Laminarin stimulates single cell rates of sulfate reduction whereas oxygen inhibits transcriptomic activity in coastal marine sediment.

The chemical cycles carried out by bacteria and archaea living in coastal sediments are vital aspects of benthic ecology. These ecosystems are subject to physical disruption, which may allow for increased respiration and complex carbon consumption - impacting chemical cycling in this environment often thought to be a terminal place of deposition. We use the redox-enzyme sensitive probe RedoxSensor Green to measure rates of electron transfer physiology in individual sulfate reducer cells residing in anoxic sediment, subjected to transient exposure of oxygen and laminarin.

A Pilot Study on the Feasibility and Integration of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Testing for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Trinidad and Tobago.

Background Globally, cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among women. Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) is the predominant etiological factor for cervical cancer, underscoring the critical need for effective screening to enable early detection and reduce disease burden. However, in Trinidad and Tobago, liquid-based cytology is not available in the public healthcare system, and current screening efforts rely solely on conventional Pap smears.

Transformation and fate of Fe(III) in petroleum-hydrocarbon-contaminated soil and groundwater.

In anoxic subsurface environments, low Fe(III) bioaccessibility greatly limits in situ biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs). Ferric ammonium citrate is a soluble compound that has the potential to increase the bioaccessibility of Fe(III). However, in neutral to alkaline environments, Fe(III) hydrolysis can produce Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxides that may subsequently transform or recrystallize to relatively stable and less bioaccessible phases.

Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations: Vascular cognitive impairment, 7th edition practice guidelines update, 2024.

The Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations (CSPR) 7th edition includes this new module on the diagnosis and management of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) with or without neurodegenerative disease. An expert writing group and people with VCI lived experience (PWLE) reviewed current evidence. Existing recommendations were reviewed and revised, and new recommendations added.

Metal Mobilization from Thawing Permafrost Is an Emergent Risk to Water Resources.

Metals are ubiquitous in Earth's Critical Zone and play key roles in ecosystem function, human health, and water security. They are essential nutrients at low concentrations, yet some metals are toxic at a high dose. Permafrost thaw substantially alters all the physical and chemical processes governing metal mobility, including water movement and solute transport and (bio)geochemical interactions involving water, organic matter, minerals, and microbes.

Groundwater Ages in Intertill and Buried Valley Aquifers in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Continental glaciations during the Pleistocene Epoch created complex systems of aquifers and aquitards across many northern regions of the Earth. The low hydraulic conductivities of glacial till aquitards suggest that limited recharge will reach the underlying aquifers, potentially preserving old groundwaters. Here, we characterize the recharge history in intertill and buried valley aquifers in Saskatchewan, Canada using C, H, He δH, δO, and major ions.

Interpretation and classification of FBN1 variants associated with Marfan syndrome: consensus recommendations from the Clinical Genome Resource's FBN1 variant curation expert panel.

Background: In 2015, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) developed standardized variant curation guidelines for Mendelian disorders. Although these guidelines have been widely adopted, they are not gene- or disease-specific. To mitigate classification discrepancies, the Clinical Genome Resource FBN1 variant curation expert panel (VCEP) was established in 2018 to develop adaptations to the ACMG/AMP criteria for FBN1 in association with Marfan syndrome.

Transcriptional profile of the rat cardiovascular system at single-cell resolution.

We sought to characterize cellular composition across the cardiovascular system of the healthy Wistar rat, an important model in preclinical cardiovascular research. We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) in 78 samples in 10 distinct regions, including the four chambers of the heart, ventricular septum, sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, aorta, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary veins, which produced 505,835 nuclei. We identified 26 distinct cell types and additional subtypes, with different cellular composition across cardiac regions and tissue-specific transcription for each cell type.

Empagliflozin to prevent worsening of left ventricular volumes and systolic function after myocardial infarction (EMPRESS-MI).

