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2D/3D Ti3C2Tx/HCl etched Ni-Mn Prussian blue analogue nanocomposite as advanced electrode material for flexible solid-state supercapacitors
No full textSince their discovery in 2011, MXenes, derived from their parent MAX phases, have garnered immense attention in the domain of energy storage due to their exceptional attributes. However, their performance is often hindered by nanosheet restacking, which limits stability and ion diffusion. To address this challenge, we propose a novel 2D/3D nanocomposite comprising Ti3C2Tx MXene and a 3D Prussian blue analogue (Ni-Mn PBA). The integration of Ni-Mn PBA mitigates the restacking of MXene nanosheets, enhancing electrode stability, while Ti3C2Tx serves as a highly conductive substrate, facilitating efficient ion transport. This synergistic interaction results in superior electrochemical performance. Herein, we report the synthesis of Ti3C2Tx@Ni-Mn PBA via chemical etching, which partially modifies the PBA structure to expose internal surfaces and promote ion diffusion through its open framework. The 2D/3D nanocomposite exhibits a specific capacitance of 316 F/g at a current density of 5 mA/cm2, surpassing the performance of pristine Ti3C2Tx and Ni-Mn PBA. When assembled into an asymmetric supercapacitor, the device achieves an energy density of 44 Wh/kg and a power density of 2640 W/kg, demonstrating its practical application by powering a multifunctional display for nearly 2 min. Additionally, a solid-state supercapacitor employing an ionic liquid-based gel electrolyte (PVA/KOH/EMP-TFSI) was developed, extending the operating voltage to 1.7 V and further enhancing the energy density of the device. This study highlights the potential of Ti3C2@Ni-Mn PBA nanocomposites as advanced materials for next-generation flexible energy storage systems
Combination Therapies in Locally Advanced and Metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer
No full textBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The treatment landscape for advanced prostate cancer has evolved significantly over the past decade. The introduction of docetaxel, androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, and targeted radionuclides has redefined the treatment paradigm, with a focus now on early treatment intensification through combination therapies. This narrative collaborative review summarises the current evidence of combination therapies in locally advanced and metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). METHODS: We conducted a literature search up to November 2024. Search terms included "metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer", "metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer", "locally advanced prostate cancer", "combination", "intensification", and "de-escalation". Articles were selected by the authors based on their scientific merit, clinical impact, and relevance to provide a summary of the evidence surrounding combination therapy in locally advanced prostate cancer and mHSPC. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: A doublet approach with an androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) backbone and an ARPI is now considered the standard treatment for mHSPC, with a triplet regimen incorporating docetaxel considered in select subgroups. Similar efforts to improve survival in the high-risk localised and locally advanced disease setting have led to several trials evaluating the benefit of combination therapy in addition to standard-of-care surgery or radiotherapy with ADT. Continued improvements in survival have turned the focus to optimising patient selection for treatment intensification and, in some cases, de-escalation, with the goal of reducing unnecessary overtreatment and minimising harm from long-term treatment toxicity. This is particularly important with the integration of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography, which has led to the earlier detection of metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In select subgroups, early treatment intensification with combination therapy leads to improved survival, though it can be associated with long-term toxicity
Book Review: Mara Tieken (2025). Educated Out: How Rural Students Navigate Elite Colleges—And What it Costs Them. The University of Chicago Press.
