Kalata B1 Enhances Temozolomide Toxicity to Glioblastoma Cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive cancer originating in the brain, but unfortunately combination treatments with resection, radiation, and chemotherapy are relatively ineffective. Therefore, novel methods of adjuvant therapy are critically needed. Cyclotides are plant-derived circular peptides that chemosensitize drug-resistant breast cancer to doxorubicin.

Taxonomic variation, plastic degradation, and antibiotic resistance traits of plastisphere communities in the maturation pond of a wastewater treatment plant.

Wastewater treatment facilities can filter out some plastics before they reach the open environment, yet microplastics often persist throughout these systems. As they age, microplastics in wastewater may both leach and sorb pollutants and fragment to provide an increased surface area for bacterial attachment and conjugation, possibly impacting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) traits. Despite this, little is known about the effects of persistent plastic pollution on microbial functioning.

A microRNA diagnostic biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Blood-based diagnostic biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis will improve patient outcomes and positively impact novel drug development. Critical to the development of such biomarkers is robust method validation, optimization and replication with adequate sample sizes and neurological disease comparative blood samples. We sought to test an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis biomarker derived from diverse samples to determine if it is disease specific.

Blubber gene expression and cortisol concentrations reveal changing physiological stress in a Southern ocean sentinel species.

The health of migratory eastern Australian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) can reflect the condition of their remote polar foraging environments. This study used gene expression (LEP, LEPR, ADIQ, AhR, TNF-α, HSP-70), blubber hormone concentrations (cortisol, testosterone), and photogrammetric body condition to assess this sentinel species during a period of unprecedented changes to anthropogenic activity and natural processes. The results revealed higher cortisol concentrations in 2020 compared to 2021, suggesting a decline in physiological stress between years.

Use of a behavioural response method to assess the risk of collision between migrating humpback whales and vessels.

With the substantial increase in many large whale populations, paired with the rise in global shipping and recreational vessel activity, it is not surprising that negative interactions between whales and vessels are increasing. Here, the collision risk between migrating groups of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and vessels was assessed by determining if changes in their movement trajectories in response to an oncoming vessel translated to vessel avoidance. It was assumed groups would implement an escape response strategy, using cues such as the vessel speed, trajectory, proximity, and received level of noise to inform their response magnitude.

A novel RT-qPCR health assay reveals differential expression of stress and immunoregulatory genes between the seasonal migrations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).

Health information is essential for the conservation management of whale species. However, assessing the health of free-ranging whales is challenging as samples are primarily limited to skin and blubber tissue. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) offers a method to measure health from blubber RNA, providing insights into energetic status, stress and immune activity.

Self-disclosure by adolescents in therapy for eating difficulties: A Q-Methodology study.

Facilitating client self-disclosure is essential to therapeutic effectiveness. Given the long-term consequences of eating difficulties for adolescents, there is a need for more research on self-disclosure in this group. This study investigated factors likely to influence adolescents' decisions to self-disclose during psychological therapy for eating difficulties using Q-methodology.

A systematic review of predictive accuracy via c-statistic of preoperative frailty tests for extended length of stay, post-operative complications, and mortality.

Frailty, as an age-related syndrome of reduced physiological reserve, contributes significantly to post-operative outcomes. With the aging population, frailty poses a significant threat to patients and health systems. Since 2012, preoperative frailty assessment has been recommended, yet its implementation has been inhibited by the vast number of frailty tests and lack of consensus.

The Hand and Wrist: AntImicrobials and Infection (HAWAII) trial.

Background: Hand trauma, comprising injuries to both the hand and wrist, affects over five million people per year in the NHS, resulting in 250 000 operations each year. Surgical site infection (SSI) following hand trauma surgery leads to significant morbidity. Triclosan-coated sutures may reduce SSI in major abdominal surgery but have never been tested in hand trauma.

Singing humpback whales respond to wind noise, but not to vessel noise.

Animal communication systems evolved in the presence of noise generated by natural sources. Many species can increase the source levels of their sounds to maintain effective communication in elevated noise conditions, i.e.

