julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Incidental Bystander or Essential Culprit: A Systematic Review of Bacterial Significance in the Pathogenesis of Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
2023-12-26

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a distinct subtype of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that arises in the context of prolonged exposure to textured breast implants. The intent of this manuscript is to explore whether the bacterial presence in biofilms on these implants is a mere incidental finding or plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of BIA-ALCL. Our goal is to delineate the extent of bacterial involvement, offering insights into potential underlying mechanisms, and establishing future research priorities aimed at resolving the remaining uncertainties surrounding this complex association. A comprehensive systematic review of several databases was performed. The search strategy was designed and conducted by an experienced librarian using controlled vocabulary with keywords. The electronic search identified 442 publications. After evaluation, six studies from 2015 to 2021 were included, encompassing 201 female patients aged 23 to 75. The diagnosis span post-implantation ranged from 53 to 135.6 months. Studies consistently found bacteria near breast implants in both BIA-ALCL cases and controls, with varied microbial findings. Both BIA-ALCL cases and controls exhibited the presence of specific bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus, and Ralstonia spp., without any statistically significant differences between groups. The use of antiseptic and antimicrobial agents during implant insertion did not demonstrate any impact on reducing or altering the risk of developing BIA-ALCL. Our systematic review reveals that the current evidence is inadequate to link bacterial etiology as a central factor in the development of BIA-ALCL. The limitations in the existing data prevent a complete dismissal of the role of biofilms in its pathogenesis. The observed gap in knowledge underscores the need for more focused and comprehensive research, which should be structured in a multi-faceted approach. Initially, this involves the utilization of sophisticated genomic and proteomic methods. Following this, it is crucial to delve into the study of immunological reactions specifically induced by biofilms. Finally, this research should incorporate extended observational studies, meticulously tracking the evolution of biofilm development and its correlation with the emergence of BIA-ALCL. In light of the inconclusive nature of current findings, further investigation is not only justified but urgently needed to clarify these unresolved issues.
Who Should Scale Back? Experimental Evidence on Employer Support for Part-Time Employment and Working Hours Norms for Couples with Young Children
2023-12-26

Abstract This experimental study investigates how hypothetical employer support for part-time work shapes working hours norms for mothers and fathers with young children in Germany. It extends previous studies by focusing on the couple context, for instance by exploring interdependencies with each partner’s earnings potential. The analysis is framed using capability-based explanations combined with a perspective of gender as a social structure. A factorial survey experiment was implemented within the German pairfam panel. Linear and multinomial logistic multilevel regressions were conducted with 5,856 respondents. Hypothetical employer support similarly increases respondents’ recommendations to reduce working hours for mothers and fathers and supports dual part-time arrangements. In couples who face opposing incentives in terms of relative earnings or promotion prospects and employer support for part-time work, prevailing gender norms seem to reinforce the traditionalizing constraints and attenuate the de-traditionalizing influence. Respondents with more egalitarian gender beliefs respond more strongly to paternal employer support.
TRIM for Tissue Specificity
2023-12-26

Tissue-specific manipulation of proteins is a long-standing objective in the field of targeted protein degradation, but still a distant prospect. Currently, the most successfully employed E3 ubiquitin ligases belong to the most ubiquitously expressed representatives. Unlocking of the TRIM58 ligase might represent a promising step toward tissue-specific PROTACs and molecular glue degraders.
Outcomes With Finerenone in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Type 2 Diabetes by Baseline Insulin Resistance
2023-12-27

OBJECTIVE To explore whether insulin resistance, assessed by estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), is associated with cardiorenal risk and whether it modifies finerenone efficacy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In FIDELITY (N = 13,026), patients with type 2 diabetes, either 1) urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of ≥30 to &amp;lt;300 mg/g and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of ≥25 to ≤90 mL/min/1.73 m2 or 2) UACR of ≥300 to ≤5,000 mg/g and eGFR of ≥25 mL/min/1.73 m2, who also received optimized renin-angiotensin system blockade, were randomized to finerenone or placebo. Outcomes included cardiovascular (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure) and kidney (kidney failure, sustained decrease of ≥57% in eGFR from baseline, or renal death) composites. eGDR was calculated using waist circumference, hypertension status, and glycated hemoglobin for 12,964 patients. RESULTS Median eGDR was 4.1 mg/kg/min. eGDR &amp;lt;median (insulin resistant) was associated with higher cardiovascular event incidence regardless of treatment versus ≥median (insulin sensitive) (incidence rate/100 patient-years of 5.18 and 6.34 [for finerenone and placebo] vs. 3.47 and 3.76 [for finerenone and placebo], respectively). However, eGDR was not associated with kidney outcomes. There was no significant heterogeneity for effects of finerenone by eGDR on cardiovascular (&amp;lt;median: hazard ratio [HR] 0.81, 95% CI 0.72–0.92; ≥median: HR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.79–1.06; P interaction = 0.23) or kidney outcomes (&amp;lt;median: HR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.68–1.02; ≥median: HR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.58–0.85; P interaction = 0.28). Overall, finerenone demonstrated similar safety between subgroups. Sensitivity analyses were consistent. CONCLUSIONS Insulin resistance was associated with increased cardiovascular (but not kidney) risk and did not modify finerenone efficacy.
Arbitration between model-free and model-based control is not affected by transient changes in tonic serotonin levels
2023-12-27

