bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurosurveillance in the workplace: do employers have the right to monitor employees' minds?
Authors: Muhl Ekaterina , Andorno Roberto
Published: September 2023

The use of neurotechnologies for surveillance in the workplace have the potential to impact the entire working population of the world. Currently, with the help of neurodevices, employers could analyze the brain data from employees to assess their cognitive functions (such as mental capacity and efficiency), cognitive patterns (such as response to stress), and even detect neuropathologies. The workers brain data obtained with wearable neurodevices could serve employers for purposes such as promotion, hiring, or dismissal. Neurodevices could also be used as new micromanagement tools, aimed at monitoring employees' attention at work. Additionally, they can be implemented as tools for self-control for workers, as the feedback provided about their current cognitive state can help improve the outcomes of ongoing tasks and ensure safety. Recent studies have shown that while employees may recognize the potential benefits of using such technology for self-monitoring purposes, they have a negative perception toward its implementation in the workplace. Surprisingly, only a few scientific papers specifically address the issues of neurosurveillance in the workplace, while international frameworks have not yet provided precise responses to these new intrusive methods of monitoring workers. The overall goal of this paper is to discuss whether employers should be allowed to use neurosurveillance technologies in the workplace to monitor their employees' minds and, if so, under what circumstances. The authors take a hypothetical scenario of neurosurveillance in the workplace using EEG-based devices as a starting point for their analysis. On this basis, three key ethical issues are identified: an increasing power imbalance in the employment relationship; a new threat to employees' privacy, and a risk of neurodiscrimination.
Rituximab and improved nodular regenerative hyperplasia-associated non-cirrhotic liver disease in common variable immunodeficiency: a case report and literature study
Authors: Roosens Willem , Staels Frederik , Van Loo Sien , Humblet-Baron Stephanie , Meyts Isabelle , De Samblanx Hadewijch , Verslype Chris , van Malenstein Hannah , van der Merwe Schalk , Laleman Wim , Schrijvers Rik
Published: September 2023

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) associated liver disease is an underrecognized and poorly studied non-infectious complication that lacks an established treatment. We describe a CVID patient with severe multiorgan complications, including non-cirrhotic portal hypertension secondary to nodular regenerative hyperplasia leading to diuretic-refractory ascites. Remarkably, treatment with rituximab, administered for concomitant immune thrombocytopenia, resulted in the complete and sustained resolution of portal hypertension and ascites. Our case, complemented with a literature review, suggests a beneficial effect of rituximab that warrants further research.
Alien species established in the Bay of Biscay suggest significant contribution of both fouling and dry ship compartments
Authors: Menéndez-Teleña Deva , Soto-López Veronica , Bartolomé Marlene , González Arenales Monica , Montes Horacio J. , Ardura Alba , Garcia-Vazquez Eva
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The majority of studies on marine biosecurity focus on aquatic species, but invaders can also use dry ship compartments for dispersal; this pathway has been less explored than fouling or ballast water. Here we analysed the maritime traffic of the international Port of Gijon (south Bay of Biscay, Spain) as a case study.

Methods

Main donor countries were identified from traffic data. From the Global Invasive Species Database, we detected a similar proportion of expected global alien invasive species (AIS) from fouling and containers pathways to be actually settled in the recipient region.

Results

The AIS diversity transported via fouling was higher than that transported by containers. No significant difference between Australia, Brazil, Canada and South Africa in the proportion of global AIS actually transferred to Bay of Biscay supports the vision of port networks as a new ecosystem with multiple demes. Different AIS catalogues in the donor regions may explain a higher proportion of terrestrial AIS introduced via containers from Brazil and South Africa and marine AIS introduced via fouling.

Discussion

A more careful surveillance of biota in dry ship compartments, including it in a future revision in the International Convention for Safe Containers, is recommended to reduce the contribution of shipping to biological invasions.
Evaluating the performance of ChatGPT-4 on the United Kingdom Medical Licensing Assessment
Authors: Lai U Hin , Wu Keng Sam , Hsu Ting-Yu , Kan Jessie Kai Ching
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Recent developments in artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, have allowed for the understanding and generation of human-like text. Studies have found LLMs abilities to perform well in various examinations including law, business and medicine. This study aims to evaluate the performance of ChatGPT in the United Kingdom Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA).

Methods

Two publicly available UKMLA papers consisting of 200 single-best-answer (SBA) questions were screened. Nine SBAs were omitted as they contained images that were not suitable for input. Each question was assigned a specialty based on the UKMLA content map published by the General Medical Council. A total of 191 SBAs were inputted in ChatGPT-4 through three attempts over the course of 3 weeks (once per week).

