bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A scaffold protein manages the biosynthesis of steroidal defense metabolites in plants
Authors: Boccia Marianna , Kessler Danny , Seibt Wibke , Grabe Veit , Rodríguez López Carlos E. , Grzech Dagny , Heinicke Sarah , O’Connor Sarah E. , Sonawane Prashant D.
Published: October 2024

Solanaceae
plants produce two major classes of valuable sterol-derived natural products—steroidal glycoalkaloids and steroidal saponins—from a common cholesterol precursor. Attempts to heterologously produce these molecules have consistently failed, although the genes responsible for each biosynthetic step have been identified. Here we identify a cellulose synthase–like protein, an unexpected biosynthetic component that interacts with the early pathway enzymes, enabling steroidal scaffolds production in plants. Moreover, knockout of this gene in black nightshade,
Solanum nigrum
, resulted in plants lacking both steroidal alkaloids and saponins. Unexpectedly, these knockout plants also revealed that steroidal saponins deter serious agricultural insect pests. This discovery provides the missing link to engineer these high-value steroidal molecules and also pinpoints the ecological role for steroidal saponins.
Curie’s intellectual offspring
The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science
Dava Sobel
Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024. 336 pp.
Authors: Venkatraman Vijaysree
Published: October 2024

The scientist did much to inspire and advance the careers of other women researchers
Public opinion alone won’t save democracy
Authors: Nyhan Brendan , Titiunik Rocío
Published: October 2024

New research offers public-focused solutions, but elites and institutions cannot be ignored
AI tools set off an explosion of designer proteins
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: October 2024

Chemistry prize highlights field transforming medicine and green chemistry
Paternal metformin use and risk of congenital malformations in offspring in Norway and Taiwan: population based, cross national cohort study
Authors: Meng Lin-Chieh , van Gelder Marleen M H J , Chuang Hui-Min , Chen Liang-Kung , Hsiao Fei-Yuan , Nordeng Hedvig M E
Published: October 2024

Objective

To evaluate the association between paternal metformin use and risk of congenital malformations in offspring.

Design

Population based, cross national cohort study.

Setting

Norway and Taiwan.

Participants

619 389 offspring with paternal data during the period of sperm development (three months before pregnancy) in the Norwegian cohort during 2010-21 and 2 563 812 in the Taiwanese cohort during 2004-18.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome was any congenital malformation, and the secondary outcome was organ specific malformations, classified according to the European surveillance of congenital anomalies guidelines. Relative risks were estimated with an unadjusted analysis and with analyses restricted to the cohort of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and those using overlap propensity score weighting to control for severity of diabetes and other potential confounders. Sibling matched comparisons were conducted to account for genetic and lifestyle factors. Relative risk estimates for Norwegian and Taiwanese data were pooled using a random effects meta-analytical approach.

Results

Paternal data on metformin use during the period of sperm development was available for 2075 (0.3%) offspring in Norway and 15 276 (0.6%) offspring in Taiwan. Among these offspring, 104 (5.0%) in Norway and 512 (3.4%) in Taiwan had congenital malformations. Increased risks of any congenital malformation associated with paternal metformin use were observed in the unadjusted analysis and attenuated with increasing control of confounding. The relative risks of any malformations with paternal metformin use were 1.29 (95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.55) in Norway and 1.08 (0.99 to 1.17) in Taiwan in the unadjusted analysis and 1.20 (0.94 to 1.53) and 0.93 (0.80 to 1.07), respectively, in the analysis restricted to fathers with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the overlap propensity score weighting analysis restricted to fathers with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the relative risks were 0.98 (0.72 to 1.33) in Norway and 0.87 (0.74 to 1.02) in Taiwan, resulting in a pooled estimate of 0.89 (0.77 to 1.03). No associations were observed between paternal metformin use and any organ specific malformations. These findings were consistent in sibling matched comparisons and sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that paternal use of metformin during the period of sperm development is not associated with congenital malformations in offspring, including organ specific malformations. Metformin can therefore continue to be considered a suitable initial oral agent for managing glucose levels in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus who plan on having children.
Review of theories into the pathogenesis of normal pressure hydrocephalus
Authors: Mani Racheed , Basem Jade , Yang Liu , Fiore Susan , Djuric Petar , Egnor Michael
Published: October 2024

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) represents a unique form of hydrocephalus characterised by the paradox of ventriculomegaly without significant elevations in intracranial pressure, with the clinical triad of gait instability, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence. A myriad of neurobiological correlates have been implicated in its pathophysiology. We review the literature to provide an up-to-date, narrative review of the proposed mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of NPH, proposing a holistic framework through which to understand the condition.

We conducted a narrative review of the literature on NPH, assessing the various mechanisms underlying its pathophysiology and clinical presentation.

