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Summary Decisions of the General Committee are reported on various older proposals that had been deferred, as well as proposals in Reports 18–20 of the Permanent Nomenclature Committee for Algae.

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is an attractive route to utilize CO 2 as a chemical feedstock with which to convert CH 4 into valuable syngas and simultaneously mitigate both greenhouse gases. Ni-based DRM catalysts are promising due to their high activity and low cost, but suffer from poor stability due to coke formation which has hindered their commercialization. Herein, we report that atomically dispersed Ni single atoms, stabilized by interaction with Ce-doped hydroxyapatite, are highly active and coke-resistant catalytic sites for DRM. Experimental and computational studies reveal that isolated Ni atoms are intrinsically coke-resistant due to their unique ability to only activate the first C-H bond in CH 4 , thus avoiding methane deep decomposition into carbon. This discovery offers new opportunities to develop large-scale DRM processes using earth abundant catalysts. While dry reforming of methane, the reaction of CH 4 and CO 2 to create CO and H 2 , is a promising reaction for industry, coke buildup often deactivates catalysts and limits commercialization. Here, authors report single-atom nickel on Ce-doped hydroxyapatite as a coke-resistant catalyst.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have demonstrated superior catalytic performance in numerous heterogeneous reactions. However, producing thermally stable SACs, especially in a simple and scalable way, remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report the synthesis of Ru SACs from commercial RuO 2 powders by physical mixing of sub-micron RuO 2 aggregates with a MgAl 1.2 Fe 0.8 O 4 spinel. Atomically dispersed Ru is confirmed by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Detailed studies reveal that the dispersion process does not arise from a gas atom trapping mechanism, but rather from anti-Ostwald ripening promoted by a strong covalent metal-support interaction. This synthetic strategy is simple and amenable to the large-scale manufacture of thermally stable SACs for industrial applications. Large scale production of thermally stable single-atom catalysts (SACs) remains challenging. Here, the authors report scalable synthesis of Ru SACs by heating physical mixture of commercial RuO 2 and Fe-containing support, which is significantly promoted by strong metal-support interaction.

Information on juvenile alewife use of estuaries is limited on the east coast of North America. In this study, we collected juvenile alewife from the Penobscot River estuary, Maine, and measured stable isotope values from their muscle and liver tissues, which have a low and high turnover rate (respectively). These values were compared to the stable isotope values of preferred prey taxa collected from three distinctly different isotopic habitats within the Penobscot River watershed to estimate the amount of time fish had spent in the estuary. Fish were collected in spring, summer, and autumn in 2013 and 2014 at seven fixed collection sites in the estuary, from four freshwater lakes, and from five bay locations. Based on the δ13C values of muscle and liver tissue, estuarine caught juvenile alewife were assigned to one of the following distinctly different isotopic habitat groups: freshwater transient (recently from freshwater), bay transient (recently from the bay), or estuarine occupant (spent extended time in the estuary). Stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (for all samples) and sulfur (in muscle tissues of a subset of 17 samples) were analyzed to confirm habitat group designations. Bay transients had 37% and 15% higher sulfur and nitrogen isotope ratio values than estuarine occupants and five times more sulfur and almost two times more nitrogen isotope ratio values than freshwater transients. Of 88 juvenile alewife analyzed for carbon isotopes, 32% were identified as estuarine occupants that had spent extended time periods in the estuary, whereas 68% of juvenile alewife had recently moved from bay or freshwater habitats. Mean number of days that juvenile alewife spent in the estuary was highest in spring and declined over time, with more movement occurring in autumn. This result suggests that movement of juvenile alewife between bay and estuary occurs frequently from May to October. Juvenile alewife may use estuarine and nearshore habitats for extended time periods, and migration between estuarine and bay habitats may not follow typical life history strategies.

BET family proteins are epigenetic regulators known to control expression of genes involved in cell growth and oncogenesis. Selective inhibitors of BET proteins exhibit potent anti-proliferative activity in a number of hematologic cancer models, in part through suppression of the MYC oncogene and downstream Myc-driven pathways. However, little is currently known about the activity of BET inhibitors in solid tumor models, and whether down-regulation of MYC family genes contributes to sensitivity. Here we provide evidence for potent BET inhibitor activity in neuroblastoma, a pediatric solid tumor associated with a high frequency of MYCN amplifications. We treated a panel of neuroblastoma cell lines with a novel small molecule inhibitor of BET proteins, GSK1324726A (I-BET726), and observed potent growth inhibition and cytotoxicity in most cell lines irrespective of MYCN copy number or expression level. Gene expression analyses in neuroblastoma cell lines suggest a role of BET inhibition in apoptosis, signaling, and N-Myc-driven pathways, including the direct suppression of BCL2 and MYCN. Reversal of MYCN or BCL2 suppression reduces the potency of I-BET726-induced cytotoxicity in a cell line-specific manner; however, neither factor fully accounts for I-BET726 sensitivity. Oral administration of I-BET726 to mouse xenograft models of human neuroblastoma results in tumor growth inhibition and down-regulation MYCN and BCL2 expression, suggesting a potential role for these genes in tumor growth. Taken together, our data highlight the potential of BET inhibitors as novel therapeutics for neuroblastoma, and suggest that sensitivity is driven by pleiotropic effects on cell growth and apoptotic pathways in a context-specific manner.

