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Ultrasound-assisted extraction and HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS profiling of Teucrium gypsophilum: Antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities
No full textTeucrium gypsophilum, an endemic Moroccan species traditionally used for medicinal purposes, was investigated for the first time for its phenolic profile and biological activities. Ethanolic, aqueous, and methanolic leaf extracts were prepared via ultrasound-assisted extraction and analyzed using HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS. The main phenolic chemicals found in the methanolic extract were leonoside A/alyssonoside isomer (96.37 ± 0.361 mg/g), caffeoylquinic acid (75.66 ± 0.218 mg/g), and verbascoside (14.14 ± 0.130 mg/g). Regarding the ethanolic extract, chemical analysis identified the leonoside A/alyssonoside isomer as the most abundant (59.52 ± 0.154 mg/g), followed by the verbascoside isomer and the dihexoside isomer of apigenin with 8.89 ± 0.102 and 5.39 ± 0.005 mg/g, respectively. For aqueous extract, the main compound was caffeic acid 12.65 ± 0.105 mg/g, followed by echinacoside isomer with 6.89 ± 0.006 mg/g. The extracts demonstrated significant antioxidant activity, with the methanolic extract exhibiting the highest DPPH scavenging effect (IC50 = 2.64 ± 0.52 μg/mL) and reducing power (15.66 ± 0.11 mg AAE/g). In vitro enzyme assays revealed dose-dependent inhibitory effects against elastase (IC50: 9.09 ± 0.003 μg/mL), phospholipase A2 (IC50: 31.75 ± 0.0005 μg/mL, α-amylase (IC50: 0.45 ± 0.004 μg/mL), anti-urease, and anti- α -glucosidase effect which IC50 values equal 0.602 ± 0.049 and 0.604 ± 0.084 mg/mL and 0.38 ± 0.005 μg/mL, respectively. These findings highlight the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential of T. gypsophilum as a rich source of bioactive phenolic compounds
Layered interface transports ions swiftly
No full textAs the primary source for nitrogen fertilizer, ammonia (NH3) is critical for sustaining the global food supply. It is a key industrial chemical and an ideal zero-carbon energy carrier, with annual production exceeding 180 million tonnes worldwide. For more than a century, industrial ammonia production has been dominated by the Haber-Bosch process, which combines nitrogen (N2) with hydrogen (H2) under high temperatures (350° to 450°C) and pressures (15 to 20 MPa) and emits substantial amounts of carbon dioxide. A more sustainable route to ammonia synthesis is the lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction reaction, an electrochemical method that uses lithium metal to activate inert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere, but this approach suffers from low efficiency and poor long-term stability. On page 724 of this issue, Zhanget al. report a strategy to improve the efficiency of the nitrogen
reduction reaction, producing ammonia under conditions relevant to industrial operation
Metal-oxide interfaces and oxygen vacancies as dominant active sites in CO2 hydrogenation to methanol: Contrasting reactivity of Cu- and In-based functionalities
No full textMolecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus auritus) and related ticks, Iraq
No full textAlthough the long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) may act as a reservoir for zoonotic tick-borne pathogens at the animal-human interface, little is known about the role of this wildlife in the epidemiology of Coxiella burnetti and Borrelia spp. Therefore, this study investigated the presence of these agents in live hedgehogs and related ticks at rescue centers in the Sulaymaniyah province (northeastern Iraq) between July 2024 and August 2025. Ticks and blood samples from hedgehogs were screened by Nested-PCR plus Sanger sequencing targeting genes and plasmids of C. burnetii (IS1111 , icd , QpH1 , QpRS , QpDV , QpDG) and Borrelia spp. (16S rRNA , 5–23S rRNA , osp A, QpRS and QpDV), as well. Out of 60 hedgehogs, 6 (10.0 %) tested positive for C. burnetii , showing an apparent good health status. All the hedgehogs were infested by ticks, with a total of 150 specimens morphologically identified as adults of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (20 females, 30 males), Hyalomma aegyptium (25 females, 25 males), and Rhipicephalus turanicus (22 females, 28 males). Among these, 4 (2.7 %) were positive for C. burnetii , being 2 R. sanguineus s. l. engorged females and 2 H. aegyptium . All sequence types displayed ≥ 99 % nucleotide identity and close phylogenetic relationship with those in GenBank. No difference in prevalence based on the gender of hedgehogs and ticks was found (p > 0.05). No samples were positive for Borrelia spp. The ability of H. auritus to harbor a nonnegligible prevalence of C. burnetii infections and anthropophilic ticks make these animals a potential reservoir of infection for animals and humans
The role of automatization in complex inductive reasoning: evidence from three experiments
No full textAutomaticity plays a central role in facilitating higher-order cognitive processes by reducing demands on working memory.
