bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of a diverse prebiotic fibre supplement on HbA1c, insulin sensitivity, and inflammatory biomarkers in pre-diabetes: a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Hall C.V. , Twelves J.L. , Saxena M. , Scapozza L , Gurry T.
Published: January 2024

Prebiotic fibre represents a promising and efficacious treatment to manage pre-diabetes, acting via complementary pathways involving the gut microbiome and viscosity-related properties. In this study, we evaluated the effect of using a diverse prebiotic fibre supplement on glycaemic, lipid, and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with pre-diabetes. Sixty-six patients diagnosed with pre-diabetes (yet not receiving glucose-lowering medications) were randomised into treatment (n = 33) and placebo (n = 33) interventions. Participants in the treatment arm consumed 20g per day of a diverse prebiotic fibre supplement and participants in the placebo arm consumed 2g per day of cellulose for 24 weeks. A total of 51 and 48 participants completed the week 16 and week 24 visits, respectively. The intervention was well-tolerated, with a high average adherence rate across groups. Our results extend upon previous work, showing a significant change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in the treatment group, but only in participants with lower baseline HbA1c levels (<6% HbA1c). Within the whole cohort, we showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, fasting plasma insulin, and C-reactive protein in the treatment group compared with the placebo. We did not observe any between-group differences in lipid profiles or other inflammatory cytokines. Together, our results show support for the beneficial effects of a diverse prebiotic fibre supplement on physiologically relevant biomarkers in pre-diabetes.
Song Torrent: A modular, open-source 96-chamber audio and video recording apparatus with optogenetic activation and inactivation capabilities forDrosophila
Authors: Sawtelle Steve , Narayan Lakshmi , Ding Yun , Kim Elizabeth , Behrman Emily L. , Lillvis Joshua L. , Kawase Takashi , Stern David L.
Published: January 2024

Background

ManyDrosophilaspecies use acoustic communication during courtship and studies of these communication systems have provided insight into neurobiology, behavioral ecology, ethology, and evolution.

RecordingDrosophilacourtship sounds and associated behavior is challenging, especially at high throughput, and previously designed devices are relatively expensive and complex to assemble.

Results

We present construction plans for a modular system utilizing mostly off-the-shelf, relatively inexpensive components that provides simultaneous high-resolution audio and video recording of 96 isolated or pairedDrosophilaindividuals.

We provide open-source control software to record audio and video.

We designed high intensity LED arrays that can be used to perform optogenetic activation and inactivation of labelled neurons.

The basic design can be modified to facilitate novel study designs or to record insects larger thanDrosophila.

Fewer than 96 microphones can be used in the system if the full array is not required or to reduce costs.

Implications

Our hardware design and software provide an improved platform for reliable and comparatively inexpensive high-throughput recording ofDrosophilacourtship acoustic and visual behavior and perhaps for recording acoustic signals of other small animals.
Altered Extracellular Matrix Structure and Elevated Stiffness in a Brain Organoid Model for Disease
Authors: Zur Maayan Karlinski , Bhattacharya Bidisha , Dror Sivan Ben , Solomonov Inna , Savidor Alon , Sapir Tamar , Harris Talia , Olender Tsviya , Sagi Irit , Schmidt Rita , Schwarz J. M. , Buxboim Amnon , Reiner Orly
Published: January 2024

The viscoelasticity of tissues impacts their shape, as well as the growth and differentiation of their cells. Nevertheless, little is known about changes in viscoelastic properties during brain malformations. Lissencephaly is a severe malformation of cortical development caused by LIS1 mutations, which results in a lack of cortical convolutions. Here, we show that human-derived brain organoids withLIS1mutation are stiffer than control ones at multiple developmental times. This stiffening is accompanied by abnormal ECM expression and organization, as well as elevated water content, as measured by diffusion-weighted MRI. Proteolytic cleavage of ECM components by short-term treatment with the catalytic subunit of MMP9 reduced the stiffening and water diffusion levels of mutated organoids to control levels. Finally, based on the molecular and rheological properties obtained, we generated a computational microstructure mechanical model that can successfully predict mechanical changes that follow differential ECM localization and integrity in the developing brain. Overall, our study reveals that LIS1 is essential for the expression and organization of ECM proteins during brain development, and its mutation leads to a substantial viscoelastic change. To our knowledge, this is the first study to elucidate how tissue mechanics change in disease states using human brain organoids.
Dopaminergic Changes in the Subgenual Cingulate Cortex in Dementia with Lewy Bodies Associates with Presence of Depression
Authors: Gliaudelytė Lina , Rushton Steven P , Berlinguer-Palmini Rolando , Thomas Alan J , Morris Christopher M
Published: January 2024

