Prevalence and pattern of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination among adult population in Sokoto metropolis, northwest, Nigeria.

Background: COVID-19 still poses a major public health challenge worldwide and vaccination remains one of the major interventions to control the disease. Different types of vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) are currently in use across the world to protect against the disease. This study assessed the prevalence and pattern of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) after receiving COVID-19 vaccine (the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine) among the adult population in Sokoto metropolis, North-west, Nigeria.

Co-Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics and Bisphenol A Contributes to the Formation of Liver Fibrosis in Mice through Inhibition of the BMAL1/E-Cad Signaling Pathway.

The food safety risks posed by exposure to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and bisphenol A (BPA) have become an issue worldwide. However, the toxic effects of PS-MPs and BPA coexposure on the mammalian liver remain elusive. In this study, we found that PS-MPs and BPA coexposure have synergistic toxic effects on AML12 cells and the mouse liver.

Two-Year Hypertension Incidence Risk Prediction in Populations in the Desert Regions of Northwest China: Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Hypertension is a major global health issue and a significant modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, contributing to a substantial socioeconomic burden due to its high prevalence. In China, particularly among populations living near desert regions, hypertension is even more prevalent due to unique environmental and lifestyle conditions, exacerbating the disease burden in these areas, underscoring the urgent need for effective early detection and intervention strategies.

Objective: This study aims to develop, calibrate, and prospectively validate a 2-year hypertension risk prediction model by using large-scale health examination data collected from populations residing in 4 regions surrounding the Taklamakan Desert of northwest China.

Optimized Porous KTi(PO)@N-Doped Carbon Electrode for Enhanced Sodium/Potassium-Storage and Accelerated Activation Process.

Porous KTi(PO) nanoparticles are synthesized via a solvothermal method and subsequently modified with nitrogen-doped carbon layers by using polydopamine as the carbon source. The resultant KTi(PO)@N-doped carbon composite (KTP@NC) exhibits a preserved porous structure with abundant pores, facilitating ion diffusion and electrolyte infiltration. Various characterizations, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, reveal the successful formation of an interconnected nitrogen-doped carbon network.

Molecular Chain Interpenetration-Enabled High Interfacial Compatibility of Ionic and Electronic Conductors for Stretchable Ionic Devices.

Ionic devices find applications such as flexible electronics and biomedicines and function by exploiting hybrid circuits of mobile ions and electrons. However, the poor interfacial compatibility of hard electronic conductors with soft ionic conductors in ionic devices leads to low deformability, sensitivity, electromechanical responses, and stability. Herein, an interpenetrating interface between silicone-modified polyurethane/carbon nanotube electronic conductors and ionoelastomers in an ionic device using in situ polymerization is fabricated.

Danshensu Derivatives: A Series of Promising Drugs With Protective Effects Against Cardiocerebrovascular Diseases and Cancers.

Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen in Chinese) is a traditional medicinal plant with an extensive range of cardiocerebrovascular protective effects widely used in China and other Asian countries. Danshensu (DSS) is the most important water-soluble component of Danshen and has significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet aggregation, antitumor, and other pharmacological activities. However, DSS has poor fat solubility and is unstable due to its o-phenol hydroxyl and α-hydroxy carboxylic acids.

Study on Demulsification via Vacuum Filtration with Superamphiphilic Diatomite/G-CN/Rice Husk Charcoal Composite Filter Layer.

The primary extraction way for unconventional oil/gas resources is hydraulic fracturing to alter the reservoir for commercial production. However, hydraulic fracturing technology consumes a large amount of water, and the flowback water can easily be mixed with hydrocarbon substances to form emulsions. To achieve the recycling of water, it is necessary to develop an efficient continuous demulsification method for treating the flowback fluid.

Study on Vacuum Breakdown Properties of Surface-Modified 304 Stainless Steel Electrodes Based on Fractal Theory.