Background: Serotonin has been suggested to modulate decision-making by influencing the arbitration between model-based and model-free control. Disruptions in these control mechanisms are involved in mental disorders such as drug dependence or obsessive-compulsive disorder. While previous reports indicate that lower brain serotonin levels reduce model-based control, it remains unknown whether increases in serotonergic availability might thus increase model-based control. Moreover, the mediating neural mechanisms have not been studied yet. Aim: The first aim of this study was to investigate whether increased/decreased tonic serotonin levels affect the arbitration between model-free and model-based control. Second, we aimed to identify the underlying neural processes. Methods: We employed a sequential two-stage Markov decision-task and measured brain responses during functional magnetic resonance imaging in 98 participants in a randomized, double-blind cross-over within-subject design. To investigate the influence of serotonin on the balance between model-free and model-based control, we used a tryptophan intervention with three intervention levels (loading, balanced, depletion). We hypothesized that model-based behaviour would increase with higher serotonin levels. Results: We found evidence that neither model-free nor model-based control were affected by changes in tonic serotonin levels. Furthermore, our tryptophan intervention did not elicit relevant changes in Blood-Oxygenation-Level Dependent activity.
Metric information in cognitive maps: Euclidean embedding of non-Euclidean environments
2023-12-27

The structure of the internal representation of surrounding space, the so-called cognitive map , has long been debated. A Euclidean metric map is the most straight-forward hypothesis, but human navigation has been shown to systematically deviate from the Euclidean ground truth. Vector navigation based on non-metric models can better explain the observed behavior, but also discards useful geometric properties such as fast shortcut estimation and cue integration. Here, we propose another alternative, a Euclidean metric map that is systematically distorted to account for the observed behavior. The map is found by embedding the non-metric model, a labeled graph, into 2D Euclidean coordinates. We compared these two models using data from a human behavioral study where participants had to learn and navigate a non-Euclidean maze (i.e., with wormholes) and perform direct shortcuts between different locations. Even though the Euclidean embedding cannot correctly represent the non-Euclidean environment, both models predicted the data equally well. We argue that the embedding naturally arises from integrating the local position information into a metric framework, which makes the model more powerful and robust than the non-metric alternative. It may therefore be a better model for the human cognitive map.
Effects of an immunosuppressive therapy on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition in metastatic melanoma – An analysis of the prospective skin cancer registry ADOREG
2023-12-28

Patients receiving IST 60 days before start of ICI showed a tendency to an impaired therapy outcome. IST initiated within 30 days after start of ICI, mainly due to early side effects, did not affect the efficacy of ICI therapy.
Endothelin receptor B-deficient mice are protected from high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome
2023-12-28

ETB deficiency confers protection from metabolic syndrome by counteracting glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and WAT accumulation due to enhanced energy expenditure, effects at least in part dependent on enhanced production of thyroid hormone/FGF21. ETB antagonism may therefore be a novel therapeutic approach in metabolic syndrome.
A Bird in the Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush: Bird Visibility as a Predictor of the Perception of Birds by Humans
2023-12-28

Human dimensions of birds are becoming increasingly popular. One aspect is charismatic species and their impact on nature conservation, and the other is the positive impact of birds on human well-being. Studies exploring these relationships are mostly based on species richness, but specific species traits are usually not studied. Here, we propose two new variables, visibility duration, and obstruction, being relevant to human–bird encounters. Visibility measures if and for how long a bird is visible. Obstruction measures to what extent the bird is concealed by vegetation. We collected behavioral data using focal animal sampling (3 min with blocks of 15 s, one-zero sampling). Additionally, species identity, sex, flocking (yes/no) and observation distance were collected. This was combined with an assessment where three experts scored the visibility of the different species on a scale from 1 to 5. The most significant predictor of visibility duration was species identity with an explained variance of 44%. Concerning obstruction, 34% of the variance was explained by species identity. Sex and flocking were not significant. A cluster analysis on the species level led to a three-cluster solution. The mean expert assessment correlated positively with visibility duration (r = 0.803) and negatively with obstruction (r = −0.422). The behavioral trait of visibility may be an important aspect in the analysis of human–bird encounters but also ecological bird studies.
Longitudinal Clusters of Long-Term Trajectories in Patients with Early-Onset Chronic Depression: 2 Years of Naturalistic Follow-Up after Extensive Psychological Treatment
2023-12-28

