A generative model for inorganic materials design.

The design of functional materials with desired properties is essential in driving technological advances in areas like energy storage, catalysis, and carbon capture. Generative models provide a new paradigm for materials design by directly generating novel materials given desired property constraints, but current methods have low success rate in proposing stable crystals or can only satisfy a limited set of property constraints . Here, we present MatterGen, a model that generates stable, diverse inorganic materials across the periodic table and can further be fine-tuned to steer the generation towards a broad range of property constraints.

Damage due to ice crystallization.

The freezing of water is one of the major causes of mechanical damage in materials during wintertime; surprisingly this happens even in situations where water only partially saturates the material so that the ice has room to grow. Here we perform freezing experiments in cylindrical glass vials of various sizes and wettability properties, using a dye that exclusively colors the liquid phase; this allows precise observation of the freezing front. The visualization reveals that damage occurs in partially water-saturated media when a closed liquid inclusion forms within the ice due to the freezing of the air/water meniscus.

Microaerobic biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures: strategies for efficient nitrate and oxygen dosage.

The biodegradation of organic aromatic compounds in subsurface environments is often hindered by limited dissolved oxygen. While oxygen supplementation can enhance in situ biodegradation, it poses financial and technical challenges. This study explores introducing low-oxygen concentrations in anaerobic environments for efficient contaminant removal, particularly in scenarios where coexisting pollutants are present.

Tremelimumab plus durvalumab prior to chemoradiotherapy in unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: the Induction trial.

Background: The phase I Induction trial (NCT04287894) assessed the feasibility and safety of induction immunotherapy (IIT) prior to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Patients with unresectable stage II/III NSCLC were eligible for inclusion. Patients received either one cycle of tremelimumab (75mg) with two cycles of durvalumab (1500mg) in cohort I, one cycle of tremelimumab (300mg) with two cycles of durvalumab in cohort II or one cycle of tremelimumab (300mg) with one cycle of durvalumab in cohort III.

Taking time: Auditory statistical learning benefits from distributed exposure.

In an auditory statistical learning paradigm, listeners learn to partition a continuous stream of syllables by discovering the repeating syllable patterns that constitute the speech stream. Here, we ask whether auditory statistical learning benefits from spaced exposure compared with massed exposure. In a longitudinal online study on Prolific, we exposed 100 participants to the regularities in a spaced way (i.

Antithrombotic therapy and the risk of pocket hematoma after subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation.

Background: Little data exists regarding the optimal antithrombotic strategy during S-ICD implantation to prevent pocket hematomas. This study explores the association between perioperative antithrombotic management and the occurrence of pocket hematoma following S-ICD implantation.

Methods: All patients who underwent de novo S-ICD implantation between February 2009 and January 2023 at Amsterdam UMC were included.

Experienced cognitive load in the emergency department. A prospective study.

Background And Importance: The emergency department (ED) is a hectic place, where many critically ill patients are treated. For residents working in the ED, this environment may be demanding.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the [1] cognitive load experienced by residents working in the ED, and [2] differences in cognitive load during the day.

The Promise of Epigenetic Editing for Treating Brain Disorders.

Brain disorders, especially neurodegenerative diseases, affect millions of people worldwide. There is no causal treatment available; therefore, there is an unmet clinical need for finding therapeutic options for these diseases. Epigenetic research has resulted in identification of various genomic loci with differential disease-specific epigenetic modifications, mainly DNA methylation.

Physiopathological effects of entrance versus distal spread-out Bragg peak on mouse spinal cord neurons.

Recent investigations into radiation-induced side effects have focused on understanding the physiopathological consequences of irradiation on late-responding tissues like the spinal cord, which can lead to chronic progressive myelopathy. Proton therapy, an advanced radiation treatment, aims to minimize damage to healthy tissues through precise dose deposition. However, challenges remain, particularly regarding the variation in dose distribution, characterized by maximum deposition at the end of the proton range, known as the distal fall-off of a spread-out Bragg peak.

Assessing chronic effects of chemical pollution on biodiversity using mean species abundance relationships.

Since chemical pollution poses a persistent threat to freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, innovative methodologies are required to address the ecological risks associated with such pollutants. This study predicts the long-term impacts of chemicals based on an equation that describes the time-dependency of the median lethal and effect concentration (L(E)C50) with the Critical Body Residue concept. This way, the methodology can predict Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSDs) for any given time point.

Postprandial glycaemic response and pain sensitivity in breast cancer survivors suffering from chronic pain: a double-blind, randomised controlled cross-over pilot experiment.

Introduction: The study's primary goal is to investigate differences in postprandial glycaemic response (PPGR) to beverages with varying glycaemic index (i.e. low and medium) between breast cancer survivors (BCS) with chronic pain and healthy pain-free controls (HC).

Maternal microchimeric cell trafficking and its biological consequences depend on the onset of inflammation at the feto-maternal interface.

