatives.

Propolis is a valuable natural resource for extracting various beneficial compounds. This study explores a sustainable extraction approach for Brazilian green propolis. First, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) process parameters were optimized (co-solvent: 21.11% v / v CPME, and temperature: 60 °C) to maximize yield, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant capacity, and LOX (lipoxygenase) inhibitory activity. GC-MS analysis identified 40 metabolites in SFE extracts, including fatty acids, terpenoids, phenolics, and sterols. After selecting the optimum SFE process parameters, a sequential high-pressure extraction (HPE) approach was developed, comprising SFE, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with EtOH/H 2 O, and subcritical water extraction (SWE). This process was compared to a similar sequential extraction using low-pressure extractions (LPE) with a Soxhlet extractor. The HPE process achieved a significantly higher overall yield (80.86%) than LPE (71.43%). SFE showed higher selectivity, resulting in a lower carbohydrate content in the non-polar fraction, and PLE extracted nearly twice the protein amount of LPE-2. Despite the HPE selectivity, LPE extracts exhibited better acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and LOX inhibition, demonstrating that the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts may be associated with a symbiosis of a set of compounds. Finally, a comprehensive greenness assessment revealed that the HPE process proved more sustainable and aligned with green chemistry principles than the LPE method.

Maximal physical effort induces a disturbance in the body's energy homeostasis and causes oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to determine whether prooxidant-antioxidant balance disturbances and the secretion of adipokines regulating metabolism, induced by maximal intensity exercise, are dependent on body composition in young, healthy, non-obese individuals. We determined changes in the concentration of advanced protein oxidation products (AOPP), markers of oxidative damage to nucleic acids (DNA/RNA/ox), and lipid peroxidation (LPO); catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, as well as concentrations of visfatin, leptin, resistin, adiponectin, asprosin, and irisin in the blood before and after maximal intensity exercise in men with above-average muscle mass (NFAT-HLBM), above-average fat mass (HFAT-NLBM), and with average body composition (NFAT-NLBM). We corrected the post-exercise results for the percentage change in plasma volume. In all groups after exercise, there was an increase in LPO and resistin. In HFAT-NLBM, additionally, an increase in CAT and a decrease in SOD activity were noted, and in NFAT-NLBM, an increase in visfatin concentration was observed. In our study, the effect was demonstrated of a maximal effort on six (LPO, CAT, SOD, visfatin, resistin, and asprosin) of the twelve parameters investigated, while the effect of body composition on all parameters investigated was insignificant. Maximal intensity aerobic exercise induces secretion of resistin and damages lipids regardless of the exercising subjects' body composition. Large fat tissue content predisposes to exercise-induced disorders in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. We have also shown that it is necessary to consider changes in blood plasma volume in the assessment of post-exercise biochemical marker levels.

The active metabolite of vitamin D3, calcitriol (1,25D), is widely recognised for its direct anti-proliferative and pro-differentiation effects. However, 1,25D is calcaemic, which restricts its clinical use for cancer treatment. Non-calcaemic agonists of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) could be better candidates for cancer treatment. In this study, we examined the influence of the hydroxylated lithocholic acid derivative CAR-R on osteosarcoma (OS) cell (MG63) growth and differentiation. Treatment of MG63 cells with CAR-R inhibited growth under conventional and hypoxic conditions. Co-treating cells with CAR-R and a lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) analogue resulted in their differentiation, as supported by synergistic increases in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Under hypoxic conditions, however, this differentiation response was attenuated. The importance of observed increases in hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) were investigated through targeted disruption using pharmacological and genetic approaches. Disruption elicited a reduction in ALP activity, suggesting an important role for HIFs in OS differentiation. Finally, we examined the expression of the VDR protein. Hypoxic MG63s expressed less VDR, with the levels increasing with CAR-R exposure. Whilst these findings are encouraging, future studies aimed at bolstering the pro-differentiating effect of CAR-R under hypoxic conditions are warranted if this agent is to gain traction in the treatment of OS.

