Implementation and Evaluation of a Training Program to Improve Patient Navigators' Competencies: A Quasi-Experiment at a Public Tertiary Hospital in China.

Patient navigation is vital for improving healthcare accessibility and patient experience in China's public hospitals, where high patient demand meets limited medical resources. Patient navigators (PNs) assist patients through the complex healthcare system, but the lack of standardized training and evaluation hampers their ability to meet patient needs. This study piloted a Competencies Improvement Training Program (CITP) in a tertiary hospital to clarify PN competencies, design a feasible curriculum, assess its efficacy, and share insights with peer hospitals.

Camel milk and D-allulose synergistically improved camel dairy flavor and alleviated insulin resistance of human HepG2 cells.

Camel milk is a dairy product widely consumed in desert and semi-arid areas, with high nutritional value and potential for auxiliary medical treatment. It has unique efficacy and a gamey taste, and exploring its functional factors and making camel milk more easily accepted by the public has become a research hotspot. This study mainly investigated the protein components in camel milk that may play a role in alleviating insulin resistance by observing the cell activity, glucose consumption, and morphological changes of the treatment group.

Fatigue Life Prediction of 2024-T3 Clad Al Alloy Based on an Improved SWT Equation and Machine Learning.

The multi-parameter and nonlinear characteristics of the Smith Watson Topper (SWT) equation present considerable challenges for predicting the fatigue life of 2024-T3 clad Al alloy. To overcome these challenges, a novel model integrating traditional fatigue analysis methods with machine learning algorithms is introduced. An improved SWT fatigue life prediction equation is developed by incorporating key factors such as the mean stress effect, stress concentration factor, and surface roughness coefficient.

Fatigue Life Prediction of 2024-T3 Al Alloy by Integrating Particle Swarm Optimization-Extreme Gradient Boosting and Physical Model.

The multi-parameter characteristics of the physical model pose a challenge to the fatigue life prediction of 2024-T3 aluminum (Al) alloy. In response to this issue, a parameter-solving method that integrates particle swarm optimization (PSO) with extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) is proposed in this study. The fatigue performance and failure mechanism of the 2024-T3 Al alloy are analyzed.

Bio-conversion of organic wastes towards polyhydroxyalkanoates.

The bio-manufacturing of products with substantial commercial value, particularly polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), using cost-effective carbon sources through microorganisms, has garnered heightened attention from both the scientific community and industry over the past few decades. Opting for industrial PHA production from various organic wastes, spanning industrial, agricultural, municipal, and food-based sources, emerges as a wiser choice. This strategy not only eases the burden of recycling organic waste and curbs environmental pollution but also trims down PHA production costs, rendering these materials more competitive in commercial markets.

Advances in stress-tolerance elements for microbial cell factories.

Microorganisms, particularly extremophiles, have evolved multiple adaptation mechanisms to address diverse stress conditions during survival in unique environments. Their responses to environmental coercion decide not only survival in severe conditions but are also an essential factor determining bioproduction performance. The design of robust cell factories should take the balance of their growing and bioproduction into account.

Diversity and saline-alkali resistance of Coleoptera endosymbiont bacteria in arid and semi-arid climate.

Unlabelled: Soil salinization usually occurs in arid and semi-arid climate areas from 37 to 50 degrees north latitude and 73 to 123 degrees east longitude. These regions are inhabited by a large number of Coleopteran insects, which play an important role in the ecological cycle. However, little is known about the endosymbiotic microbial taxa and their biological characteristics in these insects.

Disposal and utilization of dead animals during breeding in livestock and poultry farming by means of synthetic microbiota.

The disposal of animal remains resulting from breeding is a significant challenge that impacts the industry's growth. To address the issues with current treatment methods, such as the large space required for corpse storage, and the high energy consumption of pyrolysis. Three strains with high protease and lipase production and one strain with high keratinase production were screened.

Colorimetric sensor array for the rapid distinction and detection of various antibiotic-resistant psychrophilic bacteria in raw milk based-on machine learning.

In this study, a rapid, inexpensive, and accurate colorimetric sensor for detecting psychrophilic bacteria was designed, comprising gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) modified by d-amino acid (D-AA) as color-metric probes. Based on the aggregation of Au NPs induced by psychrophilic bacteria, a noticeable color shift occurred within 6 h. Depending on the various metabolic behaviors of bacteria to different D-AA, four primary psychrophilic bacteria in raw milk were successfully distinguished by learning the response patterns.

Short-term robust plant overcompensatory growth was observed in a degraded alpine meadow on the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Plant overcompensatory growth (OCG) is an important mechanism by which plant communities adapt to environmental disturbance. However, it is not clear whether plant OCG can occur in degraded alpine meadows. Here, we conducted a mowing experiment in an alpine meadow at three degradation levels (i.

