Search Results (3,608)

Listeria are Gram-negative intracellular foodborne pathogens that can cause invasive infections with high mortality rates. In this work, the antibacterial activity of ten essential oils, infusion extracts, and decoction extracts of some medicinal plants was tested against Listeria monocytogenes and listeria ivanovii strains. The effects of different physical conditions including temperature, pH, sodium chloride, and some organic acids were studied. The results showed that the water extracts gave the maximum bacterial inhibition, while ethanolic extract was inactive against the tested Listeria spp. The antibiotic sensitivity of L. monocytogenes LMG10470 and L. ivanovii LMZ11352 was tested against five antibiotics including imipenem, levofloxacin, amikacin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin. Imipenem was the most effective antibiotic, resulting in inhibition zones of 40 mm and 31 mm for L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii, respectively. When imipenem mixed with Syzygium aromaticum oil, Salvia officinalis oil, Pimpinella anisum infusion, and Mentha piperita infusion each, the water extract of Moringa oleifera leaves and seeds against LMG10470 and LMZ11352 resulted in broader antibacterial activity. The antimicrobial activity of both Pimpinella anisum and Mentha piperita plant extracts is related to a variety of bioactive compounds indicated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of these two plant extracts. These two plant extracts seemed to contain many chemical compounds elucidated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and infrared radiation spectra. These compounds could be classified into different chemical groups such as ethers, heterocyclic compounds, aromatic aldehydes, condensed heterocyclic compounds, ketones, alicyclic compounds, aromatics, esters, herbicides, saturated fatty acids, and unsaturated fatty acids. The use of these natural compounds seems to be a useful technological adjuvant for the control of Listeria spp. in foods. Full article

Harnessing the power of Large Language Models (LLMs), this study explores the use of three state-of-the-art LLMs, specifically GPT-3.5-turbo, LLaMA3-8B, and LLaMA3-70B, for crash severity analysis and inference, framing it as a classification task. We generate textual narratives from original traffic crash tabular data using a pre-built template infused with domain knowledge. Additionally, we incorporated Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning to guide the LLMs in analyzing the crash causes and then inferring the severity. This study also examine the impact of prompt engineering specifically designed for crash severity inference. The LLMs were tasked with crash severity inference to: (1) evaluate the models’ capabilities in crash severity analysis, (2) assess the effectiveness of CoT and domain-informed prompt engineering, and (3) examine the reasoning abilities with the CoT framework. Our results showed that LLaMA3-70B consistently outperformed the other models, particularly in zero-shot settings. The CoT and Prompt Engineering techniques significantly enhanced performance, improving logical reasoning and addressing alignment issues. Notably, the CoT offers valuable insights into LLMs’ reasoning process, unleashing their capacity to consider diverse factors such as environmental conditions, driver behavior, and vehicle characteristics in severity analysis and inference. Full article

A scientific method that proposes a value Y to estimate a target value $\rho$ is often subject to some level of uncertainty. In the Bayesian framework, the level of uncertainty can be measured by the width of the $68\%$ interval, which is the range of the middle $68\%$ of the ranked $\rho$ values sampled from the posterior distribution $p\left(\rho \right|Y)$. This paper considers Bayesian knowledge infusion (BKI) to reduce the uncertainty of the posterior distribution $p\left(\rho \right|Y)$ based on additional knowledge that an event A happens. BKI is achieved by using a conditional prior distribution $p\left(\rho \right|A)$ in the Bayes theorem, assuming that given the true $\rho$, its error-contaminated value Y is independent of event A. We use two examples to illustrate how to study whether or not it is possible to reduce uncertainty from ¹⁴C reconstruction (Y) of the annual sunspot number (SSN) ($\rho$) by infusing additional information (A) using BKI. Information (A) that SSN is from a year that has a Far Eastern record of naked eye sunspots is found to be not so effective in reducing the uncertainty. In contrast, information that SSN is from a year at a cycle minimum is found to be very effective, producing much narrower 68% intervals. The resulting Bayesian point estimates of SSN (the posterior medians of $\rho$) are cross-validated and tested on a subset of telescopically observed SSNs that were unused in the process of Bayes computation. Full article

