The efficiency of venturi versus peristaltic based phacoemulsification in femtosecond laser cataract surgery: Venturi vs peristaltic based phacoemulsification for cataract.

Purpose: To compare the efficiency of peristaltic vs venturi vacuum platforms when applied to the femtosecond treated cataract.

Setting: Outpatient Eye Center, Mercy Health System, Springfield, MO, USA.

Design: This is a prospective randomized controlled trial of 111 patients with moderate nuclear sclerosis scheduled for bilateral routine laser cataract surgery (clinicaltrials.

Genome sequences of and isolates from Cd-contaminated soils in the Tar Creek Superfund site.

Soil bacteria were isolated from the Tar Creek Superfund site in the presence of cadmium. Eight of these strains belong to the genus , whereas one strain belongs to the genus . Here, we report drafts of their genome sequences and highlight cadmium-resistance genes required in an exceptionally contaminated environment.

Automated compilation of Urdu poetry handwritten image datasets for optical character recognition.

Optical character recognition (OCR) is vital in digitizing printed data into a digital format, which can be conveniently used for various purposes. A significant amount of work has been done in OCR for well-resourced languages like English. However, languages like Urdu, spoken by a large community, face limitations in OCR due to a lack of resources and the complexity and diversity of handwritten scripts.

Palliative care needs and quality of life among adults with advanced chronic illnesses in low-income communities of Bangladesh.

Objectives: Palliative care (PC) is an interdisciplinary approach aimed at improving the physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being of patients and families affected by life-threatening diseases. This study aimed to investigate the need for PC among critically ill patients and their quality of life (QOL) in low-income groups in Bangladesh.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at four healthcare facilities from March to April 2023, involving 553 registered patients with advanced chronic conditions.

A novel susceptibility locus to () identified by genetic mapping of automated microscopy computer vision data in grapevines.

Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus , is one of the primary causes of grape yield loss across the globe. While numerous resistance loci have been identified in various grapevine species, the genetic determinants of susceptibility to remain largely unexplored. Understanding the genetics of susceptibility for pathogenesis is equally important for developing durable resistance grapevines against this pathogen.

Acute Effects of Serial and Integrated Concurrent Exercise on Circulating microRNAs -126 and -222 in Sedentary Adults.

The purpose of this study was to compare changes in circulating microRNAs -126 (c-miR-126) and -222 (c-miR-222) following acute serial concurrent exercise (SCE) and integrated concurrent exercise (ICE) sessions among young, sedentary adults. Ten males and 9 females completed the study procedures. For SCE, participants performed resistance exercise (RE) followed by aerobic exercise (AE), without mixing the two.

A Preliminary Analysis of a Prosocial Intervention to Support Teachers and Staff Implementing Behavioral Interventions in a Specialized School Setting.

Prosocial is a systems-level intervention framework that incorporates elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with Ostrom's core design principles (CDPs) guiding effective organizations and collective action (Ostrom, 1990). We evaluated a Prosocial intervention to support teachers and staff in a specialized school. AB analysis supported improvements in group cohesion and values-behavior alignment during the intervention and pre-post analyses showed significant improvements in psychological flexibility and perceived stress of participants.

Targeting macrophages in cancer immunotherapy: Frontiers and challenges.

Background: Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a groundbreaking approach in cancer treatment, primarily realized through the manipulation of immune cells, notably T cell adoption and immune checkpoint blockade. Nevertheless, the manipulation of T cells encounters formidable hurdles. Macrophages, serving as the pivotal link between innate and adaptive immunity, play crucial roles in phagocytosis, cytokine secretion, and antigen presentation.

Diversity and functional traits based indigenous rhizosphere associated phosphate solubilizing bacteria for sustainable production of rice.

Introduction: Rice, particularly Basmati rice, holds significant global importance as a staple food. The indiscriminate use of phosphate-based fertilizers during rice production has led to high residual levels of these chemicals in soil, impacting soil health and fertility. This study aimed to address this challenge by investigating the potential of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) in improving soil fertility and boosting the growth of Basmati rice.

Pollen specialist bee species are accurately predicted from visitation, occurrence and phylogenetic data.

An animal's diet breadth is a central aspect of its life history, yet the factors determining why some species have narrow dietary breadths (specialists) and others have broad dietary breadths (generalists) remain poorly understood. This challenge is pronounced in herbivorous insects due to incomplete host plant data across many taxa and regions. Here, we develop and validate machine learning models to predict pollen diet breadth in bees, using a bee phylogeny and occurrence data for 682 bee species native to the United States, aiming to better understand key drivers.

Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Trimethylantimony(V) Biscyanoximates, a New Family of Antimicrobials.

Antimicrobial compounds play a critical role in combating microbial infections. However, the emergence of antibiotic and antifungal resistance and the scarcity of new antibiotic developments pose a significant threat and demand the discovery of new antimicrobials for both bacterial and fungal pathogens. Our previous work described the first generation () of organoantimony-based compounds that showed antimicrobial activity against several bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Functional Nanocomposites: From Strategic Design to Applications.

