bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Rescue of “Glucose Addicted” Cancer Cells In Vitro
Authors: Vignali Paolo
Published: February 2025

Transformations in the glycolytic metabolism of neoplasms modulate their robust cellular division. This characteristic leads to an “addiction” to glucose for continued proliferation and viability. This study investigated whether glucose metabolites could rescue cellular viability in glucose-starvation conditions, a model of the inter-tumoral nutrient-deficient environment. Findings illustrated potential cellular viability rescue with pyruvate addition in glucose-deprived conditions, yet the same potential was not observed with lactic acid, a metabolite that exists at characteristically high concentrations within the intertumoral microenvironment. These results could implicate a predominance of certain metabolic pathways in nutrient-starved cells. Molecular transport capacities across plasma membranes are tied closely to the effects of metabolites within the cell; therefore, the role of the MCT/CD147 transporter complex in lactic acid oxidation was investigated and was found to noticeably enhance this metabolic pathway.
Mandala and Charisma: The Federalist Potentials in Traditional Indonesian Political Culture
Authors: Wen Yuhao
Published: February 2025

This research explores the federalist elements in the mandala (a graphic art pattern in Southeast Asia) and political charisma to discuss their constructive roles as traditional Indonesian political culture in federalizing Indonesia. Since August 17, 1945 when Sukarno declared the independence of the country in Jakarta, the newly–born Indonesia was also finalized as a centralized presidential republic. However, till today, societal diversities in Indonesian society are continuously increasing, the tendency of federalization, therefore, has never entirely faded away. Both the mandala and political charisma de facto have spontaneously generated their own initiatives for federalization since ancient times. Upon illustration of these initiatives, this paper emphasizes the significances of traditional political culture in shaping modern Indonesia’s political regime.
Crohn’s Disease linked Polymorphisms associated with Autophagy contribute to Th17 cell induction through increasing the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α
Authors: Morse Daniel
Published: February 2025

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have linked polymorphisms in autophagy genes to Crohn’s Disease (CD). Interestingly, recent studies have shown that defective autophagy leads to increased levels of the cytokines IL-1b and TNF-a, which play a critical role in Th17 cell differentiation. This is significant because CD is marked by a Th17 cell mediated inflammatory response. This article examines the manners in which defective expression of autophagy linked proteins, can indirectly amplify and sustain Th17 cell induction through increasing the production of Th17 positively differentiating cytokines (IL-1b and TNF-a) and decreasing the production of a Th17 down regulating cytokine, IL-10.
Utilization Of Batik Cultural Arts for Human Resources Development
Authors:   Vocational Education Program, Priyanto Priyanto
Published: February 2025

Batik art has been confirmed as cultural intangible from Indonesia by UNESCO. The art of batik contains many values that are characteristic of the Indonesian people because batik is an identity, explanation of social strata, cultural language, human spirituality, technological discoveries, and the journey of an Indonesian civilization. In its journey, the existence of batik art has been quite affected by the onslaught of foreign culture flowing in the swift globalization. The Indonesian people should have taken a stand to maintain and preserve the art and culture of batik. This encourages artists to take part in the preservation and development of batik art. One of them is by utilizing the art of batik by exploring the leadership values that exist in the art of batik to increase the competence of human resources. This study aims to explore the preservation and development of batik art and examine the values of leadership in batik art. This study uses a qualitative methodology. The results of the research show that batik art can be used as leadership training material as well as for preservation and in batik art there are leadership values that can be implemented in everyday life. This paper provides a discussion on the art of batik for leadership material for preservation and exploring the values of leadership in the art and culture of batik.
Analysis of global tourism and creative economy trends to support Jakarta as a global city
Authors:   Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia, Haidlir Banu Muhammad , Musthofa Budiman Mahmud ,   Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia, Mukhlish Basuki M. ,   Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia
Published: February 2025

The city of Jakarta is currently faced with new challenges to become a global city because the status of the country's capital has been revoked. The transformation of Jakarta into a global city requires in-depth study by exploring global trends and looking for the city's potential so that Jakarta can become a globally competitive city. One of the areas that is the focus of this study is tourism and the creative economy. The aim of this study is to analyze global and national trends in tourism and the creative economy. Through library research and document study methods, the author discovered various trends in tourism and the global creative economy. The results of the study show that throughout 2023-2024 there will be many trends in the tourism and creative economy sectors, such as the smart tourism trend, sustainable tourism, digital tourism, as well as the very large growth trend in the creative economy sector at the national and international levels. The various global trends in tourism and the creative economy that were discovered were then analyzed by examining the relationship between the trends and the potential of various resources that Jakarta has. It is hoped that the results of this study can become one of the initial studies on the development of tourism and the creative economy in Jakarta to become a city that is able to compete with other global cities in the world.
The Analysis of Maratua Island Tour Package as a Main Destination in PT. KAKABAN TRIP
Authors:   Universitas Indonesia, Pranoto Mazayahalwa Erta
Published: February 2025

