DNA methylation profiling is a predictor of meningioma behavior and outcomes. We aimed to identify qualitative and quantitative MRI features to distinguish between three meningioma methylation groups: Merlin-intact, Immune-enriched, and Hypermitotic, each with distinct clinical outcomes, biologic features, and therapeutic vulnerabilities. Preoperative MRIs were retrospectively analyzed in meningiomas with previous DNA methylation profiling. Pearson's Chi-square, Fisher exact, and ANOVA tests were used to compare features between the three groups. ROC AUCs were used to assess the accuracy in discriminating between groups. 165 patients (54 years ± 14 SD; 58 men) were analyzed. 60 meningiomas were Merlin-intact, 55 Immune-enriched, and 50 Hypermitotic. Qualitative reduced diffusion (p< .001), nADC (p< .001), T2WI signal intensity (p= .02), T1 CE volume (p<.005), and tumor site (p<.001) varied between the groups. Merlin-intact meningiomas had higher T2WI signal intensity than Immune-enriched tumors (1.97 ± 0.98 vs 1.63 ± 0.45, p= .04). Hypermitotic meningiomas had the highest proportion of tumors with qualitative reduced diffusion (67%) and lowest nADC values (1.07 ± 0.14) compared to Merlin-intact (18%, p< .001; 1.41 ± 0.30, p< .001) and Immune-enriched (31%, p= .02; 1.29 ± 0.29, p= .002) meningiomas. The presence of qualitative reduced diffusion (AUC 0.71, p= .001) and lower nADC (AUC 0.82, p< .001) were able to predict Hypermitotic meningiomas. Merlin-intact tumors were predicted by the absence of qualitative reduced diffusion (AUC 0.66, p= 0.01), higher nADC (AUC 0.74, p< .001), and higher T2WI signal intensity (AUC 0.64, p= .047). Hypermitotic tumors (64.3 cm3 ± 49.1) had larger T1CE volumes than Merlin-intact (42.5 cm3 ± 37.9, p= .02) and Immune-enriched (38.2 cm3 ± 37.7, p=<.002) tumors, with tumor size a predictor of Hypermitotic (AUC 0.65, p=.003) and Immune-enriched (AUC 0.62, p=.02) meningiomas. Merlin-intact tumors were predicted by presence at the skull base (AUC 0.67, p<.001) while Immune-enriched tumors were predicted by location outside of the skull base (AUC 0.61; 95% CI 0.70, 0.52, p= .02). MR imaging has the potential to discriminate between different molecular groups of meningioma and to serve as a surrogate non-invasive marker of tumor behavior.

White matter plasticity and cognitive improvement in obstructive sleep apnea following CPAP therapy: an automated fiber quantification study.

Vertical land motion in urban areas is a critical manifestation of groundwater, directly affecting infrastructure stability and groundwater sustainability. While land subsidence caused by groundwater extraction has been widely investigated, the opposite process—surface uplift induced by groundwater recovery—remains poorly documented or understood, particularly regarding its hydrological mechanisms and potential hazards. Here, we integrate InSAR time-series analysis of Sentinel-1 imagery (2017–2025) with groundwater well records to quantify the spatial–temporal characteristics of uplift in Xi’an, China, and to evaluate its hydrogeological drivers. Results reveal a persistent surface uplift zone south of the ancient city in Xi’an, with rates up to 20 mm/yr. The uplift correlates closely with rising groundwater levels in the shallow confined aquifer, indicating a strong coupling between aquifer recharge and surface uplift. Calculated storage coefficients and hydraulic diffusivity values highlight marked spatial variations, constrained by some ground fissures that act as both mechanical discontinuities and hydrological barriers controlling pressure diffusion. Time-series analysis further identifies the eastward propagation of subsidence-to-uplift reversal in Yuhuazhai, an urban village with groundwater injection, which is used to quantify the diffusivity coefficients. Field investigations show that rapid groundwater rebound can lead to uplift-related hazards, such as basement seepage, underscoring that surface uplift must be considered alongside subsidence in urban water management.

