Strain-invariant stretchable radio-frequency electronics.

Wireless modules that provide telecommunications and power-harvesting capabilities enabled by radio-frequency (RF) electronics are vital components of skin-interfaced stretchable electronics1-7. However, recent studies on stretchable RF components have demonstrated that substantial changes in electrical properties, such as a shift in the antenna resonance frequency, occur even under relatively low elastic strains8-15. Such changes lead directly to greatly reduced wireless signal strength or power-transfer efficiency in stretchable systems, particularly in physically dynamic environments such as the surface of the skin. Here we present strain-invariant stretchable RF electronics capable of completely maintaining the original RF properties under various elastic strains using a 'dielectro-elastic' material as the substrate. Dielectro-elastic materials have physically tunable dielectric properties that effectively avert frequency shifts arising in interfacing RF electronics. Compared with conventional stretchable substrate materials, our material has superior electrical, mechanical and thermal properties that are suitable for high-performance stretchable RF electronics. In this paper, we describe the materials, fabrication and design strategies that serve as the foundation for enabling the strain-invariant behaviour of key RF components based on experimental and computational studies. Finally, we present a set of skin-interfaced wireless healthcare monitors based on strain-invariant stretchable RF electronics with a wireless operational distance of up to 30 m under strain.

Lymphatic endothelial cell RXRα is critical for 9-cis-retinoic acid-mediated lymphangiogenesis and prevention of secondary lymphedema.

Secondary lymphedema is a debilitating disease characterized by abnormal soft tissue swelling and caused by lymphatic system dysfunction. Despite a high prevalence of secondary lymphedema after cancer treatments, current management is supportive and there are no approved therapeutic agents that can thwart disease progression. We have previously demonstrated that 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cisRA) has the potential to be repurposed for lymphedema as it mitigates disease by promoting lymphangiogenesis at the site of lymphatic injury. Although the efficacy of 9-cisRA has been demonstrated in previous studies, the mechanism of action is not completely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that when RXRα is specifically deleted in lymphatic endothelial cells, 9-cisRA fails to induce lymphangiogenesis in vitro and prevent pathologic progression of postsurgical lymphedema in vivo. These findings demonstrate that downstream nuclear receptor RXRα plays a critical role in the therapeutic efficacy of 9-cisRA in postsurgical lymphedema.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Anti-Cancer Effects of Isorhapontigenin (ISO) on Highly Invasive Human T24 Bladder Cancer Cells.

Bladder cancer, the most common malignancy of the urinary tract, has a poor overall survival rate when the tumor becomes muscle invasive. The discovery and evaluation of new alternative medications targeting high-grade muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) are of tremendous importance in reducing bladder cancer mortality. Isorhapontigenin (ISO), a stilbene derivative from the Chinese herb Gnetum cleistostachyum, exhibits a strong anti-cancer effect on MIBCs. Here, we report the whole transcriptome profiling of ISO-treated human bladder cancer T24 cells. A total of 1047 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 596 downregulated and 451 upregulated genes. Functional annotation and pathway analysis revealed that ISO treatment induced massive changes in gene expression associated with cell movement, migration, invasion, metabolism, proliferation, and angiogenesis. Additionally, ISO treatment-activated genes involved in the inflammatory response but repressed genes involved in hypoxia signaling, glycolysis, the actin cytoskeleton, and the tumor microenvironment. In summary, our whole transcriptome analysis demonstrated a shift in metabolism and altered actin cytoskeleton in ISO-treated T24 cells, which subsequently contribute to tumor microenvironment remodeling that suppresses tumor growth and progression.

Inhibition of Biofilm Formation in Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans by the Phytopigment Shikonin.

