Browse Articles

Synthesis of noble metal nanoarrays via agglomeration and metallurgy for acidic water electrolysis

Exploring factors influencing digital literacy among higher vocational students based on quantitative evidence

Remibrutinib in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria

hpCasMINI: An engineered hypercompact CRISPR-Cas12f system with boosted gene editing activity

Probing the physical properties of LiSbX3 (X = Cl, F) halides perovskites for optoelectronic applications

Novel Proteins to Neutralize Venom Toxins

Ptychographic Observation of Lithium Atoms in the Irradiation-Sensitive Garnet-Type Solid Electrolyte at Sub-Angstrom Resolution

Socioeconomic inequalities related to perceived difficulty in accessing health services among older adults: A cross-sectional analysis of SABE Study Data

Analysis of trends and the magnitude of inequalities in access to health services contributes to identifying privileged groups and facilitates discussions on equity policies. Brazil has an important context for studying healthcare access inequalities due to its rapid population aging and the existence of a universal healthcare system guided by equity principles. Therefore, this study aimed to assess socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of difficulties accessing healthcare services among older adults living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. This cross-sectional study used data from the Health, Well-being, and Aging Study from three years: 2006 (n = 1,386), 2010 (n = 1,319), and 2015 (n = 1,218). The dependent variable used in this study was difficulty accessing healthcare services, an outcome that aimed to assess, based on the perception of access barriers, any difficulty in using or accessing healthcare services when needed. Independent variables were socioeconomic position measured by years of education (which reflects the number of years of education completed) and monthly income (measured in minimum wages). Absolute (SII) and relative (RII) inequality indices were employed to assess the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities. The findings indicate that individuals with higher socioeconomic status (measured by education and income) experienced lower frequencies of difficulty in accessing healthcare services. Absolute inequalities based on education and income were significant in 2006 [SII:-0.328 (-0.437; -0.220) and SII:-0.191 (-0.295; -0.087), respectively] and 2015 [SII = -0.198 (-0.314; -0.082) and SII = -0.313 (-0.425; -0.201), respectively]. Relative inequalities were significant across all study years, with difficulties in access being 68.0%, 17.0%, and 42.0% lower among individuals with higher education, and 49.0%, 22.0%, and 58.0% lower among those with higher income in 2006, 2010, and 2015, respectively. This study showed that difficulties to access were more concentrated among individuals with lower socioeconomic status, emphasizing the importance of true universalization of the healthcare system to ensure equitable access.

Sulfite-Based Electrolyte Chemistry with Ion–Dipole Interactions and Robust Interphase Achieves Wide-Temperature Sodium-Ion Batteries

Mobile telephone-delivered Contingency Management (mCM) to reduce heroin use in individuals with opioid use disorder (CM4OUD): A feasibility study protocol

Background Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major public health issue and recovery is a long-term and complex process. Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) including medications such as methadone and buprenorphine, is the first-line medical intervention for OUD, however clinical responses among sub-populations differ and concurrent heroin use among individuals in OAT is reported. Contingency management (CM) is a behavioural intervention involving the application of positive reinforcement (e.g., monetary incentives) contingent upon evidence of positive behaviour change. CM is based on the theoretical principles of operant conditioning and is among the most efficacious psychosocial intervention in promoting substance use-related behaviours, including abstinence from smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs, medication adherence, vaccination uptake and attendance. Technology can be leveraged to expand the reach and accessibility of these interventions, automating key components of intervention delivery, including objective behaviour monitoring and immediate reward delivery. Currently, there are no fully remote CM interventions specifically targeting heroin use among individuals undergoing treatment for OUD, highlighting a critical need for innovation in addressing this complex aspect of substance use. Developing and delivering a fully digitalised app-based CM intervention for reducing heroin use among individuals in treatment for OUD holds considerable potential. This paper provides a protocol for a feasibility study that aims to determine the acceptability and feasibility of conducting a future randomised controlled trial of the clinical effectiveness of app-based CM to encourage heroin abstinence among clients receiving OAT in UK drug treatment services. Methods Forty OAT service users in UK drug treatment services who continue to use heroin will be randomly assigned to either (1) OAT plus a smartphone app providing abstinence incentives or (2) standard OAT alone. Participants in the intervention arm will receive financial incentives contingent on heroin-negative toxicology results. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive thrice-weekly push notifications via the smartphone app when an oral saliva test is due. Participants will receive feedback upon submission and verified heroin-negative tests will result in notification of earnings. The primary outcome of this feasibility trial is the number of eligible service users recruited over the 6-month recruitment period. Other feasibility outcomes include intervention adherence, drug screening completion and follow-up rates. Acceptability will be explored among both clinicians and service users. Progression to a larger confirmatory trial will be evaluated based on the pre-specified progression criteria. Discussion Research on CM has grown exponentially over the last decade, with remote technologies being leveraged more than ever to expand the reach and scope of these interventions. This study will evaluate the feasibility of a mCM app to support heroin abstinence among OAT recipients. By integrating CM with mobile technology, this approach could enhance treatment accessibility and effectiveness, potentially improving outcomes for a high-risk population.

