Testing Concrete Sewer Maintenance Holes Using an Angular Modulated Penetrometer.

Around the world, a significant proportion of sewers and sewer maintenance holes are constructed from concrete. Unfortunately, one major problem with concrete sewer infrastructure is corrosion caused by biogenic hydrogen sulphide, which causes major issues for concrete structural integrity. Furthermore, concrete may be significantly corroded and softened but still pass a visual inspection.

Minimal domain peptides derived from enterocins exhibit potent antifungal activity.

The antimicrobial peptide (AMP) circularized bacteriocin enterocin AS-48 produced by sp. exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial activity via dimer insertion into the plasma membrane to form membrane pore structures, compromising membrane integrity and leading to bactericidal activity. A specific alpha-helical region of enterocin AS-48 has been shown to be responsible for the membrane-penetrating activity of the peptide.

APC 4099 has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against both bacteria and fungi and produces several antimicrobial peptides, including the novel circular bacteriocin safencin E.

Unlabelled: APC 4099, isolated from bees' gut, has been identified as a promising candidate for food biopreservation. Antimicrobial activity screening revealed a broad-spectrum inhibition potential, ranging from gram-positive pathogenic bacteria to fungi responsible for food spoilage. Genomic analysis identified biosynthetic gene clusters coding for several antimicrobial peptides and secondary metabolites.

Why most research based on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test is unsubstantiated and uninterpretable: A response to Murphy and Hall (2024).

Murphy and Hall (2024) present two criticisms of our review of construct validity evidence reporting practices for the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET; Higgins, Kaplan, Deschrijver, & Ross, 2024). Namely, they argue that we conflated poor reporting practices with poor validity and that our conclusions about the validity of RMET scores relied too heavily on structural validity evidence at the cost of external validity evidence. Moreover, they argue that the existing external and structural validity evidence indicates that RMET scores are generally valid for assessing emotion recognition ability.

Biological hallmarks of systemic sclerosis are present in the skin and serum of patients with Very Early Diagnosis of SSc (VEDOSS).

Objective: The Very Early Diagnosis of Systemic Sclerosis (VEDOSS) EUSTAR study showed that, despite not showing any clinical sign of disease, patients with Raynaud's and antinuclear antibodies and/or capillaroscopy abnormalities often progress to systemic sclerosis (SSc) within 5 years. We aimed to determine whether VEDOSS biosamples show biological SSc activity pre-clinically.

Methods: Skin biopsies were histologically analysed.

A universe of human gut-derived bacterial prophages: unveiling the hidden viral players in intestinal microecology.

Prophages, which are an existing form of temperate phages that integrate into host genomes, have been found extensively present in diverse bacterial species. The human gut microbiome, characterized by its complexity, dynamism, and interconnectivity among multiple species, remains inadequately understood in terms of the global landscape of bacterial prophages. Here, we analyzed 43,942 human gut-derived bacterial genomes (439 species of 12 phyla) and identified 105,613 prophage regions in ~ 92% of them.

TRPM7 activity drives human CD4 T-cell activation and differentiation in a magnesium dependent manner.

T lymphocyte activation is a crucial process in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. The ion channel-kinase TRPM7 has previously been implicated in cellular Mg homeostasis, proliferation, and immune cell modulation. Here, we show that pharmacological and genetic silencing of TRPM7 leads to diminished human CD4 T-cell activation and proliferation following TCR mediated stimulation.

Marijuana Use and Complication Risk Following Tibia Shaft Fracture Fixation.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between preoperative marijuana use and complications following tibia shaft fracture fixation.

Methods: Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Two academic Level I trauma centers.

Collaboration strategies for bridging health, behavioral health, and social services in California's Medi-Cal Whole Person Care Pilot Program.

Objective: To identify collaboration strategies used to integrate health, behavioral health, and social services for Medicaid members in California's Medi-Cal Whole Person Care Pilot program (WPC).

Data Sources And Study Setting: WPC was a social care intervention implemented to identify and address eligible members' health, behavioral health, and social needs. Data included semi-structured key informant interviews conducted in 2018-2019 (n = 221) and 2021 (n = 167); pilot-level surveys; whole-network surveys of 507 organizations in all 25 pilots participating in WPC; and documents submitted by pilots to the state.

Disparities in Access to and Utilization of Surgical Care for Patients with Closed Unstable AO/OTA 44B2 Ankle Fractures and Medicaid.

Background: Closed, unstable AO/OTA 44B2 ankle fractures are common injuries with similar distributions by age, sex, and race. The purpose of this study was to identify disparities in access to and utilization of surgical care for these injuries.

