Search

Background: Children attending school/daycare are at high risk of acute respiratory tract infections. EpiCor TM postbiotic, derived from yeast fermentate, has been demonstrated to improve immune function in adults, reducing the incidence of cold/flu-like or allergy symptoms. As such, studies are warranted in children as available pharmaceutical options have unwanted side effects., Methods: Two-hundred and fifty-six children aged 4-12 years attending school/daycare were randomized to either EpiCor or Placebo for 84 days during the 2022-2023 flu season in Ontario, Canada. The Canadian Acute Respiratory Illness and Flu Scale (CARIFS) and study diary assessed the incidence and severity of cold/flu symptoms and the use of cold/flu medications. Adverse events were recorded., Results: Total CARIFS severity scores, 'sore throat' and 'muscle aches or pains' symptom scores in the EpiCor group were significantly lower compared to Placebo during incidences of cold/flu (P ≤ 0.05). Participants taking Placebo were 1.73 times more likely to use cold/flu medication compared to those receiving EpiCor (P = 0.04). The incidence of cold/flu symptoms was not significantly different between groups. EpiCor was found to be safe and well-tolerated., Conclusions: EpiCor supplementation resulted in significantly lower cold/flu symptom severity and less cold/flu medication usage than Placebo demonstrating a beneficial effect on immune function in children., Impact: Children are at high risk of acquiring cold/flu infections and safe and efficacious mitigating regimens are lacking. Children supplemented daily with 500 mg EpiCor TM postbiotic derived from yeast fermentate had significantly lower overall cold/flu symptom severity, and severity of sore throat and muscle aches or pains over the 84-day supplementation period. EpiCor supplementation resulted in decreased use of traditional cold/flu medication. Daily supplementation with 500 mg of EpiCor for 84 days was safe and well tolerated by healthy children aged 4-12 years attending school or daycare., Competing Interests: Competing interests: V.G.C, J.G, N.P, J.D.S. are employees of Cargill Limited c/o Cargill Inc., R.S, M.M, D.C.C, H.A, E.D.L are employees of KGK Science Inc., M.E is a faculty member at Western University. All authors declare no competing interests. Ethical and regulatory approval: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study was conducted at KGK Science Inc. (London, Ontario, Canada) from September 2022 to April 2023. The study was reviewed by the Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD), Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario and approved on March 03, 2022. Ethics approval was granted on June 17, 2022, by the Institutional Review Board Services (Aurora, Ontario, Canada; Pro00063328). The trial followed CONSORT guidelines for randomized controlled trials20 (Supplementary Table 2) and written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to the initiation of any study procedures. The study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05492370). Informed consent: Each participant and their parent(s) or legal guardian gave written informed consent to participate in the study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a formidable challenge due to its aggressive behavior and limited array of treatment options available. This study focuses on employing nanoaggregate material of organometallic Ir(III) complexes for treating TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231. In this approach, Ir(III) complexes with enhanced cellular permeability are strategically designed and achieved through the incorporation of COOMe groups into their structure. The lead compound, IrL 1 , exhibits promiscuous nanoscale aggregation in RPMI cell culture media, characterized by a stable hydrodynamic effective diameter ranging from 190 to 202 nm over 48 h. With excellent photo-responsive contrast-enhanced cell imaging properties IrL 1 exhibits an outstanding IC 50, 48h  value of 36.05± 0.03 nm when irradiated with 390 nm light in MDA-MB-231 (IC 50, 48 h  of Cisplatin is 5.29 µµ). In cell, investigation confirms that IrL 1 nanoaggregates internalization via energy-dependent endocytosis undergo ferroptosis and ROS mediated cell death in MDA-MB-231 cells. Further, these in vivo studies using NOD-SCID mice confirmed that IrL 1  exhibits a tendency to ablate tumors inoculated in mice models at therapeutically relevant doses. Thus, this comprehensive approach holds promise for expanding the repertoire of organometallic Ir(III) nanoaggregates with adaptable characteristics, thereby advancing their clinical utility of nanomedicine in the holistic treatment of metastatic 3D triple-negative breast tumor spheroids., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Government health messaging is significant to the containment of public health crises. Such communication may benefit from using fear appeal, a message strategy for promoting health and preventing diseases. Yet little scholarly attention has been paid to how fear appeal is employed in government messaging to promote social media engagement through online actions including likes, shares, and comments. These actions play a meaningful role in addressing communication exigencies within the context of health crises. In this study, quantitative content analysis and corpus linguistics methods were employed to analyze fear appeal-related elements in COVID-19 messages sent by a state-owned media outlet on social media. The results show that when compared to messages without threat, messages conveying threat elicited significantly more comments, in which emotions and perceptions to threat and efficacy were exhibited, while messages containing both threat and efficacy generated more engagement in comparison to messages with threat alone. Moreover, while subdimensions under efficacy were positive predictors of engagement, those under threat were primarily found to have exerted negative effects. The findings provide insights into how fear appeal elements can be employed in government health crisis communication to engage the public.

