bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Higher fracture risk associates with worse cognitive performance in Mexico
Authors: Ruiz‐Castillo Karla Paulina , Castro Natalia Pozo , Paradela Regina Silva , Valcour Victor 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundOsteoporosis is associated with an increased risk of dementia (Zhang, P. et al., 2022). The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) calculates the risk of hip fracture using a series of clinical variables, even in the absence of bone density knowledge. A higher FRAX scores indicates higher risk for osteoporosis. Some studies suggest that individuals with higher FRAX are also at increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, with less evidence from low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC). We aim to evaluate the association between FRAX score and cognitive impairment in Mexican older adults.MethodThis is a cross‐sectional study of 500 Adults 60 years of age or older enrolled at a dementia clinic in a tertiary care hospital in México who completed baseline evaluations. We assessed the risk of hip fracture using FRAX and cognitive performance with the MMSE. Participants also received brain MRI (1.5 tesla), and a comprehensive geriatric assessment. A linear regression was performed to evaluate the association between FRAX score and cognitive impairment measured through MMSE.ResultThe sample included 295 (59%) women and 205 men (41%), with a mean age of 69±6.4 years, and a mean of 6±4.7 years of education. We excluded 1.8% of cased due to probable delirium. Among the remaining cases, 97.7% were cognitively impaired, which was classified as: mild cognitive impairment (MMSE between 24‐29, 40.8%) and dementia (MMSE < 24, 59.2%). The most prevalent diseases were hypertension (61.8%), diabetes (35.8%), and depression (23.2%). We found a negative association between the FRAX score and the MMSE score (b = ‐0.288, p = 0.001), after controlling for age, sex, and education.ConclusionA higher FRAX score was associated with a lower MMSE score in Mexican older adults, supporting an association between fracture risk and cognitive impairment. Understanding this association is important for developing integrated strategies for the prevention and management of both osteoporosis and dementia in aging populations from LMIC. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking osteoporosis to dementia.
Cell cycle re‐entry primes neuronal senescence in brain aging and dementia
Authors: Chow Hei‐Man 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundEmerging evidence strongly suggests that terminally differentiated neurons in the brain have the potential to undergo a cell cycle‐like process during neuronal aging and in the presence of certain diseases. However, due to their infrequent occurrence and unpredictable distribution within the brain, the molecular characteristics and specific variations associated with these cells in different diseases are still not well understood.MethodBy taking advantage of the wealth of human brain single‐nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA‐seq) datasets available in public repositories, we developed an analytical pipeline that facilitates the identification and characterization of cell cycle gene re‐expressing neurons to address these questions. The cell cycle gene expression status of each single nucleus was identified and subsequently tested for DNA duplication or deletion events might be due to aberrant cell cycle activity. Subsequently, the target cells of interest were further characterized via cell fate trajectory analysis to uncover their origins and evolutionary relationships. Lastly, to understand the potential involvement of these cells in disease development and heterogeneity, we quantitatively analyzed their relative numbers and performed differential gene expression analysis comparing nuclei from control and disease‐affected samples.ResultOur analysis showed that cell cycle‐related events primarily occur in excitatory neurons, with cellular senescence being their likely end fate. The number of neurons re‐engaging in the cell cycle and undergoing senescence decreased during normal brain aging, but in late‐onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), these cells accumulated instead. Transcriptomic profiling of these cells revealed that disease‐specific differences were predominantly associated with early‐stage senescence, indicating increased proinflammatory, metabolic dysregulation, and pathology‐related signatures in diseased brains. Similar features were observed in a subset of dopaminergic neurons in the Parkinson’s disease (PD)‐Lewy body dementia (LBD) model and a mouse model of aging.ConclusionThe consistent findings in multiple disease models validated the robust relationship between the cell cycle and senescence events in neurons. The multi‐model analysis conducted in multiple independent datasets demonstrated the applicability and effectiveness of our bioinformatics approach in a cross‐species setting.