Aims: Patients with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) following an acute myocardial infarction (MI) are considered to be at risk of progressive adverse cardiac remodelling which can lead to the development of heart failure and death. The early addition of a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor to standard treatment may delay or prevent progressive adverse remodelling in these patients.

Methods And Results: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction following MI.

Probing atomic-scale processes at the ferrihydrite-water interface with reactive molecular dynamics.

Interfacial processes involving metal (oxyhydr)oxide phases are important for the mobility and bioavailability of nutrients and contaminants in soils, sediments, and water. Consequently, these processes influence ecosystem health and functioning, and have shaped the biological and environmental co-evolution of Earth over geologic time. Here we employ reactive molecular dynamics simulations, supported by synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy to study the molecular-scale interfacial processes that influence surface complexation in ferrihydrite-water systems containing aqueous .

The high price of equity in pulse oximetry: A cost evaluation and need for interim solutions.

Disparities in pulse oximetry accuracy, disproportionately affecting patients of color, have been associated with serious clinical outcomes. Although many have called for pulse oximetry hardware replacement, the cost associated with this replacement is not known. The objective of this study was to estimate the cost of replacing all current pulse oximetry hardware throughout a hospital system via a single-center survey in 2023 at an academic medical center (Duke University) with three hospitals.

Uranium Speciation and Mobilization in Thawing Permafrost.

Uranium is a toxic and pervasive geogenic contaminant often associated with organic matter. Its abundance and speciation in organic-rich permafrost soils are unknown, thereby limiting our ability to assess risks associated with uranium mobilization during permafrost thaw. In this study, we assessed uranium speciation in permafrost soil and porewater liberated during thaw using active-layer and permafrost samples from a study area in Yukon, Canada where elevated uranium concentrations occur in bedrock and groundwater.

Harnessing Natural Language Processing to Assess Quality of End-of-Life Care for Children With Cancer.

Purpose: Data on end-of-life care (EOLC) quality, assessed through evidence-based quality measures (QMs), are difficult to obtain. Natural language processing (NLP) enables efficient quality measurement and is not yet used for children with serious illness. We sought to validate a pediatric-specific EOLC-QM keyword library and evaluate EOLC-QM attainment among childhood cancer decedents.

Gain-of-function variants in SMAD4 compromise respiratory epithelial function.

Background: Myhre syndrome is an exceedingly rare yet increasingly diagnosed genetic disorder arising from germline variants in the SMAD4 gene. Its core manifestation is the progression of stiffness and fibrosis across multiple organs. Individuals with Myhre syndrome exhibit a propensity for upper respiratory tract remodeling and infections.

Real-Time Workload Assessment to Enhance Performance.

Workforce shortages, increasing costs, decreased reimbursement, and focus on quality outcomes are crucial issues for health care leaders. To remain competitive, profitable, and productive, health care organizations need to provide structure, a safe working environment, and an acceptable leader workload to guarantee effective leader performance. Poorly designed work environments and interfaces can increase workload resulting in decreased performance and satisfaction.

Arsenic mineral and compound data as analyzed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.

Here, we present As K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data for 28 arsenic minerals and compounds. These minerals and compounds were obtained from mineral dealers, museum collections, and chemical suppliers, and were positively identified by synchrotron-based powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). All samples were analyzed for both XRD and XAS at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron (Saskatoon, Canada).

Myhre syndrome in adulthood: clinical variability and emerging genotype-phenotype correlations.

Myhre syndrome (MS, MIM 139210) is a rare multisystemic disorder caused by recurrent pathogenic missense variants in SMAD4. The clinical features have been mainly documented in childhood and comprise variable neurocognitive development, recognizable craniofacial features, a short stature with a pseudo-muscular build, hearing loss, thickened skin, joint limitations, diverse cardiovascular and airway manifestations, and increased fibrosis often following trauma or surgery. In contrast, adults with MS are underreported obscuring potential clinical variability.