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Subtypes of hypertension and their association to comorbidities and ethnicity in pregnant women

Objectives We analyzed the subtypes of arterial hypertension and their relationship with different comorbidities and ethnicity during pregnancy. Study design This is a retrospective observational cohort study in 17,177 pregnant women during the years 2012–2018 in the health region of Lleida. Main outcome measures We analyzed the relationship of chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, and pre-eclampsia with different variables, including comorbidities, vascular risk factors, and ethnicity. We calculated the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) with multivariate logistic regression models. Results The total prevalence of arterial hypertension among pregnant women was 3.10%; of these, 1.53% had chronic hypertension, 0.65% had gestational hypertension, and 0.78% had pre-eclampsia. Superimposed pre-eclampsia on chronic hypertension occurred in 25 cases (0.14%). Chronic hypertension was associated with age (OR = 1.07), overweight (OR = 4.32), obesity (OR = 2.11), diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.38), hypothyroidism (OR = 2.23), and sub-Saharan origin (OR = 3.36). Gestational hypertension was correlated with age (OR = 1.06), overweight (OR = 5.84), obesity (OR = 1.89), and Asian/Middle Eastern origin (OR = 3.71). Finally, pre-eclampsia was associated with overweight (OR = 2.37) and Sub-Saharan Africa origin (OR = 2.45). Conclusions Pregnant women with hypertension may benefit from the knowledge of the subtype and a consequent coordinated prenatal and pregnancy approach.

Life-time experience of violence among women and girls living with disability in Nepal

Background Violence against women and girls with disabilities remains a serious, yet underexplored, global concern. This paper aims to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with life-time experience of violence within this vulnerable population in Nepal. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 28 municipalities representing all seven provinces as well as all three ecological regions of Nepal. A total of 1,294 women and girls with disability aged 15–59 years participated in this study. Data were collected in the period August to October 2021. This was done by trained enumerators using the KoBo application on smartphones or tablets. Both written and oral informed consent was sought from all participants. Each participant was assured of utmost confidentiality and privacy. Cross-tabulations were performed in STATA 18 to determine the distribution of the prevalence of violence. Also, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to establish association between the participants’ characteristics and odds of experiencing violence. Results Overall, 457 (35.32%) women living with disabilities had ever experienced violence at a point in their lifetime. Psychological/emotional violence was the most prevalent violence (74.40%) followed by physical violence (31.07%) and denial of services (28.67%). Age was positively associated with the likelihood of experiencing violence. Women belonging to the Brahman/Chhetri ethnic group had reduced odds of violence [AOR = 0.56; 95%CI: 0.37–0.85] compared to Hill Dalits. Divorced or separated women showed a markedly higher likelihood of experiencing violence [AOR = 6.69; 95%CI: 2.31–19.40] compared to currently married women. Participants who had not witnessed violence against other women exhibited significantly higher odds of experiencing violence [AOR = 1.86; 95%CI: 1.20–2.89]. Women living in the Koshi province [AOR = 4.04; 95%CI: 2.54–6.42], Madhesh province [AOR = 2.16; 95%CI: 1.15–4.08] and Bagmati province [AOR = 2.21; 95%CI: 1.41–3.46] reported significantly higher odds of experiencing violence compared to those in Karnali. Conclusion The study concludes that age, ethnicity, marital status, and provincial residence are significant predictors of violence among women living with disability in Nepal. Interventions aimed at addressing violence against women living with disability in Nepal must prioritize older women and those who were previously married. Also, priority must be given to Koshi, Madhesh and Bagmati provinces where the prevalence and risk of experiencing violence is highest.

Exploring a role for Chemerin in the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal benefits of intradialytic exercise in the hemodialysis population

Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for people receiving hemodialysis. Intradialytic cycling (IDC) has been shown to improve cardiovascular health in the hemodialysis population, but specific mechanisms require elucidation. Chemerin is an adipokine which contributes to the inflammatory process and may be associated with the cardiovascular benefits of IDC and physical function in hemodialysis population. Methods Adults undertaking ≥3 months hemodialysis were randomized to either IDC (30 min each time, moderate intensity, thrice weekly) and usual care; or usual care only (control group). 88 blood samples were retrospectively analyzed for chemerin concentrations using ELISA. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression was used to understand how changes in chemerin are associated with changes in cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in response to IDC. Results There was a significant increase of plasma chemerin concentration after 6 months in both groups. A positive association was detected between chemerin and short physical performance battery at baseline (β = 0.264, p = 0.017). There was no correlation of chemerin with cardiovascular, body composition, and other physical function markers. Conclusions This study is the first to show plasma level of chemerin increases with time on hemodialysis. No evidence was found to support a role for chemerin in modifying cardiac structure and function in people undertaking IDC. Further studies should investigate the associations between chemerin and physical performance.