Microchimerism is defined as the presence of a small population of genetically distinct cells within a host that is derived from another individual. Throughout pregnancy, maternal and fetal cells are known to traffic across the feto-maternal interface and result in maternal and fetal microchimerism, respectively. However, the routes of cell transfer, the molecular signaling as well as the timing in which trafficking takes place are still not completely understood.

Pharmacokinetic exposure and treatment outcomes of lenvatinib in patients with renal cell carcinoma and differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Purpose: After initial approval of lenvatinib for radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), it has also shown promising outcomes in among others metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Given that trial populations typically do not represent routine clinical care populations, questions arise about how applicable trial outcomes are in clinical practice. This study aims to compare the pharmacokinetics (PK), toxicity patterns, and survival data of lenvatinib in a real-world cohort with DTC and mRCC to those observed in pivotal clinical trials.

Personalized Dynamic Prediction Model for Biopsy Timing in Patients With Prostate Cancer During Active Surveillance.

Importance: Active surveillance (AS) for patients with prostate cancer (PC) often includes fixed repeat prostate biopsies that do not account for the varying risk of reclassification to significant disease. Given the invasive nature and potential complications of biopsies, a personalized approach is needed to balance the burden of biopsies with the risk of missing disease progression.

Objective: To develop and externally validate a dynamic model that predicts an individual's risk of PC reclassification during AS.

In vivo 9.4 Tesla MRI of a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy: Technical report.

Purpose: In resective epilepsy surgery for drug-resistant focal epilepsy (DRE), good seizure outcome is strongly associated with visualization of an epileptogenic lesion on MRI. Standard clinical MRI (≤ 3 Tesla (T)) may fail to detect subtle lesions. 7T MRI enhances detection and delineation, the potential benefits of increasing field strength to 9.

Feasibility of a comprehensive supervised exercise program during and after treatment of head and neck cancer: a mixed-methods study.

Purpose: This study evaluates the feasibility of a comprehensive supervised exercise program (CSEP) for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients during and after (chemo)radiotherapy, integrating quantitative and qualitative data to identify participation barriers and facilitators.

Methods: To investigate the feasibility of the CSEP, a mixed-method study was performed. For the quantitative part, first, adherence to and safety of the CSEP were considered as quantitative feasibility outcome measures.

An open source convolutional neural network to detect and localize distal radius fractures on plain radiographs.

Purpose: Distal radius fractures (DRFs) are often initially assessed by junior doctors under time constraints, with limited supervision, risking significant consequences if missed. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) can aid in diagnosing fractures. This study aims to internally and externally validate an open source algorithm for the detection and localization of DRFs.

Evaluation of an e-self-management intervention (Happy Hands app) for hand osteoarthritis: Study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Objective: This protocol paper describes the rationale and design of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) that aims to evaluate the (cost-)effectiveness of a 12 week e-self-management intervention (Happy Hands app) in people with hand osteoarthritis (HOA).

Methods: In this multicentre RCT, 376 people with HOA will be recruited from all four health regions in Norway. Consenting participants will be randomly allocated to either a control group receiving usual care or an intervention group receiving the Happy Hands app in addition to usual care.

Synthetic photorespiratory bypass improves rice productivity by enhancing photosynthesis and nitrogen uptake.

Photorespiration, often considered as a wasteful process, is a key target for bioengineering to improve crop yields. Several photorespiratory bypasses have been designed to efficiently metabolize 2-phosphoglycolate and increase the CO2 concentration in chloroplasts, thereby reducing photorespiration. However, the suppression of primary nitrate assimilation remains an issue when photorespiration is inhibited.

Amelioration of a von Willebrand disease type 2B phenotype in vivo upon treatment with allele-selective siRNAs.

Treatment options for the bleeding disorder von Willebrand disease type 2B (VWD2B) are insufficient and fail to address the negative effects of circulating mutant von Willebrand factor (VWF). The dominant-negative nature of VWD2B makes functionally defective VWF an interesting therapeutic target. Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated the feasibility of allele-selective silencing of mutant VWF using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human VWF gene, an approach that can be applied irrespective of the disease-causing VWF mutation.

Autonomic cardiac control independently predicts incident hypertension and systolic blood pressure in a multi-ethnic population: The HELIUS study.

Aims: Cross-correlation baroreflex sensitivity (xBRS) and heart rate variability (HRV) are measures of autonomic cardiac control and are associated with hypertension. However, their value in predicting new-onset hypertension and changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) remains elusive.

Methods: We used longitudinal data of participants with- and without a history of cardiovascular disease from the HEalthy Life In an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study.

Speech Perception in Noise After Cochlear Implantation for Single-Sided Deafness: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: There is a lack of high level of evidence studies comparing the effect of different treatment options for single-sided deafness (SSD).

Objective: To determine the effect of a cochlear implant (CI), bone conduction device (BCD), contralateral routing of signals hearing aid (CROS), and no treatment on speech perception in noise outcomes in patients with SSD.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this single-center randomized clinical trial, adult patients with SSD were randomized into 3 groups: CI; a trial period with first a BCD on a headband and then a CROS; or a trial period with first a CROS and then a BCD on a headband.