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Impact of high temperatures on enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) performance for leptin measurements in human milk stored under varied freeze/thaw conditions

Ambient temperature conditions are a common concern during laboratory analysis. Due to unexpected shipping conditions, leptin ELISA kits (Leptin Ultrasensitive, ALPCO USA; Catalog #22-LEPHUU-E01) arrived from the manufacturer at our laboratory at a temperature (76.3°F/24.6°C) well above the 2-8°C conditions recommended by the manufacturer. Since no data are available on the effects of high ambient temperature exposure on the performance of this commercial assay, we opportunistically assessed assay performance using human milk samples. Leptin measurement of recently collected and frozen human milk samples was compared between the warm temperature exposed assay kits and Normal kits that arrived and were stored at recommended temperatures (2-8 °C). We found that assay kit exposure to warm temperature during shipping resulted in sample results that were significantly different from Normal kits despite similar standard curve performance. Measurement variability from human milk samples increased with warmed kits in association with greater freeze/thaw times. This suggests that even under high temperature transportation conditions, this leptin assay performance is robust with kit reagents but compromised with human milk samples. We conclude that kits exposed to high temperature during shipment and/or storage should not be used to run human milk samples and that our concerns may extend to other biological media (i.e., serum, urine, or saliva). This study fills a critical gap in the literature on assay performance validation under non-ideal conditions, such as high temperatures. As global temperatures continue to rise, this question will become more pertinent to research integrity if left unaddressed. In light of our findings, we propose that industry standards for ELISA kit shipping and handling should be evaluated to ensure that all kits are being received in an optimal condition.

Daytime sleepiness and health-related quality of life in patients with childhood-onset craniopharyngioma

Abstract Overall survival rates after craniopharyngioma (CP) are high (92%), but frequently quality of life (QoL) is impaired in patients with CP involving hypothalamic structures. Tumour- and/or treatment-related hypothalamic lesions may result in disturbances of circadian rhythms including increased daytime sleepiness. We investigated the relationship between health-related QoL and daytime sleepiness in patients with childhood-onset CP. After a median follow-up of 10 years (range: 1–39), 119 CP patients (63 female), who were recruited 2000–2022 in the KRANIOPHARYNGEOM 2000/2007 and KRANIOPHARYNGEOM Registry 2019 trials, were assessed for daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and for QoL by EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. CP patients with increased daytime sleepiness (ESS score > 10, n = 34) had worse self-assessment of QoL (p = 0.003), when compared to CP patients with normal ESS scores (n = 85). Increased daytime sleepiness was negatively correlated with QoL (r=-0.395; p < 0.001). Surgical hypothalamic lesions, detectable after surgical intervention in 92.9% of the reference-assessed patients, were associated with significantly higher ESS scores, whereas such impact could not be observed for presurgical hypothalamic involvement of the CP (72.4% of the reference-assessed patients). Compared to patients with an ESS score in the normal range, patients with increased daytime sleepiness suffered from impaired QoL in all functional scales and the global QoL scale of the EORTC QLQ-C30. As increased daytime sleepiness plays an important role for QoL in survivors of CP, hypothalamus-sparing surgical treatment strategies should be considered as state of the art in patients with CP for prevention of increased daytime sleepiness. Clinical trial registration NCT01272622; NCT04158284, NCT00258453.

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system variations in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with different complications and treatments: Implications for glucose metabolism

