A taste of cell-cultured meat: a scoping review.

Cell-cultured meat (CM) is a novel meat product grown in vitro from animal cells, widely framed as equivalent to conventional meat but presented as produced in a more sustainable way. Despite its limited availability for human consumption, consumer acceptance of CM (e.g., willingness to purchase and consume) has been extensively investigated. A key but under-investigated assumption of these studies is that CM's sensory qualities are comparable to conventional, equivalent meat products. Therefore, the current review aims to clarify what is actually known about the sensory characteristics of CM and their potential impact on consumer acceptance. To this end, a structured scoping review of existing, peer-reviewed literature on the sensory evaluation of CM was conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. Among the included studies (N = 26), only 5 conducted research activities that could be termed "sensory evaluation," with only 4 of those 5 studies evaluating actual CM products in some form. The remaining 21 studies based their conclusions on the sensory characteristics of CM and consequent consumer acceptance to a set of hypothetical CM products and consumption experiences, often with explicitly positive information framing. In addition, many consumer acceptance studies in the literature have the explicit goal to increase the acceptance of CM, with some authors (researchers) acting as direct CM industry affiliates; this may be a source of bias on the level of consumer acceptance toward these products. By separating what is known about CM sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance from what is merely speculated, the current review reported realistic expectations of CM's sensory characteristics within the promissory narratives of CM proponents.

Inosine 5'- monophosphate derived umami taste intensity of beef determination by electrochemistry and chromatography.

The umami sensation contributes to beef taste and acceptability. Inosine 5'- monophosphate (IMP), the most abundant 5'-ribonucleotide in meat, is known to impart an umami taste without the undesired side effects commonly associated with glutamate. Nevertheless, the investigation of IMP's role in beef flavor has thus far been overlooked. Traditional methods for detecting IMP have relied on liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet spectroscopy or mass spectrometry techniques. However, these methods are not practical for production settings due to the complexity and resource demands of sophisticated laboratory techniques. Alternative methods like cyclic voltammetry might offer more practical solutions for rapidly detecting IMP. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficiency of using electrochemistry and chromatography on differentiating beef strips spiked with different IMP contents. The IMP threshold was 0.30 mM determined by a trained panel using the Best Estimates Threshold method. Beef strip steaks of USDA Prime, Choice, and Select were spiked at 0.30 and 0.60 mM of IMP, based on green weight and an estimated moisture content of 65%. In this study, differences in the IMP content of steaks were not detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. However, the cyclic voltammetry approach differentiated IMP concentrations at 0.50 mM or above in aqueous solutions and subsequentially meat extracts from the buffered blank solutions. In conclusion, cyclic voltammetry holds potential as a rapid and effective approach for detecting IMP in beef and other meat products, offering promising applications for future research.

Re-examine the transfusion transmitted risk of SARS-CoV-2 virus during a major COVID-19 outbreak in 2022.

INTRODUCTION: Although no case of COVID-19 transmission through transfusion has been reported, blood transfusion service (BTS) continues to implement pre-donation and post-donation measures to minimise the risk. In year 2022, when local healthcare system was badly impacted by a major outbreak, it opened an opportunity to re-examine the viraemia risk in these asymptomatic donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records were retrieved from blood donors who reported COVID-19 after donation and follow-up was also made for recipients who received their blood. Blood samples at donation were tested for SARS-CoV-2 viraemia by single-tube nested real-time RT-PCR assay designed to detect most SARS-CoV-2 variants including the prevailing delta and omicron variants. RESULTS: From 1 January to 15 August 2022, the city with 7.4 M inhabitants recorded 1 187 844 COVID-19 positive cases and 125 936 successful blood donations were received. 781 donors reported to the BTS after donation with 701 being COVID-19 related (including close contact and symptoms respiratory tract infection). 525 COVID-19 were positive at the time of call back or follow-up. Of the 701 donations, they were processed into 1480 components with 1073 discarded upon donors' call back. For remaining 407 components, no recipient was found to have adverse event or COVID-19 positive. 510 samples from the above 525 COVID-19 positive donors were available and all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. DISCUSSION: With the negative SARS-CoV-2 RNA in blood donation samples and follow up data in transfusion recipients, the risk of transfusion transmitted COVID-19 appears negligible. However, current measures remains important in securing blood safety with ongoing surveillance of their effectiveness.

