Minor Changes Research Articles

The Communicative Participation Item Bank-Gender-Diverse Version: Item Bank Calibration and Short Form.

The purpose of this study was to calibrate an item set for a new version of the Communicative Participation Item Bank (CPIB) specifically for use with gender-diverse clients. This new version contains a new item stem as well as other minor wording changes from the original CPIB in order to be acceptable to gender-diverse respondents. Survey data on 47 candidate items were collected from 434 transgender individuals: 219 assigned female at birth (AFAB) and 215 assigned male at birth (AMAB). Item response theory analyses included evaluation of unidimensionality, local dependence, fit to a graded response model, and differential item functioning (DIF) between AFAB and AMAB respondents. The original set of 47 items was unidimensional, but 16 items were removed due to local dependence, resulting in a final item bank of 31 items. There was no evidence of DIF between AFAB and AMAB participants. Reliability of the full item bank is good (i.e., > 0.8) between T scores of 20 and 76 and high (i.e., > 0.9) between T scores of 20 and 68. The short form had good reliability (i.e., > 0.8) between T scores of 24 and 64. The Communicative Participation Item Bank-Gender-Diverse (CPIB-GD) version provides a new option for person-reported outcome measurement with gender-diverse clients. Clinicians are cautioned to use only the new CPIB-GD with gender-diverse clients, and not the original CPIB due to unacceptable wording in the original version for this population. The original CPIB remains valid and appropriate for the populations for which it was developed. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24993309.

Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Living Kidney Donation Within a Sociotechnical Systems Framework.

The objective of this study was to investigate factors influencing one's decision to become a live kidney donor under the framework of sociotechnical systems, by expanding the focus to include larger organizational influences and technological considerations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with live kidney donors who donated through University of Louisville Health, Trager Transplant Center, a mid-scale transplant program, in the years 2017 through 2019. The interview transcripts were analyzed for barriers and facilitators to live kidney donation within a sociotechnical system. The most salient facilitators included: having an informative, caring, and available care team; the absence of any negative external pressure toward donating; donating to a family or friend; and the ability to take extra time off work for recovery. The most recurrent barriers included: short/medium-term (<1year) negative health impacts because of donation; the need to make minor lifestyle changes (e.g., less alcohol consumption) after donation; and mental health deterioration stemming from the donation process. The sociotechnical systems framework promotes a balanced system comprised of social, technical, and environmental subsystems. Assessing the facilitators and barriers from the sociotechnical system perspective revealed the importance of and opportunities for developing strategies to promote integration of technical subsystem, such as social media apps and interactive AI platforms, with social and environmental subsystems to enable facilitators and reduce barriers effectively.

SEM Analysis and Micro-CT Evaluation of Four Dental Implants after Three Different Mechanical Requests-In Vitro Study.

Implant-supported rehabilitations are an increasingly frequent practice to replace lost teeth. Before clinical application, all implant components should demonstrate suitable durability in laboratory studies, through fatigue tests. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the integrity and wear of implant components using SEM, and to assess the axial displacement of the implant-abutment assembly by Micro-CT, in different implant connections, after three distinct mechanical requests. Four KLOCKNER implants (external connection SK2 and KL; and internal connection VEGA and ESSENTIAL) were submitted to three different mechanical requests: single tightening, multiple tightening, and multiple tightening and cyclic loading (500 N × 100 cycles). A total of 16 samples were evaluated by SEM, by the X-ray Bragg-Brentano method to obtain residual stresses, and scratch tests were realized for each surface and Micro-CT (4 control samples; 4 single tightening; 4 multiple tightening; 4 multiple tightening and cyclic loading). All dental implants were fabricated with commercially pure titanium (grade 3 titanium). Surface topography and axial displacement of abutment into the implant, from each group, were evaluated by SEM and Micro-CT. In the manufacturing state, implants and abutments revealed minor structural changes and minimal damage from the machining process. The application of the tightening torque and loading was decisive in the appearance and increase in contact marks on the faces of the hexagon of the abutment and the implant. Vega has the maximum compressive residual stress and, as a consequence, higher scratch force. The abutment-implant distances in SK2 and KL samples did not show statistically significant differences, for any of the mechanical demands analyzed. In contrast, statistically significant differences were observed in abutment-implant distance in the internal connection implants Vega and Essential. The application of mechanical compression loads caused deformation and contact marks in all models tested. Only internal connection implants revealed an axial displacement of the abutment into the implant, but at a general level, a clear intrusion of the abutment into the implant could only be confirmed in the Essential model, which obtained its maximal axial displacement with cyclic loading.