Control tissue is essential for ensuring the precision of semiquantitative analysis in back-table fluorescence imaging. However, there remains a lack of agreement on the appropriate selection of control tissues. To evaluate the back-table fluorescence imaging performance of different normal tissues and identify the optimal normal tissue, a cohort of 39 patients with orbital tumors were enrolled in the study. Prior to surgery, these patients received indocyanine green (ICG) and following resection, 43 normal control tissues (34 adipose tissues, 3 skin tissues, 3 periosteal tissues, and 3 muscle tissues) were examined using back-table fluorescence imaging. The skin tissue demonstrated significantly elevated fluorescence intensity in comparison to the diseased tissue, whereas the muscle tissue exhibited a broad range and standard deviation of fluorescence signal intensity. Conversely, the adipose and periosteum displayed weak fluorescence signals with a relatively consistent distribution. Additionally, no significant correlations were found between the signal-to-background ratio (SBR) of adipose tissue and patients’ ages, genders, weights, disease duration, tumor origins, dosing of administration of ICG infusion, and the time interval between ICG infusion and surgery. However, a positive correlation was observed between the SBR of adipose tissue and its size, with larger adipose tissues (>1 cm) showing an average SBR 27% higher than smaller adipose tissues (≤1 cm). In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrated that adipose tissue consistently exhibited homogeneous hypofluorescence during back-table fluorescence imaging, regardless of patient clinical variables or imaging parameters. The size of the adipose tissue was identified as the primary factor influencing its fluorescence imaging characteristics, supporting its utility as an ideal control tissue for back-table fluorescence imaging. Full article

A theoretical simulation is performed to evaluate how microcracks affect the flow resistance in tumors during the convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of nanofluids. Both Darcy’s law and the theory of poroelasticity are used to understand fluid transport with or without microcrack introduction and/or enlargement. The results demonstrate significantly altered pressure and velocity fields in a spherical tumor with a radius of 10 mm due to the presence of a microcrack with a radius of 0.05 mm and length of 3 mm. The non-uniform fluid pressure field enlarges the original cylindrical microcrack to a frustum, with the crack volume more than doubled. Due to the larger permeability and porosity in the microcrack, flow in the tumor is much easier. One finds that the flow resistance with the enlarged microcrack is reduced by 14% from the control without a microcrack. Parametric studies are conducted to show that larger crack radii, longer crack lengths and higher infusing pressures result in further resistance reductions. The largest resistance reduction occurs when the infusing pressure is 4 × 10⁵ Pa and the microcrack is 9 mm long, up to 18% from the control. We conclude that introducing a microcrack is an effective way to facilitate nanofluid delivery in porous tumors using CED. Full article

Anemia is the most common extraintestinal symptom of colorectal cancer, with a prevalence of 30–75%. While the preoperative anemia in this patient population has been well studied and its correction 4–6 weeks prior to surgery is recommended when feasible, there is a paucity of data regarding the management of postoperative anemia, which has a prevalence of up to 87% in these patients. To address this issue, we conducted an observational cohort study of surgically treated postoperative anemic patients with colorectal cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose on the correction of postoperative anemia by postoperative day 30 (POD30). The primary outcome was the change in hemoglobin on POD30, while the secondary outcomes were the change in iron and other laboratory parameters, postoperative complications and transfusions. The results demonstrated that patients treated with intravenous iron exhibited a significant increase in hemoglobin levels by POD30, along with a concomitant increase in hematocrit, ferritin, and transferrin saturation levels, compared to the control group. The findings imply that patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery with anemia that was not corrected in the preoperative setting may benefit from early postoperative intravenous iron infusion. Full article

