A single-centre randomised controlled trial comparing the standard method and target-controlled infusion as a method of administering cefoxitin, which is used to prevent surgical site infections in colorectal surgical patients: study protocol.

Background: Prophylactic parenteral administration of antibiotics is strongly recommended to prevent surgical site infection (SSI). Cefoxitin is mainly administered intravenously in colorectal surgery. The current standard method for administering prophylactic antibiotics in adults is to administer a fixed dose quickly before skin incision.

Network analysis combined with genome-wide association study helps identification of genes related to amino acid contents in soybean.

Background: Additional to total protein content, the amino acid (AA) profile is important to the nutritional value of soybean seed. The AA profile in soybean seed is a complex quantitative trait controlled by multiple interconnected genes and pathways controlling the accumulation of each AA. With a total of 621 soybean germplasm, we used three genome-wide association study (GWAS)-based approaches to investigate the genomic regions controlling the AA content and profile in soybean.

Multiomic quantification of the KRAS mutation dosage improves the preoperative prediction of survival and recurrence in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Most cancer mutation profiling studies are laboratory-based and lack direct clinical application. For clinical use, it is necessary to focus on key genes and integrate them with relevant clinical variables. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the dosage of the KRAS G12 mutation, a key pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) variant and to investigate the biological mechanism of the prognosis associated with the dosage of the KRAS G12 mutation.

Airway management and functional outcomes in intubated patients with ischemic stroke.

We investigated the functional outcomes in ischemic stroke patients who underwent endotracheal intubation according to airway management (i.e., extubation success, extubation failure, primary tracheostomy) at multiple time points.

Intestinal TM6SF2 protects against metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis through the gut-liver axis.

Transmembrane-6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) regulates hepatic fat metabolism and is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). TM6SF2 genetic variants are associated with steatotic liver disease. The pathogenesis of MASH involves genetic factors and gut microbiota alteration, yet the role of host-microbe interactions in MASH development remains unclear.

A multi-kinase inhibitor screen identifies inhibitors preserving stem-cell-like chimeric antigen receptor T cells.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T cells) with T stem (T) cell-like phenotypic characteristics promote sustained antitumor effects. We performed an unbiased and automated high-throughput screen of a kinase-focused compound set to identify kinase inhibitors (KIs) that preserve human T cell-like CAR T cells. We identified three KIs, UNC10225387B, UNC10225263A and UNC10112761A, that combined in vitro increased the frequency of CD45RACCR7TCF1 T cell-like CAR T cells from both healthy donors and patients with cancer.

Host metabolism balances microbial regulation of bile acid signalling.

Metabolites derived from the intestinal microbiota, including bile acids (BA), extensively modulate vertebrate physiology, including development, metabolism, immune responses and cognitive function. However, to what extent host responses balance the physiological effects of microbiota-derived metabolites remains unclear. Here, using untargeted metabolomics of mouse tissues, we identified a family of BA-methylcysteamine (BA-MCY) conjugates that are abundant in the intestine and dependent on vanin 1 (VNN1), a pantetheinase highly expressed in intestinal tissues.

Novel primers drive accurate SYBR Green PCR detection of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua in cultures and mushrooms.

The close genetic resemblance between Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua, combined with their presence in similar environments, poses challenges for species-specific detection in food products. Ensuring food safety through microbiological standards necessitates reliable detection of pathogens like L. monocytogenes and L.

Preoperative radiotherapy combined with surgery versus surgery alone for primary retroperitoneal sarcoma: a meta-analysis.

The efficacy of preoperative radiotherapy combined with surgery (preRT + S) for primary retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) remains unclear. This study aimed to compare preRT + S with surgery alone (SA) in patients with RPS. Core databases were searched for directly comparative studies depending on preRT.

An infrared, Raman, and X-ray database of battery interphase components.

Further improvements to lithium-ion and emerging battery technologies can be enabled by an improved understanding of the chemistry and working mechanisms of interphases that form at electrochemically active battery interfaces. However, it is difficult to collect and interpret spectra of interphases for several reasons, including the presence of a variety of compounds. To address this challenge, we herein present a vibrational spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction data library of ten compounds that have been identified as interphase constituents in lithium-ion or emerging battery chemistries.

Advancements in Passive Wireless Sensing Systems in Monitoring Harsh Environment and Healthcare Applications.

Recent advancements in passive wireless sensor technology have significantly extended the application scope of sensing, particularly in challenging environments for monitoring industry and healthcare applications. These systems are equipped with battery-free operation, wireless connectivity, and are designed to be both miniaturized and lightweight. Such features enable the safe, real-time monitoring of industrial environments and support high-precision physiological measurements in confined internal body spaces and on wearable epidermal devices.

Prevalence and demographic profile of keratoconus among high school students in Kenya.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and demographic profile of keratoconus (KC) among high school students in Nairobi County, Kenya.

