Consumer Products Research Articles

Impact of diethyl phthalate on freshwater planarian behaviour, regeneration, and antioxidant defence

Diethyl phthalate (DEP) has been widely used as a plasticiser in various consumer products, including cosmetics, personal care items, and pharmaceuticals, and recent studies reported a higher abundance of this priority phthalate in the aquatic environment. DEP is a potential endocrine disruptor, affecting immune systems in humans and wildlife even at low-level chronic exposure. As concern over phthalates increases globally, regulatory bodies focus more on their environmental impact. However, limited research is available, particularly using model organisms like planarians. Planarians are ideal for toxicological studies and may provide insightful information on pollutants' neurotoxic, developmental, and ecological effects, especially in freshwater environments where planarians play a vital role in ecosystem balance. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to examine the toxicity of DEP using the freshwater Dugesia sp., as an experimental animal. The LC50 for the test organism was calculated using DEP concentrations of 800, 400, 200, 100, and 50 µM, with an estimated LC50 of 357.24 µM. Furthermore, planarians were exposed to sub-lethal DEP concentration (178.62 µM) for one day as well as eight days to evaluate the impact of DEP on planarian locomotion, feeding behaviour, and regeneration ability. At sub-lethal concentration, locomotion and feeding ability were decreased, and regeneration was delayed. Furthermore, neuro-transmittance in planaria was altered by sub-lethal DEP concentration, as indicated by a reduced acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. DEP exposure induced oxidative damage in the tested planarians as shown by a marked increase in stress biomarkers, including lipid peroxidation levels and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and glutathione S-transferase (GST). Our study revealed that DEP exposure may prove fatal to freshwater organisms, such as planarians. The observed alterations in behaviour and regeneration ability demonstrate the severity of the effects exerted by DEP as a toxicant in aquatic ecosystems, thereby indicating the need to restrict its usage to protect aquatic environments.

The Impact of the ChatGPT Platform on Consumer Experience in Digital Marketing and User Satisfaction

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chat platform, facilitates conversation between humans and bots. By integrating machine learning and natural language processing, it revolutionizes the way people interact with AI. Many people are excited about using ChatGPT because it has numerous potential applications and advantages compared to other similar programs. Therefore, this paper demonstrates that, in line with specific ethical considerations, ChatGPT has enormous potential to revolutionize and shape the future of marketing. We begin by questioning whether ChatGPT has a significant impact on consumer experience in digital marketing and overall user satisfaction. The methods used in the study include descriptive and inferential statistical methods, as well as the OLS method. The results show that the use of ChatGPT is continuously rising and increasingly being implemented in various industry segments, particularly in the field of digital marketing. Automation of customer care, increased productivity, automated research, and better understanding of consumers are ways it can assist marketing professionals.

P-Phenylenediamines and p-phenylenediamine quinone derivatives in rubber consumer products and typical urban dust: Sources, transformation profiles, and health risks

N,N′-Substituted p-phenylenediamines (PPDs) are widely used as antioxidants in the rubber industry and are released into the environment in large quantities during the production and use of rubber products. We quantified PPDs and PPD quinone derivatives (PPD-Qs) in rubber consumer products, including car tires, rubber belts, rubber gloves, rubber cables, and rubber hoses, to obtain information on the degree of weathering over time during their use. Additionally, we investigated the occurrences and sources of PPDs and PPD-Qs in dust samples collected from four typical urban environments (roads, parking lots, automotive repair shops, and residences). The detected compounds included the highly toxic N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine quinone, which can cause acute mortality of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Concentrations of PPDs in the automotive repair shops reached 56.0 μg/g, and were much higher than in the other environments, while the residential samples had the lowest contaminant concentrations. In road and residential samples, N,N′-di-2-naphthyl-p-phenylenediamine accounted for 17 %–30 % of the PPDs, and may have originated from different sources. We preliminarily identified 32 transformation products, and 11 of these were N,N′-di-2-naphthyl-p-phenylenediamine transformation products. The average daily intakes of PPDs and PPD-Qs were calculated to assess the health risks of dust exposure in each environment. Workers had high total intakes of PPD [60.3 ng/(kg day)] and PPD-Qs [20.1 ng/(kg day)], and were at some risk of occupational exposure. These results improve our understanding of the environmental occurrences, sources, transformation, and health risks of PPDs and PPD-Qs.

