Relevant Sites Research Articles

PKN1 Exerts Neurodegenerative Effects in an In Vitro Model of Cerebellar Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy via Inhibition of AKT/GSK3β Signaling.

We recently identified protein kinase N1 (PKN1) as a negative gatekeeper of neuronal AKT protein kinase activity during postnatal cerebellar development. The developing cerebellum is specifically vulnerable to hypoxia-ischemia (HI), as it occurs during hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a condition typically caused by oxygen deprivation during or shortly after birth. In that context, activation of the AKT cell survival pathway has emerged as a promising new target for neuroprotective interventions. Here, we investigated the role of PKN1 in an in vitro model of HI, using postnatal cerebellar granule cells (Cgc) derived from Pkn1 wildtype and Pkn1-/- mice. Pkn1-/- Cgc showed significantly higher AKT phosphorylation, resulting in reduced caspase-3 activation and improved survival after HI. Pkn1-/- Cgc also showed enhanced axonal outgrowth on growth-inhibitory glial scar substrates, further pointing towards a protective phenotype of Pkn1 knockout after HI. The specific PKN1 phosphorylation site S374 was functionally relevant for the enhanced axonal outgrowth and AKT interaction. Additionally, PKN1pS374 shows a steep decrease during cerebellar development. In summary, we demonstrate the pathological relevance of the PKN1-AKT interaction in an in vitro HI model and establish the relevant PKN1 phosphorylation sites, contributing important information towards the development of specific PKN1 inhibitors.

Hospital readiness in implementing credentials, verification and readiness of medical personnel according to Staff Qualification and Education (SQE) assessment element 10 accreditation standards in Regional General Hospitals of West Muna District Southeas

Background: National data for 2022 records that 3,120 hospitals have been registered, of which 78.8% (2,482 units) of hospitals have been accredited and 638 hospitals (21.2%) have not been accredited. In Southeast Sulawesi there are 38 hospitals spread across all districts and cities, including 12.9 plenary accreditations, 5.3% main accreditations, 18.4% intermediate accreditations and 10.53 basic accreditations. Meanwhile, the regional general hospital in West Muna Regency is still basic accredited and continues to strive to improve the quality of service by preparing the implementation of medical personnel readiness, credentials and verification. The aim of this research is to see the readiness of hospitals in implementing credentials, verification and readiness of medical personnel based on the SQE assessment elements of 10 accreditation standards at the West Muna Regency Hospital. Method: This research uses a qualitative method with a case study design, the informants in this research were 16 people from government agencies, professional organizations, civil service, medical committees and doctors at the West Muna Regency Regional Hospital. Next, interviews were conducted using interview Result: The results of the research show that the West Muna Regency regional general hospital is ready to implement credentials which are marked by the recruitment of medical personnel, there are regulations in the recruitment of medical personnel, there is a credential flow and also medical personnel credential files. However, in its implementation, the West Muna Regency regional general hospital also experienced obstacles such as completeness of files and readiness of the bestari partners themselves. 2) Based on the research results, the West Muna Regency regional general hospital is also ready to verify medical personnel files. Validation of documents is carried out through the relevant site. 3) The West Muna Regency regional general hospital is also ready in terms of medical personnel to carry out qualifications and education for medical personnel. This can be seen from the regular monitoring and evaluation of STR or registration certificate and SIP or practice license for medical personnel and the existence of regulations governing STR or registration certificate for medical personnel. Kesimpulan: West Muna District Hospital is ready to implement credentialing, verification and readiness of medical personnel according to the SQE 10 accreditation standard assessment elements. So hospitals need to increase their bestari partners through communication with professional organizations, equipping medical personnel resources according to service needs to the community and preparing infrastructure so that the health service process is more optimal.

