π-Extended helicenes constitute an important class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with intrinsic chirality. Herein, we report the syntheses of π-extended [7]helicene 4 and π-extended [9]helicene 6 through regioselective cyclodehydrogenation in high yields, where a „prefusion” strategy plays a key role in preventing undesirable aryl rearrangements. The unique helical structures are unambiguously confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. Compared to the parent pristine [7]helicene and [9]helicene, these novel π-extended helicenes display significantly improved photophysical properties, with a quantum yield of 0.41 for 6. After optical resolution by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography, the chiroptical properties of enantiomers 4-P/M and 6-P/M are investigated, revealing that the small variation in helical length from [7] to [9] can cause an approximately 10-fold increase in the dissymmetry factors. The circularly polarized luminescence brightness of 6 reaches 12.6 M-1 cm-1 as one of the highest among carbohelicenes.In the field of agriculture fungicides are vital, providing the most important ecosystem service for food production. The widespread use of these chemicals can significantly lead to various ecotoxicological threats with adverse effects, such as environmental changes, microbial resistance, and phytotoxicity. Electrochemical sensors offer enormous potential for the identification and monitoring of hazardous substances in accordance with their constructive characteristics, namely, precision, accuracy, sensitivity, and selectivity, over traditional analytical techniques. Here, we thus report the synthesis of the lanthanum vanadate/hexagonal boron nitride (LaV/h-BN) composite for the electrochemical determination of carbendazim (CZ), which is a widely used fungicide for disease management with critical risks associated with its overexposure. The combination of LaV and h-BN accelerates the formation of active sites, facilitating faster charge transfer and higher electronic conductivity. The synergistic effects greatly improve the preference of the modified electrode with increased sensitivity, a lower limit of detection, and wide linear responses toward CZ detection. The existence of variable oxidation states in the orthovanadate together with the unique properties of h-BN mark LaV/h-BN as an advanced material for specific applications in the family of rare-earth metal orthovanadate. Also, the deep eutectic solvent-assisted synthesis of the material creates an environmentally efficient system with reduced energy requisites to allow for applications in effective environmental monitoring.The transparent, flexible, and open-source Python library carculator_truck is introduced to perform the life cycle assessment of a series of medium- and heavy-duty trucks across different powertrain types, size classes, fuel pathways, and years in a European context. Unsurprisingly, greenhouse gas emissions per ton-km reduce as size and load factor increase. By 2040, battery and fuel cell electric trucks appear to be promising options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per ton-km on long distance segments, even where the required range autonomy is high. This requires that various conditions are met, such as improvements at the energy storage level and a drastic reduction of the greenhouse gas intensity of the electricity used for battery charging and hydrogen production. Meanwhile, these options may be considered for urban and regional applications, where they have a competitive advantage thanks to their superior engine efficiency. Finally, these alternative options will have to compete against more mature combustion-based technologies which, despite lower drivetrain efficiencies, are expected to reduce their exhaust emissions via engine improvements, hybridization of their powertrain, as well as the use of biomass-based and synthetic fuels.((S)-3-Amino-(difluoromethylenyl)cyclopent-1-ene-1-carboxylic acid (OV329) is a recently discovered inactivator of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT), which has 10 times better inactivation efficiency than its predecessor, CPP-115, despite the only structural difference being an endocyclic double bond in OV329. Both compounds are mechanism-based enzyme inactivators (MBEIs), which inactivate GABA-AT by a similar mechanism. Here, a combination of a variety of computational chemistry tools and experimental methods, including quantum mechanical (QM) calculations, molecular dynamic simulations, progress curve analysis, and deuterium kinetic isotope effect (KIE) experiments, are utilized to comprehensively study the mechanism of inactivation of GABA-AT by CPP-115 and OV329 and account for their experimentally obtained global kinetic parameters kinact and KI. Our first key finding is that the rate-limiting step of the inactivation mechanism is the deprotonation step, and according to QM calculations and tion mechanisms.The objective of this research was to investigate potential changes to unfolding energy barriers for ubiquitin in the presence of the noncanonical amino acid β-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA). Although BMAA has been implicated in neurodegenerative disease, its specific role remains unclear. We hypothesized that formation of a ubiquitin + BMAA noncovalent complex would alter the protein’s unfolding dynamics in comparison with native ubiquitin alone or in noncovalent complexes with other amino acids. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) revealed that at sufficiently high concentrations BMAA did in fact form a noncovalent complex with ubiquitin, and similar complexes were identified for a range of additional amino acids. Collision-induced unfolding (CIU) was used to interrogate the unfolding of native ubiquitin and these Ubq-amino acid complexes, showing a major transition from its compact native state (∼1200 Å2) to an unfolded state (∼1400 Å2) at activation energies in the range from 8.0 to 9.0 V (entrance grid delta). The Ubq-BMAA complex, on the other hand, was observed to have a significantly higher energy barrier to unfolding, requiring more than 10.5 V. This indicates that the complex remains more stable under native conditions and this may indicate that BMAA has attached to a critical binding location worthy of further study for its potential role in the onset of neurodegenerative disease.Cells sense and respond to the external environment, mainly through proteins presented on the membrane where their expression and conformation are dynamically regulated via intracellular programs. Here, we engineer a cell-surface nanoarchitecture that realizes molecular-recognition-initiated DNA assembly to mimic the dynamic behavior of membrane proteins, enabling the manipulation of cellular interaction in response to environmental changes. Our results show that this membrane-anchored DNA nanoarchitecture can be specifically activated by cell-responsive signals to external stimulation. Accordingly, multiple functional modules can be assembled onto the membrane to equip the cell with cell-type-specific binding and killing. This system is expected to offer a new paradigm for engineering therapeutic cells with customized sensing/response pathways.Measurements of zirconium isotopes provide insights into the formation of planetary bodies, dating nuclear explosions, or maintenance of nuclear reactors. Although many comparative measurements for the isotopic composition of zirconium have been performed using mass spectrometry, there is a lack of zirconium isotopic reference materials and only a single calibrated measurement has been reported to date by total evaporation thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TE-TIMS). In this study, we report an independent measurement of full zirconium isotopic composition in a new zirconium isotopic reference material by multicollector inductively coupled plasma MS using the regression method and two independent certified isotopic reference materials, NIST SRM 984 Rb and NIST SRM 987 Sr. Our results agree well with the recent TE-TIMS measurements and suggest a revision of the standard atomic weight of zirconium.The designing of tunable molecular systems that can host spin qubits is a promising strategy for advancing the development of quantum information science (QIS) applications. Photogenerated radical pairs are good spin qubit pair (SQP) candidates because they can be initialized in a pure quantum state that exhibits relatively long coherence times. DNA is a well-studied molecular system that allows for control of energetics and spatial specificity through careful design and thus serves as a tunable scaffold on which to control multispin interactions. Here, we examine a series of DNA hairpins that use naphthalenediimide (NDI) as the hairpin linker. Photoexcitation of the NDI leads to subnanosecond oxidation of guanine (G) within the duplex or a stilbenediether (Sd) end-cap to give NDI•–G•+ or NDI•–Sd•+ SQPs, respectively. A 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperdinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO) stable radical is covalently attached to the hairpin at varying distances from the SQP spins. While TEMPO has a minimal effect on the SQP formation and decay dynamics, EPR spectroscopy indicates that there are significant spin-spin dipolar interactions between the SQP and TEMPO. We also demonstrate the ability to implement more complex spin manipulations of the NDI•–Sd•+-TEMPO system using pulse-EPR techniques, which is important for developing DNA hairpins for QIS applications.Nanoparticle carriers are effective drug delivery vehicles. Along with other design parameters including size, composition, and surface charge, particle shape strongly influences cellular uptake. How nanoparticle geometry affects targeted delivery under physiologically relevant conditions, however, is inconclusive. Here, we demonstrate that nanoconstruct core shape influences the dynamics of targeting ligand-receptor interactions on cancer cell membranes. By single-particle tracking of translational and rotational motion, we compared DNA aptamer AS1411 conjugated gold nanostars (AS1411-AuNS) and 50 nm gold spheres (AS1411-50NPs) on cells with and without targeted nucleolin membrane receptors. On nucleolin-expressing cells, AS1411-AuNS exhibited faster velocities under directed diffusion and translated over larger areas during restricted diffusion compared to AS1411-50NPs, despite their similar protein corona profiles. On nucleolin-inhibited cells, AS1411-AuNS showed faster rotation dynamics over smaller translational areas, while AS1411-50NPs did not display significant changes in translation. These differences in translational and rotational motions indicate that nanoparticle shape affects how targeting nanoconstructs bind to cell-membrane receptors.