Robust Fabrication of Anisotropic Bilayer Hydrogel Embedded With a Gradient Structure in One Layer: Enhanced Temperature‐Responsive Bending, Shape Programmability, and Actuator and Sensor Applications
Authors: Kalulu Mulenga , Munyati Onesmus , Oderinde Olayinka , Hu Jun , Ogungbesan Shephrah O. , Fu Guodong 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTAnisotropic hydrogel actuators with gradient structures offer tunable mechanical properties, like directional stiffness or bending. However, creating these gradient‐structured bilayer hydrogels is challenging, as current methods rely on complex, single‐force programming. Developing a double‐actuating bilayer hydrogel with temperature‐responsive and auxiliary layers could address these limitations and enhance their applicability. In this study, an anisotropic hydrogel actuator was developed using a simple, cost‐effective method to create a unique multi‐asymmetric structure with an embedded gradient in one layer. The resulting hydrogels exhibited excellent temperature‐responsive bending (360° within 9 s) and adaptive, complex shape‐programmable deformation (2D letters, flowers, butterflies, leaves). In addition, the hydrogels demonstrated good shape memory, mechanical strength, and conductivity. Prototypes of a hydrogel gripper and humidity alarm were successfully fabricated, showcasing the potential of this strategy for designing smart hydrogels for applications in sensors, smart humidity alarms, grippers, and actuators.
Mixed Adsorbents: Synergic Effects Improve Problematic Compounds Removal During Drinking Water Treatment
Authors: Sichrova Katerina , Cermakova Lenka , Novotna Katerina , Pivokonska Lenka , Zustakova Veronika , Pivokonsky Martin 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the adsorption using mixed adsorbents comprising different proportions of commercially available granular activated carbons (GACs) and compared their performance to single GACs for removing algal organic matter (AOM) and pesticides. In addition to diverse GAC ratios, the effects of adsorbent dosage and solution pH were investigated for AOM, pesticides, and an AOM‐pesticide mixture. The mixed adsorbents can achieve overall higher removal of AOM and pesticides in a mixture. Surprisingly, even the removal of single adsorbates increased when mixed adsorbents were used. The AOM removal increased from 25%–29% using single GACs to 44% using a suitable adsorbent mixture; similarly, the pesticide removal increased from 52%–67% to 74%. The adsorbent ratio was the key influential factor. Additionally, the pH value also significantly affected the adsorption. Using a mixture of different adsorbents is a promising method for treating drinking water.
Microscopic time‐dependent mechanical behavior of shale derived from nanoindentation
Authors: Li Cunbao , Zhong Shilei , Xie Heping , Zhou Changtai , Hu Jianjun 
Published: January 2025

AbstractUnderstanding the microscopic time‐dependent mechanical behavior of shale is critical for assessing macroscopic creep and engineering applications. Grid nanoindentation experiments and nanoindentation creep tests were systematically conducted to investigate microscopic creep behaviors in shale. The indentation creep displacements and creep rates of the shale's soft, intermediate, and hard phases showed the same evolution patterns. The creep deformation was much higher in the soft phase than in the other two phases. However, the difference in the steady‐state creep rates between the three mechanical phases was negligible. A linear relationship was observed between the microscopic contact creep modulus and the microscopic Young's modulus, hardness, creep displacement, and creep rate. The primary mechanism of microscopic creep in shale revealed by the creep strain rate sensitivity parameter was the extension and closure of microcracks. The differences in the microscopic creep parameters derived from the experimental data using the deconvolution methods and representative point methods were evaluated, and the applicability of the two methods was described. The performances of commonly used creep models to predict the microscopic creep behaviors were evaluated. The Burgers model provided the best performance in predicting the steady‐state creep deformation and creep rate. The ability of the Mori–Tanaka and Voigt–Reuss–Hill models to derive macroscopic parameters from microscopic mechanical parameters was compared. Both methods provided macroscopic Young's modulus values close to the experimental values; however, neither could predict macroscopic creep parameters based on microscopic creep parameters.
