Search Results (11,926)

The UL24 protein family, conserved across all subfamilies of Orthoherpesviridae, plays diverse and significant roles in viral replication, host–virus interactions and pathogenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and interactions of UL24 proteins is key to unraveling the complex interplay between herpesviruses and their hosts. This review provides a comparative and comprehensive overview of current knowledge on UL24 family members, including their conservation, expression patterns, cellular localization, and functional roles upon their expression and during viral infection, highlighting their significance in herpesvirus biology and their potential functions. Full article

The current knowledge of Staphylococcus warneri phages is limited, with few genomes sequenced and characterized. In this study, a prophage, vB_G30_01, isolated from Staphylococcus warneri G30 was characterized and evaluated for its lysogenic host range. The phage was studied using transmission electron microscopy and a host range. The phage genome was sequenced and characterized in depth, including phylogenetic and taxonomic analyses. The linear dsDNA genome of vB_G30_01 contains 67 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), classifying it within Bronfenbrennervirinae. With a total of 10 ORFs involved in DNA replication-related and transcriptional regulator functions, vB_G30_01 may play a role in the genetics and transcription of a host. Additionally, vB_G30_01 possesses a complete set of genes related to host lysogeny and lysis, implying that vB_G30_01 may influence the survival and adaptation of its host. Furthermore, a comparative genomic analysis reveals that vB_G30_01 shares high genomic similarity with other Staphylococcus phages and is relatively closely related to those of Exiguobacterium and Bacillus, which, in combination with the cross-infection assay, suggests possible cross-species infection capabilities. This study enhances the understanding of Staphylococcus warneri prophages, providing insights into phage–host interactions and potential horizontal gene transfer. Full article

Background: There is renewed interest in the use of ancient herbal remedies for their potential health benefits, particularly in the psychological domain. One herb that is receiving growing attention is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) which has received considerable interest for its influence on the brain. Lemon balm boasts an array of phytochemicals, including rosmarinic acid, citral, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid, which are believed to underpin these effects on psychological well-being. Pharmacological evidence from animal and cellular work reveals that lemon balm and its components may modulate several brain signalling pathways, including GABAergic, cholinergic, and serotonergic systems. Results/conclusion: Although further robust randomised controlled trials using lemon balm are required, existing research indicates that lemon balm holds promise as a calming agent exhibiting both anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties and can elicit cognitive and sleep-quality enhancement. Full article

The Chinese Christian community occupies an essential position in the pluralistic religious landscape of modern Singapore, which is known as a multicultural and multiracial immigrant society. Despite being a minority compared with Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore, the historical formation and contemporary existence of the Chinese Christian community in Singapore not only embodies religious diversity, but also contributes significantly to Singapore’s social development. This paper zooms into the founding and evolution of the Jubilee Church to see how Chinese Christians contributed to the revolutionary cause, took part in the anti-opium movement, and advanced educational activities in Singapore. Particularly, by establishing the Singapore Reading Room, participating in the founding of the Anti-Opium Society and the Chinese Kindergarten, the Jubilee Church played an important role in Singapore’s history, contributing to the modernization of Singapore in terms of advancing ideas, improving social order, and promoting education. We aim to shed light on how Chinese Christians were engaged in social activities, taking up significant roles in the transformation of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore. More importantly, we argue that these varied social engagements significantly impacted the development of Christianity. Through a detailed historical case study on the Jubilee Church, this paper proposes that social functions and religious evangelization are mutually constitutive, thus complicating our understanding of the entangled relationship among Chinese diaspora, Christianity, and motherland China. Full article

Introduction: The physiological response of the tendon structure has been the subject of several studies using clinical thermography, although the lack of normal values limits clinical practice despite being, according to several authors, an optimal diagnostic tool for the study and therapeutic monitoring of soft tissues. To this end, the aim of this systematic review was to explore all the scientific information on thermography and reference values in the patellar tendon. Method: A search was carried out in different health science databases using the MeSH terms “Health”, “Patellar Ligament”, and “Thermography” with their synonyms in free terms to collect the studies to be included in the systematic review. This review was conducted according with PRISMA guidelines and includes all of the literature up to 19 December 2023. All studies that were in accordance with the PICOS strategy in title and abstract were included in this review, while studies that performed the baseline thermographic test in an altered physiological state were excluded after reading the full text. The TISEM scale was used to assess the quality of the studies; the risk of bias was assessed with the QUADAS-2 scale. Result: A total of 6 articles was selected (n = 148); these were analyzed for quality and found to be highly heterogenous; the risk of bias was low in most domains of the QUADAS-2 scale. Discussion and Conclusion: There are several variabilities that can induce changes in the thermoregulation process distorting the thermograms. Looking deeper into the evidence behind each item, we can deduce the need to follow the TISEM protocol as closely as possible for an accurate response. The heterogeneity in the way the results were provided and the low quality in some of the studies did not allow for a reference of thermographic values to be obtained. Full article

