Biodegradable composite films of barley fibers for food packaging applications: A review.

Conventional food packaging is creating a significant cause of environmental hazards, posing challenges in disposal and recycling. Lignocellulose fibers possess remarkable biodegradable properties and can be modified or blended with other polymers. Thus, using lignocellulose biocomposite films derived from barley, a renewable source can mitigate and potentially transform into sustainable, innovative packaging material in the food sectors.

Preparation and characterization of the octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) modified sphingan WL gum as novel biopolymeric surfactants.

Combining polymer and surfactant in one agent namely polymeric surfactants with both high viscosity and surface activity has become a viable alternative for the traditional enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. With the purpose of developing new polymeric surfactants, the biopolymer flooding agent sphingan WL gum was modified by octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) through the esterification reaction. The effects of molecular weight (MW) of WL and the OSA: WL ratio on the properties of the products were investigated.

Growth inhibition and toxicity assessments of cis-3,4-diaryl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactams in cultured human renal cancer cells and zebrafish embryos.

This study aimed to compare and evaluate the growth inhibition effects of eight previously synthesized compounds, cis-3,4-diaryl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactams (compounds 1-8), on two human renal carcinoma cell (RCC) lines: CRL-1932 (rapid growth) and HTB-44 (slow growth). MTT assays and flow cytometry were conducted, revealing that compounds 5 and 6 had the potential to induce cell death in the slow-growing RCC cells (HTB-44), while compound 8 demonstrated effectiveness in both RCC lines (HTB-44 and CRL-1932). Additionally, a non-transformed HEK293 cell line and a transgenic zebrafish with a green fluorescent kidney Tg(wt1b:egfp) were used to assess the toxicities of compounds 5, 6, and 8.

Chlorophyllides repress gain-of-function p53 mutated HNSCC cell proliferation via activation of p73 and repression of p53 aggregation in vitro and in vivo.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells have a high p53 mutation rate, but there were rare reported about the p53 gain of function through the prion-like aggregated form in p53 mutated HNSCC cells. Thioflavin T (ThT) is used to stain prion-like proteins in cells. Previously, we found that ThT and p53 staining were co-localized in HNSCC cells (Detroit 562 cells) with homozygous p53 R175H mutation.

Physicochemical characteristics and metabolite composition of fish sauce made from large yellow croaker roe enzymatic hydrolysates based on three fermentation temperatures.

Large yellow croaker roes were used to make fish sauce using enzymolysis method, and the impact of different fermentation temperatures (25, 32 and 40 °C) on the physicochemical characteristics and metabolite composition was revealed. Results indicated that compared with 25 and 32 °C, the higher contents of total acidity, amino nitrogen, total soluble nitrogen, and the deepening of the nonenzymatic browning degree of fish sauce fermented at 40 °C were obtained. The total volatile basic nitrogen content at 40 °C was lower than 32 °C.

Effects of DELIMA education programme on nurses' knowledge, confidence, attitude, and screening accuracy for delirium in paediatric intensive care units.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a 4-week Delirium Introduction and Maintenance programme based on the knowledge-to-action framework on nurses' knowledge, self-confidence, attitudes, and screening accuracy for delirium in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Research Methodology/design: A quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design.

Setting: This study was conducted between January and February 2024 with nurses in two Indonesian PICUs.

High-entropy NASICON-Type LiAlTiZrSnTa(PO) with high electrochemical stability for lithium-ion batteries.

LiAlTi (PO) (LATP) is a promising NASICON-type solid electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs) owing to its high ionic conductivity, low cost, and stability in ambient atmosphere. However, the electrochemical stability of LATP suffers upon contact with lithium metals, resulting in a reduction of Ti to Ti in its structure. This limitation necessitates interface modification processes, hindering its use in lithium-ion batteries.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Interactive Robot-Assisted Virtual Health Coaching for Health Literacy and Disease Knowledge of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Quasiexperimental Study.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) imposes a significant global health and economic burden, impacting millions globally. Despite its high prevalence, public awareness and understanding of CKD remain limited, leading to delayed diagnosis and suboptimal management. Traditional patient education methods, such as 1-on-1 verbal instruction or printed brochures, are often insufficient, especially considering the shortage of nursing staff.

Long-Term Moderating Effect of Resilience Capacity on the Impact of Stressful Life Events on Depressive Symptoms After 6 Years in Outpatients With Depression and/or Anxiety.

Previous cross-sectional studies have utilized scales to explore potential indications of the moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between stressful life events (SLEs) and mental health. However, there remains a notable dearth of psychometrically driven models in longitudinal resilience research, especially concerning the prognosis of individuals with affective disorders and/or anxiety. This study aimed to investigate whether baseline resilience capacity, measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, could mitigate the impact of SLEs on depressive symptoms assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II among 66 outpatients with depression and/or anxiety disorders during a follow-up period ranging from 4-8 years.

Effect of Occupational Noise on Employee Health: A Longitudinal Study.

Objective: This study investigated the long-term health risks associated with occupational noise exposure. By using 9 years of health examination data from a major manufacturing company in Taiwan, this study compared the health indices of employees in noise-intensive and non-noise-intensive work environments.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 6278 health examination reports spanning 9 years was conducted to compare 20 health indices among 166 employees evenly distributed between noise-intensive and non-noise-intensive workgroups.

