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Reishi owes an exceptional value in nutritional, cosmeceutical, and medical treatments; however, none of the studies has provided its future-driven critical assessment. This study documents an up-to-date review (2015-2020, wherever applicable) and provide valuable insights (preclinical and clinical evidence-based) with comprehensive and critical assessments. Various databases 'Google scholar', 'Web of Science', 'ScienceDirect', 'PubMed', 'Springer Link', books, theses, and library resources were used. The taxonomic chaos of G. lucidum and its related species was discussed in detail with solution-oriented emphasis. Reishi contains polysaccharides (α/β-D-glucans), alkaloids, triterpenoids (ganoderic acids, ganoderenic acids, ganoderol, ganoderiol, lucidenic acids), sterols/ergosterol, proteins (LZ-8, LZ-9), nucleosides (adenosine, inosine, uridine), and nucleotides (guanine, adenine). Some active drugs are explored at an optimum level to make them potential drug candidates. The pharmacological potential was observed in diabetes, inflammation, epilepsy, neurodegeneration, cancer, anxiety, sedation, cardiac diseases, depression, hepatic diseases, and immune disorders; however, most of the studies are preclinical with a number of drawbacks. In particular, quality clinical data are intensely needed to support pharmacological activities for human use. The presence of numerous micro-, macro, and trace elements imparts an essential nutritional and cosmeceutical value to Reishi, and various marketed products are available already, but the clinical studies regarding safety and efficacy, interactions with foods/drinks, chronic use, teratogenicity, mutagenicity, and genotoxicity are missing for Reishi. Reishi possesses many valuable pharmacological activities, and the number of patents and clinical trials is increasing for Reishi. Yet, a gap in research exists for Reishi, which is discussed in detail in the forthcoming sections.

In this study, we analyze the properties of boron isotope (11B)‐rich powders from three different sources, that is, American, Cambridge, and Pavezyum, to fabricate the bulk Mg11B2 superconductors and evaluate their superconducting properties. While 11B‐rich powder is an essential precursor to fabricate Mg11B2 superconductors for fusion magnet applications, the properties of the 11B powder turned out to be critical to determine the quality of the final superconducting product. Therefore, appropriate control of processing conditions is needed to comply with the requirements of the nuclear fusion application. Analysis of the B isotope ratio by accelerator mass spectroscopy and neutron transmission revealed that all three types of powder are enriched with 11B to better than 99 at % quality. In addition, Pavezyum's 11B shows the lowest crystallinity and smallest crystalline domain size as evidenced by the high‐resolution X‐ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscopy. The chemical states of the boron isotope investigated with near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and X‐ ray photoemission spectroscopy also reveals that Pavezyum boron has amorphous structure. Mg11B2 bulks and multi‐filamentary (12‐ filament) wires have been manufactured, sintered at different temperatures and characterized via the transport critical current density. The wire with Pavezyum 11B shows three times higher current carrying capacity at a particular magnetic field compared to the wire using Cambridge 11B and hence, Pavezyum 11B boron has the potential for manufacturing fusion grade Mg11B2 based magnets. The results of this study demonstrated that Boron powders with higher purity, smaller grain size and lower crystallinity are critical for improving the superconducting and electronic properties of Mg11B2 samples fabricated from the powder. Thus, the low‐ neutron‐activation Mg11B2 is possibly an affordable and technically viable candidate to replace NbTi superconductors in the low field poloidal field and correction coils for the next‐generation fusion reactors.

Pancreatic tumors are highly desmoplastic and poorly-vascularized, and therefore must develop adaptive mechanisms to sustain their survival under hypoxic condition. Extracellular vesicles (EV) play vital roles in pancreatic tumor pathobiology by facilitating intercellular communication. Here we studied the effect of hypoxia on the release of EVs and examined their role in adaptive survival of pancreatic cancer (PC) cells. Hypoxia promoted the release of EV in PC cell lines, MiaPaCa and AsPC1, wherein former exhibited a far greater induction. Moreover, a time-dependent, measurable and significant increase was recorded for small EV (SEV) in both the cell lines with only minimal induction observed for medium (MEV) and large EVs (LEV). Similarly, noticeable changes in size distribution of SEV were also recorded with a shift toward smaller average size under extreme hypoxia. Thrombospondin (apoptotic bodies marker) was exclusively detected on LEVs, while Arf6 (microvesicles marker) was mostly present on MEV with some expression in LEV as well. However, CD9 and CD63 (exosome markers) were expressed in both SEV and MEVs with a decreased expression recorded under hypoxia. Among all subfractions, SEV was the most bioactive in promoting the survival of hypoxic PC cells and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α stabilization was involved in heightened EV release under hypoxia and for their potency to promote hypoxic cell survival. Altogether, our findings provide a novel mechanism for the adaptive hypoxic survival of PC cells and should serve as the basis for future investigations on broader functional implications of EV.

