Enceladus, one of Saturn's icy moons, exhibits active geology and compelling evidence for a subsurface ocean. The detection of ammonia in its plumes indicates that ammonia-water ice mixtures likely play a critical role in shaping its internal evolution by lowering the melting point of ice. However, the distinct thermodynamic properties of both ammonia monohydrate ([Formula: see text]) and ammonia dihydrate ([Formula: see text]) have not been systematically evaluated in geophysical models. In this study, we present numerical geodynamic simulations that explore how each phase influences the thermal structure, onset of convection, and potential for thermodynamic conditions favorable for partial melting within Enceladus's ice shell, under varying ice shell thicknesses, reference viscosity, and thermodynamic parameters. Our results show that both ammonia hydrates allow for the development of conditions conducive to localized melting and influence convective behavior under specific constraints. Additionally, the ammonia dihydrate system may sustain convective activity even at relatively high viscosities, allowing for the generation of localized partial melting. These findings highlight that ammonia hydrate phase composition might significantly influence geodynamic behavior and could contribute to conditions favorable for localized cryovolcanic resurfacing.
Heavy water (D2O) subtly strengthens hydrogen bonds, yet its full biological impact has remained fragmentary and controversial. Here we present an integrated, multi-scale study showing that D2O consistently fortifies DNA while dampening life processes. From bulk Escherichia coli (E. coli) cultures to PCR assays, circular dichroism melting, FRET measurements, and single-molecule force spectroscopy, every method converges on the same picture: replacing H2O with D2O stabilizes both canonical duplexes and noncanonical i-motif structures, elevates thermal and mechanical thresholds for strand separation, and translates into markedly slower bacterial growth. Notably, our first direct measurements of hairpin unzipping and refolding forces in heavy water show that deuterium-enhanced hydrogen bondingrather than D2O's higher viscositydominates the slowdown of DNA-related transitions, deepening the folded-state well while only modestly stabilizing intermediates. A minimal quantum-mechanical analysis attributes this trend to reduced zero-point energies of hydrogen-bond vibrations upon H → D substitution. This coherence across independent techniques clarifies longstanding inconsistencies surrounding heavy-water effects and nucleic-acid mechanics. By showing how isotopic substitution reshapes the DNA energy landscape, our work provides a quantitative foundation for future studies that exploit deuterium to probe or control biomolecular function.
Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous indoor air pollutant whose carcinogenicity, high toxicity, and volatility pose severe health risks even at trace concentrations. Nevertheless, realizing ultra-low detection limits with high selectivity under ambient-temperature conditions using a single chemiresistive semiconductor remains an enduring challenge. A heterointerface-engineered WO3@Cu3(HHTP)2 nanocomposite is developed, integrating the high surface reactivity of WO3 with the intrinsic conductivity and ordered π-conjugated framework of the 2D conductive metal-organic framework (cMOF) Cu3(HHTP)2. Synergistic interfacial orbital hybridization between W 5d (WO3) and O 2p π-orbitals (cMOF) induces pronounced electronic structure modulation, promoting enhanced charge transport and gas-solid interfacial reaction kinetics. DFT calculations reveal that HCHO preferentially adsorbs at phenolic O sites in the cMOF and O-vacancy sites on WO3, inducing localized charge redistribution and suppressing mid-gap defect states. This adsorption-driven Fermi level shift correlates directly with the experimentally observed resistance drop under HCHO exposure. The WO3@Cu3(HHTP)2 sensor exhibits an ultralow detection limit (∼48 ppb), rapid response/recovery, minimal baseline drift, and exceptional selectivity under mixed gas environments at room temperature. These findings establish a clear mechanistic link between interfacial electronic structure tuning and enhanced sensing performance, offering a generalizable strategy for designing next-generation VOC sensors via surface modification of metal oxides with cMOFs.
