The impact of chelating compounds on Cu2+, Fe2+/3+, and Zn2+ ions in Alzheimer's disease treatment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid - ß extracellular plaques and tau interfibrillar tangles, leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. With dementia posing a growing global health concern, there is an urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address its challenges. The economic burden of dementia is projected to rise significantly, emphasizing the necessity for collaborative efforts in research and healthcare. In the United States alone, millions are affected by AD, with prevalence increasing with age and even affecting younger individuals. The complexity of AD involves intricate biological processes, including the aggregation of amyloid beta, oxidative stress, and metal ion dysregulation. Metal ions, particularly those from copper, iron, and zinc, play pivotal roles in AD pathology, influencing Aß deposition and tau protein accumulation. Current treatments offer symptomatic relief but do not address the underlying disease mechanisms. This paper explores the potential of various chelating compounds to target metal ions involved in AD pathology. N-acylhydrazones, morpholine, chrysin, quinoline, oxindole, cyclam, catechol-based, and quinazolinone-based derivatives show promising chelation activity and therapeutic effects. Metal chelation therapy offers a targeted approach to AD treatment by addressing the core pathology. By selectively binding to metal ions implicated in disease progression, chelators may minimize side effects associated with broad-spectrum treatments. Additionally, chelators may offer neuroprotective effects beyond metal binding, further enhancing their therapeutic potential. Overall, metal chelation therapy presents a promising strategy in combating AD, with the potential to significantly impact disease progression and improve patient outcomes.

Influence of crystal structure and composition on optical and electronic properties of pyridinium-based bismuth iodide complexes.

This study investigates the impacts of structure and composition on the optical and electronic properties of a series of pyridinium-based bismuth iodide complexes. Organic substrates with various functional groups, such as 4-aminopyridine (4-Ampy), 4-methylpyridine (4-Mepy), 4-dimethylaminopyridine (4-Dmapy), and 4-pyridinecarbonitrile (4-CNpy) with different electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups at the para position of the pyridine ring were employed. Crystallographic analysis reveals various bismuth iodide structures, including 1D chains and discrete 0D motifs. The optical band gap of these materials, identified via diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and verified with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, is influenced by the crystal packing and stabilising interactions. Through a comprehensive analysis, including Hirshfeld surface (HS) and void assessment, the study underscores the influence of noncovalent intermolecular interactions on crystal packing. Spectroscopic evaluations provide insights into electronic interactions, elucidating the role of electron donor and acceptor substituents within the lattice. Thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) indicates structural stability up to 250 °C. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) reveals significant conductivity in the range of 10-20 mS per pixel at 298.15 K. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Bi L3 edge indicates a similar oxidation state and electronic environment across all samples, underscoring the role of bismuth centres surrounded by iodides.

The Memristive Properties and Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity in Electrodeposited Copper Tungstates and Molybdates.

Memristors possess non-volatile memory, adjusting their electrical resistance to the current that flows through them and allowing switching between high and low conducting states. This technology could find applications in fields such as IT, consumer electronics, computing, sensors, and medicine. In this paper, we report successful electrodeposition of thin-film materials consisting of copper tungstate and copper molybdate (CuWO4 and Cu3Mo2O9), which showed notable memristive properties. Material characterisation was performed with techniques such as XRD, XPS, and SEM. The electrodeposited materials exhibited the ability to switch between low and high resistive states during varied cyclic scans and short-term impulses. The retention time of these switched states was also explored. Using these materials, the effects seen in biological systems, specifically spike timing-dependent plasticity, were simulated, being based on analogue operation of the memristors to achieve multiple conductivity states. Bio-inspired simulations performed directly on the material could possibly offer energy and time savings for classical computations. Memristors could be crucial for the advancement of high-efficiency, low-energy neuromorphic electronic devices and technologies in the future.

Improving the quality of multi-layer films based on furcellaran by immobilising active ingredients and impact assessment of the use of a new packaging material.

