bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient perspectives about treatment preferences for obesity with complications
Authors: Craig Hilary C. , Alsaeed Dalal , Norris Suzanne , Holian John , Kennedy Cormac , Feldman Alix , Le Roux Carel
Published: October 2023

Objective

Obesity and many of its comorbidities can be improved by nutritional therapy, lifestyle modification, pharmacotherapy, and surgical intervention. Relatively little is known about patients' preferences for the range of obesity treatments. The present study was undertaken to identify factors that may influence these preferences. By evaluating patient‐preferred treatment options and factors influencing patients, treatment adherence and efficacy may be improved. Our objective was to identify factors that influence patient preferences and subsequent choice of obesity treatment among those seeking treatment for obesity‐related complications.

Methods

Participatory action research, using purposeful sampling, was used to recruit 33 patients with obesity complications. Recruitment took place in specialist clinics for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. Sixteen males and 17 females aged 18–70 years with a BMI>35 kg/m2 were recruited. Prior to the interview, participants watched a 60‐min video explaining nutritional therapies, pharmacotherapies, and surgical therapies in equipoise. Data were collected in one‐to‐one semi‐structured interviews using zoom or the telephone; reflective thematic analysis was used.

Results

Four themes emerged: 1) structural factors, 2) autonomy, 3) interaction with formal care, and 4) the emotional and physical consequences of obesity. 39% of participants preferred nutritional therapy with support from medical professionals. 27% chose bariatric surgery. 24% chose pharmacotherapy alone, while 6% chose pharmacotherapy combined with nutritional therapy, 3% of participants wanted no intervention.

Conclusion

The challenges can be addressed by increasing support for healthcare professionals toward enhancing both their knowledge and the health literacy of patients. Future research should focus on improving access to treatment pathways for patients as well as developing health literacy programs and educational programs for healthcare professionals.
Current practice of cancer predisposition testing in pediatric patients with CNS tumors in the United States
Authors: Roy Baylee , Knapke Sara , Pillay‐Smiley Natasha , Zhang Xue , Queen Kate , Sisson Rebecca
Published: October 2023

An estimated 8.6% of all pediatric patients with central nervous system tumors (CNSTs) have underlying hereditary cancer predisposition (HCP). Identifying HCP affects risk assessment and medical management options for the patients and their family members. However, there is a lack of consensus on the optimal germline genetic testing (GT) approach for pediatric patients with CNSTs. As a first step in addressing the need for consensus, we surveyed oncology and genetics providers from 47 institutions in professional organizations across the United States. We investigated their current practice (e.g., GT decisions and ordering practices) when assessing pediatric patients with CNSTs for HCP. We received 60 responses from 21 pediatric oncologists, 10 neuro‐oncologists, 28 genetics providers, and one neuro‐oncologist/geneticist. Results demonstrate genetic counselors, followed by oncologists, most often facilitated consent, ordered testing, and selected which test to order. The most ordered test was a multi‐gene panel (60%). Of 18 CNST diagnoses, choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) was the diagnosis for which most providers (78%) reported they would offer GT. For medulloblastoma, 56% overall reported they would offer GT (64% of genetics providers, 62% of neuro‐oncologists, 20% of pediatric oncologists; p = .050). Findings suggest that even for the CNSTs most commonly known to be associated with HCP regardless of family history, there was variability in providers’ decisions to offer GT. The lack of consensus in GT decisions in our study indicates inconsistencies in the genetics care of pediatric patients with CNSTs, demonstrating a need for consensus guidelines to promote consistent genetics care.
Isospecific polymerization of sterically bulky α‐olefins catalyzed by zirconium(IV) complex possessing an [OSSO]‐type bis(phenolate) ligand
Authors: Ueda Nagisa , Maeda Kakeru , Ishii Akihiko , Nakata Norio
Published: October 2023

Dibenzyl zirconium(IV) complex (1), featuring an [OSSO]‐type bis(phenolate) ligand, served as a highly efficient pre‐catalyst for the polymerization of sterically bulky α‐olefins, such as vinyl cyclohexane (VCH) and 3‐methyl‐1‐butene (3‐MB). Upon activation with dried modified‐methylaluminoxane (dMMAO), the polymerization of VCH proceeded smoothly at 25°C to yield exclusively isotactic poly(VCH)s ([mm] >95%, Mw = 6500–19,400 g mol−1, PDI = 1.4), exhibiting good activity up to 924 g mmol(1)−1 h−1. The 1/dMMAO catalyst system also facilitated the polymerization of 3‐MB, producing colorless insoluble poly(3‐MB)s. DSC, TGA, and 13C CP‐MAS analyses showed the presence of highly isotactic microstructures in the resulting poly(3‐MB)s. Remarkably, the corresponding activity reached an impressive value of 898 g mmol(1)−1 h−1, surpassing that of previously reported homogeneous catalysts.
Cold plasma‐induced N, Cu‐doping on carbon paper for high‐active catalytic electrode preparation
Authors: Yue Xufeng , Xiang Hongyu , Zhang Peng , Shu Song , Zhao Yingxin , Zhang Jiacheng , Liu Jinwei , Yu Deping
Published: October 2023

