Bar-Ilan University

About: Bar-Ilan University is a education organization based out in Ramat Gan, Israel. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 12835 authors who have published 34964 publications receiving 995648 citations. The organization is also known as: Bar Ilan University & BIU.

Ultrasmall Oxygen-Deficient Bimetallic Oxide MnWOX Nanoparticles for Depletion of Endogenous GSH and Enhanced Sonodynamic Cancer Therapy.

Abstract: Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) triggered by ultrasound (US) has attracted increasing attention owing to its abilities to overcome critical limitations including low tissue-penetration depth and phototoxicity in photodynamic therapy. Herein, the design of a new type of sonosensitizer is revealed, namely, ultrasmall oxygen-deficient bimetallic oxide MnWOX nanoparticles, for multimodal imaging-guided enhanced SDT against cancer. As-made MnWOX nanoparticles with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) modification show high physiological stability and biocompatibility. Interestingly, such MnWOX -PEG nanoparticles exhibit highly efficient US-triggered production of 1 O2 and •OH, higher than that of previously reported sonosensitizers (e.g., protoporphyrin IX and titanium dioxide), because the oxygen-deficient structure of MnWOX serves as an electron trap site to prevent electron-hole recombination. The glutathione depletion capability of MnWOX -PEG can also further favor SDT-triggered cancer cell killing. With efficient tumor homing as illustrated by computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, MnWOX -PEG enables effective destruction of mouse tumors under US stimulation. After accomplishing its therapeutic functions, MnWOX -PEG can be metabolized by the mouse body without any long-term toxicity. Herein, a new type of sono-sensitizing agent with high SDT efficacy, multimodal imaging functions, and rapid clearance is presented, an agent which is promising for noninvasive SDT cancer treatment.

Minimization of childhood maltreatment is common and consequential: results from a large, multinational sample using the childhood trauma questionnaire

Abstract: Childhood maltreatment has diverse, lifelong impact on morbidity and mortality. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) is one of the most commonly used scales to assess and quantify these experiences and their impact. Curiously, despite very widespread use of the CTQ, scores on its Minimization-Denial (MD) subscale-originally designed to assess a positive response bias-are rarely reported. Hence, little is known about this measure. If response biases are either common or consequential, current practices of ignoring the MD scale deserve revision. Therewith, we designed a study to investigate 3 aspects of minimization, as defined by the CTQ's MD scale: 1) its prevalence; 2) its latent structure; and finally 3) whether minimization moderates the CTQ's discriminative validity in terms of distinguishing between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Archival, item-level CTQ data from 24 multinational samples were combined for a total of 19,652 participants. Analyses indicated: 1) minimization is common; 2) minimization functions as a continuous construct; and 3) high MD scores attenuate the ability of the CTQ to distinguish between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Overall, results suggest that a minimizing response bias-as detected by the MD subscale-has a small but significant moderating effect on the CTQ's discriminative validity. Results also may suggest that some prior analyses of maltreatment rates or the effects of early maltreatment that have used the CTQ may have underestimated its incidence and impact. We caution researchers and clinicians about the widespread practice of using the CTQ without the MD or collecting MD data but failing to assess and control for its effects on outcomes or dependent variables.

Measurement-Induced Phase Transitions in the Dynamics of Entanglement

Abstract: The growth of entanglement in a quantum system changes qualitatively when it is observed more frequently than a certain critical rate, an important insight for describing quantum systems computationally.