sensitive

New treatment option for young women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer

A drug used for treating breast cancer, known as exemestane, is more effective than a common breast cancer prevention drug, tamoxifen, in preventing breast cancer recurrence in young women who also receive post-surgical treatment to suppress ovarian function. The combined results of the Tamoxifen and Exemestane Trial and Suppression of Ovarian Function Trial were presented at the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago.




sensitive

Fluorophore branching boosted photo-induced energy transfer in UiO-66 for ultrasensitive and instant hydrazine sensing

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4TA01549E, Paper
Ying Luo, Da Lei, Maohua Li, Yuansheng Ge, Jiguang Li, Baiyi Zu, Jun Yao, Xincun Dou
Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have made great progress in the field of fluorescent sensing; however, whether the electronic structure and recognized sites can be adjusted by external functionalization still remains challenging.
To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




sensitive

Chrome Sharing Could Blur Sensitive Info

Chrome on Android may soon automatically blur out sensitive data when screen sharing or recording. It's a potentially useful feature that brings some big questions. The feature was spotted as an optional "flag" in Chrome Canary, which means it's at the very earliest stage of public testing. Canary is a version of Chrome for people happy to be the first to try new features or update, the name referring to the literal "canary in the mine" whose death would warn miners of a problem such as a gas leak. Making a flag means it's not enabled by default even in Canary. That means it's very possible ... (view more)




sensitive

Smart, sensitive policies can help small businesses avoid a #MeToo moment

Harvey Weinstein. Bill Cosby. Kevin Spacey.

No, there apparently is no shortage of accused sexual predators roaming Hollywood. And, while there are have been stories galore over the years about the creeps and their casting couches, it wasn’t until the #MeToo movement that women really were able to get the word out about the seriousness of the issue and, if not put an end to it, at least shine a light on it.

And that begs the question: Will there be a #MeToo moment for small business?

complete article




sensitive

Time for me to stop commenting about politics and other sensitive topics

I've been cautioned and advised by several good friends that I should take a chill pill on commenting about various political things. Some of the topics I've been quite vocal about are high profile things involving high power people .. and I might be beginning to get noticed by them, which of course is not a good thing!

I get frustrated by political actions that I find to be stupid and I don't hesitate to tell it straight the way I think about it. Obviously every such statement bothers someone else. Its one thing when its irrelevant noise, but if it gets noisy then I'm a troublemaker.

I'm not keen to get to that state.

Its not because I have anything to hide or protect - not in the least. Further I'm not scared off by the PM telling private sector people like me to "go home" or "be exposed" but publicly naming private individuals in parliament is rather over the top IMO. Last thing I want is to get there.

I have an immediate family and an extended family of 500+ in WSO2 that I'm responsible for. I'm taping up my big mouth for their sake.

Instead I will try to blog constructively & informatively whenever time permits.

Similarly I will try to keep my big mouth controlled about US politics too. Its really not my problem to worry about issues there!

I should really kill off my FB account. However I do enjoy getting info about friends and family life events and FB is great for that. So instead I'll stop following everyone except for close friends and family.

Its been fun and I like intense intellectual debate. However, maybe another day - just not now.

(P.S.: No, no one threatened me or forced me to do this. I just don't want to come close to that possibility!)




sensitive

Cost-Sensitive Spam Detection Using Parameters Optimization and Feature Selection

E-mail spam is no more garbage but risk since it recently includes virus attachments and spyware agents which make the recipients' system ruined, therefore, there is an emerging need for spam detection. Many spam detection techniques based on machine learning techniques have been proposed. As the amount of spam has been increased tremendously using bulk mailing tools, spam detection techniques should counteract with it. To cope with this, parameters optimization and feature selection have been used to reduce processing overheads while guaranteeing high detection rates. However, previous approaches have not taken into account feature variable importance and optimal number of features. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, there is no approach which uses both parameters optimization and feature selection together for spam detection. In this paper, we propose a spam detection model enabling both parameters optimization and optimal feature selection; we optimize two parameters of detection models using Random Forests (RF) so as to maximize the detection rates. We provide the variable importance of each feature so that it is easy to eliminate the irrelevant features. Furthermore, we decide an optimal number of selected features using two methods; (i) only one parameters optimization during overall feature selection and (ii) parameters optimization in every feature elimination phase. Finally, we evaluate our spam detection model with cost-sensitive measures to avoid misclassification of legitimate messages, since the cost of classifying a legitimate message as a spam far outweighs the cost of classifying a spam as a legitimate message. We perform experiments on Spambase dataset and show the feasibility of our approaches.