Dual kinetics-enhanced crystalline BiOF hollow nanorods toward high-capacity and high-rate aqueous alkaline batteries.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare small-world network attributes between control participants without memory complaints and patients with white matter lesions showing cognitive impairment.MethodsChanges in diffusion tensor imaging and white matter fiber bundles in patients were analyzed. Brain structural network was constructed based on diffusion tensor imaging data, and topological properties of whole-brain small-world network were discussed. The damaged brain areas of patients with white matter lesions were studied, and the correlation between white matter lesion-related brain structural network abnormalities and cognitive impairment severity was discussed.ResultsCompared with the normal control with normal cognition group, fractional anisotropy was significantly reduced in the white matter lesions-non-dementia vascular cognitive impairment (WMLs-VCIND) and white matter lesions-vascular dementia (WMLs-VaD) groups, while mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity values were significantly increased (p < 0.05). The small-world network attributes demonstrated significant changes in λ/γ/σ values compared with the normal control with normal cognition group (p < 0.05). In the WMLs-VaD group, brain areas with reduced node-efficiency were mainly concentrated in the posterior cingulate gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, middle and superior lobes of right occipital region, superior lobe of the left occipital region, and right thalamus (p < 0.05). Nodal efficiencies in the WMLs-VaD group were lower than those in the WMLs-VCIND group (p < 0.05). All small-world parameters were significantly correlated with the total Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores.ConclusionsThere was extensive and subtle white matter fiber bundle damage in patients with white matter lesions. The brain structural network of patients with white matter lesions had small-world characteristics, and a reduction in small-world properties was related to reduction in cognitive function scores.

The hydration kinetics of four different jack bean cultivars were systematically investigated to understand their water absorption behavior under controlled soaking conditions. The samples were immersed in water for soaking periods ranging from 10 to 40 minutes, while the soaking temperature varied between 31.68 and 53.3°C. These conditions were selected to simulate typical processing environments and to evaluate the influence of temperature and time on hydration behavior. To analyze the experimental data, five established mathematical model equations were applied to describe the water absorption process of the jack bean cultivars. The performance of the models was assessed using two statistical parameters: the coefficient of determination (R²) and the root mean square error (RMSE). A higher R² value combined with a lower RMSE indicated a stronger agreement between the experimental and predicted water absorption values. Among the models tested, the Page model demonstrated the best fitting performance based on these statistical criteria, effectively capturing the hydration characteristics of the jack bean samples. The effective moisture diffusivity values increased from 3.067 × 10⁻&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;10&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;m²/s to 9.40 × 10⁻&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;10&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;m²/s with increasing soaking time and temperature, reflecting enhanced diffusion rates under warmer conditions. This increase is attributed to reduced water viscosity and structural softening of the bean matrix. Additionally, the moisture ratio curves revealed a consistent decrease with rising temperature across all cultivars, confirming the significant role of temperature in accelerating water absorption during soaking.

Abstract Laurus nobilis leaves have phenolic and flavonoid compounds with strong antioxidant properties. However, the studies on their extraction mechanisms are limited. This work comprehensively evaluated the extraction process through kinetics, thermodynamics, mass transfer, and statistical optimization. Kinetic modelling revealed that the pseudo‐first‐order (PFO) model best fitted the data, indicating a diffusion‐controlled extraction with a very low activation energy ( E a = 1.27 kJ mol −1 ). Thermodynamic study showed an endothermic (Δ H = 4.60 kJ mol −1 ), spontaneous (Δ G = −5.20 to −6.52 kJ mol −1 ), and entropy‐driven process (Δ S = 0.0329 kJ mol −1 K −1 ). Effective diffusivity ( D e ) values and Biot numbers (Bi) &gt; 40 showed that internal resistance governed mass transfer. 2‐level Plackett–Burman factorial design screened the effective factors as solid mass, solvent volume, and solvent concentration. The determined parameters were optimized with Box–Behnken design of response surface method (RSM) to get the highest yields of 9.9 mg‐GAE/g‐DM of total phenolic content (TPC), 20.3 mg‐CE/g‐DM of total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS) 22.3 mg‐TEAC/g‐DM; cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC)) 101.7 mg‐TEAC/g‐DM). Consequently, the integrated kinetic, thermodynamic, mass transfer and RSM optimization approach demonstrates the feasibility of an energy‐efficient and diffusion‐controlled extraction process, showing the industrial potential of L. nobilis leaves as a natural antioxidant source.

