Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the absence of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and receptor tyrosine kinase HER2 expression. Due to the limited number of FDA-approved targeted therapies for TNBC, there is an ongoing need to understand the molecular underpinnings of TNBC for the development of novel combinatorial treatment strategies. This study evaluated the role of the MerTK receptor tyrosine kinase on proliferation and invasion/metastatic potential in TNBC. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated MerTK expression in 58% of patient-derived TNBC xenografts. The stable overexpression of MerTK in human TNBC cell lines induced an increase in proliferation rates, robust in vivo tumor growth, heightened migration/invasion potential, and enhanced lung metastases. NanoString nCounter analysis of MerTK-overexpressing SUM102 cells (SUM102-MerTK) revealed upregulation of several signaling pathways, which ultimately drive cell cycle progression, reduce apoptosis, and enhance cell survival. Proteomic profiling indicated increased endoglin (ENG) production in SUM102-MerTK clones, suggesting that MerTK creates a conducive environment for increased proliferative and metastatic activity via elevated ENG expression. To determine ENG’s role in increasing proliferation and/or metastatic potential, we knocked out ENG in a SUM102-MerTK clone with CRISPR technology. Although this ENG knockout clone exhibited similar in vivo growth to the parental SUM102-MerTK clone, lung metastasis numbers were significantly decreased ~4-fold, indicating that MerTK enhances invasion and metastasis through ENG. Our data suggest that MerTK regulates a unique proliferative signature in TNBC, promoting robust tumor growth and increased metastatic potential through ENG upregulation. Targeting MerTK and ENG simultaneously may provide a novel therapeutic approach for TNBC patients. Full article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of PH on the development of oncogenic kras^G12V-induced HCC in zebrafish. The inducible HCC model in Tg(fabp10a:rtTA2s-M2; TRE2:EGFP-kras^G12V) zebrafish was used. PH or sham surgery was performed before the induction of oncogenic kras^G12V expression in the livers of transgenic zebrafish. Histological analysis was carried out to determine the progression of HCC and other HCC-associated features including hepatocyte proliferation, extracellular matrix production, and local oxidative stress. The similarity between the process of PH-induced liver regeneration and that of kras^G12V-induced HCC development was further compared by RNA-Seq analysis. The results show that PH promotes the development of kras^G12V-induced HCC in zebrafish possibly through enhancing neutrophil-mediated oxidative stress and promoting the upregulation of s100a1, and the downregulation of ribosome biogenesis. Full article

Infant attention is a cognitive function that underlines sensory–motor integration processes at the interface between the baby and the surrounding physical and socio-relational environment, mainly with the caregivers. The investigation of the role of non-visual inputs (i.e., vocal and tactile) provided by the caregivers in shaping infants’ attention in the context of visual impairment is relevant from both a theoretical and clinical point of view. This study investigated the social attention (i.e., gaze orientation) skills in a group of visually impaired (VI) and age-matched sighted controls (SCs) between 9 and 12 months of age. Moreover, the role of VI severity and maternal vocalizations and touch in shaping the social attention were investigated. Overall, 45 infants and their mothers participated in a video-recorded 4 min interaction procedure, including a play and a still-face episode. The infants’ gaze orientation (i.e., mother-directed, object-directed, or unfocused) and the types of maternal vocalizations and touch (i.e., socio-cognitive, affective) were micro-analytically coded. Maternal vocalizations and touch were found to influence gaze orientation differently in VI infants compared SCs. Moreover, the group comparisons during the play episode showed that controls were predominantly oriented to the mothers, while VI infants were less socially oriented. Visual impairment severity did not emerge as linked with social attention. These findings contribute to our understanding of socio-cognitive developmental trajectories in VI infants and highlight the need for tailored interventions to promote optimal outcomes for VI populations. Full article

