Effects of sexual counseling and education based on self-efficacy theory on the sexual function of women with breast cancer.

Background: Given the negative impact of breast cancer and its treatment on women's self-efficacy in various areas, including sexual function, investigating and understanding ways to enhance sexual function is crucial. The current study aimed to examine the impact of sexual counseling and education based on self-efficacy theory on the sexual function of women with breast cancer.

Method: The trial was a randomized controlled trial with a parallel design, including a pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up.

Effects of culturally-appropriate group education for migrants with type 2 diabetes in primary healthcare: pre-test-post-test design.

Background: The global incidence of type 2 diabetes is rapidly rising, particularly among migrants in developed countries. Migrants bear a significant burden of diabetes. However, this study is the only to evaluate the effects of a culturally appropriate diabetes intervention for these migrants on diabetes knowledge and health outcomes, adding a novel perspective to the existing literature.

Use of novel genomic sequencing to characterise carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) in patient with axillary lymphadenopathy.

Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) comprises 2-5% of cancer diagnoses worldwide, with a prevalence that has modestly declined with increased availability of advanced diagnostic tools such as next-generation sequencing (NGS). This case presentation illustrates the possibilities and gaps that remain with improving diagnostic capabilities in identifying and effectively treating CUP. This is the case of a rapidly enlarging right axillary mass without a primary tumour site and histological evaluation demonstrating a poorly differentiated neoplasm.

Controlling mission hazards through integrated abort and spare support optimization.

This study explores the risk management challenges associated with safety-critical systems required to execute specific missions. The working component experiences degradation governed by a continuous-time discrete-state Markov chain, whose failure leads to an immediate system breakdown and safety losses. To enhance system survivability, a limited number of identical spares are available for online replacement throughout the mission.

Inter-Island Variability in Trace Elements and Trophic Ecology of Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) in the South Atlantic.

This study investigates essential (Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se, Ni) and non-essential (Li, Be, Cr, Rb, Sr, Cs, Cd, Sn, Ba, and Pb) element concentrations and stable isotope (δC, δN, δS) compositions in feathers of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) from three distinct Atlantic islands: the Archipelagos of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (SPSP), Abrolhos, and Cagarras. We aimed to investigate the ecological and environmental factors influencing these seabird populations and assess potential variations in contaminant exposure and dietary habits based on location, sex, and maturity stages. Our finding revealed significant geographical differences in trace element concentrations.

Real-time monitoring of small changes in powder blends and ejected tablets in a low-dose formulation with 1 %w/w of active pharmaceutical ingredient using Raman and near-infrared spatially resolved spectroscopy within a tablet press.

This study used Raman and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to monitor small real-time changes in powder blends and tablets in low-dose pharmaceutical formulations. The research aims to enhance process analytical technology (PAT) in pharmaceutical manufacturing, ensuring high-quality and uniform products with applications to produce drugs with narrow therapeutic indices (NTI). The study utilizes Raman and NIR spatially resolved spectroscopy (SRS) techniques to monitor a moderate cohesive material's active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) concentrations during manufacturing.

Protein concentration and analyzing charge variants in a co-formulation comprising three monoclonal antibodies: A cation-exchange chromatography approach.

In the realm of therapeutic antibodies, co-formulations comprising two or more monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have emerged as a promising strategy, offering enhanced treatment efficacy, improved efficiency, and prolonged intellectual property protection. These advantages have sparked significant interest among both patients and pharmaceutical companies. However, the quantification and analysis of individual mAbs within such co-formulations pose a substantial challenge due to their similar physicochemical properties.

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Pathology & Medicine: Generative & Non-Generative AI Basics.

This manuscript serves as an introduction to a comprehensive seven-part review article series on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) and their current and future influence within pathology and medicine. This introductory review provides a comprehensive grasp of this fast-expanding realm and its potential to transform medical diagnosis, workflow, research, and education. Fundamental terminology employed in AI-ML is covered using an extensive dictionary.

Effectiveness of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol in Pancreatic Surgery - A Systematic review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Introduction: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol represents an advancement in perioperative care to reduce surgical stress and accelerate recovery. This meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of ERAS in pancreatic surgery.

Objective: To assess the impact of the ERAS protocol compared with conventional hospital care on postoperative outcomes, including length of hospital stay (LOS), hospital costs, readmission rates, and infection rates in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery.

Toxicological effects of long-term continuous exposure to ambient air on human bronchial epithelial Calu-3 cells exposed at the air-liquid interface.

Air pollution significantly contributes to the global burden of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. While single source/compound studies dominate current research, long-term, multi-pollutant studies are crucial to understanding the health impacts of environmental aerosols. Our study aimed to use the first air-liquid interface (ALI) aerosol exposure system adapted for long-term in vitro exposures for ambient air in vitro exposure.

Convolutional Neural Networks for the segmentation of hippocampal structures in postmortem MRI scans.

Background: The hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory and is one of the first structures affected by Alzheimer's disease. Postmortem MRI offers a way to quantify the alterations by measuring the atrophy of the inner structures of the hippocampus. Unfortunately, the manual segmentation of hippocampal subregions required to carry out these measures is very time-consuming.

ICHTHYOSIS: clinical and molecular update. Part 2: syndromic ichthyosis. Diagnostic and therapeutic approach of ichthyosis.

Syndromic ichthyoses are a group of disorders whose genetic alterations impact both epidermal and non-epidermal tissues. Therefore, patients present symptoms in other organs. Most are extraordinary and, in some, ichthyosiform desquamation has been poorly described.

Aging of disposable face masks in landfill leachate poses cyto-genotoxic risks to Allium cepa: Perils of uncontrolled disposal of medical waste.

