l-theanine: From tea leaf to trending supplement - does the science match the hype for brain health and relaxation?

l-Theanine is a unique non-protein amino acid found abundantly in tea leaves. Interest in its potential use as a dietary supplement has surged recently, especially claims related to promoting relaxation and cognitive enhancement. This review surveys the chemistry, metabolism, and purported biological activities of l-theanine.

Infection Rate and Antibiotic Administration for Urban Low-Energy Gunshot Wounds at an Academic Level 1 Trauma Center.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to review rates of infection after civilian ballistic fractures and assess the effect of early antibiotic administration (EAA) on infection rates.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study done at an urban Level 1 Trauma Center. Patients ages 16 years and older with ballistic orthopaedic extremity injuries between May 2018 and December 2020 were enrolled.

Observation of Robust Compressed CuO Octahedra and Exotic Spin Structure in CaCuFeO.

CuO octahedra usually show elongated distortion, leading to active orbitals and planar exchange interactions, while compressed CuO octahedra with active orbitals and unidirectional exchange interactions are exceptionally rare. Here, we design and synthesize a new frustrated antiferromagnet CaCuFeO through a high-pressure and high-temperature approach, in which robust compressed CuO octahedra are realized, separating the FeO sheets that comprise zigzag spin ladders. Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements exhibit a long-range antiferromagnetic order below the Néel temperature of 165 K, which is further confirmed by neutron diffraction.

A Second Near-Infrared Window-Responsive Metal-Organic-Framework-Based Photosensitizer for Tumor Immunotherapy via Synergistic Ferroptosis and STING Activation.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds promise as a cancer treatment modality due to its potential for enhanced therapy precision and safety. To enhance deep tissue penetration and minimize tissue adsorption and phototoxicity, developing photosensitizers activated by second near-infrared window (NIR-II) light shows significant potential. However, the efficacy of PDT is often impeded by tumor microenvironment hypoxia, primarily caused by irregular tumor vasculature.

Functional Characterization of Two Polymerizing Glycosyltransferases for the Addition of -Acetyl-d-galactosamine to the Capsular Polysaccharide of .

The exterior surface of the human pathogen is coated with a capsular polysaccharide (CPS) that consists of a repeating sequence of 2-5 different sugars that can be modified with various molecular decorations. In the HS:2 serotype from strain NCTC 11168, the repeating unit within the CPS is composed of d-ribose, -acetyl-d-galactosamine, and a d-glucuronic acid that is further amidated with either serinol or ethanolamine. The d-glucuronic acid moiety is also decorated with d-glycero-l-gluco-heptose.

Superconductor-Insulator Transition Induced by Precise Subtripled Vapor Chemical Gating.

Recent progress in superconductor-insulator transition has shed light on the intermediate metallic state with unique electronic inhomogeneity. The microscopic model, suggesting that carrier spatial distribution plays a decisive role in the intermediate state, has been instrumental in understanding the quantum transition. However, the narrow carrier density window in which the intermediate state exists necessitates precise control of the gate dielectric layer, presenting a challenge to in situ map the carrier spatial distribution.

Identification of the Polymerizing Glycosyltransferase Required for the Addition of d-Glucuronic Acid to the Capsular Polysaccharide of .

is the leading cause of food poisoning in Europe and North America. The exterior surface of this bacterium is encased by a capsular polysaccharide that is attached to a diacyl glycerol phosphate anchor via a poly-Kdo (3-deoxy-d--oct-2-ulosinic acid) linker. In the HS:2 serotype of NCTC 11168, the repeating trisaccharide consists of d-ribose, -acetyl-d-glucosamine, and d-glucuronate.

A Comparison of Prostate Cancer Screening Information Quality on Standard and Advanced Versions of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Artificially Intelligent (AI) chatbots have the potential to produce information to support shared prostate cancer (PrCA) decision-making. Therefore, our purpose was to evaluate and compare the accuracy, completeness, readability, and credibility of responses from standard and advanced versions of popular chatbots: ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4.

Steering the Absorption Configuration of Intermediates over Pd-Based Electrocatalysts toward Efficient and Stable CO Reduction.

Palladium (Pd) catalysts are promising for electrochemical reduction of CO to CO but often can be deactivated by poisoning owing to the strong affinity of *CO on Pd sites. Theoretical investigations reveal that different configurations of *CO endow specific adsorption energies, thereby dictating the final performances. Here, a regulatory strategy toward *CO absorption configurations is proposed to alleviate CO poisoning by simultaneously incorporating Cu and Zn atoms into ultrathin Pd nanosheets (NSs).

Outcomes of Calcaneal Lengthening Osteotomy in Ambulatory Patients with Cerebral Palsy and Planovalgus Foot Deformity.

Background: To date, no studies have evaluated the longevity of calcaneal lengthening osteotomy (CLO) in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and pes planovalgus. This study aimed to explore the changes in foot alignment following CLO in patients with CP, utilizing both radiographic evaluations and dynamic foot-pressure assessments.

Methods: A retrospective study of 282 feet in 180 ambulatory patients was performed.

Diverse and highly differentiated lava suite in Jezero crater, Mars: Constraints on intracrustal magmatism revealed by Mars 2020 PIXL.

The Jezero crater floor features a suite of related, iron-rich lavas that were examined and sampled by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, and whose textures, minerals, and compositions were characterized by the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). This suite, known as the Máaz formation (fm), includes dark-toned basaltic/trachy-basaltic rocks with intergrown pyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, and altered olivine and overlying trachy-andesitic lava with reversely zoned plagioclase phenocrysts in a K-rich groundmass. Feldspar thermal disequilibrium textures indicate that they were carried from their crustal staging area.

