Inter-rater and Intra-rater Reliability of the Videofluoroscopic Dysphagia Scale with the Standardized Protocol.

This study aimed to develop a standardized protocol for the assessment of videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS) and to demonstrate the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the VDS by applying the new standard protocol. A standardized protocol for the VDS was developed by dysphagia experts, including the original developer. To identify the reliability of the VDS using the protocol, 60 patients who underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) for various etiologies were recruited retrospectively from three tertiary medical centers. Ten randomly selected cases were duplicated to evaluate the intra-rater reliability. Six physicians evaluated the VFSS data sets. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the VDS score, and Gwet's kappa values for each VDS item were calculated. The inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the total VDS score was 0.966 and 0.896, respectively. Notably, the evaluators' experience did not appear to have a significant impact on the reliability (physiatrists: 0.933/0.869, residents: 0.922/0.922). The reliability was consistent across different centers and dysphagia etiologies. The inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the oral and pharyngeal sub-scores were 0.953/0.861 and 0.958/0.907, respectively. The inter-rater agreement of individual items ranged from 0.456 to 0.929, and nine items demonstrated good to very good level of agreement. Assessment of dysphagia using the VDS with the standard protocol showed excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities regardless of the evaluator's experience, VFSS equipment, and dysphagia etiologies. The VDS can be a useful assessment scale in the quantitative analysis of dysphagia based on VFSS findings.

Impact of relative humidity on the laying performance, egg quality, and physiological stress responses of laying hens exposed to high ambient temperature.

The present study investigated the effects of relative humidity (RH) on the laying performance, egg quality, and stress indicators of laying hens raised at high ambient temperatures. A total of 180 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (68-wk-old) were randomly allotted to one of the following three RH conditions for 12 h a day (9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.) over four weeks: low RH (LRH; 25% RH), moderate RH (MRH; 50% RH), and high RH (HRH; 75% RH); ambient temperature was 30 °C under all treatments. None of the RH treatments affected hen-day egg production, egg weight, or egg mass (P > 0.05). However, feed intake was lower in the HRH group than in the LRH group (P < 0.05). Plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentration on day 21, yolk CORT concentration on day 3, and albumen CORT concentration on day 7 following RH exposure were higher in the HRH group than in the LRH group (P < 0.05). Moreover, plasma HDL-cholesterol concentration on day 14 was higher in the HRH group than in the LRH group (P < 0.05). On days 3 and 14, the Haugh unit decreased (P < 0.05) in the LRH group compared with that in the MRH and HRH groups. The HRH-exposed laying hens showed the lowest (P < 0.05) eggshell thickness on day 14. The absolute weights of eggshell, yolk, and albumen decreased in the HRH group compared with those in the MRH and LRH groups. Overall, high RH lowered feed intake and egg quality except for the Haugh unit, and induced stress response as manifested by elevated plasma, yolk, and albumen CORT concentrations. To our best knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate the role of RH in triggering temperature stress responses in laying hens.

Physiological and behavioral responses of laying hens exposed to long-term high temperature.

The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of a 42 d period of heat stress on laying hens with respect to rectal temperature, body-surface temperature, heart rate, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio), corticosterone (CORT) in plasma and yolk samples, and video-assessed behaviors. A total of one hundred twenty 56-week-old ISA-brown laying hens were continuously exposed to one of three temperature regimes: optimal (LT; 22 °C), moderate (MT; 27 °C), and high (HT; 32 °C). The relative humidity was maintained at 50% in all treatments. HT vs. MT and LT increased rectal temperature, heart rate, and body-surface temperature on all days (P < 0.05). HT vs. LT raised (P < 0.05) the H/L ratio in blood at day 42 following heat exposure. On the other hand, both HT- and MT-exposed laying hens had higher (P < 0.05) plasma CORT compared with those on LT group only at 28 and 42 d following heat treatment. Yolk CORT was elevated (P < 0.05) in the HT vs. MT and LT groups at 3 and 14 d following heat treatment. Panting and wing elevation were the most relevant behaviors in laying hens exposed to HT vs. MT and LT. The study shows that rectal and body-surface temperature, heart rate, and behavior, but not CORT or H/L ratio, are the reliable indicators for assessing the stress status of laying hens over extended period of heat stress.

