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Emotions are the effect but also the cause of eating behaviors, including the purchase and consumption of snacks. As snacks become an increasingly prevalent segment of the food industry, their consumption has been linked to rising rates of overweight, obesity, and diet-related diseases. Understanding how emotional valence influences consumer attitudes and behaviors toward snacks is therefore crucial. This study explores the relationship between emotional eating and the propensity to consume unhealthy snacks, both sweet and salty. A survey of 707 representative participants revealed distinct emotional patterns in snack consumption, with choices significantly influenced by consumers' emotional states and personal preferences. Furthermore, individuals who frequently opted for unhealthy snacks typically exhibited poorer health and financial profiles.

In this study, the structural, luminescence and photoconversion properties of novel composite color converters based on Tb1.5Gd1.5Al5O12:Ce (TGAG:Ce) single crystalline films, grown by the liquid phase epitaxy method onto Y3Al5O12:Ce (YAG:Ce) single crystal substrates, are investigated. The luminescence and chromaticity properties for the set of TGAG:Ce SCF/YAG:Ce composite color converters, including color coordinates, color rendering index (CRI), and luminous efficacy, were studied by varying the thickness of the TGAG:Ce film in the 12–48 μm range and the Ce3+ concentration in the 0.1–0.5% range in YAG:Ce substrates. Such combination of different YAG:Ce substrates with various TGAG:Ce films enables tuning the white light tones from cold white (correlated color temperature (CCT) > 6000 K) to neutral white (6000 K > CCT > 3300 K). The theoretical white light color coordinates on the chromaticity diagram were almost achieved for TGAG:Ce film/YAG:Ce (0.5 mm) crystal converters with a film thickness between 19 and 25 μm under 465 nm LED excitation, with the corresponding CRI values in the 79–74 range. The developed composite color converters allow the problem of a high color temperature and low color rendering index of conventional WLEDs based on conventional YAG:Ce phosphor converters to be solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babinet complementary patterns of a spectrally tunable metamaterial incorporating a nematic liquid crystal is normally assumed to exhibit the same tuning range. Here we show that for a hybrid, liquid crystal-loaded metamaterial, the sensitivity of its terahertz resonances to the variations of the refractive index differs substantially for the two complementary patterns. This is due to a mismatch between the alignment of the liquid crystal and the direction of the local electric field induced in the metamaterial patterns. Furthermore, and more intriguingly, our experimental data indicate that it is possible to shift the resonance of the positive metamaterial pattern beyond the limit imposed by the alignment mismatch. Our analysis suggests that the observed anomalous frequency shift results from the orientational optical nonlinearity of a nematic liquid crystal.

The highest loads on the elements of the crank–piston system of the internal combustion engine occur during the combustion phase which takes place successively in individual cylinders. Smaller, but also significant, loads occur beyond this phase when dynamic forces begin to play a dominant role. The latter depends on the degree of wear of the engine components. The aim of this article was to analyze the stresses in a model stand for testing dynamic phenomena in an internal combustion engine operating without the combustion process. A stand has been developed which includes a combustion engine driven by an electric motor placed on a mobile frame. The coast-down method was used to estimate the average values of the equivalent moment of inertia of the engine for various cylinder configurations with a lack of compression process due to a significant weakening of the valve springs or significant wear of the valve seats. This lack of compression was simulated on a bench by partially loosening the spark plug mounting. The article presents the values of the determined mean values of the equivalent moment of inertia of the engine and the stress values in the stand frame obtained from its model developed with the use of the finite element method. The obtained values were important from the point of view of the engine dynamics simulation process outside the combustion area and the safe foundation and operation of the stand frame during the experimental tests.

Research has shown that the microbiome can influence how the immune system responds to melanoma cells, affecting the course of the disease and the outcome of the therapy. Here, we used the metagenomic approach and flow cytometry analyses of blood cells to discover correlations between gut fungi of metastatic melanoma patients enrolled in anti-PD-1 therapy and lymphocytes in their blood.We analyzed the patterns of associations before the first administration of anti-PD-1 therapy (BT, n = 61) and in the third month of the therapy (T3, n = 37), allowing us to track changes during treatment. To understand the possible impact of gut fungi on the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy, we analyzed the associations in clinical beneficiaries (CB, n = 37) and non-beneficiaries (NB, n = 24), as well as responders (R, n = 28) and non-responders (NR, n = 33).Patients with LDH < 338 units/L, overall survival (OS) > 12, CB, as well as R, had lower levels of Shannon diversity (p = 0.02, p = 0.05, p = 0.05, and p = 0.03, respectively). We found that the correlation pattern between intestinal fungi and lymphocytes was specific to the type of response, positive or negative. When comparing CB and NB groups, correlations with opposite directions were detected for C. albicans, suggesting a response-specific immune reaction. For CB, M. restricta exhibited a set of correlations with different types of lymphocytes, with prevalent positive correlations, suggesting a robust immune response in the CB group. This result extends our former research, where M. restricta and C. albicans were associated with an increased risk of melanoma progression and a poorer response to anti-PD-1 treatment., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Faced with the challenges of modern industry and medicine associated with the dynamic development of civilization, there is a constantly growing demand for the production of novel functional materials that are clearly oriented towards fulfilling specific applications. Herein, we provide an overview of the current status and recent findings related to the enzymatic functionalization of bacterial nanocellulose. Commonly, biocellulose modification involves the utilization of simple and cost-effective chemical and/or physical approaches. However, these methods may have an adverse effect on both the biological properties of the biomaterial and the natural environment. An alternative to these procedures is the highly specific enzymatic modification of bacterial nanocellulose, which perfectly fits into the assumptions of green technologies, making the process eco-friendly and not limiting any outlooks for further usage of the obtained biocomposites. The employment of enzymes for the targeted alteration of this material's properties is based on either a direct method, such as controlled hydrolysis and nanofication [i.e., synthesis of different morphological forms of bacterial cellulose (e.g., rod-shaped nanocrystals)] using cellulases, and/or attachment of reactive functional groups into the polymer structure via oxidation (e.g., utilizing a laccase/TEMPO catalytic system or lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases) and esterification catalyzed by lipases; or an indirect procedure involving the application of bacterial nanocellulose as a matrix for enzyme immobilization (e.g., laccase, glucose oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, lysozyme, bromelain, lipase, papain), thus creating a specific catalytic system. Overall, enzymatic functionalization of bacterial nanocellulose is a sustainable and promising strategy to create biocomposites with tailored properties for a wide range of industrial and medical applications., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

