Trends in stroke-related mortality in atrial fibrillation patients in the United States: Insights from the CDC WONDER database.

Background: Stroke associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of mortality. This study analyzed demographic trends and disparities in mortality rates due to stroke in AF patients aged ≥25 years.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted to acquire death data using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database from 1999 to 2020.

Assessing microbial growth in drinking water using nucleic acid content and flow cytometry fingerprinting.

This study utilizes flow cytometry (FCM) to evaluate the high nucleic acid (HNA) and low nucleic acid (LNA) content of intact cells for monitoring bacterial dynamics in drinking water treatment and supply systems. Our findings indicate that chlorine and nutrients differently impact components of bacterial populations. HNA bacteria, characterized by high metabolic rates, quickly react to nutrient alterations, making them suitable indicators of growth under varying water treatment and supply conditions.

Understanding how users of home-based aged care services with cognitive impairment rate their social care related quality of life.

Background: Over the past decades, self-directed models of care have been implemented throughout the world to support older people, including those with dementia, to live at home. However, there is limited information about how self-directed home care is experienced by older people with cognitive impairment and dementia, and how their thinking informs their care choices and quality of life.

Methods: We used the ASCOT-Easy Read, a staggered reveal method, talk aloud techniques, probing questions, and physical assistance to support users of self-directed home care in Australia with cognitive impairment and dementia to discuss their Social Care Related Quality of Life (SCRQoL).

E-jet printed polycaprolactone with strontium-substituted mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles for bone tissue engineering.

Osteoporosis, characterized by reduced bone mineral density and increased fracture risk, poses a significant health challenge, particularly for aging populations. Systemic treatments often lead to adverse side effects, emphasizing the need for localized solutions. This study introduces a 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold embedded with strontium-substituted mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (Sr-MBGNPs) and icariin (ICN) for the targeted regeneration of osteoporotic bone.

An Analysis of the Prevalence and Trends in Drug-Related Lyrics on Twitter (X): Quantitative Approach.

Background: The pervasiveness of drug culture has become evident in popular music and social media. Previous research has examined drug abuse content in both social media and popular music; however, to our knowledge, the intersection of drug abuse content in these 2 domains has not been explored. To address the ongoing drug epidemic, we analyzed drug-related content on Twitter (subsequently rebranded X), with a specific focus on lyrics.

Comparative analysis of long versus short co-incubation of gametes on post-insemination outcomes and embryo morphokinetics.

Research Question: Does a short co-incubation of gametes in conventional IVF affect post-insemination outcomes and embryo morphokinetics?

Design: Sibling oocyte randomized pilot study conducted between December 2020 and March 2023. Eligible couples (n = 55) were women aged 18-43 years with BMI 35 km/m or lower and male normal semen parameters. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COC) (six to 12) were randomized in a 1:1:2 proportion in long (16-18 h) or short (2 h) co-incubation IVF exposure and ICSI, respectively.

A non-hormonal reversible contraceptive targeting GSK3α, a protein kinase, essential for epididymal sperm maturation.

Background And Objectives: Epididymal transit renders key competence to mammalian spermatozoa for fertilizing eggs. Generally, the two paralogs of glycogen synthase kinase 3, GSK3α and GSK3β, functionally overlap except in testis and sperm. We showed that GSK3α is essential for epididymal sperm maturation and fertilization.

Regulation of meristem and hormone function revealed through analysis of directly-regulated SHOOT MERISTEMLESS target genes.

The Arabidopsis Knotted1-like homeobox (KNOX) gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) encodes a homeodomain transcription factor that operates as a central component of the gene regulatory network (GRN) controlling shoot apical meristem formation and maintenance. It regulates the expression of target genes that include transcriptional regulators associated with meristem function, particularly those involved in pluripotency and cellular differentiation, as well as genes involved in hormone metabolism and signaling. Previous studies have identified KNOX-regulated genes and their associated cis-regulatory elements in several plant species.

A stromal inflammasome Ras safeguard against Myc-driven lymphomagenesis.

The inflammasome plays multifaceted roles in cancer, but less is known about its function during premalignancy upon initial cell transformation. We report a homeostatic function of the inflammasome in suppressing malignant transformation through Ras inhibition. We identified increased hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) proliferation within the bone marrow of inflammasome-deficient mice.

Structurally Transformable and Reconfigurable Hydrogel-Based Mechanical Metamaterials and Their Application in Biomedical Stents.

Mechanical metamaterials exhibit several unusual mechanical properties, such as a negative Poisson's ratio, which impart additional capabilities to materials. Recently, hydrogels have emerged as exceptional candidates for fabricating mechanical metamaterials that offer enhanced functionality and expanded applications due to their unique responsive characteristics. However, the adaptability of these metamaterials remains constrained and underutilized, as they lack integration of the hydrogels' soft and responsive characteristics with the metamaterial design.

Association Between Digital Front Doors and Social Care Use for Community-Dwelling Adults in England: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Requests for public social care support can be made through an online portal. These digital "front doors" can help people navigate complex social care systems and access services. These systems can be set up in different ways, but there is little evidence about the impact of alternative arrangements.

An Intersectional Analysis of Behavioral Financial Hardship and Healthcare Utilization among LGBTQ+ Cancer Survivors.