Hello from the other side: Robust contralateral interference in tactile detection

Touch is unique among the sensory modalities in that our tactile receptors are spread across the body surface and continuously receive different inputs at the same time. These inputs vary in type, properties, relevance according to current goals, and, of course, location on the body. Sometimes, they must be integrated, and other times set apart and distinguished. Here, we investigate how simultaneous stimulation to different body sites affects tactile cognition. Specifically, we characterized the impact of irrelevant tactile sensations on tactile change detection. To this end, we embedded detection targets amidst ongoing performance, akin to the conditions encountered in everyday life, where we are constantly confronted with new events within ongoing stimuli. In the set of experiments presented here, participants detected a brief intensity change (.04 s) within an ongoing vibrotactile stimulus (1.6 s) that was always presented in a constantly attended location. The intensity change (i.e., the detection target) varied parametrically, from hardly detectable to easily detectable. In half of the trials, irrelevant ongoing stimulation was simultaneously presented to a site across the body midline, but participants were instructed to ignore it. In line with previous bimanual studies employing brief onset targets, we document robust interference on performance due to the irrelevant stimulation at each of the measured body sites (homologous and nonhomologous fingers, and the contralateral ankle). After describing this basic phenomenon, we further examine the conditions under which such interference occurs in three additional tasks. In each task, we honed in on a different aspect of the stimulation protocol (e.g., hand distance, the strength of the irrelevant stimulation, the detection target itself) in order to better understand the principles governing the observed interference effects. Our findings suggest a minimal role for exogenous attentional capture in producing the observed interference effects (Exp. 2), and a principled distribution of attentional resources or sensory integration between body sides (Exps. 3, 4). In our last study (Exp. 4), we presented bilateral tactile targets of varying intensities to both the relevant and irrelevant stimulation sites. We then characterized the degree to which the irrelevant stimulation is also processed. Our results—that participants’ perception of target intensity is always proportional to the combined bilateral signal—suggest that both body sites are equally weighed and processed despite clear instructions to attend only the target site. In light of this observation and participants’ inability to use selection processes to guide their perception, we propose that bilateral tactile inputs are automatically combined, quite possibly early in the hierarchy of somatosensory processing.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of gestational duration and spontaneous preterm birth identifies new maternal risk loci.

Preterm birth (<37 weeks of gestation) is a major cause of neonatal death and morbidity. Up to 40% of the variation in timing of birth results from genetic factors, mostly due to the maternal genome. We conducted a genome-wide meta-analysis of gestational duration and spontaneous preterm birth in 68,732 and 98,370 European mothers, respectively. The meta-analysis detected 15 loci associated with gestational duration, and four loci associated with preterm birth. Seven of the associated loci were novel. The loci mapped to several biologically plausible genes, for example HAND2 whose expression was previously shown to decrease during gestation, associated with gestational duration, and GC (Vitamin D-binding protein), associated with preterm birth. Downstream in silico-analysis suggested regulatory roles as underlying mechanisms for the associated loci. LD score regression found birth weight measures as the most strongly correlated traits, highlighting the unique nature of spontaneous preterm birth phenotype. Tissue expression and colocalization analysis revealed reproductive tissues and immune cell types as the most relevant sites of action. We report novel genetic risk loci that associate with preterm birth or gestational duration, and reproduce findings from previous genome-wide association studies. Altogether, our findings provide new insight into the genetic background of preterm birth. Better characterization of the causal genetic mechanisms will be important to public health as it could suggest new strategies to treat and prevent preterm birth.

The sacroiliac joint: An original and highly sensitive tool to highlight altered bone phenotype in murine models of skeletal disorders

