Urban and Rural Disparities in COVID-19 Outcomes in the United States: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review investigates disparities in COVID-19 outcomes (infections, hospitalizations, and deaths) between urban and rural populations in the United States. Of the 3,091 articles screened, 55 were selected. Most studies ( = 43) conducted national analyses, using 2020 data, with some extending into 2021.

Reconstruction and analyses of genome-scale metabolic network yield a highly efficient PHA production.

In pursuit of reliable and efficient industrial microbes, this study integrates cutting-edge systems biology tools with TD01, a robust halophilic bacterium. We generated the complete and annotated circular genome sequence for this model organism, constructed and meticulously curated a genome-scale metabolic network, achieving striking 86.32% agreement with Biolog Phenotype Microarray data and visualize the network via an interactive Electron/Thrift server architecture.

Optimization of resource recovery technologies in the disassembly of waste lithium batteries: A study on selective lithium extraction.

This study focuses on optimizing resource recovery technology in the dismantling process of retired lithium batteries to mitigate environmental pollution. Addressing the challenge of significant precious metal losses in traditional hydrometallurgical recycling methods, this study employs a reductive roasting-carbonation leaching process to selectively extract lithium from cathode materials using a reducing agent. The study examines the effects of parameters such as roasting temperature, time, and reducing agent dosage on lithium leaching efficiency, and explores additional factors including carbonation leaching time, carbon dioxide flow rate, liquid-to-solid ratio, and leaching temperature in conjunction with multi-stage countercurrent leaching technology.

The Impact of Organizational Justice on Turnover Intention Among Primary Healthcare Workers: The Mediating Role of Work Motivation.

Background: Adequate staffing of primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) is essential for strengthening healthcare systems, yet high turnover intention among these workers presents a significant challenge. While existing strategies primarily target economic incentives and career progression, this study proposes that enhancing organizational justice could offer a novel and impactful approach to retention. Drawing on equity theory and self-determination theory, the study examines how organizational justice influences turnover intention and the mediating roles of both the intensity and type of work motivation.

Association Between Blood Pressure Variation During Dialysis and Cardio-Cerebrovascular Events.

In hemodialysis patients, blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. However, previous research has predominantly concentrated on the predialysis BPV. In contrast, intradialytic BPV, reflecting the cardiovascular regulatory function during the process of rapid clearance of volume overload, holds greater relevance to the prognosis of patients.

Construction of a prognostic model based on cuproptosis-related genes and exploration of the value of DLAT and DLST in the metastasis for non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: To reveal the clinical value of cuproptosis-related genes on prognosis and metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Gene expression profiles and clinical information of non-small cell lung cancer were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. The data were grouped into training set, internal testing set, and external testing set.

Efficient and Ultralong Room Temperature Phosphorescence from Isolated Molecules under Visible Light Excitation.

Visible-light-excited ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) materials hold significant potential for various practical applications. Red-shifted excitation wavelength can be achieved by introducing large π-conjugation structures into organic molecules, thereby increasing intermolecular interactions and coupling. However, generating visible-light-excited UOP from isolated molecules poses a great challenge.

Data-driven fault identification method of RV reducer used in industrial robot.

The RV reducers are complex and sealed mechanical systems that are difficult to conduct fault diagnosis in advance. The previous research worked on the fault identification of RV reducer were mainly carried out on the test platforms instead of real complex working conditions. Most of faults were intentionally created in laboratory instead of real malfunction caused by factory daily operation.

A single-center's uric acid profile in girls with Turner syndrome.

Background: Metabolic disorders are common in individuals with Turner syndrome (TS). Hyperuricemia is associated with metabolic syndrome. This study investigated the serum uric acid (SUA) profile in patients with TS.

Mueller matrix polarimetry for quantitative evaluation of the Achilles tendon injury recovery.

Achilles tendon injuries, as a widely existing disease, have attracted a lot of research interest. Mueller matrix polarimetry, as a novel label-free quantitative imaging method, has been widely used in various applications of lesion identification and pathological diagnosis. However, focusing on the recovery process of Achilles tendon injuries, current optical imaging methods have not yet achieved the label-free precise identification and quantitative evaluation.

Colorectal cancer screening based on fecal immunochemical test and risk assessment: a population-based study including two million participants in China.

Background: The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) has been widely used in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, yet the practical performance of FIT combined with questionnaire-based risk assessment (QRA) remains undetermined. Moreover, risk factors for distinct CRC precursors identified in screening have been rarely compared.