In addition to the core clinical features of fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations, and parkinsonism, individuals with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) frequently experience chronic and debilitating major depression. Treatment of depression in DLB is hampered by a lack of available effective therapies and standard serotonergic medication for major depressive disorder (MDD) is typically ineffective. Dysfunction of dopaminergic neurotransmission contributing to anhedonia and loss of motivation has been described in MDD. The subgenual anterior cingulate (sgACC) is important in mood regulation and in the symptomatic expression of depression, displaying structural, functional and metabolic abnormalities in MDD. To assess dopaminergic and serotonergic synaptic changes in DLB, post mortem sgACC tissue from DLB donors with and without depression was investigated using high-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, as well as Western and dot blotting techniques. STED imaging demonstrated the presence of α-synuclein within individual dopaminergic terminals in the sgACC, α-synuclein presence showing a significant positive correlation with increased SNAP25 volumes in depressed DLB cases. A reduction in dopaminergic innervation in the sgACC was observed in DLB cases with depression, along with reduced levels of multiple dopaminergic markers and receptors. Limited alterations were observed in serotonergic markers. Our work demonstrates a role for dopaminergic neurotransmission in the aetiology of depression in DLB. Careful and selective targeting of dopaminergic systems may be a therapeutic option for treatment of depression in DLB.
Substrate recognition mechanism of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated ubiquitin ligase Doa10
Authors: Wu Kevin , Itskanov Samuel , Lynch Diane L. , Chen Yuanyuan , Turner Aasha , Gumbart James C. , Park Eunyong
Published: January 2024

Doa10 (MARCH6 in metazoans) is a large polytopic membrane-embedded E3 ubiquitin ligase in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that plays an important role in quality control of cytosolic and ER proteins. Although Doa10 is highly conserved across eukaryotes, it is not understood how Doa10 recognizes its substrates. Here, we defined the substrate recognition mechanism of Doa10 by structural and functional analyses onSaccharomyces cerevisiaeDoa10 and its well-defined degron Deg1. Cryo-EM analysis shows that Doa10 has unusual architecture with a large lipid-filled central cavity, and its conserved middle domain forms an additional water-filled lateral tunnel open to the cytosol. Our biochemical data and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the entrance of the substrate’s degron peptide into the lateral tunnel is required for efficient polyubiquitination. The N- and C-terminal membrane domains of Doa10 seem to form fence-like features to restrict polyubiquitination to those proteins that can access the central cavity and lateral tunnel.
Quantum advantage of time-reversed ancilla-based metrology of absorption parameters
Authors: Wang Jiaxuan , Filho Ruynet L. de Matos , Agarwal Girish S. , Davidovich Luiz
Published: January 2024

Quantum estimation of parameters defining open-system dynamics may be enhanced by using ancillas that are entangled with the probe but are not submitted to the dynamics. Here we consider the important problem of estimation of transmission of light by a sample, with losses due to absorption and scattering. We show, through the determination of the quantum Fisher information, that the ancilla strategy leads to the best possible precision in single-mode estimation—the one obtained for a Fock-state input—through joint photon counting of probe and ancilla, which are modes of a bimodal squeezed state produced by an optical parametric amplifier. This proposal overcomes the challenge of producing and detecting high-photon-number Fock states, and it is quite robust in the presence of additional noise: We show that it is immune to phase noise and the precision does not change if the incoming state gets disentangled. Furthermore, the quantum gain is still present under moderate photon losses of the input beams. We also discuss an alternative to joint photon counting, which is readily implementable with present technology and approaches the quantum Fisher information result for weak absorption, even with moderate photon losses of the input beams before the sample is probed: a time-reversal procedure, placing the sample between two optical parametric amplifiers, with the second undoing the squeezing produced by the first one. The precision of estimation of the loss parameter is obtained from the average outgoing total photon number and its variance. In both procedures, the state of the probe and the detection procedure are independent of the value of the parameter.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
A numerical study on the effects of inclination angle and container material on thermal energy storage by phase change material in a thick-walled disc
Authors: Kiyak Burak , Oztop Hakan Fehmi , Aksoy Ishak Gökhan
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of inclination angle on the thermal energy storage capability of a phase change material (PCM) within a disc-shaped container. Different container materials are also tested such as plexiglass and aluminium. This study aims to assess the energy storage capacity, melting behaviour and temperature distributions of PCM with a specific melting range (22°C–26°C) for various governing parameters such as inclination angles, aspect ratios (AR) and temperature differences (ΔT) and compare the melting behaviour and energy storage performance of PCM in aluminium containers to those in plexiglass containers.

Design/methodology/approach

A finite volume approach was adopted to evaluate the thermal energy storage capability of PCMs. Five inclination angles ranging from 0° to 180° were considered and the energy storage capacity. Also, the melting behaviour of the PCM and temperature distributions of the container with different materials were tested. Two different AR and ΔT values were chosen as parameters to analyse for their effects on the melting performance of the PCM. Conjugate heat transfer problem is solved to see the effects of conduction mode of heat transfer.