Urodele amphibian newt bridges the missing link in evo‐devo of the pancreas
Authors: Morozumi Ryosuke , Okamoto Kazuko , Enomoto Eriko , Tsukamoto Yuta , Kyakuno Mitsuki , Suzuki Nanoka , Tazawa Ichiro , Furuno Nobuaki , Ogino Hajime , Kamei Yasuhiro , Matsunami Masatoshi , Shigenobu Shuji , Suzuki Kenichi , Uemasu Hitoshi , Namba Noriyuki , Hayashi Toshinori 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundThe pancreas exhibits diverse structures and roles across vertebrates. The pancreas has evolved to include both endocrine and exocrine cells, a change that occurred during the transition from fish to amphibian. This event emphasizes the evolutionary significance of amphibians. However, research has focused predominantly on anuran amphibians, with urodeles, such as newts, remaining underexplored. In this study, we investigated the development of the pancreas using Pleurodeles waltl as a model species of urodele.ResultsThe newt pancreas consists of a single organ with exocrine tissue characterized by acinar structures and endocrine tissue forming islets. Notably, the newt possesses unique pancreas‐like tissues on their intestines. We found that disruption of the newt Pancreatic and Duodenal Homeobox (Pdx) 1 gene resulted in an underdeveloped pancreas. Conversely, disruption of the Pdx2 paralog in newt had no significant impact on pancreatic development.ConclusionThe newt pancreas shows a morphology similar to that of the mammalian pancreas, which includes both exocrine and endocrine tissues. These results highlight the intermediate evolutionary position of the newt in the context of the evolution of pancreatic development.Our findings indicate that characterization of the newt pancreas will be crucial for understanding the evolutionary progression of pancreatic function in vertebrates.
Addressing Bribery and Associated Social Norms in Healthcare: Results of a Behaviour Change Intervention in Tanzania
Authors: Camargo Claudia Baez , Gadenne Violette , Mkoji Veronica , Perera Dilhan , Persian Ruth , Sambaiga Richard , Stark Tobias 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTPractices of bribery in the delivery of public services become entrenched when they are driven by social norms of reciprocity. The resulting economies of favours, which are common across diverse geographical regions, are resilient to conventional anti‐corruption measures because they are underpinned by strong social pressures. This article describes the results of a behaviour change intervention to address gift‐giving as a form of bribery in a Tanzanian hospital. The intervention utilised environmental cues and a peer‐led network approach to deliver messages aimed at disincentivising bribery. An exit survey of hospital users indicates a reduction of the ‘gift‐offering propensity score’, capturing self‐declared behaviour, from 23% before implementation of the intervention to 13% afterwards. We find similar changes in the enabling norms score. Semi‐structured interviews with hospital users and health workers further support these findings. These results suggest that practices and norms around bribery might be changed through a multi‐pronged approach that addresses both the ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ side of bribery.
Price Discovery in Bitcoin Spot or Futures? The Jury Is Out
Authors: Frino Alex , Gaudiosi Robert , Webb Robert I. , Ivy Zhou Z. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTThis study clarifies discrepancies in previous research on the contribution of regulated Bitcoin futures to price discovery, where conclusions have varied between futures leading over spot markets or vice versa. We identify potential reasons behind these conflicting findings, including the choice of price discovery measures, sampling frequencies, modeling windows, futures contracts, and spot exchanges. Using 1‐s sampling frequencies to accurately capture price discovery in the fast‐paced markets and accounting for substantial noise differences between spot and futures markets, we find that the futures market generally leads spot markets, though this price leadership exhibits daily fluctuations. Moreover, we observe a pronounced increase in the futures market's contribution to price discovery around macroeconomic surprises and Tether stablecoin minting tweets.
