Characterization and use of activated carbon synthesized from sunflower seed shell in the removal of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Cr(III) ions from aqueous solution.

In this work, carbon-based nanomaterials such as active carbon which is prepared from common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed shell, and the characterization of the activated carbon NPs were studied using FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), XRD, SEM, EDS, and DTA techniques. Activated carbon NPs have been used in the adsorption of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Cr(III) ions from the aqueous phase. The results showed the highest adsorption efficiency was 99.9%, 92.45%, and 98% for Pb(II), Cd(II), and Cr(III) ions respectively at a temperature of 25 °C, pH = 7-9, and a time of 60 and 180 min, in addition to the accordance of the adsorption models for activated carbon with the Freundlich isotherm model at the value of R2 (0.9976, 0.9756, and 0.9907) and Langmuir isotherm model (0.966, 0.999, and 0.9873) of the Pb(II), Cd(II), and Cr(III) ions, respectively. We conclude the possibility of using activated carbon to have an extremely high sorption capacity across the conditions tested, with the highest adsorption efficiency having been >99% for Pb(II), Cd(II), and Cr(III) ions within the pH range 7-9 and a contact time of 60 to 180 min.

Characterizing the Gendered Twitter Discussion of COVID-19 Hoax.

We collected data from Twitter and used content analysis to better understand the gendered discussion around COVID-19 as a hoax. We identified three main categories in the inductive stage of the research: (1) sympathetic to human rights & perceived injustice, (2) invincibility and superiority of COVID hoaxers, (3) conspiracies and/or hidden agendas. The findings of the study show that among all gender groups, the first category is the most dominant (44.4%), the third category is the second most frequent (35.6%), and the last category (19.9%) is the least frequent. However, when the discussion is centered on men (40.2%) and gender and sexual minorities (GSM; 69.6%) groups, the last category is the most dominant with regard to stigmatizing GSM groups by falsely associating them with progressive secret agendas. As for women's group, being sympathetic to human rights and the perceived injustice against them during the pandemic constitute the most dominant category (51.5%). We discuss the implications of the study in the conclusion.

Twitter Misinformation Discourses About Vaping: Systematic Content Analysis.

BACKGROUND: While there has been substantial analysis of social media content deemed to spread misinformation about electronic nicotine delivery systems use, the strategic use of misinformation accusations to undermine opposing views has received limited attention. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing how social media users discuss the topic of misinformation related to electronic nicotine delivery systems, notably vaping products. Additionally, this study identifies and analyzes the actors commonly blamed for spreading such misinformation and how these claims support both the provaping and antivaping narratives. METHODS: Using Twitter's (subsequently rebranded as X) academic application programming interface, we collected tweets referencing #vape and #vaping and keywords associated with fake news and misinformation. This study uses systematic content analysis to analyze the tweets and identify common themes and actors who discuss or possibly spread misinformation. RESULTS: This study found that provape users dominate the platform regarding discussions about misinformation about vaping, with provaping tweets being more frequent and having higher overall user engagement. The most common narrative for provape tweets surrounds the conversation of vaping being perceived as safe. On the other hand, the most common topic from the antivape narrative is that vaping is indeed harmful. This study also points to a general distrust in authority figures, with news outlets, public health authorities, and political actors regularly accused of spreading misinformation, with both placing blame. However, specific actors differ depending on their positionalities. The vast number of accusations from provaping advocates is found to shape what is considered misinformation and works to silence other narratives. Additionally, allegations against reliable and proven sources, such as public health authorities, work to discredit assessments about the health impacts, which is detrimental to public health overall for both provaping and antivaping advocates. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the spread of misinformation and the accusations of misinformation dissemination using terms such as "fact check," "misinformation," "fake news," and "disinformation" have become weaponized and co-opted by provaping actors to delegitimize criticisms about vaping and to increase confusion about the potential health risks. The study discusses the mixed types of impact of vaping on public health for both smokers and nonsmokers. Additionally, we discuss the implications for effective health education and communication about vaping and how misinformation claims can affect evidence-based discourse on Twitter as well as informed vaping decisions.

Science Communication as a Collective Intelligence Endeavor: A Manifesto and Examples for Implementation.

Effective science communication is challenging when scientific messages are informed by a continually updating evidence base and must often compete against misinformation. We argue that we need a new program of science communication as collective intelligence-a collaborative approach, supported by technology. This would have four key advantages over the typical model where scientists communicate as individuals: scientific messages would be informed by (a) a wider base of aggregated knowledge, (b) contributions from a diverse scientific community, (c) participatory input from stakeholders, and (d) better responsiveness to ongoing changes in the state of knowledge.