Biomimetic Metal–Organic Nanotubular Host for Straight-Chain Fatty Acids Recognition

SNAI2 cooperates with MEK1/2 and HDACs to suppress BIM- and BMF-dependent apoptosis in TERT promoter mutant cancers

Cancers with TERT promoter mutations (TPM) display elevated RAS pathway signaling and mesenchymal traits, and associate with lower patient survival rates. We examined whether RAS pathway signaling in TPM cancers cooperates with mesenchymal features to drive resistance to apoptosis. We observed that RAS pathway signaling in TPM cancers inhibited apoptosis by downregulating the pro-apoptotic protein BIM. By using inhibitors of MEK1/2 kinases, we rescued the ability of TPM cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, which may have implications for targeted therapies. To further capitalize on this rescue, we explored combination treatments to drive apoptotic cell death. Treatment with the pan-BCL2 inhibitor, navitoclax (NX), in combination with MEK inhibition, significantly increased apoptosis, indicating that these cells are capable of undergoing intrinsic apoptosis, with BIM likely playing a critical role. Further, we found that transcriptional reprogramming of the mesenchymal state of TPM cancers using histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) resulted in a synergistic increase in apoptosis, contingent upon BIM de-repression. Notably, the cause of this apoptosis appeared to be independent of DNA damage. The suppression of the mesenchymal transcription factor SNAI2, which has known roles in recruiting HDACs to silence gene expression, amplified apoptosis. Mechanistically, knockdown of SNAI2 impaired the cellular DNA repair leading to elevated basal levels of phosphorylated H2AX. Our findings show that TPM cancers exhibit specific small molecule vulnerabilities, driven by the convergence of RAS-MEK signaling and impaired HDAC regulation dependent on pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins. Based on our findings, we propose that stratifying cancers based on TPM may identify a subset of tumors that are responsive to innovative combinations of inhibitors targeting these axes.

Evaluation of potential of targeted sequencing through mutational signature simulation

Background Targeted sequencing is critical in cancer diagnosis, treatment selection, and monitoring. However, the effectiveness of these methods for reflecting whole-exome sequencing (WES)-level mutational signatures remains unclear. Therefore, we addressed this issue through simulation-based analysis to clarify how well targeted sequencing can reproduce WES-level mutational signatures. Methods We compared the correlation and similarity of mutational signatures between whole-exome sequencing-level mutation data and downsampled data for gene sets targeted by each sequencing method in 13 cancer types. Additionally, a similarity analysis of the mutational signatures was conducted using randomly downsampled data. Results The comparison between whole-exome sequencing and targeted sequencing showed a low correlation based on Pearson’s correlation coefficient but a high similarity based on the Dice similarity index. As a result of the downsampling of data with cancer-related genes and whole genes to evaluate similarity, the cancer-related gene random set showed high similarity when 200–400 genes were selected. However, the whole-genome random set required 2–3 times as many genes as the cancer-related gene random set to show high similarity. Among cancer types, colorectal and lung cancers demonstrated high similarity with fewer downsampled genes, whereas breast and prostate cancers required more downsampled genes to achieve high similarity. Conclusion This study demonstrated that current clinically used targeted sequencing methods can reflect whole-exome sequencing-level mutational signatures. This suggests that considering the cancer type and average number of gene mutations in each patient when selecting targeted sequencing methods can lead to more effective treatment choices.

