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Self-blaming as a barrier to lung cancer screening and smoking cessation programs in Italy. A qualitative study

Background Lung cancer screening (LCS) combined with smoking cessation programs is a critical strategy for reducing lung cancer mortality. Understanding the perspectives of cigarette users and former ones on these interventions is essential for enhancing their acceptability and effectiveness. This study aimed to explore, in Italy, the perceptions and experiences of individuals eligible for LCS within the context of a smoking cessation program. Methods and findings This multicenter qualitative study was conducted in two Italian regions as part of a larger project the Italian League against Cancer promoted. Using purposive sampling, we included (a) cigarette users and former ones who participated in an Italian trial, ITALUNG study, and (b) cigarette users who had been offered individual or group smoking cessation interventions and were theoretically eligible for screening in the following years (aged 50–70, ≥15 pack-years). Data were collected through open-ended semi-structured interviews and focus group meetings and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The data analysis yielded six themes covering participants’ views on the interactions between the two types of interventions (screening and smoking cessation program). Across their data, we generated the following themes: (i) depreciation and fatalism toward the risk of smoking, (ii) self-blaming and ethicality, (iii) ambivalent impact of the screening on smoking, (iv) LCS-related information and concerns, (v) teachable and motivating moments, and (vi) non-stigmatizing communication and testimony by professionals. Conclusions Our study underscores the importance of avoiding stigma and respecting the dignity of cigarette users in implementing LCS and smoking cessation programs. Clear communication and supportive interactions with healthcare providers are crucial for enhancing the acceptability and effectiveness of these interventions. Future research should focus on quantifying these findings and exploring additional factors influencing the acceptability and effectiveness of combined LCS and smoking cessation programs.

Chemoproteomics-Enabled <i>De Novo</i> Proteolysis Targeting Chimera Discovery Platform Identifies a Metallothionein Degrader to Probe Its Role in Cancer

Gene expression and soluble protein level of PD-1 and its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2) in endometrial cancer

Checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligands (PD-Ls) are negative immunoregulatory molecules that assist tumour cells in evading the immune system. The interaction of PD-1 and PD-Ls inhibits T cells and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) while increasing the function of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs). This leads to the evasion of the immune response by tumour cells. The roles of PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 in endometrial cancer (EC) have not been fully elucidated. This study investigates the mRNA gene expression and soluble protein levels of these molecules in EC compared to controls, with detailed analysis of clinical profiles. The results showed that EC had significantly higher mRNA gene expression and soluble protein levels of PD-L1 and PD-L2, but not PD-1. Specifically, PD-1 mRNA gene expression was significantly higher in cases with less than 50% myometrial invasion. Additionally, the soluble protein level of PD-1 was substantially higher in patients under the age of 60. Higher gene expression of PD-L1 was observed only in advanced stages of EC. However, the soluble PD-L1 protein level was significantly elevated in type II EC, advanced stage, higher grade, lympho-vascular space invasion (LVSI), and in cases with myometrial invasion of 50% or more. PD-L2 mRNA gene expression and soluble protein levels significantly differed across all clinical profiles except for LVSI. These findings suggest that PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 may serve as potential predictive biomarkers, which could be beneficial for the management of endometrial cancer patients through immunotherapy.

Diversity in neuronal activity could be caused by differences in inputs

Spectroscopic and Computational Interrogation of a High-Valent Nickel-Dialkyl Complex Indicates Electronic Structure Asymmetry Drives C–C Bond Formation Reactivity

Retraction: Adoption of image surface parameters under moving edge computing in the construction of mountain fire warning method

Photodimerization of Ferroelectric <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′-Ditetradecyl-stilbenediamide Derivative

Correction: SAILoR: Structure-aware inference of logic rules

Photoactivated Multivariate Metal–Organic Frameworks for On-Demand Drug Release: The Role of Host–Guest Interactions

Comparative analyses of chloroplast genomes of Theobroma cacao from northern Peru

Theobroma cacao is the most economically important species within the genus Theobroma. Despite its importance, the intraspecific relationships of this species has not been fully elucidated due to insufficient molecular information. To facilitate a better understanding of the intraspecific evolutionary relationships of T. cacao, Sequencing technology has been to decode the plastid genomes, with the objective of identify potential DNA barcode genetic markers, explore intraspecific relationships, and infer divergence times. The plastid genome of the seven cocoa genotypes analyzed in this study, exhibited a typical angiosperm genomic structure. However, the structure of each plastid genome reflects notable changes in each genotype; for example, the infA gene was present in all the analyzed samples, unlike in previously published cocoa plastid genomes, while the complete ycf1 gene sequence has potential for use as DNA Barcoding in T. cacao. The estimated age of the node connecting T. cacao and T. grandiflorum, which was 10.11 Ma, supports this indication. It can be inferred that T. cacao diverged at approximately 7.55 Ma, and it is highly likely that T. cacao populations diversified during the Pliocene or Miocene. Therefore, it is crucial to perform mitochondrial and nuclear-based analyses on a broader spectrum of cocoa samples to validate these evolutionary mechanisms, including genetic estimates and divergence. This approach enables a deeper understanding of the evolutionary relationships among cocoa.

