bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Upper Gastrointestinal Mucosal Damage and Subsequent Risk of Parkinson Disease
Authors: Chang Jocelyn J. , Kulkarni Subhash , Pasricha Trisha S. 
Published: September 2024

ImportanceThe gut-first hypothesis of Parkinson disease (PD) has gained traction, yet potential inciting events triggering Parkinson pathology from gut-related factors remain unclear. While Helicobacter pylori infection is linked to mucosal damage (MD) and PD, it is unknown how upper gastrointestinal MD from any source increases PD risk.ObjectiveTo evaluate any association between upper endoscopy findings of MD and subsequent clinical PD diagnosis.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a retrospective cohort study of patients with no PD history undergoing upper endoscopy with biopsy between January 2000 and December 2005, with final follow-up assessments completed July 31, 2023. The study was conducted within the Mass General Brigham system, a multicenter network in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Patients with MD were matched 1:3 to patients without MD based on age, sex, and date of initial endoscopy.ExposureMD, defined as erosions, esophagitis, ulcers, or peptic injury, observed on upper endoscopy or pathology reports.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe relative risk of PD given a history of MD, estimated using incident rate ratio (IRR) and multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs).ResultsOf 9350 patients, participants had a mean (SD) age of 52.3 (20.3) years; 5177 (55.4%) were male; and 269 (2.9%) were Asian, 737 (7.9%) Black, and 6888 (73.7%) White. Most participants underwent endoscopy between the ages of 50 and 64 years (2842 [30.4%]). At baseline, patients with MD were more likely to have a history of H pylori infection, proton-pump inhibitor use, chronic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, gastroesophageal reflux disease, smoking, constipation, and dysphagia. The mean (SD) follow-up time was 14.9 (6.9) years for the whole cohort, during which patients with MD were more likely to develop PD (IRR, 4.15; 95% CI, 2.89-5.97; P &amp;lt; .001) than those without MD, even after covariate adjustment (HR, 1.76; 95% CI 1.11-2.51; P = .01). Constipation, dysphagia, older age, and higher Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Index were also associated with higher PD risk.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study, a history of upper gastrointestinal MD was associated with elevated risk of developing a clinical PD diagnosis. Increased vigilance among patients with MD for future PD risk may be warranted.
Efficacy of a Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor as a Treatment for Meniere Disease
Authors: Rizk Habib , Monaghan Neil P. , Shah Sunny , Liu Yuan , Keith Brian A. , Jeong Seth , Nguyen Shaun A. 
Published: September 2024

ImportanceMeniere disease accounts for up to 15% of new vestibular diagnoses,; however, the optimal treatment has yet to be identified. A conservative treatment that would reduce or stop the vertigo episodes has not been identified.ObjectiveTo determine the efficacy of a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, venlafaxine, compared to placebo in treating patients with Meniere disease.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study spanning 22 weeks of follow-up. The clinical trial took place at a single-center tertiary referral center in Charleston, South Carolina. Participants were eligible if they were 18 years or older, had definite Meniere disease criteria as defined by Barany criteria, had at least 2 episodes in the last month, had not received intratympanic gentamycin, skull base surgery, or radiation therapy to the head or neck, not currently taking diuretics for Meniere disease, not currently taking oral steroids, and not currently taking serotonin-modulating medication. Patients were enrolled between February 2020 and September 2023.InterventionsPatients received either 1 venlafaxine tablet, 37.5 mg, taken daily by mouth for 8 weeks or 1 placebo tablet taken daily by mouth for 8 weeks. Group 1 received placebo during phase 1 of the trial and venlafaxine in phase 2 of the trial. Group 2 received venlafaxine during phase 1 of the trial and placebo in phase 2 of the trial.