Impacts of climate-induced drought on lake and reservoir biodiversity and ecosystem services: A review.

Intensifying extreme droughts are altering lentic ecosystems and disrupting services provisioning. Unfortunately, drought research often lacks a holistic and intersectoral consideration of drought impacts, which can limit relevance of the insights for adaptive management. This literature review evaluated the current state of lake and reservoir extreme drought research in relation to biodiversity and three ecosystem services.

Advancements in Cartilage Tissue Engineering: A Focused Review.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disorder that is characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage in synovial joints. Most of the current treatment options for this disorder tend to focus on symptom management rather than addressing the underlying progression of the disease. Cartilage tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to address the limitations of current OA treatments, aiming to regenerate cartilage and restore the natural function of affected joints.

Homogenous catalysis of peroxynitrite conversion to nitrate by diaryl selenide: a theoretical investigation of the reaction mechanism.

Quenching peroxynitrite (a reactive oxidant species) is a vital process in biological systems and environmental chemistry as it maintains redox balance and mitigates damaging effects in living cells and the environment. In this study, we report a systematic analysis of the mechanism of transforming peroxynitrite into nitrate using diaryl selenide in water. Through quantum mechanical calculations, we investigate the dynamic isomerization of peroxynitrite in a homogeneous catalytic environment.

The Fifth Annual Symposium of the Midwest Aging Consortium.

As the healthcare burden caused by an increasingly aging population rapidly rises, a pressing need exists for innovative geroscience research that can elucidate aging mechanisms and precipitate the development of therapeutic interventions to support healthy aging. The Fifth Annual Midwest Aging Consortium Aging Research symposium, held from April 28-30, 2024, was hosted by The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and featured presentations from investigators across the Midwestern United States. This report summarizes the research presented at the symposium, whose topics included cellular senescence and the aging brain, metabolism and metabolic interventions, nutrition, redox mechanisms and biomarkers, and stress mechanisms.

Synthesis and Characterization of α,ω-End Orthogonally Functionalizable Glycopolymers from Native Glycans.

Glycopolymers have been employed as biomimetic glycoconjugates in both biological and biomedical research and applications. Among them, chain-end functionalized glycopolymers are very often explored for protein modification, microarray, biosensor, bioprobe and other applications. Herein, we report a straightforward synthesis of α,ω-end orthogonally functionalizable glycopolymers.

AI-Powered Multimodal Modeling of Personalized Hemodynamics in Aortic Stenosis.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in developed countries. High-fidelity preclinical models can improve AS management by enabling therapeutic innovation, early diagnosis, and tailored treatment planning. However, their use is currently limited by complex workflows necessitating lengthy expert-driven manual operations.

Electrochemical Detection of Carbon Steel Corrosion Induced by Fermentative Bacteria From Natural Gas Transmission Lines.

The metabolic potential and corrosive activities of a fermentative bacterial enrichment culture from a natural gas transmission line were characterised. Three metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) attributable to Cytobacillus, Lacrimispora and Staphylococcus spp. were obtained.

Comparison of Cell-Penetrating and Fusogenic TAT-HA2 Peptide Performance in Peptideplex, Multicomponent, and Conjugate siRNA Delivery Systems.

In this study, the performance of the cell-penetrating and fusogenic peptide, TAT-HA2, which consists of a cell-permeable HIV trans-activator of transcription (TAT) protein transduction domain and a pH-responsive influenza A virus hemagglutinin protein (HA2) domain, was comparatively evaluated for the first time in peptideplex, multicomponent, and conjugate siRNA delivery systems. TAT-HA2 in all three systems protected siRNA from degradation, except in the conjugate system with a low Peptide/siRNA ratio. The synergistic effect of different peptide domains enhanced the transfection efficiency of multicomponent and conjugate systems compared to that of peptideplexes, which was attributed to the surface configuration of TAT-HA2 peptides depending on the nature of attachment.

The effect of family members' communication mode choice on the family's perceptions of care.

Purpose: Family-centered rounds (FCR) are a multidisciplinary process in which patients and/or family members are present and actively participate in medical rounds. While research has shown that FCR may enhance collaborative information exchange and reduce family anxiety, the impact of the information exchange modality on the experience has been largely unexplored. Medical rounds are typically assumed to be carried out in person at the bedside.

Abbreviated Duke Activity Status Index for Risk Stratification in Heart Failure.

The Duke activity status index (DASI), a self-administered 12-item questionnaire has been used to estimate functional capacity and recently demonstrated prognostic information. We aimed to develop an abbreviated version for clinical applications. Leveraging the Cleveland Clinic GeneBank Study, we developed an abbreviated DASI questionnaire (aDASI) with the machine learning XGBoost algorithm, with the goal of maintaining the accuracy and reliability of the original DASI.

