bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma without pathological lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant therapy and surgery
Authors: Hamai Yoichi , Emi Manabu , Ibuki Yuta , Murakami Yuji , Nishibuchi Ikuno , Kurokawa Tomoaki , Yoshikawa Toru , Hirohata Ryosuke , Ohsawa Manato , Kitasaki Nao , Okada Morihito
Published: December 2023

Background

Pathological lymph node metastasis (LNM) following multimodal therapy is an important indicator of poor prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. However, a significant number of patients without LNM are still at high risk for recurrence.

Methods

We assessed prognostic factors in 143 patients without pathological LNM who were diagnosed with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) or chemoradiotherapy (NACRT), followed by surgery.

Results

Using univariate and multivariate analyses of recurrence‐free survival, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–4.23, and p = 0.02) and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.04–1.43, and p = 0.02) were significant independent covariates. Furthermore, pretherapeutic LNM (HR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.003–3.76, and p = 0.049), NACRT (HR: 3.29, 95% CI: 1.30–8.33, and p = 0.01), poorly differentiated tumors (HR: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.28–4.98, and p = 0.01), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (HR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.27–6.09, and p = 0.01) were also significant independent covariates. The recurrence rates among patients with 0/1, 2, 3, and 4/5 poor prognostic factors were significantly different (5.0%, 25.0%, 35.7%, and 53.8%, respectively; p = 0.001); the survival rates were stratified among these prognostic groups.

Conclusions

Pretherapeutic CEA and NLR levels, pretherapeutic LNM, NACRT, poorly differentiated tumors, and LVI were significantly correlated with survivals in patients without pathological LNM after neoadjuvant therapy and surgery. Postoperative therapy should be considered in patients with ESCC with several indicators of recurrence, even in those without pathological LNM who underwent surgery following neoadjuvant therapy.
Simulated psychosis care role-plays for pharmacy curricula: a qualitative exploration of student experiences
Authors: Ung Tina X. , El-Den Sarira , Moles Rebekah J. , O’Reilly Claire L.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training is embedded in various tertiary healthcare curricula. However, opportunities for students to practise their newly acquired MHFA skills before entering the clinical practice workforce are lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore pharmacy students’ experiences of MHFA training and post-MHFA simulated psychosis care role-plays.

Methods

Final-year pharmacy students received MHFA training, after which they were invited to participate in simulated patient role-plays with trained actors, whilst being observed by peers, pharmacy tutors and mental health consumer educators (MHCEs). Immediately after each role-play, the role-playing student engaged in self-assessment, followed by performance feedback and debrief discussions with the tutor, MHCE and observing peers. All MHFA-trained students were invited to participate in audio-recorded focus groups to explore their experiences. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.

Results

MHFA training was delivered to 209 students, of which 86 participated in a simulated patient role-play as a role-player and the remaining students observed. Seven focus groups were conducted with 36 students (mean duration 40 min, SD 11 min). Five themes emerged: scenario reactions, realistic but not real, mental health confidence, MHFA skills application, feedback and self-reflection.

Conclusion

Students enjoyed the post-MHFA simulated psychosis care role-plays, which provided opportunities to apply and reflect on their newly-acquired MHFA skills in a safe learning environment. These experiences enhanced students’ confidence to support people in the community, experiencing mental health symptoms or crises, and could be an add-on to MHFA training in the future.
Spatial structuring in early life stage fish diversity in the Scotia Sea region of the Southern Ocean
Authors: Dornan Tracey , Knutsen Tor , Krafft Bjørn A. , Kvalsund Merete , Mateos-Rivera Alejandro , Tarling Geraint A. , Wienerroither Rupert , Hill Simeon L.
Published: December 2023

The fish community of the Scotia Sea is diverse and plays key roles in Antarctic food webs and biogeochemical cycling. However, knowledge of the spatial and community structure of their early life stages is limited, particularly in the region surrounding the South Orkney Islands. Here we examine the structure of the early life stage fish community in the epipelagic using data from a basin-scale survey conducted in early 2019, which sampled the top 200 m of the water column. 347 early life stage fish from 19 genera were caught in 58 hauls. A third of all specimens belonged to the genus Notolepis and the nine most common genera comprised over 90% of specimens. Cluster analysis revealed five distinct groupings, the most common were a group dominated by pelagic and shelf slope genera (Notolepis, Muraenolepis and Electrona) found mainly in oceanic waters (depth ≥ 1000 m), and a group dominated by species with demersal or benthopelagic adults (Chionodraco, Chaenocephalus and Nototheniops) found mainly in shelf waters. Bottom depth was the main environmental determinant of community structure, separating the diverse on-shelf assemblage at the South Orkneys from the less species-rich community of widespread oceanic taxa. Our results indicate the highest diversities of early life stages of endemic fish occur on the shelf and near-shelf areas. Dedicated monitoring is recommended to understand the seasonal differences in larval community assemblages and the implications of early life stages fish bycatch within the krill fishery.
Robotic parathyroidectomy is a feasible technique for primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Lee Jin Seok , Lee Jun Sung , Jeong Hojung , Yun Hyeok Jun , Chang Hojin , Kim Seok Mo , Lee Yong Sang , Chang Hang-Seok
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Focused parathyroidectomy is the gold standard treatment modality for primary hyperparathyroidism, which allows accurate preoperative localization. Robotic parathyroidectomy has emerged as a feasible procedure for focused parathyroidectomy. This study aimed to report the experiences of gasless robotic transaxillary parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism in a single center.

