Phytochemistry and nutraceutical potential of Ceylon Cinnamomum species native to Sri Lanka.

Cinnamon is a spice that is renowned for its several medicinal and cosmetic benefits. The research study examined the essential oil content, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of seven species native to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon bark and leaf samples were used to extract essential oils, methanol, and hexane.

Protocol for genome-wide analysis of somatic variants at single-cell resolution using primary template-directed DNA amplification.

The study of somatic mutations in single cells provides insights into aging and carcinogenesis, which is complicated by the dependency on whole-genome amplification (WGA). Here, we describe a detailed workflow starting from single-cell isolation to WGA by primary template-directed amplification (PTA), sequencing, quality control, and downstream analyses. A machine learning approach, the PTA Analysis Toolkit (PTATO), is used to filter the hundreds to thousands of artificial variants induced by WGA from true mutations at high sensitivity and accuracy.

An interdisciplinary e-learning intervention for professionals working with breast cancer survivors and chronic pain: a realist evaluation.

Purpose: Chronic pain is prevalent among breast cancer survivors. Bio-psychosocial factors interplay in its exacerbation and maintenance. Therefore, prevention and treatment require an interdisciplinary response and the integration of various approaches.

The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean Version 5.0.

Knowledge about seafloor depth, or bathymetry, is crucial for various marine activities, including scientific research, offshore industry, safety of navigation, and ocean exploration. Mapping the central Arctic Ocean is challenging due to the presence of perennial sea ice, which limits data collection to icebreakers, submarines, and drifting ice stations. The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) was initiated in 1997 with the goal of updating the Arctic Ocean bathymetric portrayal.

Validation of the Spanish version of the Adjustment Disorder New Module-20 (ADNM-20) in a non-clinical sample.

Background: There is a lack of self-report measures specifically designed for Adjustment disorder. One of the most widely used instruments is the Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM), which has already been validated in different countries. The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the ADNM-20 with a non-clinical sample, including a comparison with a high-risk sample.

Factor structure of the HIV-SM LMIC self-management questionnaire for people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries.

Introduction: Despite the need for reliable questionnaires to monitor self-management in chronic disease patients, such tools are lacking in developing countries. This study aims to pilot and assess the construct validity of the HIV-SM LMIC questionnaire.

Method: The validation of the HIV-SM LMIC questionnaire involved two cross-sectional studies in Ethiopia.

Decision-making about palliative sedation for patients with cancer: a qualitative study in five European countries linked to the Palliative sedation project.

Background: Palliative sedation refers to the proportional use of titrated medication which reduces consciousness with the aim of relieving refractory suffering related to physical and psychological symptoms and/or existential distress near the end of life. Palliative sedation is intended to be an end of life option that enables healthcare professionals to provide good patient care but there remains controversy on how it is used. Little is known about decision-making processes regarding this procedure.

Influence of the university campus environment on sociocultural engagement and satisfaction of health professions education students: role of the sense of belonging.

Background: Sociocultural competence is essential for health professions education (HPE) students. However, the relationships between university campus environment, sense of belonging, and sociocultural engagement of HPE students remain unclear. We hypothesized that a university environment promoting students' participation in social activities enhances their sociocultural engagement, which is mediated through the students' sense of belonging, ultimately increasing their satisfaction with university experience.

Incidence of primary care chest pain consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series analysis with routine care data.

Background: The COVID-19 lockdown had profound effects on society and healthcare. Cardiology departments reported declines in chest pain evaluations and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnoses. However, the pattern of chest pain in primary care is not clear yet.

Predicting preterm birth using electronic medical records from multiple prenatal visits.

This study aimed to predict preterm birth in nulliparous women using machine learning and easily accessible variables from prenatal visits. Elastic net regularized logistic regression models were developed and evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation on data from 8,830 women in the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: New Mothers-to-Be (nuMoM2b) dataset at three prenatal visits: - , - , and - weeks of gestational age (GA). The models' performance, assessed using Area Under the Curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, consistently improved with the incorporation of data from later prenatal visits.

The importance of microbiology reference laboratories and adequate funding for infectious disease surveillance.

Microbiology reference laboratories perform a crucial role within public health systems. This role was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Viewpoint, we emphasise the importance of microbiology reference laboratories and highlight the types of digital data and expertise they provide, which benefit national and international public health.

From the 100 Day Mission to 100 lines of software development: how to improve early outbreak analytics.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, considerable advances have been made to improve epidemic preparedness by accelerating diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccine development. However, we argue that it is crucial to make equivalent efforts in the field of outbreak analytics to help ensure reliable, evidence-based decision making. To explore the challenges and key priorities in the field of outbreak analytics, the Epiverse-TRACE initiative brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts, including field epidemiologists, data scientists, academics, and software engineers from public health institutions across multiple countries.