To improve the quality of multi-layer film, four-layer films based on furcellaran and active ingredients: gelatin hydrolysate, curcumin, capsaicin, montmorillonite and AgNPs, were produced in an innovative manner. The films were characterised by SEM and AFM analysis. Along with an increase in the concentration of active ingredients, the structure of the film becomes less homogeneous, which may affect the functional properties. The objective of the study was to analyse changes in the functional properties of the newly-obtained films and to verify their potential as packaging materials for fish products. With the increase in active ingredient concentration, water properties also improved, but there were no noticeable significant effects on mechanical properties. For antioxidant properties, the obtained values were within 1.04-2.74 mM Trolox/mg (FRAP) and 7.67-40.49% (DPPH). The obtained multi-layer films were examined with regard to the shelf-life of salmon. For this purpose, salmon fillets were packed in films having good antioxidant and functional properties. The films were effective in microorganism growth inhibition responsible for fillet spoilage during storage. The microorganism number in the active film-stored samples was lower by 0.13 log CFU/g on day 12 versus the control. However, film application did not retard lipid oxidation in the salmon fillets. Nonetheless, the films show great potential as active packaging materials, extending the shelf-life of the packed foods.

Incorporation of curcumin extract with lemongrass essential oil into the middle layer of triple-layered films based on furcellaran/chitosan/gelatin hydrolysates - In vitro and in vivo studies on active and intelligent properties.

Triple-layered, pH-sensitive and active films based on furcellaran (FUR), chitosan (CHIT) and gelatin hydrolysates (HGEL) were obtained for the first time. Curcumin ethanol extract (CUR) enriched with lemongrass essential oil (LEO) in three concentrations was added to the middle layer of the film. SEM and AFM analysis confirmed the formation of 3 layers, and CUR-LEO was evenly dispersed in the 2nd layer. The addition of CUR-LEO influenced the color of the surface and improved the UV blocking properties of the film. However, the mechanical and water vapor barrier properties remained unchanged. The CUR-LEO demonstrated antibacterial properties against bacteria and fungi. The antioxidant activity of the films increased along with the increasing concentrations of CUR-LEO. The presented films were able to effectively extend the storage life of tomatoes. Moreover, the colored films had the monitoring freshness effect with a distinct color change during carp storage.

Copper(ii) complexes with 2-ethylpyridine and related hydroxyl pyridine derivatives: structural, spectroscopic, magnetic and anticancer in vitro studies.

Copper(ii) complexes with 2-ethylpyridine (1 and 2), 2-(hydroxyethyl)pyridine (3) and 2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridine (4) have been synthesized and characterized. All inorganic compounds have been studied by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, vibrational and EPR spectroscopy as well as theoretical methods. The geometry of the complexes 1, 3 and 4 adopts nearly perfect geometry close to square planar (1, 4) or square pyramid (3) stereochemistry, respectively. The distortion of five coordinated copper(ii) ions in complex 2 indicates intermediate geometry between square pyramidal and trigonal pyramidal geometry. Further, the magnetic measurements have shown antiferromagnetic behaviour of the prepared complexes in a wide range of temperatures. The antiferromagnetic behaviour of 2 should originate from the superexchange interactions between each copper(ii) ion by the mixed chloride and µ4-O ion pathways. Besides, the weak antiferromagnetic character of 2 can be also attributed to the presence of intrachain exchange between dimeric units through double oxide ion. In complex 3, strong antiferromagnetic coupling between Cu(ii) centres in the Cu2O2Cl2 moiety is found. The cytotoxicity of all compounds was tested in vitro against various cancer cell lines: human lung adenocarcinoma (A549), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7), human prostate carcinoma; derived from metastatic site: brain (DU-145) and two normal cell lines: human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) and human keratinocyte (HaCat). Furthermore, Pluronic P-123 micelles loaded with selected complexes (1 and 3) were proposed to overcome low solubility and to minimize systemic side effects. More detailed study revealed that complex 3 loaded inside micelles causes DU-145 cells' death with simultaneous decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and a high level of reactive oxygen species generation. The stability of the compounds 1-4 in DMSO was confirmed by UV-Vis and FT-IR spectra studies.

Double-Layered Films Based on Furcellaran, Chitosan, and Gelatin Hydrolysates Enriched with AgNPs in Yerba Mate Extract, Montmorillonite, and Curcumin with Rosemary Essential Oil.