Methods

We assessed the data obtained from patients who underwent gasless robotic parathyroidectomy with the transaxillary approach between December 2013 and August 2022 and were diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism at our institute. The data included clinical, biochemical, and pathological features and operation time.

Results

Of the 12 patients, 11 were women and one was a man. The median age of the patients was 44.5 years (range: 15–65 years). The median preoperative maximum mass diameters on ultrasonography and neck computed tomography were 1.2 ± 0.5 and 1.1 ± 0.6 cm, respectively. The median size of the postoperative maximum mass diameter in gross pathology was 1.3 ± 0.4 cm. The location of the enlarged parathyroid was left superior in five patients, right inferior in four, left inferior in three, and no right superior in one. In the final pathological examination, all cases were parathyroid adenomas. Only one case experienced a postoperative bleeding complication. At six months from surgery, average of an axillary scar length was 5.85 cm, and an average width was 0.21 cm. The mean operative time was 113 ± 48 min. The mean robot docking and console times were 9 ± 5 and 47 ± 52 min, respectively.

Conclusions

Robotic transaxillary parathyroidectomy is a feasible technique in select patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and preoperatively localized disease. The gasless robotic transaxillary approach provides procedural safety as well as superior cosmetic results without a neck scar.
Impact of IL-6 and IL-1β Gene Variants on Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Risk in Egyptian Patients
Authors: Metwally Yomna F. , Elsaid Afaf M. , Elsadda Rana R. , Refaat Sherif , Zahran Rasha F.
Published: December 2023

Lung cancer is a serious health and life issue, with the fastest-growing incidence and fatality rates worldwide. It is now clear that inflammation is a key factor involved in all aspects of carcinogenesis, notably lung cancer development. Genetic changes, including polymorphisms in inflammatory genes, are supposed to be a significant cause of increased lung cancer risk. The main idea of this research was to disclose the linkage between both IL-6 rs1800795 and IL-1β rs16944 variants and susceptibility to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Egyptians. This case–control design was composed of 127 cases and 138 controls, which were genotyped using the ARMS-PCR technique. To examine the NSCLC susceptibility under various genetic models, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined by logistic regression. Rs1800795 of the IL-6 gene was linked to higher odds of NSCLC under the allele model (adjusted, OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.2–4.33; p = 0.011). In the genetic models, IL-6 rs1800795 elevated the odds of NSCLC, while IL-1β rs16944 decreased the odds of NSCLC. Stratification analysis showed that IL-6 rs1800795 greatly increased the NSCLC risk in females and adenocarcinoma subtypes, whereas IL-1β rs16944 largely decreased the NSCLC risk for males, patients aged < 55, and nonsmokers. Regarding clinical data, the IL-6 variant was remarkably correlated with tumor size. This work primarily established that IL-6 and IL-1β variants have a great impact on NSCLC development in the Egyptian population; thus, it may be a supportive guide for earlier NSCLC prevention.
„C(r)ashkurs“ – Schuldenprävention zur Erkennung finanzieller Probleme von Mitarbeitenden
Authors: Felix Matthias , Drescher Tatjana , Haunberger Sigrid
Published: December 2023

Hintergrund

Finanzstress bedeutet für Betroffene eine hohe (psychische) Belastung und kann zu gesundheitlichen Problemen und Verschlechterung der Leistungsfähigkeit führen. Im Zentrum des Weiterbildungsangebot „C(r)ashkurs“ steht daher die Sensibilisierung von Schlüsselpersonen (= Multiplikator*innen) für die Früherkennung finanzieller Probleme in Betrieben im Niedriglohnsektor und das Vermitteln von Werkzeugen für die Unterstützung betroffener Personen.

Methodik

Es wurde eine summative Wirkungsevaluation im Prä-post-Design ohne Kontrollgruppe mit einem standardisierten Fragebogen durchgeführt. Die Datenerhebung und -analyse wurde von einem Wirkungsmodell begleitet, welches die Wirkebenen Wissen, Einstellungen und Verhalten beinhaltete.

Ergebnisse

Nach dem Kurs hatten die Teilnehmenden ein ausreichendes Wissen in Budget- und Schuldenfragen und eine klar positive Einstellung gegenüber Mitarbeitenden mit Schulden. In den teilnehmenden Betrieben war eine stärkere Sensibilisierung für die Thematik spürbar und Teilnehmende waren motivierter, Mitarbeitende mit finanziellen Problemen zu unterstützen. Unterstützung in Schuldenfragen boten Teilnehmende etwas häufiger an. Es zeigten sich u. a. signifikante Zusammenhänge zwischen dem Beratungswissen und der Unterstützungsbereitschaft und der Einstellung zu Mitarbeitenden mit Schulden und der Unterstützungsbereitschaft.