Background The presence of hypertension and various acute or chronic complications may affect the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which plays a crucial role in the regulation of glucose metabolism. However, the quantitative distribution of the RAAS components in relation to the progression of T2DM and the treatment of hyperglycemia and hypertension, as well as their association with different stages of complications and glucose metabolism, has not been well studied. Methods We enrolled a total of 151 patients with T2DM and essential hypertension, 40 patients with T2DM and normotension, and 46 healthy controls in the study. They were categorized into subgroups based on criteria for diabetic complications. Statistical analyses, including Spearman rank correlation and multiple linear regression, were conducted to assess the relationship between RAAS components and glucose metabolism indexes such as HbA1c, FBG, CP, HOMA-β, HOMA-IR, and UACR. Results The results revealed significant differences in AII, ALD, REN, and ARR levels across various complication subgroups. Notably, the concentrations of ALD and REN exhibited a consistent trend, while ARR showed an opposite trend to the REN concentration. More than 60% of hypertensive patients were treated with ACEI/ARBs and calcium channel blockers, while 29.8% of the patients were prescribed β-blockers, resulting in decreased REN and increased ARR levels. All T2DM patients received antidiabetic treatment, among which 95 (49.7%) took SGLT-2is, 40 (20.9%) took GLP-1RAs injection and 55(28.8%) took DPP-4is. The subsequent analysis revealed that SGLT-2is, GLP-1RAs, DPP-4is and other glucose-lowering agents had no statistically significant effect on the RAAS system (p > 0.05). The correlation matrix analysis indicated positive associations between ALD, REN, CP, and HOMA-IR. Furthermore, the REN levels were negatively correlated with UACR in the hypertensive group and positively correlated with HbA1c and FBG levels in the normotensive group. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that ALD levels increased with higher levels of CP and HOMA-IR, independently of the RAAS system, anti-RAAS treatment and antidiabetic therapy. REN levels decreased with increasing UACR and β-blocker usage in the hypertensive group, while they increased with higher levels of HbA1c, FBG, and HOMA-IR in the normotensive group, independently of the RAAS system and antidiabetic therapy. Conclusions The activation status of the RAAS system varied among T2DM patients with different complications, highlighting the need for clinical differentiation. ALD was positively associated with insulin resistance and glucose metabolism impairment, while REN exhibited negative correlations with urinary microalbumin and β-blocker usage, and positive correlations with hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Blocking the RAAS system holds promise for improving insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, and potentially reversing abnormal glucose tolerance or ameliorating glucose metabolism disorders.

Effectiveness of waste-derived MIL type MOFs in removing PFOA and PFAS pollutants for environmental remediation

Abstract Elimination of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent pollutant that is toxic to human and ecosystem health, is important. In this study, three adsorbents, C-101, W-101, and NW-101, were evaluated. W-101 was modified by diamine ethyl modification to enhance the number of PFOA adsorption sites. The results showed that W-101 (42.7 mg g−1) had better PFOA adsorption capacity than C-101 (12.3 mg g−1), and NW-101 (698.4 mg g−1) was the best. The Langmuir model correctly described the isotherms of PFOA adsorption, and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted the process. NW-101 exhibited an excellent adsorption efficiency, as it reached the equilibrium within 7 min, and also revealed higher reusability due to the stable structure of the amine-grafted structure; therefore, NW-101 proved very efficient in PFOA removal. The new method used the bark of poplar trees to prepare MIL-101(Cr) adsorbents with surface areas of 3341, 2767, and 2374 m2 g−1 for C-101, W-101, and NW-101, respectively. This cost-effective, eco-friendly method utilizes renewable raw materials, minimizes environmental impact, and represents a significant advance in PFOA removal and thermal material research.

A randomized controlled trial of the effects of dog-assisted versus robot dog-assisted therapy for children with autism or Down syndrome

Research with controlled or crossover designs in animal-assisted therapy have largely used control groups receiving no treatment or treatment as usual, which can potentially inflate the effects of these interventions. It is therefore not always clear whether this type of therapy has a positive effect on, for example, the social skills of children with special support needs. To address this, the current study compared children (7-16 years, n =  65) with autism or Down syndrome who received five sessions of dog-assisted therapy (n =  24; 9 female) with an active control group who received five similar sessions of robot dog-assisted therapy (n =  21; 8 female) and a no-treatment control group (n =  20; 8 female). The robot dog was capable of performing autonomous behavior and responding to the child’s actions and verbalizations. Using parental questionnaires, we assessed children’s social and emotional skills before and after the therapy sessions or waiting period and included a follow-up measurement after 4-6 weeks. On a group level, multilevel analyses showed that children who received dog-assisted therapy improved significantly more in terms of emotional attunement and emotion regulation than children in the two other conditions. No significant differences were found for social confidence, conversational attunement, social cognition, and social motivation. Change from post-test to follow-up was also less apparent. Yet, on a more individual level, when looking at the Reliable Change Index (RCI), most of the highest RCIs (within the 90th percentile) were found in the dog-assisted therapy group. In contrast, most of the lowest RCIs (within the 10th percentile) were found in the robot-assisted group. We discuss the pros and cons of a more individualized approach in this field of study and propose a possible alternative by focusing on interaction dynamics.