Increasing evidence indicates a potential role of white matter (WM) damage in the onset and progression of Alzheimer disease (AD). However, the biological processes underlying in vivo WM imaging biomarkers remain unclear. We sought to determine the molecular signatures associated with WM integrity in cognitively normal individuals with and without amyloid pathology. We selected older individuals without dementia (Clinical Dementia Rating <1) from the Alzheimer Centrum Amsterdam when they had diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and CSF proteomic (untargeted tandem mass-mass spec) data available. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values were computed for the total WM and for 12 tracts of interest. We tested associations between protein levels (predictors) and both global and regional FA and MD values (outcomes) with linear models. Models further included an interaction between protein levels and amyloid status to evaluate specificity to disease. Gene-set and cell-type enrichment analyses were performed on proteins showing significant associations to characterize the underlying biological and cellular processes. A total of 96 participants were included in this study (mean age 67.82 ± 6.93 years; 45% male participants). A total of 234 protein levels (17.1%) were significantly associated with global DTI measures. Of these, 29.9% was unique for FA, and 29.9% for MD, while levels of the remaining proteins were associated with both measures (WM-generic proteins). WM-generic proteins were mostly enriched for pathways related to lipid metabolism and in endothelial cells, whereas proteins specific to FA were mostly related to blood coagulation and enriched in astrocytes and those specific to MD were mainly associated with processes related to actin filaments and enriched in oligodendrocytes. When looking at the interaction with amyloid status, both global FA and MD alterations in A+ participants were associated with biological processes of axonogenesis and synaptic plasticity. Regional analysis revealed distinct proteomic profiles associated with variations in regional FA and MD, with processes linked to synaptic plasticity specifically related to integrity of limbic fibers. Loss of WM integrity in the very early stages of AD seems to be related to alterations in biological processes associated with neuronal plasticity and oligodendrocyte integrity. Our findings provide new insights into the distinct biological mechanisms regulating WM integrity and its relationship with AD pathology.

We aimed to evaluate multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD), arterial spin labeling (ASL), and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) for noninvasively monitoring acute kidney injury (AKI) to acute kidney disease (AKD) progression following renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) and the subsequent response to Mito-TEMPO (MT) therapy. Phase 1: 42 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (36 IRI and 6 control). Phase 2: 144 SD rats (IRI/control + MT treatment/saline, 36 per group). IRI group: left renal ischemia reperfusion procedures, control group: sham abdominal surgery. Animals underwent MRI scanning to obtain effective transverse relaxation rate (R2*), renal blood flow (RBF), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure molecular diffusion (D), perfusion-related diffusion (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) values of kidney. After sacrifice, serological and histological analysis were performed. All MRI parameters (R2*, RBF, ADC, D*, D, f) showed significant, time-dependent alterations following IRI compared to controls. These changes were effectively reversed by MT treatment, with most parameters recovering to near-baseline levels. BOLD, ASL, and IVIM can be used as noninvasive radiologic markers for detecting the progression from renal IRI to AKI-AKD and recovery after MT treatment.

In the present work, we have utilized “alchemical” approaches to study the thermodynamic properties of four alkane molecules: pentane, hexane, heptane, and octane in water. We have used thermodynamic integration (TI) and free energy perturbation (FEP) based methods: TI, TI‐cubic, Bennett acceptance ration (BAR), and Multistate Bennett acceptance ratio (MBAR)to estimate the solvation free energy of alkane molecules in water at 300 K for 21 distinct coupling parameter values (λ). For each alkane molecule, the estimated values of solvation free energy using the different methods are in close agreement, which ensures the reliability of our study. Convergence of the calculation has also been examined through time series plots in both forward and reverse directions. Our study shows that the solvation free energy increases with increasing size of the alkane molecules, which is also supported by estimation of solvent accessible surface area (SASA). The self diffusion coefficients of both solutes and solvent molecules; and shear viscosity of the systems have been estimated at 293 and 300 K temperatures. The self diffusion coefficient of the alkane molecules decreases with increase in size and shear viscosity increases with chain length as expected. The estimated values of diffusion and shear viscosity are in close agreement with the previously reported values.