The Diverse Mycorrizal Morphology of Rhododendron dauricum, the Fungal Communities Structure and Dynamics from the Mycorrhizosphere.

It is generally believed that mycorrhiza is a microecosystem composed of mycorrhizal fungi, host plants and other microscopic organisms. The mycorrhiza of Rhododendron dauricum is more complex and the diverse morphology of our investigated results displays both typical ericoid mycorrhizal characteristics and ectomycorrhizal traits. The characteristics of ectendoomycorrhiza, where mycelial invade from the outside into the root cells, have also been observed. In order to further clarify the mycorrhizal fungi members and other fungal communities of R. dauricum mycorrhiza, and explore the effects of vegetation and soil biological factors on their community structure, we selected two woodlands in the northeast of China as samples-one is a mixed forest of R. dauricum and Quercus mongolica, and the other a mixed forest of R. dauricum, Q. mongolica, and Pinus densiflor. The sampling time was during the local growing season, from June to September. High-throughput sequencing yielded a total of 3020 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), which were based on sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer ribosomal RNA (ITS rRNA) via the Illumina NovaSeq platform. In the different habitats of R. dauricum, there are differences in the diversity of fungi obtained from mycorrhizal niches, and specifically the mycorrhizal fungal community structure in the complex vegetation of mixed forests, where R. dauricum is found, exhibits greater stability, with relatively minor changes over time. Soil fungi are identified as the primary source of fungi within the mycorrhizal niche, and the abundance of mycorrhizal fungi from mycorrhizal niches in R. dauricum is significantly influenced by soil pH, organic matter, and available nitrogen. The relationship between soil fungi and mycorrhizal fungi from mycorrhizal niches is simultaneously found to be intricate, while the genus Hydnellum emerges as a central genus among mycorrhizal fungi from mycorrhizal niches. However, there is currently a substantial gap in the foundational research of this genus, including the fact that mycorrhizal fungi from mycorrhizal niches have, compared to fungi present in the soil, proven to be more sensitive to changes in soil moisture.

Snow loads on multi‐span roofs

AbstractSnow loads have an important influence, particularly on the design of lightweight steel structures. For multi‐span roofs, local drift surcharges and global drift losses play a central role. During the review of the snow load distribution for multi‐span roof according to prEN 1991‐1‐3:2023, 7.5.4, attention was only given to minor changes of the shape coefficients. The inconsistency of shape coefficients and more importantly their limitations, trends and the resulting snow loads seem to have been neglected. Partly, problems have been inherited from the regulation in the first generation of the Eurocode EN 1991‐1‐3:2010, 5.3.4. The currently reviewed draft prEN 1991‐1‐3:2023 is insufficiently revised. In this paper, the background for the snow load distribution on multi‐span roofs is given, the impact and consequences of the regulation are shown and possible improvements proposed.