In the pursuit to combat stubborn bacterial infections, particularly those stemming from gram-positive bacteria, this study is an attempt to craft a precision-driven platform characterized by unparalleled selectivity, specificity, and synergistic antimicrobial mechanisms. Leveraging remarkable potential of metalloantibiotics in antimicrobial applications, herein, this work rationally designs, synthesizes, and characterizes a new library of Pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide ligands and their corresponding transition metal Cu(II)/Zn(II) complexes. The lead compound L 11 demonstrates robust antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) = 2-16 µg mL -1 ), methicillin and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (MIC = 2-4 µg mL -1 ) and exhibit superior antibacterial activity when compared to FDA-approved vancomycin, the drug of last resort. Additionally, the compound exhibits notable antimicrobial efficacy against resistant enterococcus strains (MIC = 2-8 µg mL -1 ). To unravel mechanistic profile, advanced imaging techniques including SEM and AFM are harnessed, collectively suggesting a mechanistic pathway involving cell wall disruption. Live/dead fluorescence studies further confirm efficacy of L 11 and its complexes against S. aureus membranes. This translational exploration extends to a rat model, indicating promising in vivo therapeutic potential. Thus, this comprehensive research initiative has capabilities to transcends the confines of this laboratory, heralding a pivotal step toward combatting antibiotic-resistant pathogens and advancing the frontiers of metalloantibiotics-based therapy with a profound clinical implication., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Animal-sourced whey protein (WPr) is the most popular protein supplement among consumers and has been shown to improve muscle mass and strength. However, due to allergies, dietary restrictions/personal choices, and growing demand, alternative protein sources are warranted. Sedentary adults were randomized to pea protein (PPr) or WPr in combination with a weekly resistance training program for 84 days. Changes in whole-body muscle strength (WBMS) including handgrip, lower body, and upper body strength, body composition, and product perception were assessed. The safety outcomes included adverse events, vital signs, clinical chemistry, and hematology. There were no significant differences in the change in WBMS, muscle mass, or product perception and likability scores between the PPr and WPr groups. The participants supplemented with PPr had a 16.1% improvement in WBMS following 84 days of supplementation ( p = 0.01), while those taking WPr had an improvement of 11.1% ( p = 0.06). Both study products were safe and well-tolerated in the enrolled population. Eighty-four days of PPr supplementation resulted in improvements in strength and muscle mass comparable to WPr when combined with a resistance training program in a population of healthy sedentary adults. PPr may be considered as a viable alternative to animal-sourced WPr without sacrificing muscular gains and product enjoyment.

As the SIRT i analogue series (HL1-HL6) show potent antitumor activity in vitro, we synthesized their corresponding zinc(II) complexes (ZnL1-ZnL6) and investigated their potential as anticancer agents. The Zn(II) complexes showed substantially greater cytotoxicity than HL1-HL6 alone in several cancer cell-types. Notably, distinct structure-activity relationships confirmed the significance of tert -butyl (ZnL2) pharmacophore inclusion in their activity. ZnL2 complexes were found to transmetalate with copper ions inside cells, causing the formation of redox-active copper complexes that induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, ATP decay, and cell death. This is the first study to exhibit Zn(II) complexes that mediate their activity via transmetalation with copper ions to undergo paraptosis cell death pathway. To further confirm if the SIRT1/2 inhibitory property of SIRTi analogues is conserved, a docking simulation study is performed. The binding affinity and specific interactions of the Cu(II) complex obtained after transmetalation with ZnL2 were found to be higher for SIRT2 ( K i = 0.06 μM) compared to SIRT1 ( K i = 0.25 μM). Thus, the concurrent regulation of several biological targets using a single drug has been shown to have synergistic therapeutic effects, which are crucial for the effective treatment of cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Chemodynamic therapy is an evolving therapeutic strategy but there are certain limitations associated with its treatment. Herein, we present de novo synthesis and mechanistic evaluation of HL1-HL8 ligands and their corresponding Cu II (L1) 2 -Cu II (L8) 2 . The most active Cu(L2)2 (IC 50 = 5.3 μM, MCF-7) complex exclusively depletes glutathione while simultaneously promoting ROS production. Cu(L2)2 also affects other macromolecules like the mitochondrial membrane and DNA while activating the unfolded protein response cascade.