Bone disorders may affect the skeleton in different ways, some bones being very impaired and others less severely. In translational studies using murine models of human skeletal diseases, the bone phenotype is mainly evaluated at the distal femur or proximal tibia. The sacroiliac joint (SIJ), which connects the spine to the pelvis, is involved in the balanced transfer of mechanical energy from the lumbar spine to the lower extremities. Because of its role in biomechanical stress, the SIJ is a region of particular interest in various bone diseases. Here we aimed to characterize the SIJ in several murine models to develop a highly reliable tool for studying skeletal disorders.We performed a 12-month in vivo micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) follow-up to characterize the SIJ in wild-type (WT) C57BL/J6 mice and compared the bone microarchitecture of the SIJ and the distal femur at 3 months by micro-CT and histology. To test the sensitivity of our methodology, the SIJ and distal femur were evaluated at 3 and 6 months, in 2 murine models of skeletal disorder, X-linked hypophosphatemia (Hyp mice) and HLA-B27 transgenic mice and compared to WT mice. A multimodal analysis was performed, using a combination of microCT and histological analysis.With the Hyp model, the SIJ displayed more bone microarchitecture alterations than the distal femur. Hyp mice showed a significant reduction in trabecular bone at both the distal femur and sacral slope as compared with WT mice, with a significant positive correlation between trabecular bone parameters of the distal femur and sacral side of the SIJ. Furthermore, trabecular bone parameters (Bone Volume/Total Volume (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular pattern factor (Tb.Pf)) were significantly increased compared to femoral parameters at the SIJ. The sacral articular cortical bone, which is indicative of osteoarticular lesions, was altered in Hyp mice. Interestingly, in accordance to previous studies, HLA-B27 transgenic mice did not show any osteoarticular lesions as compared with WT mice. Cortical bone parameters (thickness, porosity), as well as scoring performed with double blinding, did not show difference between the 2 genotypes.The characterization and evaluation of the SIJ surface appears very sensitive to emphasize alterations of bone and joint. The SIJ may represent a valuable tool to investigate both bone and local osteoarticular alterations in murine models of skeletal disorders and might be a relevant site for assessing the response to treatment of chronic bone diseases.

Comparative Analysis of Conformational Dynamics and Systematic Characterization of Cryptic Pockets in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB.1 Spike Complexes with the ACE2 Host Receptor: Confluence of Binding and Structural Plasticity in Mediating Networks of Conserved Allosteric Sites.

In the current study, we explore coarse-grained simulations and atomistic molecular dynamics together with binding energetics scanning and cryptic pocket detection in a comparative examination of conformational landscapes and systematic characterization of allosteric binding sites in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB.1 spike full-length trimer complexes with the host receptor ACE2. Microsecond simulations, Markov state models and mutational scanning of binding energies of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 and BA.2.75 receptor binding domain complexes revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the BA.2.75 variant and significant dynamic differences between these Omicron variants. Molecular simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike full-length trimer complexes with the ACE2 receptor complemented atomistic studies and enabled an in-depth analysis of mutational and binding effects on conformational dynamic and functional adaptability of the Omicron variants. Despite considerable structural similarities, Omicron variants BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB.1 can induce unique conformational dynamic signatures and specific distributions of the conformational states. Using conformational ensembles of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike trimer complexes with ACE2, we conducted a comprehensive cryptic pocket screening to examine the role of Omicron mutations and ACE2 binding on the distribution and functional mechanisms of the emerging allosteric binding sites. This analysis captured all experimentally known allosteric sites and discovered networks of inter-connected and functionally relevant allosteric sites that are governed by variant-sensitive conformational adaptability of the SARS-CoV-2 spike structures. The results detailed how ACE2 binding and Omicron mutations in the BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB.1 spike complexes modulate the distribution of conserved and druggable allosteric pockets harboring functionally important regions. The results are significant for understanding the functional roles of druggable cryptic pockets that can be used for allostery-mediated therapeutic intervention targeting conformational states of the Omicron variants.

Synoptic Reporting for Pretreatment CT Examination in Patients With Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Impact on Documentation of Disease Sites and Physician Satisfaction.