"You sure she's not making this up?": A qualitative investigation of stigma toward adults with borderline personality disorder in physical healthcare settings.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with pervasive stigma that contributes to several consequences, such as inaccessible and inadequate healthcare. Existing literature concerning the experiences of BPD stigma within healthcare settings predominantly centers on mental healthcare contexts. However, individuals with BPD also present with elevated physical disabilities and health concerns, demonstrating a need for regular contact with medical professionals to manage and coordinate physical healthcare.

A comprehensive review on the State of the Art in the research and development of poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) biomaterial-based implants.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a preferred high-performance polymer in the spine, orthopedic, and craniomaxillofacial implant industry. However, despite its commendable mechanical properties, its bioinert nature limits the implants from integrating with neighboring tissues, impacting the implant's long-term performance. To address this limitation, various kinds of surface functionalization techniques have been developed over the years.

Cu(II) Stability and UV-Induced Electron Transfer in a Metal-Organic Hybrid: An EPR, DFT, and Crystallographic Characterization of Copper-Doped Zinc Creatininium Sulfate.

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic experiments, complemented by quantum chemical DFT calculations, were carried out on the copper-doped metal-organic hybrid and Tutton salt analogue zinc creatininium sulfate to determine its crystal structure, to characterize the electronic structure of the doped Cu(II) binding site, and to propose a pathway for an excited-state, proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process in UV-exposed crystals. The crystal structure is isomorphous to that of cadmium creatininium sulfate, which has the transition ion, not in direct coordination with the creatinine, but forming a hexahydrate complex, which is bridged to a creatininium through an intervening sulfate ion. The EPR (2.

Developing Thick Skin: Pediatric Eczema in Vulnerable Communities and FDA Regulation of Cosmetic Products.

Eczema is a common yet serious inflammatory skin condition affecting millions of children in the United States. Dark skin and/or African-American ethnicity are risk factors for increased eczema severity, most likely due to systemic racism expressed as lower socioeconomic status, increased environmental toxin exposure, decreased access to adequate medical care, and infrequent implementation of early intervention practices. Skin-directed management of eczema for caregivers is critically important for improving clinical outcomes of children with eczema.

COVID-19 and Access to Healthcare at the Crossing of Race, Poverty, and Rurality.

Black Americans make up 7.7 percent of the rural population in the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic many in this population found themselves at a unique intersection of inequity - being Black, poor, and residing in a rural area.

Securin regulates the spatiotemporal dynamics of separase.

Separase regulates multiple aspects of the metaphase-to-anaphase transition. Separase cleaves cohesin to allow chromosome segregation and localizes to vesicles to promote exocytosis. The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) activates separase by ubiquitinating its inhibitory chaperone, securin, triggering its degradation.

Self-Management Interventions for Black Women at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Literature Review.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among Black women. When compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts, Black women are about 50% more likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure (BP). The disproportionate burden of CVD in Black women highlights the need for CVD prevention programs in this population.

Mechanisms of gut bacterial metabolism of dietary polyphenols into bioactive compounds.

The fruits and vegetables we consume as part of our diet are rich in bioactive metabolites that can prevent and ameliorate cardiometabolic diseases, cancers, and neurological conditions. Polyphenols are a major metabolite family that has been intensively investigated in this context. However, for these compounds to exert their optimal bioactivity, they rely on the enzymatic capacity of an individual's gut microbiota.

Outdoor physical activity is not associated with better mental health in a sample of predominantly Black people, but spending time in parks is.

Spending time outdoors may bolster mental health via relaxation and physical activity. Yet, most studies use self-report and involve majority White samples from higher income areas. Findings may not hold true using device-derived measurement, among minoritized participants, or in low-income neighborhoods.

Identifying and optimizing critical process parameters for large-scale manufacturing of iPSC derived insulin-producing β-cells.

Background: Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder leading to the destruction of pancreatic β-cells, requires lifelong insulin therapy. Islet transplantation offers a promising solution but faces challenges such as limited availability and the need for immunosuppression. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide a potential alternative source of functional β-cells and have the capability for large-scale production.

The Fourth Annual Symposium of the Midwest Aging Consortium.

The Midwest Aging Consortium (MAC) has emerged as a critical collaborative initiative aimed at advancing our understanding of aging and developing strategies to combat the rising prevalence of age-related diseases. Founded in 2019, MAC brings together researchers from various disciplines and institutions across the Midwestern United States to foster interdisciplinary geroscience research. This report summarizes the highlights of the Fourth Annual Symposium of MAC, which was held at Iowa State University in May 2023.