Obesity is associated with increased risk of at least 13 cancer types. Evidence from bariatric surgery cohorts and some behavioural intervention trials supports the notion that weight loss can prevent obesity-related cancers. The introduction of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 agonist drugs has rapidly revolutionised pharmacotherapy options. A cancer prevention clinical trial would be complex, lengthy, and costly; therefore, we undertook an international expert consensus to assess the need for and design of a weight-loss intervention cancer prevention trial. We used a combination of two nominal group meetings, sandwiching 3 Delphi rounds. A panel of 54 international, multi-disciplinary researchers was established, informed by patient groups. Feedback was incorporated iteratively, and borderline statements, those that did not reach consensus, were addressed in a final meeting. Through the Delphi rounds, retention rates were high (98%, 85%, 88%). Consensus was achieved on 25 statements. Including: (i) there is a need for clinical trial evidence to inform obesity-related cancer prevention strategies; (ii) a trial should reflect high-risk populations; (iii) trials should prioritise GLP-1 agonists; and (iv) future research should explore mechanistic pathways and relevant cancer precursors. This consensus underscores the need for trial evidence to inform strategies for obesity-related cancer prevention.

While parents of children with cancer experience increased levels of emotional distress, considerable variability in adjustment and distress is evident. The current study aimed to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction of a semi-structured intervention protocol based on a three-factor theoretical model of coping and distress using a single-arm study design. The intervention focused on reducing the use of avoidance-focused coping techniques, expanding the repertoire of problem-, and emotion-focused coping techniques, and increasing flexibility in applying these techniques. A sample of 22 mothers and 10 fathers (N = 32) of children undergoing active cancer treatment were recruited from a pediatric hematology-oncology department. The manualized intervention protocol consisted of six 1-hr sessions. Parents completed standardized measures at three time points: baseline, post-intervention, and 6-week follow-up. Parents also completed an acceptability measure and four brief open-ended questions evaluating their satisfaction and experience with the intervention. Of 48 eligible parents who were approached, 32 agreed to participate in the intervention (enrollment rate = 66.67%) and of these, 25 completed the intervention (retention rate = 78.13%), supporting the intervention's feasibility. Parents who completed the intervention provided positive feedback and high satisfaction ratings. Descriptive patterns across pre-, post-, and follow-up assessments reflected expected directions of change in coping and distress measures. These results support the feasibility and acceptability of a theory-driven intervention based on a three-dimensional model of parental coping and distress. Although preliminary descriptive changes were observed across assessment points, these should not be interpreted as evidence of efficacy. Larger controlled trials are necessary to rigorously evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.

Initiation and retention of opioid use disorder treatment medication after emergency department discharge among South Carolina Medicaid enrollees.

Although oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been instrumental in decreasing HIV incidence, its daily dosing regimen poses adherence challenges. Using an agent-based network model informed by empirical data, we simulate the impact of introducing long-acting injectable (LAI) PrEP among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in Los Angeles County, a group disproportionately affected by HIV. Computer simulations using an agent-based network model. We modeled HIV transmission among YBMSM over 10 years under scenarios varying the proportion of PrEP users opting for LAI instead of oral medications and adherence levels to LAI retention. The model was calibrated with empirical data and included dynamic sexual networks, HIV progression, and biomedical interventions. Modeling showed that LAI PrEP substantially reduced HIV incidence and prevalence over 10 years compared with oral PrEP alone. Scenarios with LAI retention (ie, continued use across bimonthly dosing cycles) rates of 60% or higher resulted in reductions comparable with or exceeding those achieved by oral PrEP, with up to a 45% decrease in HIV incidence observed when all PrEP users switched to LAI and retention reached 85%. Long-acting injectable PrEP offers significant potential to advance HIV prevention efforts among YBMSM by addressing adherence challenges inherent to oral PrEP. Integrating LAI into public health initiatives may yield substantial reductions in HIV incidence, contributing to ending the HIV epidemic among this high-priority population.