TAS2R38 Bitter Taste Receptor Polymorphisms in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps Preliminary Data in Polish Population.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects 5-12% of the general population, and the most challenging patients are those with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP). Its complexity, unpredictability, and difficulties in selecting a treatment plan individually for each patient prompted scientists to look for possible genetic causes of this disease. It was proven that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TAS2R38 gene may affect the mobility and the activity of the ciliated epithelium of the upper respiratory tract what can contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to CRS. There are two common haplotypes: a "protective" type (PAV), and a "non-protective" type (AVI). CRS patients who are homozygous PAV/PAV are considered as less susceptible to the severe course of the disease, whereas patients with AVI/AVI haplotype are more vulnerable. The aim of this study was to examine TAS2R38 gene polymorphisms among CRSwNP patients and control group (N = 544) with the evaluation of the association between the distribution of studied polymorphic variants and the incidence as well as severity of CRSwNP in the study group. Whole blood samples from CRSwNP patients (N = 106) and the control group (N = 438) were analyzed for alleles of the TAS2R38 gene using real-time PCR single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assays for rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939. PAV (SG: 41%; CG: 49%) and AVI (SG: 59%; CG: 51%) haplotypes were the only ones detected in the study. The AVI haplotypes were 1.5 times more frequent in the study group than in the control group (p = 0.0204; OR = 1.43). AVI/AVI individuals tended to have more severe symptoms in the VAS scale, less QoL in the SNOT-22 test, and a bigger nasal obstruction upon endoscopic examination. Patients with PAV/PAV were twice more likely to have minor changes in preoperative CT scans (p = 0.0158; OR = 2.1; Fi = 0.24). Our study confirmed that the PAV/PAV diplotype might have some protective properties and carrying the AVI haplotype might predispose to the development of CRSwNP.

Evaluating Relapse Knowledge in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Development and Validation of the Relapse Knowledge Questionnaire

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) knowledge is a prerequisite for active patient engagement in medical decision-making. Treatment of relapses in MS is a clinical field with many uncertainties and each acute relapse requires decisions regarding possible options for action, indicating the need for patient involvement. However, there is no validated instrument assessing relapse knowledge in people with MS. Our study aims to develop a valid MS relapse questionnaire for use as an outcome instrument for educational interventions. MethodsA multidisciplinary panel developed the relapse knowledge questionnaire (RKQ) based on a previously developed questionnaire. We tested the RKQ on MS patients for comprehensibility, usability and acceptance in qualitative think-aloud interviews and conducted a cross-sectional quantitative online survey to validate the questionnaire. People with suspected or confirmed relapsing-remitting MS and a recent relapse experience were eligible for inclusion. We checked normal distribution of the RKQ score and determined the item difficulty. Construct validity was analysed using correlational analysis. ResultsThe final RKQ consists of 10 items. After minor changes of the RKQ during pre-testing (n = 2), pilot testing (n = 10) confirmed the usability and acceptance of the instrument. The subsequent validation study (n = 203) resulted in a mean item difficulty of 0.44, ranging from 0.18 to 0.83. Seven items were particularly difficult and answered incorrectly by more than 50 % of participants. Construct validity of the RKQ was satisfactory. The RKQ score correlated only weakly with participants’ degree of education (|rp|>0.1), years since diagnosis (|rp|>0.1), and the intention to receive corticosteroids (|rp|>0.1). ConclusionThis study indicates the validity of the RKQ and proposes that the RKQ is a suitable instrument to assess relapse knowledge in people with MS participating in educational interventions.

Investigating nexus between corporate re-branding and stock market performance: a study of Indian service sector

PurposeThe present study, by using signaling perspective aims to investigate short-term valuation impact of rebranding announcements (with name change) on stock performance of 160 service firms listed on NSE NIFTY-500 over the period of 2000–2019.Design/methodology/approachAn event study methodology is used to estimate the cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) and its statistical significance is tested with both parametric and non-parametric test-statistics. Separate analysis has been conducted for firms with “major vs minor” and “restructuring vs non-restructuring” name change.FindingsFindings of the study suggest that rebranding decisions are negatively associated with abnormal returns around the announcement period indicating strong disapproval of name change event. In addition, investors formed strong adverse opinion for major name change firms as compared to minor name change firms. Further, restructured name change sample document larger negative drift than non-restructured sample.Practical implicationsFindings offer substantial repercussions for shareholders who can make informed judgments about name change as a signal of reinventing brand identity. Managers should announce detailed rationale behind name change decision to market for enhancing corporate reputation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to marketing-finance interface literature and is first to examine market reaction to name change of Indian service firms and moreover, made a distinction between major vs minor and restructured vs non-restructured name change events for these firms.

