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Traditional medicine has long recognized the therapeutic potential of Cnicus benedictus , and recent scientific research has shed light on the pharmacological properties of this plant. The bioactive compounds that can be extracted from it, such as the sesquiterpene lactones arctigenin, arctiin, and cnicin, are very interesting to researchers. In this article, based on available data from pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies, we delve into the pharmacology of the active constituents of this plant to explore its potential therapeutic applications and underlying mechanisms of action. In addition, we present a computer analysis designed to reveal the pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of the main phytochemicals that are active in C. benedictus through new in silico techniques and predictive tools such as SwissADME and PubChem. The data from the in silico study presented here support the traditional use of C. benedictus , as well as its promise as a source of new therapeutic chemical compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the role of hydrocarbons, focusing on their use in petrochemical industries, as domestic and automobile fuels, and their applications in polymers, drugs, and dyes. It also discusses the properties and reactions of alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes, as well as the concepts of isomerism and hybridization. It also mentions the physical properties and preparation methods for these hydrocarbons and their significance in various chemical processes.

The article discusses the exploration opportunities in Côte d'Ivoire, which has become a new hotspot for oil and gas exploration in West Africa. The recent discoveries of Baleine and Murene-1 have revitalized exploration in the Tano Basin. To further explore the basin, high-end imaging is needed to enhance regional understanding and reduce risks. Viridien has merged and re-imaged a large volume of seismic data in the offshore Tano Basin, which will contribute to a better understanding of the basin's potential. The article also provides fast-track results from the CDI-23 program, showing insights into the basin's architecture and key stratigraphy. [Extracted from the article]

The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in Pakistan is targeting 20 major fields to enhance hydrocarbon production and address the country's energy crisis. Pakistan has been relying heavily on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to low exploration activities domestically. OGDCL plans to increase its oil production from 34,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 50,000 bpd over the next few years through production optimization efforts. The company also aims to increase its raw gas production by tapping into low British thermal unit (BTU) reserves and exploring new areas. OGDCL is adopting new technologies and techniques to optimize production and contribute to national growth and energy security. [Extracted from the article]

Concerns about health hazards associated with the consumption of trans -delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol products were highlighted in public health advisories from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration and U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Simple and rapid quantitative methods to determine trans -delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol impurities are vital to analyze such products. In this study, a gas chromatography-flame ionization detection method was developed and validated for the determination of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol and some of its impurities (recently published) found in synthesized trans -delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol raw material and included olivetol, cannabicitran, Δ8- cis - iso -tetrahydrocannabinol, Δ4- iso -tetrahydrocannabinol, iso -tetrahydrocannabifuran, cannabidiol, Δ4,8- iso -tetrahydrocannabinol, Δ8- iso -tetrahydrocannabinol, 4,8- epoxy - iso -tetrahydrocannabinol, trans - Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, 8-hydroxy- iso -THC, 9 α -hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol, and 9 β -hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol. Validation of the method was assessed according to the International Council for Harmonization guidelines and confirmed linearity with R2 ≥ 0.99 for all the target analytes. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 1.5 and 5 µg/mL, respectively, except for olivetol, which had a limit of detection of 3 µg/mL and a limit of quantitation of 10 µg/mL. Method precision was calculated as % relative standard deviation and the values were less than 8.4 and 9.9% for the intraday precision and inter-day precision, respectively. The accuracy ranged from 85 to 118%. The method was then applied to the analysis of 21 commercially marketed vaping products claiming to contain delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol. The products analyzed by this method have various levels of these impurities, with all products far exceeding the 0.3% of trans - Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol limit for hemp under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The developed gas chromatography-flame ionization detection method can be an important tool for monitoring delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol impurities in commercial products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosinase is a target enzyme to be inhibited in order to reduce excessive melanin production and prevent typical age-related skin disorders. Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile compounds, belonging mainly to monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, which have been relatively little studied as tyrosinase inhibitors. Among the monoterpenoids, citral (a mixture of neral and geranial) is a fragrance compound in several essential oils that has shown interesting tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Although citral is listed as an allergen among the 26 fragrances in Annex III of the Cosmetics Directive 2003/15/EC, it can be safely used for the formulation of topical products in amounts that are not expected to cause skin sensitization, as shown by various commercially available products. The aim of this work was to evaluate two different formulations (oil/water emulsion, oily solution) containing a new combination of essential oils (Litsea cubeba, Pinus mugo, Cymbopogon winterianus) applied to the skin both in nonocclusive and partially occlusive modes. The blend is designed to reduce the concentration of citral to avoid potential skin reactions while taking advantage of the inhibitory activity of citral. Specifically, the amount of citral and other bioactive compounds (myrcene, citronellal) delivered through the skin was studied as a function of formulation and mode of application. The results show that an oil/water emulsion is preferable because it releases the bioactive compounds rapidly and minimizes their evaporative loss. In addition, semi-occluded conditions are required to prevent evaporation, resulting in higher availability of the bioactive compounds in viable skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration) approval of birch triterpenes topical gel for treating wounds associated with junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) and dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), providing an alternative treatment option for affected patients.