The Influence of Social Media on Alcohol Consumption of Mothers of Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Alcohol misuse is a common problem in many countries, where alcohol is often portrayed as a fun and interactive coping strategy for mothers to manage the demands of motherhood. Social media platforms have established themselves as a popular forum for mothers to share information and create an environment in which mothers may be exposed to and influenced by alcohol-related content. Given the increased social acceptance and normalization of drinking among mothers, especially during the recent pandemic, a critical analysis of social media influences on alcohol behaviours and consumption is warranted.

L1CAM immunocapture generates a unique extracellular vesicle population with a reproducible miRNA fingerprint.

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs with significant potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. However, a lack of reproducibility across studies has hindered their introduction into clinical settings. Inconsistencies between studies include a lack of consensus on the miRNAs associated with a specific disease and the direction of regulation.

Post-whaling shift in mating tactics in male humpback whales.

Recent studies have shown behavioural plasticity in mating strategies can increase a population's ability to cope with anthropogenic impacts. The eastern Australian humpback whale population was whaled almost to extinction in the 1960s (~200 whales) and has recovered to pre-whaling numbers (>20,000 whales). Using an 18-year dataset, where the population increased from approximately 3,700 to 27,000 whales, we found that as male density increased over time, the use of mating tactics shifted towards more males engaging in non-singing physical competition over singing.

miRNA extracted from extracellular vesicles is a robust biomarker of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: We examined miRNA biomarkers for ALS extracted from extracellular vesicles in blood samples using a large and diverse patient and control population. Different blood collection and storage protocols by different investigators could impact repeatability of miRNA analysis. We tested the hypotheses that miRNA extracted from extracellular vesicles using immunoaffinity purification techniques are robust and repeatable across investigators, laboratories and in a broad ALS population.

A mammalian messenger RNA sex determination method from humpback whale () blubber biopsies.

The large size of free-ranging mysticetes, such as humpback whales (), make capture and release health assessments unfeasible for conservation research. However, individual energetic condition or reproductive health may be assessed from the gene expression of remotely biopsied tissue. To do this, researchers must reliably extract RNA and interpret gene expression measurements within the context of an individual's sex.

A sampling, exposure and receptor framework for identifying factors that modulate behavioural responses to disturbance in cetaceans.

The assessment of behavioural disturbance in cetacean species (e.g. resulting from exposure to anthropogenic sources such as military sonar, seismic surveys, or pile driving) is important for effective conservation and management.

Song complexity is maintained during inter-population cultural transmission of humpback whale songs.

Among animal species, the songs of male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are a rare example of social learning between entire populations. Understanding fine-scale similarity in song patterns and structural features will better clarify how accurately songs are learned during inter-population transmission. Here, six distinct song types (2009-2015) transmitted from the east Australian to New Caledonian populations were quantitatively analysed using fine-scale song features.

Gender representation on journal editorial boards in the field of veterinary sciences.

Despite the increased entry of women into the veterinary profession over the past several decades, women remain substantially underrepresented in senior leadership positions. This may include editorial positions at veterinary sciences journals. This study examines the gender distribution of editorships of 143 journals from the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge Journal Citation Reports category of veterinary science.

Scaling out a palliative compassionate community innovation: Nav-CARE.

Background: There is an urgent need for community-based interventions that can be scaled up to meet the growing demand for palliative care. The purpose of this study was to scale out a volunteer navigation intervention called Nav-CARE by replicating the program in multiple contexts and evaluating feasibility, acceptability, sustainability, and impact.

Methods: This was a scale-out implementation and mixed-method evaluation study.

Humpback whale adult females and calves balance acoustic contact with vocal crypsis during periods of increased separation.

Acoustic communication is important for animals with dependent young, particularly when they are spatially separated. Maternal humpback whales () use acoustic calling to help minimize the risk of separation from their young calves during migration. These pairs also use acoustic crypsis to minimize detection by males.

Cyclotides Chemosensitize Glioblastoma Cells to Temozolomide.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive cancer originating in the brain, with a median survival of 12 months. Most patients do not respond to or develop resistance to the only effective chemotherapeutic drug, temozolomide (TMZ), used to treat gliomas. Novel treatment methods are critically needed.