(1) Background: Electrostatics plays a capital role in protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. Implicit solvent models are widely used to describe electrostatics and complementarity at interfaces. Electrostatic complementarity at the interface is not trivial, involving surface potentials rather than the charges of surfacial contacting atoms. (2) Results: The program bluues_cplx, here used in conjunction with the software NanoShaper to compute molecular surfaces, has been used to compute the electrostatic properties of 756 protein-protein and 189 protein-ligand complexes along with the corresponding isolated molecules. (3) Methods: The software we make available here uses Generalized Born (GB) radii, computed by a molecular surface integral, to output several descriptors of electrostatics at protein (and in general, molecular) interfaces. We illustrate the usage of the software by analyzing a dataset of protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes, thus extending and refining previous analyses of electrostatic complementarity at protein interfaces. (4) Conclusions: The complete analysis of a molecular complex is performed in tens of seconds on a PC, and the results include the list of surfacial contacting atoms, their charges and Pearson correlation coefficient, the list of contacting surface points with the electrostatic potential (computed for the isolated molecules) and Pearson correlation coefficient, the electrostatic and hydrophobic free energy with different contributions for the isolated molecules, their complex and the difference for all terms. The software is readily usable for any molecular complex in solution.

Electrochromic devices (ECDs) are devices that change their optical properties in response to a low applied voltage. These devices typically consist of an electrochromic layer, a transparent conducting substrate, and an electrolyte. The advancement in solid-state ECDs has been driven by the need for improved durability, optical performance, and energy efficiency. In this study, we investigate varying the temperature to the casting solution for polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-based electrolytes for solid-state ECDs with a structure of glass/ITO/WO 3 /PMMA electrolyte/ITO/glass. The electrochromic layer, composed of WO 3 , was deposited using the sol-gel method, while the electrolyte, comprising lithium perchlorate (LiClO 4 ) in propylene carbonate (PC) with PMMA, was prepared via solution casting. Various electrolyte samples were heated at different temperatures of 25, 40, 60, 80, and 100 °C to analyze the impact on the devices' performance. Our findings indicate that the devices with electrolytes at 25 °C exhibited superior anodic and cathodic diffusion. An increase in heating temperature corresponded with an increase in switching time. Notably, the sample heated at higher temperatures (60, 80, and 100 °C) demonstrated exceptional cycle stability. Nevertheless, samples with higher temperatures displayed a decrease in optical modulation. Additionally, the 100 °C sample exhibited the highest coloration efficiency compared to other samples at lower temperatures. This research highlights the potential of varying the temperature of solution casting on PMMA-based electrolytes in optimizing the performance of solid-state ECDs, particularly regarding coloration efficiency and durability.

Background: Orally administered sorafenib has shown limited improvement in overall survival for non-small-cell lung cancer patients, likely due to poor pharmacokinetics and adverse effects, including gastrointestinal toxicity. To address these issues, we developed silica-containing antioxidant nanoparticles (siRNP) as a carrier to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of lipophilic sorafenib. Methods: Sorafenib was loaded into siRNP via dialysis (sora@siRNP). The therapeutic efficacy and safety of sora@siRNP (20 and 40 mg-sora/kg) were evaluated in a xenograft mouse model of Lewis lung carcinoma (subcutaneous tumors and experimental metastasis) following oral administration. Results: Crosslinking nanosilica in siRNP improved drug stability, enabling 8.9% sorafenib loading and pH resilience. Oral sora@siRNP exhibited dose-dependent tumor growth suppression by downregulating pMEK, outperforming free sorafenib, which showed inconsistent efficacy likely due to formulation variability. Intestinal damage, a major adverse effect of free sorafenib, was significantly reduced with sora@siRNP, attributed to siRNP's antioxidant property of mitigating oxidative damage. Survival rates in the experimental metastasis model were 66-74% for sorafenib but reached 100% for sora@siRNP, highlighting its superior efficacy and safety. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that nanosilica-crosslinked antioxidant nanoparticles (siRNP) enhance the stability, delivery efficiency, and safety of lipophilic drugs like sorafenib for oral administration. This platform holds promise for improving therapeutic outcomes in lung cancer while minimizing adverse effects.

