Functionalized Nanoporous Biocarbon with High Specific Surface Area Derived from Waste Hardwood Chips for CO Capture and Supercapacitors.

Waste biomass has aroused increasing interest in the production of low-cost materials for CO adsorption and supercapacitors. One of the primary facets in this regard is to develop nanoporous carbons with controlled porosity and high surface area. Herein, waste wood chips are used to synthesize nanoporous biocarbons via a solid-state KOH-based chemical activation.

Vortex Fluidic Mediated Synthesis of Enhanced Hydrogen Producing Magnetic Gold.

While bulk gold is well known to be diamagnetic, there is growing experimental and theoretical work supporting the formation of nano gold with unconventional magnetic properties. However, access to such magnetic gold nanoparticles at scale is limited. It is established that magnetic gold particles are readily accessible when exposing aqueous solutions of auric acid (H[AuCl]) to UV irradiation ( = 254 nm) under high shear in a vortex fluidic device (VFD), as a photo-contact electrification process.

Exploration of hydrazine-based small molecules as metal chelators for KDM4 inhibition.

Hydrazines and related moieties are frequently employed in inhibitory compounds targeting iron-dependent dioxygenases such as the histone lysine demethylases (KDMs), which are promising targets in targeted epigenetic cancer therapies. Four compound libraries consisting of 81 compounds were synthesized and screened for inhibitory activity against KDM4A in an optimised AlphaScreen assay. Slight inhibition was observed for the series of 3-((2-benzoylhydrazono)methyl)benzoic acids that constituted library 1, with compounds 16, 17, 24, 28, and 38 exhibiting the most significant reductions in KDM4A activity at a screening concentration of 20 μM.

Blood transfusion in total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty: A nationwide study of complications, costs and predictive modelling.

Purpose: Blood transfusion during total knee and hip arthroplasty is associated with increased postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stays and greater healthcare costs. As outpatient arthroplasty expands, identifying patients at high transfusion risk is essential. This study analyses over 4 million arthroplasty procedures from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to assess the clinical and economic impact of transfusion and develop a machine learning-based risk prediction tool.

Reproductive Transitions and Sperm Utilisation in a Facultatively Parthenogenetic Stick Insect.

Facultative parthenogenesis enables females to switch from asexual (parthenogenetic) to sexual reproduction after mating, but the process of fertilisation is poorly understood in such animals. In particular, it is not known whether switching reproductive modes requires changes in the eggs themselves, delaying the transition from laying unfertilised to fertilised eggs. Likewise, very little is known about patterns of sperm precedence in facultatively parthenogenetic females that mate with multiple males.

High throughput screening for the design of protein binding polymers.

Using polymers for protein encapsulation can enhance stability in processing environments and prolong activity and half-life . However, finding the best polymer structure for a target protein can be difficult, labour- and cost-intensive. In this study we introduce a high throughput screening approach to identify strong polymer-protein interactions by use of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), enabling a rapid read out.

Engaging Parents With Child Nutrition and Feeding Information on Facebook: A Retrospective Content Analysis.

Online social media platforms are potentially useful for disseminating public health interventions, especially to parents who seek child nutrition information online. To optimize social media interventions, health professionals need to understand how to reach and engage the target audience. The PICNIC peer-education nutrition program uses social media to teach parents about feeding practices which influence children's eating behaviors.

Nanostructured amorphous Ni-Co-Fe phosphide as a versatile electrocatalyst towards seawater splitting and aqueous zinc-air batteries.

Electrocatalysis provides a desirable approach for moving toward a sustainable energy future. Herein, a rapid and facile potential pulse method was implemented for a one-pot electrosynthesis of the amorphous Ni-Co-Fe-P (NCFP) electrocatalyst. The 2 mg cm loaded electrode displayed excellent trifunctional electrocatalytic activities toward the hydrogen evolution reaction ( = 102 mV), oxygen evolution reaction ( = 250 mV), and oxygen reduction reaction ( = 0.

Nanogold Foundry Involving High-Shear-Mediated Photocontact Electrification in Water.

Controlling the size and morphology of gold nanoparticles occurs in the absence of added reducing agents or other excipients such as surfactants, on UV irradiation ( 254 nm) of aqueous auric acid (H[AuCl]) in a thin film of liquid in a vortex fluidic device (VFD) within a rapidly rotating tilted quartz tube. This involves contact electrification (CE), which occurs at the solid-liquid interface with the oxidation of water photoinduced, forming the hydroxyl radical, OH. In air, the redox couple is reduction of O to the superoxide radical anion, O , which then reduces Au to elemental gold, as does other reactive oxygen species present, competing with CE reduction of Au.

Like a Fish out of Water: Temporary Habitat Switching Detected in Aquatic Tadpoles Resting Above the Water's Surface.

Amphibian tadpoles are typically aquatic and constrained to freshwater throughout development. These circumstances change at metamorphosis, whereupon individuals may complete a partial or full habitat shift towards terrestriality and gain the capacity to transition between habitat types. In this study, we present evidence of striped marsh frog tadpoles, , resting out of the water on floating vegetation mats in freshwater ponds, despite being fully aquatic and at a developmental stage far proceeding metamorphosis.

Increasing access to pain care services to improve rural pain management: a realist review investigating factors affecting uptake, implementation, and sustainability.

Guideline-based care for chronic pain is challenging to deliver in rural settings. Evaluations of programs that increase access to pain care services in rural areas report variable outcomes. We conducted a realist review to gain a deep understanding of how and why such programs may, or may not, work.

Hydroperiod Influences Tadpole Growth and Development in the Endangered Littlejohn's Tree Frog ().

Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrate taxa globally. Their global decline necessitates effective conservation actions to bolster populations across both the larval and adult stages. Constructing man-made ponds is one action proven to enhance reproduction in pond-breeding amphibians.

The inductive effect does not explain electron density in haloacetates: are our textbooks wrong?

The inductive effect is a central concept in chemistry and is often exemplified by the p values of acetic acid derivatives. The reduction in p is canonically attributed to the reduction in the electron density of the carboxylate group through the inductive effect. However, wave functional theory calculations presented herein reveal that the charge density of the carboxylate group is not explained by the inductive effect.

Squamous cell carcinoma is associated with reduced IL34 expression, alterations in the Langerhans cell antigen-processing-presentation machinery and poor patient survival.

Objectives: Langerhans cells (LCs) are epithelial antigen-presenting cells (APC) contributing to immune surveillance. LCs depend on interleukin 34 (IL34) production by epithelial cells. This study aimed to uncover mechanisms of alteration of IL34 and LC function in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Dairy milk: There are alternatives but no equivalents.

Dairy milk is a core food in many food-based guides to healthy eating. However, plant-based milk alternatives are becoming increasingly available as substitutes. While these products serve a subset of the population unable or unwilling to consume milk, plant-based milk alternatives can be perceived by consumers as direct equivalents, or even more healthful alternatives to dairy milk.

Standing strong: War-related challenges in Ukrainian biomedical research and opportunities for support.

The prolonged war in Ukraine is having a strong impact on all sectors of the Ukrainian society, including biomedical research. Although the material and psychological conditions are challenging, the country and its researchers are courageously managing to continue their activities. This perspective paper describes the multiple challenges faced by Ukrainian biomedical researchers during wartime and outlines strategies to support and enhance collaboration with the global scientific community.

Main chain selective polymer degradation: controlled by the wavelength and assembly.

The advent of reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) revolutionized polymer chemistry and paved the way for accessing synthetic polymers with controlled sequences based on vinylic monomers. An inherent limitation of vinylic polymers stems from their all-carbon backbone, which limits both function and degradability. Herein, we report a synthetic strategy utilizing radical ring-opening polymerization (rROP) of complementary photoreactive cyclic monomers in combination with RDRP to embed photoresponsive functionality into desired blocks of polyvinyl polymers.

Effect of male partners' involvement and support on reproductive, maternal and child health and well-being in East Africa: A scoping review.

Background And Aims: East African countries have high rates of maternal and child mortality and morbidity. Studies have shown that the involvement of male partners in reproductive health can benefit maternal and child health (MCH). This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the evidence across East Africa that describes male partner involvement and its effect on maternal, reproductive, and child well-being.

Comparing the cost-effectiveness of drones, camera trapping and passive acoustic recorders in detecting changes in koala occupancy.

Quantifying the cost-effectiveness of alternative sampling methods is crucial for efficient biodiversity monitoring and detection of population trends. In this study, we compared the cost-effectiveness of three novel sampling methods for detecting changes in koala () occupancy: thermal drones, passive acoustic recorders and camera trapping. Specifically, we fitted single-season occupancy-detection models to data recorded from 46 sites in eight bioregions of New South Wales, Australia, between 2018 and 2022.

Neonatal Chlamydia muridarum respiratory infection causes neuroinflammation within the brainstem during the early postnatal period.

Respiratory infections are one of the most common causes of illness and morbidity in neonates worldwide. In the acute phase infections are known to cause wide-spread peripheral inflammation. However, the inflammatory consequences to the critical neural control centres for respiration have not been explored.

Meal or mate: Exploring the evidence of sexual cannibalism among amphibians.

Active forms of cannibalism that involve predation of live conspecifics occur widely among amphibians, most notably by tadpoles that feed on each other and adults that feed on juveniles. In contrast, cannibalism among amphibian adults (adult-adult cannibalism) is less often reported and there have been no investigations on the occurrence of sexual cannibalism in this group to date. In this study, we present an observation of potential sexual cannibalism involving an adult female green and golden bell frog, , preying on a conspecific adult male during the species' breeding season.

Nitrogen deficiency modulates carbon allocation to promote nodule nitrogen fixation capacity in soybean.

Previously, the effect of soil mineral N deficiency on nodule nitrogen fixation capacity (NFC) is unclear. In this study, we found that N deficiency would enhance sucrose allocation to nodules and PEP allocation to bacteroid to promote nodule NFC. Our findings provide new insights into the design of leguminous crops with improved adaptation to fluctuating N levels in the soil.

The effects of oxidative stress and intracellular calcium on mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation in equine spermatozoa.

The in vitro storage of stallion spermatozoa for use in artificial insemination leads to oxidative stress and imbalances in calcium homeostasis that trigger the formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), resulting in premature cell death. However, little is understood about the dynamics and the role of mPTP formation in mammalian spermatozoa. Here, we identify an important role for mPTP in stallion sperm Ca homeostasis.

Assessing quality of life in pulmonary arterial hypertension: An independent prognostic marker.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, or PH Group 1), a disease of aberrant pulmonary vascular remodeling, causing progressive right heart failure (RHF) due to elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Patient mortality risk stratification guides choice and intensity of pharmacological intervention and is assessed by haemodynamics (especially PVR) as well as noninvasive tools including WHO functional class (FC), 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and NT-proBNP levels. Quality of life (QOL) assessment is acknowledged as a central aspect of patient-centered care, but our study sought to extend QOL's role as an additional noninvasive risk marker that could further refine risk stratification and hence therapeutic choices within a "treatment to target" paradigm (aiming to achieve low-risk status).