Collecting initial accounts using ChatCharlie chatbot improves eyewitness memory in later investigative interviews

Abstract Initial account interviews (IAi) offer eyewitnesses more immediate opportunities to answer a series of brief questions about their experiences prior to an in-depth, more formal investigative interview. An IAi is typically elicited in-person near/at the scene of a crime using broadly systematic questioning. Retrieval practice can improve subsequent recall in some contexts, but there is a dearth of research centred on the potential costs and benefits of a quick IAi. Furthermore, where an in-person IAi is impossible, no alternative quick provision exists. Given the systematic nature of the IAi protocol, we developed a conversational chatbot as a potential alternative. Using a mock-witness paradigm, we investigated the memory performance of adults from the general population during in-depth in-person interviews one week after having provided an IAi 10 min post event either (1) in person, (2) via the ChatCharlie chatbot, or (3) no IAi (control). IAi conditions leveraged significantly improved event recall during later investigative interviews versus the Control. Accounts were more accurate and complete, and more correct information was remembered without increased errors indicating the potential of digital agents for IAi purposes Findings concur with predictions from theoretical understanding of episodic memory consolidation and the empirical eyewitness literature regarding the benefits of practice in some contexts.

RDE & dynamometer analysis of light-duty vehicle emissions across altitudes, temperatures, and driving styles

This study aimed to investigate the impact of altitude, cold start, ambient temperatures, and driving behaviors on the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) of China VI standard light-duty gasoline vehicles. Tests were conducted on actual roads and in vehicle emission environment simulation laboratories at altitudes of 700 m, 1,300 m, 1,900 m, and 2,400 m in Yunnan. The results showed that: (1) as altitude increased, the CO emission factor exhibited a positive correlation trend, peaking at 2400 m with a 2.56-fold increase compared to 700 m. The NOX emission factor displayed an “N” distribution, with aggressive driving at 1900 m yielding 1.89 times higher emissions than normal driving and 3.02 times higher than low-temperature driving; (2) under low-temperature rotating wheel conditions, PN emission factors were 7.55 times higher than normal driving and 71.71 times higher than aggressive driving, indicating that driving behavior significantly influenced NOX emissions, while low-temperature environments had a greater impact on PN emissions; (3) compared to non-cold-start conditions, the cold-start phase increased urban CO, NOX, and PN emission factors by 4.72% to 225.00%, 0.19% to 15.38%, and 6.45% to 430.36%, respectively, with total emission factors increasing by 0.07% to 0.55%, 0.00% to 6.00%, and 1.03% to 242.64%.

Intakes of saturated and unsaturated fat and circulating levels of inflammatory markers among breast cancer survivors

Automated sample tracking and parameter adaption for scanning laser optical tomography

Non-destructive, three-dimensional imaging techniques are of great importance in medicine as well as in technical analysis. In this context, it is of particular importance to generate reliable and repeatable results of high quality. This can be aided by automation of manual processes. One of these imaging techniques, the Scanning Laser Optical Tomography, currently requires manual sample alignment by the user to achieve the highest possible image quality. This alignment demands skillful hand-eye coordination as well as experience on the part of the user, and thus often leads to inconsistent imaging results. To overcome this problem, this paper presents a technique for software-based automation of this challenge. The sample is not physically aligned, but digitally detected and tracked during the acquisition. Residual motion artifacts that interfere with tomographic reconstruction are corrected using a second automation algorithm. The combination of the two new algorithms significantly improves the quality of imaging and also increases the reliability and degree of automation of the system, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Comparative toxicotranscriptomics of longterm cypermethrin exposure to aquacultured fish Labeo catla (Catla)