The declining insulinogenic index correlates with inflammation and metabolic dysregulation in non-obese individuals assessed by blood gene expression

AimsDiabetes onset is difficult to predict. Since decreased insulinogenic index (IGI) is observed in prediabetes, and blood gene expression correlates with insulin secretion, candidate biomarkers can be identified. MethodsWe collected blood from 96 participants (54 males, 42 females) in 2008 (age: 52.5 years) and 2016 for clinical and gene expression analyses. IGI was derived from values of insulin and glucose at fasting and at 30 min post-OGTT. Two subgroups were identified based on IGI variation: “Minor change in IGI” group with absolute value variation between –0.05 and +0.05, and “Decrease in IGI” group with a variation between –20 and –0.05. ResultsFollowing the comparison of “Minor change in IGI” and “Decrease in IGI” groups at time 0 (2008), we identified 77 genes correlating with declining IGI, related to response to lipid, carbohydrate, and hormone metabolism, response to stress and DNA metabolic processes. Over the eight years, genes correlating to declining IGI were related to inflammation, metabolic and hormonal dysregulation. Individuals with minor change in IGI, instead, featured homeostatic and regenerative responses. ConclusionsBy blood gene expression analysis of non-obese individuals, we identified potential gene biomarkers correlating to declining IGI, associated to a pathophysiology of inflammation and metabolic dysregulation.

Proposing an innovative real-time monitoring approach for the parameter stability of credit-default prediction model

In real-world applications, the default prediction process generally requires periodic recalibration of parameter estimates with up-to-date data. However, few studies have investigated sudden changes or unknown structural breaks in the regularly estimated parameters, which could lead to biases in the models and thus affect the prediction accuracy. The instability of estimated parameters has been shown to under- or overestimate prediction results, but their real-time monitoring remains unexplored. This paper aims to fill this research gap by monitoring the estimated parameter stability in default prediction models in real time using statistical process control methods. We innovatively transform this issue into a research problem of profile monitoring and examine the monitoring performance of three control charts using Monte Carlo simulation. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the self-starting multivariate exponentially weighted moving average control chart outperforms other charts in detecting speed and range. It can also predict credit crises, detect more minor changes in risk, and describe their changing trends in real time. Throughout this article, we employ a forward intensity approach, which has been put into long-term applications for corporate default predictions, to illustrate the profile monitoring process.

Comparison of effect estimates between preprints and peer-reviewed journal articles of COVID-19 trials

BackgroundPreprints are increasingly used to disseminate research results, providing multiple sources of information for the same study. We assessed the consistency in effect estimates between preprint and subsequent journal article of COVID-19 randomized controlled trials.MethodsThe study utilized data from the COVID-NMA living systematic review of pharmacological treatments for COVID-19 (covid-nma.com) up to July 20, 2022. We identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating pharmacological treatments vs. standard of care/placebo for patients with COVID-19 that were originally posted as preprints and subsequently published as journal articles. Trials that did not report the same analysis in both documents were excluded. Data were extracted independently by pairs of researchers with consensus to resolve disagreements. Effect estimates extracted from the first preprint were compared to effect estimates from the journal article.ResultsThe search identified 135 RCTs originally posted as a preprint and subsequently published as a journal article. We excluded 26 RCTs that did not meet the eligibility criteria, of which 13 RCTs reported an interim analysis in the preprint and a final analysis in the journal article. Overall, 109 preprint–article RCTs were included in the analysis. The median (interquartile range) delay between preprint and journal article was 121 (73–187) days, the median sample size was 150 (71–464) participants, 76% of RCTs had been prospectively registered, 60% received industry or mixed funding, 72% were multicentric trials. The overall risk of bias was rated as ‘some concern’ for 80% of RCTs. We found that 81 preprint–article pairs of RCTs were consistent for all outcomes reported. There were nine RCTs with at least one outcome with a discrepancy in the number of participants with outcome events or the number of participants analyzed, which yielded a minor change in the estimate of the effect. Furthermore, six RCTs had at least one outcome missing in the journal article and 14 RCTs had at least one outcome added in the journal article compared to the preprint. There was a change in the direction of effect in one RCT. No changes in statistical significance or conclusions were found.ConclusionsEffect estimates were generally consistent between COVID-19 preprints and subsequent journal articles. The main results and interpretation did not change in any trial. Nevertheless, some outcomes were added and deleted in some journal articles.