Schlussfolgerung/Diskussion

Ein Basiswissen in Budget- und Schuldenfragen ist zentral, um die Unterstützungsbereitschaft von Multiplikator*innen zu fördern. Für die Unterstützungsbereitschaft ist es wichtig, das Verständnis für Betroffene und Schuldenursachen zu fördern. Dieser Punkt ist umso wichtiger für Betriebe außerhalb des Sozial- und Gesundheitsbereichs. Um die Kursinhalte zu verbreiten, sind Teilnehmende mit großer Führungsspanne wichtig. Die Funktion der Teilnehmenden als Multiplikator*innen muss klarer betont und mit Handlungsempfehlungen untermauert werden.
Box–Behnken design in optimizing heavy metal removal from wastewater using selenium hybridized graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites
Authors: Mohamed Yasser M. A. , Elgohary Elzahraa A. , El Nazer Hossam A.
Published: December 2023

In this study Box–Behnken designs and response surface methodology (BBD-RSM) was used for optimizing heavy metal adsorption. The hazardous effect of wastewater on agriculture, animals and human as well makes its remediation is being considered a global challenge. Herein, a novel visible-light-responsive selenium-doped graphitic carbon nitride composites via the exfoliation of g-C3N4 polymer with different concentrations of selenium precursor (1 w%, 2.5 w%, 5 w%, with respect to the weight of g-C3N4) under ultrasound irradiation condition to produce the hybridized the corresponding polymeric nanocomposites (5%Se/g-C3N4), (10%Se/g-C3N4) and (25%Se/g-C3N4) denoted names C1, C2, C3; respectively. Full chracterization for the nanocomposites was performed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. The as-prepared nanocomposites compared to pure g-C3N4 were applied in wastewater treatment for a real sample collected from Siwa Lake that suffered from increasing the heavy metal ions due to industrial drainage. Testing the catalytic activity of the prepared composites in treatment of wastewater sample collected from Siwa Lake in Egypt affected by the industrial drainage that was analyzed to determine the occurred polluted heavy metal ions. It was indicated that this sample contained Ca(II), Zn(II), Fe(II), Cu(II), Mn(II) and Cd(II) ions. The metal adsorption measurements were developed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) to show the removal efficiency of metal ions.
Clinical features that predict the mortality risk in older patients with Omicron pneumonia: the MLWAP score
Authors: Pei Yongjian , Li Ting , Chen Chen , Huang Yongkang , Yang Yun , Zhou Tong , Shi Minhua
Published: December 2023

In December 2022, the Chinese suffered widespread Omicron of SARS-CoV-2 with variable symptom severity and outcome. We wanted to develop a scoring model to predict the mortality risk of older Omicron pneumonia patients by analyzing admission data. We enrolled 227 Omicron pneumonia patients aged 60 years and older, admitted to our hospital from December 15, 2022, to January 16, 2023, and divided them randomly into a 70% training set and a 30% test set. The former were used to identify predictors and develop a model, the latter to verify the model, using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, a calibration curve to test its performance and comparing it to the existing scores. The MLWAP score was calculated based on a multivariate logistic regression model to predict mortality with a weighted score that included immunosuppression, lactate ≥ 2.4, white blood cell count ≥ 6.70 × 109/L, age ≥ 77 years, and PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 211. The AUC for the model in the training and test sets was 0.852 (95% CI, 0.792–0.912) and 0.875 (95% CI, 0.789–0.961), respectively. The calibration curves showed a good fit. We grouped the risk scores into low (score 0–7 points), medium (8–10 points), and high (11–13 points). This model had a sensitivity of 0.849, specificity of 0.714, and better predictive ability than the CURB-65 and PSI scores (AUROC = 0.859 vs. 0.788 vs. 0.801, respectively). The MLWAP-mortality score may help clinicians to stratify hospitalized older Omicron pneumonia patients into relevant risk categories, rationally allocate medical resources, and reduce the mortality.
The left ventricular “lining” technique for repair of ischemic ventricular septal rupture
Authors: Katsumata Takahiro , Shimada Ryo , Uchida Hiroaki , Suzuki Tatsuya , Ozawa Hideki , Daimon Masahiro
Published: December 2023

We describe a technique to repair ischemic ventricular septal rupture via a left ventriculotomy. It employs a large endoventricular patch as a “lining” over the locally patched septal defect and the free wall defect which is going to be roofed with an external patch. Both defects are then closed in double layers, holding a single continuous patch. The technique enhances the advantage of the left ventriculotomy in the repair and minimizes ventriculotomy-related morbidity.
Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Cellular Organelles
Authors: Šlachtová Veronika , Chovanec Marek , Rahm Michal , Vrabel Milan
Published: December 2023

While bioorthogonal reactions are routinely employed in living cells and organisms, their application within individual organelles remains limited. In this review, we highlight diverse examples of bioorthogonal reactions used to investigate the roles of biomolecules and biological processes as well as advanced imaging techniques within cellular organelles. These innovations hold great promise for therapeutic interventions in personalized medicine and precision therapies. We also address existing challenges related to the selectivity and trafficking of subcellular dynamics. Organelle-targeted bioorthogonal reactions have the potential to significantly advance our understanding of cellular organization and function, provide new pathways for basic research and clinical applications, and shape the direction of cell biology and medical research.
Defaulting peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) orders to single lumen: A quality improvement initiative at a Midwestern academic center 2022–2023
Authors: Trautman Kathryn , Kobayashi Takaaki , McPherson Chad , Brust Karen
Published: December 2023