Skin microbiota, such as acne-related Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and fungal Candida albicans, can form polymicrobial biofilms with greater antimicrobial tolerance to traditional antimicrobial agents and host immune systems. In this study, the phytopigment shikonin was investigated against single-species and multispecies biofilms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of shikonin were 10 µg/mL against C. acnes, S. aureus, and C. albicans, and at 1-5 µg/mL, shikonin efficiently inhibited single biofilm formation and multispecies biofilm development by these three microbes. Shikonin increased porphyrin production in C. acnes, inhibited cell aggregation and hyphal formation by C. albicans, decreased lipase production, and increased hydrophilicity in S. aureus. In addition, shikonin at 5 or 10 µg/mL repressed the transcription of various biofilm-related genes and virulence-related genes in C. acnes and downregulated the gene expression levels of the quorum-sensing agrA and RNAIII, α-hemolysin hla, and nuclease nuc1 in S. aureus, supporting biofilm inhibition. In addition, shikonin prevented multispecies biofilm development on porcine skin, and the antimicrobial efficacy of shikonin was recapitulated in a mouse infection model, in which it promoted skin regeneration. The study shows that shikonin inhibits multispecies biofilm development by acne-related skin microbes and might be useful for controlling bacterial infections.

CircABCA13 acts as a miR-4429 sponge to facilitate esophageal squamous cell carcinoma development by stabilizing SRXN1.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal role in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. However, the role and mechanisms of circABCA13 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are largely unknown. Here, we reported that circABCA13, a novel circular RNA generated by back-splicing of the intron of the ABCA13 gene, is highly expressed in ESCC tumor tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of circABCA13 correlated with TNM stage and a poor prognosis in ESCC patients. While knockdown of circABCA13 in ESCC cells significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth, overexpression of circABCA13 facilitated tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, circABCA13 directly binds to miR-4429 and sequesters miR-4429 from its endogenous target, SRXN1 mRNA, which subsequently upregulates SRXN1 and promotes ESCC progression. Consistently, overexpression of miR-4429 or knockdown of SRXN1 abolished malignant behavior promotion of ESCC results from circABCA13 overexpression in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our study uncovered the oncogenic role of circABCA13 and its mechanism in ESCC, suggesting that circABCA13 could be a potential therapeutic target and a predictive biomarker for ESCC patients.

Informational needs of individuals from families harboring BRCA pathogenic variants: A systematic review and content analysis.

PURPOSE: Personalized information is paramount to patient-centered communication and decision-making regarding risk management in hereditary cancer syndromes. This systematic review identified information needs of individuals from families harboring BRCA pathogenic variants and compared findings based on gender (women vs men) and clinical characteristics (patients with cancer vs previvors and BRCA heterozygotes vs untested relatives). METHODS: We screened 8115 studies identified from databases and citation searching. The quality of selected studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Narrative synthesis was conducted based on content analysis. RESULTS: From 18 selected studies including 1063 individuals, we identified 9 categories of information needs. Risk of bias in the selected studies was moderate. Men, untested relatives, and racial and ethnic minorities were underrepresented. Frequently required information was personalized cancer risk and risk-reducing strategies, including decision-making, family implications of hereditary cancers, psychological issues, and cascade testing. Subgroup analyses showed that information needs depended on gender, personal cancer history, and cascade testing in relatives. CONCLUSION: We identified comprehensive and detailed informational needs of individuals from families harboring BRCA pathogenic variants and gaps in international guidelines. Needs for personalized information varied based on gender, health, and genetic testing status. Findings of this study have implications for genetic counseling, tailoring educational materials, and personalizing interventions.

Hexavalent chromium inhibits myogenic differentiation and induces myotube atrophy.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is extensively used in many industrial processes. Previous studies reported that Cr(VI) exposures during early embryonic development reduced body weight with musculoskeletal malformations in rodents while exposures in adult mice increased serum creatine kinase activity, a marker of muscle damage. However, the impacts of Cr(VI) on muscle differentiation remain largely unknown. Here, we report that acute exposures to Cr(VI) in mouse C2C12 myoblasts inhibit myogenic differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. Exposure to 2 µM of Cr(VI) resulted in delayed myotube formation, as evidenced by a significant decrease in myotube formation and expression of muscle-specific markers, such as muscle creatine kinase (Mck), Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (Mef2), Myomaker (Mymk) and Myomixer (Mymx). Interestingly, exposure to 5 µM of Cr(VI) completely abolished myotube formation in differentiating C2C12 cells. Moreover, the expression of key myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) including myoblast determination protein 1 (MyoD), myogenin (MyoG), myogenic factor 5 (Myf5), and myogenic factor 6 (Myf6) were significantly altered in Cr(VI)-treated cells. The inhibitory effect of Cr(VI) on myogenic differentiation was further confirmed in freshly isolated mouse satellite cells, a stem cell population essential for adult skeletal muscle regeneration. Furthermore, Cr(VI) exposure to fully differentiated C2C12 myotubes resulted in a decrease in myotube diameter, which was exacerbated upon co-treatment with dexamethasone. Together, our results demonstrate that Cr(VI) inhibits myogenic differentiation and induces myotube atrophy in vitro.

Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow: associations of pre-operative DTI parameters with clinical outcomes after cubital tunnel decompression.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether DTI parameters of the ulnar nerve at the elbow are associated with clinical outcomes in patients receiving cubital tunnel decompression (CTD) surgery for ulnar neuropathy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 21 patients with cubital tunnel syndrome who received CTD surgery between January 2019 and November 2020. All patients underwent pre-operative elbow MRI, including DTI. Region-of-interest analysis was performed on the ulnar nerve at three levels around the elbow: above (level 1), cubital tunnel (level 2), and below (level 3). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) were calculated on three sections at each level. Clinical data on symptom improvement in respect to pain and tingling sensation after CTD were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was used to compare DTI parameters of the nerve at three levels and the entire nerve course between patients with and without symptom improvement after CTD. RESULTS: After CTD, 16 patients showed improvement in symptoms, but five did not. ROC analysis of DTI parameters showed that AUCs of FA, AD, and MD were higher at level 1 than at levels 2 and 3, with FA showing the highest AUC (level 1: FA, 0.7104 [95% CI, 0.5206-0.9002] vs AD, 0.6521 [95% CI, 0.4900-0.8142] vs MD, 0.6153 [95% CI, 0.4187-0.8119]). CONCLUSION: In patients who underwent CTD surgery for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, the DTI parameters of FA, AD, and MD above the cubital tunnel level were associated with clinical outcomes, with FA showing the strongest associations. KEY POINTS: • After CTD surgery for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, persistent symptoms may be observed, depending on symptom severity. • DTI parameters of the ulnar nerve at the elbow showed differences in their capacity for discriminating between patients with and without symptom improvement following CTD surgery, with this capacity depending on the nerve level at the elbow. • FA, AD, and MD measured above the cubital tunnel on pre-operative DTI may be associated with surgical outcomes, with FA showing the strongest association (AUC at level 1, 0.7104 [95% CI, 0.5206-0.9002]).

OGD/R-induced ferroptosis and pyroptosis in retinal pigment epithelium cells: Role of PLD1 and PLD2 modulation.

This study investigated the role of phospholipase D (PLD) in retinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury using an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model commonly used in retinal I/R injury research. To create an in vitro cellular I/R model, pharmacological inhibitors and small interfering RNA (siRNA) were used to target PLD1 and PLD2 in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Treatment with PLD inhibitors and siRNA reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) induced by OGD/R in RPE cells and increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), indicating a reduction in oxidative damage and improvement in the antioxidant system. Next, we showed that inhibiting PLD1 or PLD2 reduced intracellular iron levels and lipid peroxidation, which are critical factors in ferroptosis. Additionally, PLD1 and PLD2 modulated the expression of proteins involved in the regulation of ferroptosis, including GPX4, SLC7A11, FTH1, and ACSL4. We also investigated the roles of PLD1 and PLD2 in preventing pyroptosis, another form of programmed cell death associated with inflammation. Our study found that OGD/R significantly increased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activated caspase-1, NLRP3, ASC, cleaved-caspase 1 (C-caspase-1), and GSDMD-N in RPE cells, indicating pyroptosis induction. However, PLD1 and PLD2 inhibition or knockdown significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, Taken together, our findings support the hypothesis that the PLD signaling pathway plays a key role in OGD/R-induced ferroptosis and pyroptosis induction and may be a potential therapeutic target for preventing or treating retinal dysfunction and degeneration.