NPH represents a unique form of hydrocephalus manifesting as a disorder of the cerebral vasculature, characterised by arteriosclerosis and reduced intracranial elastance. There are multiple mechanisms underlying its pathophysiology, which include windkessel impairment causing redistribution of intracranial pulsatility from the subarachnoid space to the ventricles, reductions in cerebral blood flow, impaired glymphatic clearance, reduced blood–brain barrier integrity and alterations in venous haemodynamics. Moreover, NPH shares similar clinical features and pathological mechanisms as other neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The severity of each respective mechanism of pathophysiology can lead a patient to develop one condition versus another.

Analysing NPH as a disorder of the cerebral vasculature, glymphatics, and most of all, the distribution of intracranial pulsatility, provides a novel framework through which to understand and manage this condition, one which requires further investigation.
Development and testing of a videogame intervention for symptom management among 8–18 years old children with cancer: a study protocol
Authors: Sajjad Sehrish , Gul Raisa B , Sayani Saleem , Fadoo Zehra , Abbasi Ahmed N , Barolia Rubina
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Evidence shows that cancer treatment-related symptoms could be managed effectively in 8–18 years old children through Digital Health Interventions (DHIs), consequently improving their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, limited research is available about digitally mediated educative health interventions for children with cancer from lower-middle income countries like Pakistan. This study aims to develop a videogame intervention for children with cancer and test the clinical efficacy of the videogame concerning HRQOL and cancer treatment-related symptoms. Moreover, the following feasibility outcomes will be recorded: acceptability, appropriateness, cost, feasibility and intervention fidelity.

Methods and analysis

An exploratory sequential mixed methods design is used in this study. In the first phase of the study, we interviewed 28 participants (14 child–parent dyads) and assessed their symptom experiences affecting children’s HRQOL. Moreover, their preferences for the development of the videogame were also elicited. Based on the findings from relevant literature and the interviews, we developed the videogame in collaboration with clinical and digital experts in the study’s second phase. In the third phase of the study, a pilot randomised controlled trial will be conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. There will be two groups: the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group children will receive the videogame application for 8 weeks, during which symptom management strategies will be taught to them. Children in the attention control group will receive weekly WhatsApp messages on healthy behaviours.

The primary outcome will be the HRQOL of children, and the secondary outcome will be cancer symptoms frequency and distress. These outcomes will be assessed preintervention and 8 weeks post intervention. The feasibility outcomes will be assessed quantitatively and qualitatively through a questionnaire, videogame dashboard, interviews with a subset of intervention group child–parent dyads and a focus group discussion with nurses and doctors, post intervention, respectively.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the Ethics Review Committee of the Aga Khan University (2022-6833-21251). Data are accessible only to the research team in a secure form. The findings will be disseminated through publications.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT05796895, registered in April 2023.
Methods and approach to the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural Arctic Alaska Salmon Workshop: critical self-reflections from fisheries scientists
Authors: Lindley Elizabeth D. , Westley Peter A.H.
Published: October 2024

Redistribution and shifting habitat envelopes are impacting organisms across many taxa, which in turn are impacting Indigenous ways of life. In Arctic Alaska, Pacific salmon are known to have occurred for at least a century, but in recent years appear to be increasingly common. With the goal of holistically understanding and describing these changes in a way that equitably considers Indigenous, local, and western knowledge, we share our experience and methodologies in facilitating the Arctic Alaska Salmon Workshop. We share our perspective, approach, and methods as fisheries natural scientists convening this workshop, which included community-based knowledge holders from the Iñupiat communities of Kotzebue, Point Hope, Utqiaġvik, and Kaktovik, and western scientists and researchers from universities, fishery management agencies, and local community government. After briefly discussing some of the workshop highlights, we conclude with four key takeaways: (1) that the process of co-production of knowledge is an ideal towards, which we must strive, but acknowledge we may rarely, if ever, fully achieve, (2) pursuit of the “good science” should guide our work, (3) examination and assessment of assumptions should occur early and often, and (4) Anglanikina! Make sure you have a good time, (Yup'ik).
Implications of space use for recovery of white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus in a transboundary reach of the Upper Columbia River
Authors: Jetter Caleb N. , Crossman James A. , McLellan Jason G. , Miller Andy L. , Webb Molly A.H. , Martins Eduardo G.
Published: October 2024

Conservation aquaculture has prevented extirpation of Upper Columbia River white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus, but uncertainty remains on how hatchery-origin fish move between habitats located within Canada and the United States. We describe how core and home ranges of sturgeon varied by environmental (country, season) and biological (age, sex, size) factors and determined residence at important habitats. Core range represented areas where individuals spent the majority of their time, while home range represented most areas occupied. Fidelity to specific habitats was high, with home ranges averaging 10 km2 and 50% of individuals occupied the same core range across their entire detection period. Only 12% of individuals had home ranges encompassing both countries. Core and home ranges were larger during the summer compared to winter and larger within the United States compared to Canada. Larger (>120 cm) sturgeon had increased core and home ranges. We documented spawning capable hatchery-origin males and confirmed their residence at spawning sites when spawning was detected. Results improve our understanding of species biology and directly inform adaptive management of population recovery.
Trace dynamics and its implications for my work of the last two decades
Authors: Adler Stephen L.
Published: October 2024

