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This article examines the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 20 years after its passage. It provides an overview of the history and major components of the ADA, examines who has disabilities and how they are faring, and traces how the ADA has evolved through court cases that have limited its scope. In addition, the article investigates abuse of the ADA, its economic impact, and the problems in defining a disability. Although the ADA is continuing to evolve, it requires significant change to live up to its magnificent promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the published studies of the effectiveness of major group work programs, mainly implemented in schools, which address the stressful impact of parental divorce on children. Focused short-term program group work has shown to be modestly effective in helping children of divorce. However, methodological issues exist in regard to the evaluation studies, related to research design, program fidelity, biased ratings, and the overreliance on measures that focus on psychopathology and ignore coping and adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unrecognized congenital hypothyroidism leads to mental retardation. Newborn screening and thyroid therapy started within 2 weeks of age can normalize cognitive development. The primary thyroid-stimulating hormone screening has become standard in many parts of the world. However, newborn thyroid screening is not yet universal in some countries. Initial dosage of 10 to 15 microg/kg levothyroxine is recommended. The goals of thyroid hormone therapy should be to maintain frequent evaluations of total thyroxine or free thyroxine in the upper half of the reference range during the first 3 years of life and to normalize the serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration to ensure optimal thyroid hormone dosage and compliance. Improvements in screening and therapy have led to improved developmental outcomes in adults with congenital hypothyroidism who are now in their 20s and 30s. Thyroid hormone regimens used today are more aggressive in targeting early correction of thyroid-stimulating hormone than were those used 20 or even 10 years ago. Thus, newborn infants with congenital hypothyroidism today may have an even better intellectual and neurologic prognosis. Efforts are ongoing to establish the optimal therapy that leads to maximum potential for normal development for infants with congenital hypothyroidism. Remaining controversy centers on infants whose abnormality in neonatal thyroid function is transient or mild and on optimal care of very low birth weight or preterm infants. Of note, thyroid-stimulating hormone is not elevated in central hypothyroidism. An algorithm is proposed for diagnosis and management. Physicians must not relinquish their clinical judgment and experience in the face of normal newborn thyroid test results. Hypothyroidism can be acquired after the newborn screening. When clinical symptoms and signs suggest hypothyroidism, regardless of newborn screening results, serum free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone determinations should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poisons and potential toxic exposures are a constant part of every-day life. The first step toward diagnosing a toxicologic illness or injury is to entertain this possibility in your differential diagnosis. In particular, consider a toxicologic cause in any previously healthy patient with an abrupt onset of illness, multiorgan system illnesses, or recurrent signs or symptoms of illness without evident cause. A thorough history that concentrates on uncovering possible toxic exposure helps you zero in on the offending agent(s) and focus your physical examination. A head-to-toe examination is warranted for every patient who presents with multiple acute complaints -- especially those that are vague or nonfocal. Focus on vital signs and organ systems often affected by potential toxins. Management of the poisoned patient depends on hemodynamic stability, the specific or suspected toxin involved, and the nature and severity of symptoms. If you have a poisoning emergency, call your regional poison center at 800-222-1222. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clues: weakness, disorientation, vomiting, hypokalemia, tachycardia, if you were Samuel Smith's nurse, would you know what was causing these signs and symptoms? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The decision to imbibe a blood meal is predominantly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of haematophagous arthropods to blood-derived adenine nucleotides, in particular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Despite previous efforts to identify and characterise the specificity and sensitivity to ATP and other adenine nucleotides, as well as the role of other blood-derived phagostimulants across the Culicidae, comparisons across species remain difficult., Methods: The feeding response of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae to adenine nucleotides in the presence of a carbonate buffer was assessed using a membrane feeding assay. The proportion of mosquitoes engorged and the volume imbibed by all mosquitoes was scored visually and spectrophotometrically. In addition, the proportion of prediuresing An. gambiae, as well as the volume engorged and prediuresed, was examined., Results: Aedes aegypti was more sensitive to adenine nucleotides than An. gambiae, but both species maintained specificity to these phagostimulants, demonstrating a dose-dependent bimodal feeding pattern, thereby expanding our understanding of the all-or-none blood-feeding hypothesis. Feeding