Communication is critical in a new health emergency because it motivates the public to take preventive actions. Prior research has shown that strategies including source credibility, information transparency and uncertainty reduction actions could enhance trust in health communication on social media. Yet research on how the government in China used these trust-building strategies to engage the public during the outbreak of COVID-19 is limited. Therefore, our exploratory study developed an integrated framework for conducting quantitative content analysis to examine how the most popular government-owned newspaper in China, People's Daily , utilized a major social media platform, to engage the public. Our findings showed that accessibility to external links, provision of emotional support, and information on skills and resources were associated with increased public engagement with government COVID-19 posts. Insights gained can enable public health organizations and governments to focus on specific strategies to enhance public engagement.

The influence of thermocycling on the surface deterioration of glazed monolithic high translucent 3Y-TZP dental restorations is still unclear. The purpose of this study therefore was to evaluate low temperature degradation (LTD), elemental release and surface degradation pattern after five years of simulated clinical time. A total of 123 specimens were prepared from second-generation high translucent 3Y-TZP as per ISO 6872:2015 standards (3 mm × 4 mm × 30 mm). They were classified as per glazing and thermocycling protocol; group CPT, DGT and IGT. Glaze materials were applied on one surface of the specimen and subjected to a thermocycling in artificial saliva, four-point bending test, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Flexural strength, characteristic strength and Weibull modulus values were derived from four-point bending test. Descriptive fractographic analysis of surfaces was conducted to observe the surface degradation characteristics and point of failure. Control/no glaze with thermocycling (CPT = 621.5, 1σ = 117.0 MPa) presented higher flexural strength values compared to glaze I with thermocycling (442.4, 1σ = 45.4 MPa) and glaze II with thermocycling (534.3, 1σ = 46.3 MPa). Characteristic strength from Weibull analysis also observed higher values (669.2 MPa) for the control specimens. XRD analysis showed that monoclinic volume fraction (V m  = 11.0, 1σ = 0.7%) was highest in control specimens. Fractographic analysis suggested that there was no correlation between the point of failure initiation and mean flexural strength values. Glazing protected the high translucent 3Y-TZP surface against LTD during thermocycling but negatively impacted on the flexural strength., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vaccines serve an integral role in containing pandemics, yet vaccine hesitancy is prevalent globally. One key reason for this hesitancy is the pervasiveness of misinformation on social media. Although considerable research attention has been drawn to how exposure to misinformation is closely associated with vaccine hesitancy, little scholarly attention has been given to the investigation or robust theorizing of the various content themes pertaining to antivaccine misinformation about COVID-19 and the writing strategies in which these content themes are manifested. Virality of such content on social media exhibited in the form of comments, shares, and reactions has practical implications for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy., Objective: We investigated whether there were differences in the content themes and writing strategies used to disseminate antivaccine misinformation about COVID-19 and their impact on virality on social media., Methods: We constructed an antivaccine misinformation database from major social media platforms during September 2019-August 2021 to examine how misinformation exhibited in the form of content themes and how these themes manifested in writing were associated with virality in terms of likes, comments, and shares. Antivaccine misinformation was retrieved from two globally leading and widely cited fake news databases, COVID Global Misinformation Dashboard and International Fact-Checking Network Corona Virus Facts Alliance Database, which aim to track and debunk COVID-19 misinformation. We primarily focused on 140 Facebook posts, since most antivaccine misinformation posts on COVID-19 were found on Facebook. We then employed quantitative content analysis to examine the content themes (ie, safety concerns, conspiracy theories, efficacy concerns) and manifestation strategies of misinformation (ie, mimicking of news and scientific reports in terms of the format and language features, use of a conversational style, use of amplification) in these posts and their association with virality of misinformation in the form of likes, comments, and shares., Results: Our study revealed that safety concern was the most prominent content theme and a negative predictor of likes and shares. Regarding the writing strategies manifested in content themes, a conversational style and mimicking of news and scientific reports via the format and language features were frequently employed in COVID-19 antivaccine misinformation, with the latter being a positive predictor of likes., Conclusions: This study contributes to a richer research-informed understanding of which concerns about content theme and manifestation strategy need to be countered on antivaccine misinformation circulating on social media so that accurate information on COVID-19 vaccines can be disseminated to the public, ultimately reducing vaccine hesitancy. The liking of COVID-19 antivaccine posts that employ language features to mimic news or scientific reports is perturbing since a large audience can be reached on social media, potentially exacerbating the spread of misinformation and hampering global efforts to combat the virus., (©Cindy Sing Bik Ngai, Rita Gill Singh, Le Yao. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 06.07.2022.)