BACKGROUND. Imaging reports that consistently document all disease sites with a potential to increase surgical complexity or morbidity can facilitate ovarian cancer treatment planning. OBJECTIVE. The aims of this study were to compare simple structured reports and synoptic reports from pretreatment CT examinations in patients with advanced ovarian cancer in terms of completeness of documenting involvement of clinically relevant anatomic sites as well as to evaluate physician satisfaction with synoptic reports. METHODS. This retrospective study included 205 patients (median age, 65 years) who underwent contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT before primary treatment of advanced ovarian cancer from June 1, 2018, to January 31, 2022. A total of 128 reports generated on or before March 31, 2020, used a simple structured report (free text organized into sections); 77 reports generated on or after April 1, 2020, used a synoptic report (a list of 45 anatomic sites relevant to ovarian cancer management, each of which was classified in terms of disease absence versus presence). Reports were reviewed for completeness of documentation of involvement of the 45 sites. For patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on diagnostic laparoscopy findings or underwent primary debulking surgery with suboptimal resection, the EMR was reviewed to identify surgically established sites of disease that were unresectable or challenging to resect. Gynecologic oncology surgeons were electronically surveyed. RESULTS. The mean report turnaround time was 29.8 minutes for simple structured reports versus 54.5 minutes for synoptic reports (p < .001). A mean of 17.6 of 45 sites (range, four to 43 sites) were mentioned by simple structured reports versus 44.5 of 45 sites (range, 39-45) for synoptic reports (p < .001). Forty-three patients had surgically established unresectable or challenging-to-resect disease; involvement of anatomic site(s) with such disease was mentioned in 37% (11/30) of simple structured reports versus 100% (13/13) of synoptic reports (p < .001). All eight surveyed gynecologic oncology surgeons completed the survey. CONCLUSION. A synoptic report improved completeness of pretreatment CT reports in patients with advanced ovarian cancer, including for established sites of unresectable or challenging-to-resect disease. CLINICAL IMPACT. The findings indicate the role of disease-specific synoptic reports in facilitating referrer communication and potentially guiding clinical decision-making.

Certainty of Evidence Assessment in Systematic Reviews Published by High-Impact Sports Science Journals: A Meta-epidemiological Study.

Assessing certainty of evidence is a key element of any systematic review. The aim of this meta-epidemiology study was to understand the frequency and ways with which certainty of evidence is assessed in contemporary systematic reviews published in high-impact sports science journals. We searched PubMed and relevant journal web sites from 1 August 2016 to 11 October 2022 for systematic reviews published in the top-ten highest-impact journals within the 2020 Journal Citation Report for the Sports Sciences category. Pairs of independent reviewers screened items using a priori established criteria. Of 1250 eligible documents, 258 (20.6%) assessed the certainty of evidence, defined as using two or more distinct domains to provide an overall rating of the trustworthiness of findings across studies. Nine methods were cited for assessing certainty, with the most common being the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach (61.6%). The proportion of systematic reviews assessing certainty of evidence appeared to increase over the 6-year timeframe analyzed. Across all reviews analyzed, a large majority addressed the domains of risk of bias, imprecision, and inconsistency of the results. Other certainty domains including indirectness/applicability were less commonly assessed. Only one in five recent contemporary systematic reviews in the field of exercise and sports science assessed certainty of evidence. Organizational and institutional education on methods for assessing evidence may help further increase uptake of these methods and improve both the quality and clinical impact of systematic reviews in the field.

