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New insights of cultural cannibalism amongst Magdalenian groups at Maszycka Cave, Poland
Intervention effectiveness in reducing the clustering of non-communicable disease risk factors in the workplace: A quasi-experimental study
Understanding the clustering patterns of non-communicable disease risk factors is important to address chronic diseases effectively, thus minimizing their onset and enhancing overall health. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a three-year workplace intervention in decreasing clustering of non-communicable disease risk factors in employees. A quasi-experimental study, including six companies, was conducted in the governorate of Sousse between 2010 and 2014. It involved an intervention group (Sousse-Jawhara and Sousse-Erriadh) and a control group (M’saken). The sample of participants in both groups was representative. Actions promoting physical activity, healthy diet, and smoking cessation in the workplace were included in this intervention. The participants’ socio-demographic characteristics and data concerning the risk factors were collected through interviews using a pretested questionnaire. The clustering of tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity, and high blood pressure were examined pre- and post-intervention. In the intervention group, the mean risk factors per employee decreased significantly from 1.99 ± 1.00 to 1.81 ± 1.05 (p < 10−3). A minor non-significant increase, from 1.72 ± 0.97 to 1.78 ± 1.11, was noted in the control group. In the intervention group, the prevalence of two risk factor clusters dropped significantly from 40% to 34.4% pre- and post-intervention (p = 0.014). However, a non-significant decline was noted in the control group. Combinations such as obesity/hypertension and unhealthy diet/physical inactivity tended to aggregate in both groups. Overall, the intervention program showed significant protective effects in reducing the co-occurrence of multiple risk factors in the intervention group, with an adjusted OR of 0.81; CI95% [0.68–0.97]. Along with the existing literature, the present study confirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of health promotion programs in reducing non-communicable disease risk factors and their clustering. Integrating this intervention program into a national health policy could potentially generalize its positive impact.
Author Correction: Antimicrobial and antioxidant study of combined essential oils of Anethum Sowa Kurz. and Trachyspermum ammi (L.) along with quality determination, comparative histo-anatomical features, GC‒MS and HPTLC chemometrics
‘Breakthrough’ stem-cell patches strengthened a woman’s failing heart
Emotion regulation contagion drives reduction in negative intergroup emotions
Solvothermal synthesis of polyvinyl pyrrolidone encapsulated, amine-functionalized copper ferrite and its use as a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent
Copper ferrite nanoparticles for use as MRI contrast agents were synthesized using two different methods. A novel microwave-assisted (MW) solvothermal method was developed and compared to a conventional 12-hour synthesis (Reflux) as an eco-friendlier approach. This innovative synthesis method successfully produced nanoparticles with enhanced properties compared to traditional ferrite materials. The nanoparticles’ morphological and magnetic properties were evaluated and tested in in-vivo MRI studies. The results revealed both similarities and differences between the amine-functionalized copper ferrite nanoparticles. FTIR, XRD, HRTEM, and VSM analyses indicated improved properties in the CuFe2O4-NH2 MW particles, while AFM confirmed successful polymer encapsulation of the nanoparticles. For the CuFe2O4-NH2 MW sample, 76.8 wt% copper ferrite and 23.2 wt% magnetite were detected, with crystallite sizes of 8 ± 2 nm and 13 ± 2 nm, respectively. In the CuFe2O4-NH2 Refl. sample, in addition to these two magnetic phases, larger copper particles (31.6 wt%) were also formed. DLS analysis demonstrated that the CuFe2O4-NH2 MW sample exhibited excellent colloidal stability, maintaining its size distribution in aqueous media for 3 hours without aggregation, unlike the CuFe2O4-NH2 Refl. sample, which showed slight aggregation. The CuFe2O4-NH2 MW sample displayed superparamagnetic behavior (Ms: 15 emu/g, Mr: 0 emu/g, Hc: 0 Oe), while the CuFe2O4-NH2 Refl. sample exhibited ferromagnetic characteristics (Ms: 40 emu/g, Mr: 1.35 emu/g, Hc: 30 Oe). Both samples produced comparable results during in vitro MRI measurements, showing similar T2* relaxation and signal characteristics. Further in vivo studies demonstrated that both samples induced significant hypointense changes. The study provides valuable insights into the synthesis, properties, and potential applications of these materials, emphasizing the importance of eco-friendly methods and the optimization of ferrite-based MRI contrast agents.
Performance evaluation and application of second-generation environmentally-friendly composite dust suppressant in dust control
Different honesty conceptions align across US politicians' tweets and public replies
Abstract Recent evidence shows that US politicians’ conception of honesty has undergone a bifurcation, with authentic but evidence-free “belief-speaking” becoming more prominent and differentiated from evidence-based “fact-speaking”. Here we examine the downstream consequences of those two ways of conceiving honesty by investigating user engagement with fact-speaking and belief-speaking texts by members of the US Congress on Twitter (now X). We measure the conceptions of honesty of a sample of tweets and replies using computational text processing, and check whether the conceptions of honesty in the tweets align with those in their replies. We find that the conceptions of honesty used in replies align with those of the tweets, suggesting a “contagion”. Notably, this contagion replicates under controlled experimental conditions. Our study highlights the crucial role of political leaders in setting the tone of the conversation on social media.
