The Impact of Electric Fields on Processes at Electrode Interfaces.

The application of external electric fields to influence chemical reactions at electrode interfaces has attracted considerable interest in recent years. However, the design of electric fields to achieve highly efficient and selective catalytic systems, akin to the optimized fields found at enzyme active sites, remains a significant challenge. Consequently, there has been substantial effort in probing and understanding the interfacial electric fields at electrode/electrolyte interfaces and their effect on adsorbates.

Physicochemically Cross-linked Injectable Hydrogel: an Adhesive Skin Substitute for Burned Wound Therapy.

Burns carry a large surface area, varying in shapes and depths, and an elevated risk of infection. Regardless of the underlying etiology, burns pose significant medical challenges and a high mortality rate. Given the limitations of current therapies, tissue-engineering-based treatments for burns are inevitable.

Silica-Activated Redox Signaling Confers Rice with Enhanced Drought Resilience and Grain Yield.

Under a changing climate, enhancing the drought resilience of crops is critical to maintaining agricultural production and reducing food insecurity. Here, we demonstrate that seed priming with amorphous silica (SiO) nanoparticles (NPs) (20 mg/L) accelerated seed germination speed, increased seedlings vigor, and promoted seedling growth of rice under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mimicking drought conditions. An orthogonal approach was used to uncover the mechanisms of accelerated seed germination and enhanced drought tolerance, including electron paramagnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), metabolomics, and transcriptomics.

Determination of Site Occupancy in the M-Pd-Zn (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) γ-Brass Phase by CALculation of PHAse Diagrams Modeling and Rietveld Refinement.

The Pd-Zn γ-brass phase provides exciting opportunities for synthesizing site-isolated catalysts with precisely controlled Pd active site ensembles. Introducing a third metallic element into the γ-brass lattice further perturbs the catalytic active site ensembles. Here, we introduce coinage metallic elements M (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) into the Pd-Zn γ-brass phase and investigate the site occupation factors of each element in the γ-brass lattice.

Bacterial Nanovesicles as Interkingdom Signaling Moieties Mediating Pain Hypersensitivity.

Gut dysbiosis contributes to multiple pathologies, yet the mechanisms of the gut microbiota-mediated influence on systemic and distant responses remain largely elusive. This study aimed to identify the role of nanosized bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) in mediating allodynia, i.e.

Characterizing the Transient Emission of Particles and Gases from a Single Puff of Electronic Cigarette Smoke.

This study employed high-time-resolution systems to examine the transient properties of aerosols and gases emitted from electronic cigarette (EC) puffs. Using a fast aerosol sizer, we measured particle size distributions (PSDs) across various EC brands (JUUL, VUSE, VOOPOO), revealing sizes ranging from 5 to 1000 nm at concentrations of 10 to 10 cm. Most aerosols were found to be in the ultrafine range (below 100 nm), with JUUL-, VUSE-, and VOOPOO-producing aerosols with geometric mean sizes of 19.

Two-Dimensional Tantalum Carbo-Selenide for Hydrogen Evolution.

Herein, we report the synthesis of two-dimensional TaSeC (2D-TaSeC) nanosheets using electrochemical lithiation in multilayer TaSeC followed by sonication in deionized water. Multilayer TaSeC was obtained via solid-state synthesis of FeTaSeC followed by chemical etching of Fe. 2D-TaSeC exhibited promising electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction from water compared to multilayer TaSeC and 2D-TaSe.

Enhancing Hydrogen Evolution Reaction through Coalescence-Induced Bubble Departure on Patterned Gold-Silicon Microstrip Surfaces.

Hydrogen bubble adhesion to the electrode presents a major obstacle for green hydrogen generation via the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) as it would induce undesired overpotential and undermine the reaction efficiency by reducing reaction area, increasing transport resistance, and creating an undesired ion concentration gradient. While electrodes with aerophobic/hydrophilic surfaces have been developed to facilitate bubble detachment, they primarily rely on micro- and nanostructured catalyst surfaces to enhance buoyance-induced bubble departure. Here, we demonstrate that introducing nonreactive yet more hydrophilic surfaces can promote coalescence-induced bubble departure, thereby significantly reducing the transport overpotential and improving HER performance.

Recent Advances of Macrostructural Porous Silicon for Biomedical Applications.

Porous silicon (pSi) has gained substantial attention as a versatile material for various biomedical applications due to its unique structural and functional properties. Initially used as a semiconductor material, pSi has transitioned into a bioactive platform, enabling its use in drug delivery systems, biosensing, tissue engineering scaffolds, and implantable devices. This review explores recent advancements in macrostructural pSi, emphasizing its biocompatibility, biodegradability, high surface area, and tunable properties.

Concentration-Dependent Control of the Band Gap Energy of a Low-Dimensional Lepidocrocite Titanate.

Recently, we reported on the simple, scalable synthesis of quantum-confined one-dimensional (1D) lepidocrocite titanate nanofilaments (1DLs). Herein, we show, using solid-state UV-vis spectroscopy, that reducing the concentration of aqueous 1DL colloidal suspensions from 40 to 0.01 g/L increases the band gap energy and light absorption onset of dried filtered films from ≈3.

InP-Based Quantum Dots as Photosensitizers in Photodynamic Antimicrobial Materials.