Carbon paper is commonly used for catalytic electrode preparation because of its high conductivity, corrosion resistance, and stability. However, traditional electrode preparation methods are inappropriate for highly hydrophobic carbon paper. In this paper, a high‐activity carbon paper catalytic electrode was prepared using multistrategies cold plasma modification to create atomic structural defects, dope N and Cu elements, and introduce oxygen‐containing functional groups. Analyses show that the bombardment of high‐energy particles caused atomic structural defects. Nitrogen and copper entered the carbon paper through plasma‐induced chemical recombination and physical adsorption, reaching 5.26% and 3.83%, respectively. Ethanol‐based plasma introduced oxygen‐containing functional groups to improve hydrophilicity. Finally, the plasma‐prepared electrode exhibited a reduction efficiency of 87.69% in an electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction.
Exploring novel HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors with drug‐resistant mutants: A double mutant surprise
Authors: Hollander Klarissa , Chan Albert H. , Frey Kathleen M. , Hunker Olivia , Ippolito Joseph A. , Spasov Krasimir A. , Yeh Yang‐Hui J. , Jorgensen William L. , Ho Ya‐Chi , Anderson Karen S.
Published: October 2023

HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase (RT) remains a key target for HIV drug development. As successful management of the disease requires lifelong treatment, the emergence of resistance mutations is inevitable, making development of new RT inhibitors, which remain effective against resistant variants crucial. To this end, previous computationally guided drug design efforts have resulted in catechol diether compounds, which inhibit wildtype RT with picomolar affinities and appear to be promising preclinical candidates. To confirm that these compounds remain potent against Y181C, a widespread mutation conferring resistance to first generation inhibitors, they were screened against the HIV‐1 N119 clinical isolate, reported as a Y181C single mutant. In comparison to a molecular clone with the same mutation, N119 appears less susceptible to inhibition by our preclinical candidate compounds. A more detailed sequencing effort determined that N119 was misidentified and carries V106A in combination with Y181C. While both indolizine and naphthalene substituted catechol diethers are potent against the classical Y181C single mutant, the addition of V106A confers more resistance against the indolizine derivatives than the naphthalene derivatives. Crystal structures presented in this study highlight key features of the naphthyl group, which allow these compounds to remain potent in the double mutant, including stronger interactions with F227 and less reliance on V106 for stabilization of the ethoxy‐uracil ring, which makes critical hydrogen bonds with other residues in the binding pocket.
The impact of AI‐based modeling on the accuracy of protein assembly prediction: Insights from CASP15
Authors: Ozden Burcu , Kryshtafovych Andriy , Karaca Ezgi
Published: October 2023

In CASP15, 87 predictors submitted around 11 000 models on 41 assembly targets. The community demonstrated exceptional performance in overall fold and interface contact predictions, achieving an impressive success rate of 90% (compared to 31% in CASP14). This remarkable accomplishment is largely due to the incorporation of DeepMind's AF2‐Multimer approach into custom‐built prediction pipelines. To evaluate the added value of participating methods, we compared the community models to the baseline AF2‐Multimer predictor. In over 1/3 of cases, the community models were superior to the baseline predictor. The main reasons for this improved performance were the use of custom‐built multiple sequence alignments, optimized AF2‐Multimer sampling, and the manual assembly of AF2‐Multimer‐built subcomplexes. The best three groups, in order, are Zheng, Venclovas, and Wallner. Zheng and Venclovas reached a 73.2% success rate over all (41) cases, while Wallner attained 69.4% success rate over 36 cases. Nonetheless, challenges remain in predicting structures with weak evolutionary signals, such as nanobody–antigen, antibody–antigen, and viral complexes. Expectedly, modeling large complexes also remains challenging due to their high memory compute demands. In addition to the assembly category, we assessed the accuracy of modeling interdomain interfaces in the tertiary structure prediction targets. Models on seven targets featuring 17 unique interfaces were analyzed. Best predictors achieved a 76.5% success rate, with the UM‐TBM group being the leader. In the interdomain category, we observed that the predictors faced challenges, as in the case of the assembly category, when the evolutionary signal for a given domain pair was weak or the structure was large. Overall, CASP15 witnessed unprecedented improvement in interface modeling, reflecting the AI revolution seen in CASP14.
Assessment of the assessment—All about complexes
Authors: Studer Gabriel , Tauriello Gerardo , Schwede Torsten
Published: October 2023

Predicting model quality is a fundamental component of any modeling procedure, and blind assessment of these methods constitutes a crucial aspect of the Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction (CASP) experiment. Historically, the main focus was on assessing methods that predict global and per‐residue accuracies in tertiary structure models. This focus shifted with the community's increased efforts in modeling complexes and assemblies. We asked the community to process the models from the CASP15 assembly category and provide estimates of the accuracy of the predicted quaternary structure, both globally and at the local interface level. Besides identifying remarkable accuracy of modeling groups in assessing their own predictions, we set up a benchmarking pipeline to highlight different aspects of quaternary structure models and introduced a simple consensus EMA method as baseline. While participating methods showed commendable performance, the baseline was difficult to surpass. It is important to point out that prediction performance varies for the individual CASP targets, highlighting potential areas of improvement and challenges ahead.
Towards the ‘rationality–emotion nexus’ for approaching international student mobility: An ethnography of African student migrants at a Chinese university
Authors: Wu Daisy Binfang , Hou Song
Published: October 2023