This paper reports on the effect of the micro-morphological characteristics of stainless steel electrodes on vacuum breakdown properties under the action of a strong electric field generated by high-power electric pulses. Using chemical passivation modification and atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology, alumina composite films were prepared on the surface of the stainless steel electrodes to reshape the surface microstructure of the electrodes. The surface morphology features of the electrodes were characterized in detail.

Tunable Photoluminescence of LiTaO3: Tb3+, Sm3+ For Dynamic Multimode Optical Anti-counterfeiting.

Currently, static fluorescent anti-counterfeiting technology struggles to cope with the increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting techniques, making the dynamic multimode regulation scheme an urgent necessity. Herein,  Sm3+ mono-/co-doped LiTaO3 (LTO) phosphors are prepared by high temperature solid state method. Under 254 nm excitation, the emission chromaticity of LTO: Tb3+, Sm3+ is modulated from green to yellow by increasing Sm3+ content due to Tb3+ → Sm3+ energy transfer.

A toolkit to implement opioid quality improvement efforts in primary care: Findings from a mixed-methods study.

Objective: The Six Building Blocks: A Team-Based Approach to Improving Opioid Management in Primary Care (6BBs) program provides a roadmap for improving the management of patients on opioid therapy for chronic pain. The goal of this project was to evaluate the How-to-Implement Toolkit (Toolkit) for clinics to independently implement the 6BBs without a practice facilitator.

Methods: Eight healthcare organizations with 62 clinics participated in the program.

Investigating the component structure of the Health of the Nation Outcomes Scales for people with Learning Disabilities (HoNOS-LD).

Background: Outcome measurement is increasingly recognised as a vital element of high-quality service provision, but practice remains variable in the field of intellectual disabilities. The Health of the National Outcome Scales for people with Learning Disabilities (HoNOS-LD) is a widely used Clinician Reported Outcome Measure in the UK and beyond. Over its 20-year lifespan, its psychometric properties have been frequently investigated.

Geographical and temporal variations of serogroups and clonal types of involved in culture-confirmed invasive meningococcal disease in Canada, 2015-2023.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a nationally notifiable illness in Canada due to its potential severity and transmissibility. Vaccination strategies differ by province/territory and are informed by changes in the antigenic characteristics of circulating strains. Though IMD statistics are tracked at a provincial/territorial level, there is a lack of published data characterizing trends in the epidemiology of this disease at a national level.

Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes from reference, restored, and disturbed estuarine wetlands in Pacific Northwest, USA.

There is substantial interest in restoring tidal wetlands because of their high rates of long-term soil carbon sequestration and other valued ecosystem services. However, these wetlands are sometimes net sources of greenhouse gases (GHG) that may offset their climate cooling potential. GHG fluxes vary widely within and across tidal wetlands, so it is essential to better understand how key environmental drivers, and importantly, land management, affect GHG dynamics.

The Black Fungus: A Rare Case of Pulmonary Mucormycosis.

Background: Mucormycosis, commonly known as the "black fungus," is a severe infection affecting multiple organ systems, including the skin, brain, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. This case report is focused on pulmonary mucormycosis, which is frequently observed in organ transplant recipients. Diagnostic challenges arise from nonspecific symptoms.

Non-destructive identification of commercial jerky types based on multi-band hyperspectral imaging with machine learning.

Commercial jerky counterfeiting is widespread in the market. This study combined visible-near-infrared and short-wave-near-infrared hyperspectral imaging along with multiple machine learning algorithms for non-destructive identification of five types of commercial jerky products, and explored the impact of different spectral bands, algorithm selection, and optimization methods on identification performance. After data preprocessing, all models' accuracies and stability improved.

donor-specific anti-HLA antibody risk stratification in kidney transplantation using a combination of B cell and T cell molecular mismatch assessment.

Introduction: The presence of donor-specific antibody (dnDSA) has detrimental effect on allograft outcomes in kidney transplantation. As humoral responses in transplantation are elicited targeting non-self-epitopes on donor HLA proteins, assessing HLA mismatches at the molecular level provides a refined means for immunological risk stratification.

