A central debate is the improvement in the mechanical and water resistance of sustainable earthen architecture without additives or stabilizers. This innovative work aims to test the effects of a graphene-based additive, optimized for the improvement in concrete properties, on the strength and water resistance of raw-earth plasters without any stabilizer other than sand. Given the heterogeneous nature of raw earth, three different soils were tested by adding three increasing graphene-based additive contents (0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 wt% of the earth–sand proportion). The link between soil intrinsic properties, i.e., geotechnical and mineralogical properties, and their interaction with the additive were investigated through geotechnical characterization, as well as mineralogical characterization, by XRD and ATR-FTIR analyses. The experimental tests carried out focused on the adhesion properties of the twelve different plasters on standard hollow bricks and on their interaction with water through capillary rise tests and erosion resistance tests. Conclusion from the experimental tests suggests that the graphene-based additive in earth plasters, by increasing the cohesion of the mixture, improves their adhesion performance. Full article

Satellite rainfall estimates (SREs) play a crucial role in weather monitoring, forecasting and modeling, particularly in regions where ground-based observations may be limited. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of three commonly used SREs—African Rainfall Climatology version 2 (ARC2), Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) and Tropical Application of Meteorology using SATellite data and ground-based observation (TAMSAT)— with respect to their performance in detecting rainfall patterns in Nigeria at daily scales from 2002 to 2022. Observed data obtained from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) are used as reference data. Evaluation metrics such as correlation coefficient, root mean square error, mean error, bias, probability of detection (POD), false alarm ratio (FAR), and critical success index (CSI) are employed to assess the performance of the SREs. The results show that all the SREs exhibit low bias during the major rainfall season from May to October, and the products significantly overestimate observed rainfall during the dry period from November to March in the Sahel and Savannah Zones. Similarly, over the Guinea Zone, all the products indicate overestimation in the dry season. The underperformance of SREs in dry seasons could be attributed to the rainfall retrieval algorithms, intensity of rainfall occurrence and spatial-temporal resolution. These factors could potentially lead to the accuracy of the rainfall retrieval being reduced due to intense stratiform clouds. However, all the SREs indicated better detection capabilities and less false alarms during the wet season than in dry periods. CHIRPS and TAMSAT exhibited high POD and CSI values with the least FAR across agro-climatic zones during dry periods. Generally, CHIRPS turned out to be the best SRE and, as such, would provide a useful dataset for research and operational use in Nigeria. Full article

Surfactin is widely used in the petroleum extraction, cosmetics, biopharmaceuticals and agriculture industries. It possesses antibacterial and antiviral activities and can reduce interfacial tension. Bacillus are commonly used as production chassis, but wild-type Bacillus subtilis 168 cannot synthesise surfactin. In this study, the phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) gene sfp* (with a T base removed) was overexpressed and enzyme activity was restored, enabling B. subtilis 168 to synthesise surfactin with a yield of 747.5 ± 6.5 mg/L. Knocking out ppsD and yvkC did not enhance surfactin synthesis. Overexpression of predicted surfactin transporter gene yfiS increased its titre to 1060.7 ± 89.4 mg/L, while overexpression of yerP, ycxA and ycxA-efp had little or negative effects on surfactin synthesis, suggesting YfiS is involved in surfactin efflux. By replacing the native promoter of the srfA operon encoding surfactin synthase with three promoters, surfactin synthesis was significantly reduced. However, knockout of the global transcriptional regulator gene codY enhanced the surfactin titre to 1601.8 ± 91.9 mg/L. The highest surfactin titre reached 3.89 ± 0.07 g/L, with the yield of 0.63 ± 0.02 g/g DCW, after 36 h of fed-batch fermentation in 5 L fermenter. This study provides a reference for further understanding surfactin synthesis and constructing microbial cell factories. Full article