Leveraging multi-modal data for early prediction of severity in forced transmission outages with hierarchical spatiotemporal multiplex networks

Extended power transmission outages caused by weather events can significantly impact the economy, infrastructure, and residents’ quality of life in affected regions. One of the challenges is providing early, accurate warnings for these disruptions. To address this challenge, we introduce HMN-RTS, a hierarchical multiplex network designed to predict the duration of a forced transmission outage by leveraging a multi-modal approach. We investigate outage duration prediction over two years at the county level, focusing on the states of the Pacific Northwest region, including Idaho, California, Montana, Washington, and Oregon. The multiplex network layers collect diverse data sources, including information about power outages, weather data, weather forecasts, lightning, land cover, transmission lines, and social media. Our findings demonstrate that this approach enhances the accuracy of predicting power outage duration. The HMN-RTS model improves 3 hours ahead outage predictions, achieving a macro F1 score of 0.79 compared to the best alternative of 0.73 for a five-class classification. The HMN-RTS model provides valuable predictions of outage duration across multiple time horizons and seasons, enabling grid operators to implement timely outage mitigation strategies. Overall, the results underscore the HMN-RTS model’s capability to deliver early and practical risk assessments.

Association between CYP17A1 rs743572 polymorphism and cancer risk: A meta-analysis

The role of the CYP17A1 gene’s rs743572 polymorphism in cancer susceptibility has been a subject of extensive investigation, yet existing evidence remains inconclusive. In this meta-analysis, we systematically reviewed and synthesized data from 29 studies to assess the CYP17A1 rs743572 polymorphism’s relationship with cancer susceptibility. We strictly searched on EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases and explored rs743572 polymorphism’s association with cancer risks according to search strategy, enrolling 29 studies (13,767 cases and 17,441 controls). rs743572 was markedly related to enhanced cancer susceptibility risk; FPRP and TSA analyses were employed for confirmation. According to cancer type-based stratified analyses, rs743572 exhibited a notable association with bladder cancer, breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and hepatocellular cancer. In conclusion, systematic meta-analysis suggests a significant role for the rs743572 polymorphism in cancer pathogenesis, with particular prominence observed in bladder cancer, breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and hepatocellular cancer.

Demographic rise of sea urchin Centrostephanus sylviae on Robinson Crusoe and Santa Clara Islands at the Juan Fernandez Archipelago: A biophysical and ecological approach

The large increase in the population of long-spined sea urchins (Centrostephanus sylviae) has gained significant attention in the past decade due to the rise in the number of individuals reported as bycatch in Juan Fernandez rock lobster traps (Jasus frontalis) and the risks associated with changes in the ecosystem structure due to the increase in bleaching of reefs in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago (JFA). We explored the demographic surge of the C. sylviae population on Robinson Crusoe and Santa Clara islands (RC-SC) through changes in the relative abundance of adult sea urchins during the years 2015–2022. To seek an explanation for this phenomenon, we explored the potential contributions of early life stages of sea urchins to the adult population via biophysical modeling. We performed simulations of larval dispersal patterns and connectivity between release and recruitment zones for three study years (2013, 2015, and 2018). The results from larval drift simulations combined with observation data from the crustacean fishery monitoring program helped identify recruitment zones (primarily located in the eastern, southeastern, and southwestern areas of RC-SC). Also, we explored the relationship between the relative abundance of adult sea urchins and traits associated with lobsters due to the predator-prey relationship evident in other ecosystems (i.e., in Tasmania and New Zealand). We explored the potential control by lobsters of the sea urchin population size through generalized linear models by analyzing several predictor variables. The results showed that once all zones were combined there was an inverse correlation between the relative abundance of sea urchins and the largest lobsters found in the traps around the islands. This work highlights the complex ecological dynamics resulting from the increase in the C. sylviae population in the JFA system, emphasizing the importance of addressing this issue through ecosystemic and socio-ecologically integrated approaches.

Construction of VAE-GRU-XGBoost intrusion detection model for network security

With the advent of the big data era, the threat of network security is becoming increasingly severe. In order to cope with complex network attacks and ensure network security, a network intrusion detection model is constructed relying on deep learning technology. In order to extract and analyze network intrusion features, this study uses variational auto-encoders to extract and reduce the dimensionality of the invaded network traffic, and combines the advantages of extreme gradient boosting to perform classification tasks. Finally, a network intrusion detection model for network security is constructed by combining the gated recurrent unit. The results showed the area under the curve of the research model reached 97.48% and 95.24% in the KDD99 dataset and OODS dataset, respectively. In the confusion matrix experiment, the model achieved classification accuracy greater than 0.91 for different attack traffic samples in both the training and testing sets. When the sample sizes were 10000 and 40000, the shortest time and longest feature extraction time of the model were 0.030s and 0.112s, respectively. In summary, the constructed model on the basis of improved variational auto-encoder for network security has high accuracy in network intrusion detection.