Fetal growth restriction is a hallmark of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and is accompanied by maternal uterine circulatory maladaptation. FAS is the most severe form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a term for the range of conditions that can develop in a fetus when their pregnant mother consumes alcohol. Alcohol exerts specific direct effects on lipids that control fundamental developmental processes. We previously demonstrated that direct in vitro application of phosphatidic acid (PA, the simplest phospholipid and a direct target of alcohol exposure) to excised uterine arteries from alcohol-exposed rats improved vascular function, but it is unknown if PA can rescue end organ phenotypes in our FASD animal model. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 40 total dams) were gavaged daily from gestational day (GD) 5 to GD 19 with alcohol or maltose dextrin, with and without PA supplementation, for a total of four unique groups. To translate and assess the beneficial effects of PA, we hypothesized that in vivo administration of PA concomitant with chronic binge alcohol would reverse uterine artery dysfunction and fetal growth deficits in our FASD model. Mean fetal weights and placental efficiency were significantly lower in the binge alcohol group compared with those in the control (p < 0.05). However, these differences between the alcohol and the control groups were completely abolished by auxiliary in vivo PA administration with alcohol, indicating a reversal of the classic FAS growth restriction phenotype. Acetylcholine (ACh)-induced uterine artery relaxation was significantly impaired in the uterine arteries of chronic in vivo binge alcohol-administered rats compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Supplementation of PA in vivo throughout pregnancy reversed the alcohol-induced vasodilatory deficit; no differences were detected following in vivo PA administration between the pair-fed control and PA alcohol groups. Maximal ACh-induced vasodilation was significantly lower in the alcohol group compared to all the other treatments, including control, control PA, and alcohol PA groups (p < 0.05). When analyzing excitatory vasodilatory p1177-eNOS, alcohol-induced downregulation of p1177-eNOS was completely reversed following in vivo PA supplementation. In summary, these novel data utilize a specific alcohol target pathway (PA) to demonstrate a lipid-based preventive strategy and provide critical insights important for the development of translatable interventions. Full article

The flammability properties of polymers and polymeric composites play an important role in ensuring the safety of humans and the environment; moreover, flame-retardant materials ensure a greater number of applications. In the present study, we report the obtaining of polypropylene (PP) composites contain a mixture of two green flame retardants, lignin and clinoptilolite, by melt extrusion. These additives are abundantly found in nature. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mechanical properties, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), cone calorimetry, UL-94, and carbonized residues analysis were carried out. TGA analysis shows that PPGFR-10 and PPGFR-20 compounds presented better thermal stability with respect to PP without flame retardants. The conical calorimetric evaluation of the composites showed that PPGFR-10 and PPGFR-20 presented decreases in peak heat release rates (HRRs) of 9.75% and 11.88%, respectively. The flammability of the composites was evaluated with the UL-94 standard, and only the PPGFR-20 composite presented the V-0 and 5VB classification, which indicates good flame-retardant properties. Additives in the polymer matrix showed good dispersion with few agglomerates. The PPGFR-20 composite showed an FRI value of 1.15, higher percentage of carbonized residues, and UL-94 V-0 and 5VB rating, suggesting some kind of synergy between lignin and clinoptilolite, but only at high flame-retardant concentrations. Full article

Fresh-cut vegetables are widely consumed, but there is no food preservative available to selectively inhibit vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis, which is a serious health menace in fresh-cut vegetables. To develop a promising food biopreservative, a bacteriocin, paracin wx7, was synthesized, showing selective inhibition against E. faecalis with MIC values of 4–8 μM. It showed instant bactericidal mode within 1 h at high concentrations with concomitant cell lysis against vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis. Its lethal effect was visualized in a dose-dependent manner by PI/SYTO9 staining observation. The results of an in vivo control experiment carried out on E. faecalis in fresh-cut lettuce showed that 99.97% of vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis were dead after 64 μM paracin wx7 treatment for 7 days without influencing total bacteria. Further, the action mechanism of paracin wx7 was investigated. Confocal microscopy showed that paracin wx7 was located both on the cell envelope and in cytoplasm. For the cell envelope, the studies of membrane permeability using SYTOX Green dyeing and DNA leakage revealed that paracin wx7 damaged the membrane integrity of E. faecalis. Simultaneously, it exhibited membrane depolarization after analysis using DiSC₃(5). Damage to the cell envelope resulted in cell deformation observed by scanning electron microscopy. On entering the cytoplasm, the paracin wx7 induced the production of endogenous reactive oxygen species. Full article