Based on the fact that 2-aminospiropyrazolinium compounds and structurally related azoniaspiro compounds belong, in a broad sense, to the class of ionic liquids, we have reviewed them and studied their practical applications. To search for possible uses of a new 2-aminospiropyrazolinium compounds, it is necessary to undertake a comparison with the related class of azoniaspiro compounds based on available information. The structures of the well-studied class of azoniaspiro compounds and the related but little-studied class of 2-aminospiropyrazolinium have rigid frameworks, limited conformational freedom, and a salt nature. These properties give them the ability to organize the nearby molecular space and enable the structure-forming ability of azoniaspiro compounds in the synthesis of zeolites, as well as the ability to act as phase-transfer catalysts and have selective biological effects. Additionally, these characteristics enable their ability to act as electrolytes and serve as materials for anion exchange membranes in fuel cells and water electrolyzers. Thus, the well-studied properties of azoniaspiro compounds as phase-transfer catalysts, structure-directing agents, electrolytes, and materials for membranes in power sources would encourage the study of the similar properties of 2-aminospiropyrazolinium compounds, which we have studied in relation to in vitro antitubercular, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities. Full article

The invasion of bivalves by parasitic microalgae Coccomyxa is widespread and causes pathologies and dysfunctions of the organs, especially in the most valuable products: the mantle and the muscle. The pathogenesis of the disease remains completely unknown. In this study, based on a macroscopic examination of Modiolus kurilensis and microalgae count in each infected individual, four stages of disease development with characteristic pathognomonic symptoms were described. During the progression of the disease, the concentration of alkaline phosphatase, glucose, calcium, hemolytic and agglutinating activities, number of basophils, eosinophils, phagocytes, and cells with reactive oxygen species increased in the hemolymph, while number of agranulocytes, cells with lysosomes, dead hemocytes, total protein concentration, as well as the weight of mollusks decreased. In the nephridia and digestive gland, necrosis, invasion of Nematopsis sp., hemocyte infiltration, and fibrosis increased. The ratio of changed tubules and occurrence of granulocytomas increased in the digestive gland, while the base membrane, nephrocytes and concretions changed in the nephridia. This study helps establish the variability of these parameters under normal conditions and their alteration during the disease. Moreover, these findings can be used for veterinary monitoring of the state of bivalves in natural and aquaculture populations. Full article

The drone-assisted Internet of Vehicles (DIoV) displays great potential in the punctual provision of rescue services without geographical limitations. To ensure data security in accident response and rescue services, authentication schemes with access control are employed. These schemes ensure that only specific rescue vehicle operators acting within a valid period can achieve mutual authentication from a designated processor, while access for mismatched, revoked, or expired users is denied. However, the current alternatives fail to ensure session key forward secrecy, entities’ mutual authentication, and user anonymity, thereby compromising users’ privacy and the security of communications. Moreover, executing too many time-consuming operations on vehicles’ resource-constrained devices inevitably degrades the performance of the authentication protocol. Balancing security and performance in the design of an authentication protocol with access control presents a significant challenge. To address this, a more efficient and robust authentication with access control has been designed. The proposed protocol ensures user anonymity through dynamic pseudonym allocation, achieves forward secrecy by excluding the long-term key from session key generation, and obtains mutual authentication by verifying the integrity of the messages exchanged. According to the security and performance analysis, it is demonstrated that the proposal is a robust, efficient, and cost-effective solution. In particular, the proposal can reduce the computational overhead by 66% compared to recent alternatives. Full article

