How can teen driver education be enhanced with ADAS training: Stakeholder perspectives.

Introduction: Effective driver education for teen drivers is increasingly important, especially as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) become standard in modern vehicles. This study examines driver education programs in the commonwealth of Massachusetts and explores how they are placed to prepare young drivers to understand and safely use ADAS technologies.

Method: Through a convergent mixed-methods approach, we analyzed thematic data from interviews and surveys of key stakeholders and performed sentiment analysis to capture their concerns and attitudes.

Beyond the conventional: Exploring pedestrian safety on interstates with Bayesian and machine learning models.

Introduction: Despite being prohibited from walking on freeways per federal laws, 14% to 17% of all pedestrian crashes in the United States happen on the interstates. Examining these crashes within the context of the safe systems approach is essential, with an emphasis on mitigating safety risks for all road users. This study investigates the correlates of pedestrian crash injury severity on interstates in North Carolina, focusing on pedestrian actions, roadway conditions, and the type of vehicles involved in the crashes.

The value of occupational health and safety data: Perceptions of current data practices in the fire service.

Objective: Despite growing interest in utilizing firefighter health and safety data to reduce injuries and fatalities, there is little evidence on attitudes towards data. We examined fire service perceptions of data to inform future policies and practices.

Methods: We conducted focus groups and interviews with career firefighters, union representatives, and department leaders in Maryland and Virginia; and interviews with national leaders (March-November 2023).

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on bus crash severity.

Unlabelled: Recent research highlights significant shifts in travel patterns, traffic volumes, and safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early findings suggest a nationwide decrease in crashes (22.0%) and injuries (16.

Deciphering the Synchronization of Alternating Current Frequency with the Nickel Catalytic Cycle in Selective C-N Cross-Coupling.

Alternating current (AC) electrolysis offers a promising strategy for modulating redox states in metal-catalyzed reactions, yet its mechanistic basis remains poorly understood. Here, we uncover how AC frequency synchronizes with key steps in a Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling cycle to control product selectivity between C-N and C-C coupling. We show that optimal C-N selectivity arises from minimizing the exposure of a key intermediate, Ni(Ar)Br, to reducing conditions that otherwise promote off-cycle Ni species and undesired C-C homocoupling.

Modelling US health equity impacts of emicizumab for severe haemophilia A: aggregate distributional cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objectives: Emicizumab is the first bispecific antibody approved for prophylaxis in people with haemophilia A with or without factor VIII inhibitors. Aggregate distributional cost-effectiveness analysis assesses health equity impacts by evaluating how health effects and costs from funding an intervention are distributed among population subgroups. The objective was to evaluate how funding emicizumab for people with severe haemophilia A (PwSHA) impacts population health and health disparities in the USA.

Are we closing the gender gap in academic oncology? An observational study of gender disparities in participant engagement at the ASCO 2024 annual meeting.

Objective: Despite global efforts, gender disparities in oncology may persist. Understanding these disparities within the context of major conferences can inform strategies to promote gender inclusiveness in the field. This study evaluates the participation of women and men at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 congress, focusing on chairs, speakers and audience questioners.

Synthesizing supercoiled circular DNA molecules in vitro.

Supercoiled (Sc) circular DNA, such as plasmids, are essential in molecular biology and hold strong therapeutic potential. However, they are typically produced in Escherichia coli, resulting in bacterial methylations, unnecessary sequences, and contaminants that hinder certain applications including clinical uses. These limitations could be avoided by synthesizing plasmids entirely in vitro, but synthesizing high-purity Sc circular DNA biochemically remains a significant technical challenge.

Visualizing intracellular glycine with two-dye and single-dye ratiometric RNA-based sensors.

Glycine is an important metabolite and cell signal in diverse organisms, yet tools to visualize intracellular glycine dynamics have not been developed. In this study, diverse and bright RNA-based glycine biosensors were developed by fusing the architecturally complex glycine riboswitch with Broccoli class fluorogenic aptamers. The brightest sensor with the highest activation, glyS, and its two-dye ratiometric counterpart, Pepper-glyS, allowed for visualization of a drug-induced accumulation of endogenous glycine in live Escherichia colicells.

Molecular basis for the recognition of low-frequency polyadenylation signals by mPSF.

The 3'-end cleavage and polyadenylation of pre-mRNAs is dependent on a key hexanucleotide motif known as the polyadenylation signal (PAS). The PAS hexamer is recognized by the mammalian polyadenylation specificity factor (mPSF). AAUAAA is the most frequent PAS hexamer and together with AUUAAA, the second most frequent hexamer, account for ∼75% of the poly(A) signals.

Species-dependent captures of three Limonius pest click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species in western North America with aerial and ground traps.

In western North America, 3 pest wireworms in the genus Limonius co-occur on farmland, and the click beetle adult males respond to the same single-component sex attractant, limoniic acid. While divergence in seasonal occurrence may provide a means of separating sexual communication for Limonius canus (LeConte) and Limonius californicus (Mann.), both species overlap temporally with Limonius infuscatus (Mots.

Racial Disparities in Medication Adherence and the Patient-Provider Relationship: Does Racial/Ethnic Concordance Matter?

Objective: To examine the impact of patient-provider racial/ethnic concordance on adherence to a prescribed medication regimen in marginalized populations with a focus on health issues related to hypertension, heart condition/disease, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes.

