Real-Time Model Predictive Control of Lignin Properties Using an Accelerated kMC Framework with Artificial Neural Networks.

While lignin has garnered significant research interest for its abundance and versatility, its complicated structure poses a challenge to understanding its underlying reaction kinetics and optimizing various lignin characteristics. In this regard, mathematical models, especially the multiscale kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method, have been devised to offer a precise analysis of fractionation kinetics and lignin properties. The kMC model effectively handles the simulation of all particles within the system by calculating reaction rates between species and generating a rate-based probability distribution.

Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Long COVID: A Mixed Method Systematic Review.

Introduction: Long COVID (LC) is a global public health crisis affecting more than 70 million people. There is emerging evidence of different pathophysiological mechanisms driving the wide array of symptoms in LC. Understanding the relationships between mechanisms and symptoms helps in guiding clinical management and identifying potential treatment targets.

Incorporating frailty to address the key challenges to geriatric economic evaluation.

Background: The multidimensional and dynamically complex process of ageing presents key challenges to economic evaluation of geriatric interventions, including: (1) accounting for indirect, long-term effects of a geriatric shock such as a fall; (2) incorporating a wide range of societal, non-health outcomes such as informal caregiver burden; and (3) accounting for heterogeneity within the demographic group. Measures of frailty aim to capture the multidimensional and syndromic nature of geriatric health. Using a case study of community-based falls prevention, this article explores how incorporating a multivariate frailty index in a decision model can help address the above key challenges.

Impact of Long COVID on productivity and informal caregiving.

Background: Around 2 million people in the UK suffer from Long COVID (LC). Of concern is the disease impact on productivity and informal care burden. This study aimed to quantify and value productivity losses and informal care receipt in a sample of LC patients in the UK.

Influence of colour background on anti-viral activity against viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus in zebrafish regulated by circadian rhythm signalling pathway.

The influence of colour background on the regulation of behavioural and physiological responses in zebrafish is widely recognized. However, its specific effect on virus infection in zebrafish remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the susceptibility of zebrafish to viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) infection in relation to background colour, investigate the underlying mechanisms, and elucidate the involvement of key molecules, using proteomic and gene expression analyses.

Psychometric Performance of Generic Childhood Multi-Attribute Utility Instruments in Preterm and Low Birthweight Populations: A Systematic Review.

Background: Individuals born preterm (gestational age < 37 weeks) and/or at low birthweight (<2500 g) are at increased risk of health impairments from birth to adulthood. This review aimed to evaluate the psychometric performance of generic childhood-specific or childhood-compatible multi-attribute utility instruments (MAUIs) in preterm and/or low birthweight (PLB) populations.

Methods: Searches covered seven databases, including studies that targeted childhood (aged < 18 years) and/or adult (≥18 years) PLB populations; provided psychometric evidence for generic childhood-specific or compatible MAUI(s) (any language version); and published in English.

Stimuli-responsive viscosity modifiers.

Stimuli responsive viscosity modifiers entail an important class of materials which allow for smart material formation utilizing various stimuli for switching such as pH, temperature, light and salinity. They have seen applications in the biomedical space including tissue engineering and drug delivery, wherein stimuli responsive hydrogels and polymeric vessels have been extensively applied. Applications have also been seen in other domains like the energy sector and automobile industry, in technologies such as enhanced oil recovery.

Sirtuin 6 Overexpression Improves Rotator Cuff Tendon-to-Bone Healing in the Aged.

Aging is an independent risk factor for recurrent tearing after surgical repair of rotator cuff ruptures around the tendon-to-bone area. However, aging signature factors and related mechanisms involved in the healing of the rotator cuff are still unknown. We hypothesized that differences in proteins involved in the rotator cuff according to age may affect tendon-to-bone healing.

pH- and temperature-responsive supramolecular assemblies with highly adjustable viscoelasticity: a multi-stimuli binary system.

Stimuli-responsive materials are increasingly needed for the development of smart electronic, mechanical, and biological devices and systems relying on switchable, tunable, and adaptable properties. Herein, we report a novel pH- and temperature-responsive binary supramolecular assembly involving a long-chain hydroxyamino amide (HAA) and an inorganic hydrotrope, boric acid, with highly tunable viscous and viscoelastic properties. The system under investigation demonstrates a high degree of control over its viscosity, with the capacity to achieve over four orders of magnitude of control through the concomitant manipulation of pH and temperature.