Findings

The results of the study indicate that as AR decreases, the effect of the inclination angles on the energy storage capacity of the PCM decreases. For lower ΔT, the difference between the maximum and minimum stored energies was 20.88% for AR = 0.20, whereas it was 6.85% for AR = 0.15. Furthermore, under the same conditions, the PCM stored 8.02% more energy in plexiglass containers than in aluminium containers.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of the influence of inclination angle, container material, AR and ΔT on the thermal energy storage capabilities of PCM in a novel designed container. The findings highlight the importance of AR in mitigating the effect of the inclination angle on energy storage capacity. Additionally, comparing aluminium and plexiglass containers provides insights into the effect of container material on the melting behaviour and energy storage properties of PCM.
Uncovering perspectives on SDG integration for university transformations
Authors: Cuesta-Claros Andrea , Bonar Gary , Malekpour Shirin , Raven Rob , Kestin Tahl
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This case study explores different perspectives on integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in universities to achieve university transformations. This study recognises that university actors think differently about the purpose of universities, hold diverse perspectives on the SDGs, and, thus, prefer specific types of SDG integration.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Q methodology, 29 participants from one university expressed their perspectives by sorting 50 statements covering different types of SDG integration. Statements were based on academic and grey literature on SDG integration in universities, and interviews with university actors from a previous study. After the sorting task, participants were interviewed to understand the reasons behind the placement of particular statements.

Findings

The study identifies three perspectives held by the study participants. Perspective 1 emphasises the value of the SDGs and supports a deep integration of the Goals in their university. Perspective 1 also advocates for incorporating the SDGs into the university’s identity. Perspective 2 sees the university’s purpose as more comprehensive than the SDGs; thus, the university should develop knowledge regardless of its relevance to the SDGs. This perspective supports a pragmatic integration of the SDGs – favouring actions that benefit the university without introducing significant changes. Finally, Perspective 3 argues that the university should approach the SDGs through social justice and empowerment lenses. This perspective also questions the suitability of the SDGs for universities, arguing that the SDGs fail to challenge current structures underpinning the unsustainability of the world.

Originality/value

Although previous studies have analysed diverse ways of understanding the SDGs in universities, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to treat the SDGs as a governance framework of 17 goals and adopt a whole-institution approach to study universities.
Adding value to the VRIO framework using DEMATEL
Authors: Lacaze Agathe S. , Ferreira Fernando A.F. , Santos Margarida R.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Strategic management plays a pivotal role in the growth and success of organizations, significantly impacting their business performance and competitive edge. In today’s globalized markets, strategic management is gaining prominence as a means to enhance company performance and distinctiveness. Within this landscape, the evaluation of organizational effectiveness takes on heightened significance, complemented by the emergence of strategic management frameworks designed to secure enduring competitive advantages for businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

One of the best known approaches to organizational resource assessment is the value, rarity, inimitability and organizational-oriented (VRIO) framework. However, this tool comes with inherent limitations that have hindered its advancement, primarily related to the need for less subjective means of identifying and assigning weights to resources and capabilities during the evaluation process. This study, therefore, endeavored to refine the VRIO framework, making it more transparent and empirically robust. To achieve this aim, the framework was combined with the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method (i.e. a multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method), and a real-life application was conducted.

Findings

The evaluation system created was tested, and the results demonstrate that the dual methodology used can increase the understanding of resource appraisal and lead to more informed and potentially better evaluations of resources and capabilities. The strengths and shortcomings of this new structured evaluation model are also analyzed.

Originality/value

The authors know of no prior work reporting the integrated use of VRIO and DEMATEL in this study context.
The endosymbiont Serratia symbiotica improves aphid fitness by disrupting the predation strategy of ladybeetle larvae
Authors: Wang Zheng‐Wu , Zhao Jin , Li Guang‐Yun , Hu Die , Wang Zi‐Guo , Ye Chao , Wang Jin‐Jun
Published: January 2024

Aphids, the important global agricultural pests, harbor abundant resources of symbionts that can improve the host adaptability to environmental conditions, also control the interactions between host aphid and natural enemy, resulting in a significant decrease in efficiency of biological control. The facultative symbiont Serratia symbiotica has a strong symbiotic association with its aphid hosts, a relationship that is known to interfere with host–parasitoid interactions. We hypothesized that Serratia may also influence other trophic interactions by interfering with the physiology and behavior of major predators to provide host aphid defense. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of Serratia on the host aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum and its predator, the ladybeetle Propylaea japonica. First, the prevalence of Serratia in different A. pisum colonies was confirmed by amplicon sequencing. We then showed that harboring Serratia improved host aphid growth and fecundity but reduced longevity. Finally, our research demonstrated that Serratia defends aphids against P. japonica by impeding the predator's development and predation capacity, and modulating its foraging behavior. Our findings reveal that facultative symbiont Serratia improves aphid fitness by disrupting the predation strategy of ladybeetle larvae, offering new insight into the interactions between aphids and their predators, and providing the basis of a new biological control strategy for aphid pests involving the targeting of endosymbionts.
Mutation profile and programmed death ligand 1 status of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer diagnosed with “adenocarcinoma” and “non‐small cell carcinoma favor adenocarcinoma”
Authors: Shigeta Naoko , Yokose Tomoyuki , Murakami Shuji , Isaka Tetsuya , Shinada Kanako , Yoshioka Emi , Narita Atsuya , Katakura Kengo , Kondo Tetsuro , Kato Terufumi , Nagashima Takuya , Saito Haruhiro , Ito Hiroyuki
Published: January 2024

