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Context: Mentha species are well known for their health benefits. Products extracted from aromatic plants of this genus (Mentha) are increasingly being studied for their active constituents in order to replace synthetic products that are harmful to health. Aims: To determine the chemical composition, physicochemical parameters, and antioxidant properties of essential oils of M. spicata, M. piperita, and M. pulegium. These plants were collected from three different geographical areas in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region of Morocco, with an additional focus on analyzing the fluctuation of their chemical composition based on their locations. Methods: Essential oils obtained through hydrodistillation of the fresh aerial parts of the plants were analyzed via gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antioxidant capacity was measured by several chemical tests: DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. Results: Multiple major components were identified, showcasing variations in composition between species as well as between plants of the same species. M. spicata was characterized by carvone, piperitone, 1,3,8-p-menthatriene; while M. piperita features linalool, D-carvone, 1,3,8-p-menthatriene; and M. pulegium had a single major component which is pulegone. To the best of our knowledge, it is assumed that a new set of chemotypes may be defined based on the geographical regions studied. The examined essential oils demonstrated notable antioxidant efficacy. Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential use of extracts from these plants as an alternative to synthetic chemical products. Therefore, they could find applications in complementary medicine as well as in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Preexisting immunity may be associated with increased protection against non-related pathogens such as, SARS-CoV-2. There is little information regarding endemic human coronaviruses (HCOVs) from Pakistan, which experienced a relatively low COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. We investigated antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and HCoVs NL63 and OC43, comparing sera from prepandemic controls (PPC) period with responses in healthy controls from the pandemic (HC 2021). Further, we investigated the effect of inactivated and mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations on antibody responses to the pandemic and endemic coronaviruses.We measured IgG antibodies to Spike of SARS-CoV-2, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-OC43 by ELISA. Serum neutralizing capacity was determined using a SARS-CoV-2 psuedotyped virus assay. Vaccinees were sampled prior to vaccination as well after 6, 12 and 24 weeks after COVID-19 inactivated (Sinovac), or mRNA (BNT162b2) vaccine administration.PPC sera showed seropositivity of 15 % to SARS-CoV-2, whilst it was 45 % in the HC 2021 group. Five percent of sera showed virus neutralizing activity in PPC whilst it was 50 % in HC 2021. IgG antibodies to Spike of NL63 and OC43 were also present in PPC; anti-NL63 was 2.9-fold, and anti-OC43 was 10.1-fold higher than to anti-SARS-CoV-2 levels. IgG antibodies to Spike SARS-CoV-2 were positively correlated with HCoV-NL63 in HC 2021, indicating recognition of shared conserved epitopes. IgG antibody levels increased during the pandemic; 2.7-fold to HCoV-NL63 and 1.9-fold to HCoV-OC43.SinoVac and BNT162b2 vaccine induced an increase in IgG antibodies to Spike SARS-CoV-2 as well as HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-OC43.Our data show that antibodies to spike protein of endemic coronaviruses were present in the prepandemic population. Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, NL63 and OC43 were all raised during the pandemic and further enhanced after COVID-19 vaccinations. The increase in antibodies to spike of coronaviruses would contribute to protection against SARS-CoV-2.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for cellular therapies aimed at promoting bone regeneration due to their secretory properties and osteoblastic differentiation capacity. However, typically < 5% of delivered MSCs are retained at the healing site within days of delivery via injection. In this work, granular PEG hydrogel scaffolds were used to deliver MSCs, labeled with fluorescent Quantum Dots, into critical-sized rat calvarial bone defects. The presence, survival, and distribution of MSCs within the hydrogel scaffold were evaluated with multiphoton microscopy at 3- and 7-days post-implantation. Additionally, endogenous cell infiltration into scaffolds was quantified, and markers for M1 and M2 macrophages were identified with immunohistochemistry. This multiphoton microscopy technique provides a quantitative analysis of exogenous MSC presence and survival and allows for micron-level spatial resolution of cell distribution throughout the implanted scaffolds. When ∼750,000 MSCs were implanted in a calvarial bone defect via PEG granular hydrogel scaffolds, ∼27% and ∼8% survived 3- and 7-days post-implantation, respectively. At 3- and 7-days post-implantation, exogenous MSCs and infiltrating endogenous cells, including M1 and M2 macrophages, were well distributed throughout the scaffolds. This multiphoton microscopy technique could be used to assess biomaterial delivery systems that can improve exogenous MSC presence and survival, facilitate endogenous cell infiltration, and investigate exogenous-endogenous cell interactions for bone regeneration therapies.

