Engaging health system, service and consumer representatives in the co-design of a multi-criteria decision-making framework for commissioning overweight and obesity programs and services.

Background: Obesity is a multi-faceted problem that requires complex health system responses. While no single program or service is sufficient to meet every individual's needs, some criteria that increase the likelihood of program/service quality delivery to produce effective outcomes exist. However, although research on health commissioning is available internationally and is growing within the Australian context, no evidence exists of a multi-criteria decision-making framework to address the complexity required for effective commissioning of overweight and obesity early intervention and weight management programs or services.

Machine Learning Reveals Signatures of Promiscuous Microbial Amidases for Micropollutant Biotransformations.

Organic micropollutants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and food additives, are widespread in the environment, causing potentially toxic effects. Human waste is a direct source of micropollutants, with the majority of pharmaceuticals being excreted through urine. Urine contains its own microbiota with the potential to catalyze micropollutant biotransformations.

Evidence for Endogenous Collagen in Fossil Bone.

Reports of proteins in fossilized bones have been a subject of controversy in the scientific literature because it is assumed that fossilization results in the destruction of all organic components. In this paper, a novel combination of analytical techniques is used to address this question for an exceptionally well-preserved sacrum excavated from the Upper Cretaceous strata of the South Dakota Hell Creek Formation. Cross-polarized light microscopy (XPol) shows birefringence consistent with collagen presence.

Diversifying the Surgical Workforce: Understanding Barriers to Inform Solutions.

Objectives: Race and gender concordance between physicians and patients is associated with reductions in healthcare disparities. However, the diversity of the medical workforce does not mirror the population; some of the greatest deficiencies exist in the surgical workforce. We conducted a pilot study focused on early recruitment of diverse college students in our region, with a concurrent needs assessment of their specific barriers to entering the field of surgery.