Outcomes of orangutan wild-to-wild translocations reveal conservation and welfare risks

Wild orangutans (Pongo spp.) are captured and moved (wild-to-wild translocated) primarily to prevent crop foraging or out of concern for orangutans’ survival in fragmented habitat. Little is known about wild-to-wild translocation frequency, circumstances, and possible species conservation and individual welfare outcomes. We investigated orangutan wild-to-wild translocations in Indonesia from 2005 to 2022 using primarily data from public sources and consultation with practitioners. At least 988 wild orangutans were captured for translocation during the study period, including many reproductively valuable resident females and adult males removed from unprotected fragmented forests and forest patches. Data on health condition (n = 808) indicated 81.7% were reported as healthy at time of capture. Information on post-capture disposition (n = 268) showed that only 23% were translocated immediately. Mean estimated killing combined with reported translocation removals was calculated to affect 3.3% of orangutans in Kalimantan, and 11.6% in Sumatra, both higher than the threshold of mortality from human actions expected to drive populations to extinction. Negative impacts are likely compounded where multiple individuals are translocated from the same area, and for the Tapanuli orangutan (P. tapanuliensis), which has the smallest population and range of all orangutan species. Data on reasons for capture (n = 743) indicated most translocations (69%) were conducted to address crop foraging and orangutan presence in or around croplands and plantations. Forest cover analysis around 104 orangutan capture sites with high resolution spatial information indicated that deforestation levels in the year preceding capture were not significantly associated with likelihood of captures for translocation. To improve conservation outcomes, wild-to-wild translocations should be used only in exceptional circumstances. Most orangutans should instead be monitored and protected in situ by addressing conflicts and maintaining the forests, including forest fragments, they are using. When translocation is necessary, post-release survival and potential conservation impacts must be monitored.

Retraction Note: Anticancer activity of lactoferrin-coated biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles for combating different human cancer cells via mediating apoptotic effects

Unveiling the Drivers of Polio Vaccine Uptake: Insights from a Multi-Country Study of 37 Nations in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background Childhood vaccination is a highly cost-effective strategy for preventing vaccine-preventable diseases, including poliomyelitis. Despite advancements in vaccination coverage across Africa, polio remains a public health concern. Limited multi-country analyses on oral polio vaccine (OPV) dropout in African nations hinder the development of context-specific interventions. This study investigates OPV uptake and associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods This study analyzed data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 37 sub-Saharan African countries, encompassing 60,846 children aged 12–23 months. Multilevel multinomial logistic regression models were employed to explore associations between individual- and community-level factors and vaccination status, categorized as non-vaccinated, dropout, or fully vaccinated. Four nested models were assessed, with the model exhibiting the lowest deviance (-2 Log-likelihood Ratio (-2LLR)) identified as the best fit. Variables with p-values <  0.2 in bivariable analysis were included in the multivariable analysis. The adjusted Relative Risk Ratios (aRRR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were reported to determine statistical significance and the strength of associations. Results Among children aged 12–23 months, OPV1, OPV2, and OPV3 coverage rates were 86.59%, 81.27%, and 68.41%, respectively. The prevalence of OPV dropout and full vaccination in SSA were 19.38% (95% CI: 19.06%, 19.69%) and 67.77% (95% CI: 67.40%, 68.14%), respectively, with a dropout rate of 20.98%. Key factors significantly associated with non-vaccination included maternal education (primary: aRRR =  0.58; secondary: aRRR =  0.64; higher: aRRR =  0.75), household wealth (poorer: aRRR =  0.91; middle: aRRR =  0.82; richer: aRRR =  0.70), maternal age (20–29: aRRR =  0.67; 30–39: aRRR =  0.60; 40–49: aRRR =  0.59), health facility delivery (aRRR =  0.28), media exposure (aRRR =  0.64), marital status (currently married: aRRR =  0.87), parity (2–3 births: aRRR =  1.11), and rural residence (aRRR =  0.73). Regional disparities revealed higher risks of non-vaccination and dropout in Southern, Central, and West Africa compared to East Africa. Conclusion This study highlights the multifaceted determinants of oral polio vaccination dropout in SSA. Targeted interventions, such as improving maternal education, enhancing access to healthcare facilities, addressing socioeconomic inequalities, and mitigating regional disparities, are essential to boosting vaccination coverage and preventing polio resurgence. Focused efforts in Western and Central Africa are critical to sustaining and expanding vaccination programs.