Indonesia is an archipelagic country that has many marine tourism destinations. One of the most popular marine tourism is Maratua. This study aims to find out what are the attractions of Maratua that make Maratua the most popular tour. In addition, it also aims to find out the marketing strategy and constraints on the Maratua tour package. The research method used is qualitative research with data collection techniques, namely observation, interviews, and literature studies. The results of this study reveal that the main attraction in Maratua is the marine biota and its resorts which are similar to the Maldives. The marketing strategy used onKakaban Trip is using the 4P concept (product, price, place, and promotion). The products sold at Kakaban Trip are tour packages for eastern Indonesia, prices vary because there are open trip, private trip, and honeymoon prices. Places to carry out this business are in Jakarta and Balikpapan. The promotion is carried out by focusing on social media. Meanwhile, the obstacle in the Maratua trip package is transportation to the destination
A first trial to supplement local hardwood sawdust at the first soaking for the cultivation of Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)
Authors: Nabhan Stephanie , Haidar Ahmad Soukayna , El Sebaaly Zeina , Nedelin Teodor , Sassine Youssef Najib
Published: February 2025

Supplementation of the growing substrate has been reported to enhance the production of cultivated mushrooms; however, supplementation using nano-sized additives is not yet investigated on Shiitake (Lentinula edodes). The study investigated the potential of a nano-supplement (Lithovit®-Amino25) containing an admixture of 25% L-amino acids on shiitake cultivated on sawdust from locally available oak, maple, and apple trees (oak sawdust: OS, maple sawdust: MS, and apple sawdust: AS). Initially, sawdusts were enriched equally with wheat bran (WB) and at the first soaking, Lithovit®-Amino25 was applied at 5 g/L. Treatments were: T1: OS-WB (control), T2: OS-WB+ nano-amino, T3: MS-WB, T4: MS-WB+ nano-amino, T5: AS-WB, and T6: AS-WB+ nano-amino. Among non-supplemented substrates, complete mycelia run, fruiting, and harvest dates were faster in T1 than in T3 and T5. Complete mycelial development was delayed by 7, 5, 9, and 6 d in T3, T4, T5, and T6 compared to T1. The harvest date was delayed by 7.7–8.3 d on maple sawdust and by 10.5–12.7 d on apple sawdust compared to oak sawdust. However, nano-supplementation hastened fruiting and harvest dates (by 9.3 d) in T4 compared to T3. The biological yield of the second harvest was higher on supplemented than on non-supplemented maple and apple sawdusts. Only T1 and T2 showed consistency in production over two consecutive harvests. Nano-supplementation improved the total biological yield in T2, T4, and T6 by 9.8, 21.0, and 22.5%, respectively. Nevertheless, all treatments, except T4, had lower biological efficiencies compared with T1. In T4, results of stepwise regression showed a strong positive correlation (R2 = 0.96) between the total biological yield and mushroom weight at the second harvest. Supplementation caused a slight or significant improvement in pileus diameter and mushroom firmness and a significant improvement in mushroom’s crude protein (by 2.9–8.2% compared to T1) and fiber contents (by 1–2.3% compared to T1). In conclusion, supplemented maple sawdust would alternate oak sawdust for shiitake production, though other timings of supplementation might be further investigated to optimize production on this substrate.
Alteration of primary cilia and intraflagellar transport 20 (IFT20) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines
Authors: Sakinah-Syed Gulam , Liew Jia Shi , Abdul Majid Nazia , Inche Zainal Abidin Siti Amalina
Published: February 2025

Background

Aberrations in primary cilia expression and intraflagellar transport (IFT) protein function have been implicated in tumourigenesis. This study explores the relationship between the alteration of primary cilia and tumourigenesis by investigating primary cilia expression and the role of IFT20 in regulating matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines.

Methods

The frequency and length of primary cilia were determined in OKF6-TERT2 cells, HSC-2 cells, and HSC-3 cells using immunofluorescence. Additionally, primary cilia presence in non-proliferating OSCC cells was examined. OSCC cells were treated with either small interfering RNA (siRNA) negative control or siRNA targeting IFT20 for functional analysis. mRNA expression levels of IFT20 and MMP-9 were quantified using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Results

Results showed that HSC-2 cells exhibit abundant primary cilia when cultured in low serum media (2% serum) for 48 h, followed by serum starvation for over 72 h. No significant changes in cilia expression were observed in HSC-3 cells compared to OKF6-TERT2 cells. Ciliated cells were found in non-proliferating HSC-2 and HSC-3 cells. OSCC cells showed longer cilia than OKF6-TERT2 cells, indicating ciliary abnormalities. Changes in ciliation and cilium length of OSCC cells were accompanied by increased expression of IFT20, an intraflagellar transport protein crucial for the primary cilia assembly. However, IFT20 knockdown did not affect MMP-9 at the mRNA level in these cells.

Conclusions.

This study reveals the differences in primary cilia expression among OSCC cells. Furthermore, the increased abundance and elongation of primary cilia in OSCC cells are accompanied by elevated expression of IFT20. Nonetheless, IFT20 did not affect MMP-9 mRNA expression in OSCC cells.
Disease-Free Overall Survival in Patients Operated for Poorly Differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Research Protocol for a Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Banga Bhawna , Kambala Rajanikanth , Bhola Nitin
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Oral cavity cancer is the leading cause of cancerrelated death. Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant tumour of the oral cavity. The degree of differentiation of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) has been related to several clinical features and outcomes, including prognosis. In OSCC with inferior tumour histological classifications, there is a substantial correlation between the likelihood of developing recurrence and distant metastasis after therapy and Extracapsular Spread (ECS) and perineural invasion of the main tumour.

