Efficacy and safety of bevacizumab in patients with malignant melanoma: a systematic review and PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and non-comparative clinical studies

Background: Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive cancer that spreads and metastasizes quickly. In recent years, the antiangiogenic drug bevacizumab has been trialed to treat malignant melanoma. We conducted the first meta-analysis to examine the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with other drugs in malignant melanoma.Methods: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-comparative clinical studies of bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy, targeted medicine, and interferon to treat malignant melanoma in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Meta-analysis of RCT was performed using Review Manager (version 5.4), and non-comparative meta-analysis was performed using R (version 4.0.3). The primary outcome was the objective response rate. Depending on the heterogeneity of the included studies, the pooled outcomes and 95% CI were calculated using either random-effects or fixed-effect models. Subgroup outcomes were calculated with possible relevant variables. Sensitivity analyses were carried out by excluding each study from the highly heterogeneous pooled results in turn. Funnel plot and Begg’s test were used to test the included studies' potential publication bias. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.Results: This meta-analysis included 20 trials: five RCTs and 15 non-comparative clinical studies with a total of 23 bevacizumab intervention arms. In 14 treatment arms, bevacizumab was combined with chemotherapy drugs such as fotemustine, dacarbazine, carboplatin/paclitaxel, and temozolomide. In six treatment arms, bevacizumab was combined with targeted medicines such as imatinib, everolimus, sorafenib, erlotinib, and temsirolimus. There were also six treatment arms that used bevacizumab in combination with interferon. The pooled objective response rate was 15.8% (95% CI, 11.4%–20.2%). Bevacizumab plus carboplatin/paclitaxel significantly increased the overall survival compared to carboplatin/paclitaxel (HR = 0.64, 95% CI, 0.49-0.85, p < 0.01). Fatigue, nausea, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia were the most common adverse events. The pooled incidence of hypertension of all bevacizumab arms in malignant melanoma was 32.4% (95% CI, 24.5%–40.3%).Conclusion: This study showed that bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy might be effective and well-tolerated in patients with stage III or IV unresectable malignant melanoma.Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=304625], identifier [CRD42022304625]

Serum biochemistry, fatty acids, lipid metabolism, antioxidants, and inflammation response were significantly affected by feeding different marine red yeast supplementation in juvenile tilapia (GIFT strain, Oreochromis niloticus)

Marine red yeast is a good feed additive for the aquaculture industry that can promote the growth of aquatic animals, and significantly improve their antioxidant capacity, survival rate, and nonspecific immune ability of the body. Our hypothesis is that dietary supplementation with marine red yeast could affect the serum biochemistry, muscle composition, muscle fatty acid composition, lipid metabolism enzyme activity, and expression of antioxidant and inflammatory genes in juvenile genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). Five diets with different levels of marine red yeast (0 %, 0.25 %, 0.50 %, 0.75 %, and 1.00 %) were used to feed juvenile GIFT (initial weight: 21.12 ± 0.86 g) for 60 days. The main results are as follows: Compared with the control group (0 % marine red yeast), the contents of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and free fatty acid (FFA) in the serum of juvenile GIFT tilapia significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the contents of glucose (GLU), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The contents of crude protein, crude fat, and docosahexaenoic acid + eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA+EPA) in the muscle significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the contents of moisture and monounsaturated fatty acids (∑MUFAs) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The activities of acetyl CoA carboxylase α (ACCα), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) in the liver significantly increased (P < 0.05). The expression levels of catalase (cat), alkaline phosphatase (alp), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (nrf2), lysozyme (lyz), glutathione S-transferase (gst), glutathione peroxidase (gsh-px), and superoxide dismutase (sod) genes in the liver significantly increased (P < 0.05). The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α (tnf-α), interferon-γ (inf-γ), interleukin 6 (il-6), interleukin 8 (il-8), interleukin 1β (il-1β), and transforming growth factor-β (tgf-β1) genes in the liver, spleens, and head kidney significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the expression level of interleukin 10 (il-10) gene significantly decreased (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of different levels of marine red yeast could significantly affect the serum biochemistry, muscle composition, muscle fatty acid composition, lipid metabolism enzyme activity, and expression of antioxidant and inflammatory genes in juvenile GIFT tilapia. Based on the results, the optimal dietary marine red yeast level was 0.50 %