Double-layered active films based on furcellaran (1st layer-FUR), chitosan, and gelatin hydrolysates (2nd layer-CHIT+HGEL) were successfully prepared. Bioactive ingredients were added to the 1st film layer: AgNPs, which were synthesized in situ with yerba mate extract; montmorillonite clay (MMT); and different loads of ethanolic curcumin (CUR) extract enriched with rosemary essential oil (REO). SEM images confirmed the presence of AgNPs with a size distribution of 94.96 ± 3.33 nm throughout the films, and AFM and SEM photos indicated that the higher substance concentrations had rougher and more porous film microstructures. However, the water vapor transmission rate was reduced only at the lowest load of this ingredient. Despite the tensile strength of the films having decreased, the incorporation of the compounds showed a tendency towards reducing the modulus of elasticity, resulting in a lower stiffness of the composites. The addition of CUR and AgNPs improved the UV light barrier properties of the materials. The presented films showed quick reactions to changes in the pH value (from orange to red along with an increase in pH from 2 to 10), which indicates their potential use as indicators for monitoring the freshness of food products. Composite No. 2 showed the highest antimicrobial potential, while none of the presented films showed an antifungal effect. Finally, the antioxidant activities of the films increased dramatically at higher AgNP and CUR loads, suggesting an outstanding potential for active food packaging applications.

Peculiarities of the Phase Formation during Electroconsolidation of Al2O3-SiO2-ZrO2 Powders Mixtures.

This paper is devoted to the sintering process of Al2O3-SiO2-ZrO2 ceramics. The studied method was electroconsolidation with directly applied electric current. This method provides substantial improvements to the mechanical properties of the sintered samples compared to the traditional sintering in the air. The research covered elemental and phase analysis of the samples, which revealed phase transition of high-alumina solid solutions into mullite and corundum. Zirconia was represented mainly by tetragonal phase, but monoclinic phase was present, too. Electroconsolidation enabled samples to reach a density of 3.0 g/cm3 at 1300 °C, while the sample prepared by traditional sintering method obtained it only at 1700 °C. For the composite Al2O3-20 wt.% SiO2-10 wt.% ZrO2 fabricated by electroconsolidation, it was demonstrated that fracture toughness was higher by 20-30%, and hardness was higher by 15-20% compared to that of samples sintered traditionally. Similarly, the samples fabricated by electroconsolidation exhibited elastic modulus E higher by 15-20%. The hypothesis was proposed that the difference in mechanical and physical properties could be attributed to the peculiarities of phase formation processes during electroconsolidation.

Analysis of the Planar Point Identification Accuracy in CMM Measurements.

The paper presents the results of the investigations on the direction-dependent accuracy of the point identification during contact probe measurements with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Considering the contact point identified by an orthogonal to the surface probe movement, the transformation of coordinates was made in order to calculate the displacement of the measured point. As a result, the positioning accuracy was estimated in three axes. The experiments demonstrated a strong dependence of the displacement on the declination angle. Moreover, it was found that the directional surface texture which provided different roughness in perpendicular directions, had an impact on the positioning accuracy.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Prevalence among Participants of Woodstock Rock Festival in Poland Based on Rome IV Criteria Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID), in which etiology and pathogenesis are not fully explored. There is an ongoing need for more population studies adhering to new ROME IV criteria. In the current study, which follows our previous investigation among participants of the Woodstock Rock Festival in Poland, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of IBS and its relation to age, gender, education, and IBS type. METHODS: Rome IV criteria questionnaire was used to assess abdominal complaints of 386 participants of the Woodstock Rock festival 2018. RESULTS: Analyzed data revealed that Rome IV criteria were met by 42 participants (11.41%), 11 men and 31 women (p = 0.0028), with following types of IBS: IBS-M (mixed form) 55%, IBS-D (with diarrhea) 33%, IBS-U (unclassified) 10%, IBS-C (with constipation) 2%. No statistically significant correlation between IBS prevalence and age, gender, or education (p > 0.05) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of IBS among major rock festival participants in Poland was high. Women met the criteria more often than men, which is consistent with global epidemiology for many years. Among participants of the Woodstock Rock Festival, the most frequent subtype was IBS-M, the rarest-IBS-C. There is a need of conducting cohort studies in bigger groups in our population.

The Effect of Cold Plasma Pretreatment on Water-Suspended Herbs Measured in the Content of Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, Volatile Compounds and Microbial Count of Final Extracts.