Background: The morphology and internal composition, particularly the nucleus-to-cross sectional area (NP-to-CSA) ratio of the lumbar intervertebral discs (IVDs), is important information for finite element models (FEMs) of spinal loadings and biomechanical behaviors, and, yet, this has not been well investigated and reported. Methods: Anonymized MRI scans were retrieved from a previously established database, including a total of 400 lumbar IVDs from 123 subjects (58 F and 65 M). Measurements were conducted manually by a spine surgeon and using two computer-assisted segmentation algorithms, i.e., fuzzy C-means (FCM) and region growing (RG). The respective results were compared. The influence of gender and spinal level was also investigated. Results: Ratios derived from manual measurements and the two computer-assisted algorithms (FCM and RG) were 46%, 39%, and 38%, respectively. Ratios derived manually were significantly larger. Conclusions: Computer-assisted methods provide reliable outcomes that are traditionally difficult for the manual measurement of internal composition. FEMs should consider the variability of NP-to-CSA ratios when studying the biomechanical behavior of the spine. Full article

Worldwide, human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major cause of severe infections of the lower respiratory system, affecting individuals of all ages. This study investigated the genetic variability of HRSV during the COVID-19 outbreak in Yaoundé; nasopharyngeal samples positive for HRSV were collected from different age groups between July 2020 and October 2021. A semi-nested RT-PCR was performed on the second hypervariable region of the G gene of detected HRSV, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic assessment. Throughout the study, 40 (37.7%) of the 106 HRSV-positive samples successfully underwent G-gene amplification. HRSV A and HRSV B co-circulated at rates of 47.5% and 52.5%, respectively. HRSV A clustered in the GA2.3.5 genetic lineage (ON1) and HRSV B clustered in the GB5.0.5a genetic lineage (BA9). Differences in circulating genotypes were observed between pre- and post-pandemic years for HRSV A. Predictions revealed potential N-glycosylation sites at positions 237-318 of HRSV A and positions 228-232-294 of HRSV B. This study reports the molecular epidemiology of HRSV in Cameroon during the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the exclusive co-circulation of two genetic lineages. These findings highlight the importance of implementing comprehensive molecular surveillance to prevent the unexpected emergence of other diseases. Full article

Enteroviruses are among the most common viruses pathogenic to humans. They are associated with various forms of disease, ranging from mild respiratory illness to severe neurological diseases. In recent years, an increasing number of isolated cases of children developing meningitis or encephalitis as a result of enterovirus infection have been reported, as well as discrete enterovirus D68 outbreaks in North America in 2014 and 2016. We developed an assay to rapidly genotype enteroviruses by sequencing a region within the VP1 gene using nanopore Flongles. We retrospectively analyzed enterovirus-/rhinovirus-positive clinical samples from the Zurich, Switzerland area mainly collected during two seasons in 2019/2020 and 2021/2022. Respiratory, cerebrospinal fluid, and stool samples were analyzed. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on samples with ambiguous genotyping results and enterovirus D68-positive samples. Out of 255 isolates, a total of 95 different genotypes were found. A difference in the prevalence of enterovirus and rhinovirus infections was observed for both sample type and age group. In particular, children aged 0–4 years showed a higher frequency of enterovirus infections. Comparing the respiratory seasons, a higher prevalence was found, especially for enterovirus A and rhinovirus A after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The enterovirus genotyping workflow provides a rapid diagnostic tool for individual analysis and continuous enterovirus surveillance. Full article