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcomes included the number of episodes and scores on the following scales: Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Neuropsychological Vertigo Inventory, Meniere Disease Patient-Oriented Symptom Index, 20-Item Short Form Health Survey, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Cognitive Failure Questionnaire.ResultsA total of 182 patients were screened, and 40 participants with Meniere disease enrolled in the trial. The mean (SD) age of participants was 56.6 (14.3) years, and 22 (55%) were female. Participants had a mean (SD) of 13.8 (10.1) episodes per phase at baseline, 5.4 (4.4) episodes (Δ8.4) during the venlafaxine phase, and 5.0 (4.6) episodes (Δ8.8) during the placebo phase. No significant difference was identified between venlafaxine and placebo groups in the number of episodes or quality-of-life metrics.Conclusions and RelevanceThis randomized clinical trial failed to identify a difference between venlafaxine and placebo in number of episodes and other quality-of-life metrics. Future studies may benefit from different dosing regimens, larger cohorts, and longer lengths of therapy.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04218123
A method to quantitatively characterize the formation and dissociation of tumor cell clusters using light transmission aggregometry
Authors: Kottana Regina Komal , Schnoor Brian , Papa Anne‐Laure 
Published: September 2024

In this paper, we have modified the workflow of the traditional light transmission aggregometry (LTA) protocol to characterize tumor cell clusters in vitro in a quantifiable and multifaceted manner. Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters have high metastatic potential compared to single tumor cells traveling in the bloodstream. Thus, engineering new therapeutic strategies that specifically target this CTC population is essential. To accomplish this, quantifiable methods to characterize their therapeutic effect on tumor cell clusters is a prerequisite. The method presented here enables the user to precisely quantify the dissociation of cancer cell clusters in the presence of clinically relevant fibrinolytic agents, such as alteplase and tenecteplase. The efficacy of the fibrinolytic agents can be quantified using this in vitro assay, prior to conducting preclinical studies. Here, we have obtained the fibrinolytic activity data in terms of lag time to the initiation of tumor cell dissociation, time to 25% dissociation, and trend of dissociation over time. To validate the assay, cell counts and phase‐contrast microscopy images were recorded over time. Further, we explored an LTA‐assisted preparation of platelet–tumor‐cell clusters of calibrated size for potential downstream testing/applications. To assess whether the assay is applicable to characterize the dissociation of cancer cell clusters in the presence of platelets, we added low (50 000 platelets·μL−1), normal (200 000 platelets·μL−1) and high (450 000 platelets·μL−1) concentrations of platelets to the tumor cell clusters. In addition to dissociation parameters, microcopy images were recorded over time to validate the assay and enabled the enumeration of clusters and single cells. The correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM) technique was utilized to visualize the morphology and composition of platelet–tumor cell clusters.
Ultrafast Hybrid Computing Systems Enabled by Memristor‐Based Quadratic Programming Circuits
Authors: Liu Zerui , Cheng Hsiang‐Chun , Hossain Sushmit , Meng Deming , Bena Ryan , Shi Yudi , Chen Buyun , Yang Daniel W. , Su Shiyu , Wang Yunxiang , Hu Pan , Palaria Mayank , Yang Hao , Zhang Qiaochu , Song Boxiang , Ou Tse‐Hsien , Ye Jiacheng , Hiramony Nishat Tasnim , Zhang Hongming , Hsu Ting‐Hao , Tang Zhexiang , Cai Zhi , Barnell Mark , Wu Qing , Yang Ce , Cronin Stephen , Nguyen Quan , Chen Mike Shuo‐Wei , Wu Wei 
Published: September 2024

AbstractImplementing algorithms purely on digital computing platforms dramatically halts the performance of conventional computing systems. Revolutionary computing systems with extreme energy efficiency and high accuracy are demanded to handle the growing computing tasks. Here, the research on hybrid analog–digital computing platforms enabled by memristor‐based optimization solvers for achieving ultrafast computations is presented. By utilizing tunable memristors as parameters to solve linear programming (LP) and quadratic programming (QP) problems, a real‐time control algorithm for micro air vehicles (MAVs) and a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm for cancer diagnosis are implemented. These experiments demonstrate over 2000x speed‐up compared to conventional digital platforms, with negligible energy consumption, using a memristor‐based system consisting of six memristors. These findings underscore the vast potential of memristor‐based optimization solvers not only in hybrid analog–digital computing platforms but also as a transformative solution for a wide range of modern computing challenges. This approach promises significant advancements in energy efficiency and ultrafast speed, positioning it as a leading contender for next‐generation computing paradigms.