Visible-infrared person re-identification (VI-ReID) is a challenging cross-modality retrieval task to match a person across different spectral camera views. Most existing works focus on learning shared feature representations from the final embedding space of advanced networks to alleviate modality differences between visible and infrared images. However, exclusively relying on high-level semantic information from the network's final layers can restrict shared feature representations and overlook the benefits of low-level details. Different from these methods, we propose a multi-scale contrastive learning network (MCLNet) with hierarchical knowledge synergy for VI-ReID. MCLNet is a novel two-stream contrastive deep supervision framework designed to train low-level details and high-level semantic representations simultaneously. MCLNet utilizes supervised contrastive learning (SCL) at each intermediate layer to strengthen visual representations and enhance cross-modality feature learning. Furthermore, a hierarchical knowledge synergy (HKS) strategy for pairwise knowledge matching promotes explicit information interaction across multi-scale features and improves information consistency. Extensive experiments on three benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of MCLNet.

Rosehip is of notable scientific interest due to its rich content of bioactives and its wide-ranging applications in nutrition, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The valorization of rosehip by-products, such as pomace, is highly significant for promoting sustainability. This study investigates the development of rosehip-based powders and beverage prototypes derived from both juice and pomace to evaluate the potential use of pomace in instant beverage design and compare it with juice-based formulations. Three matrices were evaluated: non-pasteurized and pasteurized juice, as well as non-pasteurized pomace preparations. Powders were produced by freeze- and spray drying using maltodextrin, inulin and unconventional carriers, i.e., palatinose and trehalose. The results demonstrated that carrier addition significantly influenced the physical and techno-functional properties of the powders, such as moisture content (below 10%), water activity (below 0.35), solubility (above 85%), and color indexes (yellowness and browning). The water absorption capacity varied with drying techniques, particularly for inulin-enriched samples, while the matrix type affected the ascorbic acid content. Non-pasteurized pomace powders exhibited a higher antioxidant capacity (67.7 mmol Trolox/100 g dry matter) than their juice counterparts (52.2 mmol Trolox/100 g dry matter), highlighting the potential of the pomace matrix for beverage production. Because of their favorable properties, spray-dried samples were also selected for reconstitution into prototype beverages, among which those obtained from pomace showed a higher antioxidant potential. An analysis of particle sizes, which ranged between 34 nm and 7363 nm, revealed potential interactions between the carrier and matrix, reflected in the distinct behavior of carrier-only samples. Both the carrier type and the matrix significantly contributed to the final properties of the beverages, providing valuable insights for the design of functional food products.

Automated agricultural robots are becoming more common with the decreased cost of sensor devices and increased computational capabilities of single-board computers. Weeding is one of the mundane and repetitive tasks that robots could be used to perform. The detection of weeds in crops is now common, and commercial solutions are entering the market rapidly. However, less work is carried out on combatting weeds in pastures. Weeds decrease the grazing yield of pastures and spread over time. Mowing the remaining weeds after grazing is not guaranteed to remove entrenched weeds. Periodic but selective cutting of weeds can be a solution to this problem. However, many weeds share similar textures and structures with grazing plants, making their detection difficult using the classic RGB (Red, Green, Blue) approach. Pixel depth estimation is considered a viable source of data for weed detection. However, systems utilizing RGBD (RGB plus Depth) are computationally expensive, making them nonviable for small, lightweight robots. Substituting one of the RGB bands with depth data could be a solution to this problem. In this study, we examined the effect of band substitution on the performance of lightweight YOLOv8 models using precision, recall and mAP50 metrics. Overall, the RDB band combination proved to be the best option for YOLOv8 small and medium detection models, with 0.621 and 0.634 mAP50 (for a mean average precision at 50% intersection over union) scores, respectively. In both instances, the classic RGB approach yielded lower accuracies of 0.574 and 0.613.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a medically important mosquito-borne orthoflavivirus, but no vaccines are currently available to prevent ZIKV-associated disease. In this study, we compared three recombinant chimeric viruses developed as candidate vaccine prototypes (rJEV/ZIKV MR-766 , rJEV/ZIKV P6-740 , and rJEV/ZIKV PRVABC-59 ), in which the two neutralizing antibody-inducing prM and E genes from each of three genetically distinct ZIKV strains were used to replace the corresponding genes of the clinically proven live-attenuated Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine SA 14 -14-2 (rJEV). In WHO-certified Vero cells (a cell line suitable for vaccine production), rJEV/ZIKV P6-740 exhibited the slowest viral growth, formed the smallest plaques, and displayed a unique protein expression profile with the highest ratio of prM to cleaved M when compared to the other two chimeric viruses, rJEV/ZIKV MR-766 and rJEV/ZIKV PRVABC-59 , as well as their vector, rJEV. In IFNAR -/- mice, an animal model of ZIKV infection, subcutaneous inoculation of rJEV/ZIKV P6-740 caused a low-level localized infection limited to the spleen, with no clinical signs of infection, weight loss, or mortality; in contrast, the other two chimeric viruses and their vector caused high-level systemic infections involving multiple organs, consistently leading to clear clinical signs of infection, rapid weight loss, and 100% mortality. Subsequently, subcutaneous immunization with rJEV/ZIKV P6-740 proved highly effective, offering complete protection against a lethal intramuscular ZIKV challenge 28 days after a single-dose immunization. This protection was specific to ZIKV prM/E and likely mediated by neutralizing antibodies targeting ZIKV prM/E. Therefore, our data indicate that the chimeric virus rJEV/ZIKV P6-740 is a highly promising vaccine prototype for developing a safe and effective vaccine for inducing neutralizing antibody-mediated protective immunity against ZIKV.