Advanced stage clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) involves a poor prognosis. Several studies have reported that dysfunctions in iron metabolism‒related proteins may cause tumor progression and metastasis of this carcinoma. In this study, we investigated the impact of the expression of iron metabolism‒related proteins on patient prognoses in advanced stage ccRCCs.

All of 143 advanced stage ccRCC specimens were selected following validation with double blind reviews. Several clinicopathological parameters including nuclear grade, perirenal fat invasion, renal sinus fat invasion, vascular invasion, necrosis, and sarcomatoid/rhabdoid differentiation were compared with the expression of ferroportin (FPN), and F-Box and leucine rich repeat protein 5 (FBXL5), by immunohistochemistry. FPN and FBXL5 mRNA level of ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were also analyzed for validation.

FPN and FBXL5 immunohistochemistry showed membrane and cytoplasmic expression, respectively. Based on the H-score, cases were classified as low or high expression with a cut-off value of 20 for FPN and 15 for FBXL5, respectively. Low expression of FPN and FBXL5 were significantly associated with patient death (p=0.022 and p=0.005, respectively). In survival analyses, low expression of FPN and FBXL5 were significantly associated with shorter overall survival (p=0.003 and p=0.004, respectively). On multivariate analysis, low FPN expression (hazard ratio, 1.898; p=0.026) and low FBXL5 expression (hazard ratio, 1.851; p=0.022) were significantly associated with shorter overall survival.