Food proteins have been widely used as carrier materials for the encapsulation of bioactive ingredients. Combination with hydro‐soluble proteins provides better properties to prolamin‐based particles. Kafirin obtained from sorghum belongs to cereal prolamin proteins. In this study, kafirin nanoparticles in the absence and presence of beta‐lactoglobulin (β‐Lg) or casein were prepared for the encapsulation and protection of resveratrol. The particles stabilised by 2% β‐Lg or 0.2% casein were the smallest in size. Encapsulation efficiency of resveratrol was between 67% and 76% in kafirin/milk protein particles and the highest in kafirin/casein particles. Encapsulation in kafirin/milk protein particles improved DPPH˙ scavenging capacity of resveratrol but decreased its ABTS˙⁺ scavenging capacity. Stability of resveratrol ranked in order kafirin/casein > kafirin/β‐Lg ~ kafirin.

Novel bioactive compounds as synthetic analogs of the potent herbal medicines can be optimized as potential drug candidates for various neurologic disorders. This study was performed to investigate the newly synthesized dibenzylidene ketone derivatives: (2E,6E)-2,6-dibenzylidene cyclohexanone (A1K1) and (1E,4E)-5-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylpenta-1,4-diene-3-one (A2K2) and evaluate its potential anti-Alzheimer's and anti-depressant properties. Both the derivatives are chemically characterized by using HNMR and CNMR techniques. Auto Dock Vina program was used to investigate ligand-protein affinity. Forced swim test, tail suspension test, open field test, Y-maze test, and Morris water maze test (MWM) models were employed to evaluate anti-depressant and anti-Alzheimer's activity of dibenzylidene ketone derivatives in mice. Both A1K1 and A2K2 showed high binding affinities against various proteins involved in depression and Alzheimer's mechanisms like monoamine oxidase B, acetylcholinesterase, norepinephrine transporter 2, serotonin transporter, dopamine receptor, serotonin receptor modulator, and beta-amyloid targets. A1K1 and A2K2 dose-dependently (0.1-1 mg/kg) decreased immobility time, while increased swimming and climbing time of mice in forced swim test (FST). A1K1 and A2K2 decreased animal immobility time in TST. In the open field test, both A1K1 and A2K2 increased the number of ambulations and rearings. A1K1 and A2K2 dose-dependently (0.5-1.0 mg/kg) increased spontaneous alternation behavior (%) and the number of entries of mice in Y-maze test. In the MWM test, A1K1 and A2K2 decreased escape latency time. Overall, both in-silico and in-vivo investigations of A1K1 and A2K2, report their therapeutic potential for antidepressant and anti-Alzheimer properties. Hence, these compounds possess potent neuroprotective properties and may be further evaluated for their therapeutic potential in various neurological disorders.

In the current study, poly(orthotoluidine) (POT), which is a polyaniline derivative, was used as a novel organic nanoadditive for the preparation of a polysulfone–POT nanocomposite membrane with an improved separation performance. The effect of different concentrations of POT (0.5, 1, and 1.5 wt%) on the membrane properties was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, tensile measurement, thermogravimetric analysis, contact angle meter, and zeta potential. The performance of the membranes was evaluated in terms of the water flux and bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection and adsorption. The irreversible flux decline ratio (Rir) and the flux recovery rate (FRR%) were calculated to evaluate the fouling-resistant ability of the prepared membranes. All of the membranes that consisted of the POT nanomaterials exhibited improved membrane performances (i.e., water flux, BSA adsorption resistance, rejection, and mechanical and thermal properties) compared with the neat polysulfone membrane. A considerable improvement in the membrane performance was observed for the nanocomposite membrane that had a POT content of 1 wt% because of its membrane morphology, which has a typical asymmetric structure and suitable surface characteristics, including surface roughness and charge. The 1 wt% POT-added nanocomposite membrane, which exhibited the highest FRR value of 87.95% and the lowest irreversible fouling resistance (Rir) value of 12.04%, could be used as a preferential membrane in ultrafiltration applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:E157–E166, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

