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The integration of renewable energy is rapidly leading the existing grid systems toward modern hybrid power systems. These hybrid power systems are more complex due to the random and intermittent nature of RE and involve numerous operational challenges. This paper presents the operational model for solar integrated power systems to address the issues of economical operation, reliable solar share, energy deficit in case of contingency events, and the allocation of system spinning reserve. A mixed-integer optimization is formulated to minimize the overall cost of the system operation and to maximize the solar share under robust system spinning reserve limits as well as various other practical constraints. A Pareto-optimal solution for the maximization of the number of solar power plants and minimization of the solar cost is also presented for reliable solar share. Further, a decomposition framework is proposed to split the original problem into two sub-problems. The solution of joint optimization is obtained by exploiting a Lagrange relaxation method, a binary search Lambda iteration method, system spinning reserve analysis, and binary integer programming. The proposed model was implemented on an IEEE-RTS 26 units system and 40 solar plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the opportunity and access, pathogenic protists (Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri) can produce fatal infections involving the central nervous system. In the absence of effective treatments, there is a need to either develop new antimicrobials or enhance the efficacy of existing compounds. Nanocarriers as drug delivery systems are gaining increasing attention in the treatment of parasitic infections. In this study, novel nanocarriers conjugated with amphotericin B and curcumin were evaluated for anti-amoebic efficacy against B. mandrillaris and N. fowleri. The results showed that nanocarrier conjugated amphotericin B exhibited enhanced cidal properties against both amoebae tested compared with the drug alone. Similarly, nanocarrier conjugated curcumin exhibited up to 75% cidal effects versus approx. 50% cidal effects for curcumin alone. Cytopathogenicity assays revealed that the pre-treatment of both parasites with nanoformulated-drugs reduced parasite-mediated host cellular death compared with the drugs alone. Importantly, the cytotoxic effects of amphotericin B on human cells alone were reduced when conjugated with nanocarriers. These are promising findings and further suggest the need to explore nanocarriers as a means to deliver medicine against parasitic infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water monitor lizards (WMLs) reside in unhygienic and challenging ecological surroundings and are routinely exposed to various pathogenic microorganisms. It is possible that their gut microbiota produces substances to counter microbial infections. Here we determine whether selected gut bacteria of water monitor lizards (WMLs) possess anti-amoebic properties using Acanthamoeba castellanii of the T4 genotype. Conditioned media (CM) were prepared from bacteria isolated from WML. The CM were tested using amoebicidal, adhesion, encystation, excystation, cell cytotoxicity and amoeba-mediated host cell cytotoxicity assays in vitro. Amoebicidal assays revealed that CM exhibited anti-amoebic effects. CM inhibited both excystation and encystation in A. castellanii. CM inhibited amoebae binding to and cytotoxicity of host cells. In contrast, CM alone showed limited toxic effects against human cells in vitro. Mass spectrometry revealed several antimicrobials, anticancer, neurotransmitters, anti-depressant and other metabolites with biological functions. Overall, these findings imply that bacteria from unusual places, such as WML gut, produce molecules with anti-acanthamoebic capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthamoeba is well known to host a variety of microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and yeast. Given the recent number of cases of monkeypox infection, we speculate that amoebae may be aiding viral transmission to the susceptible hosts. Although there is no confirmatory evidence to suggest that Acanthamoeba is a host to monkeypox (a double-stranded DNA virus), the recent discovery of mimivirus (another double-stranded DNA virus) from Acanthamoeba, suggests that amoebae may shelter monkeypox virus. Furthermore, given the possible spread of monkeypox virus from animals to humans during an earlier outbreak, which came about after patients came in contact with prairie dogs, it is likely that animals may also act as mixing vessel between ubiquitously distributed Acanthamoeba and monkeypox virus, in addition to the environmental habitat that acts as an interface in complex interactions between diverse microorganisms and the host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains that reduce the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents has become a major ongoing health concern in recent years. It is therefore necessary to find new antibacterials with broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and/or to use nanotechnology to boost the potency of already available medications. In this research, we examined the antibacterial efficacy of sulfamethoxazole and ethacridine lactate loaded two-dimensional glucosamine functionalized graphene-based nanocarriers against a range of bacterial isolates. Graphene oxide was first functionalized with glucosamine, which as a carbohydrate moiety can render hydrophilic and biocompatible characters to the GO surface, and subsequently loaded with ethacridine lactate and sulfamethoxazole. The resulting nanoformulations had distinct, controllable physiochemical properties. By analyzing the formulation using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (PXRD), a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), zetasizer, and a morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy, researchers were able to confirm the synthesis of nanocarriers. Both nanoformulations were tested against Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli K1, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, as well as Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Importantly, ethacridine lactate and its nanoformulations exhibited significant antibacterial properties against