Recent advances in cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for breast cancer therapy.

The serious problems of conventional breast cancer therapy strategies such as drug resistance, severe side effects, and lack of selectivity prompted the development of various cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) devices. Due to its advanced technology, CAP can produce a unique environment rich in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), photons, charged ions, and an electric field, making it a promising revolutionary platform for cancer therapy. Despite substantial technological successes, CAP-based therapeutic systems are encounter with distinct limitations, including low control of the generated RONS, poor knowledge about its anticancer mechanisms, and challenges concerning designing, manufacturing, clinical translation, and commercialization, which must be resolved. The latest developments in CAP-based therapeutic systems for breast cancer treatment are discussed in this review. More significantly, the integration of CAP-based medicine approaches with other breast cancer therapies, including chemo- and nanotherapy is thoroughly addressed.

Effects of a Life Skills Enhancement Program on the Life Skills and Risk Behaviors of Social Media Addiction in Early Adolescence.

Objective: This research aimed to develop and investigate the effects of a life skills enhancement program on the life skills and risk behaviors of social media addiction in early adolescence. Methods: This research used a quasi-experimental design for a controlled study with a pre-test and post-test that collected data through a general information questionnaire, Social Media Addiction Screening Scale: S-MASS, and a life skills test. There were 48 samples recruited by purposive sampling from 5 schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The life skills enhancement program was developed under the theory of cognitive and behavioral therapy in combination with group therapy or occupational therapy. The program had a total of 10 sessions, with 1 session per week for 60 minutes and 10 weeks in total. Results: For the results, a statistically significant difference in post-test SMASS scores between the control and experimental group was found (p<0.01). Moreover, a statistically significant difference in the experimental group between pre-test and post-test using S-MASS scores decreased significantly after participating in the program but not in the control group. This result is similar to the comparative data of life skills scores that revealed there was a statistically significant difference between the pre-test and post-test only in the experimental group. For the comparative data between the control and experimental group, however, there were no statistically significant differences in pre-test and post-test life skills scores between the two groups. Conclusion: From the results, it can be summarized that the life skills enhancement program had affected an increase in life skills and a decrease in risky social media usage among adolescents.

Potential of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected immune cells in breast cancer therapies: Recent advances.

Despite substantial developments in conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, and molecular-targeted therapy, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality in women. Currently, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected immune cell therapy has emerged as an innovative immunotherapeutic approach to ameliorate survival rates of breast cancer patients by eliciting cytotoxic activity against cognate tumour-associated antigens expressing tumour cells. As a crucial component of adaptive immunity, T cells and NK cells, as the central innate immune cells, are two types of pivotal candidates for CAR engineering in treating solid malignancies. However, the biological distinctions between NK cells- and T cells lead to differences in cancer immunotherapy outcomes. Likewise, optimal breast cancer removal via CAR-redirected immune cells requires detecting safe target antigens, improving CAR structure for ideal immune cell functions, promoting CAR-redirected immune cells filtration to the tumour microenvironment (TME), and increasing the ability of these engineered cells to persist and retain within the immunosuppressive TME. This review provides a concise overview of breast cancer pathogenesis and its hostile TME. We focus on the CAR-T and CAR-NK cells and discuss their significant differences. Finally, we deliver a summary based on recent advancements in the therapeutic capability of CAR-T and CAR-NK cells in treating breast cancer.

Optical-based biosensor for detection of oncomarker CA 125, recent progress and current status.

Ovarian cancer (OV) is the second most mortal gynecological malignancy. The oncomarker CA125 has been used as the main ovarian cancer marker for diagnosing and screening ovarian cancer in stages I and II. Therefore, sensitive and real-time detection of CA 125 is critical in ovarian cancer monitoring. Various tests are used to diagnose the CA 125. In recent years, modern methods such as biosensor technology have replaced the old tests for rapid, sensitive and specific detection of CA 125. Various types of biosensors are being developed, among which Surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors are one of the most important and remarkable types. Considering the importance of SPR biosensors in the diagnosis of enocomarker CA 125, the main focus of the present study is to consolidate the research work from the past two decade to the present. Also, the advantages and challenges in SPR biosensors development have been considered in the detection of CA 125 oncomarker.

Various types of electrochemical biosensors for leukemia detection and therapeutic approaches.