Background

The terminology for lung cancer diagnosis in small biopsies was adopted in the 2015 World Health Organization classification. If non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has no clear adenocarcinoma (AD) or squamous cell carcinoma morphology, the tumor is further classified based on mucin or immunohistochemical staining as NSCLC favor AD (NFAD), NSCLC favor squamous cell carcinoma, or NSCLC not otherwise specified. Since this new term was defined, the difference between AD and NFAD has not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to examine the differences in clinical background, gene alteration frequency, and programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression.

Methods

We included patients diagnosed with AD or NFAD with small samples, and who underwent testing with the Oncomine Dx target test between August 2019 and April 2023 in Kanagawa Cancer Center.

Results

This study comprised 268 patients. A total of 96 patients underwent surgery after AD or NFAD diagnosis. The clinical stage was more advanced and pathological N0 was lower in NFAD than in AD. The pathology of the surgical specimens revealed that solid predominant AD was significantly more common in NFAD than in AD (p < 0.001). In both AD and NFAD, EGFR mutation was the most frequent gene alteration, followed by KRAS mutation. The frequency of EGFR mutations was significantly higher in AD than in NFAD. PD‐L1 expression was significantly higher in NFAD than in AD (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study shows a clear difference between AD and NFAD in terms of cancer progression, pathological features of the main tumor, genetic characteristics, and PD‐L1 expression.
Unravelling the role of mind–body therapies in paediatric palliative care: A narrative review
Authors: Giacomelli Luca , Papa Simonetta , Vecchi Lara , Mercante Anna , Benini Franca ,   the Master in PPC Group
Published: January 2024

Aim

Given the multifaceted nature of paediatric palliative care (PPC), integrative medicine and mind–body therapies, in particular, are increasingly used in this setting. However, to our knowledge, their use in PPC has never been specifically reviewed. Therefore, this work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the application and possible beneficial effects of mind–body therapies in the PPC setting.

Methods

Papers about the use of meditation and mindfulness, biofeedback, hypnosis, yoga, tai chi and qi gong, imagery, creative outlets, and art therapy in PPC were identified by browsing PubMed and CINHAL.

Results

We found that the harmless nature of mind–body therapies has been extensively described, and available studies consistently show some benefits on the anxiety, stress, and quality of life of parents/caregivers and healthcare providers. However, well‐grounded and robust evidence does not fully support the efficacy of mind–body therapies, especially in patients.

Conclusion

Considering the peculiarity of the PPC setting, we suggest that mind–body therapies should be further considered and properly investigated through larger controlled studies and according to the different populations of PPC children, as well as for parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
Editorial: How does the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma change over time in patients with a hepatitis C cure?
Authors: Innes Hamish
Published: January 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Vutien et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17802 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17841
Letter: Irritable bowel syndrome and antibiotics
Authors: Longstreth George F.
Published: January 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Staller et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17736 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17839
Reflecting on the role of human‐felid conflict and local use in big cat trade
Authors: Arias Melissa , Coals Peter , Ardiantiono  , Elves‐Powell Joshua , Rizzolo Jessica Bell , Ghoddousi Arash , Boron Valeria , da Silva Mariana , Naude Vincent , Williams Vivienne , Poudel Shashank , Loveridge Andrew , Payán Esteban , Suryawanshi Kulbhushansingh , Dickman Amy
Published: January 2024

Illegal trade in big cat (Panthera spp.) body parts is a prominent topic in scientific and public discourses concerning wildlife conservation. While illegal trade is generally acknowledged as a threat to big cat species, we suggest that two enabling factors have, to date, been under‐considered. To that end, we discuss the roles of human‐felid conflict, and “local” use in illegal trade in big cat body parts. Drawing examples from across species and regions, we look at generalities, contextual subtleties, ambiguities, and definitional complexities. We caution against underestimating the extent of “local” use of big cats and highlight the potential of conflict killings to supply body parts.
Transcription factor Tcf21 modulates urinary bladder size and differentiation
Authors: Mann Elizabeth A. , Mogle Melissa S. , Park Joo‐Seop , Reddy Pramod
Published: January 2024