The convergence of social media and other communication technologies in the promotion of illicit and controlled drugs.

Some social media platforms have strict regulations regarding the promotion of illicit and controlled drug on their sites. This study attempts to examine whether social media outlets like Twitter, Flickr and Tumblr have implemented practical measures to stop the active promotion of such drugs. We examined over 2.6 million social media posts taken from these three platforms. By focusing on keyword searches around mobile apps and communication means, we found evidence of ongoing opioid drug promotion, especially on Twitter followed by Flickr and Tumblr; we discuss our approach which effectively identifies posts related to the promotion of opioids and controlled drugs.

When Science Becomes Embroiled in Conflict: Recognizing the Public's Need for Debate while Combating Conspiracies and Misinformation.

Most democracies seek input from scientists to inform policies. This can put scientists in a position of intense scrutiny. Here we focus on situations in which scientific evidence conflicts with people's worldviews, preferences, or vested interests. These conflicts frequently play out through systematic dissemination of disinformation or the spreading of conspiracy theories, which may undermine the public's trust in the work of scientists, muddy the waters of what constitutes truth, and may prevent policy from being informed by the best available evidence. However, there are also instances in which public opposition arises from legitimate value judgments and lived experiences. In this article, we analyze the differences between politically-motivated science denial on the one hand, and justifiable public opposition on the other. We conclude with a set of recommendations on tackling misinformation and understanding the public's lived experiences to preserve legitimate democratic debate of policy.

BL-8040 CXCR4 antagonist is safe and demonstrates antileukemic activity in combination with cytarabine for the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute myelogenous leukemia: An open-label safety and efficacy phase 2a study.

BACKGROUND: CXCR4 mediates the retention and survival of acute myelogenous leukemia blasts in bone marrow and contributes to their resistance to chemotherapy. The authors evaluated a combination of the high-affinity CXCR4 antagonist BL-8040 with high-dose cytarabine (HiDAC) chemotherapy in a phase 2a study of patients with relapsed and refractory AML. METHODS: Forty-two patients received treatment with BL-8040 monotherapy for 2 days followed by a combination of BL-8040 with HiDAC for 5 days. Six escalating BL-8040 dose levels were investigated (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/kg), and 1.5 mg/kg was selected as the dose for the expansion phase (n = 23). RESULTS: BL-8040 in combination with HiDAC was safe and well tolerated at all dose levels. Clinical response was observed with BL-8040 doses ≥1.0 mg/kg. The composite response rate (complete remissions plus complete remissions with incomplete hematologic recovery of platelets or neutrophils) was 29% (12 of 42) in all patients and 39% (9 of 23) in the 1.5-mg/kg phase. The median overall survival was 8.4 months for all patients, 10.8 months in the 1.5-mg/kg phase, and 21.8 months for responding patients in the 1.5-mg/kg cohort. Two days of BL-8040 monotherapy triggered the mobilization of blasts into peripheral blood, with significantly higher mean fold-changes in responders versus nonresponders. This was accompanied by a decrease in bone marrow blasts. CONCLUSIONS: The current results demonstrate the efficacy of CXCR4 targeting with BL-8040 and support continued clinical development in acute myelogenous leukemia.

A thematic analysis of Instagram's gendered memes on COVID-19.

We investigate the gendered use of Instagram memes on COVID-19 using a mixed-analysis approach. We find that memes referencing women are mostly related to community support and healthcare, which often express gratitude for frontline workers, while the majority of memes on men refer to news and promotion as well as suffering due to the high death rates and other financial hardships. As for sexual and gender minorities, memes mostly mention community support similar to the case of the memes referencing women. We argue that internet memes offer insight into ongoing trends in the public's perceptions of pandemics, and they should be further examined because they often communicate vital information on gender groups and public health.

COVID-19 and the Gendered Use of Emojis on Twitter: Infodemiology Study.

