Gender-specific perception of job stressors and resources: a structural equation model-based secondary analysis.

Objective: Stress is an extensive issue in modern society, affecting men and women differently. A better understanding of these patterns is required within the work context. Therefore, this study aimed to identify gender differences in the effects of stressors (quantitative demands, qualitative demands, working time) and resources (job control, quality of leadership, co-worker support) on subjective perceived stress across occupational groups.

Wastewater-based epidemiology: deriving a SARS-CoV-2 data validation method to assess data quality and to improve trend recognition.

Introduction: Accurate and consistent data play a critical role in enabling health officials to make informed decisions regarding emerging trends in SARS-CoV-2 infections. Alongside traditional indicators such as the 7-day-incidence rate, wastewater-based epidemiology can provide valuable insights into SARS-CoV-2 concentration changes. However, the wastewater compositions and wastewater systems are rather complex.

Prediction of stroke in patients with severe aortic stenosis by left atrial appendage filling defect patterns on early and late-phase computed tomography.

Background: Stroke is a feared complication after TAVI. The objective was to assess whether left atrial appendage (LAA) filling-defect (FD) patterns from early and late-phase computed tomography (CT), predict stroke/TIA in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Methods: 124 patients with severe aortic stenosis (79.

Subseasonal Prediction of Heat-Related Mortality in Switzerland.

Heatwaves pose a range of severe impacts on human health, including an increase in premature mortality. The summers of 2018 and 2022 are two examples with record-breaking temperatures leading to thousands of heat-related excess deaths in Europe. Some of the extreme temperatures experienced during these summers were predictable several weeks in advance by subseasonal forecasts.

Horticultural additives influence peat biogeochemistry and increase short-term CO production from peat.

Aims: Peat is used as a major ingredient of growing media in horticulture. Peat extracted from bogs can be acidic and low in nutrient availability and is therefore mixed with liming agents, nutrients, surfactants, perlite and so on. This study aims to estimate the rates at which raw peat and the modified peat ('growing media') decompose to release carbon dioxide (CO), to estimate the release of carbon (C) from liming agents and to estimate how peat biogeochemistry is changed.

Analyzing the regulatory framework gaps for gas distribution networks with decreasing natural gas demand in Germany.

German energy system studies, investigating the energy transition pathways to the set climate targets, depict a significant decrease in gas demand. This leads to a discussion about the long-term need of gas distribution networks. The discussion intensified with the war in Ukraine and the subsequent energy price crisis.

CCfrag: scanning folding potential of coiled-coil fragments with AlphaFold.

Motivation: Coiled coils are a widespread structural motif consisting of multiple α-helices that wind around a central axis to bury their hydrophobic core. While AlphaFold has emerged as an effective coiled-coil modeling tool, capable of accurately predicting changes in periodicity and core geometry along coiled-coil stalks, it is not without limitations, such as the generation of spuriously bent models and the inability to effectively model globally non-canonical-coiled coils. To overcome these limitations, we investigated whether dividing full-length sequences into fragments would result in better models.

Ge Epitaxy at Ultralow Growth Temperatures Enabled by a Pristine Growth Environment.

Germanium (Ge), the next-in-line group-IV material, bears great potential to add functionality and performance to next-generation nanoelectronics and solid-state quantum transport based on silicon (Si) technology. Here, we investigate the direct epitaxial growth of two-dimensional high-quality crystalline Ge layers on Si deposited at ultralow growth temperatures ( = 100-350 °C) and pristine growth pressures (≲10 mbar). First, we show that a decreasing does not degrade the crystal quality of homoepitaxial Ge/Ge(001) by comparing the point defect density using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy.

Frequency, characteristics, and immunological accompaniments of ataxia in anti-NMDAR antibody-associated encephalitis.

Introduction: Very rarely, adult NMDAR antibody-associated encephalitis (NMDAR-E) leads to persistent cerebellar atrophy and ataxia. Transient cerebellar ataxia is common in pediatric NMDAR-E. Immune-mediated cerebellar ataxia may be associated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), aquaporin-4 (AQP-4), kelch-like family member 11 (KLHL11), and glutamate kainate receptor subunit 2 (GluK2) antibodies, all of which may co-occur in NMDAR-E.

A gradient of hemisphere-specific dorsal to ventral processing routes in parieto-premotor networks.

Networks in the parietal and premotor cortices enable essential human abilities regarding motor processing, including attention and tool use. Even though our knowledge on its topography has steadily increased, a detailed picture of hemisphere-specific integrating pathways is still lacking. With the help of multishell diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, probabilistic tractography, and the Graph Theory Analysis, we investigated connectivity patterns between frontal premotor and posterior parietal brain areas in healthy individuals.

Comparison of different group-level templates in gradient-based multimodal connectivity analysis.

The study of large-scale brain connectivity is increasingly adopting unsupervised approaches that derive low-dimensional spatial representations from high-dimensional connectomes, referred to as gradient analysis. When translating this approach to study interindividual variations in connectivity, one technical issue pertains to the selection of an appropriate group-level template to which individual gradients are aligned. Here, we compared different group-level template construction strategies using functional and structural connectome data from neurotypical controls and individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to identify between-group differences.

Simulated brain networks reflecting progression of Parkinson's disease.

The neurodegenerative progression of Parkinson's disease affects brain structure and function and, concomitantly, alters the topological properties of brain networks. The network alteration accompanied by motor impairment and the duration of the disease has not yet been clearly demonstrated in the disease progression. In this study, we aim to resolve this problem with a modeling approach using the reduced Jansen-Rit model applied to large-scale brain networks derived from cross-sectional MRI data.