Impact of frailty on the outcomes of patients undergoing degenerative spine surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Degenerative spinal diseases are common in older adults with concurrent frailty. Preoperative frailty is a strong predictor of adverse clinical outcomes after surgery. This study aimed to investigate the association between health-related outcomes and frailty in patients undergoing spine surgery for degenerative spine diseases. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed by electronically searching Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL for eligible studies until July 16, 2022. We reviewed all studies, excluding spinal tumours, non-surgical procedures, and experimental studies that examined the association between preoperative frailty and related outcomes after spine surgery. A total of 1,075 articles were identified in the initial search and were reviewed by two reviewers, independently. Data were subjected to qualitative and quantitative syntheses by meta-analytic methods. RESULTS: Thirty-eight articles on 474,651 patients who underwent degenerative spine surgeries were included and 17 papers were quantitatively synthesized. The health-related outcomes were divided into clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes; clinical outcomes were further divided into postoperative complications and supportive management procedures. Compared to the non-frail group, the frail group was significantly associated with a greater risk of high mortality, major complications, acute renal failure, myocardial infarction, non-home discharge, reintubation, and longer length of hospital stay. Regarding patient-reported outcomes, changes in scores between the preoperative and postoperative Oswestry Disability Index scores were not associated with preoperative frailty. CONCLUSIONS: In degenerative spinal diseases, frailty is a strong predictor of adverse clinical outcomes after spine surgery. The relationship between preoperative frailty and patient-reported outcomes is still inconclusive. Further research is needed to consolidate the evidence from patient-reported outcomes.

An economic evaluation of pharmacopuncture versus usual care for chronic neck pain: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the cost utility of pharmacopuncture in comparison with usual care for patients with chronic neck pain. METHODS: A 12-week, multicenter, pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted, and 101 patients suffering from chronic neck pain for more than six months were randomly placed into the pharmacopuncture and usual care groups to receive four weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up observations. The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) was calculated using EQ-5D and SF-6D. Concerning costs in 2019, a primary analysis was performed on societal perspective cost, and an additional analysis was performed on healthcare perspective cost. RESULTS: Compared to usual care, pharmacopuncture was superior as it showed a slightly higher QALY and a lower incremental cost of $1,157 from a societal perspective. The probability that pharmacopuncture would be more cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $26,374 was 100%. Pharmacopuncture was also superior from a healthcare perspective, with a lower incremental cost of $26. The probability that pharmacopuncture would be more cost-effective at a WTP of $26,374 was 83.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, pharmacopuncture for chronic neck pain was found to be more cost-effective compared to usual care, implying that clinicians and policy makers should consider new treatment options for neck pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Number NCT04035018 (29/07/2019) Clinicaltrials.gov; Number KCT0004243 (26/08/2019) Clinical Research Information Service.

Induction of Browning in White Adipocytes: Fucoidan Characterization and Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis from Undaria pinnatifida Sporophyll Extract.