all bacteria tested in this study. When tested for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the results were remarkable and revealed that ethacridine lactate presented MIC90 at 9.7 µg/mL against S. enteric, and MIC90 at 6.2 µg/mL against B. cereus. Notably, ethacridine lactate and its nanoformulations showed limited toxicity effects against human cells using lactate dehydrogenase assays. Overall, the results revealed that ethacridine lactate and its nanoformulations possess antibacterial activities against various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and that nanotechnology can be employed for the targeted delivery of effective drugs without harming the host tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin wrinkles are an inevitable phenomenon that is brought about by aging due to the degradation of scleroprotein fibers and significant collagen reduction, which is the fundamental basis of anti-wrinkle technology in use today. Conventional treatments such as lasering and Botulinum toxin have some drawbacks including allergic skin reactions, cumbersome treatment procedures, and inefficient penetration of the anti-wrinkle products into the skin due to the high resistance of stratum corneum. Bearing this in mind, the cosmetic industry has exploited the patient-compliant technology of microneedles (MNs) to treat skin wrinkles, developing several products based on solid and dissolvable MNs incorporated with antiwrinkle formulations. However, drug administration via these MNs is limited by the high molecular weight of the drugs. Hollow MNs (HMNs) can deliver a wider array of active agents, but that is a relatively unexplored area in the context of antiwrinkle technology. To address this gap, we discuss the possibility of bioinspired 3D printed HMNs in treating skin wrinkles in this paper. We compare the previous and current anti-wrinkling treatment options, as well as the techniques and challenges involved with its manufacture and commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable power development requires the study of power quality while taking into account of electrical equipment is an important aspect because it highly compromises the overall efficiency including quality, reliability and continuity of power flow. The aim for smooth power flow is only accomplished if compatibility is met between all the instruments connected to the system. The odd harmonics both on amplitude and phase domain must be known in order to exactly cop up with their adverse effects on overall working of the system. In this regard, parameter estimation is performed in detail for diverse generation size (gs) and particle size (ps), besides for altered signal to noise ratio. Firefly optimization technique under different scenarios for both phase and amplitude parameters accurately estimated the power signal harmonics and proved its robustness under different noise levels. The MSE values achieved by FFO are 6.54 × 10−3, 1.04 × 10−5 and 1.35 × 10−6 for 20 dB, 50 dB and 80 dB respectively for gs = 200 in case study 1. While the respective results in case study 2 are 7.33 × 10−3, 6.67 × 10−6 and 6.59 × 10−9 for gs = 1000. Whereas no significant effect in performance is seen with the change in ps values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we utilized several deep eutectic solvents (DES) that were based on hydrogen donors and hydrogen acceptors for their antibacterial application. These DES were tested for their bactericidal activities against Gram-positive (Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli K1, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens) bacteria. Using lactate dehydrogenase assays, DES were evaluated for their cytopathic effects towards human cells. Results from antibacterial tests revealed that DES prepared from the combination of methyl-trioctylammonium chloride and glycerol (DES-4) and DES prepared form methyl-trioctylammonium chloride and fructose (DES-11) at a 2 µL dose showed broad-spectrum antibacterial behavior and had the highest bactericidal activity. Moreover, DES-4 showed 40% and 68% antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa and E. coli K1, respectively. Similarly, DES-11 eliminated 65% and 61% E. coli K1 and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Among Gram-positive bacteria, DES-4 showed important antibacterial activity, inhibiting 75% of B. cereus and 51% of S. pneumoniae. Likewise, DES-11 depicted 70% B. cereus and 50% S. pneumoniae bactericidal effects. Finally, the DES showed limited cytotoxic properties against human cell lines with the exception of the DES prepared from Methyltrioctylammonium chloride and Citric acid (DES-10), which had 88% cytotoxic effects. These findings suggest that DES depict potent antibacterial efficacies and cause minimal damage to human cells. It can be concluded that the selected DES in this study could be utilized as valuable and novel antibacterial drugs against bacterial infections. In future work, the mechanisms for bactericides and the cytotoxicity effects of these DES will be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenic Acanthamoeba produce keratitis and fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Treatment remains problematic and often ineffective, suggesting the need for the discovery of novel compounds. For the first time, here we evaluated the effects of the anticancer drugs Irosustat and STX140 alone, as well as their nanoformulations, against A. castellanii via amoebicidal, excystment, cytopathogenicity, and cytotoxicity assays. Nanoformulations of the compounds were successfully synthesized with high encapsulation efficiency of 94% and 82% for Irosustat and STX140, respectively. Nanoparticles formed were spherical in shape and had a unimodal narrow particle size distribution, mean of 145 and 244 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.3, and surface charge of −14 and −15 mV, respectively. Irosustat and STX140 exhibited a biphasic release profile with almost 100% drug released after 48 h. Notably, Irosustat significantly inhibited A. castellanii viability and amoebae-mediated cytopathogenicity and inhibited the phenotypic transformation of amoebae cysts into the trophozoite form, however their nanoformulations depicted limited effects against amoebae but exhibited minimal cytotoxicity when tested against human cells using lactate dehydrogenase release assays. Accordingly, both compounds have potential for further studies, with the hope of discovering novel anti-Acanthamoeba compounds, and potentially developing targeted therapy against infections of the central nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hence, there is a need to identify molecules/mechanisms of translational value from such unique species and extrapolate metabolites/molecules to augment human health and performance, ageing, longevity and female health, as well as strengthen the immune system during space flights, to improve astronaut health. Research on the microbiome has revealed that the health and diversity of the gut microbiome and overall health of the host are correlated. For thousands of years, the notion that human health and performance are concomitant with the health and diversity of the microbiome has been deliberated upon [[1]]. [Extracted from the article]

