Metabarcoding reveals high species diversity of Chaetoceros, Pseudo-nitzschia, and Thalassiosira in Hong Kong coastal waters, a typical subtropical region.

Chaetoceros, Pseudo-nitzschia, and Thalassiosira are ecologically important genera which formed blooms frequently in Hong Kong coastal waters in past decades. However, species identification based on microscopic observation for diatoms in these genera is difficult. In this study, we investigated species diversity of Chaetoceros, Pseudo-nitzschia, and Thalassiosira in Hong Kong coastal waters using metabarcoding approach.

Public attitude and media governance of biometric information dissemination in the era of digital intelligence.

Absrtact: In the era of digital intelligence, biometrics plays a critical role in mediating sensitive information dissemination, human-computer interaction, and governance in both virtual and real-world settings, including the evolving metaverse. Based on an empirical analysis of 1,862 participants, the current study investigated factors influencing public perception, acceptance, and risk awareness of biometric technologies. The findings highlight the critical roles of perceived trust (PT) and technical prudence (TP) in driving behavioral intentions (BI), with their positive effects outweighing the significant deterrent impact of perceived risks (PR).

A pathway from fragmentation to interoperability through standards-based enterprise architecture to enhance patient safety.

Creating an ontology is the essential step in natural language processing (NLP). To improve patient safety in this era of generative AI, it is crucial to develop a standards-driven, ontology-based architecture for patient safety that can seamlessly integrate with health systems, thereby facilitating effective detection and monitoring potentially preventable harms in healthcare. This visionary, whole-system approach to patient safety addresses a significant gap in establishing resilient safety systems within the healthcare sector.

Robust peptide/RNA complexes prepared with microfluidic mixing for pulmonary delivery by nebulisation.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) have drawn considerable attention in recent years due to their ability to modulate the expression of specific disease-related proteins. However, it is difficult to find safe, robust, and effective RNA delivery systems suitable for pulmonary delivery to treat lung diseases. In this study, two cationic peptides, namely LAH4-L1 and PEGKL4, were employed as non-viral vectors for siRNA and mRNA delivery.

Novel synaptic markers predict early tau pathology and cognitive deficit in an asymptomatic population at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) correlates closely with pathology in the neuronal microtubule-associated protein tau. Tau pathology may spread via neural synapses. In a population of cognitively unimpaired elderly at elevated risk of AD, we investigated four cerebrospinal (CSF) markers of synaptic dysfunction and degeneration.

piR-26441 inhibits mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer through m6A modification by interacting with YTHDC1.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a heterogeneous cancer. In contrast to other tumor cells, which rely primarily on aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) as their energy source, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is also one of its major metabolic modes. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play a regulatory function in various biological processes in tumor cells.

CDK14 regulates the development and repair of lung.

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 14 regulates cell cycle, tumor expansion by influencing the downstream targets of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. However, the function of CDK14 during organ development and regeneration has not been investigated in genetically-modified animals. Here, we found that genetic ablation of Cdk14 influenced pulmonary vascular endothelial cells and alveolar epithelial cells during mice embryonic development as well as repair of lung after bleomycin or lipopolysaccharide induced injury.

Comparative risks and clinical outcomes of midazolam versus other intravenous sedatives in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Objectives: This systematic review synthesized literature evidence and compared midazolam's risks and clinical outcomes with other sedatives in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.

Methods: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL without language restrictions. We used relative risk (RR) for binary outcomes and standardized mean difference (SMD) for continuous outcomes, with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).

Assessment of Outcomes & Anatomical Changes in the Upper Urinary Tract following Flexible Ureteroscopy with a Flexible and Navigable Suction Ureteral Access Sheath (FANS): 3-Month Results from a Multicenter Study.

Objectives: To study the long-term outcomes of the flexible and navigable suction ureteral access sheath (FANS) in flexible ureteroscopy (FURS). FANS has well-established efficiency and 30-day perioperative safety; however, its influence on pelvicalyceal and ureteric anatomy remains to be investigated.

Methods: This was a prospective study of patients with normal renal anatomy who underwent FURS with FANS for renal stones from April 2023 to August 2024 in 16 centers worldwide.

Antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic digestion: Unresolved challenges and potential solutions.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens public health, necessitating urgent efforts to mitigate the global impact of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Anaerobic digestion (AD), known for volatile solid reduction and energy generation, also presents a feasible approach for the removal of ARGs. This review encapsulates the existing understanding of ARGs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) during the AD process, highlighting unresolved challenges pertaining to their detection and quantification.

Early life environmental enrichment yields resilience to selected behavioural and brain responses to 5-fluorouracil in mice.

Chemotherapy remains the primary treatment modality for multiple cancer types, but the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs often leads to persistent psychological disturbances that undermine daily function. Minimizing such unwanted effects is challenging in the rehabilitation/prehabilitation of cancer survivors, hence the impetus to identify modifiable external factors capable of improving the recovery process. The importance of social stimulation has been demonstrated in a mouse model showing that grouped housing lowered the likelihood of developing mood disturbance following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs compared with isolated housing.

Comparison of Different Methods on Post-Activation Performance Enhancement: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis was aimed to compare the effects of two methods on post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE). We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from inception to December 2023. Two authors independently selected the included studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias and certainty evidence.

Who thrives in a public health crisis?

