The Scientific World Journal最新文献

Endophytic fungi have emerged as promising reservoirs of pharmacologically potent metabolites, garnering increasing scientific interest over the past three decades. Their ability to enhance host resilience against diverse biotic and abiotic stresses further underscores their biotechnological value. This study explores the hypothesis that endophytes from mangrove ecosystems, specifically the bark of Xylocarpus mekongensis, thrive under extreme conditions such as high salinity, humidity, temperature, and variable soil composition and may therefore produce unique bioactive compounds. The endophytic fungi were initially cultured in potato dextrose broth (PDB). The crude fungal extract was then obtained by solvent extraction, where the broth was first extracted with n-hexane to remove nonpolar compounds, followed by extraction with ethyl acetate, which yielded the crude extract containing secondary metabolites. This procedure led to the successful isolation of three distinct culturable fungal endophytes, designated as X2, X4, and X7, and assessed for antimicrobial, antioxidant, and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties through solvent fractionation. Among the isolates, X4 exhibited the most compelling pharmacological profile. Crude extracts of X4 demonstrated notable antioxidant activity in DPPH free radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀: 94.179 μg/mL), supported by high total phenolic content (TPC: 66.542 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid content (TFC: 173.770 mg QE/g), and total tannin content (TTC: 42.717 mg GAE/g), although still less potent than standard ascorbic acid (IC₅₀: 15.987 μg/mL). All crude and fractionated extracts exhibited measurable antibacterial activity, with X4 crude extract showing the strongest inhibition zones against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis (21 mm). No antifungal effects were observed. Minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 31.5 to 250 μg/mL. Additionally, the X4 isolate and its fractions displayed significant α-glucosidase inhibition, with the crude extract showing the lowest IC₅₀ (0.416 mg/mL), outperforming its ethyl acetate (0.824 mg/mL) and dichloromethane (1.032 mg/mL) fractions. These findings affirm that X. mekongensis bark harbors potent endophytic fungi capable of producing bioactive metabolites with strong therapeutic potential.

This review is aimed at assessing the constraints of access to agricultural information in African countries. To conduct this, secondary data from articles were used. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, and Uganda as the sample countries for the review. The collected data was combined and interpreted for a general conclusion and recommendation. The review highlights that in Africa, agricultural information was accessed from radio, television, mobile phones, computer and internet, face-to-face contact with extension workers, fellow farmers, input suppliers, town criers, agricultural research centers, and printed materials such as posters, magazines, newspapers, school/college notes and books, manuals, billboards, and bulletins. However, farmers face several challenges to access the information, such as illiteracy; limited information sharing among farmers; religious beliefs; lack of cooperative membership; unavailability or inappropriateness of information sources; the absence of aids to present the information; the failure to use local language; complex information; high costs of both information and inputs; inadequate or unqualified extension workers; a lack of farmer training, workshops, and seminars; insufficient reading materials; low extension-farmer linkages; poor public relations by extension workers; the long distance of training centers from farmers' homes; lack of rural electrification; and the absence of rural networks. There should be an expansion of information and communication technology for transferring agricultural information to the farmers in African countries.

This study was conducted with the objective of investigating the impact of adopting cluster farming on wheat productivity and the welfare of smallholder households in the North Shewa zone of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. The study used primary data collected from 394 households sampled using a multistage sampling technique. The data was collected using structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. In order to investigate the impact of adopting cluster farming on households' wheat productivity measured by their production per hectare and welfare indicated by their food consumption expenditure, the study has used an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model. The result of the analysis indicates that factors such as the household head's age, education level, perception of cluster farming, household size, farming experience, farm size allocated to wheat production, participation in farmers' unions, access to irrigation and information about cluster farming, soil quality, training, and proximity to resources have a significant influence on farm households' decision to adopt cluster farming. The results confirm that the adoption of cluster farming significantly increases wheat yields and directly enhances household per capita food consumption expenditure compared to nonadopters. Furthermore, the findings suggest that nonadopters could have achieved higher wheat productivity and improved food consumption levels had they adopted the practice. Based on these results, the study recommends that the government and relevant stakeholders collaborate with rural farming households to promote cluster farming in the study area, thereby improving smallholder farmers' wheat productivity and overall welfare.