Oral corticosteroids are commonly used in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps to control inflammation. However, evidence on the long-term safety of repeated or high-dose oral corticosteroid exposure in this population remains limited. To investigate the association between oral corticosteroid exposure and systemic adverse events in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. A retrospective, nationwide, nested case-control study included adult patients (≥20 years) with incident chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, excluding those with prior immune-mediated diseases or outcome diagnoses, using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database (2010-2023). Data analysis was conducted from March 2025 to April 2026. Patients who developed adverse events (case patients) were matched 1:10 with controls by age, sex, and diagnosis date. Oral corticosteroid exposure was quantified using 3 metrics: exposure intensity (annual duration: low [≤30 days], moderate [31-90 days], or high [>90 days]), cumulative dose (<0.5 g, 0.5-1.0 g, or ≥1.0 g prednisolone-equivalents per year), and prescription frequency. First occurrence of systemic adverse events. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% CIs were estimated using multivariable conditional logistic regression. A total of 165 361 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps who were prescribed at least 1 oral corticosteroid were identified. The matched cohort included 523 316 patients (51 647 case patients and 472 369 controls; mean [SD] midpoint approximated age, 47.1 [13.9] years; 39.7% women). High exposure intensity (>90 days per year) was associated with a significantly increased risk of avascular bone necrosis, osteoporosis, and pneumonia. A cumulative dose greater than 1.0 g per year was associated with a 23% higher overall adverse event risk (adjusted odds ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11-1.36) and increased risks of avascular bone necrosis, pneumonia, dyslipidemia, heart failure, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Prescription frequency was not independently associated with adverse event risk. In this nested case-control study within a nationwide cohort of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, higher oral corticosteroid exposure, in terms of annual duration and cumulative dose, was associated with an increased risk of systemic adverse events, particularly musculoskeletal and infection-related complications. These findings underscore the need for steroid-sparing treatment strategies for long-term management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
Parental preconception experiences shape offspring development and longitudinal health outcomes, including disease risk. In a longitudinal human cohort, we previously identified sperm let-7f-5p (let-7f) as significantly increased in response to elevated prior perceived stress. As microRNAs (miRNAs) are causal agents in the germline transmission of prior paternal experience, we investigated developmental outcomes altered by increased let-7f using mouse zygote microinjection. Let-7f embryos developed at a faster rate until stalling at the morula stage, resulting in reduced blastocyst survival. Blastocyst and fetal RNA sequencing revealed significant differences in gene expression enriched for metabolic and growth pathways, effects that were limited to male offspring. Sex-specific developmental differences persisted into adulthood, with significantly increased body weight and bone length in let-7f males. These results demonstrate that increased let-7f shapes embryo development and male fetal and adult growth, advancing our understanding of how parental experiences may facilitate offspring developmental plasticity.
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a significant public health challenge, with variable diagnostic and treatment practices. This study evaluated current clinical practices for CDI diagnosis and management in Korean physicians through a nationwide survey. An online survey was conducted among physicians treating CDI, including gastroenterologists and infectious disease specialists. The survey covered diagnostic approaches, treatment regimens, and management strategies, including differentiation based on disease severity and recurrence. A total of 300 physicians responded. The most commonly reported indication for CDI testing was the occurrence of three or more diarrheal episodes within a 24-hour period. The majority of physicians (69.7%) preferred multiple diagnostic tests, favoring simultaneous testing (90.4%) over a stepwise approach. Preferred tests included nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) (69%), glutamate dehydrogenase+toxin A/B combined assay (56%) and toxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (48%). Single-test users preferred toxin EIA (37.4%) and NAAT (29.7%). Treatment was primarily tailored to severity by 84.1% of physicians. For non-severe CDI, oral vancomycin (50.7%) and metronidazole (29%) were the main treatments, with 88% not recommending hospitalization. Severe CDI was treated with oral vancomycin (45.3%) or intravenous metronidazole in combination (44.9%), often for ≥ 14 days. For the first recurrence, 69.3% used oral vancomycin, with 22.6% opting for a tapered/pulsed regimen. Fecal microbiota transplantation use increased from 0.3% initially to 17.6% for multiple recurrences. In CDI with ileus, 64% preferred combination therapy, and 48% used vancomycin enemas. In inflammatory bowel disease patients, 99% underwent CDI testing for worsening diarrhea. Immunomodulators and biologics were continued in 79% and 73% of non-severe cases, respectively, but often paused during severe CDI. Korean physicians generally follow the recently developed Korean guideline for CDI practice, but certain gaps and inconsistencies in choices were observed in clinical situations. Further efforts are needed to monitor guideline implementation and to analyze gaps between guideline recommendations and real-world clinical practice to optimize CDI management in Korea.