&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Introduction:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; In clinical trials, mostly group-level treatment effects of repeated cross-sectional measures are analyzed. However, substantial heterogeneity regarding individual symptom profiles and the variability of treatment effects are often neglected, especially over the long-term course. To provide effective personalized treatments, investigations of these characteristics are urgently needed. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Depression severity ratings over 104 weeks of follow-up after year-long treatment with the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) or Supportive Psychotherapy (SP) were analyzed. Longitudinal cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were conducted to investigate intraindividual trajectories from one of the largest psychotherapy trials in early-onset chronic depression. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Two-year post-study-treatment trajectories of &lt;i&gt;N&lt;/i&gt; = 188 patients with early-onset chronic depression were grouped into four prototypical clusters. Overall, 16.0% of patients remitted (cluster 1) and most of them did not receive any treatment during the 2-year follow-up. However, 84.0% of patients continued to experience subthreshold (37.2% cluster 2) or major depressive symptoms (46.8% clusters 3–4) and spent on average more than half of the follow-up in pharmacological and psychological treatment. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that previous study treatment with CBASP or SP did not significantly predict cluster allocation, while baseline variables accounted for a large proportion of explained variance (&lt;i&gt;R&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;sub&gt;N&lt;/sub&gt; = 0.64). &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; While some patients experienced stable remission over 2 years of follow-up, the majority of patients experienced subthreshold or major depressive symptoms regardless of former study treatment with CBASP or SP. This calls for a long-term perspective implementing staging and innovative treatment approaches such as the sequential model or modular psychotherapy.
Non-Invasive Quantitative Approximation of Intracranial Pressure in Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Based on Point-of-Care Ultrasound of the Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter
2023-12-28

Background: To investigate whether ultrasound-based optic nerve sheath diameter (US-ONSD) is a reliable measure to follow up children with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). In addition, to analyze the inter- and intra-individual relationships between US-ONSD and intracranial pressure (ICP), and to investigate whether an individualized mathematical regression equation obtained from two paired US-ONSD/ICP values can be used to approximate ICP from US-ONSD values. Methods: 159 US examinations and 53 invasive ICP measures via lumbar puncture (LP) were performed in 28 children with IIH. US-ONSD was measured using a 12 Mhz linear transducer and compared to ICP values. In 15 children, a minimum of 2 paired US-ONSD/ICP determinations were performed, and repeated-measures correlation (rmcorr) and intra-individual correlations were analyzed. Results: The cohort correlation between US-ONSD and ICP was moderate (r = 0.504, p &lt; 0.01). Rmcorr (r = 0.91, p &lt; 0.01) and intra-individual correlations (r = 0.956–1) of US-ONSD and ICP were excellent. A mathematical regression equation can be calculated from two paired US-ONSD/ICP values and applied to the individual patient to approximate ICP from US-ONSD. Conclusions: Related to excellent intra-individual correlations between US-ONSD and ICP, an individualized regression formula, created from two pairs of US-ONSD/ICP values, may be used to directly approximate ICP based on US-ONSD values. Hence, US-ONSD may become a non-invasive and reliable measure to control treatment efficacy in pediatric IIH.
What Challenges Do Researchers Face in the Study of Inclusive Science Education?
2023-12-28

Abstract The study of inclusive science education poses researchers with new challenges and tasks. There is an inherent complexity within this field as it requires understanding of science subject matter in combination with the normative demands of inclusive pedagogy. A Delphi study was conducted to systematically survey research challenges that arise in the research of inclusive science education from the perspective of experts. In the Delphi study, challenges for research on inclusive science education were identified using an exploratory approach in the first round. In the course of the following rounds, a consensus could be reached for eight challenges (&gt; 50% agreement, IQR &lt; 1, SD &lt; 1.5). These included challenges known from the literature, e.g. a lack of suitable research instruments. The results also showed a change or an overcoming of challenges documented in earlier articles. For example, many experts, no longer experience a lack of research studies as a challenge. Alongside the progress made in the research field of inclusive science education, challenges still need to be addressed, such as the discrepancy between existing theoretical approaches and actual teaching practices. Future research must address these issues.
Cross-continental shifts of ecological strategy in a global plant invader
2023-12-28