Cold plasma is a new technology of promising potential to use as a part of technological extraction lines constructed to implement green chemistry solutions or simply to reduce resources in solvent-based extraction lines. The present study was undertaken to verify the effect of nitrogen cold plasma pre-treatment conducted for 8 min (20 kHz) on the content of antioxidants, antioxidant activity, the profile of volatile compounds, microbial count, pH and color measured in herb extracts (12 herbs: Echinacea purpurea; Salvia officinalis; Urtica dioica; Polygonum aviculare; Vaccinium myrtillus; Taraxacum officinale; Hypericum perforatum; Achillea millefolium; Sanguisorba officinalis; Leonurus cardiaca; Ballota nigra; Andrographis paniculata) obtained with its usage. The surface morphology of extracted herbs was examined as well. Herbs used for extraction were ground and suspended in water before cold plasma treatment, which is a novel approach not studied before. Most plasma-treated extracts were characterized by a higher content of polyphenols (11 out of 12). Content of flavonoids and anthocyanins increased in four extracts and in the case of anthocyanins was significantly higher in comparison to control (up to 77%). The antioxidant activity measured at least by one method (ABTS, DPPH, FRAP) was also higher in nine plasma-treated solutions. Moreover, plasma decreased total aerobic bacteria, affected the color and increased pH of the extracts. The surface structure of the plant material after the extraction process was significantly damaged, which probably led to a higher extraction yield of bioactive compounds and in consequence to the higher antioxidant activity of extracts obtained with the cold plasma treatment.

Analysis of the Electroconsolidation Process of Fine-Dispersed Structures Out of Hot Pressed Al2O3-WC Nanopowders.

Fabrication of alumina-tungsten carbide nanocomposite was investigated. Characteristics of the densification and sintering were analyzed considering both the nano-size particle starting powders and the processing stages. Different heating rates were generated during densification and consolidation with a maximal load was applied only after a temperature of 1000 °C was reached. Due to the varying dominance of different physical processes affecting the grains, appropriate heating rates and pressure at different stages ensured that a structure with submicron grains was obtained. With directly applied alternating current, it was found that the proportion Al2O3 (50 wt.%)-WC provided the highest fracture toughness, and a sintering temperature above 1600 °C was found to be disadvantageous. High heating rates and a short sintering time enabled the process to be completed in 12 min, saving energy and time.

Effect of Grain Size on the Corrosion Behavior of Fe-3wt.%Si-1wt.%Al Electrical Steels in Pure Water Saturated with CO2.

The corrosion behavior of two silicon steels with the same chemical composition but different grains sizes (i.e., average grain area of 115.6 and 4265.9 µm2) was investigated by metallographic microscope, gravimetric, electrochemical and surface analysis techniques. The gravimetric and electrochemical results showed that the corrosion rate increased with decreasing the grain size. The scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopyanalyses revealed formation of a more homogeneous and compact corrosion product layer on the coarse-grained steel compared to fine-grained material. The Volta potential analysis, carried out on both steels, revealed formation of micro-galvanic sites at the grain boundaries and triple junctions. The results indicated that the decrease in corrosion resistance in the fine-grained steel could be attributed to the higher density of grain boundaries (e.g., a higher number of active sites and defects) brought by the refinement. The higher density of active sites at grain boundaries promote the metal dissolution of the and decreased the stability of the corrosion product layerformed on the metal surface.

Effect of SiC Addition to Al2O3 Ceramics Used in Cutting Tools.

In this study, the effect of the addition of silicon carbide to alumina ceramics commonly used in cutting tool applications is addressed. Performance of Al2O3-SiC composite cutting inserts during the machining of hardened steels and ductile iron was compared to the results obtained for a cutting tool made out of 99 wt.% Al2O3, Al2O3-TiC, Al2O3-TiC-ZrO2, and Al2O3-TiN. In almost all tests, the composite with silicon carbide demonstrated better wear resistance, longer tool lifetime, and the ability to cut at higher speeds. The enhanced properties of cutting tools with SiC can be attributed to the morphology and dimensions of the inclusions in the matrix as well as to the strength of the interphase boundaries, small porosity, and lack of high inner stresses in the volume.

Additive Contact Polarization of Nonferroelectric Polymers for Patterning of Multilevel Memory Elements.

When a thin polymer film supported by a conductive substrate is contacted by and then separated from a micropatterned polymeric stamp, the so-called contact electrification creates electrical charges over the stamped regions. Simultaneously, image charges are induced in the conductive substrate. Together, the surface and image charges establish large fields within the film, in effect polarizing it. Upon consecutive stampings, the magnitudes of polarization add up, enabling imprinting of multilevel polarization patterns. Because the electric field is high only within the film but low across the Gaussian surface surrounding the film/substrate system, the discharge of surface charges is slow and the polarization patterns are relatively long-lived. These findings are significant since multilevel polarization states have, to date, been achieved only in ferroelectrics or some specialized polymers-the current method extends them to common polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), or poly(vinyl acetate).