Using liquid smoke to control infestations of the ham mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, on dry-cured hams during aging.

Eight treatments of edible coatings and nets including liquid smoke (SP and 24P) and xanthan gum (XG) were used to evaluate their effectiveness at controlling mite growth on dry-cured hams. Mite growth was controlled (P < 0.05) in both coating and netting treatments of 1% SP + 1% XG. Increasing SP concentration from 1% to 2% in the SP only treatments without XG did not control mite growth (P > 0.05) in the coating but controlled mite growth (P < 0.05) when infused in the nets. Both coating and netting treatments with 2% 24P + 1% XG controlled mite growth (P < 0.05), and ham cubes with 1% and 2% 24P in infused nets had mite numbers of 4.6 and 9.4, respectively. SP did not impact the sensory attributes of the ham. Results indicate that liquid smoke can potentially be added in coatings or ham nets to control mites and used in an integrated pest management program for dry-cured hams.

Development of a prediction score (ThyroCOVID) for identifying abnormal thyroid function in COVID-19 patients.

PURPOSE: Thyroid dysfunction in COVID-19 carries clinical and prognostic implications. In this study, we developed a prediction score (ThyroCOVID) for abnormal thyroid function (TFT) on admission amongst COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to Queen Mary Hospital were prospectively recruited during July 2020-May 2021. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4) and free triiodothyronine (fT3) were measured on admission. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent determinants of abnormal TFTs. ThyroCOVID was developed based on a clinical model with the lowest Akaike information criteria. RESULTS: Five hundred and forty six COVID-19 patients were recruited (median age 50 years, 45.4% men, 72.9% mild disease on admission). 84 patients (15.4%) had abnormal TFTs on admission. Patients with abnormal TFTs were more likely to be older, have more comorbidities, symptomatic, have worse COVID-19 severity, higher SARS-CoV-2 viral loads and more adverse profile of acute-phase reactants, haematological and biochemical parameters. ThyroCOVID consisted of five parameters: symptoms (malaise), comorbidities (ischaemic heart disease/congestive heart failure) and laboratory parameters (lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein, and SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold values). It was able to identify abnormal TFT on admission with an AUROC of 0.73 (95% CI 0.67-0.79). The optimal cut-off of 0.15 had a sensitivity of 75.0%, specificity of 65.2%, negative predictive value of 93.5% and positive predictive value of 28.1% in identifying abnormal TFTs on admission amongst COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: ThyroCOVID, a prediction score to identify COVID-19 patients at risk of having abnormal TFT on admission, was developed based on a cohort of predominantly non-severe COVID-19 patients.

Prognostic implication of the neoadjuvant rectal score and other biomarkers of clinical outcome in Hong Kong Chinese patients with locally advanced rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is a standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer, for which pathological complete response is typically used as a surrogate survival endpoint. Neoadjuvant rectal score is a new biomarker that has been shown to correlate with survival. The main objectives of this study were to investigate factors contributing to pathological complete response, to validate the prognostic significance of neoadjuvant rectal score, and to investigate factors associated with a lower neoadjuvant rectal score in a cohort of Hong Kong Chinese. METHODS: Data of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy from August 2006 to October 2018 were retrieved from hospital records and retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: Of 193 patients who had optimal response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery, tumour down-staging was the only independent prognostic factor that predicted pathological complete response (P<0.0001). Neoadjuvant rectal score was associated with overall survival (hazard ratio [HR]=1.042, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.021-1.064; P<0.0001), disease-free survival (HR=1.042, 95% CI=1.022-1.062; P<0.0001), locoregional recurrence-free survival (HR=1.070, 95% CI=1.039-1.102; P<0.0001) and distant recurrence-free survival (HR=1.034, 95% CI=1.012-1.056; P=0.002). Patients who had pathological complete response were associated with a lower neoadjuvant rectal score (P<0.0001), but pathological complete response was not associated with survival. For patients with intermediate neoadjuvant rectal scores, late recurrences beyond 72 months from diagnosis were observed. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant rectal score is an independent prognostic marker of survival and disease recurrence in a cohort of Hong Kong Chinese patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.