Need of the Study: Studying the Disease-Free Overall Survival (DFOS) postsurgery will help analyse and improve the efficacy of surgical intervention in controlling the disease and improving treatment strategies leading to better prognosis postsurgery in Poorly Differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma (PDSCC).

Aim: To analyse the effects of surgical intervention (with or without adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy) in poorly differentiated OSCC patients by studying and analysing the DFOS postsurgery.

Materials and Methods: An retrospective cohort study will be conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, Wardha, Maharashtra, India from December 2024 to December 2025. The study will include 45 subjects who underwent surgical removal of lesions between January 2016 and January 2019 at Siddharth Gupta Memorial Cancer Hospital, AVBRH, Sawangi Wardha, Maharashtra, India. Medical records will be reviewed, and telephonic interviews will be conducted. Patients who have not had any follow-up appointments after five years will be contacted to confirm their survival. Subsequently, further clinical and radiological tests will determine the DFOS rate and the variables impacting long-term survival. The Kaplan Meiyer test will be applied to assess the long-term survival rate and factors that influence DFOS. Pearson/Spearman correlation test will be applied to assess the correlation between TNM staging and overall survival rate and a p-value of <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.
The Future of US Trade Policies: Balancing Domestic Growth and Global Competitiveness
Authors: Akinloye Racheal Bukola
Published: February 2025

The main objective of this study is to analyze the future trajectory of U.S. trade policies with a focus on achieving a balance between domestic economic growth and global competitiveness. The specific objectives were to: examine the impact of shifts in United States' trade policies and tariffs on the United States' trade relationships with China and other key trading partners; analyze how changes in United States' trade policies and tariffs influence the United States' global economic position; propose solutions and strategies to mitigate the negative effects of United States' trade policy changes while enhancing the United States' global economic competitiveness. This study adopted a survey research design on a sample size of 100 respondents, purposively selected for their expertise and direct involvement in matters related to U.S. trade policy and global economic competitiveness. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using frequency analysis and mean point analysis, which revealed that: shifts in U.S. trade policies, particularly the imposition of tariffs, have had a noticeable impact on trade volume, trade tensions, and business behavior, with the highest agreement on the uncertainty created for global trading partners, especially China; changes in U.S. trade policies, particularly those involving tariffs and protectionist measures, have had a negative impact on the U.S.'s global economic position, since these policies have weakened the U.S.'s standing, resulted in a loss of competitive advantage, and contributed to higher consumer prices that undermine economic competitiveness; multilateral trade agreements and strengthening the domestic supply chain are perceived as the most effective solutions to mitigate the challenges of shifting trade policies while enhancing U.S. global competitiveness, while innovation and balanced trade policies also receive substantial support. The study recommends that the US should pursue a strategy of diplomatic engagement with China, focusing on mutual interests such as climate change and technology collaboration, while negotiating for greater market access, intellectual property protections, and fairer trade practices.
Influence of Fertilizer, Salinity and Bicarbonate Treatment on Leaf Area and Fruit Mineral Content in Snake Tomato (Tricosanthes cucumerina L.)
Authors: T. N. Ofobeze , A. I. Izundu , C. P. Chukwubeze , C.C. Uba
Published: February 2025

Aims: To evaluate the influence of fertilizer, salinity and bicarbonate treatments on leaf area and on fruit mineral content.
Study Design:  Complete randomized block design (CRBD).
Place and Duration of Study: Place of study was Department of Botany, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, botanical garden located on (Latitude 6.25/Longitude7.11). Plants were raised under screen house in the second planting season from August to November, 2024.
Methodology: Viable seeds of snake tomato obtained from National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, were sown into black plastic pots of 30 liters in volume. Treatments were fifteen comprising of fertilizer (inorganic single, organic single and 1:1 ratio of combined fertilizer, while the irrigation water was prepared at 2mM of NaCl, NaHCO3 and KHCO3, given at 7 days interval. Leaf area was observed and recorded in (cm2), some fruit minerals content were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). 
Results: Results were analyzed with ANOVA using SPSS version 26, and means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test, confidence level was P = .05.  Leaf area increased progressively from seedling stage. Control, T2 showed lager leaf area followed by T14 and T15 at week 1.  Subsequently, at week 6, T2 gave the largest followed by T14. Eventually, at week 11 T12 had the largest leaf area followed by T11, while T6 showed considerable increase in leaf size. For fruit magnesium T12 was highest followed by T14, for Calcium T12 was highest while the least was control also, Phosphorus composition was lowest in T1 and highest in T12 followed by T13. Zinc and Iron were highest in T12 and lowest in T2.
Conclusion: Plant leaf area was influenced by treatments, and fruit mineral composition was significantly affected by the treatments. Also fruit mineral content was improved in snake tomato when treated with integrated fertilizer management and bicarbonate.
Assessment of the Level of Direct Health Facility Funding Awareness and Training among Staff of Primary Health Care Facilities in Plateau State
Authors: Bewa Christopher
Published: February 2025