Results

ChatGPT scored 74.9% (143/191), 78.0% (149/191) and 75.6% (145/191) on three attempts, respectively. The average of all three attempts was 76.3% (437/573) with a 95% confidence interval of (74.46% and 78.08%). ChatGPT answered 129 SBAs correctly and 32 SBAs incorrectly on all three attempts. On three attempts, ChatGPT performed well in mental health (8/9 SBAs), cancer (11/14 SBAs) and cardiovascular (10/13 SBAs). On three attempts, ChatGPT did not perform well in clinical haematology (3/7 SBAs), endocrine and metabolic (2/5 SBAs) and gastrointestinal including liver (3/10 SBAs). Regarding to response consistency, ChatGPT provided correct answers consistently in 67.5% (129/191) of SBAs but provided incorrect answers consistently in 12.6% (24/191) and inconsistent response in 19.9% (38/191) of SBAs, respectively.

Discussion and conclusion

This study suggests ChatGPT performs well in the UKMLA. There may be a potential correlation between specialty performance. LLMs ability to correctly answer SBAs suggests that it could be utilised as a supplementary learning tool in medical education with appropriate medical educator supervision.
Whole genome sequence-based characterization of virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene profiles of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from food poisoning incidents in eastern China
Authors: Yu Shuyang , Zhou Yuxuan , Feng Dan , Jiang Quangui , Li Tianle , Jiang Guilai , Zhou Zhemin , Li Heng
Published: September 2023

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic foodborne pathogen occasionally isolated from diarrhea patients. In recent years, increasing studies have reported the detection of S. aureus in food poisoning incidents due to food contamination in the North and South of China. However, the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of S. aureus from food poisoning incidents in Eastern China remain unknown. The present study examined the genetic characteristics, antimicrobial resistance, and virulent factors of multidrug-resistant S. aureus isolated from 22 food poisoning incidents reported by the hospitals and health centers in Eastern China from 2011 to 2021. A total of 117 resistant and enterotoxigenic S. aureus isolates were collected and sequenced, among which 20 isolates were identified as methicillin resistant. Genetic analysis revealed 19 distinct CC/ST types, with CC6, CC22, CC59, CC88, and CC398 being the most frequent variants in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). A considerable shift in CC types from CC1 to CC398 between 2011 and 2021 was observed in this study, indicating that CC398 may be the main epidemic strain circulating in the current food poisoning incidents. Additionally, genes for enterotoxins were detected in 55 isolates, with a prevalence of 27.8% (27/97) for methicillin-sensitive variants and 35.0% (7/20) for MRSA. The scn gene was detected in 59.0% of the isolates, demonstrating diverse contaminations of S. aureus among livestock-to-human transmission. Of the 117 isolates, only ten isolates displayed multi-drug resistance (MDR) to penicillin, tetracycline, and macrolides. None of the 117 foodborne S. aureus isolates tested positive for vanA in this study. Together, the present study provided phylogenetic characteristics of S. aureus from food poisoning incidents that emerged in Eastern China from 2011 to 2021. Our results suggested that these diarrhea episodes were hypotonic and merely transient low-MDR infections, however, further research for continued surveillance given the detection of virulence and antimicrobial resistance determinants is required to elucidate the genomic characteristics of pathogenic S. aureus in food poisoning incidents in the context of public health.
Effects of temporal and spatial scales on soil yeast communities in the peach orchard
Authors: Zhu ShanShan , Cai YanLi , Li Yang , Xiong Jie , Lei YongHui , Sun YanFei
Published: September 2023

Shihezi Reclamation Area is located at the southern edge of the Junggar Basin, with natural, soil, and climatic conditions unique to the production of peaches. In turn, peach orchards have accumulated rich microbial resources. As an important taxon of soil fungi, the diversity and community structure changes of yeast in the soil of peach orchards on spatial and temporal scales are still unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the changes in yeast diversity and community structure in non-rhizosphere and rhizosphere soils of peach trees of different ages in the peach orchard and the factors affecting them, as well as the changes in the yeast co-occurrence network in the peach orchard at spatial and temporal scales. High-through put sequencing results showed that a total of 114 yeast genera were detected in all soil samples, belonging to Ascomycota (60 genera) and Basidiomycota (54 genera). The most dominant genus, Cryptococcus, was present in greater than 10% abundance in each sample. Overall, the differences in yeast diversity between non-rhizosphere and rhizosphere soil of peach trees at 3, 8 and 15 years were not significant. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that differences in yeast community structure were more pronounced at the temporal scale compared to the spatial scale. The results of soil physical and chemical analysis showed that the 15-year-old peach rhizosphere soil had the lowest pH, while the OM, TN, and TP contents increased significantly. Redundancy analysis showed that soil pH and CO were key factors contributing to changes in soil yeast community structure in the peach orchard at both spatial and temporal scales. The results of co-occurrence network analysis showed that the peach orchard soil yeast network showed synergistic effects as a whole, and the degree of interactions and connection tightness of the 15-year-old peach orchard soil yeast network were significantly higher than the 3- and 8-year-old ones on the time scale. The results reveal the distribution pattern and mechanism of action of yeast communities in peach orchard soils, which can help to develop effective soil management strategies and improve the stability of soil microecology, thus promoting crop growth.
Organic management increases beneficial microorganisms and promotes the stability of microecological networks in tea plantation soil
Authors: Huang Xinhui , Zheng Yuting , Li Panfeng , Cui Jixiao , Sui Peng , Chen Yuanquan , Gao Wangsheng
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Organic agriculture is highly regarded by people for its commitment to health, ecology, care, and fairness. The soil microbial community responds quickly to environmental changes and is a good indicator for evaluating soil microecology. Therefore, from the perspective of soil microbial communities, elucidating the impact of organic management on soil microecology in tea plantations has great significance for improving local tea plantation systems.

