bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of APOE status on rate of cognitive decline
Authors: Morrison Cassandra , Oliver Michael D. , Berry Virginia , Kamal Farooq , Dadar Mahsa
Published: January 2024

Background

Apolipoprotein (APOE) ɛ4 positivity and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) both increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) development. However, few studies have examined the relationship between SCD and APOE status, especially using longitudinal data. The current study examined whether APOE is associated with the rate of cognitive change in SCD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods

A sample of 3494 older adults (1990 normal controls, NC, 775 SCD, and 729 MCI) with a mean follow-up of 9.09 years were included from the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center Research Sharing Hub. Linear mixed effects models examined the relationship between APOE status and cognitive change in older adults with SCD normal controls, and people with MCI.

Results

The presence of at least one ɛ2 allele in SCD and MCI results in cognitive change rates similar to a NC with the ɛ3ɛ3 genotype. Older adult SCD-ɛ4 individuals exhibited increased rate of cognitive decline compared to all groups, including NC-ɛ4 and MCI-ɛ4.

Conclusion

People with SCD with at least one ɛ4 allele experience increased rates of cognitive decline compared to cognitively healthy older adults and people with MCI. These findings have important implications for treatments and interventions and can improve future research and clinical trials by targeting people in the preclinical AD phase (i.e., SCD) who also possess at least one APOE ɛ4 allele.
Turing Instabilities are Not Enough to Ensure Pattern Formation
Authors: Krause Andrew L. , Gaffney Eamonn A. , Jewell Thomas Jun , Klika Václav , Walker Benjamin J.
Published: January 2024

Symmetry-breaking instabilities play an important role in understanding the mechanisms underlying the diversity of patterns observed in nature, such as in Turing’s reaction–diffusion theory, which connects cellular signalling and transport with the development of growth and form. Extensive literature focuses on the linear stability analysis of homogeneous equilibria in these systems, culminating in a set of conditions for transport-driven instabilities that are commonly presumed to initiate self-organisation. We demonstrate that a selection of simple, canonical transport models with only mild multistable non-linearities can satisfy the Turing instability conditions while also robustly exhibiting only transient patterns. Hence, a Turing-like instability is insufficient for the existence of a patterned state. While it is known that linear theory can fail to predict the formation of patterns, we demonstrate that such failures can appear robustly in systems with multiple stable homogeneous equilibria. Given that biological systems such as gene regulatory networks and spatially distributed ecosystems often exhibit a high degree of multistability and nonlinearity, this raises important questions of how to analyse prospective mechanisms for self-organisation.
Optimal Design of a Cold Spray Nozzle for Inner Wall Coating Fabrication by Combining CFD Simulation and Neural Networks
Authors: Meng Yuxian , Saito Hiroki , Bernard Chrystelle , Ichikawa Yuji , Ogawa Kazuhiro
Published: January 2024

Recently, the low-pressure cold spray (LPCS) technique has been used to fabricate superhydrophobic polymer coatings on metallic substrates, suggesting a significant potential in engineering applications. This study aims to design a spiral LPCS nozzle to coat the pipe’s inner wall with superhydrophobic polymer. The design goal is to achieve the maximum particle velocity in a confined (limited) space, assuming that the powder can enter the feeding tube through the Venturi effect. Achieving these two goals simultaneously using only computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is challenging. Therefore, the CFD simulation was combined with the neural network (NN) method to design the new spiral nozzle. During training, the effects of the NN models and algorithms were investigated. The results showed that the feedforwardnet model combined with the trainbr or trainlm algorithm (from MATLAB 2016b software), presented a minimal error for particle velocity or gas flux prediction, respectively. The trained NN correlates the nozzle parameters (i.e., mean coil diameter, spring lift angle, and expansion ratio) and its performances (i.e., particle velocity and gas flux in the powder feeding tube). As a result, the optimal spiral nozzle was determined based on the design goal of maximum particle velocity and suitable gas flux in the powder feeding tube. Furthermore, the effect of each nozzle parameter on the particle velocity and gas flux in the powder feeding tube was analyzed. The cold spray experiment confirmed that the designed spiral nozzle could fabricate Perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA) coatings.
Group control for procedural rules: parameterized complexity and consecutive domains
Authors: Yang Yongjie , Dimitrov Dinko
Published: January 2024