Urinary bladder organogenesis requires coordinated cell growth, specification, and patterning of both mesenchymal and epithelial compartments. Tcf21, a gene that encodes a helix–loop–helix transcription factor, is specifically expressed in the mesenchyme of the bladder during development. Here we show that Tcf21 is required for normal development of the bladder. We found that the bladders of mice lacking Tcf21 were notably hypoplastic and that the Tcf21 mutant mesenchyme showed increased apoptosis. There was also a marked delay in the formation of visceral smooth muscle, accompanied by a defect in myocardin (Myocd) expression. Interestingly, there was also a marked delay in the formation of the basal cell layer of the urothelium, distinguished by diminished expression of Krt5 and Krt14. Our findings suggest that Tcf21 regulates the survival and differentiation of mesenchyme cell‐autonomously and the maturation of the adjacent urothelium non‐cell‐autonomously during bladder development.
Lessons from the field. Toward evidence‐based parenting support to promote positive parenting in children's sport
Authors: Sanders Matthew R. , Dittman Cassandra K. , Mallett Clifford J. , Rynne Steven
Published: January 2024

Objective

The development of a brief online program to improve prosocial parent behavior at children's sporting events is described. We provide an overview of the collaborative research and development process, the theoretical basis for program content, design features, and evaluation approach used to establish the feasibility of Play Well Triple P in Junior Rugby League.

Background

Parents influence children's experience of sports, impacting their enjoyment and participation, motivation to play, behavior, and performance during sporting events. Parental expectations and behaviors can place pressure on children, decreasing their enjoyment and contributing to their desistance from playing sport. As sport is important for maintaining children's social and psychological well‐being, research is needed to investigate strategies for supporting children to retain positive involvement in sports throughout childhood and adolescence.

Method

Codesign principles were applied across four phases of program development—surveying parents of junior players (Phase 1), which informed the development of program content and design (Phase 2), refining the program based on feedback from parents and sports officials (Phase 3), and concluding with a feasibility evaluation of the final program (Phase 4).

Results

Parents who participated in Play Well Triple P reported improvements in positive sport parenting behavior, decreases in negative sport parenting behavior, and a high level of satisfaction with the program.

Conclusions and implications

The codesign framework for the development of a parent program for rugby league produced a promising and well‐accepted sports parenting program that warrants further trialing, and application to other junior sporting contexts.
Towards a welfare model of trade and multinational firms with oligopolistic competition
Authors: Wang Bingxue
Published: January 2024

This paper constructs a general equilibrium model in a world with two‐symmetric countries. It explains welfare gains from international trade and horizontal Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the economy with firm heterogeneity and variable markups stemming from oligopolistic competition. My model shows that the pro‐competitive effects of trade and horizontal FDI happen because trade openness induces an increase in product market competition that reduces markups and toughens selection, increasing aggregate productivity. The most significant contribution of the paper is that multinational firms, via horizontal FDI, produce the most significant welfare gains through the toughest selection and lowest markups.
Is the Montreal cognitive assessment culturally valid in a diverse geriatric primary care setting? Lessons from the Bronx
Authors: Stimmel Marnina B. , Orkaby Ariela R. , Ayers Emmeline , Verghese Joe , Nsubayi Celeste K. , Weiss Erica F.
Published: January 2024

Background

Efficacy and validity of the MoCA for cognitive screening in ethnoculturally and linguistically diverse settings is unclear. We sought to examine the utility and discriminative validity of the Spanish and English MoCA versions to identify cognitive impairment among diverse community‐dwelling older adults.

Methods

Participants aged ≥65 with cognitive concerns attending outpatient primary care in Bronx, NY, were recruited. MoCA and neuropsychological measures were administered in Spanish or English, and a neuropsychologist determined cognitive status (normal with subjective cognitive concerns [SCC], mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and dementia). One‐way ANOVA compared cognitive statuses. ROC analyses identified optimal MoCA cutpoints for discriminating possible cognitive impairment.

Results

There were 231 participants, with mean age 73, 72% women, 43% Hispanic; 39% Black/African American; 113 (49%) completed testing in English and 118 (51%) in Spanish. Overall MoCA mean was 17.7 (SD = 4.3). Neuropsychological assessment identified 90 as cognitively normal/SCC, average MoCA 19.9 (SD = 4.1), 133 with MCI, average MoCA 16.6 (SD = 3.7), and 8 with dementia, average MoCA 10.6 (SD = 3.1). Mean English MoCA average was 18.6 (SD = 4.1) versus Spanish 16.7 (SD = 4.3). The published cutpoint ≤23 for MCI yielded a high false‐positive rate (79%). ROC analyses identified ≤18.5 as the score to identify MCI or dementia using the English MoCA (65% sensitivity; 77% specificity) and ≤16.5 for the Spanish MoCA (64% sensitivity;73% specificity) in this sample of older adults with cognitive concerns.

