Thermal Properties of the Superconductor-Quantum Hall Interface.

An important route of engineering topological states and excitations is to combine superconductors (SC) with the quantum Hall (QH) effect, and over the past decade, significant progress has been made in this direction. While typical measurements of these states focus on electronic properties, little attention has been paid to the accompanying thermal responses. Here, we examine the thermal properties of the interface between type-II superconducting electrodes and graphene in the QH regime.

Environmental Risk Assessment of Trace Metal Pollution: A Statistical Perspective.

Trace metal pollution is primarily driven by industrial, agricultural, and mining activities and presents complex environmental challenges with significant implications for ecological and human health. Traditional methods of environmental risk assessment (ERA) often fall short in addressing the intricate dynamics of trace metals, necessitating the adoption of advanced statistical techniques. This review focuses on integrating contemporary statistical methods, such as Bayesian modeling, machine learning, and geostatistics, into ERA frameworks to improve risk assessment precision, reliability, and interpretability.

When the wild things are: Defining mammalian diel activity and plasticity.

Circadian rhythms are a mechanism by which species adapt to environmental variability and fundamental to understanding species behavior. However, we lack data and a standardized framework to accurately assess and compare temporal activity for species during rapid ecological change. Through a global network representing 38 countries, we leveraged 8.

Exploring Help-Seeking Behaviors among Black Sexual Minority Cisgender Women in Late Adolescence: The Role of Abuse Experiences.

Sexual minority youth (e.g., lesbian, queer, bisexual) encounter higher rates of abuse compared to their heterosexual peers.

LGBTQ Inclusion Among Religious Congregations and Religious Leaders in the United States.

Religiosity remains a central predictor of public opinion concerning the rights of individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ). Though religiosity has traditionally been associated with resistance to LGBTQ inclusion, in recent years the inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ individuals has become common among some religious congregations and clergy, especially those in the more liberal denominations. This paper extends past research by: (1) using a nationally representative study of congregations to examine the trends in inclusion of individuals in same-sex relationships in congregational life and congregational activities concerning LGBTQ issues and rights, and (2) using a nationally representative study of clergy to document the views of congregational leaders concerning individuals in same-sex relationships and clergy political activity regarding LGBTQ issues.

Correction to "Spatiotemporal patterns of Lyme disease in North Carolina: 2010-2020".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.

Healing ceilings: A collaborative exploration of pediatric preferences in ceiling tile artwork.

Aim: While incorporating artwork within healthcare settings can improve health outcomes, limited research exists to guide art selection for pediatric patients. This study aimed to improve an ongoing collaboration between a healthcare system and local art museum through which community members painted 100 custom ceiling tiles for display in pediatric clinical areas. The researchers sought to determine if artwork content and/or color tone impacted patient experience and/or preference of artwork.

The National Physical Activity Plan Early Childhood Education Strategy: State Policy Surveillance.

The importance of establishing national surveillance systems to monitor physical activity promotion is well recognized. This article outlines the methodological process undertaken to develop an evaluation rubric for assessing state licensing regulations alignment with the National Physical Activity Plan Education Sector Early Childhood Education (ECE) strategy. This tool offers a cost-effective mechanism for ongoing surveillance of ECE physical activity policies, with the potential to inform modifications that promote uniform standards and establish consistent, high-quality opportunities for the nation's youngest children.

The Effects of Previous Amenorrhea on Endothelial and Vascular Function.

Endogenous estrogen has a protective cardiovascular effect. Estrogen loss, such as during menopause and amenorrhea, results in stiffer vessels and endothelial dysfunction. It is unknown if reversing amenorrhea and regaining a regular menstrual cycle leads to the restoration of cardiovascular function.

Foster Grandparent Programs' Impact on the Quality-of-Life of Older Adult Volunteers.

Volunteering among older adults in the United States is rising, with rates up by 65% since 1974. With this tremendous growth in volunteering among seniors, examining how it affects them is essential. One such volunteering program we look at in this research is the Foster Grandparents Program (FGP) of the High Country, which allows older adults to volunteer at local schools to help in-need children.

Mental health disparities among maternal populations following heatwave exposure in North Carolina (2011-2019): a matched analysis.

Background: The increasing incidence of extreme heat due to climate change poses a significant threat to maternal mental health in the U.S. We examine the association of acute exposure to heatwaves with maternal mental health conditions in North Carolina from 2011 to 2019.

Project Gender NutriScope: Methods of a Mixed Methods, Community-Engaged Study Design to Explore the Nutritional Needs of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth and Young Adults.

Objective: Despite growing evidence of distinct nutrition-related experiences and disparities, transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth and young adults are an underrepresented population in nutrition research. This paper describes the methods and study design from Project Gender NutriScope, a study that will explore the nutritional needs of TGD youth and young adults.

Design: Parallel convergent cross-sectional mixed methods; community-engaged.

A Comparison of Brief Resistance and Aerobic Exercise Bouts on Cognitive Processing Speed in Young Adults.

Research has found even a brief bout of exercise to be beneficial for improving processing speed. However, there is a lack of research directly comparing the effect of exercise modalities on processing speed. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a single brief bout of resistance exercise to aerobic exercise on cognitive processing speed in young adults.

