Publications by authors named "Duncan T"

Artificial water channels (AWCs) have emerged as a promising framework for stable water permeation, with water transport rates comparable to aquaporins (3.4-40.3 × 10 HO/channel/s).

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With the increasing age of the population in the USA, fall prevention events to target older patients are imperative. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma hosted a fall prevention event at the host city of the 2023 Annual Meeting. We review the planning and implementation of this "Stop the Falls" event, in hopes that other institutions may benefit and sustainably effectuate fall prevention events for an increasingly geriatric population.

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  • - The study focuses on the separation of similar-charge ions and explores membranes made from zwitterionic amphiphilic copolymers (ZAC-X) that can selectively allow the passage of different anions, particularly comparing two structural arrangements, Motif A and Motif B.
  • - Molecular dynamics simulations were used to analyze how the orientation of zwitterionic ligands affects the movement and selectivity of anions, revealing that Motif A shows less ion pairing while Motif B demonstrates stronger pairing for small anions.
  • - Results indicate that the size of anions influences their partitioning and diffusivity, with Motif B showing higher selectivity for larger anions; ultimately, partitioning trends have a greater impact on
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  • The study examines the impact of illicit substance use during pregnancy, noting a 4-fold increase over two decades and its negative effects on mothers and fetuses.
  • A multicenter retrospective analysis from 2016 to 2021 included 852 pregnant trauma patients (PTPs), with 9.8% testing positive for substances, primarily THC and methamphetamine.
  • Findings showed that PTPs with positive urine toxicology had higher rates of blunt head injuries, extremity injuries, domestic violence incidents, and uterine contractions, but similar maternal complication rates compared to those who tested negative.
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The F-type ATP synthase/ATPase (FF) is important for cellular bioenergetics in eukaryotes and bacteria. We recently showed that venturicidins, a class of macrolides that inhibit the proton transporting complex (F), can also induce time-dependent functional decoupling of F-ATPase from F on membranes from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This dysregulated ATPase activity could deplete bacterial ATP levels and contribute to venturicidin's capacity to enhance the bactericidal action of aminoglycosides antibiotics.

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This study aimed to document and empirically evaluate the physical environment strategies used by emergency departments (EDs) to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; and to develop recommendations for managing future crises. Emergency departments made significant environmental modifications in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic but these modifications and the decision-making processes were seldomly studied. In this in-depth qualitative case study, a multidisciplinary research team conducted semistructured interviews with 11 professionals of various roles in environmental responses to the pandemic at a large urban ED in the U.

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Silver-enabled polymers, with their antimicrobial properties, could prolong the shelf life and maintain quality in packaged foods. However, there is limited understanding about how the Ag form in the polymer, food chemistry, and other factors affect the transfer (migration) of Ag from the polymer to the food under the intended conditions of use. In this study, we investigated the release of Ag from polymer composites (PCs) incorporating two different Ag-exchanged zeolites (Ag-Y), which have been explored as potential scaffolds for loading high concentrations of Ag within common polymers.

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  • Current guidelines suggest that patients with isolated sternal fractures (ISFs) and minor heart-related issues should undergo 24-hour telemetry monitoring, despite a single study indicating they might not need it.
  • A study conducted across 8 trauma centers reviewed ISF patients with minor ECG changes or troponin elevation and found that very few (1.6%) experienced significant blunt cardiac injury (BCI), and none had BCI diagnosed via echocardiogram.
  • The results imply that routine monitoring and echocardiography may not be necessary for ISF patients displaying minor ECG abnormalities and challenge existing medical protocols.
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  • This study explores the connection between white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), age, and cognitive performance in a group of combat-exposed Veterans and Service Members.
  • The research involved 1,011 participants, revealing that both groups had similar rates of WMHs; however, older individuals with mTBI showed a higher count of WMHs compared to those without.
  • Significant relationships were found linking increased WMHs with cognitive impairments in memory and processing speed, suggesting the need for further investigation on the long-term effects of WMHs in mTBI cases.
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In the public imaginary, drinking is often thought of as a behaviour separate from individuals' formal labour practices, but studies increasingly highlight the complex ways alcohol is entwined with work. Building on recent conceptual developments in the sociological fields of youth, health and work, we illustrate how drinking can be productively understood as 'affective labour', and thus itself a form of work that generates valuable embodied states and atmospheres. To do so, we draw on data from six focus groups with men coworkers from three hospitality workplaces and three corporate workplaces in Victoria.

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Background: Providing secondary prevention through structured and comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programmes to patients after a myocardial infarction (MI) reduces mortality and morbidity and improves health-related quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation has the highest recommendation in current guidelines. While treatment target attainment rates at Swedish cardiac rehabilitation centres is among the highest in Europe, there are considerable differences in service delivery and variations in patient-level outcomes between centres.

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Melioidosis is a life-threatening, emerging infectious disease caused by the environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Melioidosis is hyperendemic in tropical Australia and southeast Asia, however the disease is increasingly encountered beyond these regions. Early diagnosis is essential as the infection has a case-fatality rate of up to 50 %.