Conclusions

Current MoCA cutpoints were inappropriately high in a culturally/linguistically diverse urban setting, leading to a high false‐positive rate. Lower Spanish and English MoCA cutpoints may improve diagnostic accuracy for identifying cognitive impairment in this group, highlighting the need for the creation and validation of accurate cognitive screeners for ethnoculturally and linguistically diverse older adults.
Effect of clodronate on gene expression in the peripheral blood of horses
Authors: Wilcox Callie V. , Knych Heather K. , Katzman Scott A. , Arthur Rick M. , Rodriguez Veronika , Finno Carrie J.
Published: January 2024

There are two FDA‐approved bisphosphonate products, clodronate (Osphos®) and tiludronate (Tildren®), for use in horses. It is hypothesized that bisphosphonates can produce analgesic effects and prevent proper healing of microcracks in bone. Therefore, bisphosphonate use is banned in racehorses. However, bisphosphonates have a short detection window in the blood before sequestration in the skeleton, making the reliability of current drug tests questionable. Seven exercising Thoroughbred horses were administered clodronate (1.8 mg/kg i.m.), and four were administered saline. RNA was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected immediately before a single dose of clodronate or saline and then on Days 1, 6, 28, 56 and 182 post‐dose. mRNA was sequenced and analysed for differentially expressed transcripts. While no single transcripts were differentially expressed, pathway analysis revealed that p38 MAPK (p = .04) and Ras (p = .04) pathways were upregulated, and cadherin signalling (p = .02) was downregulated on Day 1. Previously investigated biomarkers, cathepsin K (CTSK) and type 5 acid phosphatase (ACP5), were analysed with RT‐qPCR in a targeted gene approach, with no significant difference observed. A significant effect of time on gene expression for ACP5 (p = .03) and CTSK (p < .0001) was observed. Thus, these genes warrant further investigation for detecting clodronate use over time.
The acquisition of generics
Authors: Kirkpatrick James Ravi
Published: January 2024

It has been argued that the primary acquisition of genericity in early child speech poses a problem for standard quantificational approaches to generics and instead motivates the claim that generics give voice to an innate, default mode of generalising. This article argues that analogous puzzles involving the acquisition of A‐quantifiers undermine the empirical support for a purely cognition‐based approach to generics. Instead, these acquisition puzzles should be solved by generalising the core insight of the cognitive defaults theory to these expressions, reconciling formal semantic approaches with the role that cognitive development plays on lexical competence.
On a Rayleigh Structure in Temperature Waves
Authors: Haidar Nassar
Published: January 2024

The hyperbolic temperature wave is investigated as a Rayleigh-like wave that contains mixed transverse and longitudinal components. This allows the absolute ratio of the longitudinal to transverse interfering components to vary in space & time, with increasing the frequency of this wave. Such a variation is demonstrated, for the first time, to exhibit an initial smooth build up with increasing the frequency, to be followed by an asymptotic temporally oscillatory decay towards zero. A main result of this work is that heat transport can be enhanced by vibration only at low frequencies.
Closed-Loop Reflex Responses of the Lateral Ankle Musculature From Various Thresholds During a Lateral Ankle Sprain Perturbation
Authors: Simpson Jeffrey D. , Cosio Lima Ludmila , Lee Youngil , Chander Harish , Knight Adam C.
Published: January 2024

Context: Latency is a reliable temporal metric used to evaluate sensorimotor integration of the fibularis longus (FL) and fibularis brevis (FB) during lateral ankle sprain perturbations. Currently, no clinical recommendations exist to select appropriate thresholds to evaluate the closed-loop reflex response of the lateral ankle musculature. The purpose of this study was to assess threshold value on latency of the FL and FB during an unanticipated inversion perturbation that simulates the mechanism of a lateral ankle sprain. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Twenty healthy adults with no history of lateral ankle sprain injury completed an unanticipated single-leg drop landing onto a 25° laterally inclined force platform from a height of 30 cm. Surface electromyography recorded muscle activity data from the FL and FB during the inversion perturbation. Latency was identified at points where muscle activity exceeded 2, 5, and 10 SD above the average muscle activity 200 milliseconds prior to foot contact, and compared across threshold value using a 1-way analysis of variance (P < .05). Results: The 2 SD threshold was significantly shorter than both 5 SD and 10 SD thresholds for the FL (P < .01) and FB (P < .01). Likewise, the 5 SD threshold was significantly shorter than the 10 SD thresholds for FL (P = .004) and FB (P = .003). Conclusions: More sensitive thresholds results in a shorter closed-loop reflexive response compared to the more rigorous thresholds. We recommend that selection of the appropriate threshold to identify latency of the lateral ankle musculature should be based on the device used to simulate a lateral ankle sprain and the ankle inversion velocity produced during the ankle inversion perturbation.
Moderated ionic bonding for water-free recyclable polyelectrolyte complex materials
Authors: van Lange Sophie G. M. , te Brake Diane W. , Portale Giuseppe , Palanisamy Anbazhagan , Sprakel Joris , van der Gucht Jasper
Published: January 2024

