General practitioner-centered rural obesity management: Design, protocol and baseline data of the German HAPpEN pragmatic trial.

Objective: HAPpEN aims to implement and evaluate a holistic general practitioner-centered, interdisciplinary obesity management strategy in rural Germany, focusing on feasibility, health outcomes, and economic benefits.

Methods: HAPpEN is a 12-month, pragmatic single-arm, multicenter trial, informed by a formative survey, and initiated in April 2023 with 98 obese participants (body mass index, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m) in Kulmbach, Germany. The program integrates nutritional counseling, physical activity, and behavior change techniques, including smartphone-based self-monitoring.

Autoimmune protocol diet: A personalized elimination diet for patients with autoimmune diseases.

The autoimmune protocol diet (AIP) is a personalized elimination diet that aims to determine and exclude the foods that might trigger immune responses, leading to inflammation and symptomatology associated with autoimmune diseases. Focusing on gut health and the importance of the gut microbiome in immune regulation and overall well-being, the AIP starts by eliminating foods that might create negative effects on the patients and continues by developing a personalized and tailored diet plan for them. This comprehensive approach aims to mitigate symptoms and improve quality of life of individuals with autoimmune conditions.

Nitroaromatic-based triazene prodrugs to target the hypoxic microenvironment in glioblastoma.

Hypoxia is a hallmark of the glioblastoma multiforme microenvironment and represents a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Herein, we report nitroaromatic-based triazene prodrugs designed for selective activation by tumoral endogenous reductases and release of the cytotoxic methyldiazonium ion a self-immolative mechanism. While compounds bearing a 2-nitrofuran bioreductive group were more efficiently activated by nitroreductases, 4-nitrobenzyl prodrugs 1b, 1d and 1e elicited a more pronounced cytotoxic effect against LN-229 and U-87 MG glioblastoma cell lines under hypoxic conditions when compared to temozolomide (TMZ), the golden standard for glioblastoma treatment.

Impact of ChatGPT usage on nursing students education: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The use of artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, is on the rise in nursing education. In the field of healthcare, ChatGPT can offer unique opportunities to enhance the learning and clinical practice of nursing students. However, it is still necessary to explore how this tool affects students' performance and perception in their nursing education.

Desire for labor companionship and its associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in Debre Berhan City: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Allowing women to have a companion of their choice during labor and delivery is a cost-effective strategy to enhance the quality of maternal care and promote a positive birth experience. Due to the limited studies on women's preferences for labour companionship, this study aimed to assess the desire for labour companionship and its associated factors among pregnant women attending ante-natal care at public health facilities in Debre Berhan City.

Method: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 1-30, 2022.

Ecological insights on the feeding behaviour of waterbirds in an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area of South West Johor Coast, Malaysia.

Mangroves and mudflats are essential intertidal habitats that support benthic communities, providing critical feeding grounds for waterbirds. However, the degradation of these habitats due to coastal reclamation poses significant threats to prey availability and waterbird populations along the South est Johor Coast. While most avian research in Johor focuses on forest birds, studies on coastal waterbirds, particularly their feeding ecology, remain scarce.

A screening setup to streamline engineered living material cultures with the host.

Engineered living materials (ELMs), which usually comprise bacteria, fungi, or animal cells entrapped in polymeric matrices, offer limitless possibilities in fields like drug delivery or biosensing. Determining the conditions that sustain ELM performance while ensuring compatibility with ELM hosts is essential before testing them in vivo. This is critical to reduce animal experimentation and can be achieved through investigations.

Mapping genomic regions for reproductive stage drought tolerance in rice from exotic landrace-derived population.

In the rapid climate change scenario and subsequent rainfall patterns, drought has emerged as a bottleneck for crop production across crops, especially in rainfed rice. Drought significantly affects the development and production of most modern rice cultivars. Thus, recent breeding efforts have aimed to integrate drought tolerance traits in existing rice varieties through conventional and molecular approaches.

Definition of a European pre-vasectomy scoring system to identify patients at risk of vasectomy regret.

Introduction: Vasectomy is a widely used, safe, effective method of permanent contraception and contributes to healthy sexuality.

Aims: We have conducted a 3-step observational clinical study to develop a vasectomy regret risk score and guide patients and clinicians when discussing a vasectomy.

Methods: A 3-step approach has been followed.

Rapid gram-scale microwave-assisted synthesis of organic anodes for sodium-ion batteries with environmental impact assessment.

Development of sustainable synthesis methods of organic electrode materials (OEMs) for sodium (Na)-ion batteries must take hold rapidly in large scale-synthesis if subsequent commercialisation is to occur. We report a facile and rapid gram-scale synthesis method based on microwave irradiation for disodium naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate (Na-NDC) and mono/disodium benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (Na-BDC) as model compounds. Phase purity and formation of materials was confirmed by various characterisation techniques.

Structural and luminescent properties of a Cr/Sm doped GdAlO orthorhombic perovskite for solid-state lighting applications.

The Cr and Sm doped GdAlO perovskite with formula GdSmAlCrO, was synthesized a solid-state reaction method, and its structure, morphology, and photoluminescence properties were thoroughly investigated. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group, with Cr transition-metal ions substituting Al in the octahedral symmetry site, and Sm lanthanide (rare-earth) ions occupying the tetrahedral site. The material's morphology and chemical composition homogeneity were evaluated through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis.

De-novo Genome Assembly of the Edwardsiid Anthozoan Edwardsia elegans.

Cnidarians (sea anemones, corals, hydroids, and jellyfish) are a key outgroup for comparisons with bilaterial animals to trace the evolution of genomic complexity and diversity within the animal kingdom, as they separated from most other animals 100s of millions of years ago. Cnidarians have extensive diversity, yet the paucity of genomic resources limits our ability to compare genomic variation between cnidarian clades and species. Here we report the genome for Edwardsia elegans, a sea anemone in the most specious genus of the family Edwardsiidae, a phylogenetically important family of sea anemones that contains the model anemone Nematostella vectensis.