on the bicarbonate buffer by An. gambiae-but not that of Ae. aegypti-demonstrated a species-specific variation in how blood phagostimulants are encoded. Adenine nucleotides, with and without bovine serum albumin, were observed to dose-dependently regulate the proportion of An. gambiae prediuresing and the volumes prediuresed but not volumes engorged., Conclusions: Taken together, the results of this study expand our understanding of how mosquitoes differentially assess and respond to blood meal constituents, and provide a basis for further physiological and molecular studies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Evaluation of pubertal development is crucial in Endocrinology. The rise in telemedicine during COVID-19 has made conduct of physical examinations more challenging, especially for pubertal assessment. Previous studies on validity of pubertal self-staging versus clinical examination have yielded mixed results. This study aimed to determine validity and reliability of self-staging of puberty, with potential application during telemedicine visits. The present study is the first to assess pediatric self-rated pubertal staging during the pandemic., Methods: The study included patients aged 7-22 years referred to Pediatric Endocrinology for specialty care, including pubertal staging. At clinic check-in, patients received a packet with study description, an option to "opt in" or "opt out", sex-specific self-staging instructions, and Tanner (T) stage illustrations. Males received materials for pubic hair (PH) stages T1-T5; females received materials for PH and breast (BR) stages T1-T5. Patients who opted in had 10 minutes to select the image(s) that best matched their bodies, which they sealed in an envelope. This was followed by a clinic visit, where a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist conducted a physical examination, including breast staging (females), testicular size measurement (males), and pubic hair staging (both sexes). Pubertal stage Kappa statistics with 95% CI were calculated for each body part by sex, with Kappa ≥ 0.60 indicating significant agreement between self-assessment and physician assessment (0.40-0.60 moderate; 0.20-0.40 fair)., Results: Of 516 distributed packets, 243 self-assessments (125 females) were returned, with 81% (94 females/102 males) being complete (including pediatric endocrinologist staging). Mean age of participants was 12.8 years. Mean BMI was 22.2 kg/m² (males) and 23.7 kg/m² (females). Hypothyroidism was the most common endocrine diagnosis. For females, kappa was highest for BR and PH in T1 (BR 0.65, PH 0.57) and T5 (BR 0.57, PH 0.65). For males, kappa was highest in T1 (0.73) and T2 (0.58). Grouping Tanner stages into prepuberty (T1), early to mid-puberty (T2-T3), and late puberty (T4-T5) showed greater agreement., Conclusion: Patients can reliably distinguish between "puberty" and "no puberty" using self-staging, though differentiating between later pubertal stages is more challenging. These findings help define the utility and limitations of self-staging during telemedicine visits., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ebo, McCray, Bowers, Rose and Jones.)

Introduction: Pediatric pelvic and acetabular fractures are rare but potentially devastating injuries and significant management variation exists across the United States. This study sought to elucidate treatment decision-making trends, involvement of adult trauma fellowship-trained surgeons in pediatric care, and pre- and postoperative transfer patterns., Methods: Pediatric orthopaedic surgeons who serve as trauma liaisons at 20 PTCs were surveyed regarding training, practice volume, and factors contributing to institutional management of pelvic and acetabular injuries. Five clinical scenarios of pelvic ring and acetabular fractures that varied by injury pattern, age, and sex were presented. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results., Results: Eighteen institutions responded to the survey (90% response rate, 16 Level, 1 PTC). All surgeons were pediatric fellowship-trained (77.7% in practice >5 y). The four most common factors affecting whether surgeons independently managed both pelvic ring and acetabular fractures were patient age, fracture characteristics, displacement and need for surgery. The majority reported managing <10 acetabular (72.2%) but >10 pelvic ring (77.8%) injuries per year. In the clinical scenarios, patients <10 were more likely to have treatment decisions made by a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. Older patients were more likely to be transferred to another institution for surgery but were often transferred back to the PTC postoperatively. In all clinical scenarios other than posterior hip dislocation, a trauma fellowship-trained surgeon was more likely to be the operative surgeon, even when the patient was not transferred., Conclusions: There is substantial variation in the management of pediatric and adolescent pelvic and acetabular fractures. Even at tertiary care PTCs, volumes are low, and trauma fellowship-trained surgeons are often involved in decision-making and operative management. Age and injury pattern seem to play a large role in variation, and patient transfers between facilities are common., Level of Evidence: V., Competing Interests: J.S. is a consultant for OrthoPediatrics. I.S. is a consultant for OrthoPediatrics. W.T. is currently receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Gillette Foundation. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The sequencing of a kidney sample (KW2013002) from a stranded Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback whale) calf is the first chromosome-level reference genome for this species 1 . The calf, a 457 cm and 2,500 lbs male, was found stranded in Hawai'i Kai, HI, in 2013 and was marked as abandoned/orphaned. In 2023, 1 g of kidney was sequenced with PacBio long-read DNA sequencing, chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C), RNA sequencing, and mitochondrial sequencing to comprehensively characterize the genome and transcriptome of M. novaeangliae. Data validation includes a synteny analysis, mitochondrial annotation, and a comparison of BUSCO scores (scaffold v. reference genome and Balaenoptera musculus (Blue whale) v. M. novaeangliae). BUSCO analysis was performed on an M. novaeangliae scaffold-level assembly to determine genomic completeness of the reference genome, with a scaffold BUSCO score of 91.2% versus a score of 95.4%. Synteny analysis was performed using the B. musculus genome as comparison to determine chromosome-level coverage and structure. Further, a time-based phylogenetic tree was constructed using the sequenced data and publicly available genomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a genetic condition characterized by an excessive response to androgens, leading to hairline regression in men and hair thinning at the vertex in women, which can negatively impact self-esteem. Conventional synthetic treatments for AGA are often limited by their side effects. In contrast, Thai medicinal plants offer a promising alternative with fewer adverse effects. This study investigates the synergistic phytochemical and pharmacological effects of a novel Hair Rise TM microemulsion, formulated with bioactive extracts from rice bran ( Oryza sativa ), shallot bulb ( Allium ascalonicum ), licorice root ( Glycyrrhiza glabra ), and corn kernels ( Zea mays ), for the treatment of hair loss. The microemulsion, in concentrations of 50%, 75%, and 100% ( v / v ), significantly enhanced the proliferation of human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) compared to minoxidil. Additionally, it upregulated critical hair growth signaling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin ( CTNNB1 ), Sonic Hedgehog ( SHH , SMO , GLI1 ), and vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF ), surpassing standard controls such as minoxidil and purmorphamine. The microemulsion also demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties by reducing nitric oxide production and oxidative stress, factors that contribute to inflammation and follicular damage in AGA. Furthermore, Hair Rise TM inhibited 5 α -reductase (types 1-3), a key enzyme involved in androgen metabolism, in both human prostate cancer cells (DU-145) and HFDPCs. These findings suggest that Hair Rise TM microemulsion presents a promising natural therapy for promoting hair growth and reducing hair loss via multiple synergistic mechanisms, offering a potent, plant-based alternative to synthetic treatments.

Advanced incurable diseases are often accompanied by numerous losses and burdens as the disease progresses, leading to a loss of autonomy, self-determination, and dignity for those affected, all of which can subsequently promote feelings of loneliness at the end of life. Declining health, increasing symptom burden, loss of social roles, and the fear of death and dying are among the key risk factors for loneliness towards the end of life. In this article, we provide an overview of the different dimensions of loneliness experienced at the end of life. We discuss existential loneliness alongside emotional and social loneliness, explore causes and health implications of loneliness at the end of life, suggest diagnostic tools for assessing loneliness, and finally provide recommendations for addressing emotional, social, and existential loneliness at the end of life. The loneliness of caregivers is also discussed. We suggest that addressing social and emotional loneliness early in the course of a terminal illness is crucial. Palliative, psychological, and spiritual support can strengthen interpersonal relationships, foster a sense of meaning and purpose, and alleviate the adverse effects of loneliness on mental and physical health as well as quality of life. In contrast, existential loneliness is considered an expression of profound emotional maturity and can offer opportunities for inner growth, contributing to a more refined sense of self while reinforcing identity, dignity, and transcendence at the end of life., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Kuttanad is a unique wetland agriculture system featuring polder-based rice cultivation below sea level. Facing increasing pollution threats from agrochemicals, this FAO-recognized Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) needs constant monitoring and risk assessment. The present study investigated the seasonal dynamics of agricultural pesticide residues in fish cultured in the wetland system. A total of 217 fish samples were analyzed, spanning three different sampling stations of Kuttanad, viz., Vaikom, Ramankari, and Edathua, during pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. The results revealed the presence of 14 pesticides across locations and seasons. The pesticides found in the highest concentrations were propetamphos (54.64 mg L -1 ), thiacloprid (46.78 mg L -1 ), and diphenylamine (24.70 mg L -1 ). The most frequently detected pesticides were propoxur, fenuron, and thiacloprid. Contaminants were detected more frequently during the post-monsoon season (49%) compared to the monsoon (38%) and pre-monsoon (13%) seasons, with imidacloprid being present in all three seasons. The target hazard quotients (THQ) for propetamphos, thiacloprid, and diphenylamine were determined to be 0.04, 0.004, and 0.0002, respectively. The hazard index (HI) calculated as the sum of THQ of