Leukemia often initiates following dysfunctions in hematopoietic stem cells lineages. Various types of leukemia, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 (HTLV-1) can thus call for different diagnosis and treatment options. One of the most important subjects in leukemia is the early detection of the disease for effective therapeutic purposes. In this respect, biosensors detecting the molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as analytes are called genosensors or DNA biosensors. Electrochemical sensors, as the most significant approach, also involve reacting of chemical solutions with sensors to generate electrical signals proportional to analyte concentrations. Biosensors can further help detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease. Moreover, electrochemical biosensors, developed based on various nanomaterials (NMs), can increase sensitivity to the detection of leukemia-related genes, e.g., BCR/ABL as a fusion gene and promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML/RARα). Therefore, the present review reflects on previous studies recruiting different NMs for leukemia detection.

Cancer combination therapies by angiogenesis inhibitors; a comprehensive review.

Abnormal vasculature is one of the most conspicuous traits of tumor tissue, largely contributing to tumor immune evasion. The deregulation mainly arises from the potentiated pro-angiogenic factors secretion and can also target immune cells' biological events, such as migration and activation. Owing to this fact, angiogenesis blockade therapy was established to fight cancer by eliminating the nutrient and oxygen supply to the malignant cells by impairing the vascular network. Given the dominant role of vascular-endothelium growth factor (VEGF) in the angiogenesis process, the well-known anti-angiogenic agents mainly depend on the targeting of its actions. However, cancer cells mainly show resistance to anti-angiogenic agents by several mechanisms, and also potentiated local invasiveness and also distant metastasis have been observed following their administration. Herein, we will focus on clinical developments of angiogenesis blockade therapy, more particular, in combination with other conventional treatments, such as immunotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, targeted therapy, and also cancer vaccines. Video abstract.

Tumor immunotherapies by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs); the pros and cons.

The main breakthrough in tumor immunotherapy was the discovery of immune checkpoint (IC) proteins, which act as a potent suppressor of the immune system by a myriad of mechanisms. After that, scientists focused on the immune checkpoint molecules mainly. Thereby, much effort was spent to progress novel strategies for suppressing these inhibitory axes, resulting in the evolution of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Then, ICIs have become a promising approach and shaped a paradigm shift in tumor immunotherapies. CTLA-4 plays an influential role in attenuation of the induction of naïve and memory T cells by engagement with its responding ligands like B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86). Besides, PD-1 is predominantly implicated in adjusting T cell function in peripheral tissues through its interaction with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2. Given their suppressive effects on anti-tumor immunity, it has firmly been documented that ICIs based therapies can be practical and rational therapeutic approaches to treat cancer patients. Nonetheless, tumor inherent or acquired resistance to ICI and some treatment-related toxicities restrict their application in the clinic. The current review will deliver a comprehensive overview of the ICI application to treat human tumors alone or in combination with other modalities to support more desired outcomes and lower toxicities in cancer patients. Video Abstract.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-modified graphene oxide-reinforced polycaprolactone-gelatin nanofiber scaffolds for application in bone tissue engineering.

In this study, blend nanofibrous scaffolds were electrospun from polycaprolactone/gelatin (PCL/Gel) blend solutions reinforced by bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-modified graphene oxide (GO). SEM results showed that uniform and bead-less nanofibers with 270 nm average diameter were obtained from electrospun of PCL/Gel blend solutions. Tensile strength test and contact angle measurement demonstrated that addition of PCL led to higher mechanical and physical properties of the resulting nanofibers. The addition of PCL as well as GO in the blend supports the suitable mechanical strength in the body media. The loading of BMP-modified graphene in the Gel/PCL structure caused the formation of nanofibrous substrate with great resemblance to bone tissue. Gel/PCL-G hybrid nanofibers revealed good biocompatibility in the presence of human osteosarcoma cells, and no trace of cellular toxicity was observed. The cells grown on the scaffolds exhibited a spindle-like and broad morphology and almost uniformly covered the entire nanofiber scaffold. Gel/PCL nanofibers reinforced by graphene oxide-immobilized bone morphogenetic protein was prepared as a promising safe and biocompatible nanofiber with high antibacterial activity for bone tissue engineering.

A step towards sustainable environment in China: The role of eco-innovation renewable energy and environmental taxes.