Short-Half-Life Chemicals: Maternal Exposure and Offspring Health Consequences-The Case of Synthetic Phenols, Parabens, and Phthalates.

Phenols, parabens, and phthalates (PPPs) are suspected or known endocrine disruptors. They are used in consumer products that pregnant women and their progeny are exposed to daily through the placenta, which could affect offspring health. This review aims to compile data from cohort studies and in vitro and in vivo models to provide a summary regarding placental transfer, fetoplacental development, and the predisposition to adult diseases resulting from maternal exposure to PPPs during the gestational period. In humans, using the concentration of pollutants in maternal urine, and taking the offspring sex into account, positive or negative associations have been observed concerning placental or newborn weight, children's BMI, blood pressure, gonadal function, or age at puberty. In animal models, without taking sex into account, alterations of placental structure and gene expression linked to hormones or DNA methylation were related to phenol exposure. At the postnatal stage, pollutants affect the bodyweight, the carbohydrate metabolism, the cardiovascular system, gonadal development, the age of puberty, sex/thyroid hormones, and gamete quality, but these effects depend on the age and sex. Future challenges will be to explore the effects of pollutants in mixtures using models and to identify the early signatures of in utero exposure capable of predicting the health trajectory of the offspring.

Physical, mechanical and thermal properties of novel bamboo/kenaf fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) hybrid composites

This study investigates the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of bamboo (BF) and kenaf (KF) fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) hybrid composites. Three hybrid (30BF-70KF, 50BF-50KF, and 70BF-30KF) and two non-hybrid (BF-PLA and KF-PLA) composites were developed through twin screw extrusion and compression molding techniques. The physical properties (density, void content, crystallinity via XRD, and chemical interactions via FTIR), mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, compressive, impact, and hardness), and thermal properties (Thermogravimetric analysis-TGA and Differential scanning calorimetry-DSC) were thoroughly analyzed. BF reinforcement reduced the composites’ density to 1.1826 g/cm³, while the inclusion of KF increased it to 1.2479 g/cm³. 50:50 blend of bamboo-kenaf reinforcement achieved the lowest void content of 0.27 %. The XRD patterns revealed heightened crystallinity in the BF-PLA composite. FTIR analysis showed stable functional groups, with O–H absorption bands indicative of cellulosic fibers. The BF-PLA non-hybrid composite exhibited the highest tensile strength at 25.95 MPa and compressive strength at 173.15 MPa, with the 30BF-70KF hybrid composite showing notable impact strength. Fractured morphology by FESEM revealed superior fiber-matrix adhesion for BF-PLA composite. TGA demonstrated a variation in thermal degradation temperatures, with the BF30-KF70 composite showing the highest onset of degradation at 484 °C. DSC analysis indicated a reduction in the glass transition temperature (Tg) across all fiber-reinforced samples and revealed significant adjustments in melting and crystallization temperatures. This research highlights the potential of BF-KF/PLA hybrid composites in the development of eco-friendly plastic furniture and consumer products.

Development of a robust Machine learning model for Ames test outcome prediction

The mutagenicity is an essential parameter for evaluating the safety of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, consumer products, environmentally related compounds and the Ames assay is a significant test for predicting the mutagenicity of chemical compounds. In the data-driven era, developing robust models for efficient mutagenicity prediction before synthesizing and testing in vitro has gained increasing attention. In this study, a machine learning model that could predict Ames mutagenicity based on 2D molecular descriptors was developed. A multistep filtering process that adequately helps in identifying significant descriptors was adopted in this study. Three different sets of descriptors, namely, RDKit, Mordred and CDK were used to train three machine learning algorithms, viz., random forest, xgboost and catboost. The datasets were collected from different resources to develop a robust machine learning model. The robustness of this model was further validated by comparing different available ML and DL models for Ames genotoxicity. Specifically, 12 models, including our xgboost model, were used to validate an external dataset, and our model exhibited excellent performance, with an impressive AUC of 0.97. The codes to predict the genotoxicity of a molecule is available at https://github.com/Naga270588/Genotoxicity.