We propose a new parametrization of the resonant Rossby/drift wave triads to develop an algorithm to enumerate all resonant triads in a given grid of wavenumbers. To arrive at such a parametrization, we have employed tools from arithmetic/algebraic geometry to project resonant triads on a certain class of conics. Further, we extend the newly developed algorithm for the enumeration of quasi-resonant triads and experimentally show that the said algorithm is robust to design the network of quasi-resonances. From the experimental results, we observed that the new algorithm enumerates all triads in low computation time when compared with the existing methods. Finally, we apply this work to information security by constructing a total order on the enumerated resonant triads to design a substitution box (S-box) generator. Via extensive analyses over several indicators (nonlinearity, algebraic complexity, linear and differential approximation probabilities, strict avalanche criteria, and bit independence criterion) we show that the newly developed S-box outperforms the S-boxes constructed by most of the existing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthamoeba castellanii is a ubiquitous free-living amoeba capable of instigating keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis in humans. Treatment remains limited and inconsistent. Accordingly, there is a pressing need for novel compounds. Nanotechnology has been gaining attention for enhancing drug delivery and reducing toxicity. Previous work has shown that various antibiotic classes displayed antiamoebic activity. Herein, we employed two antibiotics: ampicillin and ceftriaxone, conjugated with the nanocarrier zinc oxide and β-cyclodextrin, and tested them against A. castellanii via amoebicidal, amoebistatic, encystment, excystment, cytopathogenicity, and cytotoxicity assays at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. Notably, zinc oxide β-cyclodextrin ceftriaxone significantly inhibited A. castellanii growth and cytopathogenicity. Additionally, both zinc oxide β-cyclodextrin ceftriaxone and ceftriaxone markedly inhibited A. castellanii encystment. Furthermore, all the tested compounds displayed negligible cytotoxicity. However, minimal anti-excystment or amoebicidal effects were observed for the compounds. Accordingly, this novel nanoconjugation should be employed in further studies in hope of discovering novel anti-Acanthamoeba compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amoebic keratitis and encephalitis are mainly caused by free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba, which consists of both pathogenic and nonpathogenic species. The global distribution, amphizoic properties and the severity of the disease caused by Acanthamoeba species have inspired the scientific community to put more effort into the isolation of Acanthamoeba, besides exploring the direct and indirect parameters that could signify a pathogenic potential. Therefore, this study was performed to characterize the pathogenic potential of Acanthamoeba isolated from contact lens paraphernalia and water sources in Malaysia. Various methodologies were utilized to analyze the thermotolerance and osmotolerance, the secretion level of proteases and the cytopathic effect of trophozoites on the cell monolayer. In addition, the in vitro cytopathogenicity of these isolates was assessed using the LDH-release assay. A total of 14 Acanthamoeba isolates were classified as thermo- and osmotolerant and had presence of serine proteases with a molecular weight of 45–230 kDa. Four T4 genotypes isolated from contact lens paraphernalia recorded the presence of serine-type proteases of 107 kDa and 133 kDa. In contrast, all T3 genotypes isolated from environmental samples showed the presence of a 56 kDa proteolytic enzyme. Remarkably, eight T4 and a single T3 genotype isolates demonstrated a high adhesion percentage of greater than 90%. Moreover, the use of the HeLa cell monolayer showed that four T4 isolates and one T3 isolate achieved a cytopathic effect in the range of 44.9–59.4%, indicating an intermediate-to-high cytotoxicity level. Apart from that, the LDH-release assay revealed that three T4 isolates (CL5, CL54 and CL149) and one T3 isolate (SKA5-SK35) measured an exceptional toxicity level of higher than 40% compared to other isolates. In short, the presence of Acanthamoeba T3 and T4 genotypes with significant pathogenic potential in this study reiterates the essential need to reassess the functionality of other genotypes that were previously classified as nonpathogenic isolates in past research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) is a free-living, unicellular, opportunistic protist responsible for the fatal central nervous system infection, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Given the increase in temperatures due to global warming and climate change, it is estimated that the cases of PAM are on the rise. However, there is a current lack of awareness and effective drugs, meaning there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic drugs. In this study, the target compounds were synthesized and tested for their anti-amoebic properties against N. fowleri. Most compounds exhibited significant amoebicidal effects against N. fowleri; for example, 1h, 1j, and 1q reduced N. fowleri's viability to 15.14%, 17.45% and 28.78%, respectively. Furthermore, the majority of the compounds showed reductions in amoeba-mediated host death. Of interest