Open RT Structures: A Solution for TG-263 Accessibility

BackgroundConsistency of nomenclature within radiation oncology is increasingly important as big data efforts and data sharing become more feasible. Automation of radiation oncology workflows depends on standardized contour nomenclature which enables toxicity and outcomes research, while also reducing medical errors and facilitating quality improvement activities. Recommendations for standardized nomenclature have been published in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) report from Task Group 263. Transitioning to TG-263 requires creation and management of structure template libraries and retraining of staff, which can be a considerable burden on clinical resources. Our aim is to develop a program that allows users to create TG-263 compliant structure templates in English, Spanish, or French to facilitate data sharing. Methods53 pre-made structure templates were arranged by treated organ based on an American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) consensus paper. Templates were further customized with common target structures, relevant OARs (e.g., Spleen for anatomically relevant sites such as gastroesophageal junction or stomach), sub-site specific templates (e.g. partial breast, whole breast, intact prostate, postoperative prostate, etc.) and brachytherapy templates. An informal consensus on OAR and target coloration was also achieved, though color selections are fully customizable within the program. ResultsThe resulting program is usable on any Windows system and generates template files in practice-specific DICOM or XML formats, extracting standardized structure nomenclature from an online database maintained by members of the TG-263U1 Task Group which ensures continuous access to up-to-date templates. ConclusionsWe have developed a tool to easily create and name DICOM-RT structures sets that are TG-263-compliant for all planning systems utilizing the DICOM standard. The program and source code are publicly available via GitHub, encouraging feedback from community users for improvement and guide further development.

Operando High-Energy-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy of Evolving Cu Nanoparticle Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction.

Advances in electrocatalysis research rely heavily on building a thorough mechanistic understanding of catalyst active sites under realistic operating conditions. Only recently have techniques emerged that enable sensitive spectroscopic data collection to distinguish catalytically relevant surface sites from the underlying bulk material under applied potential in the presence of an electrolyte layer. Here, we demonstrate that operando high-energy-resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD-XAS) is a powerful spectroscopic method which offers critical surface chemistry insights in CO2 electroreduction with sub-electronvolt energy resolution using hard X-rays. Combined with the high surface area-to-volume ratio of 5 nm copper nanoparticles, operando HERFD-XAS allows us to observe with clear evidence the breaking of chemical bonds between the ligands and the Cu surface as part of the ligand desorption process occurring under electrochemical potentials relevant for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). In addition, the dynamic evolution of oxidation state and coordination number throughout the operation of the nanocatalyst was continuously tracked. With these results in hand, undercoordinated metallic copper nanograins are proposed to be the real active sites in the CO2RR. This work emphasizes the importance of HERFD-XAS compared to routine XAS in catalyst characterization and mechanism exploration, especially in the complicated electrochemical CO2RR.

A weighted soil heath index approach for refined assessment of soil health in cropping systems

IntroductionPromoting sustainable crop production is enhanced by an effective method to assess soil health. However, soil health assessment is challenging due to multiple interactions among dynamic soil properties (i.e., soil health indicators) across management practices and agroecological regions. We tested several currently popular soil health assessment methods for cropping systems in Tennessee in the southeastern US and found that these methods failed to differentiate Tennessee soil health under long-term conservation and conventional management.Materials and methodsThis study developed a Tennessee weighted soil health index (WSHI) by: 1) selecting a set of management-sensitive soil health indicators, 2) assigning meaningful weights to indicators, and 3) normalizing the scores based on regionally relevant undisturbed natural reference sites. The tested cropping systems treatments were moldboard plow (MP) in continuous soybean (SS), no tillage (NT) in SS, NT with wheat cover (NTW) in SS, no cover and chisel plow (NCCT) in continuous cotton (CC), no cover and no tillage (NCNT) in CC, and hairy vetch cover and no tillage (VCNT) in CC. In addition, two woodlots and one grassland sites in the vicinity of the cropping systems were selected to represent undisturbed natural systems.Results and discussionOut of 22 indicators that proved to be management-sensitive, six were selected as a minimum dataset (MDS). These were particulate organic matter C (POM-C), soil respiration from 4-day incubation (4d CO2), small macroaggregate (0.250-2mm)-associated C (SMA-C), surface hardness (PR15), microbial biomass N (MBN), and bulk density (BD). Measured values of the MDS indicators were transformed into unitless normalized scores (based on the regional range of the indicator), and finally integrated into WSHI scores using a weighted-addition approach. Additionally, the soil health gap (SHG) between the soil health of the regional reference system and different cropping systems was calculated. Results revealed that WSHI strongly differentiated soil health between long-term conservation and conventional managements practices. The WSHI scores for southeastern cropland soils varied as follows: VCNT = NTW &amp;gt; NT &amp;gt; NCNT ≥ NCCT ≥ MP. The SHGs under MP, NCCT, NCNT, NT, NTW, and VCNT were 85.5, 79.9, 68, 45.1, 25.2, and 24.3, respectively, relative to the average WSHI of three undisturbed systems. Results showed that the WSHI approach is effective in more meaningful regional assessment of soil health and SHG can be a potential metric for comparing soil health across agroecological regions.