Chinese university students’ preferences for physical activity incentive programs: a discrete choice experiment

PurposeThis study aims to explore and compare Chinese university students’ preferences for various physical activity motivation programs.Patients and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in China from February 25 to March 25, 2022. Participants anonymously completed an online questionnaire based on a DCE. A total of 1,358 university students participated in the survey. The conditional logit model (CLM), willingness to accept (WTA), and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to assess college students’ preferences for different attributes and levels of physical activity incentive programs.ResultsRespondents identified the number of bonus, exercise time, and academic rewards as the three most significant attributes of the athletic incentive program. The importance of each attribute varied based on individual characteristics such as gender and BMI. In CLM, college students displayed a preference for a “¥4” bonus amount (OR: 2.04, 95% CI 1.95–2.13), “20 min” of exercise time (OR: 1.85, 95% CI 1.79–1.92), and “bonus points for comprehensive test scores” as academic rewards (OR: 1.33, 95% CI 1.28–1.37). According to the WTA results, college students were willing to accept the highest cost to obtain academic rewards tied to composite test scores.ConclusionThe number of bonus, exercise time, and academic rewards emerge as the three most crucial attributes of physical activity incentive programs. Furthermore, college students with different characteristics exhibit heterogeneity in their preferences for such programs. These findings can guide the development of programs and policies aimed at motivating college students to engage in physical activities

Personality theory: New factors to incorporate in public decision‐making in communities

Abstract Background This study explored the effects of personality factors on public behavioral decision‐making. Methods We examined the literature on personality theory based on triadic interaction decision theory, and summarized and compared the findings with studies of the Big Five personality characteristics. A literature review method was used to explore the implications of personality theory for public decision‐making in Chinese communities. Results Individuals with high neuroticism can be targeted by influential communicators. Individuals with high extraversion can influence decision‐making through interpersonal relationships. Individuals with high levels of openness can be influenced by the development of novel activities. Conscientious individuals respond to scientific and rational knowledge. Individuals with high agreeableness can be influenced by groups. Conclusions Personality traits can influence behavioral decisions and can have positive or negative effects on behavioral outcomes. For people with different personality traits, social actors and social activity communicators should formulate targeted measures according to the classification of personality traits. The current findings have implications for enriching research perspectives and approaches to public community decision‐making

Impact of the Russia–Ukraine Conflict on Global Marine Network Based on Massive Vessel Trajectories

Maritime transportation plays a vital role in global trade, and studying the resilience of the global maritime network is crucial for ensuring its sustainable development. Currently, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has garnered significant global attention. However, there is a lack of specific research on the impact of the conflict on maritime shipping, particularly the resilience of the global maritime network. This paper proposes a resilience assessment framework under the influence of significant events by combining complex network metrics and network performance indicators from the resilience triangle model. It quantitatively evaluates the resilience changes in the global maritime network before and after the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The experiment utilizes real automatic identification system (AIS) maritime trajectory data to quantify and visualize the changes in global maritime traffic during a 20-day period before and after the conflict, constructing the global maritime network for resilience calculations. The research findings indicate the following changes occurred after the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Firstly, the global maritime industry experienced overall growth, with increased ship transportation between ports. Transportation in certain regions was negatively affected, with a significant decrease in ship activities in the Black Sea and Adriatic Sea areas. The positions of Russia and Ukraine in the world maritime industry noticeably declined. Secondly, the network connectivity, network size, and network density of the global maritime network significantly increased, indicating an enhanced network resilience. According to our quantitative results, from a topological perspective, we observed the following changes: network connectivity increased by 27.2%, network scale increased by 36.6%, network density increased by 32.4%, and network resilience increased by 18.6%. Thirdly, the global maritime network is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity, and the impact of conflicts on the heterogeneity of the shipping network is not significant. Finally, the network exhibited a slower performance decline under random attacks, while deliberate attacks led to a sharp decline. Due to the adaptive nature of the maritime network, the resilience of the network improves in terms of its topology following the outbreak of conflicts. After conflict incidents, the rate of performance decline during simulated attacks is lower compared to the pre-conflict period

Humanin Attenuates NMDA-Induced Excitotoxicity by Inhibiting ROS-dependent JNK/p38 MAPK Pathway

