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Taurine, a normal dietary component that is found in many tissues, is considered important for a number of physiological processes. It is thought to play a particular role in eye development and in the maturation of both the muscular and nervous systems, leading to its suggested use as a therapeutic for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Taurine increases metabolism and has also been touted as a weight loss aid. Due to its possible benefits to health and development, taurine is added as a supplement to a wide array of products, including infant formula and energy drinks. Despite its pervasive use as a nutritional additive and implied physiological actions, there is little consensus on how taurine functions. This is likely because, mechanistically, taurine has been demonstrated to affect multiple metabolic pathways. Simple models and straightforward assay systems are required to make headway in understanding this complexity. We chose to begin this work using the planarian because these animals have basic, well-understood muscular and nervous systems and are the subjects of many well-tested assays examining how their physiology is influenced by exposure to various environmental, nutritional, and therapeutic agents. We used a simple behavioral assay, the planarian locomotor velocity test (pLmV), to gain insight into the stimulant properties of taurine. Using this assay, we observed that taurine is a mild stimulant that is not affected by sugars or subject to withdrawal. We also provide evidence that taurine makes use of the dopamine D1 receptor to mediate this stimulant effect. Given the pervasiveness of taurine in many commercial products, our findings using the planarian system provide needed insight into the stimulant properties of taurine that should be considered when adding it to the diet.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between drinks behavior and female androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and to clarify the mediating effect of sleep behavior on such relationship.

Methods: A total of 308 female AGA patients and 305 female normal controls were recruited from the hospital, and questionnaires including drinks behavior and sleep behavior were inquired among them. Blood sugar and blood lipids were detected. Then, the mediating effect of sleep behavior on the relationship between drinks behavior and AGA was analyzed.

Results: Female AGA patients presented a higher frequency of intake of sweetened tea drinks. It was found that occasional intake (1-2 times per week; OR_adj = 2.130, 95% CI [1.495-3.033]) and frequent intake (3-6 time per week; OR_adj = 2.054, 95% CI [1.015-4.157]) of sweetened tea drinks were associated with AGA. The daily sugar intake from soft drinks increased the risk of AGA (OR_adj = 1.025, 95% CI [1.003-1.048]), and hyperglycemia was positively associated with alopecia (OR_adj = 1.897, 95% CI [1.225-2.936]). In addition, bedtime after 12 pm significantly increased the risk of developing alopecia (OR_adj = 2.609, 95% CI [1.020-6.676]). Interestingly, bedtime, instead of daily sugar intake from soft drinks, could mediate the relationship between sweetened tea drinks intake and alopecia.

Conclusions: Sweetened tea drinks consumption increases the risk of female AGA, which is mediated by bedtime.

The magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens; MFB) is a widely distributed seabird. It has breeding areas in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (extending along Central America up to Baja California) (Schreiber & Burger, 2001). The Fregata magnificens magnificens (MFB-Gal) subspecies is native to the Galápagos Islands. This is the first-time hematology and blood chemistry parameters have been published for the F. m. magnificens (MFB-Gal) from the Galápagos Islands. Analysis was run on blood samples drawn from n = 16 adult MFB-Gal captured by hand at their nests at North Seymour and Daphne Major Islands in the Galápagos Islands (n = 10 MFB-Gal in June 2017 and n = 6 MFB-Gal in July 2022). There were ten female birds and six male birds in total. A portable blood analyzer (iSTAT) was used to obtain near immediate field results for total carbon dioxide (TCO₂), hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), ionized calcium (iCa), total protein (TP), anion gap and glucose. Blood lactate was measured using a portable Lactate Plus™ analyzer. Average heart rate, respiratory rate, body weight, body temperature, biochemistry and hematology parameters were comparable to healthy individuals of other Fregatidae of the same species (magnificent frigatebird subspecies from Brazil, Fregata magnificens, likely F. m. rothschildi) or similar species (great frigatebird, Fregata minor, from the Galápagos Islands). There were some statistically significant differences between the males and females F. m. magnificens (MFB-Gal) in the Galápagos, including bill depth, bill width, wing length, weight, and chloride blood value. The reported results provide baseline data that can be used for comparisons among populations and in detecting changes in health status among Galápagos magnificent frigatebirds and other populations of magnificent frigatebirds.

