10/12/2024


Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections are more frequent (5.8% (201/3441) vs 3.9% (66/1682), p = 0.0039) in patients treated with infliximab than vedolizumab, and the risk of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection is predicted by peak anti-S RBD antibody concentration after two vaccine doses. Irrespective of the treatments, higher, more sustained antibody levels are observed in patients with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to vaccination. Our results thus suggest that adapted vaccination schedules may be required to induce immunity in at-risk, anti-TNF-treated patients.Plasmon polaritons in topological insulators attract attention from a fundamental perspective and for potential THz photonic applications. Although polaritons have been observed by THz far-field spectroscopy on topological insulator microstructures, real-space imaging of propagating THz polaritons has been elusive so far. Here, we show spectroscopic THz near-field images of thin Bi2Se3 layers (prototypical topological insulators) revealing polaritons with up to 12 times increased momenta as compared to photons of the same energy and decay times of about 0.48 ps, yet short propagation lengths. From the images we determine and analyze the polariton dispersion, showing that the polaritons can be explained by the coupling of THz radiation to various combinations of Dirac and massive carriers at the Bi2Se3 surfaces, massive bulk carriers and optical phonons. Our work provides critical insights into the nature of THz polaritons in topological insulators and establishes instrumentation and methodology for imaging of THz polaritons.π-Extended tetrasubstituted olefins are widely found motifs in natural products, leading drugs, and agrochemicals. Thus, development of modular strategies for the synthesis of complex all-carbon-substituted olefins always draws attention. The difunctionalization of unsymmetrical alkynes is an attractive approach but it has remained faced with regioselectivity issues. Here we report the discovery of a regio- and stereoselective syn-1,2-dicarbofunctionalization of unsymmetrical internal alkynes. A cationic Pd-catalyzed three-component coupling of aryl diazonium salts, aryl boronic acids (or olefins) and yne-acetates enables access to all-carbon substituted unsymmetrical olefins. The transformation features broad scope with labile functional group tolerance, building broad chemical space of structural diversity (94 molecules). The value of this synthetic method is demonstrated by the direct transformation of natural products and drug candidates containing yne-acetates, to enable highly substituted structurally complex allyl acetate analogues of biologically important compounds. Synthetic versatility of the carboxylate bearing highly substituted olefins is also presented. The reaction outcome is attributed to the in situ formation of stabilized cationic aryl-Pd species, which regulates regioselective aryl-palladation of unsymmetrical yne-acetates. Control experiments reveal the synergy between the carboxylate protecting group and the cationic Pd-intermediate in the regioselectivity and reaction productivity; density functional theory (DFT) studies rationalize the selectivity of the reaction.Depression, anxiety, obesity and substance use are heritable and often co-occur. However, the mechanisms underlying this co-occurrence are not fully understood. We estimated their familial aggregation and co-aggregation as well as heritabilities and genetic correlations to improve etiological understanding. Data came from the multi-generational population-based Lifelines Cohort Study (n = 162,439). Current depression and anxiety were determined using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Smoking, alcohol and drug use were assessed by self-report questionnaires. Body mass index (BMI) and obesity were calculated by measured height and weight. Modified Cox proportional hazards models estimated recurrence risk ratios (λR), and restricted maximum likelihood variance decomposition methods estimated heritabilities (h2) and genetic correlations (rG). All analyses were adjusted for age, age2, and sex. Depression, anxiety, obesity and substance use aggregated within families (λR first-degree relative = 1.08-2.74) as well as between spouses (λR = 1.11-6.60). All phenotypes were moderately heritable (from h2depression = 0.25 to h2BMI = 0.53). Depression, anxiety, obesity and smoking showed positive familial co-aggregation. That is, each of these traits confers increased risk on the other ones within families, consistent with the positive genetic correlations between these phenotypes (rG = 0.16-0.94). The exception was obesity, which showed a negative co-aggregation with alcohol and drug use and vice versa, consistent with the negative genetic correlations of BMI with alcohol (rG = -0.14) and soft drug use (rG = -0.10). Patterns of cross-phenotype recurrence risk highlight the co-occurrence among depression, anxiety, obesity and substance use within families. Patterns of genetic overlap between these phenotypes provide clues to uncovering the mechanisms underlying familial co-aggregation.GNE-493 is a novel PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor with improved metabolic stability, oral bioavailability, and excellent pharmacokinetic parameters. Here GNE-493 potently inhibited viability, proliferation, and migration in different primary and established (LNCaP and PC-3 lines) prostate cancer cells, and provoking apoptosis. GNE-493 blocked Akt-mTOR activation in primary human prostate cancer cells. A constitutively-active mutant Akt1 restored Akt-mTOR activation but only partially ameliorated GNE-493-induced prostate cancer cell death. Moreover, GNE-493 was still cytotoxic in Akt1/2-silenced primary prostate cancer cells. Significant oxidative stress and programmed necrosis cascade activation were detected in