FPN and FBXL5 can be used as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for advanced stage ccRCC.

FPN and FBXL5 can be used as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for advanced stage ccRCC.

The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2018.

Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2018, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2019. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. Crude and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for incidence, mortality, prevalence, and 5-year relative survival rates were calculated, and temporal trends for incidence and mortality rates were evaluated, with annual percentage changes.

In 2018, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 243,837 (ASR, 270.4 per 100,000) and 79,153 (ASR, 73.3 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.4% annually from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by nonsignificant changes. Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years (annual decrease of 2.7% from 2007 to 2014; 3.7% from 2014 to 2018). The 5-year relative survival between 2014 and 2018 was 70.3%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2 million by the end of 2018.

Cancer statistics have improved significantly during the past two decades. However, there remain important challenges to be solved, such as controlling cancers with low survival rates. Cancer statistics can be used to discover blind spots in cancer control, and as evidence for developing and implementing future cancer control strategies.

Cancer statistics have improved significantly during the past two decades. However, there remain important challenges to be solved, such as controlling cancers with low survival rates. Cancer statistics can be used to discover blind spots in cancer control, and as evidence for developing and implementing future cancer control strategies.

This study aimed to report the projected cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2021 to estimate Korea’s current cancer burden.

Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2018 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2019 were acquired from Statistics Korea. Cancer incidence and mortality were projected by fitting a linear regression model to observed age-specific cancer rates against their respective years and then by multiplying the projected age-specific rates by the anticipated age-specific population for 2021. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the year in which the linear trend changed significantly; we only used the data of the latest trend.

In total, 259,999 new cancer cases and 81,567 cancer deaths are expected to occur in Korea in 2021. The most common cancer site is expected to be the lung, followed by the thyroid, colon and rectum, breast, and stomach. These five cancers are expected to represent half of the overall burden of cancer in Korea. The most common type of cancer leading to death is expected to be lung cancer, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers.

The incidence rates for all types of cancer in Korea are estimated to gradually decrease. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.

The incidence rates for all types of cancer in Korea are estimated to gradually decrease. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.

Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a controversial concept not much explored on colorectal cancer patients.

We identified eleven prospective studies eight studies on 696 colorectal cancer patients who received chemotherapy and three studies on 346 rectal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) of neuropsychological test results and the cognitive quality-of-life scale were calculated using random effect models. A meta-regression was conducted to investigate the association between mean study population age and effect sizes.

The association between chemotherapy and cognitive impairment was not clear in colorectal cancer patients (SMD, 0.003; 95% confidence interval, ‒0.080 to 0.086). However, a meta-regression showed that older patients are more vulnerable to CRCI than younger patients (β=‒0.016, p < 0.001).

Chemotherapy has an overall positive negligible effect size on the cognitive function of colorectal patients. Age is a significant moderator of CRCI.

Chemotherapy has an overall positive negligible effect size on the cognitive function of colorectal patients. Age is a significant moderator of CRCI.

This study investigated medical educators’ readiness for online teaching by exploring their perceived ability and importance of online teaching competencies and identified the highest priority of their educational needs.

In this study, 144 medical education faculty members from a university were invited to participate. The faculty online teaching readiness scale was virtually distributed at the end of the spring semester of 2020 and 38 faculty members responded for 2 weeks. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, Borich Needs Assessment, and the Locus for Focus model.

The overall average perceived ability was 2.76, while the overall average perceived importance was 3.36. The course design and the technical competency categories showed the highest and lowest educational needs, respectively. Five competencies were given the highest priority of educational needs.

The results revealed that the medical educators are not ready for online teaching; thus, urgent educational needs for online teaching competencies exist.

The results revealed that the medical educators are not ready for online teaching; thus, urgent educational needs for online teaching competencies exist.

The purpose of this study was to identify the possible correlations of 'satisfaction with clinical practice (SA)’ with 'clinical learning environment (EN)’ and 'clinical practice stress (ST).’ We searched for the mediating effect of 'clinical practice stress’ on 'satisfaction with clinical practice’ when the clinical learning environment influences 'satisfaction with clinical practice.’

This research investigated 208 medical and nursing students attending the school of medicine and nursing in Korea. The total number of nursing students was 135 (64.9%); 73 medical students participated (35.1%). We used the Korean-Undergraduate Clinical Education Environment in 24 questions for EN, ST scale in 24 questions, and SA scale in 10 questions. We performed measurement structural equation model analysis to identify a path of the model.

Medical students had significantly higher levels of ST. EN had a significant negative correlation with ST and a significant positive correlation with SA. The ST had a significant negative correlation with SA. The results of the goodness of fit index have fulfilled the criteria of goodness of fit. There was a significant mediating effect of ST on SA when EN influences SA.

The clinical learning environment affected satisfaction with the clinical practice directly or indirectly mediated by clinical practice stress. Therefore, educational institutes should try to increase satisfaction with clinical practice by continuously monitoring and improving the clinical learning environment in addition to taking measures for decreasing the clinical practice stress.