Weak Covalent Bonds and Mechanochemistry for Synergistic Self-Strengthening of Elastomers.

The macroscopic properties of elastomers are intimately linked to their molecular reactivity and mechanisms. Here, we propose a new strategy for designing strengthening materials based on the synergy of weak covalent bonds and mechanochemistry. After mechanical treatment, the failure strength and toughness of the elastomer increased from 2.

Religion and mental health seeking behaviors in war-tone zones of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Objective: Although religious leaders play an important role in providing informal mental health care to individuals struggling to seek religious and spiritual care, existing studies have not explored the magnitude of psychiatric symptoms and motivators to seek mental health services from religious leaders in religious listening centers and mental hospitals. This paper presents preliminary data from a survey aimed at assessing psychiatric symptoms and factors associated with access to spiritual services among 151 individuals at a religious listening center, as well as to determine the pathways of care among 150 patients attending a mental health clinic in conflict zones of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Method: Three hundred and one participants were screened for psychiatric symptoms and factors motivating access to religious leaders using a semi-structured questionnaire.

AI-based processing of future prepared foods: Progress and prospects.

The prepared foods sector has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by the fast pace of modern living and increasing consumer demand for convenience. Prepared foods are taking an increasingly important role in the modern catering industry due to their ease of storage, transportation, and operation. However, their processing faces several challenges, including labor shortages, inefficient sorting, inadequate cleaning, unsafe cutting processes, and a lack of industry standards.

Integrated biotechnological process based on submerged fermentation and sonotrode extraction as a valuable strategy to obtain phenolic enriched extracts from moringa leaves.

The present study explored the influence of submerged fermentation with different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as a pre-treatment of moringa leaves before the extraction of phenolic compounds via sonotrode. The sonotrode extraction was optimized using a Box-Behnken design and the optimal conditions found were: 25 % ethanol, 5 min and 100 % amplitude. Folin-reacting substances and antioxidant activity were measured on hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from fermented moringa leaves and, individual phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS for the first time.

Global Epidemiology and health risks of Bacillus cereus Infections: Special focus on infant foods.

Bacillus cereus is a common pathogen responsible for gastrointestinal and other complicated disorders, yet epidemiological data and public health measures remain scarce. To bridge these gaps, a bilingual search spaning 50 years identified 266 relevant studies on global B. cereus infection, encompassing 6,135 cases.

Microencapsulated phenolic compounds from organic coffee husk: Impacts on human gut microbiota and in vitro prebiotic potential.

This research investigated the influence of the microencapsulation of phenolic compounds (PCs) from organic coffee husk with whey protein concentrate (WPC) and maltodextrin on the abundance of intestinal bacterial populations and their metabolic activity during in vitro fecal fermentation. The microencapsulated PCs were gradually metabolized during fecal fermentation, resulting in significant transformations and an increase in PCs in the fermentation media. The metabolism of PCs by the fecal microbiota occurred concurrently with the consumption of sugars, production of organic acids, and reduction in pH in the media.

Nutrient based classification of Phyllospora comosa biomasses using machine learning algorithms: Towards sustainable valorisation.

Sustainable seaweed value chains necessitate accurate biomass biochemical characterisation that leads to product development, geographical authentications and quality and sustainability assurances. Underutilised yet abundantly available seaweed species require a thorough investigation of biochemical characteristics prior to their valorisation. Abundantly available Australian seaweed species lack such comprehensive investigations within the global seaweed industrial value chains.

Impact of ultrasonic pretreatment on pumpkin seed protein: Effect on protease activities, protein structure, hydrolysis kinetics and functional properties.

Adding value to food by-products, such as pumpkin seeds, is an important strategy for the complete utilization of plant foods and advancing sustainability goals. This study aimed to maximize the production of bioactive peptides from pumpkin seed protein (PSP) by combining ultrasonic (US) pretreatment (40 kHz, 23.8 W/L) with enzymatic hydrolysis.

Associations between CAG repeat size, brain and spinal cord volume loss, and motor symptoms in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: a cohort study.

Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a hereditary disease caused by abnormally expanded CAG repeats in the ATXN3 gene. The study aimed to identify potential biomarkers for assessing therapeutic efficacy by investigating the associations between expanded CAG repeat size, brain and spinal cord volume loss, and motor functions in patients with SCA3.

Methods: In this prospective, cross-observational study, we analyzed 3D T1-weighted MRIs from 92 patients with SCA3 and 42 healthy controls using voxel-based morphometry and region of interest approaches.

In vitro long-term exposure to chlorhexidine or triclosan induces cross-resistance against azoles in Nakaseomyces glabratus.

Background: Topical antiseptics are crucial for preventing infections and reducing transmission of pathogens. However, commonly used antiseptic agents have been reported to cause cross-resistance to other antimicrobials in bacteria, which has not yet been described in yeasts. This study aims to assess the in vitro efficacy of antiseptics against clinical and reference isolates of Candida albicans and Nakaseomyces glabratus, and whether prolonged exposure to antiseptics promotes the development of antifungal (cross)resistance.

Sex-based disparities in the association between uric acid levels and anxiety: a cross-sectional analysis of nationwide data in Korea.

Background: Uric acid has antioxidant properties, and several studies have suggested its neuroprotective effects. Despite reports of increased oxidative damage and decreased antioxidants in anxiety disorders, findings remain inconclusive. This study investigated the association between serum uric acid levels and anxiety symptoms, stratified by sex, using nationwide data from South Korea.