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are linked to steatotic liver disease (SLD), the most common form of chronic liver disease. Lifestyle modifications and dieting are strategies that can prevent metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) is a helpful treatment for MASLD and has been recommended for people affected by obesity; we evaluated the effect of gender on steatosis and fibrosis in a cohort of 112 overweight or obese patients undergoing an eight-week treatment with a VLCKD. Differences between the genders in terms of anthropometric measures, body composition, and metabolic indicators were examined before, during, and after the nutritional intervention. At baseline, there were significant differences between men and women in terms of anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting insulin, hepatic markers, and lipid profile. Men had considerably higher levels of liver steatosis (measured by CAP) and liver stiffness (measured by E) under basal conditions than women. After the VLCKD, there were reductions in both genders of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, insulin resistance, fat mass (FM), free fat mass (FFM), and fasting blood glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT), and uric acid levels. Only in men, liver stiffness, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels significantly decreased. Moreover, men had significantly greater levels of liver steatosis: the male gender featured an increase of 23.96 points of the Fibroscan CAP. Men exhibited higher levels of steatosis and fibrosis than women, and these differences persist despite VLCKD. These gender-specific variations in steatosis and fibrosis levels could be caused by hormonal and metabolic factors, suggesting that different therapeutic strategies might be required depending on the gender. Full article

For patients with recurrent brain metastases, there is an urgent need for a more effective and less toxic treatment approach. Accumulating evidence has shown that spatially fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT) is able to provide a significantly higher therapeutic ratio with lower toxicity compared to conventional radiation using a uniform dose. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential low toxicity benefit of mini-beam radiotherapy (MBRT), a form of SFRT, for whole-brain re-irradiation in a healthy mouse model. Animals first received an initial 25 Gy of uniform whole-brain irradiation. Five weeks later, they were randomized into three groups to receive three different re-irradiation treatments as follows: (1) uniform irradiation at 25 Gy; (2) MBRT at a 25 Gy volume-averaged dose (106.1/8.8 Gy for peak/valley dose, 25 Gy-MBRT); and (3) MBRT at a 43 Gy volume-averaged dose (182.5/15.1 Gy for peak/valley dose, 43 Gy-MBRT). Animal survival and changes in body weight were monitored for signs of toxicity. Brains were harvested at 5 weeks after re-irradiation for histologic evaluation and immunostaining. The study showed that 25 Gy-MBRT resulted in significantly less body weight loss than 25 Gy uniform irradiation in whole-brain re-irradiation. Mice in the 25 Gy-MBRT group had a higher level of CD11b-stained microglia but also maintained more Ki67-stained proliferative progenitor cells in the brain compared to mice in the uniform irradiation group. However, the high-dose 43 Gy-MBRT group showed severe radiation toxicity compared to the low-dose 25 Gy-MBRT and uniform irradiation groups, indicating dose-dependent toxicity. Our study demonstrates that MBRT at an appropriate dose level has the potential to provide less toxic whole-brain re-irradiation. Future studies investigating the use of MBRT for brain metastases are warranted. Full article

The role of technology in landscape architecture (TLA) has significantly evolved since the 19th century, increasingly integrating with digital tools and technologies in the 21st century. Despite its growing importance, there is a notable deficiency in the scholarly literature regarding the progression of TLA trends and their interplay with the core domains and research themes within landscape research. The influence of TLA on landscape research remains ambiguous, especially concerning its ability to generate new knowledge and impact design and sustainability practices. Furthermore, there is a critical need to delineate how TLA differs from allied general digital technology tools and to identify specific specializations that are emerging within the TLA field. To explore the above gaps, this study utilized a mixed methods approach involving secondary data from peer-reviewed publications, primary data from the archival research of winning projects, and expert interviews based on the two major research types of “Research through Design (RTD)” and “Research for Design (RFD)” to explore the TLA’s contribution. This research is significant as it: (1) identified the trend of TLA; (2) conceptualized the TLA, and (3) identified its role in relation to the core domains and research themes of landscape research. Full article

Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder induced by the ingestion of gluten, affects approximately 1.4% of the population. Gluten damages the villi of the small intestine, producing symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating and a subsequent loss of nutrient absorption, causing destabilization of the nutritional status. Moreover, gluten can trigger extra intestinal symptoms, such as asthma or dermatitis, but also mental disorders such as depression or anxiety. Moreover, people suffering from celiac disease sometimes feel misunderstood by society, mainly due to the lack of knowledge about the disease and the gluten-free diet. Thus, the treatment and follow-up of patients with celiac disease should be approached from different perspectives, such as the following: (1) a clinical perspective: symptomatology and dietary adherence monitorization; (2) nutritional assessment: dietary balance achievement; (3) psychological assistance: mental disorders avoidance; and (4) social inclusion: educating society about celiac disease in order to avoid isolation of those with celiac disease. The aim of this narrative review is to gain deep insight into the different strategies that currently exist in order to work on each of these perspectives and to clarify how the complete approach of celiac disease follow-up should be undertaken so that the optimum quality of life of this collective is reached. Full article

Previous research has highlighted that active lifestyles that contribute to improved physical fitness are positively related to cognitive functioning in children and adolescents. Specifically, the increase in physical condition at school age is considered relevant because it is related to better cognitive ability and greater academic performance. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between explosive strength, speed–agility, and fluid reasoning in schoolchildren. To achieve this objective, an associative, comparative, and predictive design was used in this research. A total of 129 children participated in this study (age: M = 9.48; SD = 0.99). To assess fluid reasoning, the Raven test’s Standard Progressive Matrices Subtest and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) were used. To assess physical fitness, the speed–agility test and the horizontal jump test (ALPHA-fitness battery tests), as well as the ball throw test (2 kg), were used. The results showed that the speed–agility test significantly predicted WISC-V Fluid Reasoning Index scores, and the medicine ball toss test significantly predicted Raven test scores. The results obtained highlight the associations between physical condition at these ages and fluid intelligence. This suggests that promoting active lifestyles that improve physical fitness could have a positive impact on children’s cognitive health. Full article

Quantitative MRI techniques such as T2 and T1ρ mapping are beneficial in evaluating knee joint pathologies; however, long acquisition times limit their clinical adoption. MIXTURE (Multi-Interleaved X-prepared Turbo Spin-Echo with IntUitive RElaxometry) provides a versatile turbo spin-echo (TSE) platform for simultaneous morphologic and quantitative joint imaging. Two MIXTURE sequences were designed along clinical requirements: “MIX1”, combining proton density (PD)-weighted fat-saturated (FS) images and T2 mapping (acquisition time: 4:59 min), and “MIX2”, combining T1-weighted images and T1ρ mapping (6:38 min). MIXTURE sequences and their reference 2D and 3D TSE counterparts were acquired from ten human cadaveric knee joints at 3.0 T. Contrast, contrast-to-noise ratios, and coefficients of variation were comparatively evaluated using parametric tests. Clinical radiologists (n = 3) assessed diagnostic quality as a function of sequence and anatomic structure using five-point Likert scales and ordinal regression, with a significance level of α = 0.01. MIX1 and MIX2 had at least equal diagnostic quality compared to reference sequences of the same image weighting. Contrast, contrast-to-noise ratios, and coefficients of variation were largely similar for the PD-weighted FS and T1-weighted images. In clinically feasible scan times, MIXTURE sequences yield morphologic, TSE-based images of diagnostic quality and quantitative parameter maps with additional insights on soft tissue composition and ultrastructure. Full article

Aiming at the problems of large statistical error and the poor real-time performance of catch weight in the ocean fishing tuna industry, an algorithm based on improved YOLOv8-Pose for albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) fork length extraction and weight estimation is proposed, with reference to the human body’s pose estimation algorithm. Firstly, a lightweight module constructed using a heavy parameterization technique is used to replace the backbone network, and secondly, a weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network BIFPN is utilized. Finally, the upper and lower jaw and tail feature points of the albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) were extracted using the key point detection algorithm, and the weight of the albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) was estimated based on the fitted relationship between fork length and weight. The experimental results show that the improved YOLOv8-Pose algorithm reduces the number of model parameters by 13.63% and the number of floating-point operations by 14.03% compared with the baseline model without decreasing the accuracy of the target detection and key point detection and improves the model inference speed by 374%. At the same time, it reduces the drift of the key point detection, and the error of the comparison with the actual albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) body weight is not more than 10%. The improved key point detection algorithm has high detection accuracy and inference speed, which provides accurate yield data for pelagic fishing and is expected to solve the existing statistical problems and improve the accuracy and real-time performance of data in the fishing industry. Full article

