Drug Development.

Background: Neuroinflammation plays an important role in progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Interlukin-6 (IL-6) is well identified marker in initiating and regulating inflammation, and formation of senile plaques in brain. Therefore, simultaneous inhibition of both IL-6 and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) may be an effective strategy for AD.

Drug Development.

Background: We identified small molecule tricyclic pyrone compound CP2 as a mild mitochondrial complex I (MCI) inhibitor that induces neuroprotection in multiple mouse models of AD. One of the major concerns while targeting mitochondria is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). CP2 consists of two diastereoisomers, D1 and D2, with distinct activity and toxicity profiles.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Community-based centers for people living with dementia (PLWD) have been implemented as part of the National Plan of dementia in Chile, delivering a multicomponent intervention to support PLWD and their families. There is limited knowledge on their implementation, and we had previously informed with respect to the implementation outcomes of the first center, called Kintun. This work offers an update on findings describing implementation outcomes of three more centers, with different implementation times and geographic locations in Chile.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Community-based centers for people living with dementia (PLWD) have been implemented as part of the National Plan of dementia in Chile, delivering a multicomponent and multiprofessional intervention to support the PLWD and their families, integrating social and clinical aspects. We sought to examine the implementation and adaptation of these centers, transitioning from adult day services to a community-based dementia care model that has escalated to a public policy.

Method: We conducted a realistic evaluation using multiple qualitative data collection strategies and informants to analyze complex interventions, in 4 of a total of 9 centers.

Characteristics of the Bacterial Community in Alpine Meadows in Response to Altitude and Aspect in the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China.

As one of the most sensitive and fragile alpine ecosystems in the Qilian Mountains, the alpine meadow holds significant scientific importance in understanding the changes in the characteristics of soil bacterial community in response to altitude and aspect variations. In our study, we analyzed the composition, diversity, and function of soil bacterial communities in alpine meadows at different altitudes and aspects and their relationship with environmental factors. Our results indicate that altitude and aspect orientation significantly influences the diversity index and composition of soil bacterial communities.

Spinal tissue identification using a Forward-oriented endoscopic ultrasound technique.

The limited imaging depth of optical endoscope restrains the identification of tissues under surface during the minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), thus increasing the risk of critical tissue damage. This study is proposed to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of automatic spinal soft tissue identification using a forward-oriented ultrasound endoscopic system. Total 758 ex-vivo soft tissue samples were collected from ovine spines to create a dataset with four categories including spinal cord, nucleus pulposus, adipose tissue, and nerve root.

Manubriosternal Morphology of Anthropoid Primates.

Objectives: The 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 Methods: Metric 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.

Question the promise: validating the interprofessional attitudes scale in Vietnamese health students.

The Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) is a promising tool for assessing interprofessional education (IPE) attitudes, especially in community-oriented initiatives. To meet the need for validated IPE tools in Vietnam, we translated the IPAS into Vietnamese (Viet-IPAS) and evaluated its psychometric properties. The preparatory phases included forward and backward translation, expert consultations, and student feedback, resulting in strong content validity, face validity, linguistic comprehensibility, and test-retest reliability.

A park-based group mobility program for older adults with difficulty walking outdoors: a qualitative process evaluation of the Getting Older Adults Outdoors (GO-OUT) randomized controlled trial.

Background: The Getting Older Adults Outdoors (GO-OUT) randomized controlled trial showed that a workshop and 10-week park-based outdoor walk group (OWG) was superior to the workshop and 10 weekly reminders (WR) with increasing walking capacity, but not outdoor walking activity, health-promoting behavior, or successful aging, among older adults with difficulty walking outdoors. The objective of this planned process evaluation was to explore participants' perceptions of mechanisms of impact of and contextual factors influencing experiences with the interventions to help explain the observed intervention effects on study outcomes.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study involving semi-structured interviews conducted at 6-months post-baseline was conducted.

Longitudinal strain enhancement and bending deformations in piezoceramics.