We consider GROUP CONTROL BY ADDING INDIVIDUALS (GCAI) in the setting of group identification for two procedural rules—the consensus-start-respecting rule and the liberal-start-respecting rule. It is known that GCAI for both rules are NP-hard, but whether they are fixed-parameter tractable with respect to the number of distinguished individuals remained open. We resolve both open problems in the affirmative. In addition, we strengthen the NP-hardness of GCAI by showing that, with respect to the natural parameter the number of added individuals, GCAI for both rules are W[2]-hard. Notably, the W[2]-hardness for the liberal-start-respecting rule holds even when restricted to a very special case where the qualifications of individuals satisfy the so-called consecutive ones property. However, for the consensus-start-respecting rule, the problem becomes polynomial-time solvable in this special case. We also study a dual restriction where the disqualifications of individuals fulfill the consecutive ones property, and show that under this restriction GCAI for both rules turn out to be polynomial-time solvable. Our reductions for showing W[2]-hardness also imply several algorithmic lower bounds.
A Panel of miRNA Biomarkers Common to Serum and Brain-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Identified in Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Vassileff Natasha , Spiers Jereme G. , Lee John D. , Woodruff Trent M. , Ebrahimie Esmaeil , Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh Manijeh , Hill Andrew F. , Cheng Lesley
Published: January 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron disease characterised by the deposition of aggregated proteins including TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) in vulnerable motor neurons and the brain. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) facilitate the spread of neurodegenerative diseases and can be easily accessed in the bloodstream. This study aimed to identify a panel of EV miRNAs that can capture the pathology occurring in the brain and peripheral circulation. EVs were isolated from the cortex (BDEVs) and serum (serum EVs) of 3 month-old and 6-month-old TDP-43*Q331K and TDP-43*WT mice. Following characterisation and miRNA isolation, the EVs underwent next-generation sequencing where 24 differentially packaged miRNAs were identified in the TDP-43*Q331K BDEVs and 7 in the TDP-43*Q331K serum EVs. Several miRNAs, including miR-183-5p, were linked to ALS. Additionally, miR-122-5p and miR-486b-5p were identified in both panels, demonstrating the ability of the serum EVs to capture the dysregulation occurring in the brain. This is the first study to identify miRNAs common to both the serum EVs and BDEVs in a mouse model of ALS.
A hospitalization mechanism based immune plasma algorithm for path planning of unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Aslan Selcuk
Published: January 2024

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their specialized variants known as unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) have triggered a profound change in the well-known military concepts and researchers from different disciplines tried to solve challenging problems of the mentioned vehicles. Path planning is one of these challenging problems about the UAV or UCAV systems and should be solved carefully by considering some optimization requirements defined for the enemy threats, fuel or battery usage, kinematic limitations on the turning and climbing angles in order to further improving the task success and safety of autonomous flight. Immune plasma algorithm (IP algorithm or IPA) modeling the details of a medical method gained popularity with the COVID-19 pandemic has been introduced recently and showed promising performance on solving a set of engineering problems. However, IPA requires setting the control parameters appropriately for maintaining a balance between the exploration and exploitation characteristics and does not design the particular treatment and hospitalization procedures by taking into account the implementation simplicity. In this study, IP algorithm was supported with a newly designed and realistic hospitalization mechanism that manages when an infected population member enters and discharges from the hospital. Moreover, the existing treatment schema of the algorithm was changed completely for improving the efficiency of the plasma transfer operations and removing the necessity of IPA specific control parameters and then a novel path planner called hospital IPA (hospIPA) was presented. For investigating the performance of hospIPA on solving path planning problem, a set of detailed experiments was carried out over twenty test cases belonging to both two and three-dimensional battlefield environments. The paths calculated by hospIPA were also compared with the calculated paths of other fourteen meta-heuristic based path planners. Comparative studies proved that the hospitalization mechanism making an exact discrimination between the poor and qualified solutions and modified treatment schema collecting the plasma being transferred by guiding the best solution give a tremendous contribution and allow hospIPA to obtain more safe and robust paths than other meta-heuristics for almost all test cases.
Operational analysis of the biological treatment unit's ultraviolet-wave disinfection method for wastewater outflow
Authors: Fotoohi Edris , Mokhtarian Nader , Farahbod Farshad
Published: January 2024

Wastewater can be contaminated with all kinds of microorganisms and small organisms, including bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses. Therefore, it can be said that biological pollution is one of the most dangerous pollutions. These types of pollution can endanger human health and the environment. In this study, industrial wastewater disinfection has been investigated in a laboratory pilot. In this study, ultraviolet waves have been used for wastewater disinfection. In this research, treatment indicators such as wastewater pH, phosphate, nitrate, biological oxygen and chemical oxygen, organic carbon, and wastewater turbidity have been investigated. The results of this research show that if 4.5 g of dry ice is added to the wastewater entering the disinfection unit, the pH of the wastewater will decrease to about 7.9. The results presented from the disinfection unit show that the amount of chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand have decreased by about 35% and 20.3%, respectively. The results of this unit show that the amount of phosphate and nitrate has decreased by 61.3 and 71.9%, respectively. Laboratory results show that the TDS of wastewater has decreased from 600 to 451 mg/l.
Numerical simulation of hydraulic fracture propagation after thermal shock in shale reservoir
Authors: Wu Jianfa , Zeng Bo , Chen Liqing , Huang Haoyong , Guo Yintong , Guo Wuhao , Song Wenjing , Li Junfeng
Published: January 2024