The study carried out an assessment of the level of direct health facility funding awareness and training among staff of primary health care facilities in Plateau State. Pragmatism research philosophy and descriptive cross-sectional design were used. The population of the study comprised of a total of 974 healthcare centres in Plateau State, out of which 851 are primary health care centres comprising of 1702 administrators and 25,111 staff. The sample of this study was drawn from the population of the study using Krejcie and Morgan technique. A sample of 642 was obtained based on 265 administrators and 377 staff. The study established that most of the primary healthcare created awareness about the direct health facility funding initiative among their staff. Interactive sessions were held in most of the facilities to educate staff about the direct health facility funding initiative, its components, principles and application. Experts in direct health facility funding administration were enlisted by the government and other stakeholders to train principal administrative and financial officers of primary healthcare facilities in Plateau State on how to implement the programme in various primary healthcare centres in Plateau State. The trainings were mainly carried out through workshop and seminars. It is recommended that more training should be provided to administrators of primary health facilities so as to equip them adequately on direct health facility funding administration. This will in turn improve the effectiveness of the direct health facility funding programme in primary healthcare facilities.
How AI Could Help Clinicians Identify American Indian Patients at Risk for Suicide
Authors: Hswen Yulin , Abbasi Jennifer
Published: January 2025

This Medical News article is an interview with Emily E. Haroz, PhD, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Indigenous Health, about an observational study that compared suicide risk machine learning models with a non–artificial intelligence screening method in a large group of Indian Health Service patients.
Medicaid Unwinding Experiences in Dual-Eligible Older Adults
Authors: Tipirneni Renuka , Furst Wendy , Ruggiero Dominic A. , Singer Dianne C. , Solway Erica , Beathard Erin , Patel Syama R. , Stefanescu Andrei R. , Kullgren Jeffrey T. , Ayanian John Z. , Roberts Eric T.
Published: January 2025

Importance

Dual-eligible older adults rely on Medicaid to pay for Medicare premiums and cost sharing in addition to supplemental services including dental and long-term care. However, the unique experiences of dual-eligible older adults with Medicaid unwinding remain unknown.

Objective

To assess the awareness and experiences of dual-eligible older adults with Medicaid redetermination.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A cross-sectional national survey of community-dwelling US adults aged 65 years or older with incomes less than or equal to 100% of the federal poverty level, via internet and telephone, was conducted from January 23 through February 19, 2024. Participants were recruited from NORC probability-based and 2 additional national nonprobability panels.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Weighted percentage values for respondent awareness of Medicaid redeterminations, experiences navigating reenrollment, and cost-related barriers to accessing care.

Results

Of 843 respondents, most were female (62.9%), aged 65 to 74 years (62.3%), and had completed up to high school education (72.3%). Overall, 16.1% (95% CI, 12.4%-19.9%) had heard a lot and 34.6% (95% CI, 28.9%-40.4%) a little about states returning to Medicaid renewals; 49.0% (95% CI, 43.0%-55.0%) heard nothing at all. A total of 45.1% completed a Medicaid renewal, 37.0% did not complete a renewal, and 17.7% did not know about renewal requirements. A total of 87.7% maintained Medicaid, 5.9% lost Medicaid but got it back, and 5.5% lost Medicaid and did not get it back. In the last 6 months, 7.7% reported delaying or forgoing care due to cost. Delayed or forgone care was more common among those who lost Medicaid and did not get it back (18.4%) and those who lost Medicaid but got it back (30.6%) compared with those who maintained Medicaid (5.5%). Cost-related barriers were more common for dental (25.1%) and home health services (18.5%), which are frequently covered by Medicaid.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings highlight a need to address informational gaps and navigational barriers related to Medicaid unwinding among older adults with dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid. Addressing these gaps may help to avoid Medicaid losses that contribute to difficulties accessing care.
Self‐Assembly Construction of Biomass Aerogel with Tip‐To‐Based Gradient Porous Structure to Break Trade‐Off Effect for Efficient Water/Oil Separation
Authors: Liang Zirong , Liang Chen , Li Wanhe , Huang Zuqiang , Hu Huayu , Gan Tao , Zhang Yanjuan
Published: January 2025

Self‐driven water/oil separation is an effective and sustainable strategy for oil dehydration, and regulating the pore structure of separation materials to break the trade‐off effect between flux and retention remains a challenge. Inspired by the tip‐to‐base conduit widening structure of vascular bundle, an enthalpy‒entropy co‐driven strategy based on tannin/amylose non‐covalent self‐assembly and borate ester dynamic crosslinking is innovatively proposed for constructing a gradient porous biomass aerogel (termed as Si@TAP‐B), realizing synchronous improvement of separation flux and retention rate. The permeation fluxes of water/oil mixture and water‐in‐oil emulsion by Si@TAP‐B achieve 17914.7 and 10285.6 L m−2 h−1, respectively, and the retention rates remain above 99%. The asymmetric solvent transport induced by gradient porous structure optimizes the hydraulic resistance and breaks the trade‐off effect of separation flux and retention. Therefore, the emulsion separation flux under forward osmosis (from large pores to small pores) is twice that under reverse osmosis. Additionally, similar to the self‐healing ability of plants, Si@TAP‐B can restore the original structure and function after severe damage through reversible crosslinking of borate ester bonds and the flow of low surface energy materials. Overall, this novel strategy is desirable for developing biodegradable, efficient, and durable separation materials with unique structures and functions.
Functional Hydrogel Interfaces for Cartilage and Bone Regeneration
Authors: Cao Yucheng , Liu Changyi , Ye Wenjun , Zhao Tianrui , Fu Fanfan
Published: January 2025