Performance of electrochemical aptasensor as antigen test in clinical samples for early diagnosis of leptospirosis

Friendship Bench intervention to address depression and improve HIV care engagement among adolescents living with HIV in Malawi: Study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

Background Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Comorbid depression is prevalent among adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) and poses numerous challenges to HIV care engagement and retainment. We present a pilot trial designed to investigate feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of an a dapted and an e nhanced F riendship B ench intervention (henceforth: AFB and EFB) in reducing depression and improving engagement in HIV care among ALWH in Malawi. Methods Design: Participants will be randomized to one of three conditions: the Friendship Bench intervention adapted for ALWH (AFB, n = 35), the Friendship Bench intervention enhanced with peer support (EFB, n = 35), or standard of care (SOC, n = 35). Recruitment is planned for early 2024 in four clinics in Malawi. Participants: Eligibility criteria (1) aged 13–19; (2) diagnosed with HIV (vertically or horizontally); (3) scored ≥  13 on the self-reported Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI-II); (4) living in the clinic’s catchment area with intention to remain for at least 1 year; and (5) willing to provide informed consent. Interventions: AFB includes 6 counseling sessions facilitated by young, trained non-professional counselors. EFB consists of AFB plus integration of peer support group sessions to facilitate engagement in HIV care. SOC for mental health in public facilities in Malawi includes options for basic supportive counseling, medication, referral to mental health clinics or psychiatric units at tertiary care hospitals for more severe cases. Outcomes: The primary outcomes are feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the AFB and EFB assessed at 6 months and 12 months and compared across 3 arms. The secondary outcome is to assess preliminary effectiveness of the interventions in reducing depressive symptoms and improving HIV viral suppression at 6 months and 12 months. Discussion This pilot study will provide insights into youth-friendly adaptations of the Friendship Bench model for ALWH in Malawi and the value of adding group peer support for HIV care engagement. The information gathered in this study will lead to a R01 application to test our adapted intervention in a large-scale cluster randomized controlled trial to improve depression and engagement in HIV care among ALWH. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT06173544 )

Relative age effect and its impact on athletic performance among Chinese elite youth male basketball players

Motion Object Detection Model for Electronic Referee Scoring in Table Tennis Events

As a sport widely played around the world, the fairness and enjoyment of table tennis competitions have received increasing attention. Traditional table tennis referees rely on manual judgment, which has problems such as strong subjectivity and high misjudgment rate. Therefore, this study combines the background subtraction method and the Kalman filtering algorithm. It processes missing images in videos to propose a motion object detection and motion estimation model for table tennis events. The test results showed that the average loss value of the model was only 0.33, the average detection accuracy in the 20-category data set was 0.94, and the average detection time was 103.9 ms. In the simulation test, the model achieved the best trajectory prediction accuracy in both complete video images and partially missing information video images. The maximum difference in horizontal and vertical directions was 10.7 and 4.3 pixels, respectively, and the maximum error in three-dimensional coordinates was (3.3, 2.8, 2.1). The table tennis target detection and motion estimation model has high detection accuracy and stability, providing new ideas and methods for the development of electronic referee systems in table tennis competitions.