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and is diagnosed based on motor impairments. Non-motor symptoms are also well-recognised in this disorder, and peripheral neuropathy is a frequent but poorly appreciated non-motor sign. Studying how central and peripheral sensory systems are affected can contribute to the development of targeted therapies and deepen our understanding of the pathophysiology of PD. Although the cause of sporadic PD is unknown, chronic exposure to the pesticide rotenone in humans increases the risk of developing the disease. Here, we aimed to investigate whether peripheral neuropathy is present in a traditional model of PD. Mice receiving intrastriatal rotenone showed greatly reduced dopamine terminals in the striatum and a reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the Substantia nigra pars compacta and developed progressive motor impairments in hindlimb stepping and rotarod but no change in spontaneous activity. Interestingly, repeated testing using gold-standard protocols showed no change in gut motility, a well-known non-motor symptom of PD. Importantly, we did not observe any change in heat, cold, or touch sensitivity, again based upon repeated testing with well-validated protocols that were statistically well powered. Therefore, this traditional model fails to replicate PD, and our data again reiterate the importance of the periphery to the disorder. Full article

Smart farm environments, equipped with cutting-edge technology, require proficient techniques for managing poultry. This research investigates automated chicken counting, an essential part of optimizing livestock conditions. By integrating artificial intelligence and computer vision, it introduces a transformer-based chicken-counting model to overcome challenges to precise counting, such as lighting changes, occlusions, cluttered backgrounds, continual chicken growth, and camera distortions. The model includes a pyramid vision transformer backbone and a multi-scale regression head to predict precise density maps of the crowded chicken enclosure. The customized loss function incorporates curriculum loss, allowing the model to learn progressively, and adapts to diverse challenges posed by varying densities, scales, and appearances. The proposed annotated dataset includes data on various lighting conditions, chicken sizes, densities, and placements. Augmentation strategies enhanced the dataset with brightness, contrast, shadow, blur, occlusion, cropping, and scaling variations. Evaluating the model on the proposed dataset indicated its robustness, with a validation mean absolute error of 27.8, a root mean squared error of 40.9, and a test average accuracy of 96.9%. A comparison with the few-shot object counting model SAFECount demonstrated the model’s superior accuracy and resilience. The transformer-based approach was 7.7% more accurate than SAFECount. It demonstrated robustness in response to different challenges that may affect counting and offered a comprehensive and effective solution for automated chicken counting in smart farm environments. Full article

Despite neutrophil involvement in inflammation and tissue repair, little is understood about their inflammatory status in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with poor outcomes. Hence, we investigated the potential correlation between neutrophil inflammatory markers and the prognosis of ACS patients with/without diabetes and explored whether neutrophils demonstrate a unique inflammatory phenotype in patients experiencing an adverse in-hospital outcome. The study enrolled 229 ACS patients with or without diabetes. Poor evolution was defined as either death, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%, Killip Class 3/4, ventricular arrhythmias, or mechanical complications. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to identify clinical and paraclinical factors associated with in-hospital outcomes. Neutrophils isolated from fresh blood were investigated using qPCR, Western blot, enzymatic assay, and immunofluorescence. Poor evolution post-myocardial infarction (MI) was associated with increased number, activity, and inflammatory status of neutrophils, as indicated by significant increase of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and, interleukin-6 (IL-6). Among the patients with complicated evolution, neutrophil activity had an important prognosis value for diabetics. Neutrophils from patients with unfavorable evolution revealed a pro-inflammatory phenotype with increased expression of CCL3, IL-1β, interleukin-18 (IL-18), S100A9, intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), matrix metalloprotease (MMP-9), of molecules essential in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production p22phox and Nox2, and increased capacity to form neutrophil extracellular traps. Inflammation is associated with adverse short-term prognosis in acute ACS, and inflammatory biomarkers exhibit greater specificity in predicting short-term outcomes in diabetics. Moreover, neutrophils from patients with unfavorable evolution exhibit distinct inflammatory patterns, suggesting that alterations in the innate immune response in this subgroup may exert detrimental effects on disease progression. Full article