Oxygen Vacancy Controlled Hyperbolic Metamaterial Based on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) Nanotubes with Switchable Optical Properties
Authors: Herzog Thomas , Habibpourmoghadam Atefeh , Locmelis Sonja , Calà Lesina Antonio , Polarz Sebastian 
Published: September 2024

AbstractNanostructured metamaterials can offer optical properties beyond what is achievable in conventional media, such as negative refraction or sub‐wavelength imaging. Due to their structural anisotropy, the class of high aspect ratio metamaterials is of interest for the possibility of achieving hyperbolic optical properties, i.e., both metallic and dielectric behavior based on the excitation direction. Although investigated numerically, the fabrication of tailor‐made metamaterials is complex or often beyond the reach of current technology. For wire metamaterials composed of aligned metallic nanowires in a dielectric matrix, since the free carrier concentration in metals is fixed, light‐matter interaction cannot be adjusted after fabrication. Here, metamaterials based on plasmonic ITO nanotubes with controllable hyperbolic response are introduced. The synthesis is achieved by a template‐based liquid‐phase technique. The tuning mechanism is based on controlling the carrier density in ITO via oxygen vacancy concentration. The process is reversible, the photonic features are activated by creating oxygen vacancies and can be switched off by filling them up again. Further, it is shown that the carrier concentration can also be controlled via a static electric field. Optical simulations support the experimental findings and highlight the parameters that determine the optical response of the metamaterial.
Mono‐Exponential Current Attenuation with Distance Across 16 nm Thick Bacteriorhodopsin Multilayers
Authors: Chryssikos Domenikos , Fereiro Jerry A. , Rojas Jonathan , Bera Sudipta , Tüzün Defne , Kounoupioti Evanthia , Pereira Rui N. , Pfeiffer Christian , Khoshouei Ali , Dietz Hendrik , Sheves Mordechai , Cahen David , Tornow Marc 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe remarkable ability of natural proteins to conduct electricity in the dry state over long distances remains largely inexplicable despite intensive research. In some cases, a (weakly) exponential length‐attenuation, as in off‐resonant tunneling transport, extends to thicknesses even beyond 10 nm. This report deals with such charge transport characteristics observed in self‐assembled multilayers of the protein bacteriorhodopsin (bR). ≈7.5 to 15.5 nm thick bR layers are prepared on conductive titanium nitride (TiN) substrates using aminohexylphosphonic acid and poly‐diallyl‐dimethylammonium electrostatic linkers. Using conical eutectic gallium‐indium top contacts, an intriguing, mono‐exponential conductance attenuation as a function of the bR layer thickness with a small attenuation coefficient β ≈ 0.8 nm−1 is measured at zero bias. Variable‐temperature measurements using evaporated Ti/Au top contacts yield effective energy barriers of ≈100 meV from fitting the data to tunneling, hopping, and carrier cascade transport models. The observed temperature‐dependence is assigned to the protein‐electrode interfaces. The transport length and temperature dependence of the current densities are consistent with tunneling through the protein–protein, and protein‐electrode interfaces, respectively. Importantly, the results call for new theoretical approaches to find the microscopic mechanism behind the remarkably efficient, long‐range electron transport within bR.