Ligand-functionalized InP-based quantum dots (QDs) have been developed as an innovative class of nontoxic photosensitizer suitable for antimicrobial applications, aimed at reducing or preventing pathogen transmission from one host to another via high contact surfaces. A hot injection method followed by functionalization via ligand exchange with 9-anthracene carboxylic acid (ACA) yielded the desired core/shell InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed these QDs to be uniform in size (∼3.

Middle ear ventilation tubes and water precautions: A survey of otolaryngologists and pediatricians on their recommendations.

Introduction. Middle-ear ventilation tubes are commonly placed in pediatric patients because of the high frequency of otitis media. Although avoidance of water activity has been recommended to prevent otorrhea, studies indicate that exposure to water does not increase these episodes.

Estimating the Proportion of Telehealth-Able United States Emergency Department Visits.

Study Objective: We use national emergency department (ED) data to identify the proportion of "telehealth-able" ED visits, defined as potentially conductible by Video Only or Video Plus (with limited outpatient testing).

Methods: We used ED visits by patients 4 years of age and older from the 2019 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and applied survey weighting for national representativeness. Two raters categorized patient-described Reasons for Visit (RFV) as telehealth-able (yes, no, uncertain) for both Video Only and Video Plus visits.

Emotional Health of Transgender Youth 24 Months After Initiating Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.

Purpose: Limited data exist about the emotional health of transgender youth, either before or after initiation of gender-affirming hormone (GAH). The objectives were: (1) Investigate and verify the factor structure of the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Emotional Battery (NIHTB-EB) among trans and non-binary (TNB) youth; (2) Examine changes in emotional health over 24 months of GAH treatment; and (3) Examine the extent to which changes in emotional health were associated with improved appearance congruence (AC).

Methods: Study respondents were from Trans Youth Care - United States (TYCUS) study, an observational, prospective, longitudinal study of adolescents initiating GAH enrolled between 2016 and 2019.

Multi-institutional retrospective study on opioid prescribing patterns of oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

Background: The opioid epidemic is a serious crisis in the United States. It has been proposed that opioid prescriptions after dental procedures are a major contributor to opioid use and abuse. The American Dental Association has been working to educate dental care providers about safe opioid prescribing practices.

Multidimensional sleep health and cognitive function across adulthood.

Study Objectives: Sleep is essential for proper function of the mind and body. Studies report the effect of sleep problems on cognition but focus on only a single or limited number of sleep indicators or on clinical populations (e.g.

Lupus nephritis: Biomarkers.

Lupus nephritis (LN) or renal involvement of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a common manifestation occurring in at least 50 % of SLE patients. LN remains a significant source of morbidity, often leading to progressive renal dysfunction and is a major cause of death in SLE. Despite these challenges, advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and genetic underpinnings of LN have led to a commendable expansion in available treatments over the past decade.

Ion mobility spectrometry and ion mobility-mass spectrometry in clinical chemistry.

Advancements in clinical chemistry have major implications in terms of public health, prompting many clinicians to seek out chemical information to aid in diagnoses and treatments. While mass spectrometry (MS) and hyphenated-MS techniques such as LC-MS or tandem MS/MS have long been the analytical methods of choice for many clinical applications, these methods routinely demonstrate difficulty in differentiating between isomeric forms in complex matrices. Consequently, ion mobility spectrometry (IM), which differentiates molecules on the basis of size, shape, and charge, has demonstrated unique advantages in the broad application of stand-alone IM and hyphenated IM instruments towards clinical challenges.

Emerging biomarkers in Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare lysosomal disorder characterized by the accumulation of glycosphingolipids in macrophages resulting from glucocerebrosidase (GCase) deficiency. The accumulation of toxic substrates, which causes the hallmark symptoms of GD, is dependent on the extent of enzyme dysfunction. Accordingly, three distinct subtypes have been recognized, with type 1 GD (GD1) as the common and milder form, while types 2 (GD2) and 3 (GD3) are categorized as neuronopathic and severe.

Leveraging HF Stats for Enhanced Heart Failure Management: A Guide for Practitioners.

Cardiology providers and healthcare clinicians tackling heart failure (HF) face an escalating challenge: rising prevalence rates and widening disparities among populations. In this context, leveraging up-to-date and specialized data becomes paramount. Although the American Heart Association's (AHA) Heart and Stroke Statistics provides a sweeping overview of cardiovascular health with a few pages dedicated to HF and cardiomyopathy, the Heart Failure Society of America's (HFSA) HF Stats annual publication offers an up-to-date and in-depth look at multiple themes related to HF epidemiology, global trends, outcomes and much more.

Content Validity for the Checklist of NICU Caregiver Behaviors.

Objective: To update and establish content validity for the Checklist of NICU Caregiver Behaviors.

Design: Structured literature review and Delphi analysis.

Setting/local Problem: Neonates born prematurely or who are sick in the NICU are frequently exposed to harmful stimuli that can affect brain development and result in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Temporal dynamics of PM induced cell death: Emphasizing inflammation as key mediator in the late stages of prolonged myocardial toxicity.

Multiple forms of cell death contribute significantly to cardiovascular pathologies, negatively impacting cardiac remodeling and leading to heart failure. While myocardial cell death has been associated with PM induced cardiotoxicity, the temporal dynamics of various cell death forms, such as apoptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis, in relation to inflammatory processes, remain underexplored. This study examines the time-dependent onset and progression of these cell death pathways in the myocardium and their correlation with inflammation in a Wistar rat model.