Piezoelectric materials directly convert between electrical and mechanical energies. They are used as transducers in applications such as nano-positioning and ultrasound imaging. Improving the properties of these devices requires piezoelectric materials capable of delivering a large longitudinal strain on the application of an electric field.

Self-assembly of chiroptical ionic co-crystals from silver nanoclusters and organic macrocycles.

Atomically precise nanoclusters can be assembled into ordered superlattices with unique electronic, magnetic, optical and catalytic properties. The co-crystallization of nanoclusters with functional organic molecules provides opportunities to access an even wider range of structures and properties, but can be challenging to control synthetically. Here we introduce a supramolecular approach to direct the assembly of atomically precise silver nanoclusters into a series of nanocluster‒organic ionic co-crystals with tunable structures and properties.

Proximity ferroelectricity in wurtzite heterostructures.

Proximity ferroelectricity is an interface-associated phenomenon in electric-field-driven polarization reversal in a non-ferroelectric polar material induced by one or more adjacent ferroelectric materials. Here we report proximity ferroelectricity in wurtzite ferroelectric heterostructures. In the present case, the non-ferroelectric layers are AlN and ZnO, whereas the ferroelectric layers are AlBN, AlScN and ZnMgO.

Second harmonic generation imaging reveals entanglement of collagen fibers in the elephant trunk skin dermis.

Form-function relationships often have tradeoffs: if a material is tough, it is often inflexible, and vice versa. This is particularly relevant for the elephant trunk, where the skin should be protective yet elastic. To investigate how this is achieved, we used classical histochemical staining and second harmonic generation microscopy to describe the morphology and composition of elephant trunk skin.

Quantitative Structural and Compositional Elucidation of Real-World Pharmaceutical Tablet Using Large Field-of-View, Correlative Microscopy-Tomography Techniques and AI-Enabled Image Analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present a correlative microscopy-tomography approach in conjunction with machine learning-based image segmentation techniques, with the goal of enabling quantitative structural and compositional elucidation of real-world pharmaceutical tablets.

Methods: Specifically, the approach involves three sequential steps: 1) user-oriented tablet constituent identification and characterization using correlative mosaic field-of-view SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques, 2) phase contrast synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography (SyncCT) characterization of a large, representative volume of the tablet, and 3) constituent segmentation and quantification of the imaging data through user-guided, iterative supervised machine learning and deep learning.

Results: This approach was implemented on a real-world tablet containing 15% API and multiple common excipients.

Programmable embedded bioprinting for one-step manufacturing of arterial models with customized contractile and metabolic functions.

Replicating the contractile function of arterial tissues in vitro requires precise control of cell alignment within 3D structures, a challenge that existing bioprinting techniques struggle to meet. In this study, we introduce the voxel-based embedded construction for tailored orientational replication (VECTOR) method, a voxel-based approach that controls cellular orientation and collective behavior within bioprinted filaments. By fine-tuning voxel vector magnitude and using an omnidirectional printing trajectory, we achieve structural mimicry at both the macroscale and the cellular alignment level.

Helping people with psychosis with a low-cost intervention DIALOG+: protocol for the economic evaluation in a randomised control trial in India and Pakistan.

Background: Approximately 69%-89% of people with severe mental illnesses, particularly psychosis, experience a treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to factors such as low public spending on health and weak healthcare systems. The PIECEs project aims to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a solution-focused resource-oriented approach (DIALOG+) for improving the quality of life and mental well-being of people with psychosis in India and Pakistan.

Methods: The research design of this analysis is an economic evaluation piggybacked on the PIECEs randomised control trial to test the feasibility of DIALOG+ in India and Pakistan.

Functionalized covalent organic frameworks for catalytic conversion of biomass-derived xylan to furfural.

A direct synthesis strategy was employed to prepare functionalized COFs enriched with acidic sites, using various precursor monomers. The functionalized COFs were applied in the catalytic conversion of biomass-derived xylan to furfural in the liquid phase. The study further assessed the recyclability and reusability of these COFs, explored the relationship between their structural features and catalytic performance, and investigated the reaction mechanism underlying the COF-catalyzed conversion of xylan to furfural.