Laurus nobilis, sometimes referred to as laurel, has been used for medicinal and culinary purposes for a very long time. The main subjects of this study are the phytochemical composition, mineralogical profile, and potential antioxidant properties of Laurus nobilis in Tangier, Northern Morocco. For phytochemical analysis of methanolic extracts, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV-MS) was used, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to identify each individual component. Minerals were studied by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF). Total tannin, flavonoid, and phenolic amounts were quantified using aqueous and methanolic extracts. The antioxidant properties were assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis (3ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. Research has revealed a complex array of phytochemicals, including tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Mineral analysis has revealed the existence of vital components that are beneficial to health. Comparing the methanolic extract to the water extract, it demonstrated higher levels of phenols, flavonoids, and tannins as well as stronger antioxidant activity, indicating greater health benefits. This comprehensive study highlights the importance of Laurus nobilis from Northern Morocco as a reliable botanic resource with potential pharmaceutical, nutritional, and cosmetic uses. Full article

To cultivate excellent lily germplasms, an interspecific hybrid (LC×SQ-01) was successfully obtained by using a cut-style pollination method in which the rare wild lily Lilium callosum was used as the female parent and the cut flower L. longiflorum ‘Snow Queen’ was used as the male parent. The morphological features of LC×SQ-01 included height, leaf length, and width, which were observed to be between those of the parents in the tissue-cultured seedlings. The height and leaf length of LC×SQ-01 were more similar to those of the male parent, and the width was between the widths of the parents for field-generated plants. The epidermal cell length and the guard cell and stoma sizes were between those of both parents in tissue-cultured and field-generated plants. In addition, the shapes of the epidermal cells and anticlinal wall in LC×SQ-01 were more analogous to those in the male parent, while the stoma morphology was different from that of both parents. Fourteen pairs of polymorphic SSR primers were identified in both parents, and the validity of LC×SQ-01 was demonstrated by PCR amplification using five pairs of SSR primers. Flow cytometry and root tip squashing assays revealed that LC×SQ-01 was a diploid plant, similar to its parents. Furthermore, the LC×SQ-01 hybrid was more resistant to B. cinerea than its parents, and it also showed much greater peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activity than the parents. These results lay a foundation for breeding a new high-resistance and ornamental lily variety. Full article

For the past 20 years, Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R) technology has successfully shown its potential for remote sensing of the Earth’s surface, including ocean and land surfaces. It is a multistatic radar that uses the GNSS signals reflected from the Earth’s surface to extract land and ocean characteristics. Because of its numerous advantages such as low cost, multiple signal sources, and all-day/weather and high-spatiotemporal-resolution observations, this new technology has attracted the attention of many researchers. One of its most promising applications is GNSS-R ocean altimetry, which can complement existing techniques such as tide gauging and radar satellite altimetry. Since this technology for ocean altimetry was first proposed in 1993, increasing progress has been made including diverse methods for processing reflected signals (such as GNSS interferometric reflectometry, conventional GNSS-R, and interferometric GNSS-R), different instruments (such as an RHCP antenna with one geodetic receiver, a linearly polarized antenna, and a system of simultaneously used RHCP and LHCP antennas with a dedicated receiver), and different platform applications (such as ground-based, air-borne, or space-borne). The development of multi-mode and multi-frequency GNSS, especially for constructing the Chinese BeiDou Global Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3), has enabled more free signals to be used to further promote GNSS-R applications. The GNSS has evolved from its initial use of GPS L1 and L2 signals to include other GNSS bands and multi-GNSS signals. Using more advanced, multi-frequency, and multi-mode signals will bring new opportunities to develop GNSS-R technology. In this paper, studies of GNSS-R altimetry are reviewed from four perspectives: (1) classifications according to different data processing methods, (2) different platforms, (3) development of different receivers, and (4) our work. We overview the current status of GNSS-R altimetry and describe its fundamental principles, experiments, recent applications to ocean altimetry, and future directions. Full article