Chemical composition of γ-irradiated German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) flower essential oils, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and effects on growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans

Radiation-induced mutations have been the most commonly used technique for the development of mutant varieties. The primary aim has been to upgrade the existing plant varieties by varying a few major traits responsible for limiting metabolite productivity. The increasing regulations on protected plant varieties and germplasms have restricted their use. The induced mutants have played a vital role in strengthening the plant breeding program. The medicinal and aromatic plants have been poorly explored for mutation breeding. CSIR-CIMAP has initiated a mutation breeding program on some of the high-value plants, like Matricaria. As a result, we could develop gamma-rays-induced stable accessions. Genus Matricaria is well known for the biosynthesis of diverse bioactive plant secondary metabolites as well as for its traditional and healthcare benefits documented in Ph. Eur. In the present work, gamma-irradiated stable accessions of German chamomile, Matricaria recutita L., have been investigated for their essential oil composition and biological assessment. After a thorough investigation for a two-year cropping period, we have observed that some accessions contain the highest α-bisabolol oxide B proportions (24.3–55.3%), while quite a few showed chamazulene (2.9–5.8%), α-bisabolone oxide A (6.5–38%), and α-bisabolol oxide A (30.1–55.3%). A few accessions were marked by the presence of lavandulol, an irregular monoterpenoid of high fragrance value. The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory properties of these gamma-irradiated accessions were also evaluated. The accessions G6-R5-5 and G2-R1-6 exhibited maximum inhibition against S. aureus whereas G2-R1-1 arrested the growth of C. albicans. Furthermore, G2R1-3 composition is responsible for reducing AChE and inflammation in cell lines. These results may open up ways to develop plant-derived consumer products from Matricaria recutita L.

Improving Customer Experience Through Differentiation Capability: The Rise of Competition Among Africa’s Consumer Goods Companies

Competitive advantage is one of the essential components of customer satisfaction and business growth, but the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial influence on consumer behavior, while also giving rise to intense competition within the business environment in Africa, making competitive advantage and customer experience a challenge. Consequently, firms have been compelled to make strategic choices such as differentiation capability to navigate these challenges. The study therefore examines the effect of differentiation capability on the customer experience of selected consumer goods companies listed in Nigeria the biggest economy in Africa. The research adopted a cross-sectional survey method, and a total of 20 consumer products firms were identified and evaluated based on their capitalization criteria and continuous dividend payments. From this group, seven companies were chosen for further analysis. The sample size of 378 was determined using the Research Advisor Table, with a confidence level of 95% and a margin error of 5%. To address the issue of non-response, appropriate measures were taken, leading to the inclusion of an additional 113 respondents, representing 30% of the original sample. This adjustment resulted in a final sample size of 491. A total of 491 questionnaires were sent to the respondents, resulting in a response rate of 97.76%. The hypothesis was examined by regression analysis. The results of the study indicate that differentiation capability is an effective tool that is statistically significant and positive to customer experience (β =0.842, t = 29.782, p<0.05); The research findings indicate that applying differentiation capability in a firm helps attain a stronger competitive position and has a favorable impact on customer experience. This research, therefore recommends that there is a need for technology adoption to cut production costs and establish a durable competitive advantage.

Odour characterisation of recycled HDPE in different washing and processing processes

The waste of polymeric materials in our society is increasing year after year, generating a serious pollution problem. One way to deal with this waste problem is to recycle and reuse these materials. This process of recovery of used plastic materials aims to minimise their impact on the environment and reduce the energy consumption required for the generation of new consumer products. Recycling companies that recover these plastic materials must take into account some aspects such as transparency and colour, cleanliness, size, odour and sorting. One of the major disadvantages in accepting these recycled materials in the production processes is their odour, which in some cases causes the rejection of materials with comparable mechanical characteristics. High-density polyethylene, HDPE, is one of the polymeric wastes generated in the packaging industry. The aim of this work is to eliminate the bad odour of HDPE from waste collection plants for application in the recovery and reuse industry. HDPE supplied by a recycling company was washed, characterised and processed, and the odour was analysed by gas chromatography at each stage and by olfactory panel. In view of the results, it was observed that the washing processes managed to reduce the odour. Likewise, the processing of this waste by extrusion and injection managed to further reduce this effect, even eliminating some of the components responsible for odour by treating the samples with acetone and then extruding and injecting these samples. These results have a direct application in the packaging industry with significant shares of recycled material.

