Selective Isolation of Surface Grain Boundaries by Oxide Dielectrics Improves Cd(Se,Te) Device Performance.

Cd(Se,Te) photovoltaics (PV) are the most widely deployed thin-film solar technology globally, yet continued efficiency improvements are stymied by challenges at the device hole contacts. The inclusion of solution-processed oxide layers such as AlGaO in the contact stack has yielded improved device open-circuit voltages () and fill factors (FF). However, contradictory mechanisms by which these layers improve the device properties have been proposed by the research community.

Neuroendoscopic lavage for posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus of prematurity: preliminary results at a single institution in the United States.

Objective: The current neurosurgical treatment for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) of prematurity resulting in posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) seeks to reduce intracranial pressure with temporary and then permanent CSF diversion. In contrast, neuroendoscopic lavage (NEL) directly addresses the intraventricular blood that is hypothesized to damage the ependyma and parenchyma, leading to ventricular dilation and hydrocephalus. The authors sought to determine the feasibility of NEL in PHH.

Identifying Research Priorities for Cognition in CKD: A Delphi Study.

Background: Cognition is a research priority for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but identification of critical research questions is lacking. This study aimed to determine which cognition-related research questions are most important to CKD stakeholders.

Methods: A modified Delphi technique with 3 survey rounds was used.

Real sounds influence postural stability in people with vestibular loss but not in healthy controls.

Objective: What we hear may influence postural control, particularly in people with vestibular hypofunction. Would hearing a moving subway destabilize people similarly to seeing the train move? We investigated how people with unilateral vestibular hypofunction and healthy controls incorporated broadband and real-recorded sounds with visual load for balance in an immersive contextual scene.

Design: Participants stood on foam placed on a force-platform, wore the HTC Vive headset, and observed an immersive subway environment.

Changes in urinary concentrations of contemporary and emerging chemicals in commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.

Previous research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed alterations in behaviors that may impact exposures to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals. This includes changes in the use of chemicals found in consumer products, food packaging, and exposure to air pollutants. Within the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, a national consortium initiated to understand the effects of environmental exposures on child health and development, our objective was to assess whether urinary concentrations of a wide range of potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals varied before and during the pandemic.

Lipreading as a communication strategy to enhance speech recognition in individuals with hearing impairment: a scoping review.

This article explores the existing research evidence on the potential effectiveness of lipreading as a communication strategy to enhance speech recognition in individuals with hearing impairment. A scoping review was conducted, involving a search of six electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Engineering Village, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) for research papers published between January 2013 and June 2023. This study included original research papers with full texts available in English, covering all study designs: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.

Heterogeneous and multiple conformational transition pathways between pseudoknots of the SARS-CoV-2 frameshift element.

Frameshifting is an essential mechanism employed by many viruses including coronaviruses to produce viral proteins from a compact RNA genome. It is facilitated by specific RNA folds in the frameshift element (FSE), which has emerged as an important therapeutic target. For SARS-CoV-2, a specific 3-stem pseudoknot has been identified to stimulate frameshifting.

Macromolecular interactions and geometrical confinement determine the 3D diffusion of ribosome-sized particles in live cells.

The crowded bacterial cytoplasm is composed of biomolecules that span several orders of magnitude in size and electrical charge. This complexity has been proposed as the source of the rich spatial organization and apparent anomalous diffusion of intracellular components, although this has not been tested directly. Here, we use biplane microscopy to track the 3D motion of self-assembled bacterial genetically encoded multimeric nanoparticles (bGEMs) with tunable size (20 to 50 nm) and charge (-3,240 to +2,700 e) in live cells.

Emotion processing difficulties in ADHD: a Bayesian meta-analysis study.

We investigated whether there is an emotional processing deficit in ADHD and whether this only applies to specific emotional categories. In this PRISMA-compliant systematic review based on a pre-registered protocol ( https://osf.io/egp7d ), we searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ERIC, Scopus and Web of Science databases until 3rd December 2023, to identify empirical studies comparing emotional processing in individuals meeting DSM (version III to 5-TR) or ICD (version 9 or 10) criteria for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and in a non-psychiatric control group.

Short-Term Effect of Air Pollution on Daily Hospital Visits for Anxiety Disorders in Southern China with Low Pollution Concentrations.

The global prevalence and burden of anxiety disorders (ADs) are increasing. However, findings on the acute effects of air pollution on ADs remain inconclusive. We evaluated the effects of short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM), inhalable particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO), and ozone (O), on daily hospital visits for ADs.

HDNLS: Hybrid Deep-Learning and Non-Linear Least Squares-Based Method for Fast Multi-Component T1ρ Mapping in the Knee Joint.

Non-linear least squares (NLS) methods are commonly used for quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially for multi-exponential T1ρ mapping, which provides precise parameter estimation for different relaxation models in tissues, such as mono-exponential (ME), bi-exponential (BE), and stretched-exponential (SE) models. However, NLS may suffer from problems like sensitivity to initial guesses, slow convergence speed, and high computational cost. While deep learning (DL)-based T1ρ fitting methods offer faster alternatives, they often face challenges such as noise sensitivity and reliance on NLS-generated reference data for training.

