A qualitative study investigating research priorities and investigative capacity in sports-focused chiropractic research, part 2: exploring the challenges and opportunities for research capacity development.

Objectives: To explore the challenges and opportunities for research capacity development in the sports chiropractic field.

Methods: A qualitative description study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 20 sports chiropractic researchers from eight countries and focus group interviews with 12 sports chiropractic leaders from Canada.

Results: Challenges and opportunities for research capacity development were identified within four main themes - 1) affiliations and collaborations, 2) human resources, 3) financial resources, and 4) operational resources.

Cholic-Acid Derived, Guanidine-Functionalized Polymers as Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Agents.

In this study, we report the design of a new guanylated, cholic-acid-based monomer (GM) to combat antimicrobial resistance. The microbial activity stems from the interfacial amphiphilicity of cholic acid, while guanidine shows a strong association with phosphate, which promotes binding to membrane phospholipids. The monomer showed strong antimicrobial activity; however, surprisingly, homopolymers synthesized by photoiniferter reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization of GM completely lost their activity likely due to the conformation of the polymer.

Self-Organizing Maps for Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a powerful analytical technique for characterizing the molecular and elemental composition of surfaces. Individual mass spectra can provide information about the mean surface composition, while spatial mapping can elucidate the spatial distributions of molecular species in 2D and 3D with no prior labeling of molecular targets. The data sets produced by SIMS techniques are large and inherently complex, often containing subtle relationships between spatial and molecular features.

A robotic emulator for the systematic exploration of transtibial biarticular prosthesis designs.

People with transtibial limb loss frequently experience suboptimal gait outcomes. This is partly attributable to the absence of the biarticular gastrocnemius muscle, which plays a unique role in walking. Although a recent surge of biarticular prostheses aims to restore gastrocnemius function, the broad design space and lack of consensus on optimal hardware and control strategies present scientific and engineering challenges.

Enhanced Nitric Oxide Delivery Through Self-Assembling Nanoparticles for Eradicating Gram-Negative Bacteria.

In the current battle against antibiotic resistance, the resilience of Gram-negative bacteria against traditional antibiotics is due not only to their protective outer membranes but also to mechanisms like efflux pumps and enzymatic degradation of drugs, underscores the urgent need for innovative antimicrobial tactics. Herein, this study presents an innovative method involving the synthesis of three furoxan derivatives engineered to self-assemble into nitric oxide (NO) donor nanoparticles (FuNPs). These FuNPs, notably supplied together with polymyxin B (PMB), achieve markedly enhanced bactericidal efficacy against a wide spectrum of bacterial phenotypes at considerably lower NO concentrations (0.