sensitive

paper: Context Sensitive Access Control in Smart Home Environments

The PALS system captures physical context from sensed data, reasons about the context and associated context-driven policies to make access-control decisions and detect intrusions into smart home systems based on both network and behavioral data

The post paper: Context Sensitive Access Control in Smart Home Environments appeared first on UMBC ebiquity.




sensitive

Colorado study shows marijuana use more prevalent among workers in certain ‘safety sensitive’ jobs

Denver — In Colorado, marijuana use among workers in certain jobs “in which workers have responsibility for their own safety or the safety of others” exceeds that of the state’s general workforce, according to a recent study from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.




sensitive

Yo Mama's Foods Sensitive Marinara

The recipe is specially designed for those following low-FODMAP diets or sensitive to alliums and is low-sodium, preservative-free, Paleo-friendly, low-glycemic, and without added sugar.




sensitive

Flexicon offers mobile sanitary IBC unloading-conveying system for contamination-sensitive transfer

Designed to transfer contamination-sensitive bulk solid materials from intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) to downstream processes, dust-free, the system’s discharger frame is mounted on casters for in-plant mobility.




sensitive

Revolutionizing Food & Beverage Processing with Time-Sensitive Networking

By embracing TSN, food and beverage companies not only improve their OEE but also set the stage for a future where production lines are not just automated but intelligently interconnected and extremely flexible.





sensitive

‘A very sensitive Rwandan woman’: sexual violence, history, and gendered narratives in the trial of Pauline Nyiramasuhuko at the international criminal tribunal for Rwanda, 2001-2011

Volume 32, Issue 7, December 2023. Read the full article ›

The post ‘A very sensitive Rwandan woman’: sexual violence, history, and gendered narratives in the trial of Pauline Nyiramasuhuko at the international criminal tribunal for Rwanda, 2001-2011 was curated by information for practice.




sensitive

Pillar data-acquisition strategies for cryo-electron tomography of beam-sensitive biological samples

For cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) of beam-sensitive biological specimens, a planar sample geometry is typically used. As the sample is tilted, the effective thickness of the sample along the direction of the electron beam increases and the signal-to-noise ratio concomitantly decreases, limiting the transfer of information at high tilt angles. In addition, the tilt range where data can be collected is limited by a combination of various sample-environment constraints, including the limited space in the objective lens pole piece and the possible use of fixed conductive braids to cool the specimen. Consequently, most tilt series are limited to a maximum of ±70°, leading to the presence of a missing wedge in Fourier space. The acquisition of cryo-ET data without a missing wedge, for example using a cylindrical sample geometry, is hence attractive for volumetric analysis of low-symmetry structures such as organelles or vesicles, lysis events, pore formation or filaments for which the missing information cannot be compensated by averaging techniques. Irrespective of the geometry, electron-beam damage to the specimen is an issue and the first images acquired will transfer more high-resolution information than those acquired last. There is also an inherent trade-off between higher sampling in Fourier space and avoiding beam damage to the sample. Finally, the necessity of using a sufficient electron fluence to align the tilt images means that this fluence needs to be fractionated across a small number of images; therefore, the order of data acquisition is also a factor to consider. Here, an n-helix tilt scheme is described and simulated which uses overlapping and interleaved tilt series to maximize the use of a pillar geometry, allowing the entire pillar volume to be reconstructed as a single unit. Three related tilt schemes are also evaluated that extend the continuous and classic dose-symmetric tilt schemes for cryo-ET to pillar samples to enable the collection of isotropic information across all spatial frequencies. A fourfold dose-symmetric scheme is proposed which provides a practical compromise between uniform information transfer and complexity of data acquisition.




sensitive

STEM SerialED: achieving high-resolution data for ab initio structure determination of beam-sensitive nanocrystalline materials