The state of the art in IR thermal imaging methods for applications in medical diagnostics is discussed. A review of advances in IR thermal imaging technology in the years 1960-2024 is presented. Recently used artificial intelligence (AI) methods in the analysis of thermal images are the main interest. IR thermography is discussed in view of novel applications of machine learning methods for improved diagnostic analysis and medical treatment. The AI approach aims to improve image quality by denoising thermal images, using applications of AI super-resolution algorithms, removing artifacts, object detection, face and characteristic features localization, complex matching of diagnostic symptoms, etc.

Atherosclerosis, previously regarded as a lipid storage disease, has now been classified as a chronic inflammatory disease. The hardening of arterial vessels characterizes atherosclerosis due to the accumulation of lipids in the arterial walls, eliciting an inflammatory response. The development of atherosclerosis occurs in various stages and is facilitated by many clinical factors, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and inflammatory status. A large arsenal of cells has been implicated in its development. This review will summarize the phases of atherosclerotic formation and all the cells involved in either promoting or inhibiting its development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Khalaf, Chamieh, Welc, Singh, Kaouk, Kaouk, Mackiewicz, Kaczmarek and Perek.)

We provide the first direct experimental evidence for the reorientation of liquid crystals by polarized radiation from a conventional, low power, oscillator-based terahertz time-domain spectrometer. Using a terahertz pump - optical probe setup, we observed that the reorientation occurs locally through the resonant amplification of the terahertz field in a specially designed planar metamaterial, adjacent to the liquid crystal layer, and increases with increasing incident terahertz intensity. Our work thus demonstrates that it is possible to induce strong optical nonlinearity in liquid crystals in the terahertz part of the spectrum, paving the way toward the development of new all-optical active terahertz devices as well as electric field sensors for localized resonant systems.

This paper is devoted to the development of a window-type inductive current transformer (iCT) with a rated primary current equal to 400 A and two secondary windings with rated currents of 5 A and 1 A. Its novelty concerns the presentation of this process in the case of an iCT with a 0.2S accuracy class ensured not only for a sinusoidal current of a frequency of 50 Hz but also for the transformation of distorted current in the harmonic frequency range from 50 Hz to 5 kHz. The maximum permissible values of the current error and phase displacement are equal to ±0.2% and ±0.2°, respectively, and are the same as the limiting values for a 50 Hz sinusoidal current of a rated RMS value. In the design process, three materials were considered for the construction of the developed iCT 400/5/1: electrical steel, permalloy and nanocrystalline (Nano). Their wideband properties were analyzed and the choice of the Nano magnetic core was justified with the already-available data in the literature on the basis of elaborated design assumptions. In order to specify its particular type, four magnetic cores with different initial magnetic permeabilities were tested. It was demonstrated that, as far as more favorable magnetic properties also involved increased active power losses in the magnetic core, it was not an appropriate choice for the construction of the iCT, especially for the transformation of the current with a main frequency equal to 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

An accumulating number of studies suggest the potential of circulating cell-free microbial DNA (cfmDNA) as a non-invasive biomarker in various diseases, including cancers. However, its value in the prediction or prognosis of clinical outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is poorly explored. The circulating cfmDNA pool may also reflect the translocation of various microbial ligands to the circulatory system and may be associated with the increased release of soluble CD14 (sCD14) by myeloid cells. In the present study, blood samples were collected from advanced melanoma patients ( n = 66) before and during the anti-PD-1 therapy (approximately 3 and 12 months after the start). Then, V3-V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to analyze the circulating cfmDNA extracted from plasma samples. Moreover, the concentration of plasma sCD14 was measured using ELISA. As a result, the differences in the circulating cfmDNA profiles were found between patients with favorable and unfavorable clinical outcomes of the anti-PD-1 and baseline signatures correlated with progression-free survival and overall survival. Moreover, there was a higher concentration of plasma sCD14 in patients with unfavorable clinical outcomes. High baseline sCD14 level and its increase during the therapy prognosticated worse survival outcomes. Taken together, this preliminary study indicates the potential of circulating cfmDNA signatures and plasma sCD14 levels as biomarkers of clinical outcomes of ICIs.