The article focuses on providing instructions for a question paper, including details about the number of questions, sections, and marks allocated for each type of question, with a note on the prohibition of log tables and calculators.

Essential oils are often utilized for therapeutic purposes and are composed of complex structural molecules, including sesquiterpenes, with high molecular weight and potential for stereochemistry. A detailed study on the properties of selected sesquiterpenes was conducted as part of a broader investigation on the effects of sesquiterpenes on the central nervous system. A set of 18 sesquiterpenes, rigorously selected from an original list of 114, was divided into 2 groups i.e., the training and test sets, with each containing 9 compounds. The training set was evaluated for the sedative activity in mice through inhalation, and all compounds were sedatives at any dose in the range of 4 × 10−4 –4 × 10−2 mg/cage, except for curzerene. Molecular determinants of the sedative activities of sesquiterpenes were evaluated using quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) and structure–activity relationship (SAR) analyses. An additional test set of six compounds obtained from the literature was utilized for validating the QSAR model. The parental carbonyl cation and an oxygen-containing groups are possible determinants of sedative activity. The QSAR study using multiple regression models could reasonably predict the sedative activity of sesquiterpenes with statistical parameters such as the correlation coefficient r2 = 0.82 > 0.6 and q2LOO = 0.71 > 0.5 obtained using the leave-one-out cross-validation technique. Molar refractivity and the number of hydrogen bond acceptors were statistically important in predicting the activities. The present study could help predict the sedative activity of additional sesquiterpenes, thus accelerating the process of drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the inclusion of Cabo Verde in the official list of malaria-free countries by World Health Organization in December 2023. Topics mentioned include the vector of malaria that is responsible for transmission, the months that malaria transmission usually occur and the strategic plan established by the country to prevent the malaria transmission.

The emergence and re-emergence of viruses has highlighted the need to develop new broad-spectrum antivirals to mitigate human infections. Pursuing our search for new bioactive plant-derived molecules, we study several diterpene derivatives synthesized from jatropholones A and B and carnosic acid isolated from Jatropha isabellei and Rosmarinus officinalis , respectively. Here, we investigate the antiviral effect of the diterpenes against human adenovirus (HAdV-5) that causes several infections for which there is no approved antiviral therapy yet. Ten compounds are evaluated and none of them present cytotoxicity in A549 cells. Only compounds 2, 5 and 9 inhibit HAdV-5 replication in a concentration-dependent manner, without virucidal activity, whereas the antiviral action takes place after virus internalization. The expression of viral proteins E1A and Hexon is strongly inhibited by compounds 2 and 5 and, in a lesser degree, by compound 9. Since compounds 2, 5 and 9 prevent ERK activation, they might exert their antiviral action by interfering in the host cell functions required for virus replication. Besides, the compounds have an anti-inflammatory profile since they significantly inhibit the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 produced by THP-1 cells infected with HAdV-5 or with an adenoviral vector. In conclusion, diterpenes 2, 5 and 9 not only exert antiviral activity against adenovirus but also are able to restrain pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on Fos-sur-Mer as an industrial epicenter characterized by towering storage tanks, blast furnaces, and pipelines. Topics include spanning thousands of hectares encompassing not only the petrochemical industry but also steel production, hazardous waste treatment; and concentration of polluting activities in the region, encompassing a range of sectors beyond hydrocarbons.