BACKGROUND: The online discussion around the COVID-19 pandemic is multifaceted, and it is important to examine the different ways by which online users express themselves. Since emojis are used as effective vehicles to convey ideas and sentiments, they can offer important insight into the public's gendered discourses about the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This study aims at exploring how people of different genders (eg, men, women, and sex and gender minorities) are discussed in relation to COVID-19 through the study of Twitter emojis. METHODS: We collected over 50 million tweets referencing the hashtags #Covid-19 and #Covid19 for a period of more than 2 months in early 2020. Using a mixed method, we extracted three data sets containing tweets that reference men, women, and sexual and gender minorities, and we then analyzed emoji use along each gender category. We identified five major themes in our analysis including morbidity fears, health concerns, employment and financial issues, praise for frontline workers, and unique gendered emoji use. The top 600 emojis were manually classified based on their sentiment, indicating how positive, negative, or neutral each emoji is and studying their use frequencies. RESULTS: The findings indicate that the majority of emojis are overwhelmingly positive in nature along the different genders, but sexual and gender minorities, and to a lesser extent women, are discussed more negatively than men. There were also many differences alongside discourses of men, women, and gender minorities when certain topics were discussed, such as death, financial and employment matters, gratitude, and health care, and several unique gendered emojis were used to express specific issues like community support. CONCLUSIONS: Emoji research can shed light on the gendered impacts of COVID-19, offering researchers an important source of information on health crises as they happen in real time.

GPCRs profiling and identification of GPR110 as a potential new target in HER2+ breast cancer.

PURPOSE: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of druggable targets in human genome. Although several GPCRs can cross-talk with the human epidermal growth factor receptors (HERs), the expression and function of most GPCRs remain unknown in HER2+ breast cancer (BC). In this study, we aimed to evaluate gene expression of GPCRs in tumorigenic or anti-HER2 drug-resistant cells and to understand the potential role of candidate GPCRs in HER2+ BC. METHODS: Gene expression of 352 GPCRs was profiled in Aldeflur+ tumorigenic versus Aldeflur- population and anti-HER2 therapy-resistant derivatives versus parental cells of HER2+ BT474 cells. The GPCR candidates were confirmed in 7 additional HER2+ BC cell line models and publicly available patient dataset. Anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent cell growth, mammosphere formation, and migration/invasion were evaluated upon GPR110 knockdown by siRNA in BT474 and SKBR3 parental and lapatinib+ trastuzumab-resistant (LTR) cells. RESULTS: Adhesion and class A GPCRs were overexpressed in Aldeflur+ and anti-HER2 therapy-resistant population of BT474 cells, respectively. GPR110 was the only GPCR overexpressed in Aldeflur+ and anti-HER2 therapy-resistant population in BT474, SKBR3, HCC1569, MDA-MB-361, AU565, and/or HCC202 cells and in HER2+ BC subtype in patient tumors. Using BT474 and SKBR3 parental and LTR cells, we found that GPR110 knockdown significantly reduced anchorage-dependent/independent cell growth as well as migration/invasion of parental and LTR cells and mammosphere formation in LTR derivatives and not in parental cells. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest a potential role of GPR110 in tumorigenicity and in tumor cell dissemination in HER2+ BC.

Comparison of the Outcomes of Trabeculectomy with 5-Fluorouracil versus Ologen Implant in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of trabeculectomy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) versus Ologen™ implant in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who underwent trabeculectomy using either Ologen or 5-FU over 12 consecutive months. The patients had moderate-to-advanced primary open-angle glaucoma and uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP) on maximally tolerated medical treatment. Fornix-based trabeculectomy was performed on all patients by the same surgeon. The outcomes that were recorded and analyzed included the IOP level and number of glaucoma medications before and after surgery as well as the complications. All patients were followed for at least 3 months. RESULTS: A total of 58 eyes (of 47 patients) were included in this study. The eyes were divided into 2 groups: the 5-FU group (n = 30, 51.7%) and the Ologen group (n = 28, 48.3%). The demographics and preoperative clinical features were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Repeated-measures analysis showed a significant decrease in IOP after trabeculectomy in both groups, with a marked decrease at day 1 after surgery. The amount of relative change at postoperative day 1 was significantly higher in the Ologen group (62.1 vs. 45.2%; p = 0.025). After this, there were no significant changes over time in IOP measurements in either group. In all the eyes, there was a significant drop in the number of antiglaucoma medications used after the surgery (p < 0.005), i.e. from 4.0 to 1.4 and from 4.3 to 1.0 in the 5-FU and Ologen groups, respectively, with no significant differences between groups (p = 0.303). Complications were few and minor in both groups. Bleb revision was needed in 2 eyes in the 5-FU group and in 4 eyes in the Ologen group. CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of trabeculectomy with 5-FU was similar to that with Ologen. Further studies with a larger number of patients and longer follow-up periods are needed.

Circulating and disseminated tumor cells from breast cancer patient-derived xenograft-bearing mice as a novel model to study metastasis.