While nature extensively uses electrostatic bonding between oppositely charged polymers to assemble and stabilize materials, harnessing these interactions in synthetic systems has been challenging. Synthetic materials cross-linked with a high density of ionic bonds, such as polyelectrolyte complexes, only function properly when their charge interactions are attenuated in the presence of ample amounts of water; dehydrating these materials creates such strong Coulombic bonding that they become brittle, non-thermoplastic, and virtually impossible to process. We present a strategy to intrinsically moderate the electrostatic bond strengths in apolar polymeric solids by the covalent grafting of attenuator spacers to the charge carrying moieties. This produces a class of polyelectrolyte materials that have a charge density of 100%, are processable and malleable without requiring water, are highly solvent- and water-resistant, and are fully recyclable. These materials, which we coin “compleximers,” marry the properties of thermoplastics and thermosets using tailored ionic bonding alone.
Targeting pyroptosis with nanoparticles to alleviate neuroinflammatory for preventing secondary damage following traumatic brain injury
Authors: Zhang Xuefeng , Huang Xuyang , Hang Diancheng , Jin Jiaqi , Li Shanshan , Zhu Yufu , Liu Hongmei
Published: January 2024

Posttraumatic neuroinflammation is a key driver of secondary injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Pyroptosis, a proinflammatory form of programmed cell death, considerably activates strong neuroinflammation and amplifies the inflammatory response by releasing inflammatory contents. Therefore, treatments targeting pyroptosis may have beneficial effects on the treatment of secondary brain damage after TBI. Here, a cysteine-alanine-glutamine-lysine peptide–modified β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) nanoparticle was constructed to deliver disulfiram (DSF), C-β-LG/DSF, to inhibit pyroptosis and decrease neuroinflammation, thereby preventing TBI-induced secondary injury. In the post-TBI mice model, C-β-LG/DSF selectively targets the injured brain, increases DSF accumulation, and extends the time of the systemic circulation of DSF. C-β-LG/DSF can alleviate brain edema and inflammatory response, inhibit secondary brain injury, promote learning, and improve memory recovery in mice after trauma. Therefore, this study likely provided a potential approach for reducing the secondary spread of TBI.
Correction
Authors: Wolf Frank J. , Elmendorf Eleanor T. , Denkewalter Robert G. , Tishler Max
Published: January 2024

Professor A. N. Winchell, of the University of Virginia, has called our attention to some inconsistencies in our paper "Crystalline Salts of Dihydrostreptomycin" (
Science
, 1949, 109, 515). In the section describing the microscopic examination of crystalline dihydrostreptomycin sulfate, the following correction should be made: Lines 30 and 31 should read: "2V (calculated) 89°;
extinction
, parallel and/or oblique;
extinction angle
18°" instead of "2V (calculated) –89°;
extinction
, parallel;
extinction angle
–18°."
Creation and evaluation of a self-directed, first-year intervention for pre-health undergraduates: setting students up for success
Authors: Currin Meghan , Hastie Eric
Published: January 2024

University-established modalities to help undergraduate students navigate the path to medical school are often implemented toward the end of college or following graduation. This imposes cost and time burdens that may be contribute to the high rate of premedical attrition, especially for students who are members of a marginalized community. In the fall 2022 semester, an asynchronous, self-directed pre-health module was offered to biology majors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill enrolled in a required introductory biology research skills course. The objective of the five-lesson intervention was to enhance student understanding of the path to becoming a successful applicant early in their college career. The module aimed to increase the accessibility of pre-health advising and was designed to be easily shared and adapted across various learning management systems. A pre- and post-module survey was administered to assess changes in students’ perceived understanding of and confidence for success on the pre-health track following completion of the course.
One-Pot Synthesis of (E)-3-(N-Vinylpyrrol-2-yl)acrylic Acids
Authors: Shcherbakova V. S. , Martynovskaya S. V. , Gyrgenova E. A. , Ushakov I. A. , Ivanov A. V.
Published: January 2024

Hitherto unknown class of N-vinylpyrrolyl acrylic acids, multifaceted monomers and prospective building blocks for fine organic synthesis, has been prepared. The chemistry is based on the fundamental works of Academician B.A. Trofimov, which allowed synthesis of the inexhaustible family of N-vinylpyrroles.
High prevalence of retinopathy in young-onset type 2 diabetes and possible sex differences: insights from Norwegian general practice
Authors: Tibballs Katrina , Jenum Anne Karen , Kirkebøen Lars , Berg Tore Julsrud , Claudi Tor , Cooper John Graham , Nøkleby Kjersti , Sandberg Sverre , Straand Jørund , Buhl Esben Selmer
Published: January 2024

Introduction

People with young-onset type 2 diabetes (YOD), defined as diabetes diagnosis before age 40, have a high lifetime risk of vascular complications. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of YOD among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Norwegian general practice and explore associations between age at diabetes diagnosis and retinopathy overall and in men and women.