Xenotransplantation: future frontiers and challenges.

Purpose Of Review: Recent advancements in genetic engineering have propelled the field of xenotransplantation from preclinical models to early compassionate use cases. As first-in-human clinical trials (FIHCTs) approach, we examine recent developments, ethical and regulatory challenges, immunological considerations, and the clinical infrastructure necessary for successful xenotransplantation trials.

Recent Findings: Expanded access transplants of pig hearts, kidneys, and livers have identified key challenges.

PARP inhibitors differentially regulate immune responses in distinct genetic backgrounds of high-grade serous tubo-ovarian carcinoma models.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized treatment for several tumor indications without demonstrated benefit for ovarian cancer patients. To improve the therapeutic ratio of ICIs in ovarian cancer patients, several different clinical trials are testing combinations with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Comparing the immunomodulatory effects of clinically advanced PARP inhibitors may help to identify the best partner to combine with ICIs.

A Longitudinal Investigation of Trans and Nonbinary Youth Identity: Individual Processes and Family Agreement in the Trans Teen and Family Narratives Project.

Few studies have focused on transgender and nonbinary youths' (TNBY) gender development and even less well understood is how family members understand TNBY identity. The current study investigated: a) how TNBY describe their gender identity over time, and b) how family members understand TNBY gender identity over time. The baseline sample included 96 members of 33 families (33 TNBY, 48 cisgender caregivers, 15 siblings) from the United States; 30 families continued after Wave 1.

Surgical Management of Intestinal Obstruction Secondary to Barium Impaction: Two Exemplary Cases.

A "barium chemobezoar" or "barolith" is a rare but serious cause of intestinal obstruction. We present two cases, a 70-year-old female patient and a 61-year-old male patient, both requiring urgent surgery for barolith-induced bowel obstruction. Diagnostic challenges were encountered in both cases, with imaging raising suspicion for barolith formation after prior barium use.

Ethnic and racial differences in children and young people with respiratory and neurological post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: an electronic health record-based cohort study from the RECOVER Initiative.

Background: Children from racial and ethnic minority groups are at greater risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but it is unclear whether they have increased risk for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). Our objectives were to assess whether the risk of respiratory and neurologic PASC differs by race/ethnicity and social drivers of health.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of individuals <21 years seeking care at 24 health systems across the U.

Ageism in the Family.

The problem of ageism in the family can be understood through the lens of larger social structural factors that shape intrapersonal and interpersonal relations in families. While research on the negative consequences of ageism is well established in the workplace, media, and in healthcare systems, ageism within the family has not yet been well studied. We propose a tripartite model of ageism, specifically how cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of family members, in combination with internalized age beliefs held by older people, undermine family dynamics and may worsen the health and wellbeing of older adults.

States Do Not Delineate the "Accepted Medical Standards" for Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria Determination.

Background: The Uniform Determination of Death Act requires brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) determination to be in accordance with "accepted medical standards." The medical organizations responsible for delineating these guidelines are only specified statutorily in two states. State health organizations (SHOs) are composed of policy experts and medical professionals who are responsible for addressing medical, ethical, and legislative problems related to health.

Maternal exposure to legacy PFAS compounds PFOA and PFOS is associated with disrupted cytokine homeostasis in neonates: The Upstate KIDS study (2008-2010).

There is growing concern that exposure to per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), persistent chemicals used widely to make consumer products water- or grease-proof, may alter immune function, leading to reduced vaccine response or greater susceptibility to infections. We investigated associations between two legacy PFAS (PFOA and PFOS) and infant cytokine levels measured in newborn dried bloodspots (NDBS) from a large population-based birth cohort in Upstate New York, to determine whether exposure to legacy PFAS is associated with variability in cytokine profiles in newborns. We performed adjusted mixed effects regressions for each cytokine against PFOS and PFOA followed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on specific cytokine subsets selected via the prior regressions.

How do restrictions on opioid prescribing, harm reduction, and treatment coverage policies relate to opioid overdose deaths in the United States in 2013-2020? An application of a new state opioid policy scale.

Background: Identifying the most effective state laws and provisions to reduce opioid overdose deaths remains critical.

Methods: Using expert ratings of opioid laws, we developed annual state scores for three domains: opioid prescribing restrictions, harm reduction, and Medicaid treatment coverage. We modeled associations of state opioid policy domain scores with opioid-involved overdose death counts in 3133 counties, and among racial/ethnic subgroups in 1485 counties (2013-2020).

Assessing therapist skills in teletherapy: the development and validation of the tele-facilitative interpersonal skills task.

Teletherapy via videoconferencing has become common practice but has unique challenges. We aimed to develop and validate the first performance-based observer-rated measure of teletherapy skills: The Teletherapy Facilitative Interpersonal Skills Performance Task (Tele-FIS). We developed a set of 12 Tele-FIS video stimulus clips as simulations of four research-informed common therapeutic challenges in teletherapy: technology, distraction, boundaries and privacy, and emotional disconnection.