Effective treatment of bone diseases is quite tricky due to the unique nature of bone tissue and the complexity of the bone repair process. In combination with biological materials, cells and biological factors can provide a highly effective and safe treatment strategy for bone repair and regeneration, especially based on these multifunctional hydrogel interface materials. However, itis still a challenge to formulate hydrogel materials with fascinating properties (e.g., biological activity, controllable biodegradability, mechanical strength, excellent cell/tissue adhesion, and controllable release properties) for their clinical applications in complex bone repair processes. In this review, we will highlight recent advances in developing functional interface hydrogels. We then discuss the barriers to  producing of functional hydrogel materials without sacrificing their inherent properties, and potential applications in cartilage and bone repair are discussed. Multifunctional hydrogel interface materials can serve as a fundamental building block for bone tissue engineering.
Ultrasound‐Triggered Oxygen Release System for Accelerating Wound Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Authors: Zhuge Deli , Yang Siting , Pan Xiehua , Xiao Yingnan , Wang Xinji , Wang Wenqian , Gao Wenli , Lu Ailing , Shi Binbin , Chen Bin , Zhao Yingzheng
Published: January 2025

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common complication of chronic diabetes mellitus. Oxygen plays a critical role in the healing process of DFU wounds by promoting cell migration and neovascularization. However, clinical hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy predominantly uses systemic oxygen administration, posing challenges in inadequate DFU local oxygen penetration and potential ectopic organs oxygen toxicity. To address these challenges, a strategy to encapsulate oxygen with lipid microbubbles (OMBs) and incorporate them into a body temperature‐sensitive heparin‐pluronic copolymer hydrogel (HP/OMBs) have been developed. HP/OMBs showed high biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo. After in situ administration, oxygen can be released from HP/OMBs to the local deep site of the DFU wounds under ultrasound (US) triggering. Thus, given its biocompatibility and practicality, the combined action of HP/OMBs and the US has important translational value in accelerating diabetic chronic wound healing.
Valence Electron: A Descriptor of Spinel Sulfides for Sulfur Reduction Catalysis
Authors: Shen Zihan , Song Pengfei , Xie Wen , Tannesia Leonhard , Tang Kai , Sun Yuanmiao , Xi Shibo , Xu Zhichuan J.
Published: January 2025

Catalysts are essential for achieving high‐performance lithium–sulfur batteries. The precise design and regulation of catalytic sites to strengthen their efficiency and robustness remains challenging. In this study, spinel sulfides and catalyst design principles through element doping are investigated. This research highlights the distinct role of lattice sulfur sites in lithium polysulfide conversion and emphasizes the differences in catalytic activity between metal and anion sites. The valence electron model as a descriptor can characterize catalytic performance, guiding the design of a (FeCo)3(PS)4 catalyst co‐doped with cation and anion. The (FeCo)3(PS)4 exhibits the highest catalytic performance among spinel catalysts to data, particularly under high sulfur loading conditions. It achieves an initial specific capacity of 1205.9 mAh g−1 (6.1 mAh cm−2) at a sulfur loading of 5 mg cm−2 and 1192.7 mAh g−1 (11.9 mAh cm−2) at 10 mg cm−2, demonstrating excellent electrocatalytic performance.
Hybrid Microfluidic Chip Design with Two‐Photon Polymerized Protein‐Based Hydrogel Microstructures for Single Cell Experiments
Authors: Dzikonski Dustin , Bekker Elena , Zamboni Riccardo , Ciechanska Dominika , Schwab Albrecht , Denz Cornelia , Imbrock Jörg
Published: January 2025

Although hydrogels are among the most promising materials for a huge variety of biomimicking and tissue engineering applications, conventional materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) still outweigh hydrogels in terms of processability for the production of microfluidic devices. Hence, incorporating hydrogel components inside conventional PDMS‐based microfluidic chips is a promising approach to take advantage of the many possibilities to utilize hydrogels, while maintaining standard properties of microfluidic devices in terms of mechanical stability. Microfluidic chips produced by standard soft lithography are combined with high‐resolution protein‐based hydrogel elements fabricated by two‐photon polymerization (2PP). Those hybrid chips are used to distinguish mechanical properties of different cell phenotypes by injecting pancreatic cancer cells inside the device and investigate mechanical interactions with the hydrogel microstructures. The Young's modulus of blocks printed at different experimental conditions is determined by atomic force microscopy measurements. To showcase the high 3D resolution of the presented fabrication method, fully 3D fibrous meshes are printed with different configurations inside microchannels. By measuring the velocity and circularity of pancreatic cancer cells that pass through meshes of varying densities, the impact on the cell flow is determined. Furthermore, the hydrogel precursor solution is successfully removed and the meshes are immersed in phosphate buffered saline.
Transparent Organic Glass With Bright Triplet Excitons for High‐Spatial‐Resolution Indirect X‐Ray Imaging via Heavy Metal Halide Incorporation
Authors: Xu Ziwei , Li Nan , Feng Xiaolong , Yan Xiangyang , He Tong , Zhang Lu , Liu Shengzhong (Frank) , Yang Zhou
Published: January 2025

