Slippery liquid infused porous surface (SLIPS) condensers for high efficiency air gap membrane distillation.

To address growing water scarcity, we must improve the energy efficiency of thermal desalination technologies such as air gap membrane distillation. However, promising functional materials such as slippery liquid infused porous surfaces have not yet implemented for any desalination technology. Here, we fabricate and test slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (using Krytox 16,256 lubricant and CuO nanostructures) in an air gap membrane distillation apparatus.

Disparities in Antidiabetic Medication Discontinuation Between Non-Hispanic White and Black Beneficiaries in Medicare Across Diabetes Belt and Surrounding Area.

Objective: To assess racial and geographic disparities in antidiabetic medication discontinuation among Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in or around Diabetes Belt (DB) areas, with a specific focus on differences between non-Hispanic (NH) white and NH Black individuals.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on Medicare beneficiaries who initiated metformin and used antidiabetic medications during 2011-2015, including metformin, sulfonylureas, insulin, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and thiazolidinediones. Medication discontinuation was defined as a gap of 90 days or more without any antidiabetic medications.

Coinfection with bacterial pathogens and genetic modification of PRRSV-2 for suppression of NF-κB and attenuation of proinflammatory responses.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infects pulmonary alveolar macrophages and induces inflammation in the respiratory system. In swine farms, coinfection with PRRSV and bacterial pathogens is common and can result in clinically complicated outcomes, including porcine respiratory disease complex. Coinfection can cause excessive expressions of proinflammatory mediators and may lead to cytokine-storm-like syndrome.

Anisotropic Flow in Fixed-Target ^{208}Pb+^{20}Ne Collisions as a Probe of Quark-Gluon Plasma.

The System for Measuring Overlap with Gas (SMOG2) at the LHCb detector enables the study of fixed-target ion-ion collisions at relativistic energies (sqrt[s_{NN}]∼100  GeV in the center of mass). With input from ab initio calculations of the structure of ^{16}O and ^{20}Ne, we compute 3+1D hydrodynamic predictions for the anisotropic flow of Pb+Ne and Pb+O collisions to be tested with upcoming LHCb data. This will allow the detailed study of quark-gluon plasma formation as well as experimental tests of the predicted nuclear shapes.

Microprism-based two-photon imaging of the mouse inferior colliculus reveals novel organizational principles of the auditory midbrain.

To navigate real-world listening conditions, the auditory system relies on the integration of multiple sources of information. However, to avoid inappropriate cross-talk between inputs, highly connected neural systems need to strike a balance between integration and segregation. Here, we develop a novel approach to examine how repeated neurochemical modules in the mouse inferior colliculus lateral cortex (LC) allow controlled integration of its multimodal inputs.

Optimizing Xenium In Situ data utility by quality assessment and best-practice analysis workflows.

The Xenium In Situ platform is a new spatial transcriptomics product commercialized by 10x Genomics, capable of mapping hundreds of genes in situ at subcellular resolution. Given the multitude of commercially available spatial transcriptomics technologies, recommendations in choice of platform and analysis guidelines are increasingly important. Herein, we explore 25 Xenium datasets generated from multiple tissues and species, comparing scalability, resolution, data quality, capacities and limitations with eight other spatially resolved transcriptomics technologies and commercial platforms.

Environmental effects of the Kakhovka Dam destruction by warfare in Ukraine.

The use of water as a weapon in highly industrialized areas in the Russo-Ukrainian war has resulted in catastrophic economic and environmental damages. We analyze environmental effects caused by the military destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. We link field, remote sensing, and modeling data to demarcate the disaster's spatial-temporal scales and outline trends in reestablishment of damaged ecosystems.

Decoding the dilemma: Exploring the rules and cues of egg rejection in the American robin (Turdus migratorius) through conjoint experimentation.

Uncovering the cognitive bases of egg rejection behavior in avian hosts of brood parasites carries significant comparative implications not only for our understanding of host-parasite coevolution but also for cross-species research aimed at assessing decision-making. In this study, we focused on the American robin (), a species that lays large, elongated, and immaculate blue eggs and is well studied for its robust rejection of smaller, rounder, white, and maculated eggs laid by the brood parasitic brown-headed cowbird (). Employing a randomized multiple simultaneous parasitism paradigm, we experimentally investigated how model egg color, dimensions, and maculation influenced the rejection rates of eight distinct egg types across 28 different pairings of two eggs at a time.