Within the large Compositae family, Phitosia is considered a monotypic genus of the Greek flora, with its only species P. crocifolia (Boiss. & Heldr.) Kamari & Greuter growing wild with limited distribution, exclusively on the mountains Taigetos and Parnonas in Peloponnese. P. crocifoliaʼs chemical profile was obtained, herein, for the first time and led to the isolation of 20 compounds, thirteen of which were characterized as sesquiterpene lactones and the rest mainly as phenolic derivatives. The isolates 1 – 3, 5 – 7 and 11 – 13 represent new chemical structures. Compounds 2 and 3 especially are substituted with a pentose moiety, a rare phenomenon in sesquiterpene lactone backbones. A series of spectrometric and spectroscopic techniques were used to elucidate their structures. The relative configurations of the unreported compounds were established via extensive analysis of NMR spectroscopic and HRESIMS data, assisted by CD spectroscopic measurements. Throughout the entire isolation procedure, selected fractions rich in sesquiterpene lactones were tested against HeLa cancerous cell line for their cytotoxic effects with the lowest IC50 values being 18.84 µg/mL. Accordingly, among the tested isolates, compounds 5 and 9 exerted IC50 values of 13.5 µM and 11.4 µM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses life on Earth and relates it with alien oceans. Topics discussed include hydrocarbons that are nonpolar and have no charge on both sides, biochemist Sarah Maurer whose area of interest in studies is cell membranes and containers, and hydrocarbons such as hexane and its forms at room temperature.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park (CCNHP), located in northwestern New Mexico, protects the greatest concentration of Chacoan historical sites in the American Southwest. Geologically, CCNHP is located within the San Juan structural basin, which consists in part of complex Cretaceous stratigraphy and hosts a variety of energy resources. As part of a larger study to investigate the vulnerability of water resources at CCNHP related to oil and natural gas extraction activities, a MODFLOW groundwater model of the Mancos Shale and Gallup Sandstone units was created by the U.S. Geological Survey, as a part of a cooperative study with the National Park Service, to assess advective groundwater flow paths and traveltimes. The model determined that groundwater flow directions currently trend from southsoutheast to north-northwest within the vicinity of CCNHP, groundwater traveltime through the Gallup Sandstone ranges from thousands to tens of thousands of years, and traveltime through the Mancos Shale may range from millions to tens of millions of years. The capture zone of the main CCNHP well (referred to as the "Chaco well") extends to the south-southeast and ranges in width from approximately 1 to 12 miles, depending on pumping rate. Eighteen inactive hydrocarbon related wells are located within the capture zone and within 10 kilometers of the Chaco well. Given model estimates of traveltimes of groundwater in the Gallup Sandstone aquifer, advective groundwater transport to the Chaco well would take approximately 430 years from the nearest inactive hydrocarbon related wells. Differencing of historical and modern-day potentiometric surfaces of the Gallup Sandstone indicate a drop in groundwater levels between 34 and 96 feet within the CCNHP boundaries. Hydraulic fracturing, simulated as increased hydraulic conductivity zones, decreased groundwater traveltimes (from millions to thousands of years) and acted as permeable pathways from the Mancos Shale to the Gallup Sandstone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outside the United States and Canada, most of the world's supplies of oil and natural gas are recovered from conventional (or discrete) oil and gas accumulations. This type of hydrocarbon accumulation remains a target for exploration. In this report, exploration and discovery data are used to visually assist in describing the exploration maturity of selected petroleum provinces with respect to conventional oil and natural gas accumulations. The specific provinces are the Campos Basin (Brazil), the Santos Basin (Brazil), the North Sea Graben (northwestern Europe), the Middle Magdelena Basin (Colombia), the Sirte Basin (Libya), and the Kutei Basin (Indonesia). For each province, discovery data and well data through October 2019 are reported; from these data, depth distributions of the oil in oil fields and natural gas in gas fields were computed. The concepts of delineated prospective area and explored area include elements of geographic spatial information and statistical data analytics. Graphs showing dynamic growth of discoveries that are tied to the delineated prospective area provide a means of grading prospective area. Visualizations put the results of exploration in the context of geographic and geologic features of the play or basin and can be a tool to assist geologists with the appraisal of the number and sizes of undiscovered petroleum accumulations. Visualizations of exploration drilling and discoveries can (1) assist in conceptualizing a geologic model of the basin, (2) highlight relations among discovered accumulations in different plays or assessment units