quantified pesticides was 0.056, indicating a low to moderate risk. However, consistent monitoring of pesticides in the Kuttanad wetland agriculture system is important to ensure timely intervention to protect biodiversity and human health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The utilization of biopolymers incorporated with antimicrobial agents is extremely interesting in the development of environmentally friendly functional materials for food packaging and other applications. In this study, the effect of calcium oxide (CaO) on the morphological, mechanical, thermal, and hydrophilic properties as well as the antimicrobial activity of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCH) bio-composite films was investigated. The CMCH was synthesized from shrimp chitosan through carboxymethylation, whereas the CaO was synthesized via a co-precipitation method with polyethylene glycol as a stabilizer. The CMCH-CaO bio-composite films were prepared by the addition of synthesized CaO into the synthesized CMCH using a facile solution casting method. As confirmed by XRD and SEM, the synthesized CaO has a cubic shape, with an average crystalline size of 25.84 nm. The synthesized CaO exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) (>99.9% R). The addition of CaO into CMCH improved the mechanical and hydrophobic properties of the CMCH-CaO films. However, it resulted in a slight decrease in thermal stability. Notably, the CMCH-CaO10% films exhibited exceptional antimicrobial activity against E. coli (98.8% R) and S. aureus (91.8% R). As a result, such bio-composite films can be applied as an active packaging material for fruit, vegetable, or meat products.

The Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is perhaps the world's best-known botanical carnivore. The act of prey capture and digestion along with its rapidly closing, charismatic traps make this species a compelling model for studying the evolution and fundamental biology of carnivorous plants. There is a growing body of research on the genome, transcriptome, and digestome of Dionaea muscipula, but surprisingly limited information on changes in trap transcript abundance over time since feeding. Here we present the results of a comparative transcriptomics project exploring the transcriptomic changes across seven timepoints in a 72-hour time series of prey digestion and three timepoints directly comparing triggered traps with and without prey items. We document a dynamic response to prey capture including changes in abundance of transcripts with Gene Ontology (GO) annotations related to digestion and nutrient uptake. Comparisons of traps with and without prey documented 174 significantly differentially expressed genes at 1 hour after triggering and 151 genes with significantly different abundances at 24 hours. Approximately 50% of annotated protein-coding genes in Venus flytrap genome exhibit change (10041 of 21135) in transcript abundance following prey capture. Whereas peak abundance for most of these genes was observed within 3 hours, an expression cluster of 3009 genes exhibited continuously increasing abundance over the 72-hour sampling period, and transcript for these genes with GO annotation terms including both catabolism and nutrient transport may continue to accumulate beyond 72 hours., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Rentsch et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Schedule design may contribute to successful completion of synchronous telehealth visits by video (versus audio-only). Clustering telehealth visits on schedules may minimize workflow inefficiencies., Methods: We analyzed data from 21 primary care sites in an urban public health care system from March 1 to September 30, 2022. We used linear regression to test for associations between the number of consecutive telehealth visits scheduled per clinicians' half-day sessions (1 to 9+) and the proportion of telehealth visits scheduled and, separately, completed as video (versus audio-only)., Results: For each additional consecutive telehealth visit scheduled, there was a 6.85% [95% confidence interval 4.80 - 8.90%] increase in the absolute percentage of visits scheduled as video visits. For each additional consecutive telehealth visit scheduled, there was a 2.88% [0.59 - 5.18%] increase in the absolute percentage of visits completed as video visits., Conclusions: Clustered telehealth visits are positively associated with scheduling and completion of telehealth visits by video., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Background: Academic support services can improve undergraduate and graduate nursing program outcomes such as program completion and passing the NCLEX. Academic success coaching complements traditional support strategies by providing study skills and time management tools, promoting goal setting and self-efficacy, and referring students to support resources. This review examined interventions that academic success coaches use to improve student success and retention, licensing examination pass rates, and academic success., Method: A scoping literature review identified types of interventions that resulted in significant improvement in student academic and holistic success., Results: Four classes of interventions were identified as effective in supporting student success: (1) academic support; (2) social and emotional support; (3) clinical guidance; and (4) course and program design., Conclusion: Academic coaches are educated to identify student needs, provide support, and refer students to resources to improve academic outcomes. Future research should evaluate the need for academic success coaches to promote academic nursing student success. [ J Nurs Educ . 2024;63(8):515-524.] .

