Leaf functional traits highlight phenotypic variation of two tree species in the urban environment.

Urbanization is transforming landscapes globally, altering environmental conditions that affect ecosystem functioning, particularly in urban areas where trees are crucial for regulating microclimates, improving air quality, and sustaining biodiversity. This study investigates the environmental differences and tree leaf structure and morphology in urban and suburban sites in the Chicago Metropolitan Region. The leaf functional traits of Norway Maple and Little - leaved Linden were studied in three locations in the summer of 2023: an urban park (University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL), a suburban park (Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL), and a suburban residential site (Lombard, IL).

The United States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory Multi-Attribute Task Battery.

The U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB) represents a significant advancement in research platforms for human performance assessment and automation studies.

Neuroethical considerations and attitudes about neurostimulation as a fatigue countermeasure among emergency responders.

Introduction: First responders play a pivotal role in ensuring the wellbeing of individuals during critical situations. The demanding nature of their work exposes them to prolonged shifts and unpredictable situations, leading to elevated fatigue levels. Modern countermeasures to fatigue do not provide the best results.

Sensory innervation in the prostate and a role for calcitonin gene-related peptide in prostatic epithelial proliferation.

Introduction: The prostate is densely innervated like many visceral organs and glands. However, studies to date have focused on sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves and little attention has been given to the presence or function of sensory nerves in the prostate. Recent studies have highlighted a role for sensory nerves beyond perception of noxious stimuli, as anterograde release of neuropeptides from sensory nerves can affect vascular tone and local immune responses.

Melanoma toolkit for early detection for primary care clinicians: a 1-year follow-up on outcomes.

Introduction: Primary care providers or clinicians (PCPs) have the potential to assist dermatologists in screening patients at risk for skin cancer, but require training to appropriately identify higher-risk patients, perform skin checks, recognize and biopsy concerning lesions, interpret pathology results, document the exam, and bill for the service. Very few validated dermatology training programs exist for PCPs and those that are available focus primarily on one emphasis area, which results in variable efficacy and single-topic limited scope.

Methods: We have created a free, online, continuing education program (Melanoma Toolkit for Early Detection, MTED) that allows learners to choose from a variety of multimedia tools (image recognition, videos, written material, in-person seminars, self-tests, etc.

Modifying reaction time tasks parameters in the automated IntelliCage identifies heightened impulsivity and impaired attention in the 3xTg-AD model of Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The 3xTg-AD transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important tool to investigate the relationship between development of pathological amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairments. Traditional behavioral tasks assessing aspects of learning and memory, such as mazes requiring spatial navigation, unfortunately suffer from several shortcomings, including the stress of human handling and not probing species-typical behavior. The automated IntelliCage system was developed to circumvent such issues by testing mice in a social environment while measuring multiple aspects of cognition.

Apolipoprotein E dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: a study on miRNA regulation, glial markers, and amyloid pathology.

Introduction: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) plays a crucial role in lipid homeostasis, predominantly expressed in astrocytes and to a lesser extent in microglia within the central nervous system (CNS). While the allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), its precise role in AD pathogenesis remains elusive. -knockout (-ko) mice, mice expressing human , and human carriers exhibit similar deficits in lipid metabolism, cognitive and behavioral functions, and neurodegeneration.

Printed Twisted Thin Films with Near-Infrared Bandgaps and Tailored Chiroptical Properties.

In this work, twisted helical cellulose nanocrystals films with preprogrammed circular polarization and near-infrared reflectance are fabricated via a blade-based 3D printing method. The films are composed of stacked nanoscale slabs with high birefringence from unidirectionally organized cellulose nanocrystals. By changing the printing director, we achieved two types of films: twisted helical stacks and anisotropic Bragg stacks.

Rational Fabrication of Functionally-Graded Surfaces for Biological and Biomedical Applications.

As a ubiquitous feature of the biological world, gradation, in either composition or structure, is essential to many functions and processes. Taking protein gradation as an example, it plays a pivotal role in the development and evolution of human bodies, including stimulation and direction of the outgrowth of peripheral nerves in a developing fetus. It is also critically involved in wound healing by attracting and guiding immune cells to the site of injury or infection.

First Episode Psychosis in a Teen with Narcolepsy and Cataplexy.

Narcolepsy with cataplexy (NT1) is a sleep disorder very rarely associated with early-onset psychosis. The incidence of this association is unknown but appears to be more common in children and adolescents. This combination of diagnoses presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Assessment of bacterial communities of termite workers attacking Ironwood trees () in Guam for the presence of Ironwood tree decline-associated pathogens.

The Ironwood tree () holds a significant ecological role in Guam where a decline in Ironwood trees was first documented in 2002. Studies have linked the Ironwood tree decline (IWTD) to bacteria from the complex and wetwood bacteria, specifically and . Presence of termites was first found to be associated with IWTD in 2010; however, the role of termites in IWTD is still not clear.

Plant and soil microbial composition legacies following indaziflam herbicide treatment.

