Electrodeposition from a Graphene Bath: A Sustainable Copper Composite Alloy in a Graphene Matrix

The leaching effect of metals has led to the introduction of government regulations for the safety of the environment and humans. This has led to the search for new alloys with long-lasting sustainability. Herein, we wish to report a new brass alloy containing carbon with a remarkable sustainability produced by electrodeposition from a graphene quantum dots bath. The electrochemical measurements were carried out using cyclic voltammetry, potentiodynamic analysis, and Tafel measurements, and the deposits were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Raman imaging, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the surface morphology and elemental compositions. The current–time transients in the potential-step electrolysis were used to investigate the nucleation and growth mechanism. The smooth and compact deposit obtained at −0.60 V showed a composition of Cu = 24.33 wt %; Zn = 0.089 wt %; and C = 75.57 wt %. The SEM and energy dispersion X-ray analysis revealed a surface morphology with a uniform distribution of the particles and the presence of Cu, Zn, and C. The corrosion density of the material is very much lower than that of conventional brass, suggesting a higher sustainabilit

Effective communication and information provision in radiotherapy - the role of radiation therapists

Introduction: Health professionals have a duty of care to radiotherapy patients in providing them with adequate information before treatment. There is a lack of research that describes the roles of radiation therapists and radiation oncology nurses in providing information to patients. This study aimed to: (1) explore how radiation therapists communicate with breast cancer patients during a radiotherapy planning appointment; (2) determine what information is provided during this appointment and (3) explore radiation therapists perspectives on their role in providing patient information and support. Methods: The following methodologies were used: self-report questionnaires; simulated radiotherapy planning sessions and joint interpretive forums. Statistical analysis was used to analyse the questionnaires and the simulated planning sessions and forums were analysed qualitatively. Results: A total of 110 radiation therapists participated in the survey. We simulated two radiotherapy planning appointments and held two forums. Four themes emerged: role definitions, reducing patient anxiety and distress, barriers and strategies for effective communication and confidence in patient communication. Conclusion: Radiation therapists play an important role in communicating with patients and providing information, particularly if patients exhibit anxiety and distress. Further research is required to determine whether patients information needs can be met with additional information provided by radiation therapists

Dissociation of tau pathology and neuronal hypometabolism within the ATN framework of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is defined by amyloid (A) and tau (T) pathologies, with T better correlated to neurodegeneration (N). However, T and N have complex regional relationships in part related to non-AD factors that influence N. With machine learning, we assessed heterogeneity in 18F-flortaucipir vs. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography as markers of T and neuronal hypometabolism (NM) in 289 symptomatic patients from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. We identified six T/NM clusters with differing limbic and cortical patterns. The canonical group was defined as the T/NM pattern with lowest regression residuals. Groups resilient to T had less hypometabolism than expected relative to T and displayed better cognition than the canonical group. Groups susceptible to T had more hypometabolism than expected given T and exhibited worse cognitive decline, with imaging and clinical measures concordant with non-AD copathologies. Together, T/NM mismatch reveals distinct imaging signatures with pathobiological and prognostic implications for AD

Narratives from the road to social justice in PETE: teacher educator perspectives

Developing teacher education programmes founded upon principles of critical pedagogy and social justice has become increasingly difficult in the current neoliberal climate of higher education. In this article, we adopt a narrative approach to illuminate some of the dilemmas which advocates of education for social justice face and to reflect upon how pedagogy for inclusion in the field of physical education (PE) teacher education (PETE) is defined and practiced. As a professional group, teacher educators seem largely hesitant to expose themselves to the researcher's gaze, which is problematic if we expect preservice teachers to engage in messy, biographical reflexivity with regard to their own teaching practice. By engaging in self- and collective biographical story sharing about ‘our’ teacher educator struggles in England and Norway, we hope that the reader can identify ‘her/his’ struggles in the narratives about power and domination, and the spaces of opportunity in between

Dissociation of tau pathology and neuronal hypometabolism within the ATN framework of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is defined by amyloid (A) and tau (T) pathologies, with T better correlated to neurodegeneration (N). However, T and N have complex regional relationships in part related to non-AD factors that influence N. With machine learning, we assessed heterogeneity in 18F-flortaucipir vs. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography as markers of T and neuronal hypometabolism (NM) in 289 symptomatic patients from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. We identified six T/NM clusters with differing limbic and cortical patterns. The canonical group was defined as the T/NM pattern with lowest regression residuals. Groups resilient to T had less hypometabolism than expected relative to T and displayed better cognition than the canonical group. Groups susceptible to T had more hypometabolism than expected given T and exhibited worse cognitive decline, with imaging and clinical measures concordant with non-AD copathologies. Together, T/NM mismatch reveals distinct imaging signatures with pathobiological and prognostic implications for AD