Methods

The study collected bulk soil from organic management (OM) and conventional management (CM) tea plantations in Pu'er City, a major tea-producing area in China, and analyzed their species diversity, structural composition, and co-occurrence networks using metagenomics technology.

Results

Compared with CM, the diversity index (Shannon) and evenness index (Heip) of soil fungi increased by 7.38% and 84.2% in OM tea plantations, respectively. The relative abundance of microorganisms related to the nitrogen cycle increased. Specifically, there was a significant increase in Rhodobiales, a 2-fold increase in Nitrospirae, and approximately 1.95 and 2.03 times increases in unclassified genera within Betaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria, respectively. The relative abundance of plant residue degradation species, Gemmatimonadetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota, increased by 2.8, 1, and 1.4 times, respectively. The OM was conducive to the establishment of collaborative relationships among bacterial species and increased the diversity and complexity of species relationships in fungal communities. The network stability of soil ecosystems was promoted. The organic tea plantations' keystone taxa contained mycorrhizal fungi (Pezoloma_ericae, Rhizophagus_irregularis, Rhizophagus_clarus), as well as species involved in soil nitrogen metabolism (Acidobacteria_bacterium, Acidobacteriia_bacterium_AA117, Sphingomonas_sp._URHD0007, Enhydrobacter_aerosaccus), pathogen (Erysiphe_pulchra), and parasites (Paramycosporidium saccamoeba). The partial least squares method (PLS-SEM) indicated that OM affected N-NH4+ negatively, increasing the abundance of fungi, and thereby positively affecting the Shannon index.

Conclusion

In brief, reasonable organic management can improve the diversity of soil microorganisms, increase the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in tea plantation soil, and promote the stability of the soil microbial ecological network.
Heat stress exposure cause alterations in intestinal microbiota, transcriptome, and metabolome of broilers
Authors: Liu Xuan , Ma Zhenhua , Wang Yanfei , Jia Hao , Wang Zheng , Zhang Lihuan
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Heat stress can affect the production of poultry through complex interactions between genes, metabolites and microorganisms. At present, it is unclear how heat stress affects genetic, metabolic and microbial changes in poultry, as well as the complex interactions between them.

Methods

Thus, at 28  days of age a total of 200 Arbor Acres broilers with similar body weights were randomly divided into the control (CON) and heat stress treatment (HS). There were 5 replicates in CON and HS, respectively, 20 per replication. From the 28–42  days, the HS was kept at 31 ± 1°C (9:00–17:00, 8 h) and other time was maintained at 21 ± 1°C as in the CON. At the 42nd day experiment, we calculated the growth performance (n = 8) of broilers and collected 3 and 6 cecal tissues for transcriptomic and metabolomic investigation and 4 cecal contents for metagenomic investigation of each treatment.

Results and discussion

The results indicate that heat stress significantly reduced the average daily gain and body weight of broilers (value of p < 0.05). Transcriptome KEGG enrichment showed that the differential genes were mainly enriched in the NF-kB signaling pathway. Metabolomics results showed that KEGG enrichment showed that the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the mTOR signaling pathway. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing results indicated that heat stress increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes. Multi-omics analysis showed that the co-participating pathway of differential genes, metabolites and microorganisms KEGG enrichment was purine metabolism. Pearson correlation analysis found that ornithine was positively correlated with SULT1C3, GSTT1L and g_Lactobacillus, and negatively correlated with CALB1. PE was negatively correlated with CALB1 and CHAC1, and positively with g_Alistipes. In conclusion, heat stress can generate large amounts of reactive oxygen and increase the types of harmful bacteria, reduce intestinal nutrient absorption and antioxidant capacity, and thereby damage intestinal health and immune function, and reduce growth performance indicators. This biological process is manifested in the complex regulation, providing a foundational theoretical basis for solving the problem of heat stress.
Impact of a moulded pureed diet on taste, appearance, recognisability, and overall liking among patients in an acute hospital
Authors: Lam Calvin Jun Yan , Phua Quan Quan , Guo Emily Yiting , Sia Isaac Kwee Mien
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Hospital meals potentially influence patients’ nutritional, physical, and emotional well-being during their admission. Patients on pureed diets report poorer meal satisfaction, due to taste, appearance, and recognisability, potentially impacting on their nutritional status. This study compared whether a moulded pureed diet made from modified maize starch led to improved taste, appearance, recognisability, and overall liking, compared to an unmoulded pureed diet made from potato starch in an acute hospital.