Soil salinity, which affects plant photosynthesis mechanisms, significantly limits plant productivity. Soil microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, can synthesize various exometabolites that contribute to plant growth and development in several ways. These microorganisms can increase plant tolerance to salt stress by secreting various phytoprotectants; therefore, it is highly relevant to study soil microorganisms adapted to high salinity and investigate their potential to increase plant resistance to salt stress. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of four cyanobacterial strains: Spirulina platensis Calu-532, Nostoc sp. J-14, Trichormus variabilis K-31, and Oscillatoria brevis SH-12. Among these, Nostoc sp. J-14 presented the highest antioxidant activity. Their growth-stimulating effects under saline conditions were also assessed under laboratory conditions. These results indicate that Nostoc sp. J-14 and T. variabilis K-31 show significant promise in mitigating the harmful effects of salinity on plant size and weight. Both strains notably enhanced the growth of Oryza sativa plants under saline conditions, suggesting their potential as biostimulants to improve crop productivity in saline environments. This research underscores the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which cyanobacteria increase plant tolerance to salt stress, paving the way for sustainable agricultural practices in saline areas.

Introduction: Patients receiving bariatric surgery are at risk for sleep apnea (OSA) and need extensive surveillance in the postoperative period. There is evidence of respiratory events (RE) several hours after leaving PACU. We analyzed the late onset of RE in patients recovering from bariatric surgery and their opiate requirements through the first night after surgery. Methods: We studied 52 patients with OSA and 38 non-OSA patients. Preoperative studies comprised meticulous OSA evaluation for all patients and computing the predictive score PRODIGY to stratify for the risk of RE. All patients received intraoperative multimodal non-opioid anesthesia. After PACU recovery, patients were admitted to a ward and continuously monitored for pulse oximetry, heart rate, and acoustic respiratory rate for up to 18 h using MASIMO RAD-97 and TRACE software (Masimo, USA). Results: All patients showed a progressing reduction in the frequency of RE after admission to the floor. Desaturations and bradypnea, however, increased significantly for a second peak between 14 and 16 h in the OSA group. The opiate doses administered to OSA and non-OSA patients were not different and remained low during the increases in RE. Discussion: After bariatric surgery, patients with OSA show significant late-desaturation and bradypnea events. Opiate administration cannot be invoked as the cause.

In today's modern era, chronic kidney disease stands as a significantly grave ailment that detrimentally impacts human life. This issue is progressively escalating in both developed and developing nations. Precise and timely identification of chronic kidney disease is imperative for the prevention and management of kidney failure. Historical methods of diagnosing chronic kidney disease have often been deemed unreliable on several fronts. To distinguish between healthy individuals and those afflicted by chronic kidney disease, dependable and effective non-invasive techniques such as machine learning models have been adopted. In our ongoing research, we employ various machine learning models, encompassing logistic regression, random forest, decision tree, k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machine utilizing four kernel functions (linear, Laplacian, Bessel, and radial basis kernels), to forecast chronic kidney disease. The dataset used constitutes records from a case-control study involving chronic kidney disease patients in district Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. For comparative evaluation of the models in terms of classification and accuracy, diverse performance metrics, including accuracy, Brier score, sensitivity, Youden's index, and F1 score, were computed.

