Search Results (382)

Background: The New Zealand pine bark has been demonstrated in vitro to inhibit digestive enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion (alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP-4)). Objective: This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effects of the New Zealand pine bark on sucrose uptake and glycaemic responses in humans. Methods: A single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was carried out involving healthy adults (n = 40 (M: 12, F: 28), 30.1 ± 1.3 years, BMI 23.4 ± 0.5 kg/m², HbA1c 32.5 ± 0.6 mmol/mol, FBG 4.7 ± 0.1 mmol/L). A control (75 g of sucrose powder only), and two doses of the pine bark extract (50 and 400 mg) were provided on separate occasions, with 75 g of sucrose mixed in 250 mL of water. Blood samples were collected at −10, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min via a finger prick test. A linear mixed model for repeated measures (SPSS v30, IBM) was applied, and data presented as model-adjusted mean ± SEM. Results: Compared to control (247.5 ± 14.0 mmol/L⋅min), the iAUCglucose was significantly reduced with the 400 mg dose (211.8 ± 13.9 mmol/L⋅min, 14.4% reduction, and p = 0.037), but not with 50 mg dose (220.8 ± 14.2 mmol/L⋅min, 10.8% reduction, and p = 0.184). Compared to control (9.1 ± 0.2 mmol/L), glucose peak value was significantly reduced with the 50 mg dose (8.6 ± 0.2 mmol/L, 5.5% reduction, and p = 0.016) but not with the 400 mg dose (8.7 ± 0.2 mmol/L, 4.4% reduction, and p = 0.093). There were no statistically significant changes in postprandial insulin levels with the pine bark extract compared to control. Conclusions: The New Zealand pine bark extract attenuated sucrose uptake with improved glycaemic responses, and may therefore be useful as a hypoglycaemic adjunct to the diet. Full article

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) allows non-invasive assessment of cortical activity during naturalistic tasks. This study aimed to compare cortical activation dynamics—specifically the latency (t_max) and amplitude (ΔoxyHb) of oxygenated haemoglobin changes—in passive observation and an interactive task using the Nefroball system. A total of 117 healthy adults performed two tasks involving rhythmic hand movements: a passive protocol and an interactive game-controlled condition. fNIRS recorded signals from the visual, parietal, motor, and prefrontal cortices of the left hemisphere. The Mann–Whitney test revealed significantly shorter t_max in all areas during the interactive task, suggesting faster recruitment of cortical networks. ΔoxyHb amplitude was significantly higher only in the visual cortex during the interactive task, indicating increased visual processing demand. No significant ΔoxyHb differences were observed in the motor, prefrontal, or parietal cortices. Weak but significant positive correlations were found between tmax and ΔoxyHb in the motor and prefrontal regions, but only in the passive condition. These findings support the notion that interactive tasks elicit faster, though not necessarily stronger, cortical responses. The results have potential implications for designing rehabilitation protocols and brain–computer interfaces involving visual–motor integration. Full article

This study highlights the importance of managing and analyzing customer reviews to gain a competitive advantage and improve customer experience in the hospitality industry. In this context, a deep learning-based sentiment analysis system of hotel customer reviews is developed to evaluate service quality within the scope of sustainable tourism. The study analyzed 15,522 customer reviews of five-star hotels in Antalya using text mining, topic modelling, and deep learning-based sentiment analysis. The reviews were classified as positive, negative, or neutral. The findings show that Hotel HB2 has the highest performance, with an F1 score of 97.9%. Overall customer satisfaction is 91%, while emotional satisfaction stands at 77%. Key factors, such as cleanliness, food quality, and staff professionalism, were found to play a critical role in customer loyalty. Additionally, this study integrates sustainability-orientated themes by identifying customer feedback related to environmentally friendly practices and sustainable hotel operations. The results provide evidence that customer satisfaction is not only influenced by service quality but also by the perceived environmental and social responsibility of the hotel. Machine learning techniques have emerged as effective tools for analyzing large-scale customer reviews, offering valuable insights to rapidly and accurately capture customers’ emotions, expectations, and perceptions. As a comprehensive application of sentiment analysis and text mining, this research offers hotel managers a practical framework to enhance service quality, foster customer loyalty, and develop sustainability-orientated strategies. This study contributes to the literature by linking AI-driven sentiment analysis with sustainability practices in the tourism sector. Full article

