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Abstract Melamine is a recognized food contaminant that can arise incidentally or intentionally in specific categories of food. This study aimed to validate the melamine detection and quantification in infant formula and milk powders and also analyzed 40 samples consist of infant formula and milk powders from commercially available food products, from different geographic regions of Iran. The approximate content of melamine in samples was measured by High-performance liquid chromatography-ultra violet (HPLC–UV) system. A calibration curve (R2 = 0.9925) was established for detection of melamine in the range of 0.1–1.2 μg mL−1. Limit of quantification and limit of detection were 1 μg mL−1 and 3 μg mL−1, respectively. The presence of melamine in infant formula and milk powdered was investigated and it was observed that the amount of melamine in samples of infant formulas and milk powders was 0.001–0.095 mg kg−1 and 0.001–0.004 mg kg−1, respectively. These values were found to be within the prescribed limits by the European Union and Codex Alimentarius Commission legislation. It is important to note that the consumption of these dairy products, which contain low content of melamine, does not pose any significant threat to consumer health. Furthermore, the results of the risk assessment confirmed this issue.

Abstract The oil obtained from black cumin (Nigella sativa) seeds has many health-effective properties, which is used in food applications and in traditional medicine. One practical method to extract its oil is mixing with other seeds such as sunflower (Helianthus anuus) seeds before oil extraction by press. The effectiveness of the cold-press oil obtained from the mixture of black cumin seeds (BS) and sunflower seeds (SF) in different proportions 100:0, 95:5, 90:10, 85:15 and 0:100 (w/w) was studied to evaluate their qualitative properties including peroxide value (PV), acid value, p-anisidine value (AnV), pigments (carotenoid and chlorophyll) content, polyphenols, and profile of fatty acids during heating process (30–150 min at 180 °C). The results revealed that the acid and p-anisidine value of the all samples enhanced with the extension of the heating time, and the peroxide value increased at the beginning of the heating and then decreased with the prolongation of the heating time (p

Abstract This study aimed to develop a highly efficient nanocomposite composed of magnetic chitosan/molybdenum disulfide (CS/MoS2/Fe3O4) for the removal of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—pyrene, anthracene, and phenanthrene. Novelty was introduced through the innovative synthesis procedure and the utilization of magnetic properties for enhanced adsorption capabilities. Additionally, the greenness of chitosan as a sorbent component was emphasized, highlighting its biodegradability and low environmental impact compared to traditional sorbents. Factors influencing PAH adsorption, such as nanocomposite dosage, initial PAH concentration, pH, and contact time, were systematically investigated and optimized. The results revealed that optimal removal efficiencies were attained at an initial PAH concentration of 150 mg/L, a sorbent dose of 0.045 g, pH 6.0, and a contact time of 150 min. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model exhibited superior fitting to the experimental data, indicating an equilibrium time of approximately 150 min. Moreover, the equilibrium adsorption process followed the Freundlich isotherm model, with kf and n values exceeding 7.91 mg/g and 1.20, respectively. Remarkably, the maximum absorption capacities for phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene on the sorbent were determined as 217 mg/g, 204 mg/g, and 222 mg/g, respectively. These findings underscore the significant potential of the CS/MoS2/Fe3O4 nanocomposite for efficiently removing PAHs from milk and other dairy products, thereby contributing to improved food safety and public health.