Evolution and expression of the duck TRIM gene repertoire.

Tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins are involved in development, innate immunity, and viral restriction. TRIM gene repertoires vary between species, likely due to diversification caused by selective pressures from pathogens; however, this has not been explored in birds. We mined a de novo assembled transcriptome for the TRIM gene repertoire of the domestic mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), a reservoir host of influenza A viruses. We found 57 TRIM genes in the duck, which represent all 12 subfamilies based on their C-terminal domains. Members of the C-IV subfamily with C-terminal PRY-SPRY domains are known to augment immune responses in mammals. We compared C-IV TRIM proteins between reptiles, birds, and mammals and show that many C-IV subfamily members have arisen independently in these lineages. A comparison of the MHC-linked C-IV TRIM genes reveals expansions in birds and reptiles. The TRIM25 locus with related innate receptor modifiers is adjacent to the MHC in reptile and marsupial genomes, suggesting the ancestral organization. Within the avian lineage, both the MHC and TRIM25 loci have undergone significant TRIM gene reorganizations and divergence, both hallmarks of pathogen-driven selection. To assess the expression of TRIM genes, we aligned RNA-seq reads from duck tissues. C-IV TRIMs had high relative expression in immune relevant sites such as the lung, spleen, kidney, and intestine, and low expression in immune privileged sites such as in the brain or gonads. Gene loss and gain in the evolution of the TRIM repertoire in birds suggests candidate immune genes and potential targets of viral subversion.

Impact of Ambiversion on Collaboration Among Diverse Groups

The coexistence of extroverted and introverted tendencies characterizes the psychological trait known as ambiversion. The impact of ambiversion on collaboration among various groups has received limited attention in the literature. This study examines the relationship between ambiversion and collaboration among individuals with culturally diverse backgrounds, using three leading theoretical models in personality psychology: the HEXACO Model, the Big Five Model, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Model (MBTI). This type of research is qualitative research (literary study). The data collected and analyzed are secondary data from research results such as relevant books, journals, articles, internet sites, and others. Data analysis techniques in this study used content analysis data analysis techniques. The results of the study, namely, in particular the HEXACO Model, highlight the importance of openness to experience in facilitating collaboration among various groups. In contrast, the Big Five Model emphasizes the role of conscientiousness in this relationship. The MBTI model must provide significant evidence of its contribution to the relationship between ambiversion and collaboration between diverse groups. It concluded that individuals and organizations could create ways to encourage successful collaboration and teamwork while leveraging the capabilities of various team members by identifying the strengths and specific problems of ambiverts.

SLC12A Cryo-EM: Analysis of relevant ion binding sites, structural domains and amino acids.

The SLC12A superfamily of membrane transporters modulate the movement of cations coupled with chloride across the membrane. In doing so, these cotransporters are involved in numerous aspects of human physiology: cell volume regulation, ion homeostasis, blood pressure regulation, and neurological action potential via intracellular chloride concentration modulation. Their physiological characterization has been largely studied; however, understanding the mechanics of their function and relevance of structural domains or specific amino acids has been a pending task. In recent years, single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), has been successfully applied to members of the SLC12A family including all KCCs, NKCC1 and recently NCC; revealing structural elements that play key roles in their function. The present review analyzes the data provided by these cryo-EM reports focusing on structural domains and specific amino acids involved in ion binding, domain interactions, and other important SCL12A structural elements. Comparison of cryo-EM data from NKCC1 and KCCs is presented in the light of the two recent NCC cryo-EM studies, to propose insight into structural elements that might also be found in NCC and are necessary for its proper function. On the final sections, the importance of key coordination residues for substrate specificity and their implication on various pathophysiological conditions and genetic disorders is reviewed, as this could provide the basis to correlate structural elements with the development of novel and selective treatments, as well as mechanistic insight into the function and regulation of CCCs.