INTRODUCTION: Real-time monitoring of biologic changes in tumors may be possible by investigating the transitional cells such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow (BM-DTCs). However, the small numbers of CTCs and the limited access to bone marrow aspirates in cancer patients pose major hurdles. The goal of this study was to determine whether breast cancer (BC) patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mice could provide a constant and renewable source of CTCs and BM-DTCs, thereby representing a unique system for the study of metastatic processes. METHODS: CTCs and BM-DTCs, isolated from BC PDX-bearing mice, were identified by immunostaining for human pan-cytokeratin and nuclear counterstaining of red blood cell-lysed blood and bone marrow fractions, respectively. The rate of lung metastases (LM) was previously reported in these lines. Associations between the presence of CTCs, BM-DTCs, and LM were assessed by the Fisher's Exact and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel tests. Two separate genetic signatures associated with the presence of CTC clusters and with lung metastatic potential were computed by using the expression arrays of primary tumors from different PDX lines and subsequently overlapped to identify common genes. RESULTS: In total, 18 BC PDX lines were evaluated. CTCs and BM-DTCs, present as either single cells or clusters, were detected in 83% (15 of 18) and 62.5% (10 to16) of the lines, respectively. A positive association was noted between the presence of CTCs and BM-DTCs within the same mice. LM was previously found in 9 of 18 (50%) lines, of which all nine had detectable CTCs. The presence of LM was strongly associated with the detection of CTC clusters but not with individual cells or detection of BM-DTCs. Overlapping of the two genetic signatures of the primary PDX tumors associated with the presence of CTC clusters and with lung metastatic potential identified four genes (HLA-DP1A, GJA1, PEG3, and XIST). This four-gene profile predicted distant metastases-free survival in publicly available datasets of early BC patients. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that CTCs and BM-DTCs detected in BC PDX-bearing mice may represent a valuable and unique preclinical model for investigating the role of these rare cells in tumor metastases.

Ecological and health risk assessment of heavy metals in interior dust from college campus.

Contamination of college campus dust with heavy metals and the calculation of their ecological and health risks to the students and staff did not receive much attention except in recent years. This study aims to assess the ecological and human health risks of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in interior dust of College of Science/University campus. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer was utilized to estimate the samples that were collected from 46 locations of the college campus including: classrooms, offices, and laboratories. The Pb, Cu, Cr and Zn metals in the interior dust of the College of Science pose low potential ecological risk, whereas Cd generates medium potential ecological risk. The gained results showed that the student and staff of the College are exposed to low non-cancerous health risks (HI < 1) caused by Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in interior dust. The total lifetime carcinogenic risks (TLCR) of Cd, Cr, and Pb are within the acceptable safe limit (10-6-10-4). The low non-carcinogenic health risks of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn and that the carcinogenic health risks of Cd, Cr and Pb fall within acceptable safe limits, measured in the interior dust of the campus of the College of Science, does not mean neglecting the continuous assessment of those risks.

Targeting inflammatory signaling pathways with SGLT2 inhibitors: Insights into cardiovascular health and cardiac cell improvement.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have attracted significant attention for their broader therapeutic impact beyond simply controlling blood sugar levels, particularly in their ability to influence inflammatory pathways. This review delves into the anti-inflammatory properties of SGLT2 inhibitors, with a specific focus on canagliflozin, empagliflozin, and dapagliflozin. One of the key mechanisms through which SGLT2 inhibitors exert their anti-inflammatory effects is by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a crucial regulator of both cellular energy balance and inflammation. Activation of AMPK by these inhibitors leads to the suppression of pro-inflammatory pathways and a decrease in inflammatory mediators. Notably, SGLT2 inhibitors have demonstrated the ability to inhibit the release of cytokines in an AMPK-dependent manner, underscoring their direct influence on inflammatory signaling. Beyond AMPK activation, SGLT2 inhibitors also modulate several other inflammatory pathways, including the NLRP3 inflammasome, expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), and activation of NF-κB (Nuclear factor kappa B). This multifaceted approach contributes to their efficacy in reducing inflammation and managing associated complications in conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Several human and animal studies provide support for the anti-inflammatory effects of SGLT2 inhibitors, demonstrating protective effects on various cardiac cells. Additionally, these inhibitors exhibit direct anti-inflammatory effects by modulating immune cells. Overall, SGLT2 inhibitors emerge as promising therapeutic agents for targeting inflammation in a range of pathological conditions. Further research, particularly focusing on the molecular-level pathways of inflammation, is necessary to fully understand their mechanisms of action and optimize their therapeutic potential in inflammatory diseases.