This paper examines how student motivations to study abroad are shaped by what might be called the ‘rationality–emotion nexus’. Drawing from 15 months of ethnographic engagement at a Chinese university, we show how rational factors (e.g., pursuit of financial resources) interact with emotional forces (e.g., love for family members) in dynamic and diverse ways to shape the pathways of African student migrants to higher education overseas. More specifically, we identify three distinct dynamics in the nexus: (i) rationality is entangled with emotions; (ii) rationality parallels emotions; and (iii) rationality and emotions transform each other. By foregrounding this nexus, the present study offers a critical intervention into international student mobility/migration studies as it develops ‘an integrative approach’ that transcends either a widely established rational framework of capital conversion or the emerging emotional geographies of transnational education migration.
Interaction of ancestry and agency: Challenges, constraints and options for second‐generation Albanian youth relocating from Greece
Authors: Michail Domna , King Russell
Published: October 2023

The Greek economic crisis resulted in tens of thousands of Albanian migrants returning to their home country. Amongst the returnees were many second‐generation children of the immigrants, who either returned with their families or relocated as individuals, leaving family members in Greece. Since the second generation were brought up in Greece they are not true returnees; we call their movement ‘relocation’ rather than return. Based on in‐depth interviews with 158 second‐generation ‘relocatees’ aged 18–35, we ask: How are the second generation's future aspirations in the ancestral homeland shaped by family bonds, sociocultural factors and employment and business options there? Among the themes that emerge from our analysis are issues of agency, youth mobility, economic survival, hybrid and dual identities, and feelings of belonging. In their (re)integration, relocatees face both economic and emotional challenges. Our key finding is that, despite the need to escape unemployment and loss of livelihood in Greece, the young‐adult second generation struggles to settle in Albania, above all due to what they see as the challenging sociocultural and infrastructural environment. Women, especially, bemoan the loss of freedom that they enjoyed in Greece. Most relocatees want to go back to Greece when the economic situation there improves.
A multistate platform model for time‐to‐event endpoints in oncology clinical trials
Authors: Lin Chih‐Wei , Nagase Mario , Doshi Sameer , Dutta Sandeep
Published: October 2023

A multistate platform model was developed to describe time‐to‐event (TTE) endpoints in an oncology trial through the following states: initial, tumor response (TR), progressive disease (PD), overall survival (OS) event (death), censor to the last evaluable tumor assessment (progression‐free survival [PFS] censor), and censor to study end (OS censor), using an ordinary differential equation framework. Two types of piecewise functions were used to describe the hazards for different events. Piecewise surge functions were used for events that require tumor assessments at the scheduled study visit times (TR, PD, and PFS censor). Piecewise constant functions were used to describe hazards for events that occur evenly throughout the study (OS event and OS censor). The multistate TTE model was applied to describe TTE endpoints from a published phase III study. The piecewise surge functions well‐described the observed surges of hazards/events for TR, PD, PFS, and OS occurring near scheduled tumor assessments and showed good agreement with all Kaplan‐Meier curves. With the flexibility of piecewise hazard functions, the model was able to evaluate covariate effects in a time‐variant fashion to better understand the temporal patterns of disease prognosis through different disease states. This model can be applied to advance the field of oncology trial design and optimization by: (1) enabling robust estimations of baseline hazards and covariate effects for multiple TTE endpoints, (2) providing a platform model for understanding the composition and correlations between different TTE endpoints, and (3) facilitating oncology trial design optimization through clinical trial simulations.
Cool semi‐arid cropping treatments alter Avena fatua's performance and competitive intensity
Authors: Larson Christian D. , Wong Mei Ling , Carr Patrick M. , Seipel Timothy
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Multiple herbicide‐resistant Avena fatua L. is common in the Northern Great Plains, USA. This prevalence and the ecological impacts of tillage in this semi‐arid agricultural region have created a need for integrated weed management, with a specific knowledge gap in using annual forage crops and targeted grazing for A. fatua suppression.

Materials and Methods

A 2‐year study in central Montana, USA, assessed A. fatua performance (aboveground biomass, stem density and seed production) in response to seven cropping treatments: (1–4) tall and short spring wheat cultivars crossed with high and low seeding rates, (5–6) annual forage mixture terminated using sheep grazing and simulated haying and (7) tilled fallow. Avena fatua's competitive intensity in wheat and the annual forage mixture was determined using a relative competition intensity index.

Results

Avena fatua performance was lowest in tilled fallow, although stem density and seed production did not differ from the grazed annual forage treatment. Response variables were lower in the forage treatments compared with the wheat treatments, and there were no differences among the four fully crossed wheat treatments. Separate analysis of the wheat treatments indicated lower A. fatua biomass and stem density when wheat was sown at a higher rate with no impact of wheat height. Avena fatua competition impacted wheat and forage crops but was more intense for wheat.