The scale of propagation of hydraulic fractures in deep shale is closely related to the effect of stimulation. In general, the most common means of revealing hydraulic fracture propagation rules are laboratory hydraulic fracture physical simulation experiments and numerical simulation. However, the former is difficult to meet the real shale reservoir environment, and the latter research focuses mostly on fracturing technology and the interaction mechanism between hydraulic fractures and natural fractures, both of which do not consider the influence of temperature effect on hydraulic fracture propagation. In this paper, the hydraulic fracturing process is divided into two stages (thermal shock and hydraulic fracture propagation). Based on the cohesive zone method, a coupled simulation method for sequential fracturing of deep shale is proposed. The effects of different temperatures, thermal shock rates, and times on the scale of thermal fractures are analyzed. As well as the effects of horizontal stress difference and pumping displacement on the propagation rule of hydraulic fractures. The results show that the temperature difference and the thermal shock times determine the size and density of thermal fractures in the surrounding rock of the borehole, and the number of thermal fractures increases by 96.5% with the increase of temperature difference. Thermal fractures dominate the initiation direction and propagation path of hydraulic fractures. The main hydraulic fracture width can be increased by 150% and the length can be increased by 46.3% by increasing the displacement; the secondary fracture length can be increased by 148.7% by increasing the thermal shock times. This study can provide some inspiration for the development of deep shale by improving the complexity of hydraulic fractures.
Childhood traumatic experiences in people with obesity with and without eating disorders who are seeking bariatric surgery: the role of attachment relationships and family functioning
Authors: Paone Emanuela , Di Trani Michela , Visani Enrico , Di Monte Cinzia , Campedelli Virginia , Silecchia Gianfranco , Lai Carlo
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The present study examines the impact of traumatic childhood experiences in people with obesity seeking bariatric surgery. It considers the presence of eating disorders (ED) in the population with obesity and tests the role of attachment and family relationships as mediators of the relationship between traumatic events and ED.

Method

110 participants with severe obesity and 98 participants of a healthy weight (control group) filled out The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV).

Results

Comparing the two groups on psychological variables, higher scores in the CTQ Emotional neglect and ASQ insecure attachment scales emerged in the control group than the group with obesity. Considering the presence/absence of an ED only in the group with obesity, and comparing these subgroups, higher scores in traumatic experiences emerged in the individuals with obesity and with ED than the individuals with obesity without ED. Moreover, participants with ED scored higher in ASQ insecure attachment and had lower levels of flexibility in family functioning than the group without ED. Finally, Logistic Regression models showed that insecure anxious attachment and dysfunctional familial relationships affected the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences and the presence of ED in the group with obesity.

Conclusion

These findings suggest the importance focusing on psychosocial factors linked to obesity, specifically on attachment styles and familial relationships as emotion regulation strategies, since the impact of traumatic childhood events on psychopathology could be ameliorated by an individual’s ability to rely on a significant attachment figure.

Level of evidence

Level II, evidence obtained from well-designed controlled trials without randomization.
TECH preserves global cognition of older adults with MCI compared with a control group: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Givon Schaham Noa , Buckman Zvi , Rand Debbie
Published: January 2024

Background

Cognitive training using touchscreen tablet casual game applications (apps) has potential to be an effective treatment method for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Aims

This study aimed to establish the effectiveness of ‘Tablet Enhancement of Cognition and Health’ (TECH), a novel cognitive intervention for improving/preserving cognition in older adults with MCI.

Methods

A single-blind randomized controlled trial with assessments pre-, post-, and at 6-month follow-up was conducted. TECH entailed 5 weeks of daily self-training utilizing tablet apps, facilitated by weekly group sessions. Global cognition was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and specific cognitive components were assessed using WebNeuro computerized battery. Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted and the %change was calculated between pre–post and between pre–follow-up. Cohen’s d effect size was also calculated.

Results

Sixty-one participants aged 65–89 years were randomly allocated to TECH (N = 31, 14 women) or to standard care (N = 30, 14 women). Pre–post and pre–follow-up MoCA %change scores were significantly higher in TECH than control (U = 329.5, p < .05; U = 294.5, p < .05) with intermediate effect size values (Cohen’s d = .52, Cohen’s d = .66). Forty percent of TECH participants versus 6.5% of control participants achieved a minimal clinical important difference in MoCA. Pre–post between-group differences for specific cognitive components were not found and HRQoL did not change.

Discussion and conclusions

TECH encouraged daily self-training and showed to preserve global cognition of older adults with MCI. The implementation of TECH is recommended for older adults with MCI, who are at risk for further cognitive decline.
Efficacy and safety of the combination nasal spray olopatadine hydrochloride-mometasone furoate in the treatment of allergic rhinitis
Authors: Klimek Ludger , Klimek Felix , Bergmann Christoph , Hagemann Jan , Cuevas Mandy , Becker Sven
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Pharmacotherapy is the main pillar in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. While antihistamines (AH) and intranasal glucocorticosteroids (INCS) have long been part of the therapeutic standard, a pharmacological combination of both active substances in a nasal spray has so far only been implemented and made available in two preparations in Germany. Recently, an intranasal olopatadine hydrochloride-mometasone furoate (Olo-Mom) combination was introduced as a nasal spray for the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis.