Nematicidal Activity of Grammicin Biosynthesis Pathway Intermediates in Xylaria grammica KCTC 13121BP against Meloidogyne incognita.

Grammicin, a polyketide metabolite produced by the endolichenic fungus Xylaria grammica KCTC 13121BP, shows strong nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita. This study was performed to elucidate the grammicin biosynthesis pathway of X. grammica KCTC 13121BP and to examine the nematicidal activity of the biosynthesis intermediates and derivatives against M. incognita. Two grammicin biosynthesis intermediates were isolated from a T-DNA insertion transformant (strain TR-74) of X. grammica KCTC 13121BP and identified as 2-(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione (compound 1) and 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (compound 2), which were also reported to be intermediates in the biosynthesis pathway of patulin, an isomer of grammicin. This indicates that the grammicin biosynthesis pathway overlaps almost with that of patulin, except for the last few steps. Among 13 grammicin biosynthesis intermediates and their derivatives (except grammicin), toluquinol caused the highest M. incognita J2 mortality, with an LC50/72 h value of 11.13 µg/mL, which is similar to grammicin with an LC50/72 h value of 15.95 µg/mL. In tomato pot experiments, the wettable powder type formulations (WP) of toluquinol (17.78 µg/mL) and grammicin (17.78 µg/mL) also effectively reduced gall formation on the roots of tomato plants with control values of 72.22% and 77.76%, respectively, which are much higher than abamectin (16.67%), but lower than fosthiazate (100%). The results suggest that toluquinol can be used directly as a biochemical nematicide or as a lead molecule for the development of new synthetic nematicides for the control of root-knot nematode diseases.

Need for Systematic Efforts to Modify Health-Related Behaviors After Acute Myocardial Infarction in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Modification of health-related behaviors may improve clinical outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but the need for systematic efforts to modify such behaviors and the estimated effect have not been investigated, especially in Asian populations. The aim of the study was to investigate changes in smoking and physical activity after AMI and their associations with death and recurrent revascularization. Methods and Results: Using the Korean National Insurance Health Service database, we included 13,452 patients with AMI in 2011, who were stable until 1.5 years on average after onset. Patients were grouped according to their smoking status and physical activity before and after AMI. After AMI, 44.6% of smokers continued smoking and only 11.0% of inactive patients increased their physical activity to a sufficient level. The 'smoker/smoker' group and 'non-smoker/smoker' group showed higher mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 1.566, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.192-2.035; HR: 1.785, 95% CI: 1.061-2.815, respectively). On the other hand, the 'active/active' group and 'inactive/active' group showed less mortality (HR: 0.625, 95% CI: 0.460-0.832; HR: 0.681, 95% CI: 0.438-1.009, respectively) and the 'inactive/active' group showed less recurrent revascularization (HR: 0.761, 95% CI: 0.599-0.952). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation and maintaining sufficient physical activity after AMI remain challenging for many Korean patients, and are associated with higher rates of mortality and recurrent revascularization. Systematic nationwide efforts such as cardiac rehabilitation (CR) to change health-related behaviors after AMI are required in Korea.

Effects of deoxynivalenol- and zearalenone-contaminated feed on the gene expression profiles in the kidneys of piglets.

OBJECTIVE: Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), common contaminants in the feed of farm animals, cause immune function impairment and organ inflammation. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to elucidate DON and ZEN effects on the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other immune related genes in the kidneys of piglets. METHODS: Fifteen 6-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments for 4 weeks: control diet, and diets contaminated with either 8 mg DON/kg feed or 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed. Kidney samples were collected after treatment, and RNA-seq was used to investigate the effects on immune-related genes and gene networks. RESULTS: A total of 186 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened (120 upregulated and 66 downregulated). Gene ontology analysis revealed that the immune response, and cellular and metabolic processes were significantly controlled by these DEGs. The inflammatory stimulation might be an effect of the following enriched Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis found related to immune and disease responses: cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, toll-like receptor signaling pathway, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), tuberculosis, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and chemical carcinogenesis. The effects of DON and ZEN on genome-wide expression were assessed, and it was found that the DEGs associated with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 receptor, beta, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9, CXCL10, chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 4), proliferation (insulin like growth factor binding protein 4, IgG heavy chain, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C, cytochrome P450 1A1, ATP-binding cassette sub-family 8), and other immune response networks (lysozyme, complement component 4 binding protein alpha, oligoadenylate synthetase 2, signaling lymphocytic activation molecule-9, α-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, Ig lambda chain c region, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, isozyme 4, carboxylesterase 1), were suppressed by DON and ZEN. CONCLUSION: In summary, our results indicate that high concentrations of DON and ZEN suppress the inflammatory response in kidneys, leading to potential effects on immune homeostasis.