The aqueous methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Salvia officinalis (So.Cr) was studied to provide possible underlying mechanism(s) for its medicinal use in asthma using the in vivo bronchodilatory assay and isolated tracheal preparations. S. officinalis (1-10 mg/kg) dose-dependently inhibited carbachol (CCh)-induced bronchospasm in anesthetized rats with three-fold greater potency than the positive control, aminophylline. In tracheal preparations, So.Cr inhibited the low K+ (25 mM)-induced contractions. Pretreatment of the tissues with 4-aminopyridine reversed the inhibitory effect of the plant extract against low K+ , whereas glibenclamide did not show any effect, thus showing the involvement of voltage-sensitive K+ channels. When tested against the CCh-induced pre-contractions for the involvement of any additional mechanism, interestingly, the extract showed a dose-dependent (0.03-0.1 mg/mL) inhibitory effect and shifted the inhibitory concentration response curves of isoprenaline to the left, thus showing phosphodiesterase enzyme inhibitory-like action, similar to that of papaverine. These results indicate that the crude extract of S. officinalis possesses bronchodilatory activity mediated predominantly via activation of voltage-dependent K+ channels and inhibition of phosphodiesterase enzyme; thus, this study provides sound pharmacological basis for its medicinal use in hyperactive airways disorders such as asthma and cough. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study describes the antidiarrheal and antispasmodic activities of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Buddleja polystachya (Bp.Cr) with possible mode of action explored along with activity-directed fractionation. Bp.Cr and its aqueous (Bp.Aq) and organic fractions, petroleum ether (Bp.Pet), dichloromethane (Bp.DCM), ethylacetate (Bp.EtAc) and butanol (Bp.But), were tested using the in-vivo and in-vitro assays. The crude extract (100–300 mg/kg) showed 20 and 60% protection of castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice. In isolated rabbit jejunum, Bp.Cr like papaverine inhibited spontaneous and high K+ (80 mM)-induced contractions equi-potently. In guinea-pig ileum, Bp.Cr showed a moderate spasmogenic effect. The activity-directed fractionation revealed that the spasmolytic activity was concentrated in the organic fractions and spasmogenic component in the aqueous fraction. Amongst the organic fractions, BP.DCM and Bp.Pet inhibited spontaneous and high K+-induced contractions equi-potently, while Bp.But, like verapamil was more potent against high K+. The crude extract and its organic fractions caused rightward shift in the Ca++-concentration response curves (CRCs), similar to verapamil, and all except Bp.But potentiated the isoprenaline-inhibitory CRCs to the left, similar to papaverine. The results of this study indicate that the crude extract of B. polystachya possesses antidiarrheal and antispasmodic activities, mediated possibly through dual inhibition of Ca++ influx and phospodiesterase enzyme. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