Improving assessment burden: Evaluation and comparison of time-efficient tests of verbal memory/learning in bipolar disorder.

Highly selective enrichment of EU-priority PAHs from aromatic peanut oil utilizing urea-hybridized activated carbon.

Design and characterization of β-cyclodextrin-encapsulated walnut peptide-calcium-zinc chelates: physical characteristics, bitterness masking, stability, and sustained release.

Construction of nano-rubber toughened double-network hydrogels and the efficient adsorption performance and mechanism for uranyl ions.

Multi-platform analysis reveals the material basis and therapeutic mechanism of Chen Xiang Qu decoction piece in ameliorating functional dyspepsia in rats.

Evaluating the environmental impact of hydrothermal cracking solid organic fertilizer: Carbon and nitrogen retention and toxic metals analysis.

Rational fabrication of sulfonic acid-circled anionic traps for selective extraction of rubidium ion.

Effects of thermal drying methods on characteristic volatile organic compounds in Rosa roxburghii pomace.

Viral filtration by ultrafiltration membranes is a critical step to ensure viral removal in many biomanufacturing process streams. However, the nature of the feed solution and the filtration parameters used can significantly affect filter performance, product quality, and safety. In this work, the impact of three different parameters on ultrafiltration performance was investigated: 1) feed concentration, 2) protein size, and 3) inlet pressure. Findings indicate that the protein concentration of the feed solution affects flow rates in a dose-dependent manner but did not significantly alter retention of ΦX174 bacteriophage particles at the concentrations tested. Results further demonstrated that flow rates and downstream recovery of low-MW BSA were significantly higher than high-MW HgG at the same feed concentration, indicating that the molecular weight of the protein solution significantly alters ultrafiltration performance and downstream product recovery. Finally, testing showed that increasing the inlet pressure increased flow rates and throughput but decreased downstream protein recovery. Therefore, increased pressure has benefits and drawbacks that must be carefully evaluated when developing ultrafiltration process parameters.

From hazardous waste to High-Performance Electrodes: Upcycling discarded cigarette filters into N/S co-doped Free-Standing carbon membranes for advanced energy storage.

Background: The University of South Alabama Student-Run Free Clinic (USASRFC) provides primary care to uninsured individuals in Mobile, Alabama, through student volunteer collaboration across various undergraduate and graduate disciplines. Following a two-year closure due to COVID-19, the USASRFC reopened in April 2022 and faced the challenge of effectively recruiting and retaining volunteers. This single-center retrospective study evaluates volunteer retention patterns as a prerequisite for sustaining interprofessional training in the post-pandemic era. Methods: Volunteer records and executive board representation from April 2022 to December 2023 were reviewed. Variables included volunteer discipline, academic year, gender, attendance, retention rates, and the impact of discipline-specific liaisons and executive board membership on interprofessional involvement. Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, and multi-factor ANOVA. Results: Since reopening, the USASRFC has conducted 61 clinic sessions supported by 366 total volunteers, with a volunteer retention rate of 52.5%. The majority of volunteers were medical students (61.0%), followed by undergraduate students (21.2%), and pharmacy students (8.1%). The most significant factor in retention was academic year (p < 2.39 × 10⁻¹⁶). Discipline-specific liaisons significantly increased initial volunteer participation within their discipline (T = 2.36, p = 0.031), but did not affect long-term retention (Chi² = 2.24, p = 0.13). Executive board representation had no significant effect on interprofessional volunteer recruitment or retention. Conclusion: While interprofessional collaboration enhances the services that resource-limited clinics can offer, sustaining engagement remains challenging. Although direct recruitment through disciplinary liaisons can boost initial volunteer recruitment in some disciplines, their effect on retention is limited, underscoring the need for sustainable strategies. The observed low retention rate reflects resource inefficiencies, as high volunteer turnover demands recruitment and training efforts. Future USASRFC interventions should emphasize early-stage student engagement, interprofessional faculty partnerships, and clear recognition of volunteer contributions to maintain a motivated, diverse volunteer base capable of providing broader care than single-disciplinary clinics.