Mollusca first evolve primitive immune cells (namely, haemocytes), which assemble a notable complex innate immune system, which are continuously produced through proliferation and differentiation and infused in the haemolymph. As a typical E3 ligase, CHIP is critical for immune cell turnover and homeostasis in vertebrates. In this study, a CHIP homolog (CgCHIP) with a high expression in haemocytes was identified in oysters to investigate its role in the proliferation and differentiation of ancient innate immune cells. CgCHIP exhibited a widespread distribution across all haemocyte subpopulations, and the knockdown of CgCHIP altered the composition of haemocytes as examined by flow cytometry. Mechanistically screened with bioinformatics and immunoprecipitation, a key haematopoietic transcription factor CgRunx was identified as a substrate of CgCHIP. Moreover, amino acids in the interacted intervals of CgCHIP and CgRunx were determined by molecular docking. Experimental evidence from an in vitro culture model of an agranulocyte subpopulation and an in vivo oyster model revealed that the knockdown of CgCHIP and CgRunx had opposing effects on agranulocyte (precursor cells) differentiation and granulocyte (effector cells) proliferation. In summary, CgCHIP negatively regulated agranulocyte differentiation and granulocyte proliferation by mediating the ubiquitination and degradation of CgRunx in oysters. These results offer insight into the involvement of ubiquitylation in controlling haemocyte turnover in primitive invertebrates. Full article

Gastrodin, a highly potent compound found in the traditional Chinese medicine Gastrodia elata Blume, exhibits significant antihypertensive properties. However, its role and the mechanism behind its protective effects on hypertensive cardiac conditions are not well understood. This study aims to investigate the cardiac protective effects and underlying mechanisms of gastrodin in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertensive models, both in vivo and in vitro. Treatment with gastrodin significantly decreased blood pressure and the heart weight/tibial length (HW/TL) ratio and attenuated cardiac dysfunction and pathological damage in Ang II-infused C57BL/6 mice. RNA sequencing analysis (RNA-seq) revealed 697 up-regulated and 714 down-regulated transcripts, along with 1105 signaling pathways, in Ang II-infused C57BL/6 mice following gastrodin treatment, compared to Ang II-induced hypertensive mice. Furthermore, the analyses of the top 30 Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway indicated significant enrichment in apoptosis and the peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2)/p53 pathway. Consistently, gastrodin treatment significantly reduced myocardial apoptosis in both the cardiac tissues of Ang II-induced hypertensive mice and Ang II-stimulated H9c2 cells. Additionally, gastrodin treatment significantly decreased the protein levels of PRDX2, p53, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the cardiac tissues of Ang II-infused mice and H9c2 cells stimulated with Ang II. In conclusion, gastrodin treatment can mitigate hypertension-induced myocardial apoptosis in hypertensive mice by inhibiting the PRDX2/p53 pathway. Full article

New smartphones provide real-time access to GNSS pseudorange, Doppler, or carrier-phase measurement data at 1 Hz. Simultaneously, they can receive corrections broadcast by GNSS reference stations to perform real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. This study aims at the real-time positioning capabilities of smartphones using raw GNSS measurements as a conventional method and proposes an improvement to the positioning through the integration of Inertial Navigation System (INS) measurements. A U-Blox GNSS receiver, model ZED-F9R, was used as a benchmark for comparison. We propose an enhanced ambiguity resolution algorithm that integrates the traditional LAMBDA method with an adaptive thresholding mechanism based on real-time quality metrics. The RTK/INS fusion method integrates RTK and INS measurements using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), where the state vector x includes the position, velocity, orientation, and their respective biases. The innovation here is the inclusion of a real-time weighting scheme that adjusts the contribution of the RTK and INS measurements based on their current estimated accuracy. Also, we use the tightly coupled (TC) RTK/INS fusion framework. By leveraging INS data, the system can maintain accurate positioning even when the GNSS data are unreliable, allowing for the detection and exclusion of abnormal GNSS measurements. However, in complex urban areas such as Qazvin City in Iran, the fusion method achieved positioning accuracies of approximately 0.380 m and 0.415 m for the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphones, respectively. The subsequent detailed analysis across different urban streets emphasized the significance of choosing the right positioning method based on the environmental conditions. In most cases, RTK positioning outperformed Single-Point Positioning (SPP), offering decimeter-level precision, while the fusion method bridged the gap between the two, showcasing improved stability accuracy. The comparative performance between the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Xiaomi Mi 8 revealed minor differences, likely attributed to variations in the hardware design and software algorithms. The fusion method emerged as a valuable alternative when the RTK signals were unavailable or impractical. This demonstrates the potential of integrating RTK and INS measurements for enhanced real-time smartphone positioning, particularly in challenging urban environments. Full article