Machine-learned interatomic potentials (MLIPs) based on quantum-mechanical data are often used as a means to combine the performance of classical force-fields with the accuracy of electronic structure methods. In this work, MLIPs based on the MACE architecture were trained, starting from two publicly available data sets: one based on periodic structures, and the other based on molecular cluster data. Two rather challenging liquid properties are in focus, density and diffusivity, here for the battery-relevant ethylene carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate solvents and mixtures thereof. The focus of our study is the uncertainties in the generated MLIP models themselves (calculated for committees of models with different regression seeds and different training set sizes) and how these uncertainties reflect on the MD-simulated target properties. The second focus point is whether these uncertainties are small enough to allow the comparison and assessment of different density functional theory (DFT) functionals; here, only a small number of them are compared, but the workflow opens up for a more extensive assessment of many DFT functionals. We find that all our MACE-MLIPs, both cluster-trained ones and the periodic-structure-trained ones, produce stable 1 ns NPT trajectories, regardless of training set size and cluster composition, but the MACE-MLIPs trained on cluster data (labeled with the hybrid ωB97X-D3 functional) are found to be sensitive to both the random training seed and the data selection, resulting in large uncertainties on the simulated diffusivity and density values.

Abstract In a nuclear reactor, prolonged exposure to high neutron flux levels can change material properties of reactor components. Due to the danger posed to personnel by highly radioactive components such as spent fuel, non-contact methods must be used to determine these properties. The objective of the current research is to determine the thermal diffusivity of a silicon carbide (SiC) tube which could be used as cladding for a nuclear fuel rod. The flash-heating experiment was conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and temperature results were analyzed as a two-Dimensional cross section which assumed axial symmetry. The model was fitted iteratively to the temperature measurements using nonlinear regression which required values for thermal diffusivity, Biot number and a term to determine the magnitude of the heat absorbed by the flash. The method could be expanded in the future to estimate the thermal diffusivity of spent nuclear fuel rods in an effort to increase the certainty of new reactor designs using precise thermal properties throughout the core life. A statistical analysis of the results of this work is provided as part of the analysis.

This study investigated the effects of different drying temperatures (50, 60, and 70°C) in the oven and microwave pre-treatment on the drying behavior, effective diffusion values, energy parameters, and color characteristics of purple carrots. The results showed that microwave pre-treatment increased drying rates and accelerated the drying process at all temperatures. Effective diffusion values varied depending on drying temperature and pre-treatment, with higher values obtained at lower temperatures. According to energy analysis results, samples dried at 60°C were found to be more efficient in terms of energy parameters, exhibiting higher specific moisture absorption and lower specific energy consumption values. Color analysis revealed that samples dried with microwave pre-treatment at 60°C retained color characteristics closest to those of the fresh product. Overall, it was concluded that microwave pretreatment improves drying performance and that its application in conjunction with a 60°C drying temperature is a suitable method for drying purple carrots in terms of quality and energy efficiency.

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently present autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction. This study investigated the involvement of autonomic centers in the upper thoracic spinal cord in cardiovascular dysfunction in patients with PD using multimodal MRI and markers of orthostatic hypotension. We recruited 26 patients with PD, stratified based on the presence (PDRBD(+), n = 11) or absence (PDRBD(-), n = 15) of rapid-eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and 22 matched healthy controls (HC). Participants underwent multimodal MRI of the cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord. Quantitative metrics, including T1 relaxation times, diffusion metrics, and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) values, were extracted from gray and white matter spinal cord regions. MRI metrics were compared across groups and examined for associations with blood pressure drops, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, as indicators of orthostatic hypotension. No significant differences in MRI metrics were found between patients with PD and HCs, nor between PD subgroups. A multivariate analysis pooling all MRI metrics together allowed for the separation of HCs and PD subgroups. In the PDRBD(+) subgroup, positive correlations were found between systolic blood pressure drop and T1 relaxation times as well as mean diffusivity values at the cervicothoracic junction. Longitudinal changes in blood pressure drops were associated with MRI measurements after adjusting for baseline blood pressure, age, and sex, suggesting that these metrics may serve as potential markers of future blood pressure changes. These preliminary findings suggest that spinal cord quantitative MRI measurements at the cervicothoracic junction may be associated with orthostatic hypotension in PDRBD(+) patients.