Seaweed extracts and their specific polysaccharides are widely known for their ability to act as reducing and capping agents during nanoparticle synthesis. Their application is highly favored in green synthesis methods, owing to their eco-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and remarkable time and energy efficiency. In this study, fucoidan extracted from Undaria pinnatifida sporophyll (UPS) is introduced as a polysaccharide that effectively serves as a dual-function reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Results from various analyses indicate that AuNPs derived from UPS extract display a uniform spherical shape with an average size of 28.34 ± 1.15 nm and a zeta potential of -37.49 ± 2.13 mV, conclusively confirming the presence of Au. The FT-IR spectra distinctly revealed the characteristic fucoidan bands on the stabilized UPS-AuNPs surface. A 1H-NMR analysis provided additional confirmation by revealing the presence of specific fucoidan protons on the UPS-AuNPs surface. To comprehensively evaluate the impact of UPS extract, UPS-AuNPs, and fucoidan on the biological properties of adipocytes, a rigorous comparative analysis of lipid droplet formation and morphology was conducted. Our findings revealed that adipocytes treated with UPS extract, fucoidan, and UPS-AuNPs, in that order, exhibited a reduction in the total lipid droplet surface area, maximum Ferret diameter, and overall Nile red staining intensity when compared to mature white adipocytes. Furthermore, our analysis of the effects of UPS extracts, UPS-AuNPs, and fucoidan on the expression of key markers associated with white adipose tissue browning, such as UCP1, PGC1a, and PRDM16, demonstrated increased mRNA and protein expression levels in the following order: UPS-AuNPs > fucoidan > UPS extracts. Notably, the production of active mitochondria, which play a crucial role in enhancing energy expenditure in beige adipocytes, also increased in the following order: UPS-AuNPs > fucoidan > UPS extract. These findings underscore the pivotal role of UPS extract, fucoidan, and UPS-AuNPs in promoting adipocyte browning and subsequently enhancing energy expenditure.

Configurational entropy of basaltic melts in Earth's mantle.

Although geophysical observations of mantle regions that suggest the presence of partial melt have often been interpreted in light of the properties of basaltic liquids erupted at the surface, the seismic and rheological consequences of partial melting in the upper mantle depend instead on the properties of interstitial basaltic melt at elevated pressure. In particular, basaltic melts and glasses display anomalous mechanical softening upon compression up to several GPa, suggesting that the relevant properties of melt are strongly pressure-dependent. A full understanding of such a softening requires study, under compression, of the atomic structure of primitive small-degree basaltic melts at their formation depth, which has proven to be difficult. Here we report multiNMR spectra for a simplified basaltic glass quenched at pressures up to 5 GPa (corresponding to depths down to ∼150 km). These data allow quantification of short-range structural parameters such as the populations of coordination numbers of Al and Si cations and the cation pairs bonded to oxygen atoms. In the model basaltic glass, the fraction of [5,6]Al is ∼40% at 5 GPa and decreases to ∼3% at 1 atm. The estimated fraction of nonbridging oxygens at 5 GPa is ∼84% of that at ambient pressure. Together with data on variable glass compositions at 1 atm, these results allow us to quantify how such structural changes increase the configurational entropy of melts with increasing density. We explore how configurational entropy can be used to explain the anomalous mechanical softening of basaltic melts and glasses.

The psychology and policy of overcoming economic inequality.

Recent arguments claim that behavioral science has focused - to its detriment - on the individual over the system when construing behavioral interventions. In this commentary, we argue that tackling economic inequality using both framings in tandem is invaluable. By studying individuals who have overcome inequality, "positive deviants," and the system limitations they navigate, we offer potentially greater policy solutions.

Effects of roasting and ultrasound-assisted enzymatic treatment of Nigella sativa L. seeds on thymoquinone in the oil and antioxidant activity of defatted seed meal.