Missense mutations that cause Van der Woude syndrome and popliteal pterygium syndrome affect the DNA-binding and transcriptional activation functions of IRF6

Cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP) are common disorders that occur either as part of a syndrome, where structures other than the lip and palate are affected, or in the absence of other anomalies. Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) and popliteal pterygium syndrome (PPS) are autosomal dominant disorders characterized by combinations of cleft lip, CLP, lip pits, skin-folds, syndactyly and oral adhesions which arise as the result of mutations in interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6). IRF6 belongs to a family of transcription factors that share a highly conserved N-terminal, DNA-binding domain and a less well-conserved protein-binding domain. To date, mutation analyses have suggested a broad genotype–phenotype correlation in which missense and nonsense mutations occurring throughout IRF6 may cause VWS; in contrast, PPS-causing mutations are highly associated with the DNA-binding domain, and appear to preferentially affect residues that are predicted to interact directly with the DNA. Nevertheless, this genotype–phenotype correlation is based on the analysis of structural models rather than on the investigation of the DNA-binding properties of IRF6. Moreover, the effects of mutations in the protein interaction domain have not been analysed. In the current investigation, we have determined the sequence to which IRF6 binds and used this sequence to analyse the effect of VWS- and PPS-associated mutations in the DNA-binding domain of IRF6. In addition, we have demonstrated that IRF6 functions as a co-operative transcriptional activator and that mutations in the protein interaction domain of IRF6 disrupt this activity

Paediatric tonsillectomy in england a cohort study of clinical practice and outcomes using Hospital Episode Statistics data (2008‐2019)

Objectives: To assess the safety of paediatric tonsillectomy procedures conducted in NHS hospitals in England between 2008 and 2019. Design: Retrospective observational cohort study using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data. Setting: Acute NHS trusts in England conducting paediatric tonsillectomy procedures Participants: Children (≤16 years old) undergoing bilateral tonsillectomy Main outcome measures: Number of tonsillectomies performed per year by procedural method. In‐hospital complications including return to theatre for arrest of haemorrhage. Readmission within 28 days, including those for pain, haemorrhage and surgical arrest of haemorrhage. Long‐term outcomes: all‐cause mortality, revision tonsillectomy. Results: A total of 318,453 paediatric tonsillectomies were performed from 2008 to 2019: 278,772 dissection (87.5%), 39,681 coblation (12.5%). The proportion of tonsillectomy performed using coblation increased from 7% in 2008/9 to 27% in 2018/9. Five patients died in hospital (including 4 due to respiratory complications). In‐hospital complications occurred in 4,202 children (1.3%), with the most frequent being haemorrhage. Within 28 days of tonsillectomy, 28,170 patients (8.8%) were readmitted and 7 deaths occurred. Readmission rates for haemorrhage and pain have increased since 2008. The proportion of children undergoing revision tonsillectomy procedures within 5 years following coblation tonsillectomy (1.4%) was approximately double that of dissection (0.6%). Conclusions: Clinical practice of paediatric tonsillectomy has changed in England over the past 11 years. The overall mortality rate associated with the procedure is 0.0037%. Differences in outcomes have been identified for different procedural methods. However, routine administrative data is limited in differentiating procedural detail (e.g. we are unable to differentiate intra or extra‐capsular techniques from current clinical coding of tonsillectomy procedures). Therefore prospective national data collection or more granular clinical coding is essential to capture relative outcomes of the different tonsillectomy methods and techniques being used in the NHS

Feasibility of the Transport PLUS Intervention to Improve the Transitions of Care for Patients Transported Home by Ambulance: a Non-Randomized Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: The growing population of patients over the age of 65 faces particular vulnerability following discharge after hospitalization or an emergency room visit. Specific areas of concern include a high risk for falls and poor comprehension of discharge instructions. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs), who frequently transport these patients home from the hospital, are uniquely positioned to aid in mitigating transition of care risks and are both trained and utilized to do so using the Transport PLUS intervention. METHODS: Existing literature and focus groups of various stakeholders were utilized to develop two checklists: the fall safety assessment (FSA) and the discharge comprehension assessment (DCA). EMTs were trained to administer the intervention to eligible patients in the geriatric population. Using data from the checklists, follow-up phone calls, and electronic health records, we measured the presence of hazards, removal of hazards, the presence of discharge comprehension issues, and correction or reinforcement of comprehension. These results were validated during home visits by community health workers (CHWs). Feasibility outcomes included patient acceptance of the Transport PLUS intervention and accuracy of the EMT assessment. Qualitative feedback via focus groups was also obtained. Clinical outcomes measured included 3-day and 30-day readmission or ED revisit. RESULTS: One-hundred three EMTs were trained to administer the intervention and participated in 439 patient encounters. The intervention was determined to be feasible, and patients were highly amenable to the intervention, as evidenced by a 92% and 74% acceptance rate of the DCA and FSA, respectively. The majority of patients also reported that they found the intervention helpful (90%) and self-reported removing 40% of fall hazards; 85% of such changes were validated by CHWs. Readmission/revisit rates are also reported. CONCLUSIONS: The Transport PLUS intervention is a feasible, easily implemented tool in preventative community paramedicine with high levels of patient acceptance. Further study is merited to determine the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing rates of readmission or revisit. A randomized control trial has since begun utilizing the knowledge gained within this study