Serial electron diffraction (SerialED), which applies a snapshot data acquisition strategy for each crystal, was introduced to tackle the problem of radiation damage in the structure determination of beam-sensitive materials by three-dimensional electron diffraction (3DED). The snapshot data acquisition in SerialED can be realized using both transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopes (TEM/STEM). However, the current SerialED workflow based on STEM setups requires special external devices and software, which limits broader adoption. Here, we present a simplified experimental implementation of STEM-based SerialED on Thermo Fisher Scientific STEMs using common proprietary software interfaced through Python scripts to automate data collection. Specifically, we utilize TEM Imaging and Analysis (TIA) scripting and TEM scripting to access the STEM functionalities of the microscope, and DigitalMicrograph scripting to control the camera for snapshot data acquisition. Data analysis adapts the existing workflow using the software CrystFEL, which was developed for serial X-ray crystallography. Our workflow for STEM SerialED can be used on any Gatan or Thermo Fisher Scientific camera. We apply this workflow to collect high-resolution STEM SerialED data from two aluminosilicate zeolites, zeolite Y and ZSM-25. We demonstrate, for the first time, ab initio structure determination through direct methods using STEM SerialED data. Zeolite Y is relatively stable under the electron beam, and STEM SerialED data extend to 0.60 Å. We show that the structural model obtained using STEM SerialED data merged from 358 crystals is nearly identical to that using continuous rotation electron diffraction data from one crystal. This demonstrates that accurate structures can be obtained from STEM SerialED. Zeolite ZSM-25 is very beam-sensitive and has a complex structure. We show that STEM SerialED greatly improves the data resolution of ZSM-25, compared with serial rotation electron diffraction (SerialRED), from 1.50 to 0.90 Å. This allows, for the first time, the use of standard phasing methods, such as direct methods, for the ab initio structure determination of ZSM-25.




sensitive

Novel high-efficiency 2D position-sensitive ZnS:Ag/6LiF scintillator detector for neutron diffraction

Scintillator-based ZnS:Ag/6LiF neutron detectors have been under development at ISIS for more than three decades. Continuous research and development aim to improve detector capabilities, achieve better performance and meet the increasingly demanding requirements set by neutron instruments. As part of this program, a high-efficiency 2D position-sensitive scintillator detector with wavelength-shifting fibres has been developed for neutron-diffraction applications. The detector consists of a double scintillator-fibre layer to improve detection efficiency. Each layer is made up of two orthogonal fibre planes placed between two ZnS:Ag/6LiF scintillator screens. Thin reflective foils are attached to the front and back scintillators of each layer to minimize light cross-talk between layers. The detector has an active area of 192 × 192 mm with a square pixel size of 3 × 3 mm. As part of the development process of the double-layer detector, a single-layer detector was built, together with a prototype detector in which the two layers of the detector could be read out separately. Efficiency calculations and measurements of all three detectors are discussed. The novel double-layer detector has been installed and tested on the SXD diffractometer at ISIS. The detector performance is compared with the current scintillator detectors employed on SXD by studying reference crystal samples. More than a factor of 3 improvement in efficiency is achieved with the double-layer wavelength-shifting-fibre detector. Software routines for further optimizations in spatial resolution and uniformity of response have been implemented and tested for 2D detectors. The methods and results are discussed in this manuscript.




sensitive

Low-dose electron microscopy imaging for beam-sensitive metal–organic frameworks

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered significant attention in recent years owing to their exceptional properties. Understanding the intricate relationship between the structure of a material and its properties is crucial for guiding the synthesis and application of these materials. (Scanning) Transmission electron microscopy (S)TEM imaging stands out as a powerful tool for structural characterization at the nanoscale, capable of detailing both periodic and aperiodic local structures. However, the high electron-beam sensitivity of MOFs presents substantial challenges in their structural characterization using (S)TEM. This paper summarizes the latest advancements in low-dose high-resolution (S)TEM imaging technology and its application in MOF material characterization. It covers aspects such as framework structure, defects, and surface and interface analysis, along with the distribution of guest molecules within MOFs. This review also discusses emerging technologies like electron ptychography and outlines several prospective research directions in this field.




sensitive

Permanent Supportive Housing Holds Potential for Improving Health of People Experiencing Homelessness, but Further Research on Effectiveness Is Needed, Including Studies On ‘Housing Sensitive’ Health Conditions

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines evidence on whether providing permanent supportive housing (PSH) – a combination of stable housing and supportive services -- to individuals who are experiencing homelessness improves their health.




sensitive

46 pc Indian IT professionals say all corporate data stored in Cloud is sensitive: Report

According to the IT company Thales, Cloud security spending has now topped all other security spending categories. About 37 per cent of organizations have experienced a Cloud data breach in India, with 14 per cent having had one in the past year.




sensitive

Spirion and Atakama Join Forces at Black Hat 2021 Conference to Automate Sensitive Data Vulnerability Remediation