Exploring the potential of blood and urine protein electrophoresis in predicting 1-year mortality in acute kidney injury

This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the predictive value of protein fractions obtained from blood and urine protein electrophoresis, along with various clinical and laboratory parameters, for 1-year all-cause mortality in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients. Data were collected from hospitalized patients who had been diagnosed with AKI. Demographics, smoking status, blood and urine electrophoresis results, serum gamma globulin levels, monoclonal gammopathy status, immunofixation results, serum free kappa (κ) and lambda (λ), and urine κ and λ levels were measured in addition to routine biochemistry and complete blood counts. In addition, serum free κ-to-λ ratio and urine κ-to-λ ratio were calculated. The primary endpoint was 1-year all-cause mortality and its association with electrophoresis-obtained data. Among the 295 patients included in the analyses, 65 (22.03%) experienced mortality, with higher mean age (72.75 ± 13.51) compared to the survival group (62.58 ± 16.59) (p < 0.001). Sex distribution showed no significant difference between groups. No significant disparities were observed in electrophoresis parameters and other laboratory values. Multivariable logistic regression showed that high age (OR: 1.038, 95% CI: 1.016–1.062, p = 0.001) and low albumin (OR: 0.450, 95% CI: 0.263–0.770, p = 0.004) were independent predictors of mortality. We find that the evidence gathered in the present study is insufficient to recommend the use of blood and urine protein fractions for diagnostic or prognostic purposes in patients with AKI. Nonetheless, the current data showing some notable variations in urine κ and λ levels suggest that further studies are warranted to explore this relationship.

Telomere length as a biomarker for cumulative experience in broiler chickens

Cumulative experience can be defined as the sum of all positive and negative experiences during an animal’s lifetime. Telomere length shows promise as a biomarker of cumulative experience in humans and non-human animals but is not yet assessed for broiler chickens. Therefore, our objective was to determine telomere length changes due to positive and negative experiences in fast-growing broiler chickens. In three replicated experiments, male Ross 708 broilers were housed in a 2 × 2 factorial study investigating high environmental complexity as a positive environment (vs. low complexity; 6 pens/treatment) and high stocking density as a negative environment (vs. low density; 6 pens/treatment). Telomere length was quantified at day 48 of age via quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) from gonad and kidney samples (N = 9 samples/treatment/tissue/experiment). Prior to analysis, raw relative telomere length (rTL) values were z-transformed to allow comparison between experiments. Combined data from the three experiments were analyzed using mixed models with complexity, density, and their interactions as fixed factor and pen nested within experiment and qRT-PCR plate number as random factors. Over all three trials, birds housed in high complexity environments tended (P = 0.0503) to have longer telomeres from kidney tissue than birds housed in low complexity environments. Stocking density did not impact combined kidney telomere length and gonadal telomere length was not impacted by environmental complexity or stocking density. Longer telomeres (statistical trend) in response to positive experience (environmental complexity) when compared to low-complexity indicate that high-complexity environments elicited positive cumulative experience in broiler chickens, although effect size was small. Telomere length has the potential to be a valuable tool in the assessment of cumulative experience in production settings, and future works should replicate these findings and expand upon this work by comparing telomere length with other more traditional animal welfare markers.

Assessment of patient safety culture among healthcare employees in major Eswatini public hospitals

This primary study assessed the patient safety culture in five major public government hospitals in Eswatini. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital employees using the validated Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The average positive patient safety culture (PSC) score was 43%. The highest-rated composite was “teamwork within units” (75%), while the lowest-rated was “staffing” (25%). All 11 PSC composites scored below the 2018 AHRQ survey benchmarks. These findings underscore the need for significant improvements in PSC across Eswatini’s hospitals. Additionally, the study revealed a lack of robust patient safety reporting systems in the five hospitals, which hinders efforts to address safety issues and reduce medical errors.

