bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antiferroelectric Order in Nematic Liquids: Flexoelectricity Versus Electrostatics
Authors: Medle Rupnik Peter , Hanžel Ema , Lovšin Matija , Osterman Natan , Gibb Calum Jordan , Mandle Richard J. , Sebastián Nerea , Mertelj Alenka 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
The recent discovery of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystalline phases marks a major breakthrough in soft matter research. An intermediate phase, often observed between the nonpolar and the ferroelectric nematic phase, shows a distinct antiferroelectric response to electric fields. However, its structure and formation mechanisms remain debated, with flexoelectric and electrostatics effects proposed as competing mechanisms. By controlling the magnitude of electrostatic forces through ion addition in two representative ferroelectric nematic materials, it is shown that the primary mechanism for the emergence of antiferroelectric order is the flexoelectric coupling between electric polarization and splay deformation of the nematic director. The addition of ions significantly expands the temperature range over which the antiferroelectric phase is observed, with this range increasing with increasing ion concentration. Polarizing optical microscopy studies and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy reveal the splayed structure modulated in 2D, while SHG interferometry confirms its antiferroelectric character. The model previously used to describe pretransitional behavior is extended by incorporating the electrostatic contribution of ions. The model shows qualitative agreement with the experiments, accurately reproducing the phase diagram and temperature‐dependent evolution of the modulation period of the observed structure.
Photocatalytic Reforming Raw Plastic in Seawater by Atomically‐Engineered GeS/ZnIn2S4
Authors: Talebian‐Kiakalaieh Amin , Li Haobo , Guo Meijun , Hashem Elhussein M. , Xia Bingquan , Ran Jingrun , Qiao Shi‐Zhang 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe escalating crisis of oceanic plastic pollution demands innovative and effective strategies for resolution. Photocatalysis offers a sustainable, green, and energy‐efficient approach for the upcycling of plastic waste into fuels and value‐added chemicals. In this study, an atomically engineered GeS NS/ZnIn₂S₄ photocatalyst is employed to directly transform raw polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a ubiquitous plastic, into a variety of organic chemicals (13 917 µmol g⁻¹) using Earth's most abundant resources: sunlight, seawater, and air. Advanced ex situ and in situ characterization analyses reveal that sulfur vacancies (Vs) and electrolyte‐assisted polarization effect of seawater play crucial roles in trapping photogenerated electrons and accelerating charge carrier separation, respectively. These effects significantly enhance photocatalytic plastic upcycling efficiency and improve oxidative organic reactions. This research introduces a methodology that accounts for real‐world conditions in photocatalytic plastic upcycling, utilizing abundant natural resources and paving the way for further exploration in this area.
Phenotypic Expansion: Fetus With Cole‐Carpenter Type 2 Presenting With Novel Neonatal Lethal Skeletal Dysplasia
Authors: Burrill Natalie , Teefey Christina Paidas , Wright Renee , Huynh Minh‐Huy , Schindewolf Erica , Pilchman Lisa , Crane Haley , Noyes Amanda G. , Roman Amanda , Gulersen Moti , Moldenhauer Julie S. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTWe report a 28‐year‐old G2P0 at 24 weeks 5 days who presented for evaluation secondary to suspected skeletal dysplasia in her fetus. Fetal ultrasound imaging demonstrated foreshortened long bones by 9–10 weeks, multiple bowing deformities and fractures, 11 foreshortened paired ribs with fractures, decreased skull mineralization, frontal bossing, enlarged cavum septum pellucidi, and severe fetal growth restriction (< 2%). Findings were concerning for life limiting condition with thoracic circumference < 2.5%, femur length/abdominal circumference ratio of 0.13, and the thoracic circumference/abdominal circumference ratio of 0.77 and a palliative care path was pursued. Exome sequencing through chorionic villus sampling revealed two variants SEC24D, a maternally inherited likely pathogenic variant at c.3031_3040delinsC, and a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) at c.2676 + 5del. These variants, along with the clinical overlap in the fetus were likely causative of a diagnosis of Cole‐carpenter syndrome type 2 (CLCRP2). Most publications of CLCRP2 report a fairly favorable prognosis. Concern for life limiting prenatal presentation has not been reported. We report a case of CLCRP2 that phenocopies perinatally lethal type OI and that resulted in early neonatal demise from respiratory compromise.