In this paper, I review the basic ideas of “trace dynamics”, as formulated in my 2004 Cambridge University Press book “Quantum Theory as an Emergent Phenomenon”, and then discuss how they have influenced much of my work of the last two decades.
Lars brink colleague, friend and collaborator
Authors: Savvidy George
Published: October 2024

The Landau-Nordita conference that was held in Moscow in 1981 was the first place where I met Lars. This “marvelous meeting”, as Lars quoted in one of his reminiscence papers, was organized by Alan Luther. It was an event that generated a long-lasting friendship of scientists from East and West, provided a background for the future collaborations and, in particular, my own collaboration with Lars on a supersymmetric high-spin extension of the Poincaré group.
Comments concerning a hypothetical mesoscopic dark dimension
Authors: Schwarz John H.
Published: October 2024

Motivated by string-theoretic swampland conjectures, the existence of a dark fifth dimension, whose size is roughly 1–10 microns, has been proposed. A great deal of supporting evidence has been presented, and definitive experimental tests are likely to be carried out. The basic idea is that the four-dimensional space–time that we observe is confined to a brane that is localized in the dark dimension. This short note points out that there are two distinct ways to realize such a scenario in string theory/M-theory. In the one considered previously, the dark dimension is topologically a circle and our observable 4d space–time is confined to a brane that is localized in a GUT-scale region of the circle. An alternative possibility is that the dark dimension is a line interval with “end-of-the-world-branes” at each end. The latter option would imply the existence of a parallel 4d space–time, with the same gravitational forces as ours, but otherwise its own physical laws, microns away from us!
Casimir effect of a doubly Lorentz-violating scalar in magnetic field
Authors: Erdas Andrea
Published: October 2024

In this work, I study the Casimir effect caused by a charged and massive scalar field that violates Lorentz symmetry in an aether-like and CPT even manner, by direct coupling between the field derivatives and two fixed orthogonal unit vectors. I call this a “double” Lorentz violation. The field will satisfy either Dirichlet or mixed boundary conditions on a pair of plane parallel plates. I use the generalized zeta function technique to examine the effect of a uniform magnetic field, perpendicular to the plates, on the Casimir energy and pressure. Three different pairs of mutual directions of the unit vectors are possible: timelike and spacelike perpendicular to the magnetic field, timelike and spacelike parallel to the magnetic field, spacelike perpendicular and spacelike parallel to the magnetic field. I fully examine all of them for both types of boundary conditions listed above and, in all cases and for both types of boundary conditions, I obtain simple expressions of the zeta function, Casimir energy and pressure in the three asymptotic limits of strong magnetic field, large mass, and small plate distance.
Quaternion equations of electromagnetic field in isotropic homogeneous media
Authors: Mironov Victor L. , Mironov Sergey V.
Published: October 2024

In this paper, we propose a quaternion form of equations describing electromagnetic field in a homogeneous isotropic medium without dispersion. It is shown that by renormalizing the values of field inductions and sources, one can transform the asymmetrical Maxwell equations to a highly symmetric form. This provides a possibility to introduce the scalar and vector field potentials and represent the generalized equation for electromagnetic field in the form of a single second-order quaternionic wave equation. We demonstrate that this equation reduces to the system of ordinary hyperbolic wave equations for the field potentials and on the other hand, the same equation is equivalent to the system of Maxwell equations for renormalized field intensities. The symmetry of the renormalized Maxwell equations allows one to obtain the second-order relations for energy and momentum, as well as for Lorentz invariants of the renormalized fields, which formally have the same form as for the fields in a vacuum. In addition, the generalization of renormalized equations to the case of magnetic sources corresponding to the models of Dirac magnetic monopoles and Schwinger dyons is discussed.
SCML-GNN: A Graph Neural Network Model Leveraging Sensor Causality and Meta-Learning for Mechanical Fault Classification
Authors: Xiao Ziyi , Wang Yueyang , Tan Gang , He Dandan , Li Jianing , Zhou Wei
Published: October 2024

Fault classification of mechanical equipment is a vital issue in modern industrial production. Mechanical equipment typically relies on multiple sensors to collect the operational data, which is represented as multivariate time-series data. However, existing methods for analyzing mechanical faults often overlook the causal relationships between sensors and struggle with the scarcity of labeled training samples. To address these challenges, we propose a graph neural network model leveraging sensor causality and meta-learning for mechanical fault classification (SCML-GNN). Specifically, we use transfer entropy to represent multivariate time-series data as a graph, with each sensor as a node and their causal relationships as edges. We then extract the node features using temporal convolutional layers and apply a graph neural network to learn the low-dimensional features. Additionally, graph pooling methods are used to obtain global embeddings. To further tackle the issue of limited labeled training samples, we introduce a metric-based class prototype attention mechanism within SCML-GNN. Extensive experiments conducted on three real-world mechanical equipment datasets demonstrate the superior effectiveness and efficiency of SCML-GNN in mechanical fault classification compared to the other existing methods.
A Two-Stage Approach for Secure Node Localization and Optimal Route Selection for Enhanced Performance in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kumar T. P. Mohan , Ramesh D.
Published: October 2024

In Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), node localization is a crucial need for precise data gathering and effective communication. However, high energy requirements, long inter-node distances and unpredictable limitations create problems for traditional localization techniques. This study proposes an innovative two-stage approach to improve localization accuracy and maximize route selection in WSNs. In the first stage, the Self-Adaptive Binary Waterwheel Plant Optimization (SA-BWP) algorithm is used to evaluate a node’s trustworthiness to achieve accurate localization. In the second stage, the Gazelle-Enhanced Binary Waterwheel Plant Optimization (G-BWP) method is employed to determine the most effective data transfer path between sensor nodes and the sink. To create effective routes, the G-BWP algorithm takes into account variables like energy consumption, shortest distance, delay and trust. The goal of the proposed approach is to optimize WSN performance through precise localization and effective routing. MATLAB is used for both implementation and evaluation of the model, which shows improved performance over current methods in terms of throughput, delivery ratio, network lifetime, energy efficiency, delay reduction and localization accuracy in terms of various number of nodes and rounds. The proposed model achieves highest delivery ratio of 0.97, less delay of 5.39, less energy of 23.3 across various nodes and rounds.
The first homology of IAn with coefficients in spaces of Jacobi diagrams
Authors: Katada Mai
Published: October 2024

The aim of this paper is to compute the first homology of [Formula: see text] with coefficients in the [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text] of Jacobi diagrams of degree [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text]-component oriented arcs. We also prove the self-duality of the [Formula: see text]-submodule [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] which is generated by a certain element.
Two-step optimization algorithm operated by heuristic and machine learning methods
Authors: Rezoug Abdellah , Bader-El-Den Mohamed , Boughaci Dalila
Published: October 2024

Heuristics aim to provide approximate solutions for NP-hard combinatorial optimization (CO) problems in a reasonable time. They are faster than deterministic methods, where the solving process may take days. This paper presents an attempt to combine a heuristic algorithm and some machine learning (ML) methods for solving the Multidimensional Knapsack Problem (MKP), which is a well-known CO case. The approach named Genetic Algorithm and Machine Learning (GAML) is a two-step algorithm that first uses four machine methods to produce four solutions and then integrates the best one within the GA. For this purpose, (1) This approach builds models by training four machine learning (ML) methods using the decision variables obtained from the optimal solutions of simple MKP instances. The decision variable of an item is equal to one if it is selected in the knapsack and zero otherwise. (2) The four models are applied to predict the decision variables for complex MKP instances. (3) A dummy algorithm constructs feasible solutions from the predictions by adding the selected items randomly while the constraints are not violated. (4) For each MKP instance, the best feasible solution among the four built is integrated with the initialization and the crossing operators of a genetic algorithm. An experiment has been conducted on well-known complex MKP benchmarks. The results proved that the models were able to provide high-quality solutions. Also, the proposed algorithm was faster than other approaches in the literature.
Post-hoc Evaluation of Nodes Influence in Information Cascades: The Case of Coordinated Accounts
Authors: Di Marco Niccolò , Brunetti Sara , Cinelli Matteo , Quattrociocchi Walter
Published: October 2024

In the last years, social media has gained an unprecedented amount of attention, playing a pivotal role in shaping the contemporary landscape of communication and connection. However, Coordinated inauthentic Behaviour (CIB), defined as orchestrated efforts by entities to deceive or mislead users about their identity and intentions, has emerged as a tactic to exploit the online discourse. In this study, we quantify the efficacy of CIB tactics by defining a general framework for evaluating the influence of a subset of nodes in a directed tree. We design two algorithms that provide optimal and greedy post-hoc placement strategies that lead to maximising the configuration influence. We then consider cascades from information spreading on Twitter to compare the observed behaviour with our algorithms. The results show that, according to our model, coordinated accounts are quite inefficient in terms of their network influence, thus suggesting that they may play a less pivotal role than expected. Moreover, the causes of these poor results may be found in two separate aspects: a bad placement strategy and a scarcity of resources.
Learning Robust Sequential Recommenders through Confident Soft Labels
Authors: Wu Shiguang , Xin Xin , Ren Pengjie , Chen Zhumin , Ma Jun , de Rijke Maarten , Ren Zhaochun
Published: October 2024

Sequential recommenders that are trained on implicit feedback are usually learned as a multi-class classification task through softmax-based loss functions on one-hot class labels. However, one-hot training labels are sparse and may lead to biased training and sub-optimal performance. Dense, soft labels have been shown to help improve recommendation performance. However, how to generate high-quality and confident soft labels from noisy sequential interactions between users and items is still an open question.

