Energizing Robust Sulfur/Lithium Electrochemistry via Nanoscale-Asymmetric-Size Synergism.

Sluggish redox kinetics and dendrite growth perplex the fulfillment of efficient electrochemistry in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The complicated sulfur phase transformation and sulfur/lithium diversity kinetics necessitate an all-inclusive approach in catalyst design. Herein, a compatible mediator with nanoscale-asymmetric-size configuration by integrating Co single atoms and defective CoTe (Co-CoTe@NHCF) is elaborately developed for regulating sulfur/lithium electrochemistry synchronously.

Presence of Raccoon Roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) in Habitat Associated with Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma magister) in Western Virginia, USA, 2022-24.

Baylisascaris procyonis is a roundworm that does not affect its definitive host, raccoons (Procyon lotor), but may have a devastating effect when ingested by paratenic hosts such as Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister). Despite being considered a major factor in woodrat population extirpation and decline in states northward, there have been no large-scale surveys for raccoon roundworm in Virginia, US. From 2022 to 2024, we visited 60 karst or nonkarst rocky habitats known (current or historical) or suspected to be Allegheny woodrat locations in western Virginia.

Partner fidelity, not geography, drives co-diversification of gut microbiota with hominids.

Bacterial strains that inhabit the gastrointestinal tracts of hominids have diversified in parallel (co-diversified) with their host species. The extent to which co-diversification has been mediated by partner fidelity between strains and hosts or by geographical distance between hosts is not clear due to a lack of strain-level data from clades of hosts with unconfounded phylogenetic relationships and geographical distributions. Here, I tested these competing hypotheses through meta-analyses of 7121 gut bacterial genomes assembled from wild-living ape species and subspecies sampled throughout their ranges in equatorial Africa.

Sexual identity, sexual behavior, and drug use behaviors among people who use drugs in the rural U.S.

Introduction: People who use drugs (PWUD) are at risk of HIV infection, but the frequency and distribution of transmission-associated behaviors within rural communities is not well understood. Further, while interventions designed to more explicitly affirm individuals' sexual orientation and behaviors may be more effective, descriptions of behavior variability by orientation are lacking. We sought to describe how disease transmission behaviors and overdose risk vary by sexual orientation and activity among rural PWUD.

Work Participation of Autistic Adolescents.

This study sought to compare frequency of paid work by autistic adolescents to paid work by adolescents with other neurodevelopmental disorders and typically developing adolescents, and to examine whether demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with autistic adolescent employment with data from 2016-2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Rate of paid work was significantly lower in the autistic group (22.01%) than typically developing (49.

A genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor for visualization of acetyl-CoA in live cells.

Acetyl-coenzyme A is a central metabolite that participates in many cellular pathways. Evidence suggests that acetyl-CoA metabolism is highly compartmentalized in mammalian cells. Yet methods to measure acetyl-CoA in living cells are lacking.

Comparison of Chart Review and Administrative Data in Developing Predictive Models for Readmissions in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of machine learning models for predicting readmission of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) based on administrative data and chart review data. The study analyzed 4,327 patient encounters from the University of Chicago Medicine to assess the risk of readmission within 90 days after an acute exacerbation of COPD. Two random forest prediction models were compared.

A molecular dynamics investigation into manipulating graphene flake spacing for increased selectivity towards short chain PFAS capture.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent contaminants that are often referred to as "Forever Chemicals". They are used in industrial and household products; however, they are resistant to degradation. Thus, PFAS contamination has become a wide-spread issue.

Aging Disparities in Ostomy Surgery.

Introduction: Little is known about the association between age and fecal ostomy surgery trends over time. We aim to 1) determine the rate of fecal ostomy operations over time and 2) compare rates of colostomy formation between patients older and younger than 65 y.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective multi-institutional cohort study of patients ≥18 y who underwent colorectal resection between 2003 and 2014 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database.

Microbial synthesis of m-tyrosine via whole-cell biocatalysis.

Meta-tyrosine (m-tyrosine), a nonproteinogenic amino acid, has shown significant potential for applications as an herbicide in agriculture and for various medical uses. However, the natural abundance of m-tyrosine is very low, limiting its widespread use. In this study, we successfully achieved microbial production of m-tyrosine by establishing the in vivo enzyme activity of phenylalanine 3-hydroxylase (PacX from Streptomyces coeruleoribudus) in E.

Development and validation of a county deprivation index for assessing socio-economic disparities in the United States: Implications for public health outcomes and mitigation strategies.

Objective: To develop and validate a county deprivation index (CDI) that assesses socio-economic disparities and their impact on health outcomes at the county level.

Study Design: A retrospective, cross-sectional study using publicly available county-level data.

Methods: Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to group 18 county-level socio-economic indicators into three clusters: economic well-being and technical connectivity, socio-economic disadvantage and vulnerability, and housing affordability and quality of life.

Vaccine hesitancy relates to vaccine hesitancy? Discovering nonlinear relations between differing operationalizations of vaccine hesitancy.

Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy is often conceptualized as negative perceptions regarding vaccines, but recent authors have increasingly argued that the construct should instead be conceptualized as indecision in the vaccination decision-making process. This has caused authors to reevaluate the placement of vaccine hesitancy in associated models and frameworks, and it has caused uncertainty regarding how these two conceptualizations relate to each other. In the current article, we argue that the relation between these two conceptualizations of vaccine hesitancy is best understood via nonlinear effects.