Hydrogen is an ideal energy carrier manufactured mainly by the natural gas steam reforming hydrogen production process. The concentrations of ${\mathrm{CH}}_4$, $\mathrm{CO}$, ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$, and ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ in this process are key variables related to product quality, which thus need to be controlled accurately in real-time. However, conventional measurement methods for these concentrations suffer from significant delays or huge acquisition and upkeep costs. Virtual sensors effectively compensate for these shortcomings. Unfortunately, previously developed virtual sensors have not fully considered the complex characteristics of the hydrogen production process. Therefore, a virtual sensor model, called “moving window-based dynamic variational Bayesian principal component analysis (MW-DVBPCA)” is developed for key gas concentration estimation. The MW-DVBPCA considers complicated characteristics of the hydrogen production process, involving dynamics, time variations, and transportation delays. Specifically, the dynamics are modeled by the finite impulse response paradigm, the transportation delays are automatically determined using the differential evolution algorithm, and the time variations are captured by the moving window method. Moreover, a comparative study of data-driven virtual sensors is carried out, which is sporadically discussed in the literature. Meanwhile, the performance of the developed MW-DVBPCA is verified by the real-life natural gas steam reforming hydrogen production process. Full article

The complexity and the criticality of automotive electronic implanted systems are steadily advancing and that is especially the case for automotive software development. ISO 26262 describes requirements for the development process to confirm the safety of such complex systems. Among these requirements, fault injection is a reliable technique to assess the effectiveness of safety mechanisms and verify the correct implementation of the safety requirements. However, the method of injecting the fault in the system under test in many cases is still manual and depends on an expert, requiring a high level of knowledge of the system. In complex systems, it consumes time, is difficult to execute, and takes effort, because the testers limit the fault injection experiments and inject the minimum number of possible test cases. Fault injection enables testers to identify and address potential issues with a system under test before they become actual problems. In the automotive industry, failures can have serious hazards. In these systems, it is essential to ensure that the system can operate safely even in the presence of faults. We propose an approach using natural language processing (NLP) technologies to automatically derive the fault test cases from the functional safety requirements (FSRs) and execute them automatically by hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) in real time according to the black-box concept and the ISO 26262 standard. The approach demonstrates effectiveness in automatically identifying fault injection locations and conditions, simplifying the testing process, and providing a scalable solution for various safety-critical systems. Full article

Herbal medicines are widely used for clinical purposes worldwide. These herbs are susceptible to phytopathogenic fungal invasion during the culturing, harvesting, storage, and processing stages. The threat of fungal and mycotoxin contamination requires the evaluation of the health risks associated with these herbal medicines. In this study, we collected 138 samples of 23 commonly used herbs from 20 regions in China, from which we isolated a total of 200 phytopathogenic fungi. Through morphological observation and ITS sequencing, 173 fungal isolates were identified and classified into 24 genera, of which the predominant genera were Fusarium (27.74%) and Alternaria (20.81%), followed by Epicoccum (11.56%), Nigrospora (7.51%), and Trichocladium (6.84%). Quantitative analysis of the abundance of both Fusarium and Alternaria in herbal medicines via RT-qPCR revealed that the most abundant fungi were found on the herb Taraxacum mongolicum, reaching 300,000 copies/μL for Fusarium and 700 copies/μL for Alternaria. The in vitro mycotoxin productivities of the isolated Fusarium and Alternaria strains were evaluated by using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and it was found that the Fusarium species mainly produced the acetyl forms of deoxynivalenol, while Alternaria species mainly produced altertoxins. These findings revealed widely distributed fungal contamination in herbal medicines and thus raise concerns for the sake of the quality and safety of herbal medicines. Full article

