Impact of fall ammonia fluctuations on winter nitrification in moving bed biofilm reactors.

This pilot-scale study investigated nitrifying moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) in a post-lagoon treatment setup over two years to evaluate the impact of seasonal ammonia fluctuations on winter nitrification. In Year 2, reactors without fall ammonia starvation achieved significantly higher winter ammonia removal (97.2 ± 1.

Detailed analysis of air pollution in the Canadian prairie region: A step toward net-zero emission.

Industrial, agricultural, and natural pollution pose a critical problem for the Prairie provinces of Canada, with significant environmental and health concerns. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap by assessing the cumulative impacts of pollutants in the Prairie region, which hosts 40 % of the Canada's indigenous population, often living near these pollution sources. By innovatively integrating Sentinel-5P satellite data, Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS, and Python, we show the trends in CO, NO₂, HCHO, SO₂, and aerosols from 2019 to 2023 at high resolution for the entire region, which sheds new light on the dynamics that operate beyond conventional air quality monitoring.

Environmental contaminants assessment for frequently harvested migratory waterfowl in the Northeast Atlantic flyway.

Waterfowl serve as indicators of ecosystem health and represent a pathway of contaminant exposure for hunters who consume them. In the northeast Atlantic Flyway, data on baseline contaminant loads in waterfowl are lacking. We assessed five species of commonly harvested (and consumed) waterfowl for mercury, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Pure CO and impure CO-SO-NO-O reactions with carbon storage site underlying seals: Coaly mudstones and carbonate cemented sandstones.

The transition to net zero emissions requires the capture of carbon dioxide from industrial point sources, and direct air capture (DAC) from the atmosphere for geological storage. Dissolved CO has reactivity to rock core, and while the majority of previous studies have concentrated on reservoir rock or cap-rock reactivity, the underlying seal formation may also react with CO. Drill core from the underlying seal of a target CO storage site was reacted at in situ conditions with pure CO, and compared with an impure CO stream with SO, NO and O that could be expected from hard to abate industries.

Science tells us that portable air filters reduce infection risk. It's time for public health authorities to make this clear.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian public health advisors and politicians have shared mixed messages about the utility of portable air filters (PAFs) for mitigating the transmission of airborne infectious diseases. Some public health advisors and decision-makers have also suggested that PAFs are cumbersome or require expert advice. We take this opportunity to review evidence and address myths about PAFs.

Evaluation of a next generation sequencing assay for Hepatitis B antiviral drug resistance on the oxford nanopore system.

Background: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral resistance (AVR) testing is a highly sensitive diagnostic method, able to detect low-level mutant subpopulations. Our clinical virology laboratory previously transitioned from DNA hybridization (INNO-LiPA) to NGS, initially with the GS Junior System and subsequently the MiSeq. The Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing system was evaluated for HBV resistance testing, with regards to sequencing accuracy and turn-around time.

Trauma exposure as a risk factor of major depressive disorder: A matched case-control study.

The association between childhood trauma (CT), stressful life events (SLE) and the onset and severity of major depressive disorder (MDD) has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to investigate the separate and combined association of CT and SLE with the onset and severity of MDD. A total of 503 patients with MDD and 503 controls were included.

Opening the black box: Think Aloud as a method to study the spontaneous stream of consciousness.

Asking participants to Think Aloud is a common method for studying conscious experience, but it remains unclear whether this approach alters thought qualities-such as meta-awareness, rate of topic shifts, or the content of thoughts in task-absent conditions. To investigate this, we conducted two studies comparing thinking aloud to thinking silently. In Study 1, 111 participants alternated between 15-minute intervals of verbalizing and silently reflecting on their stream of consciousness in a counterbalanced design.

Get Over It: Surgical Residents' Responses to Simulated Harassment. A Multi Method Study.

Objective: This study examined the response strategies of Surgery residents as bystanders to harassment in a simulated clinical environment, their alignment with the bystander intervention model, and the motivations behind their actions.