Manubriosternal Morphology of Anthropoid Primates
Authors: Middleton Emily R. , Alwell Morgan T. , Ward Carol V. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe purpose of this paper is to examine the proportions of the manubrium and sternebrae across anthropoid primates to explore variation hypothesized to be related to thoracic shape and locomotor specialization, and to determine whether the sternoclavicular joint orientation in hominoids reflects hypothesized differences in shoulder joint positioning relative to the thorax.Materials and MethodsMetric data and sternoclavicular joint orientation data were collected from calibrated photographs of manubria and sternebrae from a large sample (n = 244) of extant anthropoid primates, as well as a small sample of fossil taxa. Manubriosternal and rib cage metric data were also collected from CT scans of an additional 52 extant anthropoid torsos. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analyses, and linear correlations.ResultsManubriosternal morphology varies among anthropoids and appears to track thoracic shape and positional repertoire. Hominoids tend to have broader manubria and sterna than monkeys. Ekembo and Equatorius appear to most closely resemble colobines and Alouatta in sternebral shape, suggesting a thorax most similar to these taxa. Neandertals and early anatomically modern humans are most similar to humans, providing no evidence for a relatively broad rib cage. Sternoclavicular joint orientation also differs among hominoids, with all hominoids having more cranially inclined joint surfaces than humans. The human‐like value observed for Australopithecus sediba supports the hypothesis that the clavicle in this species was not inclined laterally in resting posture.ConclusionsGiven the correlation between manubriosternal breadths and thoracic form across anthropoids, this study suggests that manubriosterna may provide useful information for interpreting skeletal form and positional repertoires in fossil anthropoids.
Psychosis in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Ballard Clive G 
Published: January 2025

AbstractPsychosis is a common and distressing disorder in people with Alzheimer disease, associated with a poor clinical prognosis, an increased risk of institutionalization and for which there are no approved treatments. New approaches to diagnosis and symptom assessment and treatment are beginning to move the field forward, including the emergence of psychosis at the pre‐clinical or even pre‐cognitive impairment stages of disease in some individuals. The Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART) research criteria for psychosis in neurodegenerative disease, and the ISTAART criteria for mild behavioural impairment are examples of recent developments. New genomic, neuroimaging, post‐mortem and neurobiology studies are beginning to refine our mechanistic understanding and providing novel opportunities for drug discovery, drug repurposing and potentially for better approaches to precision medicine. Emerging potential therapies include the 5HT2A inverse agonist pimavanserin, which is already licensed in the US for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, escitalopram, muscarinic agonists and cannabidiol. Emerging data also highlight opportunities to optimize and develop more targeted psychological therapies for people with Alzheimer’s disease psychosis. The treatment of psychosis also remains a major challenge in synuclein dementias where psychosis is more frequent and more persistent, and where many patients experience severe sensitivity reactions to antipsychotic medications. There is very little work examining the mechanisms or treatment of psychosis in people with vascular dementia, which remains a major unmet need. Although the assessment and management of psychosis in people with dementia remain challenging, improved diagnosis, evolving mechanistic understanding and an increased focus on new treatment studies are providing direction and new opportunities to the field and to people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Surrogate endpoints ‐ clinical and analytical considerations for maximal utility in trial design, drug development and regulatory decision making
Authors: Molenberghs Geert 
Published: January 2025

AbstractAn overview is given of surrogate marker evaluation, starting from the original definition of Prentice and his criteria, the estimation framework of Freedman, the meta‐analytic framework, and the evaluation of surrogate endpoints from a causal inference point of view.Attention will be given, in particular, to evaluating tau‐PET as a reasonably likely surrogate in Alzheimer’s Disease. A meta‐analytic surrogate marker evaluation approach will be followed, for a continuous surrogate and a continuous true endpoint. Provisions are made to use both clinical trial data as well as natural history (real world) data. The statistical analysis consists of two steps: (1) a federated step where every site analyzes its own data, according to this protocol and the software provided; (2) a central step where the data hub processes the model outputs from the first step. The federated data analysis is a framework. As such, it can be applied based on a variety of choices made. Such choices pertain to patient population (e.g., early versus later stage), cognitive scale used (or, alternatively, sub‐scale or custom‐made item set), and particular tau PET measurement used (e.g., with variation over region of interest). A number of possible extensions are discussed too, as well as a single‐trial evaluation method to complement the federated meta‐analysis.
