A Novel Radiology Communication Tool to Reduce Workflow Interruptions: Clinical Evaluation of RadConnect.

Despite the importance of communication, radiology departments often depend on communication tools that were not created for the unique needs of imaging workflows, leading to frequent radiologist interruptions. The objective of this study was test the hypothesis that a novel asynchronous communication tool for the imaging workflow (RadConnect) reduces the daily average number of synchronous (in-person, telephone) communication requests for radiologists. We conducted a before-after study. Before adoption of RadConnect, technologists used three conventional communication methods to consult radiologists (in-person, telephone, general-purpose enterprise chat (GPEC)). After adoption, participants used RadConnect as a fourth method. Technologists manually recorded every radiologist consult request related to neuro and thorax CT scans in the 40 days before and 40 days after RadConnect adoption. Telephone traffic volume to section beepers was obtained from the hospital telephone system for the same period. The value and usability experiences were collected through an electronic survey and structured interviews. RadConnect adoption resulted in 53% reduction of synchronous (in-person, telephone) consult requests: from 6.1 ± 4.2 per day to 2.9 ± 2.9 (P < 0.001). There was 77% decrease (P < 0.001) in telephone volume to the neuro and thorax beepers, while no significant volume change was noted to the abdomen beeper (control group). Survey responses (46% response rate) and interviews confirmed the positive impact of RadConnect on interruptions. RadConnect significantly reduced radiologists' telephone interruptions. Study participants valued the role-based interaction and prioritized worklist overview in the survey and interviews. Findings from this study will contribute to a more focused work environment.

A systematic investigation of chromium and vanadium impurities in a Janus Ga2SO monolayer towards spintronic applications.

Transition metals (TMs) have been employed as efficient sources of magnetism in non-magnetic two-dimensional (2D) materials. In this work, doping with chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V) is proposed to induce feature-rich electronic and magnetic properties in a Janus Ga2SO monolayer towards spintronic applications. The Ga2SO monolayer is a 2D semiconductor material with an energy gap of 1.30 (2.12) eV obtained from PBE(HSE06)-based calculations. Considering the structural asymmetry, different vacancy and doping sites are considered. A single Ga vacancy and pair of Ga vacancies magnetize the monolayer with total magnetic moments between 0.69 and 3.13µB, where the half-metallic nature is induced by the single Ga1 vacancy (that bound to the S atom). In these cases, the magnetism is originated mainly from S and O atoms closest to the vacancy sites. Depending on the doping site, either half-metallicity or diluted magnetic semiconductor natures are obtained by doping with Cr and V atoms with total magnetic moments of 3.00 and 2.00µB, respectively. Herein, 3d TM impurities produce mainly the system magnetism. When substituting a pair of Ga atoms, TM atoms exhibit the antiparallel spin alignment to follow the Pauli exclusion principle, retaining the novel electronic characteristics induced by a single TM dopant. Except for the case of doping with a pair of V atoms, total magnetic moments of 2.00 and 1.00µB are obtained by doping with a pair or Cr atoms and Cr/V co-doping, respectively. The non-zero magnetic moment is derived from the different interactions of each TM atom with its neighboring atoms, which will also be studied by Bader charge analysis. Our results introduce new promising 2D spintronic candidates, which are made by structural modifications at Ga sites of a non-magnetic Janus Ga2SO monolayer.

Association between Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum infection and colorectal cancer in Vietnamese patients.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health concern, and understanding the role of specific bacterial infections in its development and progression is of increasing interest. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between Bacteroides fragilis (B. fragilis) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) infections and Vietnamese CRC patients. METHODS: 192 patients with either polyps or CRC at varying stages were recruited from May 2017 to December 2020. Real-time PCR assessed infection rates and bacterial loads in CRC tissues. RESULTS: B. fragilis infection was notably higher in CRC tissues (51.6 %) than polyps (9.4 %), with a fivefold higher relative load. Positive associations were found in stages II and III, indicating a fivefold increase in CRC progression risk. F. nucleatum infection rates were significantly higher in CRC tissues (55.2 %) than in polyps (10.5 %). In stage II, the infection rate exceeded that in adjacent tissues. The relative load of F. nucleatum was higher in stage III than in stages I and II. Positive F. nucleatum patients had a 3.2 times higher risk of CRC progression. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest associations between loading of F. nucleatum or/and B. fragilis with the advanced stages of CRC.