Statin adherence improves with age and subsequent treatment sequences: A retrospective cohort study using Proportion of Days Covered (PDC)

Background Dyslipidaemia is a key risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), necessitating effective statin therapy. Despite statins’ proven safety and efficacy, adherence remains suboptimal, with significant gaps between clinical practice and guideline recommendations. Methods This retrospective cohort study analysed anonymized health administrative claims data from six employee health funds in the Czech Republic, covering approximately 40% of the insured population from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2020. We identified statin-incident as well as prevalent cohort of patients. Adherence to statin therapy was assessed using the proportion of days covered (PDC) metric, with factors such as age, gender, sequence of use, and treatment intensity considered as modifiers. Results Among the statin-prevalent cohort (SP, n = 890,180), 83.5% achieved a PDC ≥ 50%, and 61.0% reached a PDC ≥ 80%. In the statin-incident cohort (SI, n = 287,871), a clear trend of increasing adherence with age and medication sequence was observed: in adults aged 18–39 median PDC rose from 84.1% (IQR: 57–100) in the first to 94.7% (IQR: 75.6–100) in the third sequence; in those aged 80 + median PDC rose from 95.0% (IQR: 68.9–100) in the first to 100% (IQR: 78.3–100) in the third sequence. Logistic regression identified age (OR=1.011 per year), female gender (OR=0.896), high-intensity treatment (OR=0.975), and second (OR=1.267) or later treatment sequences (OR=1.704) as significant predictors of adherence (all p < 0.001). Conclusion Adherence to statin therapy improves with subsequent treatment sequences and age. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to enhance adherence, particularly among younger patients. The PDC metric is recommended for integration into clinical practice to monitor and improve medication adherence.

Harnessing enzyme promiscuity of alditol-2-dehydrogenases for oxidation of alditols to enantiopure ketoses

Several alditol-2-dehydrogenase enzymes from the short chain dehydrogenase (SDR) family catalyze the production of enantiopure rare ketoses from alditols as substrates and are used in biotech industry. Clearly, the absolute configuration of the internal chiral carbons in the open-chain conformation of alditols provides the structural basis for the enzymatic operation. This also allows for substrate ambiguity that manifest as enzyme promiscuity due to partial stereoselectivity of the enzyme. The issue is to make the right choice of a promiscuous enzyme and access maximum product diversity. Based on the absolute configuration of a cohort of ten enantiopure hexitols, this study is a systematic exploration of the stereochemical foundation of enzyme promiscuity in alditol-2-dehydrogenases which does not involve any kinetic analysis. Using cell-free expressed galactitol-2-dehydrogenase (G2DH), D-sorbitol-2-dehydrogenase (D-S2DH), and D-altritol-5-dehydrogenase (D-A5DH), we confirmed chemoenzymatic synthesis of all enantiopure ketohexoses through characterization by GC/MS and NMR spectroscopy. However, we found that enzyme promiscuity is beyond the partial stereoselectivity for certain alditol-2-dehydrogenase enzymes that are reliably producing enantiopure ketoses from multiple alditols. For instance, G2DH oxidizes galactitol (2R 3S; 55% conversion), a meso-alditol with a plane of symmetry, as well as L-talitol (2S 3S; 2.1% conversion) to L-tagatose. The substrate bears different absolute/relative configurations and is an example among several promiscuous oxidations. Notably, their product yields are different under similar reaction conditions indicating stereochemical preference of the enzyme. This in vitro chemoenzymatic investigation of the underlying stereochemical interplay for the enantioselective oxidation of alditols explores the potential to harness enzyme promiscuity/substrate-adaptability as a tool for the predictive synthesis of multiple enantiopure ketoses. This study focuses on unconventional stereochemical investigation into enzyme stereospecificity and promiscuity which precludes kinetic analysis. Given the role of enzyme promiscuity in evolutionary processes, systematic stereochemical analysis may prove crucial in future.

