A novel blue-green infrastructure for providing potential drinking water source from urban stormwater through a sustainable physical-biological treatment.

In this research, a sustainable blue-green infrastructure (BGI) was developed to efficiently remove contaminants from stormwater through a combined use of modified porous asphalt (PA) and microalgae cultivation to provide a potential drinking water (DW) source. According to the results, the modified PA with powder activated carbon (PAC) could successfully reduce the level of total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oil and grease to below the DW standards but failed to efficiently remove some heavy metals (HMs) and nutrient pollutants. The results revealed that the treated stormwater was an appropriate medium for microalgae cultivation.

Cultivating the conditions for care: it's all about trust.

This perspective article shares the viewpoints of two long-standing patient safety advocates who have participated first-hand in the evolution of patient engagement in healthcare quality and safety. Their involvement is motivated by a rejection of the common cruelty of institutional betrayal that compounds harm when patient safety fails. The advocates have sought to understand how it can be that fractured trust spreads so predictably after harm, just when it most needs strengthening.

Exploring perspectives of type 2 diabetes prevention program coaches and training delivery staff on e-learning training: a qualitative study.

Background: E-learning can be an effective and efficient mode of training healthcare practitioners. E-learning training for diabetes prevention program coaches was designed and developed with input from end users. Insight from those who deliver the training and coaches who have taken the training can provide critical feedback for further refinement of the e-learning training.

Diversity of Microglia-Derived Molecules with Neurotrophic Properties That Support Neurons in the Central Nervous System and Other Tissues.

Microglia, the brain immune cells, support neurons by producing several established neurotrophic molecules including glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Modern analytical techniques have identified numerous phenotypic states of microglia, each associated with the secretion of a diverse set of substances, which likely include not only canonical neurotrophic factors but also other less-studied molecules that can interact with neurons and provide trophic support. In this review, we consider the following eight such candidate cytokines: oncostatin M (OSM), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), activin A, colony-stimulating factor (CSF)-1, interleukin (IL)-34, growth/differentiation factor (GDF)-15, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-2.

"People Need to Know; We're Part of the Community. We're Here.": Examining Experiences of Sharing Demographic Information for a Community-Based Diabetes Prevention Program.

Background: Collecting demographic data is critical for identifying inequities in healthcare services and delivery. Inaccurate collection of demographic data can make developing equitable health interventions and improving reach of existing interventions difficult. This study aimed to (a) examine experiences in completing a community-based type 2 diabetes prevention program Small Steps for Big Changes (SSBC) demographic questionnaire (SSBC-DQ) among adults from equity-owed groups, and (b) assess recommendations for improvement to the questionnaire.

A comparison of radio frequency and microwave heating methods for enhancing the removal and biotransformation of endocrine-disrupting triclocarban during advanced anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) has very limited effectiveness against the removal of many emerging contaminants, including the pervasive antimicrobial triclocarban (TCC). This is the first study to compare two thermal pretreatment methods to evaluate the fate of persistent TCC and its transformation/degradation by-products during advanced AD. Two electromagnetic heating methods are employed: one uses an innovative radio frequency (RF) heating system at 13.

HutZ from Inhibits HutW-Mediated Anaerobilin Formation by Sequestering Heme.

Anaerobilin synthase catalyzes the decyclization of the heme protoporphyrin ring, an O-independent reaction that liberates iron and produces the linear tetrapyrrole, anaerobilin. The marine bacterium , the enteric pathogen O157:H7, and the opportunistic oral pathogen encode anaerobilin synthase as part of their heme uptake/utilization operons, designated ( O157:H7), (), and (). and O157:H7 contain accessory proteins (ChuS, ChuY, and HmuF) encoded in their respective operons that mitigate against the cytotoxicity of labile heme and anaerobilin by functioning in heme trafficking and anaerobilin reduction.

Are Diabetes Prevention Programs Reaching Those Most at Risk? A Scoping Review.

Objective: Previous reviews have highlighted the efficacy of lifestyle diabetes prevention programs (DPPs) in decreasing type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk; however, the participating population is predominantly white. This is concerning as ethnically diverse populations are disproportionately affected by T2D. The objective of this scoping review was to 1) summarize existing tailored DPPs and 2) provide recommendations for future program implementation to improve access and reach for diverse populations.

Automated Dynamic Inlet Microfluidics (ADIM) system: cost-effective biaxial nanoliter droplet on demand generation platform and its application in agglutination assays.