Study Setting And Design: Applying the Andersen-Newman Behavioral Model of Health Service Use, we estimate multivariate linear models to analyze the number of prescriptions filled by patients within a calendar year using publicly available data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States.

Data Sources And Analytic Sample: Data from MEPS on patient race/ethnicity and provider race/ethnicity were collected from survey years 2007 to 2017 as well as data to control for demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors.

Identifying Electronic Health Record Tasks and Activity Using Computer Vision.

Background: Time spent in the electronic health record (EHR) is an important measure of clinical activity. Vendor-derived EHR use metrics may not correspond to actual EHR experience. Raw EHR audit logs enable customized EHR use metrics, but translating discrete timestamps to time intervals is challenging.

Ready-to-Use School Meals in Northern Ghana Are a Viable Alternative to Traditional School Meals.

School feeding provides nutrition, brings order to the school day, and enhances student participation. School feeding in low-income countries is often sporadic due to coordination challenges among multiple stakeholders. To assess the reliability of school feeding in Mion district, a food-insecure area in northern Ghana, Project Peanut Butter (PPB) studied ready-to-use school meals (RUSMs) and micronutrient-fortified home-grown school food (HGSF).

Oxidative stress mediates cardiac electrophysiological injury in inhalation exposure to flavored vaping products.

Background: Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) utilize "E-liquids" in order to generate "E-vapor", an inhalable aerosolized mixture containing nicotine and flavors. Flavored ENDS are very popular among teens who vape, however, the possible cardiac electrophysiological harm of inhalation exposure to flavored ENDS are not fully understood.

Objective: To test if inhalation exposure to flavoring carbonyls in e-liquids compromises mitochondrial integrity, increases oxidative stress, and leads to cardiac electrophysiological toxicity.

SARS-CoV E protein couples asymmetric leaflet thickness and curvature deformations.

The Envelope protein (E protein) of SARS-CoVs 1 and 2 has been implicated in the viral budding process and maintaining the spherical shape of the virus, but direct evidence linking the protein to long-range membrane deformation is still lacking. Computational predictions from molecular simulation have offered conflicting results, some showing long-range E-induced membrane curvature and others showing only local deformations. In the present study, we determine the mechanism driving these deformations by modulating the degree of hydrophobic mismatch between protein and membrane.

Designing Patient-Centered Communication Aids in Pediatric Surgery Using Large Language Models.

Introduction: Large language models (LLMs) have been shown to translate information from highly specific domains into lay-digestible terms. Pediatric surgery remains an area in which it is difficult to communicate clinical information in an age-appropriate manner, given the vast diversity in language comprehension levels across patient populations and the complexity of procedures performed. This study evaluates LLMs as tools for generating explanations of common pediatric surgeries to increase efficiency and quality of communication.

Hydroxychloroquine in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Anti-SSA/SSB, and Antiphospholipid Antibody-Positive Pregnancies.

Pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and those positive for anti-SSA/SSB or antiphospholipid antibodies carry a heightened risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), including preeclampsia, preterm birth, and congenital heart block. Among available therapies, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) plays a pivotal role due to its immunomodulatory and antithrombotic properties, which may help improve pregnancy outcomes. Emerging evidence supports HCQ's role in reducing SLE flares, as well as lowering the recurrence risk of congenital heart block in anti-SSA/SSB-positive pregnancies.

Green engineering of polylactic acid/polymyrcene/cellulose nanocrystals films with tunable mechanical and UV-shielding properties for food packaging applications.

In the modern era, polymyrcene, a sustainable polymer made from renewable resources, offers a potential path towards the advancement of green products. Here, we successfully created and characterized the first-ever all-bio-based composite films using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) made from agricultural waste, polylactic acid (PLA), and polymyrcene. Environmentally acceptable substitutes for traditional polymer composites have been made possible by incorporating CNCs into the PLA-Polymyrcene matrix, which produced materials with improved structural and functional qualities.

PROGESTERONE ATTENUATES THE EFFECTS OF COCAINE ON HYPERMOBILITY AND DOPAMINERGIC TRANSMISSION IN THE NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS.

Currently there is no pharmacological treatment for cocaine use disorder. Previous studies have shown that progesterone can mitigate the behavioral effects induced by cocaine in both animal models and humans. However, the underlying mechanisms through which progesterone exerts this effect remain poorly understood.

Testing the efficacy and mechanisms of an SMS intervention focused on motivating peer network support to reduce alcohol consumption in non-collegiate young adults: Protocol for a randomized trial.

Background: Non-collegiate young adults engage in high rates of heavy drinking but are less likely to access alcohol-related counseling or treatment. Peers play a significant role in shaping drinking behavior, yet few interventions target close peer influence in this population.

Methods: This two-arm randomized controlled trial will enroll 300 young adults aged 18-25 who report 2+ heavy drinking days (HDD; defined as 4+ drinks for a woman and 5+ drinks for a man) in the past 30 days and are not enrolled in college.

Supplementary Material for Projected Global Clinical, Humanistic, and Economic Impact of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH): The Cost of Inaction Based on Data from Nine Countries.

Background And Aim: Although the clinical burden of MASH is well known, its economic burden is less well described. We estimated MASH's economic burden in several regions of the world including the US, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and United Kingdom (UK), Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil over the next two decades.

Methods: A one-year cycle Markov model projected MASH progression from 2021 to 2040, incorporating 2020 prevalent cases and annual incident cases (2021-2040).