An understanding of snake venom pharmacokinetics is essential for determining clinical outcomes of envenoming and developing therapeutic approaches to the treatment of envenoming, especially regarding the timing and optimal dosage of antivenom administration. Daboia siamensis (Eastern Russell's viper) envenoming causes systemic coagulopathy and severe hemorrhage including acute kidney injury. These toxic outcomes can be diminished by the administration of high quantities of Russell's viper antivenom. This study aimed to determine the correlation between the clinical profiles of D. siamensis envenomed patients and experimental data by measuring plasma venom concentration and conducting histopathological analyses of heart, kidney, and liver tissues in rats 6 h after experimental D. siamensis envenomation. Intramuscular (i.m.) administration of D. siamensis venom to anesthetized rats (200 µg/kg) resulted in a rapid absorption of venom which reached a peak concentration at 60 min before declining and then plateauing. Urine samples detected 209.3 ± 21.6 ng/mL of D. siamensis venom following i.m. administration at 6 h. Histopathological studies showed morphological changes in heart, kidney, and liver tissues following 3 h experimental envenoming and exhibited a higher degree of severity at 6 h. A retrospective study of the clinical profile and laboratory examination of Russell's viper envenomed patients in Central Thailand was also evaluated, showing that systemic coagulopathy and local effects were commonly observed in the early stage of D. siamensis envenoming. An abnormal increase in creatinine levels was found in 13.6% of the population. Early administration of specific antivenom within 1-2 h following envenoming is highly recommended to prevent life-threatening outcomes such as severe coagulation and acute kidney injury.

The use of dietary supplements is widespread in sports and fitness, with many products containing multiple ingredients. Among supplements often consumed to support musculotendinous health, collagen hydrolysate (CH) has gained popularity for its potential in improving joint comfort and function. This single-blind quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of a three-month oral supplementation with a specific CH-based product, Chondrovita FIT ® (Bone Srl, Rome, Italy), on tendon structure in elite Italian skaters. Eighteen male and female elite skaters (mean age: 21 ± 3 years) participated, receiving daily pre-workout (4500 mg CH) and post-workout (2500 mg CH) doses. Tendon structure in the patellar and peroneal tendons was assessed using ultrasound imaging at baseline and post-supplementation. Results showed a significant increase in tendon thickness in both the patellar and peroneal tendons after supplementation, although no changes were observed in the tendon cross-sectional area. These findings suggest that Chondrovita FIT ® supplementation may induce beneficial structural changes in tendons, potentially supporting tendon health and performance in high-load sports. However, further research is needed to confirm long-term effects and functional outcomes.

The interaction between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and sleep deprivation has recently gained attention in the scientific literature, and recent advances suggest that AD epidemiology management should coincide with the management of sleeping disorders. This review focuses on the aspects of the mechanisms underlying the link between AD and insufficient sleep with progressing age. We also provide information which could serve as evidence for future treatments of AD from the early stages in connection with sleep disorder medication.