Deoxynivalenol- and zearalenone-contaminated feeds alter gene expression profiles in the livers of piglets.

OBJECTIVE: The Fusarium mycotoxins of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zerolenone (ZEN) cause health hazards for both humans and farm animals. Therefore, the main intention of this study was to reveal DON and ZEN effects on the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other immune related genes in the liver of piglets. METHODS: In the present study, 15 six-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to the following three different dietary treatments for 4 weeks: control diet, diet containing 8 mg DON/kg feed, and diet containing 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed. After 4 weeks, liver samples were collected and sequenced using RNA-Seq to investigate the effects of the mycotoxins on genes and gene networks associated with the immune systems of the piglets. RESULTS: Our analysis identified a total of 249 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which included 99 upregulated and 150 downregulated genes in both the DON and ZEN dietary treatment groups. After biological pathway analysis, the DEGs were determined to be significantly enriched in gene ontology terms associated with many biological pathways, including immune response and cellular and metabolic processes. Consistent with inflammatory stimulation due to the mycotoxin-contaminated diet, the following Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways, which were related to disease and immune responses, were found to be enriched in the DEGs: allograft rejection pathway, cell adhesion molecules, graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), type I diabetes mellitus, human T-cell leukemia lymphoma virus infection, and viral carcinogenesis. Genome-wide expression analysis revealed that DON and ZEN treatments downregulated the expression of the majority of the DEGs that were associated with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 receptor, beta, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9), proliferation (insulin-like growth factor 1, major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2A, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2, lipase G, and salt inducible kinase 1), and other immune response networks (paired immunoglobulin-like type 2 receptor beta, Src-like-adaptor-1 [SLA1], SLA3, SLA5, SLA7, claudin 4, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, thyrotropin-releasing hormone degrading enzyme, ubiquitin D, histone H2B type 1, and serum amyloid A). CONCLUSION: In summary, our results demonstrated that high concentrations DON and ZEN disrupt immune-related processes in the liver.

Method to minimize ozone effect on Cy5 fluorescent intensity in DNA microarrays.

Cyanine 5 (Cy5) is an established fluorescent dye in microarray analysis. It is degraded rapidly when exposed to atmospheric ozone during post-hybridization washes, which leads to loss of fluorescent intensity. To minimize this undesirable effect, we coated microarray slides with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution at post-hybridization washes. The fluorescent intensities on coated slides were more stable than those on uncoated slide. We also performed the microarrays with SDS solution for a year to check the solution's effectiveness along with seasonal changes of atmospheric ozone level. Consistent results in microarray analysis were obtained using Cy5 dye under atmospheric ozone.

Delphinidin inhibits BDNF-induced migration and invasion in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the TrkB ligand, is associated with aggressive malignant behavior, including migration and invasion, in tumor cells and a poor prognosis in patients with various types of cancer. Delphinidin is a diphenylpropane-based polyphenolic ring structure-harboring compound, which exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-mutagenic activity. However, the possible role of delphinidin in the cancer migration and invasion is unclear. We investigated the suppressive effect of delphinidin on the cancer migration and invasion. Thus, we found that BDNF enhanced cancer migration and invasion in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell. To exam the inhibitory role of delphinidin in SKOV3 ovarian cancer migration and invasion, we investigated the use of delphinidin as inhibitors of BDNF-induced motility and invasiveness in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Here, we found that delphinidin prominently inhibited the BDNF-induced increase in cell migration and invasion of SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, delphinidin remarkably inhibited BDNF-stimulated expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Also, delphinidin antagonized the phosphorylation of Akt and nuclear translocation of NF-κB permitted by the BDNF in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. Taken together, our findings provide new evidence that delphinidin suppressed the BDNF-induced ovarian cancer migration and invasion through decreasing of Akt activation.

