Browse Articles

Assessment of cross-section library impact on neutron beam quality in AB-BNCT monte carlo studies

The metabolome of fecal extracellular vesicles in patients with malignant solid tumors

Abstract Dysregulated metabolism, a hallmark of cancer, creates unique metabolic features that can be employed to elucidate cancer prognosis, personalized treatment, and therapeutic response. Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful tool for profiling biomarkers in cancer studies. Most cancer metabolomic research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) has focused on human biofluids as samples. The metabolome of fecal EVs, a connecting link for host-microbiome interactions in cancer, has not been extensively studied. In this controlled study, we investigated the metabolomic signatures of fecal EVs in patients with solid tumors. Fecal samples were collected from adult patients with solid tumors (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 7). After the isolation of EVs from fecal samples, EV metabolites were identified using targeted metabolomics profiling based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The metabolomic profiles of the fecal EVs from both patients and controls were compared using R and Metabolite Set Enrichment Analysis was done using Metaboanalyst 6.0. The metabolomic profiles of fecal EVs showed several differences between patients with solid tumors and control subjects. L-glutamic acid was identified as the most significantly enriched metabolite in patients with solid tumors. Conversely, guanine and N-acetylneuraminate were the most significantly depleted metabolites in the fecal EVs of these patients. Metabolite Set Enrichment Analysis linked the identified EV metabolites to key metabolic pathways, including arginine biosynthesis, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) revealed that glutamic acid is the most effective metabolite in distinguishing cancer patients from healthy controls. Some of these metabolites may also have plausible bacterial origins, as described in previous studies. Distinct metabolic phenotypes were identified in patients with solid tumors by analyzing fecal EVs in this study. The metabolomic profiling of fecal EVs offers valuable insights into the interactions between the gut microbiome and the host as well as unique metabolic snapshot of the disease status in the context of cancer. Thus, fecal EVs should be included in advanced multi-omics analyses of cancer research, alongside other human biofluids.

Unraveling ocean $$\hbox {pCO}_{2}$$ dynamics in Northwest Greenland Fjords

Abstract We investigated the relative contributions of various factors that influence seasonal changes in sea surface partial pressure of $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ CO 2 ( $$\hbox {pCO}_{2}$$ pCO 2 , calculated from the measured pH and total alkalinity) in four regions of northwestern Greenland: Nares Strait, Lincoln Sea, Sherard Osborn and Petermann fjords. Using the temperature minimum layer as a proxy for winter conditions, we examined $$\hbox {pCO}_{2}$$ pCO 2 dynamics from the onset of sea-ice melt to summer. Our findings revealed significant spatial variability in $$\hbox {pCO}_{2}$$ pCO 2 , driven by differences in temperature, freshwater inputs, and biological activity. In particular, in Sherard Osborn Fjord substantial freshwater inputs and strong stratification were found to enhance $$\hbox {pCO}_{2}$$ pCO 2 accumulation, while in Petermann Fjord biological $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ CO 2 uptake was the main driver. This study, conducted in summer 2019, underscores the critical role of northwest Greenland’s coastal waters as a summer $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ CO 2 sink. It highlights the complex interplay of physical and biogeochemical processes in modulating $$\hbox {pCO}_{2}$$ pCO 2 , suggesting significant regional differences in $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ CO 2 dynamics between two neighboring fjords.

Assessment of the influence of Nutri-Score on Polish consumer Choices - Insights from the nationwide, Cross-sectional study

Abstract The public is increasingly looking for healthier alternatives in food products. Front-of-pack labelling aims to help consumers make healthier food choices. The aim of our study was to investigate whether Nutri-Score can improve nutritional choices of Polish consumers. The survey was conducted using the CAWI method. The proprietary questionnaire included metric questions, knowledge about the Nutri-Score system and questions on nutritional knowledge from the KomPAN questionnaire. To assess the effectiveness of the Nutri-Score system, participants compared healthiness of 8 product pairs with visible and invisible Nutri-Score labelling. The study involved 1035 participants, a representative sample of the Polish population. Participants had average nutritional knowledge (5.6 ± 2.14 out of 10 points) and average knowledge of Nutri-Score (2.9 ± 1.66 out of 7 points). The results showed that visibility of the system did not significantly (p > 0.05) influence consumers’ dietary choices. An unfavourable dietary change was shown (p < 0.001) for two pairs of products: fish (OR of 11.56 (95% CI [8.40–15.91]) and ham OR of 2.84 (95% CI [2.19–3.69]). The distribution of the data obtained indicated a negative effect of the system on consumer choices. In conclusion, our study showed that the Nutri-Score system has a limited effect on improving health-promoting dietary choices.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a high Nb–TiAl alloy with different carbon additions

Melanoma GPA as a novel prognostic scoring model based on initial brain metastasis velocity

Dissociate triggering of conjunctive and disjunctive eye movements

Abstract In natural behavior, our eyes must coordinate two types of movements when looking between points in space: conjunctive movements (where both eyes move together) and disjunctive movements (where the eyes move in opposite direction to change their convergence angle). Here we investigate how the initiation of these 2 different types of eye-movements is coordinated. We used the Size-Latency effect to modulate saccadic latencies. To elicit combined saccadic and vergence eye-movements, we displayed large ring targets at different vertical offsets and disparities relative to fixation. This allowed us to easily dissociate version and vergence eye-movements. We found that saccadic latencies were strongly modulated by the eccentricity of the targets as well as their hemifield, but not by the disparity of the targets. The opposite was true for vergence: vergence latencies were modulated by the disparity sign and amplitude of the targets, but not by their eccentricity or hemifield. We found a complete lack of correlation between saccadic and vergence latencies, both across and within conditions. Finally, we found that distributions of vergence latencies have a markedly reduced skewness as compared to distributions of saccadic latencies, a hallmark of evidence accumulation. Overall, our results demonstrate that the initiation mechanisms for these two types of eye-movements operate independently.