Enterococcus faecium B13, selected from fermentation chili, has been proven to promote animal growth by previous studies, but it belongs to opportunistic pathogens, so a comprehensive evaluation of its probiotic properties and safety is necessary. In this study, the probiotic properties and safety of B13 were evaluated at the genetic and phenotype levels in vitro and then confirmed in vivo. The genome of B13 contains one chromosome and two plasmids. The average nucleotide identity indicated that B13 was most closely related to the fermentation-plant-derived strain. The strain does not carry the major virulence genes of the clinical E. faecium strains but contains aac(6′)-Ii, ant (6)-Ia, msrC genes. The strain had a higher tolerance to acid at pH 3.0, 4.0, and 0.3% bile salt and a 32.83% free radical DPPH clearance rate. It can adhere to Caco-2 cells and reduce the adhesion of E. coli to Caco-2 cells. The safety assessment revealed that the strain showed no hemolysis and did not exhibit gelatinase, ornithine decarboxylase, lysine decarboxylase, or tryptophanase activity. It was sensitive to twelve antibiotics but was resistant to erythromycin, rifampicin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline. Experiments in vivo have shown that B13 can be located in the ileum and colon and has no adverse effects on experiment animals. After 28 days of feeding, B13 did not remarkable change the α-diversity of the gut flora or increase the virulence genes. Our study demonstrated that E. faecium B13 may be used as a probiotic candidate. Full article

The transition to higher education at University is a critical moment for young adults to acquire unhealthy habits regarding physical activity (PA) and adherence to a healthy diet. Negative behaviors might be maintained in the years to come with a major risk of suffering from a Non-Communicable Disease. This study aims to determine the relationship between diet and PA in the student community of University of Milano-Bicocca. Students between 18 and 30 years old completed an online survey (6949 students). Two analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), chi-square tests of independence, and a binomial logistic regression were performed to examine the relationship between adequacy of food consumption and PA, in association also with sociodemographic characteristics. Data show a strong correlation between behaviors analyzed, with a proportional positive association between PA and healthy diet. Nevertheless, a third of the sample students incur in incorrect habits for both diet and PA. Further, students performing intensive PA have the healthiest food consumption in general but the worst red meat and pork intake. Accordingly, men practice more PA but have a less adequate diet, exactly contrary to women. In conclusion, policies promoting consciousness of well-being would transform Universities into healthy hubs for virtuous habits. Full article

Newborn screening (NBS) is hailed as a public health success, but little is known about the long-term outcomes following a positive newborn screen. There has been difficulty gathering long-term follow-up (LTFU) data consistently, reliably, and with minimal effort. Six programs developed and tested a core set of minimal LTFU data elements. After an iterative data collection process and the development of a data collection tool, the group agreed on the minimal LTFU data elements. The denominator captured all infants with an NBS diagnosis, accounting for children who moved or died prior to the follow-up year. They also agreed on three LTFU outcomes: if the child was still alive, had contact with a specialist, and received appropriate care specific to their diagnosis within the year. The six programs representing NBS public health programs, clinical providers, and research programs provided data across multiple NBS disorders. In 2022, 83.8% (563/672) of the children identified by the LTFU programs were alive and living in the jurisdiction; of those, 92.0% (518/563) saw a specialist, and 87.7% (494/563) received appropriate care. The core LTFU data elements can be applied as a foundation to address the impact of early diagnosis by NBS within and across jurisdictions. Full article

Piecewise fractional-order differential operators have received more attention in recent years because they can be used to describe various evolutionary dynamical problems to investigate crossover behaviors. In this manuscript, we use the aforementioned operators to investigate a mathematical model of COVID-19. By utilizing fractional calculus, our approach aims to capture the crossover dynamics of disease spread, considering heterogeneity and transitions between epidemic phases. This research seeks to develop a framework using specialized mathematical techniques, such as the Caputo fractional derivative, with the potential to investigate the crossover dynamical behaviors of the considered epidemic model. The anticipated contribution lies in bridging fractional calculus and epidemiology, offering insights for both theoretical advancements and practical public health interventions. In order to improve our understanding of epidemic dynamics and support, we used MATLAB to simulate numerical results for a visual representation of our findings. For this interpretation, we used various fractional-order values. In addition, we also compare our simulated results with some reported results for infected and death classes to demonstrate the efficiency of our numerical method. Full article