Role of human epididymis protein 4 in chemoresistance and prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer.

AIM: Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a novel biomarker for epithelial ovarian cancer. This study was designed to evaluate the role of HE4 in chemo-response against anti-cancer drugs and prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: HE4-depleted cells and HE4-overexpressing cells were generated. The effect of HE4 gene silencing and overexpression was examined using a cell viability assay after exposure to chemotherapeutic agents and the signaling pathway. We studied the expression of HE4 in ovarian cancer tissue and the prognostic significance. Cytoplasmic staining was graded for intensity and percentage of positive cells. The grades were multiplied to determine an H-score. RESULTS: Knockdown of HE4 in OVCAR-3 cells resulted in reduction in cell growth and increased sensitivity to paclitaxel and cisplatin compared to control cells. This effect originated from the decreased activation of cell-growth-related signaling, such as AKT and Erk mediated by epidermal growth factor (EGF), while overexpression of HE4 resulted in enhanced cell growth and suppressed the anti-tumorigenic activity of paclitaxel. Activation of AKT and Erk pathways was enhanced in HE4-overexpressing cells compared to control cells. Based on the results of multivariate analysis, the risk of death was significantly higher in patients with an H-score > 4. CONCLUSION: HE4 induces chemoresistance against anti-cancer drugs and activates the AKT and Erk pathways to enhance tumor survival. HE4 expression in ovarian cancer tissue is associated with a worse prognosis for epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

Pseudomonas kribbensis sp. nov., isolated from garden soils in Daejeon, Korea.

Two bacterial strains, 46-1 and 46-2T, were isolated from garden soil. These strains were observed to be aerobic, Gram-stain negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, motile and catalase and oxidase positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the two strains shared 100 % sequence similarity with each other and belong to the genus Pseudomonas in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The concatenated 16S rRNA, gyrB, rpoB and rpoD gene sequences further confirmed that the isolates belong to the Pseudomonas koreensis subgroup (SG), with P. koreensis Ps 9-14T, Pseudomonas moraviensis 1B4T and Pseudomonas granadensis F-278,770T as their close relatives (>96 % pairwise similarity). DNA-DNA hybridization with the closely related type strain P. koreensis SG revealed a low level of relatedness (<50 %). A cladogram constructed using whole-cell matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (WC-MALDI-TOF) MS analysis showed the isolates formed a completely separate monophyletic group. The isolates were negative for utilization of glycogen, D-psicose, α-keto butyric acid, α-keto valeric acid, succinamic acid and D, L-α-glycerol phosphate. In contrast, all these reactions were positive in P. koreensis JCM 14769T and P. moraviensis DSM 16007T. The fatty acid C17:0 cyclo was detected as one of the major cellular fatty acids (>15 %) in the isolates but it was a minor component (<4 %) in both reference type strains. In contrast, the fatty acid, C12:0 was not observed in the isolates but was present in both reference strains. Based on differences such as phylogenetic position, low-level DNA-DNA hybridization, WC-MALDI-TOF MS analysis, fluorescence pigmentation, fatty acid profiles, and substrate utilization, we propose that the isolates 46-1 and 46-2T represent a novel species of the genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas kribbensis sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is 46-2T (=KCTC 32541T = DSM 100278T).

Significance of endometrial cells in cervical cytology.

