Amine functionalization of cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix with generation 1 PAMAM dendrimer

This document is the unedited author's version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in Biomacromolecules, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work, see http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/bm701055k.A method to functionalize cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix (CEM) with free amine groups was established in an attempt to improve its potential for tethering of bioactive molecules. CEM was incorporated with Generation-1 polyamidoamine (G1 PAMAM) dendrimer by using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide cross-linking system. The nature of incorporation of PAMAM dendrimer was evaluated using shrink temperature measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) assessment, ninhydrin assay, and swellability. The effects of PAMAM incorporation on mechanical and degradation properties of CEM were evaluated using a uniaxial mechanical test and collagenase degradation assay, respectively. Ninhydrin assay and FTIR assessment confirmed the presence of increasing free amine groups with increasing quantity of PAMAM in dendrimer-incorporated CEM (DENCEM) scaffolds. The amount of dendrimer used was found to be critical in controlling scaffold degradation, shrink temperature, and free amine content. Cell culture studies showed that fibroblasts seeded on DENCEM maintained their metabolic activity and ability to proliferate in vitro. In addition, fluorescence cell staining and scanning electron microscopy analysis of cell-seeded DENCEM showed preservation of normal fibroblast morphology and phenotype

Resonance Effects in the Nonadiabatic Nonlinear Quantum Dimer

The quantum nonlinear dimer consisting of an electron shuttling between the two sites and in weak interaction with vibrations, is studied numerically under the application of a DC electric field. A field-induced resonance phenomenon between the vibrations and the electronic oscillations is found to influence the electronic transport greatly. For initially delocalization of the electron, the resonance has the effect of a dramatic increase in the transport. Nonlinear frequency mixing is identified as the main mechanism that influences transport. A characterization of the frequency spectrum is also presented.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Impact of Responsible AI on the Occurrence and Resolution of Ethical Issues: Protocol for a Scoping Review

\ua9 2024 JMIR Publications Inc.. All rights reserved. Background: Responsible artificial intelligence (RAI) emphasizes the use of ethical frameworks implementing accountability, responsibility, and transparency to address concerns in the deployment and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including privacy, autonomy, self-determination, bias, and transparency. Standards are under development to guide the support and implementation of AI given these considerations. Objective: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of current research evidence and knowledge gaps regarding the implementation of RAI principles and the occurrence and resolution of ethical issues within AI systems. Methods: A scoping review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines was proposed. PubMed, ERIC, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, EBSCO, Web of Science, ACM Digital Library, and ProQuest (Arts and Humanities) will be systematically searched for articles published since 2013 that examine RAI principles and ethical concerns within AI. Eligibility assessment will be conducted independently and coded data will be analyzed along themes and stratified across discipline-specific literature. Results: The results will be included in the full scoping review, which is expected to start in June 2024 and completed for the submission of publication by the end of 2024. Conclusions: This scoping review will summarize the state of evidence and provide an overview of its impact, as well as strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in research implementing RAI principles. The review may also reveal discipline-specific concerns, priorities, and proposed solutions to the concerns. It will thereby identify priority areas that should be the focus of future regulatory options available, connecting theoretical aspects of ethical requirements for principles with practical solutions

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

Peeling the astronomical onion

Water ice is the most abundant solid in the Universe. Understanding the formation, structure and multiplicity of physicochemical roles for water ice in the cold, dense interstellar environments in which it is predominantly observed is a crucial quest for astrochemistry as these are regions active in star and planet formation. Intuitively, we would expect the mobility of water molecules deposited or synthesised on dust grain surfaces at temperatures below 50 K to be very limited. This work delves into the thermally-activated mobility of H2O molecules on model interstellar grain surfaces. The energy required to initiate this process is studied by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy of small quantities of water on amorphous silica and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surfaces as the surface is annealed. Strongly non-Arrhenius behaviour is observed with an activation energy of 2 kJ mol-1 on the silica surface below 25 K and 0 kJ mol-1 on both surfaces between 25 and 100 K. The astrophysical implication of these results is that on timescales shorter than that estimated for the formation of a complete monolayer of water ice on a grain, aggregation of water ice will result in a non-uniform coating of water, hence leaving bare grain surface exposed. Other molecules can thus be formed or adsorbed on this bare surface

Self-Management Systems for Patients and Clinicians in Parkinson Care: Protocol for an Integrated Scoping Review, Product Search, and Evaluation