Whereas aGVHD has strong inflammatory components, cGVHD displays autoimmune and fibrotic features; incidence and risk factors are similar but not identical; indeed, the aGVHD is the main risk factor for cGVHD. Calcineurin Inhibitors (CNI) with either Methotrexate (MTX) or Mycophenolate (MMF) still represent the standard prophylaxis in HLA-matched allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); other strategies focused on ATG, Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide (PTCy), Abatacept and graft manipulation. Despite the high rate, first-line treatment for aGVHD is represented by corticosteroids, and Ruxolitinib is the standard second-line therapy; investigational approaches include Microbiota transplant and the infusion of Mesenchymal stem cells. GVHD is a pleiotropic disease involving any anatomical district; also, Ruxolitinib represents the standard for steroid-refractory cGVHD in this setting. It is a pleiotropic disease involving any anatomical district; also, Ruxolitinib represents the standard for steroid-refractory cGVHD in this setting. Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) is still an option used for steroid refractoriness or to achieve a steroid-sparing. For Ruxolitinib-refractory cGVHD, Belumosudil and Axatilimab represent the most promising agents. Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) still represents a challenge; among the compounds targeting non-immune effectors, Alvelestat, a Neutrophil elastase inhibitor, seems promising in BOS. Finally, in both aGVHD and cGVHD, the association of biological markers with specific disease manifestations could help refine risk stratification and the availability of reliable biomarkers for specific treatments. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by impaired insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling in the hippocampus. Zeaxanthin and lutein, known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, have been reported to protect against brain damage and cognitive decline. However, their mechanisms related to insulin signaling in AD remain unclear. This study investigated the efficacy and mechanisms of zeaxanthin, lutein, and resveratrol in modulating an AD-like pathology in an amyloid-β rat model. Rats were administered hippocampal infusions of 3.6 nmol/day amyloid-β (Aβ)(25-35) for 14 days to induce AD-like memory deficits (AD-CON). Normal control rats received Aβ(35-25) (Normal-CON). All rats had a high-fat diet. Daily, AD rats consumed 200 mg/kg body weight of zeaxanthin (AD-ZXT), lutein (AD-LTN), and resveratrol (AD-RVT; positive-control) or resistant dextrin as a placebo (AD-CON) for eight weeks. The AD-CON rats exhibited a higher Aβ deposition, attenuated hippocampal insulin signaling (reduced phosphorylation of protein kinase B [pAkt] and glycogen synthase kinase-3β [pGSK-3β]), increased neuroinflammation, elevated acetylcholinesterase activity, and memory deficits compared to the Normal-CON group. They also showed systemic insulin resistance and high hepatic glucose output. Zeaxanthin and lutein prevented memory impairment more effectively than the positive-control resveratrol by suppressing acetylcholinesterase activity, lipid peroxidation, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β). They also potentiated hippocampal insulin signaling and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CTNF) mRNA expression to levels comparable to the Normal-CON rats. Additionally, zeaxanthin and lutein improved glucose disposal, reduced hepatic glucose output, and normalized insulin secretion patterns. In conclusion, zeaxanthin and lutein supplementation at doses equivalent to 1.5–2.0 g daily in humans may have practical implications for preventing or slowing human AD progression by reducing neuroinflammation and maintaining systemic and central glucose homeostasis, showing promise even when compared to the established neuroprotective compound resveratrol. However, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate their efficacy and safety in human populations. Full article

Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) is a rare but aggressive malignancy associated with the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). ATLL is a challenging malignancy characterized by its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Despite advancements in treatment, relapse rates remain high. Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) is a promising therapeutic option post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to prevent relapse. However, the prophylactic use of DLI in ATLL patients remains underexplored. We report the case of a 45-year-old female diagnosed with ATLL. Following induction chemotherapy and successful HSCT, a modified prophylactic DLI regimen was administered, consisting of gradually increasing doses of donor lymphocytes. The patient demonstrated a favorable response with no significant graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and maintained remission over a 40-month follow-up period, suggesting a potential benefit of this approach. This case highlights the potential efficacy and safety of modified prophylactic DLI in ATLL patients, warranting further investigation. Our findings suggest that modified prophylactic DLI is a viable option for ATLL patients post-HSCT, offering a balance between efficacy and safety. Future research should focus on optimizing DLI protocols and exploring biomarkers for response prediction. Full article

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is essential for protection and plays a crucial role in chronic neurological disorders like small-vessel disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Its complexity poses significant challenges for effective diagnostics and treatments, highlighting the need for novel animal models and comprehensive BBB dysfunction studies. This study investigates chronic BBB dysfunction induction using osmotic disruption via mannitol in healthy adult male Sprague Dawley rats over 12 weeks. Group 1 received 1 bolus/week (2.0 g/kg), Group 2 received 3 boluses/week (1.5 g/kg), and Group 3 received 3 boluses/week (2.5 g/kg). BBB dysfunction was assessed using gadolinium (Gd) infusion and MRI to evaluate location, severity, evolution, and persistence. MR spectroscopy (MRS) examined the brain metabolism changes due to intravenous mannitol, with T2-weighted MRI assessing brain lesions. Biomarkers of neuroinflammation were analyzed in the highest mannitol dose group. Our data show chronic BBB dysfunction primarily in the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum, but not in the corpus callosum of rats under periodic mannitol dosing in groups 1 and 2. MRS identified a distinctive metabolite signature, including changes in alanine, choline, and N-acetyl aspartate in the striatum of Group 1. No significant differences were found in the serum levels of all pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines analyzed in the high-dose Group 3. This study underscores the feasibility and implications of using osmotic disruption to model chronic BBB dysfunction, offering insights for future neuroprotection and therapeutic strategies research. Full article

This paper concerns the evaluation of the antioxidant activity (AA) of extracts obtained from cistus herbs grown in Albania and Turkey. The extracts were prepared in a Soxhlet apparatus, as well as by the maceration and infusion methods, similar to the home method of preparing herbal teas. AA was determined using the DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) and β-carotene methods. It was proven that the AA of extracts depends not only on the extraction technique and AA assessment method but also on the place of plant cultivation. The smallest activity was determined using the β-carotene bleaching method, while the highest values were obtained using the FRAP method. On the other hand, the ABTS method showed a greater activity of the Albanian herb prepared using the Soxhlet technique. In addition, the antioxidant properties of extracts were compared with those of rutin standard solutions, showing that this characteristic component of cistus is not the only one that determines AA of extracts. As a result, the rutin content is not an indicator of the antioxidant properties of extracts. The other polyphenolic compounds, although occurring at lower concentration levels compared to rutin, modify the resultant AA of extracts. These studies confirmed the biological activity of cistus as a valuable source of polyphenolic compounds in the human diet. Full article

Traditional Mexican medicine commonly uses infusions of Ternstroemia spp. to treat insomnia, injuries, and infections. The antibacterial activities of Ternstroemia dentisepala and Ternstroemia lineata were evaluated for the first time against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that have implications for human health, including Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, the scavenging potential of the hydroalcoholic (HAEs) and total phenolic extracts (TPEs) from the leaves of both plants by a 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay (ABTS^•+) was determined. Also, the total phenolic contents of the HAEs using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent were assayed. T. dentisepala HAE and TPE were active against all bacterial strains tested, with a minimum inhibitory concentration between 1.0 and 6.0 mg/mL, with the last one being the most active. However, the T. lineata extracts only demonstrated effectiveness against S. typhi and P. aeruginosa. The TPEs from T. dentisepala and T. lineata improved the activity by approximately 30% in all bacteria tested in comparison with the HAEs. The T. dentisepala HAE had a higher total phenolic content than the T. lineata extract, which was consistent with its ABTS^•+-scavenging activity. The two HAEs had different chemical profiles, mostly because of the types and amounts of phenolic compounds they contained. These profiles were obtained using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) experiments. Full article