within the basin, and (3) allow the geologist to identify the missing information needed to complete the geologic model of a basin. Further, if visualization attributes can be quantified, they may be used for formulating quantitative models that predict numbers and sizes of undiscovered oil and gas accumulations. Such modeling approaches include discovery process models, Bayesian network models that characterize play or assessment unit dependencies, and innovative applications of machine learning to complement standard geologic assessments. The purpose of this report is to show how visualizations can further the understanding of exploration maturity for the six selected petroleum provinces. It also shows how the geologic framework, geologic data, and drilling and discovery trends can give context to the interpretation of the visualizations that lead to appraisal of exploration maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater quality and potential sources and migration pathways of chemical constituents associated with hydrocarbon-bearing formations were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the California State Water Resources Control Board Oil and Gas Regional Monitoring Program (RMP). Groundwater samples were collected as part of the RMP from 21 preexisting wells used for public supply, monitoring, or irrigation in and near the Montebello Oil Field and analyzed for constituents associated with hydrocarbon-bearing formations and constituents used to identify recently recharged groundwater and older groundwater. The newly collected RMP data were supplemented with historical sample data from 849 groundwater wells and analyzed with respect to explanatory factors that have the potential to influence water quality. Potential sources and migration pathways of fluids (water, gas, or oil) from hydrocarbon-bearing formations that could affect groundwater quality in the Montebello Oil Field include large volumes of recycled produced water (water withdrawn from an oil well and brought to the surface that may include oil, water, and gas from the geologic formation and water or gas injected for enhanced recovery) that have been reinjected since the 1960s to enhance oil production, oil and gas wells with well-integrity issues, and oil and gas wells with an uncemented annulus that intersects groundwater resource zones. Trace amounts of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons, thermogenic gas (propane through pentane range), or both, were detected in seven groundwater samples collected in 2014 and 2018 as part of the RMP. Five of those samples also contained manufactured volatile organic compounds and at least some modern-age groundwater (recharged during or after 1953), indicating that the hydrocarbons could have originated from surficial, or shallow, sources unrelated to oil and gas development. Two samples contained low concentrations 1U.S. Geological Survey. 2California State University, Sacramento, California, USA. of petroleum hydrocarbons (less than 0.1 microgram per liter) and did not contain detections of manufactured volatile organic compounds in pre-modern groundwater. These samples were collected from relatively deep wells (greater than 140 meters below land surface) with perforations completed in marine sediments that may contain water with similar compositions to produced water. The RMP sample results and available historical data in and near the Montebello Oil Field did not provide conclusive evidence that oil and gas development has adversely affected groundwater resources. All samples with detectable petroleum hydrocarbons, thermogenic gases, or both, were collected from sites that also are within 500 meters of anthropogenic hydrocarbon sources not associated with oil and gas development or sources. In addition, naturally occurring sources of hydrocarbons that exist at intervals shallower than, or are in areas outside of, economically productive oil- and gas-producing zones could affect groundwater quality. A definitive analysis of relations of groundwater quality to potential anthropogenic and natural explanatory factors was not possible because of the low density of new and historical sampling data, particularly in parts of the Montebello Oil Field where the largest relative risks to groundwater from hydrocarbon-bearing formations exist. Areas to consider for more detailed monitoring and analysis in the future that may present the largest relative potential risks to groundwater quality include (1) areas downgradient from historical surface ponds and sumps and (2) areas with co-located high net injection (oil reservoir injection exceeds production), old oil and gas wells that may be more likely to develop well-integrity issues than newer wells, and oil and gas wells with uncemented boreholes intersecting groundwater zones. To help fill gaps resulting from sparse groundwater wells, temperature and resistivity borehole log data could be analyzed to locate anomalies that identify potential areas where relatively warm or saline water from deeper hydrocarbon-bearing formations is present in groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quiz concerning the topic "Hydrocarbons" of class XI for Central Board of Secondary Education Examinations is presented.