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Sorbitol derivatives and other additives are commonly used in various products, such as packaging or food packaging, to improve their mechanical, physical, and optical properties. To accurately and precisely evaluate the efficacy of adding sorbitol-type nucleating agents to these articles, their quantitative determination is essential. This study systematically investigated the quantification of sorbitol-type nucleating agents in food packaging made from impact copolymers of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) using attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) together with analysis of principal components (PCA) and machine learning algorithms...

Nosema ceranae , a microsporidian parasite, as one of the stressors that contribute to honey bee decline, has a significant negative impact on the longevity, productivity, and reproductive capacity of honey bee colonies. There are several different strategies for Nosema infection control, including natural-based and antibiotic-based products. In this study, we tested wormwood and oak bark-based supplement "Medenko forte" on survival, Nosema infection, oxidative stress, and expression of immune-related genes in artificially N...

Raman spectroscopy (RS) has demonstrated its utility in neurooncological diagnostics, spanning from intraoperative tumor detection to the analysis of tissue samples peri- and postoperatively. In this study, we employed Raman spectroscopy (RS) to monitor alterations in the molecular vibrational characteristics of a broad range of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) intracranial neoplasms (including primary brain tumors and meningiomas, as well as brain metastases) and considered specific challenges when employing RS on FFPE tissue during the routine neuropathological workflow...

BACKGROUND: Despite the recognized advantages of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) in academic settings, there is a notable absence of research analyzing its effects on students' Academic Burnout. This study aims to cover this gap by assessing the underlying effectiveness of Informal Peer-Assisted Learning (IPAL) as a cooperative learning method, focusing on its potential to mitigate academic burnout among medical students. METHODS: In 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, in Puerto Rico...

Traditional submucosal filling materials frequently show insufficient lifting height and duration during clinical procedures. Here, the anionic polysaccharide polymer sodium carboxymethyl starch and cationic Laponite to prepare a hydrogel with excellent shear-thinning ability through physical cross-linking, so that it can achieve continuous improvement of the mucosal cushion through endoscopic injection. The results showed that the hydrogel (56.54 kPa) had a lower injection pressure compared to MucoUp (68...

INTRODUCTION: Castleman Disease (CD) is a rare benign disorder characterized by abnormal lymphoid tissue growth. It can be classified as unicentric CD (UCD) affecting a single lymph node region or multicentric CD (MCD) involving multiple regions. While UCD typically occurs in the mediastinum, MCD is associated with inflammatory symptoms and abnormal lab findings. We present a case of a young Syrian male with pelvic UCD, exhibiting unusual symptoms. Surgical excision led to complete recovery...

Purpose: Clinical monitoring for patients receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) has the potential to facilitate their receipt of preventive health services. We aimed to determine whether GAHT is associated with increased utilization of cervical cancer screening among transgender men (TM) and nonbinary persons assigned female at birth (NB-AFAB). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of a single community health center in Boston. Persons of all gender identities eligible for cervical cancer screening during 2008-2019 were assessed...

INTRODUCTION: The growing prevalence of obesity in the USA disproportionately affects Latinos compared to non-Latino Whites. Immigration and acculturation have been associated with unhealthy dietary shifts among Latino immigrants, a phenomenon known as dietary acculturation. Emerging evidence points to a more nuanced relationship between dietary habits, immigration, and acculturation, highlighting the need for a more current comprehension of dietary acculturation. OBJECTIVE: We explored how Latino immigrants' experiences in migrating to the USA have affected their perceived dietary habits and their experiences of how supportive the USA is in establishing healthy practices compared to their native country...

OBJECTIVE: Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is an important antioxidant enzyme whose main function is to neutralise superoxide free radicals in the cytoplasm. Heterozygous variants in SOD1 are responsible for a substantial percentage of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases. Recently, several reports have shown that biallelic loss of SOD1 function results in a novel phenotype called infantile SOD1 deficiency syndrome, which is consistent with a recessive pattern of inheritance and can be distinguished from typical (adult-onset) ALS...

Brassica crops are well known for the accumulation of glucosinolates-secondary metabolites crucial for plants' adaptation to various stresses. Glucosinolates also functioning as defence compounds pose challenges to food quality due to their goitrogenic properties. Their disruption leaves plants susceptible to insect pests and diseases. Hence, a targeted reduction in seed glucosinolate content is of paramount importance to increase food acceptance. GLUCOSINOLATE TRANSPORTERS ( GTRs ) present a promising avenue for selectively reducing glucosinolate concentrations in seeds while preserving biosynthesis elsewhere...

