While traditionally tied to infections and the immune system, inflammation is now recognized to manifest distinctive markers across a broader array of diseases, as suggested by recent evidence. It encompasses a series of cellular and microvascular reactions aimed at eliminating damaged tissue and promoting the generation of new, healthy tissue. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), a member of the Zingiberaceae family, has earned widespread popularity as a spice with ancient roots. Ginger contains predominantly gingerols, shogaols, and paradols as its main phenolic compounds. The primary phenolic compounds present in fresh ginger are gingerols, with 6-gingerol being the predominant form, accompanied by 4-, 5-, 8-, 10-, and 12-gingerols. Gingerols, acting as inhibitors of COX (Cyclooxygenase enzymes), have proven effective in a diverse array of pharmacological activities. Concerning a diverse spectrum of biological activities and documented mechanisms, the intricate interplay among three pivotal events—namely, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immunity—seems to contribute significantly to the myriad pharmacological effects of this compound. Through the inhibition of protein kinase B (Akt) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways, gingerols exhibit the capacity to mitigate inflammation, resulting in a reduction of proinflammatory cytokines and an elevation of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Through molecular modeling simulations, it was observed that gingerols preferentially interact with COX (cyclooxygenase enzymes) with a significant binding energy of -7 Kcal/mol. Exploration of hit compounds involves the application of tools such as ADMET@SAR, Discovery Studio, ADME/toxicity profiling, and molecular docking simulations. In conclusion, we utilized a computational technique to analyze interactions with drug targets.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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The presence of fungal spores in water poses a significant risk to public health, requiring effective inactivation strategies. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a widely used approach, traditionally employing mercury vapor lamps. However, these lamps have efficiency limitations and contain hazardous materials. As an alternative, ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) have emerged as a safer and more sustainable option. Despite their advantages, research on their efficacy against fungal spores remains limited. This study investigates the inactivation and post-exposure response of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. spores using a collimated UV-LED system. The impact of two different wavelengths (265 nm and 280 nm) and post-treatment conditions (light and darkness for 24 h) on fungal viability was analyzed. Kinetic modeling was applied to assess the resistance of the spores and their capacity for photoreactivation. The results demonstrate that both the UV wavelength and the environmental conditions after exposure significantly influence disinfection outcomes. Penicillium sp. exhibited greater susceptibility to UV radiation but also higher photoreactivation potential, while A. niger showed stronger resistance and lower recovery capacity. The UV dose required for 99% inactivation, considering photoreactivation effects, was 323.7 ± 90.0 mJ cm−2 and 321.9 ± 43.8 mJ cm−2 for A. niger, whereas for Penicillium sp., it was 167.7 ± 13.0 mJ cm−2 and 146.5 ± 29.2 mJ cm−2 at 265 nm and 280 nm, respectively. These findings emphasize the necessity of tailoring UV-LED disinfection strategies based on the specific characteristics of the target organisms and post-treatment environmental factors.