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19, often manifests symptoms akin to viral pneumonia, complicating early detection and potentially leading to severe COVID pneumonia and long-term effects. Particularly affecting young individuals, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems, the accurate classification of COVID-19 poses challenges, especially with highly dimensional image data. Past studies have faced limitations due to simplistic algorithms and small, biased datasets, yielding inaccurate results. In response, our study introduces a novel classification model that integrates advanced texture feature extraction methods, including GLCM, GLDM, and wavelet transform, within a deep learning framework. This innovative approach enables the effective classification of chest X-ray images into normal, COVID-19, and viral pneumonia categories, overcoming the limitations encountered in previous studies. Leveraging the unique textures inherent to each dataset class, our model achieves superior classification performance, even amidst the complexity and diversity of the data. Moreover, we present comprehensive numerical findings demonstrating the superiority of our approach over traditional methods. The numerical results highlight the accuracy (random forest (RF): 0.85; SVM (support vector machine): 0.70; deep learning neural network (DLNN): 0.92), recall (RF: 0.85, SVM: 0.74, DLNN: 0.93), precision (RF: 0.86, SVM: 0.71, DLNN: 0.87), and F1-Score (RF: 0.86, SVM: 0.72, DLNN: 0.89) of our proposed model. Our study represents a significant advancement in AI-based diagnostic systems for COVID-19 and pneumonia, promising improved patient outcomes and healthcare management strategies. Full article

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology has provided significant insights into cancer drug resistance at the single-cell level. However, understanding dynamic cell transitions at the molecular systems level remains limited, requiring a systems biology approach. We present an approach that combines mathematical modeling with a pseudotime analysis using time-series scRNA-seq data obtained from the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 treated with tamoxifen. Our single-cell analysis identified five distinct subpopulations, including tamoxifen-sensitive and -resistant groups. Using a single-gene mathematical model, we discovered approximately 560–680 genes out of 6000 exhibiting multistable expression states in each subpopulation, including key estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cell survival genes, such as RPS6KB1. A bifurcation analysis elucidated their regulatory mechanisms, and we mapped these genes into a molecular network associated with cell survival and metastasis-related pathways. Our modeling approach comprehensively identifies key regulatory genes for drug resistance acquisition, enhancing our understanding of potential drug targets in breast cancer. Full article

Elastic spherical polishing tools effectively conform to the polishing surface and exhibit high efficiency in the removal of materials, so they are extensively used in the sub-aperture polishing stages of optical components. However, their processing is often accompanied by significant mid-spatial frequency (MSF) errors, which critically degrade the performance of optical systems. To suppress the MSF errors generated during polishing with spherical tools, this study investigates the influence factor of MSF errors during the polishing process through an analysis of the convolution effect in material removal. A material removal profile model is established, and a uniform removal simulation is conducted to assess the influence of different shape material removal profiles on MSF errors. Simulation and experimental results show that a Gaussian-like shape material removal profile is more effective in suppressing the MSF errors during polishing compared to the “W” and trapezoidal shape material removal profiles. In addition, based on the characteristics of the RMS decreasing in a serrated trend with the decrease in path spacing, a path spacing optimization method considering the polishing efficiency is proposed to improve the polishing efficiency while controlling the MSF errors, and the effectiveness of the path spacing optimization method is verified by comparing the MSF error at the maximum theoretical path spacing and the path spacing that is less than this. Finally, the path spacing optimization method is used to polish single-crystal silicon to further illustrate its practicality. Full article