The use of sustainable materials in the construction industry has recently gained significant attention. Limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) is arising as a viable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). However, few studies were found focusing on the durability of LC3. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis to assess the evolution of LC3 durability research using data extracted from the Scopus and Web of Science databases covering the period 2017-2025. A total of 21 articles were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer to evaluate publication trends, author productivity, journal sources, and geographical distribution. Results indicate a growing research interest, with publications peaking in 2023-2024. India, China, and Switzerland lead the field. Despite this progress, research gaps persist regarding LC3 performance under freeze-thaw cycles, alkali-silica reaction, elevated temperatures, and combined environmental exposures. Addressing these gaps through international collaboration and comprehensive testing is vital for advancing LC3's global adoption in sustainable construction.

Core facilities are important infrastructures that support scientific research, technological development, and innovation in health. Their concept has evolved in recent decades, incorporating new characteristics and functionalities that highlight their importance in scientific field. In Brazil, these units gained relevance in the late 1990s, accompanying the expansion of science, technology, and innovation policies in health. The objective of this study was to investigate the concepts of core facilities present in the literature, understand their insertion in Brazilian context, propose categories of conceptual analysis for core facilities, and define a concept that encompasses the main characteristics of these multiuser research support units. To this end, an analytical review was conducted through an extensive search for documents published between 1990 and 2024, involving scientific articles, technical-managerial documents, and research funding notices. The various definitions of core facility were evaluated, their main characteristics mapped, the Brazilian context assessed, eight categories of conceptual analysis identified and described, and, based on these, a new concept for these structures proposed. The results contribute to scientific literature and may be valuable for both researchers and science and technology managers in understanding their scope of action, in inferring their impact on biomedical sciences, and in building a management model appropriate for core facilities that support scientific research in the health field.

Producing clean and renewable energy is the aim of many countries worldwide. Wind is one of the most vast renewable energy sources. High-quality wind is available at high altitudes. To harvest such energy, wind turbines should reach such high altitudes. An airborne wind turbine system is conceptually designed to harvest wind energy at relatively high altitudes regardless of location. A glider is designed to carry a small wind turbine mounted at its nose. The glider is connected to the ground through a tether and electric wires to transmit power from the flying generator to the ground station. The resulting model airplane has a square wing with a Selig high-lift, low-Reynolds-number airfoil section (S1223-il) and a wingspan of 2 m. Tail airfoil sections are NASA airfoil 0012. The total mass of the glider is 3.35 kg. The aerodynamic design analysis is performed through CFD simulation. The forces and loads obtained from the CFD analysis are transferred to finite element software to perform structural analysis. Overshooting in lift and drag forces occurs in both cruise and nose-up flights. Such overshoot behavior is eliminated by the wind turbine rotation effect. The developed model meets the design objectives successfully, since both structural and CFD analyses show the aircraft's capability to carry the load. The CFD results prove that the glider is stable when the center of gravity is forward, and stability is achieved within 0.2 s. When the wind turbine is installed, there is slight oscillation in the lift force, but stability is reached within the design target of 0.2 s.

Rat taro is a potential plant as a raw material for medicine. Rat taro contains an active compound that is useful as an anticancer, antibacterial, and antioxidant. Standardization of raw materials is important to obtain reproducible effects and safe consumption. This study is aimed at obtaining an appropriate drying method to produce high-quality rat taro simplicia from the tuber and leaf. The drying methods applied were sun drying, modified sun drying covered with black fabric, and oven drying. Simplicia of rat taro was made from the tuber and leaf. Simplicia quality was observed for moisture content, dry weight yield, ash content, water- and alcohol-soluble essence, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity (IC₅₀). The results showed that the average drying temperature for the tuber was around 37.5°C-39°C, and for the leaf, it was 32.5°C-37°C. The drying time for the tuber was around 15-16 h, and for the leaf, it was 20-26 h. The average moisture content of rat taro simplicia ranged from 8.27% to 10.84%. The water-soluble extract content of the tuber was around 10.92%-12.81%, and of the leaf, it was 35%-39.10%. Alcohol-soluble extract content of the tuber was 1.88%-2.28%, and of the leaf, it was 6.35%-9.19%. The flavonoid content of the tuber was around 0.2-0.3 mg QE/g, and of the leaf, it was 4.1-5.6 mg QE/g. The IC₅₀ value of the tuber was around 6477.70-8847.77 ppm, and of the leaf, it was 585.01-1189.63 ppm. The results revealed that the drying method influenced antioxidant activity (p = 0.028) and flavonoid levels (p = 0.009) in rat taro simplicia. The moisture content, antioxidant activity, and flavonoid content of the leaves were higher than the tubers. The most effective drying method for rat taro simplicia was oven drying at 37°C-38°C, which yielded flavonoid contents of 0.3 mg QE/g in the stems and 5.6 mg QE/g in the leaves, along with antioxidant activities of 6477.70 ppm in the stems and 585.01 ppm in the leaves, representing the best results obtained.