Thyroid, neurodevelopmental, and kidney toxicities of common organic UV filters in embryo-larval zebrafish (Danio rerio), and their potential links

Organic UV filters (OUVFs) have been commonly used in sunscreen and many consumer products. Following dermal application, these compounds can enter circulation and may cause systemic effects in humans. In the present study, we chose four OUVFs frequently detected in the environment, i.e., avobenzone (AVB), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), octocrylene (OC), and octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), and evaluated their thyroid, neurodevelopmental, and kidney toxicities. For this purpose, zebrafish embryos (<4 h post fertilization, hpf) were exposed to sublethal concentrations of AVB, BP-3, OC, or OMC until 120 hpf. Exposure to all OUVFs decreased thyroid hormone (TH) levels, probably by enhanced metabolism and excretion of THs (ugt1ab and/or sult1 st5) in the larval fish. Exposure to the OUVFs also induced hypoactivities and/or anxiety-like behaviors: Regulatory changes of mbp, gfap, c-fos, syn2a, sty1a, and stxbp1b genes, support the changes in normal neurobehavior of the larval fish. Moreover, the OUVFs exposure caused increased proteinuria in the fish, along with transcriptional changes of wt1, nephrin, podocin, and cdh17 genes, which could explain the observed reduction in kidney functions. Principal component analysis (PCA) implied the potential interplay of THs with neurogenesis, or podocyte differentiation of the larval fish. Toxicological consequences of altered TH homeostasis, neurobehavior, and kidney function at the early life stage warrant further investigations not only in humans but also in aquatic ecosystems.

The Central Role of Oxo Clusters in Zirconium‐Based Esterification Catalysis

Oxo clusters are a unique link between oxide nanocrystals and Metal‐Organic Frameworks (MOFs), representing the limit of downscaling each of the respective crystals. Herein, the superior catalytic activity of clusters, compared to zirconium MOF UiO‐66 and nanocrystals is shown. Focus is on esterification reactions given their general importance in consumer products and the challenge of converting large substrates. Oxo clusters have a higher surface‐to‐volume ratio than nanocrystals, rendering them more active. For large substrates, for example, oleic acid, MOF UiO‐66 has negligible catalytic activity while clusters provide almost quantitative conversion, a fact we ascribe to limited diffusion of large substrates through the MOF pores. Clusters do not suffer from limited mass transfer and we also obtain high conversion in solvent‐free reactions with sterically hindered alcohols (hexanol, 2‐ethyl hexanol, benzyl alcohol, and neopentyl alcohol). The cluster catalyst can be recovered and shows identical activity when reused. The structural integrity of the cluster is confirmed using X‐ray total scattering and pair distribution function analysis. Moreover, when homogeneous zirconium alkoxides are used as catalysts, the same oxo cluster is retrieved, showing that oxo clusters are the active catalytic species, even in previously assumed homogeneously catalyzed reactions.