Utilizing simulation-enhanced interprofessional education to identify differences in healthcare students' collaborative practice behaviors: A mixed method study.

Background: Teaching collaborative practice behaviors (CPBs) to interprofessional healthcare students could improve healthcare for underserved populations.

Objective: This study explained the impact of Simulation Enhanced Interprofessional Education (SIM-IPE) on healthcare students' self-reported CPBs and their perceptions of utilizing CPBs when caring for underserved populations, as well as the differences among professions within interprofessional teams.

Design: Mixed methods explanatory design.

Proteinaceous corals reveal heterogeneity in shifting Southern California oceanographic regimes.

The Southern California Bight is an ecologically important region for many local and migratory fauna. We combine bulk and compound-specific amino acid stable isotope measurements in the skeletons of proteinaceous octocorals with new regional ocean modeling system model output to explore biogeochemical changes at two locations within the Bight - Santa Cruz Basin and Santa Barbara Channel. Separated by the Channel Islands, these sites display distinct oceanographic regimes.

Populism and medical advocacy: The case of hydroxychloroquine prior the 2020 United States presidential election.

Leading up to the 2020 U.S. presidential elections, the scientific consensus on hydroxychloroquine's ineffectiveness in treating COVID-19 was dismissed by Executive branch scientists, who promoted it as both a therapeutic solution and a political tool.

Sleep health among sexual and gender minority people in the United States: A scoping review.

Sleep has been found to be essential to physical and mental health. Sexual and gender minority (SGM; e.g.

Exploring the neuroprotective potential of immunosuppressants in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Neuroprotective therapy to slow Parkinson's disease (PD) progression is a critical unmet need. Neuroinflammation likely represents an important pathophysiologic mechanism for disease progression. Medications that target this inflammation, such as immunosuppressants, represent potential disease-modifying therapies for PD.

Obtaining the patient's perspective on frailty: a mini-review of qualitative studies.

There is a small, but growing, evidence base on obtaining the patient's perspective on frailty, which can help guide future research and clinical management strategies. This mini-review provides a brief summary of some qualitative studies on the patient's perspective on frailty with a focus on the study design and emerging findings to date. We reviewed seven studies in total, examining how they approached the research question and their main findings.

Towards circularity for agro-waste: Minimal soil hazards of olive pomace bioconverted frass by insect larvae as an organic fertilizer.

As global populations escalate and the demand for food and feed intensifies, the generation of agri-food waste is becoming an increasingly critical issue. Addressing this challenge is crucial for optimizing food production and advancing sustainable waste management practices. In this context, insects, including the Black Soldier Fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens), present opportunities for circularity through the bioconversion of organic waste.

Do people prefer AI-generated patient educational materials over traditional ones?

Objective: This study aimed to assess people's preference between traditional and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated colon cancer staging Patient Education Materials (PEMs).

Methods: We assessed preference among patients and companions being seen for a non-cancer diagnosis at the UT Health Austin Colon and Rectal Surgery Clinic. Participants were blinded to the study concept of AI and generation method of PEMs (Traditional: National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society; AI-generated: ChatGPT and Google Bard).

Unveiling the trends: Growing cancer and venous thromboembolism mortality in older adults in the United States, 1999-2020.

Background: While cancer mortality rates in the United States (U.S.) have decreased due to advances in chemotherapy, older adults with cancer face an elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Involuntary autobiographical memories as a transdiagnostic factor in mental disorders.

Involuntary autobiographical memories are memories of personal events that come to mind with no preceding retrieval attempts. They have been studied broadly in autobiographical memory for decades and shown to be common and mostly positive in everyday life. Clinical literature has focused on negative intrusive memories of stressful events and tended to neglect other forms of involuntary autobiographical memories.

High risk and low incidence diseases: Stercoral colitis.

Introduction: Stercoral colitis is a rare but serious diagnosis which is associated with a high rate of morbidity.

Objective: This review highlights the pearls and pitfalls of stercoral colitis, including presentation, diagnosis, and emergency department (ED) management based on the available evidence.

Discussion: Stercoral colitis is an uncommon inflammatory condition of the distal large bowel and rectum resulting from accumulation of impacted stool and is associated with several complications including bowel ulceration, ischemia, perforation, peritonitis, and sepsis.

Patch-based dual-domain photon-counting CT data correction with residual-based WGAN-ViT.

Objective: X-ray photon-counting detectors (PCDs) have recently gained popularity due to their capabilities in energy discrimination power, noise suppression, and resolution refinement. The latest extremity photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) scanner leverages these advantages for tissue characterization, material decomposition, beam hardening correction, and metal artifact reduction. However, technical challenges such as charge splitting and pulse pileup can distort the energy spectrum and compromise image quality.

Collagen silver-doped hydroxyapatite scaffolds reinforced with 3D printed frameworks for infection prevention and enhanced repair of load-bearing bone defects.

Osteomyelitis, a severe bone infection, is an extremely challenging complication in the repair of traumatic bone defects. Furthermore, the use of long-term high-dose antibiotics in standard treatment increases the risks of antibiotic resistance. Herein, an antibiotic-free, collagen silver-doped hydroxyapatite (coll-AgHA) scaffold reinforced with a 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL) framework was developed with enhanced mechanical properties to be used in the repair of load-bearing defects with antimicrobial properties as a preventative measure against osteomyelitis.