Impacts of Solar Energy Development On Breeding Birds in Desert Grasslands In South Central New Mexico.

Solar energy is growing at unprecedented rates, with the most development projected to occur in areas with high concentrations of threatened and endangered species, yet its effects on wildlife remain largely unexplored. In 2014 and 2015 we examined the influence of a solar facility on avian community occupancy in the Nutt grasslands of south-central New Mexico. We examined the effect of distance to solar facility as well as other habitat covariates, including vegetation structure and orthopteran abundance, on community occupancy and occupancy trends for individual species.

The Simons Observatory: Production-Level Fabrication of the Mid- and Ultra-High-Frequency Wafers.

The Simons Observatory (SO) is a cosmic microwave background instrumentation suite in the Atacama Desert of Chile. More than 65,000 polarization-sensitive transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers will be fielded in the frequency range spanning 27 to 280 GHz, with three separate dichroic designs. The mid-frequency 90/150 GHz and ultra-high-frequency 220/280 GHz detector arrays, fabricated at NIST, account for 39 of 49 total detector modules and implement the feedhorn-fed orthomode transducer-coupled TES bolometer architecture.

Rationale and Challenges for a New Instrument for Remote Measurement of Negative Symptoms.

There is a broad consensus that the commonly used clinician-administered rating scales for assessment of negative symptoms share significant limitations, including (1) reliance upon accurate self-report and recall from the patient and caregiver; (2) potential for sampling bias and thus being unrepresentative of daily-life experiences; (3) subjectivity of the symptom scoring process and limited sensitivity to change. These limitations led a work group from the International Society of CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM) to initiate the development of a multimodal negative symptom instrument. Experts from academia and industry reviewed the current methods of assessing the domains of negative symptoms including diminished (1) affect; (2) sociality; (3) verbal communication; (4) goal-directed behavior; and (5) Hedonic drives.

GRAIN Study - Granulocytes Against Infections - Use of granulocyte transfusion in haematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Granulocyte transfusions (GTx) combat infections in neutropenic patients. However, immune-mediated off-target effects in transplant settings are unknown. Between January 2020 and December 2021, all transplants that used GTx during the peri-transplant period were analysed.

Extension and Further Replication of the Reliability, Criterion Validity, and Treatment Sensitivity of the PANSS10 and PANSS20 for Pediatric Trials.

The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is a widely accepted outcome measure for pediatric schizophrenia trials; however, it has notable limitations. Psychometric investigations have shown a multifactorial structure and some items have limited utility assessing symptom severity in children. To address these issues, we developed and evaluated optimized 10- and 20-item PANSS short-forms (PANSS10 and PANSS20) using patient-level clinical trial data.

Development of integrated assessment tool for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in non-household settings under climate change context.

Access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services is crucial in recognizing human rights to water and sanitation and due to their impacts on education, livelihoods, and human health. However, these services are often inadequate in non-household settings such as prisons, refugee camps, schools, and healthcare facilities. Progress in monitoring to ensure sustainable services in these settings has been limited.

[Associations Between Muscle Mass Levels and Functional Aspects in Non-Institutionalized Older Adults from Santiago, Chile].

Aim: To determine the relationship between the apendicular skeletal muscle mass and functional levels in non-institutionalized older adults in Santiago de Chile.

Methodology: This is a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive correlational, cross-sectional study of 59 older adults (13 men and 46 women) who live in the community, particularly in Santiago, Chile. The muscle mass was estimated through anthropometric values and a predictive, validated equation for calculating Skeletal Appendicular Muscle Mass (MMAE).

Durvalumab after Chemoradiotherapy in Limited-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Adjuvant therapy with durvalumab, with or without tremelimumab, may have efficacy in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer who do not have disease progression after standard concurrent platinum-based chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: In a phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we assigned patients to receive durvalumab at a dose of 1500 mg, durvalumab (1500 mg) plus tremelimumab at a dose of 75 mg (four doses only), or placebo every 4 weeks for up to 24 months. Randomization was stratified according to disease stage (I or II vs.

Probing the physical origins of droplet friction using a critically damped cantilever.

Previously, we and others have used cantilever-based techniques to measure droplet friction on various surfaces, but typically at low speeds < 1 mm s; at higher speeds, friction measurements become inaccurate because of ringing artefacts. Here, we are able to eliminate the ringing noise using a critically damped cantilever. We measured droplet friction on a superhydrophobic surface over a wide range of speeds = 10-10 m s and identified two regimes corresponding to two different physical origins of droplet friction.

Lubricated Surface in a Vertical Double-Sided Architecture for Radiative Cooling and Atmospheric Water Harvesting.