In the contemporary environment, developing countries are more focused on how economic factors can reasonably utilize technological advancement and carbon neutrality target as effective mechanisms in achieving sustainable production and consumption patterns. The effort to attain carbon neutrality target on natural environment in terms of lower carbon emission (CO2), haze pollution, and greenhouse gas (GHG) requires measures like the usage of non-renewable energy, ecological innovation, and environmental taxes. In doing so, this study considers the sustainability of China's natural environment in terms of CO2 emission, haze pollution through PM2.5, and greenhouse gas emission as well as factors like ecological innovation (ECO), environmental taxes (ERT), renewable energy, and globalization as the key determinants. The Quantile ARDL approach was used to examine both long- and short-run relationships between the explanatory and outcome variables. The results confirmed that there is a significant and negative impact of ECO, renewable energy, and ERT on CO2 emission in the region of China under different quantiles. Whereas, the globalization factor was observed as positively and significantly linked with CO2 emission but only for the higher quantiles. The long-run estimation further showed that ECO, renewable energy, and ERT can significantly help to decrease haze pollution in terms of PM2.5 in China. Furthermore, QARDL also confirms the negative and long-run estimation between the ECO, REN, and ERT, whereas globalization is causing more GHG in China, subsequently creating more environmental sustainability issues. Thus, it is concluded that effective innovation, renewable energy consumption, and environmental taxes reduce carbon emission while globalization increases the carbon emission in the country.

Impact of coal rents, transportation, electricity consumption, and economic globalization on ecological footprint in the USA.

Over the last three decades, the world has been facing the phenomenon of the ecological deficit as the ecological footprint is continuously rising due to the persistent decline of the per-capita bio-capacity. Moreover, there is a substantial increase in globalization and electricity consumption for the same period, and transportation is contributing to economic prosperity at the cost of environmental sustainability. Understanding the determinants of ecological footprint is thus critical for suggesting appropriate policies for environmental sustainability. As a result, this study analyzes the impacts of economic globalization, transportation, coal rents, and electricity consumption in ecological footprint in the context of the USA over the period 1995 to 2018. The data have been extracted from "Global Footprint Network," "Swiss Economic Institute," and "World Development Indicators." The current study has also applied the flexible Fourier form nonlinear unit root test to examine the stationarity among variables. For the empirical estimation, a novel technique, the "quantile auto-regressive distributive lag model," is applied in the study to deal with the nonlinear associations of the variables and to evaluate the long-term stability of variables across quantiles. The study's findings indicate that coal rents, transportation, and globalization significantly and positively contribute to the deterioration of ecological footprints at different quantile ranges in the short and long run. Electricity consumption is found to have a positive and significant impact at lower quantile ranges in the long run but not have a significant impact in the short run. The study suggested that lowering the dependence of the transport sector on fossil fuels, more use of hydroelectricity, and stringent strategies to curb coal consumption would be helpful to reduce the positive influence of these variables on ecological footprints in the USA.

Organoid Models of Heart Diseases: Find a New Channel in Improvements of Cardiac Regenerative Medicine.

We are experiencing a revolution in regenerative medicine. Recent developments in organoid technology have provided unique opportunities for studying human biology and diseases. Indeed, organoid models have revolutionized the in vitro culture tools for biomedical research by creating robust three-dimensional (3D) architecture to recapitulate the primary tissues' cellular heterogeneity, structure, and functions. Such organoid technology enables researchers to re-create human organs and diseases model in a culture dish. It thus holds excellent promises for many translational applications such as regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and precision medicine. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the progression and promotion of organoid models, particularly with the heart disease approach. We discuss the usefulness of clinical applications of cardiac organoids and ultimately highlight the currently advanced therapeutic strategies in vitro model of organoids aimed at personalizing heart disease treatment.

Moderating Role of Self-Compassion in the Relationships Between the Three Forms of Perfectionism with Anger, Aggression, and Hostility.

The prevalence of aggression in adolescents is on the rise, and it could be a serious public health concern. Studies have found positive relationships between perfectionism with anger, aggression, and hostility. However, the moderating role of self-compassion in the links between perfectionism with anger, aggression, and hostility has not been studied. To better understand the relationships between the three forms of perfectionism with anger, aggression, and hostility, this study aimed to explore the moderating role of self-compassion. Participants were 380 undergraduates selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique from three universities in Iran. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and the Aggression Questionnaire Scale. The results from structural equation modelling analysis showed that other-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism positively predicted anger, aggression, and hostility. The results showed that self-oriented perfectionism significantly and positively predicted anger and hostility; but there were no observed statistically significant relationships of self-oriented perfectionism with verbal aggression and physical aggression. The findings showed that self-compassion played a moderating role in the relationships between other-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism with anger, aggression, and hostility; however, it did not play a moderating effect on self-oriented perfectionism with anger, aggression, and hostility. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the moderating role of self-compassion in the links between other-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism with anger, aggression, and hostility among undergraduates. The findings of this study could be applicable for psychologists and counselors who deal with aggressive behavior, anger, and hostility in undergraduate students to assess the three forms of perfectionism and self-compassion.

Multilevel factors associated with physical activity participation among Thai university students.

