NIST Mass Spectral Libraries in the Context of the Circular Economy of Plastics.

The Mass Spectrometry Data Center (MSDC) has recently started improving existing libraries and creating new ones for identifying and analyzing plastics-related compounds (PRC) and materials (PRM) as part of the NIST circular economy program. PRC are small molecules of dissimilar chemical nature; hence, to increase coverage, we have used three types of ionizations: EI, ESI, and APCI. PRM are solids that include polymers, polymer mixtures, and commercial plastics, so we have used pyrolysis-gas chromatography (py-GC-MS) to create a new searchable library.

Effects of Temperature Fluctuations on Surface Mobility of Atomic Steps and Oxidation Dynamics in High-Temperature Alloys.

In contrast to the traditional perspective that thermal fluctuations are insignificant in surface dynamics, here we report their influence on surface reaction dynamics. Using real-time low-energy electron microscopy imaging of NiAl(100) under both vacuum and O atmospheres, we demonstrate that transient temperature variations substantially alter the direction of atom diffusion between the surface and bulk, leading to markedly different oxidation outcomes. During heating, substantial outward diffusion of atoms from the bulk to the surface results in step growth.

Metagenomic Sequencing of Tomato Plants with Wilt Symptoms Allows for Strain-Level Pathogen Identification and Genome-Based Characterization.

Diseases that affect the vascular system or the pith are of great economic impact since they can rapidly destroy the affected plants, leading to complete loss in production. Fast and precise identification is thus important to inform containment and management, but many identification methods are slow because they are culture-dependent and they do not reach strain resolution. Here we used culture-independent long-read metagenomic sequencing of DNA extracted directly from stems of two tomato samples that displayed wilt symptoms.

Potential Air Quality Side-Effects of Emitting HO to Enhance Methane Oxidation as a Climate Solution.

Methane (CH) is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 81.2 times higher than carbon dioxide (CO). The intentional emission of oxidants into the atmosphere has been proposed as a geoengineering solution to accelerate the oxidation of CH to CO, thereby reducing surface warming.

Employing foreign caregivers: A qualitative study of the perspectives of older stroke survivors.

Background: Global populations are aging, and the numbers of stroke survivors is increasing. Consequently, the need for caregiver support has increased. Because of this and demographic and socioeconomic changes, foreign caregivers are increasingly in demand in many developed countries.

Exploring LGBTQ+ youth well-being: Utilizing a mixed-method approach to uncover insights, needs, and strategies of LGBTQ+ youth in Northwest Arkansas.

Objective: This study investigates the well-being and needs of LGBTQ+ youth in Northwest Arkansas, aiming to understand factors influencing their quality of life and inform supportive policies and practices.

Methods: This exploratory, descriptive evaluation used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to explore LGBTQ+ youth well-being and needs in Northwest Arkansas. 218 online survey respondents and six interviewees under 21 who self-identified as LGBTQ+ participated.

Nosé-Hoover Integrators at-a-Glance: Barostat Integration Has a Demonstrable Effect on Uniaxial Tension Results of Solid Materials.

Molecular dynamics is a popular method for evaluating the tensile stress behaviors of many nanomaterials; however, few manuscripts include their thermostat and barostat damping parameters along with their methods. Here, we illustrate the demonstrable effect that barostat integration has on system dynamics during uniaxial testing under a Nosé-Hoover scheme. Three systems are tested: a 2D graphene sheet, a 3D continuous aluminum volume, and a 3D discontinuous polyvinyl alcohol volume.

The physiological stress response of juvenile nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) to catch-and-release recreational angling.

Nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum), especially juveniles, are often encountered by near-shore and shore-based recreational anglers and are suggested to exhibit minimal behavioral and physiological responses to capture, largely based on studies of adults using commercial or scientific fishing methods. To quantify the sub-lethal effects of recreational angling on juvenile nurse sharks, 27 individuals (across 31 angling events) were caught using hook-and-line fishing methods. Over a 30-min period, 4 blood samples were taken with variable time intervals between sampling (i.

Individual differences elucidate the perceptual benefits associated with robust temporal fine-structure processing.

The auditory system is unique among sensory systems in its ability to phase lock to and precisely follow very fast cycle-by-cycle fluctuations in the phase of sound-driven cochlear vibrations. Yet, the perceptual role of this temporal fine structure (TFS) code is debated. This fundamental gap is attributable to our inability to experimentally manipulate TFS cues without altering other perceptually relevant cues.

Seizures elicited by transcorneal 6 Hz stimulation in developing rats.

Seizures elicited by corneal 6-Hz stimulation are widely acknowledged as a model of temporal lobe seizures. Despite the intensive research in rodents, no studies hint at this model in developing animals. We focused on seven age groups of both male and female rats.

PtpA protein from Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis as a potential marker of rheumatoid arthritis in humans.

Studies have noted the connection between Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) and autoimmunity. MAP is an intracellular pathogen that infects and multiplies in macrophages. To overcome the hostile environment elicited by the macrophage, MAP secretes a battery of virulence factors to neutralize the toxic effects of the macrophage.

Clonal phylogenies inferred from bulk, single cell, and spatial transcriptomic analysis of epithelial cancers.

Epithelial cancers are typically heterogeneous with primary prostate cancer being a typical example of histological and genomic variation. Prior studies of primary prostate cancer tumour genetics revealed extensive inter and intra-patient genomic tumour heterogeneity. Recent advances in machine learning have enabled the inference of ground-truth genomic single-nucleotide and copy number variant status from transcript data.

Utilization of transitional care management services and 30-day readmission.