Gaining insight into the diversity, structure, and metabolic functions of microbial communities is essential for understanding their roles in host health and ecosystem dynamics. However, research on the seahorse-associated microbiome remains limited, despite these threatened fish facing increasing human pressures worldwide. Here, we explored the microbial diversity and metabolic functions of the skin and gut of the tiger tail seahorse ( Hippocampus comes ) and its surrounding environment using shotgun metagenomics and bioinformatics. Members of the Pseudomonadota phylum were dominant in the skin microbiome, whereas Bacteroidota was dominant in the gut. Bacillota, Actinomycetota, and Planctomycetota were also detected in the seahorse-associated microbiome. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences ( P < 0.01) in species diversity between skin and gut microbiomes, with members belonging to the Moraxellaceae family being dominant on the skin and the Bacteroidaceae family in the gut. Moreover, the surrounding environment (water or sediment) did not have a direct effect on the seahorse microbiome composition. The skin microbiome exhibited a higher abundance of functional genes related to energy, lipid, and amino acid metabolism as well as terpenoids and polyketides metabolism, xenobiotics biodegradation, and metabolism compared with the gut. Despite differences among classes, the total abundance of bacteriocins was similar in both gut and skin microbiomes, which is significant in shaping microbial communities due to their antimicrobial properties. A better knowledge of seahorse microbiomes benefits conservation and sustainable aquaculture efforts, offering insights into habitat protection, disease management, and optimizing aquaculture environments, thereby promoting seahorse health and welfare while minimizing environmental impact and enhancing aquaculture sustainability. NEW & NOTEWORTHY To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first comprehensive examination of the taxonomic and functional patterns of the skin and gut microbiome in the tiger tail seahorse. These findings have the potential to significantly enhance our understanding of the seahorse-associated microbiome, thereby contributing to the prediction and control of bacterial infections in seahorses, which are a leading cause of high mass mortality rates in seahorse aquaculture and other fish species.

Circadian disruption causes glucose intolerance, cardiac fibrosis, and adipocyte dysfunction in sand rats ( Psammomys obesus ). Exercise intervention can improve glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, adipose tissue function and protect against inflammation. We investigated the influence of exercise on male P. obesus exposed to a short photoperiod (5 h light:19 h dark) and high-energy diet. Exercise reduced glucose intolerance. Exercise reduced cardiac expression of inflammatory marker Ccl2 and Bax : Bcl2 apoptosis ratio. Exercise increased heart:body weight ratio and hypertrophy marker Myh7 : Myh6 , yet reduced Gata4 expression. No phenotypic changes were observed in perivascular fibrosis and myocyte area. Exercise reduced visceral adipose expression of inflammatory transcription factor Rela , adipogenesis marker Ppard and browning marker Ppargc1a, but visceral adipocyte size was unaffected. Conversely, exercise reduced subcutaneous adipocyte size but did not affect any molecular mediators. Exercise increased ZT7 Bmal1 and Per2 in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and subcutaneous Per2 . Our study provides new molecular insights and histological assessments on the effect of exercise on cardiac inflammation, adipose tissue dysfunction and circadian gene expression in P. obesus exposed to short photoperiod and high-energy diet. These findings have implications for the protective benefits of exercise for shift workers in order to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Introduction: The topic of death and the dying is a crucial aspect of patient care, especially for individuals with terminal illnesses. However, discussions about death and dying are often avoided during patient interactions. In this article, our aim is to explore the reasons behind our fear of death and dying and to assess the importance of addressing these issues in shaping and cultivating relationships with our patients and in our personal lives. We argue that being open to impermanence is a valuable tool in our work with patients and their families and should be integrated into conversations with them. Furthermore, discussions about death and dying should play a central role in medical and nursing education as well as professional development., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen und Autoren haben keine Interessenkonflikte im Zusammenhang mit diesem Artikel deklariert, (© 2024 Aerzteverlag medinfo AG.)