The preservation and reuse of historical alley spaces infuse these areas with renewed vitality, which holds significant importance for the direction of preservation and restoration efforts in historical districts. This paper focuses on Jinyu Alley in Quanzhou and identifies a study targeting tourists for the protection and reuse of historical alley spaces. Through preliminary research and interviews, a system of evaluation indicators for urban historical alley spaces post-usage was established using a factor analysis, extracting five main components: historical context, neighborhood space, commercial environment, supporting facilities, and operational management. Additionally, a modified importance–performance analysis (IPA) method was employed to conduct a quadrant analysis on tourist satisfaction evaluation indicators. Transformation quadrant distribution maps of various evaluation indicators reveal dissatisfaction among tourists with certain aspects of supporting facilities, the commercial environment, and neighborhood space. Relevant departments should prioritize improvements in dining quality, business variety, neighborhood traffic connections and transformations, neighborhood space form and scale, landscape greening, environmental elements, parking availability, and trash bin density for future enhancements. Finally, based on the results of tourist satisfaction surveys and information gathered from interviews with a minority of residents, a more inclusive and sustainable strategy for the protection and reuse of historical alley spaces is formulated. Full article

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. Epileptic seizures very often result in head injuries that may lead to many adverse consequences, both acute and chronic. They contribute to the need for hospitalization, modification of treatment, and a general decline in social productivity. The objective of our review is to characterize and assess management aspects of seizure-related head injuries (SRHIs) as an important and frequent clinical problem present in emergency department settings. PubMed and other relevant databases and websites were systematically searched for articles on traumatic brain injuries connected with the occurrence of seizures published from inception to 9 April 2024; then, we reviewed the available literature. Our review showed that SRHIs can lead to various acute complications, in some cases requiring hospitalization and neurosurgical intervention. Long-term complications and cognitive decline after injury might be present, eventually implying a negative impact on a patient’s quality of life. Despite being frequent and clinically important, there are still no widely accepted, uniform recommendations for the management of patients with SRHIs. As such, a concise and standardized protocol for the management of seizure-related head injuries in emergency departments is worth consideration. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Gnaphalium affine extract (GAE) (0.04, 0.2 and 1 mg/g protein) on the gel properties of porcine myofibrillar proteins (MPs) in a simulated Fenton oxidation system, using tea polyphenols (TPs) at similar concentrations of 0.04, 0.2, and 1 mg/g protein, respectively, as a contrast. The findings revealed that as the TP concentration increased, the water retention of MP gels decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In contrast, MP gels containing medium and high concentrations of GAE exhibited significantly higher water retention than those with low concentrations of GAE (p < 0.05). When the concentration of GAE was increased to 1 mg/g protein, the strength of MP gels was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) by 33.32% compared with the oxidized control group, suggesting that low and medium GAE concentrations support MP gel formation. A texture profile analysis indicated that an appropriate GAE concentration improved gel structure and texture. Dynamic rheological characterization revealed that low concentrations of TP (0.04 mg/g protein) and low and medium concentrations of GAE (0.04 and 0.2 mg/g protein) strengthened the protein gel system. Conversely, high concentrations of TP and GAE (1.0 mg/g protein) damaged the protein gel system or even promoted the collapse of the gel system. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that higher TP concentrations disrupted the gel, whereas low and medium GAE concentrations maintained a more continuous and complete gel network structure compared with the oxidized control group. This indicates that an appropriate GAE concentration could effectively hinder the destruction of the gel network structure by oxidation. Therefore, based on the obtained results, 0.2 mg/g protein is recommended as the ideal concentration of GAE to be used in actual meat processing to regulate the oxidization and gel properties of meat products. Full article