Because of their resilience, Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras are now essential components in scientific and industrial settings. This paper outlines the essential factors for modeling 3D ToF cameras, with specific emphasis on analyzing the phenomenon known as "wiggling". Through our investigation, we demonstrate that wiggling not only causes systematic errors in distance measurements, but also introduces periodic fluctuations in statistical measurement uncertainty, which compounds the dependence on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Armed with this knowledge, we developed a new 3D camera model, which we then made computationally tractable. To illustrate and evaluate the model, we compared measurement data with simulated data of the same scene. This allowed us to individually demonstrate various effects on the signal-to-noise ratio, reflectivity, and distance.

The serine/threonine kinase CK2 (formerly known as casein kinase II) plays a crucial role in various CNS disorders and is highly expressed in various types of cancer. Therefore, inhibiting this key kinase could be promising for the treatment of these diseases. The CK2 holoenzyme is formed by the recruitment of two catalytically active CK2α and/or CK2α' subunits by a regulatory CK2β dimer. Starting with the lead furocarbazole W16 ( 4 ) inhibiting the CK2α/CK2β interaction, analogous pyrrolocarbazoles were prepared and tested for their protein-protein interaction inhibition (PPII). The key step of the synthesis was a multicomponent Levy reaction of 2-(indolyl)acetate 6 , benzaldehydes 7 , and N -substituted maleimides 8 . Targeted modifications were performed by the saponification of the tetracyclic ester 9a , followed by the coupling of the resulting acid 10 with diverse amines. The replacement of the O-atom of the lead furocarbazole 4 by an N-atom in pyrrolocarbazoles retained or even increased the inhibition of the CK2α/CK2β interaction. The large benzyloxazolidinyl moiety of 4 could be replaced by smaller N -substituents without the loss of the PPII. The introduction of larger substituents at the 2-position and/or at p -position of the phenyl moiety at the 10-position to increase the surface for the inhibition of the PPI did not enhance the inhibition of the CK2α/CK2β association. The strong inhibition of the CK2α/CK2β association by the histidine derivative (+)- 20a ( K i = 6.1 µM) translated into a high inhibition of the kinase activity of the CK2 holoenzyme (CK2α 2 β 2 , IC 50 = 2.5 µM). Thus, 20a represents a novel lead compound inhibiting CK2 via the inhibition of the association of the CK2α and Ck2β subunits.

Current work environments, driven by globalization, demographic changes, and digitalization, demand substantial adaptation, which leads to decreased employee well-being. While occupational psychology research has identified supportive mechanisms, it often lacks a deepened understanding of how interventions function. This study aims to analyze the impacts of VUCA contexts and leadership behavior on job crafting, focusing on white-collar workers. Our objective is to identify workplace configurations that safeguard employee health in dynamic settings. Utilizing the JD-R model augmented by job crafting as a theoretical framework, we conducted qualitative comparative case studies using the GABEK ® methodology to analyze and systematize data. This approach captures complex organizational interrelationships through sentence analysis, transforming subjective meanings into a comprehensive network and providing deeper insights into organizational dynamics. Research findings reveal that evolving work demands, notably from digital transformations, impact knowledge management, communication, and employee well-being. IT discrepancies and communication deficits intensify work complexity, underscoring the need for enhanced management frameworks. Proactive and adaptive leadership, along with job crafting, is crucial for protecting health and enhancing performance in fast-paced digital environments. These strategies promote structured decision-making and efficient knowledge management, fostering a resource-oriented culture that enhances employee well-being and overall effectiveness.