The clinical learning environment affected satisfaction with the clinical practice directly or indirectly mediated by clinical practice stress. Therefore, educational institutes should try to increase satisfaction with clinical practice by continuously monitoring and improving the clinical learning environment in addition to taking measures for decreasing the clinical practice stress.

The role of simulation-based education (SBE) in enhancing communication has been established in the literature. To ensure achieving desired outcomes from SBE initiative, the individual learners, their experiences, and environments need to be considered. This study aimed at exploring the perception of post-graduate dental students regarding their participation in SBE sessions, around selected communication skills, designed in alignment with the assumptions of adult learning theory and steps of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle.

This study utilized a qualitative design. Six focus-group sessions were conducted following the SBE sessions. The generated data was inductively investigated using a multi-staged participant-focused approach to thematic analysis, based upon constructivist epistemology. NVivo was utilized to facilitate text Fragments’ coding and categorization.

Forty-three post-graduate dental students participated. The analysis resulted in 16 categories spread across five sequential phases of theents, holds potential in enhancing communication skills among post-graduate dental students.

This study determined the effects of interprofessional education (IPE) on self-efficacy and attitude by comparing an interprofessional (IP) group of medical students (MSs) and nursing students (NSs) and a uniprofessional (UP) group of MSs.

An experimental IP group consisting of 49 MSs and 62 NSs was selected, alongside a UP control group of 48 other MSs. The groups participated in a class titled „Team Communication and Interprofessional Collaboration.” A sub-analysis of the two groups’ professions was also conducted. The groups participated in the same lesson separately, with a week’s interval. The Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) and the Self-Efficacy Perception for Interprofessional Experiential Learning (SEIEL) scale were used before and after the class to compare changes in reports of self-efficacy and attitudes in both groups. Students’ responses to learning experiences and satisfaction were also evaluated.

IPAS and SEIEL values increased after the class for MSs in both groups; there were no differences between the groups. IPAS and SEIEL values increased after the class in MSs and NSs in the IP group, and the effect size for IPAS was larger for IP-group NSs than for IP-group MSs. Satisfaction scores exceeded 3.70 in both groups.

The UP group showed similar IPE effects as the IP group, as measured by SEIEL and IPAS, in a single IPE program that used role-play and case-based discussion. However, it would be desirable for the UP group to interact with other professions to improve understanding and experience.

The UP group showed similar IPE effects as the IP group, as measured by SEIEL and IPAS, in a single IPE program that used role-play and case-based discussion. However, it would be desirable for the UP group to interact with other professions to improve understanding and experience.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the psychometric properties of Persian translation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) as a widely accepted questionnaire for the first time and to establish a cut off score for Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait-reduced (FCQ-T-r).

In this cross-sectional study, 330 visitors of family physician clinics in Shiraz, a city located in south of Iran, were selected. The English version of YFAS 2.0 was translated into Persian and used in this study as well as the Persian version of FCQ-T-r.

Confirmatory factor analysis of YFAS-2 confirmed one dimensional structure and factor loading in all eleven symptoms was above 0.4. Internal consistency for eleven symptoms was 0.813. Prevalence of food addiction in participants was 6.7% (22 participants). BMI and FCQ-T-r questionnaire score both were positively correlated with the number of food addiction symptoms but age was negatively correlated with the number of the symptoms. The ROC curve analysis showed the best suggested cut-off point for FCQ-T-r questionnaire to detect food addiction was 32.5.

The present study confirmed validity and reliability of Persian version of YFAS-2. It is suggested that food addiction occurs in different level of food craving behavior in different food cultures or genetics.

The present study confirmed validity and reliability of Persian version of YFAS-2. It is suggested that food addiction occurs in different level of food craving behavior in different food cultures or genetics.

This study aimed to examine the validity of the Korean version of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R) and determine its efficacy in identifying individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Data were pooled from several past and ongoing studies as well as clinical records acquired at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from 2008 to 2017. The K-ADI-R were administered and scored by trained research reliable examiners. Measurements to investigate the validity of the K-ADI-R was through sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV), and Cohen’s kappa.

A total of 1,271 (age 88.9±62.42 months, male=927) participants were included. The K-ADI-R yielded strong psychometric properties with high sensitivity (86.06-99.27%), specificity (84.75-99.55%), PPV (92.33-99.72%), and NPV (79.43-98.64%). There were significant differences in item scores across the K-ADI-R diagnostic algorithm regardless of age and sex (p<0.001). Agreement between the K-ADI-R and other ASD related measurements ranged between levels of good to excellent.

Despite language or cultural boundaries, the K-ADI-R demonstrated high levels of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV within a wide range of participants; hence, suggesting promising usage as a valuable diagnostic instrument for individuals with ASD.

Despite language or cultural boundaries, the K-ADI-R demonstrated high levels of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV within a wide range of participants; hence, suggesting promising usage as a valuable diagnostic instrument for individuals with ASD.