This study evaluated the clinical significance of endometrial cells in Papanicolaou test (Pap test). A retrospective study was performed from the cytological database of Seoul National University Hospital. The results of Pap tests of women aged 40 years or older between January 1998 and December 2007 were sorted. Medical records were reviewed to identify the presence of endometrial cells from cytology, and cytologic and histologic follow-ups were performed to determine the clinical significance of the lesions. Among 75,673 Pap cases, 832 cases presenting normal endometrial cells (nEMCs) were included in this study. Their follow-up data are as follows: 800 with nEMCs, 5 with atypical EMCs (aEMCs), and 27 with endometrial cancer cells (EMCCs) on cytologic and histologic follow-ups. Significant endometrial or cervical diseases were found in 0.5%, 40%, and 100% of the cases on the following-up the pathologic examination of the women with nEMCs, aEMCs, and EMCCs, respectively. Unlike aEMCs and EMCCs, nEMCs on Pap tests did not increase the risk of developing endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial cancer in women aged 40 years or older. There is no clinical benefit to perform routine endometrial work-up in women with nEMCs, as recommended in the 2001 Bethesda System. However, symptomatic women with nEMCs on Pap test should perform endometrial work-up regardless of menopausal status.

Pregnancy Outcomes and Risk Factors for Uterine Rupture After Laparoscopic Myomectomy: A Single-Center Experience and Literature Review.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate pregnancy outcomes after laparoscopic myomectomy (LSM), focusing on the risk of uterine rupture. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification III). SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Of 676 women who visited the obstetrics department for a pregnancy after undergoing LSM performed at the same center between 1994 and 2012, we included the 523 women who had follow-up through the end of pregnancy. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent LSM, and their medical charts were retrospectively reviewed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Multiple myomas were removed in 35.2% of cases, intramural-type lesions occurred in 46.5% of cases, and the mean myoma diameter was 4.9 cm. Pregnancy outcomes after LSM included 400 (76.5%) full-term deliveries and 100 (19.1%) vaginal deliveries, with other adverse outcomes being no different than the general population. The mean interval between LSM and pregnancy was 14 months, and only 3 (0.6%) cases of uterine rupture occurred during pregnancy. In analysis, by reviewing the published cases of uterine rupture, we found that the mean diameter, myoma number and type, and the rate of uterine suture were similar between the ruptured cases and all of our cases of LSM. CONCLUSION: LSM can be safely used in women of reproductive age who want to become pregnant. Uterine rupture occurs in rare cases, regardless of myoma features, but further large-scale studies are required to ascertain the detailed effects of various surgical techniques.

Potential applications of ChatGPT in obstetrics and gynecology in Korea: a review article.

The use of chatbot technology, particularly chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) with an impressive 175 billion parameters, has garnered significant attention across various domains, including Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN). This comprehensive review delves into the transformative potential of chatbots with a special focus on ChatGPT as a leading artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Moreover, ChatGPT harnesses the power of deep learning algorithms to generate responses that closely mimic human language, opening up myriad applications in medicine, research, and education. In the field of medicine, ChatGPT plays a pivotal role in diagnosis, treatment, and personalized patient education. Notably, the technology has demonstrated remarkable capabilities, surpassing human performance in OBGYN examinations, and delivering highly accurate diagnoses. However, challenges remain, including the need to verify the accuracy of the information and address the ethical considerations and limitations. In the wide scope of chatbot technology, AI systems play a vital role in healthcare processes, including documentation, diagnosis, research, and education. Although promising, the limitations and occasional inaccuracies require validation by healthcare professionals. This review also examined global chatbot adoption in healthcare, emphasizing the need for user awareness to ensure patient safety. Chatbot technology holds great promise in OBGYN and medicine, offering innovative solutions while necessitating responsible integration to ensure patient care and safety.

When I feel that I am better off, science seems to make the world better off too: inequality, perceived standard of living and perceptions toward science.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that divisive views on science and technology span both the Global North and South. This study posits that an individual's perception of their current living standard acts as a mediating factor linking income inequality to attitudes towards scientific and technological advancements. It contends that rising income disparities shape perceptions, making individuals feel their current living conditions have not surpassed those of prior generations. Consequently, such perceptions diminish the likelihood of recognizing the positive impacts of science and technology on societal progress and future prospects. This paper sheds light on how escalating inequality fosters societal rifts concerning science and technology.