An infrequent case of retroperitoneal synovial sarcoma.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an uncommon malignant tumor, ranking third in prevalence within the soft tissue sarcomas group. The vast majority of synovial sarcomas are present in the extremities, with only 15% developing in the retroperitoneal space. Retroperitoneal synovial sarcoma (RSS) is an infrequent case of SS, with only about 20 cases reported in the literature. Diagnosing RSS before treatment remains challenging because of its nonspecific clinical symptoms. The disease is often detected at a later stage, leading to additional damage to other organs as well as complicated and ineffective treatment. Consequently, the 5-year survival rate is only 20%-29%. This report introduces a case of RSS in a 19-year-old male patient with imaging characteristics on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR).

Voice disorder discrimination using vowel acoustic measures in female speakers.

BACKGROUND: Sustained vowels are important vocal tasks that have been investigated in discriminating voice disorders using acoustic analysis. To date, no study has combined vowel acoustic measures only that evaluate major aspects of the pathological voice signals in voice disorder discrimination. AIMS: To investigate the value of vowel acoustic measures that quantify glottal noise, signal stability, signal periodicity, spectral slope and overall voice quality in discriminating female speakers with and without voice disorders. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Sustained vowel /ɑ/ samples were extracted from 133 voice-disordered female patients and 97 non-voice disordered female speakers and were signal typed prior to analysis. Praat software was used to measure harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR), glottal-to-noise excitation ratio (GNE), the standard deviation of fundamental frequency (F0SD) and cepstral peak prominence (CPPp); and the Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice (ADSV) program was used to measure CPPadsv, low/high spectral ratio (LH) and the cepstral/spectral index of dysphonia (CSID). Outcome measures included sensitivity, specificity, and discrimination accuracy. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: As individual acoustic measures, only spectral-based measures showed good (CPPadsv) and acceptable (CSID) discrimination results. The HNR, GNE and CPPp measures had acceptable sensitivity but poor or non-acceptable specificity and discrimination accuracy. Logistic regression models with all Praat measures (F0SD, HNR, GNE, CPPp) plus ADSV measures (CPPadsv, LH or CSID) provided excellent sensitivity, good-to-excellent specificity and excellent discrimination accuracy. ROC analysis for all individual measures showed that CPPadsv, CSID, CPPp, GNE and F0SD had the highest area under the curve (AUC) values. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: A combination of acoustic measures that evaluate the major aspects of vocal dysfunction resulted in good to excellent voice discrimination outcomes. Individual acoustic measures had lower discrimination ability than combined measures. The findings implied that acoustic measures extracted from a prolonged vowel were useful in voice disorder discrimination. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject Acoustic measures hold great value in discriminating voice disorders from normal voices. However, no study has evaluated discrimination values of a combination of sustained vowel acoustic measures that quantify additive noise, signal stability, signal periodicity, spectral slope and overall voice quality in single-gender cohorts. Previous studies have not used signal typing (the classification of the acoustic signals) for time-based measures, impacting the reliability of discrimination. What this study adds to the existing knowledge This study was the first to implement signal typing to include sustained vowel samples of Types 1 and 2 signals for discrimination statistics. We showed that a combination of vocal acoustic measures using time- and spectral-based extraction from the sustained /ɑ/ vowel evaluating additive noise, signal stability, signal periodicity, spectral slope and overall voice quality resulted in good to excellent sensitivity, specificity and discrimination accuracy. As individual measures, traditional time-based measures such as HNR had rather limited discrimination values whilst spectral-based measures provided higher discrimination values. Measures that are sensitive to signal types have low discrimination ability. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The sustained vowel /ɑ/ is a relevant, universal vocal task for clinical application using acoustic measures to discriminate female speakers with and without voice disorders if signal typing is implemented. Clinical voice assessment using vowels may not be effective if relying solely on time-based measurements. Spectral-based measures perform better in voice disorder discrimination given their insensitivity to signal types. The most effective voice disorder discrimination could only be obtained using a combination of acoustic measures that quantify major phenomena in the signals of disordered voices. Using measures extracted from both programs, Praat and ADSV, is useful given that specific settings in a program may impact on discrimination accuracy.