Genotypic and environmental influences on colour and curcuminoids of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) genotypes across contrasting production environments

Abstract Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is rich in curcuminoids, which are polyphenolic pigments make it one of the most valuable spice and medicinal plant. The rising need for natural colours and the numerous health advantages of curcuminoids are driving up the demand of turmeric. In this study, the effects of genotype and genotype × environment on the colour characteristics of 21 turmeric genotypes were examined in three different production environments namely vertical farming, greenhouse, and field conditions. The pooled analysis of variance revealed highly significant (P &lt; 0.05) differences among genotypes (G), environments (E), and G × E interaction for three colour parameters [L* (lightness index), A* (redness index), B* (yellowness index)]. Among the genotypes, the values ranged from 41.80 to 54.76, 13.92 to 24.83 and 31.72 to 47.67 for L*, A*, B*, respectively. Erode Local (22.34), IISR Pragati (24.56) and IISR Prathiba (26.55) recorded maximum A* value under vertical farming, greenhouse, and field conditions, respectively. Correlation analysis between colour values and curcuminoids revealed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.608–0.735, P &lt; 0.001) between A* value and curcuminoids. Furthermore, stability analysis for A* value revealed 78.87% genotype × environment interaction (GEI) from the first two principal components of GGE biplot. IISR Pragati and Waigon Turmeric are best was most stable for A* value across environments. Our study revealed that colour traits among genotypes vary widely and are strongly impacted by genetic and environmental factors. These findings are crucial for future breeding programs to enhance turmeric's colour, ensuring high-quality, stable products for producers and consumers.

Yacon Prebiotic Functional Beverages, the Sensory, Antioxidant Profiles, and Shelf Stability

The increasing awareness on overall health of consumers has driven a shift from fruit juices and carbonated beverages to functional beverages. This research aimed to incorporate yacon concentrate to the formulation of functional beverages to improve the health-related properties. Using yacon concentrate as main ingredients, three functional prototypes have been developed: yacon-collagen, yacon-blackcurrant, and yacon-vitamin c. Sensory evaluation for yacon-collagen and yacon-blackcurrant beverages was conducted by a 9-point hedonic scale. Antioxidant activities of three yacon beverages were evaluated using the CUPRAC, DPPH, and FRAP assays. Yacon-collagen and yacon-blackcurrant beverages were sensory acceptable with ratings above the centre point of the scores (all ratings &amp;gt; 5, n = 50) on four sensory attributes (appearance, sweetness, flavor, overall liking). The antioxidant capacity of yacon-collagen, yacon-blackcurrant, yacon-vitamin c, and yacon concentrate were 1941mg/2300mg/1891mg/1193mg TE/100g (CUPRAC), 1943mg/2404mg/2122mg/1365mg TE/100g (DPPH), and 1219mg/2614mg/2990mg/992mg TE/100g (FRAP). The antioxidant capacity of yacon-blackcurrant and yacon-vitamin c were much higher than that of yacon concentrate because blackcurrant and vitamin c enhanced the antioxidant capacity. The development of yacon functional beverages with acceptable taste, verified health-related properties, applicable shelf-life, as new dietotherapy applications of yacon concentrate, could provide more healthier food products for consumers to exercise healthier food choices.

Consumer Sentiment Analysis and Product Improvement Strategy Based on Improved GCN Model

In recent years, the amount of online shopping review data has increased dramatically. Obtaining information that helps business decision-making from such complex and massive reviews has become a difficult and important task for merchants. This paper uses sentiment analysis technology to innovatively introduce the attention mechanism on the LSTM infrastructure of the baseline model, and proposes a word vector structure and a BiGRU structure to build an online user sentiment analysis system based on deep learning. The system includes a user review sentiment classification and sentiment analysis model based on the improved GCN model. The experimental results also show the superiority of our method, which brings 4.73%, 7.84% and 5.72% F1-score improvements to the algorithm respectively. It proves that the two algorithms proposed in this paper can effectively achieve their goals and achieve high performance.

The Use of Horse and Donkey Meat to Enhance the Quality of the Traditional Meat Product (Kaddid): Analysis of Physico-Chemical Traits.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of horse and donkey meat in the production of kaddid-a traditional dish typically not made with these meats-from a physical and chemical perspective. The results showed that both meats exhibit similar water retention during cooking, contributing to comparable tenderness and juiciness, with no significant differences in pH values, indicating similar quality (p > 0.05). However, their amino acid profiles differ: horse meat contains lower levels of glutamate (p < 0.05), methionine (p < 0.01), isoleucine (p < 0.05), and leucine (p < 0.05), but higher levels of proline (p < 0.05), histidine (p < 0.01), and lysine (p < 0.001) compared to donkey meat. Both meats provide essential amino acids. Horse meat is richer in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (32.44% and 39.58%, respectively), while donkey meat has a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (31.51%), with a more favorable PUFA/SFA ratio, suggesting better cardiovascular health benefits. In terms of dried meat, donkey kaddid has a higher protein (17.45 g/100 g) and lower fat content (2.1 g/100 g) compared to horse kaddid (16.7 g/100 g, and 3.5 g/100 g, respectively) (p < 0.05). These findings inform consumer choices and production practices, promoting the use of horse and donkey meat for kaddid production.