Methods

Patients on texture-modified diets were recruited and presented with two pureed diets – unmoulded and moulded. Participants were asked to identify meat and vegetable dishes prior to eating. After the meal, participants indicated their diet preference in terms of appearance, taste, and overall liking.

Results

145 participants were recruited, of which 126 completed data collection. 86% correctly identified moulded meat dishes, 69% correctly identified moulded vegetable dishes, with an overall 77% accuracy in identifying moulded puree side dishes. On unmoulded puree side dishes, participants correctly identified 25% of meat dishes, 4% of vegetable dishes, with an overall accuracy of 14%. In terms of preference, the moulded puree was preferred, with 81% for appearance, 76% for taste and 75% for overall preference. When participants had differing preferences for appearance and taste (e.g., prefers unmoulded puree appearance and moulded puree taste), 95% of them subsequently aligned their overall preference with their taste preference (i.e., overall preferred moulded pureed diet). This suggests that taste has a stronger influence on overall preference compared to appearance.

Discussion

Findings indicate that a moulded pureed diet made from modified maize starch led to improved recognisability, taste, appearance, and overall liking compared to an unmoulded pureed diet made from potato starch. Taste had a stronger influence on overall preference compared to appearance. These findings capture patient preferences and may have implications on how hospital pureed diets may be improved, potentially improving patient nutrition and health outcomes.
The novel EGFR mutations (p.E746_S752delinsI, p.T751_I759delinsG, p.L747_S752delinsAA) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and the clinical treatment strategy: three case reports
Authors: Meng Yamin , Li Xiaodong , Zhang Lei , Ye Minhua
Published: September 2023

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an established driver gene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the common Exon 19 del mutation (p.E746_A750 del) has exhibited remarkable responses for EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, there is even less comprehension of the treatment strategy in NSCLC patients harboring uncommon Exon 19 delins mutation. Here, we identified three novel EGFR Exon 19 mutations (p.E746_S752delinsI, p.T751_I759delinsG, p.L747_S752delinsAA), and described the clinical treatment process. To our knowledge, the EGFR p.E746_S752delinsI mutation of the patient with advanced NSCLC could benefit from the treatment with Icotinib. Otherwise, for the NSCLC patients with early-stage, one harboring p.T751_I759delinsG mutation had an excellent recovery and the other harboring p.L747_S752delinsAA experienced a relapse after receiving horacoscopic radical resection, which means the patients with different Exon 19 delins mutation might have different prognosis. Our study also demonstrated that next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a crucial tool in guiding clinical treatment decisions in NSCLC. Furthermore, the real incidence of these mutation is not known, the routinely use of NGS surely will increase the detection of EGFR del-ins respect to the old tools used to screen for EGFR mutations.
Automated diagnosis of pancreatic mucinous and serous cystic neoplasms with modality-fusion deep neural network using multi-modality MRIs
Authors: Zhang Gong , Chen Weixiang , Wang Zizheng , Wang Fei , Liu Rong , Feng Jianjiang
Published: September 2023

Background

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms are increasingly diagnosed with the development of medical imaging technology and people’s self-care awareness. However, two of their sub-types, serous cystic neoplasms (SCN) and mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCN), are often misclassified from each other. Because SCN is primarily benign and MCN has a high rate of malignant transformation. Distinguishing SCN and MCN is challenging and essential.

Purpose

MRIs have many different modalities, complete with SCN and MCN diagnosis information. With the help of an artificial intelligence-based algorithm, we aimed to propose a multi-modal hybrid deep learning network that can efficiently diagnose SCN and MCN using multi-modality MRIs.

Methods

A cross-modal feature fusion structure was innovatively designed, combining features of seven modalities to realize the classification of SCN and MCN. 69 Patients with multi-modalities of MRIs were included, and experiments showed performances of every modality.

Results

The proposed method with the optimized settings outperformed all other techniques and human radiologists with high accuracy of 75.07% and an AUC of 82.77%. Besides, the proposed disentanglement method outperformed other fusion methods, and delayed contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRIs proved most valuable in diagnosing SCN and MCN.