Response of human peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (PBMM) to demineralized and decellularized bovine bone graft substitutes.

The performance of apparently biocompatible implanted bovine bone grafts may be compromised by unresolved chronic inflammation, and poor graft incorporation leading to implant failure. Monitoring the intensity and duration of the inflammatory response caused by implanted bone grafts is crucial. In this study, the ability of demineralized (DMB) and decellularized (DCC) bovine bone substitutes in initiating inflammatory responses to peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (PBMMs) was investigated. The response of PBMMs to bone substitutes was evaluated by using both direct and indirect cell culture, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, apoptosis, immunophenotyping, and cytokine production. Analysis of DMB and DCC substitutes using scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed a roughened surface with a size ranging between 500 and 750 µm. PBMMs treated with DMB demonstrated cell aggregation and clumping mimicking lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treated PBMMs and a higher proliferation ability (166.93%) compared to control (100%) and DCC treatments (115.64%; p<0.001) at 24h. This was associated with a significantly increased production of intracellular ROS in PBMMs exposed to DMB substitutes than control (3158.5 vs 1715.5; p<0.001) and DCC treatment (2117.5). The bone substitute exposure also caused an increase in percentage apoptosis which was significantly (p<0.0001) higher in both DMB (27.85) and DCC (29.2) treatment than control (19.383). A significant increase in proinflammatory cytokine expression (TNF-α: 3.4 folds; p<0.05) was observed in DMB substitute-treated PBMMs compared to control. Notably, IL-1ß mRNA was significantly higher in DMB (21.75 folds; p<0.0001) than control and DCC (5.01 folds). In contrast, DCC substitutes exhibited immunoregulatory effects on PBMMs, as indicated by the expression for CD86, CD206, and HLDR surface markers mimicking IL-4 treatments. In conclusion, DMB excites a higher immunological response compared to DCC suggesting decellularization process of tissues dampen down inflammatory reactions when exposed to PBMM.

Tiktoking COVID-19 with frontline workers.

Introduction/Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline workers have taken to social media platforms to discuss a variety of issues that concern their personal and professional lives. In particular, TikTok's increased prominence as a social media channel has proved significant for enhancing the public presence of healthcare workers and their ability to disseminate content to a wider audience. The ways that healthcare workers use TikTok draws attention to the type of health information disseminated to the public through social media platforms. This provides the public with succinct and often visually entertaining information that may not be otherwise distributed to them directly from elsewhere. This study also provides relevant insights into how social media-TikTok in particular-can be used as a tool for disseminating knowledge about COVID-19 related topics and combatting misinformation by using the credibility of frontline workers. Methods: This study collected a sample of over 2100 TikTok videos posted by healthcare workers that were coded according to the dominant overarching themes. Results: The themes that arose from this sample were: (1) healthcare workers' mental health and working conditions, (2) healthcare heroes/appreciation, (3) criticism against official authorities, (4) countering misinformation, (5) humor/satire, and (6) educational content. Conclusion: Due to the rise in public appreciation for frontline workers, examining the effects of the pandemic through the eyes of frontline workers has drawn attention to their lived realities in various forms. This study provided some insight into how frontline workers use TikTok to disseminate information and education to the public, often relying on their perceived credibility.

Phytic acid effect on periodontal ligament fibroblast: An in-vitro study.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated phytic acid (IP6) effect on the viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium release of human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells in optimal (OGL) and elevated glucose level (EGL) in cell culture media. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cells were seeded in OGL (1000mg/L) or EGL (4500 mg/L) media. IP6 was added at 0.005%, 0.01% or 0.02% concentrations for 24 or 48h, and XTT assay was performed. Cell differentiation and calcium release in presence of 0.02% IP6 in OGL or EGL in non-osteogenic or osteogenic media were analyzed using ALP assay and alizarin red staining, respectively. RESULTS: In OGL, IP6 enhanced the viability of the cells at both exposure times (P<0.05). However, IP6 lowered the viability of the cells with the presence of EGL compared to the control at both exposure times, except for 0.02% IP6 which showed comparable viability to the control at 48 h. In OGL and EGL, ALP activity of the cells was not affected by the presence of IP6 in non-osteogenic media; however, in osteogenic media IP6 lowered the ALP activity. Meanwhile, calcium release was the highest with IP6 within osteogenic media of EGL. CONCLUSIONS: IP6 effects on the HPDL cells were dependent on IP6 concentration, time of exposure, glucose levels and the osteogenic condition of the media. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study gives insights on the potential therapeutic effect of IP6 as adjunctive periodontal therapy in patients with diabetes.