Vacancy-and doping-mediated electronic and magnetic properties of PtSSe monolayer towards optoelectronic and spintronic applications.

Developing new multifunctional two-dimensional (2D) materials with two or more functions has been one of the main tasks of materials scientists. In this work, defect engineering is explored to functionalize PtSSe monolayer with feature-rich electronic and magnetic properties. Pristine monolayer is a non-magnetic semiconductor 2D material with a band gap of 1.52(2.31) eV obtained from PBE(HSE06)-based calculations. Upon creating single Pt vacancy, the half-metallic property is induced in PtSSe monolayer with a total magnetic moment of 4.00 µ B. Herein, magnetism is originated mainly from S and Se atoms around the defect site. In contrast, single S and Se vacancies preserve the non-magnetic nature. However, the band gap suffers of considerable reduction of the order of 67.11% and 48.68%, respectively. The half-metallicity emerges also upon doping with alkali metals (Li and Na) with total magnetic moment of 1.00 µ B, while alkaline earth impurities (Be and Mg) make new diluted magnetic semiconductor materials from PtSSe monolayer with total magnetic moment of 2.00 µ B. In these cases, magnetic properties are produced mainly by Se atoms closest to the doping site. In addition, doping with P and As atoms at chalcogen sites is also investigated. Except for the half-metallic AsSe system (As doping at Se site), the diluted magnetic semiconductor behavior is obtained in the remaining cases. Spin density results indicate key role of the VA-group impurities in magnetizing PtSSe monolayer. In these cases, total magnetic moments between 0.99 and 1.00 µ B are obtained. Further Bader charge analysis implies the charge loser role of all impurities that transfer charge to the host monolayer. Results presented in this work may suggest promises of the defected and doped Janus PtSSe structures for optoelectronic and spintronic applications.

Effective degradation of tetracycline in aqueous solution by an electro-Fenton process using chemically modified carbon/α-FeOOH as catalyst.

This study applied an electro-Fenton process using chemically modified activated carbon derived from rubber seed shells loaded with α-FeOOH (RSCF) as catalyst to remove tetracycline residues from aquatic environment. Catalyst characteristics were evaluated using SEM, EDS, XRD, and XPS, showing successful insertion of iron onto the activated carbon. The effects of the parameters were investigated, and the highest treatment efficiency was achieved at pH of 3, Fe: H2O2 ratio (w/w) of 500:1, catalyst dose of 1 g/L, initial TCH concentration of 100 mg/L, and electric current of 150 mA, with more than 90% of TCH being eliminated within 30 min. Furthermore, even after five cycles of use, the treatment efficiency remains above 90%. The rate constant is calculated to be 0.218 min-1, with high regression coefficients (R 2 = 0.93). The activation energy (Ea) was found to be 32.2 kJ/mol, indicating that the degradation of TCH was a simple reaction with a low activation energy. These findings showed that the RSCF is a highly efficient and cost-effective catalyst for TCH degradation. Moreover, the use of e-Fenton process has the advantage of high efficiency, low cost thanks to the recyclability of the catalyst, and environmental friendliness thanks to less use of H2O2.

Developmental outcomes of children born through ICSI versus conventional IVF (cIVF) in couples with non-male factor infertility.