Adsorption study of SF6 molecules on Pt-doped two-dimensional material Ti3C2Tx Mxene

In this paper, the effects of transition metal atom Pt doping on the structural parameters and electronic properties of the two-dimensional material Ti3C2Tx MXene (T = OH, O or F) as well as the adsorption interaction between the doped material and SF6 are investigated based on density functional theory calculations. To investigate the SF6 adsorption mechanism, the adsorption structure, adsorption energy, charge transfer, and density of states of Pt atom-doped Ti3C2Tx after the adsorption of SF6 molecules were analyzed. The results showed that the electronic properties and chemical activity of the doped Ti3C2Tx changed significantly compared to those before doping. In addition, Pt-doped Ti3C2(OH)2 has good adsorption ability on SF6 molecules, and its adsorption type is chemisorption; in the relevant sites, SF6 undergoes chemical bond breaking, and the doping of Pt improves the catalytic effect of Ti3C2(OH)2. The adsorption capacity of Pt-doped Ti3C2O2 and Ti3C2F2 for SF6 molecules is much weaker than that of Pt-doped Ti3C2(OH)2, physical adsorption occurred, and there was almost no degradation of SF6; the doping of Pt did not improve the catalytic effect of Ti3C2O2 and Ti3C2F2.

School closures significantly reduced arrests of black and latinx urban youth.

Youth of color are surveilled and arrested by police at higher rates than their White peers, contributing to racial inequities across the life course and in population health. Previous research points to schools as an increasingly relevant site for youth criminalization, but existing studies emphasize within-school mechanisms, with limited analysis of policing in surrounding school areas. To fill this gap, we study changes in police arrests of youth after initial COVID-19 school closures in 2020 across four US cities overall and in relation to public school locations. We analyze geocoded arrest records and use interrupted time series negative binomial regression models with city and month fixed effects to estimate change in weekly arrest rates among White, Black, and Latinx youth. We estimate arrest densities within school areas before and after school closures using spatial buffers of 300 feet. In the immediate weeks and months following COVID-19 pandemic school closures, youth arrest rates fell dramatically and with lasting impacts compared to other age groups. During the period of remote learning, weekly youth arrest rates declined by 54.0% compared to youth arrests rates in 2019, adjusting for city and seasonality (Incident Rate Ratio 0.46, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.52). We estimate Black youth weekly arrests fell from 43.6 to 16.8 per 100,000, vs. 4.6 to 2.2 per 100,000 among White youth. However, Black youth arrest rates during the remote learning period were still nearly 5 times that of White youth pre-pandemic. We also find that youth arrest rates declined during two school closure periods: at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and during Summer 2019. A spatial analysis shows Black and Latinx youth arrest densities in the surrounding 300 feet of K-12 schools were at least 15 and 8.5 times that of White youth, respectively, in both pre- and remote-learning periods. Black and Latinx youth face a higher likelihood of being arrested near a school than do White youth and older age groups, and racial inequities in arrests remains after school closures. Our findings show school closures significantly reduced arrests of urban youth of color, and policies addressing youth criminalization and structural racism should consider the joint spatial context of schools and policing. Although school closures may have resulted in learning loss and harms to youth wellbeing, closures interrupted comparatively high levels of arrest for Black and Latinx youth.