Thiophene Sulfone Single Crystal as a Reversible Thermoelastic Linear Actuator with an Extended Stroke and Second-Harmonic Generation Switching

Hepatic venous pressure gradient in patients with (compensated and decompensated) advanced chronic liver disease – A comparison of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease with alcohol-associated liver disease: A retrospective view

Background and aims Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is a strong surrogate of severity and outcome but its relative prognostic value in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is yet to be clarified. We compared HVPG in MASLD with ALD and other etiologies according to cirrhosis complications. Patients and methods In our cirrhosis registry RH7, we identified patients with data on HVPG and scrutinized them against the etiology of advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) (MASLD, ALD, Other) and specific complications of ACLD such as variceal bleeding or ascites. We excluded patients with advanced malignancies and less than 6 months of follow-up. Results We enrolled 220 patients with ALD, MASLD, and Other etiology in 128, 52, and 40 cases, respectively; te median age was 57, 60, and 52 years (P = 0.09); the proportion of females was 31, 67, and 55%, respectively (P &lt; 0.01). Median MELD scores in ALD, MASLD, and Other etiologies were 16.0, 13.0, and 12.0 (P &lt; 0.01), and the median HVPG was 18.0, 14.0, and 11.5 mmHg (P &lt; 0.001). In 19, 30, and 25 compensated patients, the median HVPG was 10.0, 11.5, and 11.0 mmHg (P = 0.97). In 109, 22, and 15 decompensated patients, the median HVPG was 19.0, 15.5 and 14 mmHg (P = 0.01 for trend, difference ALD vs. other P &lt; 0.01, ALD vs. MASLD, P = 0.295). Between decompensated MASLD and ALD patients, we observed no differences in the proportion of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) (&gt;10 mmHg). Conclusion In our cirrhosis registry study of hospitalized patients with ACLD, baseline HVPG measured for accepted indications differed according to the etiology of dACLD: patients with ALD had the highest values followed by MASLD and Other etiologies. Importantly, when looked at from the point of view of complications, the treshold for clinically significant portal hypertension remained fixed at the level recommended by BAVENO Consensus - 10 mm Hg irrespective of etiology.

Analysis of the TiO₂ Photoanode Process Using Intensity Modulated Photocurrent Spectroscopy and Distribution of Relaxation Times

Correction: Does chubby Can get lower grades than skinny Sophie? Using an intersectional approach to uncover grading bias in German secondary schools

Red Light Mediated Photoconversion of Silicon Rhodamines to Oxygen Rhodamines for Single-Molecule Microscopy

Human placental mesenchymal stem cells ameliorates premature ovarian insufficiency via modulating gut microbiota and suppressing the inflammation in rats

