A gender breakdown of unexpected benefits generated by work from home in STEM fields - A qualitative analysis of the WiMPBME Task Group survey.

Background: Working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic was perceived differently by men and women working in STEM fields. The aim of this paper is to highlight the unexpected benefits generated by working from home during the pandemic.

Methods: Qualitative methodology was used to analyze data, collected via survey.

Status of Sepsis Care in European Hospitals: Results from an International Cross-Sectional Survey.

Rationale: Early detection, standardized therapy, adequate infrastructure and strategies for quality improvement should constitute essential components of every hospital's sepsis plan.

Objectives: To investigate the extent to which recommendations from the sepsis guidelines are implemented and the availability of infrastructure for the care of patients with sepsis in acute hospitals.

Methods: A multidisciplinary cross-sectional questionnaire was used to investigate sepsis care in hospitals.

The Effect of Denosumab on Pain and Radiological Improvement in Giant Cell Tumours of the Spine in the Acute Setting.

Study Design: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: The current recommended treatment for Giant Cell Tumour (GCT) of the spine is en bloc excision. Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody reducing osteoclast activity that shows promising results when used as a neo - adjuvant treatment.

Selecting Initial Conditions for Trajectory-Based Nonadiabatic Simulations.

ConspectusPhotochemical reactions have always been the source of a great deal of mystery. While classified as a type of chemical reaction, no doubts are allowed that the general tenets of ground-state chemistry do not directly apply to photochemical reactions. For a typical chemical reaction, understanding the critical points of the ground-state potential (free) energy surface and embedding them in a thermodynamics framework is often enough to infer reaction yields or characteristic time scales.

Tropical forest clearance impacts biodiversity and function, whereas logging changes structure.

The impacts of degradation and deforestation on tropical forests are poorly understood, particularly at landscape scales. We present an extensive ecosystem analysis of the impacts of logging and conversion of tropical forest to oil palm from a large-scale study in Borneo, synthesizing responses from 82 variables categorized into four ecological levels spanning a broad suite of ecosystem properties: (i) structure and environment, (ii) species traits, (iii) biodiversity, and (iv) ecosystem functions. Responses were highly heterogeneous and often complex and nonlinear.

Development of a new flippase-dependent mouse model for red fluorescence-based isolation of KRAS oncogene-expressing tumor cells.

Proto-oncogene KRAS, GTPase (KRAS) is one of the most intensively studied oncogenes in cancer research. Although several mouse models allow for regulated expression of mutant KRAS, selective isolation and analysis of transforming or tumor cells that produce the KRAS oncogene remains a challenge. In our study, we present a knock-in model of oncogenic variant KRAS that enables the "activation" of KRAS expression together with production of red fluorescent protein tdTomato.

Examining the learning curves in robotic cardiac surgery wet lab simulation training.

Background: Simulation-based training has gained distinction in cardiothoracic surgery as robotic-assisted cardiac procedures evolve. Despite the increasing use of wet lab simulators, the effectiveness of these training methods and skill acquisition rates remain poorly understood.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare learning curves and assess the robotic cardiac surgical skill acquisition rate for cardiac and noncardiac surgeons who had no robotic experience in a wet lab simulation setting.

Heterogeneous dynamics in aging phosphate-based geopolymer.

The time-evolution of dynamics as well as microstructure and mechanical response of phosphate-based geopolymers was probed using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy and rheological tests. The analyzed relaxation processes in the freshly prepared geopolymer mixes evidenced a q-independent mode of the autocorrelation function, ascribed to density fluctuations of the already established molecular network, undergoing reconfiguration without significant mass transport. Upon curing, the detected motions are localized and depict a system evolving toward structural arrest dominated by slower hyperdiffusive dynamics, characterized by a compressed exponential regime, pointing to a structural relaxation process subjected to internal stresses, in a context of marked dynamical and structural heterogeneity.

Polymer-Grafted Gold Colloids and Supracolloids: From Mechanisms of Formation to Dynamic Soft Matter.

Gold nanoparticles represent nanosized colloidal entities with high relevance for both basic and applied research. When gold nanoparticles are functionalized with polymer-molecule ligands, hybrid nanoparticles emerge whose interactions with the environment are controlled by the polymer coating layer: Colloidal stability and structure formation on the single particle level as well as at the supracolloidal scale can be enabled and engineered by tailoring the composition and architecture of this polymer coating. These possibilities in controlling structure formation may lead to synergistic and/or emergent functional properties of such hybrid colloidal systems.

Reduced lipid and glucose oxidation and reduced lipid synthesis in AMPKα2 myotubes.

Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a crucial role in regulation of metabolic homeostasis. To understand the role of the catalytic α2 subunit of AMPK in skeletal muscle energy metabolism, myotube cultures were established from and mice. Myotubes from mice had lower basal oleic acid and glucose oxidation compared to myotubes from mice.

An IS element-driven antisense RNA attenuates the expression of serotype 2 fimbriae and the cytotoxicity of .

Insertion sequences (IS) represent mobile genetic elements that have been shown to be associated with bacterial evolution and adaptation due to their effects on genome plasticity. In , the causative agent of whooping cough, the numerous IS elements induce genomic rearrangements and contribute to the diversity of the global population. Previously, we have shown that the majority of IS-specific endogenous promoters induce the synthesis of alternative transcripts and thereby affect the transcriptional landscape of .