The aim of this study was to develop age- and sex-specific reference data for body composition parameters, including fat-free mass (FFM), body cell mass (BCM), fat mass (FM) and related indices, fat mass percentage (FM%), total body water (TBW) and muscle mass (MM) and to assess differences in these parameters between male and female adolescents. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) data were obtained from an ethnically homogeneous sub-sample of 4037 normal-weight participants selected on the basis of BMI from the total sample (2005 males and 2032 females aged 10-18 years) of the ADOPOLNOR study, a cross-sectional population-based survey conducted in western Poland. The LMS method and RefCurv version 0.4.2 software package were used to calculate centile values and plot smoothed centile curves. The results showed age-related changes in body composition parameters and a clear sexual dimorphism. From the age of 13 (for FFM) or 14 (for BCM, BCMI and MM) or throughout adolescence (for TBW and FFMI), boys had consistently higher values for these parameters than girls (p < 0.01 for each). However, they had significantly lower values for FM, FMI and FM% (1.3, 1.6 and 1.5 times lower at 18 years, respectively), indicating a lower proportion of body fat than girls (p < 0.01 for each). The centile values and curves were specific for boys and girls of all ages. Compared with other European adolescent cohorts, the data fit the normal-weight subsamples better than the population reference data., Conclusion: This study provides reference data for body composition in normal (healthy) weight Polish adolescents, providing a contextualised framework that takes into account the unique physiological and environmental factors of the region. These reference data may also be useful for other Central European adolescents., What Is Known: • Adolescence is a period of significant physical growth and increased susceptibility to nutritional problems due to factors such as suboptimal nutrition, unhealthy dietary choices, inadequate physical activity and psychosocial stressors related to body image concerns. • Body composition (BC) parameters, rather than BMI alone, are more effective in identifying nutritional abnormalities and health risks such as eating disorders, obesity and chronic diseases. Existing studies provide reference data for BC parameters, but often do not cover all relevant measures or specific regional populations., What Is New: • This study provides new age- and sex-specific reference values for a comprehensive range of body composition parameters, including body cell mass (BCM), total body water (TBW) and muscle mass (MM), in addition to fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM), in a large, ethnically homogeneous, normal-weight population of Polish adolescents aged 10-18 years. • These reference values for the normalweight cohort reflect healthy adolescent growth and body composition patterns, minimising bias from abnormal weight status. In addition, they can be applied to other Central European adolescent populations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We estimated XBB.1.5 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection among adults aged ≥ 65 years during the 2023/2024 JN.1 lineage-predominant period in a European multi-country test-negative case-control study at primary care level. We estimated VE adjusted by study site, age, sex, chronic conditions and onset date. We included 220 cases and 1733 controls. The VE was 48% (95% CI: 12-71), 23% (95% CI: -11-48) and 5% (95% CI: -92-56) among those with symptom onset 1-5, 6-11, and ≥ 12 weeks after vaccination, respectively. XBB.1.5 vaccine provided short and moderate protection against JN.1 symptomatic infection., (© 2024 The Author(s). Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Inflammation and immune cell dysfunction are critical facilitators of endometriosis pathophysiology. Macrophages are renowned for stimulating lesion growth, vascularization, innervation, and pain generation. By combining macrophages and endometriotic cells, we determined if resveratrol and its natural analogs can target the immune dysregulation and oxidative imbalance in endometriosis. Methods: After treatment with compounds (5, 10, 25 µM), we evaluated the expression of key inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, cytokines release, and ROS production by applying q-PCR, ELISA, Cytometric Beads Array, and multiplexed fluorogenic staining and flow cytometry analysis with bioimaging. Results: The results showed that endometriosis-related macrophages treated with stilbenes have impaired expression of pro-inflammatory markers ( IL6 , IL8 , IL1B , TNF , CCL2 , CXCL10 , PTGS2 ). The effect of resveratrol, pterostilbene, and piceatannol was observed, especially in reducing IL1B , CCL2 , and CXCL10 genes up to 3.5-, 5-, and 7.7-fold at 25 µM, respectively. Also, with piceatannol or polydatin exposure, the IL-6 decrease was noticeable. This study reported an antioxidant effect by reducing ROS-positive cells from 96% to 48% by pterostilbene. Results from flow cytometry correlated with the transcript activation of detoxification enzymes ( SOD , GPX ). Conclusions: Prospects for potential therapy based on regulating the immune microenvironment and reducing the accumulation of free radicals with stilbenes application were described in the article.

In agricultural landscapes, the removal of semi-natural habitats (SNH) and the intensive use of pesticides contribute to declines of biodiversity, including crop pollinators such as bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). However, effects of pesticide use and landscape characteristics on bees have rarely been studied together. In this study, we investigated how SNH in the surrounding landscape, organic and conventional management, and the reduction of fungicides affect wild bee diversity in 32 vineyards in southwest Germany. We used yellow pan traps to sample bees in a crossed design of management (organic vs. conventional) and fungicide use (reduced in fungus-resistant grape varieties vs. regular) along a gradient with increasing proportions of SNH in the surrounding landscape. Higher proportions of SNH influenced species composition of bees and increased the abundance and richness of above-ground-nesting species. Organic vineyards had a 49% higher abundance of bees compared to conventional vineyards. The reduction of fungicides did not affect bee diversity nor abundance. The absence of a response to fungicide intensity suggests that the benefit of organically managed vineyards to wild bees was through differences in their vegetation management, which is in line with the positive response of bees to SNH in the surrounding landscape. Synthesis and applications: Our study underlines that the local provision of diverse vegetation in vineyards and the landscape-scale provision of suitable SNH are key factors for wild bee conservation in viticulture., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), inflammatory demyelinated lesions in the brain and spinal cord lead to neurodegeneration and progressive disability. Remyelination can restore fast saltatory conduction and neuroprotection but is inefficient in MS especially with increasing age, and is not yet treatable with therapies. Intrinsic and extrinsic inhibition of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) function contributes to remyelination failure, and we hypothesised that the transplantation of 'improved' OPCs, genetically edited to overcome these obstacles, could improve remyelination. Here, we edit human(h) embryonic stem cell-derived OPCs to be unresponsive to a chemorepellent released from chronic MS lesions, and transplant them into rodent models of chronic lesions. Edited hOPCs display enhanced migration and remyelination compared to controls, regardless of the host age and length of time post-transplant. We show that genetic manipulation and transplantation of hOPCs overcomes the negative environment inhibiting remyelination, with translational implications for therapeutic strategies for people with progressive MS., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Postoperative tissue flap vitality monitoring enables early detection of clinical complications, allowing for intervention. Timely re-operation can prevent the need for extensive correction procedures, thus reducing healthcare costs and hospitalization time. Statistics show that monitoring can increase the success rate of flap survival to 95% or higher. However, despite the significant progress in monitoring techniques, major and minor complications, leading to the loss of the flap, still occur. This clinical application review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements and findings in flap surgery reconstructions, transplants, and systems for their postoperative assessment. The literature from the years 1925 to 2024 has been reviewed to capture previous and current solutions for monitoring flap vitality. Clinically acclaimed methods and experimental techniques were classified and reviewed from a technical and clinical standpoint. Physical examination, metabolism change, ultrasound method, and electromagnetic (EM) radiation-based measurement methods were carefully evaluated from the perspective of their considered applications. Guidelines aiding engineers in the future design and development process of monitoring systems were proposed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the monitoring techniques used in postoperative flap vitality monitoring. It also gives an overview of each approach and potential ways for future development.