Association of Diaphragm Thickness and Respiratory Muscle Strength With Indices of Sarcopenia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between respiratory muscle strength, diaphragm thickness (DT), and indices of sarcopenia. METHODS: This study included 45 healthy elderly volunteers (21 male and 24 female) aged 65 years or older. Sarcopenia indices, including hand grip strength (HGS) and body mass index-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM/BMI), were measured using a hand grip dynamometer and bioimpedance analysis, respectively. Calf circumference (CC) and gait speed were also measured. Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) were obtained using a spirometer, as a measure of respiratory muscle strength. DT was evaluated through ultrasonography. The association between indices of sarcopenia, respiratory muscle strength, and DT was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation test, and univariate and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: ASM/BMI (r=0.609, p<0.01), CC (r=0.499, p<0.01), HGS (r=0.759, p<0.01), and gait speed (r=0.319, p<0.05) were significantly correlated with DT. In the univariate linear regression analysis, MIP was significantly associated with age (p=0.003), DT (p<0.001), HGS (p=0.002), CC (p=0.013), and gait speed (p=0.026). MEP was significantly associated with sex (p=0.001), BMI (p=0.033), ASM/BMI (p=0.003), DT (p<0.001), HGS (p<0.001), CC (p=0.001) and gait speed (p=0.004). In the multiple linear regression analysis, age (p=0.001), DT (p<0.001), and ASM/BMI (p=0.008) showed significant association with MIP. DT (p<0.001) and gait speed (p=0.050) were associated with MEP. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that respiratory muscle strength is associated with DT and indices of sarcopenia. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.

Oral administration of Pinus koraiensis cone essential oil reduces rumen methane emission by altering the rumen microbial composition and functions in Korean native goat (Capra hircus coreanae).

This study aimed to investigate Pinus koraiensis cone essential oil (PEO) as a methane (CH4) inhibitor and determine its impact on the taxonomic and functional characteristics of the rumen microbiota in goats. A total of 10 growing Korean native goats (Capra hircus coreanae, 29.9 ± 1.58 kg, male) were assigned to different dietary treatments: control (CON; basal diet without additive) and PEO (basal diet +1 g/d of PEO) by a 2 × 2 crossover design. Methane measurements were conducted every 4 consecutive days for 17-20 days using a laser CH4 detector. Samples of rumen fluid and feces were collected during each experimental period to evaluate the biological effects and dry matter (DM) digestibility after PEO oral administration. The rumen microbiota was analyzed via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The PEO oral administration resulted in reduced CH4 emission (eructation CH4/body weight0.75, p = 0.079) without affecting DM intake; however, it lowered the total volatile fatty acids (p = 0.041), molar proportion of propionate (p = 0.075), and ammonia nitrogen (p = 0.087) in the rumen. Blood metabolites (i.e., albumin, alanine transaminase/serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase, creatinine, and triglyceride) were significantly affected (p < 0.05) by PEO oral administration. The absolute fungal abundance (p = 0.009) was reduced by PEO oral administration, whereas ciliate protozoa, total bacteria, and methanogen abundance were not affected. The composition of rumen prokaryotic microbiota was altered by PEO oral administration with lower evenness (p = 0.054) observed for the PEO group than the CON group. Moreover, PICRUSt2 analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways of prokaryotic bacteria, such as pyruvate metabolism, were enriched in the PEO group. We also identified the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group as the taxa potentially contributing to the enriched KEGG modules for histidine biosynthesis and pyruvate oxidation in the rumen of the PEO group using the FishTaco analysis. The entire co-occurrence networks showed that more nodes and edges were detected in the PEO group. Overall, these findings provide an understanding of how PEO oral administration affects CH4 emission and rumen prokaryotic microbiota composition and function. This study may help develop potential manipulation strategies to find new essential oils to mitigate enteric CH4 emissions from ruminants.

Mediation analysis of conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments on vaccine willingness.