To evaluate the clinical performance of cantilevered zirconia resin-bonded fixed dental prostheses (RBFDPs) pretreated with nanostructured alumina coating (NAC) as a non-invasive surface modification alternative to airborne-particle abrasion (APA). In this prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial, 57 patients requiring replacement of a maxillary or mandibular incisor received 64 zirconia RBFDPs, randomly assigned to APA (n = 32) or NAC (n = 32) groups. APA surfaces were air-abraded with 50-μm alumina, whereas NAC surfaces were coated with NAC. Restorations were further classified by pontic position. Retention and survival rates were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests; patient-specific factors were assessed with Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact tests (α = 0.05). Debonded surfaces were examined under scanning electron microscopy. Over a mean observation period of 61.4 ± 22.1 months (range, 8.3-97.4 months), six debondings occurred, corresponding to an overall survival rate of 100% and retention rates of 88.4% for NAC and 89.1% for APA (p = 0.99), with no significant differences among pontic groups (p = 0.18). Failures were predominantly adhesive, characterized by partial coating delamination at the NAC-zirconia interface. NAC-pretreated zirconia RBFDPs achieved mid- to long-term retention comparable to APA and represent a minimally invasive, clinically reliable pretreatment alternative. NAC provides a minimally invasive zirconia pretreatment, particularly for RBFDPs fabricated from damage-prone translucent zirconia, mitigating mechanical failures while maintaining long-term retention comparable to APA.

Healthcare services are a crucial sector that requires effective strategic and operational management to meet public needs. Klinik Biddokkes Polda Lampung faces challenges in maintaining patient loyalty, as reflected in the retention rate of only 57% of total patients in 2025. This phenomenon indicates a gap between patients’ expectations of service quality and the actual experience received, as well as the lack of positive word of mouth. This study aims to analyze the effect of service quality and word of mouth on patient loyalty at Klinik Biddokkes Polda Lampung. A quantitative research method was employed using multiple linear regression analysis. The population consisted of clinic patients, with samples selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through patient satisfaction surveys, internal quality audits, and structured questionnaires, then analyzed using validity and reliability tests, t-test, F-test, and coefficient of determination (R²). The results show that service quality significantly affects patient loyalty with a significance value of 0.028, while word of mouth has a stronger influence with a significance value of 0.000. The F-test indicates that both variables simultaneously have a significant effect on patient loyalty, with an F-value of 38.506 and a significance of 0.000. The R² value of 0.443 demonstrates that 44.3% of the variation in patient loyalty can be explained by service quality and word of mouth, while the remaining 55.7% is influenced by other factors outside the research model. In conclusion, patient loyalty at Klinik Biddokkes Polda Lampung is influenced by both service quality and word of mouth, with word of mouth being the dominant factor. Therefore, strategies to enhance patient loyalty should be integrated by improving consistent service quality and strengthening communication and positive patient experiences to generate sustainable recommendations.