Land stewards in dryland ecosystems across the western U.S. face challenges to manage the exotic grass (cheatgrass), which is a poor forage, is difficult to remove, and increases risk of catastrophic fire.

The fungal gut microbiota in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis.

Evidence suggests that the gut microbiome may play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the majority of the studies have focused on gut bacterial communities; none have examined the fungal microbiota (mycobiota) in persons with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS). We examined the gut mycobiota in persons with and without POMS through a cross-sectional examination of the gut mycobiota from 46 participants' stool samples (three groups: 18 POMS, 13 acquired monophasic demyelinating syndromes [monoADS], and 15 unaffected controls).

Comparative analyses of persistence traits in O157:H7 strains belonging to different clades including REPEXH01 and REPEXH02 strains.

Recent application of whole genome sequencing in the investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks has facilitated the identification of Reoccurring, Emerging, or Persistent (REP) bacterial strains that have caused illnesses over extended periods of time. Here, the complete genomes of two O157:H7 (EcO157) outbreak strains belonging to REPEXH01 and REPEXH02, respectively, were sequenced and annotated. Comparative genomics and phenotypic analyses were carried out to identify REP-associated traits.

Diurnal temperature variation in surface soils: an underappreciated control on microbial processes.

Large diurnal temperature changes (ΔT) (or the diurnal temperature range (DTR)) in surface soils, ranging from 5°C to often greater than 20°C, are generally acknowledged to occur yet largely disregarded in studies that seek to understand how temperature affects microbially-mediated carbon and nitrogen cycling processes. The soil DTR is globally significant at depths of 30 cm or less, occurring from spring through summer in temperate biomes, during summer periods in the arctic, and year-round in the tropics. Thus, although temperature has long been considered an important factor in controlling microbial processes, our understanding of its effects remains incomplete when considering natural soil temperature cycles.

Association between urinary arsenic and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015-2016.

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is a common sensory disorder in humans. Studies on the relationship between arsenic, which is a highly toxic and widely distributed heavy metal with a health risk to humans, and hearing status in humans are contradictory and mostly focused on people living in arsenic-contaminated areas. This study investigated the association between urinary arsenic levels and hearing threshold shifts in the general population in the United States.

Construction and optimization of health behavior prediction model for the older adult in smart older adult care.

Introduction: With the intensification of global aging, health management for the older adult has become a significant societal concern. Addressing challenges such as data diversity, health status complexity, long-term dependence, and data privacy is crucial for predicting older adult health behaviors.

Methods: This study designs and implements a smart older adult care service model incorporating modules like multimodal data fusion, data loss processing, nonlinear prediction, emergency detection, and privacy protection.

Popular but precarious: low helmet use among shared micromobility program riders in San Francisco.

Background: Shared micromobility programs (SMPs) are integral to urban transport in US cities, providing sustainable transit options. Increased use has raised safety concerns, notably about helmet usage among e-scooter and e-bicycle riders. Prior studies have shown that head and upper extremity injuries have risen with SMP adoption, yet data on helmet use remains sparse.

Contagion comeback: unravelling the measles outbreak across the USA.

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the measles virus (MeV), poses significant global and national public health challenges despite advancements in vaccination efforts. Though measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, recent years have seen a resurgence of cases, particularly in under-vaccinated communities. This resurgence is compounded by factors such as vaccine hesitancy, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immunization rates, and international travel introducing new cases from endemic regions.

Long-term impact of Diabetes Prevention Program interventions on walking endurance.

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prediabetes are associated with poor walking endurance, a marker of physical function. We aimed to examine the long-term effects of metformin or intensive lifestyle intervention in adults at high risk of T2D on their 6-min walk test (6MWT) performance.

Methods: Participants were randomized in the 3-year Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) to one of the three groups: lifestyle intervention, metformin, or placebo, and were subsequently followed in the DPP Outcomes Study.

Community case study: Our Wave, an online platform to facilitate survivor disclosure of sexual assault and trauma recovery.

This community case study introduces Our Wave, an online platform that provides a safe, anonymous space for survivors of sexual harm to share their stories, reflect on their healing journeys, and connect with others. Designed to empower survivors, the platform allows users to post anonymous stories or visual media, ask questions, and send messages of hope, all while prioritizing privacy and security. It also aims to create a broader impact by analyzing shared narratives to detect patterns, identify best practices for healing, and inform global approaches to SV recovery.

Disparities exist among US adolescents in the receipt of transition to adult healthcare services: the differential impact of social determinants of health, healthcare needs, and COVID-19.

Introduction: We examined the influence of special healthcare needs, onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their interaction on receiving transition services to prepare for future adult care among US adolescents, and whether social determinants of health moderated the relationship of these factors with receiving transition services.

Methods: We analyzed the National Survey of Children's Health (2019, 2020-2021) using adjusted multivariable logistic regression models. We assessed a repeated cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of adolescents aged 12-17 years old.