No full textMara Casey Tieken’s new book, Educated Out, offers a fascinating account of what it means and takes for rural youth to “study up” in an elite urban liberal arts college in America. This book represents a window into the struggles, challenges and opportunities faced by an underrepresented group of young people to navigate the demands of an elite institution and their local rural communities. The book draws on her qualitative longitudinal research following nine rural students, all first-generation, for more than four years in their transition into, through and out of college. Through four portraits of young people’s college experiences (i.e. applying, entering, persisting and leaving college), Tieken sheds light on what it means to grow up rural. Ultimately, she highlights the role of place, class and race in these rural youth journeys through college and beyond, and helps to challenge deficit views of rural people and places that are prevalent in media and popular discourses. Tieken’s book is an important contribution to rural education and sociological research literature
Analysis of risk factors for immune-related adverse events induced by immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment in cancer: A comprehensive systematic review
No full textBackground: Immune-related adverse events (irAE) pose challenges to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). While risk factors for irAE are emerging, most studies are small, retrospective analyses that seldom report on diverse cancers or rare irAE. This paper reports a systematic review that summarises literature on irAE risk factors across cancers and proposes a categorisation approach. Method: A systematic search was conducted in Medline OVID, Embase and Web of Science databases following PRISMA guidelines (CRD42022310127). Original research published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2017-Decmeber 2021 were selected. Eligible studies included patients with any cancer and evaluated any potential risk factor for any grade/type of irAE. Study design, sample size, and method for analysing association between irAE and risk factors were compared. Results: A total of 293 eligible studies containing 305,879 patients receiving ICI reported irAE in 58,291 patients (19.1 %). There were 221 retrospective, 55 prospective studies, and 17 systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Eighteen studies evaluated the predictive validity of models. Proposed risk factors were grouped based on common themes and underlying aetiology: 1) patient, 2) laboratory, 3) medical history, 4) cancer-related, 5) clinical score, 6) medications, and 7) imaging features. Opposing associations were reported between advancing age and irAE risk. Conclusion: This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of evidence on irAE risk factors across a large patient population. Studies were heterogeneous resulting from variations in design, sample size and analysis method, and lack generalisability due to statistically underpowered evidence. We propose an approach to categorise potential irAE risk factors to support ongoing collaborative research
Hierarchical Bayesian estimation of population-level torque law parameters from anomalous pulsar braking indices
No full textABSTRACT
Stochastic fluctuations in the spin frequency of a rotation-powered pulsar affect how accurately one measures the power-law braking index, , defined through , and can lead to measurements of anomalous braking indices, with , where the overdot symbolizes a derivative with respect to time. Previous studies show that the variance of the measured n obeys the predictive, falsifiable formula for , where is the timing noise amplitude, is a stellar damping time-scale, and is the total observing time. Here, we combine this formula with a hierarchical Bayesian scheme to infer the population-level distribution of for a pulsar population of size M. The scheme is validated using synthetic data to quantify its accuracy systematically and prepare for its future application to real, astronomical data. For a plausible test population with and injected values drawn from a population-level Gaussian with mean and standard deviation , intermediate between electromagnetic braking and mass quadrupole gravitational radiation reaction, the Bayesian scheme infers and . The per-pulsar posteriors for and contain 87 and 69 per cent, respectively, of the injected values within their 90 per cent credible intervals. Comparable accuracy is achieved for (i) population sizes spanning the range , with fractional errors ranging from 2 to 6 per cent for , and 12 to 54 per cent for , and (ii) wide priors satisfying and , which accommodate plausible spin-down mechanisms with and . The Bayesian scheme generalizes readily to other plausible astrophysical situations, such as pulsar populations with bimodal distributions
Pediatric odontogenic facial cellulitis: A comprehensive review for multidisciplinary management.