are the compounds 1f, 1k, and 1v, as they were capable of reducing the amoeba-mediated host cell death to 52.3%, 51%, and 56.9% from 100%, respectively. Additionally, these compounds exhibit amoebicidal properties as well; they were found to decrease N. fowleri's viability to 26.41%, 27.39%, and 24.13% from 100%, respectively. Moreover, the MIC50 values for 1e, 1f, and 1h were determined to be 48.45 µM, 60.87 µM, and 50.96 µM, respectively. Additionally, the majority of compounds were found to exhibit limited cytotoxicity, except for 1l, 1o, 1p, 1m, 1c, 1b, 1zb, 1z, 1y, and 1x, which exhibited negligible toxicity. It is anticipated that these compounds may be developed further as effective treatments against these devastating infections due to brain-eating amoebae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naegleria fowleri and Balamuthia mandrillaris are opportunistic protists, responsible for fatal central nervous system infections such as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) with mortality rates higher than 90%. Threatening a rise in cases is the increase in temperature due to global warming. No effective treatment is currently available. Herein, nanotechnology was used to conjugate Zinc oxide with Ampicillin, Ceftrixon, Naringin, Amphotericin B, and Quericitin, and the amoebicidal activity and host cell cytotoxicity of these resulting compounds were investigated. The compounds ZnO-CD-AMPi, ZnO-CD-CFT, ZnO-CD-Nar, ZnO-CD-AMB, and ZnO-CD-QT were found to reduce N. fowleri viability to 35.5%, 39.6%, 52.0%, 50.8%, 35.9%, and 69.9%, respectively, and B. mandrillaris viability to 40.9%, 48.2%, 51.6%, 43.8%, and 62.4%, respectively, when compared with their corresponding controls. Furthermore, the compounds reduced N. fowleri-mediated and B. mandrillaris-mediated host cell death significantly. Additionally, the compounds showed limited cytotoxicity against human cells; cell toxicity was 35.5%, 36.4%, 30.9%, 36.6%, and 35.6%, respectively, for the compounds ZnO-CD-AMPi, ZnO-CD-CFT, ZnO-CD-Nar, ZnO-CD-AMB, and ZnO-CD-QT. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentrations to inhibit amoeba growth by 50% were determined for N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. The MIC50 for N. fowleri were determined to be 69.52 µg/mL, 82.05 µg/mL, 88.16 µg/mL, 95.61 µg/mL, and 85.69 µg/mL, respectively; the MIC50 of the compounds for B. mandrillaris were determined to be 113.9 µg/mL, 102.3 µg/mL, 106.9 µg/mL, 146.4 µg/mL, and 129.6 µg/mL, respectively. Translational research to further develop therapies based on these compounds is urgently warranted, given the lack of effective therapies currently available against these devastating infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylene blue (MB), an organic thiazine dye, has numerous industrial and medical applications. However, MB is a wastewater contaminant that is harmful to humans and aquatic life. Hence, its removal from water bodies is essential. In this work, five novel deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were synthesized using different precursors, screened, and studied for the extraction of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution using liquid–liquid extraction. The first, TOP-SA, was synthesized using trioctylphosphine (TOP) as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and 2-hydroxy benzoic acid as a hydrogen bond donor (HBD). Among these, TOP-SA had the highest MB removal efficiency. The effects of pH, contact time, initial MB concentration, volumetric ratio, temperature, and ionic strength were studied and optimized. A 99.3% removal was achieved in 5 min for a 200 mg dm−3 MB solution mixed in a 1:10 ratio with TOP-SA at 25.0 °C. The structural properties of TOP-SA and its interactions with MB were investigated using FTIR. TOP-SA's toxicity was investigated using human cells in vitro. TOP-SA was found to be comparatively less toxic and is a more efficient MB remover than other literature reported ionic liquids (ILs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbial composition codevelops with the host from birth and is influenced by several factors, including drug use, radiation, psychological stress, dietary changes and physical stress. Importantly, gut microbial dysbiosis has been clearly associated with several diseases, including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea, and is known to affect human health and performance. Herein, we discuss that a shift in the gut microbiota with age and reversal of age-related modulation of the gut microbiota could be a major contributor to the incidence of numerous age-related diseases or overall human performance. In addition, it is suggested that the gut microbiome of long-lived animals such as reptiles should be investigated for their unique properties and contribution to the potent defense system of these species could be extrapolated for the benefit of human health. A range of techniques can be used to modulate the gut microbiota to have higher abundance of "beneficial" microbes that have been linked with health and longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the antiamoebic effect of several imidazothiazole derivatives on Acanthamoeba castellanii of the T4 genotype. Trypan blue exclusion assays and haemocytometer counting were used to determine the reduction in A. castellanii trophozoite proliferation, in response to treatment with these compounds. To determine the effects of these compounds on host cells, lactate dehydrogenase assay was performed using HeLa cell lines. Amoebicidal assays revealed that the tested compounds at concentrations of 50 µM significantly inhibited amoebae trophozoites compared to controls. Compounds 1m and 1zb showed the highest amoebicidal effects eradicating 70% and 67% of A. castellanii, respectively. The compounds blocked both the encystation and excystation process in A. castellanii. Compounds 1m and 1zb blocked 61% and 55%, respectively, of amoeba binding to human cells. Moreover, the compounds showed minimal cytotoxic effects against host cells and considerably reduced amoeba-mediated host cell death. Overall, our study revealed that compounds 1m and 1zb have excellent antiamoebic potential, and should be considered in the development of curative antiamoebic medications in future studies. Further work is critical to determine the translational value of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Produced water contaminated with oil has adverse effects on human health and aquatic life. Providing an efficient method for the removal of oil from produced water is a challenging task. In this study, the effects of carbon chain length and the cation nature of ionic liquids (ILs) on the removal efficiency of oil from produced water were investigated. For this purpose, seven ILs containing the bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (NTf2) anion, and various cations such as imidazolium, pyridinium, phosphonium, and ammonium, were employed for the removal of oil from produced water via liquid–liquid extraction. The effects of process parameters such as the initial concentration of oil in produced water, contact time, pH, salinity, phase ratio, and temperature on the removal efficiency of oil were studied and optimized. 