The core objective of this study was to explore the effects and potential mechanism of human placental mesenchymal stem cells (PMSCs) in improving early-onset ovarian dysfunction (POI). Mesenchymal stem cells with multidirectional differentiation ability were isolated from human placenta tissue and a culture system of human PMSCs was constructed for this study. Subsequently, we successfully constructed POI rat models using cisplatin induction. We randomly divided these models into four groups: CON group (blank control), MOD group (POI model), MED group (hormone therapy), and PMSC group (PMSCs therapy). Then, we compared the differences in estrus cycle, ovarian index, ovarian weight, and ovarian histopathological features, as well as hormones and inflammatory factors in rats of diverse groups. The content of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in plasma was determined by limulus reagent kit. 16S rDNA sequencing was used to evaluate the changes in gut flora composition. Further, we investigated short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the metabolites of rat gut microbiota by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). As a result, we successfully established an efficient cell culture system of human placental mesenchymal stem cells (PMSCs) in vitro. Then, we evaluated the effects of PMSC intervention on POI rats: Compared to the untreated MOD group, the estrous cycle of rats in the PMSC group gradually became regular, the ovarian weight and ovarian index were significantly increased, and the ovarian tissue structure was improved by showing an increase in the number of follicles and a decrease in the number of atretic follicles. Moreover, PMSC intervention significantly affected plasma sex hormones by a major impact on follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Estradiol (E2). In terms of inflammatory factors, PMSC intervention decreased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-33, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in plasma and ovarian tissue of POI rats. Meanwhile, the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was increased. In addition, we found that there was ectopic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the blood of POI rats, which could be significantly reduced by PMSC intervention. Intestinal microbiota sequencing and analysis showed that after PMSC intervention, the phyla abundances of Firmicutes, Bacteroides, and Proteobacteria showed remarkable differences between the MOD and PMSC groups (P &lt; 0.05). Further genus analysis showed that PMSC treatment had a major influence in gut microbitoa by increasing the abundances of Turicibacter and Desulfovibrio, as well as reducing Alloprevotella, Parabacteroides, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and Rikenella. The changes of SCFAs in intestinal microbial metabolites of rats after PMSC intervention were analyzed: caproic acid level was markedly increased, butyric acid showed a decreased trend. Notably, we found a closed and complicated potential correlation among differential microbiota, inflammatory factors and hormones after PMSCs intervention. Collectively, this study have successfully established a suitable cultured PMSCs that can effectively promote the improvement of reproductive function in POI rats and achieve therapeutic effects by regulating the inflammatory response and reshaping the gut intestinal microbiota.

Light-Independent Fe₃O₄–<i>Methanosarcina acetivorans</i> Biohybrid Enhances Nitrogen Fixation and Methanogenesis

Relationship of sleep and activity, assessed via a wristwatch-type pulsimeter with an accelerometer, with health status in community-dwelling older adults: A preliminary study

Wearable devices have the potential to promote a healthy lifestyle; however, studies on the use of wearable devices in monitoring health in older adults are limited. We aimed to investigate the relationship of sleep and activity data with health status among older adults. Fifty-five community-dwelling older adults were asked to wear a wristwatch-type wearable device (the Pulsense [PS]) and measure home blood pressure (HBP) over a period of 5–7 consecutive days. Deep-sleep duration, physical and mental activity duration, and body-movement duration were obtained from PS data using special software. We also collected data on demographics and physical and mental health status. We found that the body-movement duration in women was longer than that in men. Among men, body-movement duration was strongly and negatively correlated with the Kihon Checklist (KCL) score. It also showed moderate correlations with the Geriatric Depression score, physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, social function, and role emotional scores from the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-8 questionnaire, as well as with hand-grip strength. There was no significant correlation between monitoring data and health status in women. In the multiple linear regression analysis, body-movement duration was negatively associated with age and the KCL score. KCL is a common questionnaire for screening frailty in Japan. Our results showed that body-movement duration was negatively associated with age and the KCL score, suggesting the potential of PS in guiding personalized health management of older community-dwelling adults with risks of frailty.

Orthogonal Control of Transport Channels in Boron-Embedded Acenes

Short sleep duration is a significant risk factor of obesity: A multicenter observational study of healthy adults in Japan

This multicenter study aimed to elucidate the association between sleep duration and various lifestyle-related disorders in healthy adults in Japan. A total of 62,056 healthy participants (age: 49.4 ±  10.9 years) who received medical checkups from 2010 to 2020 were analyzed cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The mean sleep duration was 6.2 ±  1.0 h in men and 6.1 ±  1.0 h in women. The distribution of sleep duration showed that older people tended to sleep longer, which was clearly observed in men but not in women. Univariate analyses showed that older age, lower body mass index (BMI), habitual drinking, and habitual exercise were significantly associated with longer sleep duration. Multivariate analyses in men showed that sleep duration was positively associated with age, habitual exercise, serum triglyceride (TG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and habitual drinking and negatively associated with BMI and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Alternatively, in women, sleep duration was positively associated with habitual exercise and TG and negatively associated with BMI, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, HbA1c, and current smoking. During the follow-up period, 3,360 of 31,004 individuals (10.8%) developed obesity. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that shorter sleep duration was a significantly higher risk of obesity, and longer sleep duration might be a lower risk of obesity. On the other hand, 1,732 of 39,048 participants (4.4%) developed impaired glucose tolerance, and 6,405 of 33,537 participants (19.1%) developed hypertriglyceridemia. However, the Cox proportional hazards model did not show significant association between sleep duration and impaired glucose tolerance or hypertriglyceridemia. In conclusion, our large-scale cross-sectional study showed that sleep duration was positively associated with habitual exercise and TG and negatively associated with BMI and HbA1c, regardless of sex. Longitudinal analysis revealed that shorter sleep duration is a significant risk factor for obesity.