OBJECTIVE: Vaccines are an effective means to reduce the spread of diseases, but they are sometimes met with hesitancy that needs to be understood. METHOD: In this study, we analyzed data from a large, cross-country survey conducted between June and August 2021 in 43 countries (N = 15,740) to investigate the roles of trust in government and science in shaping vaccine attitudes and willingness to be vaccinated. RESULTS: Despite significant variability between countries, we found that both forms of institutional trust were associated with a higher willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, we found that conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments predicted reduced trust in government and science, respectively, and that trust mediated the relationship between these two constructs and ultimate vaccine attitudes. Although most countries displayed similar relationships between conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments, trust in government and science, and vaccine attitudes, we identified three countries (Brazil, Honduras, and Russia) that demonstrated significantly altered associations between the examined variables in terms of significant random slopes. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-country differences suggest that local governments' support for COVID-19 prevention policies can influence populations' vaccine attitudes. These findings provide insight for policymakers to develop interventions aiming to increase trust in the institutions involved in the vaccination process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Neutralizing activity against Omicron BA.5 after tixagevimab/cilgavimab administration comparable to those after Omicron BA.1/BA.2 breakthrough infections.

Introduction: The effect of tixagevimab/cilgavimab (Evusheld™; AstraZeneca, UK) should be evaluated in the context of concurrent outbreak situations. Methods: For serologic investigation of tixagevimab/cilgavimab during the BA.5 outbreak period, sera of immunocompromised (IC) hosts sampled before and one month after tixagevimab/cilgavimab administration and those of healthcare workers (HCWs) sampled one month after a 3rd shot of COVID-19 vaccines, five months after BA.1/BA.2 breakthrough infection (BI), and one month after BA.5 BI were investigated. Semi-quantitative anti-spike protein antibody (Sab) test and plaque reduction neutralizing test (PRNT) against BA.5 were performed. Results: A total of 19 IC hosts (five received tixagevimab/cilgavimab 300 mg and 14 received 600 mg) and 41 HCWs (21 experienced BA.1/BA.2 BI and 20 experienced BA.5 BI) were evaluated. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between IC hosts and HCWs except for age and hypertension. Sab significantly increased after tixagevimab/cilgavimab administration (median 130.2 BAU/mL before tixagevimab/cilgavimab, 5,665.8 BAU/mL after 300 mg, and 10,217 BAU/mL after 600 mg; both P < 0.001). Sab of one month after the 3rd shot (12,144.2 BAU/mL) or five months after BA.1/BA.2 BI (10,455.8 BAU/mL) were comparable with that of tixagevimab/cilgavimab 600 mg, while Sab of one month after BA.5 BI were significantly higher (22,216.0 BAU/mL; P < 0.001). BA.5 PRNT ND50 significantly increased after tixagevimab/cilgavimab administration (median ND50 29.6 before tixagevimab/cilgavimab, 170.8 after 300 mg, and 298.5 after 600 mg; both P < 0.001). The ND50 after tixagevimab/cilgavimab 600 mg was comparable to those of five months after BA.1 BI (ND50 200.9) while ND50 of one month after the 3rd shot was significantly lower (ND50 107.6; P = 0.019). The ND50 of one month after BA.5 BI (ND50 1,272.5) was highest among tested groups, but statistical difference was not noticed with tixagevimab/cilgavimab 600 mg. Conclusion: Tixagevimab/cilgavimab provided a comparable neutralizing activity against the BA.5 with a healthy adult population who were vaccinated with a 3rd shot and experienced BA.1/BA.2 BI.

Dysadherin expression promotes the motility and survival of human breast cancer cells by AKT activation.

High dysadherin expression has been recognized as a biological predictor of metastasis and poor prognosis for many different cancer types; however, the molecular mechanisms of how dysadherin affects cancer progression are still poorly understood. In this study, we examined whether AKT signaling could link dysadherin expression with downstream events that promote the metastatic potential of human breast cancer cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of breast cancer tissues showed that dysadherin expression was highly associated with elevated expression of phospho-AKT. The introduction of dysadherin cDNA into BT-474, MCF-7 and T-47D breast cancer cell lines enhanced their levels of AKT phosphorylation, while knockdown of dysadherin in MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T breast cancer cell lines suppressed AKT phosphorylation. Treatment with the AKT inhibitor triciribine suppressed dysadherin-mediated pro-metastatic effects, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell motility and drug resistance. These findings suggest that dysadherin might contribute to breast cancer progression through AKT activation.