A Simple Protocol for Visualization of RNA-Protein Complexes by Atomic Force Microscopy.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has recently received increasing interest in molecular biology. This technique allows quick and reliable detection of biomolecules. However, studying RNA-protein complexes using AFM poses significant challenges.

Long-read structural and epigenetic profiling of a kidney tumor-matched sample with nanopore sequencing and optical genome mapping.

Carcinogenesis often involves significant alterations in the cancer genome, marked by large structural variants (SVs) and copy number variations (CNVs) that are difficult to capture with short-read sequencing. Traditionally, cytogenetic techniques are applied to detect such aberrations, but they are limited in resolution and do not cover features smaller than several hundred kilobases. Optical genome mapping (OGM) and nanopore sequencing [Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT)] bridge this resolution gap and offer enhanced performance for cytogenetic applications.

Balancing Activity and Stability through Compositional Engineering of Ternary PtNi-Au Alloy ORR Catalysts.

Achieving the optimal balance between cost-efficiency and stability of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is currently among the key research focuses aiming at reaching a broader implementation of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). To address this challenge, we combine two well-established strategies to enhance both activity and stability of platinum-based ORR catalysts. Specifically, we prepare ternary PtNi-Au alloys, where each alloying element plays a distinct role: Ni reduces costs and boosts ORR activity, while Au enhances stability.

Correction: Radical ligand transfer: mechanism and reactivity governed by three-component thermodynamics.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D4SC01507J.].

Isolation of a Unique Monoterpene Diperoxy Dimer From Ziziphora clinopodioides subsp. bungeana Together With Triterpenes With Antidiabetic Properties.

Introduction: Ziziphora clinopodioides subsp. bungeana (Juz.) Rech.

Psychometric analysis of the three item loneliness scale in the Czech Republic.

Background: There is a growing importance of loneliness measurement through valid and reliable instruments. However, to establish valid and reliable measures, there is a need to explore their psychometric properties in different research settings and language environments. For this reason, this study aimed to validate the Three Item Loneliness Scale (TILS) in the Czech Republic within a Slavonic language environment.

Breaking boundaries: role of the brain barriers in metastatic process.

Brain metastases (BMs) are the most common intracranial tumors in adults and occur 3-10 times more frequently than primary brain tumors. Despite intensive multimodal therapies, including resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, BMs are associated with poor prognosis and remain challenging to treat. BMs predominantly originate from primary lung (20-56%), breast (5-20%), and melanoma (7-16%) tumors, although they can arise from other cancer types less frequently.

Evaluation of One Step Nucleic Acid Amplification for detection of lymph node metastases compared to histopathological ultrastaging in women with endometrial cancer: a protocol for a diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: This is a multicentre, European, prospective trial evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of One Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) compared to sentinel lymph nodes histopathological ultrastaging in endometrial cancer patients.

Methods: Centres with expertise in sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer patients in Europe will be invited to participate in the study. Participating units will be trained on the correct usage of the OSNA RD-210 analyser and nucleic acid amplification reagent kit LYNOAMP CK19 E for rapid detection of metastatic nodal involvement, based on the cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA detection.

Neutron imaging and molecular simulation of systems from methane and p-xylene.

Bulk properties of two-phase systems comprising methane and liquid p-xylene were derived experimentally using neutron imaging and theoretically predicted using molecular dynamics (MD). The measured and predicted methane diffusivity in the liquid, Henry's law constant, apparent molar volume, and surface tension compared well within the experimentally studied conditions (273.15 to 303.

Quality of life in early breast cancer patients after adjuvant accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) in randomized trial.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) represents a valid option for adjuvant therapy of selected early breast cancer (BC). This single-institution prospective randomized study compares the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between women treated with the highly conformal-external beam APBI technique and those with the more commonly used moderately hypofractionated whole breast irradiation (hypo-WBI). Eligible patients were women over 50 years with early BC (G1/2 DCIS ≤ 25 mm or G1/2 invasive non-lobular luminal-like HER2 negative carcinoma ≤ 20 mm) after breast-conserving surgery with negative margins.

Automatically optimized vectorcardiographic features are associated with recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion.

Electrical cardioversion presents one of the treatment options for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the early recurrence rate is high, reaching ~40% three months after the procedure. Features based on vectorcardiographic signals were explored to find association with early recurrence of AF.

The Diverse Roles of Long Non-Coding RNA HOTTIP in Breast and Gynecological Cancer Progression.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the development and progression of various tumors through multiple mechanisms. Among these, HOTTIP (HOXA transcript at the distal tip) stands out as an intriguing candidate with diverse functions in several malignancies, including breast cancer and gynecologic cancers such as ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, which are significant global health concerns. HOTTIP interacts with key signaling pathways associated with these cancers, including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, and MEK/ERK pathways, enhancing their activation and downstream effects.

Benefit and Harms of Radical Nephroureterectomy as Part of a Multimodal Treatment Strategy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Patients Presenting with Clinical Evidence of Regional Lymph Node Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis by the European Association of Urology Guidelines.

Background And Objective: Given the uncertainty regarding the role of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) as part of a multimodal treatment strategy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients with cN+ disease, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the corresponding literature.

Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, we identified 17 observational comparative and noncomparative studies, published between January 2000 and September 2024, evaluating UTUC patients with cTanyN+M0 disease (P) who received RNU as part of a multimodal treatment strategy (I), as compared with any treatment strategy if applicable (C), to assess oncological or postoperative outcomes (O). Meta-analyses were further performed, as appropriate.