Conclusions

Through the use of a contemporary artificial intelligence algorithm, physicians can attain high performance in the complex challenge of diagnosing SCN and MCN, surpassing human radiologists to a significant degree.
The safety and efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in patients with advanced cancers and HIV/AIDS in China
Authors: Xiong Yu , Mo Pingzheng , Yan Yajun , Wang Shan , Zhuang Ke , Ma Zhiyong , Chen Xiaoping , Deng Liping , Xiong Yong , Deng Di , Zhang Yongxi
Published: September 2023

Purpose-Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer therapy, becoming the standard of care for various malignancy treatments. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, however, are an underserved group with limited access to clinical trials and cancer therapy. This study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of programmed cell death 1 (PD - 1) inhibitors in patients with advanced cancer and HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Methods and Materials-We performed a prospective, open-label, nonrandomized, phase 1 single center study. Patients with advanced cancer and HIV/AIDS received the treatment of PD - 1 inhibitors (camrelizumab, 200 mg, administered intravenously every 3 weeks), along with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for HIV. Results-Sixteen participants (12 men and 4 women; median age, 46.5 (29 - 78) years) were enrolled; 1 had non - Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and 15 had non - AIDS - defining cancers. Safety was observed over 130 cycles of treatment with camrelizumab. Most treatment-emergent adverse events at least possibly attributed to camrelizumab were grade 1 or 2, including reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (RCCEP) (9 participants), hearing loss (1 participant), hypophysitis (1 participant). 3 participants experienced hemorrhage due to poor performance status. HIV was controlled in all participants. Best tumor responses included 3 complete response, 5 partial response, 2 stable disease, and 6 progressive disease. The 2 years progression-free survival (PFS) was 67.0% (95% CI: -0.05, 0.00) and overall survival (OS) was 55.3% (95% CI: -0.05, 0.01) for the 16 patients who had received camrelizumab. Conclusions-This study demonstrates that camrelizumab treatment in patients with advanced cancers and HIV/AIDS was feasible and the clinical outcomes were acceptable.
Comparison of perioperative, oncologic, and functional outcomes between 3D and 2D laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: a systemic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shuai Hui , Duan Xi , Wu Tao
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Literature regarding experience with 3D laparoscopy about prostatectomy has remained scanty, and this could be related to the rise of robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery. This study aimed to perform a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes between 3D and 2D laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP).

Methods

We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for studies that compared perioperative, functional, or oncologic outcomes of both 3D and 2D LRP. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) tool and Jadad scale were used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Review Manager 5.3 was used for the meta-analysis.

Results

Seven studies with a total of 542 patients were included in the analysis. Among them, two were RCTs. There was no difference between groups in terms of preoperative characteristics. Anastomosis time, hospital day, and overall complication rates were similar in 3D than 2D group. However, operative time [mean difference (MD) -36.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] -59.25 to -14.67; p = 0.001], blood loss (MD -83.5; 95% CI -123.05 to -43.94; p <0.0001), and days of drainage (MD -1.48; 95% CI -2.29 to -0.67; p = 0.0003) were lower in 3D LRP. 2D and 3D LRP showed similarity in the positive surgical margin (PSM) rate and biochemical recurrence (BCR) rate at 3, 6, and 12months postoperatively. Additionally, there was no significant differences in continence and potency recovery rate between two group except higher continence rate of 3D LRP at 3 months.

Conclusion

Current evidence shows that 3D LRP offers favorable outcomes compared with 2D LRP, including operative time, blood loss, days of drainage, and early continence. However, there was no conclusive evidence that 3D LRP was advantaged in terms of oncologic and functional outcomes (except for continence rate at 3 months).

Systematic review registration

The study has been registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023426403).
Ferroptosis as a promising therapeutic strategy for melanoma
Authors: Ta Na , Jiang Xiaodong , Zhang Yongchun , Wang Hongquan
Published: September 2023

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most common and deadliest type of skin cancer and is associated with high mortality rates across all races and ethnicities. Although present treatment options combined with surgery provide short-term clinical benefit in patients and early diagnosis of non-metastatic MM significantly increases the probability of survival, no efficacious treatments are available for MM. The etiology and pathogenesis of MM are complex. Acquired drug resistance is associated with a pool prognosis in patients with advanced-stage MM. Thus, these patients require new therapeutic strategies to improve their treatment response and prognosis. Multiple studies have revealed that ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death (RCD) characterized by iron dependant lipid peroxidation, can prevent the development of MM. Recent studies have indicated that targeting ferroptosis is a promising treatment strategy for MM. This review article summarizes the core mechanisms underlying the development of ferroptosis in MM cells and its potential role as a therapeutic target in MM. We emphasize the emerging types of small molecules inducing ferroptosis pathways by boosting the antitumor activity of BRAFi and immunotherapy and uncover their beneficial effects to treat MM. We also summarize the application of nanosensitizer-mediated unique dynamic therapeutic strategies and ferroptosis-based nanodrug targeting strategies as therapeutic options for MM. This review suggests that pharmacological induction of ferroptosis may be a potential therapeutic target for MM.
Redefining the polypill: pros and cons in cardiovascular precision medicine
Authors: Birla Siddharth , Angural Arshia , Madathumchalil Arya , Shende Ritika V. , Shastry Sharvani V. , Mahadevappa Manjappa , Shambhu Sunil Kumar , Vishwanath Prashant , Prashant Akila
Published: September 2023

