Recent advances in two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) have enabled identification of fragile quantum coherences in condensed-phase systems near the equilibrium molecular geometry. In ...general, traditional 2DES cannot measure such coherences associated with photophysical processes that occur at times significantly after the initially prepared state has dephased, such as the evolution of the initial excited state into a charge transfer state. We demonstrate the use of transient two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (t-2DES) to probe coherences in an electron donor–acceptor dyad consisting of a perylenediimide (PDI) acceptor and a perylene (Per) donor. An actinic pump pulse prepares the lowest excited singlet state of PDI followed by formation of the PDI•––Per•+ ion pair, which is probed at different times following the actinic pulse using 2DES. Analysis of the observed coherences provides information about electronic, vibronic, and vibrational interactions at any time along the reaction coordinate for ion pair formation.
Nanoscience and technology research offer exciting avenues to modernize undergraduate-level General Chemistry curricula. In particular, spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanoconjugates, which behave as ...“programmable atom equivalents” (PAEs) in the context of colloidal crystals, are one system that one can use to reinforce foundational concepts in chemistry including matter and atoms, the Periodic Table, Lewis dot structures and the octet rule, valency and valence-shell electron-pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory, and Pauling’s rules, ultimately leading to enriching discussions centered on materials chemistry and biochemistry with key implications in medicine, optics, catalysis, and other areas. These lessons connect historical and modern concepts in chemistry, relate course content to current professional and popular science topics, inspire critical and creative thinking, and spur some students to continue their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and attain careers in STEM fields. Ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, these lessons may expand the pool of young students interested in chemistry by making connections to a broader group of contemporary concepts and technologies that impact their lives and enhance their view of the field. Herein, a way of teaching aspects of General Chemistry in the context of modern nanoscience concepts is introduced to instructors and curricula developers at research institutions, primarily undergraduate institutions, and community colleges worldwide.
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Parenteral nutrition is essential for the growth and nutrition of patients with intestinal failure (IF). Catheter‐related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) are a major complication ...of parenteral nutrition use. Few retrospective studies have shown that 70% ethanol lock (ETL) therapy for central lines can reduce the infection rate. Studies assessing line breakage, thrombosis, and replacement with the use of ETL are lacking in the pediatric literature.
Methods:
The present study is a retrospective chart review, with a primary outcome of CRBSI rate per 1000 catheter days, and secondary outcomes of line thrombosis, line breakage requiring repair, and line replacement rates with use of ETL compared with heparin locks. Rates were compared using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test for paired nonparametric data.
Results:
Seven patients satisfied the inclusion criteria that included having a single‐lumen silicone central line exposed to both heparin and ETL therapy during the study period. There was a statistically significant decrease in overall and Gram‐negative CRBSI rates per 1000 catheter days with a use of ETL therapy (10.3–1.4 per 1000 catheter days for overall CRBSIs, P = 0.02; 6.7–0 per 1000 catheter days for Gram‐negative CRBSI, P = 0.03). There was an increasing trend in line thrombosis and repair rates with ETL therapy. Logistic regression analysis evaluating the impact of line luminal size on line repair rate showed a reduced risk of line repair when using larger‐diameter central lines.
Conclusions:
ETL therapy is an effective method for decreasing CRBSI in patients with IF; however, it may have a negative impact on line integrity. Patients should be carefully selected when deciding on ETL therapy use for central line care. Studies are needed on the effect of different ethanol concentrations on infection rate and line integrity to optimize the outcome in this high‐risk population.