Comparison of physical, mechanical, and optical properties between thermoplastic materials and 3-dimensional printing resins for orthodontic clear retainers.

Introduction: This study investigated the physical, mechanical, and optical properties of 3-dimensional (3D) printing resins compared with thermoplastic materials to evaluate their suitability for the fabrication of orthodontic clear retainers.

Methods: Samples were prepared from thermoplastic sheets (Duran [Scheu-Dental GmbH, Iserlohn, Germany] and Zendura [Bay Materials LLC, Fremont, Calif]) and biocompatible 3D-printing resins (Dental LT Clear V2 [Formlabs Inc, Somerville, Mass] and OrthoFlex [Nextdent BV, Soesterberg, The Netherlands]) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and water sorption tests.

Candida auris in Dutch hospitals: are we ready for it?

Background: Candida auris can cause nosocomial outbreaks and provides challenges concerning diagnosis, treatment, eradication and infection prevention. There are no Dutch standards or guidelines for C. auris, and current hospital practices are unknown.

Can knowledge-based planning models validated on ethnically diverse patients lead to global standardisation of external beam radiation therapy for locally advanced cervix cancer?

Background And Purpose: Knowledge-based planning (KBP) can consistently and efficiently create high-quality Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT) plans for cervix cancer. This study describes the cross-validation of two KBP models on geographically distinct populations and their comparison to manual plans from 67 centers. The purpose was to determine the universal applicability of a generic KBP model.

Glepaglutide, a Long-acting Glucagon-like Peptide-2 Analog, Reduces Parenteral Support in Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome: a Phase 3, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Background And Aims: Glepaglutide is a long-acting GLP-2 analog developed to improve intestinal absorption in short bowel syndrome (SBS) patients. We conducted a trial to establish efficacy and safety of glepaglutide in reducing parenteral support (PS) needs in SBS patients with intestinal failure (IF).

Methods: In an international, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, phase 3 trial, SBS-IF patients requiring PS ≥3 days/week were randomized 1:1:1 to 24 weeks of glepaglutide 10 mg twice-weekly (TW) or once-weekly (OW), or placebo.

Regulatory preparedness for multicomponent nanomaterials: Current state, gaps and challenges of REACH.

In 2018 the European Commission adopted revisions to the Annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) to introduce nanomaterial-specific clarifications and provisions. Multicomponent nanomaterial (MCNM) is a non-regulatory term that has been used in recent EU-funded projects to describe nanomaterials with a complex structure and/or composition and which are expected to be increasingly used in products in the near future. This paper examines the regulatory preparedness of REACH, and its revised Annexes, for MCNMs.

Incorporation of ionizable lipids into the outer shell of lipid-coated calcium phosphate nanoparticles boosts cellular mRNA delivery.

Messenger RNA is a highly promising biotherapeutic modality with great potential in preventive and therapeutic vaccination, and in the modulation of cellular function through transient expression of therapeutic proteins. However, for cellular delivery, mRNA requires packaging into delivery vehicles that mediate uptake and also shield the mRNA against degradation. Lipid-coated calcium phosphate (LCP) nanoparticles encapsulate the mRNA in a calcium phosphate core, which is coated by a bilayer of structural lipids, positively charged lipids and pegylated lipid to mediate cellular uptake and achieve colloidal stabilization.

Immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Saharan Africa and western Europe: a retrospective, population-based, cross-sectional study.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with a higher proportion of asymptomatic infections and lower mortality in sub-Saharan Africa than high-income countries. However, there is currently a lack of data on cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in people living in Africa compared with people in high-income regions of the world. We aimed to assess geographical variation in peripheral and mucosal immune responses.

Metabolic profiling of patient-derived organoids reveals nucleotide synthesis as a metabolic vulnerability in malignant rhabdoid tumors.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) is one of the most aggressive childhood cancers for which no effective treatment options are available. Reprogramming of cellular metabolism is an important hallmark of cancer, with various metabolism-based drugs being approved as a cancer treatment. In this study, we use patient-derived tumor organoids (tumoroids) to map the metabolic landscape of several pediatric cancers.

snRNA-seq stratifies multiple sclerosis patients into distinct white matter glial responses.

Poor understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of clinical and genetic heterogeneity in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) has hindered the search for new effective therapies. To address this gap, we analyzed 632,000 single-nucleus RNA sequencing profiles from 156 brain tissue samples of MS and control donors to examine inter- and intra-donor heterogeneity. We found distinct cell type-specific gene expression changes between MS gray and white matter, highlighting clear pathology differences.