• Book : 17(7)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.922-922
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IntroductionThe Th2 immune response plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis, contributing to the formation of hepatic granulomas and fibrosis. While the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ubiquitously expressed nuclear receptor that mediates anti-inflammatory effects, its impact on Th2 responses in schistosomiasis remains underexplored. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential impact of GR activation on the hepatic Th2 immune response in schistosomiasis using the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone.MethodIn vivo, Schistosoma japonicum-infected mice were treated with dexamethasone, while in vitro studies were conducted on Th2 cells. Additionally, RNA sequencing and single-cell sequencing were integrated to identify key transcription factors influenced by GR activation during Th2 cell differentiation, with gene expression levels validated both in vivo and in vitro.ResultsIn vivo, GR activation markedly reduced the size of Schistosoma egg granulomas and substantially repressed the transcription of key Th2-related cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. In vitro, GR activation inhibited the transcription of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, as well as the secretion of IL-4 in Th2 cells. An integrated analysis of RNA sequencing and single-cell sequencing revealed that GR activation downregulated the expression of two major transcription factors, Gata3 and Pparg, which were elevated in infected mouse livers and Th2 cells but decreased following dexamethasone treatment.ConclusionGR activation may suppress the Th2 immune response triggered by egg antigens by downregulating the expression of the key transcription factors Gata3 and Pparg. While these findings provide insights into a potential complementary therapeutic strategy, further research is necessary to assess the feasibility and safety of targeting GR activation for the treatment of schistosomiasis.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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AbstractInelastic scattering poses a significant challenge in electron crystallography by elevating background noise and broadening Bragg peaks, thereby reducing the overall signal-to-noise ratio. This is particularly detrimental to data quality in structural biology, and the diffraction signal is relatively weak. These effects are aggravated even further by the decay of the diffracted intensities as result of accumulated radiation damage, and rapidly fading high-resolution information can disappear beneath the noise. Loss of high-resolution reflections can partly be mitigated using energy filtering, which removes inelastically scattered electrons and improves data quality and resolution. Here, we systematically compared unfiltered and energy-filtered MicroED data from proteinase K crystals, first collecting an unfiltered dataset followed directly by a second sweep using the same settings but with the energy filter inserted. Our results show that energy filtering consistently reduces noise, sharpenes Bragg peaks, and extends high-resolution information, even though the absorbed dose was doubled for the second pass. Importantly, our results demonstrate that high-resolution information can be recovered by inserting the energy filter slit. Energy-filtered datasets showed improved intensity statistics and better internal consistency, highlighting the effectiveness of energy filtering for improving data quality. These findings underscore its potential to overcome limitations in macromolecular electron crystallography, enabling higher-resolution structures with greater reliability.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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ObjectiveStereotactic centralized/core ablative radiation therapy (SCART) is a novel radiotherapy approach. This study investigates the potential benefits of proton-based SCART (pSCART) by leveraging the dosimetric advantages of protons and integrating them with the SCART technique.MethodsFive clinical cases previously treated with conventional proton therapy were selected for this study. The pSCART plans utilized a relative biological effectiveness (RBE) prescription dose of 24 Gy (RBE) × 3 fractions, with each plan consisting of three to five fields. The prescribed dose for the CyberKnife SCART was the highest value meeting the organs-at-risk (OARs) dose limits and the tumor edge dose limits. The dose distributions of the CyberKnife-based SCART and pSCART plans were compared using five criteria: i) prescription dose; ii) 80% prescription dose volume, targets coverage at 80% and 20% dose levels, and the 80%/20% ratio; iii) volume receiving >5 Gy outside the tumor edge; iv) dose tolerance limits to OARs; and v) mean dose to OARs.ResultspSCART can deliver a higher prescription dose of 24 Gy × 3 fractions versus SCART’s 15 Gy × 2–3 fractions or 18 