The paper demonstrates an adaptation of a Prusa Mini+ 3D printer through the integration of 3D printed modules, creating a system capable of producing varied droplets from multiple Eppendorf tubes. Building upon our previous model, this system enhances calibration methodology enabling any fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer to produce mono-disperse droplets (coefficient of variance (CV%) <2% for train of 100 droplets) with 6900 assays per hour rate. The cost of the developed system is 85% lower than that of existing droplet generation solutions on the market, and 30% more economical than the previous iteration of the system.

A scoping review of rural mental health and substance use nursing.

Introduction: Globally, nearly 50% of the population live in rural areas, while just 36% of nurses serve in these locations. Rural nurses face distinct challenges such as limited resources and geographical isolation, and often work with an expanded scope of practice that includes mental health and substance use (MHSU) care. The extent to which rural nurses engage in MHSU care, care barriers, and facilitators has not been previously well described.

Exploring variations in the implementation of a health system level policy intervention to improve maternal and child health outcomes in resource limited settings: A qualitative multiple case study from Uganda.

Background: Despite growing literature, few studies have explored the implementation of policy interventions to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Even fewer studies explicitly articulate the theoretical approaches used to understand contextual influences on policy implementation. This under-use of theory may account for the limited understanding of the variations in implementation processes and outcomes.

Effect of a home-based exercise program on subsequent falls among community-dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty: A sub-group analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Cognitive frailty is characterized by concurrent physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment and is associated with increased risk of falls. Exercise is an evidence-based strategy to prevent falls, but whether exercise reduces falls in people with cognitive frailty is unknown. We examined the effects of home-based exercise on subsequent falls among community-dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty who have previously fallen.

Men's Preferences for Language and Communication in Mental Health Promotion: A Qualitative Study.

Tailored language and communication strategies underpin men's engagement with public health initiatives. The aim of this study was to explore men's preferences for language and communication in mental health promotion and provide recommendations for current and future programs. A sequential mixed-methods design was used including five focus groups and 21 individual interviews with 64 men.

Psilocin, the Psychoactive Metabolite of Psilocybin, Modulates Select Neuroimmune Functions of Microglial Cells in a 5-HT Receptor-Dependent Manner.

Neuroinflammation that is caused by microglia, the main immune cells of the brain, contributes to neurodegenerative diseases. Psychedelics, including psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), possess certain anti-inflammatory properties and, therefore, should be considered as drug candidates for treating neuroinflammatory pathologies. When ingested, psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated to yield psilocin, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and exerts psychotropic activity by interacting with the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptors (5-HTRs) on neurons.

Does Sleep Moderate the Effects of Exercise Training or Complex Mental and Social Activities on Cognitive Function in Adults With Chronic Stroke? Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.

Background: Exercise (EX) or cognitive and social enrichment (ENRICH) are 2 strategies for promoting cognition poststroke. Whether sleep moderates the effects of EX or ENRICH on cognition in adults with chronic stroke is unknown.

Methods: A 3-arm parallel randomized clinical trial among community-dwelling adults aged 55+ years with chronic stroke (ie, ≥12 months since stroke).

Sleeping for two: a randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in pregnancy.

Study Objectives: Insomnia and sleep problems are common in pregnancy and have potentially negative impacts on both parental and infant health. This study examined the sleeping for two adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in pregnancy.

Methods: A parallel (1:1) randomized controlled trial evaluated CBT-I (n=32) compared to a treatment as usual (TAU) waitlist (n=32) among pregnant individuals from Alberta, Canada experiencing insomnia.

Examining the effectiveness of promotional nudges increasing plant-based food choices in a post-secondary education dining hall: a pilot study.

Objective: To evaluate nudge strategies that increase the consumption of plant-based foods, defined as vegetarian or vegan food items, compared with meat-based options in post-secondary dining hall settings.

Design: A pilot study.

Setting: This study took place in the University of British Columbia Vancouver Campus's Gather Dining Hall (GDH) over a 6-week intervention period and two control periods.

Investigating premotor corticospinal excitability in fast and slow voluntary contractions of the elbow flexors.

Corticospinal excitability (CSE) increases before a voluntary contraction; however, the relative contributions of premotor cortical and spinal mechanisms are poorly understood. It is unknown whether the intended voluntary contractile rate affects CSE. Eighteen young, healthy participants (9 females) completed isometric elbow flexion contractions targeting 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, at either fast (fast as possible) or slow (25% MVC/s) contractile rates.

A how-to guide for code sharing in biology.

In 2024, all biology is computational biology. Computer-aided analysis continues to spread into new fields, becoming more accessible to researchers trained in the wet lab who are eager to take advantage of growing datasets, falling costs, and novel assays that present new opportunities for discovery. It is currently much easier to find guidance for implementing these techniques than for reporting their use, leaving biologists to guess which details and files are relevant.