Characterization of colorectal mucus using infrared spectroscopy: a potential target for bowel cancer screening and diagnosis.

Biological materials presenting early signs of cancer would be beneficial for cancer screening/diagnosis. In this respect, the suitability of potentially exploiting mucus in colorectal cancer was tested using infrared spectroscopy in combination with statistical modeling. Twenty-six paraffinized colon tissue biopsy sections containing mucus regions from 20 individuals (10 normal and 16 cancerous) were measured using mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging.

Fitness Measures Among Boy Scouts Completing the Personal Fitness Merit Badge.

Introduction A formative framework for positive lifestyle and health behaviors is established during adolescence. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is one organization that promotes healthy lifestyles among adolescent males and includes earning the Personal Fitness Merit Badge (PFMB). Despite the BSA Oath "to keep myself physically strong", there is a paucity of evidence describing fitness test (FT) outcomes or correlations between FT and variables including age or body mass index (BMI) among Boy Scouts.

Conformal surface coatings to enable high volume expansion Li-ion anode materials.

An alumina surface coating is demonstrated to improve electrochemical performance of MoO(3) nanoparticles as high capacity/high-volume expansion anodes for Li-ion batteries. Thin, conformal surface coatings were grown using atomic layer deposition (ALD) that relies on self-limiting surface reactions. ALD coatings were tested on both individual nanoparticles and prefabricated electrodes containing conductive additive and binder.