Author: Nevin Manimala

Nat Rev Neurosci. 2024 Nov 14. doi: 10.1038/s41583-024-00877-z. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39543247 | DOI:10.1038/s41583-024-00877-z

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 15;14(1):28102. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78852-y.

ABSTRACT

Antioxidant-rich diets serve as protective factors in preventing obesity. The composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) represents a novel, comprehensive metric for assessing the antioxidant capacity of diets. Our objective is to investigate the relationship between the CDAI and obesity prevalence among adults in the United States. Dietary and anthropometric information about adults aged 20 years and older were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018. The CDAI was derived from six dietary antioxidants. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) ≥ 30 kg/m², and abdominal obesity as a waist circumference (WC, cm) ≥ 102 cm for men and ≥ 88 cm for women. The relationship between CDAI and obesity, including abdominal obesity, was analyzed using logistic regression and subgroup analyses. A total of 25,553 participants were analyzed. With higher tertiles of the CDAI, both obesity (41.28% vs. 38.62 vs. 35.09%, P < 0.001) and abdominal obesity (63.75% vs. 59.54 vs. 52.09%, P < 0.001) prevalence notably declined. Adjusting for multiple confounders, the CDAI was found to be independently linked to obesity (OR = 0.980, 95%CI = 0.971-0.989, P < 0.001) and abdominal obesity (OR = 0.972, 95%CI = 0.963-0.982, P < 0.001) risks. Subgroup analyses revealed a stronger relationship between CDAI and obesity in non-hypertensive individuals and a more significant association with abdominal obesity in women and those without hypertension. Our findings reveal a negative relationship between CDAI levels and both general and abdominal obesity. Additional extensive research is necessary to investigate CDAI’s contribution to obesity.

PMID:39543203 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-78852-y

NPJ Breast Cancer. 2024 Nov 14;10(1):98. doi: 10.1038/s41523-024-00696-6.

ABSTRACT

Surgery remains the primary treatment modality in the management of early-stage invasive breast cancer. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered visualization platforms offer the compelling potential to aid surgeons in evaluating the tumor’s location and morphology within the breast and accordingly optimize their surgical approach. We sought to validate an AI platform that employs dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to render three-dimensional (3D) representations of the tumor and 5 additional chest tissues, offering clear visualizations as well as functionalities for quantifying tumor morphology, tumor-to-landmark structure distances, excision volumes, and approximate surgical margins. This retrospective study assessed the visualization platform’s performance on 100 cases with ground-truth labels vetted by 2 breast-specialized radiologists. We assessed features including automatic AI-generated clinical metrics (e.g., tumor dimensions) as well as visualization tools including convex hulls at desired margins around the tumor to help visualize lumpectomy volume. The statistical performance of the platform’s automated features was robust and within the range of inter-radiologist variability. These detailed 3D tumor and surrounding multi-tissue depictions offer both qualitative and quantitative comprehension of cancer topology and may aid in formulating an optimal surgical approach for breast cancer treatment. We further establish the framework for broader data integration into the platform to enhance precision cancer care.

PMID:39543194 | DOI:10.1038/s41523-024-00696-6

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 14;14(1):28076. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79752-x.

ABSTRACT

In this research, male and female athletes who won gold, silverand bronze medals at the International Weightlifting Federation Senior World Championship (between 2011 and 2023); (a) analysis of successful and unsuccessful lifts in snatch and clean and jerk techniques, (b) analysis of successful and unsuccessful lifts in 3 lift attempts in both techniques and, (c) It is aimed to investigate the lifting attempts of athletes that determine their medal rankings in snatch, clean and jerk and total. In this retrospective study, data of 3144 (1603 and 1541 for male and female, respectively) individual results obtained from the lifting performances of 528 athletes (male n = 270; female n = 258) participating in the Senior World Championship (between 2011 and 2023) in snatch and clean and jerk were analyzed. In the study, the frequencies and rates of the individuals included in the study according to different variables are presented with descriptive statistics. Various Chi-square analyzes were conducted to determine differences in distribution rates between groups. The significance level in the analyzes was determined as p < .05. It was determined that the successful lifts ratios of the athletes who achieved gold, bronze, silver medals in the light weight, middle weight and heavy weight categories of the male and female groups were higher than the unsuccessful lifts ratios in both lifting techniques (excluding silver medals in clean and jerk in lightweight for men; except bronze medals in snatch in lightweight for women). It was observed that the percentage rates in the unsuccessful lifts of athletes who achieved gold medals in both snatch and clean and jerk of the male and female groups were lower than the percentage rates in the unsuccessful lifts of athletes who took part in silver and bronze medals. It was observed that there was no significant difference between the distribution rates of successful and unsuccessful lifts distribution rates according to gender in both snatch and clean and jerk of both genders. It was observed that the successful lifts rates in both the snatch and clean and jerk of the male and female groups decreased from the 1st attempt to the 3rd attempt, and the lifting rates in the unsuccessful lifts increased. It has been observed that the lift attempts that determine the medal rankings of the groups in snatch, clean and jerk and total are the 2nd attempt and 3rd attempt. The findings can provide a comprehensive perspective on the in-competition factors that contribute to World Championship success in order to directly inform coach and athlete strategies. These findings may also be valid for national or regional champions and may include other strength-based sports with a similar structure.

PMID:39543189 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79752-x

NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2024 Nov 14;10(1):219. doi: 10.1038/s41531-024-00831-x.