Interpretable Machine Learning for Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms Governing the Transparency of Colorless Transparent Polyimide for OLED Cover Windows
Authors: Zhang Songyang , He Xiaojie , Xiao Peng , Xia Xuejian , Zheng Feng , Xiang Shuangfei , Lu Qinghua 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWith the rapid development of flexible displays and wearable electronics, there are a substantial demand for colorless transparent polyimide (CPI) films with different properties. Traditional trial‐and‐error experimental methods are time‐consuming and costly, and density functional theory based prediction of HOMO‐LUMO gap energy also takes time and is prone to varying degrees of error. Inspired by machine learning (ML) applications in molecular and materials science, this paper proposed a data‐driven ML strategy to study the correlation between microscopic molecular mechanisms and macroscopic optical properties. Based on varying degrees of impact of various molecular features on the cutoff wavelength (λcutoff), the ML algorithm is first used to quickly and accurately predict the λcutoff of CPI. Several new CPI films are then designed and prepared based on the key molecular features, and the predicted values of their λcutoff are effectively verified within the experimental error range. The interpretability provided by the model allows to establish correlations between the nine key descriptors identified and their physicochemical meanings. The contributions are also analyzed to the transparency of polyimide films, thereby giving insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying transparency modulation for CPIs.
Minimize the Electrode Concentration Polarization for High‐Power Lithium Batteries
Authors: Chen Weibin , Wang Kai , Li Yonglong , Chen Jing , Wang Hongbin , Li Liewu , Li Hao , Ren Xiangzhong , Ouyang Xiaoping , Liu Jianhong , Pan Feng , Xiao Biwei , Zhang Qianling , Hu Jiangtao 
Published: September 2024

AbstractHigh‐loading electrode is a prerequisite for achieving high energy density in industrial applications of lithium‐ion batteries. However, an increased loading leads to elevated battery polarization and reduced battery power density, which presents a significant technical bottleneck in the industry. The present study focuses on designing a rapid electrolyte diffusion pathway to diminish lithium concentration polarization for the high‐loading LiNi0.83Mn0.12Co0.05O2 (NMC83) electrode by employing two layers of NMC83 materials with different sizes. This innovative architecture demonstrates exceptional rate performance even under challenging conditions with high‐loading and high‐rate. Additionally, the interrelationships between electrode structure, process route, porosity, and optimal thickness ratio between layers are discussed, providing valuable guidance for industrial promotion and application. The designed L‐Dry‐S electrode structure (coating large particles first and then small particles) effectively mitigates concentration polarization in the thick electrode, which is attributed to the fast electrolyte diffusion channel and the differential reaction speeds of NMC83 particles with varying sizes. The knowledge from this work is broadly applicable to other material systems.
Ultrathin ZIF‐8 Coating‐Reinforced Enzyme Nanoformulation Avoids Lysosomal Degradation for Senile Osteoporosis Therapy
Authors: Liang Shiyuan , Chen Liyuan , Liu Cong , Guo Bowen , Fan Yijie , Li Zhou , Liu Yan , Luo Dan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAntioxidant enzymes are considered to be the most direct and safe candidates to effectively resist oxidative stress and treat senile osteoporosis. However, due to their size, existing enzyme delivery carriers are inevitably endocytosed by cells and subsequently enter endosomes/lysosomes with low pH and rich in acid hydrolase, resulting in the limited therapeutic effects. In this work, an ultrasmall superoxide dismutase (SOD) nanoformulation reinforced with ultrathin ZIF‐8 coating (utZIF‐SOD) via in situ coordination‐mediated self‐assembly strategy is constructed. Notably, utZIF‐SOD achieves direct, efficient cellular uptake mediated by small size effect, thereby avoiding lysosomal degradation. In particular, ultrathin ZIF‐8 coating strengthened the stability of enzyme. Even in aged cells with high oxidative stress levels, utZIF‐SOD maintained excellent stability, and its efficiency in scavenging excess intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) is ≈1.5 times that of native SOD, better promoting the osteogenic differentiation of aged bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. In a senile osteoporosis mouse model, the bone mineral density increment after treatment with utZIF‐SOD is ≈2 times that of native SOD, achieving the reversal of senile osteoporosis. This work demonstrates the great promise in the synthesis of ultrasmall nanoformulations with ultrathin metal‐organic framework coating and opens new avenues for efficient enzyme delivery.