Attendees are invited to see demonstrations on classifying and protecting sensitive data through multi-factor encryption and to stay for cocktails at Mandalay Bay




sensitive

Beautiful Sensitive Oil Paintings by DannyLaiLai

DannyLaiLai is a Chinese artist from Beijing, recognized for his traditional oil paintings and digital artworks that blend ethereal aesthetics with realistic elements. His portfolio includes a variety of subjects, from serene landscapes to intimate portraits, all characterized by a delicate interplay of light and shadow. More: Artstation




sensitive

Sticky Situations: Handling Sensitive Employment Challenges in a Pandemic




sensitive

ETSI releases cybersecurity specification to secure sensitive functions in a virtualized environment

ETSI releases cybersecurity specification to secure sensitive functions in a virtualized environment

Sophia Antipolis, 6 February 2019

The ETSI Technical Committee on Cybersecurity (TC CYBER) has just released ETSI TS 103 457, that tackles the challenge of secure storage - where organizations want to protect customer data whilst still using a cloud that is not under their direct control.

Read More...




sensitive

ETSI standardizes new Secure Platform to address IoT, 5G, and security sensitive sectors

ETSI standardizes new Secure Platform to address IoT, 5G, and security sensitive sectors

Sophia Antipolis, 18 November 2019

Trust and privacy together with cost and flexibility are key to security solutions for many applications in today’s digital world. To address this challenge, ETSI Technical Committee Smart Card Platform, who standardized the former generations of SIM cards, has been working on a brand-new security platform called Smart Secure Platform (SSP). The ETSI committee is pleased to unveil the first three technical specifications to launch this new security platform.

Read More...






sensitive

All4Labels STARFLAKE recognized by APR for innovative pressure-sensitive labels

Recognition marks a significant step forward in enabling the recycling of plastic bottles and underscores All4Labels’ commitment to driving the development of sustainable practices in the label industry.




sensitive

Esprit Alcoholic Fruit Drink Moves to Pressure Sensitive Labels

Esprit is a range of fruit-flavored RTDs, reinventing familiar flavors with an unconventional twist and making them multi-faceted and exciting. Distell recently entered into a partnership with MCC to re-launch Esprit in South Africa with a conversion from paper to pressure sensitive labels.




sensitive

New Water-Based Pressure Sensitive Adhesive for Filmic Labels

ACRONAL 3727 X has good immediate tack and high peel strength on low surface energy materials allowing, at the same time, for early repositionability.




sensitive

Innovia launches white floatable PO shrink film for light-sensitive products

Labeling solution speaks to expected requirements of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWR) that is being created by the EU.




sensitive

Aramex UK sheds light on transporting temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals to warmer climates

Aramex UK has urged pharmaceutical companies exporting products overseas to be mindful about shipping to warmer climates.




sensitive

South Korea Fines Meta $15.67M for Illegally Sharing Sensitive User Data with Advertisers

Meta has been fined 21.62 billion won ($15.67 million) by South Korea's data privacy watchdog for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with advertisers without their consent. The country's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said Meta gathered information such as




sensitive

Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Ukraine: An Opportunity for Gender-Sensitive Policymaking?

18 August 2020

Kateryna Busol

Robert Bosch Stiftung Academy Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme
Meaningful change is needed in Ukraine’s response to the conflict-related sexual violence, which affects both women and men.

2020-08-18-Ukraine-Intl-Womens-Day.jpg

Ukrainian feminists and human rights activists carry posters at an International Women's Day protest in Kyiv, Ukraine on 8 March 2019. Photo: Getty Images.

The virus of violence

According to the UN (para. 7) and the International Criminal Court (ICC, para. 279), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is quite prevalent in hostilities-affected eastern Ukraine. Both sexes are subjected to sexualized torture, rape, forced nudity, prolonged detention in unsanitary conditions with members of the other sex and threats of sexual violence towards detainees or their relatives to force confessions. Men are castrated. Women additionally suffer from sexual slavery, enforced and survival prostitution, and other forms of sexual abuse. Women are more exposed to CRSV: in the hostilities-affected area, every third woman has experienced or witnessed CRSV as opposed to every fourth man.

COVID-19 has redirected funding priorities, affecting the availability of medical and psychological help for CRSV survivors worldwide. In Ukraine, the very reporting of such violence, stigmatized even before the pandemic, has been further undermined by the country-wide quarantine-induced restrictions on movement and the closure of checkpoints between the government-controlled and temporarily uncontrolled areas.