Conclusion

Tillage was the most effective treatment at reducing A. fatua performance, but annual forage mixtures can be used to resist A. fatua invasion (reduced A. fatua competitive intensity) and limit its performance after invasion. We conclude that crop sequences that combine higher cash crop (wheat) seeding rates and competitive annual forage mixtures may be utilized to manage A. fatua invaded systems, thereby reducing heavy reliance on tillage in the US Northern Great Plains and similar semi‐arid regions.
Capacity Retention Through a Separator Coated with Bifunctional Ferroelectric Nanoparticles and Modified Cathodes for Li−S Batteries
Authors: Katiyar Rajesh K. , Zuluaga Gomez Claudia C. , Katiyar Swati , Tripathi Balram , Morell Gerardo , Weiner Brad R. , Katiyar Ram S.
Published: October 2023

Gadolinium (Gd) and Nickel (Ni) doped bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) nanoparticles Bi0.925Gd.075Fe0.95Ni0.05O3 (BGFNO) with spontaneous polarization (2.5 μC/cm2) were mechano‐chemically synthesized and used to achieve high capacity retention in lithium sulfur (Li−S) batteries. The BGFNO particles were coupled with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)/sulfur (S) composite cathodes as well as coated on separator. The X‐ray diffraction of BGFNO@S/SWCNT cathodes show an orthorhombic structure with particle size distribution of 20–26 nm, while Raman spectra substantiate efficient coupling of BGFNO with S/SWCNT cathodes, in agreement with SEM images, showing the interconnected network of composites. The specific discharge capacity of S60BGFNO30SWCNT10 composite cathode @ 200 mA/g together with BGFNO coated separator gains maximum capacity up to 1611 mAh/g and retains up to 1294 mAh/g after 50th cycle with improved capacity retention of 80 % showing suppression of polysulfides formation. The coated separator controls transport of carrier ions and side reactions, however modified cathodes with BGFNO particles acts as trapping center for polysulfides to enhance the electrochemical performance of the cells. The Coulombic efficiency(CE) for BGFNO/S/SWCNT composites @ 100 mA/g attained >98 % and CE @ 200 mA/g it is attained > 80 to 90 % compared to S/SWCNT composites in terms of improved cycle stability and reaction kinetics.
Facile Synthesis of Graphitic Fungal Carbon Dots for Sensing of Food Adulterants and “Bio‐Imaging” of Human Kidney Cell Line
Authors: Kumari Puja , Pratap Ravi , Gautam Veer S. , Das Megha , Hassan Nurul , Lahiri Jayeeta , Mishra Archana , Yadav Sanjeev K. , Kharwar Ravindra N. , Parmar Avanish S.
Published: October 2023

In the current study, a simple and environmentally friendly hydrothermal treatment of fungal biomass for the preparation of carbon nanodots (CND) has been reported. The optical and structural characteristics of the CND have been thoroughly investigated using X‐ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV‐Visible, and fluorescence spectroscopy methods. Elemental analyses and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) have been used to highlight the surface functionality and composition of the CND.CND have been employed as a fluorescence probe for sensitive and selective detection of rhodamine B (Rh−B) and malachite green (MG) because the presence of food adulterants quenches the fluorescence of the CND. Finally, human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cell lines have been used to assess the biocompatibility and bio‐imaging features of CND. Fluorescence microscopy has been used for qualitative examination of the cellular uptake of CND, while the MTT test has been used for quantitative analysis of the cell‐type‐dependent uptake of CND. The article further investigates the sensing of food adulterants. Therefore, we have validated the practicality of CND obtained from the new carbon source for versatile applications.
Green Synthesis and Theoretical Study of New Imidazopyrimidine Derivatives via One‐Pot Multicomponent Reactions
Authors: Ezzatzadeh Elham , Mohammadi Marziyeh , Hossaini Zinatossadat , Khandan Samira
Published: October 2023

Ag/Fe3O4/SiO2@MWCNTs MNCs magnetic nanocomposites as an effective catalyst was employed for generating of imidazopyrimidine derivatives in high yields. The structure of synthesized nanoatalyst was confirmed by SEM, XRD, TEM, VSM, EDX and XPS analysis. These new compounds were synthesized by using multicomponent reaction of cyclic guanidine derivatives, electron deficient acetylenic compounds, tert‐butyl isocyanide, ethyl bromopyruvate and synthesized nanocatalyst in aqueous media at room temperature. It should be mentioned that the high performance of nanocatalyat was synthesized by using water extract of Petasits hybridus leaves, which was utilized in these reactions for many times to confirm the reusability of nanocatalyst. The antioxidant property of new synthesized imidazopyrimidine was evaluated by two procedures and compound 5 b have the high property relative to other compounds. Also, the antimicrobial activity of new generated imidazopyrimidine was evaluated by disk distribution process utilizing two kinds of Gram‐negative bacteria and Gram‐positive bacteria; proving bacterial growth was stopped by using of these compounds. Also, to better understanding reaction mechanism density functional theory (DFT) based quantum chemical methods have been applied. Applied to the preparation of imidazopyrimidine derivatives, this method has short reaction times, high product yields, and the ability to separate catalyst and product using simple procedures.
Recent Advances on the Utilization of TiO2‐Based Catalysts in the Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Methane
Authors: Mutiara Siska , Saputera Wibawa Hendra , Devianto Hary , Sasongko Dwiwahju
Published: October 2023