Weaning stress imposes considerable physiological challenges on piglets, often manifesting in intestinal disturbances, such as inflammation and compromised barrier function, ultimately affecting growth and health outcomes. While conventional interventions, including antimicrobials, have effectively mitigated these sequelae, concerns surrounding antimicrobial resistance necessitate the exploration of alternatives. Fucoidan, derived from brown seaweed, offers promise due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Previous research has been limited to the in-feed supplementation of partially purified fucoidan extracted from brown seaweed. The focus of the present study is assessing the effect of a preweaning drench with highly purified (85%) fucoidan on piglet growth, immune response, and intestinal morphology post-weaning. Forty-eight male piglets at 17 ± 3 days of age (5.67 ± 0.16 kg) were assigned to a saline (control), fucoidan, or antimicrobial group, receiving treatment as a single 18 mL oral drench three days before weaning. Monitoring for seven days post-weaning included body weight measurements, blood sample collection for the inflammatory protein assay, and small intestine morphological analysis. The findings revealed that the preweaning fucoidan drench did not elicit adverse effects on piglets. However, neither fucoidan nor antimicrobial drenches significantly enhanced growth parameters, immune markers, or intestinal morphology compared to that of the control-treated piglets (p > 0.05). The lack of response may be attributed to the high health status of the experimental cohort and the limitation of a single dosage. Future research should consider a more challenging production setting to evaluate the viability and optimal application of fucoidan as an antimicrobial alternative in the pig industry. Full article

Gap junctions (GJs) are important in the regulation of cell growth, morphology, differentiation and migration. However, recently, more attention has been paid to their role in the pathogenesis of different diseases as well as tumorigenesis, invasion and metastases. The expression pattern and possible role of connexins (Cxs), as major GJ proteins, under both physiological and pathological conditions in the adrenal gland, were evaluated in this review. The databases Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus were searched. Studies were evaluated if they provided data regarding the connexin expression pattern in the adrenal gland, despite current knowledge of this topic not being widely investigated. Connexin expression in the adrenal gland differs according to different parts of the gland and depends on ACTH release. Cx43 is the most studied connexin expressed in the adrenal gland cortex. In addition, Cx26, Cx32 and Cx50 were also investigated in the human adrenal gland. Cx50 as the most widespread connexin, along with Cx26, Cx29, Cx32, Cx36 and Cx43, has been expressed in the adrenal medulla with distinct cellular distribution. Considerable effort has recently been directed toward connexins as therapeutically targeted molecules. At present, there exist several viable strategies in the development of potential connexin-based therapeutics. The differential and hormone-dependent distribution of gap junctions within adrenal glands, the relatively large gap junction within this gland and the increase in the gap junction size and number following hormonal treatment would indicate that gap junctions play a pivotal role in cell functioning in the adrenal gland. Full article

Hydrogen, as a clean, safe, and efficient energy carrier, is one of the hot energy sources that have attracted much attention. Mo₂C, due to the introduction of C atoms, makes the atomic spacing of the Mo lattice decrease and changes the width of the d-band, which makes the electronic properties of Mo₂C similar to that of Pt noble metals, exhibiting excellent electrochemical hydrogen precipitation performance. MoS₂, due to its special crystal structure and tunable electronic structure, has been widely studied. In this paper, Mo₂C nanoparticles were prepared by high-temperature carbonization, and then two-dimensional layered MoS₂ were be loaded on Mo₂C nanoparticles by the hydrothermal method to synthesize Mo₂C/MoS₂ composite catalysts. Their electrochemical hydrogen precipitation (HER) performance under acidic conditions was tested. The above catalysts were also characterized by modern material testing methods such as XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS. The results showed that the composite catalysts exhibited the most excellent electrochemical hydrogen precipitation performance at Mo₂C/MoS₂-3, with the lowest overpotential at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², Tafel slope, and electrochemical impedance. At the same time, the electrochemically active area was dramatically enhanced, with good stability under prolonged testing. The catalytic activity was significantly improved compared with that of Mo₂C and MoS₂. The characterization and experimental results indicate that the heterogeneous structure of Mo₂C and MoS₂ formed a built-in electric field between the two, which accelerated the electron transfer efficiency and provided more active sites. The Mo₂C/MoS₂ composite catalyst is a low-cost, easy-to-prepare, and high-efficiency electrochemical hydrogen precipitation catalyst, providing a new idea for developing green and clean energy. Full article