We propose a new learning framework for sequential recommenders, CSRec, which introduces confident soft labels to provide robust guidance when learning from user–item interactions. CSRec contains a teacher module that generates high-quality and confident soft labels and a student module that acts as the target recommender and is trained on the combination of dense, soft labels and sparse, one-hot labels. We propose and compare three approaches to constructing the teacher module: (i) model-level, (ii) data-level, and (iii) training-level. To evaluate the effectiveness and generalization ability of CSRec, we conduct experiments using various state-of-the-art sequential recommendation models as the target student module on four benchmark datasets. Our experimental results demonstrate that CSRec is effective in training better-performing sequential recommenders.
Representation of Anticipated Rewards and Punishments in the Human Brain
Authors: Ben-Zion Ziv , Levy Ifat
Published: October 2024

Subjective value is a core concept in neuroeconomics, serving as the basis for decision making. Despite the extensive literature on the neural encoding of subjective reward value in humans, the neural representation of punishment value remains relatively understudied. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the neural representation of reward value, including methodologies, involved brain regions, and the concept of a common currency representation of diverse reward types in decision-making and learning processes. We then critically examine existing research on the neural representation of punishment value, highlighting conceptual and methodological challenges in human studies and insights gained from animal research. Finally, we explore how individual differences in reward and punishment processing may be linked to various mental illnesses, with a focus on stress-related psychopathologies. This review advocates for the integration of both rewards and punishments within value-based decision-making and learning frameworks, leveraging insights from cross-species studies and utilizing ecological gamified paradigms to reflect real-life scenarios.
Electrospinning of Heterogeneous Nanofibers: A Review
Authors: Regmi Dinkar , Choi Jin Woo , Xu Jian
Published: October 2024

Electrospinning is a straightforward approach for efficiently creating continuous fibers within the submicron to nanometer size range. Electrospun fibers possess excellent properties like high porosity, large specific surface area, tunable morphology, small diameter, etc., making them desirable in various applications. Because of its various properties, polymer is one of the most used materials as the spinning solution in electrospinning. Electrospun polymeric fibers, by themselves, may serve limited applications. Therefore, they are usually mixed with other materials to serve many applications. There are many ways in which these other materials are mixed with polymers in electrospinning, like doping, surface treatment, functionalization, etc. There are several studies published that report on the various composite fibers produced using electrospinning. However, a review focused solely on the production of heterogeneous fibers, where the electrospun fibers are intrinsically made of more than one material, is lacking. Herein, we review different heterogeneous fibers synthesized using electrospinning and their fabrication methods.
Two Triterpenoids, ARM‐2 and RA‐5, From Protorhus longifolia Exhibit the Potential to Modulate Lipolysis and Lipogenesis in Cultured 3T3‐L1 Adipocytes
Authors: Ndlovu Musawenkosi , Serem June C. , Bester Megan J. , Apostolides Zeno , Opoku Andrew R. , Mosa Rebamang A.
Published: October 2024

Triterpenoids have been identified as potential novel lipid‐lowering drugs for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia. This study investigated the potential antilipogenic and/or antilipolytic effects of two triterpenoids (ARM‐2 and RA‐5) isolated from the stem bark of Protorhus longifolia (Benrh.) Engl. Employing a combination of in silico predictions and in vitro assays, the interactions between these triterpenoids and key proteins involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis were investigated. In silico molecular docking analysis predicted a favourable binding affinity of both triterpenoids to PPARγ, SREBP‐1, and AMPK, with lower binding affinity to C/EBPα, pancreatic lipase, and hormone‐sensitive lipase (HSL). Both triterpenoids exhibited in vitro inhibition of pancreatic lipase with Ki and IC50 values ranging from 28.7 to 52.9 μM and 27.6 to 35.8 μM, respectively. Total and neutral lipid accumulation in differentiated 3T3‐L1 adipocytes and the oleic acid–induced HepG2 cell model was inhibited, with ARM‐2 showing better inhibition than RA‐5. In the HepG2 model, the inhibitory activity of the two triterpenoids (at 25 and 100 μM) was comparable to 50 μM lovastatin, although the latter was cytotoxic, whereas both ARM‐2 and RA‐2 lacked cytotoxicity. Associated gene expression was similar to the effect of simvastatin where the expression of SREBP‐1, PPARγ, C/EBPα, and HSL was reduced and that of AMPK was unchanged. In vitro studies confirmed that ARM‐2 and RA‐5 also inhibited adipocyte lipolysis, where the reduction in glycerol release by 25 and 100 μM was similar to 50 μM lovastatin and simvastatin. This study identifies that the triterpenoids, ARM‐2 and RA‐5, have the potential to modulate lipogenesis and lipolysis.
Work‐Related Stress and Behavioural Correlates of Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Profiles in Female Nurses: A Latent Class Analysis Based on the Nurse Urinary Related Health Study
Authors: Gao Jie , Xu Dongjuan , Wu Chen , Li Ming , Ren Jieqiong , Rao Yongjuan , Wang Kefang
Published: October 2024

Aims: This study aimed to identify symptom clusters in a population‐based sample of female nurses who reported experiencing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and examine distinct risk factor profiles within each symptom cluster, with an emphasis on modifiable lifestyle and work‐related factors.