Nanomaterials with one-, two-, or three-dimensional structures have exhibited superior optical, electronic, magnetic, thermal, and mechanical properties compared to their bulk material counterparts [...

Stimulus Rate Effect on Electrocochleogram Components in Adults with High Risk for Noise Exposure.

Background:  Hidden hearing loss (HHL) is a newly described condition that has been associated with hearing thresholds within normal limits and poorer speech-in-noise (SIN) performance. Furthermore, HHL has been associated with an elevated or absent middle ear muscle reflex (MEMR). One of the leading factors causing HHL is exposure to noise, specifically in patients who experience temporary threshold shift.

Cross-education effects of balance training in individuals with chronic ankle instability.

Background: Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) often experience deficits in balance, hip strength, and lumbopelvic stability. Unilateral balance training can lead to improved balance in the contralateral limb, but it is unknown if similar cross-education effects occur for hip strength and lumbopelvic stability. Our purpose was to determine if unilateral balance training improved balance, hip strength, and lumbopelvic stability of the contralateral limbs in individuals with CAI.

Permanent draft genome sequences of cadmium-resistant isolates of from soils within the Tar Creek Superfund site.

Soil samples taken near the abandoned town of Picher, OK, USA, were used to enrich and isolate bacteria in the presence of cadmium. Isolates reported belong to the genus . Here, we report their permanent draft sequences with an emphasis on genes conferring resistance to cadmium.

Formation of Planar π-Conjugated Sheets in Cocrystals of Bis(iodoethynyl)pyridines and Bipyrimidylalkynes: Cooperative C-H···N Hydrogen Bonds and sp-C-I···N Halogen Bonds.

The cocrystallization of the ditopic halogen bond donors 2,5-, 2,6-, 3,5-bis(iodoethynyl)pyridines with the dipyrimidyls 1,2-bis(5-pyrimidyl)ethyne and 1,4-bis(5-pyrimidyl)butadiyne is explored. The cocrystal components have complementary shapes and functional groups so that the noncovalent C-I···N halogen bonding and C-H···N hydrogen bonding interactions are complementary resulting in 1:1 cocrystals with the ditopic halogen bond accepting bipyrimidyls. The cocrystals feature π-stacked planar sheets of alternating bis(iodoalkynes) and bipyrimidyls held together in one direction by I···N halogen bonds and in the roughly orthogonal direction by pyridine-pyridine and pyrimidine-pyrimidine C-H···N hydrogen bonds.

Maximizing the Impact of Poster Presentations: A Practical Guide for Nephrology Nurses.

Effective poster presentations are important in disseminating research findings, evidence-based practice projects, and quality improvement initiatives to diverse audiences. Posters are widely presented to peers, stakeholders, and the broader community, providing information in a concise, visually appealing format that promotes engagement, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. This article provides a comprehensive guide for poster development for nephrology nurses to disseminate critical insights, promote evidence-based care, and foster knowledge exchange.

Chitosan-based hydrogels in cancer therapy: Drug and gene delivery, stimuli-responsive carriers, phototherapy and immunotherapy.

Nanotechnology has transformed the oncology sector by particularly targeting cancer cells and enhancing the efficacy of conventional therapies, not only improving efficacy of conventional therapeutics, but also reducing systemic toxicity. Environmentally friendly materials are the top choice for treating cancer. Chitosan, sourced from chitin, is widely used with its derivatives for the extensive synthesis or modification of nanostructures.

Exploring Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Practices Among African Americans in Rural Counties: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand diabetes self-management practices among African American individuals living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in rural communities.

Methods: This qualitative descriptive study, undergirded by the theory of integration, purposively sampled African Americans (N = 34) diagnosed with T2D living in rural communities. Thematic analysis employed both a priori and inductive coding to identify salient themes.

Role of Niobium on the Passivation Mechanisms of TiHfZrNb High-Entropy Alloys in Hanks' Simulated Body Fluid.

A family of TiHfZrNb high-entropy alloys has been considered novel biomaterials for high-performance, small-sized implants. The present work evaluates the role of niobium on passivation kinetics and electrochemical characteristics of passive film on TiHfZrNb alloys formed in Hanks' simulated body fluid by analyzing electrochemical data with three analytical models. Results confirm that higher niobium content in the alloys reinforces the compactness of the passive film by favoring the dominance of film formation and thickening mechanism over the dissolution mechanism.

The Status of Cadaver-Based Anatomy Instruction in Missouri Medical Schools.

Cadaveric dissection has been a foundational principle of medical anatomic education for the last 400 years, yet medical anatomy course hours have been drastically reduced in the last decades. With this course reduction and the availability of other modalities for anatomic instruction, the physician may question the current role of cadavers in medical anatomy courses. This study aims to evaluate the role cadaveric dissection plays in anatomy programs in allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in Missouri and compare course hours to the national trend.