PurposeTo investigate the role of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) in the prediction of histological differentiation and local invasion (T stage) of rectal non-mucinous adenocarcinoma for appropriate treatment planning.Material and methodsPre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and IVIM-DWI examinations were prospectively performed in patients with rectal non-mucinous adenocarcinoma. A total of 36 patients with a mean age of 61 ± 8 years (range: 26-85 years) were included. Size, signal intensities and enhancement pattern of tumors, lymphadenopathy, serosal involvement, adjacent organ invasion, and metastasis were noted. IVIM-DWI parameters were estimated. Relationships between IVIM-DWI parameters and histopathological results were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed for optimal cut-off values.ResultsIn our study, a total of 36 patients were enrolled. There was a negative relationship between tumor differentiation and perfusion (f) (p < 0.05). A negative relationship was detected between T staging and true diffusion (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values (p < 0.05). Lower D, D*, and ADC values were detected in late stage (T3-T4) rectal tumors and nodal metastasis (p < 0.05). Lower f values were achieved in higher histological grades (p < 0.05). In differentiation of poorly from well- and moderately differentiated tumors, cut-off value of < 20.89 showed 88.5% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity (area under the curve: 0.771, p < 0.05).ConclusionsAggressive tumors with low histological differentiation and metastatic lymphadenopathy exhibit lower diffusion and perfusion values. As a perfusion indicator, f provides valuable information regarding tumor differentiation. IVIM-DWI can be used as an adjunctive modality to routine abdominal MRI in the local staging of rectal carcinoma.

BackgroundIntraoperative sodium changes and new postoperative white matter injury are prevalent in neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD) who undergo cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Rapid sodium correction in hyponatremia is associated with white matter injury in adults. This study examined the potential effects of a rapid intraoperative sodium increase on white matter microstructure in neonates with CHD.Methods83 neonates with CHD underwent postoperative diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging within three weeks of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery as part of routine clinical practice. Mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity were calculated using Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Voxel-wise associations within the core of white matter tracts were assessed using tract-based spatial statistics. Serum sodium measurements were extracted from clinical notes. Maximum intraoperative sodium range was defined as the difference between the minimum and maximum serum sodium observations during surgery. The rate of sodium change was calculated as this range divided by the time interval in hours.ResultsA larger maximum intraoperative sodium range was associated with lower axial diffusivity values in the right centrum semiovale, bilateral precentral white matter, right inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and right optic radiation (p < 0.05, family wise error rate corrected). There were no other associations between diffusivities and sodium range or rate of change.ConclusionsA larger maximum intraoperative sodium range was associated with reduced axial diffusivity, possibly indicating axonal injury in neonates with CHD after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. These findings underscore the importance of limiting perioperative osmotic stress to optimize white matter microstructural development.

Maternal diabetes may affect neonates' long-term neurodevelopment and cognitive behavior. Brain biochemistry and white matter fiber tracts may reveal early changes of brain abnormality. The purpose of this study was to compare brain metabolites and fiber structures in infants of mothers with diabetes with those of mothers without diabetes during the early stage of neonatal neurodevelopment. Pregnant women with diabetes mellitus (DM) and healthy controls were recruited prospectively. Baseline characteristics including maternal and gestational age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and types of diabetes were extracted from the mothers and neonates in the clinical record. Infants of mothers with diabetes and healthy controls underwent scans by using a 3T MRI scanner. T2-weighted anatomic images were acquired for voxel positioning. 1H-MR spectroscopy from the right frontal lobe and whole-brain DTI data were acquired from the participants. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare anthropometric data and a general linear model was used to compare brain metabolites and diffusion measures in the neonates. MRI data were successfully obtained from 77 neonates (41 healthy controls and 36 infants of mothers with diabetes). Gestational diabetes was the most common diagnosis (53%), followed by type 2 (33%) and type 1 pregestational DM (14%). Weight (P = .02) and BMI (P < .01) were significantly higher in mothers with diabetes with earlier birth gestational age. Myo-inositol (mI) measurements were significantly higher (P = .02) in infants of mothers with diabetes versus controls but this was not observed in the excitatory neurotransmitter of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and other high-concentration metabolites. Mean diffusivity values were significantly higher in the anterior part (P = .03) and posterior gray matter (P < .05) of the cingulate gyrus for infants of mothers with diabetes compared with controls. Axial diffusivity values were significantly higher (P = .03) in the anterior part right gray matter of the cingulate gyrus for infants of mothers with diabetes compared with controls. The increase of myo-inositol in infants of mothers with diabetes may reflect a compensatory mechanism related to altered blood glucose to preserve and promote β-cell growth to enhance the production of insulin. The increase in mean diffusivity is consistent with decreased water diffusion, which potentially reflects abnormal changes in myelination and axonal loss.