Conservation of structural brain connectivity in people with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. Structures affected in MS include the corpus callosum, connecting the hemispheres. Studies have shown that in mammalian brains, structural connectivity is organized according to a conservation principle, an inverse relationship between intra- and interhemispheric connectivity.

Increasing hub disruption parallels dementia severity in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease.

Hub regions in the brain, recognized for their roles in ensuring efficient information transfer, are vulnerable to pathological alterations in neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Computational simulations and animal experiments have hinted at the theory of activity-dependent degeneration as the cause of this hub vulnerability. However, two critical issues remain unresolved.

Jets Downstream of Collisionless Shocks: Recent Discoveries and Challenges.

Plasma flows with enhanced dynamic pressure, known as magnetosheath jets, are often found downstream of collisionless shocks. As they propagate through the magnetosheath, they interact with the surrounding plasma, shaping its properties, and potentially becoming geoeffective upon reaching the magnetopause. In recent years (since 2016), new research has produced vital results that have significantly enhanced our understanding on many aspects of jets.

Three distinct gamma oscillatory networks within cortical columns in macaque monkeys' area V1.

Introduction: A fundamental property of the neocortex is its columnar organization in many species. Generally, neurons of the same column share stimulus preferences and have strong anatomical connections across layers. These features suggest that neurons within a column operate as one unified network.

First line treatment with subcutaneous efgartigimod in impending myasthenic crisis: a case report.

In acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), neonatal Fc-receptor (FcRn) inhibition has broadened the therapeutic spectrum. Myasthenic crisis (MC), heralded by an impending myasthenic crisis (iMC), is a critical condition requiring treatments with rapid onset and sustained efficacy. Currently treatments used for iMC, including intravenous immunoglobulins and plasma exchange/immunoadsorption, have limitations, such as delayed onset of action and potential side effects.

Complement inhibition in seropositive generalized myasthenia gravis as rescue therapy in impending and effective treatment in frequently recurring impending myasthenic crisis-a case series.

In seropositive myasthenia gravis (MG), complement inhibition has been shown to be an effective and a fast-acting therapeutic option. Myasthenic crisis (MC), usually preceded by impending MC, is a life-threatening complication requiring highly effective treatments with rapid onset of action. Currently used treatment options of MC are limited, consisting mainly of symptomatic and immune therapies, that is, intravenous immunoglobulins and plasma exchange/immunoadsorption.

The case for neurons: a no-go theorem for consciousness on a chip.

We apply the methodology of no-go theorems as developed in physics to the question of artificial consciousness. The result is a no-go theorem which shows that under a general assumption, called dynamical relevance, Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that run on contemporary computer chips cannot be conscious. Consciousness is dynamically relevant, simply put, if, according to a theory of consciousness, it is relevant for the temporal evolution of a system's states.

Combination of Coevolutionary Information and Supervised Learning Enables Generation of Cyclic Peptide Inhibitors with Enhanced Potency from a Small Data Set.

Computational generation of cyclic peptide inhibitors using machine learning models requires large size training data sets often difficult to generate experimentally. Here we demonstrated that sequential combination of Random Forest Regression with the pseudolikelihood maximization Direct Coupling Analysis method and Monte Carlo simulation can effectively enhance the design pipeline of cyclic peptide inhibitors of a tumor-associated protease even for small experimental data sets. Further studies showed that such -evolved cyclic peptides are more potent than the best peptide inhibitors previously developed to this target.

Advancing early diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease: A call for enhanced efforts.

The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complicated by its nonspecific clinical presentation and the limited accuracy of existing biomarker tests, frequently resulting in significant delays from the time of symptom onset to the achievement of a definitive diagnosis. Thus, improving the early identification of IBD remains a crucial focus for gastroenterologists. Blüthner innovatively utilized medical data from German IBD patients to investigate risk factors contributing to these diagnostic delays.

Gatekeeping or Provider Choice for Sustainable Health Systems? A Literature Review on Their Impact on Efficiency, Access, and Quality of Services.

As early as 1978, the World Health Organization set primary healthcare as the basis on which health systems should be built worldwide. However, the health systems of the different countries show considerable variations in terms of the implementation of gatekeeping from primary to secondary healthcare and direct access to specialists and hospital care. This literature review attempts to present the gatekeeping system with references to the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany compared to the situation in Greece, where no gatekeeping system exists.

Sensory preservation in reduction mammoplasty using the nipple-areola complex-carrying pedicle technique for gigantomastia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Gigantomastia is a disabling condition characterized by excess breast tissue. Historically, free nipple graft (FNG) has been preferred, prioritizing the nipple-areola complex (NAC) vascularity. The NAC-carrying pedicle technique, which is most commonly used in case of hypertrophy of the breast, has been suggested as a viable alternative for gigantomastia according to recent evidence, with reduced rates of NAC necrosis and improved outcomes.

Diversity and functional traits based indigenous rhizosphere associated phosphate solubilizing bacteria for sustainable production of rice.

Introduction: Rice, particularly Basmati rice, holds significant global importance as a staple food. The indiscriminate use of phosphate-based fertilizers during rice production has led to high residual levels of these chemicals in soil, impacting soil health and fertility. This study aimed to address this challenge by investigating the potential of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) in improving soil fertility and boosting the growth of Basmati rice.