Uninsured and unprepared travelers to countries with endemic tropical diseases pose great health-care burdens and financial risks on returning to the United States. We discuss the delayed ...presentation of an uninsured U.S. traveler returning from West Africa with severe malaria who required intensive care measures to save his life. Despite being critically ill on his return, he sat rigoring on his couch taking antipyretics for 3 days, while he applied for insurance on the Affordable Care Act website and waited for approval because he was fearful of the costs of seeking care. He also had limited access to affordable pretravel consultation and prophylactic medications and did not take them because he had no insurance. Average fees for a malaria hospitalization cost $25,789; however, this patient accumulated fees nearing $300,000-and his care was reimbursed by emergency Medicaid with $39,000, because his newly accepted insurance did not cover his hospitalization. This patients' experience in the U.S. health-care system with a deadly tropical disease exemplifies the need for affordable universal coverage of pretravel consultation and malaria prophylaxis. In this uncertain political time and the recent removal of the health insurance mandate, along with the White House and Congress wanting to reform health care, this case supports the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) statements showing the need for funding of tropical medicine education, research, and public health services for travelers, not cuts to important agencies and insurances that keep our country safe from imported deadly tropical diseases.
Abstract
Background
Children in Kenya spend a substantial amount of time at school, including at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are active. With changing vector behaviour towards early morning biting, ...it is important to determine whether there is an additional risk of transmission in schools. This study sought to understand whether late morning biting by
Anopheles funestus
, previously documented in households in western Kenya, was replicated in schools.
Methods
From the 4th to the 6th of August 2023, human landing collections were conducted hourly in four schools in Alego Usonga sub-County, Siaya County. The collections were conducted in and outside five classrooms in each school and ran for 17 h, starting at 18:00 until 11:00 h the next morning.
Results
Anopheles funestus
was the predominant species collected, forming 93.2% (N = 727) of the entire collection, with peak landing between 06:00 and 07:00 h and continuing until 11:00 h. More than half of the collected
An. funestus
were either fed or gravid, potentially indicative of multiple bloodmeals within each gonotrophic cycle, and had a sporozoite rate of 2.05%.
Conclusion
School children spend up to 10 h of their daytime in schools, reporting between 06:00 and 07:00 h and staying in school until as late as 17:00 h, meaning that they receive potentially infectious mosquito bites during the morning hours in these settings. There is a need to consider vector control approaches targeting schools and other peridomestic spaces in the morning hours when
An. funestus
is active.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Coherent interactions are prevalent in photodriven processes, ranging from photosynthetic energy transfer to superexchange-mediated electron transfer, resulting in numerous studies aimed towards ...identifying and understanding these interactions. A key motivator of this interest is the non-statistical scaling laws that result from coherently traversing multiple pathways due to quantum interference. To that end, we employed ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy to measure electron transfer in two donor-acceptor molecular systems comprising a
p
-(9-anthryl)-
N
,
N
-dimethylaniline chromophore/electron donor and either one or two equivalent naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) electron acceptors at both ambient and cryogenic temperatures. The two-acceptor compound shows a statistical factor of 2.1 ± 0.2 rate enhancement at room temperature and a non-statistical factor of 2.6 ± 0.2 rate enhancement at cryogenic temperatures, suggesting correlated interactions between the two acceptors with the donor and with the bath modes. Comparing the charge recombination rates indicates that the electron is delocalized over both acceptors at low temperature but localized on a single acceptor at room temperature. These results highlight the importance of shielding the system from bath fluctuations to preserve and ultimately exploit the coherent interactions.
Ultrafast electron transfer occurs with greater-than-statistical rate enhancement at cryogenic temperatures owing to quantum coherence.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contracted with laboratories to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 genome from positive samples across the United States to enable public health officials to ...investigate the impact of variants on disease severity as well as the effectiveness of vaccines and treatment. Herein we present the initial results correlating RT-PCR quality control metrics with sample collection and sequencing methods from full SARS-CoV-2 viral genomic sequencing of 24,441 positive patient samples between April and June 2021.
RT-PCR confirmed (N Gene Ct value < 30) positive patient samples, with nucleic acid extracted from saliva, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were selected for viral whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequencing. Sequencing was performed using Illumina COVIDSeq™ protocol on either the NextSeq550 or NovaSeq6000 systems. Informatic variant calling, and lineage analysis were performed using DRAGEN COVID Lineage applications on Illumina's Basespace cloud analytical system. All sequence data and variant calls were uploaded to NCBI and GISAID.