BackgroundIn this paper, we present an automated method for article classification, leveraging the power of large language models (LLMs). ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the applicability of various LLMs based on textual content of scientific ophthalmology papers. MethodsWe developed a model based on natural language processing techniques, including advanced LLMs, to process and analyze the textual content of scientific papers. Specifically, we used zero-shot learning LLMs and compared Bidirectional and Auto-Regressive Transformers (BART) and its variants with Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and its variants, such as distilBERT, SciBERT, PubmedBERT, and BioBERT. To evaluate the LLMs, we compiled a data set (retinal diseases [RenD] ) of 1000 ocular disease–related articles, which were expertly annotated by a panel of 6 specialists into 19 distinct categories. In addition to the classification of articles, we also performed analysis on different classified groups to find the patterns and trends in the field. ResultsThe classification results demonstrate the effectiveness of LLMs in categorizing a large number of ophthalmology papers without human intervention. The model achieved a mean accuracy of 0.86 and a mean F1-score of 0.85 based on the RenD data set. ConclusionsThe proposed framework achieves notable improvements in both accuracy and efficiency. Its application in the domain of ophthalmology showcases its potential for knowledge organization and retrieval. We performed a trend analysis that enables researchers and clinicians to easily categorize and retrieve relevant papers, saving time and effort in literature review and information gathering as well as identification of emerging scientific trends within different disciplines. Moreover, the extendibility of the model to other scientific fields broadens its impact in facilitating research and trend analysis across diverse disciplines.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease that causes chronic pain and disability. Different innate immune components, including macrophages, T cells, and neutrophils, participate in OA pathophysiology. Neutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocytes with multiple specialized functions contributing to innate and adaptive immune functions. Although neutrophils produce proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reactive oxygen species (ROS), matrix-degrading enzymes, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) that promote joint degradation as the first recruit cells in an inflamed joint, these cells also play an important role in joint repair by regulating the immune response, releasing anti-inflammatory factors, and activating certain protective genes. In this review, various aspects of neutrophil biology, their role in inflammation and its association with OA, and possible therapeutic approaches to target neutrophils for the treatment of OA are described. Since neutrophils play a complex role in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis, contributing to joint degradation as well as joint repair, targeting these cells is likely to pave the way for a potential therapeutic approach for the management of OA. Future studies are needed to investigate the use of targeted therapies to modulate neutrophil function and identify their subpopulations that are associated with osteoarthritis progression or response to treatment.

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines can stimulate the immune system to target cancer antigens, making them a promising therapy in immunotherapy. Clinical trials have shown limited effectiveness of DC vaccines, highlighting the need to enhance the immune responses they generate. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a diverse group of innate leukocytes that produce various cytokines and regulate the immune system. These cells have the potential to improve immunotherapies. There is not much research on how group 2 ILCs (ILC2s) communicate with DC vaccines. Therefore, examining the roles of DC vaccination in immune responses is crucial. Our research analyzed the effects of DC vaccination on the ILC2 populations and their cytokine production. By exploring the relationship between ILC2s and DCs, we aimed to understand how this could affect DC-based immunotherapies. The results showed an increase in the number of ILC2s in the local draining lymph node and spleen of tumor-free mice, as well as in the lungs of mice challenged with tumors in a pulmonary metastasis model. This suggests a complex interplay between DC-based vaccines and ILC2s, which is further influenced by the presence of tumors.

Carbapanem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is a globally healthcare crisis. The distribution of plasmids carrying carbapenemase genes among K. pneumoniae poses a serious threat in clinical settings. Here, we characterized the genetic structure of plasmids harboring major carbapenemases (e.g. blaKPC, blaNDM, blaOXA-48-like, and blaGES) from K. pneumoniae using bioinformatics tools. The plasmids carrying at least one major carbapenemase gene were retrieved from the GenBank database. The DNA length, Inc type, and conjugal apparatus of these plasmids were detected. Additionally, allele types, co-existence, co-occurrence of carbapenemase genes, gene repetition, and sequence types of isolates, were characterized. There were 2254 plasmids harboring carbapenemase genes in the database. This study revealed that blaKPC-2, blaNDM-1, blaOXA-48, and blaGES-5 were the most prevalent allele types. Out of 1140 (50%) plasmids were potentially conjugative. IncFII, IncR, IncX3, and IncL replicon types were predominant. The co-existence analysis revealed that the most prevalent of other resistance genes were blaTEM-1 (related to blaKPC), blaOXA-232 (related to blaOXA-48), bleMBL (related to blaNDM), and aac (6')-Ib4 (related to blaGES). The co-occurrence of carbapenemases was detected in 42 plasmids while 15 plasmids contained carbapenemase gene repetitions. Sequence alignments highlighted that plasmids carrying blaKPC and blaOXA-48-like were more homogeneous whereas the plasmids carrying blaNDM were divergent. It seems that K. pneumoniae utilizes diversity of genetic flexibility and recombination for resistance against carbapenems. The genetic structure of the plasmids showed that class I and III, Tn3 family, Tn5403 family derivatives, and Tn7-like elements were strongly associated with carbapenemases. The mobilizable plasmids carrying carbapenemases play an important role in the spread of these genes. In addition, gene repetition maybe is related to carbapenem heteroresistance. According to MST (minimum spanning tree) results, the majority of plasmids belonged to sequence type (ST) 11, ST14, and ST12. These international clones have a high capacity to acquire the carbapenemase-containing plasmids.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282748.].