Cold tumors, including epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), mostly arise from sporadic factors, particularly hormonal and environmental influences, and are characterized by limited immune cell infiltration. Growth differentiation factor 15 (Gdf15) is increasingly recognized as a prognostic marker for EOC, but its role in harsh tumor environments, including immune surveillance and xenobiotic stress, remains underexplored. Analysis via clinical and cellular analyses revealed that EOC cell-derived Gdf15 facilitates the biological actions of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling in the tumor immune niche. Notably, AhR signaling is enriched in natural killer (NK) cells following chemotherapy and during relapse, which is correlated with poor patient prognosis. Moreover, elevated Gdf15 levels are associated with reduced postprogression survival, indicating the involvement of the Gdf15-AhR axis in chemoresistance and tumor progression. While Gdf15-high EOC cells exhibit resistance to NK actions, EOC cell-derived Gdf15 enhances NK cell surveillance against Gdf15-low EOC cells, a predominant population in primary tumors. Despite the initial anticancer activity of NK cells, the AhR signaling-high NK cell population eventually displays stress-associated features of cellular exhaustion with diminished immunological surveillance markers during malignancy. This AhR-associated exhaustive stress process in NK cells was further validated in allograft and xenobiotic exposure models, closely mirroring clinical observations. Although Gdf15-modulated AhR signaling initially mediates anticancer effects, the prolonged interplay between Gdf15 and AhR is linked to impaired NK cell surveillance. The prediction of adverse outcomes via the Gdf15-AhR axis provides new insights into the malignant evolution of the tumor-NK cell niche and the environmental susceptibility of EOC progression.
This study establishes sediment effect-based trigger (EBT) values for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activity using the H4IIE-luc assay, distinguishing between non-persistent and persistent agonists. Sediment-specific EBTs were derived for AhR-mediated activity by translating sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) into bioanalytical equivalent concentrations using relative effect potencies (REPs) determined in the H4IIE-luc assay. Compound-specific bioanalytical equivalents (BEQs) were calculated using SQGs and REPs. For persistent and non-persistent AhR activators, BEQs showed log-normal distributions, and their 50th percentiles were assigned as EBT-BEQchem. The EBT-BEQbio values were derived from EBT-BEQchem by multiplying with mixture factor (MF) derived from potency balance analysis to account for bioassay responses unexplained by quantified target compounds. The resulting EBT-BEQbio for non-persistent AhR-mediated activity dominated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was 470 ngBaP  gdm-1 [expressed as benzo[a]pyrene equivalents (BaP-EQ)]. The EBT-BEQbio for persistent AhR-mediated activity was 7.4 pgTCDD  gdm-1 [expressed as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQ)], by considering polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and PAHs. Comparisons between bioassay-derived bioanalytical equivalents (BEQbio) for Busan Bay sediments and previously published datasets revealed that BaP-EQbio and TCDD-EQbio frequently exceeded the derived EBTs for non-persistent and persistent AhR-mediated mixtures. The EBT-BEQchem values were exceeded in all cases by the predicted mixture effects of quantified chemicals BEQchem. Benchmarking BEQbio values from previous case studies against EBT-BEQbio showed that sediments from industrialized coastal and riverine regions frequently exceeded EBT-BEQbio thresholds, whereas remote or open-water sites generally remained below them. These findings demonstrate that sediment-specific AhR EBTs incorporating mixture correction provide environmentally relevant benchmarks for sediment quality assessment. The proposed framework enhances the interpretation of bioassay data and supports an integrated sediment quality assessment combining bioanalytical tools with chemical analysis.