Performance and Emission Characteristics of Bombyx mori Biodiesel Blends With SiO2 Nanoadditive in DI‐CI Engines
Authors: Ramani Bharathwaaj , Taamneh Yazan , Vinagayam Nadanakumar , Sathyamurthy Ravishankar 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTA major global concern is climate change and its effects on the environment. The combustion of mineral diesel plays a major role in creating pollution. This creates an interest for the researchers to identify an alternate source for the same. In this work, the biodiesel obtained from silkworm oil is blended with 70%. The biodiesel obtained from silkworm oil was blended with 70% by volume of diesel and SiO2 nanoparticles at three different proportions, 25, 50, and 75 ppm. The biodiesel blends containing 75 ppm SiO2 nanoparticles showed better combustion performance than diesel and other blends considered. From the results obtained from the single cylinder 4 stroke Compression Ignition engine, it can be evidently seen that the brake thermal efficiency of the biodiesel blends has been increased by 12.46% at full load operation of the engine. The experimental results also show a decrease in Brake‐specific fuel consumption by 13.44% for biodiesel blends compared to that of diesel. The emission for the better‐performance blend witnessed a decrease in CO by 38.33%, an increase in NOx by 27.41%, and a reduction in UBHC by 43.63%. The overall results of the experiment show that the fuel blend with 30% by volume biodiesel and 75 ppm nanoparticles performed better than diesel in all aspects and can be a potential alternative for diesel.
A Stateful Protocol‐Based Detection Engine Combining Behavior Use Cases and System Specifications
Authors: Seng S. , Garcia‐Alfaro J. , Gazeau I. , Desmonts L. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTFaced with the increasing need for network monitoring, many detection methods have been proposed. In the last few years, AI‐based methods, especially Machine Learning, have been the most popular. However, these methods are not yet fully operational and detection methods based on signatures or on specifications still keep all their legitimacy. In this letter, we propose a technique that combines a detection method based on protocol specification with a learning method train on a dataset specific to a use case. This combination leads to the definition of the notion of protocol profile. Our solution is a continuation of a previous work which proposes an anomaly detection over‐layer that are complementary to the pre‐existing ones within a NIDS. The latter keeps its usual detection technique to which is added a stateful monitoring layer based on protocol specifications represented using Harel statecharts as well as our protocol profile layer. An algorithm has been proposed to automatically generate a protocol profile. It is based on event occurrence probabilities and an intermediate data format that we introduce: the Flow Graph Execution Log (FGEL). Other algorithms are also mentioned. A prototype has been realized and an experimentation with the POP3 protocol and simulated data sets has allowed to validate the concept.
New Intestinal Ultrasound Score for Assessing Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity and Identifying Severity
Authors: Zhang Chi , Xu Jianhua , Gu Changyan , Zheng Chunyao , Nie Fang 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTPurposeThe purpose of this study is to propose new ultrasound scores to assess inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity and to analyze their accuracy in assessing disease severity. In addition to this, to validate that intestinal ultrasound can be used as a follow‐up tool for the assessment of IBD.MethodsOne hundred and thirty‐six adult IBD patients who underwent intestinal ultrasound. Patients were divided into two groups based on colonoscopic findings: 93 patients with UC, 43 patients with CD. UC patients and CD patients were divided into active and inactive groups based on colonoscopic findings, respectively. After forming scores, cut‐off values, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, respectively.ResultsBoth in UC patients and in CD patients, bowel wall thickness (BWT) and vascular index (VI) were much higher in the active group compared with the inactive group, CEUS mode III, IV, CDFI grades 3–4, fat wrapping, and lost stratification were more likely to imply active disease. In UC patients only, Young's modulus value was much higher in the active group compared with the inactive group.ConclusionThe new intestinal ultrasound scores can be used to assess UC and CD activity and may be useful in identifying severe endoscopic activity in IBD.