Materials and Methods: This study included 6735 female nurses who reported experiencing at least one LUTS. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify symptom clusters by jointly modelling 11 symptoms. Analysis of variance, chi‐square tests and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine distinct risk factor profiles within each symptom cluster.

Results: On average, female nurses experienced 2.2 symptoms. Four clusters were identified: the multiple severe symptoms (n = 546, 8%), incontinence symptoms (n = 2089, 31%), urgency–hesitancy symptoms (n = 3357, 50%) and nocturia symptoms (n = 743, 11%). Unique profiles of female nurses were associated with each symptom cluster and demonstrated the influential role of work‐related factors in the development of LUTS. These factors included a demanding workload, heightened levels of perceived stress, extended work hours, engagement in night shifts, infrequent and delayed voiding behaviours and restriction of fluid intake.

Conclusions: Our findings substantiate the vulnerability of female nurses to LUTS, which is attributable to their demanding work environments. LUTS among female nurses should be recognised as an occupational hazard and remains an understood topic in the workplace, warranting attention and tailoring of intervention strategies.

Implications for Nursing Management: Nurse managers should be aware that LUTS represent an occupational hazard for nurses and that high‐stress work environments and inappropriate urination behaviours adversely affect nurses’ bladder health. Addressing LUTS‐related issues requires increased staffing levels along with a fundamental shift in workplace culture. Fostering a culture of self‐care with an emphasis on bladder health promotion is imperative for nursing professionals and employed women.
Fuzzy Neural Network for Fuzzy Quadratic Programming With Penalty Function and Mean‐Variance Markowitz Portfolio Model
Authors: Khan Izaz Ullah , Aamir Muhammad , Ullah Mehran , Shah Muhammad Shahbaz
Published: October 2024

This research tries to integrate fuzzy neural networks with penalty function to address the quadratic programming based on the mean‐variance Markowitz portfolio model. The fuzzy quadratic programming problem with penalty function consists of the lower, central, and upper models. The models utilize fuzzy neural networks to solve the models. The proposed method has been implemented on the six leading stocks in the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The approach identifies the ideal portfolios for potential investors in the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Data of the six popular stocks trading on the stock exchange from January 2016 to October 2020 are taken into consideration. The optimizers are RMSprop, Momentum, Adadelta, Adagrad, Adam, and gradient descent, respectively. The findings of all the optimizers at all three phases (lower, central, and upper) agree on identifying the optimal investment portfolios for investors. The optimizers recommend investing in either one of the two categories. The first group recommends investing in the FFC, ARPL, and UPFL portfolios. The second group recommends LUCK, AGTL, and IGIHL. The first group tends to enhance return, variability, and risk. It is a high‐risk group. The second group aims to reduce return variability while lowering risk. It is a risk‐averse group. It is evident that all of the optimizers recommend investing in FFC, ARPL, and UPFL, with the exception of the Adam and Adadelta optimizers, which recommends investment in IGIHL, AGTL, and LUCK. RMSprop, Momentum, Adagrad, and gradient descent increase variability, risk, and returns. Adam proves the best optimizer, then RMSprop, and finally, Adagrad. Adam, Adadelta, and RMSprop are sensitive, whereas momentum and gradient descent are irresponsive to fuzzy uncertain data. The percent improvement in the objective is 0.59% and 0.18% for the proposed Adagrad and Adadelta, respectively.
Genomic Landscape of ctDNA and Real-World Outcomes in Advanced Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Soberanis Pina Pamela , Clemens Keelia , Bubie Adrian , Grant Brooke , Haynes Ginger , Zhang Nicole , Drusbosky Leylah , Lheureux Stephanie
Published: October 2024

Purpose:

ctDNA is a novel technique extensively studied in solid tumors, although not currently well defined in endometrial cancer.

Experimental Design:

A de-identified retrospective analysis of 1,988 patients with advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer was performed. In addition, an analysis of a real-world evidence cohort was completed (n = 1,266). Patients underwent ctDNA testing using Guardant360 during routine clinical care. The objective was to describe and assess molecular landscape using ctDNA.

Results:

Among 1,988 ctDNA samples, at least one somatic alteration was detected in 91.6% (n = 1,821). Most frequently altered genes were TP53 (64%), PIK3CA (29%), PTEN (25%), ARID1A (20%), and KRAS (14%). Overall, 18.5% had amplifications, with the majority identified in CCNE1 (40.9%), PIK3CA (22%), and EGFR (19.3%). From the real-world evidence cohort, those with TP53 mutations had a worse overall survival (OS) versus those without TP53 mutations (P = 0.02) and those with TP53 comutations had an inferior OS in comparison with TP53-mutated only (P = 0.016). Amongst these, patients with a PIK3CA comutation (P = 0.012) and CCNE1 amplification (P = 0.01) had an inferior OS compared with those with only TP53 mutations. Fifty-seven patients with newly diagnosed endometrial cancer had at least two serial ctDNA samples showing evolution in detected variants compared with baseline samples, with TP53 being the most frequent change.

