Catalyzing sustainable development: insights from the international workshop on STI policies and innovation systems in Central America.

This article examines the landscape of Science, Technology, and Innovation policies in Central America, focusing on Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. These nations face significant challenges in leveraging STI for sustainable development, including financial constraints and limited resources. Additionally, Central America struggles with systemic issues such as corruption, violence, and high levels of emigration, further complicating efforts to advance STI.

Size-Coded Hydrogel Microbeads for Extraction-Free Serum Multi-miRNAs Quantifications with Machine-Learning-Aided Lung Cancer Subtypes Classification.

Classifying lung cancer subtypes, which are characterized by multi-microRNAs (miRNAs) upregulation, is important for therapy and prognosis evaluation. Liquid biopsy is a promising approach, but the pretreatment of RNA extraction is labor-intensive and impairs accuracy. Here we develop size-coded hydrogel microbeads for extraction-free quantification of miR-21, miR-205, and miR-375 directly from serum.

Physical and compositional characteristics of drinking water storage tank sediment.

Thirty-one drinking water storage tank sediment samples were collected in 13 states, 17 distribution systems, and 29 tanks over the course of 4 years. Sediment samples were characterized for elemental composition and physical properties, which were found to be inconsistent both between samples of the same distribution system and across geographical regions. Differences between samples from the same tank also indicated spatial differences in sediment composition within storage tanks.

Human-Centered Design in Graduate Nursing Education: Outcomes From a Cohort Study.

Background: Many nursing curricula lack human-centered design (HCD) learning opportunities, and minimal evidence exists about HCD educational outcomes.

Purpose: The study explored the effects of HCD experiential learning activities on graduate nursing students.

Methods: The quasi-experimental mixed-method design employed an explanatory approach.

Tape-Casting Fabrication Techniques for Garnet-Based Membranes in Solid-State Lithium-Metal Batteries: A Comprehensive Review.

The growing demand for advanced solid-state lithium metal batteries has attracted considerable attention to the development of garnet-based membranes, known for their high ionic conductivity and superior electrochemical stability. Among the fabrication methods for garnet-based membranes, the tape-casting method is recognized as a mature and widely applied process, characterized by its simplicity, low cost, and suitability for large-scale production. In this review paper, we provide a comprehensive summary of this topic, emphasizing the intricate interplay among material properties, processing parameters, and membrane performance.

The impact of art, storytelling, and STEAM-based approaches on creativity development in autistic youth and young adults: A mixed methods study protocol.

There are contradicting perspectives regarding autistics' ability to be creative. Some researchers cite autistics' underlying social communication and interaction differences, fixated interests, and inflexible patterns as fundamentally inhibiting creativity. However, many autistics refute this mindset and produce creative works as painters, sculptors, photographers, and graphic artists.

Analyzing and predicting short-term substance use behaviors of persons who use drugs in the great plains of the U.S.

Background: Substance use induces large economic and societal costs in the U.S. Understanding the change in substance use behaviors of persons who use drugs (PWUDs) over time, therefore, is important in order to inform healthcare providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders toward more efficient allocation of limited resources to at-risk PWUDs.

A Novel Anthropometric Phantom for Rapid Radiological Triage: A Quick Sort Triage Solution.

Rapidly identifying individuals who have received internal radiation exposure above action guidelines is crucial for mitigating health risks and addressing public concerns immediately following a radiological event involving the dispersal of radioactive materials. This study describes a novel triage method using a conventional Geiger-Mueller (GM) detector to select those individuals from the large group of persons who may have received an intake of radioactive material at levels corresponding to one Clinical Decision Guide (CDG). The triage method involves placing a portable GM detector against the lower anterior torso of a sitting person as they bend over to surround the detector with their body.

Anxious/depressed individuals exhibit disrupted frontotemporal synchrony during cognitive conflict encoding.