Childhood obesity is a global public health concern linked to metabolic and psychological comorbidities. There is growing evidence that children's lifestyle habits are shifting towards obesity, with dire consequences for their future well-being and healthcare costs. In this interventional study, we enrolled 115 children aged between 4-5 years (53% females and 47% males) and carried out nutrition education interventions to improve their dietary habits. We introduced "Nutripiatto", a visual plate icon and easy guide, which was used by the children during the study. We investigated the children's dietary habits using a Food Frequency Questionnaire at the beginning and end of the study, after one month of using "Nutripiatto". The results showed that the children significantly increased the portion sizes and frequency of vegetable consumption (P

Introduction: Traditional medicine is a set of skills and knowledge and practice based on theories and experiences indigenous to different cultures used for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental and physical diseases. Given the differences in attitudes and demographic characteristics of the population in traditional medicine, guiding public opinion toward this kind of practice is important. Objective: To determine the demographic characteristics and attitudes about traditional medicine among patients in Ghaem clinics in Rasht, northern Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive cross - sectional study on 132 patients in Ghaem clinics in Rasht that is specialist center for some traditional medications (i.e., bloodletting, leeches and bloodletting therapy). The study was performed during the first quarter of 2013.Convenience sampling and the reasercher questionnaire consisting of 33 items with 5 option Likert scale were used to collect data. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was calculated 88.Content validity was confirmed by the university teachers. Statistical analyses including descriptive statistics and analysis Kolmogorov Asprynf test, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed using the spss software version 21. Results: The most frequent reason of patients referred to the clinic was their rheumatic and joint pains(25/8)%, headache(18/5%)and sinusitis and Hypertension(8/9%). Their knowledge of traditional medicine and health benefits were from reading books and internet(40.2 %),the experiences of others(36.5%), newspapers, television and the mass media(1.5%),and friends' recommendations (29%). In general, a positive attitude towards the traditional medicine was observed with a mean score of approximately (3/9) of 5criteria. Most clients asked for better promotion of traditional medicine on TV and radio, and arranging training classes. Also, 70% of clients say that lower expenses, better treatment with no uncomplications and shorter treatment course were the main reasons that they consult the traditional centers. Conclusion: The Ministry of Health and policymakers should inform, and supervise the centers offering traditional medicine, to pave the way for the popularity of this precious medical legacy. The inclusion of courses in medical and pharmaceutical fields is highly desirable for this end. Also, the more publicity through the mass media, especially television, and short term courses can be useful in this context. Conflict of interest: non declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza viruses have affected the world for over a century, causing multiple pandemics. Throughout the years, many prophylactic vaccines have been developed for influenza; however, these viruses are still a global issue and take many lives. In this paper, we review influenza viruses, associated immunological mechanisms, current influenza vaccine platforms, and influenza infection, in the context of immunocompromised populations. This review focuses on the qualitative nature of immune responses against influenza viruses, with an emphasis on trained immunity and an assessment of the characteristics of the host–pathogen that compromise the effectiveness of immunization. We also highlight innovative immunological concepts that are important considerations for the development of the next generation of vaccines against influenza viruses.

Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and an increased susceptibility to recurrent infections as well as autoimmunity and malignancies. Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) and Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) are two autoimmune disorders which may be seen in association with CVID. Among 85 CVID patients, seven cases had ITP and/or AIHA (8%). Four of these patients had one or more episodes of ITP, one patient had AIHA, and two patients had both ITP and AIHA (Evans syndrome). Almost, all patients experienced chronic and recurrent infections mostly in respiratory and gastrointestinal systems during the course of the disease. Among the seven patients, five presented their underlying disease with recurrent respiratory and/or gastrointestinal tract infections, while in two remaining patients, CVID was presented with ITP. Three patients died until now; two because of hepatic failure and one due to pulmonary hemorrhage. As CVID is prone to autoimmune disorders, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis of adult-onset ITP and possibly in children. Chronic and recurrent ITP, especially in the presence of propensity to respiratory and gastrointestinal infections mandate the evaluation for an underlying immune dysregulation such as CVID.