Addressing CRSV in Ukraine

The stigma of CRSV, the patchy domestic legislation, and the unpreparedness of the criminal justice system to deal with such cases prevent the authorities from properly helping those harmed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine armed conflict.

CRSV is equally traumatizing yet different in nuance for men and women. Female victims often choose not to report the violence. Women avoid protracted proceedings likely to cause re-traumatization and the disclosure of their experience, which could be particularly excruciating in small communities where everybody knows everyone.

Men also struggle to provide their accounts of CRSV. Their suppressed pain and shame of genital mutilation and other CRSV result in sexual and other health disfunctions. Combined with the post-conflict mental health struggles, this has been shown to lead to increased domestic violence and even suicide.

The very investigation of CRSV in Ukraine is challenging. Certain tests and examinations need to be done straight after an assault, which in the context of detention and grey zones of hostilities is often impossible. Specialized medical and psychological support is lacking. Investigators and prosecutors are hardly trained to deal with CRSV to the point that they do not ask questions about it during the interviews. Burdened by trauma and stigma, survivors are inclined to report torture or inhuman treatment, but not the sexualized aspects thereof.

Seven years into the conflict, the state still has not criminalized the full spectrum of CRSV in its domestic law. Ukraine’s Criminal Code contains a brief list of the violations of the rules and customs of warfare in article 438. It prohibits the inhuman treatment of civilians and POWs but does not list any types of CRSV.

The article has an open-ended reference to Ukraine’s ratified international treaties, from which the responsibility for other armed conflict violations may be derived. For the more detailed norms on CRSV, Ukraine should refer at least to Geneva Convention IV protecting civilians and two additional protocols to the Geneva Conventions, to which it is a party.

However, the novelty of the war context for Ukrainian investigators, prosecutors and judges and their overcautiousness about the direct application of international conventions mean that in practice, observing the treaty or jurisprudential instruction on CRSV has been slow.

Use of the Criminal Code’s articles on sexual violence not related to an armed conflict is not viable. Such provisions fail to reflect the horrible variety and complexity of CRSV committed in hostilities. They also envisage lesser punishment than a war crime of sexual violence would entail. Cumulatively, this fails to account for the intention of a perpetrator, the gravity of the crime and the trauma of its victims.

The lack of public debate and state action on CRSV understates its magnitude. Ukraine should break its silence about CRSV in Donbas and make addressing this violence part of its actionable agenda - in law and in implementation.

Ukraine should incorporate all war crimes and crimes against humanity of CRSV in its domestic legislation; ensure a more gendered psychological and medical support for both sexes; establish rehabilitation and compensation programmes for CRSV survivors; create special victims and witness protection schemes; consider the different stigmatizing effects of CRSV on men and women in criminal proceedings and engage the professionals of the same sex as the victim; map CRSV in the bigger picture of other crimes in Donbas to better understand the motives of the perpetrators; submit more information about CRSV to the ICC and educate the public to destigmatize the CRSV survivors.

The drafters of Ukraine’s transitional justice roadmap should ensure that it highlights CRSV, adopts a gendered approach to it and endorses female participation as a crucial component of reconciliation and broader policymaking.

Embracive policymaking

Although ‘the discriminatory line almost inevitably hurts women,’ 'every gender discrimination is a two-edged sword’, Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously argued before the US Supreme Court. This could not be more relevant for Ukraine. The conflict - and lockdown-related violence has reverberated deeper within Ukrainian society, raising fundamental questions about the roles of both sexes and gender equality.

The failure to address CRSV and its different stigmas for both sexes mirrors the general lack of sustainable gender lenses in Ukraine's policymaking. It is no coincidence that a June 2020 proposal for gender parity in political parties coincided with another spike of sexist remarks by top officials. While women get access to more positions in the army, sexual harassment in the military is investigated slowly. Despite all the impressive female professionals, no woman made it to the first four-member consultative civic group in the Minsk process. Such lack of diversity sends an unfortunate message that women are not important for Ukraine’s peace process.