<title>Abstract</title> Plant invasions are a global problem that requires studying plants and their environmental associations across native and introduced ranges. We surveyed 150 populations of Japanese knotweed, a key invader of the temperate zone, along 2000 km transects in native China and the introduced ranges of Europe and North America. We found that larger plants and denser populations in the introduced ranges were associated with shifts in leaf economy and chemical defenses. Introduced knotweed populations had higher SLA but reduced leaf chlorophyll, lignin, C:N and leaf toughness along with altered leaf tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids. We found three distinct multivariate knotweed phenotypes primarily in the introduced ranges, and two phenotype clusters mainly in native populations. Decreased herbivore and pathogen impacts in invasive populations and changes in environmental associations indicate that enemy release and novel habitat conditions might have driven the emergence of novel ecological strategies in this global plant invader.
Open‐source flow setup for rapid and efficient [18F]fluoride drying for automation of PET tracer syntheses
2023-12-28

One of the key strategies for radiochemical research facilities is the automation of synthesis processes. Unnecessary manual operations increase the radiation exposure of personnel, while simultaneously threatening the reliability of syntheses. We have previously reported an affordable open‐source system comprising 3D‐printed continuous flow reactors, a custom syringe pump, and a pressure regulator that can be used to perform radiofluorinations. In this paper, we address additional essential processes that are needed for radiotracer development and synthesis, with the aim of making laboratory work safer and research more efficient. We have designed and evaluated a fully automated system for rapidly and effectively processing and drying aqueous [ 18 F]fluoride that can be directly connected to the cyclotron. This process relies on triflyl fluoride gas generation and allows nucleophilic [ 18 F]fluoride to be prepared safely in a hotcell within 10 min and an activity recovery of 91.7 ± 1.6% (n = 5). Owing to the need for convenient radiofluorinated prosthetic ligands, we have adapted our continuous flow system to produce [ 18 F]fluoroethyl tosylate (FEOTs) and [ 18 F]fluoroethyl triflate (FEOTf), prosthetic groups that are widely used for late‐stage fluoroethylation of PET tracers. The processes as well as the radiolabeling of different groups are compared and comprehensively discussed. Having a method providing [ 18 F]fluoroethyl tosylate (FEOTs) as well as [ 18 F]fluoroethyl triflate (FEOTf) quickly and highly efficiently is beneficial for radiochemical research.
ParkinSong Online: Feasibility of Telehealth Delivery and Remote Data Collection for a Therapeutic Group Singing Study in Parkinson’s
2023-12-29

Background Parkinson’s disease can negatively affect vocal functioning and social wellbeing, particularly in the latter stages of disease progression. Face-to-face group singing interventions can improve communication and wellbeing outcomes, yet not all people can access in-person sessions. To help overcome barriers to participation, exploration of the feasibility and utility of online therapeutic singing programs is needed. Objectives To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week ParkinSong Online intervention on speech and wellbeing for people with Parkinson’s disease. Methods A total of 28 participants with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease were recruited to a single-arm feasibility study. Weekly 90-minute online sessions were co-facilitated by a music therapist and speech pathologist. Speech and wellbeing assessments were conducted pre and post intervention. Participant and facilitator surveys were administered after each session, with focus group interviews at the end of the program. Results The recruitment rate was high (90%) with no attrition, adverse events, or safety issues. There was good intervention fidelity, attendance (average 89%), and positive participant experience. Feasibility was good, with technology reported as the main challenge (connecting and navigating Zoom). No improvements were seen in voice measures or wellbeing outcomes in this small trial. The online format used in this study did not provide the same benefits as in-person ParkinSong sessions. Conclusions ParkinSong Online is feasible for recreational purposes and social engagement provided that people have adequate technological knowledge or support. The optimal online delivery format to achieve communication improvements in Parkinson’s awaits confirmation.
Precision Immunotherapy Utilizing Adapter CAR-T Cells (AdCAR-T) in Metastatic Breast Cancer Leads to Target Specific Lysis
2023-12-29

A frequent symptom of metastasized breast cancer (BC) includes the development of malignant pleural effusion (MPE), which contains malignant cells derived from the primary tumor site. The poor prognosis of MPE in metastasized BC indicates the necessity for dependable precision oncology and the importance of models representing the heterogenous nature of metastatic BC. In this study, we cultured MPE-derived metastatic tumor cells from four advanced BC patients using organoid technology. We assessed the expression of tumor-associated antigens on MPE-derived organoid lines by flow cytometry (FC). Based on an individual antigen expression pattern, patient-derived organoids were treated with adapter CAR-T cells (AdCAR-T) and biotinylated monoclonal antibodies targeting CD276, HER2, EGFR, TROP2, or EpCAM. Co-culture assays revealed specific organoid lysis by AdCAR-T depending on individual antigen expression patterns. Our results demonstrate that MPE-derived organoids can serve as a reliable tool for assessing the efficacy of AdCAR-T on metastatic BC in a patient-individualized manner. This approach could potentially be applied in a preclinical setting to instruct therapy decisions. Further, our study demonstrates the feasibility of precision immunotherapy utilizing AdCAR-T to target patient-individualized antigen patterns.