Methods: This study was based on a population-based CRC screening in China, with 2,120,340 participants completing both FIT and QRA.

Three new species of the genus Oedichirus Erichson, 1839 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Pinophilini) from China.

Three new species of Oedichirus Erichson, 1839 are described: Oedichirus haishengensis Duan, Yue & Li sp. nov. from Guangxi Province, O.

Oxytelus sishuishanus, a new species of Oxytelus Gravenhorst, 1802 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) from Sishui Mountain, China.

A new species, Oxytelus sishuishanus Lü, is described from Hunan, China. This species closely resembles O. ailaoshanicus Lü & Zhou, 2012, but can be distinguished by the male clypeus, which is not so protruding as in O.

Dental caries prevalence and caries-associated risk factors of students aged 12-15 in Xide County of Liangshan Prefecture, China: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: About 2 billion people have caries in permanent teeth, and 514 million children have caries in primary teeth worldwide. Regional disparities in caries prevalence are evident in various areas of China. A comprehensive understanding of the status of dental caries and its associated risk factors is essential for developing effective dental health policies in economically disadvantaged regions.

Aerobic exercise training attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice by decreasing the methylation level of METTL3-associated m6A RNA in cardiomyocytes.

Background And Aims: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) presents a significant global health challenge, with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) being a major pathophysiological contributor and lacking effective interventions. While aerobic exercise training (AET) enhances cardiovascular health, its protective mechanism in MIRI remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the protective effect of AET in MIRI and its underlying mechanism.

Efficient tetracycline hydrochloride degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation by N doped coagulated sludge based biochar: Insights on the nonradical pathway.

Coagulation could effectively remove microplastics (MPs). However, MPs coagulated sludge was still a hazardous waste that is difficult to degrade. Nitrogen-doped carbon composite (N-PSMPC) was prepared by carbonizing MPs coagulated aluminum sludge (MP-CA) doped with cheap urea in this study.

Accumulation of phenolic in fresh-cut lotus roots induced by thermosonication: Regulation of phenylpropanoid pathway and reactive oxygen species metabolism.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of thermosonication (TS) on the phenolic accumulation of fresh-cut lotus roots (FCLs) in the context of the phenylpropanoid pathway and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism. The potential regulatory effects of phenolic synthesis triggered by ROS signaling molecules during TS treatment were determined. Results showed that TS treatment significantly activated the activities of key enzymes associated with phenylpropanoid metabolism in FCLs, resulting in an increase in the total phenolic content (TPC), including gallic acid, epicatechin and rutin, consequently enhancing the antioxidant capacity.

Transcriptome analysis of Aureobasidium pullulans BL06 and identification of key factors affecting pullulan production.

Pullulan, a versatile water-soluble polysaccharide, is widely used across various industries. To minimize byproduct interference, Aureobasidium pullulans BL06ΔPMAs was engineered, resulting in a higher yield and a lower molecular weight (MW) than the parent strain A. pullulans BL06.

Prediction of mortality in hemodialysis patients based on autoencoders.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) exhibit a high mortality risk, particularly at the onset of treatment. Conventional risk assessment models, dependent on extensive temporal data accumulation, frequently encounter issues of data incompleteness and lengthy collection periods.

Objective: This study addresses the imbalance in short-term HD data and the issue of missing data features, achieving a robust assessment of mortality risk for HD patients over the subsequent 30 to 450 days.

Epiberberine ameliorates MNNG-induced chronic atrophic gastritis by acting on the EGFR-IL33 axis.

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a prevalent form of chronic gastritis that presents with chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa, localised gastric mucosal glandular atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. Despite the existence of diagnostic criteria, effective therapeutic strategies for this condition remain to be developed. The objective of this study was to examine the potential therapeutic benefits of epiberberine in mitigating MNNG-induced CAG and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Giant Domain Wall Anomalous Hall Effect in a Layered Antiferromagnet EuAl_{2}Si_{2}.

Generally, the dissipationless Hall effect in solids requires time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB), where TRSB induced by external magnetic field results in the ordinary Hall effect, while TRSB caused by spontaneous magnetization gives rise to the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) which scales with the net magnetization. The AHE is therefore not expected in antiferromagnets with vanishing small magnetization. However, large AHE was recently observed in certain antiferromagnets with noncollinear spin structure and nonvanishing Berry curvature.