Anxiety and depressive disorders are associated with cognitive control deficits, yet their underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we used high-resolution stereotactic EEG (sEEG) to determine how anxiety and/or depression modulates neural and behavioral responses when cognitive control is engaged in individuals with medically refractory epilepsy undergoing sEEG monitoring for surgical evaluation. We analyzed sEEG data recorded from frontotemporal regions of 29 participants (age range: 19-55, mean age: 35.

Are there differences in overall survival among older breast cancer patients by race and ethnicity?

Background: Non-Hispanic Black women have lower breast cancer incidence but twice the mortality of non-Hispanic White women. Recent data suggest that the overall survival difference may not be observed in older women. This study aims to determine overall survival in women aged ≥70 years with operable breast cancer by race and ethnicity and factors contributing to overall survival.

Sustainable synthesis of carbon dots via bio-waste recycling for biomedical imaging.

Bio-waste is a side product of biomedical research containing carbon, which can be utilized for developing carbon dots (CDs). CDs are known to be useful for a variety of applications because of their unique photoluminescence, low toxicity, and straightforward synthesis. In this paper, we employed a one-step hydrothermal method to prepare CDs from bio-waste as the only reactant.

Aptamer-based biotherapeutic conjugate for shear responsive release of Von Willebrand factor A1 domain.

Smart polymers that mimic and even surpass the functionality of natural responsive materials have been actively researched. This study explores the design and characterization of a Single-MOlecule-based material REsponsive to Shear (SMORES) for the targeted release of A1, the platelet binding domain of the blood clotting protein von Willebrand factor (VWF). Each SMORES construct employs an aptamer molecule as the flow transducer and a microparticle to sense and amplify the hydrodynamic force.

Microelectrode investigation of iron and copper surfaces aged in presence of monochloramine.

Ductile iron and copper coupons were aged 137-189 days and 2 days, respectively, with 2 mg Cl L monochloramine under four water chemistries (pH 7 or 9 and 0 or 3 mg L orthophosphate). Subsequently, microelectrode profiles of monochloramine concentration, oxygen concentration, and pH were measured from the bulk water to near the coupon reactive surface, allowing estimation of flux and apparent surface reaction rate constants for monochloramine and oxygen. Both metals showed similar trends with orthophosphate where orthophosphate decreased metal reactivity with monochloramine (pH 9) and oxygen (pH 7).

Surface Science and Engineering for Electrochemical Materials.

ConspectusIn electrochemical energy storage systems, the reversible storage capacity of battery materials often degrades due to parasitic reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface, transitional metal dissolution, and metallic dendrite growth at the surface. Surface engineering techniques offer the opportunity to modify the composition and structure of a surface, thereby enabling control over chemical reactions occurring at the surface and manipulating chemical interactions at the solid-solid or solid-liquid interface. These modifications can help stabilize the surface of electrode materials and prevent unwanted reactions with electrolytes without changing the original properties of the bulk structure.

Monitoring in Water through Real-Time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification on Biochips.

Access to clean water is fundamental to public health and safety, serving as the cornerstone of well-being in communities. Despite the significant investments of millions of dollars in water testing and treatment processes, the United States continues to grapple with over 7 million waterborne-related cases annually. This persistent challenge underscores the pressing need for the development of a new, efficient, rapid, low-cost, and reliable method for ensuring water quality.

Parity-Time symmetry helps breaking a new limit.

Parity-Time (PT) symmetry is an emerging concept in quantum mechanics where non-Hermitian Hamiltonians can exhibit real eigenvalues. Now, PT symmetric optical microresonators have been demonstrated to break the bandwidth-efficiency limit for nonlinear optical signal processing.

Defect Engineering of Ultrasmall TiO Nanoparticles Enables Highly Efficient Photocatalysts for Solar H Production from Woody Biomass.