We develop a microscopic model of antibiotic diffusion in virus suspensions in a liquid crystalline state. We then approximate this with an effective homogenised model that is more amenable to analytical investigation, to understand the effect of charge on the antibiotic tolerance. We show that liquid crystalline virus suspensions slow down antibiotics significantly, and that electric charge strongly contributes to this by influencing the effective diameter and adsorptive capacity of the liquid crystalline viruses so that charged antibiotics diffuse much slower than neutral ones; this can be directly and efficiently derived from the homogenised model and is in good agreement with experiments in microbiology. Charge is also found to affect the relationship between antibiotic diffusion and viral packing density in a nontrivial way. The results elucidate the effect of charge on antibiotic tolerance in liquid crystalline biofilms in a manner that is straightforwardly extendable to other soft matter systems.

We present a reliable optical method for measuring the twist elastic constant K 2 and for assessing the total twist angle in a standard nematic twist cell. The method relies on the use of a non-standard configuration of crossed polarisers and a twist cell, which allows us to measure accurately the twist-cell parameters by reducing the degeneracy between them. Grid patching and an efficient beam propagation method are utilised in the numerical models used for fitting the experimental data. The modelling shows that the polarisation dynamics in a twist cell is non-trivial and much more complex than in a planar cell. The twist elastic constant of three commonly used liquid crystals (5CB, 6CHBT and E7) was successfully extracted from cross-polarised intensity measurements., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In autumn 2023, European vaccination campaigns predominantly administered XBB.1.5 vaccine. In a European multicentre study, we estimated 2023 COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against laboratory-confirmed symptomatic infection at primary care level between September 2023 and January 2024. Using a test-negative case-control design, we estimated VE in the target group for COVID-19 vaccination overall and by time since vaccination. We included 1057 cases and 4397 controls. Vaccine effectiveness was 40 % (95 % CI: 26-53 %) overall, 48 % (95 % CI: 31-61 %) among those vaccinated < 6 weeks of onset and 29 % (95 % CI: 3-49 %) at 6-14 weeks. Our results suggest that COVID-19 vaccines administered to target groups during the autumn 2023 campaigns showed clinically significant effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed, medically attended symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in the 3 months following vaccination. A longer study period will allow for further variant-specific COVID-19 VE estimates, better understanding decline in VE and informing booster administration policies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Importance: In the context of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants or lineages and new vaccines, it is key to accurately monitor COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (CVE) to inform vaccination campaigns., Objective: To estimate the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines administered in autumn and winter 2022 to 2023 against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (with all circulating viruses and XBB lineage in particular) among people aged 60 years or older in Europe, and to compare different CVE approaches across the exposed and reference groups used., Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study obtained data from VEBIS (Vaccine Effectiveness, Burden and Impact Studies), a multicenter study that collects COVID-19 and influenza data from 11 European sites: Croatia; France; Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Portugal; the Netherlands; Romania; Spain, national; Spain, Navarre region; and Sweden. Participants were primary care patients aged 60 years or older with acute respiratory infection symptoms who were recruited at the 11 sites after the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign from September 2022 to August 2023. Cases and controls were defined as patients with positive and negative, respectively, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results., Exposures: The exposure was COVID-19 vaccination. The exposure group consisted of patients who received a COVID-19 vaccine during the autumn and winter 2022 to 2023 vaccination campaign and 14 days or more before symptom onset. Reference group included patients who were not vaccinated during or in the 6 months before the 2022 to 2023 campaign (seasonal CVE), those who were never vaccinated (absolute CVE), and those who were vaccinated with at least the primary series 6 months or more before the campaign (relative CVE). For relative CVE of second boosters, patients receiving their second booster during the campaign were compared with those receiving 1 booster 6 months or more before the campaign., Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcome was RT-PCR-confirmed, medically attended, symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Four CVE estimates were generated: seasonal, absolute, relative, and relative of second boosters. CVE was estimated using logistic regression, adjusting for study site, symptom onset date, age, chronic condition, and sex., Results: A total of 9308 primary care patients were included, with 1687 cases (1035 females; median [IQR] age, 71 [65-79] years) and 7621 controls (4619 females [61%]; median [IQR] age, 71 [65-78] years). Within 14 to 89 days after vaccination, seasonal CVE was 29% (95% CI, 14%-42%), absolute CVE was 39% (95% CI, 6%-60%), relative CVE was 31% (95% CI, 15% to 44%), and relative CVE of second boosters was 34% (95% CI, 18%-47%) against all SARS-CoV-2 variants. In the same interval, seasonal CVE was 44% (95% CI, -10% to 75%), absolute CVE was 52% (95% CI, -23% to 82%), relative CVE was 47% (95% CI, -8% to 77%), and relative CVE of second boosters was 46% (95% CI, -13% to 77%) during a period of high XBB circulation. Estimates decreased with time since vaccination, with no protection from 180 days after vaccination., Conclusions and Relevance: In this case-control study among older Europeans, all CVE approaches suggested that COVID-19 vaccines administered in autumn and winter 2022 to 2023 offered at least 3 months of protection against symptomatic, medically attended, laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The effectiveness of new COVID-19 vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants should be continually monitored using CVE seasonal approaches.