>Documenting Baseline Efficacy of Grain Rescue Training for Emergency First Responders Through Pre- and Post-Testing, and Follow-Up Survey.

Highlights: Pre- and post-tests, administered to 2,141 emergency first responder participants, showed an average improvement in test scores from 67% to 75%, highlighting the efficacy of the training. Interviews conducted within 3 years post-training revealed high participant satisfaction, with over 25% reporting adoption of key strategies discussed in the training by their fire/rescue service. Areas of concern were identified, including the lack of understanding related to certain hazards, such as free-flowing grain, which may put first responders at risk of secondary victimization.

Identification of Advantages and Limitations of Current Risk Assessment and Hazard Analysis Methods when Applied on Autonomous Agricultural Machineries.

Highlights: The three main types of risk assessment and hazard analysis techniques applied on autonomous agricultural machines are: (1) Informal Group Analysis; (2) Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA); and (3) Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). Replicability is the main advantage of FMEA and HARA, while cost effectiveness is the main advantage of Informal Group Analysis. Subjectivity and the requirement for prior knowledge (data) are the main weaknesses of FMEA, HARA, and Informal Group Analysis when applied to novel and revolutionary autonomous agricultural machines.

Amino Acid Digestibility of Yellow Mealworm-Based Ingredients using the Precision-Fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay.

Yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) serve as an alternative protein source. Because the amino acid (AA) concentrations, AA digestibility, and protein quality of ingredients may vary depending on their husbandry, harvest and processing procedures, and other factors, each should be evaluated separately. The objective of this study was to measure the AA composition, AA digestibility, and protein quality of yellow mealworm-based ingredients using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay.

Texture Analysis in Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography: A Systematic Review.

The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the findings of texture analyses of musculoskeletal ultrasound images and synthesize the information to facilitate the use of texture analysis on assessing skeletal muscle quality in various pathophysiological conditions. Medline, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched from their inception until January 2025 using the PRISMA Diagnostic Test Accuracy and was registered at PROSPERO CRD42025636613. Information related to patients, interventions, ultrasound settings, texture analyses, muscles, and findings were extracted.

Self-resistance-gene-guided, high-throughput automated genome mining of bioactive natural products from Streptomyces.

Natural products (NPs) from bacteria, fungi, and plants are a vital source of drug leads, with Streptomyces species being particularly significant due to their capability of producing diverse bioactive compounds. Here, we present a fully automated, scalable, high-throughput platform for discovering bioactive NPs in Streptomyces (FAST-NPS). This platform integrates computational biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) prediction and prioritization guided by self-resistance genes, automated cloning and heterologous expression, high-throughput fermentation, and product extraction.

Shear flow patterns antimicrobial gradients across bacterial populations.

Bacterial populations experience chemical gradients in nature. However, most experimental systems either ignore gradients or fail to capture gradients in mechanically relevant contexts. Here, we use microfluidic experiments and biophysical simulations to explore how host-relevant shear flow affects antimicrobial gradients across communities of the highly resistant pathogen .

Heterologous prime-boost immunization of two-component vaccine candidate PWDVax protected pigs against F18 enterotoxigenic post-weaning diarrhea.

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is associated predominantly with enterotoxigenic (ETEC) and continuously causes significant economic losses to swine producers worldwide. Currently, there are no effective countermeasures against this significant swine disease. Challenges persist in developing vaccines against PWD since ETEC strains produce heterogeneous virulence factors, including F4 (K88) and F18 fimbria and heat-labile toxin (LT), heat-stable toxin type I (STa), heat-stable toxin II (STb), and Shiga toxin type 2e (Stx2e, also causes edema disease).

Probing cage dynamics in concentrated hard-sphere suspensions and glasses with high frequency rheometry.

The cage concept, a central microscopic mechanism for glassy dynamics, has been utilized in concentrated colloidal suspensions to describe a number of phenomena. Here, we probe the evolution of cage formation and shear elasticity with increasing volume fraction in hard sphere suspensions, with emphasis on the short-time dynamics. To this end, we utilize linear viscoelastic (LVE) measurements, by means of conventional rotational rheometers and a home-made HF piezo-rheometer, to probe the dynamic response over a broad range of volume fractions up to the very dense glassy regime in proximity to random close packing.

Identification of a Selective Anticancer Agent from a Collection of Complex-And-Diverse Compounds Synthesized from Stevioside.