1-Decyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C10mim][NTf2]) (IL4) was found to give the highest oil extraction efficiency of 92.8% under optimum conditions. The extraction efficiency was found to increase with increasing cation alkyl chain length from C2 to C10. The extraction efficiency of ILs based on cations follows the order imidazolium > ammonium > phosphonium > anpyridinium. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to explore the ILs interaction with oil using [C10mim][NTf2] as a model. In addition, 1H and 13C NMR spectra were recorded to obtain a better understanding of the molecular structure of IL and to investigate the peak shifts in H and C atoms. Moreover, the cell viability of the most efficient IL, [C10mim][NTf2], in human cells was investigated. It has been concluded that this IL exhibited minimal cytotoxic effects at lower concentrations against human cell lines and is effective for the extraction of oil from aqueous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The altered gut microbes of astronauts during space travel may contribute to health issues after their return to Earth. Previously, an association between the elevated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and gut microbial dysbiosis has been described. Herein, we induced gut microbial changes in mice under a simulated microgravity environment in an established model of hindlimb unloaded (HU) mice. The intestinal metabolomic profiles under microgravity conditions using the HU model were examined, along with the potential role of 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA), a potent ER stress inhibitor. For a microgravity environment, the mice were suspended in special cages individually for three weeks. Mice were sacrificed, and gut dissections were performed, followed by amplicon sequencing analysis of bacterial species via DNA extraction and 16S rRNA analysis. The results indicate that the gut bacterial communities of mice differed under gravity and microgravity conditions. Principal component analyses revealed differences in the bacterial community structure in all groups. Around 434 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were specific to mice seen in controls, while 620 OTUs were specific to HU mice. Additionally, 321 bacterial OTUs were specific to HU mice treated with 4-PBA. When the relative abundance of taxa was analyzed, Bacteroidetes dominated the gut of control and HU mice treated with 4-PBA.. In contrast, the untreated HU mice were dominated by Firmicutes. At the genus level, a reduction in beneficial species of Akkermansia and Lactobacillus was observed in HU but not the unloaded–treated and control mice. Furthermore, an increase in the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Enterorhabdus, associated with inflammation, was observed in HUmice but not in controls and unloaded-treated mice. Following treatment with 4-PBA, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes was restored in unloaded–treated mice, comparable to controls. Of note, beneficial microbes such as Akkermansia and Lactobacillus were observed in unloaded–treated mice but not or in lesser relative abundance in HU mice. Nonetheless, microbial diversity was reduced in unloaded–treated mice compared to controls, and future studies are needed to mitigate this finding. These may comprise the addition of pre-/pro- and postbiotic species in the diet to increase microbial diversity. Overall, the findings suggest that 4-PBA, a potent ER stress inhibitor, may have therapeutic value in treating patients on prolonged bed rest or astronauts during spaceflight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is facing severe environmental challenges as it heavily relies on a USD 100 trillion fossil-fuel-based economy. Its transition from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive economy is not well understood. The conventional energy resources are responsible for the excessive generation of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions resulting in increased environmental degradation owing to climate change. The human impact has been cited as highly indisputable in this respect. Pakistan is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries highly suffering from such increased impact of climate change and, thus, has been warned against the excessive use of conventional resources. As such, in the premises of Pakistan, conventional products are being excessively utilized in both power generation and transport sectors. Apart from the electrical power sector, the transport sector is also one of the main contributors to GHG emissions. In this context, the automobile industry has emerged as an environmentally friendly solution, which presents Electric Vehicles (EVs) as an efficient and feasible alternative to mitigate the GHG footprint. The transition from fossil-fuel-based vehicles (FFVs) to EVs is, therefore, considered as a potential way to decarbonize the transport sector, where the socio-economic conditions may be improved to a significant extent. A major prerequisite under planning and implementation in Pakistan is forecasting of load growth of EVs in Pakistan. Therefore, this paper proposes a load growth model (load forecast), used to forecast the load growth expected for electric vehicles in Pakistan from 2021 to 2030. This paper discusses in detail the original and revised models. According to the revised model, total EV energy demand stood at 24.61 GWh in 2020 and increased up to 2862.54 GWh in 