The Effects of Moderate to High Static Magnetic Fields on Pancreatic Damage
Authors: Wang Ying , Chen Weili , Wang Junjun , Song Chao , Zhang Lei , Zhang Xin 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundPancreatic damage is a common digestive system disease with no specific drugs. Static magnetic field (SMF), the key component of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has demonstrated prominent effects in various disease models.PurposeTo study the effects of 0.1–9.4 T SMFs on pancreatic injury induced by alcohol, and acute pancreatitis (AP) induced by L‐arginine (L‐Arg).Study TypeProspective, animal model.Animal ModelTwelve healthy C57BL/6J male mice, 30 AP model male mice, and 30 alcohol‐associated liver disease (AALD) model male mice.Field Strength/Sequence1.5–9.4 T SMFs for 12 hours and 0.1 T SMF for 72 hours. No imaging sequence was used.AssessmentHistological analysis on AALD mice pancreas was conducted. For L‐Arg‐induced AP mice, their body weight, food/water consumption, open field behavior, blood analysis, as well as histological analysis, inflammatory, oxidative stress of the pancreas were measured. In vitro cellular experiments were also conducted.Statistical TestsData are presented as means ± SD and analyzed using the two‐tailed Student's t‐test or one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results1.5–7 T SMFs significantly reduced alcohol‐induced pancreatic damage, increasing the structurally intact acinar area from 51.5% to 78.3%, whereas the effect of 9.4 T SMF is not obvious. 0.1 T SMF can reduce the AP mice lethality, increase the structurally intact acinar area from 31.0% to 59.7%, associated with the reduced pancreatic inflammatory responses (78.1% reduction of F4/80 and 80.0% reduction of MPO), 20.0% decreased oxidative stress and 53.2% reduced pancreatic cell apoptosis.Data ConclusionHigh‐field MRI may be safe for pancreatic‐related diseases at the animal level. SMFs have a future potential to be developed as non‐invasive and highly penetrating physical modalities for the treatment of pancreatic injury including AP.Plain Language SummaryThis study aims to evaluate the safety and potential therapeutic effects of moderate‐ to high‐intensity static magnetic fields (SMFs) on mice with pancreatic injury. Their findings revealed that SMFs between 1.5 and 7 Tesla (T) helped reduce alcohol‐induced pancreatic damage, while a stronger 9.4 T showed no effect. Interestingly, for mice with L‐arginine‐induced acute pancreatitis, a weaker 0.1 T significantly increased the area of healthy acinar cells from 31.0% to 59.7%. These results not only suggest that MRI‐related SMFs are safe for pancreatic diseases in animals, but also unravel the potential of SMFs as a future treatment option for pancreatic disorders.Evidence LevelN/ATechnical EfficacyStage 1
Income and Insurance‐Based Disparities in Primary Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremities
Authors: Wahle Charlotte F. , Sakowitz Sara , Newman‐Hung Nicole J. , Bernthal Nicholas M. , Benharash Peyman , Wessel Lauren E. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTBackground and ObjectivesSoft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare but can be devastating. Paradigm shifts in adjuvant treatment have expanded the availability of limb salvage; however, a subset of patients still require amputation. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of patient, disease, and practice‐related factors on rates of amputation in STS.MethodsAll adults undergoing resection for STS of the extremities were tabulated from the 2004–2021 National Cancer Database (NCDB). Multivariable models were utilized to evaluate risk factors for undergoing amputation.ResultsOf 31 805 patients, 1880 (6%) underwent amputation. Those who underwent amputation were younger (57 vs. 60, p < 0.001), more commonly Black (12% vs. 9%, p < 0.00), and more frequently Medicaid insured (11% vs. 6%, p < 0.001). Amputation patients experienced a longer time from diagnosis to surgery, compared to limb salvage patients (46 [23–91] vs. 37 days [9–93], p < 0.001). Amputation was associated with a significantly greater hazard of overall mortality over 10 years following resection (HR 1.66, p < 0.001).ConclusionWe report significant race‐, income‐, and insurance‐based disparities in amputation risk and overall survival for patients with STS of the extremities. We also report a significantly increased risk of amputation for patients with delayed clinical presentation. Multidisciplinary sarcoma care teams should be aware of these disparities.