Methods: Ambulatory patients ≥18 years of age with capitated Medicaid health insurance who presented from January 2016 to February 2020 with an isolated, closed AO/OTA 44B2 ankle fracture with radiographic evidence of instability were retrospectively identified at 1 Level-I safety-net trauma center.

Management of Aorto-Right Ventricular Fistulas After TAVR.

This clinical case series reviews the diagnosis and management of aorto-right ventricular fistulas post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement, highlighting 3 cases. We emphasize early detection, individualized treatment strategies, and the role of multidisciplinary heart teams in achieving favorable outcomes. Comprehensive imaging and procedural planning are crucial for successful intervention and management of this rare complication.

Adaptations in gut Bacteroidales facilitate stable co-existence with their lytic bacteriophages.

Background: Bacteriophages (phages) and bacteria within the gut microbiome persist in long-term stable coexistence. These interactions are driven by eco-evolutionary dynamics, where bacteria employ a variety of mechanisms to evade phage infection, while phages rely on counterstrategies to overcome these defences. Among the most abundant phages in the gut are the crAss-like phages that infect members of the Bacteroidales, in particular In this study, we explored some of the mechanisms enabling the co-existence of four phage-Bacteroidales host pairs using a multi-omics approach (transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics).

Association of Social Determinants of Health With Brain MRI Outcomes in Individuals With Pediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: Accumulating evidence points to worse clinical outcomes among adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) belonging to minority or poverty-affected groups. By contrast, little is known about the outcomes of these populations with pediatric-onset MS (POMS). Individuals with POMS represent 5% of the MS population and are more racially diverse yet have been understudied regarding socioeconomic environment or characteristics.

Impact of low FODMAP sourdough bread on gut microbiota using an colonic fermentation model.

This study explores the development of whole-grain sourdough bread with reduced FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) content to offer dietary solutions for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Three sourdough breads were prepared using different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains including FST1.7 (SD-FST1.

FGF21 acts in the brain to drive macronutrient-specific changes in behavioral motivation and brain reward signaling.

Objective: Dietary protein restriction induces adaptive changes in food preference, increasing protein consumption over carbohydrates or fat. We investigated whether motivation and reward signaling underpin these preferences.

Methods And Results: In an operant task, protein-restricted male mice responded more for liquid protein rewards, but not carbohydrate, fat, or sweet rewards compared to non-restricted mice.

Coarse-Grained Modeling of the Water/Alkane Wetting and Dewetting Processes on Fluorinated Coatings.

This work provides a framework to digitally assess any droplet's static and dynamic contact angles on coatings and polymeric substrates. We are introducing a new dissipative particle dynamics coarse-grained model to attain the spatiotemporal conditions and the coexistence of different phases that such investigation dictates. Two computational techniques are additionally developed; a robust technique to calculate the static contact angle using density profiles and a perturbation method to evaluate dynamic contact angles.

Donor human milk: the influence of processing technologies on its nutritional and microbial composition.

Human milk is regarded as the gold standard nutrition for newborn infants, providing all nutrients required for adequate growth and development from birth to 6 months. In addition, human milk is host to an array of bioactive factors that confer immune protection to the newborn infant. For this reason, the supply of human milk is crucial for premature, seriously ill, or low birth weight infants (<1,500 g).

Manipulating the EphB4-ephrinB2 axis to reduce metastasis in HNSCC.

The EphB4-ephrinB2 signaling axis has been heavily implicated in metastasis across numerous cancer types. Our emerging understanding of the dichotomous roles that EphB4 and ephrinB2 play in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) poses a significant challenge to rational drug design. We find that EphB4 knockdown in cancer cells enhances metastasis in preclinical HNSCC models by augmenting immunosuppressive cells like T regulatory cells (Tregs) within the tumor microenvironment.

Empirical Sandwich Variance Estimator for Iterated Conditional Expectation g-Computation.

Iterated conditional expectation (ICE) g-computation is an estimation approach for addressing time-varying confounding for both longitudinal and time-to-event data. Unlike other g-computation implementations, ICE avoids the need to specify models for each time-varying covariate. For variance estimation, previous work has suggested the bootstrap.

Exploring the characteristics of conversational agents in chronic disease management interventions: A scoping review.

Objective: With the increasing global burden of chronic diseases, there is the potential for conversational agents (CAs) to assist people in actively managing their conditions. This paper reviews different types of CAs used for chronic condition management, delving into their characteristics and the chosen study designs. This paper also discusses the potential of these CAs to enhance the health and well-being of people with chronic conditions.