Defaulting the order for peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) placement to single lumen increased proportion of single-lumen insertions over total insertions from 42/126 (33%) to 57/104 (51)%. Single-lumen PICCs had a nonsignificant lower rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection compared to double-lumen PICCs.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Thai population: Delineating the effects of the pandemic and policy measures
Authors: Kasatpibal Nongyao , Viseskul Nongkran , Untong Akarapong , Thummathai Kwaunpanomporn , Kamnon Kampong , Sangkampang Srisakul , Tokilay Rusila , Assawapalanggool Srisuda , Apisarnthanarak Anucha
Published: December 2023

Objectives:

This study aimed to determine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and policy measures and delineate the impact of each on a cohort of Thai citizens.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,500 Thai people from October 2020 to January 2021. A questionnaire collecting demographic information and other data was sent to eligible subjects.

Results:

Overall, 51.6% and 49.5% of participants felt the impacts of COVID-19 and policy measures at the highest level, respectively. The study demonstrated that the weighted effect of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak was statistically (p < .001) greater than that of policy measures on family (0.664 vs 0.618), education (0.562 vs 0.557), and the economy (0.643 vs 0.572). The weighted effect of the impact of policy measures was statistically (p < .001) greater than that of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s daily activities (0.675 vs 0.651), cultural/traditional or community way of life (0.769 vs 0.736), access to healthcare services and infection prevention supplies (0.410 vs 0.390), and mental health (0.625 vs 0.584).

Conclusions:

About half of the participants had a high level of impact from both the COVID-19 pandemic and policy measures. The results of this study suggest that policy measures need to be judged with caution, and the government should provide more comprehensive support to reduce the impact on people’s lives.
Receptivity of swept-aerofoil flows to small-amplitude wall roughness using a transfer function from wall displacements to induced velocity perturbations
Authors: Kitzinger Euryale , Sipp Denis , Marquet Olivier , Piot Estelle
Published: December 2023

The receptivity of a laminar boundary-layer flow to small-amplitude wall roughness is investigated on an ONERA-D swept aerofoil by introducing a dedicated transfer function from small-amplitude wall displacements to full-state velocity perturbations. The singular value decomposition of this operator for a given spanwise wavenumber provides optimal wall roughness and flow responses that maximise an input–output gain. At the most receptive spanwise wavenumber, the optimal response is a cross-flow mode associated with an optimal roughness located close to the attachment line and presenting a wavy shape with a wavevector nearly orthogonal to the external streamlines. The method therefore allows direct identification of the location and structure (chordwise and spanwise wavenumbers) of the most receptive roughness. For various given wall roughness shapes and locations (periodic or compact in the chordwise and/or spanwise directions), an approximation of the response based on the dominant optimal response is shown to accurately match the total response downstream of the roughness. The method therefore allows a straightforward computation of the response of the flow to any given small-amplitude roughness.
Lim Ulrich sequences and Boij-Söderberg cones
Authors: Iyengar Srikanth B. , Ma Linquan , Walker Mark E.
Published: December 2023

This paper extends the results of Boij, Eisenbud, Erman, Schreyer and Söderberg on the structure of Betti cones of finitely generated graded modules and finite free complexes over polynomial rings, to all finitely generated graded rings admitting linear Noether normalizations. The key new input is the existence of lim Ulrich sequences of graded modules over such rings.
E-Polynomials of Generic -Character Varieties: Branched Case
Authors: Shu Cheng
Published: December 2023

For any branched double covering of compact Riemann surfaces, we consider the associated character varieties that are unitary in the global sense, which we call

$\operatorname {\mathrm {GL}}_n\rtimes \!<\!\sigma {>}$

-character varieties. We restrict the monodromies around the branch points to generic semi-simple conjugacy classes contained in

$\operatorname {\mathrm {GL}}_n\sigma $

and compute the E-polynomials of these character varieties using the character table of

$\operatorname {\mathrm {GL}}_n(q)\rtimes \!<\!\sigma \!>\!$

. The result is expressed as the inner product of certain symmetric functions associated to the wreath product

$(\mathbb {Z}/2\mathbb {Z})^N\rtimes \mathfrak {S}_N$

. We are then led to a conjectural formula for the mixed Hodge polynomial, which involves (modified) Macdonald polynomials and wreath Macdonald polynomials.
THE REBELLION OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURTS AND THE NORMATIVE CHARACTER OF EUROPEAN UNION LAW
Authors: Nagy Csongor Istvan
Published: December 2023

This article offers a reconstruction and assessment of the emerging rebellion of European constitutional courts against the exceptionless supremacy of European Union (EU) law. It presents the ontological theories of supremacy and how the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) overcame the first two major challenges of its history: the existential challenge of canonizing the general doctrine of supremacy and the Solange challenge of national fundamental rights. It provides an account of the emerging ultra vires challenge, including its root cause and evolvement, and provides an assessment and sets out proposals. The article demonstrates that the crux of the matter is not the primacy of EU law but the interpretive primacy of the CJEU. It argues that the rebellion was triggered by the perception that the CJEU case law features a declining normative and an increasing policy character. The debate about the CJEU's evolutionary interpretation, in a certain sense, parallels US constitutional law's debate between originalism and the living constitution, with the difference that the EU is a pluralist legal order.
Reducing ‘avoidable research waste’ in applied linguistics research: Insights from healthcare research
Authors: Isaacs Talia , Chalmers Hamish
Published: December 2023