Despite Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) being a major cause of porcine pleuropneumonia in Korea, decade-long integrated data on serovar distribution, toxin gene profiles, and antimicrobial resistance remain limited, thereby constraining evidence-based prevention and control strategies. To provide a decade-long molecular and phenotypic characterization of APP isolates from Korean pig farms, focusing on the serovar distribution, apx-based toxin-gene profiles, and antimicrobial susceptibility. Between 2015 and 2025, 1,215 pneumonic lung samples from 965 pig farms yielded 132 APP isolates. The species identity was confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing. The serovars were determined using capsule polysaccharide (CPS) gene-based multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Toxin genes (apxIA-apxIVA) were profiled, and the antimicrobial susceptibility to 29 agents was assessed by broth microdilution according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Serovar 1 was predominant (66.7%), followed by serovars 5 (17.4%) and 2 (6.8%). CPS multiplex PCR identified three isolates (2.3%) as serovar 15, which displayed heterogeneous toxin gene profiles, including apxIICA-deficient profiles. Most isolates exhibited classical repeats-in-toxin operon arrangements, suggesting ongoing diversification of toxin gene profiles. High resistance rates were observed for oxytetracycline (90.9%) and florfenicol (50.8%), and recurrent multidrug-resistant combinations were frequently detected. Serovar 1 is dominant in Korea, but the emergence of atypical toxin gene profiles in serovar 15 may carry immunological implications. Persistent resistance to older drug classes underscores the necessity for long-term molecular surveillance, evaluation of vaccine coverage against evolving strains, and enhanced antimicrobial stewardship to strengthen the control efforts for porcine pleuropneumonia in Korea.
Gliomas with mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) are malignant brain tumours that typically arise in early to mid-adulthood and nearly always recur following treatment1,2. However, the genetic and cellular-state changes that drive IDH-mutant glioma progression under treatment remain incompletely understood. Here we integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic profiles, chromatin accessibility profiles and bulk DNA and RNA sequencing from 75 temporally separated gliomas across 35 patients comprising both the oligodendroglioma and astrocytoma IDH-mutant glioma tumour types. We show that malignant cell states transcriptionally resemble stages of normal glial-neuronal lineage development or a reactive mesenchymal-like state, mirroring states previously described in IDH wild-type glioblastoma3,4. Malignant cell states displayed distinct chromatin accessibility profiles that were comparable between both IDH-mutant glioma types. The abundance of less differentiated malignant cells increased with grade and with genetic alterations such as PDGFRA amplification. Longitudinal analysis highlighted two major malignant cell-state transition patterns. First, reduced lineage differentiation and increased proliferative malignant cells at recurrence were enriched in gliomas that acquired recurrence-associated genetic events. These included treatment-associated hypermutation, increased copy number changes and cell cycle alterations. Second, increased mesenchymal-like-state abundance occurred independently of acquired genetic alterations and instead coincided with elevated macrophage expression. Overall, our findings provide an integrative model that traces the cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors that shape cellular states during IDH-mutant glioma disease progression.
The 5×FAD transgenic mouse model is widely used in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research, yet its non-cognitive phenotypes -- particularly motor coordination, olfactory sensitivity, and auditory reactivity -- remain poorly characterized across the full disease trajectory. Defining these sensory and sensorimotor deficits may enhance the translational relevance of this model and provide insight into non-cognitive features in preclinical AD studies. To characterize age-related motor, olfactory, and auditory changes in 5×FAD mice and assess associated AD pathologies and neuroinflammation in relevant brain regions. 5×FAD and control mice were tested at 3, 6, and 12 months. Locomotor activity and motor coordination were assessed using the open field and rotarod tests, respectively. Olfactory and auditory performance were evaluated using the buried food test and the acoustic startle response test, respectively. Amyloid-β pathology and glial activation were examined in relevant nervous system components using western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. 5×FAD mice showed no differences in open-field locomotion at any age, but exhibited a significantly greater passive clinging duration at 12 months compared to wild-type controls (p < 0.001). In the buried food test, olfactory latency was significantly prolonged in 5×FAD mice at 6 months (p = 0.035) and 12 months (p < 0.001). Acoustic startle amplitude was significantly reduced at 6 months (p = 0.030) and 12 months (p = 0.007). Amyloid-β and p-Tau accumulation and glial activation were elevated in the olfactory bulb and auditory cortex in an age-dependent manner. This study provides an age-related behavioral and pathological characterization of olfactory and auditory impairments in the 5×FAD mouse model, with motor measures included as complementary assessments. Our findings broaden the spectrum of functional deficits associated with the AD pathology in this model.