North Korean refugee youths are at higher risk of developing a wide array of psychosocial sequelae, including increased impulsivity and problematic internet use. We aimed to identify reciprocal temporal relationships by performing autoregressive cross-lagged modeling and to examine how these relations differ by gender and adverse childhood experience.

We used the follow-up data of 108 North Korean refugee youths in South Korea over a 1-year period. The Barratt Impulsivity Scale-Brief and Young’s Internet Addiction Test were used to assess impulsivity and problematic internet use, respectively.

Autoregressive effects were significant across all groups, indicating that impulsivity and problematic internet use were stable across time; however, prospective prediction of problematic internet use from impulsivity was not significant across all groups. Problematic internet use at baseline positively predicted impulsivity at after 1 year of follow up in only males and individuals with adverse childhood experience.

Our findings suggest that the negative effect of problematic internet use (i.e., increased impulsivity) among North Korean refugee youths may be more profound in males and those with adverse childhood experience. We present possible explanations for these findings and discuss the implications for targeted interventions.

Our findings suggest that the negative effect of problematic internet use (i.e., increased impulsivity) among North Korean refugee youths may be more profound in males and those with adverse childhood experience. We present possible explanations for these findings and discuss the implications for targeted interventions.

This study investigated the types of daily life stressors associated with social media use in adolescents with problematic Internet/smartphone use in a city in Korea.

Data from 2,997 Internet and smartphone users who participated in a survey about the actual use of smart digital media in Korea were included. The measurement tools included questionnaires on Internet and smartphone usage patterns and types of daily life stressors as well as the Internet Gaming Use-Elicited Symptom Screen and a smartphone addiction scale. The subjects were divided into a problematic Internet/smartphone use group and a control group. We compared the types of daily life stressors associated with social media use for each group.

All types of daily life stressors were more prevalent in the problematic Internet use group than in the control group. In the problematic Internet/smartphone use group, the types of daily life stressors that were positively associated with social media use were sibling rivalry and physical health. In the control group, social media use was negatively associated with daily life stressors related to appearance and heterosexual relationships.

There is a need to provide personalized stress management related to social media use for adolescents with problematic Internet/smartphone use.

There is a need to provide personalized stress management related to social media use for adolescents with problematic Internet/smartphone use.

Pharmacotherapy is established as an effective method for reducing symptoms of panic disorder (PD). However, about 20-40% of PD patients are treatment-resistant. Predictors of pharmacotherapy outcomes for PD patients are needed.

This study included 152 PD patients to measure the clinical severities of PD symptoms and used the Early Trauma Inventory (ETI) to measure early trauma. Treatment response was defined as a 40% reduction in the total Panic Disorder Severity Scale score from baseline. We measured the treatment responses at 8 weeks and 6 months. Binary logistic regression was used to predict treatment response after controlling for confounding variables.

Early sexual trauma alone was associated with poor treatment response at 8 weeks. However, at 6 months, the total ETI score was associated with an unfavorable treatment response.

Therefore, our study suggests that clinicians need to be aware of a history of early trauma to optimize treatment outcomes for PD patients.

Therefore, our study suggests that clinicians need to be aware of a history of early trauma to optimize treatment outcomes for PD patients.

This study examined how state and trait anxiety of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with their demographic characteristics, repetitive and restricted behaviors (RRBs), and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors.

A total of 96 participants with ASD (mean age=14.30 years; 91 males) completed a battery of tests including the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and a cognitive test measuring intelligence quotient (IQ). Participants’ parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Pearson’s correlations among age, IQ, two subscales of the STAI (i.e., STAIS and STAIT, measuring self-reported state and trait anxiety, respectively), and the Anxiety subscale of CBCL (i.e., CBCL-Anxiety, measuring parent-reported trait anxiety) were computed. Subsequently, Pearson’s correlations were computed among the three anxiety measures, RRBs, and problem behaviors, while controlling for participants with ASD.Within Mycoplasma genus, M. pneumoniae, M. genitalium, M. hominis or U. urealyticum are the main species that have been traditionally linked to infectious processes. However, there are many other species involved in these conditions and that are, frequently, unfamiliar to healthcare professionals. The aim of this review is to identify all Mycoplasma genus species that have been isolated in human beings and to determine their involvement in infectious pathology.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is a well-known poor prognostic factor of pancreatic cancer. LN metastasis, through direct invasion of tumor cell to peritumoral lymph nodes (PTLN), is treated as the same as those which spread through lymphatic channels. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of PTLN invasion on the oncologic outcome of pancreatic cancer.

Five hundred and six patients who underwent operation for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from 2012 to 2018 were reviewed. PTLN invasion was defined as direct invasion of tumor cells in contact with main tumor.

Among the 506 patients, 112 patients (22.1%) had PTLN invasion. PTLN invasion group (PTLNI) showed better disease-free survival than regional LN metastasis group (RLNM) and combined LN metastasis group (CLNM) (PTLNI 21 vs RLNM 11 vs CLNM 12months, P=.003). There was no significant difference between N0 and PTLNI (PTLNI 21 vs N0 23months, P=.999). In multivariate analysis, conventional LN metastasis was a significant factor compared to N0, but PTLN invasion was not (hazard ratio 0.786 [0.507-1.220], P=.283).