BACKGROUND: Black cumin seeds (black seed; BS) contain various bioactive compounds, such as thymoquinone (TQ). Roasting and ultrasound-assisted enzymatic treatment (UAET) as pre-treatments can increase the phytochemical content in the BS oil. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pre-treatments on the TQ content and the yield of the BS oil and to profile the composition of defatted BS meal (DBSM), followed by evaluating antioxidant properties of the DBSM. RESULTS: The extraction yield of crude oil from BS was not affected by the roasting time. The highest extraction yield (47.8 ± 0.4%) was obtained with UAET cellulase-pH 5 (enzyme concentration of 100%). Roasting decreased the TQ content of the oil, while the UAET cellulase-pH 5 treatment with an enzyme concentration of 100% yielded the highest TQ (125.1 ± 2.7 µg mL-1 ). Additionally, the UAET cellulase-pH 5 treatment increased total phenolics and flavonoids of DBSM by approximately two-fold, compared to roasting or ultrasound treatment (UT) alone. Principal component analysis revealed that the UAET method might be more suitable for extracting BS oil with higher TQ content than roasting and UT. CONCLUSION: Compared to roasting or UT, using ultrasound along with cellulase could improve the oil yield and TQ in the oil from BS and obtain the DBSM with higher phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of HU histogram analysis and BMD for proximal femoral fragility fracture assessment: a retrospective single-center case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of HU histogram analysis (HUHA) to assess proximal femoral fragility fractures with respect to BMD. METHODS: This retrospective study included 137 patients with femoral fragility fractures who underwent hip CT and 137 control patients without fractures who underwent abdominal CT between January 2018 and February 2019. HUHA was calculated with the 3D volume of interest from the femoral head to the lesser trochanter. HUHAfat (percentage of negative HU values) and HUHAbone (percentage of HU values ≥ 125 HU) were assumed to be fat and bone components, respectively. Statistical significance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), Spearman correlation (ρ), and odds ratio. RESULTS: HUHAfat was strongly positively correlated (ρ = 0.56) and BMD was moderately negatively correlated with fragility fractures (ρ = - 0.37). AUC of HUHAfat (0.82, 95% CI [0.77, 0.87]) significantly differed from that of BMD (0.69, 95% CI [0.63, 0.75]) (p < .001). The cutoff value was 15.8% for HUHAfat (sensitivity: 90.4%; specificity: 67.7%) and 0.709 g/cm2 for BMD (sensitivity: 87.5%; specificity: 51.5%), with higher HUHAfat and lower BMD values indicating fragility fractures. The odds ratio of HUHAfat was 19.5 (95% CI [9.9, 38.2], p < .001), which was higher than that of BMD, 7.4 (95% CI [4.0, 13.6], p < .001). CONCLUSION: HUHAfat revealed better performance than BMD and demonstrated feasibility in assessing proximal femoral fragility fractures. KEY POINTS: • HUHAfat showed a strong positive correlation (Spearman ρ = 0.56, p < .001), and BMD showed a moderate negative correlation (Spearman ρ = - 0.37, p < .001) with proximal femoral fragility fractures. • HUHAfat (AUC = 0.82) performed significantly better than BMD in assessing proximal femoral fragility fractures (AUC = 0.69) (p < .001). • The odds ratio of HUHAfat for proximal femoral fragility fractures was higher than that of BMD (19.5 and 7.4, respectively; p < .001).

Patient-reported distress and problems among elderly patients with hematological malignancy in Korea.

PURPOSE: Treatment for hematological malignancies (HMs) and functional decline associated with age can cause distress in elderly patients with HMs. However, information about the nature and effects of distress in this population is scarce. Therefore, this study examined the level of distress, its source, and the practical/familial/physical/emotional problems among elderly patients with HMs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with HMs aged ≥ 65 years who visited an outpatient clinic at a tertiary medical center in Korea between November 2019 and March 2020. Patient-reported distress and problems were measured using the distress thermometer (DT) and 39-item Problem List by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Descriptive statistics, χ2 test or Fisher's exact test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted (N = 132). RESULTS: In total, 62.1% of patients had moderate to severe distress (DT score ≥ 4), experiencing an average of nine problems. Significant sources of distress on multivariate logistic analysis included problems with transportation, depression, and constipation, accounting for 47% of distress variance. Most patients had physical (97.0%) or emotional problems (79.5%). Among these, fatigue (60.6%), worry (59.8%), tingling (59.8%), difficulty with mobility (47.0%), and memory/concentration (40.2%) were the most frequently reported problems. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with HMs have a high burden of distress, which is affected by different sources, compared with younger patients with solid tumors. Thus, in this population, assessment and management of distress need to be conducted considering the unique features of their source and burden. Further research on distress should consider the cancer type and population age.

Differential resting-state neurophysiological activity associated with game usage patterns and genres in Internet gaming disorder.