Methods: In the present study, we utilized three HLA molecular mismatch assessment algorithms, Snow, HLAMatchmaker, and PIRCHE-II, to evaluate the independent and synergistic association of B cell and T cell epitope mismatches with dnDSA development in a cohort of 843 kidney transplant recipients.

Community pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward substandard and falsified medicines and associated factors in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia.

Background: The availability of substandard and/or falsified medicines (SFMs) in the market poses a severe threat to health and the national economy. Therefore, pharmacy professionals are highly responsible for controlling SFMs distribution in the market to improve the health of the population.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess community pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward SFMs and to identify associated factors in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia.

Unlocking health insights: exploring intention to adopt district health information systems in Bahir Dar City, northwest Ethiopia.

Background: District Health Information System version 2 (DHIS2) is an open-source platform designed for data collection, processing, analysis, and visualization within healthcare systems. However, there is limited empirical evidence regarding health professionals' intentions to use district health information systems. Understanding the factors influencing health workers' intention to utilize DHIS2 is crucial for ensuring successful implementation and sustained usage.

Impact of co-fermentation of and on the metabolic characteristics of the flavor compounds in mulberry wine.

This study investigated the metabolic characteristics of mulberry wine produced by co-fermentation with (SC) and two different (PK). Although inhibited the growth of during co-fermentation, showed robust growth adaptability. Classical oenological parameters were not significantly altered by co-fermentation compared to pure-fermentation.

Characterization of the procoagulant phenotype of amniotic fluid across gestation in rhesus macaques and humans.

Background: Amniotic fluid (AF) plays a key role in fetal development, yet the evolving composition of AF and its effects on hemostasis and thrombosis are poorly understood.

Objectives: To characterize the procoagulant properties of AF as a function of gestation in humans and nonhuman primates.

Methods: We analyzed the proteomes, lipidomes, and procoagulant properties of AF obtained by amniocentesis from rhesus macaque and human pregnancies at gestational age-matched time points.

Morphological covariates of the ontogenetic shift from nauplii to copepodite prey in larval fish.

Larval fish are active planktonic predators, with many species feeding initially on copepod nauplii and gradually shifting their selection to copepodites. This study evaluated whether it is possible to develop a general widely applicable empirical model to describe the transition from feeding on copepod nauplii to copepodites in relation to body length, maxilla length and eye diameter. The study also evaluated whether the switch to copepodites is linked to what prey are in the stomach or which copepodite species are replacing nauplii in the diet was also considered.

PGC7 maintains the pluripotency of F9 embryonic carcinoma cells by promoting Nanog translation.

Primordial germ cell 7 (PGC7) is prominently expressed in primordial germ cells (PGCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), serving as a pivotal marker for discerning stem cell pluripotency. However, the role of PGC7 in regulating core pluripotency factors remains unclear. In this study, the expression dynamics of PGC7 and pluripotency- associated proteins are systematically evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis.

Plant-Plant Interactions Drive the Decomposition of Soil Organic Carbon via Nutrition Competition in Dryland.

Plant-plant interactions are often overlooked when assessing carbon (C) cycling in plant community. Limited research exists on how nutrient competition influences soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics via modifying rhizosphere C turnover. To address this issue, quantitative model of plant-plant interactions was established in three intercropping systems across 4 years.

Microplastic-Induced Alterations in Soil Aggregate-Associated Carbon Stabilization Pathways: Evidence from δC Signature Analysis.

Microplastics (MPs) are known to affect soil carbon stability in a numerous ways. However, the mechanisms by which they alter the carbon stability within soil aggregates remain unclear . Herein, a one-year field experiment was conducted in an arid agricultural region employing stable isotope techniques to evaluate the soil organic carbon flow in the presence of both persistent (PE, PVC) and biodegradable (PLA, PHA) MPs.