Stable isotope tempestology of tropical cyclones across the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Ocean basins.

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are one of the major natural hazards to island and coastal communities and ecosystems. However, isotopic compositions of TC-derived precipitation (P) in surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW) reservoirs are still lacking. We tested the three main assumptions of the isotope storm "spike" hypothesis (sudden spikes in isotopic ratios).

A Prospective, Randomized, Noninferiority Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of Steerable Ureteroscopic Renal Evacuation Compared with Standard Ureteroscopy: 30-Day Results of the ASPIRE Study.

We report the first multicenter, prospective, randomized noninferiority controlled trial of steerable ureteroscopic renal evacuation (SURE) for nephrolithiasis treatment. Candidates for laser lithotripsy ≥18 years with ≥1 renal stone ≥7 mm and 7-20 mm stone burden were randomized 1:1 SURE ureteroscopy (URS). SURE was performed using the CVAC Aspiration System, a novel steerable irrigation-aspiration catheter.

Development of Worksheets for Immunomodulator Shared Decision-Making to Facilitate Patient-Clinician Communication: A Quality Improvement Project Employing Design Thinking Principles.

Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) is a principle of humanistic, patient-centered health care within the field of rheumatology. However, clear communication between patients and their clinicians regarding the benefits and risks of immunomodulators may be challenging in a clinical setting. The design-thinking process is a human-centered approach to quality improvement that can help to identify insights to uphold high-quality communication.

COPD is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk independent of phenotype.

Background And Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide that frequently presents with concomitant cardiovascular diseases. Despite the pathological distinction between individual COPD phenotypes such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of COPD phenotype on cardiovascular disease risk. Thus, this study aimed to utilize a nationally representative sample to investigate cardiovascular disease prevalence in patients with COPD with emphysema and chronic bronchitis phenotypes.

Young users of electronic cigarettes exhibit reduced cardiorespiratory fitness.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems, often referred to as e-cigarettes, are popular tobacco products frequently advertised as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes despite preliminary data suggesting a potential negative cardiovascular impact. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a critical cardiovascular health marker that is diminished in individuals who consume traditional tobacco products. Whether the use of e-cigarettes impacts cardiorespiratory fitness is currently unknown.

Walnut shell oil-bath torrefaction coupled with fast pyrolysis: Effect of torrefaction heating modes.

Lignocellulosic biomass, renewable with short growth cycle and diverse sources, can be substituted fossil fuel. However, low effective hydrogen-to-carbon ratio (H/C) limits its applications. Torrefaction and co-pyrolysis with high H/C feedstocks are promising technology.

A scoping review on the use of reflection and reflective portfolio learning in veterinary education.

Introduction: In veterinary education, reflection and reflective portfolio learning aim to enhance professional development. Although reflection and reflective portfolio learning are widely used in teaching and healthcare, their demonstrable impact on veterinary education is unclear. Although the benefits are uncertain, reflection may provide potential for self-development and help to prepare students for clinical practice.

Microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of waste cooking oil to monocyclic aromatics under a bifunctional SiC ball catalyst.

Catalytic pyrolysis technology proves to be a highly effective approach for waste cooking oil management. However, high-pressure drops and easy deactivation of powder catalysts hinder the industrialization of this technology. In this study, a bifunctional SiC ball (ZSM-5/SiC ball structured) catalyst was prepared to produce monocyclic aromatics.

ZSM-5@ceramic foam composite catalyst derived from spent bleaching clay for continuous pyrolysis of waste oil to produce monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Spent bleaching clay, a solid waste generated during the refining process of vegetable oils, lacks an efficient treatment solution. In this study, spent bleaching clay was innovatively employed to fabricate ceramic foams. The thermal stability analysis, microstructure, and crystal phase composition of the ceramic foams were characterized by TG-DSC, SEM, and XRD.

Evidence of premature vascular dysfunction in young adults who regularly use e-cigarettes and the impact of usage length.

Background: Electronic (e-) cigarettes are increasingly popular tobacco products on the US market. Traditional tobacco products are known to cause vascular dysfunction, one of the earliest indicators of cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. However, little is known about the effect of regular e-cigarette use on vascular function.

Polyethylene upcycling to aromatics by pulse pressurized catalytic pyrolysis.

To address the challenging issues of waste plastic pollution and petroleum shortage, we report herein a pulse pressurized catalytic pyrolysis process where polyethylene is continuously converted into aromatics using HZSM-5 catalyst incorporated with hydrated SiO. Pressurization improves the activity of single-pulse pyrolysis of polyethylene by 14.42%.

Anesthesia Considerations for a Patient on Semaglutide and Delayed Gastric Emptying.