Single-Particle Correlated Imaging Reveals Multiple Chromophores in Carbon Dot Fluorescence

Estimating q−GEVL distribution parameters under Type II progressive censoring using particle swarm optimization

In this article, the effect of the parameters in the properties of a well-known distribution called q-extended extreme value with linear normalization is discussed. Moreover, these parameters are estimated by both maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches using type-II progressive censoring. The removals of type-II progressive censoring are considered under three well-known random removals (Fixed, discrete uniform, and binomial). Finding effective numerical techniques is a typical challenge for statisticians when estimating MLE parameters for distributions with many parameters. So one of our aims in this article is to show how the metaheuristic optimization like the particle swarm optimization, can handle this problem. Furthermore, the interval estimation for the parameters is calculated using the Fisher information matrix. The Bayesian approach is utilized for both the informative and non-informative under two different loss functions (square error and Linex loss functions) using Lindley’s approximation. Moreover, home price data in California represent a good fit for the q-extended extreme value distribution with linear normalization. By using this fitting some of California’s future home prices are predicted by using the return level function.

Real-Time Visualization of an Elusive, Strong Reducing Agent during Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) Electro-Oxidation in Water

Differences in the relationships between interoceptive sensibility and self-objectification in women with high and low body dissatisfaction: A network analysis

Body dissatisfaction is a normative experience with the potential to impact women’s mental and physical health. It is closely related to self-objectification, where the body is viewed as an object for aesthetic evaluation rather than for its functional attributes. Self-objectification not only affects women’s body image but is associated with diminished subjective awareness of, and attention towards, internal bodily states (i.e., interoceptive sensibility). This study uses network analysis and network comparison to investigate the relationships between features of interoceptive sensibility and self-objectification in women with high (N = 348) and low (N = 354) body dissatisfaction. The results firstly revealed significant differences in the connections between interoceptive sensibility and self-objectification in women with high and low body dissatisfaction (p = 0.026). High body dissatisfaction in women was characterised by lower levels of body listening, self-regulation, and body trusting. Alternatively, high emotional awareness was most central to women with low body dissatisfaction. This study highlights the central role of interoceptive sensibility in body dissatisfaction and identifies key features of interoceptive sensibility to target for improving body dissatisfaction.

High Structural Error Rates in “Computation-Ready” MOF Databases Discovered by Checking Metal Oxidation States

Antihypertensive medication adherence and associated factors among adult hypertensive patients at public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional study

