LIFE: International Journal of Health and Life-Sciences

TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT ANTIMICROBIAL ELICITATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL BACTERIA CO-CULTURED WITH ENTEROCOCCUS FAECALIS IN THE PRESENCE OF AMPICILLIN/TETRACYCLINE

Sunday Stephen Abi — 2026-01-20

Research Objectives: This study investigated whether co-culturing environmental bacterial isolates against Enterococcus faecalis (NTUCC 687) in the presence of ampicillin or tetracycline could elicit antimicrobial production, and whether this response was temperature-dependent.

Methodology: A total of 96 environmental bacterial isolates (arrayed in a 96-well plate) collected from built and natural surfaces around NTU Clifton campus were co-cultured against an Enterococcus faecalis lawn using an in-house stamping assay on UTI ChromoSelect agar. Plates were incubated at 25°C, 30°C, 37°C, and 42°C for 24–72 hours. For elicitation, UTI agar was fortified separately with ampicillin (0.05 µg/mL) or tetracycline (0.05 µg/mL). These low (sub-inhibitory) concentrations were used as stressors to probe signalling-associated induction of antimicrobial activity rather than direct growth inhibition. Antimicrobial activity was recorded as categorical zones of inhibition, classified as small (+), medium (++), or large (+++).

Findings: Tetracycline elicited a higher frequency of large (+++) zones of inhibition than ampicillin, peaking at 30°C (12 isolates, 12.5%), followed by 42°C (9 isolates, 9.4%), 25°C (5 isolates, 5.2%), and 37°C (3 isolates, 3.1%). In contrast, ampicillin produced only two large zones (2.1%), both observed at 25°C. These patterns indicate that antimicrobial elicitation was modulated by both antibiotic stressor type and incubation temperature within the co-culture assay.

Research Outcomes and Future Scope: These findings support co-culture-based elicitation as a practical strategy for uncovering latent antimicrobial potential in environmental bacteria and highlight temperature as a key modulator of expression. Future work should identify the active producers and compounds involved, investigate underlying molecular mechanisms, and assess scalability for antimicrobial discovery.

THE ROLE OF INCOME IN THE PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING POVERTY

Jóni Ledo — 2026-01-28

Objective: Evaluate associations between social discrimination, self-stigma, social support and affect in a sample of Portuguese people living in poverty and analyze possible differences in these psychosocial variables between poor and very poor individuals. Method: This is a cross-sectional study involving 357 individuals aged between 18 and 70 (M =34.51; DV =14.59). The instruments used were Paradox of Self-Stigma, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Portuguese Everyday Discrimination Scale and Reduced Version of the Portuguese Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Results: The overall analysis revealed medium levels of social discrimination and negative affect, as well as high levels of self-stigma, perceived social support, and positive affect. Compared to the low-income group, the very low-income group reported more social discrimination and self-stigma, and lower perceived social support and positive affect. Negative affect perceived social support and salary predicted positive affect, while age, schooling, household, social discrimination and positive affect. Conclusions: Poverty was positively associated with social discrimination and self-stigma, and level of social support was a moderating variable in this association. Compared to low-income individuals, participants with very low income experienced significantly more social discrimination, self-stigma, and negative affect, suggesting a cumulative vulnerability effect of poverty on these indicators. Implementing public policies to include these populations is fundamental to combating vulnerability and reducing the adversities faced by people in situations of social vulnerability in Portugal.

THE CYBER-QAREEN IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AN EXPANDED THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK IN CYBER PSYCHOLOGY

Solaiman Ali Dowayraat — 2026-02-18

This study presents an expanded theoretical framework for the concept of the Cyber-Qareen in light of contemporary developments in artificial intelligence and cyberpsychology. Building on the traditional religious and psychological notion of the Qareen as a spiritual and psychological companion reflecting the inner self, the paper reconceptualizes the Cyber-Qareen as a virtual and algorithmically mediated extension of human identity within intelligent interactive environments. The study is based on an analytical review of Arabic and international literature and proposes a tripartite interpretive model (psychological–technological–ethical). It examines the implications of this model for identity, behavior, and awareness, emphasizing the necessity of developing ethical and educational practices to manage the Cyber-Qareen responsibly in education, psychotherapy, and digital media.

EFFECT OF RADIAL EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE THERAPY ON MUSCLE POWER OUTPUT IN THE MAJOR THIGH MUSCLE GROUPS

Kensei Tsujimoto — 2026-03-16

Joo et al. (2024) reported that a single application of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) improved jump performance, suggesting an acute power-facilitating effect. However, few studies have quantitatively examined the immediate effects of rESWT on major lower-limb muscle performance in athletes using isokinetic testing. This study investigated the acute effects of rESWT on repeated isokinetic knee extension–flexion performance in collegiate athletes. Eight healthy female collegiate athletes completed a within-subject controlled design. Participants performed two isokinetic knee extension–flexion trials at 60°/s for five maximal repetitions using a CYBEX dynamometer. In the rESWT condition, rESWT (3.5 bar, 20 Hz; 3000 shocks × 2) was applied to the quadriceps before the first trial and again during the rest interval between trials; no rESWT was administered in the control condition. Compared with control, total work during knee extension tended to be higher after rESWT. In addition, the typical decline in peak knee-extension torque (~3%) observed across repeated trials was largely attenuated (~0.5%) under rESWT. These findings indicate that rESWT may help maintain knee-extensor performance under repeated loading. Potential mechanisms remain speculative but may include transient increases in local circulation, reductions in myofascial stiffness, and/or neuromuscular facilitation. Overall, the present results provide preliminary evidence that rESWT could be a practical conditioning modality in sport settings.

AI-ENABLED MEDICATION SAFETY AND ADHERENCE PLATFORM DEPLOYABLE IN SOUTH KOREA: INTEGRATING NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DATA AND OCR-CAPTURED OTC/SUPPLEMENTS

Seokryun Kwon — 2026-03-17

This study proposes a medication management platform designed for real-world deployment in South Korea, leveraging national prescription records (HIRA) and OCR-based capture of over-the-counter (OTC) medications and supplements to address polypharmacy and fragmented medication histories. Polypharmacy-related adverse events are often driven by incomplete medication lists, duplicate therapy, and unrecognized drug–drug interactions. We aim to develop and validate a Software-as-a-Service(SaaS)-based system that consolidates prescription and non-prescription intake into a unified medication profile and delivers personalized safety screening—including dose appropriateness, interaction/duplication checks, and daily maximum dose warnings—using individual characteristics (e.g., age, sex, height, weight).