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Polycrystalline thin films of RuO2 were grown on fused-quartz substrates and a parametric study was carried out to probe the influence of film nanostructure on the four-point Van der Pauw resistivity and Hall coefficient. The films were grown via reactive rf magnetron sputtering of a Ru target in an Ar/O2 plasma using deposition rates from 0.27 to 3.5 Å/s and substrate temperatures from 16 to 500 °C. Room-temperature resistivities of the RuO2 films ranged from 58 to 360 μΩ cm. Upon first heating following deposition, some films showed decreasing resistivity with increasing temperature, but the resistivities also decreased upon subsequent cooling suggesting that the annealing treatment reduces the film defect density. The temperature coefficient of resistance was found to be small (<0.001 K-1) in agreement with previous investigations. Hall coefficient measurements of the polycrystalline thin films demonstrated that either n-type or p-type majority carriers can be present depending on deposition conditions and the resulting nanostructure, in contrast to single-crystal RuO2, which is an n-type metal. Grain size and homogeneous strain within the films were measured by x-ray diffraction and are correlated to the majority carrier type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Screw failure of cancellous bone screws is not uncommon. To compare the effect of varying pilot-hole size on pullout strength of cancellous bone screws in human cadaveric bone, we designed and performed a biomechanical study to allow quantitative analysis. Methods: Three pairs of distal femurs and 4 pairs of proximal tibias from embalmed human cadavers were stabilized in a mould, and the bone cortex was overdrilled. Four sites in a linear transverse plane were randomly assigned, anatomically matched with the paired bone and drilled with either pilot-hole size 3.2 mm or 2.5 mm. The cancellous screw (Synthes noncannulated 4.5-mm shaft, 6.5-mm external diameter) was guided into the pilot hole and pulled on by a test frame (Instron 8874 biaxial servo-hydraulic test frame) with increasing force to the point of failure, and the forces at which failure resulted were compared. Results: A comparison of 25 anatomically paired sites with a 2-tailed paired t test and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test indicated significantly stronger pullout strength (p = 0.047 and p = 0.047) of the 2.5-mm compared with the 3.2-mm pilot hole. Subanalysis of the 4 studied locations indicated that 3 supported the above findings and 1 supported a reverse trend. Conclusions: Generally, cancellous screws demonstrated a significantly (p < 0.05) stronger hold using a smaller size pilot hole than the recommended standard diameter. All locations except the inner lateral site supported this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemophotothermal therapy is an emerging treatment of metastatic and drug-resistant cancer anomalies. Among various photothermal agents tested, poly(dopamine) provides an excellent biocompatible alternative that can be used to develop novel drug delivery carriers for cancer treatment. This study explores the synthesis of starch-encapsulated, poly(dopamine)-coated core-shell nanoparticles in a one-pot synthesis approach and by surfactant-free approach. The nanoparticles produced are embellished with polymeric stealth coatings and are tested for their physiologic stability, photothermal properties, and drug delivery in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer cell (TNBC) lines. Our results indicate that stealth polymer-coated nanoparticles exhibit superior colloidal stability under physiologic conditions, and are excellent photothermal agents, as determined by the increase in temperature of solution in the presence of nanoparticles, upon laser irradiation. The chemotherapeutic drug-loaded nanoparticles also showed concentration-dependent toxicities in TNBC and in a brain metastatic cell line. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study develops, for the first time, biocompatible core-shell nanoparticles in a template-free approach that can serve as a drug delivery carrier and as photothermal agents for cancer treatment., (Copyright © 2024 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.)

Purpose: Genetic variants at the low end of the penetrance spectrum have historically been challenging to interpret because their high population frequencies exceed the disease prevalence of the associated condition, leading to a lack of clear segregation between the variant and disease. There is currently substantial variation in the classification of these variants, and no formal classification framework has been widely adopted. The Clinical Genome Resource Low Penetrance/Risk Allele Working Group was formed to address these challenges and promote harmonization within the clinical community., Methods: The work presented here is the product of internal and community Likert-scaled surveys in combination with expert consensus within the Working Group., Results: We formally recognize risk alleles and low-penetrance variants as distinct variant classes from those causing highly penetrant disease that require special considerations regarding their clinical classification and reporting. First, we provide a preferred terminology for these variants. Second, we focus on risk alleles and detail considerations for reviewing relevant studies and present a framework for the classification these variants. Finally, we discuss considerations for clinical reporting of risk alleles., Conclusion: These recommendations support harmonized interpretation, classification, and reporting of variants at the low end of the penetrance spectrum., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The All of Us Research Program (AoURP) is a historic effort to accelerate research and improve healthcare by generating and collating data from one million people in the United States. Participants will have the option to receive results from their genome analysis, including actionable findings in 59 gene-disorder pairs for which disorder-associated variants are recommended for return by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. To ensure consistent reporting across the AoURP, in a prelaunch study the four participating clinical laboratories shared all variant classifications in the 59 genes of interest from their internal databases. Of the 11,813 unique variants classified by at least two of the four laboratories, classifications were concordant with regard to reportability for 99.1% (11,711), with only 0.9% (102) having reportability differences. Through variant reassessment, data sharing, and discussion of rationale, participating laboratories resolved all 102 reportable differences. These approaches will be maintained during routine AoU reporting to ensure continuous classification harmonization and consistent reporting within AoURP., (© 2021 The Authors. Human Mutation published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Choosing a route to parenthood can be a difficult decision for individuals with Turner syndrome, who must consider the unlikely possibility of spontaneous pregnancy, the potential need for assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), and the risks of pregnancy-related complications. In addition, there are other options for parenthood, such as surrogacy and adoption. The perspectives of individuals with Turner syndrome regarding routes to parenthood have not been described in the literature, despite thorough investigation into the feasibility and safety of pregnancy in this population. We conducted a novel online survey of 226 individuals with Turner syndrome to assess their interest in parenthood, their perspectives on available routes to parenthood, and the factors that influence their decision-making. One-quarter of the respondents were already parents, including 54.5% who had achieved pregnancy and 45.5% who adopted. Of those who were not parents, 68.5% expressed a desire to become a parent. Overall, participants had the strongest interest in adoption as a route to parenthood. Interest in adoption was significantly associated with fear of pregnancy-related risks to their health and the health of a future child. Participants also reported interest in pregnancy and IVF. Interest in both pregnancy and IVF were significantly associated with a desire to experience pregnancy and to have a biological child. This study provides important insights into the perspective of individuals with Turner syndrome with respect to building a family and serves as a valuable counseling resource for clinicians facilitating patient decision-making about options for parenthood., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)