Public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic pose daunting challenges to both policymakers and citizens. Social distancing measures have been found to adversely impact mental health. In this study, we sought to identify those who thrived throughout the worst wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

Sit is not lit: Examining the impact of message framing, modality, and peer influence on attitudes and intentions to reduce sedentary behavior.

This study examines the effects of gain-loss framing, messaging modality, peer influence, and individual factors such as social norms and self-efficacy on the attitudes and intentions to reduce sedentary behaviors among university students, specifically through (a) taking breaks and (b) taking 10,000 steps daily. We conducted a two-week health campaign field experiment on Instagram in January 2022, delivering ten posts with tailored messages to 284 university students in Singapore (valid N = 249). The participants were predominantly female (70.

Magnetic resonance imaging safety in Asia-Oceania: call for action.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) safety is a critical concern in the Asia-Oceania region, as it is elsewhere in the world, due to the unique and complex MRI environment that demands attention. This call-for-action outlines ten critical steps to enhance MRI safety and promote a culture of responsibility and accountability in the Asia-Oceania region. Key focus areas include strengthening education and expertise, improving quality assurance, fostering collaboration, increasing public awareness, and establishing national safety boards.

Modulation of Intestinal Inflammation and Protection of Dopaminergic Neurons in Parkinson's Disease Mice through a Probiotic Formulation Targeting NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Emerging evidence highlights the significance of peripheral inflammation in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and suggests the gut as a viable therapeutic target. This study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effects of the probiotic formulation VSL#3 and its underlying mechanism in a PD mouse model induced by MPTP. Following MPTP administration, the striatal levels of dopamine and its metabolites, as along with the survival rate of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, were significantly reduced in PD mice.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Development of Adolescent Risk-Taking: The Mediating Effect of Self-Control and Moderating Effect of Genetic Variations.

Risk-taking is a concerning yet prevalent issue during adolescence and can be life-threatening. Examining its etiological sources and evolving pathways helps inform strategies to mitigate adolescents' risk-taking behavior. Studies have found that unfavorable environmental factors, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are associated with momentary levels of risk-taking in adolescents, but little is known about whether ACEs shape the developmental trajectory of risk-taking.

Stochastic galvanic vestibular stimulation improves kinetic performance in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis during obstacle negotiation.

Vestibular dysfunction has been reported as a potential cause in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, it remained unclear how stochastic galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) affected kinetic performance of patients with AIS. This study aimed to investigate the effect of stochastic GVS on ground reaction forces (GRF) measures during obstacle negotiation among patients with AIS.

Efficient Nitrate to Ammonia Conversion on Bifunctional IrCu Alloy Nanoparticles.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction (NORR) to ammonia presents a promising alternative strategy to the traditional Haber-Bosch process. However, the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) reduces the Faradaic efficiency toward ammonia, while the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) increases the energy consumption. This study designs IrCu alloy nanoparticles as a bifunctional catalyst to achieve efficient NORR and OER while suppressing the unwanted HER.

Prediction of pre-eclampsia using maternal hemodynamic parameters at 12 + 0 to 15 + 6 weeks.

Objectives: To compare the maternal hemodynamic profile at 12 + 0 to 15 + 6 weeks' gestation in women who subsequently developed pre-eclampsia (PE) and those who did not, and to assess the screening performance of maternal hemodynamic parameters for PE in combination with the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) triple test, including maternal factors (MF), mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index and placental growth factor.

Methods: This was a prospective case-control study involving Chinese women with a singleton pregnancy who underwent preterm PE screening at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks' gestation using the FMF triple test, between February 2020 and February 2023. Women identified as being at high risk (≥ 1:100) for preterm PE by the FMF triple test were matched 1:1 with women identified as low risk (< 1:100) for maternal age ± 3 years, maternal weight ± 5 kg and date of screening ± 14 days.

Coronavirus Cryptic Landscape and Draft Genome of a Novel CoV Clade Related to MERS From Bats Circulating in Northeastern Brazil.

We identified seven distinct coronaviruses (CoVs) in bats from Brazil, classified into 229E-related (Alpha-CoV), Nobecovirus, Sarbecovirus, and Merbecovirus (Beta-CoV), including one closely related to MERS-like CoV with 82.8% genome coverage. To accomplish this, we screened 423 oral and rectal swabs from 16 different bat species using molecular assays, RNA sequencing, and evolutionary analysis.

Associations between anthropogenic heat emissions and serum lipids among adults in northeastern China.

Few epidemiological studies have investigated associations between anthropogenic heat emissions (AE) and serum lipids. We recruited 15,477 adults from 33 communities in northeastern China in 2009. We estimated AE flux by using data on energy consumption and socio-economic statistics covering building, transportation, industry, and human metabolism.

Long-term use of low-dose aspirin for cancer prevention: A 20-year longitudinal cohort study of 1,506,525 Hong Kong residents.

Long-term use of low-dose aspirin has been demonstrated to reduce cancer risk, but the duration of necessary medication use remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the long-term chemoprotective effect of aspirin among the Chinese population. This population-based study included all aspirin users between 2000 and 2019.

Comparative activity of dimethyl fumarate derivative IDMF in three models relevant to multiple sclerosis and psoriasis.

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory medication used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis. Its skin sensitization property precludes its topical use, which is unfortunate for the treatment of psoriasis. Isosorbide di-(methyl fumarate) (IDMF), a novel derivative of DMF, was synthesized to circumvent this adverse reaction and unlock the potential of topical delivery, which could be useful for treating psoriasis in the subpopulation of psoriatic MS patients, as well as in the general population.