Empowering Patient Choice: The Essential Need for a Voluntary Advance Directive Framework in Healthcare
Authors: Frilling Stephanie 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundA Medicare Voluntary Advance Directive Framework (Framework) would enable the creation, storage, and sharing of advance directive documents, ensuring end‐of‐life care appropriately honors the individual and their care wishes, while supporting healthcare teams and family members in making care decisions for their patients and loved ones.With Medicare enrollment reaching over 65 million beneficiaries in 2023, and Alzheimer’s becoming one of the most expensive conditions ‐ CMS policy makers have a growing responsibility to improve care quality at end‐of‐life.MethodThe federal government will be called upon to assist providers in navigating documents and legal variations of approved forms of directives among the different states, and in ensuring privacy standards that keep an individual’s health data secure. Successful and secure data management at the federal level will be essential to achieving nationwide efficacy in furnishing advance care based upon an individual’s directive.ResultThe lack of a centralized registry for advance directives is particularly felt in underserved and marginalized communities, where access to reliable health care information management is often limited. Our Framework addresses this void by offering a dedicated data and document repository. It would serve as a beacon of health equity, meticulously recording and protecting individual health care directives and bridging the availability gap in regions plagued by health disparities. By assuring that advance directives are swiftly accessible and seamlessly incorporated into healthcare delivery, Medicare will improve quality of care and satisfaction for beneficiaries and uphold the dignity of personal health care decisions across all demographics. As a vital element of the health care system, a registry would ensure that all individual’s care preferences are known and honored, facilitating a more consistent and respectful patient experience.ConclusionOur poster/presentation identifies challenges associated with managing advanced directives for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Federal programs have a responsibility to ensure quality care and appropriate spending. Our work considers public policies and analyze spending for patient who have an advance directive and those that who do not across the health care continuum.
Understanding dementia aetiology in Uganda
Authors: Prynn Josephine E , Mugisha Joseph , Steves Claire J , Peto Tunde , Kimono Beatrice , Prince Martin J 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundThe prevalence of dementia in low‐ and middle‐income countries is increasing, yet epidemiological data from African populations remains scarce. Crucial risk factors differ in Africa from more intensively studied global areas, including a high burden of cerebrovascular disease (evidenced by high stroke incidence) and HIV, but lower rates of other risk factors such as physical inactivity. In the pre‐antiretroviral therapy era, dementia was a common consequence of HIV infection. However, it is not clear from existing literature what effect, if any, chronic and well‐controlled HIV has on cognition with ageing.Understanding dementia aetiology in African settings has been limited by the expensive and invasive nature of biomarker testing. This study leverages developments in biomarker technology to examine the drivers of dementia in older Ugandans. This includes using blood‐based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and retinal imaging with automated analysis of vascular morphology as a proxy for cerebrovascular disease.Among older adults in a Ugandan population, this study will evaluate the prevalence of dementia, establish the pathological processes underlying dementia to inform risk reduction strategies, and examine the impact of dementia on individuals and their caregivers.MethodsThe study is nested within the existing General Population Cohort (GPC) run by the Medical Research Council /Uganda Virus Research Institute (MRC/UVRI) & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) Research Unit and includes all adults over 60.In Step 1, cohort participants will undergo cognitive screening. Based on screening scores, a subgroup will undergo cognitive assessments using tools developed by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group to determine dementia diagnoses.Step 2 is a case control study of people with and without dementia using antecedent data, questionnaires, physical assessment, retinal imaging, and Alzheimer’s blood‐based biomarkers. We will also compare disability, frailty, quality of life, and social engagement in people with and without dementia.ResultsWe will identify the prevalence of dementia, odds ratios, and population attributable fractions for both modifiable risk factors for dementia and the pathological processes of Alzheimer’s pathology and cerebrovascular disease.ConclusionsThis will be first study in Africa to examine pathological processes leading to dementia including markers of Alzheimer’s and cerebrovascular disease.