PRAME immunostain expression in sebaceous lesions, cutaneous carcinomas and adnexal structures.

The use of immunostain for PRAME antigen is well established for cutaneous melanolocytic lesions. However, its staining in other cutaneous structures and lesions is under reported. This study assessed PRAME staining in a large cohort of normal skin tissue, sebaceous lesions, and cutaneous carcinomas to better delineate patterns of PRAME immunoreactivity. PRAME immunostaining was performed on sections of sebaceous lesions and tissue microarrays of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Normal cutaneous adnexal structures were assessed on the sections of sebaceous lesions. For sebaceous lesions and non-lesional sebaceous glands, PRAME immunostaining was assessed for mature, germinative and sebocytes independently. A total of 193 sebaceous lesions, 64 BCCs and 35 SCCs were stained for PRAME immunostain. Staining pattern was predominantly cytoplasmic in normal apocrine glands, germinative sebocytes of sebaceous glands, and hair germs (p<0.001). Lesional sebocytes did not show different staining compared to normal sebaceous glands (p>0.05). Rare nuclear staining was observed in the normal epidermis (0.6%) and junctional melanocytes (4.1%). BCC, SCC and sebaceous carcinoma all showed low levels of PRAME immunoreactivity with variable proportions of cases demonstrating nuclear staining (BCC 59.4%, SCC 37.1%, sebaceous carcinoma 5.3%). PRAME immunostaining is positive in germinative sebocytes, various cutaneous structures and carcinomas. Nuclear staining, identical to melanoma, was observed in normal epidermis, junctional melanocytes, BCCs, SCCs, and sebaceous carcinomas. The pattern of PRAME staining in the skin must be recognised to avoid pitfalls in interpretating PRAME immunostain.

Spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma with DCTN1::ALK fusion: broadening the molecular spectrum with potential therapeutic implications.

Spindle cell/sclerosing rbabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a recently characterized variant of RMS with several distinct molecular subtypes. We describe an example occurring in the tongue of a 10-year-old boy with a novel DCTN1::ALK fusion. The tumor exhibited infiltrative growth and was comprised of fascicles and focally whorls of spindle cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, in a collagenous or myxoid stroma. Moderate cytologic atypia, mitotic activity (2/10 HPFs), and perineural invasion were identified. The tumor cells expressed actin, desmin, MyoD1, myogenin, and ALK. An in-frame fusion between DCTN1 exon 26 and ALK exon 20 was detected by RNA sequencing, which was confirmed by split reads and supported by FISH studies. The tumor showed an indolent behavior with local recurrence 3 years after excision. This study broadens the molecular spectrum of spindle cell/sclerosing RMS and this molecular aberration may represent a potential therapeutic target for unresectable or disseminated disease.

Timing of surgery for internal fixation of intracapsular hip fractures and complications at 1 year; a 32 year clinical study of 2,366 patients at a single center.