Effectiveness and safety of talimogene laherparepvec and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor for metastatic melanoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Melanoma is an aggressive tumor that is challenging to treat. Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), the first oncolytic virus treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat unresectable melanoma, was recently used in recurrent tumors after initial surgery. Our network meta-analysis aimed to compare T-VEC treatment of metastatic melanoma with treatment of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and control group.

Selection of the apposite vacuum extractor during operative delivery: A biomechanical study.

Background: Operative delivery is a technique used during vaginal or cesarean birth to facilitate the patient's labor course through the assistance of a vacuum extractor. This method is increasingly used compared with forceps. This study aimed to investigate the forced effects of vacuum extractors comprising vacuum cups with different thicknesses on the fetal head and the vacuum extractor during vacuum-assisted delivery and to determine the optimal thickness for reducing the failure rate and minimizing neonatal and maternal morbidity.

Incidence and influential factors of postoperative pruritus in morphine-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia.

Background: Pruritus is a distressing symptom of systemic opioid analgesia that responds poorly to conventional antipruritus treatments. This study aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for postoperative pruritus using intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA).

Methods: Opioid-naïve patients who underwent morphine-based IV-PCA for postoperative pain at a tertiary center between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023, were included retrospectively.

Germline and Somatic Genomic Testing for Metastatic Prostate Cancer: ASCO Guideline.

Purpose: To evaluate evidence on germline and somatic genomic testing for patients with metastatic prostate cancer and provide recommendations.

Methods: A systematic review by a multidisciplinary panel with patient representation was conducted. The PubMed database was searched from January 2018 to May 2024.

3D Imaging Resolves Human Pancreatic Duct-β-Cell Clusters During Cystic Change.

Pancreatic cystic changes in adults are increasingly identified through advanced cross-sectional imaging. However, the impact of initial/intra-lobular epithelial remodeling on the local β-cell population remains unclear. In this study, we examined 10 human cadaveric donor pancreases (tail and body regions) via integration of stereomicroscopy, clinical H&E histology, and 3D immunohistochemistry, identifying 36 microcysts (size: 1.

3D-Printed "Jigsaw Puzzle" in Craniomaxillofacial Comminuted Fracture Reduction.

Background: Surgical treatment of comminuted and multiple facial fractures is challenging, as identifying the bone anatomy and restoring the alignment are complicated. To overcome the difficulties, 3D-printed "jigsaw puzzle" has been innovated to improve the surgical outcome. This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of 3D-printed model in facial fracture restoration procedures.

Survival properties and spread rates in non-autonomous spread models.

As time progresses, the transmission pattern of a disease may change. To more precisely determine the spread behaviors of the disease, we develop non-autonomous topological and random spread models. In this article, we validate the survival characteristics of these spread models and elucidate their connection with mixing properties using the associated ξ-matrices or spread mean matrices.

Superstable lipid vacuoles endow cartilage with its shape and biomechanics.

Conventionally, the size, shape, and biomechanics of cartilages are determined by their voluminous extracellular matrix. By contrast, we found that multiple murine cartilages consist of lipid-filled cells called lipochondrocytes. Despite resembling adipocytes, lipochondrocytes were molecularly distinct and produced lipids exclusively through de novo lipogenesis.

Analysis of the structure and robustness of the global semiconductor trade network.

Amidst the global restructuring of the semiconductor supply chain, this paper constructs a global semiconductor trade network (2007, 2012, 2017, 2021) encompassing three segments (raw materials, equipment, and finished components), based on the CEPII database. After initially exploring trade flows among different regions, the paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the network's overall structure and the significance of its nodes. Furthermore, the evolution of the trade network's community structure is discussed and its robustness and dynamics over recent years are assessed through computer program simulation.

Exploration of designing an automatic classifier for questions containing code snippets-A case study of Oracle SQL certification exam questions.

This study uses the Oracle SQL certification exam questions to explore the design of automatic classifiers for exam questions containing code snippets. SQL's question classification assigns a class label in the exam topics to a question. With this classification, questions can be selected from the test bank according to the testing scope to assemble a more suitable test paper.

The Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Sleep Quality Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: The Moderating Effect of Gender.

Background: Symptoms of psychological distress such as depression and anxiety as well as gender are known to be associated with sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults. However, little is known about the effect on sleep quality of interactions among these factors.

Purpose: This study was developed to investigate the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between psychological distress and sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults.

Effects of eight-week aerobic and resistance training on health self-efficacy, body image, and well-being in college students.

Background: This study explored the effects of innovative physical training during COVID-19 periods on college students' health self-efficacy, body image, and subjective well-being.

Methods: Forty-one students were recruited through convenience sampling and assigned to three exercise groups (i.e.

ECM29/proteasome-mediated self-antigen generation by CNS-resident neuroglia promotes regulatory T cell activation.

Proteasomes generate antigenic peptides presented on cell surfaces-a process that, in neuroglia, is highly responsive to external stimuli. However, the function of the self-antigens presented by CNS parenchymal cells remains unclear. Here, we report that the fidelity of neuroglial self-antigens is crucial to suppress encephalitogenic T cell responses by elevating regulatory T (Treg) cell populations.

StackDILI: Enhancing Drug-Induced Liver Injury Prediction through Stacking Strategy with Effective Molecular Representations.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major challenge in drug development, often leading to clinical trial failures and market withdrawals due to liver toxicity. This study presents StackDILI, a computational framework designed to accelerate toxicity assessment by predicting DILI risk. StackDILI integrates multiple molecular descriptors to extract structural and physicochemical features, including the constitution, pharmacophore, MACCS, and E-state descriptors.