Explaining graph convolutional network predictions for clinicians-An explainable AI approach to Alzheimer's disease classification.

Graph-based representations are becoming more common in the medical domain, where each node defines a patient, and the edges signify associations between patients, relating individuals with disease and symptoms in a node classification task. In this study, a Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) model was utilized to capture differences in neurocognitive, genetic, and brain atrophy patterns that can predict cognitive status, ranging from Normal Cognition (NC) to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD), on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. Elucidating model predictions is vital in medical applications to promote clinical adoption and establish physician trust. Therefore, we introduce a decomposition-based explanation method for individual patient classification. Our method involves analyzing the output variations resulting from decomposing input values, which allows us to determine the degree of impact on the prediction. Through this process, we gain insight into how each feature from various modalities, both at the individual and group levels, contributes to the diagnostic result. Given that graph data contains critical information in edges, we studied relational data by silencing all the edges of a particular class, thereby obtaining explanations at the neighborhood level. Our functional evaluation showed that the explanations remain stable with minor changes in input values, specifically for edge weights exceeding 0.80. Additionally, our comparative analysis against SHAP values yielded comparable results with significantly reduced computational time. To further validate the model's explanations, we conducted a survey study with 11 domain experts. The majority (71%) of the responses confirmed the correctness of the explanations, with a rating of above six on a 10-point scale for the understandability of the explanations. Strategies to overcome perceived limitations, such as the GCN's overreliance on demographic information, were discussed to facilitate future adoption into clinical practice and gain clinicians' trust as a diagnostic decision support system.

Origin of brittle behavior of doped PbTe-based thermoelectric materials

Finding new efficient thermoelectric materials is a significant challenge for materials science. It is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of material-property relationships to develop new materials successfully, given that minor structural or compositional changes can result in significant property changes. This paper extensively utilizes advanced theoretical approaches and investigates the impact of n- and p-type impurities on the mechanical characteristics of PbTe thermoelectric materials. n- and p-type doping of PbTe were studied using various techniques, including elastic tensor calculations, crystal orbital Hamilton population method, and local vibrational theory. Our findings reveal the specific ways in which doping type affects the material's mechanical properties. This information can aid researchers in optimizing PbTe doping strategies.

Investigating the binding of caffeic acid to human hemoglobin using multispectroscopic and molecular docking approaches

Caffeic acid (CA) is a hydroxycinnamic acid derivative that possess a wide variety of biological properties and is non-toxic to humans. The binding mechanism of CA with human hemoglobin (HHb) was studied for the first time using multispectroscopic and molecular docking methods. The UV–visible absorption spectra showed that CA interacts with HHb through the formation of ground state complex. The fluorescence studies revealed that CA quenches HHb fluorescence by the static mechanism and confirmed the presence of a single CA binding site on the HHb molecule. The negative values of thermodynamics parameters (ΔH,ΔSand ΔG) showed that the binding of CA to HHb is a spontaneous and exothermic process. Hydrogen bonds and van der Waal interactions are the major intermolecular forces that stabilize the HHb-CA complex. Synchronous fluorescence experiments showed that binding of CA altered the microenvironment around tryptophan residues of HHb. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies indicated a high propensity of energy transfer from tryptophan residues of HHb to CA. Circular dichroism spectra and catalytic esterase activity confirmed that only minor changes occur in the secondary structure of HHb in the presence of CA. Molecular docking study identified the HHb amino acid residues involved in binding to CA. Analysis of the binding mode of CA with HHb represents an important step in elucidating the molecular mechanism of the protection of HHb from oxidative damage. This will help in understanding the potential role of CA and related antioxidants as therapeutic agents in various blood-related diseases.