Arsenic movement and fractionation in agricultural soils which received wastewater from an adjacent industrial site for 50 years

Arsenic (As) is an element with important environmental and human health implications due to its toxic properties. It is naturally occurring since it is contained in minerals, but it can also be enriched and distributed in the environment by anthropogenic activities. This paper reports on the historic As contamination of agricultural soils in one of the most important national relevance site for contamination in Italy, the so-called SIN Brescia-Caffaro, in the city of Brescia, northern Italy. These agricultural areas received As through the use of irrigation waters from wastewater coming from a factory of As-based pesticides (lead and calcium arsenates, sodium arsenite). Pesticide production started in 1920 and ended in the ‘70. Concentrations in the areas are generally beyond the legal threshold values for different soil uses and are up to >200 mg/kg. Arsenic contamination was studied to assess the long-time trend and the dynamics related to the vertical movement of As down to 1 m depth and its horizontal diffusion with surface irrigation in the entire field. Arsenic fractionation analysis (solid phase speciation by sequential extraction procedure) was also performed on samples collected from these areas and employed in greenhouse experiments with several plant species to evaluate the long-term contamination and the role of plant species in modifying As availability in soil. The results of this work can help in the evaluation of the conditions controlling the vertical transfer of As towards surface aquifers, the bioaccumulation likelihood in the agricultural food chain and the selection of sustainable remediation techniques such as phytoextraction.

Smoking, blood DNA methylation sites and lung cancer risk

Altered DNA methylation (DNAm) might be a biological intermediary in the pathway from smoking to lung cancer. In this study, we investigated the contribution of differential blood DNAm to explain the association between smoking and lung cancer incidence. Blood DNAm was measured in 2321 Strong Heart Study (SHS) participants. Incident lung cancer was assessed as time to event diagnoses. We conducted mediation analysis, including validation with DNAm and paired gene expression data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). In the SHS, current versus never smoking and pack-years single-mediator models showed, respectively, 29 and 21 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) for lung cancer with statistically significant mediated effects (14 of 20 available, and five of 14 available, positions, replicated, respectively, in FHS). In FHS, replicated DMPs showed gene expression downregulation largely in trans, and were related to biological pathways in cancer. The multimediator model identified that DMPs annotated to the genes AHRR and IER3 jointly explained a substantial proportion of lung cancer. Thus, the association of smoking with lung cancer was partly explained by differences in baseline blood DNAm at few relevant sites. Experimental studies are needed to confirm the biological role of identified eQTMs and to evaluate potential implications for early detection and control of lung cancer.

Proposing civil structures for managed aquifer recharge in relevant sites of Shilabati River: an integrated spatial analysis

Proposing civil structures for managed aquifer recharge in relevant sites of Shilabati River: an integrated spatial analysis

Ship technology, slavery, repatriation and air transportation: continuity and change

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, which occurred between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, displaced Africans and people of African descent into the New World. The trade affected and influenced several aspects of the world economy, boosting the economies of participating countries and creating what would become the African diaspora. While several elements of the trade have gained recognition in scholarship, ships, as the single most important medium of transportation for African slaves, have received little attention. We contribute to the discourse by placing ships at the center of discussion by highlighting the relevance and importance of this human and cargo carriage as a vehicle of slavery. We also paid attention to air transportation in the era of voluntary repatriation of people of African descent back to Africa for tourism, business and to pay homage to the motherland. We achieved these objectives through the use of written sources. These included books, journal articles and relevant sites and databases relating to the history of science, technology and slavery among others. The research highlights, among others, the following: the invention of ships has changed the course of world history. It has been the single most tremendous medium of transportation responsible for transporting millions of Africans into Europe and the New World creating the African Diaspora. The era of sailing and the cruise period have offered man the opportunity to navigate oceans and seas that were hitherto uncharted. It also ensured that trade relations between and among countries were solidified. Beginning in the XIV century when ships used rudders that ran on shallow waters, trade was organized on as small scale between countries. The fifteenth century became a significant date in the history of ship building as there was an improvement in sea faring and oceanic navigation. The double-ended ship gave way for full-rigged ships. An even greater milestone was achieved in the eighteenth century when the steam was invented. This period produced fast sailing ships which were less costly and it greatly influenced the triangular trade which had begun some two centuries earlier.