Addressing the escalating concerns over increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and their detrimental effect on the environment has become global attention. One promising alternative to tackle this issue involves utilizing photocatalytic technology to convert CO2 into more valuable chemicals, with methane (CH4) being a notable targeted product. This article presents a comprehensive review of the exploration of TiO2‐based photocatalysts by researchers worldwide for such applications. The initial discussion revolves around fundamental aspects, including the basic principles, thermodynamics, kinetics, and reaction mechanisms involved in the process. Additionally, to enhance the efficiency of these aspects, support from other factors is necessary, including the physicochemical properties of the photocatalyst through various catalyst synthesis methods (such as sol‐gel, precipitation, hydrothermal, and solvothermal) as well as employing catalyst modification techniques (such as doping, heterojunction, and surface modifications). Furthermore, the review delves into an examination of parameters that influence the photocatalytic CO2 reduction to methane process, as they directly impact the yield and selectivity of the desired product. Ultimately, the existing challenges and potential research opportunities that could provide comprehensive solutions for the applications of photocatalytic technology for converting CO2 to CH4 as a whole are elaborated in this review.
Molecular Diversity of Base Promoted Annulation of MBH Carbonates of Isatins and Dialkyl But‐2‐ynedioates
Authors: Tang Ting , Liu Xue‐Yan , Sun Jing , Yan Chao‐Guo
Published: October 2023

DABCO promoted one‐pot three‐component reaction of aromatic amines, dialkyl but‐2‐ynedioates and MBH nitriles of isatins selectively afforded two diastereomeric spiro[indoline‐3,4′‐pyridines] in comparable yields. On the other hand, DABCO promoted cyclization of dialkyl but‐2‐ynedioates and MBH carbonates of isatins in DCM at room temperature gave spiro[cyclopentane‐1,3′‐indoline] derivatives, while the reaction of dialkyl but‐2‐ynedioates and MBH nitriles of isatins in chloroform at 70 °C resulted in unique cyclopenta[c]quinolone derivatives with ring‐opening of isatin moiety. A plausible reaction mechanism was rationally proposed to explain formation of the different products.
In Situ Constructing of Rigid‐Soft Coupling Solid–Electrolyte Interphase on Silicon Electrode toward High‐Performance Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Zhenxiao , Hu Tingjie , Yang Juan , Yu Xia , Su Fanyun , Bai Qixian , Ma Yayun , Song Yanchun , Jia Ming , Zhou Xiangyang , Tang Jingjing
Published: October 2023

The application of Si anodes is hindered by some critical issues such as large volume changes of bare Si and fragile solid–electrolyte interface (SEI), resulting in low coulombic efficiency and rapid capacity decay. Herein, a multifunctional SEI film with high content of LiF is in situ constructed via the surface grafting of carbon–fluorine functionalized groups on silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) during cycling. Mechanical study demonstrates that the incorporation of LiF with high modulus and unbroken carbon–fluorine groups with highly elastic guarantee the rigid‐soft coupling SEI film on Si electrode. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the rigid‐soft coupling SEI film can effectively accommodate the volume expansion of Si nanoparticles during lithiation process, with the electrode expanding rate of only 114.16% after 100 cycles (263.87% for bare Si without surface modification). Afterward, with the aid of well‐designed rigid‐soft coupling SEI, the initial Coulomb efficiency of 89.8% is achieved, showing a reversible capacity of 1477 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 1.2 A g−1. This work provides a simple and efficient solution that can potentially facilitate the practical application of Si anodes.
Ubiquitin‐specific peptidase 10 attenuates the ferroptosis to promote thyroid cancer malignancy by facilitating GPX4 via elevating SIRT6
Authors: Lian Feng , Dong Dandan , Pu Jiaxi , Yang Guanghua , Yang Jing , Yang Shaofei , Wang Yijie , Zhao Bin , Lu Minhao
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Ubiquitin‐specific peptidase 10 (USP10) has been found to have oncogenic activity in several human tumors. This study first revealed the exact function of USP10 on the progression of thyroid cancer (THCA) by researching its effect on the ferroptosis.

Methods

USP10 expression in THCA patients was analyzed by online data analysis and in 75 THCA cases was scrutinized by real‐time quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Influence of USP10 on the viability, colony formation, migration and invasion of THCA cells was demonstrated by cell counting kit‐8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays. Effect of USP10 on the Erastin‐induced ferroptosis in THCA cells was evaluated by detecting the ferroptosis‐related indicators. Intrinsic mechanism of USP10, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) in regulating THCA progression was identified. In vivo xenograft experiment was implemented.

Results

USP10 was abundantly expressed in THCA patients, linking to poor outcome. USP10 overexpression enhanced the viability, colony formation, migration and invasion of THCA cells. USP10 mitigated the Erastin‐induced ferroptosis in THCA cells, decreased the levels of iron, Fe2+, malondialdehyde, lipid reactive oxygen species, reduced mitochondrial superoxide level, and increased mitochondrial membrane potential. USP10 facilitated the expression of ferroptosis suppressor GPX4 by elevating SIRT6. Loss of USP10 repressed the in vivo growth of THCA cells.