Ginsburg said, ‘women belong in all places where decisions are being made.’ CRSV against either sex won’t be addressed properly until both sexes contribute with their talents and their grievances to all pillars of Ukraine’s state governance and strategy. Ukraine should look to engage professional women - and there are plenty - to join its public service not just in numbers, but as the indispensable equal voices of a powerful choir.




sensitive

OpenPepXL: An Open-Source Tool for Sensitive Identification of Cross-Linked Peptides in XL-MS

Eugen Netz
Dec 1, 2020; 19:2157-2167
Technological Innovation and Resources




sensitive

Plasma proteomic data can contain personally identifiable, sensitive information and incidental findings

Philipp Emanuel Geyer
Dec 17, 2020; 0:RA120.002359v1-mcp.RA120.002359
Research




sensitive

Distant coupling between RNA editing and alternative splicing of the osmosensitive cation channel Tmem63b [Cell Biology]

Post-transcriptional modifications of pre-mRNAs expand the diversity of proteomes in higher eukaryotes. In the brain, these modifications diversify the functional output of many critical neuronal signal molecules. In this study, we identified a brain-specific A-to-I RNA editing that changed glutamine to arginine (Q/R) at exon 20 and an alternative splicing of exon 4 in Tmem63b, which encodes a ubiquitously expressed osmosensitive cation channel. The channel isoforms lacking exon 4 occurred in ∼80% of Tmem63b mRNAs in the brain but were not detected in other tissues, suggesting a brain-specific splicing. We found that the Q/R editing was catalyzed by Adar2 (Adarb1) and required an editing site complementary sequence located in the proximal 5' end of intron 20. Moreover, the Q/R editing was almost exclusively identified in the splicing isoform lacking exon 4, indicating a coupling between the editing and the splicing. Elimination of the Q/R editing in brain-specific Adar2 knockout mice did not affect the splicing efficiency of exon 4. Furthermore, transfection with the splicing isoform containing exon 4 suppressed the Q/R editing in primary cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Thus, our study revealed a coupling between an RNA editing and a distant alternative splicing in the Tmem63b pre-mRNA, in which the splicing plays a dominant role. Finally, physiological analysis showed that the splicing and the editing coordinately regulate Ca2+ permeability and osmosensitivity of channel proteins, which may contribute to their functions in the brain.




sensitive

A sensitive S-Trap-based approach to the analysis of T cell lipid raft proteome [Methods]

The analysis of T cell lipid raft proteome is challenging due to the highly dynamic nature of rafts and the hydrophobic character of raft-resident proteins. We explored an innovative strategy for bottom-up lipid raftomics based on suspension-trapping (S-Trap) sample preparation. Mouse T cells were prepared from splenocytes by negative immunoselection, and rafts were isolated by a detergent-free method and OptiPrep gradient ultracentrifugation. Microdomains enriched in flotillin-1, LAT, and cholesterol were subjected to proteomic analysis through an optimized protocol based on S-Trap and high pH fractionation, followed by nano-LC-MS/MS. Using this method, we identified 2,680 proteins in the raft-rich fraction and established a database of 894 T cell raft proteins. We then performed a differential analysis on the raft-rich fraction from nonstimulated versus anti-CD3/CD28 T cell receptor (TCR)-stimulated T cells. Our results revealed 42 proteins present in one condition and absent in the other. For the first time, we performed a proteomic analysis on rafts from ex vivo T cells obtained from individual mice, before and after TCR activation. This work demonstrates that the proposed method utilizing an S-Trap-based approach for sample preparation increases the specificity and sensitivity of lipid raftomics.




sensitive

OpenPepXL: An Open-Source Tool for Sensitive Identification of Cross-Linked Peptides in XL-MS [Technological Innovation and Resources]

Cross-linking MS (XL-MS) has been recognized as an effective source of information about protein structures and interactions. In contrast to regular peptide identification, XL-MS has to deal with a quadratic search space, where peptides from every protein could potentially be cross-linked to any other protein. To cope with this search space, most tools apply different heuristics for search space reduction. We introduce a new open-source XL-MS database search algorithm, OpenPepXL, which offers increased sensitivity compared with other tools. OpenPepXL searches the full search space of an XL-MS experiment without using heuristics to reduce it. Because of efficient data structures and built-in parallelization OpenPepXL achieves excellent runtimes and can also be deployed on large compute clusters and cloud services while maintaining a slim memory footprint. We compared OpenPepXL to several other commonly used tools for identification of noncleavable labeled and label-free cross-linkers on a diverse set of XL-MS experiments. In our first comparison, we used a data set from a fraction of a cell lysate with a protein database of 128 targets and 128 decoys. At 5% FDR, OpenPepXL finds from 7% to over 50% more unique residue pairs (URPs) than other tools. On data sets with available high-resolution structures for cross-link validation OpenPepXL reports from 7% to over 40% more structurally validated URPs than other tools. Additionally, we used a synthetic peptide data set that allows objective validation of cross-links without relying on structural information and found that OpenPepXL reports at least 12% more validated URPs than other tools. It has been built as part of the OpenMS suite of tools and supports Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. OpenPepXL also supports the MzIdentML 1.2 format for XL-MS identification results. It is freely available under a three-clause BSD license at https://openms.org/openpepxl.