This paper explores Chalmers and Glasziou's (2009) notion of ‘research waste’ from healthcare research to examine what it can offer the field of applied linguistics. Drawing on examples from both disciplines, we unpack Macleod et al.'s (2014) five research waste categories: (1) asking the wrong research questions, (2) failing to situate new research in the context of existing research, (3) inefficient research regulation/management, (4) failing to disseminate findings, and (5) poor research reporting practices. We advance this typology to help applied linguists identify and reduce avoidable research waste and improve the relevance, quality, and impact of their research.
Lessons Learned
Authors: Oblinger-Peters Violetta
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic led athletes and coaches to seek assistance from sport psychology practitioners (SPPs). However, SPPs were also constrained in their professional and private lives during this time. This qualitative study examined how the pandemic affected SPPs’ consulting work with athletes and coaches from March 2020 until June 2021. The overarching purpose was to derive insights into SPPs’ applied practice. I conducted semistructured interviews with eight certified SPPs from Germany, Austria, and Great Britain (4 females; Mage = 46.37 ± 11.16 years; Myears of practice = 18; range = 2 – 30). Participants were self-employed or worked at Olympic centers, youth academies, and sports schools. A reflexive thematic analysis revealed how the SPPs’ practice was tested, how their private and work life interacted, and how the pandemic promoted emerging trends within sport psychology. The lessons derived can help prepare SPPs for future challenges in their work, such as health crises or postponements of events.
Linking Water Age, Nitrate Export Regime, and Nitrate Isotope Biogeochemistry in a Tile‐Drained Agricultural Field
Authors: Yu Zhongjie , Hu Yinchao , Gentry Lowell E. , Yang Wendy H. , Margenot Andrew J. , Guan Kaiyu , Mitchell Corey A. , Hu Minpeng
Published: December 2023

Accurately quantifying and predicting the reactive transport of nitrate () in hydrologic systems continues to be a challenge, due to the complex hydrological and biogeochemical interactions that underlie this transport. Recent advances related to time‐variant water age have led to a new method that probes water mixing and selection behaviors using StorAge Selection (SAS) functions. In this study, SAS functions were applied to investigate storage, water selection behaviors, and export regimes in a tile‐drained corn‐soybean field. The natural abundance stable nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of tile drainage were also measured to provide constraints on biogeochemical transformations. The SAS functions, calibrated using chloride measurements at tile drain outlets, revealed a strong young water preference during tile discharge generation. The use of a time‐variant SAS function for tile discharge generated unique water age dynamics that reveal an inverse storage effect driven by the activation of preferential flow paths and mechanically explain the observed variations in isotopes. Combining the water age estimates with isotope fingerprinting shed new light on export dynamics at the tile‐drain scale, where a large mixing volume and the lack of a strong vertical contrast in concentration resulted in chemostatic export regimes. For the first time, isotopes were embedded into a water age‐based transport model to model reactive transport under transient conditions. The results of this modeling study provided a proof‐of‐concept for the potential of coupling water age modeling with isotope analysis to elucidate the mechanisms driving reactive transport.
Ferritinophagy: research advance and clinical significance in cancers
Authors: Wang Jiewen , Wu Nayiyuan , Peng Mingjing , Oyang Linda , Jiang Xianjie , Peng Qiu , Zhou Yujuan , He Zuping , Liao Qianjin
Published: December 2023

Ferritinophagy, a process involving selective autophagy of ferritin facilitated by nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4), entails the recognition of ferritin by NCOA4 and subsequent delivery to the autophagosome. Within the autophagosome, ferritin undergoes degradation, leading to the release of iron in the lysosome. It is worth noting that excessive iron levels can trigger cell death. Recent evidence has elucidated the significant roles played by ferritinophagy and ferroptosis in regulation the initiation and progression of cancer. Given the crucial role of ferritinophagy in tumor biology, it may serve as a potential target for future anti-tumor therapeutic interventions. In this study, we have provided the distinctive features of ferritinophagy and its distinctions from ferroptosis. Moreover, we have briefly examined the fundamental regulatory mechanisms of ferritinophagy, encompassing the involvement of the specific receptor NCOA4, the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and other pathways. Subsequently, we have synthesized the current understanding of the impact of ferritinophagy on cancer progression and its potential therapeutic applications, with a particular emphasis on the utilization of chemotherapy, nanomaterials, and immunotherapy to target the ferritinophagy pathway for anti-tumor purposes.
CB2 regulates oxidative stress and osteoclastogenesis through NOX1-dependent signaling pathway in titanium particle-induced osteolysis
Authors: Tao Huaqiang , Li Xueyan , Chu Miao , Wang Qiufei , Li Ping , Han Qibin , Chen Kai , Zhu Pengfei , Hao Yuefeng , Yang Xing , Geng Dechun , Gu Ye
Published: December 2023

