Publications by authors named "Stephen Woerlich Pedersen"

Atomic Fe in N-doped C (Fe-N-C) catalysts provide the most promising non-precious metal O reduction activity at the cathodes of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, one of the biggest remaining challenges to address towards their implementation in fuel cells is their limited durability. Fe demetallation has been suggested as the primary initial degradation mechanism.

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Despite extensive research, targeted delivery of substances to the brain still poses a great challenge due to the selectivity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Most molecules require either carrier- or receptor-mediated transport systems to reach the central nervous system (CNS). These transport systems form attractive routes for the delivery of therapeutics into the CNS, yet the number of known brain endothelium-enriched receptors allowing the transport of large molecules into the brain is scarce.

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Proton exchange membrane fuel cells require reduced construction costs to improve commercial viability, which can be fueled by elimination of platinum as the O reduction electrocatalyst. The past 10 years has seen significant developments in synthesis, characterisation, and electrocatalytic performance of the most promising alternative electrocatalyst; single metal atoms coordinated to nitrogen-doped carbon (M-N-C). In this Perspective we recap some of the important achievements of M-N-Cs in the last decade, as well as discussing current knowledge gaps and future research directions for the community.

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Article Synopsis
  • Atomic iron (Fe) in nitrogen-doped carbon (FeNC) catalysts shows promise as a substitute for platinum-group metals in fuel cells, but challenges in synthesis and stability persist.
  • A new two-step synthesis method enhances Fe-loading and electrochemical activity, yet achieving adequate porosity for active site exposure remains difficult.
  • This study introduces a highly porous support that boosts Fe utilization to 52% and reveals stable single-atom Fe configurations, supported by advanced spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.
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Introduction: People experiencing homelessness suffer from poor outcomes after hospitalisation due to systemic barriers to care, suboptimal transitions of care, and intersecting health and social burdens. Case management programmes have been shown to improve housing stability, but their effects on broad posthospital outcomes in this population have not been rigorously evaluated. The Navigator Programme is a Critical Time Intervention case management programme that was developed to help homeless patients with their postdischarge needs and to link them with community-based health and social services.

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  • Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) enhance the prediction of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) risk beyond what is provided by the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, but they haven't been used much to find genetic factors that offer resilience against the disease.
  • The study aimed to identify genetic variants that confer resilience in two groups: unaffected individuals with high PRSs for LOAD and unaffected carriers of the APOE-ε4 variant also with high PRSs.
  • The researchers employed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to create polygenic resilience scores, successfully replicating two of them across eight studies, suggesting that certain common genetic variants can help mitigate the risk of developing LOAD despite high genetic predisposition.
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Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the variability of postoperative rehabilitation protocols used by orthopedic surgery residency programs for osteochondral autograft transplantation (OAT) and osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) of the knee.

Design: Online postoperative OAT and OCA rehabilitation protocols from US orthopedic programs and the scientific literature were reviewed. A custom scoring rubric was developed to analyze each protocol for the presence of discrete rehabilitation modalities and the timing of each intervention.

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Single-atom catalysts, in particular the Fe-N-C family of materials, have emerged as a promising alternative to platinum group metals in fuel cells as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. Numerous theoretical studies have suggested that dual atom catalysts can appreciably accelerate catalytic reactions; nevertheless, the synthesis of these materials is highly challenging owing to metal atom clustering and aggregation into nanoparticles during high temperature synthesis treatment. In this work, dual metal atom catalysts are prepared by controlled post synthetic metal-coordination in a CN-like material.

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Background: People who are homeless have a higher burden of illness and higher rates of hospital admission and readmission compared to the general population. Identifying the factors associated with hospital readmission could help healthcare providers and policymakers improve post-discharge care for homeless patients.

Objective: To identify factors associated with hospital readmission within 90 days of discharge from a general internal medicine unit among patients experiencing homelessness.

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The EuroSIDA study was initiated in 1994 and follows adult people living with HIV (PLHIV) in 100 collaborating clinics across 35 countries covering all European regions, Israel and Argentina. The study aims to study the long-term virological, immunological and clinical outcomes of PLHIV and to monitor temporal changes and regional differences in outcomes across Europe. Annually collected data include basic demographic characteristics, information on AIDS- and non-AIDS-related clinical events, and details about antiretroviral therapy (ART), hepatitis C treatment and other medications, in addition to a range of laboratory values.

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Background: Depression is common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and is associated with poorer outcomes and higher costs. Several randomised controlled trials (RCTs) targeting depression, of various modalities (including pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and other approaches), have been conducted and summarised in pairwise meta-analytic reviews. However, no study has considered the cumulative evidence within a network, which can provide valuable indirect comparisons and information about the relative efficacy of interventions.

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It is uncertain whether omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in statin-treated patients. Epanova is a mix of omega-3 free fatty acids, not requiring co-ingestion with food, which can lower triglycerides by up to 31%. STRENGTH will examine whether Epanova 4 g daily reduces the rate of cardiovascular events in statin-treated patients with hypertriglyceridemia and low levels of HDL-C at high risk for developing cardiovascular events.