Background Blood pressure regulation depends heavily on adherence to antihypertensive medication. Additionally, poor adherence to antihypertensive drugs leads to the development of hypertensive complications. However, little is knowen about the factors affecting antihypertensive medication adherance in Ethiopia, and no study has been conducted in the study settings. Therefore, this study aimed to assess antihypertensive medication adherence and associated factors among adult hypertensive patients in selected public hospitals in East Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods A facility-based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from August 20 to September 20, 2023, among 364 adult hypertensive patients on follow-up in selected public hospitals of eastern Ethiopia. A simple random sampling method was used to select the study participants. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a pretested structured questionnaire. Drug adherence status was assessed using Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8. Data was analyzed using Epi-Data 3.1 and STATA 17.0, applying bivariate and multivariate logistic regression techniques. The association was declared using p < 0.05. Results The overall level of adherence to antihypertensive medications was 59.94% (95% CI: 54.65–65.06). Urban residence (AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.21–3.18), college and higher education level (AOR = 3.41; 95% CI: 1.69–6.87), health insurance coverage user (AOR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.11–3.59), having knowledge about hypertension (AOR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.03–2.97), distance to health care facility less than 10 kilometers (AOR = 4.6; 95% CI: 1.97–10.73), having social support (AOR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.13–3.08), and taking three and above medications (AOR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.12–0.64) showed a statistically significant association with medication adherence. Conclusion Adherence to antihypertensive medication was found to be low. This study identified place of residence, educational status, health insurance coverage, social support, knowledge of hypertension, distance from a health care facility, and number of medications as independent predictors of medication adherence. Therefore, improving accessibility of health care facilities, strengthening health insurance coverage, and providing health education about hypertension will improve antihypertensive medication adherence.

Achieving Efficient Organic Room-Temperature Phosphorescence through Acceptor Dendronization

Behavioral responses of domestic cats to human odor

People all around the world live with cats and cats engage in many social behaviors toward their owners. Olfaction is one of the most important sensory abilities in cats, yet its role in recognizing humans remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the role and characteristics of olfaction in the discrimination of known or unknown humans by cats using ethological methods. Whether cats exhibit a lateralization of nostril use in response to a variety of olfactory stimuli, exposure experience, inter alia, was investigated. Cats were simultaneously presented with three odor stimuli: that of a known person (owner), an unknown person, and a blank control. Responses to the cat 2 scale (Feline Five) and the cat–owner relationship scale (CORS) were collected from cat owners through questionnaires. It was observed that cats spent a substantially longer time sniffing the odor of an unknown person than that of a known person, indicating the use of their sense of smell to distinguish between heterospecific (human) individuals. While responding to odor stimuli from unknown humans, the cats displayed marked lateralization in the use of one nostril or another. An association was observed between the first odor the cat sniffed among known, unknown, and blanks and the personality score. A strong correlation was found between the number of repetitive sniffing odors and personality scores in male cats. No association was evident between the cat’s behavior and the cat–owner relationship score. Rubbing of their faces against an object immediately after sniffing it was observed and thus a possible relationship between the olfactory exploration and subsequent rubbing (odor-marking) behavior in cats is postulated. However, this relationship warrants further investigation along with the theory of whether cats are able to recognize a specific person from olfactory cues.

High-Performance Hypergolic Fuels Based on Copper Hydride Clusters

Deep palaeoproteomic profiling of archaeological human brains

Palaeoproteomics leverages the persistence, diversity, and biological import of ancient proteins to explore the past, and answer fundamental questions about phylogeny, environment, diet, and disease. These insights are largely gleaned from hard tissues like bone and teeth, as well-established protocols exist for extracting ancient proteins from mineralised tissues. No such method, however, exists for the soft tissues, which are underexplored in palaeoproteomics given permission for destructive analysis routinely depends on a proven methodology. Considering less than one-tenth of all human proteins are expressed in bone, compared to three-quarters in the internal organs, the amount of biological information presently inaccessible is substantial. We address this omission with an optimised LC-FAIMS-MS/MS workflow yielding the largest, most diverse palaeoproteome yet described. Using archaeological human brains, we test ten protocols with varied chemistries and find that urea lysis effectively disrupts preserved membrane regions to expose low-abundant, intracellular analytes. Further, we show that ion mobility spectrometry improves unique protein identification by as much as 40%, and represents a means of “cleaning” dirty archaeological samples. Our methodology will be useful for improving protein recovery from a range of ancient tissues and depositional environments.