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  • Almost 10% of pregnant women experience serious injuries, but how serious injuries affect them and their babies isn’t well understood.
  • A study looked at 950 pregnant women with injuries and found that about 3.4% had severe injuries, which led to more complications and higher risks for both the mother and baby.
  • Severely injured women had more surgeries and a higher chance of losing their baby, so doctors need to be very careful when taking care of them.
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Microplastics are increasingly reported, not only in the environment but also in a wide range of food commodities. While studies on microplastics in food abound, the current state of science is limited in its application to regulatory risk assessment by a continued lack of standardized definitions, reference materials, sample collection and preparation procedures, fit-for purpose analytical methods for real-world and environmentally relevant plastic mixtures, and appropriate quality controls. This is particularly the case for nanoplastics.

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Introduction And Importance: Lung herniation following trauma is a rare occurrence, and consensus on optimal surgical repair techniques remains limited. While small herniations may resolve without surgery, intervention becomes necessary in cases of unsuccessful non-operative management or concurrent rib fracture stabilization. Mesh application in repair poses a dilemma, often providing physical support but raising infection concerns, particularly in trauma scenarios with delayed closure.

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Patients with ovarian cancer (OC) often experience anxiety, depression and fear of progression (FOP); however, it is unclear whether surgical complexity has a role to play. We investigated the prevalence of anxiety, depression and FOP at 12 months post-cytoreductive surgery and investigated associations with surgical complexity, patient (age, ethnicity, performance status, BMI) and tumour (stage, disease load) factors. One hundred and forty-one patients with FIGO Stage III-IV OC, who did not have disease progression at 12 months post-surgery, completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and FOP short-form questionnaire.

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Recent experimental results have demonstrated that zwitterionic ionogel comprised of polyzwitterion (polyZI)-supported lithium salt-doped ionic liquid exhibits improved conductivities and lithium transference numbers than the salt-doped base ionic liquid electrolyte (ILE). However, the underlying mechanisms of such observations remain unresolved. In this work, we pursued a systematic investigation to understand the impact of the polyZI content and salt concentration on the structural and dynamic properties of the poly(MPC) ionogel of our model polyZI ionogel, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) [poly(MPC)] supported LiTFSI/N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium TFSI base ionic liquid electrolyte.

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  • Doctors often use CT scans to check for injuries after car accidents, but for pregnant women, these scans can be risky for the baby.
  • A study looked at how often pregnant women involved in car crashes got CT scans at 12 different hospitals from 2016 to 2021.
  • The results showed a big difference in the number of scans given at each hospital, suggesting there should be clearer rules to keep both moms and babies safe while still finding any injuries.
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Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) organogel sponges were prepared and studied in order to understand the role of pore size in an elastomeric network on the ability to uptake and release organic solvents. PDMS organogel sponges have been produced according to sugar leaching techniques by adding two sugar templates of different forms and grain sizes (a sugar cube template and a powdered sugar template), in order to obtain materials differing in porosity, pore size distribution, and solvent absorption and liquid retention capability. These materials were compared to PDMS organogel slabs that do not contain pores.

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Mutations in the PCDH15 gene, encoding protocadherin-15, are among the leading causes of Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1F), and account for up to 12% USH1 cases worldwide. A founder truncating variant of PCDH15 has a ∼2% carrier frequency in Ashkenazi Jews accounting for nearly 60% of their USH1 cases. Although cochlear implants can restore hearing perception in USH1 patients, presently there are no effective treatments for the vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa.

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Background/aim: Emerging data suggest that addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) at the time of interval cytoreduction for patients with metastatic ovarian cancer is associated with a survival benefit. However, the implementation of this treatment is affected by concerns related to its potential morbidity. We present data from the first centre in the UK implementing HIPEC as part of treatment for patients with advanced ovarian cancer undergoing interval cytoreductive surgery.

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Introduction: Outdoor activities have accelerated in the past several years. The authors were tasked with providing medical care for the Union Cycliste International (UCI) mountain biking World Cup in Snowshoe, West Virginia (USA) in September 2021. The Hartman and Arbon models were designed to predict patient presentation and hospital transport rates as well as needed medical resources at urban mass-gathering events.

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Background: Pregnant trauma patients (PTPs) undergo observation and fetal monitoring following trauma due to possible fetal delivery (FD) or adverse outcome. There is a paucity of data on PTP outcomes, especially related to risk factors for FD. We aimed to identify predictors of posttraumatic FD in potentially viable pregnancies.

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Background: Failure of Alzheimer's disease and related diseases (ADRD) research studies to include and engage Black participants is a major issue, which limits the impact and generalizability of research findings. Little is known about participation of Black adults in online ADRD-related research registries.

Objectives: As part of the Community Engaged Digital Alzheimer's Research (CEDAR) Study, this study aims to increase our understanding of facilitators and barriers of Black adults to participating in ADRD-related online registries, as well as to understand their preferences for communication channels.

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  • The study looked at the effects of pregnancy in older moms (35 years and older) who had trauma and compared them to younger pregnant moms.
  • It found that older moms had more injuries to certain organs like the pancreas and stomach, but there was no difference in the chance of delivering the baby after trauma.
  • Because of this, they decided that older moms don’t need extra monitoring compared to younger moms after a trauma.
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