Chlorfenapyr is a widely used insecticide known to harm non-target insects, but its effects on reproductive development in the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) remain incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the histopathological and transcriptional changes in the gonads (ovaries and testes) of newly molted fifth-instar silkworm larvae exposed to chlorfenapyr. Histopathological analysis revealed delayed gonadal development, a reduction in oogonia and oocytes in the ovaries, and decreased numbers of spermatocytes in the testes. Transcriptome analysis identified significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs), mainly enriched in pathways such as “Drug metabolism—cytochrome P450”, “Insect hormone biosynthesis”, and “Ribosome”. Key up-regulated genes included members of the cytochrome P450 family (CYP6B5, CYP9f2, CYP6B6), glutathione S-transferases (GSTT1, GST1), and juvenile hormone-related enzymes (JHAMT, JHEH), indicating active detoxification and hormonal regulation responses. Several transcription factor families, particularly C2H2, HB-other, and TRAF, exhibited altered expression, suggesting roles in stress adaptation. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified hub genes such as EcR, Kr-h1, and various ribosomal proteins, highlighting their potential involvement in reproductive development. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) validated the transcriptomic data, confirming the reliability of the results. Overall, these findings enhance our understanding of chlorfenapyr’s impact on silkworm reproductive development and the underlying molecular mechanisms, providing valuable insights for sustainable pest management and ecological risk assessment of insecticides. Full article

Testicular orphan receptors TR2 and TR4 serve as central regulators of erythropoiesis, orchestrating the entire continuum of erythroid progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, and maturation. As core components of the direct repeat erythroid determinant (DRED) complex, they activate erythroid-specific transcriptional programs to dynamically control the spatiotemporal expression of globin genes. These nuclear receptors not only engage in functional interactions with key erythroid transcription factors GATA1 and KLF1 to coregulate erythroid differentiation and maturation but also recruit epigenetic modifier complexes such as DNMT1 and LSD1 to modulate chromatin states dynamically. Research has established that dysfunctions in TR2/TR4 are implicated in β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD): β-thalassemia is associated with the defective silencing of γ-globin genes, while in SCD, TR2/TR4 antagonizes BCL11A to reactivate fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expression. This review systematically dissects the molecular regulatory networks of TR2/TR4 in erythroid cells, interprets their dual regulatory properties across different stages of erythroid differentiation, and explores the therapeutic potential of targeting TR2/TR4 for treating erythroid-related disorders such as β-thalassemia and SCD, thereby providing novel directions for hematological disorder therapy. Full article

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease related to obesity and high-calorie diets, which presents hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. The management of diabetes can cause a rise in financial burden and synthetic medications can have adverse effects. This study aims to investigate the anti-diabetic and antioxidant activity of SHE, CME, and SHE in diabetic rats. Methods: Seventy-eight rats were randomly assigned to the following 13 groups (n = 6): N-DW, D-DW, D-M, D-S, D-C, D-F, D-SC, D-SF, D-SM, D-CM, D-FM, D-SCM, and D-SFM, for 8 weeks. Body weight, relative organ weight, blood glucose, insulin resistance, and plasma biomarkers related to diabetes were determined. Results: Diabetic rats had a significantly decreased body weight, RBC-GHS, liver-GHS, and RBC-SOD activity and a significantly increased relative organ weight, blood glucose levels, insulin levels, insulin resistance, HbA1C, TC, TG, LDL, plasma-MDA, and liver-MDA when compared to the N-DW group. However, plant supplementation and metformin improved diabetes-related parameters, especially the combination of CME or FCME with SHE and metformin, which showed the greatest potential for improving diabetic conditions. (4) Conclusions: The research indicates that CME or FCME conjugated with SHE and metformin demonstrates the greatest potential for enhancing diabetic conditions, confirming positive synergism. These findings suggest that the combination of CME or FCME with SHE and metformin may be effective for diabetic treatment. Full article