OpenID is widely being used for user centric identity management in many Web applications. OpenID provides Web users with the ability to manage their identities through third party identity providers while remaining independent of the subject that actually uses the identities to authenticate individuals. Starting from the early stages of its inception, OpenID has received a large amount of acceptance and use in the current Web community because of its flexibility and ease of use. However, in addition to its benefits and flexibilities, OpenID faces its own share of vulnerabilities and threats, which have made its future and large-scale use in cyberspace questionable. OpenID Phishing is one such attack that has received much attention and that requires a comprehensive solution. This paper aims at identifying and discussing a solution to OpenID Phishing by proposing a user authentication scheme that allows OpenID providers to identify a user using publicly known entities. The research will help in next-generation cyber security innovations by reducing the authentication dependency on user credentials, that is, login name/password. The authentication scheme is also validated through detailed descriptions of use cases and prototype implementation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Network security risks grow with increase in the network size. In recent past, the attacks on computer networks have increased tremendously and require efficient network intrusion detection mechanisms. Data mining and machine-learning techniques have been used for network intrusion detection during the past few years and have gained much popularity. In this paper, we propose an intrusion detection mechanism based on binary particle swarm optimization PSO and random forests RF algorithms called PSO-RF and investigate the performance of various dimension reduction techniques along with a set of different classifiers including the proposed approach. Binary PSO is used to find more appropriate set of attributes for classifying network intrusions, and RF is used as a classifier. In the preprocessing step, we reduce the dimensions of the dataset by using different state-of-the-art dimension reduction techniques, and then this reduced dataset is presented to the proposed PSO-RF approach that further optimizes the dimensions of the data and finds an optimal set of features. PSO is an optimization method that has a strong global search capability and is used here for dimension optimization. We perform extensive experimentation to prove the worth of the proposed approach by using different performance metrics. The standard benchmark, that is, KDD99Cup dataset, is used that contains the information about various kinds of network intrusions. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach performs better than the other approaches for the detection of all kinds of attacks present in the dataset. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Urginea indica Kunth. (Family; Liliaceae) was studied for its gastrointestinal stimulant effect to rationalize the traditional medicinal uses as a digestive aid, stomachic and laxative. The crude aqueous-methanol extract of Urginea indica bulb (Ui.Cr) was tested on mice and isolated gut preparations. Ui.Cr, which was tested positive for alkaloids, tannins and coumarins, increased faecal output and accelerated charcoal meal transit in mice (6-12 mg/kg, p.o.), similar to that caused by carbachol (10 mg/kg). Ui.Cr (0.01-1 mg/mL) caused a spasmogenic effect in guinea-pig ileum that was reproduced in rabbit jejunum (0.01-0.3 mg/mL) followed by relaxation at a higher concentration. Like carbachol, the stimulant effect of Ui.Cr was blocked by atropine, suggesting the activation of muscarinic receptors mediating the prokinetic effect. Ui.Cr (0.01-5.0 mg/mL) also inhibited K(+) (80 mm)-induced contraction in rabbit jejunum and shifted the Ca(2+) concentration-response curves to the right, similar to verapamil, a standard calcium channel blocker. These data, indicating the presence of a gastrointestinal stimulant effect in Urginea indica possibly mediated through a cholinergic mechanism, provide a rationale for the use of Urginea indica in indigestion and constipation. The presence of a calcium antagonist effect in the plant may help to alleviate untoward effects of the plant that may result from an excessive increase in gut motility.

Silkworm rearing has been an income source for small-holding farmers in Pakistan. Over the years efforts have been made to improve silkworm quality and quantity and thus develop better prospects for increasing yield and income. Mulberry leaves Morus alba L. in a series of experiments have been supplemented with various nutrients in different doses and combinations. Relative success has been achieved in this context. In our present experiments on silkworm Bombyx mori L., we fed the larvae on mulberry leaves supplemented with different doses of N (0.2%), P (0.1%), K (0.3%) and Ca (0.1%) at 26 ± 3°C with 65 ± 5% relative humidity. The results showed better outputs in terms of food consumption (72.55 g/10 larvae), coefficient of utilization (76.45%), body weight (70.07 g/10 larvae) and body length (8.56 cm/larvae) than where simple mulberry leaves were offered. Our net gains with these production parameters have been in terms of heavier cocoons with and without pupa (2.25 and 0.69 g/cocoon), respectively.