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The majority of antibiotics available in the market are produced by bacteria isolated from soil. However, the low-hanging fruit has been picked; hence, there is a need to mine bacteria from unusual sources. With this in mind, it is important to note that animals and pests, such as cockroaches, snake, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, etc., come across pathogenic bacteria regularly, yet flourish in contaminated environments. These species must have developed methods to defend themselves against pathogens. Besides the immunity they may confer, bacteria associated with animals/pests may offer a potential source of novel antibacterial agents. This paper discusses the current knowledge of bacteria isolated from land and marine animals with antibacterial properties and proposes untapped sources for the isolation of bacteria to mine potentially novel antibiotic molecules. The development of novel bioactive molecules is urgently needed, especially with increasing fatalities occurring due to infections by bacteria and escalating numbers of multiple-drug-resistant bacteria. Several lines of evidence show that the gut microbiome of cockroaches, snakes, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, and other species may possess molecules that are bioactive. As these animals are routinely exposed to a variety of microorganisms in their natural environments, it is likely that they have developed methods to counter these microbes, which may be a contributing factor in their persistence on the planet for millions of years. In addition to the immune system, the gut microbiota of a host may thwart colonization of the gastro-intestine by pathogenic and/or foreign microorganisms through two mechanisms: (i) production of molecules with antibacterial potential targeting foreign microorganisms, or (ii) production of molecules that trigger host immunity targeting foreign microorganisms that penetrate the host. Herein, we discuss and deliberate on the current literature examining antibacterial activities that stem from the gut bacteria of animals such as crocodiles, cockroaches, and water monitor lizards, amongst other interesting species, which likely encounter a plethora of microorganisms in their natural environments. The overall aim is to unveil a potential library of novel bioactive molecules for the benefit of human health and for utilization against infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the discovery of antibiotics, humans have been benefiting from them by decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with bacterial infections. However, in the past few decades, misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of bacterial infections resistant to multiple drugs, a significant health concern. Bacteria exposed to inappropriate levels of antibiotics lead to several genetic changes, enabling them to survive in the host and become more resistant. Despite the understanding and targeting of genetic-based biochemical changes in the bacteria, the increasing levels of antibiotic resistance are not under control. Many reports hint at the role of epigenetic modifications in the bacterial genome and host epigenetic reprogramming due to interaction with resistant pathogens. Epigenetic changes, such as the DNA-methylation-based regulation of bacterial mutation rates or bacteria-induced histone modification in human epithelial cells, facilitate its long-term survival. In this review article, epigenetic changes leading to the development of antibiotic resistance in clinically relevant bacteria are discussed. Additionally, recent lines of evidence focusing on human host epigenetic changes due to the human–pathogen interactions are presented. As genetic mechanisms cannot explain the transient nature of antimicrobial resistance, we believe that epigenetics may provide new frontiers in antimicrobial discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naegleria fowleri and Balamuthia mandrillaris are pathogenic free-living amoebae that infect the central nervous system with over 95% mortality rates. Although several compounds have shown promise in vitro but associated side effects and/or prolonged approval processes for clinical applications have led to limited success. To overcome this, drug repurposing of marketed compounds with known mechanism of action is considered a viable approach that has potential to expedite discovery and application of anti-amoebic compounds. In fact, many of the drugs currently employed in the treatment of N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris, such as amphotericin B, fluconazole, rifampin and miltefosine, are repurposed drugs. Here, we evaluated a range of clinical and laboratory compounds including metformin, quinclorac, indaziflam, inositol, nateglinide, 2,6-DNBT, trans-cinnamic acid, terbuthylazine, acarbose, glimepiride, vildagliptin, cellulase, thaxtomin A, repaglinide and dimethyl peptidase (IV) inhibitor against N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. Anti-amoebic assays revealed that indaziflam, nateglinide, 2,6-DNBT, terbuthylazine, acarbose and glimepiride exhibited potent amoebicidal properties against both N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. Notably, all compounds tested showed minimal human (HaCaT) cell cytotoxicity as determined by lactate dehydrogenase release. Prospective research using animal models is warranted to determine the potential of these repurposed compounds, as well as the need for investigating the intranasal route of delivery to treat these devastating infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient parameter estimation of harmonics is required to effectively design filters to mitigate their adverse effects on the power quality of electrical systems. In this study, a fractional order swarming optimization technique is proposed for the parameter estimation of harmonics normally present in industrial loads. The proposed fractional order particle swarm optimization (FOPSO) effectively estimates the amplitude and phase parameters corresponding to the first, third, fifth, seventh and eleventh harmonics. The performance of the FOPSO was evaluated for ten fractional orders with noiseless and noisy scenarios. The robustness efficiency of the proposed FOPSO was analyzed by considering different levels of additive white Gaussian noise in the harmonic