Background: Within influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) studies at primary care level with a laboratory-confirmed outcome, clinical case definitions for recruitment of patients can vary. We used the 2022-23 VEBIS primary care European multicentre study end-of-season data to evaluate whether the clinical case definition affected IVE estimates., Methods: We estimated VE using a multicentre test-negative case-control design. We measured VE against any influenza and influenza (sub)types, by age group (0-14, 15-64, ≥65 years) and by influenza vaccine target group, using logistic regression. We estimated IVE among patients meeting the European Union (EU) acute respiratory infection (ARI) case definition and among those meeting the EU influenza-like illness (ILI) case definition, including only sites providing information on specific symptoms and recruiting patients using an ARI case definition (as the EU ILI case definition is a subset of the EU ARI one)., Results: We included 24 319 patients meeting the EU ARI case definition, of whom 21 804 patients (90 %) meet the EU ILI case definition, for the overall pooled VE analysis against any influenza. The overall and influenza (sub)type-specific VE varied by ≤2 % between EU ILI and EU ARI populations., Discussion: Among all analyses, we found similar VE estimates between the EU ILI and EU ARI populations, with few (10%) additional non-ILI ARI patients recruited. These results indicate that VE in the 2022-23 influenza season was not affected by use of a different clinical case definition for recruitment, although we recommend investigating whether this holds true for next seasons., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

We report the case of a 55-year-old man with multi-symptomatic transverse myelitis after vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The patient was diagnosed based on the course of the disease and the results of imaging and laboratory tests. We excluded other most probable causes of the disease. The quick start of diagnosis allowed for early treatment with intravenous steroids and then plasmapheresis and the implementation of modern rehabilitation methods using biofeedback platforms, among others, and an exoskeleton. The patient returned to work, but the rehabilitation process continues to this day due to persistent symptoms that impair the patient's quality of life.

Background: Low-grade chronic inflammation is recognized to contribute to the physiopathology of arterial hypertension. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pro-inflammatory phenotype of peripheral monocytes of hypertensive patients by analyzing Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CD11b/CD18 surface expression. In the second part, the influence of phenotypic alterations of monocytes on the endothelial status reflected by circulating endothelial cells (CECs) was evaluated., Patients: The study included 60 patients with arterial hypertension, who were divided into two subgroups based on the disease severity according to the applicable criteria. The mild hypertension and resistant hypertension groups included 30 patients each. The control group consisted of 33 normotensive volunteers matched for age and sex., Results: Both in the entire group of patients and individual subgroups, reduced surface expression of TLR4 and CD11b/CD18 was found compared to normotensive volunteers. A reduced percentage of monocytes with the CD14 + TLR4 + immunophenotype was correlated with a lower MFI level of CD18 and CD11b in the entire group of patients and after division only in the mild hypertension group. Reduced surface expression of TLR4 in hypertensive patients correlated with a lower number of CECs. This relationship was not observed in the resistant hypertension group; instead, an independent effect of reduced CD11b/CD18 expression on the reduction of CEC number was demonstrated., Conclusion: Our preliminary study showed for the first time that hypertension of varying severity is accompanied by phenotypic changes in monocytes, manifested by reduced surface expression of both TLR4 and CD11b/CD18. These phenotypic changes were associated with a reduced degree of endothelial injury. Our study opens a new, unexplored area of research on the protective features of peripheral monocytes in hypertension., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

BackgroundScarce European data in early 2021 suggested lower vaccine effectiveness (VE) against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages than previous variants.AimWe aimed to estimate primary series (PS) and first booster VE against symptomatic BA.1/BA.2 infection and investigate potential biases.MethodsThis European test-negative multicentre study tested primary care patients with acute respiratory symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 in the BA.1/BA.2-dominant period. We estimated PS and booster VE among adults and adolescents (PS only) for all products combined and for Comirnaty alone, by time since vaccination, age and chronic condition. We investigated potential bias due to correlation between COVID-19 and influenza vaccination and explored effect modification and confounding by prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.ResultsAmong adults, PS VE was 37% (95% CI: 24-47%) overall and 60% (95% CI: 44-72%), 43% (95% CI: 26-55%) and 29% (95% CI: 13-43%) < 90, 90-179 and ≥ 180 days post vaccination, respectively. Booster VE was 42% (95% CI: 32-51%) overall and 56% (95% CI: 47-64%), 22% (95% CI: 2-38%) and 3% (95% CI: -78% to 48%), respectively. Primary series VE was similar among adolescents. Restricting analyses to Comirnaty had little impact. Vaccine effectiveness was higher among older adults. There was no signal of bias due to correlation between COVID-19 and influenza vaccination. Confounding by previous infection was low, but sample size precluded definite assessment of effect modification.ConclusionPrimary series and booster VE against symptomatic infection with BA.1/BA.2 ranged from 37% to 42%, with similar waning post vaccination. Comprehensive data on previous SARS-CoV-2 infection would help disentangle vaccine- and infection-induced immunity.