Acute respiratory diseases in felines can be attributed to a diverse range of pathogens. The recent emergence of novel viruses, particularly SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, has also been associated with respiratory ailments in cats and other pets, underscoring the need for a highly sensitive diagnostic assay capable of concurrently detecting multiple respiratory pathogens. In this study, we developed a targeted next generation sequencing panel using Ion Torrent Ampliseq technology to detect multiple respiratory pathogens, including recent SARS-CoV-2 variants and Feline herpesvirus-1, Feline calicivirus, Bordetella bronchiseptica , Mycoplasmopsis (previously Mycoplasma ) felis , and Chlamydia felis ...

Diabetes is one of the fastest spreading diseases in the 21st century. The aim of the study is twofold: (1) to find differences in personality traits, self-esteem, body-esteem, and imagery between healthy women and women with diabetes; (2) to verify whether there are differences in the analyzed factors among women with diabetes who engage in sports compared to those who do not. We used 3 questionnaires: Imagination in Sport-short form, Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and BFIS Personality, which were tested online...

Time theft, especially with the shift to remote work during the pandemic, is an increasing challenge for organizations. Existing studies demonstrate that both authoritarian leadership and laissez-faire leadership can exacerbate time theft, putting leaders in a behavioral dilemma of neither being strict nor lenient. Additionally, the pervasive and covert nature of time theft diminishes the effectiveness of subsequent corrective actions. Our study aims to investigate how to prevent time theft by mitigating employees' inclinations...

Paracelsus was a transmutational alchemist: For most of his career, he believed that one metal could be turned into another. In an alchemical text, the De renovatione et restauratione, he explored the theoretical foundations of transmutation and hinted at recipes for bringing it about. He proposed that from plants, gems, metals, and minerals might be prepared a class of marvelous medicaments, which he called prima entia (first entities). Each primum ens had particular uses, but the entia were all supposed to be able to revitalize the human body and cleanse it of disease...

In 2020, bladder cancer, which commonly presents as urothelial carcinoma, became the 10th most common malignancy. For patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma, the standard first-line treatment remains platinum-based chemotherapy, with immunotherapy serving as an alternative in cases of programmed death ligand 1 expression. However, treatment options become limited upon resistance to platinum and programmed death 1 or programmed death ligand 1 agents. Since the FDA's approval of Enfortumab Vedotin and Sacituzumab Govitecan, the therapeutic landscape has expanded, heralding a shift towards antibody-drug conjugates as potential first-line therapies...

Objective: In India research on health issues of transgender populations are very recent and limited though transgenders are an important sub-group of the population. Hence, this study attempts to understand the state of transgender health research in India through a systematic review of literature. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using bibliometric analysis. Initially, 132 studies were identified, and only 37 articles meeting selection criteria were subsequently selected for review using PRISMA 2020 guidelines...

Objective: Situated in Children's National Hospital (CNH)'s Neuropsychology Division, the Gender and Autism Program (GAP) is the first clinical service dedicated to the needs of autistic gender-diverse/transgender youth. This study describes GAP clinical assessment profiles and presents a multi-perspective programmatic review of GAP evaluation services. Method: Seventy-five consecutive gender- and neuropsychologically-informed GAP evaluations were analyzed, including demographics, gender and autism characterization, and primary domains evaluated...

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer screening trends of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people remain largely unknown. This is concerning, as data is necessary to inform recommendations made by clinicians to their patients and by national guidelines to clinicians. The aim of this review is to explore the state of existing research literature and provide a summary report of current breast cancer screening rates in TGD adults. METHODS: All articles were identified using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms Inclusion criteria were all the following: 1) Documents inclusion of at least one participant who identifies as a TGD person; 2) At least one TGD participant with top-surgery or currently receiving estrogen-based gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT); 3) Results report rates of breast cancer screening or mammogram referral...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although biologics were prescribed to achieve and maintain clinical remission of active Crohn's disease (CD), almost half of patients experienced a loss of response or intolerance. Here, we investigated the efficacy of combined treatment of biologics and 16-weeks exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) in moderate-to-severe CD patients with small intestine lesions. METHODS: This was a real-world, multicenter retrospective study, from October 2016 to March 2023, medical records of patients registered at three IBD centers were reviewed for patients with ileal or ileocolonic CD in moderate-to-severe activity...

Cathepsin K is a type of cysteine proteinase that is primarily expressed in osteoclasts and has a key role in the breakdown of bone matrix protein during bone resorption. Many studies suggest that the deficiency of cathepsin K is concomitant with a suppression of osteoclast functioning, therefore rendering the resorptive properties of cathepsin K the most prominent target for osteoporosis. This innovative work has identified a novel anti-osteoporotic agent against Cathepsin K by using a comparison of machine learning and deep learning-based virtual screening followed by their biological evaluation...