Bioinspired activation strategies for Peano-HASEL artificial muscle
Background Human muscles perform many functions during activities of daily living producing a wide range of force outputs, displacements, and velocities. This versatile ability is believed to be associated with muscle activation strategies, such as the number and position of activated motor units within the muscle, as well as the frequency, magnitude and shape of the activation signal. Activation strategies similar to those in the human neuromuscular system could increase the functionality of artificial muscles. Activation in an artificial muscle is the contraction of a single actuator or multiple actuators within the muscle. The number of activated actuators, timing and magnitude of activation (the activation strategy) will enable modulation of the artificial muscles force, displacement and contraction velocity. These activation strategies will mean that an artificial muscle will be able to change its performance to modulate its displacement, length (maximal contractile strain) and velocity for various loading conditions without altering its hardware–making it more versatile in a range of applications or tasks. This study aims to investigate the effect of activation strategies on the displacement-time response, force-length relationship, and force-velocity relationship of a Peano-hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) artificial muscle. Method This study developed a finite element model of an artificial muscle consisting of four Peano-HASEL actuators arranged in three parallel groups in a diamond pattern (two actuators in series in the middle–middle actuators, with one actuator in parallel either side–side actuators). Bioinspired activation strategies were applied to the artificial muscle. Specifically, the number of activated actuators (i.e., activation level), the position of activated actuators, the profile, frequency, and phase of the activation signal were investigated. Results Activating more actuators resulted in increased displacement (106%) and increased average contraction velocity (128%), but overall energy efficiency was sacrificed by 47%. The distortion of inactivated actuators was mitigated by symmetric and phased activation. Phased activation refers to activating middle actuators before side actuators. In addition, displacement patterns of the Peano-HASEL artificial muscle changed with activation signal frequency. The ramp activation signal with low frequencies (less than 5 Hz) is suitable for applications favouring controllable displacement, while the step activation signal produces greater average contraction velocity (325%) which would be advantageous for applications requiring a fast response. Conclusion This paper demonstrates that activation strategies can enhance multi-actuator artificial muscle function without changing the physical hardware configuration. Specifically, activation strategy can, improve displacement control, contraction velocity and output force. Future work should focus on more complex artificial muscle arrangements and test activation strategies in practical experiments.
Exploring the influence of pre-analytical variables on gene expression measurements and relative expression orderings in cancer research
Moesin integrates cortical and lamellar actin networks during Drosophila macrophage migration
Abstract Cells are thought to adopt mechanistically distinct migration modes depending on cell-type and environmental factors. These modes are assumed to be driven by mutually exclusive actin cytoskeletal organizations, which are either lamellar (flat, branched network) or cortical (crosslinked to the plasma membrane). Here we exploit Drosophila macrophage (hemocyte) developmental dispersal to reveal that these cells maintain both a lamellar actin network at their cell front and a cortical actin network at the rear. Loss of classical actin cortex regulators, such as Moesin, perturb hemocyte morphology and cell migration. Furthermore, cortical and lamellipodial actin networks are interregulated. Upon phosphorylation and binding to the plasma membrane, Moesin is advected to the rear by lamellar actin flow. Simultaneously, the cortical actin network feeds back on the lamella to help regulate actin flow speed and leading-edge dynamics. These data reveal that hemocyte motility requires both lamellipodial and cortical actin architectures in homeostatic equilibrium.
The impact of apolipoprotein E, type ∊4 allele on Alzheimer’s disease pathological biomarkers: a comprehensive post-mortem pilot-analysis
The apolipoprotein E type ∊4 allele (ApoE4) is known as the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Meanwhile, many aspects of its impact on AD pathology remain underexplored. This study conducts a systematic data analysisof donor data from the Seattle Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Cell Atlas. Our investigation delves into the intricate interplay between identified biomarkers and their correlation with ApoE4 across all severities of AD. Employing Pearson R correlation, and one-way and two-way ANOVA tests, we elucidate the pathological changes in biomarkers and the altering effects of ApoE4. Remarkably, the phosphorylation of tau observed in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) marked by the AT8 antibody, emerges as the most correlated factor with other pathological biomarkers. This correlation is mediated by both tau and amyloid pathology, suggesting a higher hierarchical role in determining AD pathological effects than other biomarkers. However, non-ApoE4 carriers exhibit a more significant correlation with disease progression severity compared to ApoE4 carriers, though ApoE4 carriers demonstrate significance in exacerbating the effect of accumulating phosphorylated tau and amyloid plaques assessed by AT8 and 6E10 antibodies. Furthermore, our analysis does not observe dramatic neuronal changes in grey matter across the span of AD pathology. Glia activation, measured by Iba1 and GFAP, demonstrates an amyloid-specific correlation. This research marks the first human post-mortem analysis providing a comprehensive examination of prevailing AD biomarkers and their interconnectedness with pathology and ApoE4 genetic factor. Limitations in the study are acknowledged, underscoring the need for further exploration and refinement in future research endeavors.