Lectins are non-covalent glycan-binding proteins found in all living organisms, binding specifically to carbohydrates through glycan-binding domains. Lectins have various biological functions, including cell signaling, molecular recognition, and innate immune responses, which play multiple roles in the physiological and developmental processes of organisms. Moreover, their diversity enables biotechnological exploration as biomarkers, biosensors, drug-delivery platforms, and lead molecules for anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial drugs. Lectins from Rhodophytes (red seaweed) have been extensively reported and characterized for their unique molecular structures, carbohydrate-binding specificities, and important biological activities. The increasing number of sequenced Rhodophyte genomes offers the opportunity to further study this rich source of lectins, potentially uncovering new ones with properties significantly different from their terrestrial plant counterparts, thus opening new biotechnological applications. We compiled literature data and conducted an in-depth analysis of the phycolectomes from all Rhodophyta genomes available in NCBI datasets. Using Hidden Markov Models capable of identifying lectin-type domains, we found at least six different types of lectin domains present in Rhodophytes, demonstrating their potential in identifying new lectins. This review integrates a computational analysis of the Rhodophyte phycolectome with existing information on red algae lectins and their biotechnological potential., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The accurate segmentation of land cover in high-resolution remote sensing imagery is crucial for applications such as urban planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster management. However, traditional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) struggle to balance fine-grained local detail with large-scale contextual information. To tackle these challenges, we combine large-kernel convolutions, attention mechanisms, and multi-scale feature fusion to form a novel LKAFFNet framework that introduces the following three key modules: LkResNet, which enhances feature extraction through parameterizable large-kernel convolutions; Large-Kernel Attention Aggregation (LKAA), integrating spatial and channel attention; and Channel Difference Features Shift Fusion (CDFSF), which enables efficient multi-scale feature fusion. Experimental comparisons demonstrate that LKAFFNet outperforms previous models on both the LandCover dataset and WHU Building dataset, particularly in cases with diverse scales. Specifically, it achieved a mIoU of 0.8155 on the LandCover dataset and 0.9326 on the WHU Building dataset. These findings suggest that LKAFFNet significantly improves land cover segmentation performance, offering a more effective tool for remote sensing applications.

The grapevine industry is confronted with challenges such as plant stress from environmental factors and microbial infections, alongside the need for sustainable waste management practices. Natural polymers offer promising solutions to these issues due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and functional versatility. This review explores the dual role of natural polymers in enhancing the grapevine industry: as protective agents against various stressors and as carriers for the delivery of valuable compounds recovered from grapevine wastes. We examine the use of natural polymers such as chitosan, alginate, and cellulose in formulating bio-based protective coatings and treatments that bolster plant resistance to abiotic stress, pathogens, and pests. Additionally, the review delves into the innovative utilization of grapevine residues, including skins, seeds, and stems, as sources of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds. These compounds can be efficiently encapsulated in natural polymer matrices for applications in agriculture, food, and pharmaceuticals. Key topics include the mechanisms of action, benefits, and limitations of natural polymer-based interventions, as well as case studies demonstrating their practical implementation in vineyards. The review also addresses future research directions, emphasizing the need for integrated approaches that enhance sustainability and economic viability in the grapevine industry.

Breast cancer is a cancer with global prevalence and a surge in the number of cases with each passing year. With the advancement in science and technology, significant progress has been achieved in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer to make ends meet. The scientific intradisciplinary subject of "metabolomics" examines every metabolite found in a cell, tissue, system, or organism from different sources of samples. In the case of breast cancer, little is known about the regulatory pathways that could be resolved through metabolic reprogramming. Evidence related to the significant changes taking place during the onset and prognosis of breast cancer can be obtained using metabolomics. Innovative metabolomics approaches identify metabolites that lead to the discovery of biomarkers for breast cancer therapy, diagnosis, and early detection. The use of diverse analytical methods and instruments for metabolomics includes Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, LC/MS, UPLC/MS, etc., which, along with their high-throughput analysis, give insights into the metabolites and the molecular pathways involved. For instance, metabolome research has led to the discovery of the glutamate-to-glutamate ratio and aerobic glycolysis as biomarkers in breast cancer. The present review comprehends the updates in metabolomic research and its processes that contribute to breast cancer prognosis and metastasis. The metabolome holds a future, and this review is an attempt to amalgamate the present relevant literature that might yield crucial insights for creating innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at addressing metastatic breast cancer.

The strict connections/interactions between microbial infections and cancer are nowadays widely accepted. Hence, the dual (or multiple) targeting of microbial infections and cancer is an essential issue to be addressed. In this context, metal complexes have gained considerable importance and effectiveness in medicinal chemistry. Particularly, N -heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes with transition metals have emerged as very promising compounds. Among the myriad of NHC-metal complexes, those bearing silver will be the subject of this review. Numerous Ag(I)-NHC complexes have revealed high antibacterial and/or anticancer properties, even higher than those of reference drugs. Herein, we summarize the most recent studies while also discussing the proposed mechanism of action and offering an interesting remark about the research in this field. Literature databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were used as sources to search the literature, referring to the last five years.