The conversion of low-cost, widely available, and renewable agricultural and forestry biomass waste into high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors has attracted significant research interest. In this study, bamboo was used as a raw material to prepare bamboo-derived activated carbon (BAC) and nitrogen-doped biomass activated carbon (N-BAC) via a two-step process involving carbonization and KOH activation. The obtained materials were subsequently evaluated as electrode materials for supercapacitors. The effects of carbonization temperature and time, activation temperature and time, and impregnation ratio on the structural properties and iodine adsorption capacity of the activated carbons were systematically examined. The results revealed that all process parameters influenced the iodine adsorption value of the samples in a volcano-type trend. The BAC prepared under optimized conditions (carbonization at 600 °C for 60 min, activation at 850 °C for 60 min, and an impregnation ratio of 6:1) exhibited the highest specific surface area (3013.30 m2/g), a total pore volume of 1.5813 cm3/g, and an average pore diameter of 2.0992 nm. Although nitrogen doping slightly reduced the specific surface area and pore volume of BAC, the introduced nitrogen-containing functional groups participated in redox reactions with the electrolyte, leading to a significant enhancement in the electrochemical performance of N-BAC. In a 6.0 M KOH electrolyte at a scan rate of 0.01 V/s, the specific capacitance of N-BAC reached 288.8 F/g, exceeding that of the optimized BAC (180.85 F/g). The supercapacitor assembled with N-BAC demonstrated a high energy density of 14.4 Wh/kg at a power density of 73.1 W/kg in aqueous electrolyte, the specific capacitance retention rate is about 90.3% after 5000 cycles between −1.2 V and 0 V at a scan rate of 10 mV/s. Overall, this work successfully developed high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials, providing a promising approach for the high-value utilization of biomass resources.

To evaluate the feasibility of a multi-state randomized control trial (RCT) evaluating iAmHealthy, a rurally tailored pediatric obesity treatment delivered via synchronous televideo. This study's primary outcomes included the evaluation of participant retention and the efficacy of blinding. Each intervention arm was hypothesized to retain >75% of randomized participants and preserve blinding. Additionally, the intervention's preliminary effectiveness was evaluated by comparing changes in health outcomes. Youth aged 6-11 years with a body mass index (BMI) percentile ≥85th and their caregivers were recruited from rural communities across four states participating in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. One hundred four dyads were randomly assigned to iAmHealthy plus newsletter or newsletter-only control. Retention rates for each treatment arm were calculated. Blinding was assessed via the New Blinding Index (NBI). Child and parent BMI, child physical activity, and child dietary intake were assessed at baseline and post-treatment (6 months). A one-sample test of proportions indicated retention rates exceeded 75% for iAmHealthy (87%, p = .027) and control (96%, p < .001). Blinding was successful for both groups [iAmHealthy NBI = -0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.13 to 0.36; control NBI = 0.02, 95% CI: -0.24 to 0.28]. There were no significant differences in health outcomes. This iAmHealthy multi-state feasibility RCT demonstrated high retention and successful blinding of assessors. Although the study was not powered to detect health outcome differences, iAmHealthy exhibited a tendency toward greater improvement or attenuated declines in child health outcomes, which supports the conduct of a future fully powered RCT. NCT04142034, Registered: 10-25-2019; Trial name: Feasibility Trial of the iAmHealthy Intervention; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04142034?cond=iamhealthy&checkSpell=false&rank=1.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness, tolerability, and retention of the ketogenic diet (KD) in patients with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS). Methods In this single-center prospective cohort study, baseline data were collected from the Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiating KD. Outcomes included seizure frequency, adverse reactions, and retention rates. Survival analysis was performed to examine the association between retention rates and follow-up duration. Results A total of 74 patients with IESS were admitted. The seizure response rates were 56.8% (42/74), 41.9% (31/74), and 25.7% (19/74) at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. The corresponding seizure-free rates were 13.5% (10/74), 13.5% (10/74), and 8.1% (8/74), respectively. Retention rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 70.2% (52/74), 43.2% (32/74), and 25.7% (19/74), respectively. Survival analysis indicated that retention rates decreased over time, most markedly within the first 3 months. Responders to the KD exhibited significantly higher retention rates than non-responders throughout the 12 months (HR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.19–0.64; p &amp;lt; 0.001). Adverse reactions were reported in 20.3% of patients, with gastrointestinal symptoms being the most common (16.2%), including constipation (6.8%), diarrhea (5.4%), and vomiting (4.0%). Conclusion The KD demonstrated favorable effectiveness and an acceptable safety profile in patients with IESS, particularly in those who did not respond to first-line antiseizure medications (ASMs). The higher retention rates among responders supports its utility in children with IESS. Therefore, early initiation of the KD should be considered for IESS patients who do not respond to first-line ASMs.