The role of natural killer (NK) cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis has been discussed but is not yet clearly understood. This current study aimed to evaluate the associations between immunophenotypes, degrees of maturity, and the expression level of functional receptors of NK cells in the lung environment present in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and an attempt was made to determine their relationship in the course and progression of COPD. A total of 15 COPD patients and 14 healthy smokers were included. The clinical parameters of COPD were evaluated. In both groups, NK cells using monoclonal antibodies directly conjugated with fluorochromes in flow cytometry were assessed in the peripheral blood. Additionally, NK cells using the same method were assessed in BALF in the COPD subgroup. The blood's NK cells differed from the estimated group's maturity and receptor expression. Functional receptors CD158b+, CD314+, and CD336+ expressed by NK cells were significantly interlinked with age, RV, TLC, 6MWT, smoking, and the number of exacerbations. These results confirm the essential role of NK cells in COPD pathogenesis. Additionally, the relationship between clinical parameters and NK cell expression may indicate its participation in the disease progression and exacerbation and allow for a better understanding of NK cell biology in COPD.

Influenza A viruses circulated in Europe from September 2023 to January 2024, with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 predominance. We provide interim 2023/24 influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) estimates from two European studies, covering 10 countries across primary care (EU-PC) and hospital (EU-H) settings. Interim IVE was higher against A(H1N1)pdm09 than A(H3N2): EU-PC influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 IVE was 53% (95% CI: 41 to 63) and 30% (95% CI: -3 to 54) against influenza A(H3N2). For EU-H, these were 44% (95% CI: 30 to 55) and 14% (95% CI: -32 to 43), respectively.

Background: Influenza A(H3N2) viruses dominated early in the 2022-2023 influenza season in Europe, followed by higher circulation of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and B viruses. The VEBIS primary care network estimated the influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) using a multicentre test-negative study., Materials and Methods: Primary care practitioners collected information and specimens from patients consulting with acute respiratory infection. We measured VE against any influenza, influenza (sub)type and clade, by age group, by influenza vaccine target group and by time since vaccination, using logistic regression., Results: We included 38 058 patients, of which 3786 were influenza A(H3N2), 1548 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 3275 influenza B cases. Against influenza A(H3N2), VE was 36% (95% CI: 25-45) among all ages and ranged between 30% and 52% by age group and target group. VE against influenza A(H3N2) clade 2b was 38% (95% CI: 25-49). Overall, VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 46% (95% CI: 35-56) and ranged between 29% and 59% by age group and target group. VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 clade 5a.2a was 56% (95% CI: 46-65) and 79% (95% CI: 64-88) against clade 5a.2a.1. VE against influenza B was 76% (95% CI: 70-81); overall, 84%, 72% and 71% were among 0-14-year-olds, 15-64-year-olds and those in the influenza vaccination target group, respectively. VE against influenza B with a position 197 mutation of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene was 79% (95% CI: 73-85) and 90% (95% CI: 85-94) without this mutation., Conclusion: The 2022-2023 end-of-season results from the VEBIS network at primary care level showed high VE among children and against influenza B, with lower VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2)., Competing Interests: None., (© 2024 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Structural disorder can improve the optical properties of metasurfaces, whether it is emerging from some large-scale fabrication methods or explicitly designed and built lithographically. For example, correlated disorder, induced by a minimum inter-nanostructure distance or by hyperuniformity properties, is particularly beneficial for light extraction. Inspired by topology, we introduce numerical descriptors to provide quantitative measures of disorder with universal properties, suitable to treat both uncorrelated and correlated disorder at all length scales. The accuracy of these topological descriptors is illustrated both theoretically and experimentally by using them to design plasmonic metasurfaces with controlled disorder that we then correlate to the strength of their surface lattice resonances. These descriptors are an example of topological tools that can be used for the fast and accurate design of disordered structures or as aid in improving their fabrication methods.

The article presents a very simple method of glass modification to obtain the anti-fog effect. Silanes containing two types of functional groups, namely a hydrophilic and polar polyether group and an alkoxysilyl group (to bond with the surface of the modified material) were synthesized in thiol-ene reactions. The hydrothiolation reactions of polyethers containing a C=C terminal bond with mercaptoalkoxysilane proceeded efficiently, yielding quantitatively appropriate products under mild reaction conditions. This method enabled the synthesis of a series of alkoxysilanes functionalized with polyethers, differing in structure. The group of obtained derivatives was characterized by 1 H, 13 C, 29 Si NMR, and FT-IR analyses, and then used to prepare coatings on glass using the sol-gel method. The coated glass surfaces exhibited transparency, superhydrophilic or hydrophilic properties, anti-fog and anti-frost performance., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Mustn1 , a gene expressed exclusively in the musculoskeletal system, was shown in previous in vitro studies to be a key regulator of myogenic differentiation and myofusion. Other studies also showed Mustn1 expression associated with skeletal muscle development and hypertrophy. However, its specific role in skeletal muscle function remains unclear. This study sought to investigate the effects of Mustn1 in a conditional knockout (KO) mouse model in Pax7 positive skeletal muscle satellite cells. Specifically, we investigated the potential effects of Mustn1 on myogenic gene expression, grip strength, alterations in gait, ex vivo investigations of isolated skeletal muscle isometric contractions, and potential changes in the composition of muscle fiber types. Results indicate that Mustn1 KO mice did not present any substantial phenotypic changes or significant variations in genes related to myogenic differentiation and fusion. However, an approximately 10% decrease in overall grip strength was observed in the 2-month-old KO mice in comparison to the control wild type (WT), but this decrease was not significant when normalized by weight. KO mice also generated approximately 8% higher vertical force than WT at 4 months in the hindlimb. Ex vivo experiments revealed decreases in about 20 to 50% in skeletal muscle contractions and about 10%-20% fatigue in soleus of both 2- and 4-month-old KO mice, respectively. Lastly, immunofluorescent analyses showed a persistent increase of Type IIb fibers up to 15-fold in the KO mice while Type I fibers decreased about 20% and 30% at both 2 and 4 months, respectively. These findings suggest a potential adaptive or compensatory mechanism following Mustn1 loss, as well as hinting at an association between Mustn1 and muscle fiber typing. Collectively, Mustn1 's complex roles in skeletal muscle physiology requires further research, particularly in terms of understanding the potential role of Mustn1 in muscle repair and regeneration, as well as with influence of exercise. Collectively, these will offer valuable insights into Mustn1 's key biological functions and regulatory pathways., (© 2023 The Authors. FASEB BioAdvances published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