Methods: In this population-based, prospective, cross-sectional study, multistage cluster sampling was used to select the participants. All students underwent visual acuity measurement, auto-refraction, retinoscopy and corneal topography.

Unsymmetric triazine-based triglucoside detergents for membrane protein stability.

Membrane proteins play a crucial role in a variety of biological processes and are key targets for pharmaceutical development. Structural studies of membrane proteins provide molecular insights into the mechanisms of these processes and are essential for effective drug discovery. Historically, these studies have relied on solubilization of the target protein using detergents, but conventional detergents often fail to maintain the stability of challenging membrane proteins.

Role of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane in enhancing functional outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) has shown potential in enhancing neurovascular recovery and functional outcomes in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Aim: To evaluate the effects of dHACM on continence recovery, sexual function, and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing RARP.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines, analyzing data from PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE.

Deciphering risk factors for severe postherpetic neuralgia in patients with herpes zoster: an interpretable machine learning approach.

Introduction: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a common complication of herpes zoster (HZ). This study aimed to use a large real-world electronic medical records database to determine the optimal machine learning model for predicting the progression to severe PHN and to identify the associated risk factors.

Methods: We analyzed the electronic medical records of 23,326 patients diagnosed with HZ from January 2010 to June 2020.

Control of rotavirus by sequential stress of disinfectants and gamma irradiation in leafy vegetable industry.

Rotavirus (RV) causes severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide. Fresh produce has been reported as a source of RV infection during production and harvesting, leading to foodborne illness. Cases of contamination from contact surfaces have also been reported.

Impact of storage temperature and ultraviolet irradiation on rotavirus survival on food matrices.

This study investigated the survival of human rotavirus (HRV) on fresh beef, chicken, and lettuce stored at various temperatures, as well as the effect of UV-C exposure on HRV viability on these food surfaces. At 20 °C, the survival rate of three HRV strains (WA, 89-12C2, and DS-1) on beef, chicken, and lettuce decreased within 3 days, with the most significant reduction observed on beef. When stored at 4 °C, a significant reduction in HRV viability was observed by day 7, with the greatest decrease observed on beef, followed by chicken and lettuce.

Identification of 3-methoxytyramine as a specific biomarker for beet-sugar-fed honey: A two year surveillance study in South Korea.

Honey is highly vulnerable to food fraud, and there are growing concerns about product authenticity. The commonly used stable carbon isotope ratios in the Calvin (C3) and Hatch-Slack (C4) photosynthesis cycles in plant feed cannot distinguish between beet-sugar-fed honey and natural honey. However, 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) can be used as specific biomarker for identifying adulteration of beet-sugar-fed honey.

Enzymatic grafting of 5-O-succinyl erythorbyl myristate onto chitosan to improve its emulsifying properties.

Chitosan (CS) is a versatile polysaccharide with numerous inherent biological activity, while the lack of amphiphilicity limits its application in emulsion-based systems. In this study, erythorbyl myristate (EM) with interfacial activity was chemically modified to 5-O-succinyl EM (EMS) and grafted onto CS to improve the emulsifying properties. The grafting reaction was conducted by the catalysis of protease, with the progress of the reaction monitored by HPLC analysis and UV absorbance measurement.

Polydopamine-integrated cellulose/graphene oxide monoliths: A versatile platform for efficient continuous-flow iodine capture and photothermal-enhanced reduction of Cr(VI).

The global challenge of wastewater contamination, especially from persistent pollutants like radioactive isotopes and heavy metals, demands innovative purification solutions. Radioactive iodine isotopes (I and I), stemming from nuclear activities, pose serious health risks due to their mobility, bioaccumulation, and ionizing radiation, particularly impacting thyroid health. Similarly, hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), is highly toxic and persistent in water, linked to cancer and other severe health issues.

Elasticity of Swollen and Folded Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Using the MARTINI Coarse-Grained Model.

One of the key advantages of using a hydrogel is its superb control over elasticity obtained through variations of constituent polymer and water. The underlying molecular nature of a hydrogel is a fundamental origin of hydrogel mechanics. In this article, we report a Polyacrylamide (PAAm)-based hydrogel model using the MARTINI coarse-grained (CG) force field.

A Novel Point-of-Care Prediction Model for Steatotic Liver Disease: Expected Role of Mass Screening in the Global Obesity Crisis.

Background/aims: The incidence of steatotic liver disease (SLD) is increasing across all age groups as the incidence of obesity increases worldwide. The existing noninvasive prediction models for SLD require laboratory tests or imaging and perform poorly in the early diagnosis of infrequently screened populations such as young adults and individuals with healthcare disparities. We developed a machine learning-based point-of-care prediction model for SLD that is readily available to the broader population with the aim of facilitating early detection and timely intervention and ultimately reducing the burden of SLD.