ABSTRACT

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in Parkinson’s disease (PD), with mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) emerging as a potential marker for mitochondrial health. We investigated the links between blood mtDNA-CN and PD severity and risk using the Accelerating Medicines Partnership program for Parkinson’s Disease dataset, replicating our results in the UK Biobank. Our findings reveal that reduced blood mtDNA-CN levels are associated with heightened PD risk and increased severity of motor symptoms and olfactory dysfunction. We estimated blood cell composition using complete blood cell profile when available or RNA-sequencing data as a surrogate. After adjusting for blood cell composition, the associations between mtDNA-CN and PD risk and clinical symptoms became non-significant. Bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis also found no evidence of a direct causal relationship between blood mtDNA-CN and PD susceptibility. Hence peripheral inflammatory immune responses rather than mitochondrial dysfunction underpin these previously identified associations in PD.

PMID:39543161 | DOI:10.1038/s41531-024-00831-x

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 14;14(1):27950. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79499-5.

ABSTRACT

Self-healing hydrogels are emerging materials capable of restoring functionality after damage, making them highly suitable for biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery. In this study, we synthesize and characterize a novel biodegradable, conductive, and self-healing hydrogel. The synthesis is based on a Schiff base formed between gelatin and hyaluronic acid, and the dynamic reversible Schiff base bond provides the self-healing property. To characterize and assess the self-healing behavior of the hydrogel, dynamic speckle pattern (DSP) analysis is introduced as a non-destructive, non-contact, and easy-to-implement method. Speckle patterns are formed upon scattering of laser light from a diffusive matter and includes a huge overall information about the sample, to be extracted by statistical processing. DSP analysis is employed to monitor the self-healing process of the hydrogel at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Experimental procedure involve in situ acquisition of speckle patterns over time under controlled environmental conditions, followed by statistical analysis to evaluate the internal dynamics of the healing process. Several statistical parameters are computed for real-time monitoring of the self-healing property of the hydrogel. The findings, on the one hand, underscore the potential of Schiff base hydrogels in advanced biomedical applications where self-healing properties are critical for sustained performance and longevity. On the other hand, the introduced analysis method shows its potential to serve as an effective approach for biomaterial characterization.

PMID:39543160 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-79499-5

Nat Commun. 2024 Nov 14;15(1):9562. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53645-z.

ABSTRACT

Carbon markets play an important role in firms’ and governments’ climate strategies. Carbon crediting mechanisms allow project developers to earn carbon credits through mitigation projects. Several studies have raised concerns about environmental integrity, though a systematic evaluation is missing. We synthesized studies relying on experimental or rigorous observational methods, covering 14 studies on 2346 carbon mitigation projects and 51 studies investigating similar field interventions implemented without issuing carbon credits. The analysis covers one-fifth of the credit volume issued to date, almost 1 billion tons of CO₂e. We estimate that less than 16% of the carbon credits issued to the investigated projects constitute real emission reductions, with 11% for cookstoves, 16% for SF₆ destruction, 25% for avoided deforestation, 68% for HFC-23 abatement, and no statistically significant emission reductions from wind power and improved forest management projects. Carbon crediting mechanisms need to be reformed fundamentally to meaningfully contribute to climate change mitigation.

PMID:39543137 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-53645-z

Nat Commun. 2024 Nov 14;15(1):9560. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53868-0.

ABSTRACT

Existing studies of political polarization are often limited to a single country and one form of polarization, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Here we investigate patterns of polarization online across nine countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, UK, USA), focusing on the structure of political interaction networks, the use of toxic language targeting out-groups, and how these factors relate to user engagement. First, we show that political interaction networks are structurally polarized on Twitter (currently X). Second, we reveal that out-group interactions, defined by the network, are more toxic than in-group interactions, indicative of affective polarization. Third, we show that out-group interactions receive lower engagement than in-group interactions. Finally, we identify a common ally-enemy structure in political interactions, show that political mentions are more toxic than apolitical mentions, and highlight that interactions between politically engaged accounts are limited and rarely reciprocated. These results hold across countries and represent a step towards a stronger cross-country understanding of polarization.

PMID:39543121 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-53868-0

J Clin Neurosci. 2024 Nov 13;130:110917. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2024.110917. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The optimal management of symptomatic recurrent Rathke’s cleft cysts (RCCs) is unclear. Here, we compared the outcomes of various surgical approaches for symptomatic recurrent RCCs. PubMed and Embase were systematically reviewed for studies that reported individual-participant data on outcomes after surgical treatment for symptomatic recurrent RCCs presenting with headache and/or visual field defect. The primary outcome was symptomatic recurrence, and the secondary outcome was postoperative complications. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the number of recurrences, duration since initial surgery, previous treatment, and symptoms of recurrence. Of the 713 studies screened, 14 studies (30 recurrences in 24 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. Cyst wall resection was the most common treatment (n = 17, 56.7 %), followed by drainage with intrasellar stent insertion (n = 7, 23.3 %) and resection with intracystic bleomycin (n = 6, 20.0 %). Most of the cases were first recurrences (56.7 %, n = 17). The mean (SD) duration between the initial treatment and onset of symptomatic recurrence was 3.0 (3.6) years. Over a median [IQR] follow-up period of 1.2 [0.4, 2.5] years, patients who underwent cyst wall resection had a significantly higher incidence of symptomatic recurrence at 58.8 %, compared to a 0 % symptomatic recurrence rate in patients treated with drainage and intrasellar stent insertion or resection with intracystic bleomycin (p = 0.014). Patients who underwent cyst wall resection also had the highest risk of symptomatic recurrence on subgroup analysis, though this was statistically significant only among patients who underwent cyst wall resection as their preceding treatment (p = 0.021). There were no significant differences in postoperative complication rates between the treatment arms. In conclusion, for patients with symptomatic recurrent RCCs presenting with headache and/or visual field defects, drainage with intrasellar stent insertion and intracystic bleomycin may be superior to cyst wall resection alone. This approach may reduce the risk of another symptomatic recurrence within one year.

PMID:39541655 | DOI:10.1016/j.jocn.2024.110917