signal. Monte Carlo simulations confirmed the reliability of the FOPSO for a lower fractional order (λ = 0.1) with a faster convergence rate and no divergent run compared to other fractional orders as well as to standard PSO (λ = 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously found that sera from Crocodylus porosus contain anticancer agents and the treatment of MCF7 cells with this serum resulted in the differential expression of 51 genes. The purpose of this study was to use in silico analysis to identify genes that might be epigenetically modulated in cells treated with crocodile serum and to understand the role of potential genes as novel candidates with epigenetic therapeutic potential. The findings report five proto-oncogenes (TUBA1B, SLC2A1, PGK1, CCND1, and NCAPD2) and two tumor suppressor genes (RPLP2, RPL37) as novel therapeutic targets. Furthermore, we present a comprehensive overview of relevant studies on epigenetic regulation of these genes along with an insight into their clinical implications. Therefore, elucidating the molecules present in the serum and gut bacteria of reptiles such as crocodiles may offer insights into the role of these genes on longevity, health, disease, and life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To combat the public health threat posed by multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, new drugs with novel chemistry and modes of action are needed. In this study, several drugs including Hesperidin (HES), curcumin (CUR), and Amphotericin B (AmpB) drug–nanoparticle formulations were tested for antibacterial strength against MDR Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli K1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, and Serratia marcescens. Nanoparticles were synthesized and subjected to Atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and Zetasizer for their detailed characterization. Antibacterial assays were performed to determine their bactericidal efficacy. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were carried out to measure drugs' and drug–nanoparticles' cytotoxic effects on human cells. Spherical NPs ranging from 153 to 300 nm were successfully synthesized. Results from antibacterial assays revealed that drugs and drug–nanoparticle formulations exerted bactericidal activity against MDR bacteria. Hesperidin alone failed to exhibit antibacterial effects but, upon conjugation with cinnamic-acid-based magnetic nanoparticle, exerted significant bactericidal activity against both the Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates. AmpB-LBA-MNPs produced consistent, potent antibacterial efficacy (100% kill) against all Gram-positive bacteria. AmpB-LBA-MNPs showed strong antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Intriguingly, all the drugs and their conjugated counterpart except AmpB showed minimal cytotoxicity against human cells. In summary, these innovative nanoparticle formulations have the potential to be utilized as therapeutic agents against infections caused by MDR bacteria and represent a significant advancement in our effort to counter MDR bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naegleria fowleri and Balamuthia mandrillaris are free-living, opportunistic protists, distributed widely in the environment. They are responsible for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), the fatal central nervous infections with mortality rates exceeding 90%. With the rise of global warming and water shortages resulting in water storage in tanks (where these amoebae may reside), the risk of infection is increasing. Currently, as a result of a lack of awareness, many cases may be misdiagnosed. Furthermore, the high mortality rate indicates the lack of effective drugs available. In this study, secondary metabolites from the plants Rinorea vaundensis and Salvia triloba were tested for their anti-amoebic properties against N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. Three of the nine compounds showed potent and significant anti-amoebic activities against both N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris: ursolic acid, betulinic acid, and betulin. Additionally, all compounds depicted limited or minimal toxicity to human cells and were capable of reducing amoeba-mediated host cell death. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit 50% of amoebae growth, the half-maximal effective concentration, and the maximum non-toxic dose against human cells of the compounds were determined. These effective plant-derived compounds should be utilized as potential therapies against infections due to free-living amoebae, but future research is needed to realize these expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image encryption based on elliptic curves (ECs) is emerging as a new trend in cryptography because it provides high security with a relatively smaller key size when compared with well-known cryptosystems. Recently, it has been shown that the cryptosystems based on ECs over finite rings may provide better security because they require the computational cost for solving the factorization problem and the discrete logarithm problem. Motivated by this fact, we proposed a novel image encryption scheme based on ECs over finite rings. There are three main steps in our scheme, where, in the first step, we mask the plain image using points of an EC over a finite ring. In step two, we create diffusion in the masked image with a mapping from the EC over the finite ring to the EC over the finite field. To create high confusion in the plain text, we generated a substitution box (S-box) based on the ordered EC, which is then used to permute the pixels of the diffused image to obtain a cipher image. With computational experiments, we showed that the proposed cryptosystem has higher security against linear, differential, and statistical attacks than the existing cryptosystems. Furthermore, the average encryption time for color images is lower than other existing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alizarin dye is toxic and has a negative influence on human life and the environment. Consequently, the scientific community faces a difficult issue in developing efficient approaches for removing alizarin from water streams. Six distinct deep eutectic solvents (DESs) containing different hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs), namely