Background & aims: The global pandemic caused by the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus led to the emergency approval of COVID-19 vaccines to reduce rising morbidity and mortality. However, limited research exists on evaluating the impact of these vaccines on immunocompromised individuals, such as recipients of living donor liver transplantation, highlighting the need for further studies to better understand their effectiveness in this specific population.

Methods: From June 2021, we followed up on the effectiveness of the vaccine for patients taking immunosuppressive drugs after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A total of 105 immunocompromised individuals participated, of which 50 patients with hepatitis B were taking antiviral drugs. Patients were assessed to analyze how the combination of immunosuppressive and antiviral drugs affected the efficacy of the BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 COVID-19 vaccines.

Results: Before and after the vaccinations, patients were monitored to establish differences between immunosuppressed patients and those additionally taking antiviral drugs. In immunocompromised patients taking antiviral drugs for hepatitis B, we confirmed that the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine was reduced when compared to immunocompromised patients. Interestingly, 23 patients (11 without and 12 additionally with hepatitis B drug administration) encountered breakthrough infections, and although there was a minor discrepancy in vaccine efficacy among the patients taking antiviral drugs for hepatitis B, it did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions: Additional COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for patients taking immunosuppressive drugs and hepatitis B antiviral drugs after LDLT.

Background: The relapse rate in myasthenia gravis (MG) is high, and promising therapies have emerged; however, identifying potential predictive factors for relapse remains a challenge. This study aimed to explore the association between circulating natural killer (NK) cell levels and the risk of recurrence in MG.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 265 patients with MG whose data were included in the Neurology Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University database between March 2015 and March 2022. Data from electronic medical records were collected, which included the patients' circulating NK cell count (exposure variable) and demographic/clinical characteristics (covariates). The primary outcome was the 1-year MG recurrence rate.

Results: The study revealed a non-linear relationship between peripheral NK cell count and MG recurrence, with an inflection point at 5.38. Below this threshold, the risk of recurrence was low with higher NK cell counts (relative risk (RR): 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.11-0.490]); above this threshold, no significant association was observed (RR: 1.43, 95% CI [0.62-3.34]). Furthermore, the NK cell proportion showed no significant linear or non-linear association with MG recurrence risk (RR: 0.84, 95% CI [0.57-1.2]).

Conclusion: This study provides epidemiological evidence of a potential association between peripheral NK cell count and MG recurrence risk, suggesting an immunoregulatory protective effect within a specific NK cell count range. These findings may inform more personalized MG treatment strategies, warranting further validation in larger and more diverse cohorts.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of nurses' stress situation coping levels on somatization symptoms, the mediating effect of depression, and the moderating effect of perceived social support.

Background: As a core part of the global healthcare system, nurses are crucial to patient health and rehabilitation outcomes. However, due to heavy workloads, unreasonable staffing structures, and constant exposure to occupational risks in their workplaces, these factors often place nurses in a high-intensity, high-stress environment, which directly affects their physical and mental health and professional burnout. Coping with stress situations is an important means to help individuals effectively manage stress, reduce negative impacts, and maintain mental health. However, research on the impact of nurses' stress situation coping methods on somatization symptoms is limited.

Methods: This study conducted a cross-sectional survey from December 2022 to April 2023, and finally included 293 nurses working on the front line of tertiary hospitals. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS 24.0 and the SPSS macro program's Models 7 and 14. This study is an observational study, strictly prepared and presented according to the STROBE checklist.

Results: The somatization symptom scores of the nurses were (27.27 ± 7.33) points, the stress situation coping scores were (59.90 ± 9.64) points, the perceived social support scores were (65.64 ± 12.90) points, and the depression scores were (4.42 ± 4.12) points. The somatization symptom scores of the nurses were positively correlated with the stress situation coping scores and depression scores, and negatively correlated with the perceived social support scores, with correlation coefficients of 0.200, 0.851, and -0.302, respectively. The stress coping level of the nurses had a direct positive impact on somatization symptoms (β = 0.081, p = 0.009), and a direct positive impact on nurse depression (β = 0.202, p = 0.001). Depression had a significant positive impact on somatization symptoms (β = 0.823, p = 0.000), and depression played a mediating role. Perceived social support had a significant negative impact on depression (β = -0.383, p = 0.000). Perceived social support had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between the stress situation coping level and depression (β = -0.121, p = 0.003).