Background: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or another non-heterosexual or cisgender identity (LGBTQ+) cancer survivors experience high financial hardship. However, structural drivers of inequities do not impact all LGBTQ+ individuals equally. Using All of Us data, we conducted an intersectional analysis of behavioral financial hardship among LGBTQ+ cancer survivors.

A self-assembling nanoplatform for pyroptosis and ferroptosis enhanced cancer photoimmunotherapy.

The microenvironment of immunosuppression and low immunogenicity of tumor cells has led to unsatisfactory therapeutic effects of the currently developed nanoplatforms. Immunogenic cell death, such as pyroptosis and ferroptosis, can efficiently boost antitumor immunity. However, the exploration of nanoplatform for dual function inducers and combined immune activators that simultaneously trigger pyroptosis and ferroptosis remains limited.

Engraft: A Collaborative Learning Health Network for Enhanced Transplant and Cellular Therapy Outcomes.

The Engraft Learning Health Network (LHN) aims to improve outcomes for patients undergoing transplant and cellular therapy (TCT) through a collaborative, data-driven approach. Engraft brings together diverse stakeholders, including clinicians, patients, caregivers, and institutions, to standardize best practices and accelerate the dissemination of innovations in TCT care. By establishing a multicenter, real-world clinical registry focused on rapid-cycle quality improvement (QI) and implementation research, Engraft seeks to reduce variability in clinical practice to improve TCT outcomes across centers.

Effects of individualized resistance training prescription with heart rate variability on muscle strength, muscle size and functional performance in older women.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate whether individualizing autonomic recovery periods between resistance training (RT) sessions (IND) using heart rate variability (HRV), measured by the root mean square of successive R-R interval differences (RMSSD), would lead to greater and more consistent improvements in muscle strength, muscle mass, and functional performance in older women compared to a fixed recovery protocol (FIX).

Methods: Twenty-one older women (age 66.0 ± 5.

Cyclin O controls entry into the cell-cycle variant required for multiciliated cell differentiation.

Multiciliated cells (MCCs) ensure fluid circulation in various organs. Their differentiation is marked by the amplification of cilia-nucleating centrioles, driven by a genuine cell-cycle variant, which is characterized by wave-like expression of canonical and non-canonical cyclins such as Cyclin O (CCNO). Patients with CCNO mutations exhibit a subtype of primary ciliary dyskinesia called reduced generation of motile cilia (RGMC).

Housing stability, employment, and survival behaviors among young mothers experiencing homelessness: A randomized controlled trial of a housing intervention.

The present study examined the efficacy of a comprehensive housing intervention (Ecologically-Based Treatment - temporary housing and supportive services) on the longitudinal co-occurring patterns of housing stability, employment, and survival behaviors among a sample of young mothers experiencing homelessness. Participants were randomly assigned to: (1) temporary housing + supportive services (n = 80), (2) housing-only (n = 80), or (3) services as usual (n = 80). Follow-up assessments were completed at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months post-baseline.

Aching for Change: Musculoskeletal Pain in the Operating Theatre Amongst Surgical Trainees.

Objectives: Work-related injuries are common among surgeons with up to 70 % being found to report difficulties. Given the extension expected to career longevity for current trainees, injury prevention is more important than ever. However, ergonomics education for surgical trainees in the UK is deficient.

In situ HO production from self-sufficient heterogeneous Fenton reaction over Fe/MoS for potential environmental remediation applications.

Fenton reaction technology has worked well in water and wastewater treatment; however it is often limited by such problems as continuous external supply of HO, slow Fe/Fe cycle rate, high energy requirements, and maintenance of low pH during operation. Herein, a novel self-sufficient heterogeneous Fenton system based on Fe/MoS was designed, fabricated, and optimized to effectively address these problems. The combined presence of Fe and sulfur vacancies sites in MoS played a pivotal role in the generation of HOvia two-step single-electron reduction process without any energy consumption.

Mucosal vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 using recombinant influenza viruses delivering self-assembling nanoparticles.

Recombinant influenza viruses are promising vectors that can bolster antibody and resident lymphocyte responses within mucosal sites. This study evaluates recombinant influenza viruses with SARS-CoV-2 RBD genes in eliciting mucosal and systemic responses. Using reverse genetics, we generated replication-competent recombinant influenza viruses carrying heterologous RBD genes in monomeric, trimeric, or ferritin-based nanoparticle forms.

Forming Connections: Functional Brain Connectivity is Associated With Executive Functioning Abilities in Early Childhood.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies with adults provide evidence that functional brain networks, including the default mode network and frontoparietal network, underlie executive functioning (EF). However, given the challenges of using fMRI with infants and young children, little work has assessed the developmental trajectories of these networks or their associations with EF at key developmental stages. More recently, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has emerged as a promising neuroimaging tool which can provide information on cortical functional networks and can be more easily implemented with young children.

Recovery From Heroin Addiction: A Qualitative Study.

Objective: Understanding the recovery process from heroin addiction is crucial as nonmedical opioid use persists. This study aims to comprehensively describe the recovery journey, focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by individuals in recovery to inform treatment approaches and support strategies.

Methods: This qualitative study, guided by critical social theory, emphasized balancing power dynamics and fostering equal participation to ensure all voices are heard, challenging traditional hierarchies and promoting inclusivity.