Transitional care management (TCM) visits have been shown to reduce 30-day readmissions, but it is unclear whether the decrease arises from the TCM visit itself or from clinic-level changes to meet the requirements of the TCM visits. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from Northwell Health to examine the association between the type of post-discharge follow-up visits (TCM visits versus non-TCM visits based on billing) and 30-day readmission. Furthermore, we assessed whether being seen by a provider who frequently utilizes TCM visits or the TCM visit itself was associated with 30-day readmission.

Intracerebroventricular administration of a modified hexosaminidase ameliorates late-stage neurodegeneration in a GM2 mouse model.

The GM2 gangliosidoses, Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease, are devastating neurodegenerative disorders caused by β-hexosaminidase A (HexA) deficiency. In the Sandhoff disease mouse model, rescue potential was severely reduced when HexA was introduced after disease onset. Here, we assess the effect of recombinant HexA and HexD3, a newly engineered mimetic of HexA optimized for the treatment of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease.

Late-stage changes in the composition of cell walls of maize plants expressing an apoplast targeted, senescence enhanced fungal ferulic acid esterase, and the subsequent effects on tissue saccharification.

Using maize plants expressing an apoplast targeted Aspergillus niger ferulic acid esterase (FAEA), with FAEA driven by a Lolium multiflorum senescence enhanced promoter (LmSee1), we extended measurements of FAEA activity to late-stage senescing plants and measured the stability of FAEA activity following stover storage. The impact of FAEA expression on cell wall hydroxycinnamic acid levels and arabinoxylan (AX) cross-links, and on the levels of cell wall sugars, acetyl bromide lignin and sugar release following saccharification by a cocktail of cellulases and xylanases, was assessed during plant development to full leaf senescence. These were determined in both individual internodes and in combined leaves and combined internodes of FAEA expressing and control partner plants.

Disparities in time to treatment initiation of invasive lung cancer among Black and White patients in Tennessee.

Background: Early initiation of treatment for lung cancer has been shown to improve patient survival. The present study investigates disparities in time to treatment initiation of invasive lung cancer within and between Black and White patients in Tennessee.

Methods: A population-based registry data of 42,970 individuals (Black = 4,480 and White = 38,490) diagnosed with invasive lung cancer obtained from the Tennessee Cancer Registry, 2005-2015, was analyzed.

Trends in childhood cancer: Incidence and survival analysis over 45 years of SEER data.

Background: The SEER Registry contains U.S. cancer statistics.

Occult metastases and survival of lung cancer by clinical diagnosis and CT screening: A simulation study.

Objectives: It is significant to know how much early detection and screening could reduce the proportion of occult metastases and benefit NSCLC patients.

Methods: We used previously designed and validated mathematical models to obtain the characteristics of LC in the population including undetectable metastases at the time of diagnosis. The survival was simulated using the survival functions from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data stratified by stage.

The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 drove broadly increased seroprevalence in a public university setting.

Omicron is the comparatively most transmissible and contagious variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). We conducted a seroprevalence study from March 1-3, 2022, to investigate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among individuals aged 18 years and older after the Omicron outbreak. The seroprevalence of anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies was found to be 96.

Networks of care for optimizing Primary Health Care Service Delivery in Ethiopia: Enhancing relational linkages and care coordination.

Introduction: Ethiopia has made notable progress in reducing maternal and perinatal mortality, yet challenges remain in meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Persistent issues such as low service utilization, coupled with poor quality, fragmented care, and ineffective referral systems hinder progress. The "Improve Primary Health Care Service Delivery (IPHCSD)" project, implemented by JSI and Amref Health Africa since April 2022, seeks to address these gaps through a Networks of Care (NoCs) approach.

The association between helicobacter pylori infection and Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) index in US adults: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background: The Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a marker for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, while Helicobacter pylori is linked to gastrointestinal diseases and may affect metabolic risks. This study examined the association between the TyG index and H. pylori infection in adults.

Demographic, social and health system factors associated with maternal mortality in Pakistan: A nested case-control study.

Background: Pakistan has experienced a significant reduction in maternal mortality with a decline of 33 percent between 2006 and 2019. However, the country still grapples with a high number (186 per 100,000 live births) of maternal deaths each year. This study aims to identify socio-demographic and health system related factors associated with maternal mortality.

A NOTCH3 pathogenic variant influences osteogenesis and can be targeted by antisense oligonucleotides in induced pluripotent stem cells.

Lateral Meningocele Syndrome (LMS), a disorder associated with NOTCH3 pathogenic variants, presents with neurological, craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities. Mouse models of the disease exhibit osteopenia that is ameliorated by the administration of Notch3 antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) targeting either Notch3 or the Notch3 mutation. To determine the consequences of LMS pathogenic variants in human cells and whether they can be targeted by ASOs, induced pluripotent NCRM1 and NCRM5 stem (iPS) cells harboring a NOTCH36692-93insC insertion were created.

CD206+ Trem2+ macrophage accumulation in the murine knee joint after injury is associated with protection against post-traumatic osteoarthritis in MRL/MpJ mice.

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a painful joint disease characterized by the degradation of bone, cartilage, and other connective tissues in the joint. PTOA is initiated by trauma to joint-stabilizing tissues, such as the anterior cruciate ligament, medial meniscus, or by intra-articular fractures. In humans, ~50% of joint injuries progress to PTOA, while the rest spontaneously resolve.

Multiphoton and Harmonic Imaging of Microarchitected Materials.

Microadditive manufacturing has revolutionized the production of complex, nano- to microscale components across various fields. This work investigates two-photon (2P) and three-photon (3P) fluorescence imaging, as well as third-harmonic generation (THG) microscopy, to examine periodic microarchitected lattice structures fabricated using multiphoton lithography (MPL). By immersing the structures in refractive index matching fluids, we demonstrate high-fidelity 3D reconstructions of both fluorescent structures using 2P and 3P microscopy as well as low-fluorescence structures using THG microscopy.