Humanin (HN) is a novel 24-amino acid peptide that protects neurons against N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced toxicity. However, the contribution of the different mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signals to HN neuroprotection against NMDA neurotoxicity remains unclear. The present study was therefore aimed to investigate neuroprotective mechanisms of HN. We analyzed intracellular Ca2+ levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and the MAPKs signal transduction cascade using an in vitro NMDA-mediated excitotoxicity of cortical neurons model. Results showed that: (1) HN attenuated NMDA-induced neuronal insults by increasing cell viability, decreasing lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and increasing cell survival; (2) HN reversed NMDA-induced increase in intracellular calcium; (3) pretreatment by HN or 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N’,N’-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA-AM), an intracellular calcium chelator, decreased ROS generation after NMDA exposure; (4) administration of HN or N-Acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, inhibited NMDA-induced JNK and p38 MAPK activation. These results indicated that HN reduced intracellular elevation of Ca2+ levels, which, in turn, inhibited ROS generation and subsequent JNK and p38 MAPK activation that are involved in promoting cell survival in NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. Therefore, the present study suggests that inhibition of ROS-dependent JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway serves an effective strategy for HN neuroprotection against certain neurological diseases

Tasting More Than Just Food: Effect of Aesthetic Appeal of Plate Patterns on Food Perception

Interest has been growing in the role of subjective aesthetics in the field of food. This study explored the mechanisms by which the aesthetic appeal of plate patterns influences consumers’ perceptions of food. Three experiments were conducted to compare whether different levels of beauty and types of plate pattern aesthetics (classical versus expressive) affected the perceptions of tastiness and healthiness of the food offered. Experiment 1 was carried out with 30 participants, and the results showed that participants perceived the food presented on more beautiful plates as tastier and healthier than the food on less beautiful plates. Experiment 2 was carried out with 128 participants; the results showed that, for expressively aesthetic plates, the participants experienced more positive emotions for very beautiful plates and more negative emotions for less beautiful plates. However, for classical aesthetic plates, participants’ emotions were not affected by the beauty of the plate. Experiment 3 was carried out with 149 participants, and the results showed that, for classically aesthetic plates, participants perceived the food placed in the middle to be tastier than food placed at the edge; however, for expressively aesthetic plates, food placement did not affect participants’ perceptions of food. These results demonstrate the importance of the subjective beauty of plate patterns in influencing consumers’ food perceptions, although this influence varies depending on the type of aesthetic design of the plate pattern

X-ray crystallographic characterization of rhesus macaque MHC Mamu-A*02 complexed with an immunodominant SIV-Gag nonapeptide

X-ray crystallographic characterization of rhesus macaque MHC Mamu-A*02 complexed with an immunodominant SIV-Gag nonapeptide

The Comparison between Robotic and Manual Ablations in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

<div><p>Objective</p><p>To examine in what aspects and to what extent robotic ablation is superior over manual ablation, we sought to design a meta-analysis to compare clinical outcomes between the two ablations in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.</p><p>Methods and Results</p><p>A literature search was conducted of PubMed and EMBASE databases before December 1, 2013. Data were extracted independently and in duplicate from 8 clinical articles and 792 patients. Effect estimates were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) or odds ratio (OR) and the accompanied 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Pooling the results of all qualified trials found significant reductions in fluoroscopic time (minutes) (WMD; 95% CI; P: -8.9; -12.54 to -5.26; <0.0005) and dose-area product (Gy×cm²) (WMD; 95% CI; P: -1065.66; -1714.36 to -416.96; 0.001) for robotic ablation relative to manual ablation, with evident heterogeneity (P<0.0005) and a low probability of publication bias. In subgroup analysis, great improvement of fluoroscopic time in patients with robotic ablation was consistently presented in both randomized and nonrandomized clinical trials, particularly in the former (WMD; 95% CI; P: -12.61; -15.13 to -10.09; <0.0005). Success rate of catheter ablation was relatively higher in patients with robotic ablation than with manual ablation (OR; 95% CI; P: 3.45; 0.24 to 49.0; 0.36), the difference yet exhibiting no statistical significance.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>This study confirmed and extended previous observations by quantifying great reductions of fluoroscopic time and dose-area product in patients referred for robotic ablation than for manual ablation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, especially in randomized clinical trials.</p></div