Organic scintillators are emerging as promising candidates for indirect X‐ray imaging due to their tunable luminescent properties. However, achieving high transparency while maintaining a high content of organic luminescent material in organic scintillation pellets remains a challenge, which limits their imaging performance. In this study, a transparent luminescent organic glass based on ethyl‐triphenyl‐phosphonium chloride (ETPCl) is presented, which exhibits bright exciton emission and enhance X‐ray attenuation through the incorporation of lead halide. Remarkably, the addition of lead halide does not compromise the glass's high transparency, which remains ≈90% in the 400–800 nm wavelength range. Transient absorption measurements further reveal that the presence of heavy atoms enhances intersystem crossing and improves triplet emission efficiency, increasing the photoluminescence quantum yield from 7.1% in pure ETPCl glass to 35.4% in glass containing 10 mol.% PbCl2. Additionally, the heavy atom effect enhances X‐ray attenuation, leading to increased radioluminescence intensity. X‐ray imaging experiments demonstrate a spatial resolution of up to 19.9 lp mm⁻¹ at a modulation transfer function value of 0.2. These findings provide a promising approach for fabricating transparent organic scintillator glasses with improved triplet exciton utilization and X‐ray attenuation, enabling high‐resolution X‐ray imaging.
Hand Preferences in Olive Baboons (Papio anubis) During Cognitive Performance on Match‐to‐Sample Tasks and Natural Behaviors
Authors: Brownell Logan R. , Cantlon Jessica F. , DeLong Caroline M.
Published: January 2025

An individual shows handedness when they consistently prefer one hand over the other for tasks that can be performed with either hand. Humans have a population‐level right‐hand preference, and past research shows that a variety of nonhuman primate species also show hand preferences. More complex manual tasks elicit stronger hand preferences than less complex manual tasks, but not much is known about hand preferences during a cognitive task in nonhuman primates. The current study investigated hand preferences in olive baboons (Papio anubis). Seven baboons participated in a match‐to‐sample task on a touchscreen computer. We recorded each baboon's hand use as they touched the start box, sample stimulus, choice stimulus, and which hand they used to retrieve the food reward. All 10 baboons in the troop were also observed in their outdoor zoo habitat, where they were carrying out natural behaviors. In the current study, the touchscreen task was cognitively demanding, without being manually complex, as the baboon simply touched the screen. The direction and strength of hand preference were calculated using z‐scores and handedness index (HI) scores for each individual baboon. When completing the cognitive task, five baboons were left‐handed, and two baboons were right‐handed. Five of the baboons had strong preferences (three left‐handed and two right‐handed) and two had weak preferences. When engaging in natural behaviors, eight baboons were left‐handed, one baboon was right‐handed, and one baboon was ambiguously handed. Two of the baboons had strong preferences (one right‐handed and one left‐handed), and eight had weak preferences. Four of the seven baboons had consistent hand preferences when completing the cognitive task and when engaging in natural behaviors in their habitat. These results show that similar to manually complex tasks, a complex cognitive task such as match‐to‐sample elicits stronger and more directional hand preferences than natural behaviors.
Solanezumab Treatment for Alzheimer disease : Meta analysis for Non EXPEDITION Trials
Authors: WSSAWI AMEER FADHIL ABBAS AL , Al‐Shammary Ali Saad , Imtiaz Sahar , Rana Maham , Gamal Mahmoud , Amin Mahmoud Moustafa Ahmed , Nawas Rawan Mohammad Ibrahim
Published: January 2025

Background

Solanezumab, a promising treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, has captured the attention of the medical community. This monoclonal antibody is designed to target and clear beta‐amyloid plaques, a hallmark feature of Alzheimer’s, from the brain. While initial clinical trials showed mixed results, ongoing research is exploring its potential to slow cognitive decline and improve the lives of those affected by this devastating neurodegenerative condition.

Method

A systematic review and meta analysis was conducted and 6 studies out of 1202 were included. The total number of the patients were 4956 And all the studies were Randomised clinical trials. 5 RCTs included, outcome of (ADAS‐Cog14, ADAS‐Cog11, MMSE, CDR‐SB Score), intervention number in each Trial (n1 = 578, n2 = 102, n3 = 50, n4 = 1057, n5 = 659), Analysis was done by Review manager program version 5.0 and I2 of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Result

Improvements in cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS‐cog14) were observed by 5 studies (Farlow, Honig, Joseph, Salloway, Siemers). The overall pooled results showed that Solanezumab is associated with a significant reduction in ADAS‐ Cog 14 scores as compared to placebo. (MD ‐1.18,95% CI(‐1.96,‐0.40); p = 0.003, I2 = 0%). ADAS‐Cog11: Improvements in cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS‐cog11) were observed by 2 studies(Farlow, Honig,). Pooled analysis showed that Solanezumab is associated with a significant reduction in ADAS‐ Cog 11 scores as compared to placebo. (MD ‐1.68,95% CI(‐2.80,‐0.55); p = 0.003, I2 = 0%) CDR‐SB :Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR‐SB) is reported by 5 studies (Honig, Joseph, Salloway, Siemers, Sperling). The overall pooled results showed that Solanezumab led to substantial improvement in CDR‐SB as compared to placebo. (MD ‐0.22,95% CI(‐0.42,‐0.01); p = 0.04, I2 = 0%).