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is prevalent in youth and young adults in the United States. TikTok (ByteDance), a popular social media platform among youth and young adults, has become a key avenue for disseminating e-cigarette-related videos, with promotional videos constituting the predominant form. This study aimed to identify key e-cigarette-related TikTok video features associated with high user engagement to assist with future video design for vaping prevention campaigns. We collected 1487 e-cigarette-related TikTok videos and related metadata posted between January 2023 and January 2024 using the TikTok API (application programming interface). We applied large language models GPT-4 and Video-LLaMA to extract video features (eg, promotion content, background, perceived sex, lifestyle, talking, cartoon, vaping tricks, and containing emojis) from e-cigarette-related TikTok videos. We randomly selected and hand-coded 25 videos to check the accuracy of 2 models in identifying these video features. We used a linear mixed effects model with random intercept to identify significant video features associated with high TikTok user engagement ([likes+shares+comments]/views). Compared to the Video-LLaMA model, the GPT-4 model exhibited higher accuracy (83%-100% vs 24%-88%) in video feature identification. Notably, video backgrounds in cars (rate ratio [RR]=3.91, 95% CI 1.25-12.20; P=.009) demonstrated significantly higher user engagement than in public spaces. Moreover, videos featuring young adults (RR=1.24, 95% CI 1.00-1.53; P=.048), talking (RR=1.63, 95% CI 1.30-2.05; P<.001), containing emojis (RR=1.88, 95% CI 1.48-2.38; P<.001), or funny and silly content (RR=1.61, 95% CI 1.29-2.00; P<.001) exhibited heightened user engagement. Conversely, videos with promotional content (RR=0.40, 95% CI 0.45-0.81; P=.001) experienced lower engagement. TikTok video features like background settings, young adult presence, talking, and containing emojis and funny or silly content substantially enhance user engagement. These insights offer valuable guidance for designing compelling videos in vaping prevention campaigns to improve social media user engagement.

There is limited information on how patient outcomes have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study characterizes changes in mortality, intubation, and ICU admission rates during the first 20 months of the pandemic. University of Wisconsin researchers collected and harmonized electronic health record data from 1.1 million COVID-19 patients across 21 United States health systems from February 2020 through September 2021. The analysis comprised data from 104,590 adult hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Inclusion criteria for the analysis were: (1) age 18 years or older; (2) COVID-19 ICD-10 diagnosis during hospitalization and/or a positive COVID-19 PCR test in a 14-day window (+/- 7 days of hospital admission); and (3) health system contact prior to COVID-19 hospitalization. Outcomes assessed were: (1) mortality (primary), (2) endotracheal intubation, and (3) ICU admission. The 104,590 hospitalized participants had a mean age of 61.7 years and were 50.4% female, 24% Black, and 56.8% White. Overall risk-standardized mortality (adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, body mass index, insurance status and medical comorbidities) declined from 16% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients (95% CI: 16% to 17%) early in the pandemic (February-April 2020) to 9% (CI: 9% to 10%) later (July-September 2021). Among subpopulations, males (vs. females), those on Medicare (vs. those on commercial insurance), the severely obese (vs. normal weight), and those aged 60 and older (vs. younger individuals) had especially high mortality rates both early and late in the pandemic. ICU admission and intubation rates also declined across these 20 months. Mortality, intubation, and ICU admission rates improved markedly over the first 20 months of the pandemic among adult hospitalized COVID-19 patients although gains varied by subpopulation. These data provide important information on the course of COVID-19 and identify hospitalized patient groups at heightened risk for negative outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04506528 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04506528).

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated rapid changes in healthcare delivery in the United States, including changes in the care of hospitalized children. The objectives of this study were to identify major changes in healthcare delivery for hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic, identify lessons learned from these changes, and compare and contrast the experiences of children’s and community hospitals. Methods We purposefully sampled participants from both community and children’s hospitals serving pediatric patients in the six U.S. states with the highest COVID-19 hospitalization rates at the onset of the pandemic. We recruited 2–3 participants from each hospital (mix of administrators, front-line physicians, nurses, and parents/caregivers) for semi-structured interviews. We analyzed interview data using constant comparative methods to identify major themes. Results We interviewed 30 participants from 12 hospitals. Participants described how leaders rapidly developed new hospital policies (e.g., directing use of personal protective equipment) and how this was facilitated by reviewing internal and external data frequently and engaging all relevant stakeholders. Hospital leaders optimized communication through regular, transparent, multi-modal, and bi-directional communication. Clinicians increased use of videoconference and telehealth to facilitate physical distancing, but these technologies may have disadvantaged non-English speakers. Due to declining volumes of hospitalized children and surges of adult patients, clinicians newly provided care for hospitalized adults. This was facilitated by developing care teams supported by adult hospitalists, multidisciplinary support via videoconference, and educational resources. Participants described how the pandemic negatively impacted clinicians’ mental health, and they stressed the importance of mental health resources and wellness activities/spaces. Conclusions We identified several major changes in inpatient pediatric care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the adoption of new hospital policies, video communication, staffing models, education strategies, and staff mental health supports. We outline important lessons learned, including strategies for successfully developing new policies, effectively communicating with staff, and supporting clinicians’ expanding scope of practice. Potentially important focus areas in pandemic recovery include assessing and supporting clinicians’ mental health and well-being, re-evaluating trainees’ skills/competencies, and adapting educational strategies as needed. These findings can help guide hospital leaders in supporting pandemic recovery and addressing future crises.