STUDY QUESTION: In non-male factor infertile couples, are there any differences in the developmental outcomes between children born through ICSI and conventional IVF (cIVF)? SUMMARY ANSWER: In this preliminary study, ICSI and cIVF seem to have a comparable effect on developmental outcomes after 12 months in children born to non-male factor infertile couples. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: ICSI, an invasive technique, has raised concerns about potential developmental abnormalities in children. Limited data are available regarding the developmental outcomes of ICSI-conceived infants born to non-male factor infertile couples. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This prospective cohort study involved a follow-up of all children aged 12 months or older who were born from pregnancies resulting from either ICSI or cIVF as part of a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT) (NCT03428919). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: In the original RCT, 1064 women were randomly assigned to the ICSI or cIVF groups (532 women for each group). Follow-up was conducted with 155 couples (195 children) in the ICSI group and 141 couples (185 children) in the cIVF group. The Vietnamese version of the Ages & Stages Third Edition Questionnaires (ASQ-3) and the Development Red Flags questionnaires were completed by the participants. A total of 141 (90.1%) women (177 children) in the ICSI group and 113 (80.1%) women (145 children) in the cIVF group returned fully completed questionnaires. The primary outcomes were the developmental outcomes based on responses to the ASQ-3 and the Red Flags questionnaire. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The mean age of children at follow-up was 19.5 ± 5.0 months in the ICSI group and 19.3 ± 5.5 months in the cIVF group. The mean height and weight of children in both groups were similar. The overall proportion of children with any abnormal ASQ-3 score did not differ significantly between the ICSI and cIVF groups (16.9% vs 13.1%, P = 0.34). The proportion of children with Red Flag signs was also comparable between the two groups (6.2% vs 9.2%, P = 0.36, ICSI vs cIVF, respectively). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Despite a reasonably high follow-up response rate, there is a potential risk of sampling bias, and overall, the number of children with developmental abnormalities was very small. The study relied solely on questionnaires as screening tools, rather than incorporating additional behavioral observations or physical developmental tests; this may have affected the statistical power and the significance of between-group comparisons. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The current findings contribute to the existing evidence and support the comparative safety of ICSI and cIVF regarding early childhood development. However, more extensive and prolonged follow-up data for these children are needed to draw definitive conclusions. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): No external funding was received for this study, and no authors reported conflicting interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04866524 (clinicaltrials.gov).

A theoretical screening of phytochemical constituents from Millettia brandisiana as inhibitors against acetylcholinesterase.

Alzheimer's disease is one of the causes associated with the early stages of dementia. Nowadays, the main treatment available is to inhibit the actions of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme, which has been identified as responsible for the disease. In this study, computational methods were used to examine the structure and therapeutic ability of chemical compounds extracted from Millettia brandisiana natural products against AChE. This plant is commonly known as a traditional medicine in Vietnam and Thailand for the treatment of several diseases. Furthermore, machine learning helped us narrow down the choice of 85 substances for further studies by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to gain deeper insights into the interactions between inhibitors and disease proteins. Of the five top-choice substances, γ-dimethylallyloxy-5,7,2,5-tetramethoxyisoflavone emerges as a promising substance due to its large free binding energy to AChE and the high thermodynamic stability of the resulting complex.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with Herpes Simplex Encephalitis in Vietnam: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is an important central nervous infection with severe neurological sequelae. The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristic and outcomes of patients with HSE in Vietnam. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 66 patients with herpes simplex encephalitis who admitted to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam from 2018 to 2021. The detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in cerebrospinal fluid was made by the real-time PCR assay. We reported the clinical manifestation on admission and evaluated clinical outcomes at the hospital discharge by modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors of severe outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients with laboratory confirmed HSE, the median age was 53 years (IQR 38-60) and 44 patients (69.7%) were male. The most common manifestations included fever (100%), followed by the consciousness disorder (95.5%). Other neurological manifestation were seizures (36.4%), memory disorders (31.8%), language disorders (19.7%) and behavioral disorders (13.6%). Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed 93.8% patients with temporal lobe lesions, followed by abnormalities in insula (50%), frontal lobe (34.4%) and 48.4% of patients had bilateral lesions. At discharge, 19 patients (28.8%) completely recovered, 15 patients (22.7%) had mild sequelae, 28 patients (42.4%) had moderate to severe sequelae. Severe neurological sequelae were memory disorders (55.8%), movement disorders (53.5%), language disorders (30.2%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Glasgow score decrement at admission, seizures, and time duration from onset of symptoms to the start of Acyclovir treatment > 4 days were independent factors associated with severe outcomes in HSE patients. CONCLUSION: Glasgow score decrement, seizures and delay treatment with Acyclovir were associated with the poor outcome of patients with HSE.

Antiferromagnetism in GaS monolayer doped with TM-TM atom pairs (TM = V, Cr, Mn, and Fe).