Polypill is a multi-drug formulation in a single pill intended to simplify the drug regimen and reduce medication-induced adverse effects. The most common multidrug combinations in a polypill are used to treat cardiovascular diseases and are targeted against key modifiable risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. These contain blood-pressure lowering agents, statins, and anti-platelet agents usually in a fixed dose. Polypills can be an affordable therapeutic intervention for treating high-risk patients, as these are proven to increase patients’ adherence to medication and improve clinical outcomes. Over the previous years, randomized clinical trials of several polypills have yielded contradictory findings, raising skepticism regarding their widespread use in primary disease prevention. Here, we have reviewed the concept of polypills, the evidence-based strengths, the limitations of this polypharmacy intervention strategy, and discussed future directions for their use in the primary and secondary preventive management of cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors.
Development and validity of a mentally-passive and mentally-active sedentary time questionnaire in nursing college students
Authors: Qi Meiling , Gao Yiming , Zhao Xiangyu , Jones Cindy , Moyle Wendy , Shen Shiyu , Li Ping
Published: September 2023

Objective

This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to evaluate nursing college students’ mentally-passive and mentally-active sedentary time (M-PAST) in China.

Methods

An initial M-PAST questionnaire with mentally-passive and mentally-active sedentary behaviors was developed with content validity undertaken through a consensus panel and pilot test where a convenience sample of six nursing students was recruited to assess the relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility of the refined questionnaire after expert panelists’ responses. A cross-sectional online survey using a self-reported questionnaire was distributed to nursing students by email and then conducted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the construct validity of the M-PAST questionnaire and factor structures. Finally, the criterion validity was examined by exploring the associations between the M-PAST and the IPAQ sitting time, psychological distress, and insomnia.

Results

Eight items regarding learning and leisure were included in the final version of the M-PAST questionnaire. A group of 650 nursing college students in China completed the study. Principal component analysis revealed two factors (i.e., mentally-passive and mentally-active sedentary behaviors), which explained 41.98% of the variance contributing to the questionnaire. The CFA reached the adaptive standard. Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.730 to 0.742. The correlations between M-PAST and IPAQ total sitting time were significant (p < 0.01, r = 0.125–0.396). Mentally-passive sedentary time was associated with psychological distress and insomnia (p < 0.01, r = 0.078–0.163), while no significant associations were found in mentally-active sedentary behaviors.

Conclusion and implications for practice

The M-PAST questionnaire appears to be a reliable and valid tool that reported both mentally-passive and mentally-active sedentary behaviors in nursing college students in China. However, future studies may need to further examine its validity among international nursing college students. This study further confirmed that mentally-passive sedentary behavior was positively associated with psychological distress and insomnia. Effective strategies are needed to reduce nursing college students’ mentally-passive sedentary time to improve their health and wellbeing in China.
Determination of quality kinetics, microbiology, and sensory properties of shelf-stable chicken-wing sauce
Authors: Purohit Anuj , Jain Mahima , Sarkhel Shubhajit , Roy Anupam , Mohan Anand
Published: September 2023

Introduction: The development of shelf-stable foods is necessary to reduce dependence on refrigeration during their storage and distribution. Current trends in shelf-stable foods have seen a continuous rise in consumer demand that triggers research studies in the formulation, shelf stability, processing, and manufacturing of sauces frequently used by the food service industry. This study evaluated the shelf-life stability of chicken wing sauce with different flavors (hot, lemon pepper, sweet chili, teriyaki, and mild).

Methods: All sauce formulations were developed and thermally processed to pasteurize using the hot-fill-and-hold (87.75°C for 5 min) method in a portable container which was then kept at ambient temperature (18.35°C ± 2) for 12 months. The samples were drawn periodically and analyzed for color, rheology, sensory, and microbial load.

Results: The study’s findings revealed that sauces with different flavors (hot, lemon pepper, sweet chili, teriyaki, and mild) significantly declined in color and appearance, including viscosity, after ten months of storage. A very similar trend was noticed in textural changes. With the advancement of storage time, textural changes became prominent in lemon pepper and sweet chili sauce compared to hot teriyaki and mild sauces. Microbial analyses indicated the absence of pathogenic organisms, and no microbial activity was observed throughout the storage for up to 12 months. Among all sauces studied in this research project, lemon pepper exhibited a drastic decline in flavor, including some rancidity development after seven months of storage.

Discussion: Extension of the shelf life and overall quality of the most commonly used sauces in the food service industry is of paramount importance. A better understanding of the changes in the physicochemical properties of sauces during storage can help food processors understand the expected changes.
ABO Incompatible Kidney Transplantation Without B-cell Depletion is Associated With Increased Early Acute Rejection: A Single-Center Australian Experience
Authors: Bleasel Jonathan M. , Wan Susan S. , Chadban Steven J. , Ying Tracey , Gracey David M. , Aouad Leyla J. , Chen Qian-Ao , Utsiwegota Mike , Mawson Jane , Wyburn Kate R.
Published: September 2023