The accumulation of disposable face masks (DFMs) has become a significant threat to the environment due to extensive use during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this research, we investigated the degradation of DFMs after their disposal in landfills. We replicated the potential degradation process of DFMs, including exposure to sunlight before subjecting them to synthetic landfill leachate (LL).

Direct analysis of heavy metal elements in liquid water using femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for high-sensitivity detection.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a rapidly evolving in-situ multi-element analysis technique that has significantly advanced the field of liquid analysis. This study employs a femtosecond laser for quantitative analysis of heavy metals in flowing liquids, exploring its detection sensitivity and accuracy. Femtosecond pulsed laser excitation of water in a dynamic environment generates plasma while effectively preventing liquid splashing.

Dual-signal portable microRNA biosensor based on a photothermal/visual strategy induced by cascading amplification techniques and horseradish peroxidase.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as potential biomarkers for many diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular conditions. The portable and accurate detection of miRNA is of great significance for the early diagnosis, treatment optimization and prognostic evaluation of diseases. Herein, a photothermal/visual dual-mode assay for let-7a is developed utilizing oxidized 3, 3', 5, 5' - tetramethylbenzidine (oxTMB) as signal reporter.

Authentication of glass beads from Cultural Heritage: An interdisciplinary and multi-analytical approach.

Analysis of glass-based artworks is important for authentication purposes. In recent years, there have been rapid advancements and improvements in the characterization of glass objects using different analytical approaches. The present study presents an interdisciplinary and multi-analytical authentication approach that provides useful tools and markers to unmask possible imitations, counterfeiting, and forgeries in Cultural Heritage glass beads by comparing the composition of historical and modern glass beads.

Quantification of L-lactic acid in human plasma samples using Ni-based electrodes and machine learning approach.

This work presents a robust strategy for quantifying overlapping electrochemical signatures originating from complex mixtures and real human plasma samples using nickel-based electrochemical sensors and machine learning (ML). This strategy enables the detection of a panel of analytes without being limited by the selectivity of the transducer material and leaving accommodation of interference analysis to ML models. Here, we fabricated a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for L-lactic acid detection in complex mixtures and human plasma samples using nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE).

Energy-level rich nanorings hybridizing Ag, Au and AgCl as high-performance SERS substrate for numerous molecules.

The current surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates typically feature a single energy level, posing challenges in coordinating electromagnetic enhancement (EM) and chemical enhancement (CM), thereby limiting the sensitive detection of numerous crucial target molecules. In this study, novel aggregated nanorings (a-NRs) hybridizing Ag, Au and AgCl are constructed as SERS substrates. On one hand, the obtained a-NRs exhibit robust localized surface plasmon resonance absorption, whose wavelength can be tuned to match three commonly used laser wavelengths (532, 633 and 785 nm) to gain strong EM effect.

A sensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor for detecting the genome of a plant growth-promoting bacteria.

The challenge of increasing food production while maintaining environmental sustainability can be addressed by using biofertilizers such as Azospirillum, which can enhance plant growth and colonize more than 100 plant species. The success of this biotechnology depends on the amount of plant growth-promoting bacteria associated with the plant during crop development. However, monitoring bacterial population dynamics after inoculation requires time-consuming, laborious, and costly procedures.

A framework for monitoring RSV prevention product effectiveness in the United States.

During 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations intended for widespread use in the United States to prevent severe RSV illness in infants and older adults. CDC, in collaboration with federal, public health, and academic partners, is conducting evaluations of real-world effectiveness of recommended RSV immunization products in the United States. Similar frameworks for evaluation are being applied to RSV vaccines and nirsevimab, a long-acting preventative monoclonal antibody, to estimate product effectiveness.

Improved ovalbumin accurate quantitative performance in processed foods by full-length isotope-labeled protein.

Ovalbumin (OVA) is a high-risk allergen with complex tertiary structure in food samples. Here, we developed an accurate UPLC-MS/MS-based assay to improve OVA quantitative performance in processed foods. Full-length isotope-labeled OVA proteins (OVA-I) were synthesized using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) technique and employed as functional internal standards to ensure similar cleavage sites between internal standards and analytes.

Impact of postharvest processing on the health benefits of durian-derived products.

Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) is a seasonal fruit with a short harvesting period, requiring postharvest processing such as cutting, peeling, freeze-drying, cooking, and frying to enhance its shelf life and nutritional quality. In this study, fresh Monthong durian (MTD), MTD Sticks, MTD Cake, and MTD Chips were analyzed for polyphenols, phenolic acids, tannins, flavonoids and thermal stability.

Unbiased Metabolomic and Chemometric profiles of three Sargassum polycystum extracts using GCMS and LCMS/MS: content analysis, correlation analysis and molecular docking.

Sargassum polycystum (S. polycystum) is a brown macroalga with a high phytochemical content, making it a nutritious and bioactive food source. However, information on factors contributing to health benefits, like antioxidants and cytotoxicity, is less explored for Malaysian S.

Dual-template epitope imprinted nanoparticles for anti-glycolytic tumor-targeted treatment.

Glycolysis provides tumors with abundant nutrients through glucose (Glu) metabolism. As a therapeutic target, precise targeting and effective inhibition of the glycolysis process remains a major challenge in anti-metabolic therapy. In this study, a novel dual-template molecularly imprinted polymer (D-MIP), capable of specifically recognizing glucose transporter member 1 (GLUT1) and hexokinase-2 (HK2) was prepared for anti-glycolytic tumor therapy.

Effective prediction of organosilicon molecular structures and risks in aquatic environment with machine learning.

Until now, mass spectrometry databases lack molecular information of most organosilicon oligomers, and risk models needing accurate molecular descriptors are unavailable for these emerging contaminants with thousands of monomers. To address this issue, based on molecular/fragment ions and relative abundance from GC-Orbitrap-MS, this study developed appropriate classification (accuracies = 0.750-0.