Nursing home staff experiences with providing dementia care
Authors: Wong Carin M. , Como Dominique H. , Lekovitch Cara A. , Chew Felicia M , Kuziak Cindy , Leland Natalie E 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundCaring for nursing home residents with dementia can be challenging. Staff who work in nursing homes tend to have high staff turnover. In order to help with staff retention, there needs to be an understanding of the job role. There is limited research examining staff experiences providing nursing home dementia care. Prior research has largely focused on the negative experiences of staff, such as difficulty managing residents’ behaviors, staff burnout, and staff stress, instead of positive experiences. It is important to understand the collective staff experience (i.e., both positive and negative experiences) in delivering dementia care, which can inform the development of job descriptions and hiring of nursing home staff who are a good fit.MethodsThis qualitative study was embedded within a pragmatic clinical trial. Participants were interviewed to gather staff perspectives on two approaches to dementia care training (team‐ and problem‐based). Interviews were conducted with 327 staff members representing a range of job roles. A rapid qualitative analysis approach was used to analyze the interviews. During the analysis, staff experiences in providing dementia care were consistently described. A thematic analysis approach was used to further analyze the data describing positive and negative experiences providing dementia care.ResultsStaff described experiencing both positives and negatives caring for residents with dementia. Positive experiences included three themes: the inter‐personal relationship with residents (e.g., learning about residents’ likes, dislikes, history), the emotional experiences from providing care (e.g., having a sense of purpose), and the cognitive demands of the job (e.g., using different strategies to distract residents). Challenges included two themes: the physical and cognitive demands of the job (e.g., not being able to manage residents’ behaviors) and the emotional impact on staff (e.g., affecting staff mental health).ConclusionsNursing home staff report positive and negative experiences while providing care to people with dementia. In order to ensure appropriate staff are being hired, nursing home administrators and hiring personnel should highlight the positives and describe the potential negative experiences that staff may have in caring for residents with dementia.
Development of Patient Resource for Lecanemab APOE Genetic Testing
Authors: Klee Victoria , Dratch Laynie , Fong Jamie C , Freeman Abigail A , Rumbaugh Malia C. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractCurrent joint practice guidelines (PG) on genetic counseling and testing for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), published in 2011 by the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and American College of Medical Genetics), recommend against clinical APOE genetic testing. These recommendations were largely followed, as seen in a survey of AD Research Centers in 2019 where only 7% of centers reported disclosure of APOE to research participants.However, because the risk of amyloid related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) associated with anti‐amyloid therapy is increased for those with one or two copies of APOE e4, the FDA now endorses APOE testing for those considering this treatment. The current PG states that APOE testing should only occur within the context of genetic counseling. Because AD is a common disease, it is not feasible for genetic counselors to see every patient with MCI or early‐stage AD considering anti‐amyloid therapy. APOE testing is complex, with implications not only for the patient, but for their family members. This has created a need for patient‐facing educational materials and revised clinical guidelines, including when to refer for genetic counseling.The NSGC Dementia Workgroup has received approval to formally update the current PG. Meanwhile, we recognize the urgent need for patient‐facing materials. We therefore developed a factsheet on APOE testing for lecanemab to be used by any provider prescribing the therapy. It has been reviewed by stakeholder and professional groups to optimize utility. Additional multimedia resources are in development.Although there is a spotlight on APOE given the advances in anti‐amyloid therapeutics, the genetic landscape of AD is much more complicated and evolving. The future of genetic testing for AD includes broader dementia panel testing, exome and genome sequencing, proteomic testing for APOE and polygenic risk scores. Furthermore, APOE testing will likely expand to asymptomatic individuals for risk stratification and research participation. These new directions will increase the need for patient education and additional updates to the PG, as well as appropriate triage to maximize benefits from limited genetic counseling resources.
Current evidence and prevalence of dementia care in East Africa‐Uganda a systematic review
Authors: Moses Waiswa , Simon Wandera , Melinda Namuli , Davidson Kalsonid 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundUganda has an increasing population of older persons who require special attention to reduce the burden of dementia. With the growing prevalence of dementia worldwide, two third of the people with dementia are projected to be from the de‐eloping countries by 2050. Few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of dementia and its association with central nervous system (CNS) infections among older persons in African settings, particularly in Uganda.MethodsThe study was conducted in March 2022 among 434 older persons aged 50 and above years who were selected by multistage sampling. Data were collected using an inter‐viewer administered questionnaire supplemented with information from participant’s medical records and a brief community screening instrument for dementia. The instrument classifies dementia into unlikely, probable or possible dementia. Data were entered in duplicate into EpiData version 3.0, then transferred to statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 23 for statistical analysis.ResultsOur study found almost one in four (23%) of the older persons in tororo district eastern part of Uganda were suffering from probable or possible dementia. Our study further found that older persons with a positive history of central nervous system infections (CNS) had nearly five times higher odds of having probable or possible dementia compared to their counterparts (cOR: 4,5: 2.76‐7.23; p< 0.001). Being in advanced age of 70+ years (aOR: 2.6; 5:4; 1.4 ‐20.5; p = 0.013), and chronic headache (aOR: 1.9; 1.1‐3.1:p = 0.019) were independent predictors of probable or possible dementia among participants in the study.ConclusionThis study highlights dementia as a growing public health issue in the African settings, in Uganda with over 1243 individuals affected in 2021. The findings emphasize the urgent need for investment in research and specialized services for older adults, particularly those with dementia.