Periprosthetic osteolysis (PPO) induced by wear particles at the interface between the prosthesis and bone is a crucial issue of periprosthetic bone loss and implant failure. After wear and tear, granular material accumulates around the joint prosthesis, causing a chronic inflammatory response, progressive osteoclast activation and eventual loosening of the prosthesis. Although many studies have been conducted to address bone loss after joint replacement surgeries, they have not fully addressed these issues. Focusing on osteoclast activation induced by particles has important theoretical implications. Cannabinoid type II receptor (CB2) is a seven-transmembrane receptor that is predominantly distributed in the human immune system and has been revealed to be highly expressed in bone-associated cells. Previous studies have shown that modulation of CB2 has a positive effect on bone metabolism. However, the exact mechanism has not yet been elucidated. In our experiments, we found that NOX1-mediated ROS accumulation was involved in titanium particle-stimulated osteoclast differentiation. Furthermore, we confirmed that CB2 blockade alleviated titanium particle-stimulated osteoclast activation by inhibiting the NOX1-mediated oxidative stress pathway. In animal experiments, downregulation of CB2 alleviated the occurrence of titanium particle-induced cranial osteolysis by inhibiting osteoclasts and scavenging intracellular ROS. Collectively, our results suggest that CB2 blockade may be an attractive and promising therapeutic scheme for particle-stimulated osteoclast differentiation and preventing PPO.
Fast and scalable production of crosslinked polyimide aerogel fibers for ultrathin thermoregulating clothes
Authors: Xue Tiantian , Zhu Chenyu , Yu Dingyi , Zhang Xu , Lai Feili , Zhang Longsheng , Zhang Chao , Fan Wei , Liu Tianxi
Published: December 2023

Polyimide aerogel fibers hold promise for intelligent thermal management fabrics, but their scalable production faces challenges due to the sluggish gelation kinetics and the weak backbone strength. Herein, a strategy is developed for fast and scalable fabrication of crosslinked polyimide (CPI) aerogel fibers by wet-spinning and ambient pressure drying via UV-enhanced dynamic gelation strategy. This strategy enables fast sol-gel transition of photosensitive polyimide, resulting in a strongly-crosslinked gel skeleton that effectively maintains the fiber shape and porous nanostructure. Continuous production of CPI aerogel fibers (length of hundreds of meters) with high specific modulus (390.9 kN m kg−1) can be achieved within 7 h, more efficiently than previous methods (>48 h). Moreover, the CPI aerogel fabric demonstrates almost the same thermal insulating performance as down, but is about 1/8 the thickness of down. The strategy opens a promisingly wide-space for fast and scalable fabrication of ultrathin fabrics for personal thermal management.
Genomic and epigenomic integrative subtypes of renal cell carcinoma in a Japanese cohort
Authors: Fukagawa Akihiko , Hama Natsuko , Totoki Yasushi , Nakamura Hiromi , Arai Yasuhito , Saito-Adachi Mihoko , Maeshima Akiko , Matsui Yoshiyuki , Yachida Shinichi , Ushiku Tetsuo , Shibata Tatsuhiro
Published: December 2023

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) comprises several histological types characterised by different genomic and epigenomic aberrations; however, the molecular pathogenesis of each type still requires further exploration. We perform whole-genome sequencing of 128 Japanese RCC cases of different histology to elucidate the significant somatic alterations and mutagenesis processes. We also perform transcriptomic and epigenomic sequencing to identify distinguishing features, including assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) and methyl sequencing. Genomic analysis reveals that the mutational signature differs among the histological types, suggesting that different carcinogenic factors drive each histology. From the ATAC-seq results, master transcription factors are identified for each histology. Furthermore, clear cell RCC is classified into three epi-subtypes, one of which expresses highly immune checkpoint molecules with frequent loss of chromosome 14q. These genomic and epigenomic features may lead to the development of effective therapeutic strategies for RCC.
Interaction of in-plane Drude carrier with c-axis phonon in PdCoO2
Authors: Seo Dongmin , Ahn Gihyeon , Rimal Gaurab , Khim Seunghyun , Chung Suk Bum , Mackenzie A. P. , Oh Seongshik , Moon S. J. , Choi Eunjip
Published: December 2023

We performed polarized reflection and transmission measurements on the layered conducting oxide PdCoO2thin films. For theab-plane, an optical peak near Ω ≈ 750 cm−1drives the scattering rate 1/τ(ω) and effective massm*(ω) of the Drude carrier to increase and decrease respectively forω ≧ Ω. For thec-axis, a longitudinal optical phonon (LO) is present at Ω as evidenced by a peak in the loss function Im[−1/εc(ω)]. Further polarized measurements in different light propagation (q) and electric field (E) configurations indicate that the Peak at Ω results from an electron-phonon coupling of theab-plane carrier with thec-LO phonon, which leads to the frequency-dependent 1/τ(ω) andm*(ω). This unusual interaction was previously reported in high-temperature superconductors (HTSC) between a non-Drude, mid-infrared (IR) band and ac-LO. On the contrary, it is the Drude carrier that couples in PdCoO2. The coupling between theab-plane Drude carrier andc-LO suggests that thec-LO phonon may play a significant role in the characteristicab-plane electronic properties of PdCoO2, including the ultra-high dc-conductivity, phonon-drag, and hydrodynamic electron transport.
Hall anomalies of the doped Mott insulator
Authors: Khait Ilia , Bhattacharyya Sauri , Samanta Abhisek , Auerbach Assa
Published: December 2023

