Laser Synthesis of Platinum Single-Atom Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Platinum (Pt)-based heterogeneous catalysts show excellent performance for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); however, the high cost and earth paucity of Pt means that efforts are being directed to reducing Pt usage, whilst maximizing catalytic efficiency. In this work, a two-step laser annealing process was employed to synthesize Pt single-atom catalysts (SACs) on a MOF-derived carbon substrate. The laser irradiation of a metal-organic framework (MOF) film (ZIF67@ZIF8 composite) by rapid scanning of a ns pulsed infrared (IR; 1064 nm) laser across the freeze-dried MOF resulted in a metal-loaded graphitized film.

Gastrointestinal illness among attendees of the FIFA Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Objectives: Mass gathering events may facilitate the transmission of foodborne diseases. We determined the presentations and causative organisms of gastrointestinal illness among the attendees of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association Football World Cup 2022 (FIFA 2022).

Methods: The study was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, which served as the national reference laboratory for all microbiology testing.

Diagnostic performance of axial T2-weighted MRI sequence for exclusion of brain tumour in paediatric patients with non-localizing symptoms.

Objective: To establish diagnostic performance of a single axial T2-weighted sequence for detection of brain tumours in children with non-localizing symptoms, compared to a standard MRI protocol.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of children undergoing MRI brain imaging for suspected brain tumours with non-localizing symptoms over a 3-year period. Axial T2-weighted images were blindly reviewed by 2 experienced paediatric neuroradiologists.

Neutral Ligand Triggered Low-Dimensional Reconstruction for Improving the Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer a potentially large-scale method for producing low-cost renewable energy. However, stability challenges currently limit their practical application. Consequently, alternative methods for increasing the PSC stability are urgently needed.

A study on possible risk factors for progressive supranuclear palsy in southern part of India.

The etiological factors leading to progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) are poorly understood. This study aims to evaluate the role of various risk factors in patients with PSP. A case-control study was conducted over a period of two years from March 2016 to March 2018.

Toward Water-Resistant, Tunable Perovskite Absorbers Using Peptide Hydrogel Additives.

In recent years, hydrogels have been demonstrated as simple and cheap additives to improve the optical properties and material stability of organometal halide perovskites (OHPs), with most research centered on the use of hydrophilic, petrochemical-derived polymers. Here, we investigate the role of a peptide hydrogel in passivating defect sites and improving the stability of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI, CHNHPbI) using closely controlled, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques under realistic pressures. Optical measurements reveal that a reduction in the density of defect sites is achieved by incorporating peptide into the precursor solution during the conventional one-step MAPI fabrication approach.

A bimodal taxonomy of adult human brain sulcal morphology related to timing of fetal sulcation and trans-sulcal gene expression gradients.

We developed a computational pipeline (now provided as a resource) for measuring morphological similarity between cortical surface sulci to construct a sulcal phenotype network (SPN) from each magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in an adult cohort (n = 34,725; 45-82 years). Networks estimated from pairwise similarities of 40 sulci on 5 morphological metrics comprised two clusters of sulci, represented also by the bimodal distribution of sulci on a linear-to-complex dimension. Linear sulci were more heritable and typically located in unimodal cortex, and complex sulci were less heritable and typically located in heteromodal cortex.

Mind the gap: Development and validation of an evolutionary mismatched lifestyle scale and its impact on health and wellbeing.

Identifying an integrative framework that could appropriately delineate underlying mechanisms and individual risk/protective factors for human health has remained elusive. Evolutionary mismatch theory provides a comprehensive, integrative model for understanding the underlying causes and mechanisms of a wide range of modern health and well-being problems, ranging from obesity to depression. Despite growing interest regarding its importance though, no psychometrically-sound measure of evolutionary mismatch yet exists to facilitate research and intervention.

Income and Sex Moderate the Association Between Population Density and Reproduction: A Multilevel Analysis of Life History Strategies Across 23 Nations.

While previous studies guided by evolutionary life history theory have revealed several important socioecological moderators of the influence of population density (PD) on reproduction, absent is an understanding of how individual-level factors such as personal resources and sex differences might interact and play a role. Using data from a large sample of clients (N = 4,432,440) of an online dating company spanning 317 states nested within 23 countries, we contributed a robust multilevel analysis of life history effects by assessing the interaction between state-level PD and individual-level income on offspring quantity, and we further qualified this analysis by sex. Consistent with previous research, PD was negatively correlated with having children.

SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes among non-clinical-related service providers in a national healthcare system.

Health care workers (HCWs) may be at a variable risk of SARS-CoV2 infection. Regardless of their involvement in providing direct clinical treatment, most of the prior research had included all HCWs. Understanding infection rates, risk factors and outcomes among different subgroups of HCWs is crucial.

GCPII Inhibition Promotes Remyelination after Peripheral Nerve Injury in Aged Mice.