Association between serum levels of 4-tertiary-octylphenol and thyroid function in a young cohort study

4-tertiary-octylphenol (4-t-OP) is a commonly used alkylphenol present in a variety of consumer products. Earlier experimental investigations have suggested that 4-t-OP leads to thyroid dysfunction. However, it is unclear whether these effects translate to humans. We recruited 886 adolescents and young adults (aged 12–30 years) from Taiwan and explored the associations between serum levels of 4-t-OP and various thyroid panel parameters including free and total thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG). Our findings indicated that a one-unit increase in the natural logarithm (ln) of 4-t-OP levels was positively associated with both total T3 and ln free T4, with β values of 3.122 (SE = 1.400, P = 0.026) and 0.046 (SE = 0.015, P = 0.002), respectively. Furthermore, we observed a statistically significant upward trend in the mean values of total T3 and ln free T4 as the quartiles of 4-t-OP exposure increased (P for trend = 0.001 and 0.025, respectively). Nevertheless, our analysis did not uncover any differences in the odds ratio of thyroid diseases based on exposure to 4-t-OP in the logistic regression analysis. In conclusion, our study reveals an association between serum concentrations of 4-t-OP and biomarkers of thyroid function. However, these effects may manifest as subclinical. Further investigations are essential to establish a causal relationship between 4-t-OP exposure and thyroid function in human subjects.

Endocrine Disruptors in Pregnancy: Effects on Mothers and Fetuses-A Review.

Background/Objectives: Endocrine disruptors are ubiquitous agents in the environment and are present in everyday consumer products. These agents can interfere with the endocrine system, and subsequently the reproductive system, especially in pregnancy. An increasing number of studies have been conducted to discover and describe the health effects of these agents on humans, including pregnant women, their fetuses, and the placenta. This review discusses prenatal exposure to various endocrine disruptors, focusing on bisphenols, phthalates, organophosphates, and perfluoroalkyl substances, and their effects on pregnancy and fetal development. Methods: We reviewed the literature via the PubMed and EBSCO databases and included the most relevant studies. Results: Our findings revealed that several negative health outcomes were linked to endocrine disruptors. However, despite the seriousness of this topic and the abundance of research on these agents, it remains challenging to draw strong conclusions about their effects from the available studies. This does not allow for strong, universal guidelines and might result in poor patient counseling and heterogeneous approaches to regulating endocrine disruptors. Conclusions: The seriousness of this matter calls for urgent efforts, and more studies are needed in this realm, to protect pregnant patients, and ultimately, in the long term, society.

Pharmacovigilance in the Age of Legalized Cannabis: Using Social Media to Monitor Drug-Drug Interactions Between Immunosuppressants and Cannabis-Derived Products.