Conclusion

USP10 might attenuate the ferroptosis to promote thyroid cancer malignancy by facilitating GPX4 via elevating SIRT6. It might be novel target for the treatment of THCA.
Nano‐selenium alleviates cadmium‐induced neurotoxicity in cerebrum via inhibiting gap junction protein connexin 43 phosphorylation
Authors: Xu Ya‐Ru , Talukder Milton , Li Chen‐Xi , Zhao Ying‐Xin , Zhang Cong , Ge Jing , Li Jin‐Long
Published: October 2023

Cadmium (Cd) as a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal is reported to affect the nervous system. Selenium (Se) has been shown to have antagonistic effects against heavy metal toxicity. In addition, it shows potential antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the possible mechanism of brain injury after high Cd exposure and the mitigation of Nano‐selenium (Nano‐Se) against Cd‐induced brain injury. In this study, the Cd‐treated group showed a decrease in the number of neurons in brain tissue, swelling of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and the formation of autophagosomes. Nano‐Se intervention restored Cd‐caused alterations in neuronal morphology, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondrial structure, thereby reducing neuronal damage. Furthermore, we found that some differentially expressed genes were involved in cell junction and molecular functions. Subsequently, we selected eleven (11) related differentially expressed genes for verification. The qRT‐PCR results revealed the same trend of results as determined by RNA‐Seq. Our findings also showed that Nano‐Se supplementation alleviated Cx43 phosphorylation induced by Cd exposure. Based on immunofluorescence colocalization it was demonstrated that higher expression of GFAP and lower expressions of Cx43 were restored by Nano‐Se supplementation. In conclusion, the data presented in this study establish a direct association between the phosphorylation of Cx43 and the occurrence of autophagy and neuroinflammation. However, it is noteworthy that the introduction of Nano‐Se supplementation has been observed to mitigate these alterations. These results elucidate the relieving effect of Nano‐Se on Cd exposure‐induced brain injury.
The relation between preterm birth and self-reported spinal pain in pre-adolescence—a study of 47,063 subjects from the Danish National Birth Cohort
Authors: Kaltoft Klara , Nielsen Jane Lykke , Andersen Anne-Marie Nybo , Falch-Joergensen Anne Cathrine
Published: October 2023

Repeated exposure to pain and stress in early life may cause alterations in pain sensitivity later in life. Children born preterm are often exposed to painful invasive procedures. This study aimed to explore the relationship between being born preterm and self-report of spinal pain in pre-adolescence. This prospective study was based on the Danish National Birth Cohort and consisted of 47,063 11–14-year-olds. Data from the Danish National Birth Cohort were linked with national registers through Statistics Denmark. Analyses were performed as multiple logistic regression models estimating odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Spinal pain (neck, mid back, and/or low back pain) was assessed using a subdivision of the Young Spine Questionnaire. Severe spinal pain was defined as having pain often or once in a while with an intensity of four to six on the Revised Faces Pain Scale. Inverse probability weighting was used to account for potential selection bias. Girls born very preterm (< 34 full weeks of gestation) were less likely to report spinal pain (OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.40–0.93) compared with those term-born. The associations were weaker when examining moderate to severe spinal pain and when examining the three spinal regions separately. None of these was statistically significant.

Conclusion: We found no associations for boys. In conclusion, this study indicates that girls born very preterm are seemingly less likely to have severe spinal pain in pre-adolescence than girls born at term.

What is Known:• Spinal pain is one of the largest disease burdens globally, and the evidence regarding the etiology of spinal pain in children and adolescents is limited.• Repeated exposure to pain and stress in early life (i.e., being preterm) may cause alterations in pain sensitivity later in life.

What is New:• Girls born very preterm (< 34 full weeks of gestation) seem less likely to report severe spinal pain in pre-adolescence compared with girls born at full term.• There is no association between gestational age and later experience of spinal pain in pre-adolescent boys.
Needs analysis for the design of a digital platform to train professionals in online family intervention through live supervision of real cases
Authors: Torras Sonia , Vilaregut Anna , Canaleta Xavier , Martí Eduard
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Mental health professionals undergo continuous training throughout their careers. Their training consists in part of the supervision of cases by an entire healthcare team, a practice that allows them to consolidate their understanding of behaviour, emotions and to enhance their relationships with patients and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on this training methodology, leading to a significant increase in the use of digital platforms, but such digital tools are not well adapted to this context, especially when it comes to the supervision of real online cases. The goals of this study are: (1) to analyse what professionals need in order to carry out online interventions and training through the live supervision of real online cases and (2) to create a prototype of a specific digital platform intended to help meet the detected needs.

Methods

28 semi-structured interviews were conducted with supervisors (N = 14) and professionals in training (N = 14).

Results

The results have allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the difficulties and benefits that professionals are encountering when doing online live supervision using the existing video conference platforms.

Conclusion

This analysis points to a need to create a platform that can overcome the difficulties and enhance the benefits of the digitalization of family intervention training through the live supervision of real cases. These specific needs have yet to be addressed by existing digital platforms.
Comparison of earthquake risk for masonry and RC buildings in Barcelona using existing sets of vulnerability functions
Authors: Salgado-Gálvez Mario A. , Momin Samar , Grajales Sthefanía , Carreño Martha Liliana
Published: October 2023

Barcelona is in an area of low- to medium-seismicity and its earthquake vulnerability and risk has been assessed in different studies over the last 20 years. Most of these works have developed vulnerability models for the representative building classes of the city, trying to capture their main characteristics, and have been mostly represented through fragility curves. However, due to the lack of data for historical earthquake losses in the city, it has not been possible to validate, nor calibrate, any of these vulnerability models. In the absence of earthquake loss data, the objective of this paper is to compare the earthquake risk results of Barcelona, using common hazard and exposure datasets and different sets of vulnerability functions from previous studies to see how they rank compared with other locations with similar studies but more complete historical loss data. The results show large differences between the analysed vulnerability datasets, with some results that in our view tend to overestimate earthquake risk in Barcelona, and also allow identifying critical aspects that require future research.
Hereditary cancer testing in a diverse sample across three breast imaging centers
Authors: Westbrook Laura , Miltenburg Darlene , Souter Vivienne , Maisenbacher Melissa K. , Howard Katherine L. , Sha Youbao , Yavari Maygol , Kypraios Nicholas , Rodriguez Angel , Weitzel Jeffrey N.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Up to 10% of all breast cancers (BC) are attributed to inherited pathogenic variants (PV) in BC susceptibility genes; however, most carriers of PVs remain unidentified. Here, we sought to determine the yield of hereditary cancer gene PVs among diverse women attending breast imaging centers, who could benefit from enhanced surveillance and/or risk reduction interventions.

Methods

This cross-sectional retrospective cohort study included consecutive women, unselected for personal or family cancer history, who were offered genetic testing for hereditary cancer genes at the time of breast imaging at three centers (November 2020–March 2022).

Results

Among 1943 patients (median age: 66 years), self-reported race/ethnicity was White (34.5%), Hispanic (27.7%), African American (17.9%), Asian (4.5%), Ashkenazi Jewish (0.6%), Other (3.5%), and missing (13.0%). Thirty-nine patients (2%) were identified as carriers of a PV in an autosomal dominant clinically actionable hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC)-related or Lynch syndrome gene, most frequently, BRCA2 (6/39; 15.4%), PALB2 (8/39; 20.5%), CHEK2 (10/39; 25.6%), and PMS2 (5/39; 12.8%). Of the 34 PVs with known race/ethnicity, 47% were detected among non-White patients. Overall, 354/1,943 (18.2%) of patients met NCCN guidelines for HBOC gene testing and only 15/39 (38.5%) patients with an autosomal dominant clinically actionable PV met guidelines.

Conclusion

This population health approach extended the reach of genetic cancer risk assessment in a diverse population and highlighted the limits of a guideline-based approach. This may help address inequity in access to risk-appropriate screening and cancer prevention.
Somtimes: self organizing maps for time series clustering and its application to serious illness conversations
Authors: Javed Ali , Rizzo Donna M. , Lee Byung Suk , Gramling Robert
Published: October 2023

There is demand for scalable algorithms capable of clustering and analyzing large time series data. The Kohonen self-organizing map (SOM) is an unsupervised artificial neural network for clustering, visualizing, and reducing the dimensionality of complex data. Like all clustering methods, it requires a measure of similarity between input data (in this work time series). Dynamic time warping (DTW) is one such measure, and a top performer that accommodates distortions when aligning time series. Despite its popularity in clustering, DTW is limited in practice because the runtime complexity is quadratic with the length of the time series. To address this, we present a new a self-organizing map for clustering TIME Series, called SOMTimeS, which uses DTW as the distance measure. The method has similar accuracy compared with other DTW-based clustering algorithms, yet scales better and runs faster. The computational performance stems from the pruning of unnecessary DTW computations during the SOM’s training phase. For comparison, we implement a similar pruning strategy for K-means, and call the latter K-TimeS. SOMTimeS and K-TimeS pruned 43% and 50% of the total DTW computations, respectively. Pruning effectiveness, accuracy, execution time and scalability are evaluated using 112 benchmark time series datasets from the UC Riverside classification archive, and show that for similar accuracy, a 1.8$$\times$$
×
speed-up on average for SOMTimeS and K-TimeS, respectively with that rates vary between 1$$\times$$
×
and 18$$\times$$
×
depending on the dataset. We also apply SOMTimeS to a healthcare study of patient-clinician serious illness conversations to demonstrate the algorithm’s utility with complex, temporally sequenced natural language.
Diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a systematic narrative review of the evidence
Authors: Formiga Francesc , Nuñez Julio , Castillo Moraga María José , Cobo Marcos Marta , Egocheaga María Isabel , García-Prieto Concha F. , Trueba-Sáiz Angel , Matalí Gilarranz Arantxa , Fernández Rodriguez José María
Published: October 2023