Correction: Association of electronic learning devices and online learning properties with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs): A cross-sectional study among Thai undergraduate students

High school science fair: What students say—mastery, performance, and self-determination theory

Most high school students indicate that participation in science and engineering fairs (SEFs) increased their interest in science and engineering (S&E). The underlying appeal of SEF participation is unknown. However, having this information will help to identify best practices leading to more effective student participation and successful outcomes. To learn more about the appeal of SEF participation, we incorporated into our national SEF surveys a free text Reason Why? question asking students the reasons why SEF participation increased or not their interest in S&E. In this paper, we report and analyze the positive and negative comments by 1191 students who participated in our surveys during 2021−22 and 2022−23 and provided free text reasons. The positive reasons that students mentioned most frequently were learned new things; experience doing research; enjoyed/fun experience; and career choice. The negative reasons most frequently mentioned were participation not fun/stressful/boring; not a good project; not interested in science; and required to participate. Overall, students who received coaching and help from scientists made the most positive comments, consistent with our finding that students who received these kinds of help achieved better SEF outcomes. Students who participated in school-only level SEFs made the most negative comments. Reasons students gave why SEF participation increased their interest in S&E aligned with mastery criteria. By contrast, reasons students gave in a previous study regarding why competitive SEFs should be required aligned with performance criteria. Mastery and performance orientations (learning vs. winning) integrate differently with the three elements of self-determination theory: motivation, competence and community engagement. Recognizing these differences in relation to science fair requirements and the S&E career interests of students who participate in SEFs has the potential to enhance the impact of SEF participation on student STEM interest and knowledge.

Inadequate lumbar protection with load weight limits based on body weight percentages: An experimental and simulation study of the weight limits set by the Japanese guidelines for preventing low back pain

Work-related low back pain is the most prevalent occupational disease in Japan, with 25% of cases resulting from manual handling of heavy loads. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan has issued guidelines limiting load weights based on the worker’s body weight percentage: 40% of the body weight for males and 24% for females. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of these weight limits in preventing excessive lower back strain and identify potential shortcomings. A total of 20 healthy participants (10 males and 10 females) were included in this study. The motions of the participants while holding loads at specific positions and lifting loads from the floor were recorded using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The compressive force on the L5-S1 intervertebral disc (IVD-CF) was estimated by simulations using inverse dynamics analysis. The body weights for the musculoskeletal models were set at 50, 70, and 90 kg for males and 40, 55, and 70 kg for females, representing the light, average, and heavy body weights of Japanese workers. The load weights were set at 40% of the body weight for males and 24% for females. Increased body weight led to higher IVD-CF in males, exceeding the safe limit of 3400 N. Additionally, light-weight males experienced excessive strain when holding loads at shin height or lifting from the floor. The IVD-CF for females was lower than that for males because of their lighter body weight and load weight. However, heavy-weight females experienced excessive strain when holding loads at low and distant positions and during lifting. These findings indicate that weight limits based on body weight do not adequately prevent excessive lower back strain, and the nature of the task should be considered to avoid lower back strain.

AI, peer review and the human activity of science

A targeted approach for multiplex detection of respiratory viruses in cases with severe acute respiratory infections by nanopore sequencing

Severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Multiple viruses can cause this infection. Sequencing technologies hold great promise for detecting viral pathogens. This proof-of-concept study aimed to develop and validate a new method for multiplex detection and typing of SARI-related viruses (SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A (H1N1, H3N2), Influenza B, human respiratory syncytial virus, human adenoviruses, human enteroviruses, and human parainfluenza viruses) using a nanopore next-generation sequencing method. Following genome extraction from oropharyngeal swab samples and conventional RT-PCR assays, the libraries were barcoded and sequenced by the MinION device. The sensitivity and specificity were assessed using various serial dilutions of samples and different primer pools, respectively. Data analysis was carried out using bioinformatic tools. Finally, the protocol was validated with known positive samples. All participants provided written informed consent. During 12 hours of MinION sequencing, 711,000 reads passed the quality filters (Q-score>7). Eleven out of 12 target genes were successfully identified in clinical samples, with more than 90% coverage for most viruses. All viruses were detected by a Q30 value of more than 1%. The detection limit was measured for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A (H1N1, H3N2), Influenza B, and human respiratory syncytial virus. The method showed 99.9% specificity in detection and was validated by 20 clinical samples. This study developed and validated a novel multiplex detection approach of Oxford Nanopore Technologies that allowed the identification of SARI-related respiratory viruses in a clinical laboratory setting.