Using visual spectrographic examination of vowel nasalization to diagnose the syllabic affiliation of phonologically ambisyllabic nasal consonants (e.g., gamma), Durvasula and Huang [(2017). Lang. Sci. 62, 17-36] argued that anticipatory vowel nasalization in these words patterns with word-medial codas. Using nasometry, the current study finds that anticipatory nasalization before monomorphemic and multimorphemic (scammer) ambisyllabic nasals differ from word-medial coda (gamble) and word-final nasals (scam), but not from other intervocalic nasals. Additionally, vowel nasalization is sensitive to the manner of the preceding phoneme. These findings demonstrate that quantifying anticipatory nasalization using nasometry differs from visual spectrographic criteria., (© 2024 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

A patent vascular access is of crucial importance for patients on dialysis. There is no literature describing the success rate and complications of creating dialysis fistulae in a paretic arm. In addition, the risk for non-maturation of dialysis fistula is thought to be high due to the inactivity, muscle atrophy, vascular changes, and higher risk of thrombosis in paretic limbs. Here we describe a case of a successful creation and maturation of a native dialysis fistula., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies have shown promise as novel treatments for rare genetic disorders such as hemophilia A and spinal muscular atrophy. However, cellular immune responses mediated by cytotoxic (CD8 + ) and helper (CD4 + ) T cells may target vector-transduced cells as well as healthy immune cells, impacting safety and efficacy. In this study, we describe the optimization and reproducibility of interferon-γ (IFNγ)-based and interleukin-2 (IL-2)-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assays for measuring T cell responses against AAV peptide antigens. For method optimization, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from healthy human donors and stimulated with commercially available major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II-specific peptides as positive controls. Peptide pools were designed from published AAV8 and AAV9 capsid protein sequences and then used to assess the presence of AAV-specific T cell responses. Our results demonstrate a measurable increase in IFNγ and IL-2-producing cells after AAV peptide presentation. Furthermore, there was an observed difference in the magnitude and specificity of response to peptide pools based on AAV serotype and donor. Finally, using individual peptides, we identified a region of the AAV9 capsid protein that can elicit an immunogenic response. This work shows the applicability of ELISpot in assessing anti-AAV immune responses and provides insight into how novel recombinant AAV vectors could be designed to reduce immunogenic potential.

Ethyl cellulose (EC)-based composite sponges were developed for oil spillage treatment. The EC sponge surface was decorated with helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) (1 phr) using the inside-out sugar templating method. The inside surface of a sugar cube was coated with HCNTs and MoS 2 . After filling the sugar cube pores with EC and the subsequent sugar leaching, the decorating materials presented on the sponge surface. The EC/HCNT/MoS 2 sponge had a high level of oil removal based on its adsorption capacity (41.68 g/g), cycled adsorption (∼75-79 %), separation flux efficiency (∼85-95 %), and efficiency in oil/water emulsion separation (92-94 %). The sponge maintained adsorption capacity in acidic, basic, and salty conditions, adsorbed oil under water, and functioned as an oil/water separator in a continuous pump-assisted system. The compressive stress and Young's modulus of the EC sponge increased following its decoration using HCNTs and MoS 2 . The composite sponge was robust based on cycled compression and was thermally stable up to ∼120 ο C. Based on the eco-friendliness of EC, the low loading of HCNTs and MoS 2 , and sponge versatility, the developed EC/HCNT/MoS 2 sponge should be good candidate for use in sustainable oil adsorption and separation applications., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Prolonged exposure to environmental oxidative stress can result in visible signs of skin aging such as wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and thinning of the skin. Oryza sativa variety Sang 5 CMU, an inbred rice cultivar from northern Thailand, contains phenolic and flavonoid compounds in its bran and husk portions that are known for their natural antioxidant properties. In this study, we evaluated the cosmetic properties of crude extracts from rice bran and husk of Sang 5 CMU, focusing on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-melanogenesis, and collagen-regulating properties. Our findings suggest that both extracts possess antioxidant potential against DPPH, ABTS radicals, and metal ions. Additionally, they could downregulate TBARS levels from 125% to 100% of the control, approximately, while increasing the expression of genes related to the NRF2-mediated antioxidant pathway, such as NRF2 and HO-1 , in H 2 O 2 -induced human fibroblast cells. Notably, rice bran and husk extracts could increase mRNA levels of HO-1 more greatly than the standard L-ascorbic acid, by about 1.29 and 1.07 times, respectively. Furthermore, the crude extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing nitric oxide production in both mouse macrophage and human fibroblast cells. Specifically, the bran and husk extracts inhibited the gene expression of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in LPS-induced inflammation in fibroblasts. Moreover, both extracts demonstrated potential for inhibiting melanin production and intracellular tyrosinase activity in human melanoma cells by decreasing the expression of the transcription factor MITF and the pigmentary genes TYR , TRP-1 , and DCT . They also exhibit collagen-stimulating effects by reducing MMP-2 expression in H 2 O 2 -induced fibroblasts from 135% to 80% of the control, approximately, and increasing the gene associated with type I collagen production, COL1A1 . Overall, the rice bran and husk extracts of Sang 5 CMU showed promise as effective natural ingredients for cosmetic applications.