Conclusion

Solanezumab’s potential as an Alzheimer’s disease treatment has spurred considerable scientific interest and debate. This monoclonal antibody specifically targets beta‐amyloid plaques, a prominent feature in Alzheimer’s brains. While initial clinical trials showed disappointing results in terms of halting cognitive decline, some argue that the drug may still have promise when administered at earlier stages of the disease or in combination with other therapies.
Inclusive Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Latin American Perspective from LatAm FINGERS
Authors: Crivelli Lucia , Calandri Ismael Luis , Caramelli Paulo , Lopera Francisco , Nitrini Ricardo , Sosa Ana Luisa , Salinas‐Contreras Rosa Maria , Suemoto Claudia Kimie , Velilla Lina M , Yassuda Monica Sanches , Sevlever Gustavo , Acosta Daisy M , Charamelo Ana , Cusicanqui María Isabel , Custodio Nilton , Delgado Carolina , Duque Lissette , Velazquez Ivonne Z. Jimenez , Leon‐Salas Jorge M , Snyder Heather M , Kivipelto Miia , Carrillo Maria C. , Allegri Ricardo , Consortium LatAm‐FINGERS
Published: January 2025

Background

The LatAm‐FINGERS trial marks a pioneering initiative as the first non‐pharmacological clinical trial encompassing participants from 12 Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay. This initiative represents a significant advancement in promoting inclusivity and diversity in clinical trial recruitment, particularly in underserved populations.

Method

The LatAm‐FINGERS trial is a multicenter randomized clinical trial evaluating a lifestyle intervention tailored for the Latin American population. Innovative and culturally sensitive recruitment methods were employed, utilizing social media, community outreach, and partnerships with religious groups to ensure inclusivity. The multidomain intervention includes diet, physical exercise, cognitive training, and health coaching and socialization. The intervention was delivered in teams of ten, with adherence strategies including moderated chat groups, dietary adaptations to local customs, shared cultural celebrations, recognition awards, personalized video tutorials, engagement calls, and motivational elements. These approaches facilitated participant retention and engagement despite socio‐economic challenges.

Result

Despite challenges such as transportation difficulties and risks of violence in certain regions, the trial effectively implemented prevention strategies across a diverse demographic spectrum. Recruitment for LatAm‐FINGERS began in December 2021. To date, 1186 participants (98.8%) have been randomized into the intervention group. The average age of participants is 69 (SD = 2.5) years, with an average educational level of 12.4 (SD = 3.4) years, and an MMSE score of 27.32 (SD = 1.68). The diversity of the Latin American population is evident in the self‐reported ethnicity data: 57.1% Mestizo, 27.7% White, 5.5% Mixed, 2% Black, 1% Native American, and 5.7% other.

Conclusion

Preliminary findings from LatAm‐FINGERS highlight the feasibility of conducting intervention trials within diverse populations. These findings underscore the importance of creating recruitment strategies that effectively engage underrepresented groups. This contributes significantly to global Alzheimer’s disease research efforts. The trial’s experience offers a valuable model for inclusive enrollment practices in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia research, aligning with contemporary trends toward equitable and evidence‐based trial design.
Usage Patterns of Anticoagulant Therapy in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Zhang Haixin , Zhang Quanwu , Monfared Amir Abbas Tahami , Irizarry Michael C.
Published: January 2025

Background

This study aims to describe usage patterns and risk factors associated with anticoagulant therapy in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Methods

The United States Medicare claims database (2008– 18) was used to identify patients aged ≥65 years with MCI or AD and to evaluate their anticoagulant use from 2016– 17. A random sample of new anticoagulant users (n = 21,069) was selected. Baseline clinical characteristics during the 12 months prior to therapy initiation were constructed using Charlson Comorbidity Index components. Stable anticoagulant therapy was defined as continued use for ≥4 weeks. Using a nested case‐control design, a control group that did not receive anticoagulants was selected from the MCI/AD sample and matched to those receiving anticoagulants by year of therapy initiation, age, and sex. A mixed‐effects model evaluated the likelihood of stable anticoagulant use with census region as a random effect.