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a common condition in clinical practice, affecting more than half of patients with HF. HFpEF is associated with morbidity and mortality and with considerable healthcare resource utilization and costs. Therefore, early diagnosis is crucial to facilitate prompt management, particularly initiation of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors. Although European guidelines define HFpEF as the presence of symptoms with or without signs of HF, left ventricular EF ≥ 50%, and objective evidence of cardiac structural and/or functional abnormalities, together with elevated natriuretic peptide levels, the diagnosis of HFpEF remains challenging. First, there is no clear consensus on how HFpEF should be defined. Furthermore, diagnostic tools, such as natriuretic peptide levels and resting echocardiogram findings, are significantly limited in the diagnosis of HFpEF. As a result, some patients are overdiagnosed (i.e., elderly people with comorbidities that mimic HF), although in other cases, HFpEF is overlooked. In this manuscript, we perform a systematic narrative review of the diagnostic approach to patients with HFpEF. We also propose a comprehensible algorithm that can be easily applied in daily clinical practice and could prove useful for confirming or ruling out a diagnosis of HFpEF.
Thermal Performance of Selected Nanofluids with Surfactants
Authors: Kaggwa Abdul , Atkins Martin , Tarighaleslami Amir , Walmsley Michael , Carson James K.
Published: October 2023

Nanofluids have been proposed for use as working fluids in order to increase energy efficiency. While a large number of studies have been performed, there is comparatively high variation in reported physical property and heat transfer enhancement data. In addition, comparatively few thermal enhancement studies consider the effects of surfactants that may be required to ensure sufficient stability of the nanofluid over time. In this study, nanofluids were prepared by combining different nanoparticles, base fluids and surfactants and were subsequently evaluated for stability using the sedimentation method. Based on the sedimentation trials and viscosity measurements, three nanofluids (aluminium oxide/water; activated carbon/CTAB/water; copper oxide/ARB/water) were selected for thermal performance enhancement experiments. Thermal enhancement performance was tested in a closed loop with two double pipe heat exchangers and all physical properties required in the calculations were measured directly as part of this study. The carbon/CTAB/water nanofluid had the highest heat transfer enhancement index (a comparison of increased heat transfer rate against increased pressure drop) of the three nanofluids considered. Sedimentation of nanoparticle agglomerates was most noticeable with the aluminium oxide/water nanofluid that did not contain a surfactant.
The Random Weierstrass Zeta Function I: Existence, Uniqueness, Fluctuations
Authors: Sodin Mikhail , Wennman Aron , Yakir Oren
Published: October 2023

We describe a construction of random meromorphic functions with prescribed simple poles with unit residues at a given stationary point process. We characterize those stationary processes with finite second moment for which, after subtracting the mean, the random function becomes stationary. These random meromorphic functions can be viewed as random analogues of the Weierstrass zeta function from the theory of elliptic functions, or equivalently as electric fields generated by an infinite random distribution of point charges.
On a Factorization Formula for the Partition Function of Directed Polymers
Authors: Hurth Tobias , Khanin Konstantin , Navarro Lameda Beatriz , Nazarov Fedor
Published: October 2023

We prove a factorization formula for the point-to-point partition function associated with a model of directed polymers on the space-time lattice $$\mathbb {Z}^{d+1}$$

Z

d
+
1

. The polymers are subject to a random potential induced by independent identically distributed random variables and we consider the regime of weak disorder, where polymers behave diffusively. We show that when writing the quotient of the point-to-point partition function and the transition probability for the underlying random walk as the product of two point-to-line partition functions plus an error term, then, for large time intervals [0, t], the error term is small uniformly over starting points x and endpoints y in the sub-ballistic regime $$\Vert x - y \Vert \le t^{\sigma }$$

‖
x
-
y
‖

≤

t
σ

, where $$\sigma < 1$$

σ
<
1

can be arbitrarily close to 1. This extends a result of Sinai, who proved smallness of the error term in the diffusive regime $$\Vert x - y \Vert \le t^{1/2}$$

‖
x
-
y
‖

≤

t

1
/
2

. We also derive asymptotics for spatial and temporal correlations of the field of limiting partition functions.
Silicon improves root system and canopy physiology in wheat under drought stress
Authors: Ashfaq Waseem , Brodie Graham , Fuentes Sigfredo , Pang Alexis , Gupta Dorin
Published: October 2023

Aims

Root system is an important regulator for unevenly distributed below-ground resource acquisition. In a rainfed cropping environment, drought stress (DS) significantly restricts root growth and moisture uptake capacity. The fact that silicon (Si) alleviates DS in wheat is widely reported, but its effects on the wheat root system remain unclear.

Methods

The present study investigated the effect of pre-sowing Si treatment on two contrasting wheat cultivars (RAC875, drought-tolerant; Kukri, drought-susceptible) at early growth stages. The cultivars were grown in a glasshouse in a complete randomized design with four replications and two watering treatments. Various root traits and physiological data, including non-destructive infrared thermal imaging for water stress indices, were recorded.

Results

Under DS and Si (DSSi), Kukri had a significant increase in primary root length (PRL,44%) and lateral root length (LRL,28.1%) compared with RAC875 having a substantial increase in PRL (35.2%), but non-significant in LRL. The Si-induced improvement in the root system positively impacted canopy physiology and significantly enhanced photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration in Kukri and RAC875 under DSSi. Canopy temperature was reduced significantly in Kukri (4.24%) and RAC875 (6.15%) under DSSi, while canopy temperature depression was enhanced significantly in both the cultivars (Kukri,78.6%; RAC875, 58.6%) under DSSi.

Conclusion

These results showed that Si has the potential to influence below-ground traits, which regulate the moisture uptake ability of roots for cooler canopy and improved photosynthesis under DS. It also suggests a future direction to investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in wheat’s Si-induced root growth and moisture uptake ability.