Outcomes of ingested superabsorbent polymers ("water beads"): A poison center study.

Background: Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are hydrophilic polymers that expand many-fold from their original size after contact with water. Ingestions of "water beads" by young children have been reported to cause bowel obstruction however, the incidence of bowel obstructions is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study analyzing ingestions reported to our regional poison center from January 1, 2002 to April 25, 2023.

Cyclic Olefin Copolymer-Based Fixed-Target Sample Delivery Device for Protein X-ray Crystallography.

Serial macromolecular X-ray crystallography plays an important role in elucidating protein structures and consequently progressing the field of targeted therapeutics. The use of pulsed beams at different repetition frequencies requires the development of various sample-conserving injection strategies to minimize sample wastage between X-ray exposures. Fixed-target sample delivery methods that use solid support to hold the crystals in the X-ray beam path are gaining interest as a sample-conserving delivery system for X-ray crystallography with high crystal hit rates.

Evaluating the factor structure and construct validity of the NIH toolbox in older adults, with a focus on cognitive normalcy and amnestic mild cognitive impairment: considerations for diversity, including insights from persons over 85 years of age and Black older Americans.

Objective: Validated computerized assessments for cognitive functioning are crucial for older individuals and those at risk of cognitive decline. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) exhibits good construct validity but requires validation in diverse populations and for adults aged 85+. This study uses data from the Assessing Reliable Measurement in Alzheimer's Disease and cognitive Aging study to explore differences in the factor structure of the NIHTB-CB for adults 85 and older, Black participants versus White participants, and those diagnosed as amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) vs cognitively normal (CN).