Methods

In a literature search, treatment options for allergic rhinitis were analyzed and the available evidence was determined by searching Medline, PubMed, and the national and international study (ClinicalTrials.gov) and guideline registers and the Cochrane Library. Human studies published on the topic in the period up to and including August 2023 were taken into account.

Results

Based on the international literature and previous experience, the results are summarized and recommendations are given. The drugs used in the pharmacotherapy of AR primarily include INCS, intranasal and oral AH, leukotriene antagonists, intranasal cromoglicic acid preparations, intranasal and oral vasoconstrictors, and nasal rinses. For patients with intermittent and persistent allergic rhinitis, INCS are the first-line therapy, but in many patients they do not work sufficiently or quickly enough. The fixed combination Olo-Mom nasal spray showed significant improvements in the Reflective Total Nasal Symptom Score (rTNSS) in two phase II clinical trials with twice-daily and once-daily administration. In phase III studies, Olo-Mom nasal spray administered twice daily showed significant improvements in rTNSS compared to placebo, olopatadine monotherapy, and mometasone monotherapy.

Conclusion

In summary, AH and INCS will remain the main groups of active ingredients in the treatment of allergic rhinitis in the future. In combination preparations such as the new combination nasal spray olopatadine hydrochloride-mometasone furoate, they are highly effective and safe, thus opening up new perspectives, especially for patients with moderate and severe allergic rhinitis from the age of 12 years.
Construct and Query A Fine-Grained Geospatial Knowledge Graph
Authors: Wei Bo , Guo Xi , Li Xiaodi , Wu Ziyan , Zhao Jing , Zou Qiping
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we propose the fine-grained geospatial knowledge graph (FineGeoKG), which can capture the neighboring relations between geospatial objects. We call such neighboring relations strong geospatial relations (SGRs) and define six types of SGRs. In FineGeoKG, the vertices (or entities) are geospatial objects. The edges (or relations) can have “sgr” labels together with properties, which are used to quantify SGRs in both topological and directional aspects. FineGeoKG is different from WorldKG, Yago2Geo, and other existing geospatial knowledge graphs, since its edges can capture the spatial coherence among geospatial objects. To construct FineGeoKG efficiently, the crucial problem is to find out SGRs. We improve the existing geospatial interlinking algorithm in order to find out SGRs faster. To answer SGR queries efficiently, we design an index to organize the SGR edges and improve the binary join method for subgraph matching. We conduct experiments on the real datasets and the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is more efficient than the baseline algorithms. We also demonstrate the usefulness of FineGeoKG by presenting the results of complicated spatial queries which focus on structural and semantic information. Such queries can help researchers (for example, ecologists) find groups of objects following specific spatial patterns.
Engineered (NH2)-MIL-125(Ti)/copolymer@MnFe2O4 nanocomposite for synergistic eradication of cancer cells via DOX/pCRISPR delivery
Authors: Safarkhani Moein , Ojaghi Amirhossein , Nezhad Shefa Mirani , Daneshgar Hossein , Paiva-Santos Ana Cláudia , Radmanesh Fatemeh , Bagherzadeh Mojtaba , Zare Ehsan Nazarzadeh , Rabiee Navid , Makvandi Pooyan
Published: January 2024

The present study proposed an innovative nanocomposite aimed at enhancing gene and drug delivery for cancer treatment. The nanocomposite was composed of amine-functionalized metal–organic frameworks, (NH2)-MIL-125(Ti), conjugated to poly(aniline-co-para-phenylenediamine), and coated on manganese ferrite nanoparticles that were utilized to co-deliver the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX) and plasmid CRISPR (pCRISPR) to cancer cells. The investigation focused on whether surface modification with amine groups could improve cellular uptake and transfection efficiency. In addition, the study also utilized an engineered cell-imprinted substrate to mimic the cellular environment and enhance the delivery and expression of edited genes. The results demonstrated the proposed nanocarriers successfully co-delivered DOX and pCRISPR, indicating their potential for combination cancer therapy. Specific highlights include (1) reliable platform for multi-drug delivery based on the (NH2)-MIL-125(Ti)/poly(aniline-co-para-phenylenediamine)/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite structure; (2) hemocompatibility analysis revealed less than 1% hemolysis, pointing to biosafety; (3) amine surface modification enhanced cellular uptake up to 38.3% in A549 cells, improving transfection; (4) the cell-imprinted substrate enhanced therapeutic efficacy by promoting delivery and expression in a physiologically relevant microenvironment. Overall, this study makes significant contributions to gene delivery and expression for cancer therapy. The engineered nanocomposite, amine surface modification, and cell-mimetic substrate employ innovative strategies to augment the efficacy of combination gene and drug therapy against cancer.