Systematic Review of the Psychometric Performance of Generic Childhood Multi-attribute Utility Instruments.

Background: Childhood multi-attribute utility instruments (MAUIs) can be used to measure health utilities in children (aged ≤ 18 years) for economic evaluation. Systematic review methods can generate a psychometric evidence base that informs their selection for application. Previous reviews focused on limited sets of MAUIs and psychometric properties, and only on evidence from studies that directly aimed to conduct psychometric assessments.

Economic model of community-based falls prevention: seeking methodological solutions in evaluating the efficiency and equity of UK guideline recommendations.

Background: Falls significantly harm geriatric health and impose substantial costs on care systems and wider society. Decision modelling can inform the commissioning of falls prevention but face methodological challenges, including: (1) capturing non-health outcomes and societal intervention costs; (2) considering heterogeneity and dynamic complexity; (3) considering theories of human behaviour and implementation; and (4) considering issues of equity. This study seeks methodological solutions in developing a credible economic model of community-based falls prevention for older persons (aged 60 +) to inform local falls prevention commissioning as recommended by UK guidelines.

Rheological dynamics and structural characteristics of supramolecular assemblies of β-cyclodextrin and sulfonic surfactants.

Cyclodextrins are highly functional compounds with a hydrophobic cavity capable of forming supramolecular inclusion complexes with various classes of molecules including surfactants. The resultant rich nanostructures and their dynamics are an interesting research problem in the area of soft condensed matter and related applications. Herein, we report novel dynamical supramolecular assemblies based on the complexation of β-cyclodextrin with 3 different sulfonic surfactants, which are sodium hexadecylsulfate, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, and myristyl sulfobetaine.

Integration of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and machine learning tools for coffee beverage classification.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful tool for molecule identification. However, profiling complex samples remains a challenge because SERS peaks are likely to overlap, confounding features when multiple analytes are present in a single sample. In addition, SERS often suffers from high variability in signal enhancement due to nonuniform SERS substrate.

Effects of Alginate Oligosaccharide on Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Orchiectomized Rats.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease of the urinary system that affects elderly men. Current treatments for BPH are associated with several adverse effects, thus highlighting the need for alternative agents. Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS), a water-soluble functional oligomer derived from brown algae, inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Longitudinal assessment of the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease.

In this multi-center longitudinal cohort study conducted in Australia and New Zealand, we assessed the trajectories of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) over time. A total of 377 children (aged 6-18 years) with CKD stages 1-5 (pre-dialysis), dialysis, or transplant, were followed biennially for four years. Multi Attribute Utility (MAU) scores of HRQoL were measured at baseline and at two and four years using the McMaster Health Utilities Index Mark 3 tool, a generic multi-attribute, preference-based system.

Heterotypic cell-in-cell structures between cancer and NK cells are associated with enhanced anticancer drug resistance.

The heterotypic CIC structures formed of cancer and immune cells have been observed in tumor tissues. We aimed to assess the feasibility of using heterotypic CICs as a functional biomarker to predict NK susceptibility and drug resistance. The heterotypic CIC-forming cancer cells showed a lower response to NK cytotoxicity and higher proliferative ability than non-CIC cancer cells.

Social inferences from physical evidence via bayesian event reconstruction.

Humans can make remarkable social inferences by watching each other's behavior. In many cases, however, people can also make social inferences about agents whose behavior they cannot see, based only on the physical evidence left behind. We hypothesized that this capacity is supported by a form of mental event reconstruction.

Systematic review and critical methodological appraisal of community-based falls prevention economic models.

Background: Falls impose significant health and economic burdens on community-dwelling older persons. Decision modelling can inform commissioning of alternative falls prevention strategies. Several methodological challenges arise when modelling public health interventions including community-based falls prevention.

SAXS-guided unbiased coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulation for identification of self-assembly nanostructures and dimensions.

Recent studies have shown that solvated amphiphiles can form nanostructured self-assemblies called dynamic binary complexes (DBCs) in the presence of ions. Since the nanostructures of DBCs are directly related to their viscoelastic properties, it is important to understand how the nanostructures change under different solution conditions. However, it is challenging to obtain a three-dimensional molecular description of these nanostructures by utilizing conventional experimental characterization techniques or thermodynamic models.