Semiautomated Production of Cell-Free Biosensors.

Cell-free synthetic biology biosensors have potential as effective diagnostic technologies for the detection of chemical compounds, such as toxins and human health biomarkers. They have several advantages over conventional laboratory-based diagnostic approaches, including the ability to be assembled, freeze-dried, distributed, and then used at the point of need. This makes them an attractive platform for cheap and rapid chemical detection across the globe.

Predictors of venous thromboembolic events in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized patients. Although prior studies have attempted to identify predictors of VTE, restricted sample size and use of administrative claims data have limited such analyses. We utilized data from hospitalized patients in the CORONA-VTE Network, a United States multicenter registry of adult patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 (N = 3,844).

A gamma-irradiated pneumococcal vaccine elicits superior immunogenicity in comparison to heat or chemically inactivated whole-cell vaccines.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the world's foremost bacterial pathogens, with extensive serotype diversity that impacted the efficacy of current vaccines. Our group have previously reported the generation of a whole cell serotype-independent gamma-irradiated pneumococcal vaccine (Gamma-PN). The present study sought to compare the effect of gamma-irradiation, heat, ethanol, or formalin inactivation on the antigenic structure and immunogenicity of whole-cell pneumococcal vaccines.

Diagnostic Strategies and Strain Typing for Johne's Disease in Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae).

Cattle diseases are considered a major threat to wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) conservation. Johne's disease (JD) is a chronic infectious enteritis caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), that affects domestic and wild ruminants globally and could negatively impact wood bison health. Clinical manifestation of JD in free-ranging or captive wood bison has not been documented.

Presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in European bison (Bison bonasus) in Poland, 2019-2023.

Background: The origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains unknown. However, it is likely that the virus spillover occurred from an animal reservoir to humans. Identifying animal species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for understanding cross-species transmission to humans.

Measurement of the Branching Fraction Ratios R(D^{+}) and R(D^{*+}) Using Muonic τ Decays.

The branching fraction ratios of B[over ¯]^{0}→D^{+}τ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{τ} and B[over ¯]^{0}→D^{*+}τ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{τ} decays are measured with respect to their muonic counterparts, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0  fb^{-1} collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV. The reconstructed final states are formed by combining D^{+} mesons with τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ} candidates, where the D^{+} is reconstructed via the D^{+}→K^{-}π^{+}π^{+} decay.

Association between ethnicity and emergency department visits in the last three months of life in England: a retrospective population-based study using electronic health records.

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) visits are distressing yet common in the last months of life and many could be avoided. The association between ethnicity and ED visits in the last months of life has rarely been studied in detail and the intersection with area-based deprivation and other risk factors is not known.

Methods: Population-based, retrospective cohort study, using electronic health records for adults who died from all causes in 2019 and 2020 in England.

Predicting the effects of introducing an emergency transport system in low-income and middle-income countries: a spatial-epidemiological modelling study.

Introduction: Many low-income and middle-income countries lack an organised emergency transportation system, leaving people to arrange informal transport to hospital in the case of a medical emergency. Estimating the effect of implementing an emergency transport system is impractical and expensive, so there is a lack of evidence to support policy and investment decisions. Alternative modelling strategies may be able to fill this gap.

MUC5B modulation of early oral biofilm glucose metabolism.

Introduction: Salivary mucin MUC5B has been suggested to support eubiosis in early oral biofilms by regulating the attachment of commensals, while downregulating dysbiotic activities related to dental caries development, such as microbial carbohydrate transport and metabolism.

Methods: To investigate how the metabolism of glucose, a potential driver for dental caries, in early mono- and dual-species biofilms of oral and clinical isolates was affected by the presence of the complex salivary mucin MUC5B, this study employed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics with the interpretation of network integration.

Results And Discussion: MUC5B reduced early attachment in the presence of glucose compared with uncoated surfaces but maintained even species distribution.

Objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity does not attenuate prospective weight gain among african-origin adults spanning the epidemiological transition.

Traditional obesity-related public health messaging often includes physical activity (PA) recommendations. However, at the population level, the data are conflicting, especially when comparing different self-reported vs. measured techniques across different settings and populations.

Invasive Physiological Assessment of Lower Limb Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Narrative Review.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects over 236 million people globally, with endovascular treatment as the predominant mode of revascularization. While pre-procedural lesion assessment typically relies on non-invasive Doppler measurement, invasive physiological assessment offers a promising approach to guide lesion selection and provide real-time evaluation of angioplasty success. This review explores the current methods, challenges, and future directions of invasive physiological assessment in PAD.

Training and onboarding initiatives in high energy physics experiments.