Graphical Abstract
Sub‐Diurnal Methane Variations on Mars Driven by Barometric Pumping and Planetary Boundary Layer Evolution
Authors: Ortiz J. P. , Rajaram H. , Stauffer P. H. , Lewis K. W. , Wiens R. C. , Harp D. R.
Published: January 2024

In recent years, the Tunable Laser Spectrometer within the Sample Analysis at Mars (TLS‐SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has detected methane variations in the atmosphere at Gale crater. Methane concentrations appear to fluctuate seasonally as well as sub‐diurnally, which is difficult to reconcile with an as‐yet‐unknown transport mechanism delivering the gas from underground to the atmosphere. To potentially explain the fluctuations, we consider barometrically induced transport of methane from an underground source to the surface, modulated by temperature‐dependent adsorption. The subsurface fractured‐rock seepage model is coupled to a simplified 1‐D atmospheric mixing model to provide insights on the pattern of atmospheric methane concentrations in response to transient surface methane emissions, as well as to predict sub‐diurnal variation in methane abundance for the northern summer period, which is a candidate time frame for a MSL Curiosity sampling campaign. Our analysis suggests that there is a lower limit to the subsurface fracture density that can produce the observed methane patterns, below which the atmospheric methane variations would be out of phase with the observations. The best‐performing model scenarios indicate a significant, short‐lived methane pulse just prior to sunrise, the detection of which by TLS‐SAM would be a potential indicator of the contribution of barometric pumping to Mars' atmospheric methane variations.
Twisted fiber microfluidics: a cutting-edge approach to 3D spiral devices
Authors: Kato Shunsuke , Carlson Daniel W. , Shen Amy Q. , Guo Yuanyuan
Published: January 2024

The development of 3D spiral microfluidics has opened new avenues for leveraging inertial focusing to analyze small fluid volumes, thereby advancing research across chemical, physical, and biological disciplines. While traditional straight microchannels rely solely on inertial lift forces, the novel spiral geometry generates Dean drag forces, eliminating the necessity for external fields in fluid manipulation. Nevertheless, fabricating 3D spiral microfluidics remains a labor-intensive and costly endeavor, hindering its widespread adoption. Moreover, conventional lithographic methods primarily yield 2D planar devices, thereby limiting the selection of materials and geometrical configurations. To address these challenges, this work introduces a streamlined fabrication method for 3D spiral microfluidic devices, employing rotational force within a miniaturized thermal drawing process, termed as mini-rTDP. This innovation allows for rapid prototyping of twisted fiber-based microfluidics featuring versatility in material selection and heightened geometric intricacy. To validate the performance of these devices, we combined computational modeling with microtomographic particle image velocimetry (μTPIV) to comprehensively characterize the 3D flow dynamics. Our results corroborate the presence of a steady secondary flow, underscoring the effectiveness of our approach. Our 3D spiral microfluidics platform paves the way for exploring intricate microflow dynamics, with promising applications in areas such as drug delivery, diagnostics, and lab-on-a-chip systems.
Mirrorless MEMS imaging: a nonlinear vibrational approach utilizing aerosol-jetted PZT-actuated fiber MEMS scanner for microscale illumination
Authors: Wang Wei-Chih , Li Ming-Yao , Peng Kuan-Chang , Hsu Yi-Feng , Estroff Benjamin , Yen Pao-Yun , Schipf David , Wu Wen-Jong
Published: January 2024

This study introduces a novel image capture and lighting techniques using a cutting-edge hybrid MEMS scanner system designed for compact microscopic imaging. The scanner comprises a tapered optical fiber waveguide and innovative aerosol-jet printed PZT (lead zirconate titanate) bimorph push-pull actuators on a stainless-steel substrate, effectively addressing issues that are commonly associated with PZT on silicon substrates such as fracture and layer separation. By leveraging nonlinear vibration, the scanner achieves a spiral scan pattern from a single signal input, in addition to the expected two-dimensional scanning and target illumination from two phase-shifted inputs. This capability is further enhanced by a novel process to taper the optical fiber, which reduces illumination scattering and tunes the fiber to the resonant frequencies of the scanner. The precisely tapered tip enables large fields of view while maintaining independent 2-axis scanning through one-degree-of-freedom actuation. Experimental validation showcases the successful generation of a spiral scan pattern with a 60 μm diameter scan area and a 10 Hz frame rate, effectively reconstructing scanned images of 5 μm lines, cross patterns (15 μm in length with a 5 μm gap), and structures of a Psychodidae wing.
Thermoregulation for very preterm infants in the delivery room: a narrative review
Authors: Dunne Emma A. , O’Donnell Colm P. F. , Nakstad Britt , McCarthy Lisa K. ,   on behalf of the European Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR) Neonatal Resuscitation Section Writing Group
Published: January 2024

Abnormal temperature in preterm infants is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Infants born prematurely are at risk of abnormal temperature immediately after birth in the delivery room (DR). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the temperature of newly born infants is maintained between 36.5–37.5oC after birth. When caring for very preterm infants, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) recommends using a combination of interventions to prevent heat loss. While hypothermia remains prevalent, efforts to prevent it have increased the incidence of hyperthermia, which may also be harmful. Delayed cord clamping (DCC) for preterm infants has been recommended by ILCOR since 2015. Little is known about the effect of timing of DCC on temperature, nor have there been specific recommendations for thermal care before DCC. This review article focuses on the current evidence and recommendations for thermal care in the DR, and considers thermoregulation in the context of emerging interventions and future research directions.