Towards sustainable spirulina farming: Enhancing productivity and biosafety with a salinity-biostimulants strategy.

Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) is pivotal to the global microalgae industry, valued for its nutritional and bioactive properties. However, its sustainable production is challenged by freshwater scarcity and biological contaminants. This study introduces a salinity-biostimulants strategy to adapt a freshwater spirulina strain, CBD05, to near-seawater salinity (3 %).

Characterisation of the HollandPTC R&D proton beamline for physics and radiobiology studies.

HollandPTC is an independent outpatient center for proton therapy, scientific research, and education. Patients with different types of cancer are treated with Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT). Additionally, the HollandPTC R&D consortium conducts scientific research into the added value and improvements of proton therapy.

Anion-Responsive π-Conjugated Macrocycles That Form Ordered Structures.

In this study, anion-responsive π-conjugated macrocycles were synthesized to demonstrate anion-binding and ion-pairing properties along with the ordered structures.  Ion-pairing charge-by-charge assembly of a [1+2]-type complex of a macrocycle as a pseudo π-electronic anion and a countercation was revealed by single-crystal X-ray analysis.  Further, two-dimensional (2D) arrays of the macrocycles bearing alkoxy chains, exhibiting anion-driven disordered structures, were constructed on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate as observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).

Patterning the Pore Orientation of Nanoporous Metal via Self-Organization in Flow Cells.

Nanoporous metals, a class of free-standing, high specific-area materials, evolve from interface-controlled self-organization in a selective dissolution (e.g., dealloying).

Engineered 3D DNA Crystals: A Molecular Design Perspective.

Recent advances in biomolecular self-assembly have transformed material science, enabling the creation of novel materials with unparalleled precision and functionality. Among these innovations, 3D DNA crystals have emerged as a distinctive class of macroscopic materials, engineered through the bottom-up approach by DNA self-assembly. These structures uniquely combine precise molecular ordering with high programmability, establishing their importance in advanced material design.

The European Drug-Drug Interaction (EuroDDI) Study Protocol: A Cross-Country Comparison of Drug-Drug Interaction Prevalence in the Older Community-Dwelling Population.

Background: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs), highly prevalent amongst the elderly, can lead to avoidable medication-related harm. Cardiovascular and central nervous system (CNS) drugs are commonly implicated. To date, there is no consensus on how to measure DDIs, making comparisons across countries challenging.

Untangling the Role of Capping Agents in Manipulating Electrochemical Behaviors Toward Practical Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Long-standing challenges including notorious side reactions at the Zn anode, low Zn anode utilization, and rapid cathode degradation at low current densities hinder the advancement of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Inspired by the critical role of capping agents in nanomaterials synthesis and bulk crystal growth, a series of capping agents are employed to demonstrate their applicability in AZIBs. Here, it is shown that the preferential adsorption of capping agents on different Zn crystal planes, coordination between capping agents and Zn ions, and interactions with metal oxide cathodes enable preferred Zn (002) deposition, water-deficient Zn ion solvation structure, and a dynamic cathode-electrolyte interface.

Solution-Processed Blue Narrowband OLED Devices with External Quantum Efficiency Beyond 35% through Horizontal Dipole Orientation Induced by Electrostatic Interaction.

The multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) device has drawn great attention due to their outstanding efficiency and color purity. However, the efficiency of solution-processed MR-TADF devices is still far behind their vacuum-deposited counterparts, due to the uncontrollable horizontal emitting dipole orientation for emitters during solution process, resulting in low light out-coupling efficiency. Here, we proposed a new strategy namely electrostatic interaction between a dendritic host with high positive electrostatic potential (ESP) and dendritic emitter with multiple negative ESP sites, which could induce high horizontal dipole ratio (ΘII) up to 83.