Application of a quantitative uncertainty assessment to develop ranges of plausible toxicity values when using observational data in risk assessment: a case study examining associations between PFOA and PFOS exposures and vaccine response.

Traditional approaches for quantitatively characterizing uncertainty in risk assessment require adaptation to accommodate increased reliance on observational (vs. experimental) studies in developing toxicity values. Herein, a case study with PFOA and PFOS and vaccine response explores approaches for qualitative and-where possible-quantitative assessments of uncertainty at each step in the toxicity value development process when using observational data, including review and appraisal of individual studies, candidate study selection, dose-response modeling, and application of uncertainty factors.

The influence of environmental factors on the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 variants in dormitory wastewater at a primarily undergraduate institution.

Unlabelled: Testing for the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been crucial in tracking disease spread and informing public health decisions. Wastewater-based epidemiology has helped to alleviate some of the strain of testing through broader, population-level surveillance, and has been applied widely on college campuses. However, questions remain about the impact of various sampling methods, target types, environmental factors, and infrastructure variables on SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Histological staining of tick bite skin biopsies for spirochetes and Powassan virus RNA.

is a vector of several human pathogens in the United States, including the cause of Lyme disease, and Powassan virus (POWV), an emerging cause of severe encephalitis. Skin biopsies from tick bite sites are frequently collected and tested for the presence of spirochetes ( spp.), which remain elusive.

Exploring offshore particle motion soundscapes.

Fishes and aquatic invertebrates utilize acoustic particle motion for hearing, and some additionally detect sound pressure. Yet, few underwater soundscapes studies report particle motion, which is often assumed to scale predictably with pressure in offshore habitats. This relationship does not always exist for low frequencies or near reflective boundaries.

A primer on low-carbon design in architectural acoustics using a case study of residential floorsa).

Designers are increasingly tasked to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. While core disciplines (e.g.

Optimizing Variables for Contingency Management Among Infant Caregivers Using a Simulated Purchase Task.

Behavioral economics offers a framework for understanding choice making around public health concerns such as drug use and distracted driving. Such a framework could be beneficial to understanding caregiver choices related to arranging an infant sleep environment. Nonadherence to infant sleep safety guidelines provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics increases the risk of sleep-related infant deaths.

Sox10 is required for systemic initiation of bone mineralization.

Heterozygous variants in SOX10 cause congenital syndromes affecting pigmentation, digestion, hearing, and neural development, primarily attributable to failed differentiation or loss of non-skeletal neural crest derivatives. We report here an additional novel requirement for Sox10 in bone mineralization. Neither crest- nor mesoderm-derived bones initiate mineralization on time in zebrafish sox10 mutants, despite normal osteoblast differentiation and matrix production.

Constant di/dz scanning tunneling microscopy: Atomic precision imaging and hydrogen depassivation lithography on a Si(100)-2 × 1:H surface.

We introduce a novel control mode for Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) that leverages di/dz feedback. By superimposing a high-frequency sinusoidal modulation on the control signal, we extract the amplitude of the resulting tunneling current to obtain a di/dz measurement as the tip is scanned over the surface. A feedback control loop is then closed to maintain a constant di/dz, enhancing the sensitivity of the tip to subtle surface variations throughout a scan.

An improved endwall-injection technique for examining high-temperature ignition of lubricating oils in shock tubes.

Ignition of the lubricating fluid in a mechanical system is a highly undesirable and unsafe condition that can arise from the elevated temperatures and pressures to which the lubricant is subjected. It is therefore important to understand the fundamental chemistry behind its ignition to predict and prevent this condition. Lubricating oils, particularly those with a mineral oil base, are very complex mixtures of thousands of hydrocarbons.

Implementation of simultaneous ultraviolet/visible and x-ray absorption spectroscopy with microfluidics.

X-ray spectroscopies are uniquely poised to describe the geometric and electronic structure of metalloenzyme active sites under a wide variety of sample conditions. UV/Vis (ultraviolet/visible) spectroscopy is a similarly well-established technique that can identify and quantify catalytic intermediates. The work described here reports the first simultaneous collection of full in situ UV/Vis and high-energy resolution fluorescence detected x-ray absorption spectra.

Elevated Risk of Thyroid Malignancy in Biological Males Taking Estrogen Hormone Therapy.

Objective: The role of estrogen in developing thyroid malignancy is poorly understood. Epidemiological studies have shown exogenous estrogen is associated with increased risk in females. Still, no studies to date have investigated this association among biological males undergoing estrogen hormone therapy.

Moving Beyond Static, Individualistic Approaches to Agency: Theories of Agency for Medical Education Researchers: AMEE Guide No. 177.

Agency - the capacity to produce an effect - is a foundational aspect of medical education. Agency is usually conceptualized at the level of the , with each learner charged with taking responsibility to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. This conceptualization is problematic.

Diagnostic Performance of Two Different Techniques to Quantify CMV-Specific Cell-Mediated Immunity in Intermediate-Risk Seropositive Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Kidney transplant (KT) recipients at intermediate risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection constitute a potential target for individualized prevention strategies informed by the CMV-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMV-CMI). The optimal method for the functional assessment of CMV-CMI in this group remains unclear.

Methods: We included 74 CMV-seropositive KT recipients that did not receive T-cell-depleting induction and were managed by preemptive therapy.

Sixty-five draft genome sequences of and from table egg layer chickens.

We present the draft genomic sequences of 65 isolates of spp. (38 and 27 ) isolated from table egg-layer chickens, which are not generally associated with human transmission. Up to this time, there are no publicly available genomic sequences of isolated from laying hens.

A Social Network Lens to Community Health Worker Influence and Impact.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are members of healthcare teams that are integrated in, and often share language, beliefs, and lived experiences with their communities. They use their formal and informal social networks to promote healthy behavior, to connect community members to resources, and to build more resilient community networks. We propose a framework to conceptualize CHW interventions aiming to operationalize and optimize CHW social relations and networks.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery Efficacy for Solid Organ Transplant Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients carry a higher incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) with more aggressive features and worse outcomes compared to immunocompetent (IC) patients. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network advocates peripheral and deep en-face margin assessment such as Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for very-high-risk cSCC. We aim to assess the efficacy of MMS in the treatment of SOT immunosuppressed head and neck (HN) cSCC patients.

Comparative Effectiveness of Outpatient COVID-19 Therapies in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

Background: Multiple outpatient therapies have been developed for COVID-19 in high-risk individuals, but solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients were not well represented in controlled clinical trials. To date, few comparative studies have evaluated outcomes between outpatient therapies in this population.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using de-identified administrative claims data from OptumLabs Data Warehouse.

Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) for 3D Reconstruction of Monocular Endoscopic Video in Sinus Surgery.

Objective: To validate the use of neural radiance fields (NeRF), a state-of-the-art computer vision technique, for rapid, high-fidelity 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

Study Design: An experimental cadaveric pilot study.

Setting: Academic medical center.

External DC Shocks of Symptomatic Supraventricular Tachycardia during Screw-In Leadless Pacemaker Implant: A Case Report.

We present the case of a 64-year-old man who, during the implantation of an active-fixation leadless pacemaker (LP, Aveir VR, Abbott, USA), underwent several external defibrillation shocks up to 240 Joules, due to symptomatic sustained supraventricular tachycardia at 160 bpm. The shocks, delivered both before and after the screwing of the device in the low interventricular septum, did not cause any technical damage to the device, and no complications were observed. The device was then deployed successfully.

The coronavirus nsp14 exoribonuclease interface with the cofactor nsp10 is essential for efficient virus replication and enzymatic activity.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) encode non-structural proteins (nsp's) 1-16, which assemble to form replication-transcription complexes that function in viral RNA synthesis. All CoVs encode a proofreading 3'-5' exoribonuclease in non-structural protein 14 (nsp14-ExoN) that mediates proofreading and high-fidelity replication and is critical for other roles in replication and pathogenesis. The enzymatic activity of nsp14-ExoN is enhanced in the presence of the cofactor nsp10.

Infections Management in the Lung Transplant Setting in Italy: A Web-Survey.

Introduction: Infections significantly impact morbidity and mortality in lung transplant (LuTx) recipients. This survey focused on documenting current practices regarding the prevention and management of infections in LuTx in Italy.

Methods: A 52-question survey was administered online in the period from December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024, assessing center characteristics, Tx team organization, microbiological investigations, infection prevention, and management.

2'-Fucosyllactose inhibits human norovirus replication in human intestinal enteroids.

Unlabelled: Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Currently, there are no targeted antivirals for the treatment of HuNoV infection. Histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) on the intestinal epithelium are cellular attachment factors for HuNoVs; molecules that block the binding of HuNoVs to HBGAs thus have the potential to be developed as antivirals.

The pseudorabies virus UL13 protein kinase triggers phosphorylation of the RNA demethylase FTO, which is associated with FTO-dependent suppression of interferon-stimulated gene expression.

Alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, also known as fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), is an RNA demethylase that mediates the demethylation of N,2-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am) and N-methyladenosine (m6A). Both m6Am and m6A are prevalent modifications in mRNA and affect different aspects of transcript biology, including splicing, nuclear export, translation efficiency, and degradation. The role of FTO during (herpes) virus infection remains largely unexplored.