Transcriptome analysis of the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) reveals candidate genes affecting milk production traits.

Background: Milk production traits are complex traits with vital economic importance in the camel industry. However, the genetic mechanisms regulating milk production traits in camels remain poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to identify candidate genes and metabolic pathways that affect milk production traits in Bactrian camels.

BAT6026, a novel anti-OX40 antibody with enhanced antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity effect for cancer immunotherapy.

OX40 (CD134), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, is a widely studied costimulatory immune checkpoint. Several OX40 agonistic antibodies are in the clinical stage for cancer treatment, among which PF-04518600 is the leader and currently in phase II trial. It has been recognized that one potential mode of action for anti-OX40 antibodies is the deletion of intratumoral Tregs.

Prevalence and pathology of Cephalopina titillator infestation in Camelus bactrianus from Xinjiang, China.

Background: In camels, nasopharyngeal myiasis is caused by the larvae of Cephalopina titillator, which parasitize the tissues of nasal and paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. C. titillator infestation adversely affects the health of camels and decreases milk and meat production and even death.

Land Degradation Changes the Role of Above- and Belowground Competition in Regulating Plant Biomass Allocation in an Alpine Meadow.

The allocation pattern of plant biomass presents the strategy of the plant community to adopt environmental changes, while the driver of biomass allocation is still unclear in degraded alpine grassland ecosystems. To explore the issue, this study investigated the shoot-to-root (R/S) ratio, plant aboveground traits, and root competition of three functional groups (i.e.

Combined assembly of long and short sequencing reads improve the efficiency of exploring the soil metagenome.

Background: Advances in DNA sequencing technologies have transformed our capacity to perform life science research, decipher the dynamics of complex soil microbial communities and exploit them for plant disease management. However, soil is a complex conglomerate, which makes functional metagenomics studies very challenging.

Results: Metagenomes were assembled by long-read (PacBio, PB), short-read (Illumina, IL), and mixture of PB and IL (PI) sequencing of soil DNA samples were compared.

Camel whey protein (CWP) ameliorates liver injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus rats and insulin resistance (IR) in HepG2 cells activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

This research investigated the effects of camel whey protein (CWP) treatment on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats and insulin resistance (IR) HepG2 cell models. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were observed in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats every week, and biochemical parameters in serum samples were evaluated after 6 weeks. Antioxidant activity in the liver was estimated, and histological examination of the liver tissues was conducted.

High Stability Au NPs: From Design to Application in Nanomedicine.

In recent years, Au-based nanomaterials are widely used in nanomedicine and biosensors due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. However, these applications require Au NPs to have excellent stability in different environments, such as extreme pH, high temperature, high concentration ions, and various biomatrix. To meet the requirement of multiple applications, many synthetic substances and natural products are used to prepare highly stable Au NPs.

Preparation and characterization of apoacynum venetum cellulose nanofibers reinforced chitosan-based composite hydrogels.

Addition of nanomaterials into polymer matrix is a promising avenue to reinforce the mechanical properties of composites. In this work, chitosan-based hydrogels reinforced by cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have been prepared by chitosan as matrix. The effect of CNFs (1vt%, 1.

Combinatorial Biosynthesis of Sulfated Benzenediol Lactones with a Phenolic Sulfotransferase from Fusarium graminearum PH-1.

Total biosynthesis or whole-cell biocatalytic production of sulfated small molecules relies on the discovery and implementation of appropriate sulfotransferase enzymes. Although fungi are prominent biocatalysts and have been used to sulfate drug-like phenolics, no gene encoding a sulfotransferase enzyme has been functionally characterized from these organisms. Here, we identify a phenolic sulfotransferase, FgSULT1, by genome mining from the plant-pathogenic fungus PH-1.

Fabrication and Specific Functionalisation of Carbon Fibers for Advanced Flexible Biosensors.

This review aims at offering an up-to-date comprehensive summary of carbon fibers (CFs)-based composites, with the emphasis on smart assembly and purpose-driven specific functionalization for their critical applications associated with flexible sensors. We first give a brief introduction to CFs as a versatile building block for preparation of mutil-fountional materials and the current status of research studies on CFs. This is followed by addressing some crucial methods of preparation of CFs.

Zafirlukast in combination with pseudohypericin attenuates spinal cord injury and motor function in experimental mice.

Background: Biosynthesis of leukotriene (LT) by arachidonic acid involves 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) as an important precursor. Here, we evaluated the role of pseudohypericin (PHP) for its postulated 5-LO inhibitory activity along with a Cys-LT receptor antagonist zafirlukast (ZFL) against inflammatory response and tissue injury in mice.

Materials And Methods: The spinal injury was induced by two-level laminectomy of T6 and T7 vertebrae.