In this article we document the current analysis software training and onboarding activities in several High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments: ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, Belle II and DUNE. Fast and efficient onboarding of new collaboration members is increasingly important for HEP experiments. With rapidly increasing data volumes and larger collaborations the analyses and consequently, the related software, become ever more complex.

Health research governance of data access: a black-box challenge.

This article addresses organisational governance, including perceived reputational concerns, by health data custodians as the principal barrier to timely and transparent research. Although existing literature primarily addresses ethics reviews and site-specific research approvals, our experience with a Local Hospital Network uncovered additional active barriers within this complex health system. We position these experiences in relation to literature that has documented inefficiencies in health research governance processes that lead to lost knowledge capital and opportunities for significant advancements in health systems research.

Semi-automated layer-by-layer biofabrication using rotational internal flow layer engineering technology.

The automation of biofabrication processes has the potential to increase both the scale and reproducibility of human tissue production for replacing animal usage in research and ultimately clinical use. The biofabrication technology, Rotational Internal Flow Layer Engineering (RIFLE), produces layered tubular constructs with a resolution commensurate with the microscale strata observed in many human tissue types. The previously published RIFLE process required liquid phase cell-laden hydrogels to be manually applied onto the inner surface of a high-speed rotating mould.

The River study: the first prospective multicenter trial of a novel venous sinus stent for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Background: The River stent is the first stent specifically designed for intracranial venous sinuses. We report the 1-year results of the River trial, performed to obtain Humanitarian Device Exemption approval of the River stent in the United States (US).

Methods: The River trial was a prospective, open-label, multicenter, single-arm trial which enrolled 39 subjects at 5 US centers.

Virtual fragment screening for DNA repair inhibitors in vast chemical space.

Fragment-based screening can catalyze drug discovery by identifying novel scaffolds, but this approach is limited by the small chemical libraries studied by biophysical experiments and the challenging optimization process. To expand the explored chemical space, we employ structure-based docking to evaluate orders-of-magnitude larger libraries than those used in traditional fragment screening. We computationally dock a set of 14 million fragments to 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1), a difficult drug target involved in cancer and inflammation, and evaluate 29 highly ranked compounds experimentally.

Tuning the Crystallinity of a Metal-Organic Coordination Network at the Liquid-Solid Interface.

Single layered metal-organic coordination networks (MOCNs) are gaining attention thanks to their unique electronic and magnetic properties. The presence of coordinatively unsaturated metal sites within their structures provides additional binding locations for substrates in catalytic processes. Consequently, MOCNs fabricated on solid surfaces are emerging as promising candidates for use in solution-based heterogeneous applications.

Motor-Free Soft Robots for Cancer Detection, Surgery, and In Situ Bioprinting.

Recent advancements in teleoperated surgical robotic systems (TSRSs) for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) have significantly improved diagnostic and surgical outcomes. However, as the complexity of MIS procedures continues to grow, there is an increasing need to enhance surgical tools by integrating advanced functionalities into these instruments for superior medical results. Despite recent advancements, TSRSs face significant challenges, including rigidity, suboptimal actuation methods, large sizes, and complex control mechanisms.

The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) Consensus-Based Expert Definition of Difficult-to-Manage, including Treatment-Refractory, Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objectives: To develop a consensus-based expert definition of difficult-to-manage (D2M) axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), incorporating treatment-refractory (TR) disease.

Methods: A literature review was conducted in 2022 to identify potential definitions for D2M/TR axSpA from prior studies, followed by a 2-round Delphi consensus process conducted in 2022 and 2023 to identify components of D2M axSpA. Based on the results of the Delphi process, a draft of the D2M axSpA definition was developed and presented to the expert task force, including patient representation, and, subsequently, to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) membership for endorsement in January 2024.

Search for New Resonances Decaying to Pairs of Merged Diphotons in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.

A search is presented for an extended Higgs sector with two new particles, X and ϕ, in the process X→ϕϕ→(γγ)(γγ). Novel neural networks classify events with diphotons that are merged and determine the diphoton masses. The search uses LHC proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}.

Does psychological support, training and guidance for probation practitioners lead to improved outcomes for service users and staff? A systematic review of Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway community delivery.

This review examines the evidence on outcomes for probation staff and the individuals under their supervision resulting from psychological training and support provided to staff. To be included, papers were required to evaluate impact on the outcomes of workforce development, wellbeing, risk and reconviction, or relationships. This review focussed on the frontline community delivery of a psychologically-informed programme designed for high risk of harm individuals presenting with complex needs; the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway.

Equitable access to quality trauma systems in Ghana: a qualitative study.

Objectives: To explore the barriers to accessing quality trauma care after injury in Ghana.

Design: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in one rural and one urban setting. Interviews and focus group discussions were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using the four-delay framework.