We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of 66 consecutive ABO incompatible kidney transplants (ABOiKT) performed without B-cell depleting therapy. Outcomes were compared to an earlier era performed with rituximab (n = 18) and a contemporaneous cohort of ABO compatible live donor transplants (ABOcKT). Acute rejection within 3 months of transplant was significantly more common after rituximab-free ABOiKT compared to ABOiKT with rituximab (OR 8.8, p = 0.04) and ABOcKT (OR 2.9, p = 0.005) in adjusted analyses. Six recipients of rituximab-free ABOiKT experienced refractory antibody mediated rejection requiring splenectomy, and a further two incurred early graft loss with no such episodes amongst ABOiKT with rituximab or ABOcKT cohorts. Patient and graft survival were similar between groups over a median follow-up of 3.1 years. This observational evidence lends strong support to the continued inclusion of rituximab in desensitization protocols for ABOiKT.
Small Island Effects on the Thermal Biology of the Endemic Mediterranean Lizard Podarcis gaigeae
Authors: Reppa Aikaterini , Agori Ariadne Faidra , Santikou Panayiota , Parmakelis Aristeidis , Pafilis Panayiotis , Valakos Efstratios D. , Sagonas Kostas
Published: September 2023

Ectotherms are vastly affected by climatic conditions as they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature, and changes in their habitat thermal quality could seriously affect their overall biology. To overcome the problems of a thermally unfavorable habitat, lizards need to either adjust their thermoregulatory behavior or respond to directional selection and shift their preferred body temperatures. To assess the impact of habitat thermal quality on the thermoregulatory profile, we studied multiple islet and ‘mainland’ populations of the Skyros wall lizard Podarcis gaigeae, an endemic lacertid to Skyros Archipelago, Greece. We evaluated the effectiveness of thermoregulation (E) using the three main thermal parameters: body (Tb), operative (Te), and preferred (Tpref) temperatures. We first hypothesized that the spatial homogeneity, the scarcity of thermal shelters, and the exposure to higher winds on islets would result in more demanding climate conditions. Second, we anticipated that islet lizards would achieve higher E in response to the lower thermal quality therein. As hypothesized, thermal parameters differed between populations but not in the expected manner. Skyros ‘mainland’ habitats reached higher temperatures, had more intense fluctuations, and were of lower thermal quality. As a result, lizards showed higher accuracy, precision, and effectiveness of thermoregulation. Noteworthy, we found that lizards from different populations have shifted their thermal profile and preferred body temperatures to cope with the particular conditions prevailing in their habitats. The latter supports the labile view on the evolution of thermoregulation.
Antimicrobial Peptides (AMP) in the Cell-Free Culture Media of Xenorhabdus budapestensis and X. szentirmaii Exert Anti-Protist Activity against Eukaryotic Vertebrate Pathogens including Histomonas meleagridis and Leishmania donovani Species
Authors: Fodor András , Hess Claudia , Ganas Petra , Boros Zsófia , Kiss János , Makrai László , Dublecz Károly , Pál László , Fodor László , Sebestyén Anna , Klein Michael G. , Tarasco Eustachio , Kulkarni Manjusha M. , McGwire Bradford S. , Vellai Tibor , Hess Michael
Published: September 2023

Anti-microbial peptides provide a powerful toolkit for combating multidrug resistance. Combating eukaryotic pathogens is complicated because the intracellular drug targets in the eukaryotic pathogen are frequently homologs of cellular structures of vital importance in the host organism. The entomopathogenic bacteria (EPB), symbionts of entomopathogenic–nematode species, release a series of non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial peptides. Some may be potential drug candidates. The ability of an entomopathogenic–nematode/entomopathogenic bacterium symbiotic complex to survive in a given polyxenic milieu is a coevolutionary product. This explains that those gene complexes that are responsible for the biosynthesis of different non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial protective peptides (including those that are potently capable of inactivating the protist mammalian pathogen Leishmania donovanii and the gallinaceous bird pathogen Histomonas meleagridis) are co-regulated. Our approach is based on comparative anti-microbial bioassays of the culture media of the wild-type and regulatory mutant strains. We concluded that Xenorhabdus budapestensis and X. szentirmaii are excellent sources of non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial peptides that are efficient antagonists of the mentioned pathogens. Data on selective cytotoxicity of different cell-free culture media encourage us to forecast that the recently discovered “easy-PACId” research strategy is suitable for constructing entomopathogenic-bacterium (EPB) strains producing and releasing single, harmless, non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial peptides with considerable drug, (probiotic)-candidate potential.
Reliability Analysis Based on Air Quality Characteristics in East Asia Using Primary Data from the Test Operation of Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS)
Authors: Choi Won Jun , Moon Kyung-Jung , Kim Goo , Lee Dongwon
Published: September 2023