No full textPediatric odontogenic facial cellulitis is a rare but potentially fatal polymicrobial infection. Diagnosis depends on clinical and radiographic assessment. Treatment typically includes removal of the infected tooth (source control), adjunctive antibiotic therapy, and hospital admission. Infectious disease physicians play a key role in managing severe, complicated, or treatment-resistant cases, working closely with pediatric dental teams. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and general treatment approach to odontogenic facial cellulitis is essential
Adherence to the recommended diabetic retinopathy screening guidelines in pregnant women with pregestational diabetes: a cross-sectional survey study
No full textObjective Diabetic retinopathy (DR) in pregnancy can cause blindness. National guidelines recommend at least one eye examination in early pregnancy, then ideally 3-monthly, through to the postpartum for pregnant women with pregestational diabetes. Here we examined adherence rates, barriers and enablers to recommended DR screening guidelines. Design Cross-sectional survey study, as part of a larger prospective cohort study. Setting Participants were recruited from two tertiary maternity hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Participants Of the 173 pregnant women with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the main cohort study, with an additional four who participated solely in this survey study, 130 (74.3%) completed the survey. Primary and secondary outcome measures This study calculated rates of adherence to guideline-recommended DR screening schedules and collected data on the enablers and barriers to attendance using a modified Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey. Each of the 5-point Likert-scale survey items was compared between adherent and non-adherent participants using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and logistic regression models were constructed to quantify associations as ORs. Results A retinal assessment was undertaken at least once during pregnancy in 86.3% of participants, but only 40.9% attended during their first trimester and only 21.2% attended the recommended number of examinations. Competing priorities were the main barriers to adherence, with eye examinations ranked as the fourth priority (IQR 4th–5th) among other health appointments during pregnancy. Meanwhile, knowledge of the benefits of eye screening examinations, eye-check reminders and support from relatives was identified as enablers. Conclusions Despite the risk of worsening DR during pregnancy, less than half of the participants adhered to recommended screening guidelines, suggesting that eye health is not a priority. Proactive measures to integrate care are needed to prevent visual loss in this growing population
Author Correction: In situ visualization of endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicle formation in steady state and malignant conditions (Nature Communications, (2024), 15, 1, (8802), 10.1038/s41467-024-52867-5)
No full text10.1038/s41467-025-64770-
What’s known about inclusive learning spaces in higher education? Key insights from a scoping review and future research directions
No full textBased on the findings of a rigorous scoping review of the literature, this paper presents a proposed research agenda for creating more inclusive learning environments within the Australian higher education sector. The scoping review, conducted by the Designing Learning Spaces for Diversity, Inclusion, and Participation ARC Linkage Project team, explored current knowledge about how the physical and built environment influences the inclusion and participation of students with neurodivergent conditions and/or disability in educational settings. The search terms used included 'students', 'disability', ‘neurodiversity’, 'learning spaces', 'physical environment', and 'education', along with related terms. The results identified 29 papers on how the design and use of learning spaces in higher education can support the inclusion of students with neurodivergent conditions and/or disability. Notably, the review found a disproportionate number of studies focused on gathering insights from students about their perceptions of access to higher education settings, rather than studies exploring how to create environments that are accessible and can support students’ meaningful involvement in learning activities. Prominent topics from the review included universal design, accessibility for different disabilities, and challenges involved in retrofi9ng historic university buildings to promote inclusion. The findings suggest that more research is needed to improve the inclusiveness of higher education facilities for students and staff of all abilities
Mutational analysis of the F plasmid partitioning protein ParA reveals residues required for oligomerization and plasmid maintenance
No full textMobile genetic elements such as plasmids play a crucial role in the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Hence, plasmid maintenance proteins such as ParA of the Walker A-type ATPases/ParA superfamily are potential targets for novel antibiotics. Plasmid partitioning by ParA relies on ATP-dependent dimerization and formation of chemophoretic gradients of ParA-ATP on bacterial nucleoids. Though polymerization of ParA has been reported in many instances, the need for polymerization in plasmid maintenance remains unclear. In this study, we provide insights into the polymerization of ParA and the effect of polymerization on plasmid maintenance. We report two mutations, Q351H and W362E, in ParA from the F plasmid (ParAF) that form cytoplasmic filaments independent of the ParBSF partitioning complex. Both variants fail to partition plasmids, do not bind non-specific DNA, and act as super-repressors to suppress transcription from the ParAF promoter. Further, we show that the polymerization of ParAF requires an ATP-dependent conformational switch. We identify two residues, R320 in helix 12 and E375 in helix 14 at the interface of the predicted ParAF filament structure, whose mutations abolish filament assembly of ParAF W362E and affect plasmid partitioning. Our results thus suggest a role for the C-terminal helix of ParAF in plasmid maintenance and assembly into higher order structures