Design: Participants watched an educational video on harassment and ways to address it prior to undergoing a simulated clinical scenario where they witnessed a senior resident harassing a medical student. The study used audio-video recordings of the simulations to capture and analyze residents' verbal and nonverbal responses to harassment.

Ultra-sensitive, on-site pesticide detection for environmental and food safety monitoring using flexible cellulose nano fiber/Au nanorod@Ag SERS sensor.

This paper introduces a highly absorbent and sensitive cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/gold nanorod (GNR)@Ag surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor, fabricated using the vacuum filtration method. By optimizing the Ag thickness in the GNR@Ag core-shell structures and integrating them with CNFs, optimal SERS hotspots were identified using the Raman probe molecule 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP). To concentrate pesticides extracted from fruit and vegetable surfaces, we utilized the evaporation enrichment effect using hydrophilic CNF and hole-punched hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

The effects of mitoquinol mesylate on post-thaw characteristics and fertilizing ability of rooster semen cryopreserved in the Beltsville medium.

Cryopreservation of rooster semen is a reproductive technology carried out to boost genetic gain and productivity in commercial flocks of chicken. However, semen freezing significantly reduces the quality and fertilizing potential of spermatozoa. This study examined cryoprotective effects of the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinol mesylate added to the freezing extender by assessing post-thaw characteristics of rooster sperm.

Adjuvant-dependent impacts on vaccine-induced humoral responses and protection in preclinical models of nasal and genital colonization by pathogenic Neisseria.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea and Neisseria meningitidis, a leading cause of bacterial meningitis and septicemia, are closely related human-restricted pathogens that inhabit distinct primary mucosal niches. While successful vaccines against invasive meningococcal disease have been available for decades, the rapid rise in antibiotic resistance has led to an urgent need to develop an effective gonococcal vaccine. Several surface antigens are shared among these two pathogens, making cross-species protection an exciting prospect.

Environmental controls on the conversion of nutrients to chlorophyll in lakes.

Anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to lakes have increased worldwide, causing phytoplankton chlorophyll concentrations to increase at many sites, with negative implications for biodiversity and human usage of lake resources. However, the conversion of nutrients to chlorophyll varies among lakes, hindering effective management actions to improve water quality. Here, using a rich global dataset, we explore how the relationship between chlorophyll-a (Chla) and nitrogen and phosphorus and inferred nutrient limitation is modified by climate, catchment, hydrology and lake characteristics.

Critical care nurses' prioritisation of patient care, including delirium prevention and management strategies: A mixed-method study.

Background: Delirium is a common issue in critical care, yet its prevention and management strategies are often inconsistent. Understanding the factors that lead to the omission or delay in delirium-related care by critical care nurses is essential for enhancing patient outcomes.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the specific delirium-related prevention and management strategies that are frequently missed or delayed by critical care nurses.

Coordinated neuron-specific splicing events restrict nucleosome engagement of the LSD1 histone demethylase complex.

Chromatin regulatory proteins are expressed broadly and assumed to exert the same intrinsic function across cell types. Here, we report that 14 chromatin regulators undergo evolutionary-conserved neuron-specific splicing events involving microexons. Among them are two components of a histone demethylase complex: LSD1 H3K4 demethylase and the H3K4me0-reader PHF21A.

Widespread innervation of motoneurons by spinal V3 neurons globally amplifies locomotor output in mice.

While considerable progress has been made in understanding the neuronal circuits that underlie the patterning of locomotor behaviors, less is known about the circuits that amplify motoneuron output to adjust muscle force. Here, we demonstrate that propriospinal V3 neurons (Sim1) account for ∼20% of excitatory input to motoneurons across hindlimb muscles. V3 neurons also form extensive connections among themselves and with other excitatory premotor neurons, such as V2a neurons.

Mechanisms of Homoarginine: Looking Beyond Clinical Outcomes.