Semaglutide is a class of long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. We present a 31-year-old female patient with a past medical history of T2DM without complication and no long-term or current use of insulin, class 3 obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and anxiety, who underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in preparation for bariatric surgery while taking semaglutide. Despite appropriately following the preoperative fasting guidelines of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), endoscopy revealed food residue in the gastric body, necessitating abortion of the procedure to reduce the risk of intraoperative pulmonary aspiration.

Production of C-C olefins by catalytic pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene with MCM-41 in CO/N.

The current high volume of plastic waste, but low recycling rate, has led to environmental pollution and wasted energy. Greenhouse gas CO can facilitate thermal cracking to dehydrogenate waste plastics, and has potential value for producing olefins. In this work, the pyrolysis properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were studied by thermogravimetric analysis and Py-GC/MS.

Communicating without words: Measuring nonverbal communication between veterinarians and farmers during routine herd health consultations.

Uptake of advice and the ability to facilitate change on-farm are key elements for successful veterinary practice. However, having the necessary clinical skills and knowledge is not enough to achieve this: effective communication skills are essential for veterinarians to realize their advisory role by exploring and understanding the farmer's worldview. Research of verbal aspects of veterinarian communication supports the use of a relationship-centered communication style; we next need to study how veterinarian-farmer nonverbal communication (NVC) can influence interactions and their outcomes, which has been examined in medical and companion animal practice.

Implementation of a Respiratory Therapist-Driven Protocol for Spirometry and Asthma Education in a Pediatric Out-Patient Primary Care Setting.

Background: Best practice guidelines for asthma management recommend education and spirometry at specific intervals. A written asthma action plan with education and spirometry is ordered at the discretion of physicians at our institution. An initial chart review revealed that asthma education and spirometry were not consistently ordered in the pediatric primary care clinics.

Veterinary Curriculum Leaders: Motivators, Barriers, and Attributes.

Curriculum leaders (individuals with responsibility for an institution's veterinary curriculum) play a vital role in driving local curriculum priorities, development, and accreditation. This study aimed to describe the career paths of curriculum leaders and identify what motivates them, the barriers they face, and the knowledge, skills, and attributes they perceive as essential for the role. Self-determination theory was used to identify tensions experienced within the role.

Research progress on pyrolysis of nitrogen-containing biomass for fuels, materials, and chemicals production.

Pyrolysis of nitrogen-containing biomass holds tremendous potential for producing varieties of high value-added products, alleviating energy depletion. Based on the research status about nitrogen-containing biomass pyrolysis, the effect of biomass feedstock composition on pyrolysis products is first introduced from the aspects of elemental analysis, proximate analysis, and biochemical composition. The properties of biomass with high and low nitrogen used in pyrolysis are briefly summarized.

Creating Novel Surveillance Data Products for Briefing Health Department Leadership and Elected Officials During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Texas.

Beginning in March 2020, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) developed several internal surveillance tools for briefing state health department leadership and elected officials on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas. This case study describes the initial conceptualization and daily production of 3 of these internal surveillance tools: (1) a COVID-19 data book displaying daily case, fatality, hospitalization, and testing data by county; (2) graphs and data files displaying new daily COVID-19 fatalities among residents of long-term care facilities in Texas; and (3) graphs and data files comparing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations between the 4 COVID-19 waves in Texas. In addition, this case study uses qualitative interview data to describe how DSHS leadership used these surveillance products during the pandemic.

Quality of Recovery After Rotator Cuff Repair With Interscalene Liposomal Bupivacaine Versus Interscalene Nerve Catheter.

Background: Interscalene nerve catheters have been proven to be effective in managing pain after rotator cuff repair (RCR) surgery. Liposomal bupivacaine is a newer approved therapy for use around the interscalene brachial plexus, but its analgesic efficacy has limited supporting data in various patient populations.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of recovery after arthroscopic RCR in patients who received either single-injection interscalene liposomal bupivacaine or an interscalene peripheral nerve catheter.

Enhanced sustainable integration of CO utilization and wastewater treatment using microalgae in circular economy concept.

Microalgae have been shown to have a promising potential for CO utilization and wastewater treatment which still faces the challenges of high resource and energy requirements. The implementation of the circular economy concept is able to address the issues that limit the application of microalgae-based technologies. In this review, a comprehensive discussion on microalgae-based CO utilization and wastewater treatment was provided, and the integration of this technology with the circular economy concept, for long-term economic and environmental benefits, was described.

Evolution of tropical land temperature across the last glacial termination.

The tropical West Pacific hosts the warmest part of the surface ocean and has a considerable impact on the global climate system. Reconstructions of past temperature in this region can elucidate climate connections between the tropics and poles and the sensitivity of tropical temperature to greenhouse forcing. However, existing data are equivocal and reliable information from terrestrial archives is particularly sparse.