As-synthesized malic acid carbon dots are found to possess photoblinking properties that are outstanding and superior compared to those of conventional dyes. Considering their excellent ...biocompatibility, malic acid carbon dots are suitable for super-resolution fluorescence localization microscopy under a variety of conditions, as we demonstrate in fixed and live trout gill epithelial cells. In addition, during imaging experiments, the so-called “excitation wavelength-dependent” emission was not observed for individual as-made malic acid carbon dots, which motivated us to develop a time-saving and high-throughput separation technique to isolate malic acid carbon dots into fractions of different particle size distributions using C18 reversed-phase silica gel column chromatography. This post-treatment allowed us to determine how particle size distribution influences the optical properties of malic acid carbon dot fractions, that is, optical band gap energies and photoluminescence behaviors.
We report two male fetuses born to a healthy unrelated couple, with agenesis of the corpus callosum identified on detailed 20‐week ultrasound scans and confirmed by in‐utero MRI. Whole‐genome ...sequencing identified a likely pathogenic missense variant in the CLCN4 gene, establishing this as the causative gene in the family. Pathogenic variants in the CLCN4 gene cause a neurodevelopmental disorder (also called Raynaud‐Claes syndrome) inherited in an X‐linked pattern. The disorder is characterised by developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, mental health conditions, and significant feeding difficulties, predominantly, but not exclusively, affecting males. This is the first report of a prenatal phenotype associated with variants in the CLCN4 gene. The diagnosis of the CLCN4‐related neurodevelopmental disorder in this family allowed accurate genetic counseling and discussion of reproductive choices. This leaves uncertainty about the possibility of a postnatal neurodevelopmental phenotype in heterozygous females, which we discuss.
Key points
What's already known about this topic?
CLCN4‐related neurodevelopmental disorder is a variable XL condition associated with neonatal‐onset seizures, neurodevelopmental delay, behavioral and psychiatric disorders.
Females with heterozygous CLCN4 variants can be severely affected. This does not correlate with X chromosome inactivation status.
What does this study add?
CLCN4‐related neurodevelopmental disorder is associated with a prenatal phenotype, including agenesis of the corpus callosum, hypoplastic pons, and absence of cavum septum pellucidum.
Prenatal genetic counseling is challenging due to phenotypic variability, particularly in females.
We report a case of a female fetus born to an unrelated couple with a complex fetal phenotype of a pleural effusion, a cardiac malformation, and syndactyly of the toes. Prenatal exome sequencing ...identified a variant of uncertain significance in the PORCN gene that was upgraded to likely pathogenic following postnatal clinical examination. The phenotype described in cases with variants in the PORCN gene is often associated with findings that cannot be prospectively diagnosed by ultrasonography. This is the first report of a prenatal phenotype involving a fetal effusion associated with variants in the PORCN gene, with skeletal findings identified later in gestation on ultrasonography. The diagnosis was confirmed on neonatal examination.
Key points
What is already known about this topic?
Pathogenic variants of PORCN are uncommon and associated with a range of clinical malformations and abnormalities collectively called PORCN‐related developmental disorders. The most common characteristics involve skin, limbs, eyes, and face diagnosed in newborns and children. The condition is inherited in an X‐linked dominant pattern.
What does this study add?
This case study describes a previously undescribed fetal phenotype, adding to the small series of prenatally described cases. This adds to the prenatal diagnostic literature allowing a fetal phenotype‐genotype match to be more probable.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine both the Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs’ social media adoption (SMA) for business purposes and the influence of culture on personal versus business ...social network platform (SNP) selection.
Design/methodology/approach
The Technology Acceptance Model’s (TAM) factors of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) as drivers of Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs’ social network platform selection are examined as well as the effect of SMA on revenue. Data was collected from 633 small business owners across the United States via an online survey administered in English and Spanish.
Findings
Results indicate that Latino/Hispanic business owners use personal SNP more than business SNP for business purposes. PU and PEU were not found to predict personal SNP for Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs. However, for Non-Latino/Hispanics, PU was significant while PEU was marginally significant. Findings for PU and PEU as predictors of business SNP indicate similar results for both Latino/Hispanic and non-Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs, where only PEU was significant. Finally, there was no relationship between either business or personal SNP and revenue for either Latino/Hispanic or non-Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs.
Practical implications
This research provides more insight into Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs’ self-directed engagement in personal SNP (Facebook) and business SNP (LinkedIn) for business purposes and invites future research in this population to further examine cultural influence and business performance. The findings support the need for Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs’ strengthening their competency in social media usage to remain competitive, as doing so will enhance their capability for building customer relationships, brand development, and equity financing.