An association was observed between higher sequencing coverage, quality, and samples with a lower Ct value, with < 27 being optimal, across both sequencing platforms and sample collection methods. Both nasopharyngeal swabs and saliva samples were found to be optimal samples of choice for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance sequencing studies, both in terms of strain identification and sequencing depth of coverage, with NovaSeq 6000 providing higher coverage than the NextSeq 550. The most frequent variants identified were the B.1.617.2 Delta (India) and P.1 Gamma (Brazil) variants in the samples sequenced between April 2021 and June 2021. At the time of submission, the most common variant > 99% of positives sequenced was Omicron.
These initial analyses highlight the importance of sequencing platform, sample collection methods, and RT-PCR Ct values in guiding surveillance efforts. These surveillance studies evaluating genetic changes of SARS-CoV-2 have been identified as critical by the CDC that can affect many aspects of public health including transmission, disease severity, diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) racial and ethnic analyses have shown rates of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations—per 100,000 people—are 1.8, 1.7, and 1.4 -fold higher among Native ...Americans, African Americans/Blacks, and Hispanics, respectively, compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians, despite widespread underreporting 3. According to the CDC, Hispanics accounted for 26% of new HIV infections in 2017, an increase from 20% in 2009, despite representing only 16.7% of the US population. Around 300,000 people or more live with Chagas disease in the US. Since the infection is only endemic in Latin America, Hispanic/Latin immigrants or descendants from infected Hispanic mothers are at risk of infection. ...European models have shown that screening for Chagas disease among asymptomatic Latin Americans living in Europe is cost-effective 15,16.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background The social media platform Twitter has increasingly been leveraged to disseminate clinical and academic content, including scientific research. Launched in November 2021 as an exclusively ...online open access journal, the Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology journal was not indexed on PubMed for its first year of publication. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the journal's Twitter presence by tracking social media posts and article metrics over the first year since the journal's inception. Methods Measures of Twitter influence from the @SVINJournal account were associated with the academic impact of articles published in the associated journal during the first 13 months of the journal's publication record. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to quantify measures of association, with the primary outcome being unique article requests (downloads). Results There were 174 unique articles published during the study period, with 367 unique tweets. Articles referenced in tweets from @SVINJournal had nearly twice as many requests as articles without tweets (median 967 interquartile range, 683–1357 versus 497 interquartile range, 331–711; P <0.01), with a mild correlation between number of tweets and article requests when @SVINJournal cited the article in tweets ( r =0.20; P =0.009). There was a fair correlation between article request counts and any Twitter mentions ( r =0.41; P <0.001), and a poor correlation between article requests and altmetric score ( r =0.15; P =0.04). There was a small correlation between the number of citations and number of tweets from @SVINJournal ( r =0.21; P =0.006). Conclusions There was a statistically significant, but small, association between tweets and article requests as well as citations. Highly tweeted articles had a higher number of citations. In the absence of PubMed indexing and print distribution, social media platforms can have an impact in promoting peer‐reviewed content and may increase content access and citations.
Abstract Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is an important risk factor for surgical site infections. The goal of this study was to investigate the concordance between nasal and diabetic ...foot ulcer (DFU) SA carriage. Seventy-nine subjects with DFUs were assessed for nasal and DFU colonization with SA, including methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA). Twenty-five (31.6%) subjects had nares colonization with SA; 29 (36.7%) had DFU colonization with SA. Seven (8.8%) subjects had nares colonization with MRSA, and 7 (8.8%) had DFU colonization with MRSA. Ulcer duration was associated with MRSA presence ( P = 0.01). Sensitivity and specificity of positive nasal SA colonization with positive DFU colonization were 41% and 74%. We found substantial discordance between SA strains colonizing DFU and the nasal cavity. The poor positive predictive values for SA isolation in a DFU based on nasal carriage suggests that SA colonization of a DFU by endogenous SA strains cannot be assumed.
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