Impact

Abnormal temperature is common amongst very preterm infants after birth, and is an independent risk factor for mortality.

The current guidelines recommend a combination of interventions to prevent heat loss after birth. Despite this, abnormal temperature is still a problem, across all climates and economies.

New and emerging delivery room practice (i.e., delayed cord clamping, mobile resuscitation trolleys, early skin to skin care) may have an effect on infant temperature. This article reviews the current evidence and recommendations, and considers future research directions.
Multivariate patterns of brain functional connectome associated with COVID-19-related negative affect symptoms
Authors: Pan Nanfang , Wang Song , Lan Huan , Zhang Xun , Qin Kun , Kemp Graham J. , Suo Xueling , Gong Qiyong
Published: January 2024

Severe mental health problems with the representation of negative affect symptoms (NAS) have been increasingly reported during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to explore the multivariate patterns of brain functional connectome predicting COVID-19-related NAS. This cohort study encompassed a group of university students to undergo neuroimaging scans before the pandemic, and we re-contacted participants for 1-year follow-up COVID-related NAS evaluations during the pandemic. Regularized canonical correlation analysis was used to identify connectome-based dimensions of NAS to compute pairs of canonical variates. The predictive ability of identified functional connectome to NAS dimensional scores was examined with a nested cross-validation. Two dimensions (i.e.mode stressandmode anxiety) were related to distinct patterns of brain functional connectome (r2 = 0.911,PFDR = 0.048;r2 = 0.901,PFDR = 0.037, respectively).Mode anxietywas characterized by high loadings in connectivity between affective network (AFN) and visual network (VN), while connectivity of the default mode network with dorsal attention network (DAN) were remarkably prominent inmode stress. Connectivity patterns within the DAN and between DAN and VN, ventral attention network, and AFN was common for both dimensions. The identified functional connectome can reliably predictmode stress(r = 0.37, MAE = 5.1,p < 0.001) andmode anxiety(r = 0.28, MAE = 5.4,p = 0.005) in the cross-validation. Our findings provide new insight into multivariate dimensions of COVID-related NAS, which may have implications for developing network-based biomarkers in psychological interventions for vulnerable individuals in the pandemic.
Altered dynamic functional and effective connectivity in drug-naive children with Tourette syndrome
Authors: Luo Lekai , Liao Yi , Jia Fenglin , Ning Gang , Liu Jing , Li Xuesheng , Chen Xijian , Ma Xinmao , He Xuejia , Fu Chuan , Cai Xiaotang , Qu Haibo
Published: January 2024

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a developmental neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary tics, the neurological basis of which remains unclear. Although traditional resting-state MRI (rfMRI) studies have identified abnormal static functional connectivity (FC) in patients with TS, dynamic FC (dFC) remains relatively unexplored. The rfMRI data of 54 children with TS and 46 typically developing children (TDC) were analyzed using group independent component analysis to obtain independent components (ICs), and a sliding-window approach to generate dFC matrices. All dFC matrices were clustered into two reoccurring states, the state transition metrics were obtained. We conducted Granger causality and nodal topological analyses to further investigate the brain regions that may play the most important roles in driving whole-brain switching between different states. We found that children with TS spent more time in state 2 (PFDR < 0.001), a state characterized by strong connectivity between ICs, and switched more quickly between states (PFDR = 0.025) than TDC. The default mode network (DMN) may play an important role in abnormal state transitions because the FC that changed the most between the two states was between the DMN and other networks. Additionally, the DMN had increased degree centrality, efficiency and altered causal influence on other networks. Certain alterations related to executive function (r = –0.309, P < 0.05) and tic symptom ratings (r = 0.282; 0.413, P < 0.05) may represent important aspects of the pathophysiology of TS. These findings facilitate our understanding of the neural basis for the clinical presentation of TS.
Activating p53 abolishes self-renewal of quiescent leukaemic stem cells in residual CML disease
Authors: Scott Mary T. , Liu Wei , Mitchell Rebecca , Clarke Cassie J. , Kinstrie Ross , Warren Felix , Almasoudi Hassan , Stevens Thomas , Dunn Karen , Pritchard John , Drotar Mark E. , Michie Alison M. , Jørgensen Heather G. , Higgins Brian , Copland Mhairi , Vetrie David
Published: January 2024

Whilst it is recognised that targeting self-renewal is an effective way to functionally impair the quiescent leukaemic stem cells (LSC) that persist as residual disease in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), developing therapeutic strategies to achieve this have proved challenging. We demonstrate that the regulatory programmes of quiescent LSC in chronic phase CML are similar to that of embryonic stem cells, pointing to a role for wild type p53 in LSC self-renewal. In support of this, increasing p53 activity in primitive CML cells using an MDM2 inhibitor in combination with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor resulted in reduced CFC outputs and engraftment potential, followed by loss of multilineage priming potential and LSC exhaustion when combination treatment was discontinued. Our work provides evidence that targeting LSC self-renewal is exploitable in the clinic to irreversibly impair quiescent LSC function in CML residual disease – with the potential to enable more CML patients to discontinue therapy and remain in therapy-free remission.
Trial-history biases in evidence accumulation can give rise to apparent lapses in decision-making
Authors: Gupta Diksha , DePasquale Brian , Kopec Charles D. , Brody Carlos D.
Published: January 2024