Inactivation effect and kinetic analysis of multi-band ultraviolet LED combined with Ag/N modified magnetic TiO2 on microorganisms in ballast water

The invasion of harmful aquatic organisms from ship ballast water is a serious threat to the marine ecosystem. However, the existing treatment technology has the defects of high energy consumption, secondary pollution and easy revival of organisms, etc. How to inactivate the microorganisms in ballast water efficiently is always a difficult challenge. In this study, the inactivation of Karenia mikimotoi and Escherichia coli under UVA/UVCLED photocatalytic system (UVA/UVCLED + Ag/N-Fe3O4-SiO2-TiO2) was investigated using Ag-modified and N-modified magnetic TiO2 nanomaterials. The results showed that the ability of 1.5 % Ag with 3 % N dual-modified TiO2 to enhance the system's biologically logarithmic inactivation rate was 4–5 times higher than that of conventional unmodified TiO2. The Ag/N-modified magnetic TiO2 had the best photocatalytic activity at a dosage of 500 mg/L. After 6 cycles of use, the inactivation efficiency in combination with UVA/UVCLED only decreased by 8.76 % compared with the initial use, and the recycling rate was still up to 95.75 %. Meanwhile, the scanning electron microscope showed that the photocatalyst itself only had some minor changes after 6 cycles, which confirmed the fact that the photocatalytic removal rate (higher than 91.24 %) could still be maintained at a high level. The UVA/UVCLED photocatalytic system significantly inhibited the scavenging ability of superoxide dismutase (SOD) on reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhanced the toxic effect of ROS on cells, and ultimately accelerated the process of apoptosis and inhibited biological resurrection. In addition, this study verified the inactivation kinetics of the target microorganisms using Chick-Watson, Hom and Biphasic models, and found that all individuals in the same population differed in their tolerance to UV radiation, and some of them absorbed more than a threshold dose of UV radiation before showing inactivation responses. The Biphasic model (R2: 0.99571–0.99926) can better simulate the nonlinear changes exhibited during the inactivation process and is more applicable to the actual disinfection situation of UVA/UVCLED photocatalytic systems. The UVA/UVCLED + Ag/N-Fe3O4-SiO2-TiO2 photocatalytic technology developed in this study, as a novel oxidation process, reduces energy consumption while effectively inhibiting the reanimation of organisms, and exhibits a strong potential for application in the fields of restoring the environment of water bodies and blocking the spread of pathogens.

Optimisation of mechanical behaviour of Calotropis gigantea and Prosopis juliflora natural fibre-based hybrid composites by using Taguchi-Grey relational analysis

The properties of organic fibre-based hybrid materials are influenced by a variety of factors and even minor changes in these variables can outcome in substantial discrepancies in strength. In this regard, the current study aims to optimise various influencing parameters such as weight percentage, alkaline treatment concentration, and fabrication parameters (compression moulding pressure, and temperature), with the goal of enhancing the overall strength of the composite. Calotropis gigantea-stem and Prosopis juliflora-bark fibres were used in varying weight percentages to create epoxy-based hybrid composites. After fabrication the mechanical characterisation like tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the composites were tested. Taguchi experimental design was applied, and the results were analysed using a hybrid Taguchi-grey relational investigation method. It was observed that a combination of 20 wt.% Calotropis gigantea/20 wt.% Prosopis juliflora/6 % NaOH pretreatment/100 °C temperature with 14 MPa pressure and had the most desirable mechanical properties in the fabricated composites. Calotropis gigantea ranks first in enhancing the composite strength, followed by Prosopis Juliflora, NaOH pretreatment%, compression moulding temperature and pressure. This work highlights the significant role of Calotropis gigantea and Prosopis Juliflora fibres in enhancing composite strength and provides valuable insights for future research in the field of hybrid composite development.