Chromosome-scale genome dynamics reveal signatures of independent haplotype evolution in the ancient asexual mite .

Some unique asexual species persist over time and contradict the consensus that sex is a prerequisite for long-term evolutionary survival. How they escape the dead-end fate remains enigmatic. Here, we generated a haplotype-resolved genome assembly on the basis of a single individual and collected genomic data from worldwide populations of the parthenogenetic diploid oribatid mite to identify signatures of persistence without sex.

Nontarget screening of a Siberian ice core reveals changes in the pre-industrial to industrial organic aerosol composition.

Glaciers serve as natural archives for reconstructing past changes of atmospheric aerosol concentration and composition. While most ice-core studies have focused on inorganic species, organic compounds, which can constitute up to 90% of the submicrometer aerosol mass, have been largely overlooked. To our knowledge, this study presents the first nontarget screening record of secondary organic aerosol species preserved in a Belukha ice core (Siberia, Russian Federation), ranging from the pre-industrial to the industrial period (1800-1980 CE).

Delayed Surgery Increases the Rate of Infection in Closed Diaphyseal Tibial and Femoral Fractures.

Background: Although delays in musculoskeletal care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are well documented in the open fracture literature, the impact of surgical delays on closed fractures is not well understood. This study aimed to assess the impact of surgical delay on the risk of infection in closed long-bone fractures treated with intramedullary nailing in LMICs.

Methods: Using the SIGN (Surgical Implant Generation Network) Surgical Database, patients ≥16 years of age who were treated with intramedullary nailing for closed diaphyseal femoral and tibial fractures from January 2018 to December 2021 were identified.

Carbon stock quantification and climate mitigation potential of a tropical moist forest in Ethiopia.

The significance of forests in absorbing and storing carbon plays a crucial role in international greenhouse gas policies outlined by the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCC). This study was conducted in a typical tropical moist forest of Ethiopia to assess its carbon stock, a critical issue in climate policy. The study domain was divided into six strata using elevation criteria.

A protocol for loading Calcein-AM into extracellular vesicles from mammalian cells for clear visualization with a fluorescence microscope coupled to a deconvolution system.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound structures produced and released into the extracellular space by all types of cells. Due to their characteristics, EVs play crucial roles in cellular communication and signaling, holding an immense potential as biomarkers and molecular transporters. Various methods have been developed to label and characterize EVs, however, visualizing EVs remains a process that requires highly specialized and expensive equipment, which is not always available in all the laboratories.

Highly Nucleophilic Pyridinamide Anions in Apolar Organic Solvents due to Asymmetric Ion Pair Association.

Free ions in organic solvents of low polarity would be valuable tools for the activation of low-reactivity substrates. However, the formation of unreactive ion pairs at concentrations relevant for synthesis has prevented the success of this concept so far. On the example of highly nucleophilic pyridinamide phosphonium salts in dichloromethane, we show that asymmetric aggregation offers a solution to this general problem.

Electron Microscopy Reveals Inhomogeneous Adsorption of Iodine and Concurrent Defect Formation in a Metal-Organic Framework.

Adsorption behaviors are typically examined through adsorption isotherms, which measure the average adsorption amount as a function of partial pressure or time. However, this method is incapable of identifying inhomogeneities across the adsorbent, which may occur in the presence of strong intermolecular interactions of the adsorbate. In this study, we visualize the adsorption of molecular iodine (I) in the metal-organic framework material MFM-300(Sc) using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM).

Improving Social Determinants of Health via the Workplace.

: Social determinants of health (SDOH), such as food security and healthcare access, are key to maintaining and improving health. Publicly funded safety-net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, address SDOH. Many low-wage employees are program-eligible, but there are substantial participation gaps.

Actual Roles of Occupational Therapists in Palliative and Hospice Care: A Scoping Review.

Background: This study reviewed the role of occupational therapist's in palliative and hospice care over the past 20 years.

Methods: A scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley's five stages was undertaken using PubMed, OTseeker, Scopus, Elsevier, Cochrane Library-Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Web of Science and Google Scholar.

Results: A total of 41 articles were reviewed.

Diffuse expression of p16 in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) and the association of morphology variants.

Objective: Distinguishing grade 3 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) from neuroendocrine carcinomas (PanNECs) is sometimes challenging. Recently, a diffuse p16-positive pattern was reported in PanNECs but not in grade 3 PanNETs, suggesting that p16 could help differentiate these entities. This study aimed to investigate p16 expression in PanNETs of various grades and its association with clinicopathologic features.

Is Social Jetlag Associated With Physical Fitness Among Spanish Adolescents? Insights From the EHDLA Study.

Background: The misalignment of sleeping times during weekdays/weekends (i.e., social jetlag) is particularly common among adolescents and plausibly associated with their physical fitness.

Regulatory B-Cells Are Associated Negatively With Regulatory T-Cells and Positively With Cytokines in Peripheral Blood of Pregnant Women.

Problem: Regulatory B-cells (Bregs, CD19CD24CD38) are a specialized B-cell subset that suppresses immune responses and potentially contribute to the maintenance of an immune-privileged environment for fetal development during pregnancy. However, little is known about the surrounding immunological environment of Bregs in gestational physiology. The relationship of regulatory T-cells (Tregs, CD4CD25CD127FoxP3) to Bregs in coordinating immunoregulation during pregnancy is unknown.

Hypertrophic heart failure promotes gut dysbiosis and gut leakage in interleukin 10-deficient mice.

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of death worldwide. We have shown that pressure overload (PO)-induced inflammatory cell recruitment leads to heart failure in IL-10 knockout (KO) mice. However, it's unclear if PO-induced inflammatory cells also target the gut mucosa, causing gut dysbiosis and leakage.