Trial history biases and lapses are two of the most common suboptimalities observed during perceptual decision-making. These suboptimalities are routinely assumed to arise from distinct processes. However, previous work has suggested that they covary in their prevalence and that their proposed neural substrates overlap. Here we demonstrate that during decision-making, history biases and apparent lapses can both arise from a common cognitive process that is optimal under mistaken beliefs that the world is changing i.e. nonstationary. This corresponds to an accumulation-to-bound model with history-dependent updates to the initial state of the accumulator. We test our model’s predictions about the relative prevalence of history biases and lapses, and show that they are robustly borne out in two distinct decision-making datasets of male rats, including data from a novel reaction time task. Our model improves the ability to precisely predict decision-making dynamics within and across trials, by positing a process through which agents can generate quasi-stochastic choices.
Proteomic screens of SEL1L-HRD1 ER-associated degradation substrates reveal its role in glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein biogenesis
Authors: Wei Xiaoqiong , Lu You , Lin Liangguang Leo , Zhang Chengxin , Chen Xinxin , Wang Siwen , Wu Shuangcheng Alivia , Li Zexin Jason , Quan Yujun , Sun Shengyi , Qi Ling
Published: January 2024

Endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) plays indispensable roles in many physiological processes; however, the nature of endogenous substrates remains largely elusive. Here we report a proteomics strategy based on the intrinsic property of the SEL1L-HRD1 ERAD complex to identify endogenous ERAD substrates both in vitro and in vivo. Following stringent filtering using a machine learning algorithm, over 100 high-confidence potential substrates are identified in human HEK293T and mouse brown adipose tissue, among which ~88% are cell type-specific. One of the top shared hits is the catalytic subunit of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-transamidase complex, PIGK. Indeed, SEL1L-HRD1 ERAD attenuates the biogenesis of GPI-anchored proteins by specifically targeting PIGK for proteasomal degradation. Lastly, several PIGK disease variants in inherited GPI deficiency disorders are also SEL1L-HRD1 ERAD substrates. This study provides a platform and resources for future effort to identify proteome-wide endogenous substrates in vivo, and implicates SEL1L-HRD1 ERAD in many cellular processes including the biogenesis of GPI-anchored proteins.
Surface-confined alternating copolymerization with molecular precision by stoichiometric control
Authors: Xing Lingbo , Li Jie , Bai Yuchen , Lin Yuxuan , Xiao Lianghong , Li Changlin , Zhao Dahui , Wang Yongfeng , Chen Qiwei , Liu Jing , Wu Kai
Published: January 2024

Keen desires for artificial mimicry of biological polymers and property improvement of synthesized ones have triggered intensive explorations for sequence-controlled copolymerization. However, conventional synthesis faces great challenges to achieve this goal due to the strict requirements on reaction kinetics of comonomer pairs and tedious synthetic processes. Here, sequence-controlled alternating copolymerization with molecular precision is realized on surface. The stoichiometric control serves as a thermodynamic strategy to steer the polymerization selectivity, which enables the selective alternating organometallic copolymerization via intermolecular metalation of 4,4”-dibromo-p-terphenyl (P-Br) and 2,5-diethynyl-1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene (A-H) with Ag adatoms on Ag(111) at P-Br: A-H = 2, as verified by scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory studies. In contrast, homopolymerization yield increases as the stoichiometric ratio deviates from 2. The microscopic characterizations rationalize the mechanism, providing a delicate explanation of the stoichiometry-dependent polymerization. These findings pave a way to actualizing an efficient sequence control of copolymerization by surface chemistry.
A dataset of global tropical cyclone wind and surface wave measurements from buoy and satellite platforms
Authors: Tamizi Ali , Young Ian R.
Published: January 2024

There are now a range of potential data sources for wind and surface wave conditions within tropical cyclones. These sources include: in situ buoy data and remote sensing data from satellite altimeters, scatterometers, and radiometers. In addition, data providing estimates of tropical cyclone tracks and wind field parameters are available from best track archives. The present dataset brings together this information in a single archive, providing the available data for each tropical cyclone from each of the data sources in a single file. The data consists of observations in a total of 2927 global tropical cyclones over the period from 1985 to 2017. Global statistics of the observations are provided, along with data on the geographic distribution of tropical cyclones within the database.
Developing an ontology of non-pharmacological treatment for emotional and mood disturbances in dementia
Authors: Zhang Zhenyu , Yu Ping , Yin Mengyang , Chang Hui Chen , Thomas Susan J. , Wei Wenxi , Song Ting , Deng Chao
Published: January 2024

