Systematic ocular phenotyping of 8,707 knockout mouse lines identifies genes associated with abnormal corneal phenotypes.

Purpose: Corneal dysmorphologies (CDs) are typically classified as either regressive degenerative corneal dystrophies (CDtrs) or defective growth and differentiation-driven corneal dysplasias (CDyps). Both eye disorders have multifactorial etiologies. While previous work has elucidated many aspects of CDs, such as presenting symptoms, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, the genetic mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Lessons learned from early implementation of the Growing Expertise in E-health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program in Nigeria, 2019 - 2021.

Introduction: the Growing Expertise in E-health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program is an applied apprenticeship program that aims to improve informatics capacity at various levels of the national health system and create a sustainable informatics workforce. Nigeria adapted the GEEKS model in 2019 as a mechanism to strengthen data quality and use of routine immunization (RI) and vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance data among Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) staff. Since the start of the GEEKS-EPI program, there has not been a formal assessment conducted to measure the extent to which GEEKS-EPI has been able to build local informatics workforce capacity and strengthen RI and VPD surveillance (VPDS) data quality and use in Nigeria.

Development of Electrochemical Cells and Their Application for Spatially Resolved Analysis Using a Multitechnique Approach: From Conventional Experiments to X-Ray Nanoprobe Beamlines.

Real (electro)catalysts are often heterogeneous, and their activity and selectivity depend on the properties of specific active sites. Therefore, unveiling the so-called structure-activity relationship is essential for a rational search for better materials and, consequently, for the development of the field of (electro-)catalysis. Thus, spatially resolved techniques are powerful tools as they allow us to characterize and/or measure the activity and selectivity of different regions of heterogeneous catalysts.

Leveraging electronic medical records for HIV testing, care, and treatment programming in Kenya-the national data warehouse project.

Background: Aggregate electronic data repositories and population-level cross-sectional surveys play a critical role in HIV programme monitoring and surveillance for data-driven decision-making. However, these data sources have inherent limitations including inability to respond to public health priorities in real-time and to longitudinally follow up clients for ascertainment of long-term outcomes. Electronic medical records (EMRs) have tremendous potential to bridge these gaps when harnessed into a centralised data repository.

and Characterizations of Metal Halide Perovskite and Solar Cells: Insights from Lab-Sized Devices to Upscaling Processes.

The performance and stability of metal halide perovskite solar cells strongly depend on precursor materials and deposition methods adopted during the perovskite layer preparation. There are often a number of different formation pathways available when preparing perovskite films. Since the precise pathway and intermediary mechanisms affect the resulting properties of the cells, studies have been conducted to unravel the mechanisms involved in the formation and evolution of perovskite phases.

ROS scavenging of SOD/CAT mimics probed by EPR and reduction of lipid peroxidation in S. cerevisiae and mouse liver, under severe hydroxyl radical stress condition.

The interaction between Cu, Fe and Mn complexes, derived from the ligands 1-[bis(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)amino]-3-chloropropan-2-ol (hpclnol) and bis(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)amine (bpma), and the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl (DPPH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), was investigated by colorimetric and EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) techniques. A comparison between these results and those reported to [Mn(salen)Cl] or EUK-8 was also addressed. EPR studies allowed us the identification of intermediates species such as superoxide‑copper(I) and superoxide‑copper(II), a mixed-valence FeFe species and a 16-line feature attributed to Mn-oxo-Mn species.

Scavenging of reactive species probed by EPR and ex-vivo nanomolar reduction of lipid peroxidation of manganese complexes.

Antioxidant activity toward HO, anion radical superoxide, hydroxyl and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) of two manganese complexes [Mn(III)(bpa)]Cl.HO (1) and [(Cl)Mn(μ-hbpclnol)(μ-bpclnol)Mn](ClO).3HO (2) (hbpa = (2-hydroxybenzyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine and hbpclnol = (N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)[(3-chloro)(2-hydroxy)]propylamine) are presented.

Biocompatible Wearable Electrodes on Leaves toward the On-Site Monitoring of Water Loss from Plants.