The Hall coefficient of the strongly interacting square lattice Hubbard model is calculated for temperatures between the antiferromagnetic interaction and the Mott gap scales. The leading order thermodynamic formula is evaluated for all doping concentrations. Second-order corrections of the thermodynamic formula are calculated and found to be negligible. The Hall coefficient diverges toward the Mott insulator. Below 45% doping the Hall sign is reversed relative to band structure-based Boltzmann’s equation. These results elucidate the effects of the Mott insulator on the charge carriers and their non-Fermi liquid transport.
Learning and navigating digitally rendered haptic spatial layouts
Authors: Tivadar Ruxandra I. , Franceschiello Benedetta , Minier Astrid , Murray Micah M.
Published: December 2023

Learning spatial layouts and navigating through them rely not simply on sight but rather on multisensory processes, including touch. Digital haptics based on ultrasounds are effective for creating and manipulating mental images of individual objects in sighted and visually impaired participants. Here, we tested if this extends to scenes and navigation within them. Using only tactile stimuli conveyed via ultrasonic feedback on a digital touchscreen (i.e., a digital interactive map), 25 sighted, blindfolded participants first learned the basic layout of an apartment based on digital haptics only and then one of two trajectories through it. While still blindfolded, participants successfully reconstructed the haptically learned 2D spaces and navigated these spaces. Digital haptics were thus an effective means to learn and translate, on the one hand, 2D images into 3D reconstructions of layouts and, on the other hand, navigate actions within real spaces. Digital haptics based on ultrasounds represent an alternative learning tool for complex scenes as well as for successful navigation in previously unfamiliar layouts, which can likely be further applied in the rehabilitation of spatial functions and mitigation of visual impairments.
Subunit nanovaccine elicited T cell functional activation controls Trypanosoma cruzi mediated maternal and placental tissue damage and improves pregnancy outcomes in mice
Authors: Rios Lizette Elaine , Lokugamage Nandadeva , Choudhuri Subhadip , Chowdhury Imran Hussain , Garg Nisha Jain
Published: December 2023

This study investigated a candidate vaccine effect against maternal Trypanosoma cruzi (Tc) infection and improved pregnancy outcomes. For this, TcG2 and TcG4 were cloned in a nanoplasmid optimized for delivery, antigen expression, and regulatory compliance (nano2/4 vaccine). Female C57BL/6 mice were immunized with nano2/4, infected (Tc SylvioX10), and mated 7-days post-infection to enable fetal development during the maternal acute parasitemia phase. Females were euthanized at E12–E17 (gestation) days. Splenic and placental T-cell responses were monitored by flow cytometry. Maternal and placental/fetal tissues were examined for parasites by qPCR and inflammatory infiltrate by histology. Controls included age/immunization-matched non-pregnant females. Nano2/4 exhibited no toxicity and elicited protective IgG2a/IgG1 response in mice. Nano2/4 signaled a splenic expansion of functionally active CD4+ effector/effector memory (Tem) and central memory (Tcm) cells in pregnant mice. Upon challenge infection, nano2/4 increased the splenic CD4+ and CD8+T cells in all mice and increased the proliferation of CD4+Tem, CD4+Tcm, and CD8+Tcm subsets producing IFNγ and cytolytic molecules (PRF1, GZB) in pregnant mice. A balanced serum cytokines/chemokines response and placental immune characteristics indicated that pregnancy prevented the overwhelming damaging immune response in mice. Importantly, pregnancy itself resulted in a significant reduction of parasites in maternal and fetal tissues. Nano2/4 was effective in arresting the Tc-induced tissue inflammatory infiltrate, necrosis, and fibrosis in maternal and placental tissues and improving maternal fertility, placental efficiency, and fetal survival. In conclusion, we show that maternal nano2/4 vaccination is beneficial in controlling the adverse effects of Tc infection on maternal health, fetal survival, and pregnancy outcomes.
Natto consumption suppresses atherosclerotic plaque progression in LDL receptor-deficient mice transplanted with iRFP-expressing hematopoietic cells
Authors: Kawamata Takeshi , Wakimoto Arata , Nishikawa Takanobu , Ikezawa Masaya , Hamada Michito , Inoue Yuri , Kulathunga Kaushalya , Salim Filiani Natalia , Kanai Maho , Nishino Teppei , Gentleman Kyle , Liu Chang , Mathis Bryan J. , Obana Nozomu , Fukuda Shinji , Takahashi Satoru , Taya Yuki , Sakai Satoshi , Hiramatsu Yuji
Published: December 2023