Study designRetrospective cohort study.ObjectiveTo determine whether increased pedicle screw use in the lower subaxial cervical spine (C5-C7) improves sagittal alignment after posterior-anterior-posterior (PAP) surgery.MethodA total of 108 patients who underwent posterior-anterior-posterior (PAP) surgery for multilevel cervical degenerative disease were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into three groups according to the distal fixation level: Group 1, pedicle screw fixation limited to C7; Group 2, pedicle screw fixation limited to C6-7; and Group 3, pedicle screw fixation extending to C5-6-7. Cervical sagittal alignment and patient-reported outcomes were evaluated preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, at 3 months, and at 1 year.ResultsBaseline sagittal parameters were similar among groups. CL increased in all groups but was significantly greater in Groups 2 and 3 than in Group 1 postoperatively (21.8° and 26.1° vs 14.2°) and at 1 year (22.3° and 26.0° vs 14.8°; P < 0.05). T1S-CL decreased significantly in Groups 2 and 3 but not in Group 1 at 3 months (8.5° and 3.4° vs 16.6°; P < 0.001) and at 1 year (7.7° and 7.3° vs 17.8°; P < 0.001). Group 1 showed greater vertical height loss (3.9 vs 2.3 and 2.2 mm; P = 0.016) and higher subsidence rates. C2-7 SVA, C2 SVA, and clinical scores improved in all groups without between-group differences.ConclusionsGreater use of pedicle screws at C5-C7 enhanced sagittal alignment correction compared with C7-only fixation, while clinical outcomes were similar across groups.
Group antenatal care (G-ANC) is a model that brings pregnant women with similar estimated delivery dates together for clinical assessment and participatory learning in a supportive social context. A qualitative study was nested in a trial assessing the community impact of G-ANC on ANC retention and uptake of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) in Atlantique Department, Benin. This nested qualitative study assessed women's experience of G-ANC, and ways participation could foster self-efficacy to perform a variety of prevention and care-seeking behaviors. Ten semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted with 129 women who attended G-ANC; deductive thematic codes were informed by Bandura's four sources of efficacy expectations. Recently pregnant women's experiences with individual ANC versus G-ANC were assessed via household surveys. G-ANC participation proffered three sources of self-efficacy expectations: performance accomplishments, verbal persuasion, and vicarious experience. Among household survey respondents, 96% (134/140) of women who participated in G-ANC would prefer it over individual ANC for future pregnancies. While a higher proportion of G-ANC participants felt that the provider answered all their questions in a way they could understand, most women reported that not all their questions were answered, even in G-ANC. G-ANC processes fostering self-efficacy to overcome barriers to ANC attendance may have facilitated women's participation in G-ANC meetings as well as taking more doses of IPTp. Self-efficacy of pregnant women participating in G-ANC could be strengthened by providers addressing all participants' questions in a more complete and understandable way, contributing to more effective verbal persuasion. Other parallel processes during G-ANC need to be maintained to provide multiple sources of self-efficacy for health behaviors like timely care-seeking, pregnancy management, pregnancy self-care, and facility birth.