Air pollutants adversely affect human health, and thus a global improvement in air quality is urgent. A Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) was mounted on the geostationary Chollian 2B satellite in 2020 to observe the spatial distribution of air pollution, and sequential observations have been released since July 2022. The reliability of GEMS must be analyzed because it is the first payload on the geostationary Earth orbit satellite to observe trace gases. This study analyzed the initial results of GEMS observations such as the aerosol optical depth and vertical column densities (VCD) of ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and formaldehyde (HCHO), and compared them with previous studies. The correlation coefficient of O3 ranged from 0.90 (Ozone Monitoring Instrument, OMI) to 0.97 (TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument, TROPOMI), whereas that of NO2 ranged from 0.47 (winter, OMI and OMPS) to 0.83 (summer, TROPOMI). GEMS yielded a higher VCD of NO2 than that of OMI and TROPOMI. Based on the sources of O3 and NO2, GEMS observed the maximum VCD at a different time (3–4 h) to that of the ground observations. Overall, GEMS can make observations several times a day and is a potential tool for atmospheric environmental analysis.
Lexical Access Restrictions after the Age of 80
Authors: Rojas Carlos , Riffo Bernardo , San Martín Marilyn , Guerra Ernesto
Published: September 2023

Background: During the fourth age (80+ years), cognitive difficulties increase. Although language seems to resist the advancement of age, an older person without pathological developments in cognition may exhibit deficits in lexical access. This study examines the restrictions on lexical access in people aged 80 and older in word recognition and retrieval modalities through four lexical tasks. Method: The effect of aging on response time and accuracy was measured using recognition (lexical decision/naming/priming) and retrieval (picture naming) tasks. A fourth age group (>80) and two third age groups (60–69/70–79) were compared according to lexical access modality and type of task employed through linear regression models. Results: People aged 80 and older exhibit a strong lexical access constraint, as they are slower and less accurate in recognizing and retrieving words than both third age groups. These restrictions are more profound for the word retrieval modality, especially in the picture naming task. Conclusion: Impaired fluid intelligence and internode transmission deficits during advanced aging could further reduce the ability to recognize and/or retrieve words, having an impact on access speed and accuracy. Furthermore, the idea that crystallized intelligence could strengthen the accuracy of lexical access during aging is supported, specifically in word recognition modality.
Synchronous Muscle Synergy Evaluation of Jaw Muscle Activities during Chewing at Different Speeds, a Preliminary Study
Authors: Allami Sanjani Marzieh , Tahami Ehsan , Veisi Gelareh
Published: September 2023

Human mastication is a complex and rhythmic biomechanical process regulated by the central nervous system (CNS). Muscle synergies are a group of motor primitives that the CNS may combine to simplify motor control in human movement. This study aimed to apply the non-negative matrix factorization approach to examine the coordination of the masticatory muscles on both sides during chewing. Ten healthy individuals were asked to chew gum at different speeds while their muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography of the right and left masseter and temporalis muscles. Regardless of the chewing speed, two main muscle synergies explained most of the muscle activity variation, accounting for over 98% of the changes in muscle patterns (variance accounted for >98%). The first synergy contained the chewing side masseter muscle information, and the second synergy provided information on bilateral temporalis muscles during the jaw closing. Furthermore, there was robust consistency and high degrees of similarity among the sets of muscle synergy information across different rate conditions and participants. These novel findings in healthy participants supported the hypothesis that all participants in various chewing speed conditions apply the same motor control strategies for chewing. Furthermore, these outcomes can be utilized to design rehabilitation approaches such as biofeedback therapy for mastication disorders.
Changes in the Acetylcholinesterase Enzymatic Activity in Tumor Development and Progression
Authors: Pérez-Aguilar Benjamín , Marquardt Jens U. , Muñoz-Delgado Encarnación , López-Durán Rosa María , Gutiérrez-Ruiz María Concepción , Gomez-Quiroz Luis E. , Gómez-Olivares José Luis
Published: September 2023

Acetylcholinesterase is a well-known protein because of the relevance of its enzymatic activity in the hydrolysis of acetylcholine in nerve transmission. In addition to the catalytic action, it exerts non-catalytic functions; one is associated with apoptosis, in which acetylcholinesterase could significantly impact the survival and aggressiveness observed in cancer. The participation of AChE as part of the apoptosome could explain the role in tumors, since a lower AChE content would increase cell survival due to poor apoptosome assembly. Likewise, the high Ach content caused by the reduction in enzymatic activity could induce cell survival mediated by the overactivation of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) that activate anti-apoptotic pathways. On the other hand, in tumors in which high enzymatic activity has been observed, AChE could be playing a different role in the aggressiveness of cancer; in this review, we propose that AChE could have a pro-inflammatory role, since the high enzyme content would cause a decrease in ACh, which has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, as discussed in this review. In this review, we analyze the changes that the enzyme could display in different tumors and consider the different levels of regulation that the acetylcholinesterase undergoes in the control of epigenetic changes in the mRNA expression and changes in the enzymatic activity and its molecular forms. We focused on explaining the relationship between acetylcholinesterase expression and its activity in the biology of various tumors. We present up-to-date knowledge regarding this fascinating enzyme that is positioned as a remarkable target for cancer treatment.