We investigated differences in quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns associated with game usage patterns and genre among patients with Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Data from 140 participants (76 IGD patients and 64 healthy controls) were analysed. The IGD group was divided into subgroups based on game usage patterns (single game [SG] or multiple games [MGs]) and genre (multiplayer online battle arena, first-person shooter [FPS], or massively multiplayer online role-playing game [MMORPG; hereafter, MMG]). A resting-state, eye-closed quantitative EEG was recorded, and the absolute power and coherence of brain waves were analysed. IGD patients who played SGs showed increased beta activity compared with those who played MGs and controls. Increased absolute beta power was significantly associated with higher tendencies towards behavioural inhibition compared with controls. FPS gamers showed increased delta power in the frontal region compared with controls, which was related to the severity of IGD. Furthermore, decreased intrahemispheric coherence in the left frontoparietal region was observed in the MMG and FPS groups compared with controls. This decreased coherence was observed in the theta (MMG and FPS), delta (MMG), and beta (FPS) bands. These features were related to impairment in visuospatial working memory. Unique neurophysiological features related to preoccupation with an SG may be associated with the inhibition of behavioural changes. The present study suggests that the underlying neurophysiological networks in IGD differ according to game usage patterns and genre.

Characterization of Plocamium telfairiae Extract-Functionalized Au Nanostructures and Their Anti-Adipogenic Activity through PLD1.

Here, Au nanostructure (AuNS) biosynthesis was mediated through ethanolic extract of Plocamium telfairiae (PT) without the use of stabilizers or surfactants. PT-functionalized AuNSs (PT-AuNSs) were analyzed using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Stable monodisperse PT-AuNSs were synthesized, with a mean size of 15.36 ± 0.10 nm and zeta potential of -35.85 ± 1.36 mV. Moreover, biosynthetic AuNPs with a face-centered structure of PT-AuNS exhibited crystalline characteristics. In addition, many functional groups playing important roles in the biological reduction of PT extracts were adsorbed on the surface of PT-AuNSs. Furthermore, the effects of PT-AuNSs on adipogenesis in immature adipocytes were investigated. PT-AuNSs reduced morphological changes, lowered triglyceride content, and increased lipid accumulation by approximately 78.6% in immature adipocytes compared with the values in mature adipocytes (MDI-induced). PT-AuNS suppressed lipid accumulation by downregulating the transcript and protein expression of C/EBPα, PPARγ, SREBP 1, FAS, and aP2. Finally, PT-AuNS induced the transcript and protein expression of UCP1, PRDM16, and PGC1a, thereby increasing mitochondrial biogenesis in mature adipocytes and effectively inducing brown adipogenesis. In this study, the biosynthesized PT-AuNS was used as a potential therapeutic candidate because it conferred a potent anti-lipogenic effect. As a result, it can be used in various scientific fields such as medicine and the environment.

Design and Evaluation Challenges of Conversational Agents in Health Care and Well-being: Selective Review Study.

BACKGROUND: Health care and well-being are 2 main interconnected application areas of conversational agents (CAs). There is a significant increase in research, development, and commercial implementations in this area. In parallel to the increasing interest, new challenges in designing and evaluating CAs have emerged. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify key design, development, and evaluation challenges of CAs in health care and well-being research. The focus is on the very recent projects with their emerging challenges. METHODS: A review study was conducted with 17 invited studies, most of which were presented at the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) CHI 2020 conference workshop on CAs for health and well-being. Eligibility criteria required the studies to involve a CA applied to a health or well-being project (ongoing or recently finished). The participating studies were asked to report on their projects' design and evaluation challenges. We used thematic analysis to review the studies. RESULTS: The findings include a range of topics from primary care to caring for older adults to health coaching. We identified 4 major themes: (1) Domain Information and Integration, (2) User-System Interaction and Partnership, (3) Evaluation, and (4) Conversational Competence. CONCLUSIONS: CAs proved their worth during the pandemic as health screening tools, and are expected to stay to further support various health care domains, especially personal health care. Growth in investment in CAs also shows the value as a personal assistant. Our study shows that while some challenges are shared with other CA application areas, safety and privacy remain the major challenges in the health care and well-being domains. An increased level of collaboration across different institutions and entities may be a promising direction to address some of the major challenges that otherwise would be too complex to be addressed by the projects with their limited scope and budget.