Because PTLN invasion does not adversely affect survival in the same way as LN metastasis does, pancreatic cancer-may be overstaged if PTLN invasion were dealt in the same manner as a metastatic LN. Therefore, PTLN invasion should be disregarded from current nodal staging system.

Because PTLN invasion does not adversely affect survival in the same way as LN metastasis does, pancreatic cancer-may be overstaged if PTLN invasion were dealt in the same manner as a metastatic LN. Therefore, PTLN invasion should be disregarded from current nodal staging system.Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and other chromatin modifications, are believed to be largely responsible for establishing a reduced capacity for growth in the mature nervous system. Ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 3 (Tet3)-, a member of the Tet gene family, plays a crucial role in promoting injury-induced DNA demethylation and expression of regeneration-associated genes in the peripheral nervous system. Here, we encapsulate Tet3 protein within a clinically tolerated poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microsphere system. Next, we show that Tet3-loaded microspheres are internalized into mHippoE-18 embryonic hippocampal cells. We compare the outgrowth potential of Tet3 microspheres with that of commonly used nerve growth factor (NGF)-loaded microspheres in an in vitro injury model. Tet3-containing microspheres increased levels of nuclear 5-hydroxymethylcytosine indicating active demethylation and outperformed NGF-containing microspheres in measures of neurite outgrowth. Our results suggest that encapsulated demethylases may represent a novel avenue to treat nerve injuries.

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are heterogeneous cancers that include cancers of the bile duct and gallbladder. Although they are relatively uncommon, most patients with BTC are diagnosed at advanced-stage disease with high mortality rates. Recently, systemic therapy options for patients with BTC have evolved. This paper reviews recent advancements in systemic therapy and the results of key clinical trials in BTC.

A literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar was performed using keywords related to BTC and systemic therapy. Studies that were presented in major international cancer research conferences were also included.

The evidence shows that adjuvant capecitabine has been associated with a lower relapse rate in early-stage BTC. In unselected patients with advanced BTC, combination chemotherapy is a standard treatment option. However, with a better understanding of the molecular profile of BTC, there has been a shift toward targeted agents in BTC that have shown promising responses. The evolving data also support the evolving role of immunotherapy in patients with deficient DNA mismatch repair or PD-L1-positive BTC.

Systemic treatment options for BTC have improved. The future identification of new targets, novel compounds, and predictive markers is a key step toward the use of personalized medicine in BTC.

Systemic treatment options for BTC have improved. The future identification of new targets, novel compounds, and predictive markers is a key step toward the use of personalized medicine in BTC.Blastocystis is the most common intestinal parasite found in epidemiological studies in Iran. The genus Blastocystis comprises multiple subtypes (ST), evincing the existence of extensive intrageneric diversity. Meanwhile, information on Blastocystis STs in domestic animals in Iran is limited. This study was designed to identify the prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in domestic animals and to evaluate the extent of zoonotic origin of human Blastocystis carriage. A total of 395 faecal samples from farm animals (220 from poultry, 100 from sheep and 75 from cattle) and 23 Blastocystis positive samples from humans (available from the previous report of this study and included for reference) from the Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran, were analysed. Standard parasitological methods and PCR-based analysis of the SSU-rRNA gene were used. Overall, 115 (29.1%; 95% CI, 26.5%-31.6%) of the animals were positive for Blastocystis sp. by parasitological methods. The highest colonization rate was found in cattle (50.6%, 38/75), followed by sheep (32.0%, 32/100) and poultry (20.4%, 45/220). Eight Blastocystis STs were identified among 55 sequenced isolates from animals (n = 32) and humans (n = 23) ST3 (27.3%), ST14 (25.4%), ST1 (12.7%), ST7 (12.7%), ST2 (9.1%), ST6 (7.3%), ST5 (3.6%) and ST10 (1.8%). Blastocystis ST1 and ST3 were found in both human and non-human hosts, and examples of shared alleles (strains) were observed. Meanwhile, ST2 was observed only in humans, ST5 only in sheep, ST6 only in poultry and ST10 in only cattle. This is the most comprehensive report of Blastocystis STs in farm animals in Iran.Electrochemical reactions are rapidly gaining attention today as a powerful and environmentally benign reaction processes for organic synthesis. We found that the electro-oxidation of palladium acetate afforded cationic palladium species and thus-generated cationic Pd species were efficient mediators for electro-oxidative coupling reactions. Homo-coupling of arylboronic acids and terminal alkynes proceeded efficiently to afford biaryls and butadiyne, respectively. Cross-coupling reactions between terminal alkynes and arylboronic acids were also achieved with the use of a Ag anode. As an advantage of electrochemical reactions, we developed a sequential reaction system switched between oxidative and neutral conditions by the on/off application of electricity, and several π-extended butadiynes were obtained in one-sequence by the system. Electrochemical intramolecular C-S coupling for the synthesis of thienoacene was also developed. The use of Bu4 NBr as a halogen mediator was essential for the reaction.