Danish translation and cultural adaptation of the Psoriatic arthritis UnclutteRed screening Evaluation (PURE-4) scale

Objectives Screening tools are needed to help to identify psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis. The Psoriatic arthritis UnclutteRed screening Evaluation (PURE-4) questionnaire was developed for this purpose and has been shown to perform very well. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the PURE-4 scale into the Danish language. Method The translational process followed the guidelines provided by the Mapi Research Trust, which include the following steps: forward translation, backward translation, cognitive interviews, and proofreading. Following the guidelines helps to maintain the content validity of the questionnaire and secures a translation that is both literally and culturally appropriate for the target population. Results All four items were modified throughout the translation process, involving mainly minor changes such as the addition of more colloquial words in the Danish version. The new Danish version of PURE-4 was reviewed and approved by the original developers. Conclusions A Danish version of the PURE-4 questionnaire was produced. The translation and cultural adaptation of PURE-4 constitute the first step in the validation of the questionnaire in Danish patients with psoriasis.

Topology of anisotropic glasses from persistent homology analysis

Glasses are typically isotropic, but permanent or transient anisotropy can be induced by tensile strain. We use persistent homology (PH) analysis to explore the topological effects of such anisotropy in SiO2Na2O glass ensembles with variable alkali concentration as a function of frozen-in anisotropic strain. Statistical information was extracted on ring (H1) and cavity (H2) features, whereby anisotropic stretching was found to induce strong variations in the ring topology of the –O-Si-O- backbone, but only minor changes in the overall cavity statistics or in the Na distribution (the Na distribution was found to be governed by H2 persistence). Tensile fracture led to total recovery of network topology relative to the pristine (isotropic) glass. In revealing such reactions, PH and persistence similarity analysis may help to differentiate purely entropic orientation and irreversible structural alterations leading to glass anisotropy.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of indole-piperidine amides as Blood−brain barrier permeable dual cholinesterase and β-secretase inhibitors

Heterocyclic compounds play a crucial role in the discovery of therapeutics. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an unfathomable sporadic neurodegenerative disorder that involves multiple pathological pathways. The failure of current single-target small molecules to address AD's underlying causes has prompted interest in discovering multi-target directed ligands (MTDLs) to slow down the disease's progression. Herein we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of indole-piperidine amides as MTDLs for AD. The 5,6-dimethoxy-indole N-(2-(1-benzylpiperidine) carboxamide (23a) inhibits hAChE and hBACE-1 with IC50 values of 0.32 and 0.39 μM, respectively. The MTDL 23a is a mixed-type inhibitor of both hAChE and hBACE-1 with Ki values of 0.26 μM and 0.46 μM, respectively. The MD simulation studies revealed that both AChE and BACE-1 experience minor conformational changes on binding with 23a. In the PAMPA-BBB assay, analog 23a demonstrated CNS permeability, indicating the possibility for future investigation in preclinical models of AD.

Cross‐linking duration impacts on Hatay cheeses with microbial transglutaminase enzyme

The study aimed to enhance Hatay cheese texture using microbial transglutaminase enzyme (mTG). Cheeses were manufactured using milk treated with mTG for different durations (30, 45 and 60 min) and assessed over 60 days. Longer treatment increased yield (18.79–20.81%) and hardness but reduced springiness. Composition, proteolysis and adhesiveness remained unaffected. Electrophoresis showed β‐casein and αs1‐casein declines during storage, with minor changes in αs1‐casein's breakdown product. Microbial transglutaminase enzyme created a denser protein network, visible in SEM, resulting in a compact structure. Sensory analysis favoured the 60‐min treatment. Overall, mTG improved Hatay cheese quality by modifying texture without major compositional changes.