Compounds constructed by distorting the ring systems of natural products serve as a ready source of complex and diverse molecules, useful for a variety of applications. Herein is presented the use of the diterpenoids steviol and isosteviol as starting points for the construction of >50 new compounds through this complexity-to-diversity approach, featuring novel ring system distortions and a noteworthy thallium(III) nitrate (TTN)-mediated ring fusion. Evaluation of this collection identified as a potent and selective anticancer compound, inducing cell death at low nanomolar concentrations against some cancer cell lines in culture, compared to micromolar activity against others.

Hippocampal volume asymmetry in Alzheimer disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Biomarkers play an important role in the diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer disease (AD), with the hippocampal emerging as the most reliable indicator of AD pathology. Elucidation of the patient's left and right hippocampal volumes warrants further consideration. Therefore, caution should be exercised regarding the constraints inherent in the measurement method.

Effect of a polymeric compound layer on jetting dynamics produced by bursting bubbles.

Jetting dynamics from bursting bubbles play a key role in mediating mass and momentum transport across the air-liquid interface, and have attracted widespread interest from researchers across disciplines. In marine environments, this phenomenon has drawn considerable attention due to its role in releasing biochemical contaminants, such as extracellular polymeric substances, into the atmosphere through aerosol production. These biocontaminants often exhibit non-Newtonian characteristics, yet the physics of bubble bursting with a rheologically complex layer at the bubble-liquid interface remains largely unexplored.

Amplification-free, OR-gated CRISPR-Cascade reaction for pathogen detection in blood samples.

Rapid and accurate detection of DNA from disease-causing pathogens is essential for controlling the spread of infections and administering timely treatments. While traditional molecular diagnostics techniques like PCR are highly sensitive, they include nucleic acid amplification and many need to be performed in centralized laboratories, limiting their utility in point-of-care settings. Recent advances in CRISPR-based diagnostics (CRISPR-Dx) have demonstrated the potential for highly specific molecular detection, but the sensitivity is often constrained by the slow trans-cleavage activity of Cas enzymes, necessitating preamplification of target nucleic acids.

A registration strategy to characterize DTI-observed changes in skeletal muscle architecture due to passive shortening.

Skeletal muscle architecture is a key determinant of muscle function. Architectural properties such as fascicle length, pennation angle, and curvature can be characterized using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), but acquiring these data during a contraction is not currently feasible. However, an image registration-based strategy may be able to convert muscle architectural properties observed at rest to their contracted state.

Enhancing Liquid-Vapor Phase-Change Heat Transfer with Micro/Nano-Structured Surfaces.

Liquid-vapor phase-change heat transfer plays an important role in many industrial systems, ranging from power generation and air conditioning to water desalination, food processing, and thermal management of electronics and data centers. Recent advances in micro/nanofabrication have enabled desirable manipulation of multiscale dynamics governing droplet/bubble motion and capillary liquid flows for highly efficient phase-change heat transfer. However, there lacks a comprehensive review on the design and fabrication of micro/nanostructured surfaces with controlled morphology and wettability, to enhance the diverse phase-change heat transfer processes.

Morphogenic Growth 3D Printing.

Inspired by nature's morphogenesis, a new 3D printing process -growth printing (GP)- takes advantage of a self-propagating curing front to produce 3D polymeric parts following a growth-like development plan. The propagation of the curing front is driven by the exothermic polymerization of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), which transforms the liquid resin into a stiff polymer as it propagates at 1 mm s. GP is triggered when a heated initiator contacts the uncured liquid resin in an open container.

Small daily doses of orange heirloom ('Moonglow') tomatoes dose-dependently increase plasma and liver lycopene concentrations in rats.

Lycopene in red tomatoes is mainly in the poorly bioavailable all-trans-isomeric form, while 'Moonglow', an orange heirloom tomato, contains more bioavailable cis-lycopene isomers. Consuming around 1.5 kg of red tomatoes daily is needed to achieve effective plasma lycopene levels (>0.

Bioconversion of CO into valuable bioproducts via synthetic modular co-culture of engineered Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Escherichia coli.

With increasing concern over environmental problems and energy crises, interest in the biological conversion of CO into bioproducts is growing. Although microalgae efficiently utilize CO, their metabolic engineering remains challenging. In contrast, while synthetic biology tools are advanced for many heterotrophic bacteria, these organisms cannot directly utilize CO.