Originality/value
This investigation 1) examines SMA’s role in Latino/Hispanic small and medium enterprises (SMEs); 2) distinguishes between personal and business social network platforms; 3) investigates TAM’s relevance for Latino/Hispanic entrepreneurs’ use of social media for business; and 4) explores SME social media usage as a predictor of revenue. We seek to provide practitioners with a greater understanding of how they may influence business success and sustainability through better competency development and usage of social media platforms.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the fourth most common malignancy in children, has an even higher incidence in adolescents, and is primarily represented by only a few histologic subtypes. Dramatic progress ...has been achieved, with survival rates exceeding 80%, in large part because of a better understanding of the biology of the different subtypes and national and international collaborations. Most patients with Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are cured with short intensive pulse chemotherapy containing cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, and high-dose methotrexate. The benefit of the addition of rituximab has not been established except in the case of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. Lymphoblastic lymphoma is treated with intensive, semi-continuous, longer leukemia-derived protocols. Relapses in B-cell and lymphoblastic lymphomas are rare and infrequently curable, even with intensive approaches. Event-free survival rates of approximately 75% have been achieved in anaplastic large-cell lymphomas with various regimens that generally include a short intensive B-like regimen. Immunity seems to play an important role in prognosis and needs further exploration to determine its therapeutic application. ALK inhibitor therapeutic approaches are currently under investigation. For all pediatric lymphomas, the intensity of induction/consolidation therapy correlates with acute toxicities, but because of low cumulative doses of anthracyclines and alkylating agents, minimal or no long-term toxicity is expected. Challenges that remain include defining the value of prognostic factors, such as early response on positron emission tomography/computed tomography and minimal disseminated and residual disease, using new biologic technologies to improve risk stratification, and developing innovative therapies, both in the first-line setting and for relapse.
The demand for social entrepreneurship education has grown substantially, resulting in increased course offerings in universities globally. Despite the growing interest in this domain, little is ...known about what competencies are required for success as a social entrepreneur. Our work here evaluates competencies deemed important by 150 social entrepreneurship practitioners and uses content analysis to analyze the competencies taught in a sample of social entrepreneurship courses. We investigate the extent to which social entrepreneurship coursework aligns with how practitioners prioritize competencies that lead to success in social entrepreneurship and discuss the implications for social entrepreneurship course development.
The increasing commercialization of consumer electronic products that make use of II–VI semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) has raised significant concerns about their impact on natural systems and ...human health once they are released into the environment at the end of the product’s lifetime. In this paper, we demonstrate the addition of fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy to the existing tool kit of spectroscopic techniques to quantitatively monitor changes in QD properties as they form and degrade in solution. Our study reveals that because of its rich information content, fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy has a limited utility as a stand-alone technique in the study of QD formation and degradation. However, combining fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy with the commonly used emission quantum yield and peak width measurements along with other analytical methods, including ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measurements, significantly enhances the existing analytical tool kit and provides the capability to monitor in real time, the formation and degradation of luminescent QDs in organic and aqueous solutions under environmentally relevant conditions.
The purpose of this study is to compare the differences between Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) student perceptions of (a) types of praise used by MFT supervisors, (b) MFT students' self-theory of ...intelligence, and (c) MFT students' continued development of skills. Four hypotheses were tested stating that different types of praise used by MFT supervisors would have a significant effect on MFT supervisees' development of skills. Two MANCOVAs were performed, which revealed that therapists praised for their efforts significantly continued to improve their professional skills, while others praised for their ability significantly reduced their efforts in upgrading clinical skills.
Firefighters are exposed to many different contaminants during structural fires. Moreover, if their protective gear is not successfully decontaminated, firefighters are at risk of being repeatedly ...exposed to contaminants from previous fires. Thus, the successful removal of contaminants from firefighter turnout gear is necessary to prevent or reduce repeated exposure risks. Laundering methods can reduce the probability of re-exposure to contaminants, such as heavy metals, thus reducing repeated exposure risks. In this study, the efficiencies of heavy metal removal from the firefighter turnout gear outer textile by Decon7 cleaning solution and a standard reference detergent were compared. Nitric acid digests were used to extract metals from textile samples, which were cut from small sections of firefighter jackets, before and after their laundering with either cleaning solution. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was utilized to determine metal contents, including arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) concentrations. Results from multiplicate samples indicated that, on average, Decon7 was significantly more efficient than a standard detergent in decreasing the concentrations of the five metals studied herein.
(1) Background: Firefighters spend about 64% of their time responding to medical emergencies and providing medical care without a patient history, which can render them vulnerable to ...healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Infection prevention, control, and surveillance systems have been instituted at hospitals. However, the prevalence of firefighters’ exposure to HAI is unknown. The objective of this study was to document evidence of HAI on surfaces in fire stations and engines to inform disinfection procedures and identify which pathogens might contribute to occupational exposures. (2) Methods: High-touch or high-use surfaces of two fire departments were sampled during five separate occasions. One fire station from one fire department was sampled over a 4-week period, whereas four fire stations were sampled from a different fire department only once. Sampled surfaces included: entryway floor, washing machine, medical bag, back seat of engine, keyboard of reporting computer, engine console, and uniform pants. (3) Results: Multiple statistical models determined that bacterial contamination was similar between the two fire departments and their stations. Keyboards were the most contaminated surface for all fire stations and departments, E. coli was the most common bacteria detected, and C. difficile was the least detected bacteria. Adjustments for rates of contamination found that contamination rates varied between fire stations. (4) Conclusions: Comprehensive environmental sampling and clinical studies are needed to better understand occupational exposures of firefighters to HAI.
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