Symptomatic treatment is insufficient for chemotherapy- or targeted therapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) pain, and benzydamine mouthwash is not commercially available in Japan. We evaluated the analgesic effects of an in-hospital preparation of 0.25% indomethacin spray (IMS) on anticancer drug-induced OM pain.

This single-arm prospective trial enrolled 20 patients (median age 62.0years) with OM and numerical rating scale scores of ≥5 who were undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy in our hospital. Pain scores were recorded using a visual analog scale (VAS) before and 30min after IMS administration. Pain relief (PR) scores were recorded at 15, 30, and 60min after IMS administration; total PR after 60min (TOTPAR

) was calculated, and the mean PR score after 3days (PR

) was determined.

The median (interquartile range) OM grade of the participants was 2.0 (2.0-2.3). The VAS score decreased significantly at 30min after IMS administration (p=.001). The median (interquartile range) TOTPAR

and PR

were 6.0 (3.8-7.3) and 2.0 (2.0-3.0), respectively.

IMS helped improve patients’ quality of life. The risk of systemic adverse effects was low because of the low dose administered. IMS effectively relieved anticancer drug-induced OM pain and may be useful for immediate self-medication.

IMS helped improve patients’ quality of life. The risk of systemic adverse effects was low because of the low dose administered. IMS effectively relieved anticancer drug-induced OM pain and may be useful for immediate self-medication.Adhesion GPCRs are important regulators of conserved developmental processes and represent an untapped pool of potential targets for drug discovery. The adhesion GPCR Adgrg6 (Gpr126) has critical developmental roles in Schwann cell maturation and inner ear morphogenesis in the zebrafish embryo. Mutations in the human ADGRG6 gene can result in severe deficits in peripheral myelination, and variants have been associated with many other disease conditions. Here, we review work on the zebrafish Adgrg6 signaling pathway and its potential as a disease model. Recent advances have been made in the analysis of the structure of the Adgrg6 receptor, demonstrating alternative structural conformations and the presence of a conserved calcium-binding site within the CUB domain of the extracellular region that is critical for receptor function. Homozygous zebrafish adgrg6 hypomorphic mutants have been used successfully as a whole-animal screening platform, identifying candidate molecules that can influence signaling activity and rescue mutant phenotypes. These compounds offer promise for further development as small molecule modulators of Adgrg6 pathway activity.

Red cell distribution width (RDW) is recently emerging as a prognostic indicator in many cardiovascular diseases. However, less is known about its predictive role in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

We retrospectively included very high-risk patients with severe aortic valve stenosis undergoing TAVI between February 2012 and December 2019. Patients were classified according to RDW tertiles. Our primary endpoint was long-term all-cause mortality. The secondary endpoint was a composite of in-hospital major adverse events as defined by the Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 criteria and/or long-term all-cause mortality.

A total of 424 patients [median age 83.5years, 52.6% females] were analysed. After a median follow-up of 1.55years, all-cause mortality was 25.5%. At the multivariate-adjusted Cox regression analysis, patients in the highest RDW tertile were associated with a higher risk for all-cause mortality [hazard ratio [HR] 1.73, 95%confidence interval [CI] 1.02-2.95] compared with the lowest tertile. When considering RDW as a continuous variable, we found an 11% increased risk in overall mortality [HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.24] for each increased point in RDW. The highest RDW tertile was also independently associated with the occurrence of the composite endpoint [odds ratio [OR] 2.10, 95% CI 1.17-3.76] compared with lower tertiles.

In our cohort, elevated basal RDW values were independent predictors of increased long-term mortality and higher rate of in-hospital adverse events. The inclusion of a routinely available biomarker as RDW, may help the pre-operative risk assessment in potential TAVI candidates and optimise their management.

In our cohort, elevated basal RDW values were independent predictors of increased long-term mortality and higher rate of in-hospital adverse events. The inclusion of a routinely available biomarker as RDW, may help the pre-operative risk assessment in potential TAVI candidates and optimise their management.

Accurate diagnosis and management of undifferentiated diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) in critically ill patients is challenging. Transbronchial forceps biopsies have limited utility and surgical lung biopsies can be detrimental for critically ill patients. Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBC) has shown increased diagnostic yield compared to conventional forceps biopsy in DPLD. However, TBC has not been studied in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. In this case series, we describe our experience with TBC for diagnosis of DPLD in ICU patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

This case series includes critically ill patients who underwent TBC at two different tertiary care hospitals. Procedures were performed by the same interventional pulmonologist using the two therapeutic bronchoscopes with a 2.8-mm working channel, and a 1.9- or 2.4-mm cryoprobe.

We performed TBC in 17 patients of which 12 (70.1%) were performed at bedside in ICU without fluoroscopic guidance. Pathological diagnosis was made in 15 (88%) patients which resulted in changes in management in most of these patients. Six patients (35.3%) developed pneumothorax post-procedure with 5 (29.4%) requiring a chest tube. Moderate bleeding was noted in one (6%) patient and no severe or fatal bleeding occurred. Our 30-day ICU mortality was 47% (n=8); however, no deaths were directly attributable to the procedure.