Impedimetric wearable sensors are a promising strategy for determining the loss of water content (LWC) from leaves because they can afford on-site and nondestructive quantification of cellular water from a single measurement. Because the water content is a key marker of leaf health, monitoring of the LWC can lend key insights into daily practice in precision agriculture, toxicity studies, and the development of agricultural inputs. Ongoing challenges with this monitoring are the on-leaf adhesion, compatibility, scalability, and reproducibility of the electrodes, especially when subjected to long-term measurements.

Strengthening eHealth Systems to Support Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa.

The aim of universal health coverage (UHC) is to ensure that all individuals in a country have access to quality healthcare services and do not suffer financial hardship in using these services. However, progress toward attaining UHC has been slow, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of information and communication technologies for healthcare, known as eHealth, can facilitate access to quality healthcare at minimal cost.

Development of a sticker sealed microfluidic device for in situ analytical measurements using synchrotron radiation.

Shedding synchrotron light on microfluidic systems, exploring several contrasts in situ/operando at the nanoscale, like X-ray fluorescence, diffraction, luminescence, and absorption, has the potential to reveal new properties and functionalities of materials across diverse areas, such as green energy, photonics, and nanomedicine. In this work, we present the micro-fabrication and characterization of a multifunctional polyester/glass sealed microfluidic device well-suited to combine with analytical X-ray techniques. The device consists of smooth microchannels patterned on glass, where three gold electrodes are deposited into the channels to serve in situ electrochemistry analysis or standard electrical measurements.

In Situ Analysis Reveals the Role of 2D Perovskite in Preventing Thermal-Induced Degradation in 2D/3D Perovskite Interfaces.

Engineering 2D/3D perovskite interfaces is a common route to realizing efficient and stable perovskite solar cells. Whereas 2D perovskite's main function in trap passivation has been identified and is confirmed here, little is known about its 2D/3D interface properties under thermal stress, despite being one of the main factors that induces device instability. In this work, we monitor the response of two typical 2D/3D interfaces under a thermal cycle by X-ray scattering.

Composition-, Size-, and Surface Functionalization-Dependent Optical Properties of Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals.

The photoluminescence (PL), color purity, and stability of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals depend critically on surface passivation. We present a study on the temperature-dependent PL and PL decay dynamics of lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals characterized by different types of A cations, surface ligands, and nanocrystal sizes. Throughout, we observe a single emission peak from cryogenic to ambient temperature.

Nanoscale mapping of chemical composition in organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite films.

Lead-based organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite (OIHP) solar cells can attain efficiencies over 20%. However, the impact of ion mobility and/or organic depletion, structural changes, and segregation under operating conditions urge for decisive and more accurate investigations. Hence, the development of analytical tools for accessing the grain-to-grain OIHP chemistry is of great relevance.

Building workforce capacity for effective use of health information systems: Evaluation of a blended eLearning course in Namibia and Tanzania.

Background: Electronic health information systems (HIS) are critical components of national health systems, and have been identified as a key element in the development and strengthening of health systems globally. Novel approaches are needed to effectively and efficiently train health care workers on the use of HIS. One such approach is the use of digital eLearning programs, either alone or blended with face-to-face learning activities.

Strain driven monoclinic distortion of ultrathin CoO films in the exchange-coupled CoO/FePt/Pt(0 0 1) system.

The structure and strain of ultrathin CoO films grown on a Pt(0 0 1) substrate and on a ferromagnetic FePt pseudomorphic layer on Pt(0 0 1) have been determined with in situ and real time surface x-ray diffraction. The films grow epitaxially on both surfaces with an in-plane hexagonal pattern that yields a pseudo-cubic CoO(1 1 1) surface. A refined x-ray diffraction analysis reveals a slight monoclinic distortion at RT induced by the anisotropic stress at the interface.

Self-organized ultrathin FePt nanowires produced by glancing-angle ion-beam codeposition on rippled alumina surfaces.

Ultradense macroscopic arrays of ferromagnetic alloy nanowires exhibit unique properties that make them attractive both for basic physics studies and for prospective nanodevice applications in various areas. We report here on the production of self-organized equiatomic FePt nanowires produced by glancing-angle ion-beam codeposition on alumina nanoripple patterns at room temperature and subsequent annealing at 600 °C. This study demonstrates that periodically aligned FePt nanowires with tunable size (∼10-20 nm width and ∼0.