SARS-CoV-2-free residual proteins mediated phenotypic and metabolic changes in peripheral blood monocytic-derived macrophages in support of viral pathogenesis.

The large-scale dissemination of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and its serious complications have pledged the scientific research communities to uncover the pathogenesis mechanisms of its etiologic agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods of unveiling such mechanisms are rooted in understanding the viral agent's interactions with the immune system, including its ability to activate macrophages, due to their suggested role in prolonged inflammatory phases and adverse immune responses. The objective of this study is to test the effect of SARS-CoV-2-free proteins on the metabolic and immune responses of macrophages. We hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 proteins shed during the infection cycle may dynamically induce metabolic and immunologic alterations with an inflammatory impact on the infected host cells. It is imperative to delineate such alterations in the context of macrophages to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these highly infectious viruses and their associated complications and thus, expedite the vaccine and drug therapy advent in combat of viral infections. Human monocyte-derived macrophages were treated with SARS-CoV-2-free proteins at different concentrations. The phenotypic and metabolic alterations in macrophages were investigated and the subsequent metabolic pathways were analyzed. The obtained results indicated that SARS-CoV-2-free proteins induced concentration-dependent alterations in the metabolic and phenotypic profiles of macrophages. Several metabolic pathways were enriched following treatment, including vitamin K, propanoate, and the Warburg effect. These results indicate significant adverse effects driven by residual viral proteins that may hence be considered determinants of viral pathogenesis. These findings provide important insight as to the impact of SARS-CoV-2-free residual proteins on the host cells and suggest a potential new method of management during the infection and prior to vaccination.

News loopholing: Telegram news as portable alternative media.

This paper deals with foreign state-run media outlets that disseminate Persian language news targeted to the Iranian public. More specifically, it focuses on the mobile news app Telegram by undertaking a content analysis of a sample of the top 400 most viewed stories across four channels, i.e., BBC Persian, Voice of America's Persian language service VOA Farsi, Radio Farda, and Iran International television channel. It also offers a topic modelling of all news stories posted. Results show that most of the news coverage centered on politics, particularly with an emphasis on internal Iranian issues, while a few other channels repeatedly urged their followers to submit not only their email addresses and other private information, but also photographs and/or videos of anti-government protests. Conceptually, I consider these channels as portable alternative media, as opposed to state-run news media, since the Iranian public seeks them out as sources of political information that assist them in better understanding world news and, most importantly, news about their own country. The Telegram instant messaging app is related to the meso dimension of alternative media, meaning that it is characterized by the unique production and dissemination means it utilizes. This paper concludes by highlighting the implications of foreign state-run news outlets using news loopholing to disseminate information, while simultaneously collecting private information about their users and/or potentially risking their safety.

Sex Workers' Lived Experiences With COVID-19 on Social Media: Content Analysis of Twitter Posts.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to various inequalities in global societies, highlighting discrepancies in terms of safety, accessibility, and overall health. In particular, sex workers are disproportionately at risk due to the nature of their work and the social stigma that comes alongside it. OBJECTIVE: This study examines how public social media can be used as a tool of professional and personal expression by sex workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to explore an underresearched topic by focusing on sex workers' experiences with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the social media platform Twitter. In particular, we aimed to find the main issues that sex workers discuss on social media in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A literature review followed by a qualitative analysis of 1458 (re)tweets from 22 sex worker Twitter accounts was used for this study. The tweets were qualitatively coded by theme through the use of intercoder reliability. Empirical, experimental, and observational studies were included in this review to provide context and support for our findings. RESULTS: In total, 5 major categories were identified as a result of the content analysis used for this study: concerns (n=542, 37.2%), solicitation (n=336, 23.0%), herd mentality (n=231, 15.8%), humor (n=190, 13.0%), and blame (n=146, 10.0%). The concerns category was the most prominent category, which could be due to its multifaceted nature of including individual concerns, health issues, concerns for essential workers and businesses, as well as concerns about inequalities or intersectionality. When using gender as a control factor, the majority of the results were not noteworthy, save for the blame category, in which sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) were more likely to post content. CONCLUSIONS: Though there has been an increase in the literature related to the experiences of sex workers, this paper recommends that future studies could benefit from further examining these 5 major categories through mixed methods research. Examining this phenomenon could recognize the challenges unique to this working community during the COVID-19 pandemic and potentially reduce the widespread stigma associated with sex work in general.