TBC is a feasible technique with an acceptable complication rate and a fairly high histopathological yield in ICU patients with DPLD and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Appropriate diagnosis can be crucial in making management decisions for these patients.

TBC is a feasible technique with an acceptable complication rate and a fairly high histopathological yield in ICU patients with DPLD and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Appropriate diagnosis can be crucial in making management decisions for these patients.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, UK dietitians have delivered the best care to help patients recover from the infection. The present study examined the development and evaluation of care pathways to manage nutritional care of patients following COVID-19 infection prior to and after discharge.

Registered UK dietitians completed an online questionnaire comprising 26 questions about the development of a pathway, its use, evaluation and training needs.

Of 57 responses from organisations, 37 (65%) were involved in the planning/management of nutritional care. Only 19 responses had a new or adapted COVID-19 pathway. Of these, 74% reported involvement of dietetic services, 47% reported >1 eligibility criteria for pathway inclusion and 53% accepted all positive or suspected cases. All respondents used nutritional screening, first-line dietary advice (food first) and referral for further advice and monitoring. Weight and food intake were the most used outcome measure. All pathways addressed symptoms related to nutrition, with the most common being weight loss with poor appetite, not being hungry and skipping meals in 84% of pathways. Over half of respondents (54%) planned to evaluate their pathway and 83% reported that they were 'very or reasonably confident’ in their team’s nutritional management of COVID-19. Less than half (42%) reported on training needs.

Despite challenges encountered, pathways were developed and implemented. Dietitians had adapted to new ways of working to manage nutritional care in patients prior to and after discharge from hospital following COVID-19 infection. Further work is needed to develop strategies for evaluation of their impact.

Despite challenges encountered, pathways were developed and implemented. Dietitians had adapted to new ways of working to manage nutritional care in patients prior to and after discharge from hospital following COVID-19 infection. Further work is needed to develop strategies for evaluation of their impact.

To estimate the global prevalence of early childhood caries using the WHO criteria.

Systematic review of studies published from 1960 to 2019.

PubMed, Google Scholar, SciELO, and LILACS. Eligibility criteria were articles using dmft-WHO diagnostic criteria with calibrated examiners, probability sampling, and sample sizes.

Two reviewers searched, screened, and extracted information from the selected articles. All pooled analyses were based on random-effects models. The protocol is available on PROSPERO 2014 registration code CRD42014009578.

From 472 reports, 214 used WHO criteria and 125 fit the inclusion criteria. Sixty-four reports of 67 countries (published 1992-2019) had adequate data to be summarised in the meta-analysis. They covered 29 countries/59018 children. Global random-effects pooled prevalence was (percentage[95% CI]) 48[43, 53]. The prevalence by continent was Africa 30[19, 45]; Americas 48 [42, 54]; Asia 52[43, 61]; Europe 43[24, 66]; and Oceania 82[73, 89]. Differences across countries explain 21.2% of the observed variance.

Early childhood caries is a global health problem, affecting almost half of preschool children. Results are reported from 29 of 195 countries. ECC prevalence varied widely, and there was more variance attributable to between-country differences rather than continent or change over time.

Early childhood caries is a global health problem, affecting almost half of preschool children. Results are reported from 29 of 195 countries. ECC prevalence varied widely, and there was more variance attributable to between-country differences rather than continent or change over time.

Evidence-based management practices (EBMPs) that improve nurses’ work environments have been linked to improvements in patient outcomes such as patient satisfaction and mortality. Yet, the extent to which nurse managers implement these EBMP or the factors associated with their implementation is not known.

Guided by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) Framework, we examined individual, evidence, and organizational characteristics associated with nurse managers’ implementation of the five EBMPs.

A cross-sectional, correlational, survey design was used. Nurse managers from 10 public hospitals in New York City were recruited. Evidence and contextual variables were measured with the Organizational Readiness for Change Assessment instrument. EBMPs were measured with a modified version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. All multi-item scales were validated with confirmatory factors analysis in the studied sample. Additionally, the scales had Cronbach’s alpha reliability greater than .8. A multivariate linear regression analysis with robust standard error correction was used to analyze the data and to adjust for clustering of managers in hospitals.

A total of 331 nurse managers responded for a 47.4% response rate. Bachelor’s degree, number of staff supervised, managers’ personal experience with evidence for EBMPs, staff culture, and organizational resources were significant predictors of nurse managers’ implementation of EBMPs for NWE improvement (p<.05).

Staff culture was positively associated with implementation of all five EBMPs for improving nurses’ work environments. Managers should prioritize nursing unit culture that encourages staff to innovate and change in order to improve care.

Staff culture was positively associated with implementation of all five EBMPs for improving nurses’ work environments. Managers should prioritize nursing unit culture that encourages staff to innovate and change in order to improve care.