sensitive

Plasma proteomic data can contain personally identifiable, sensitive information and incidental findings [Research]

The goal of clinical proteomics is to identify, quantify, and characterize proteins in body fluids or tissue to assist diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients. In this way, it is similar to more mature omics technologies, such as genomics, that are increasingly applied in biomedicine. We argue that, similar to those fields, proteomics also faces ethical issues related to the kinds of information that is inherently obtained through sample measurement, although their acquisition was not the primary purpose. Specifically, we demonstrate the potential to identify individuals both by their characteristic, individual-specific protein levels and by variant peptides reporting on coding single nucleotide polymorphisms. Furthermore, it is in the nature of blood plasma proteomics profiling that it broadly reports on the health status of an individual – beyond the disease under investigation. Finally, we show that private and potentially sensitive information, such as ethnicity and pregnancy status, can increasingly be derived from proteomics data. Although this is potentially valuable not only to the individual, but also for biomedical research, it raises ethical questions similar to the incidental findings obtained through other omics technologies. We here introduce the necessity of - and argue for the desirability for - ethical and human rights-related issues to be discussed within the proteomics community. Those thoughts are more fully developed in our accompanying manuscript. Appreciation and discussion of ethical aspects of proteomic research will allow for deeper, better-informed, more diverse, and, most importantly, wiser guidelines for clinical proteomics.




sensitive

Composite Prediction Score to Interpret Bone Focal Uptake in Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Patients Imaged with [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT

Unspecific bone uptake (UBU) related to [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging represents a clinical challenge. We aimed to assess whether a combination of clinical, biochemical, and imaging parameters could predict skeletal metastases in patients with [18F]PSMA-1007 bone focal uptake, aiding in result interpretation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT performed in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (PCa) patients at 3 tertiary-level cancer centers. A fourth center was involved in performing an external validation. For each, a volume of interest was drawn using a threshold method to extract SUVmax, SUVmean, PSMA tumor volume, and total lesion PSMA. The same volume of interest was applied to CT images to calculate the mean Hounsfield units (HUmean) and maximum Hounsfield units. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from electronic medical records. A composite reference standard, including follow-up histopathology, biochemistry, and imaging data, was used to distinguish between PCa bone metastases and UBU. PET readers with less (n = 2) or more (n = 2) experience, masked to the reference standard, were asked to visually rate a subset of focal bone uptake (n = 178) as PCa metastases or not. Results: In total, 448 bone [18F]PSMA-1007 focal uptake specimens were identified in 267 PCa patients. Of the 448 uptake samples, 188 (41.9%) corresponded to PCa metastases. Ongoing androgen deprivation therapy at PET/CT (P < 0.001) with determination of SUVmax (P < 0.001) and HUmean (P < 0.001) independently predicted bone metastases. A composite prediction score, the bone uptake metastatic probability (BUMP) score, achieving an area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.87, was validated through a 10-fold internal and external validation (n = 89 bone uptake, 51% metastatic; AUC, 0.92). The BUMP score’s AUC was significantly higher than that of HUmean (AUC, 0.62) and remained high among lesions with HUmean in the first tertile (AUC, 0.80). A decision-curve analysis showed a higher net benefit with the score. Compared with the visual assessment, the BUMP score provided added value in terms of specificity in less-experienced PET readers (88% vs. 54%, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The BUMP score accurately distinguished UBU from bone metastases in PCa patients with [18F]PSMA-1007 focal bone uptake at PET imaging, offering additional value compared with the simple assessment of the osteoblastic CT correlate. Its use could help clinicians interpret imaging results, particularly those with less experience, potentially reducing the risk of patient overstaging.




sensitive

Attorney General Jennings Announces Settlement With Experian-Owned Company Over Sensitive Information Breach

Attorney General Jennings today announced a multistate settlement with Experian Data Corp (“EDC”) for failing to warn affected consumers after it learned that an identity thief was posing as a private investigator and retrieving sensitive personal information from Court Ventures Inc., a database that EDC had purchased. In 2012, the U.S. Secret Service notified EDC […]




sensitive

UK-Based DNA Company With Russian Link Vanishes With Highly-Sensitive Data

Atlas Biomed's website is no longer active and the phone number listed is dead as well.




sensitive

Does Menopause Make You More Sensitive to Pain?