Materials capable of withstanding extreme environments open promising opportunities for nuclear fusion reactors. In this study, equiatomic CrFeTaVW and CrFeTiVW high-entropy alloys are investigated as interlayer materials between W and CuCrZr. Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics simulations predicted a bcc-type structure for both systems. Additionally, the Monte Carlo simulation predicts lower potential energy and a more stable structure for both systems than Molecular Dynamics. For CrFeTaVW, the chemical segregation values are lower in MC than in the MD simulation, whereas for CrFeTiVW, the opposite trend is observed, with MC indicating stronger segregation values. After simulation, the high-entropy alloys were prepared by planetary ball milling, consolidated by spark plasma sintering, and analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal diffusivity. The experimental results for the milled powders confirmed the formation of a bcc structure in both alloys. The consolidated material revealed a bcc-type structure and an Fe2Ta Laves phase for the CrFeTaVW HEA, while the CrFeTiVW HEA exhibits two different bcc-type structures. The values of CrFeTaVW and CrFeTiVW thermal diffusivity are between 3.5 and 7 mm2/s, which is consistent with the expected values for high-entropy alloys. Overall, the findings indicate that these HEAs have promising properties that can be used in extreme environments.

α-Synuclein co-pathology is common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is associated with faster cognitive decline, yet its impact on brain structural integrity remains unclear. We examined the extent to which α-synuclein pathology influences brain microstructural changes using diffusion tensor imaging in participants stratified by cognitive impairment status. Participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative with available CSF α-synuclein SAA results, diffusion MRI, and AD biomarkers were analyzed. Subjects were classified as cognitively unimpaired (CU) or cognitively impaired (CI) and as SAA-positive (SAA +) or negative (SAA-). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values were extracted from white and gray matter regions-of-interest after multi-scanner harmonization using ComBat. Linear regression models were used to assess cross-sectional associations between SAA status and AD pathologic burden (CSF p-tau181/Aβ42 ratio) controlling for age and sex for CUs. Those models were performed for CI with additional adjustment for diagnostic stage (MCI vs dementia). For longitudinal data, similar models were performed using mixed-effects models including time and various interactions with time. False discovery rate correction across regions-of-interest was applied for all models. Cross-sectionally, α-synuclein positivity was associated with microstructural injury in temporo-limbic gray and white matter regions exclusively in CI participants, with effects persisting even after controlling for Alzheimer's disease pathologic burden. The influence of α-synuclein on microstructure was more pronounced longitudinally, such that CI SAA + participants showed greater and widespread white matter deterioration, remaining after AD pathologic burden adjustment. In CU individuals, higher levels of AD pathology were associated with longitudinal decline in white matter integrity only when α-synuclein co-pathology was present. Our findings demonstrate that α-synuclein copathology shapes brain microstructural decline in a stage-dependent manner in people on the AD spectrum. These results support combination therapy strategies informed by α-synuclein status and advance precision medicine approaches to neurodegeneration. Limitations included the lack of validation in an independent dataset, relatively short follow-up duration, and use of a binary SAA classification.

This study investigated the shrinkage behavior of overripepapayaslices during convective drying at 50 and 60 °C under 20% relativehumidity, without disturbing the process. The Lewis model accuratelydescribed drying kinetics at both temperatures. Papaya slices exhibitedanisotropic shrinkage, with area and height reductions of (15 ±3) % and (76 ± 5) % at 50 °C and (26 ± 7) % and (87± 3) % at 60 °C, respectively. Although fundamental modelswere evaluated, only empirical correlations effectively describedarea and height shrinkage at both temperatures. At 50 °C, a deviationof approximately 10% from linearity was observed between water lossand sample volume reduction, while at 60 °C, a deviation below5% occurred, suggesting an ideal shrinkage. These differences couldbe related to the gap between the sample and glass transition temperatures.Drying rate behavior was comparable at both temperatures, despitethe occurrence of area shrinkage, which could be explained by therelatively small extent of area shrinkage. At 50 °C, no constantperiod was observed, followed by a single falling rate period, whereasat 60 °C, a short constant rate period was followed by two fallingrate periods. Effective moisture diffusivity was evaluated with andwithout considering height shrinkage. When height shrinkage was neglected,diffusivity values were overestimated, particularly during the secondfalling period at 60 °C, when moisture mobility is expected todecrease. These findings highlight the importance of incorporatingshrinkage into drying kinetics modeling.