Recent Progress in Advanced Conjugated Coordination Polymers for Rechargeable Batteries
Authors: Gong Hao , Yue Min , Xue Fei , Zhang Songtao , Ma Mengtao , Mu Xiaowei , Xue Hairong , Ma Renzhi 
Published: September 2024

AbstractMetal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have been extensively studied and applied as promising active materials in the field of energy storage and conversion. Recently, conductive π‐d conjugated coordination polymers (CCPs) have garnered significant attention due to their high conductivity, high porosity, tunable components, and adjustable pore sizes. These CCPs typically consist of transition metal ions and organic ligands, forming an in‐plane π‐d conjugated system. In this review, a concise summary of the design principles are provided, synthesis methods, and reaction mechanisms of CCPs as electrodes for energy storage systems, including metal‐ion batteries and supercapacitors. In addition, several novel energy storage applications are highlighted, such as metal‐air batteries and photo‐enhanced batteries. Finally, the challenges that need to be addressed is discussed urgently and offer perspectives on the further application of CCPs in more advanced energy storage and conversion systems.
Event‐Driven Neuroplasticity and Spiking Modulation in a Photoelectric Neuristor Configured by Threshold Switching Memristor and Optoelectronic Transistor
Authors: Chen Kuan‐Ting , Lin Pei‐Lin , Huang Ya‐Chi , Chen Shuai‐Ming , Liao Zih‐Siao , Chen Jen‐Sue 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIntegrating and implementing spiking neurons and synapse into neuromorphic hardware aligned with spiking neural networks (SNNs) offer significant promise for energy‐efficient operation and decision making. In this work, a stacked artificial synapse and spiking neuron utilizing an indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) optosynaptic transistor paired with a vanadium‐based volatile threshold switching memristor are constructed. This compact neuristor encompasses multiple functionalities including the conversion of optical impulses into electrical signals, modifiable post‐synaptic current‐enhanced features, and the implementation of leaky integrate‐and‐fire (LIF) spiking generation behavior, showcasing the capability of information delivery in SNNs. The spiking activity within the proposed configuration can be effectively modulated through the interplay of optical and electrical stimuli. Additionally, the excitatory and inhibitory properties manifested by the spiking behavior underscore the gate‐tunable neuron excitability. Notably, the capacity for accommodating hybrid inputs operation makes achievement of spike‐based associative learning by reviving the Pavlov's dog experiment in the proposed device. Moreover, this research unveils the synaptic weight‐governed spiking activity, demonstrating the sophisticated input–output characteristics of spiking behavior. The stacked memristor and transistor assembly can advance the neuromorphic technologies and lay the foundation for the realization of physical SNNs.
Hierarchical Design of 1D Building Blocks for Anisotropic Aerogel
Authors: Long Xin , Qin Jianan , Tang Jubo , Xue Ji , Wang Yu , Zhou Lichun , Wang Sizhe , Wei Xiongbang , Lin Ying , Liao Jiaxuan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe structural integrity and continuity are prerequisites for exploiting the performance advantages of aerogels, while limitations in mechanical properties, such as low strength, high brittleness, and poor processability confine fully intact aerogels to laboratory settings. Here, a composite aerogel SPCCAM designed with hierarchical structuring into 1D building blocks at the nanoscale and honeycomb‐like anisotropic architecture at the microscale is presented. The inner carboxylated cellulose nanofiber core (CNFs‐C) exhibits much higher strength than the intermediate polybenzoxazine (PBOZ) shell, and the interface is highly reinforced by a crosslinked network of amino and hydrogen bonds, forming a highly stable 1D building block. Superhydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticle (hydrophobic‐260) is discretely distributed on the outer surface of the PBOZ shell, resulting in a nanoscale lotus leaf effect. Thus, the SPCCAM demonstrates outstanding properties including ultrahigh strength, excellent deformability and fatigue resistance, good machinability, ultralow thermal conductivity and coefficient of linear expansion, and superhydrophobicity from the inside out and long‐term hydrophobic stability along the radial direction of microscale channels, defining a novel method for designing aerogels with superior integrated mechanical, thermal insulation, and hydrophobic properties, and offering an attractive solution for high‐efficiency thermal insulators in high‐moisture extreme environments, such as deep‐sea and polar regions.