trioctylphosphine, trioctylamine and trihexylamine, and two hydrogen bond donors (HBDs), namely salicylic acid and malonic acid, were used to rapidly remove alizarin from high concentration solutions up to 2000 mg/L at room temperature using the liquid–liquid micro-extraction method (LLE). DES-3 had the highest extraction efficiency for alizarin among the other synthesized DESs. The effect of process variables such pH, contact time, dye initial concentration, volume ratio, temperature and salt on alizarin extraction efficiency from water stream was explored, optimized and reported. Statistical analysis was conducted to ensure the accuracy of values for the optimized parameters. For a 1000 mg/L solution of alizarin with a DES/alizarin volume ratio of 1:10 at room temperature, the maximum elimination of 98.02 percent was achieved in 5 min. FTIR was used to analyze the structural properties of DES and the interaction between DES and alizarin. The thermal stability of DES-3 was determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and indicated that DES-3 has excellent thermal stability up to 320 °C. Human saline was used to test the toxicity of the synthesized DES in vitro. It was determined that synthesized DES is less harmful and more effective at removing alizarin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing population and modern lifestyle have raised energy demands globally. Demand Side Management (DSM) is one important tool used to manage energy demands. It employs an advanced power infrastructure along with bi-directional information flow among utilities and users in order to achieve a balanced load curve and minimize demand-supply mismatch. Traditionally, this involves shifting the electricity demand from peak hours to other times of the day in an optimized manner. Multiple users equipped with renewable resources work in coordination with each other in order to achieve mutually beneficial energy management. This, in turn, has generated the concept of cooperative DSM. Such users, called prosumers, consume and produce energy using renewable resources (solar, wind etc.). Prosumers with surplus energy sell to the grid as well as to other consumers. In this paper, a novel Prosumer-based Energy Sharing and Management (PESM) scheme for cooperative DSM has been proposed. A simulation model has been developed for testing the proposed method. Different variations of the proposed methodology have been experimented with different criteria. The results show that the proposed energy sharing scheme achieves DSM purposes in a useful manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, coupled with global water shortages and the reliance of the public on household water tanks, especially in developing countries, it is anticipated that infections caused by free-living amoebae such as Acanthamoeba will rise. Thus, the development of novel disinfectant(s) which can target pathogenic free-living amoebae effectively is warranted. Herein, we extracted and isolated several plant-based secondary metabolites as novel disinfectants for use against pathogenic Acanthamoeba. The identity of the compounds was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance and tested for antiamoebic activities against clinical isolate of A. castellanii, belonging to the T4 genotype. Amoebicidal assays revealed that the compounds tested showed antiamoebic properties. Betulinic acid and betulin exhibited parasite killing of more than 65%. When tested against the cyst stage, betulinic acid, betulin, and vanillic acid inhibited both encystation and excystation processes. Furthermore, the plant-based metabolites significantly inhibited the binding capability of A. castellanii to host cells. Finally, most of the tested compounds displayed minimal cytotoxic activities against human cells and noticeably perturbed amoeba-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. Notably, both alkaloid and betulinic acid showed 20% cytotoxic effects, whereas betulin and lupeol had cytotoxic effects of 24% and 30%, respectively. Overall, our findings indicate that plant-based natural compounds demonstrate anti-Acanthamoebic properties, and they have potential candidates for water disinfectants or contact lens disinfecting solutions, as well as possible therapeutic drugs against Acanthamoeba infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgravity environments are known to cause a plethora of stressors to astronauts. Recently, it has become apparent that gut microbiome composition of astronauts is altered following space travel, and this is of significance given the important role of the gut microbiome in human health. Other changes observed in astronauts comprise reduced muscle strength and bone fragility, visual impairment, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic changes, behavior changes due to fatigue or stress and effects on mental well-being. However, the effects of microgravity on angiogenesis, as well as the connection with the gut microbiome are incompletely understood. Here, the potential association of angiogenesis with visual impairment, skeletal muscle and gut microbiome is proposed and explored. Furthermore, metabolites that are effectors of angiogenesis are deliberated upon along with their connection with gut bacterial metabolites. Targeting and modulating the gut microbiome may potentially have a profound influence on astronaut health, given its impact on overall human health, which is thus warranted given the likelihood of increased human activity in the solar system, and the determination to travel to Mars in future missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocodiles are remarkable animals that have the ability to endure extremely harsh conditions and can survive up to a 100 years while being exposed to noxious agents that are detrimental to Homo sapiens. Besides their immunity, we postulate that the microbial gut flora of crocodiles may produce substances with protective effects. In this study, we isolated and characterized selected bacteria colonizing the gastrointestinal tract of Crocodylusporosus and demonstrated their inhibitory effects against three different cancerous cell lineages. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, several molecules were identified. For the first time, we report partial analyses of crocodile's gut bacterial molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]