\ua9Selina Boege, Madison Milne-Ives, Edward Meinert, Camille Carroll.Background: Parkinson disease (PD) poses emotional and financial challenges to patients, families, caregivers, and health care systems. Self-management systems show promise in empowering people with PD and enabling more control over their treatment. The collaborative nature of PD care requires communication between patients and health care professionals. While past reviews explored self-management systems in PD diagnosis and symptom management with a focus on patient portals, there is limited research addressing the interconnectivity of systems catering to the needs of both patients and clinicians. A system’s acceptability and usability for clinicians are pivotal for enabling comprehensive data collection and supporting clinical decision-making, which can enhance patient care and treatment outcomes. Objective: This review study aims to assess PD self-management systems that include a clinician portal and to determine which features enhance acceptability and usability for clinicians. The primary aim is to assess evidence of clinicians’ acceptability and usability of self-management systems with a focus on the integration of systems into clinical workflows, data collection points, monitoring, clinical decision-making support, and extended education and training. Methods: The review will entail 3 separate stages: a literature review following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, a product search, and an evaluation of the level of evidence for the identified products. For the first stage, 5 databases will be searched: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, ACM digital library, and IEEE Xplore. Studies eligible for inclusion will be qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies examining patients’ and clinician’s perceptions of the acceptability and usability of digital health interventions, synthesized by a narrative qualitative analysis. A web search in the iOS Apple App Store and Android Google Play Store will identify currently available tools; the level of evidence for these will then be assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines. Results: Literature search and screening began soon after submission of the protocol, and the review is expected to be completed by end of September 2024. Conclusions: This review will examine currently available self-management systems in PD care, focusing on their acceptability and usability. This is significant because there is limited research addressing the integration of clinicians into these systems. The findings from this study may provide critical knowledge and insight to help inform future research and will contribute to the design of self-management systems that promote collaborative efforts in PD care

Measurement of the inelastic pp cross-section at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV

The cross-section for inelastic proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV is measured with the LHCb detector. The fiducial cross-section for inelastic interactions producing at least one prompt long-lived charged particle with momentum p > 2 GeV/c in the pseudorapidity range 2 < η < 5 is determined to be ϭ acc = 62:2 ± 0:2 ± 2:5mb. The first uncertainty is the intrinsic systematic uncertainty of the measurement, the second is due to the uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The statistical uncertainty is negligible. Extrapolation to full phase space yields the total inelastic proton-proton cross-section ϭ inel = 75:4 ± 3:0 ± 4:5mb, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second due to the extrapolation. An updated value of the inelastic cross-section at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV is also reported

The conceptualisation and measurement of engagement in digital health.

Digital tools are an increasingly important component of healthcare, but their potential impact is commonly limited by a lack of user engagement. Digital health evaluations of engagement are often restricted to system usage metrics, which cannot capture a full understanding of how and why users engage with an intervention. This study aimed to examine how theory-based, multifaceted measures of engagement with digital health interventions capture different components of engagement (affective, cognitive, behavioural, micro, and macro) and to consider areas that are unclear or missing in their measurement. We identified and compared two recently developed measures that met these criteria (the Digital Behaviour Change Intervention Engagement Scale and the TWente Engagement with Ehealth Technologies Scale). Despite having similar theoretical bases and being relatively strongly correlated, there are key differences in how these scales aim to capture engagement. We discuss the implications of our analysis for how affective, cognitive, and behavioural components of engagement can be conceptualised and whether there is value in distinguishing between them. We conclude with recommendations for the circumstances in which each scale may be most useful and for how future measure development could supplement existing scales

Impact of digital technologies on self-efficacy in people with Parkinson\u27s: a scoping review protocol

\ua9 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Introduction Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disease globally, for which currently no one definitive cause or cure exists. Estimates suggest that 145 000 people with Parkinson\u27s (PwP) live in the UK. PD presents with motor and non-motor symptoms fluctuating significantly in and between individuals continually throughout the day. PD adversely affects activities of daily living, quality of life and well-being. Self-efficacy is an important belief to improve for PwP as it enables the individual to develop confidence in their ability to exert control over their own motivation, behaviour and social environment. This scoping review aims to identify digital technologies which have been shown to positively impact on promoting self-efficacy in PwP. Methods and analyses Six bibliographic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE and IEEE Xplore will be searched from the date of their inception to the May 2023. The primary outcome will be to identify interventions which are associated with a change in self-efficacy in PwP to enable positive and negative outcomes, as well as safety to be evaluated. The secondary outcomes of this review will focus on the intervention\u27s proposed mechanisms for success, particularly looking at the impact they had on positive behaviour change(s) or modification(s) on study participants. Ethics and dissemination This scoping review will not require ethical approval as it will use data collected from previously published primary studies. The findings of this review will be published in peer-reviewed journals and widely disseminated