Background/Objectives: Red blood cell (RBC) parameters are routinely used to screen for α- and β-thalassemia traits as part of prenatal diagnosis for severe fetal thalassemia in countries with a high prevalence of the disease. In clinical practice, the same cut-off values for these parameters are applied to both females and males. However, given that the normal reference ranges for some RBC parameters differ significantly between sexes, sex-specific cut-off values may be more appropriate, especially in combination. To date, the effectiveness of RBC indices in males for predicting α- and β-thalassemia traits has not been evaluated. The objectives of this study are to assess the diagnostic performance of individual and combined RBC parameters in detecting α⁰-thalassemia traits among non-anemic males. Methods: This diagnostic study is a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from our project on prenatal control of severe thalassemia. The study population comprised male partners of pregnant women who underwent thalassemia screening during their first antenatal visit. RBC parameters, including hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red cell distribution width (RDW), and RBC count, were measured for each participant. Carrier status for the α0-thalassemia Southeast Asian (SEA) genotype was confirmed by using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method. The diagnostic performance of each RBC parameter and their combinations, based on predictive models generated using logistic regression, was evaluated and compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: A total of 486 Thai males were recruited for the study, including 137 individuals with the α⁰-thalassemia trait and 349 with a normal α-thalassemia genotype (control group). All RBC parameters, except for Hct, differed significantly between the two groups. Among the individual indices, MCH exhibited the highest diagnostic accuracy, followed by MCV, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.981 and 0.973, respectively. An MCH cut-off value of 26 pg and an MCV cut-off value of 80 fL provided a sensitivity of 100% for both indices, with specificities of 88.5% and 86.8%, respectively. The combination predictive model provided the best diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.987, which was slightly but significantly higher than that of any individual parameter. This model yielded a sensitivity of 100% and a significantly higher specificity of 90.8% at a cut-off probability of 7.0%. Conclusions: MCH and MCV demonstrated excellent screening performance for identifying α0-thalassemia carriers in males. However, the combination model exhibited even greater accuracy while reducing the false-positive rate. Implementing this model could minimize the need for unnecessary PCR testing, leading to substantial cost savings. Full article

The central role of angiotensinogen in the control of blood pressure is revealed by a series of crystallographic structures, including complexes with renin. Specifically, the structures provide an understanding of the sequential molecular events that lead to the pre-eclamptic hypertensive crises of pregnancy. The release of the precursor vasopressor peptide from the amino-terminal tail of angiotensinogen appears to be modulated by a redox-sensitive disulphide bridge. Our findings indicate that the activation of the thiol-switch in the circulating maternal angiotensinogen occurs at the placental level in response to oxidative stress, exacerbated by placental insufficiency. We propose here that a contributory factor is the inherent redox stress accompanying the placental exchange of oxygenation between the haemoglobin of the mother (oxy-HbA) and the deoxygenated haemoglobin of the foetus (deoxy-HbF). Full article

Background: Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) plays a beneficial role in the progressive adaptation to the postnatal oxygen-rich environment in preterm infants due to its peculiar properties. Our aim was to evaluate if preterm infants resuscitated with delayed cord clamping (DCC) or umbilical cord milking (UCM) might have higher and more durable HbF levels than infants resuscitated with immediate cord clamping (ICC). Methods: We retrospectively studied 181 preterm infants born at <30 weeks of gestation, among whom 120 were resuscitated with ICC, 30 with DCC, and 31 with UCM. Mean values of HbF blood levels in the first postnatal week (HbF1st _week); in the 14th, 21st, and 28th days of life (HbF_{14–21–28 DOL}); and in the 31st, 34th, and 36th weeks of postmenstrual age (HbF_{31–34–36 weeks}) were calculated. Results: We found that HbF1st _week (15.3 ± 3.4 vs. 12.6 ± 3.5 g/dL, p < 0.001), HbF_{14–21–28 DOL}, (9.3 ± 3.2 vs. 7.6 ± 3.6 g/dL, p = 0.018), and Hb_{–34–36 weeks} (7.5 ± 3.6 vs. 5.7 ± 3.6 g/dL, p = 0.014) levels were higher in the UCM than in the ICC group. No differences of HbF levels were found between the DCC and ICC groups. Conclusions: UCM was associated with a persistent higher level of HbF than ICC. The effect of DCC was less marked as HbF level was higher than ICC only in the first week of life. UCM and DCC may help counteract the negative effects of blood sampling and transfusions on HbF levels. Full article