In this work, structural modification at Ga sites of the gallium sulfide (GaS) monolayer is explored to create new two-dimensional (2D) materials towards spintronic applications. GaS monolayer is a non-magnetic indirect-gap semiconductor material with an energy gap of 2.38 (3.27) eV as calculated using the PBE(HSE06) functional. Half-metallicity is induced in this 2D material by creating a single Ga vacancy, where S atoms around the defect site produce mainly the magnetic properties with a total magnetic moment of 1.00µB. In contrast, the non-magnetic nature is preserved under the effects of a pair of Ga vacancies, which metallize the monolayer. V, Mn, and Fe doping leads to the emergence of the diluted magnetic semiconductor nature, while doping with Cr creates a new 2D half-metallic material from the GaS monolayer. In these cases, total magnetic moments between 2.00 and 5.00µB are obtained and the 3d orbital of transition metal (TM) impurities mainly induces the system magnetism. In addition, the effects of doping with a pair of TM (pTM) atoms are also investigated, in which the antiferromagnetism is found to be stable rather than the ferromagnetism to follow the Pauli exclusion principle. Significant magnetization of the GaS monolayer is also achieved with zero total magnetic moment because of the structural mirror-symmetry. pV-, pMn-, and pFe-doped systems are antiferromagnetic semiconductor materials with energy gaps of 1.06, 1.90, and 1.84 eV, respectively. Meanwhile, the monolayer is metallized by doping with a pCr pair. The results presented herein indicate that the defective and doped GaS monolayers are prospective 2D candidates for spintronic applications - which are hindered for the pristine GaS monolayer because of the absence of intrinsic magnetism.

Implementation of First-trimester Screening and Prevention of Preeclampsia: a Stepped Wedge Cluster-randomized Trial in Asia.

BACKGROUND: This trial aimed to assess the efficacy, acceptability and safety of a first-trimester screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm preeclampsia (PE) in Asia. METHODS: Between 1st August 2019 and 28th February 2022, this multicenter stepped wedge cluster randomized trial included maternity/diagnostic units from ten regions in Asia. The trial started with a period where all recruiting centers provided routine antenatal care without study-related intervention. At regular six-week intervals, one cluster was randomized to transit from non-intervention phase to intervention phase. In the intervention phase, women underwent first-trimester screening for preterm PE using a Bayes theorem-based triple-test. High-risk women, with adjusted risk for preterm PE ≥ 1 in 100, received low-dose aspirin from <16 weeks until 36 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 88.04% (42,897/48,725) of women agreed to undergo first-trimester screening for preterm PE. Among those identified as high-risk in the intervention phase, 82.39% (2,919/3,543) received aspirin prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in the incidence of preterm PE between the intervention and non-intervention phases (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91 to 2.77). However, among high-risk women in the intervention phase, aspirin prophylaxis was significantly associated with a 41% reduction in the incidence of preterm PE (aOR 0.59; 95%CI 0.37 to 0.92). Additionally, it correlated with 54%, 55% and 64% reduction in the incidence of PE with delivery at <34 weeks (aOR 0.46; 95%CI 0.23 to 0.93), spontaneous preterm birth <34 weeks (aOR 0.45; 95%CI 0.22 to 0.92) and perinatal death (aOR 0.34; 95%CI 0.12 to 0.91), respectively. There was no significant between-group difference in the incidence of aspirin-related severe adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE is not associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of preterm PE. However, low-dose aspirin effectively reduces the incidence of preterm PE by 41% among high-risk women. The screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE is highly accepted by a diverse group of women from various ethnic backgrounds beyond the original population where the strategy was developed. These findings underpin the importance of the widespread implementation of the screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE on a global scale.

Synergy of retinoic acid and BH3 mimetics in MYC(N)-driven embryonal nervous system tumours.

