Publications by authors named "E J Braun"

Amazônia is a species-rich region of immense importance to Earth's water and carbon cycling. Photosynthesis drives the global carbon cycle, so understanding photosynthetic differences across diverse landscapes is a key task of ecophysiology and ecosystem science. Unfortunately, due to physiological and logistical constraints, ground-based photosynthesis data in Amazônia remains scarce, and the 'traditional' steady-state method (SS) of gas exchange is slow and inefficient.

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Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the leading cause of disability in the United States and is associated with a steadily increasing burden of healthcare expenditures. Given this trend, it is essential to evaluate interventions aimed at reducing disability and optimizing healthcare utilization (HCU) in affected populations. This study investigates the impact of prior spinal surgery on functional outcomes and HCU patterns following high-frequency (10 kHz) spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy.

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Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) holds transformative potential for research and clinical applications in neuroscience due to its non-invasive nature and adaptability to real-world settings. However, despite its promise, fNIRS signal quality is sensitive to individual differences in biophysical factors such as hair and skin characteristics, which can significantly impact the absorption and scattering of near-infrared light. If not properly addressed, these factors risk biasing fNIRS research by disproportionately affecting signal quality across diverse populations.

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Article Synopsis
  • The New World warblers (Parulidae) are explored using ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to create a detailed species-level phylogeny.
  • Despite challenges in obtaining high-quality tissue samples, researchers utilized historical toe pad samples to enhance their datasets, successfully analyzing 108 species.
  • The study produced a largely congruent phylogeny with all recognized genera being monophyletic aside from one, and highlights the importance of integrating diverse genomic data for better understanding of evolutionary relationships in this bird family.
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Article Synopsis
  • Human-to-human transmission of MERS-CoV is inefficient, but there are worries it could mutate and become more transmissible.
  • A study examined if enhancing the S1/S2 cleavage site of the MERS-CoV spike protein could improve its entry into human lung cells, similar to SARS-CoV-2.
  • Results showed that changes to the cleavage site did not increase MERS-CoV's ability to infect lung cells, indicating it might not have the same transmission potential as SARS-CoV-2.
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