Emotional and mood disturbances are common in people with dementia. Non-pharmacological interventions are beneficial for managing these disturbances. However, effectively applying these interventions, particularly in the person-centred approach, is a complex and knowledge-intensive task. Healthcare professionals need the assistance of tools to obtain all relevant information that is often buried in a vast amount of clinical data to form a holistic understanding of the person for successfully applying non-pharmacological interventions. A machine-readable knowledge model, e.g., ontology, can codify the research evidence to underpin these tools. For the first time, this study aims to develop an ontology entitled Dementia-Related Emotional And Mood Disturbance Non-Pharmacological Treatment Ontology (DREAMDNPTO). DREAMDNPTO consists of 1258 unique classes (concepts) and 70 object properties that represent relationships between these classes. It meets the requirements and quality standards for biomedical ontology. As DREAMDNPTO provides a computerisable semantic representation of knowledge specific to non-pharmacological treatment for emotional and mood disturbances in dementia, it will facilitate the application of machine learning to this particular and important health domain of emotional and mood disturbance management for people with dementia.
GC–MS analysis, molecular docking, and pharmacokinetic studies of Multidentia crassa extracts’ compounds for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in dentistry
Authors: Chikowe Ibrahim , Bwaila King David , Ugbaja Samuel Chima , Abouzied Amr S.
Published: January 2024

Plant extracts have been useful for oral health or dentistry. However, only a few evidence-based justifications exist. This study evaluated Multidentia crassa (Hiern) Bridson & Verdc, one of the oral health-used plants in Malawi. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) identified the extracts’ compounds. The pharmacokinetics of the identified compounds were studied using pkCSM and SwissADME, and molecular docking studies were used to identify potential drug candidates for oral health by predicting the binding affinity of the compounds to cyclooxygenases, interleukin-1 beta receptors, odontoblast cold sensor proteins, and purinergic receptor P2X3. FT-IR analysis showed characteristic peaks of phenols, carboxylic acids, alkenes, alkyl halides, amines, esters, ethers, aromatics, and lipids. GC–MS results showed the presence of 58 bioactive phytocompounds, some of which have various pharmacological activities relevant to oral health. Molecular docking further validated stigmastan-3,5-diene’s potency for analgesic and anti-inflammatory purposes. Based on a literature review, this is the first report on the bioactive compounds of M. crassa extracts showing analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. This study's results can lead to new herbal and conventional medicines. Therefore, we recommend in vivo and in vitro studies to elucidate the pharmacological effects of the plant extracts.
Understanding patients' mobility for treatment seeking in India
Authors: Karmakar Ranjan , Reddy Umenthala Srikanth , Bhagat Ram Babu
Published: January 2024

Healthcare systems worldwide are grappling with the challenge of providing high-quality healthcare in the face of evolving disease patterns. India, like many other countries, faces a significant treatment gap for various curable impairments, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). To address their healthcare needs, individuals often relocate in search of better treatment options. However, no studies were conducted to understand the spatial mobility. This paper explores the determinants of spatial mobility for treatment in India using data from NSS 75th round (2017–2018). A total of 64,779 individual medical cases of different diseases were taken into consideration for our analysis. Fixed effect and multinomial regression models were used to understand diseases specific mobility for treatment. It was found that those with CVDs, NCDs, and disabilities are more prone to travel outside their district for medical care. Rural and economically disadvantaged individuals also tend to travel further for treatment. The key factors impacting treatment-seeking mobility include insurance coverage, hospital quality, cost of medicine, and cost of X-rays/surgeries. The study highlights the need for improved policies to address the gap between healthcare needs and infrastructure in India, with a focus on prioritizing the development of local healthcare facilities for disabilities, NCDs, and CVDs.
Chemical elements in Elaeis guineensis materials and derived oil
Authors: Thompson-Morrison Hadee , Ariantiningsih Fransisca , Arief Sugesti Muhammad , Gaw Sally , Robinson Brett
Published: January 2024

The production of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) in Southeast Asia is vital to the economies of Indonesia and Malaysia. Both fertilisers and pesticides used in palm production can contain elevated concentrations of Trace Elements (TEs) which may accumulate in soils and leaf tissues of plants. We hypothesised that leaves from oil palms may be deficient in essential elements, while containing elevated concentrations of non-essential TEs commonly found in agrichemicals. Samples of plant materials (leaves and fruitlets) were collected from active and former plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia, and analysed for essential and non-essential elements. Indonesian palm oil samples were sourced in New Zealand and their elemental concentrations determined. Leaf materials from both active and abandoned production sites were deficient in N, K, S and Mo, while leaf materials from abandoned sites were deficient in P. These deficiencies may have been a contributing factor to the abandonment of production at these sites. Concentrations of non-essential elements were below or comparable to average plant concentrations and no evidence of contamination was found in plant tissues. Palm oil contained low concentrations of TEs, which did not pose any toxicity risks. However, Na and Al were present in concentrations of 1198 and 159 mg kg−1respectively, which were higher than have been previously reported. Tropical oil palm production could benefit from the determination of bioaccumulation factors for fertiliser contaminants inE. guineensis, to limit the transfer of contaminants to plants and products if increased fertiliser applications were used to correct nutrient deficiencies.