The current study aimed to examine the organoleptic, physicochemical, and antioxidant characteristics of three samples of red berries, including strawberries, red, and black raspberries, which were widely consumed in Morocco. The current study also aimed to encourage new dietary habits by incorporating these fruits into meals, with the aim of improving the nutritional quality of the population.The levels of Mg, Ca, and Cl exhibited variations, ranging from 27.46 to 34.20 mg/100 g, 34.94 to 86.65 mg/100 g, and 21.30 to 1530.28 mg/100 g, respectively. Glucose and sucrose levels were recorded between 1.38 to 2.53 g/100 g and 0.85 to 1.10 g/100 g, while polyphenol and flavonoid levels ranged from 100 to 305.90 mg (GAE)/100 g and 75 to 253.85 mg (QE)/100 g, respectively.The nutritional and antioxidant characteristics study results of strawberries and different raspberry samples highlighted significant differences in nutrient composition. Specifically, the current study revealed that black raspberries had higher levels of magnesium, calcium, glucose, polyphenols, and flavonoids than the strawberries and red raspberries studied.The results of the nutritional and antioxidant characteristics study comparing strawberries and various raspberry samples revealed significant differences in nutrient composition. Specifically, this investigation found that black raspberries exhibited higher levels of magnesium, calcium, glucose, polyphenols, and flavonoids compared to the strawberries and red raspberries studied.

Solar-energy is a clean source of energy and photovoltaic (PV) panels are constructed from solar cells (SC) which convert energy of light into electricity without any environmental effect. The researchers and policy makers focus on the huge scale adoption of solar panels due to its cleaner production. However, there is non-linear behavior in current-voltage characteristics of solar panels and shortage of data in manufacturer’s datasheet. In order to enhance the efficiency of solar panels it is mandatory to develop the PV panels scheme accurately by extracting the basic parameters. In this research study a mathematical model of two different solar cell models is used such as Single Diode Model (SDM) and Double Diode Model (DDM). The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used to extract the five and seven unknown parameters of SDM and DDM. The algorithm runs with one thousand iterations to minimize the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) where the RMSE is the vector of five unknown parameters for SDM and seven for DDM. The superiority of proposed PSO algorithm is proved by the optimized results of unrevealed parameters with minimized RMSE of up to 10-3. Optimum parameter values for the solar cell models are applied on the real time data of a 55 mm diameter commercial RTC-France SC. Finally, the results reveal that P-V and I-V curves exhibit smallest deviation between estimated and real time values. The results reveal that the proposed PSO converges to optimal solution with least number of iterations compared to the existing metaheuristic algorithms.

The present study was conducted to design a social accountability model for Iranian primary schools. The study was applied in terms of purpose, and in terms of data collection, it was qualitative with grounded theory design. The research population included professors of educational management in the state Universities of Iran, and the research sample were selected using purposeful approach, theoretical sampling and through the criterion of theoretical saturation. Data were collected using semi-structured interview, and they were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's method in three stages of open, axial and selective coding through MAXQDA 18 software. The results showed that based on Strauss and Corbin's framework, five categories (attention to public schools and the age of technology, the existence of ethics and law, the existence of evaluation organizations in society, the educated community, and the school and its management) were identified in terms of the causal conditions. Also, seven categories of phenomenon-centric including the participation, environment, conscience, finance, culture, and community, clarification, and awareness and learning were determined. In terms of strategies, five categories including the activities of civil associations and institutions, civil society awareness of its citizenship rights and school expectations, the school management's willingness to be accountable, economic and welfare status, and school communication were identified. In terms of intervening conditions, six categories including the beliefs and norms of the community, attention to school stakeholders, school quality, effective leadership, community's demanding, and supportive management styles were determined. Also, in terms of contextual conditions, four categories were identified, i.e., the status of society, the existence of formal and virtual types of media, type of school system, and the level of awareness and democracy in society. Furthermore, in terms of consequences, eight categories, i.e., increasing the participation in the school affairs, increasing the performance and effectiveness of teachers in all areas, supporting and trusting the schools, clarification, intellectual and cultural development of society, better learning and performance of students, improving performance and effectiveness of schools, and educational justice, were identified.