A clinical trial of Epidiolex®, the only US FDA-approved cannabis-derived consumer product (CDP), discovered an interaction with an immunosuppressant (tacrolimus) that led to drug toxicity, highlighting the unique intersection of prescription and commonly unregulated consumer products. We aimed to identify if similar drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are occurring among the consumer CDP market, even though they cannot be identified through trials. We searched Reddit for subreddits related to CDPs or health, resulting in 63,561,233 posts. From these, we identified 190 posts discussing both immunosuppressants and CDPs. Two blinded investigators evaluated the following. (1) Was there a concern about a potential DDI between consumer CDPs and immunosuppressants? (2) Was there a unique adverse event attributed to a DDI between consumer CDPs and immunosuppressants? Of these, 66 posts (35%) expressed concern about a potential DDI, such as "Hey, my partner wants to try my edibles … she's on Prograf [tacrolimus] and wants to talk to a stoner who's had a heart transplant." Four posts (2%) reported a unique DDI, such as "I have clinical results that are semi-anecdotal, showing the coordination to my halting substance use … It's the CBD. Shot my prograf to 30 at like 4mg." Two of the four reported DDIs are similar to those first reported for Epidiolex. The remaining two reported DDIs include a potential cannabidiol (CBD)/sirolimus or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/sirolimus interaction and a THC/tacrolimus interaction, both resulting in drug toxicity. This case study is the first to report on DDIs involving consumer CDPs, including both CBD and THC products, as well as a broader class of immunosuppressants. This demonstrates the risks associated with using consumer CDPs alongside prescription medications while highlighting the need for development of increased surveillance to monitor consumer CDPs for drug safety signals, as well as comprehensive regulations that take into account the unique characteristics of the consumer marketplace.

“For Us, Bühne is Everything that has an Audience.”

In the 1920s in particular, the illustrated Die Bühne magazine claimed to appeal to “everyone” and to be a stage (=Bühne) for the widest possible readership. With an eye on international developments, it offered a mix of topics—from modern theatre, revue and mass media, to sport, the new body culture and leisure activities—and propagated a modern lifestyle overall. The article explores how the slogan “For us, Bühne is everything that has an audience”, proclaimed in the first issue in 1924, manifested itself and its attitude towards mass arts over the years. The editors are examined as well as the intended and actual readers, with a focus on the various strategies used to attract and involve readers and to keep them loyal to the Die Bühne as a product. The provided role models were largely middle class. However, the content indicated that the magazine wanted to appeal to a cross-milieu and thus to a more diverse readership than the promoted lifestyle, consumer products and trendy places may suggest at first glance. At the same time, “everyone” refers to mass or the masses, which is most frequently expressed in articles on leisure culture and in relation to (theatre) audiences. I analyse the contexts and times when this topos is used positively—e.g., in the sense of active, idiosyncratic audiences—and when mass stands for the superficial or the ordinary. The question of the masses is explored in two ways: firstly, as the popular approach of addressing everyone and promoting mass arts, and secondly, as the depiction and representation of various aspects of the masses.

A Smartphone-Integrated Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensor for the Ultrasensitive and Selective Detection of 5-Heneicosylresorcinol in Whole Wheat Foods.

Precise on-site monitoring of alkylresorcinols, a vital biomarker, is crucial for verifying whole wheat foods and accurately quantifying the whole wheat content in various consumer and industrial products. Herein, for the first time, we introduce a novel ratiometric fluorescence sensor (CDs@ZIF-8/CdTe@MIP) for ultrasensitive and selective detection of alkylresorcinols. 5-Heneicosylresorcinol (C21:0 AR), the primary alkylresorcinol homologue in whole wheat grains, was selected as the target analyte. This analyte was specifically and selectively recognized by the incorporation of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) layer. Within this nanoreactor, blue-emitting carbon dots embedded in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (CDs@ZIF-8) and orange-emitting CdTe quantum dots served as the self-calibration signal and response signal, respectively. Exploiting a photoinduced electron transfer effect between CdTe and C21:0 AR, the established fluorescence sensor exhibited remarkable sensing performance, offering wide linear responses in 0.005-1 μg·mL-1 and 1-80 μg·mL-1 concentration ranges, and achieving a low detection limit of 1.14 ng·mL-1. The proposed assay effectively detected C21:0 AR in real samples, including 8 whole wheat foods and 19 whole wheat grains, demonstrating good recoveries and relative standard deviation. Furthermore, an intelligent sensing platform was established by integrating CDs@ZIF-8/CdTe@MIP with a smartphone-assisted device, thus validating the feasibility of visual and on-site monitoring of C21:0 AR. Because of its rapid response, portability, cost-effectiveness, superior sensitivity, and high selectivity, the proposed sensor serves as a reliable method for the analysis of C21:0 AR, thus having substantial potential for on-site monitoring of whole wheat foods.