This study investigated physical activity (PA) levels in Thai university students and their associated factors at multiple levels. Data of 3,930 university students age ≥18 years analyzed in this study were retrieved from a cross-sectional online survey, namely the ASEAN University Network - Health Promotion Network (AUN-HPN) health behavioral survey. The hierarchical generalized linear model considering clustering effects was applied to examine factors associated with sufficient PA across multiple levels. At the individual level, being female, underweight, and overweight had significantly lower odds of having sufficient PA. Sophomores had 22 % greater odds compared with freshmen. Students engaging in 1-3 and 4-6 sports activities had 3 and almost 4 times respectively higher odds of having sufficient PA. Students engaged in >8 h of sedentary time, and consumed adequate amounts of fruit/vegetables had 70 % and 59 % respectively higher odds of having sufficient PA. At the environmental level, students who traveled inactively to/from university, attended a university with private recreational facilities, and a university that adopted the healthy university framework (HUF) had significantly greater odds of having sufficient PA. A majority of university students were sufficiently physically active, despite gender disparity. When promoting PA among them, focus may be targeted at females and sophomores, and consider addressing the number of sports activities engaged, fruit/vegetable consumption, availability of private university recreational facilities, and adoption of the HUF. The results support the implementation of the AUN-HPN HUF, and future initiatives within the country and the wider network for health and PA promotion.

Modeling the turnover intentions of Thai health-care personnel in pandemic times: moderating role of Covid-19 burnout.

PURPOSE: Covid-19 cases are rising at a high rate in Thailand. Thailand's administration has formulated many initiatives to combat the spread of coronavirus. However, during a pandemic, health-care workers have a diverse range of tasks that make it more challenging to continue working in hospitals. Consequently, the authors modeled the turnover intentions of health-care personnel to capture relevant psychological aspects of employees during the pandemic. Specifically, this study aims to focused on the moderating role of Covid-19 burnout (CBO) in the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and job turnover intentions (JTI) with job satisfaction (JS) and knowledge hiding (KH) as mediators. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This research collected data using self-administered questionnaire. A two-stage partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is carried out as an analysis technique to measure the linear relationship among constructs. The study tests hypotheses (direct and indirect effects) using 310 sample size of health-care personnel. FINDINGS: The findings indicated that CBO intensified the JTI of health-care personnel and strengthened the association of JS and KH with JTI during the Covid-19 pandemic. TL had a negative indirect effect on JTI. In addition, JS had a negative impact on JTI. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study highlights the importance of TL and JS as ways to reduce or alleviate JTI in health-care personnel during the Covid-19 pandemic in Thailand. Furthermore, CBO and KH can enhance JTI in health-care personnel.

Hepatoprotective and therapeutic effects of resveratrol: A focus on anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities.

Being the most essential organ in the body, the liver performs critical functions. Hepatic disorders, such as alcoholic liver disease, hepatic steatosis, liver fibrosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatic failure, have an impact on the biochemical and physiological functions of the body. The main representative of the flavonoid subgroup of flavones, resveratrol (RES), exhibits suitable pharmacological activities for treating various liver diseases, such as fatty hepatitis, liver steatosis, liver cancer, and liver fibrosis. According to various studies, grapes and red wine are good sources of RES. RES has various health properties; it is anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidative, and hepatoprotective against several hepatic diseases and hepatoxicity. Therefore, we performed a thorough research and created a summary of the distinct targets of RES in various stages of liver diseases. We concluded that RES inhibited liver inflammation essentially by causing a significant decrease in the expression of various pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1ß, and IL-6. It also inhibits the transcription factor nuclear NF-κB that brings about the inflammatory cascade. RES also inhibits the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway to induce apoptosis. Additionally, it reduces oxidative stress in hepatic tissue by markedly reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) contents and significantly increasing the levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced hepatic glutathione (GSH), in addition to aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), against toxic chemicals like CC14, As2O3, and TTA. Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic properties, RES reduces liver injury markers. RES is safe natural antioxidant that provides pharmacological rectification of the hepatoxicity of toxic chemicals.

Environmental performance and international trade in China: The role of renewable energy and eco-innovation.

Renewable energy and green innovation can enhance environmental performance by encouraging international trade, as anticipated by the current theoretical framework. This study investigates how renewable energy and eco-innovation affect international trade and environmental performance using quarterly data series from 1981 to 2018 for China. The study applies a quantile-based autoregressive distributed lag model. The results indicate that environmental innovation and renewable energy are consistent with environmental quality, while trade openness and urbanization contribute to environmental degradation by stimulating CO2 emissions. In addition, the quantile causality test showed a bidirectional causality between renewable energy and CO2 emissions, trade openness and CO2 emissions, and urbanization and CO2 emissions. Additionally, the findings lend theoretical support for the formulation of environmentally protective policies to better understand the role of renewable energy in stimulating international trade, which eventually enhances environmental performance. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:813-823. © 2021 SETAC.