Gy × 2 fractions. Specifically, pSCART outperforms SCART in terms of the 80% prescription dose volume and 80% dose level coverage of stereotactic centralized/core target volumes (SCTV) achieving 69.77%–100.00% versus SCART’s 43.6%–99.5%. The 20% dose level coverage for gross target volume (GTV) is slightly lower for pSCART, achieving 88.96%–98.64% versus SCART’s 90.1%–99.9%. The maximum point dose outside the target volume is lower for pSCART at 4.58–6.19 Gy versus SCART’s 4.78–6.67 Gy; additionally, the V5Gy at the tumor edge is significantly smaller for pSCART at 5.93–23.72 cm3 versus SCART’s 6.85–151.66 cm3. The average dose to most OARs in the pSCART plan is lower than in the SCART plan.ConclusionsThis work provides initial insights into evaluating treatment plans for bulky tumors using pSCART. Compared to the CyberKnife SCART, pSCART generates significantly higher prescription doses and larger high-dose regions within the GTV while delivering lower doses at the tumor edge, enhancing normal tissue sparing.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.101774-101774
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Background. Acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) is a rare disease of the central retina. Clinical cases description. The first clinical case: a 47-year-old man with complaints of decreased vision and the appearance of a spot in the field of vision of the left eye. He was treated at an eye clinic for acute central serous chorioretinopathy, but without effect. At the time of examination, visual acuity of the left eye was 1.0, the anterior segment was without any features, ophthalmoscopically without changes. According to optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the macular zone, changes in reflectivity were detected at the level of the outer plexiform and outer nuclear layers. A diagnosis of “Acute macular neuroretinopathy of the left eye” was made, and dynamic observation was recommended. The second clinical case: a 39-year-old woman undergoing a dynamic examination for operated squamous cell carcinoma of the lower wall of the orbit on the right and upper jaw, a condition after radiation therapy. She had no visual complaints, but during ophthalmoscopy of the right eye, three “cotton-wool” exudates were detected in the macular zone para- and perifoveal. According to OCT data, areas of hyperreflectivity were found in the right eye at the level of the retinal nerve fiber layer, corresponding to “cotton-wool” exudates, as well as juxtafoveally at the level of the outer nuclear layer, which are typical for OMN. Conclusion. The first clinical case demonstrates the importance of multimodal diagnosis in the presence of complaints of decreased vision and spots in the visual field, despite high central visual acuity. The second clinical case demonstrates that radiation therapy administered in the vicinity of the eyeball can lead to disruption of blood flow in the capillary plexuses of the retina, including in the superficial vascular complex and deep capillary plexus with the formation of ischemic retinal manifestations.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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• Pub. Date : 2025
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Green innovation, clean energy consumption, and improved energy productivity are crucial for addressing global climate change and combating ecological degradation and are emphasized for their dynamic role in creating a sustainable future. In that sense, this research probed the influences of green innovation, nuclear energy use, and energy productivity on consumption-based carbon emissions in the G-7 economies from 1990 to 2021. Advanced econometric methods were employed, including CS-ARDL for long-run linkage, AMG and CCEMG for robustness, and the DH causality approach. The long-run results specified that green innovation, utilizing nuclear energy resources, and improving energy productivity support decreasing consumption-based carbon emissions. This work recommended implementing the investment in green innovations, expanding nuclear energy consumption, and utilizing energy productivity to lower the existing consumption-based emissions level through policy implementation for G-7 nations.

• Book : 57(5)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.1-42
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북한의 핵⋅미사일 전력은 급속히 고도화되고 있으며, 핵전략 또한 억제를 넘어 핵전쟁 수행(nuclear war-fighting)에 중점을 두는 방향으로 진화하고 있다. 북한의 핵위협이 증대됨에 따라, 한국은 ‘3축체계’와 한미 ‘재래식핵통합’(CNI)을 기반으로 억제와 대응역량을 강화하는 데 주력하고 있다. 그러나 현재의 대응체계가 최적인지에 대한 면밀한 검토가 필요한 시점이다. 특히 전략사령부가 창설되어 3축체계를 지휘통제하게 됨에 따라, 이에 대한 재평가의 필요성은 더욱 커졌다.3축체계는 태생적으로 정체성이 불분명하여 전략⋅작전⋅전력의 연계성있는 대응체계 구축에 많은 문제점을 야기했으며, 억제력의 실효성 측면에서도 여러 취약점을 노출해왔다. 또한, 한미 연합작전체계와의 유기적 연계 방안이 부족하며, 한미 간 ‘방기와 연루’에 대한 우려로 인해 동맹 딜레마를 초래할 가능성도 내포하고 있다. 이러한 문제점을 고려하여, 본 논문은 3축체계의 재구성을 중심으로 현 북핵 대응체계를 재정립하고, 핵무장까지 전제로 한 장기적 청사진을 마련할 것을 제안한다.

• Book : 25(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.77-118
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