The global cancer burden remains high; thus, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving carcinogenesis is needed to improve current prevention and treatment options. We previously detected the ZNF643/ZFP69B gene upregulated in multiple tumors, and we speculated it may play a role in tumor biology. To test this hypothesis, we employed TCGA-centered databases to correlate ZNF643 status with various clinicopathological parameters. We also performed RNA-seq analysis and in vitro studies assessing cancer cell phenotypes, and we searched for ZNF643-bound genomic loci. Our data indicated higher levels of ZNF643 in most analyzed tumors compared to normal samples, possibly due to copy number variations. ZNF643 mRNA correlated with diverse molecular and immune subtypes and clinicopathological features (tumor stage, grade, patient survival). RNA-seq analysis revealed that ZNF643 silencing triggers the deregulation of the genes implicated in various cancer-related processes, such as growth, adhesion, and immune system. Moreover, we observed that ZNF643 positively influences cell cycle, migration, and invasion. Finally, our ChIP-seq analysis indicated that the genes associated with ZNF643 binding are linked to adhesion and immune signaling. In conclusion, our data confirm the oncogenic properties of ZNF643 and pinpoint its impact on cell adhesion and immune processes.

Metasurfaces can be realized by organizing subwavelength elements (e.g., plasmonic nanoparticles) on a reflective surface covered with a dielectric layer. Such an array of resonators, acting collectively, can completely absorb the resulting resonant wavelength. Unfortunately, despite the excellent optical properties of metasurfaces, they lack the tunability to perform as adaptive optical components. To boost the utilization of metasurfaces and realize a new generation of dynamically controlled optical components, we report our recent finding based on the powerful combination of an innovative metasurface-optical absorber and nematic liquid crystals (NLCs). The metasurface consists of self-assembled silver nanocubes (AgNCs) immobilized on a 50 nm thick gold layer by using a polyelectrolyte multilayer as a dielectric spacer. The resulting optical absorbers show a well-defined reflection band centered in the near-infrared of the electromagnetic spectrum (750-770 nm), a very high absorption efficiency (∼60%) at the resonant wavelength, and an elevated photothermal efficiency estimated from the time constant value (34 s). Such a metasurface-based optical absorber, combined with an NLC layer, planarly aligned via a photoaligned top cover glass substrate, shows homogeneous NLC alignment and an absorption band photothermally tunable over approximately 46 nm. Detailed thermographic studies and spectroscopic investigations highlight the extraordinary capability of the active metasurface to be used as a light-controllable optical absorber.

Despite the ongoing progress in diagnosis and treatments, cancer remains a threat to more than one-third of the human population. The emerging data indicate that many Krüppel-associated box zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZNF) belonging to a large gene family may be involved in carcinogenesis. Our previous study identified Zinc Finger Protein 714 (ZNF714), a KRAB-ZNF gene of unknown function, as being commonly overexpressed in many tumors, pointing to its hypothetical oncogenic role. Here, we harnessed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-centered databases and performed functional studies with transcriptomic and methylomic profiling to explore ZNF714 function in cancer. Our pan-cancer analyses confirmed frequent ZNF714 overexpression in multiple tumors, possibly due to regional amplification, promoter hypomethylation, and Nuclear Transcription Factor Y Subunit Beta (NFYB) signaling. We also showed that ZNF714 expression correlates with tumor immunosuppressive features. The in vitro studies indicated that ZNF714 expression positively associates with proliferation, migration, and invasion. The transcriptomic analysis of ZNF714 knocked-down cells demonstrated deregulation of cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Importantly, we provided evidence that ZNF714 negatively regulates the expression of several known TSGs indirectly via promoter methylation. However, as ZNF714 did not show nuclear localization in our research model, the regulatory mechanisms exerted by ZNF714 require further investigation. In conclusion, our results reveal, for the first time, that ZNF714 may support pro-oncogenic features in lung cancer cells.

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in tumor microenvironment-associated cancer vaccine therapies. These innovative treatments aim to activate and enhance the body's natural immune response against cancer cells by utilizing specific antigens present in the tumor microenvironment. The goal is to achieve a complete clinical response, where all measurable cancer cells are either eliminated or greatly reduced in size. With their potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, these therapies represent a promising avenue for researchers and clinicians alike. Despite over 100 years of research, the success of therapeutic cancer vaccines has been variable, particularly in advanced cancer patients, with various limitations, including the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment, the presence of immunosuppressive cells, and the potential for tumor escape mechanisms. Additionally, the effectiveness of these therapies may be limited by the variability of the patient's immune system response and the difficulty in identifying appropriate antigens for each patient. Despite these challenges, tumor microenvironment-targeted vaccine cancer therapies have shown promising results in preclinical and clinical studies and have the potential to become a valuable addition to current cancer treatment and "curative" options. While chemotherapeutic and monoclonal antibody treatments remain popular, ongoing research is needed to optimize the design and delivery of these therapies and to identify biomarkers that can predict response and guide patient selection. This comprehensive review explores the mechanisms of cancer vaccines, various delivery methods, and the role of adjuvants in improving treatment outcomes. It also discusses the historical background of cancer vaccine research and examines the current state of major cancer vaccination immunotherapies. Furthermore, the limitations and effectiveness of each vaccine type are analyzed, providing insights into the future of cancer vaccine development.