BACKGROUND: Timing of hip fracture surgery for the internal fixation of an intracapsular fracture remains controversial and few studies to date have been able to determine the optimum time to surgery in minimizing osteonecrosis and non-union with intracapsular fractures after fixation. METHODS: Using a local hip fracture database managed by the senior author over a 32 year period, those who underwent osteosynthesis following intracapsular fractures were assessed for risk of development of non-union and osteonecrosis. Multivariate regression analysis was performed focusing on factors that were predictive of complications. Patient demographics, time from injury to surgery, fixation method, fracture pattern and complications at one year were reported. The primary outcome was whether delay to surgery contributed to risk of complications, defined as non-union or osteonecrosis. Secondary outcomes assessed the contribution of other factors to these complications. RESULTS: 2,366 patients were identified with an average age of 74.7 years and 66.5% were female. 1189 (50.3%) of fractures were displaced. 481 (20.3%) had a complication at one year following fixation. 78 (3.3%) were fixed by DHS, 6 (0.3%) by cephalomedullary nail, (1257) 53.1% by cannulated screws and 1025 (43.3%) by Targon® screw. Multivariate regression revealed no significant correlation between delay to surgery and complication rates (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99, 1.01, p = 0.55). Significant variables include female sex (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.58, 2.62, p<0.0001), fracture displacement (OR 4.8, 95% CI 3.79, 6.14, p<0.0001), independent mobility (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.47, 0.87, p = 0.004) and use of Targon® screws compared to parallel screws (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48, 0.76, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates no relationship between timing of surgery for fixation of intracapsular fracture and complication rates. Female sex and fracture displacement increased risk of complications whereas independent mobility and use of Targon® screw device in comparison to parallel screws were protective against non-union but not avascular necrosis.

Cranial Musculoskeletal Description of Black-Throated Finch (Aves: Passeriformes: Estrildidae) with DiceCT.

Synopsis Dietary requirements and acquisition strategies change throughout ontogeny across various clades of tetrapods, including birds. For example, birds hatch with combinations of various behavioral, physiological, and morphological factors that place them on an altricial-precocial spectrum. Passeriformes (=songbirds) in particular, a family constituting approximately more than half of known bird species, displays the most drastic difference between hatchling and adults in each of these aspects of their feeding biology. How the shift in dietary resource acquisition is managed during ontogeny alongside its relationship to the morphology of the feeding apparatus has been largely understudied within birds. Such efforts have been hampered partly due to the small size of many birds and the diminutive jaw musculature they employ. In this study, we used standard and diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography in conjunction with digital dissection to quantify and describe the cranial musculature of the Black-throated Finch (Poephila cincta) at fledgling and adult stages. Our results reveal that in both the fledgling and the adult, cranial musculature shows clear and complex partitioning in the Musculus adductor mandibulae externus that is consistent with other families within Passeriformes. We quantified jaw-muscle sizes and found that the adult showed a decrease in muscle mass in comparison to the fledgling individual. We propose that this could be the result of low sample size or a physiological effect of parental care in Passeriformes. Our study shows that high-resolution visualization techniques are informative at revealing morphological discrepancies for studies that involve small specimens such as Passeriformes especially with careful specimen selection criteria.

Association of serum 25(OH)Vit-D levels with risk of pediatric fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The association between the risk of fractures and suboptimal vitamin D (Vit-D) status remains controversial in children. This meta-analysis suggested that serum 25(OH)Vit-D levels were lower in pediatric cases with fractures. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)Vit-D) levels less than 50 nmol/L were associated with increased fracture risk in children. INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the association between serum 25(OH)Vit-D and the risk of fractures in children, and to explore the sources of heterogeneity and investigate their impact on results. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted for observational studies comparing serum 25(OH)Vit-D levels between fracture and non-fracture pediatric cases. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). RESULTS: Analysis on 17 case-control and 6 cross-sectional studies (2929 fracture cases and 5000 controls) suggested that 25(OH)Vit-D was lower in fracture cases than in controls (pooled mean difference (MD) = - 3.51 nmol/L; 95% confidence interval (CI): - 5.60 to - 1.42) with a heterogeneity (I2) of 73.9%. The sensitivity analysis which merged the case-control studies that had a NOS score ≥ 4 showed a pooled MD of - 4.35 nmol/L (95% CI: - 6.64 to - 2.06) with a heterogeneity (I2) of 35.9%. Pooled odds ratio of fracture in subjects with 25(OH)Vit-D ≤ 50 nmol/L compared to subjects with 25(OH)Vit-D > 50 nmol/L was 1.29 (95% CI: 1.10 to 1.53; I2 < 1%). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that serum 25(OH)Vit-D levels were lower in pediatric patients with fractures. 25(OH)Vit-D ≤ 50 nmol/L was associated with increased fracture risk in children.