This study examines the roles of optimism and self-efficacy in influencing health behaviors among Polish health sciences students, with a focus on gender differences. A cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 318 students. The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI) were used to assess self-efficacy, optimism, and health behaviors’ (HB) intensity, respectively. The variation in the HB was significant concerning the level of dispositional optimism (F(2, 312) = 4.22, p = 0.016, η²p = 0.03). LOT-R results turned out to be a statistically significant condition for higher frequency of positive mental attitude (PMA) behaviors and preventive actions (PAs). Gender differences were observed: higher scores of PMA and PhA were more frequent among men, whilst women were characterized with higher PA. The effect of gender and both GSES and LOT-R for the HBI results was statistically significant in two subscales (with LOT-R for PhA and with GSES for PA). These findings enhance the understanding of psychological determinants of health behaviors and suggest practical implications for educational and public health strategies. Gender turned out to be a significant determinant of some relationships between health behaviors and the examined dispositions in Polish health sciences students. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study explores variations in brain activity between individuals with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT) and healthy older adults during a resting state using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods: FNIRS measured brain activity in ten AD patients and six healthy individuals. A device with 16 channels was placed on each participant’s forehead to measure oxygenation levels while they kept their eyes closed. The data were analyzed using a support vector machine (SVM) model. Results: The results indicated differences in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) levels between the two groups. Specifically, HbO levels were generally higher in the dementia group in the left hemisphere, with a sharp increase after 26 s. Conversely, HbO levels were consistently lower in the right hemisphere of the dementia group. The SVM analysis demonstrated high accuracy in differentiating between the AD and healthy groups based on HbO levels. Conclusions: The study indicates that differences in brain activity during resting state can potentially distinguish people with DAT from healthy individuals. We found relatively reduced hemoglobin activity in the prefrontal areas of those with DAT. Furthermore, the concentration changes in the HbO in the left lateral prefrontal and right medial brain regions emerged as the most informative in distinguishing individuals with DAT from healthy individuals. The results of the current study show that this method could improve current DAT diagnostic practices due to its efficiency. Full article

Nitrite and carbon dioxide (CO₂) are common environmental substances in intensive aquaculture ponds. However, the effects and mechanisms of their combined exposure on aquatic animals remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the toxic effects of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/L CO₂ in the presence of 2 mg/L nitrite on hematological, blood gas parameters, and liver physiological and pathological changes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) over 14 days and 28 days. Our results demonstrated a reduced nitrite uptake and accumulation in the gills and liver of zebrafish exposed to nitrite and varying levels of CO₂. Increased CO₂ levels also led to a decrease in the expression of gill ae1, whereas the transcriptional levels of nhe1 and nhe3b, nkcc and nbc1 were notably upregulated. Moreover, there was a decrease in Cl⁻ and Na⁺ concentrations, along with an increase in K⁺ concentrations. These changes suggested that zebrafish responded to increased CO₂ stress by reducing their absorption of chloride-dependent nitrite, excreting H⁺ and maintaining their internal pH. Exposure to higher CO₂ levels in the presence of nitrite resulted in lower blood MetHb levels and liver oxidative stress compared to the nitrite single-exposure treatment. Furthermore, co-treatment with CO₂ and nitrite attenuated the nitrite-induced damage to genes related to mitochondrial respiratory chain function (ndufs1, mtnd5, mtycb, atp5f1b, mtatp8), leading to elevated ATP levels. Exposure to nitrite alone increased the expression of lipolytic genes (hsla, cpt1aa, atgl) and decreased the expression of lipid synthesis genes (fasn, acaca), resulting in a decrease in TG and TC content in zebrafish liver. However, co-treatment with CO₂ and nitrite prevented the nitrite-induced disruption of lipid metabolism, as evidenced by the improvement in TG and TC levels, as well as transcriptional levels of lipid metabolism-related genes. In conclusion, our study suggests that in the presence of 2 mg/L nitrite, increased CO₂ (2.5–10 mg/L) may modulate ion transporter genes to reduce the chloride-dependent nitrite uptake and maintain pH homeostasis, concurrently alleviating oxidative stress, restoring mitochondrial respiratory function, and improving lipid metabolism in a dose-dependent manner. These changes may be related to the increase in the concentration of bicarbonate ions in the water as the CO₂ level rises. These findings shed light on the potential protective effects of CO₂ in mitigating the harmful effects of nitrite exposure in aquatic animals. Full article