Global scale high-resolution habitat suitability modeling of avifauna providing pollination service (sunbirds, Nectariniidae)

Abstract Avian species provide important ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, seed dispersal, meat provision, pest control, scavenging, and pollination. Currently, the populations of avian pollinators are declining due to climate change and human impact, and it is crucial to identify species-rich areas for their conservation. Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) are important vertebrate pollinators with a wide distribution that include Africa, Asia and Australasia. Here, we assembled distribution records of sunbird species and applied a maximum entropy approach to model sunbird habitat suitability in the world. We also quantified sunbirds composition similarity among the terrestrial biomes. We found that sunbird habitat suitability reached a peak in Southeast Asia, and in western and central parts of the African continent. Sunbird richness was highest in the Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests biome. Solar Radiation Index (SRI), precipitation of the warmest quarter, and human footprint index were the most important predictors of sunbirds global habitat suitability. Geographic regions identified to have the highest suitability and richness for sunbirds have high priority for conservation of this unique group of avian pollinators and the ecological services they provide.

Diabetes with COVID-19 was a significant risk factor for mortality, mechanical ventilation, and renal replacement therapies: A multicenter retrospective study in Japan

We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study across 38 hospitals in Chiba, Japan, between February 1, 2020 and November 31, 2021 to investigate the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on patients with diabetes mellitus receiving inpatient care. We collected inpatient medical data through Diagnosis procedure combination (DPC), the diagnoses and payment system of medical insurance, from each hospital. We excluded patients younger than 18 years, those who were pregnant, and those who had diabetes but were not treated with diabetic medication. A total of 10,776 patients were included: 7,679 in the non-diabetic (control) group and 3,097 in the diabetic group. Patients in the diabetic group were older and had a higher body mass index (BMI) than those in the control group. In the diabetes group, 88.4% of the patients were treated with insulin therapy and 44.2% were treated with oral hypoglycemic agents. The length of hospital days was significantly longer in the diabetes group. The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher especially between 50 and 59 years old. The rates of in-hospital mortality, mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, renal replacement therapies such as hemodialysis (HD), and continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) were all higher, even after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and ambulance use. In conclusion, diabetes was a significant risk factor of the severe clinical outcomes especially for in-hospital mortality, mechanical ventilation usage, ICU admission, HD, and CHDF in Japan.

Immune suppressive activities of low-density neutrophils in sepsis and potential use as a novel biomarker of sepsis-induced immune suppression

Abstract Data of low-density neutrophils (LDN), the neutrophils in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) fraction, in sepsis is still less. As such, LDN (CD66b-positive cells in PBMC) was highest in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis (n=24) compared with non-sepsis (n=10) and healthy control (n=20), with a negative correlation with lymphocyte count and could predict secondary infection and mortality with the area under the curve (AUC) at 0.79 and 0.84, respectively. Compared with sepsis normal-density neutrophils (NDN), sepsis-LDN demonstrated higher expression of CD66b, CD63, CD11b, and CD184, but lower expression of CD62L and CD182 and defects of effector functions, including phagocytosis and apoptosis. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNEs) demonstrated high program cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in sepsis-LDN. In sepsis samples, the T cell proliferation in PBMC (T cells with LDNs) was lower than that in the isolated T cells (T cells alone) and incubation of anti-PD-L1 neutralizing antibody, but not a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger (N-acetyl cysteine), improved the T cell suppression. Additionally, 30 min lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activation altered healthy control NDN into LPS-LDN (reduced density) and LPS-NDN (maintain density) with similarly elevated CD66b, CD11B, and CD62L. However, LPS-LDN (in vitro LDN) showed lower expression of CD63, CD184, and PD-L1 compared with LDN from patients (sepsis-LDN), suggesting a partial LPS impact on LDN generation. From the microscopic-based method (Wright’s staining in PBMC), sepsis-LDN demonstrated a mixed population of mature and immature cells with a good correlation with the flow-based analysis (Bland–Altman analysis and AUC). In conclusion, LDN in sepsis, partly generated by LPS activation, was associated with secondary infection and T cell suppression, mainly through the expression of PD-L1, which might be an immune suppression biomarker, especially with a less expensive microscopic-based method.