BACKGROUND: Certain paediatric nervous system malignancies have dismal prognoses. Retinoic acid (RA) is used in neuroblastoma treatment, and preclinical data indicate potential benefit in selected paediatric brain tumour entities. However, limited single-agent efficacy necessitates combination treatment approaches. METHODS: We performed drug sensitivity profiling of 76 clinically relevant drugs in combination with RA in 16 models (including patient-derived tumouroids) of the most common paediatric nervous system tumours. Drug responses were assessed by viability assays, high-content imaging, and apoptosis assays and RA relevant pathways by RNAseq from treated models and patient samples obtained through the precision oncology programme INFORM (n = 2288). Immunoprecipitation detected BCL-2 family interactions, and zebrafish embryo xenografts were used for in vivo efficacy testing. RESULTS: Group 3 medulloblastoma (MBG3) and neuroblastoma models were highly sensitive to RA treatment. RA induced differentiation and regulated apoptotic genes. RNAseq analysis revealed high expression of BCL2L1 in MBG3 and BCL2 in neuroblastomas. Co-treatments with RA and BCL-2/XL inhibitor navitoclax synergistically decreased viability at clinically achievable concentrations. The combination of RA with navitoclax disrupted the binding of BIM to BCL-XL in MBG3 and to BCL-2 in neuroblastoma, inducing apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: RA treatment primes MBG3 and NB cells for apoptosis, triggered by navitoclax cotreatment.

Reaction-dependent optical behavior and theoretical perspectives of colloidal ZnSe quantum dots.

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are attracting research interest because of their unique optical properties that result from the quantum confinement effect. ZnSe QDs, which are II-VI semiconductors, offer a wide direct bandgap (2.7 eV), making them promising for applications such as light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, and biomedical labeling. In the present work, colloidal ZnSe (QDs) were synthesized by the hot-injection method with a Zn:Se ratio of 1:1. The optical properties of ZnSe QDs obtained at different reaction times were investigated by spectrophotometric UV-vis absorption and emission measurements. The as-synthesized ZnSe QDs exhibit blue excitonic emission, and no defect emission was detected. Transmission electron micrographs indicated that the QDs have a spherical morphology with dimensions ranging from 3.69 to 4.53 nm. In particular, the Brus model was applied to demonstrate a correlation between the QD sizes and the optical bandgaps obtained from Tauc plots.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans: Mediators of cellular and molecular Alzheimer's disease pathogenic factors via tunnelling nanotubes?

Neurological disorders impact around one billion individuals globally (15 % approx.), with significant implications for disability and mortality with their impact in Australia currently amounts to 6.8 million deaths annually. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are complex extracellular molecules implicated in promoting Tau fibril formation resulting in Tau tangles, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). HSPG-Tau protein interactions contribute to various AD stages via aggregation, toxicity, and clearance, largely via interactions with the glypican 1 and syndecan 3 core proteins. The tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) pathway is emerging as a facilitator of intercellular molecule transport, including Tau and Amyloid ß proteins, across extensive distances. While current TNT-associated evidence primarily stems from cancer models, their role in Tau propagation and its effects on recipient cells remain unclear. This review explores the interplay of TNTs, HSPGs, and AD-related factors and proposes that HSPGs influence TNT formation in neurodegenerative conditions such as AD.

Rich essential properties of silicon-substituted graphene nanoribbons: a comprehensive computational study.

The diverse structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of silicon (Si)-substituted armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs and ZGNRs) were investigated using spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Pristine AGNRs belong to a nonmagnetic semiconductor with a direct bandgap of 1.63/1.92 eV determined by PBE/HSE06 functionals. Under various Si substitutions, nonmagnetic bandgaps were tuned at 1.49/1.87, 1.06/1.84, 0.81/1.45, 1.04/1.71, 0.89/1.05, and 2.38/3.0 eV (PBE/HSE06) in the single Si edge-, single Si non-edge-, double Si ortho-, double Si meta-, double Si para-, and 100% Si-substituted AGNR configurations, respectively. Meanwhile, pristine ZGNRs displayed antiferromagnetic semiconducting behavior with a spin degenerate bandgap of 0.52/0.81 eV (PBE/HSE06) and becomes a ferromagnetic semimetal in the single Si configurations or an unusual ferromagnetic semiconductor in the 100% Si configuration. Under the developed first-principles theoretical framework, the formation of quasi π (C-2pz and Si-3pz) and quasi σ (C-2s, -2pxy and Si-3s and -3pxy) bands was identified in the Si-substituted configurations. These quasi π and quasi σ bands showed weak separation, resulting in weak quasi sp2 hybridization in Si-C bonds, in which the identified hybridization mechanism was a strong evidence for the formation of stable planar 1D structures in the Si-substituted configurations. Our complete revelation of the essential properties of Si-substituted GNRs can provide a complete understanding of their chemically doped 1D materials for various practical applications.