The continuous discovery of novel effective antibacterial agents using nano-based materials is of high significance. In this study, we utilized Polymerylated divalent-metal-doped ferrite nanoparticles (PMFe₂O₄ NPs) and studied their antibacterial inhibition effects. Different panels of PVP- and PEG-coated metal-doped MFe₂O₄ (M ≅ Co, Ni, and Zn) were prepared via the Ko-precipitation Hydrolytic Basic (KHB) methodology and thoroughly analyzed using TEM, XRD, FTIR, and VSM. The as-synthesized doped ferrites displayed stable quasi-spherical particles (7–15 nm in size), well-ordered crystalline cubic spinel phases, and high-saturation magnetizations reaching up to 68 emu/g. The antibacterial efficacy of the doped ferrites was then assessed against a Gram-negative E. coli bacterial strain. The results demonstrated that both metal doping and polymer functionalization influence the antimicrobial efficacies and performance of the ferrite NPs. The presence of the PVP polymer along with the divalent metal ions, particularly Co and Ni, resulted in the highest antibacterial inhibition and effective inactivation of the bacterial cells. The antibacterial performance was as follows: PVP-CoFe₂O₄ > PVP-NiFe₂O₄ > PVP-ZnFe₂O₄. Lastly, cell viability assays conducted on human breast fibroblast (HBF) cells confirmed the good safety profiles of the doped ferrites. These interesting results demonstrate the distinctive inhibitory features of the biocompatible metal-doped ferrites in enhancing bacterial killing and highlights their promising potential as effective antimicrobial agents, with possible applications in areas such as water disinfection, biomedical devices, and antimicrobial coatings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Art-based interventions have been shown to enhance communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet their impact on prefrontal hemodynamics remains unclear. Methods: This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine hemoglobin oxygenation (HbO) changes in the prefrontal cortex of school-age children with ASD, providing empirical support for its therapeutic efficacy. Sixty age-matched children participated in a 9-week art therapy program, including twenty ASD children and forty typically developing peers. Assessments included self-portrait drawing (SPD), the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS), and the General Quality of Life Inventory (GQOL-74). In addition, we performed fNIRS measurements in the ASD participants and observed changes in prefrontal HbO at rest and while drawing. Results: The drawing intervention significantly enhanced drawing ability, emotional expression, and cognitive skills, with the intervention group outperforming the controls. ASD participants exhibited distinct prefrontal connectivity patterns with visual, motor, and language-related regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontal eye field, and Broca’s area. Task-based painting interventions indirectly influenced the frontal lobe’s hemodynamic characteristics, indicating drawing intervention as an effective intervention for ASD. Full article

This study investigates how the sound of a hair dryer influences users’ perceptions of its quality, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. Eighteen participants were involved in a within-subject evaluation experiment where they assessed the perceived quality of hair dryers with three different sound levels: no sound, low sound, and high sound. The results show that hair dryers with high sound levels were rated as having higher quality and caused greater increases in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) compared to soundless hair dryers. In contrast, when participants evaluated low-sound hair dryers, differential activation between the left and right hemispheres was observed, with increased left-brain activity. These findings highlight the significant role of multisensory factors, such as sound, in shaping product perception. Moreover, DLPFC activity, especially in the left hemisphere, emerges as a potential marker for evaluating product quality, contributing new insights to the understanding of sensory-driven decision-making in product evaluation. Full article