Liquid solution centrifugation for safe, scalable, and efficient isotope separation.

A general method of separating isotopes by centrifuging dissolved chemical compounds in a liquid is introduced. This technique can be applied to almost all elements and leads to large separation factors. The method has been demonstrated in several isotopic systems including Ca, Mo, O, and Li with single-stage selectivities of 1.

Seeking Excellence in End of Life Care UK (SEECare UK): a UK multi-centred service evaluation.

Objective: To evaluate the care of patients dying in hospital without support from specialists in palliative care (SPC), better understand their needs and factors influencing their care.

Methods: Prospective UK-wide service evaluation including all dying adult inpatients unknown to SPC, excluding those in emergency departments/intensive care units. Holistic needs were assessed through a standardised proforma.

Influenza and Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis Vaccination Coverage During Pregnancy: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2020.

Objectives: Estimates of vaccination coverage during pregnancy and identification of disparities in vaccination coverage can inform vaccination campaigns and programs. We reported the prevalence of being offered or told to get the influenza vaccine by a health care provider (hereinafter, provider); influenza vaccination coverage during the 12 months before delivery; and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination coverage during pregnancy among women with a recent live birth in the United States.

Methods: We analyzed 2020 data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 42 US jurisdictions (n = 41 673).

Observation versus intervention for incidental common bile duct stones at intraoperative cholangiogram: a systematic review.

Background: The natural history of incidental common bile duct stones (CBDS) is poorly understood. Current evidence is conflicting, with several studies suggesting the majority may pass spontaneously. Despite this, guidelines recommend routine removal even if asymptomatic.

Size matters: characterizing penile augmentation content from the 100 most popular YouTube videos.

Aesthetic penile augmentation is considered investigational and not shown to be safe or efficacious. This study sought to characterize the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on the topic of penile augmentation. A systematic search identifying the 100 most viewed YouTube videos on penile augmentation was conducted.

Development and experimental validation of a dynamic numerical model for human articular cartilage.

The purpose of this study was to create a preliminary set of experimentally validated Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models, in order to predict the dynamic mechanical behaviour of human articular cartilage (AC). Current models consider static loading with limited independent experimental validation, while the models for this study assess dynamic loading of AC, with direct comparison and validation to physical testing. Three different FEA models of AC were constructed, which considered both linear elastic and hyperelastic models; Neo-Hookean and Ogden.

Addressing disparities in speech-language pathology and laryngology services with telehealth.

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected the health and well-being of marginalized communities, and it brought greater awareness to disparities in health care access and utilization. Addressing these disparities is difficult because of their multidimensional nature. Predisposing factors (demographic information, social structure, and beliefs), enabling factors (family and community) and illness levels (perceived and evaluated illness) are thought to jointly contribute to such disparities.

White matter, cognition and psychotic-like experiences in UK Biobank.

Background: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are risk factors for the development of psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, particularly if associated with distress. As PLEs have been related to alterations in both white matter and cognition, we investigated whether cognition (g-factor and processing speed) mediates the relationship between white matter and PLEs.

Methods: We investigated two independent samples (6170 and 19 891) from the UK Biobank, through path analysis.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a digital Diabetes Prevention Program (dDPP) in prediabetic patients.

Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness of a digital Diabetes Prevention Program (dDPP) in preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus among prediabetic patients from a health system perspective over a 10-year time horizon.

Methods: A Markov cohort model was constructed to assess the cost-effectiveness of dDPP compared to a small group education (SGE) intervention. Transition probabilities for the first year of the model were derived from two clinical trials on dDPP.

Burden of long COVID among adults experiencing sheltered homelessness: a longitudinal cohort study in King County, WA between September 2020-April 2022.

Background: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at increased risk for acquiring SARS-CoV-2, but the burden of long COVID in this population is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a matched prospective cohort study to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and impact of long COVID among sheltered PEH in Seattle, WA between September 2020-April 2022. Adults ≥ 18 years, residing across nine homeless shelters with active respiratory virus surveillance, were eligible to complete in-person baseline surveys and interval follow-up phone surveys.

Buprenorphine use and setting type among reproductive-aged women self-reporting nonmedical prescription opioid use.

Introduction: Screening for opioid misuse and treatment for opioid use disorder are critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. We sought to understand the extent of self-reported past 30-day buprenorphine use in various settings among women of reproductive age with self-reported nonmedical prescription opioid use being assessed for substance use problems.

Methods: The study collected data from individuals being assessed for substance use problems using the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version in 2018-2020.

Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Symptoms Among Bariatric Patients.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be prevalent in bariatric surgery candidates with comorbid psychological symptoms. While bariatric patients who have mental illness or a history of ACEs are less likely to lose weight, presence of a support system has been reported to mitigate ACEs' effects and to maintain long-term weight loss. The current study aims to examine the association between ACEs and psychological symptoms and the effect of potential protective factors on the association among bariatric patients.

Impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the nature of attempts to stop smoking and to reduce alcohol consumption in Great Britain: A representative population survey, 2021-2022.

Background: Smoking and excessive drinking place a strain on household budgets. We aimed to examine the impact of the cost-of-living crisis in Great Britain on the nature of smoking cessation and alcohol reduction attempts, and explore changes in health professionals offering support.

Methods: Data were from 14,567 past-year smokers and high-risk drinkers (AUDIT-C ≥5) participating in monthly representative surveys, January-2021 through December-2022.

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of esomeprazole in sheep after intravenous dosing.

Abomasal (gastric) ulceration is a morbidity in sheep, and currently, there is a paucity of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data for gastroprotectant drugs reported for this species. The proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole has been used in small animal and human patients for gastroprotection via increasing the gastric pH. The objective of this study was to report the pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic effect of esomeprazole in sheep after single intravenous dosing.

An acoustic study of Cantonese alaryngeal speech in different speaking conditions.

Esophageal (ES) speech, tracheoesophageal (TE) speech, and the electrolarynx (EL) are common methods of communication following the removal of the larynx. Our recent study demonstrated that intelligibility may increase for Cantonese alaryngeal speakers using clear speech (CS) compared to their everyday "habitual speech" (HS), but the reasoning is still unclear [Hui, Cox, Huang, Chen, and Ng (2022). Folia Phoniatr.

A continent-wide detailed geological map dataset of Antarctica.

A dataset to describe exposed bedrock and surficial geology of Antarctica has been constructed by the GeoMAP Action Group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and GNS Science. Our group captured existing geological map data into a geographic information system (GIS), refined its spatial reliability, harmonised classification, and improved representation of glacial sequences and geomorphology, thereby creating a comprehensive and coherent representation of Antarctic geology. A total of 99,080 polygons were unified for depicting geology at 1:250,000 scale, but locally there are some areas with higher spatial resolution.

Characterisation and calibration of low-cost PM sensors at high temporal resolution to reference-grade performance.

Particulate Matter (PM) low-cost sensors (LCS) present a cost-effective opportunity to improve the spatiotemporal resolution of airborne PM data. Previous studies focused on PM-LCS-reported hourly data and identified, without fully addressing, their limitations. However, PM-LCS provide measurements at finer temporal resolutions.

Antiviral activity of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) against HIV-1 clinical isolates harboring K65R.

Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is a prodrug of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor tenofovir (TFV). Compared to the earlier TFV prodrug, TFV disoproxil fumarate (TDF), TAF achieves more than fourfold-higher intracellular levels of its active metabolite TFV diphosphate (TFV-DP) in clinical studies, while achieving a significant reduction of TFV systemic exposure. Resistance to TFV has been well established, with the K65R mutation in RT as the signature mutation.

Pattern and prevalence of vaping nicotine and non-nicotine drugs in the United Kingdom: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Electronic vaping devices are being used to consume nicotine and non-nicotine psychoactive drugs. We aimed to determine the pattern and prevalence of using vaping devices for nicotine and/or non-nicotine drug administration in the United Kingdom and how these differ by drug type and individual sociodemographic characteristics. We explored reasons for vaping onset and continuation.

Dental Infection Requiring Hospitalisation Is a Public Health Problem in Australia: A Systematic Review Demonstrating an Urgent Need for Published Data.

: The aim of this systematic review was to analyse the published literature on dental infections leading to hospitalisations in Australia. It was hoped that understanding the patterns and trends would form a basis for improved preventive and management policies. An electronic search was performed using Web of Science, Medline via Ovid and Google Scholar.

Predictive blood biomarkers and brain changes associated with age-related cognitive decline.

Growing evidence supports the use of plasma levels of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, amyloid-β, neurofilament light and glial fibrillary acidic protein as promising biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. While these blood biomarkers are promising for distinguishing people with Alzheimer's disease from healthy controls, their predictive validity for age-related cognitive decline without dementia remains unclear. Further, while tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 is a promising biomarker, the distribution of this phospho-epitope of tau in the brain is unknown.

Strong intercorrelations among global graph-theoretic indices of structural connectivity in the human brain.

Graph-theoretic metrics derived from neuroimaging data have been heralded as powerful tools for uncovering neural mechanisms of psychological traits, psychiatric disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. In N = 8,185 human structural connectomes from UK Biobank, we examined the extent to which 11 commonly-used global graph-theoretic metrics index distinct versus overlapping information with respect to interindividual differences in brain organization. Using unthresholded, FA-weighted networks we found that all metrics other than Participation Coefficient were highly intercorrelated, both with each other (mean |r| = 0.