Nearest-neighbor nitrogen and oxygen distances in the iron(II)-DNA complex studied by extended X-ray absorption fine structure.

In mammalian cells, DNA-bound Fe(II) reacts with H₂O₂ producing the highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH) in situ. Since ·OH attacks nearby DNA residue generating oxidative DNA damage, many questions have arisen regarding iron-DNA complex formations and their implication in pre-malignant mutations and aging. In this work, a solid sample of Fe(II)-DNA complex containing one Fe(II) per 10 nucleotides was analyzed from extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra collected in a synchrotron radiation light source.

New model for magnetism in ultrathin fcc Fe on Cu(001).

Using soft-x-ray resonant magnetic scattering in combination with first-principles calculations for noncollinear magnetic configurations we present a new model of the magnetism in ultrathin fcc Fe films on Cu(001). We find the presence of blocks with robust magnetic structure, while the relative directions of the moments of different blocks are sensitive to the detailed atomic structure and temperature. The magnetic noncollinearity is directly demonstrated, which has not been possible so far.

Energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy at LNLS: investigation on strongly correlated metal oxides.

An energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline mainly dedicated to X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and material science under extreme conditions has been implemented in a bending-magnet port at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory. Here the beamline technical characteristics are described, including the most important aspects of the mechanics, optical elements and detection set-up. The beamline performance is then illustrated through two case studies on strongly correlated transition metal oxides: an XMCD insight into the modifications of the magnetic properties of Cr-doped manganites and the structural deformation in nickel perovskites under high applied pressure.

Use of unstructured event-based reports for global infectious disease surveillance.

Free or low-cost sources of unstructured information, such as Internet news and online discussion sites, provide detailed local and near real-time data on disease outbreaks, even in countries that lack traditional public health surveillance. To improve public health surveillance and, ultimately, interventions, we examined 3 primary systems that process event-based outbreak information: Global Public Health Intelligence Network, HealthMap, and EpiSPIDER. Despite similarities among them, these systems are highly complementary because they monitor different data types, rely on varying levels of automation and human analysis, and distribute distinct information.

The one laptop per Child (OLPC) computer for health clinics in developing countries.

The 'One Laptop per Child' or XO computer was developed as an education tool for children in developing countries around the world. We wanted to know whether it could also be used to access knowledge sources at the NLM formatted for low bandwidth environments. We report on our experience in using the OLPC computer as a gateway to NLM databases (MEDLINE/PubMed), a virtual slide collection and electronic health records.

Depth magnetization profile of a perpendicular exchange coupled system by soft-x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity.

The magnetic profile across the interface of a perpendicular exchange coupled [NiO/CoO]3/Pt-Co/Pt(111) system is investigated. The magneto-optic Kerr effect reveals a strong coupling between the antiferromagnetic (AFM) oxide and the ferromagnetic (FM) Pt-Co layer, by an increasing coercivity and a rotation of the easy magnetization axis of the FM layer along the AFM spins. Soft x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity is used to probe the spatial distribution of the out-of-plane magnetization inside the oxide above its ordering temperature.

Controlling structure and morphology of CoPt nanoparticles through dynamical or static coalescence effects.

The structure and morphology of 1 to 3 nm size CoPt nanoparticles have been investigated in situ and in real time under different conditions: growth at 500 degrees C or at room temperature (RT) followed by annealing at 500 degrees C. The small-angle x-ray scattering measurements show size and temperature dependent growth mode with particle motions on the surface, while wide-angle scattering results, supported by Monte Carlo simulations, allow structure identification. If icosahedra are systematically detected at the first growth stages at RT, annealing at 500 degrees C yields the decahedral structure from the quasistatic coalescence of icosahedral morphology.

Assessment of anthrax vaccination data in the Defense Medical Surveillance System, 1998-2004.

Purpose: Understanding the completeness and accuracy of U.S. military anthrax vaccination data is important to the design and interpretation of studies to assess the safety of anthrax vaccine.

A UMLS-based spell checker for natural language processing in vaccine safety.

Background: The Institute of Medicine has identified patient safety as a key goal for health care in the United States. Detecting vaccine adverse events is an important public health activity that contributes to patient safety. Reports about adverse events following immunization (AEFI) from surveillance systems contain free-text components that can be analyzed using natural language processing.