Results

Among 5,379,863 patients with MCI/AD, 487,745 were on anticoagulants (96% stable use). The mean age was 83.6 years (62% women, 86.4% White, 8.4% Black, 3.5% Hispanic, 1.1% Asian, and 1.6% Other/Unknown). The most frequently observed comorbidities were hypertension (86.7%), hyperlipidemia (70.5%), and mental disorder (45%) among those receiving anticoagulants, compared to 74%, 60%, and 44%, respectively, among matched controls. Use of anticoagulants was more likely to be observed in patients with MCI vs AD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.2, P<0.05), arrhythmia (OR = 3.41, P<0.05), congestive heart failure (OR = 2.04, P<0.05), depression (OR = 1.86, P<0.05), metastatic cancer (OR = 1.52, P<0.05), hypertension (OR = 1.31, P<0.05), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 1.31, P<0.05), composite indications for therapy such as coronary artery bypass graft/percutaneous coronary intervention, atrial fibrillation, etc. (OR = 1.29, P<0.05), and in women vs men (OR = 1.15, P<0.05), but less likely with renal disease (OR = 0.8, P<0.05). Anticoagulant use increased after 2012 (P<0.05). Hispanic patients had the highest rate of anticoagulant use amongst all racial/ethnic groups (OR = 3.1 vs White [P<0.05], OR = 1.1 vs Black [P<0.05], OR = 1.9 vs Asian [P<0.05]).

Conclusions

Patients with MCI were more likely to be stable anticoagulant therapy users than those with AD. Stable use of anticoagulant therapy was highest in Hispanic vs all other racial/ethnic groups, likely due to uncontrolled risk factors of the study.
N‐terminal Brain Natriuretic Peptide over the Menopause Transition and Cognitive Performance after Menopause: Study of Women’s Heath Across the Nation
Authors: Khoudary Samar R. El , Matuk James , Derby Carol A. , McConnell Daniel , Thurston Rebecca C
Published: January 2025

Background

N‐terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) is a marker of cardiac health and a strong predictor of mortality, incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), and sudden cardiac death in community populations. A link between the menopause transition (MT), sex hormones, and NTproBNP has been suggested, though, no studies have formally examined how NTproBNP changes over the MT. In addition of being a marker of cardiac health, studies suggest NTproBNP to be related to cognitive performance, yet those studies have not considered the MT. We aim to 1) characterize NTproBNP changes over the MT, and 2) assess if the identified changes over the MT are associated with changes in cognitive performance post menopause.

Method

Midlife women with a known date of the final menstrual period (FMP) for whom NTproBNP was measured for up to 5 time points across the MT and cognitive performance (processing speed measured using Symbol Digit Modalities test) was assessed repeatedly after FMP were included. Bayesian piecewise linear mixed‐effects models were used to estimate an inflection point and subject‐specific acceleration in NTproBNP relative to the FMP. Bayesian linear mixed‐effects models were used to relate subject specific acceleration in NTproBNP over the MT with cognitive performance changes in the post menopause.

Result

The study included 1218 women (age at first included cognitive performance measure 53.8(SD: 3.14) years; 43.8% White, 28.4% Black, 11.0% Chinese, 12.3% Japanese, 4.5% Hispanic). NTproBNP significantly accelerated 3.2 years post FMP (posterior 95% Credible interval: 1.4, 5.2 years); posterior mean (95% Credible Interval) of log NTproBNP acceleration 0.043(0.036, 0.051) (Illustration‐Figure). Increased log NTproBNP acceleration over the MT was associated with greater processing speed decline post menopause [posterior mean (95% Credible Interval): ‐0.001(‐0.002, ‐0.0004) in SD unit processing speed per one SD unit increase in log NTproBNP acceleration] in adjusted model (Illustration‐Table).

Conclusion

Findings suggest a link between cardiac health during the MT and cognitive performance after menopause. The MT is a sensitive period of women’s lives characterized by accelerated increase in NTproBNP that in turn associates with a greater decline in postmenopausal processing speed.
Adherence to the MIND dietary pattern and the association with cognitive outcomes in the UK Biobank
Authors: Smith Megan , Bauermeister Sarah
Published: January 2025

Background

Consumption of the Mediterranean‐Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet has been proposed to support advantageous cognitive outcomes. Intra Individual Variability (IIV) has been suggested as a useful outcome for predicting adverse cognitive outcomes. Executive function (EF) may be particularly susceptible to dietary influence. No studies have investigated the relationship between MIND adherence and IIV, nor MIND and EF in a large UK sample.

Method

This was an observational study including 84,520 (56.1% female) participants from the UK Biobank Study who completed at‐least two 24‐hr dietary recalls and cognitive tests either at baseline or imaging visits. MIND diet adherence scores were derived using food intakes from multiple 24‐hr dietary recalls. IIV was constructed using the variability of response times within the reaction time task during baseline assessments. Executive function composite was created using path analysis, included tests were digit symbol substitution, trail making task ratio, fluid intelligence score and IIV. Multiple linear regressions were used to explore whether adhering to the MIND diet was associated with IIV or EF.

Result

The mean (SD) MIND score was 6.8 (2.0) in the full sample. Adherence to the MIND diet was not associated with IIV. MIND dietary scores were significantly associated with worse performance in executive function tasks, albeit with a small beta value (β = ‐0.005, p = .003).

Conclusion

Adhering to the MIND diet was not associated with advantageous cognitive outcomes in our analysis. Here, MIND diet was inversely related to performance in EF tasks, but no association found with IIV. The association with worse cognitive performance should be interpreted in the context of a small beta value and the likely influence of residual confounding. Moreover, as analysis was cross‐sectional, reverse causality cannot be ruled out. Differences between this analysis and prior literature in terms of location, sample size, dietary and cognitive assessments may also be contributing to the contradictory results. Further evaluation is needed to determine if MIND diet is associated with positive cognitive outcomes.