Phytochemicals of Vitis vinifera L. var. King Ruby protect mice from benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung injury
Abstract The world’s concern about smoking hazards, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer was the motivation to investigate plants as a source of new drugs with lung protective effect. The phytochemical profile of Vitis vinifera L. var. King Ruby leaves methanol extract (VLME) was tentatively recognized by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Fifty-two and forty-seven compounds were identified by negative and positive ESI modes, respectively. Taraxerol (1), β-sitosterol (2), daucosterol (3), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucuronoide-6″-methyl ester (4) and isoquercetin (5) were isolated from VLME. The sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay of the different fractions against A-549 cell line revealed that the methylene chloride fraction (MCF) had the lowest cell viability at 300 µg/mL (4.54 ± 0.19%). Mice of 10 groups (n = 6) was treated as follows: Group I (negative control group), group II (disease control, mice received B(a)P 125 mg/kg, orally), groups III-V (mice received 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg of VLME, followed by B(a)P), group VI (mice received only 300 mg/kg of VLME), groups VII-XI (mice received 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg of MCF, followed by B(a)P), group X (mice received only 300 mg/kg of MCF). On the seventh day, all groups received a single oral dose of B(a)P 125 mg/kg body, except group I, VI and X. In vivo studies showed VLME and MCF (300 mg/kg body weight) effectively mitigated benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung injuries in mice. The anti-inflammatory effects were confirmed by the downregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and CD34, alongside reduced nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) expression. Antioxidant activity was indicated by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression with the remarkable increase in glutathione (GSH). Histological improvements further support the potential of Vitis vinifera L. leaves as a natural lung protectant. Further pre-clinical and clinical investigations will be required to deliver a new drug with promising protection effect.
ROS-induced cytosolic release of mitochondrial PGAM5 promotes colorectal cancer progression by interacting with MST3
Molecular identification and genetic diversity analysis of Cryptosporidium spp. infecting dogs from central and northern Jordan: Detection of zoonotic genotype IId
Cryptosporidium spp. are common causes of gastrointestinal disease in both humans and animals. This was a cross-sectional study conducted to determine the infection rate and genetic characteristics of Cryptosporidium infecting dogs in Jordan. A total of 249 faecal samples were collected from stray, pet, and breeding dogs from kennels (independent of their clinical condition) across three governorates in Jordan (Amman and Zarqa in Central Jordan and Irbid in Northern Jordan). Faecal samples were screened for Cryptosporidium using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 18S rRNA gene, revealing an overall infection rate of 18.9% (47 out of 249). Cryptosporidiosis was significantly associated with indoor dogs, dogs cohabiting with other animals, and consuming raw food. Among the successfully sequenced samples, 25 (58.1%) were Cryptosporidium canis, 15 (34.9%) were Cryptosporidium parvum, and three (7.0%) were Cryptosporidium baileyi. Multiple diversity tests were employed, indicating low genetic differentiation between the studied populations of C. parvum and C. canis. Stability was observed for C. parvum, with minimal expansion observed for C. canis. Notably, each species exhibited a single dominant haplotype, consistent with the AMOVA results, where most of the variability occurred within populations. Further genotyping of C. parvum and C. canis was conducted by sequencing the gp60 gene. C. parvum isolates worldwide displayed solely the zoonotic IId genotypes, namely, IIdA20G1, IIdA22G1, IIdA18G1, and IIdA19G1. In contrast, the C. canis isolates exhibited the animal subtypes XXe and XXd. Consequently, dogs may serve as a source of infection with C. parvum and pose a public health risk in Jordan.
Increasing the concentration of plasma molecules improves the biological activity of platelet-rich plasma for tissue regeneration
Bimetallic synergy in supported Ni–Pd catalyst for selective hydrogenolysis of C–O bonds in epoxy resins
A potential photo-protective, antioxidant function for DMSO in marine phytoplankton
The marine compound dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is ubiquitous in the world’s surface ocean, constituting one of the largest sources of reduced organic sulfur in seawater. DMSO cycling has been linked to the formation of the climate-active gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS) through a reductive pathway, but the underlying physiological role of DMSO reduction, and the environmental controls on this pathway, remain unresolved. Here we present evidence that DMSO reduction to DMS serves an antioxidant role in phytoplankton through a secondary electron-scavenging pathway that can dissipate excess light-harvested energy, and potentially mitigate the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results from isotopic tracer experiments demonstrate significant increases in DMSO reduction rates in low-light acclimated natural phytoplankton assemblages exposed to high irradiance. Increased DMSO reduction rates were negatively correlated with non-photochemical quenching, while treatment with the photosynthetic electron transport inhibitor DCMU significantly decreased DMSO reduction, indicating a link to photosynthetically-derived electrons. Our results show that photic stress drives enhanced DMSO reduction in marine phytoplankton, linking DMS production to irradiance and vertical mixing through an electron scavenging mechanism that could serve an antioxidant role.