Purpose: Homoarginine (hArg) is an arginine metabolite that has been known for years, but its physiological role in the body remains poorly understood. For instance, it is well known that high hArg concentrations in the blood are protective against several disease states, yet the mechanisms behind these health benefits are unclear. This review compiles what is known about hArg, namely its synthetic pathways, its role in different diseases and conditions, and its proposed mechanisms of action in humans and experimental animals.

Skin disease-associated GJB4 variants differentially influence connexin stability, cell viability and channel function.

Here we characterize seven Cx30.3 gene variants (R22H, S26Y, P61R, C86S, E99K, T130M and M190L) clinically associated with the rare skin disorder erythrokeratodermia variabilis et progressiva (EKVP) in tissue-relevant and differentiation-competent rat epidermal keratinocytes (REKs). We found that all variants, when expressed alone or together with wildtype (WT) Cx30.

Distinct peripheral pro-inflammatory profile associated with tuberous sclerosis complex and epilepsy.

Objective: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a monogenetic disorder associated with sustained mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation, leading to heterogeneous clinical manifestations. Epilepsy and renal angiomyolipoma are the most important causes of morbidity in adult people with TSC (pwTSC). mTOR is a key player in inflammation, which in turn could influence TSC-related clinical manifestations.

Towards the photodeposition of SiGe-type materials oligomers of cyclogermapentenes and cyclosilapentenes.

This article provides an alternative pathway towards cyclosilapentenes (, SiH2-iPr and SpiroSi) involving the use of Rieke magnesium to activate the requisite dienes for synthesis. Subsequent metal-mediated dehydrocoupling of cyclosilapentene and mixtures with another cyclogermapentene gives oligomers with backbone Si-Si (number average molecular weight, = 1.0 kDa) and Si-Ge ( = 1.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Persian version of the Preparedness Assessment for the Transition Home After Stroke instrument: a methodological study.

Background: The successful transition of stroke patients from hospital to home relies on the preparedness of caregivers. Assessing this preparedness is crucial, but existing tools need adaptation and validation for Iranian caregivers.

Objectives: This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Persian version of the "Preparedness Assessment for the Transition Home After Stroke" (PATH-s) for use among Iranian caregivers of stroke survivors.

ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD in a sample of prison staff: A latent profile approach.

Although empirical support for the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (11th ed.; ICD-11) distinction between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) is growing, research into the ICD-11 CPTSD model in prison staff is lacking. This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to (a) determine if there are distinct groups of trauma-exposed prison governors (i.

Body Composition at Diagnosis and Early Response in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Background: The association between skeletal muscle and adipose tissue (body composition) and early response using positron emission tomography (PET) in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) remains unstudied.

Methods: Patients enrolled on Children's Oncology Group studies AHOD0031 (intermediate-risk HL) and AHOD0831 (high-risk HL) with digital abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans at diagnosis and PET scans after 2 cycles (PET2) were included. Two consecutive slices at the third lumbar vertebra were identified and skeletal muscle index (SMI, in cm2/m2) and total adipose tissue index (TATI, in cm2/m2) were calculated using sliceOmatic (Magog, Canada) and height at diagnosis.

Canada and the Netherlands: Rhetoric versus Reality in the Evolution of Solidarity Underpinning Universal Health Coverage.

Since the mid-twentieth century, the shared goal of healthcare systems of Canada and the Netherlands has been to achieve broad healthcare access and coverage for citizens despite their health system differences. However, the rhetoric of "state" control in Canada and "market" control in the Netherlands belies very different realities in both countries. A longer historical perspective uncovers the discrepancies between the rhetoric and reality of solidarity that has emerged - and still exists - in both countries.

Macrolide resistance due to (55).

Unlabelled: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat. The identification and characterization of novel resistance genes is integral to AMR surveillance. The (55) gene was originally identified through whole genome sequencing of macrolide-resistant strains of .