Conclusion: In this study, the stress situation coping methods of nurses had a positive impact on somatization symptoms, had a complete mediating effect on the depression level of nurses, and perceived social support had a significant moderating effect in the pathway from the stress situation coping methods of nurses to depression-mediated somatization symptoms.

Background: The dropout rate of contact lens users has not decreased significantly over the years. Despite continuous improvements in contact lens (CL) designs, materials and surface treatments, the number of CL users who drop out remains similar to the number of new CL users. The aim of this study is to analyse the improvement in contact lens-associated dry eye disease (CLADE), quantified with the OSDI questionnaire when changing maintenance system solution from multipurpose solution to hydrogen peroxide.

Methods: This study included contact lens users for over a year as the multipurpose solution for the maintenance system, suffering from CLADE, and those who scored over 13 in the ocular surface disease index questionnaire, and did not manifest any clinical signs over 3 in the EFRON scale. The non-parametric data distribution was verified with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test, which was used to compare the visual acuity (VA), OSDI score and bulbar redness (EFRON scale) of the follow-up visit against the baseline value.

Results: Thirty-eight patients were included. Analysing the clinical parameters between the initial and final visit after one month of hydrogen peroxide use, a statistically significant improvement was found in the VA, bulbar hyperemia, OSDI scale and their subscales of the total sample (P < 0.04).

Conclusion: This study is intended as a first step towards a standardised protocol of actions to improve CLADE in an attempt to reduce contact lens dropout using OSDI as a tool for detection.

An ongoing double-blind examination of (mathematically) smooth functional dependences of population-based genomic distributions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on quantified environmental parameters has flagged a SNP that has been associated with prostate cancer for dependence on zoonotic viruses. The SNP rs13091518 is an intergenic variant near the gene/pseudo-gene COX6CP6 on chromosome 3. The risk T allele, which is the major allele in all homeostatic populations considered, clearly demonstrates a negative adaptive force of about -0.1 universal genomic energy units/zoonotic virus unit. This biophysical perspective has thus provided evidence for a causative relationship between zoonotic viruses and prostate cancer. Our findings are consistent with other studies that have found an association between several zoonotic viruses and prostate cancer. This result demonstrates the significance of an intergenic variant in the adaptive response to a viral zoonotic pathogen.

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that some ape species produce more alarm behaviors to potential dangers when in the presence of uninformed conspecifics. However, since previous studies presented naturalistic stimuli, the influence of prior experience could not be controlled for.

Method: To examine this, we investigated whether apes (wild chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest, Uganda) would communicate differently about a novel danger (an unusually large spider) depending on whether they were with an uniformed conspecific. We tested nine adult males, four of which were exposed to the danger twice alone (Non-Social group), while the remaining five were exposed to the danger first alone and then in the presence of conspecifics (Social group).

Results: We found that both alarm calling and gaze marking (i.e., persistent gaze after stimulus detection) were more persistent in the Social than Non-Social group, although the effect of condition only reached statistical significance for gaze marking, nonetheless suggesting that chimpanzees tailored their warning behavior to the presence of others, even if they were already familiar with the potential threat.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a malignant disease of the bone marrow, is characterized by the clonal expansion of myeloid progenitor cells and a block in differentiation. The high heterogeneity of AML significantly impedes the development of effective treatment strategies. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), regulates the expression of downstream target genes through the trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27me3). Increasing evidence suggests that the dysregulation of EZH2 expression in various cancers is closely associated with tumorigenesis. In the review, we examine the role of EZH2 in AML, highlighting its crucial involvement in regulating stemness, proliferation, differentiation, immune response, drug resistance and recurrence. Furthermore, we summarize the application of EZH2 inhibitors in AML treatment and discuss their potential in combination with other therapeutic modalities. Therefore, targeting EZH2 may represent a novel and promising strategy for the treatment of AML.