Research design and methods

We collected cross-sectional data from general practice electronic medical records of 10 241 adults with T2D in 2014, and repeated measurements of hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) from 2012 to 2014. Using multivariate logistic regression, we assessed associations between YOD and later-onset T2D, sex and retinopathy.

Results

Of all individuals with T2D, 10% were diagnosed before 40 years of age in both sexes. Compared with later-onset T2D, HbA1cincreased faster in YOD, and at the time of diagnosis HbA1cwas higher in men, particularly in YOD. Retinopathy was found in 25% with YOD, twice as frequently as in later onset. After adjustments for confounders (age, country of origin, education, body mass index), OR of retinopathy was increased in both men with YOD (OR 2.6 (95% CI 2.0 to 3.5)) and women with YOD (OR 2.2 (1.5 to 3.0)). After further adjustments for potential mediators (diabetes duration and HbA1c), the higher OR persisted in men with YOD (OR 1.8 (1.3 to 2.4)) but was attenuated and no longer significant for women with YOD.

Conclusions

Retinopathy prevalence was more than twice as high in YOD as in later-onset T2D. The increased likelihood of retinopathy in YOD was partly mediated by higher HbA1cand longer T2D duration, but after accounting for these factors it remained higher in men with YOD.
Health research mentorship in low-income and middle-income countries: a global qualitative evidence synthesis of data from a crowdsourcing open call and scoping review
Authors: Kpokiri Eneyi E , McDonald Kamryn , Abraha Yoseph Gebreyohannes , Osorio Lyda , Nath Tilak Chandra , Talavera-Urdanivia Victor A , Akinwale Olaoluwa Pheabian , Manabe Yukari Carol , Castelnuovo Barbara , Tang Weiming , Yilma Daniel , Mihut Michael , Ezechi Oliver , Iwelunmor Juliet , Kaba Mirgissa , Abdissa Alemseged , Tucker Joseph D
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Research mentorship is critical for advancing science, but there are few practical strategies for cultivating mentorship in health research resource-limited settings. WHO/TDR Global commissioned a group to develop a practical guide on research mentorship. This global qualitative evidence synthesis included data from a crowdsourcing open call and scoping review to identify and propose strategies to enhance research mentorship in low/middle-income country (LMIC) institutions.

Methods

The crowdsourcing open call used methods recommended by WHO/TDR and solicited descriptions of strategies to enhance research mentorship in LMICs. The scoping review used the Cochrane Handbook and predefined the approach in a protocol. We extracted studies focused on enhancing health research mentorship in LMICs. Textual data describing research mentorship strategies from the open call and studies from the scoping review were coded into themes. The quality of evidence supporting themes was assessed using the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research approach.

Results

The open call solicited 46 practical strategies and the scoping review identified 77 studies. We identified the following strategies to enhance research mentorship: recognising mentorship as an institutional responsibility that should be provided and expected from all team members (8 strategies, 15 studies; moderate confidence); leveraging existing research and training resources to enhance research mentorship (15 strategies, 49 studies; moderate confidence); digital tools to match mentors and mentees and sustain mentorship relations over time (14 strategies, 11 studies; low confidence); nurturing a culture of generosity so that people who receive mentorship then become mentors to others (7 strategies, 7 studies; low confidence); peer mentorship defined as informal and formal support from one researcher to another who is at a similar career stage (16 strategies, 12 studies; low confidence).

Interpretation

Research mentorship is a collective institutional responsibility, and it can be strengthened in resource-limited institutions by leveraging already existing resources. The evidence from the crowdsourcing open call and scoping review informed a WHO/TDR practical guide. There is a need for more formal research mentorship programmes in LMIC institutions.
Obesity Prevention in Early Life (OPEL) study: linking longitudinal data to capture obesity risk in the first 1000 days
Authors: Cheng Erika R , Gharbi Sami , Nelson Tammie L , Wiehe Sarah E
Published: January 2024

To develop robust prediction models for infant obesity risk, we need data spanning multiple levels of influence, including child clinical health outcomes (eg, height and weight), information about maternal pregnancy history, detailed sociodemographic information of parents and community-level factors. Few data sources contain all of this information. This manuscript describes the creation of the Obesity Prevention in Early Life (OPEL) database, a longitudinal, population-based database that links clinical data with birth certificates and geocoded area-level indicators for 19 437 children born in Marion County, Indiana between 2004 and 2019. This brief describes the methodology of linking administrative data, the establishment of the OPEL database, and the clinical and public health implications facilitated by these data. The OPEL database provides a strong basis for further longitudinal child health outcomes studies and supports the continued development of intergenerational linked clinical-public health databases.