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) represent a significant clinical challenge, particularly in elderly populations where axonal remyelination and regeneration are impaired. Developing therapies to enhance these processes is crucial for improving PNI repair outcomes. Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a neuropeptidase that plays a pivotal role in modulating glutamate signaling through its enzymatic cleavage of the abundant neuropeptide N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate (NAAG) to liberate glutamate.

Single-Shot Diagnosis of Electron Energy Evolution via Streaked Betatron X Rays in a Curved Laser Wakefield Accelerator.

We report on an experimental observation of the streaking of betatron x rays in a curved laser wakefield accelerator. The streaking of the betatron x rays was realized by launching a laser pulse into a plasma with a transverse density gradient. By controlling the plasma density and the density gradient, we realized the steering of the laser driver, electron beam, and betatron x rays simultaneously.

Leveraging Ecological Momentary Assessment Data to Characterize Individual Mobility: Exploratory Pilot Study in Rural Uganda.

Background: The geographical environments within which individuals conduct their daily activities may influence health behaviors, yet little is known about individual-level geographic mobility and specific, linked behaviors in rural low- and middle-income settings.

Objective: Nested in a 3-month ecological momentary assessment intervention pilot trial, this study aims to leverage mobile health app user GPS data to examine activity space through individual spatial mobility and locations of reported health behaviors in relation to their homes.

Methods: Pilot trial participants were recruited from the Rakai Community Cohort Study-an ongoing population-based cohort study in rural south-central Uganda.

Reliability and predictability of phenotype information from functional connectivity in large imaging datasets.

One of the central objectives of contemporary neuroimaging research is to create predictive models that can disentangle the connection between patterns of functional connectivity across the entire brain and various behavioral traits. Previous studies have shown that models trained to predict behavioral features from the individual's functional connectivity have modest to poor performance. In this study, we trained models that predict observable individual traits (phenotypes) and their corresponding singular value decomposition (SVD) representations - herein referred to as from resting state functional connectivity.

Protein mimetic 2D FAST rescues alpha synuclein aggregation mediated early and post disease Parkinson's phenotypes.

Abberent protein-protein interactions potentiate many diseases and one example is the toxic, self-assembly of α-Synuclein in the dopaminergic neurons of patients with Parkinson's disease; therefore, a potential therapeutic strategy is the small molecule modulation of α-Synuclein aggregation. In this work, we develop an Oligopyridylamide based 2-dimensional Fragment-Assisted Structure-based Technique to identify antagonists of α-Synuclein aggregation. The technique utilizes a fragment-based screening of an extensive array of non-proteinogenic side chains in Oligopyridylamides, leading to the identification of NS132 as an antagonist of the multiple facets of α-Synuclein aggregation.

Primary Human Breast Cancer-Associated Endothelial Cells Favor Interactions with Nanomedicines.

Cancer nanomedicines predominately rely on transport processes controlled by tumor-associated endothelial cells to deliver therapeutic and diagnostic payloads into solid tumors. While the dominant role of this class of endothelial cells for nanoparticle transport and tumor delivery is established in animal models, the translational potential in human cells needs exploration. Using primary human breast cancer as a model, the differential interactions of normal and tumor-associated endothelial cells with clinically relevant nanomedicine formulations are explored and quantified.

Dephasingless plasma wakefield photon acceleration.

Sandberg and Thomas [Phys. Rev. Lett.

Narrow bandwidth, low-emittance positron beams from a laser-wakefield accelerator.

The rapid progress that plasma wakefield accelerators are experiencing is now posing the question as to whether they could be included in the design of the next generation of high-energy electron-positron colliders. However, the typical structure of the accelerating wakefields presents challenging complications for positron acceleration. Despite seminal proof-of-principle experiments and theoretical proposals, experimental research in plasma-based acceleration of positrons is currently limited by the scarcity of positron beams suitable to seed a plasma accelerator.

National Attitudes Toward Living Kidney Donation in the United States: Results of a Public Opinion Survey.

Rationale & Objective: Understanding national attitudes about living kidney donation will enable us to identify and address existing disincentives to living kidney donation. We performed a national survey to describe living kidney donation perceptions, perceived factors that affect the willingness to donate, and analyzed differences by demographic subgroups.

Study Design: The survey items captured living kidney donation awareness, living kidney donation knowledge, willingness to donate, and barriers and facilitators to living kidney donation.

Unrecognized opportunities: The landscape of pediatric kidney-paired donation in the United States.

Background: Pediatric (age < 18 years) kidney transplant (KT) candidates face increasingly complex choices. The 2014 kidney allocation system nearly doubled wait times for pediatric recipients. Given longer wait times and new ways to optimize compatibility, more pediatric candidates may consider kidney-paired donation (KPD).

Impact on patient attitudes towards lung cancer screening and smoking cessation with radiology consultation: Pilot survey project.

Purpose: We developed a novel patient-radiologist consultation for patients scheduled for lung cancer screening (LCS). We hypothesized that this intervention would improve patient attitudes towards LCS adherence and smoking cessation.

Methods: This quality improvement project enrolled 38 LCS patients (a majority were African American) and included 20 current and 18 former smokers.