Joint pain was reported by 37% of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) at our single-centre HS clinic. However, only one-quarter of those reporting joint pain had a diagnosis of arthritis. Presence of joint pain did not differ based on HS disease severity. Patients who reported joint pain had worse Dermatology Life Quality Index scores.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, global attention toward infectious diseases has intensified, and many experts anticipate that the next pandemic may stem from multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, often termed "Superbugs". Among them, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) represents one of the most widespread MDR bacterium responsible for severe nosocomial infections. As the emergence of new resistant strains accelerates due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics, development of anti-pathogenic therapeutics has gained significant interest. In this study, we explored the anti-biofilm activity of Artemisia fukudo (Af), a halophyte abundant in bioactive metabolites. The n-butanol (n-BuOH) fraction of Af markedly inhibited MRSA biofilm formation, independent of bacterial growth inhibition or biofilm degradation. Transcriptional profiling by qRT-PCR revealed that expression of adhesion-related genes was notably downregulated. In A549 cell line infection assay, Af n-BuOH fraction treatment significantly reduced MRSA attachment and internalization. Furthermore, in a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model, Af n-BuOH fraction exposure extended host life-span, suggesting attenuation of bacterial virulence. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Af-derived compounds interfere with initial adhesion process crucial for MRSA biofilm development and host colonization. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of halophyte-derived natural products as promising anti-virulence alternatives to conventional antibiotics for controlling infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens.
People with disabilities may experience challenges in access to oral health care. The authors examined differences in dental care provider mix (ie, type of dental care providers visited) and dental service mix (ie, types of dental services) between working-aged adults with and without disabilities. The authors analyzed data from the 2021-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The sample included 10,397 adults aged 18 through 64 years who reported at least 1 dental visit in the past year. Disability status was determined from participants' responses to questions on physical, hearing, vision, or cognitive limitations. The authors estimated the rates of visiting 3 types of dental care providers (ie, general dentist, dental hygienist, and dental care specialists) and use of dental services, grouped into preventive dental procedures and treatment procedures, including restorative and endodontic, periodontic, oral surgery, prosthetic, and orthodontic. Weighted multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between disability status, dental service use, and dental care provider type. Adults with disabilities were less likely to undergo preventive dental procedures (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.74) and more likely to undergo treatment procedures (AOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.69) than those without disabilities. They were less likely to have visited a dental hygienist (AOR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.95). According to the 2021-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, adults with disabilities who visited a dentist were less likely to receive preventive care and more likely to undergo treatment, suggesting that oral health problems may have necessitated the dental visit. Interventions should be tailored to disability-related needs, improve preventive dental service use, and include expanded dental insurance coverage to reduce cost barriers.
Poor diet is a leading risk factor of non-communicable diseases. Product placement strategies in retail outlets can influence customers' food preferences. The United Kingdom government introduced legislation in October 2022 restricting chain retailers from using location promotions on unhealthy food and drinks. High-quality scientific evidence is needed to inform the inclusion of healthier product placement approaches into these regulations. In the context of Brexit, COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, this study assessed whether positioning an expanded fresh fruit and vegetable section near store entrances in discount supermarkets, which do not routinely market produce this way, improved store sales, household purchasing and diet. This natural experiment had a prospective matched controlled cluster design, involving 36 stores (18 intervention and 18 control) across England. The intervention was implemented continuously for 6 months. Control stores were matched on store sales, customer profiles and neighbourhood deprivation. Participants were women, aged 18-60 years, with loyalty cards and were assigned to their primary store (n = 280 intervention and n = 300 control). Weekly store sales and household data from loyalty cards were provided by the collaborating supermarket chain. Dietary quality, household food waste and demographic characteristics were collected through questionnaires. A process evaluation and economic evaluation were completed. Store-level sales of fruit and vegetables were greater in intervention stores than predicted at intervention implementation and 3 and 6 months' follow-up, equivalent to ≈ 2525, ≈ 1940 and ≈ 1450 extra portions per store per week, respectively. Effect sizes were somewhat stronger in stores where the produce section moved forwards more than 14 m. The proportion of households purchasing fruit and vegetables were somewhat protected among intervention compared to control participants after 3 and 6 months. Changes in dietary