Across three experiments, we examined how the quality and stability of automatized knowledge affect performance in
complex inductive reasoning tasks. Participants learned arbitrary symbol–meaning associations until they met predefined
accuracy and speed criteria. Experiment 1 showed that, once automatization was achieved, individual differences in
learning trajectories (e.g., number of trials or errors) no longer predicted performance in a symbol-based reasoning task.
Experiment 2 demonstrated the durability of automatization, as performance on a complex symbol recombination task
remained stable after a 30-day interval. Experiment 3 contrasted participants who learned symbol meanings accurately
but without speed (non-automatized group) with those who reached both accuracy and speed thresholds (automatized
group). Only the automatized group showed superior reasoning performance, particularly under increasing task complexity.
These findings provide converging evidence that automatized access to learned knowledge—defined by both accuracy
and speed—is essential for efficient complex reasoning, and highlight the cognitive cost of non-automatized retrieval even
when accuracy is high
H1N1‐Related Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Complicated by Severe Rhabdomyolysis in a Pediatric Patient: A First Case Report
No full textChemical Characterization of Mediterranean Macroalgae With a Focus on Antioxidant Molecules Through the Use of Liquid Chromatographic Techniques
No full textSeaweeds represent an excellent vegetable protein resource capable of supporting the objectives of the sustainable blue economy. Today, attention toward algae is growing, due to their applications, both in biofuel production and as an alternative source of healthy food and nutraceuticals. The objective of this work was to valorize marine macroalgae coming from the Mediterranean area in order to be able to expand their potential use in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, maintaining the circularity of financial and biological resources. Micronutrients with higher antioxidant activity were determined in 10 samples, specifically four red algae, four brown algae, and two green algae. In particular, vitamin C was analyzed using a reversed phase (RP)-HPLC system coupled to photodiode array (PDA) detection, following extraction with an acidified aqueous solution. Vitamin E analysis was performed using a normal-phase HPLC system, following extraction with n-hexane and taking advantage of the high selectivity and sensitivity of fluorescence detector. Vitamin B12 was extracted with an acidified solution of methanol and water and analyzed by RP-HPLC system coupled to PDA and MS, the latter operated under selected ion monitoring mode to increase instrumental sensitivity and selectivity. Finally, carotenoids and pigments were extracted with an acetone/methanol solvent mixture and analyzed by RP-HPLC system coupled to PDA and MS to exploit the complementarity between MS and UV spectra for identification purposes. Overall, the validated HPLC methods confirmed the presence of vitamin E in all the samples analyzed, with highest levels obtained in two brown algae, namely, Undaria pinnatifida (1.54 ± 0.08 mg/kg) and Himanthalia elongata (0.93 ± 0.02 mg/kg), whereas vitamins C and B12 were detected only in two macroalgae species, including the widely consumed Porphyra sp., commercially known as Nori. Finally, carotenoids were mainly determined in the largely consumed U. pinnatifida sample, commercially known as Wakame
Upcycling volcanic ash from Mount Etna for green roof system: a circular strategy for energy-efficient and sustainable buildings
No full textThis paper proposes an integrated methodology to assess volcanic ash from Mount Etna suitability as sustainable material for green roof assemblies, aimed at valorising local waste and improving building energy performance. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate volcanic ash engineering properties and compare with conventional materials, as expanded clay and expanded perlite. The experimental results on thermal conductivity, density, porosity, water retention capacity, and permeability confirmed that volcanic ash offers adequate insulation and hydrological properties for substrate and drainage applications. To complement the laboratory phase, virtual energy modelling and simulations were performed to assess the impact of different green roof configurations under various climatic conditions, isolating the energy contribution of each layer combination. Results showed that ash gains adequate insulation comparable to traditional/commercial green roof materials, with particular energy effects on colder climates. Also, a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach was implemented to identify the optimal compromise solution, integrating performance data with environmental and economic criteria. The proposed methodology considered both current and enhanced sustainability scenarios through a weight-driven decisional matrix developed by field experts. The conducted research revealed that volcanic ash represents a valid alternative both in terms of performance and sustainability, positioning in a high-ranking position. Finally, the combined use of laboratory tests, energy simulations, LCA/LCC analyses, and MCDM confirms that volcanic ash can match or outperform conventional materials while reducing embodied energy, costs, and environmental impacts. This study demonstrates a replicable circular economy strategy for volcanic by-products, supporting more sustainable and resilient urban green infrastructure
Ontologia del denaro e modello sociale
No full textIl capitolo tratta l'ontologia del denaro come tema attraverso cui analizzare criticamente i modelli sociali, attraverso un esempio legato alle pratiche della cura