Evidence Gathering and Recommendation Building Procedures for Position Statements: New Methodology.

Position statements are utilized by healthcare organizations to summarize evidence and clearly articulate consensus on best practices. The procedures for developing position statements by the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the NATA Research and Education Foundation have been updated to enhance transparency, reduce bias, and better incorporate the available research to support clinical care recommendations. The paper details the processes of topic selection, author group formation, evidence gathering, and recommendation building, emphasizing the systematic approach and the inclusion of diverse expertise.

A small area analysis of acute exposure to temperatures and mental health in North Carolina.

Increasing evidence suggests that temperatures adversely impact mental and behavioral disorders (MBD). This study explores the effects of temperatures on mental health outcomes using over 5.9 million MBD-related emergency department (ED) visits across three geographical regions of North Carolina (i.

Freshwater sponges in the southeastern U.S. harbor unique microbiomes that are influenced by host and environmental factors.

Marine, and more recently, freshwater sponges are known to harbor unique microbial symbiotic communities relative to the surrounding water; however, our understanding of the microbial ecology and diversity of freshwater sponges is vastly limited compared to those of marine sponges. Here we analyzed the microbiomes of three freshwater sponge species: , , and , across four sites in western North Carolina, U.S.

Instance maps as an organising concept for complex experimental workflows as demonstrated for (nano)material safety research.

Nanosafety assessment, which seeks to evaluate the risks from exposure to nanoscale materials, spans materials synthesis and characterisation, exposure science, toxicology, and computational approaches, resulting in complex experimental workflows and diverse data types. Managing the data flows, with a focus on provenance (who generated the data and for what purpose) and quality (how was the data generated, using which protocol with which controls), as part of good research output management, is necessary to maximise the reuse potential and value of the data. Instance maps have been developed and evolved to visualise experimental nanosafety workflows and to bridge the gap between the theoretical principles of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable) data and the everyday practice of experimental researchers.

A nociceptor-specific RNAi screen in larvae identifies RNA-binding proteins that regulate thermal nociception.

Nociception is the process by which sensory neurons detect and encode potentially harmful environmental stimuli to generate behavioral responses. Nociceptor neurons exhibit plasticity in which their sensitivity to noxious stimuli and subsequent ability to drive behavior may be altered by environmental conditions, injury, infection, and inflammation. In some cases, nociceptor sensitization requires regulated changes in gene expression, and recent studies have indicated roles for post-transcriptional mechanisms in regulating these changes as an aspect of nociceptor plasticity.

Coping after the COVID-19 pandemic: nurses' learning intent and implications for the workforce and education.

Background/aim: Addressing the critical global shortage of nurses requires an understanding of how a global pandemic reshaped nurses' motivations and intentions toward education. This study aimed to describe COVID-19's impact on nurses' intent to pursue additional education.

Method: This descriptive study, based in North Carolina in the USA, used content analysis with an inductive approach to examine the responses of nurses to one open-ended question in a large quantitative workforce survey: how has COVID-19 influenced your plans for future education? Responses were coded with counts and organised into themes and subthemes.

Effects of Quercetin and Citrulline on Nitric Oxide Metabolites and Antioxidant Biomarkers in Trained Cyclists.

Background: Quercetin (QCT) and citrulline (CIT) have been independently associated with improved antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide (NO) production, potentially enhancing cardiovascular function and exercise performance. This study aimed to evaluate the combined and independent effects of QCT and CIT supplementation on NO metabolites and antioxidant biomarkers in 50 trained cyclists undergoing a 20 km cycling time trial (TT).

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, forty-two male and eight female trained cyclists were assigned to QCT + CIT, QCT, CIT, or placebo (PL) groups.

Gut microbiomes are largely unchanged when exposed to their amphibian host's latitudinally variable upper thermal limit.

Climate change will increase the frequency and severity of temperature extremes. Links between host thermal physiology and their gut microbiota suggest that organisms' responses to future climates may be mediated by their microbiomes, raising the question of how the thermal environment influences the microbiome itself. Vertebrate gut microbiomes influence the physiological plasticity of their hosts via effects on immunity, metabolism, and nutrient uptake.

Methylmercury in subarctic amphibians: environmental gradients, bioaccumulation, and estimated flux.

Rapid warming in polar regions is causing large changes to ecosystems, including altering environmentally available mercury (Hg). Although subarctic freshwater systems have simple vertebrate communities, Hg in amphibians remains unexplored. We measured total Hg (THg) in wetland sediments and methylmercury (MeHg) in multiple life-stages (eggs to adults) of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) and larval boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) from up to 25 wetlands near Churchill, Manitoba (Canada), during the summers of 2018-2019.

Contexts, people, and work designs: Developing and testing a multilevel theory for understanding variability in work design consequences.

Work design scholarship has demonstrated that work characteristics are important determinants of a wide range of individual outcomes including well-being, motivation, satisfaction, and performance. Yet this scholarship has also revealed substantial and unaccounted for variance in these effects, prompting calls for theory and research that applies multilevel and contextual perspectives to expand our understanding of work designs. We develop theory that spans occupation, job, and individual levels to connect the influences of both context and personal attributes (e.