New efficient and sustainable methods for the removal of malachite green (MG) from environmental media are needed. In this study, corn straw was co-pyrolyzed with montmorillonite under a variety of conditions (400, 500, 600, and 700 °C and 10-40 wt% montmorillonite), without any use of toxic chemicals, to produce a series of biochar-clay composites. Characteristics of the composites that make them promising contaminant sorbents include a uniform lamellar-particle micromorphology, enhanced mesoporous structure and surface area (53.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Despite recommendations from the WHO, antenatal care (ANC) coverage remains low in many low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Community health workers (CHWs) can play an important role in expanding ANC coverage through pregnancy identification, provision of health education, screening for complications, delivery of therapeutic care and referral to higher levels of care. However, despite the success of CHW programmes in various countries, WHO has called for additional research to develop evidence-based models that optimise CHW service delivery and that can be replicated across geographies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe vast majority of gene mutations and/or gene knockouts result in either no observable changes, or significant deficits in molecular, cellular, or organismal function. However, in a small number of cases, mutant animal models display enhancements in specific behaviors such as learning and memory. To date, most gene deletions shown to enhance cognitive ability generally affect a limited number of pathways such as NMDA receptor- and translation-dependent plasticity, or GABA receptor- and potassium channel-mediated inhibition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite robust evidence supporting an association with improved outcomes in eligible patients, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains underused, with a minority of eligible patients participating. Virtual cardiac rehabilitation (VCR) has been proposed as an alternative to traditional center-based CR (CBCR) to improve usage rates. However, data supporting the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of VCR are limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCircHomer1 is an activity-dependent circular RNA (circRNA) isoform produced from back-splicing of the Homer1 transcript. Homer1 isoforms are well-known regulators of homeostatic synaptic plasticity through post-synaptic density scaffold regulation. Homer1 polymorphisms have been associated with psychiatric diseases including schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD).
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