Radiative cooling significantly lowers condenser temperatures below ambient levels, enabling atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) without additional energy. However, traditional sky-facing condensers have low cooling power density, and water droplets remain pinned on surface, requiring active condensate collection. To overcome these challenges, a lubricated surface (LS) coating-consisting of highly scalable polydimethylsiloxane elastomer lubricated with silicone oil-is introduced on the condenser side in a vertical double-sided architecture.

Oral Health Knowledge, Practices, and Dental Complaints among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at a Tertiary Health Institution, North Central, Nigeria.

Background: Oral health is of great importance during pregnancy because the hormonal changes during pregnancy affect oral and dental health.

Objectives: To evaluate participants' oral health knowledge and practices during pregnancy in order to provide appropriate oral health practice recommendations at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi.

Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive method to collect data from 96 women who attended ANC on World Oral Health Day.

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in a Tertiary Hospital Community, North Central, Nigeria.

Background: COVID-19 vaccine uptake is cardinal in the control of COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine uptake is hindered by misinformation, conspiracy theory, and religious beliefs globally. This has posed a threat in curbing the spread of this highly infectious virus.

Level of knowledge and intention to use oral fluid HIV self-testing and associated factors among Ethiopian health care workers in southern Ethiopia.

Background: The World Health Organization has recommended a new method for HIV self-testing (HIVST) using oral fluid, intending to increase HIV testing rates, and linking individuals to medical care. Healthcare workers are chief health advocates in the community who need adequate knowledge and intention to use the newly recommended HIVST approach. However, studies on awareness and the intention to use oral fluid for HIV self-testing among Ethiopian healthcare workers are limited.

Perception and Disposal Practices of Toddler Feces by Mothers in Suburban Area of Kendari, Indonesia.

Unsafe child feces disposal (CFD) is another form of open defecation and can pose a risk of disease in children. More than 30% of Indonesian households practice unsafe CFD, yet, its determinants are unknown. This study aims to identify the contextual and behavioral determinants of CFD through the lens of the Risk, Attitude, Norm, Ability, and Self-regulation (RANAS) framework.

Serum Levels of Stereocilin as a Hearing Biomarker.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) often presents with an insidious onset, resulting from the cumulative effect of chronic, high-level noise exposure regardless of etiology. Stereocilin (STRC) is a protein that supports stereocilia attachment and cochlear hair cell function, 2 common targets of noise trauma. In this study, we explored the relationship between STRC and daily noise exposure in young, healthy adults.

CD34+ cell yield among healthy donors: Large-scale model development and validation.

Background: Successful engraftment in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation necessitates the collection of an adequate dose of CD34+ cells. Thus, the precise estimation of CD34+ cells harvested via apheresis is critical. Current CD34+ cell yield prediction models have limited reproducibility.

Biomechanical Evaluation of Zygomatic Implant Versus Pterygoid Implant in Atrophic Maxilla: An In vitro Finite Element Study.

Background And Purpose: Dental implants are considered to be one of several treatment options that can be used to replace missing teeth. The objective of the study is to examine and compare the biomechanics of zygomatic and pterygoid implants planned on the atrophic maxilla with three different bone types.

Materials And Methods: An in vitro finite element study was conducted on a three-dimensional model of zygomatic and pterygoid implants.

Centrifugal technique of plasma exchange and low-dose steroid to treat very severe alcoholic hepatitis patients: A retrospective analysis.

Background: Low-volume plasma exchange (PLEX) and low-dose steroid improve survival in severe alcoholic hepatitis. We aimed to compare one-year survival of very severe alcoholic hepatitis (VSAH) patients treated with centrifugal PLEX (cPLEX), membrane PLEX (mPLEX) or standard medical treatment (SMT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed survival in consecutive VSAH patients treated at our department from November 2017 to September 2021.

Genomic investigation and clinical correlates of the β-lactam: NaHCO responsiveness phenotype among methicillin-resistant isolates from a randomized clinical trial.

NaHCO responsiveness is a novel phenotype where some methicillin-resistant (MRSA) isolates exhibit significantly lower minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) to oxacillin and/or cefazolin in the presence of NaHCO. NaHCO responsiveness correlated with treatment response to β-lactams in an endocarditis animal model. We investigated whether treatment of NaHCO-responsive strains with β-lactams was associated with faster clearance of bacteremia.

Racial disparities in access to, and outcomes of, acute ischaemic stroke treatments in the USA.

Background: Racism contributes to higher comorbid risk factors and barriers to preventive measures for black Americans. Advancements in systems of care, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) availability and endovascular thrombectomy (ET) have impacted practice and outcomes while outpacing contemporary investigation into acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) care disparities. We examined whether recent data suggest ongoing disparity in AIS interventions and outcomes, and if hospital characteristics affect disparities.

Using marine mussels to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of two different commercial microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) in the aquatic environment pose a serious threat to biota, by being confounded with food. These effects occur in mussels which are filter-feeding organisms. Mussels from the genus Mytilus sp.