The evaluation of hemodynamic conditions in critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients is inevitable in endovascular interventions. In this study, the performance of color-coded digital subtraction angiography (ccDSA) and the recently developed color-coded digital variance angiography (ccDVA) was compared in the assessment of key time parameters in lower extremity interventions. The observational study included 19 CLTI patients who underwent peripheral vascular intervention at our institution in 2020. Pre- and post-dilatational images were retrospectively processed and analyzed by a commercially available ccDSA software (Kinepict Medical Imaging Tool 6.0.3; Kinepict Health Ltd., Budapest, Hungary) and by the recently developed ccDVA technology. Two protocols were applied using both a 4 and 7.5 frames per second acquisition rate. Time-to-peak (TTP) parameters were determined in four pre- and poststenotic regions of interest (ROI), and ccDVA values were compared to ccDSA read-outs. The ccDVA technology provided practically the same TTP values as ccDSA (r = 0.99, R² = 0.98, p < 0.0001). The correlation was extremely high independently of the applied protocol or the position of ROI; the r value was 0.99 (R² = 0.98, p < 0.0001) in all groups. A similar correlation was observed in the change in passage time (r = 0.98, R² = 0.96, p < 0.0001). The color-coded DVA technology can reproduce the same hemodynamic data as a commercially available DSA-based software; therefore, it has the potential to be an alternative decision-supporting tool in catheter labs. Full article

The case study of the monumental complex of San Francesco le Moniche, built in the ancient Norman county Aversa, in northern Campania (Italy), is analyzed here. The cultural heritage of the complex and the additional value associated with geoheritage (building stones and underground extraction cavities) have been highlighted. The building stratification of the complex was reconstructed based on documentary sources, including historical cartography and photographic documentation of postcards from the early 1900s. It began around 1200 and ended in the 20th century; part of the original citadel was dismantled and incorporated into the urban fabric in the Fascist era. The building stratification of the complex was also read from the distribution and architecture of the existing underground cavities from which the building stones were extracted. The subsoil, reconstructed on the basis of geological and geophysical data, is made up of a tuff substrate, starting from approximately 5–6 m from the ground level, which represents the main building stone as well as being an important testimony to the long volcanological history of northern Campania. Laser scanner surveys of the known and accessible cavities were carried out to obtain a three-dimensional view of the entire monumental complex and its underground spaces. The results provide a clear example of a geoheritage–cultural heritage interface which reminds us of the importance of an integrated approach in their valorization, specifically in urban areas. Additionally, the results of the study allowed us to improve the knowledge of the complex and the site, and provide useful tools for the planning of future targeted investigations. Full article

Background/objectives: An East Asian-specific 1382A>C polymorphism in the mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c results in an amino acid substitution from Lys (K) to Gln (Q) at the 14th amino acid residue. This study investigated the association between m.1382A>C polymorphism and sarcopenia, blood lipids, and mental health in older Korean adults. Methods: The study included 683 community-dwelling Korean adults (345 men and 338 women) aged 65 years and older. The m.1382A>C polymorphism was genotyped with a 7500 real-time PCR system. Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured, and appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) mass was calculated. Demographics, blood lipids, falling risk, nutritional intake, cognition function, and depression were additionally measured. Results: Men carrying the C allele had significantly higher ASM (21.6 ± 3.0 vs. 19.5 ± 2.2 kg, p = 0.018), ASM/height² (7.76 ± 0.76 vs. 7.14 ± 0.62 kg/m², p = 0.012), lean mass (53.3 ± 6.2 vs. 46.5 ± 4.0 kg, p < 0.001), left HGS (33.3 ± 5.0 vs. 28.9 ± 4.0 kg, p = 0.010), and right HGS (35.6 ± 5.3 vs. 30.9 ± 4.3 kg, p = 0.009) than men carrying the A allele. The genotype differences in ASM (p = 0.017), ASM/height² (p = 0.011), lean mass (p < 0.001), left HGS (p = 0.010), and right HGS (p = 0.009) remained significant even after adjusting for all measured covariates. By contrast, no significant differences in other measured parameters were found between women carrying the A and C alleles. Conclusions: Our study findings indicate that the m.1382A>C polymorphism may be used as a genetic biomarker of age-related sarcopenia in older Korean men. Full article

