Exploring the Synergy of Metallic Antimicrobial Agents in Ternary Blends of PHB/PLA/PCL.

This study provides a comprehensive investigation of antimicrobial additives (ZnO/AgNPs and SiO/AgNPs) on the properties of biodegradable ternary blends composed of poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and polycaprolactone (PCL) by examining the morphology, thermal stability, crystallinity index, and cell viability of these blends. Overall, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that AgNPs and SiO exhibited comparable sizes, whereas ZnO was significantly larger, which influences their release profiles and interactions with the blends. The addition of antimicrobials influences the rheology of the blends, acting as compatibilizers by reducing the intermolecular forces between biopolymers.

Teacher Violence and Student Wellbeing in Rural Sierra Leone: Longitudinal Dynamics Across Primary Schooling.

This study explored the longitudinal dynamics of teacher violence and student wellbeing in rural Sierra Leone, West Africa. The participants, totaling 3170 children with an age range of 5 years to 11 years, were cluster-sampled from a large geographic area to ensure gender balance and representation from diverse linguistic backgrounds and religious affiliations. They were drawn from the Safe Learning Study, which spanned over 5 years and involved 100 schools in rural Sierra Leone.

Cumulative Psychosocial and Health Disparities in US Adolescent Cigarette Smoking, 2002 to 2019.

Background: Understanding disparities in adolescent cigarette smoking is important for effective prevention.

Methods: We investigated disparities in adolescent smoking based on cumulative reported psychosocial/health risk among respondents ages 12-17 years in the US National Survey of Drug Use and Health from 2002 to 2019. Multivariable regression estimated associations of cumulative risk, survey years, and their interaction predicting past-month and daily smoking.

Moving Beyond Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Bacteremia: Are Modern Critical Care Calculators Useful in Predicting Debridement, Antibiotics, and Implant Retention Treatment Outcomes in Periprosthetic Joint Infection?

Background: In critically ill periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) patients, surgeons need to balance the need for aggressive, definitive treatment against the health state of a potentially unstable patient. A clear understanding of the association between treatment outcomes and assessment scores for sepsis would benefit clinical decision-making in these urgent cases. The current study evaluates the effect of critical illness on debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) outcomes, as defined by systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and, for the first time, by contemporary markers quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) and Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS).

Characterization and Hemocompatibility of α, β, and γ Cyclodextrin-Modified Magnetic Nano-Adsorbents.

Kidney dysfunction leads to the retention of metabolites within the blood that are not effectively cleared with conventional hemodialysis. Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based absorbents have inherent properties that make them amenable to capturing toxins in the blood, notably a large surface area that can be chemically modified to enhance toxin capture and the ability to be easily collected from the blood using an external magnetic field. Cyclodextrins (CDs) present a chemical structure that facilitates the binding of small molecules.