Natto, known for its high vitamin K content, has been demonstrated to suppress atherosclerosis in large-scale clinical trials through a yet-unknown mechanism. In this study, we used a previously reported mouse model, transplanting the bone marrow of mice expressing infra-red fluorescent protein (iRFP) into LDLR-deficient mice, allowing unique and non-invasive observation of foam cells expressing iRFP in atherosclerotic lesions. Using 3 natto strains, we meticulously examined the effects of varying vitamin K levels on atherosclerosis in these mice. Notably, high vitamin K natto significantly reduced aortic staining and iRFP fluorescence, indicative of decreased atherosclerosis. Furthermore, mice administered natto showed changes in gut microbiota, including an increase in natto bacteria within the cecum, and a significant reduction in serum CCL2 expression. In experiments with LPS-stimulated macrophages, adding natto decreased CCL2 expression and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 expression. This suggests that natto inhibits atherosclerosis through suppression of intestinal inflammation and reduced CCL2 expression in macrophages.
A multi-task learning model for predicting drugs combination synergy by analyzing drug–drug interactions and integrated multi-view graph data
Authors: Monem Samar , Hassanien Aboul Ella , Abdel-Hamid Alaa H.
Published: December 2023

This paper proposes a multi-task deep learning model for determining drug combination synergistic by simultaneously output synergy scores and synergy class labels. Initially, the two drugs are represented using a Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry (SMILE) system. Chemical structural features of the drugs are extracted from the SMILE using the RedKit package. Additionally, an improved Multi-view representation is proposed to extract graph-based drug features. Furthermore, the cancer cell line is represented by gene expression. Then, a three fully connected layers are learned to extract cancer cell line features. To investigate the impact of drug interactions on cell lines, the drug interaction features are extracted from a pretrained drugs interaction network and fed into an attention mechanism along with the cancer cell line features, resulting in the output of affected cancer cell line features. Subsequently, the drug and cell line features are concatenated and fed into an attention mechanism, which produces a two-feature representation for the two predicted tasks. The relationship between the two tasks is learned using the cross-stitch algorithm. Finally, each task feature is inputted into a fully connected subnetwork to predict the synergy score and synergy label. The proposed model ‘MutliSyn’ is evaluated using the O'Neil cancer dataset, comprising 38 unique drugs combined to form 22,737 drug combination pairs, tested on 39 cancer cell lines. For the synergy score, the model achieves a mean square error (MSE) of 219.14, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 14.75, and a Pearson score of 0.76. Regarding the synergy class label, the model achieves an area under the ROC curve (ROC-AUC) of 0.95, an area under the precision-recall curve (PR-AUC) of 0.85, precision of 0.93, kappa of 0.61, and accuracy of 0.90.
Chia seeds oil ameliorate chronic immobilization stress-induced neurodisturbance in rat brains via activation of the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory/antiapoptotic signaling pathways
Authors: Khalifa Norhan E. , Noreldin Ahmed E. , Khafaga Asmaa F. , El-Beskawy Mohamed , Khalifa Eman , El-Far Ali H. , Fayed Abdel-Hasseb A. , Zakaria Abdeldayem
Published: December 2023

Chronic immobilization stress plays a key role in several neuropsychiatric disorders. This investigation assessed the possible ameliorative effect of chia seed oil (CSO) against the neurodisturbance-induced in rats by chronic immobilization. Rats were randomly allocated into control, CSO (1 ml/kg b.wt./orally), restrained (6 h/day), CSO pre-restraint, and CSO post-restraint for 60 days. Results revealed a significant reduction in serum corticosterone level, gene expression of corticotrophin-releasing factor, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative biomarkers in restrained rats treated with CSO. The histopathological findings revealed restoring necrosis and neuronal loss in CSO-treated-restraint rats. The immunohistochemical evaluation revealed a significant reduction in the immuno-expression of caspase-3, nuclear factor kappa B, interleukin-6, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and an elevation of calbindin-28k and synaptophysin expression compared to non-treated restraint rats. The molecular docking showed the CSO high affinity for several target proteins, including caspase-3, COX-2, corticotropin-releasing hormone binding protein, corticotropin-releasing factor receptors 1 and 2, interleukin-1 receptor types 1 and 2, interleukin-6 receptor subunits alpha and beta. In conclusion, CSO emerges as a promising candidate against stress-induced brain disruptions by suppressing inflammatory/oxidative/apoptotic signaling pathways due to its numerous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components, mainly α-linolenic acid. Future studies are necessary to evaluate the CSO therapeutic impacts in human neurodisturbances.
Arctic and Antarctic forcing of ocean interior warming during the last deglaciation
Authors: Stewart Joseph A. , Robinson Laura F. , Rae James W. B. , Burke Andrea , Chen Tianyu , Li Tao , de Carvalho Ferreira Maria Luiza , Fornari Daniel J.
Published: December 2023

Subsurface water masses formed at high latitudes impact the latitudinal distribution of heat in the ocean. Yet uncertainty surrounding the timing of low-latitude warming during the last deglaciation (18–10 ka) means that controls on sub-surface temperature rise remain unclear. Here we present seawater temperature records on a precise common age-scale from East Equatorial Pacific (EEP), Equatorial Atlantic, and Southern Ocean intermediate waters using new Li/Mg records from cold water corals. We find coeval warming in the tropical EEP and Atlantic during Heinrich Stadial 1 (+ 6 °C) that closely resemble warming recorded in Antarctic ice cores, with more modest warming of the Southern Ocean (+ 3 °C). The magnitude and depth of low-latitude ocean warming implies that downward accumulation of heat following Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) slowdown played a key role in heating the ocean interior, with heat advection from southern-sourced intermediate waters playing an additional role.