Escherichia coli isolates from intensive poultry production are associated with antimicrobial resistance and worldwide health problems. The aim of the study was to detect and evaluate the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, phylogenetic typing, and virulence factors in E. coli isolates from the rectal swabs of chickens from two farms and swabs of chicken meat purchased from Slovakian food markets. Interpretative readings of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) revealed dominant resistance to ampicillin (>50%) in both groups. We also detected higher resistance to ciprofloxacin (45%), tetracycline, ampicillin + sulbactam, and trimethoprim + sulfonamide (each >30%). Here, 28.57% of the strains studied were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The formation of weak biofilms was confirmed in 8.8% of E. coli, while one of the strains obtained from chicken cloacal swabs was classified as a strong biofilm producer. The most frequently confirmed phylogenetic groups in E. coli were B₁ and A₁ in all groups. PCR detection revealed the presence of genes encoding tetracycline resistance (tetAB) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (qnrABS), and Int1 (52.9%), Tn3 (76.5%), kpsMT II (8.8%), fimA (97.1%), cvaC (38.2%), and iutA (76.5%) genes in the strains studied. Our results demonstrate that chickens and chicken meat were the source of antibiotic-resistant, biofilm-forming, and virulent E. coli, representing a potential risk from the point of view of the One Health concept. Full article

Background: The rise of multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria necessitates the development of new antimicrobial agents. Cefiderocol shows promising activity by exploiting bacterial iron transport systems to penetrate the outer membranes of resistant pathogens. Objectives: This study evaluates the efficacy of cefiderocol testing methods and trailing effect impact using a ComASP^® Cefiderocol panel, disk diffusion (DD), and MIC test strips (MTS) compared to iron-depleted broth microdilution (ID-BMD). Methods: A total of 131 Gram-negative strains from clinical samples was tested by commercial methods and the gold standard. Results were interpreted as per 2024 and 2023 EUCAST guidelines. Results: ID-BMD revealed high cefiderocol susceptibility among Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with one Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate being resistant. Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited higher MIC values, particularly considering trailing effects that complicated MIC readings. ComASP^® showed 97% categorical agreement (CA) and 66% essential agreement (EA) with ID-BMD for Enterobacterales but failed to detect the resistant K. pneumoniae. DD tests demonstrated variable CA (72% or 93%), and 38% or 34% of strains within the ATU according to EUCAST Breakpoint Tables v13.0 and 14.0, respectively, with major errors only. MTS for P. aeruginosa had 100% CA but 44% EA, and often underestimated MIC values. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the need for standardized criteria to address trailing effects and ATU and highlights the discrepancies between testing methods. While cefiderocol resistance remains rare, accurate susceptibility testing is crucial for its effective clinical use. The findings suggest that current commercial tests have limitations, necessitating careful interpretation and potential supplementary testing to guide appropriate antibiotic therapy. Full article

This article provides a way to think through the division between religious and secular approaches to contemporary society through the use of rival myths. Myths are narrative structures that invite the interplay of language and the imagination, resulting in the creation of virtual realities and social imaginaries. Strong virtual realities were once premised on myths that guided the imagination to embrace an openness to mystery and the unknowable; however, current technological culture is predicated on a closed imagination that has led to worldwide despair. Religion was originally grounded in the virtual reality inspired by language and the capacity of language to distill and extract the “virtual” from the real. The ability of language to create a virtual reality created the capacity to think of a soul, as well as destinations for the soul. In the twentieth century, Freud found that the notion of “God” that was created had become problematic for humans and so created a modern myth that would provide a secular substitute. After providing a close reading of Freud’s governing myth for modern culture, showing how it inspires the imagination and the ways in which it falls short, this article concludes with an alternative myth—that of the Invisible City—proposed to inspire faith, hope, and love in our modern world. My approach relies on a depth psychological framework, which was formed to interrogate the nature of reality (relative to individuals and culture) at the intersection of myth, religion, language, and imagination. Throughout, I use a hermeneutic methodology, which is consistent with the initial mode of depth psychological exploration as well as the central role language plays in revealing the truth of a reality. This orientation enables an exploration of a deeper sense of virtual realities than what is deployed through current technology. Full article

RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) technology has been widely applied due to its high-throughput and low-latency characteristics compared with traditional networks. Implementing RDMA with an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a feasible solution. This paper proposes an implementation method for the ROCE v2 (Remote Direct Memory Access) protocol packet parser and generator based on an FPGA, capable of supporting various transaction packet types, such as RDMA READ, RDMA WRITE, and SEND, under the Reliable Connection service. The RDMA READ and RDMA WRITE performance of RDMA is close to 100 Gbps, which provides a feasible solution for the application of wide-area networks. Full article

One amongst many of the defining characteristics of so-called ‘late stage’ capitalism are human-animal relationships that have become acrimonious, hostile, or even monstrous in nature. A foundational premise of monster theory, and one that Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s seminal 1996 edited collection of the same name suggests, is that the construction of the monster in popular culture is fraught with the boundaries that constitute the society that has spawned them; the monstrous body “exists only to be read” (p. 4). Bringing together the theoretical insights of the Marxist theory of reification, critical animal studies, and monster theory, this article examines the ways in which cinematic depictions of gigantic monstrosity can inform our theorizing of multispecies relationships under capitalism. Specifically, I explore how the tensions between capital and human-animal relationships serve to construct and constitute the multiform monster, Jean Jacket, in Jordan Peele’s 2022 film Nope. Through an examination of the multispecies relationalities that the film portrays, I argue that the figure of Jean Jacket is a monstrous culmination of the reified and therefore, necessarily deferred nature of human-animal relationships under capital. However, Nope’s conclusion alerts us to the radical dereifying potential of multispecies bonds of care and embodied knowledge; systems of resistance that can be forged even within our current capitalist ruins. Full article

Six hundred million cases of disease and roughly 420,000 deaths occur globally each year due to foodborne pathogens. Current methods to screen and identify pathogens in swine, poultry, and cattle products include immuno-based techniques (e.g., immunoassay integrated biosensors), molecular methods (e.g., DNA hybridization and PCR assays), and traditional culturing. These methods are often used in tandem to screen, quantify, and characterize samples, prolonging real-time comprehensive analysis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a relatively new technology that combines DNA-sequencing chemistry and bioinformatics to generate and analyze large amounts of short- or long-read DNA sequences and whole genomes. The goal of this project was to evaluate the quantitative capabilities of the real-time NGS Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ MinION sequencer through a shotgun-based sequencing approach. This investigation explored the correlation between known amounts of the analyte (lambda DNA as a pathogenic bacterial surrogate) with data output, in both the presence and absence of a background matrix (Bos taurus DNA). A positive linear correlation was observed between the concentration of analyte and the amount of data produced, number of bases sequenced, and number of reads generated in both the presence and absence of a background matrix. In the presence of bovine DNA, the sequenced data were successfully mapped to the NCBI lambda reference genome. Furthermore, the workflow from pre-extracted DNA to target identification took less than 3 h, demonstrating the potential of long-read sequencing in food safety as a rapid method for screening, identification, and quantification. Full article

With the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the shipping industry, using AI to replace traditional draft survey methods in bulk carriers can significantly reduce manpower, lower the risks associated with visual observations, improve measurement accuracy, and minimize the impact of human subjective factors. Ultimately, the integration of software and hardware technologies will replace human visual observations with automated draft measurement calculations. A similar anti-fluctuation device described in this article has been used in ship draft observation based on AI-assisted proving, which can ease the fluctuation of the wave inside the pipe. Observers can directly read the water surface inside the pipe and compare it to the ship’s draft mark to obtain the final draft, effectively improving draft observation accuracy. However, some surveyors refuse to accept the readings obtained from this device, citing a lack of theoretical basis or the absence of accreditation from relevant technical authorities, leading to the rejection of results. To address these issues, this paper integrates wave energy attenuation theory with PaddlePaddle-OCR recognition to further validate the anti-fluctuation device for accurate ship draft observation. The experimental results are as follows: first, the pipe effectively suppresses the amplitude of external water surface fluctuations by 75%, explaining the fundamental theory that wave heights within the anti-fluctuation device are consistent with external swell heights. When taking a draft measurement, the system dynamically adjusts the position of the main tube in response to the ship’s movements, maintaining the stability of the measurement section and significantly reducing the difficulty of observations. Due to the reduction in fluctuation amplitude, there is a noticeable improvement in observation accuracy. Full article