Synaptic plasticity, metaplasticity and memory effects in hybrid organic-inorganic bismuth-based materials.

Since the discovery of memristors, their application in computing systems utilizing multivalued logic and a neuromimetic approach is of great interest. A thin film device made of methylammonium bismuth iodide exhibits a wide variety of neuromorphic effects simultaneously, and is thus able to mimic synaptic behaviour and learning phenomena. Standard learning protocols, such as spike-timing dependent plasticity and spike-rate dependent plasticity might be further modulated via metaplasticity in order to amplify or alter changes in the synaptic weight. Moreover, transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory is observed. These effects show that the diversity of functions of memristive devices can be strongly affected by the pre-treatment of the sample. Modulation of the resistive switching amplitude is of great importance for the application of memristive elements in computational applications, as additional sub-states might be utilized in multi-valued logic systems and metaplasticity and memory consolidation will contribute to the development of more efficient bioinspired computational schemes.

Abdominal Pain and Disturbed Bowel Movements are Frequent among Young People. A Population Based Study in Young Participants of the Woodstock Rock Festival in Poland.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are prevalent worldwide and alterations of gut-brain axis and intestinal barrier integrity may play a pivotal role in both the pathophysiology and clinical course of these bowel malfunctions. We aimed to assess the prevalence of abdominal pain in a selected adult population of Poland to determine potential environmental factors associated with gastrointestinal complaints. METHODS: There were 1479 individuals - 657 women (44.42%) and 822 men (55.58%), aged 24.20±6.08 years. The responders fulfilled an authors' questionnaire based on Rome II and III criteria focused on the abdominal pain prevalence and environmental factors involved in its occurrence. RESULTS: The frequency of abdominal pain was found to be as high as 19.2%. Male gender (n=822) and basic education level (n=151) lowered the risk of abdominal pain occurrence (OR=0.7, p<0.012 and OR=0.5, p<0.021, respectively). Psychological distress, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antibiotics usage were found as risk factors of abdominal pain (OR=2.503, p<0.01; OR=3.308, p<0.01; OR=3.105, p<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal pain is prevalent in young adult inhabitants of Poland, especially in women. Intense psychological stress, as well as PPIs and antibiotics usage elevate the risk.

The Digestive Health among Participants of the Woodstock Rock Festival in Poland-A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Alterations of gut microbiota, intestinal barrier and the gut-brain axis may be involved in pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of digestive tract symptoms and identify common variables potentially disrupting the gut-brain axis among participants of the Woodstock Festival Poland, 2017. In total 428 people filled in a questionnaire assessing health of their digestive tract. The investigator collected answers on an electronic device, while the study participant responded using a paper version of the same questionnaire. Liver and gallbladder related symptoms were the most prevalent among our study group (n = 266, 62%), however symptoms related to altered intestinal permeability were found to be the most intensive complaints. In females the intensity of gastrointestinal complaints was higher compared to men (p < 0.05), as well as the incidence of factors with the potential to alter gut-brain axis (p < 0.0001). Chronic psychological distress, intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics, were the most common associations with gastrointestinal symptoms, which were the most prevalent in females. Further attention should be focused on stress as one of the main factors negatively influencing public health.

Heavy pnictogen chalcohalides: the synthesis, structure and properties of these rediscovered semiconductors.

This review focuses on the synthesis, properties and selected applications of heavy pnictogen chalcohalides, i.e. compounds of the MQX stoichiometry, where M = As, Sb, and Bi; Q = O, S, Se, and Te; and X = F, Cl, Br and I. The first section focuses on their synthesis and crystal structures, and the second section discusses the electronic structure on the basis of quantum chemical modelling and selected experimental data. Finally, the third section discusses their electrical, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties and applications. In contrast to perovskites, chalcopyrites and kesterites, chalcohalides have attracted relatively less attention, but their structure and properties are well suited for numerous applications.

Heterogeneous Catalysis "On Demand": Mechanically Controlled Catalytic Activity of a Metal Surface.

A metal surface passivated with a tightly packed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) can be made catalytically active upon the metal's mechanical deformation. This deformation renders the SAM sparser and exposes additional catalytic sites on the metal's surface. If the deformation is elastic, return of the metal to the original shape "heals" the SAM and nearly extinguishes the catalytic activity. Kelvin probe force microscopy and theoretical considerations both indicate that the catalytic domains "opening up" in the deformed SAM are of nanoscopic dimensions.