Wharton's jelly (WJ) contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibiting broad immunomodulatory properties and differentiation capacity, which makes them a promising tool for cellular therapies. Although the osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation is a gold standard for proper identification of MSCs, it is important to elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms governing these processes to develop safe and efficient cellular therapies. Umbilical cords were collected from healthy, full-term deliveries, for subsequent MSCs (WJ-MSCs) isolation. WJ-MSCs were cultivated in vitro for osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic and neurogenic differentiation. The RNA samples were isolated and the transcript levels were evaluated using NovaSeq platform, which led to the identification of differentially expressed genes. Expression of H19 and SLPI was enhanced in adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts, and NPPB was decreased in all analyzed groups compared to the control. KISS1 was down-regulated in adipocytes, chondrocytes, and neural-like cells compared to the control. The most of identified genes were already implicated in differentiation of MSCs; however, some genes ( PROK1 , OCA2 ) have not yet been associated with initiating final cell fate. The current results indicate that both osteo- and adipo-induced WJ-MSCs share many similarities regarding the most overexpressed genes, while the neuro-induced WJ-MSCs are quite distinctive from the other three groups. Overall, this study provides an insight into the transcriptomic changes occurring during the differentiation of WJ-MSCs and enables the identification of novel markers involved in this process, which may serve as a reference for further research exploring the role of these genes in physiology of WJ-MSCs and in regenerative medicine.

The untargeted approach to mass spectrometry-based metabolomics has a wide potential to investigate health and disease states, identify new biomarkers for diseases, and elucidate metabolic pathways. All this holds great promise for many applications in biological and chemical research. However, the complexity of instrumental parameters on advanced hybrid mass spectrometers can make the optimization of the analytical method immensely challenging. Here, we report a strategy to optimize the selected settings of a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for untargeted metabolomics studies of human plasma, as a sample matrix. Specifically, we evaluated the effects of the reconstitution solvent in the sample preparation procedure, the injection volume employed, and different mass spectrometry-related operating parameters including mass range, the number of data-dependent fragmentation scans, collision energy mode, duration of dynamic exclusion time, and mass resolution settings on the metabolomics data quality and output. This study highlights key instrumental variables influencing the detection of metabolites along with suggested settings for the IQ-X tribrid system and proposes a new methodological framework to ensure increased metabolome coverage.

The specific characteristics of endometriotic cells are their ability to evade the apoptotic machinery and abnormal response to apoptotic stimuli. Natural-originated compounds may constitute a beneficial strategy in apoptosis modulation in endometriosis. We investigated and compared the potency of natural resveratrol analogs, including piceatannol, polydatin, and pterostilbene, in targeting cell death pathways, including apoptosis-related morphologic and biochemical processes, alongside the modulation of the critical genes expression. Upon resveratrol and pterostilbene treatment, a significant reduction of endometriotic cell viability and an increased apoptotic proportion of cells were noted. The lower antiproliferative potential was found for piceatannol and polydatin. Endometrial stromal T HESC cells were significantly more resistant than endometriotic epithelial 12Z cells to the cytotoxic activity of all analyzed compounds. They differentially affected endometriotic cell viability, cell cycle, anti- and proapoptotic genes regulation, caspases expression and enzymatic activity, and DNA fragmentation. Pterostilbene-mediated endometriotic cell apoptosis modulation was confirmed to be most effective but without evident caspase 3 upregulation. Our study provides valuable insight into the apoptogenic activity of resveratrol and its natural analogs in endometriotic cells. Data obtained revealed the highest therapeutic potential of pterostilbene by effectively targeting cell death determinants in endometriosis, strengthening its optimization in further extensive research., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

(1) The cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of different fractions as well as the pro-apoptotic activity of saponin fractions from Eryngium planum L. in SKOV-3 was investigated. (2) In screening studies, the cytotoxicity of six fractions on SKOV-3 was examined by LDH and SRB assays. The most active fractions-triterpenoid saponins-were selected for further investigation. To determine the mechanism of saponin fractions' cytotoxicity, their ability to induce apoptosis was examined via Annexin V assay. The effect of the saponin fractions on caspase 3 activity was measured using a Caspase 3 Assay Kit. The expression of 84 apoptosis-related genes was investigated in cancer cells exposed to saponin fractions from the roots. The radical scavenging capacity of different fractions was determined via DPPH assay. (3) The pronounced cytotoxic effects in SKOV-3 were demonstrated by saponin fractions from the leaves and roots. Those saponin fractions were chosen for further investigation. The treatment of cancer cell lines with saponins obtained from the roots provoked a significant increase in apoptotic cells. In the SKOV-3 cells, saponins caused upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes and a decrease in anti-apoptotic genes. The activation of caspase 3 was correlated with an increased DFFA expression level in the treated SKOV-3 cells. The most active fractions were phenolic acids from the shoots and roots. (4) To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to demonstrate that the barrigenol-type triterpenoid saponin fraction from the roots of E. planum inhibits SKOV-3 cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, which may be regulated by the expression of genes mostly specific to a mitochondria-related pathway.