Polyaniline (PANI) is a well-studied material and is the pre-eminent electrically conducting organic polymer with the potential for a variety of applications such as in batteries, microelectronics displays, antistatic coatings, electromagnetic shielding materials, sensors and actuators. Its good environmental as well as thermal stability and electrical conductivity tunable by appropriate doping make PANI an ideal active material for several applications. In this paper, we report the synthesis of water-dispersible colloidal PANI/iron oxide composite nanoparticles using an in situ chemical oxidation polymerization method in a micellar medium of sodium dodecylsulfate, where the cores (iron oxide) are embedded in a PANI matrix layer. Transmission electron micrographs showed evidence of the formation of an iron oxide core/PANI shell composite with a thin layer of PANI over the iron oxide cores. The results of thermogravimetric, Fourier transform infrared and UV-visible analysis indicated that the iron oxide nanoparticles could improve the composite thermal stability possibly due to the interaction between iron oxide particles and PANI backbone. We believe that the synthetic route described can also be adapted for the assembly of hierarchical structures of other metal oxides or hydroxides onto various cores. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

Humanity faces tremendous challenges as a result of anthropogenic climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The mix of resources deployed in order to meet the energy needs of a growing global population is key to addressing the climate change issue. The goal of this research is to examine the optimal mix of energy resources that should be deployed to meet a forecast global energy demand while still meeting desired climate targets. The research includes the unique feature of examining the role that geoengineering can play in this optimization. The results show that some form of geoengineering is likely to be needed by the middle of the 21st century as part of the optimal energy strategy in order to meet a specified climate goal of 580 ppm CO2‐eq greenhouse gas concentration (or ≈2 °C average global temperature rise). The optimal energy mix would need to rely on energy efficiency, nuclear, geothermal, hydro, and wind energy for over 50% of global energy needs. In addition, the overall cost of the optimal energy mix is sensitive to the assumed amount of achievable energy efficiency, carbon taxes, deployment of electric vehicles, and the assumed discount rate.

Objectives To assess, in patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), if a policy of using unilateral X-rays of the kidney, ureter and bladder (hemi-KUB) whenever possible and appropriate during diagnosis and follow-up, was successful in reducing the radiation exposure associated with ESWL. Patients and methods Two groups of patients of statistically comparable size and demography were assessed retrospectively before and after the implementation of the policy. All had undergone ESWL for radio-opaque upper urinary tract stones and all were finally rendered stone-free. The number and type of all radiological procedures from initial diagnosis of the stone to documented stone-free status were recorded and the dose calculated. Results The appropriate use of hemi-KUB X-rays resulted in a significant mean reduction of radiation exposure after treatment of 2.28 mSv per patient (P

PVI Alone in Patients with Persistent AF. Introduction: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone has been thought to be insufficient in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF). We hypothesized that preablation treatment of PersAF with a potent antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) would facilitate reverse atrial remodeling and result in high procedural efficacy after PVI alone. Methods and Results: Seventy-one consecutive patients (59.4 ± 9.8 years) with PersAF and prior AAD failure were treated with oral dofetilide (768 ± 291 mcg/day) for a median of 85 days pre-PVI. P-wave duration (Pdur) on ECG was used to assess reverse atrial remodeling. Thirty-five patients with paroxysmal (P) AF not treated with an AAD served as controls. All patients underwent PVI alone; dofetilide was discontinued 1–3 mos postablation. In the PersAF patients, the Pdur decreased from 136.3 ± 21.7 ms (assessed postcardioversion on dofetilide) to 118.6 ± 20.4 ms (assessed immediately prior to PVI) (P < 0.001). In contrast, no change in Pdur (122.6 ± 11.5 ms vs. 121.3 ± 13.7 ms, P = NS) was observed in PAF patients. The 6 and 12 mos AAD-free response to ablation was 76% and 70%, respectively, in PersAF patients, similar to the 80% and 75%, response in PAF patients (P = NS). A decline in Pdur in response to dofetilide was the only predictor of long-term clinical response to PVI in patients with PersAF. Conclusions: Pre-treatment with AAD resulted in a decrease in Pdur suggesting reverse atrial electrical remodeling in PersAF patients. This may explain the excellent clinical outcomes using PVI alone, and may suggest an alternative ablation strategy for PersAF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 142-148, February 2011)

Average yields of hard red spring wheat (HRSW) (Triticum aestivum L.) are low compared with the intensively managed winter wheat of western Europe. Information on intensive cereal management (ICM) of HRSW is limited in the USA. This study was conducted to investigate the agronomic response of 12 HRSW genotypes to ICM inputs. A randomized complete-block design in a split-plot arrangement was used with genotypes as main plots and management systems as subplots. Genotypic selection was based on year of selection from 1911 through 1986(.)