GNE-493-treated prostate cancer cells. Moreover, GNE-493 downregulated Sphingosine Kinase 1 (SphK1), causing ceramide accumulation in primary prostate cancer cells. Daily single dose GNE-493 oral administration robustly inhibited the growth of the prostate cancer xenograft in the nude mice. Akt-mTOR inactivation, SphK1 downregulation, ceramide level increase, and oxidative injury were detected in GNE-493-treated prostate cancer xenograft tissues. Together, GNE-493 inhibited prostate cancer cell growth possibly through the Akt-mTOR-dependent and -independent mechanisms.Prior research has demonstrated high levels of cognitive and physical functional impairments in World Trade Center (WTC) responders. A follow-up neuroimaging study identified changes to white matter connectivity within the cerebellum in responders with cognitive impairment (CI). In the first study to examine cerebellar cortical thickness in WTC responders with CI, we fielded a structural magnetic resonance imaging protocol. WTC responders (N = 99) participated in a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, of whom 48 had CI. Participants with CI did not differ demographically or by intracranial volume when compared to cognitively unimpaired participants. MRIs were processed using the CERES imaging pipeline; bilateral cortical thickness in 12 cerebellar lobules was reported. Analyses were completed comparing mean cerebellar cortical thickness across groups. Lobules were examined to determine the location and functional correlates of reduced cerebellar cortical thickness. Multivariable-adjusted analyses accounted for the false discovery rate. Mean cerebellar cortical thickness was reduced by 0.17 mm in responders with CI. Decrements in cerebellar cortical thickness were symmetric and located in the Cerebellar Crus (I and II), and in Lobules IV, VI, VIIb, VIIIa, VIIIb, and IX. Cerebellar cortical thickness was associated with episodic memory, response speed, and tandem balance. WTC responders with CI had evidence of reduced cerebellar cortical thickness that was present across lobules in a pattern unique to this cohort.Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) poses an ongoing challenge to society, to health systems, and to the trauma victims themselves. Today PTSD is often considered an incurable chronic problem that lacks effective treatment. While PTSD is closely related to memory, it also affects many physiological systems. PTSD is usually treated with medications and psychotherapy with moderate success, leaving a substantial proportion of patients with enduring distress and disability. Therefore, a search for better treatment options is vital. In this paper, we propose a model in which a conversation-based technique is integrated with bodily manipulation through acupuncture. This approach first emerged in clinical experience showing intriguing results from treating PTSD patients using acupuncture as a main strategy. Its theoretical foundations derive from the clinic and rely on contemporary neuroscience's understanding of memory consolidation and reconsolidation processes. Research shows that acupuncture can have potentially positive effects at three levels (a) achieving a balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic neural activity; (b) reducing activation in the limbic system, hence inducing a calming effect; (c) reshaping the functional connectivity map within important and relevant cortical regions that encompass the default-mode network. We suggest that coupling traumatic memory retrieval leading to reconsolidation, combined with acupuncture, offers considerable potential for positive clinical improvement in patients with PTSD. This may explain the positive results of the described case studies and can pave the path for future advances in research and treatment in this field.The genomic effects of circulating glucocorticoids are particularly relevant in cortico-limbic structures, which express a high concentration of steroid hormone receptors. To date, no studies have investigated genomic differences in hippocampal subregions, namely the dorsal (dHPC) and ventral (vHPC) hippocampus, in preclinical models treated with exogenous glucocorticoids. Chronic oral corticosterone (CORT) in mouse is a pharmacological approach that disrupts the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, increases affective behavior, and induces genomic changes after stress in the HPC of wildtype (WT) mice and mice heterozygous for the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met (hMet), a variant associated with genetic susceptibility to stress. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated the genomic signatures of oral CORT in the dHPC and vHPC of WT and hMet male and female mice, and examined sex and genotype differences in response to oral CORT. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/valemetostat-ds-3201.html Males under CORT showed lower glycemia andtial methylation of Nr3c1 selectively in hMet females.The goal of spectral imaging is to capture the spectral signature of a target. Traditional scanning method for spectral imaging suffers from large system volume and low image acquisition speed for large scenes. In contrast, computational spectral imaging methods have resorted to computation power for reduced system volume, but still endure long computation time for iterative spectral reconstructions. Recently, deep learning techniques are introduced into computational spectral imaging, witnessing fast reconstruction speed, great reconstruction quality, and the potential to drastically reduce the system volume. In this article, we review state-of-the-art deep-learning-empowered computational spectral imaging methods. They are further divided into amplitude-coded, phase-coded, and wavelength-coded methods, based on different light properties used for encoding. To boost future researches, we've also organized publicly available spectral datasets.