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Alloys of platinum and gadolinium present significant activity enhancement over pure Pt for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), both in the form of extended electrode surfaces and nanoparticulate catalysts. The active phase consists of a compressed Pt overlayer formed on Pt Gd electrodes upon exposure to the electrolyte by acid leaching. Here, we investigate the formation, strain and correlation lengths of the active Pt overlayer by using in situ synchrotron grazing incidence X-ray diffraction on Gd/Pt(111) single-crystalline electrodes.

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Background: Prognostic uncertainty inhibits clinicians from initiating timely end-of-life discussions and advance care planning. This study evaluates the efficacy of the CriSTAL (Criteria for Screening and Triaging to Appropriate aLternative care) checklist in emergency departments.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of patients aged ≥65 years with any diagnosis admitted via emergency departments in ten hospitals in Australia, Denmark and Ireland.

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The high precious metal loading and high overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) prevents the widespread utilization of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers. Herein we explore the OER activity and stability in acidic electrolyte of a combined IrO/RuO system consisting of RuO thin films with submonolayer (1, 2, and 4 Å) amounts of IrO deposited on top. Operando extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) on the Ir L-3 edge revealed a rutile type IrO structure with some Ir sites occupied by Ru, IrO being at the surface of the RuO thin film.

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Herein we present surface sensitive operando XAS L-edge measurements on IrO/RuO thin films as well as mass-selected RuO and Ru nanoparticles. We observed shifts of the white line XAS peak toward higher energies with applied electrochemical potential. Apart from the case of the metallic Ru nanoparticles, the observed potential dependencies were purely core-level shifts caused by a change in oxidation state, which indicates no structural changes.

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Background: Evolocumab is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by approximately 60%. Whether it prevents cardiovascular events is uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 27,564 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and LDL cholesterol levels of 70 mg per deciliter (1.

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Purpose: The current investigation sought to illustrate the etiology of adverse alcohol consequences in young adult veterans using a path analytic framework.

Methods: A total of 312 veterans aged 19-34 were enrolled in a larger intervention study on alcohol use. At baseline, participants completed measures of combat severity, PTSD symptom severity, and drinking motives to cope.

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Background: BRCA1 and, more commonly, BRCA2 mutations are associated with increased risk of male breast cancer (MBC). However, only a paucity of data exists on the pathology of breast cancers (BCs) in men with BRCA1/2 mutations. Using the largest available dataset, we determined whether MBCs arising in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers display specific pathologic features and whether these features differ from those of BRCA1/2 female BCs (FBCs).

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Objectives: To compare the performance of a new blood test for colorectal cancer (CRC) to an established fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in a study population with the full range of neoplastic and non-neoplastic pathologies encountered in the colon and rectum.

Methods: Volunteers were asked to complete a FIT prior to colonoscopy. Blood was collected after bowel preparation but prior to colonoscopy, and plasma was assayed for the presence of methylated BCAT1 and IKZF1 DNA using a multiplex real-time PCR assay.

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Background: Genomic selection (GS) has become a commonly used technology in animal breeding. In crops, it is expected to significantly improve the genetic gains per unit of time. So far, its implementation in plant breeding has been mainly investigated in species farmed as homogeneous varieties.

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Sputter deposition of 50 nm thick NiO films on p(+)-n-Si and subsequent treatment in an Fe-containing electrolyte yielded highly transparent photoanodes capable of water oxidation (OER) in alkaline media (1 M KOH) with high efficiency and stability. The Fe treatment of NiO thin films enabled Si-based photoanode assemblies to obtain a current density of 10 mA/cm(2) (requirement for >10% efficient devices) at 1.15 V versus RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) under red-light (38.

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Article Synopsis
  • Obesity has a genetic component and is linked to various diseases, prompting a large-scale study involving over 339,000 participants to explore its genetic basis through BMI analysis.
  • The study identified 97 loci associated with BMI, with 56 being new discoveries, and found that these loci explain about 2.7% of the variation in BMI, while common genetic variations contribute over 20%.
  • Results indicate that the central nervous system plays a significant role in obesity risk and point to new genes and pathways related to brain function, metabolism, and fat development.
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  • A study investigated genetic loci linked to extreme body measurements such as BMI, height, and waist-to-hip ratio in a large sample of over 263,000 individuals of European descent.
  • Researchers discovered 4 new genetic loci related to height and 7 new loci associated with obesity classes by comparing the highest and lowest 5th percentiles of these traits.
  • The findings indicate that the genetic variations identified in extreme traits largely reflect those present in the general population, with minimal differences across various obesity subgroups.
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Dogs originated more than 14,000 BP, but the location(s) where they first arose is uncertain. The earliest archeological evidence of ancient dogs was discovered in Europe and the Middle East, some 5-7 millennia before that from Southeast Asia. However, mitochondrial DNA analyses suggest that most modern dogs derive from Southeast Asia, which has fueled the controversial hypothesis that dog domestication originated in this region despite the lack of supporting archeological evidence.

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