The daily association between affect and alcohol use: a meta-analysis of individual participant data

Influential psychological theories hypothesize that people consume alcohol in response to the experience of both negative and positive emotions. Despite two decades of daily diary and ecological momentary assessment research, it remains unclear whether people consume more alcohol on days they experience higher negative and positive affect in everyday life. In this preregistered meta-analysis, we synthesized the evidence for these daily associations between affect and alcohol use. We included individual participant data from 69 studies (N = 12,394), which used daily and momentary surveys to assess affect and the number of alcoholic drinks consumed. Results indicate that people are not more likely to drink on days they experience high negative affect, but are more likely to drink and drink heavily on days high in positive affect. People self-reporting a motivational tendency to drink-to-cope and drink-to-enhance consumed more alcohol, but not on days they experienced higher negative and positive affect. Results were robust across different operationalizations of affect, study designs, study populations, and individual characteristics. These findings challenge the long-held belief that people drink more alcohol following increases in negative affect. Integrating these findings under different theoretical models and limitations of this field of research, we collectively propose an agenda for future research to explore open questions surrounding affect and alcohol use.The present study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grant MOP-115104 (Roisin M. O’Connor), Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grant MSH-122803 (Roisin M. O’Connor), John A. Hartford Foundation Grant (Paul Sacco), Loyola University Chicago Research Support Grant (Tracy De Hart), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Grant T03OH008435 (Cynthia Mohr), National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant F31AA023447 (Ryan W. Carpenter), NIH Grant R01AA025936 (Kasey G. Creswell), NIH Grant R01AA025969 (Catharine E. Fairbairn), NIH Grant R21AA024156 (Anne M. Fairlie), NIH Grant F31AA024372 (Fallon Goodman), NIH Grant R01DA047247 (Kevin M. King), NIH Grant K01AA026854 (Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael), NIH Grant K01AA022938 (Jennifer E. Merrill), NIH Grant K23AA024808 (Hayley Treloar Padovano), NIH Grant P60AA11998 (Timothy Trull), NIH Grant MH69472 (Timothy Trull), NIH Grant K01DA035153 (Nisha Gottfredson), NIH Grant P50DA039838 (Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael), NIH Grant K01DA047417 (David M. Lydon-Staley), NIH Grant T32DA037183 (M. Kushner), NIH Grant R21DA038163 (A. Moore), NIH Grant K12DA000167 (M. Potenza, Stephanie S. O’Malley), NIH Grant R01AA025451 (Bruce Bartholow, Thomas M. Piasecki), NIH Grant P50AA03510 (V. Hesselbrock), NIH Grant K01AA13938 (Kristina M. Jackson), NIH Grant K02AA028832 (Kevin M. King), NIH Grant T32AA007455 (M. Larimer), NIH Grant R01AA025037 (Christine M. Lee, M. Patrick), NIH Grant R01AA025611 (Melissa Lewis), NIH Grant R01AA007850 (Robert Miranda), NIH Grant R21AA017273 (Robert Miranda), NIH Grant R03AA014598 (Cynthia Mohr), NIH Grant R29AA09917 (Cynthia Mohr), NIH Grant T32AA07290 (Cynthia Mohr), NIH Grant P01AA019072 (P. Monti), NIH Grant R01AA015553 (J. Morgenstern), NIH Grant R01AA020077 (J. Morgenstern), NIH Grant R21AA017135 (J. Morgenstern), NIH Grant R01AA016621 (Stephanie S. O’Malley), NIH Grant K99AA029459 (Marilyn Piccirillo), NIH Grant F31AA022227 (Nichole Scaglione), NIH Grant R21AA018336 (Katie Witkiewitz), Portuguese State Budget Foundation for Science and Technology Grant UIDB/PSI/01662/2020 (Teresa Freire), University of Washington Population Health COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant (J. Kanter, Adam M. Kuczynski), U.S. Department of Defense Grant W81XWH-13-2-0020 (Cynthia Mohr), SANPSY Laboratory Core Support Grant CNRS USR 3413 (Marc Auriacombe), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Grant (N. Galambos), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Grant (Andrea L. Howard)