Fluoride (F) is an essential strategy for caries control, with fluoridated dentifrices being the most effective form of its use. Studies have shown that salivary sediment retains more F than the supernatant, contributing to its maintenance in the oral environment. This study was aimed at evaluating the bioavailability of F in salivary sediment after the use of a high-F dentifrice during the nocturnal period. In this in vivo crossover study, 10 participants used a dentifrice containing 5000 ppm F and collected saliva during diurnal and nocturnal periods. These samples were analyzed to compare F concentrations in the salivary supernatant and sediment using an ion-specific electrode. A two-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis, considering the factors "saliva compartment" and "period," with a significance level of 5%. No significant differences were observed between the two periods at baseline (p > 0.05); however, in both periods, F levels were significantly higher in the sediment than in the supernatant (p < 0.05). Immediately after brushing, a peak in F concentration was observed in all compartments, followed by a gradual decline over time. After 2 h, F retention remained consistently higher in the sediment compared to the supernatant, especially during the nocturnal period (p < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) confirmed higher F bioavailability at night, with values (mean ± SD, μg F/mL.min^-1) of 3590.1 ± 450.0 for nocturnal sediment, 2598.2 ± 209.9 for diurnal sediment, 2526.7 ± 579.2 for nocturnal supernatant, and 2078.4 ± 442.8 for diurnal supernatant (p = 0.03). These findings demonstrate that bedtime brushing with a 5000-ppm F dentifrice effectively prolongs F retention in the oral environment, especially in the salivary sediment.

Trial registration: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (REBEC) identifier: RBR-10bhvcr4.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2024/6949281.].

Ruppia maritima, a seagrass, was investigated for its potential antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and analgesic activities. The acetone extract of its leaves (AERM) was studied using in vitro, in vivo, and in silico methods. To determine its secondary metabolites, the total phenolic and flavonoid content was measured. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, while antidiabetic potential was assessed through the alpha-amylase inhibition assay. The disc diffusion method was used to examine antibacterial effects, and cytotoxicity was determined using both the brine shrimp lethality assay and the MTT assay on HeLa cells. Analgesic activity was tested via the acetic acid-induced writhing test and formalin-induced paw licking test. Quantitative analysis revealed that AERM contained 19.04 ± 1.91 mg/g of phenolics and 14.71 ± 1.09 mg/g of flavonoids. The extract demonstrated antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ values of 87.92 μg/mL (DPPH) and 209.75 μg/mL (ABTS). Antidiabetic testing indicated an IC₅₀ of 132.05 μg/mL, likely due to α-amylase inhibition. Strong antibacterial effects were observed, with efficacy comparable to the standard drug pefloxacin. In cytotoxicity assays, AERM showed an LC₅₀ of 31.41 μg/mL in brine shrimp and a dose-dependent reduction in HeLa cell viability. At doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, AERM produced significant analgesic effects (p < 0.001) in both the acetic acid and formalin-induced pain models. Molecular docking and ADME/T analyses suggested high binding affinities, good pharmacokinetic properties, and a nontoxic profile. Overall, the results indicate that AERM has promising pharmacological potential as a natural therapeutic agent. However, further studies with larger sample sizes, repeated trials, and broader dose-response evaluations in various animal models are essential to confirm these findings.