Optimization of leucomalachite green degradation through electron beam and persulfate oxidation using box-behnken design and life cycle assessment.

This study explored the treatment of Leucomalachite Green (LMG) solutions using an electron beam and sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8), employing Box-Behnken design (BBD) to optimize operational variables such as absorbed dose, initial pH and Na2S2O8 concentration. The findings highlighted an optimal absorbed dose of 4.5 kGy, a Na2S2O8 concentration of 1.0 mM, and an initial pH of 6, leading to a remarkable 97.77% removal of LMG. The adjusted R2 for the model indicated a close match of 1.4% between predicted and actual outcomes under these optimized conditions, affirming the quadratic model's suitability for predicting the LMG removal process using combined EB and Na2S2O8. To assess the environmental impact of the LMG treatment, the study applied SimaPro 9.4 with the TRACI tool, examining ten distinct environmental impact categories. The results unveiled that deionized water and Na2S2O8 exhibited a notable impact on global warming (GW) and ecotoxicity (ET) in controlled laboratory settings. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of four scenarios shed light on the environmental implications of different energy sources. Notably, electricity generated from waste incineration demonstrated a substantial influence on all environmental indicators. In contrast, natural gas emerged as the cleanest source for electricity generation, offering a promising avenue for reducing environmental impacts. This study presents a practical method for addressing dye contaminants through the employment of EB in conjunction with Na2S2O8, with potential implications for broader applications.

Vowel onset measures and their reliability, sensitivity and specificity: A systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the evidence for the reliability, sensitivity and specificity of existing measures of vowel-initial voice onset. METHODS: A literature search was conducted across electronic databases for published studies (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed Central, IEEE Xplore) and grey literature (ProQuest for unpublished dissertations) measuring vowel onset. Eligibility criteria included research of any study design type or context focused on measuring human voice onset on an initial vowel. Two independent reviewers were involved at each stage of title and abstract screening, data extraction and analysis. Data extracted included measures used, their reliability, sensitivity and specificity. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE as the data of interest was extracted. RESULTS: The search retrieved 6,983 records. Titles and abstracts were screened against the inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers, with a third reviewer responsible for conflict resolution. Thirty-five papers were included in the review, which identified five categories of voice onset measurement: auditory perceptual, acoustic, aerodynamic, physiological and visual imaging. Reliability was explored in 14 papers with varied reliability ratings, while sensitivity was rarely assessed, and no assessment of specificity was conducted across any of the included records. Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate with high variability in methodology and voice onset measures used. CONCLUSIONS: A range of vowel-initial voice onset measurements have been applied throughout the literature, however, there is a lack of evidence regarding their sensitivity, specificity and reliability in the detection and discrimination of voice onset types. Heterogeneity in study populations and methods used preclude conclusions on the most valid measures. There is a clear need for standardisation of research methodology, and for future studies to examine the practicality of these measures in research and clinical settings.

Amino Terminal Acetylation of HOXB13 Regulates the DNA Damage Response in Prostate Cancer.

Advanced localized prostate cancers (PC) recur despite chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or androgen deprivation therapy. We recently reported HOXB13 lysine (K)13 acetylation as a gain-of-function modification that regulates interaction with the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and is critical for anti-androgen resistance. However, whether acetylated HOXB13 promotes PC cell survival following treatment with genotoxic agents is not known. Herein, we show that K13-acetylated HOXB13 is induced rapidly in PC cells in response to DNA damage induced by irradiation (IR). It colocalizes with the histone variant γH2AX at sites of double strand breaks (DSBs). Treatment of PCs with the Androgen Receptor (AR) antagonist Enzalutamide (ENZ) did not suppress DNA-damage-induced HOXB13 acetylation. In contrast, HOXB13 depletion or loss of acetylation overcame resistance of PC cells to ENZ and synergized with IR. HOXB13K13A mutants show diminished replication fork progression, impaired G2/M arrest with significant cell death following DNA damage. Mechanistically, we found that amino terminus regulates HOXB13 nuclear puncta formation that is essential for proper DNA damage response. Therefore, targeting HOXB13 acetylation with CBP/p300 inhibitors in combination with DNA damaging therapy may be an effective strategy to overcome anti-androgen resistance of PCs.