Conclusions:

This study is one of the largest cohorts of ctDNA currently reported in endometrial cancer. The presence of TP53 mutation and other comutations detected by ctDNA have a negative effect on outcomes. This report suggests that ctDNA analysis is feasible and could become a useful biomarker for endometrial cancer.
Supplementary Table S4 from St. Jude Survivorship Portal: Sharing and Analyzing Large Clinical and Genomic Datasets from Pediatric Cancer Survivors
Authors: Matt Gavriel Y. , Sioson Edgar , Shelton Kyla , Wang Jian , Lu Congyu , Zaldivar Peraza Airen , Gangwani Karishma , Paul Robin , Reilly Colleen , Acić Aleksandar , Liu Qi , Sandor Stephanie R. , McLeod Clay , Patel Jaimin , Wang Fan , Im Cindy , Wang Zhaoming , Sapkota Yadav , Wilson Carmen L. , Bhakta Nickhill , Ness Kirsten K. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Hudson Melissa M. , Robison Leslie L. , Zhang Jinghui , Yasui Yutaka , Zhou Xin
Published: October 2024

Associations of haplotypes with cardiomyopathy
Supplementary Table S6 from Blocking Tryptophan Catabolism Reduces Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Invasive Capacity
Authors: Kuo Li-Wei , Crump Lyndsey S. , O’Neill Kathleen , Williams Michelle M. , Christenson Jessica L. , Spoelstra Nicole S. , Roy Micaela Kalani , Argabright Amy , Reisz Julie A. , D’Alessandro Angelo , Boorgula Meher P. , Goodspeed Andrew , Bickerdike Mike , Bitler Benjamin G. , Richer Jennifer K.
Published: October 2024

Significant GSEA full list of Bulk RNA-seq for BT549 shTDO2-82 vs. shSCR control
Supplementary Table S3 from Blocking Tryptophan Catabolism Reduces Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Invasive Capacity
Authors: Kuo Li-Wei , Crump Lyndsey S. , O’Neill Kathleen , Williams Michelle M. , Christenson Jessica L. , Spoelstra Nicole S. , Roy Micaela Kalani , Argabright Amy , Reisz Julie A. , D’Alessandro Angelo , Boorgula Meher P. , Goodspeed Andrew , Bickerdike Mike , Bitler Benjamin G. , Richer Jennifer K.
Published: October 2024

Differential gene expressions of scRNA-seq for MDA-MB-453 treated with IL1β+TNFα vs. Vehicle
Supplementary Figure S6 from Blocking Tryptophan Catabolism Reduces Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Invasive Capacity
Authors: Kuo Li-Wei , Crump Lyndsey S. , O’Neill Kathleen , Williams Michelle M. , Christenson Jessica L. , Spoelstra Nicole S. , Roy Micaela Kalani , Argabright Amy , Reisz Julie A. , D’Alessandro Angelo , Boorgula Meher P. , Goodspeed Andrew , Bickerdike Mike , Bitler Benjamin G. , Richer Jennifer K.
Published: October 2024