Impact of Employees' Workplace Environment on Employees' Performance: A Multi-Mediation Model.

This study examined the impact of workplace environment on employee task performance under the mediating role of employee commitment and achievement-striving ability. For this purpose, data were collected from the academic staff under a cross-sectional research design, and they were approached through convenience sampling technique. As per recommendations of established sample size criteria, we distributed a sum of 420 questionnaires among the respondents. Among these distributed questionnaires, only 330 were received back. The returned questionnaires were checked for missing and incomplete responses and after discarding the missing responses useable responses were 314 which were used for the data analysis. Data had been analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) by using Smart PLS 3. The SEM was done based on measurement models and structural models. The results indicated that a positive work environment had the power to improve employee performance. Similarly, a positive work environment also improved the employee commitment level and achievement-striving ability significantly. Both employee commitment and achievement-striving ability also improved employee performance. While in the case of mediation, it had also been observed that workplace environment triggered employee commitment and employee achievement-striving ability which further improved employee performance.

Impact of credit, liquidity, and systematic risk on financial structure: comparative investigation from sustainable production.

The role of risk assessment and capital structure is vital for the sustainable growth of firms and increasing the shareholders' wealth. This research explores the correlation between firm risk and capital structure using datasets from the sugar and cement sectors of Pakistan as a developing economy. This study is unique as it involved two firms of different nature (sugar firms operate seasonally while cement firms operate yearly) to view the real picture on the impact of risk and structure assessment on firms' credibility and shareholders' wealth. For this purpose, 15-year data (2000-2014) containing the financial statements of the target sectors were collected and the ANOVA analysis was applied with credit risk, liquidity risk, systematic risk, and firm size were used as the regressor variables, firm growth and dividend payout ratio as the control variables, and leverage as the regression variable. The findings showed that credit risk and liquidity risk are significantly correlated with leverage. This suggests that decision-makers pertaining to firms' risk and efficiency must focus more on risk to pursue a stronger and sustainable increase in shareholder wealth.

Psychometric comparison of the Persian Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale and Emotional Eater Questionnaire among Iranian adults.

BACKGROUND: The Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale (SEES) and the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) are self-reported measures developed to evaluate emotional eating in adults in Western countries. To date, the psychometric properties of the SEES and the EEQ have not been studied among Iranian adults. The aim of the current study is to translate the SEES and the EEQ from English to Persian and examine the psychometric properties of the SEES and EEQ. METHOD: The sample of this study comprised of 489 Iranian adults who completed the SEES and the EEQ questionnaires online. RESULTS: Findings of face, content, and construct validity tests confirmed that the SEES and the EEQ had acceptable validity and appropriate reliability. The results from confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable goodness-of-fit indices for two measures. CONCLUSION: Results of Average Variance Extracted, Construct Reliability, and goodness-of-fit indices showed that the SEES was better for evaluating emotional eating among Iranian adults than the EEQ.

Emotional eating is defined as overeating in response to negative emotions. Emotional eating could lead to substantial psychological suffering as well as health issues. Therefore, measuring emotional eating is important. This study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale (SEES) and the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) among Iranian adults. Participants in the study included 489 adults who completed both questionnaires online. The results showed that the SEES and the EEQ had acceptable face and content validity; however, the SEES showed better goodness-of-fit indices and factor loading values than the EEQ. Although the SEES and the EEQ are suitable for measuring emotional eating, the SEES showed better results and the SEES is recommended for measuring emotional eating among Iranian adults.

Does educated labor force is managing the green economy in BRCS? Fresh evidence from NARDL-PMG approach.

It is observed that an educated labor force can increase the absorption capacity of the economy and improve the effectiveness of green technologies that lead to a reduction in potential CO2 emissions. The study investigates whether an educated labor force contributes to the management of the green economy or not in BRCS economies. Panel ARDL-PMG and NARDL-PMG approaches have been employed for empirical analysis for data ranging from 1995 to 2019. According to the ARDL-PMG results, a highly educated labor force contributes to alleviating CO2 emissions in the long run. In contrast, the findings of NARDL-PMG infer that positive component of a highly educated labor force has a significant negative impact on CO2 emissions, while negative component of a highly educated labor force has a positive impact on CO2 emissions in the long run. The study suggests that BRCS countries' policymakers should promote education and training for the labor force to maintain a reduction in CO2 emissions.