Sensitivity analysis and monitoring of control parameters in cantilever casting construction of prestressed concrete continuous girder bridges

Risk factors for hospital-acquired pressure injury in neurosurgery inpatients: a real-world prospective cohort study

Accurate identification of bovine deltapapillomavirus in equine sarcoids by ddPCR

Impact of double split slot geometry on aerodynamic performance of modified airfoil for wind turbine blades

Abstract Introducing a slot into an airfoil is a passive flow control technique that enhances aerodynamic performance by manipulating the boundary layers of fluid flow. This study investigates the aerodynamic performance of a novel double-split slot design using the NACA 0018 airfoil through a detailed 2D steady-state numerical analysis. A parametric study was conducted to evaluate the influence of key design parameters, including slot outlet location, outlet width, and wedge element length, on the force coefficients and the flow structure around the airfoil. Results demonstrate that the double-split slot effectively weakened the flow separation on the suction side, at moderate to higher angles of attack (15° ≤ α ≤ 30°). The optimal slot configuration achieved a lift coefficient (C L ) improvement of 118% and a drag coefficient (C D ) reduction of 49% compared to the baseline clean airfoil. Slot configurations with outlets positioned closer to the leading edge (LE), wider outlet widths, and longer split channels displayed improved performance by preventing flow detachment. Most double-split slots delayed flow separation by up to 10° in AOA. Overall, slotted airfoils demonstrated superior performance over clean airfoils at higher AOAs, making them particularly beneficial for vertical-axis wind turbine blade applications.

Understanding patient needs and preferences for joint protection in hand osteoarthritis through mixed methods patient co-design

RpiBeh offers a versatile open source solution for rodent behavior tracking and closed loop interventions

Miniaturized scalable arrayed CRISPR screening in primary cells enables discovery at the single donor resolution

An in vitro evaluation of the mineralization effect of a marine collagen supplement on early enamel lesions

Orthogonally polarized dual-wavelength Sm:YAP orange laser with the balanced output power

Wavefunction engineering towards high-performance terahertz quantum cascade lasers

Abstract In the quest for high-performance terahertz (THz) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), this study introduces a generalized wavefunction engineering approach to efficiently control state populations at elevated temperatures. Analyzing known two-well structures and their limitations, a three-well QCL design based on a direct depopulation scheme is proposed. Employing a combination of rate equations-density matrix and NEGF modelings, our design achieves superior performance at 290 K by simultaneously optimizing injection coupling, thermal back-filling, and electron escape rates from upper and lower lasing states to parasitic states.

Nanocrystals as a promising approach for enhancing solubility and dissolution of etoricoxib using Box–Behnken design

Abstract Poor solubility of drugs represents a major obstacle against drug delivery, so pharmaceutical industry is exploring the use of nanocrystals as a promising approach to enhance the bioavailability of those medications with improving their pharmacokinetics. This study aims to improve etoricoxib properties via nanocrystal form using an acid-base precipitation method. This method is simple, environment- friendly, and prefers non-organic solvents and chemicals, thus overcoming challenges in developing dosage forms. Prepared nanocrystals were optimized for several factors such as stabilizer type and concentration, amount of drug, time and speed of homogenization. FT-IR, DSC, X-ray diffraction, and TEM characterizations were conducted on the optimized nanocrystal formula. The findings showed a successful inclusion of etoricoxib as nanocrystals with a mean particle size of 210.30 ± 10.20 nm, PDI of 0.277 ± 0.01, and a zeta potential of − 74.10 ± 0.61 mV. TEM imaging revealed well-defined cubic-shaped nanoparticles, indicating morphological uniformity and excipient compatibility. Solubility studies demonstrated notable enhancement in the aqueous solubility of etoricoxib nanocrystals (137.75 ± 1.34 µg/mL) compared to the pure drug (87.70 ± 1.41 µg/mL). Additionally, the nanocrystals exhibited rapid dissolution profile, achieving 91.49 ± 0.01% drug release within 5 min. These results suggest that using nanocrystals to improve the aqueous solubility and dissolution of medications with poor solubility is a potential strategy.

Preliminary evaluation of ShallowHRD performance compared to HRDetect in familial breast cancer tumors

A blueprint for biomolecular condensation driven by bacterial microcompartment encapsulation peptides

Abstract Bacterial microcompartments are protein organelles with diverse metabolic capabilities. Their functional diversity is determined by an enzymatic core that is sequestered within a structurally conserved protein shell architecture. Segregation of protein cargo into the bacterial microcompartment is enabled by encapsulation peptides, which are short helical domains fused to core proteins through a disordered linker. Here, we investigate how encapsulation peptides drive multicomponent cargo assembly into biomolecular condensates. In vitro experiments supported by molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate the importance of both conserved hydrophobic packing and electrostatic interactions in stabilizing trimeric encapsulation peptide bundles. Topological rearrangements of encapsulation peptide domains can drive programmable liquid- or gel-like partitioning in vitro and in vivo. This partitioning is found to be encapsulation peptide-specific, modular, and can co-assemble at least three fluorescent reporters. In summary, we describe the molecular features necessary to drive biomolecular condensation using a widespread peptide tag. This work can serve as a blueprint for implementing encapsulation peptide biotechnology across diverse applications.