Pharmacologic inhibition or genetic knockdown of TDO2 reduces TNBC anchorage independent growth.
Data from DNA Methylation-Derived Immune Cell Proportions and Cancer Risk in Black Participants
Authors: Semancik Christopher S. , Zhao Naisi , Koestler Devin C. , Boerwinkle Eric , Bressler Jan , Buchsbaum Rachel J. , Kelsey Karl T. , Platz Elizabeth A. , Michaud Dominique S.
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Prior cohort studies assessing cancer risk based on immune cell subtype profiles have predominantly focused on White populations. This limitation obscures vital insights into how cancer risk varies across race. Immune cell subtype proportions were estimated using deconvolution based on leukocyte DNA methylation markers from blood samples collected at baseline on participants without cancer in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. During a mean of 17.5 years of follow-up, 668 incident cancers were diagnosed in 2,467 Black participants. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine immune cell subtype proportions and overall cancer incidence and site-specific incidence (lung, breast, and prostate cancers). Higher regulatory T-cell proportions were associated with higher lung cancer risk [HR, 1.22; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–1.41 per 1% increase in cell proportion] and a borderline increase in overall cancer risk (P = 0.06). Increased memory B-cell proportions were associated with a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer and all cancers (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04–1.33 and HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.05–1.22, per 1% increase in cell proportion, respectively). Other immune cell subtypes did not display statistically significant associations with cancer risk in the main analyses. These results in Black participants align closely with prior findings in largely White populations. Our results add to the growing evidence demonstrating the important role of adaptive immunity in cancer risk.
Significance:
This study describes associations between immune cell types and cancer risk in a Black population; elevated regulatory T-cell proportions that were associated with increased overall cancer and lung cancer risk, and elevated memory B-cell proportions that were associated with increased prostate and all cancer risk.
The Clinical Impact of Urinalysis Screened by Automated Microscopy Compared to Reference Manual Analysis
Authors: Freitas Priscila Aparecida Correa , da Silva Yasmini Dandara Silva , Poloni José Antonio Tesser , Veronese Francisco José Veríssimo , Goncalves Luiz Felipe Santos
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Clinical laboratories have replaced conventional manual urine microscopy with automated urinalysis; however, concerns persist regarding its validity in detecting specific elements of urinary sediment crucial for evaluating kidney diseases. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of urinary sediment analysis performed by a large hospital laboratory compared to a standardized microscopic review, focusing on patients both with and without kidney disease. Methods: Urine samples were randomly selected from routine laboratory specimens at a university hospital. Laboratory analysis was performed using LabUmat 2 and Urised 3 PRO equipment (Abbott Diagnostics). In the automated analysis for sediment examination, technicians have the option to reclassify urinary sediment elements as necessary and, if warranted, conduct manual microscopic evaluations to validate findings. The laboratory’s analysis was compared with a “reference” analysis, which was double-blinded and conducted by two experienced technicians using bright-field and phase-contrast microscopy. Results: 503 samples were selected, with 52.3% originating from nephrology outpatient clinic patients. Overall agreement between the laboratory results and the reference analysis was 42.1%. The sensitivity (SN) of the laboratory examination for detecting pathological casts, lipiduria, and renal tubular epithelial cells was low (<50%), while specificity (SP) was high (>98%). However, for hyaline casts (SN: 50.4%; SP: 80.9%) and dysmorphic red blood cells (SN: 62.3%; SP: 96.2%), accuracy was intermediate. Performance was better for hematuria (SN: 86.1%; SP: 82.3%; intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.703; R: 0.828) and leukocyturia (SN: 84.9%; SP: 95.1%; ICC: 0.807; R: 0.861). In patients with kidney disease (N = 248) and in samples manually reviewed by the laboratory (N = 115), accuracy for each urinary element was comparable to the overall sample findings. However, when assessing the ability to identify elements suggestive of nephropathy, only samples manually reviewed by the laboratory showed statistically similar results to those obtained by the reference analysis (p = 0.503, McNemar’s test). Conclusion: Employing automated urinalysis seems to be accurate for detecting hematuria and leukocyturia, as well as for screening patients without kidney diseases. However, clinical laboratories attending complex patients should employ personalized strategies to help decide when to perform manual review, thus avoiding misleading urinalysis results.
LncRNA MALAT1 Facilitates Parkinson’s Disease Progression by Increasing SOCS3 Promoter Methylation
Authors: Liu Yuqi , Feng Dan , Liu Fenfen , Liu Yun , Zuo Fangya , Wang Yujie , Chen Lanlan , Guo Xiuhong , Tian Jinyong
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Long noncoding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) has been shown to be involved in Parkinson’s disease (PD) progression, but its mechanism needs to be further explored. Methods: Mice were injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to induce PD mice models, and BV2 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to mimic PD cell models. MALAT1 expression and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) protein level were examined using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. Cell functions were tested by cell counting kit 8 assay and flow cytometry. The interaction between MALAT1 and SOCS3 was confirmed using RNA pull-down and RIP assays. Results: MALAT1 was upregulated in MPTP-induced PD mice and LPS-induced BV2 cells. Silencing of MALAT1 increased viability, while inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation in LPS-induced BV2 cells. Besides, MALAT1 enhanced the SOCS3 promoter methylation to decrease its expression by recruiting DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B. Furthermore, SOCS3 knockdown eliminated sh-MALAT1-mediated the inhibition effect on LPS-induced BV2 cell injury. In vivo, MALAT1 silencing ameliorated neurological impairment and neuroinflammation in MPTP-induced PD mice. Conclusion: Our data revealed that MALAT1 worsened PD processes via inhibiting SOCS3 expression by increasing its promoter methylation.
The Effect of Acupressure on Chemotherapy-Induced Anxiety and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Chunping , Chen Jian , Zhang Yiwen , Yan Chuanzhu
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Cancer patients are prone to experiencing negative emotions such as anxiety and depression after receiving chemotherapy. Research has shown that acupressure may be beneficial in relieving the anxiety and depression caused by chemotherapy, but high-quality evidence is lacking. This study was designed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of acupressure for relieving chemotherapy-induced anxiety and depression. Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA framework. Four English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library) and four Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM) were searched from inception to December 31, 2022, to identify randomized clinical trials examining the use of acupressure for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anxiety and depression. Cochrane Review Manager 5.4 and RStudio were used for the meta-analysis. Results: This meta-analysis included 1,119 patients from 12 randomized controlled trials. We mainly compared acupressure with sham acupressure and routine nursing. The results showed that acupressure alleviated chemotherapy-induced anxiety (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−1.15, −0.28], p = 0.001) and depression (SMD = −0.75, 95% CI [−1.36, −0.14], p = 0.02) more effectively than sham acupressure and routine nursing. Conclusion: This meta-analysis found that acupressure (body point) can relieve chemotherapy-induced anxiety and depression and improve the quality of life of patients. However, the current relevant literature has low quality and is highly heterogeneous, which reduces the credibility of the research results. Therefore, more rigorously designed randomized controlled trials are needed to verify these conclusions.