The conversion of woody biomass to H through photocatalysis provides a sustainable strategy to generate renewable hydrogen fuel but was limited by the slow decomposition rate of woody biomass. Here, we fabricate ultrasmall TiO nanoparticles with tunable concentration of oxygen vacancy defects (V-TiO) as highly efficient photocatalysts for photocatalytic conversion of woody biomass to H. Owing to the positive role of oxygen vacancy in reducing energy barrier for the generation of OH which was the critical species to oxidize woody biomass, the obtained V-TiO achieves rapid photocatalytic conversion of α-cellulose and poplar wood chip to H in the presence of Pt nanoclusters as the cocatalyst.

Tbps wide-field parallel optical wireless communications based on a metasurface beam splitter.

Optical wireless communication (OWC) stands out as one of the most promising technologies in the sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks. The establishment of high-quality optical links between transmitters and receivers plays a crucial role in OWC performances. Here, by a compact beam splitter composed of a metasurface and a fiber array, we proposed a wide-angle (~120°) OWC optical link scheme that can parallelly support up to 144 communication users.

A long-cycle-life reversible Li-CO2 battery enabled by engineering the active sites of graphene with Pd nanoparticles.

Li-CO2 batteries have been recognized as an emerging technology for energy storage systems owing to their high theoretical specific energy and environmentally friendly CO2 fixation ability. However, their development for applications requires a high energy efficiency and long cycle-life, this is currently limited to the formation of wide-bandgap insulator Li2CO3 during discharge. Here, nanoparticle Pd supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is utilized as cathodes for Li-CO2 batteries, Pd nanoparticles as active centers significantly enhance CO2RR/CO2ER reaction activity, which can support the fast formation and decomposition of Li2CO3 in organic electrolytes and achieve a high discharge capacity of 7500 mAh g-1.

Editorial: Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Transmission Dynamics 2.0.

This Special Issue includes six original articles and one review article, all reflecting the unified scientific research endeavors and professional expertise for a shared objective, which were published between July 2023 and November 2023 [...

Unpacking Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation using simulations and relating current flow to reported motions: Comparison across common and specialized electrode placements.

Background: Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) is a non-invasive electrical stimulation technique that is typically used to probe the vestibular system. When using direct current or very low frequency sine, GVS causes postural sway or perception of illusory (virtual) motions. GVS is commonly delivered using two electrodes placed at the mastoids, however, placements involving additional electrodes / locations have been employed.

Designing Heterodiatomic Carbon Hydrangea Superstructures via Machine Learning-Regulated Solvent-Precursor Interactions for Superior Zinc Storage.

Carbon superstructures with exquisite morphologies and functionalities show appealing prospects in energy realms, but the systematic tailoring of their microstructures remains a perplexing topic. Here, hydrangea-shaped heterodiatomic carbon superstructures (CHS) are designed using a solution phase manufacturing route, wherein machine learning workflow is applied to screen precursor-matched solvent for optimizing solvent-precursor interaction. Based on the established solubility parameter model and molecular growth kinetics simulation, ethanol as the optimal solvent stimulates thermodynamic solubilization and growth of polymeric intermediates to evoke CHS.

The protein disulfide isomerase A3 and osteopontin axis promotes influenza-induced lung remodelling.

Background And Purpose: Fibrotic lung remodelling after a respiratory viral infection represents a debilitating clinical sequela. Studying or managing viral-fibrotic sequela remains challenging, due to limited therapeutic options and lack of understanding of mechanisms. This study determined whether protein disulfide isomerase A3 (PDIA3) and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), which are associated with pulmonary fibrosis, can promote influenza-induced lung fibrotic remodelling and whether inhibition of PDIA3 or SPP1 can resolve viral-mediated fibrotic remodelling.

An experimental study of the heterogeneity and anisotropy of porcine meniscal ultimate tensile strength.

Characterizing the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the meniscus is critical in studying knee damage and pathology. This study aims to determine the UTS of the meniscus with an emphasis on its heterogeneity and anisotropy. We performed tensile tests to failure on the menisci of six month old Yorkshire pigs at a low strain rate.