Title: Does Menopause Make You More Sensitive to Pain?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 5/11/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/11/2022 12:00:00 AM




sensitive

Impact of COVID-19 on Chronic Ambulatory-Care-Sensitive Condition Emergency Department Use Among Older Adults

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic social distancing requirements encouraged patients to avoid public spaces including in-office health care visits. Ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) represent conditions that can be managed with quality primary care and when access is limited, these conditions can lead to avoidable emergency department (ED) visits.

Methods:

Using national data on ED visits from 2019 to 2021 in the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey, we examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ACSC ED visits among older adults (aged ≥65).

Results:

The proportion of ED visits among older adults that were for ACSCs increased between 2019 (17.4%) and 2021 (18.5%). The trend in both rural (26.4%–28.6%) and urban areas (15.4%–16.8%) shows a significant jump from 2019 to 2021 (P < .001).

Conclusions:

This rise in ACSC ED use is consistent with a delay in normal primary care during the pandemic.




sensitive

Development and Validation of a Customized Amplex UltraRed Assay for Sensitive Hydrogen Peroxide Detection in Pharmaceutical Water

For clean-room technologies such as isolators and restricted access barrier systems (RABS), decontamination using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is increasingly attractive to fulfill regulatory requirements. Several approaches are currently used, ranging from manual wipe disinfection to vapor phase hydrogen peroxide (VPHP) or automated nebulization sanitization. Although the residual airborne H2O2 concentration can be easily monitored, detection of trace H2O2 residues in filled products is rather challenging. To simulate the filling process in a specific clean room, technical runs with water for injection (WfI) are popular. Thus, the ability to detect traces of H2O2 in water is an important prerequisite to ensure a safe and reliable use of H2O2 for isolator or clean room decontamination. The objective of this study was to provide a validated quantitative, fluorometric Amplex UltraRed assay, which satisfies the analytical target profile of quantifying H2O2 in WfI at low nanomolar to low micromolar concentrations (ppb range) with high accuracy and high precision. The Amplex UltraRed technology provides a solid basis for this purpose; however, no commercial assay kit that fulfills these requirements is available. Therefore, a customized Amplex UltraRed assay was developed, optimized, and validated. This approach resulted in an assay that is capable of quantifying H2O2 in WfI selectively, sensitively, accurately, precisely, and robustly. This assay is used in process development and qualification approaches using WfI in H2O2-decontaminated clean rooms and isolators.




sensitive

Twitch introduce mandatory "Politics and Sensitive Social Issues" label, just in time for the US election

Twitch have introduced a new "Politics and Sensitive Social Issues" label for streams that "focus" on topics like "elections, civic integrity, and war or military conflict". As with the streaming giant's existing labels for M-rated material, sexual themes or depictions of gambling, the idea is that viewers can filter out such streams in advance by altering their settings.

Advertisers, similarly, can "make better choices about the content they want to advertise next to" - in other words, pull their ads from a whole swathe of material if they don't want to be associated with anything controversial. Twitch's hope is that "the labels will allow advertisers to have more context to inform which types of streams they show their ads alongside, which we expect to increase brands’ confidence in running ads on Twitch, and could bring new advertisers to our service."

Read more




sensitive

Canada, prepare for the big squeeze. Trump will press on several sensitive fronts

Donald Trump's second term as U.S. president carries implications at home and abroad. That includes potentially wreaking havoc on global economies through the aggressive use of tariffs.





sensitive

DNA firm holding highly sensitive data 'vanishes' without warning

Customers of Atlas Biomed are angry and worried about what's happened to the highly sensitive data they shared.




sensitive

Towards ultra-sensitive multimodal luminescent thermometers enabled by high crystal field strength of Lu2CaMg2Ge3O12:Yb3+,Nd3+,Er3+ phosphors

Inorg. Chem. Front., 2024, 11,7955-7965
DOI: 10.1039/D4QI01767F, Research Article
Zhijiao Zhao, Mengmeng Dai, Kejie Li, Guiying Liang, Yanling Wei, Zuoling Fu
An effective full-spectrum thermometer covering from the visible to NIR-II band was designed based on garnet Lu2CaMg2Ge3O12:Yb3+,Er3+/Nd3+ phosphors; meanwhile, Er3+ (4I13/2) split into four Stark sublevels due to high crystal field strength.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry