Design and fabrication of novel microfluidic-based droplets for drug screening on a chronic myeloid leukemia cell line.

Background: The challenges associated with traditional drug screening, such as high costs and long screening times, have led to an increase in the use of single-cell isolation technologies. Small sample volumes are required for high-throughput, cell-based assays to reduce assay costs and enable rapid sample processing. Using microfluidic chips, single-cell analysis can be conducted more effectively, requiring fewer reagents and maintaining biocompatibility.

Acceptability of multi-level sexual health interventions and sexually transmitted infection screening and testing among persons with HIV across three clinical sites in Florida.

Introduction: The US state of Florida has the third highest rate of HIV as well as high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) indicating critical HIV and STI prevention needs remain unmet. To address gaps in the STI care continuum in people with HIV (PWH), evidence-based interventions were implemented across three Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) funded clinics in Florida between August 2020-August 2021. Interventions included comprehensive sexual health history (SHH) taking using audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) software, self-collected extragenital gonorrhea and chlamydia testing, and the introduction of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) welcoming environment.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine and lauric acid; effective antioxidant and antimicrobial feed additives for juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) cultured at high stocking density.

Present study aimed at improving the immune and antioxidant response of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) cultured at high stocking density fed with 0.2% supplementation of lauric acid (LA) and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). Shrimp (initial average weight = 0.

Evolutionary lineage-specific genomic imprinting at the ZNF791 locus.

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic process that results in parent-of-origin effects on mammalian development and growth. Research on genomic imprinting in domesticated animals has lagged due to a primary focus on orthologs of mouse and human imprinted genes. This emphasis has limited the discovery of imprinted genes specific to livestock.

Using internet-assisted geocoding of 1940 census addresses to reconstruct enumeration districts for use with redlining and longitudinal health datasets.

Many historical administrative documents, such as the 1940 census, have been digitized and thus could be merged with geographic data. Merged data could reveal social determinants of health, health and social policy milieu, life course events, and selection effects otherwise masked in longitudinal datasets. However, most exact boundaries of 1940 census enumeration districts have not yet been georeferenced.

Nasal microbiota predictors for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus colonization in critically ill children.

Background: Surveillance cultures to identify patients colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is recommended at pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission but doesn't capture other methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus and is resource intensive. We determined the prevalence and identified nasal microbiome predictors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus colonization at the time of PICU admission.

Study Design: A prospective cohort study was performed in a 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) between 2020-2021.

The effect of conflict on damage to medical facilities in Mariupol, Ukraine: A quasi-experimental study.

Medical facilities are civilian objects specially protected by international humanitarian law. Despite the need for systematic documentation of the effects of war on medical facilities for judiciary accountability, current methods for surveilling damage to protected civilian objects during ongoing armed conflict are insufficient. Satellite imagery damage assessment confers significant possibilities for investigating patterns of war.

Design, Synthesis, and Unprecedented Interactions of Covalent Dipeptide-Based Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Its Variants Displaying Potent Antiviral Activity.

The main protease (M) of SARS-CoV-2 is a key drug target for the development of antiviral therapeutics. Here, we designed and synthesized a series of small-molecule peptidomimetics with various cysteine-reactive electrophiles. Several compounds were identified as potent SARS-CoV-2 M inhibitors, including compounds (IC = 0.

Estimating the burden of underdiagnosis within England: A modelling study of linked primary care data.

Introduction: Undiagnosed chronic disease has serious health consequences, and variation in rates of underdiagnosis between populations can contribute to health inequalities. We aimed to estimate the level of undiagnosed disease of 11 common conditions and its variation across sociodemographic characteristics and regions in England.

Methods: We used linked primary care, hospital and mortality data on approximately 1.

Problematic social media use in 3D? Relationships between traditional social media use, social virtual reality (VR) use, and mental health.

This research expanded on prior work exploring the relationship between social media use, social support, and mental health by including the usage of social virtual reality (VR). In Study 1 (undergraduate students; n = 448) we examined divergent relationships between problematic social media use (e.g.

Trait and plasticity evolution under competition and mutualism in evolving pairwise yeast communities.

Although we have a good understanding of how phenotypic plasticity evolves in response to abiotic environments, we know comparatively less about responses to biotic interactions. We experimentally tested how competition and mutualism affected trait and plasticity evolution of pairwise communities of genetically modified brewer's yeast. We quantified evolutionary changes in growth rate, resource use efficiency (RUE), and their plasticity in strains evolving alone, with a competitor, and with a mutualist.

How can modeling responsibly inform decision-making in malaria?

When models are used to inform decision-making, both their strengths and limitations must be considered. Using malaria as an example, we explain how and why models are limited and offer guidance for ensuring a model is well-suited for its intended purpose.

Spatiotemporal evolution of hedging effects in Asia-Pacific countries amid Sino-US competition: Insights from massive event data.

Facing the pressure of Sino-US strategic competition, countries in the Asia-Pacific region often adopt hedging strategies to minimize risk and protect their interests. If implemented, these strategies could impact relationships between countries and lead to political instability. Owing to a lack of theoretical evaluation frameworks and methods, few studies have examined the implementation effects of hedging strategies adopted by Asia-Pacific countries amid Sino-US competition.

A framework for assessing reliability of observer annotations of aerial wildlife imagery, with insights for deep learning applications.

There is growing interest in using deep learning models to automate wildlife detection in aerial imaging surveys to increase efficiency, but human-generated annotations remain necessary for model training. However, even skilled observers may diverge in interpreting aerial imagery of complex environments, which may result in downstream instability of models. In this study, we present a framework for assessing annotation reliability by calculating agreement metrics for individual observers against an aggregated set of annotations generated by clustering multiple observers' observations and selecting the mode classification.

Are men's gender equality beliefs associated with self-reported intimate partner violence perpetration? A state-level analysis of California men.

Objectives: To assess the association between gender equality beliefs and self-reported intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among California men.

Methods: We analyzed men's data (N = 3609) from three waves (2021, 2022, and 2023) of cross-sectional data from a statewide sample of California adults. We assessed gender equality beliefs using a three-item measure adapted from the World Values Survey, with higher scores representing more gender unequal beliefs (e.

Nearby armed conflict affects girls' education in Africa.

Female education is a crucial input to women's agency and empowerment, and has wide-ranging impacts, from improved labor market outcomes to reducing child mortality. Existing gender-specific evidence on the effect of armed conflict on education is conflict-specific and mixed. We link granular data on conflict events to georeferenced survey data on educational attainment from 28 countries in Africa, and use a regression-based approach to estimate the local effect of conflict exposure on female years of schooling.

Summon a demon and bind it: A grounded theory of LLM red teaming.

Engaging in the deliberate generation of abnormal outputs from Large Language Models (LLMs) by attacking them is a novel human activity. This paper presents a thorough exposition of how and why people perform such attacks, defining LLM red-teaming based on extensive and diverse evidence. Using a formal qualitative methodology, we interviewed dozens of practitioners from a broad range of backgrounds, all contributors to this novel work of attempting to cause LLMs to fail.

Natural language processing to evaluate texting conversations between patients and healthcare providers during COVID-19 Home-Based Care in Rwanda at scale.

Community isolation of patients with communicable infectious diseases limits spread of pathogens but our understanding of isolated patients' needs and challenges is incomplete. Rwanda deployed a digital health service nationally to assist public health clinicians to remotely monitor and support SARS-CoV-2 cases via their mobile phones using daily interactive short message service (SMS) check-ins. We aimed to assess the texting patterns and communicated topics to better understand patient experiences.

Similarities and differences in waste composition over time and space determined by multivariate distance analyses.

The composition of solid waste affects technology choices and policy decisions regarding its management. Analyses of waste composition studies are almost always made on a parameter by parameter basis. Multivariate distance techniques can create wholisitic determinations of similarities and differences and were applied here to enhance a series of waste composition comparisons.

Towards ensuring reproducibility of outsourced data generation.

"Big data" generated from outsourced or centralized facilities often lacks methodological information. Here, we outline how and why researchers, service providers, and other parties should report on methodology and sample metadata to improve scientific reproducibility.

Strategies to Optimise the Engagement of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations in Cardiac Research: A Systematic Review.

Aims: Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations remain underrepresented in cardiovascular disease (CVD) research despite their higher disease burden compared to non-CALD populations. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the available literature on strategies to engage CALD participants in CVD research.

Methods And Results: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO) were searched for literature up until May 2024.

Neighboring-Group Participation by a Less Electron-Donating, Participating C-2-Ester Ensures Higher 1,2- Stereoselectivity in Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions of Furanosyl Acetals.

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of C-2-acyloxy furanosyl acetals can be highly diastereoselective. We here show that the presence of a less electron-donating -nitrobenzoyloxy group at C-2 of a furanosyl acetal can be of use to control the 1,2- stereoselectivity of acetal substitution reactions with higher stereoselectivity than the analogue with the more electron-donating benzoyloxy group, just as what was observed in the pyranosyl system. Computational results support a reaction manifold involving both open oxocarbenium ions and -dioxolenium ions to provide the 1,2- and 1,2- products.

Approach to the Patient with Achondroplasia - New Considerations for Diagnosis, Management and Treatment.

Achondroplasia is the most common disproportionate short-stature skeletal dysplasia. Features associated with achondroplasia are rhizomelia, macrocephaly, midface hypoplasia, and typical cognition. Potential medical complications include foramen magnum stenosis, hydrocephalus, middle ear dysfunction, obstructive and central sleep apnea, spinal stenosis and genu varum.