Research works

Data-driven risk algorithms from primary care for early dementia detection and prevention trial enrichment

Background: Early identification of individuals at risk of dementia is essential for effective prevention and timely intervention. Existing risk scores rely heavily on age, which limits their discriminative power at clinically relevant thresholds such as 65 years, when preventive...

Ceramic composites derived from rice husk silica: influence of a low amount of steel fibres

The development of new materials using residues contributes to minimizing environmental degradation with the possibility of improving properties and reducing production costs. In this perspective, the present work aims to develop a composite material replacing refractory clay wit...

Human iPSC-based modeling reveals coding and non-coding transcriptomic alterations associated with RFX3 deficiency in pancreatic islets

Abstract Background RFX3 is a transcription factor (TF) critical for pancreatic endocrine development. Its loss impairs β-cell differentiation, promotes enterochromaffin cell (EC) generation, and induces apoptosis. However, the role of non-coding RNAs in mediating these effects r...

Technological constitutionalism in the quantum-AI era: ASEAN's post-sovereign response

ASEAN, home to almost 700 million people and a mosaic of legal traditions, now faces growing cybersecurity risks as quantum computing and autonomous AI unsettle encryption standards and regulatory frameworks. This paper argues that law in the region cannot simply adapt reactively...

Targeting NOX1/4 promotes macrophage phagocytosis and improves radiotherapy via YAP1/TEAD4-CD47 in non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Radiotherapy is a mainstay treatment option for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, radiation remodels the tumor immune microenvironment by adaptively upregulating the immunoregulatory checkpoint CD47, leading to phagocytic evasion and radioresistance. Although...

Protocol of the STRIDE-X study: a multicenter, single-arm trial of single tremelimumab regular interval durvalumab followed by hepatectomy for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the fifth most common cancer globally and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Systemic therapies such as lenvatinib or the combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab has recently emerged as a first-line the...

Time–frequency collaborative denoising for audio-magnetotelluric data using a wavelet-based residual network

Abstract The Audio-Magnetotelluric (AMT) method is a key geophysical technique for mineral resource exploration, but anthropogenic electromagnetic interference severely downgrades the data quality. In recent years, neural networks have shown results superior to traditional method...

Immunologic insights into the critical epitopes of HIV-1 and structure-based characterization of cross-reactive antibodies

Abstract HIV-1 escape from neutralizing antibodies even in the presence of strong host immunity is associated with variations in envelope proteins that drive antigenic diversification. The virus exploits the error-prone nature of reverse transcriptase and the high mutation rate a...

Antifibrotic mechanism of curcumin and its therapeutic potential in multi-organ diseases

Fibrosis is the outcome of chronic diseases and manifests as an abnormal repair process in which normal parenchyma is progressively replaced by deposited extracellular matrix. It leads to organ dysfunction and is associated with high morbidity, disability, and mortality, thereby...

Optimizing DC fast charger placement along tourism corridor under budget constraints

With the rise in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, enabling long-distance EV travel along scenic routes offers a promising path to boost regional tourism and expand EV use beyond urban areas. However, limited driving range and insufficient charging infrastructure remain significant...

Simulated climate change disrupts soil food webs and agroecosystem services in two contrasting Mediterranean drylands

Climate change and intensive agriculture are major threats to soil biodiversity and key ecosystem functions, and Mediterranean systems are particularly vulnerable to these global change drivers. In such threatened environments, gaining insight into the interactions between aboveg...

Calbindin stratifies midbrain dopaminergic neurons governing distinct aspects of locomotion

Despite advances in delineating the molecular diversity and projection patterns of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, subtype-specific contributions to motor learning and movement execution remain poorly defined. Here, we applied intersectional ablation and inhibitory chemogenetics...

Chronic disease vulnerability in Ukraine during armed conflict

Abstract Armed conflicts, like the Russian invasion in Ukraine, devastated healthcare systems and amplified chronic disease burdens. This study aimed to unveil novel links between environmental and social factors and chronic illnesses during crises.This study uniquely combined in...

The role of chloride ions in serotonin transport

Abstract The human serotonin (5-HT + ) transporter SERT facilitates 5-HT + transport into cells by coupling it to Na + symport and K + antiport. Although extracellular Cl − is also essential for transport, Cl − co-transport has been disputed, raising questions about the role of C...

Impact of the Invisibles: Personalized Pricing on Platform with Anonymous Users

As data privacy regulations expand consumers’ control over personal data, e-commerce platforms and sellers increasingly face users whose data cannot be used for targeting or pricing. This paper studies how such information withholding reshapes competition in digital marketplaces....

Neural Organization of Episodic Memory and Navigation in Children and Adults

Abstract Episodic memory and spatial navigation are often viewed as interlinked, in part due to their shared reliance on medial-temporal lobe (MTL) structures. At the same time, there are important differences, for example, natural spatial navigation requires moving one's body th...

AI Companions: The Blurring Line Between Connection and Deception

AI companions are transforming human relationships, offering emotional support, companionship, and even intimacy. These technologies, rooted in affective computing, blur the boundaries between authentic connection and algorithmic simulation. From virtual idols to griefbots, AI co...

Tax Litigation and Characteristics of Audit Opinions: Implications for Transparency and Trust in B3

Purpose. This study investigates how tax litigation affects the length, tone, clarity, and complexity of audit opinions for companies listed on Brazil’s B3 exchange, and the implications for financial reporting transparency and trust. Design/methodology/approach. A fixed-effects...

Estimating differing causal roles of glutamate and GABA genes on brain and behavior in autism

Abstract The excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance theory suggests that excitatory and inhibitory alterations underlies autism characteristics. However, genetic underpinnings of this imbalance and its impact on brain function and behavior remains unclear. We explored causal links...

Vector competence of temperate and tropical mosquito species for Babanki virus

Abstract Babanki virus (BBKV), an alphavirus belonging to the Western Equine encephalitis complex, was isolated from Mansonia africana mosquitoes in 1969 but is not characterized yet. Transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of an infectious female arthropod, it is asso...