Solution Structure of the Broad-Spectrum Bacteriocin Garvicin Q.

Class IId bacteriocins are linear, unmodified antimicrobial peptides produced by Gram-positive bacteria, and often display potent, narrow-spectrum inhibition spectra. Garvicin Q (GarQ) is a class IId bacteriocin produced by the lactic acid bacterium . It stands out for its unusual broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against various bacterial species, including , , , , and spp.

Tuning Maps for Two-Photon Absorption Cross Sections of Canonical and Noncanonical Fluorescent Protein Chromophores.

Two-photon absorption (2PA) spectroscopy, which involves the simultaneous absorption of a pair of photons, is an important area of research in chemical biology, where a diversity of biological chromophores have been explored for 2PA applications. This work offers a perspective on how electrostatic interactions influence the 2PA response of fluorescent protein (FP) chromophores, demonstrating the role of their surrounding environment in modulating 2PA optical properties. In this work, we present electrostatic tuning maps, created by placing partial charges along the van der Waals radii of eight different chromophores: Green FP (neutral and anion), Red FP (neutral and anion), mBlueberry FP, Kusabira orange FP, and two noncanonical chromophores, a hydroxyquinolone derivative, and the chromophore of Gold FP.

Handling skewness and directional tails in model-based clustering.

Model-based clustering is a powerful approach used in data analysis to unveil underlying patterns or groups within a data set. However, when applied to clusters that exhibit skewness, heavy tails, or both, the classification of data points becomes more challenging. In this study, we introduce two models considering two component-wise transformations of the observed data within a mixture of multiple scaled contaminated normal (MSCN) distributions.

"Automatic" online reach corrections are associated with individual differences in executive function.

Previous research has demonstrated that the dorsal visual stream is able to execute rapid online movement corrections to sudden changes in target position. This "automatic pilot" can operate in the absence of visual awareness, and even under circumstances where participants are instructed to not correct their movements. In the current study, we examined the extent to which these "automatic" corrections might be related to individual differences in executive function.

Sexual size and shape dimorphism are consistent with predictions that both natural and sexual selection are driving the evolution of sexual dimorphism in Mormon crickets, Anabrus simplex.

Background: Selection can be a powerful force causing morphological adaptation in populations. We tested predictions about the role of both natural and sexual selection in shaping morphology in the Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex, a species with two population types that differ in their ecological conditions. Solitary populations are characterized by low densities, non-migratory individuals, and typical mating roles (males compete for access to choosy females), whereas gregarious populations are characterized by high densities, migratory behaviour, reversed mating roles, and widespread cannibalism.

A Fully Integrated Wearable Sweat Sensing Patch for Online Analysis of Multiple Parkinson's Disease-Related Biomarkers.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is marked by a prolonged asymptomatic "window period" (several years). Early prediction and diagnosis during this window are crucial, as timely interventions can slow disease progression. In this study, a fully integrated wearable sweat-sensing patch capable of real-time detection of three key PD biomarkers: L-Dopa, ascorbic acid, and glucose is developed.

Balancing burden and bond: challenges and motivations of family caregivers of patients with end-stage liver disease in Northern Ghana-a qualitative inquiry.

Objective: This study explored the burdens and motivations of family caregivers (FCs) for patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Design: A qualitative exploratory, descriptive approach with a purposive sampling technique was adopted. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews.

"The gay clubs are it": An analysis of straight women's motivations for frequenting gay bars.

The question of whether straight individuals belong in gay bars has long been a topic of debate. But why do straight cisgender women go to gay bars in the first place? Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, I analyze women's motivations for frequenting gay bars in Canada and the United States. My findings show that straight cisgender women go to gay bars to pursue safety and joy-and that these motivations are complicated by reflections on belonging in a space that was not made for them.

Developing and implementing a new health information technology innovation to improve patient safety in the Canadian context.

Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) are unintended and harmful events related to medication use. Many ADEs recur because patients are unintentionally re-exposed to medications that previously caused harm. To help address this, we designed ActionADE, an interoperable Health Information Technology (HIT) that allows clinicians to communicate ADEs across health sectors.

The Impact of Telepresence Robots on Family Caregivers and Residents in Long-Term Care.

Telepresence robots can enhance social connection and support person-centered care in long-term care (LTC) homes. This study evaluates their impact in facilitating virtual visits between family caregivers and older residents in Canadian LTC homes. Telepresence robots were placed in residents' rooms, allowing virtual visits at mutual convenience.

From Words to Wounds: Cyberbullying and Its Influence on Mental Health Across the Lifespan.

Cyberbullying can be prevalent across different life stages, with lasting traces on mental health across the lifespan. This study aims to (a) explore how cyberbullying is emotionally experienced across three distinct age groups and (b) analyze the influence of cyberbullying on mental health across the lifespan. This study included 883 participants divided into three age groups: 18-39, 40-59, and 60+.

The Relationship Between Children's Indoor Loose Parts Play and Cognitive Development: A Systematic Review.