quality were small but generally in the expected direction for health benefit. Changes in frequency of household fruit and vegetable waste were negligible at 3 months' follow-up but increased at 6 months. The intervention was implemented according to the study protocol, with marked differences in the positioning of fresh fruit and vegetables between intervention and control stores post-intervention implementation. Fresh fruit and vegetable availability increased post intervention in intervention compared with control stores. Interviews with store staff demonstrated that changes in staff attitudes had a positive reinforcing effect on intervention implementation. Assessment of the policy context showed that stakeholders across the food system largely support the United Kingdom government's unhealthy placement ban; some felt it does not go far enough. This study shows that positioning produce sections near supermarket entrances can improve the nutrition profile of store sales and may improve household purchasing and diet. The United Kingdom Food (Promotion and Placement) Regulations could be refined to require a produce section near supermarket entrances to increase its health impact. Future research should continue to build the evidence for which healthy eating interventions are effective in retail outlets. Further evaluations of real-world supermarket intervention studies using robust scientific study designs are required, alongside process and economic evaluations, to provide evidence for policy intervention to improve retail food environments in the United Kingdom and internationally. This synopsis presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme as award number 17/44/46. Supermarkets are a major source of food for families. Discount supermarkets have less-healthy environments than other supermarkets and are used more by families living on lower incomes. We worked with a United Kingdom discount supermarket chain to assess if moving a bigger fresh fruit and vegetable section near store entrances improves what people buy. A total of 580 women aged 18–60 years who regularly shopped at one of 36 stores (18 with changes and 18 with no changes) across England took part. Women did a survey over the phone four times (once before the change in layout and 1, 3 and 6 months after). The survey asked about the foods they and their young children (aged 2–6 years) usually ate, where they shopped for food and how much they spent each week, as well as their age, number of children and highest educational qualification. Information about the food each woman bought from loyalty card data and the total sales of fruit and vegetables for each store in the study was given by the supermarket. We found that the sales of fruit and vegetables were higher in stores where they had been moved to the front when compared to stores where they remained at the back of the store, though the size of the impact decreased over time. We found that during the time of Brexit, COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, all families bought fewer fruit and vegetables over time. Families who shopped mostly at study stores with fruit and vegetables near the front entrance had a smaller decline in fruit and vegetable purchases than families who shopped at stores with fruit and vegetables towards the back. Our study provides new information that governments could use to make all supermarkets place fruit and vegetables near the front of their stores so people buy and eat more fresh produce.
Diet composition significantly influences the chemical quality of edible insect ingredients. This study compared Tenebrio molitor larvae reared on wheat bran (WB) and tuna by-products (TB) using proximate analysis and metabolomics. On a dry matter basis, crude protein was similar at about 45 g per 100 g, whereas TB showed higher lipid and lower carbohydrate contents. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed higher oleic and linoleic acids and a shift toward C18 unsaturated fatty acids in TB. Total hydrolyzable amino acids and essential amino acid proportion were conserved, although proline was higher in TB. Untargeted mass spectrometry of ethanol extracts identified 26 diet responsive metabolites, with WB enriched in polar metabolites and TB enriched in lipid derived components. TB extracts showed stronger antioxidant activity and no apparent cytotoxicity. Overall, tuna by-products remodeled lipid chemistry and metabolomic signatures while maintaining protein adequacy, supporting lipid enriched insect ingredients.
Despite the promising microenvrionments of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), including their charge-rich nature, tunable polarity, and microviscosity, the role of neat DESs as photonic media has remained largely underexplored, often relying on the addition of ex situ-synthesized luminophores to produce photoluminescence (PL). Here, we report a photostable, metal ion (Mn+)-tunable luminescent DES platform driven by the in situ formation of zero-dimensional (0D) halometallates stabilized within a designed hydrogen bond network. Combinatorial screening of hydrogen bond acceptors and donors identifies an efficient pair for stabilizing highly emissive 0D chloroplumbate(II) complexes under ambient conditions, achieving a PL quantum yield (PLQY) of 60.2%. Moreover, this DES matrix generates versatile emission with customizable excitation and emission wavelengths, PL lifetimes, and PLQYs by accommodating other Mn+s, including the lanthanides Eu3+ and Tb3+. Integrating these functional DESs into polymer networks yielded mechanically robust, luminescent eutectogels. By exploiting the independent emissive channels of these soft materials, we successfully constructed a highly multiplexed optical anti-counterfeiting platform. This systematic work provides insights into the use of DESs as highly dynamic, functional matrices that directly govern the microenvironments for dopant coordination and speciation, leading to the discovery of emergent properties of materials.