Broiler genetics influences proteome profiles of normal and woody breast muscle.

Wooden or woody breast (WB) is a myopathy of the pectoralis major in fast-growing broilers that influences the quality of breast meat and causes an economic loss in the poultry industry. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth and proteome differences between 5 genetic strains of broilers that yield WB and normal breast (NB) meat. Eight-week-old broilers were evaluated for the WB myopathy and divided into NB and WB groups. Differential expression of proteins was analyzed using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS to elucidate the mechanism behind the breast myopathy because of the genetic backgrounds of the birds. The percentages of birds with WB were 61.3, 68.8, 46.9, 45.2, and 87.5% for strains 1-5, respectively, indicating variability in WB myopathy among broiler strains. Birds from strains 1, 3, and 5 in the WB group were heavier than those in the NB group (P < 0.05). Woody breast meat from all strains were heavier than NB meat (P < 0.05). Within WB, strain 5 had a greater breast yield than strains 1, 3, and 4 (P < 0.0001). Woody breast from strains 2, 3, 4, and 5 had a greater breast yield than NB (P < 0.05). Six proteins were more abundant in NB of strain 5 than those of strains 2, 3, and 4, and these proteins were related to muscle growth, regeneration, contraction, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Within WB, 14 proteins were differentially expressed between strain 5 and other strains, suggesting high protein synthesis, weak structural integrity, intense contraction, and oxidative stress in strain 5 birds. The differences between WB from strain 3 and strains 1, 2, and 4 were mainly glycolytic. In conclusion, protein profiles of broiler breast differed because of both broiler genetics and the presence of WB myopathy.

Ocular PEComas are frequently melanotic and TFE3-translocated: report of two cases including the first description of PRCC-TFE3 fusion in PEComa.

Ocular perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is exceedingly rare. We reported two examples involving the choroid and subconjunctival tissue, respectively, in patients aged 17 and 20 years. Both tumors comprised packets and sheets of large polygonal cells with moderately pleomorphic nuclei and prominent nucleoli, traversed by delicate fibrovascular septa. Melanin pigmentation was present in one case. The tumors showed HMB45 and TFE3 immunoreactivity. TFE3 gene translocation was confirmed by FISH break-apart probes. RNA seq revealed PRCC-TFE3 and NONO-TFE3 fusions, with the former representing the first description of PRCC-TFE3 in PEComa. Critical reappraisal of the reported cases showed that ocular PEComa frequently affected young patents with melanin pigmentation, frequent TFE3 protein expression, and/or TFE3 gene translocation. No recurrence or metastasis was reported after complete excision despite the presence of cytologic atypia.

A review of reported cases of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis failure with resultant breakthrough HIV infections.

OBJECTIVES: Early randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have confirmed high efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for preventing HIV infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) with high HIV exposure risk. Nevertheless, some PrEP failure cases have been reported despite adequate drug adherence. This review aims to summarize the common features of PrEP failure cases and discuss the implications of upscaling PrEP programmes. METHODS: A search based on articles and clinical trials was conducted through Medline and OVID, with keywords for accessing publications reporting 'true' PrEP failure in the presence of documented adherence to daily regimen of co-formulated tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabone. RESULTS: Ten cases of 'true' PrEP failure were identified, all of which were preceded by continued practice of condomless anal sex, despite documented adherence. Dried blood spot and/or hair analyses provided supporting evidence of adherence in eight cases. There was strong association of PrEP failure with recurrent or multiple sexually transmitted diseases and infection with resistant HIV viruses. Seroconversion was usually atypical or delayed because of significantly suppressed viral load, making diagnosis a clinical challenge. DISCUSSION: Although it is uncommon, 'true' PrEP failure can occur in a real-world situation, contrary to the outcome of early RCTs. Failure to identify HIV infection while on PrEP can potentially lead to the emergence of drug-resistant virus. To achieve effective HIV prevention, PrEP programmes should emphasize safer sexual practice in addition to drug adherence. Early identification of PrEP failure is crucial, which requires the development of highly sensitive assays and their clinical application.