Children's engagement with toys and play materials can contribute to the foundational cognitive processes that drive learning. Loose parts are interactive, open-ended materials originally not designed as toys but can be incorporated into children's play (e.g.

The low-carbon fruit tree for primary care.

Primary care practitioners are optimally positioned to reduce the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions produced by the healthcare system, which pose great risk to the health of people and the environment. This narrative review discusses 19 initiatives that can be implemented into primary care practices to reduce GHG emissions and financial costs through decreasing highly intensive emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This article also summarizes the time it may take for primary care practitioners to embed each of these initiatives into their care delivery.

Enhanced Telemedicine Instruction: Simulations Including eStethoscopes for Virtual Cardiac Assessment.

Increased adoption of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic improved care access to rural and underserved patients. This rapid expansion created a pressing need for educational programs focusing on the virtual physical exam. We developed a simulation-based workshop for medical and physician assistant students to teach and evaluate the cardiopulmonary virtual physical exam.

Physicochemical differences between wildfire pyrogenic carbon and slow-pyrolysis biochar suggest variations in elemental transport potential.

Wildfires play a crucial role in the carbon cycle. Their contribution to the global carbon cycle is expected to increase with climate change as fire activity, particularly in boreal forests, escalates. As 8-28% of annually produced pyrogenic carbon is transported through riverine systems, its impact on fluvial environmental conditions will likely increase in coming years.

Synteny Enabled Upgrade of the Galapagos Giant Tortoise Genome Improves Inferences of Runs of Homozygosity.

The utility and importance of whole-genome sequences are recognized across various fields, including evolution and conservation. However, for some taxa, like extinct species, using methods to generate contiguous genomes that rely on high-quality DNA is impossible. In such cases, an alternative may be to employ synteny-based methods using a genome from a closely related taxon to generate more complete genomes.

Suffering in silence: Accessing mental health care and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for peripartum depression - A qualitative study.

Peripartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent and serious mental health disorder that is often underdiagnosed and undertreated due to limited effective and safe treatment options. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a non-invasive treatment for PPD, yet awareness among patients is low. This study aims to identify barriers and facilitators to accessing mental health treatment, particularly rTMS, for PPD.

Lateral Gender-Based Violence in 2SLGBTQ+ Communities: The Stifling of Queer Joy Through Intersectional Oppression, "Pitiful" Sexuality Education, and Media (Mis)Representation.

There is a gap in the field of gender-based violence concerning lateral violence within 2SLGBTQ+ communities. This paper helps fill that gap by offering participants' narratives from The Queer Sexual Joy Project, which engaged 100 2SLGBTQ+ youth from Canada and the US, ages 18-35, in focus groups, participatory visual arts-based research, one-on-one interviews, and surveys. The study provides insight into how lateral violence is fueled and expressed through overlapping and intersecting systems of oppression, including fatphobia, transphobia, sexism and misogyny, racism, and ableism.

One-Year Changes in Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Function Among Brazilian Older Adults Attending Primary Care.

: Aging is a global phenomenon closely associated with changes in cognitive function and mental health. These conditions substantially burden public health systems and adversely affect the quality of life of older adults. This study aimed to examine changes in depressive symptoms and cognitive function over a 12-month follow-up period in a cohort of Brazilian older adults attending primary care.

Telehealth and Precision Prevention: Bridging the Gap for Individualised Health Strategies.

Introduction: Precision prevention has shown an upsurge in popularity among epidemiologists in both developed and developing countries in the past decade.

Objectives: Initially practiced in oncology, this approach is increasingly adopted in public health to guard against other common non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It aims to tailor preventive measures according to each individual's unique characteristics, such as genomic data, socio-demographic features, environmental factors, and cultural background.

Primary Care EHR data on Social Determinants of Health: Quality and Fitness for Purpose in Precision/Personalised Medicine.

Introduction: Precision and personalised medicine requires comprehensive genetic, epigenetic, lifestyle, social, community and environmental knowledge of the patient. This approach highlights the importance of the social determinants of health (SDoH), described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 'the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life such as economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems'.

Methods: This study examined if countries collect SDoH indicators and, if they do, the quality of the data and whether they are fit for clinical and population health purposes.

Examining Whether Risk Factors Influence Student Perceptions of Campus Sexual Violence.

The present study examined university students' perceptions of a campus sexual violence scenario, and specifically determined whether the presence of known risk factors for sexual perpetration would influence their views of an individual who caused harm. Two hundred and seventy-five student participants read a vignette that either included the present or absence of the following three risk factors: Frequent alcohol use, attitudes supportive of rape, and negative peer influence. The findings indicated that the risk factors did not have a significant relationship with students' risk perceptions, indicating that students' perceptions of risk may not be influenced by the presence of known risk factors.

Transdermal microneedle patch for antioxidants release.

Unlabelled: Polymer based microneedle transdermal drug delivery system fits the criterion for an efficient patient compliant drug delivery system of the future. Smart and controlled microneedle drug delivery systems remain an emerging research area. One of the objectives of this study was to design an accessible approach of molding microneedles using a beeswax mold.