Three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks with nia nets for efficient separation of benzene/cyclohexane mixtures.

The synthesis of three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks with highly connected building blocks presents a significant challenge. In this study, we report two 3D COFs with the nia topology, named JUC-641 and JUC-642, by introducing planar hexagonal and triangular prism nodes. Notably, our adsorption studies and breakthrough experiments reveal that both COFs exhibit exceptional separation capabilities, surpassing previously reported 3D COFs and most porous organic polymers, with a separation factor of up to 2.02 for benzene and cyclohexane. Additionally, dispersion-corrected density functional theory analysis suggests that the good performance of these 3D COFs can be attributed to the incorporation of highly aromatic building blocks and the presence of extensive pore structures. Consequently, this research not only expands the diversity of COFs but also highlights the potential of functional COF materials as promising candidates for environmentally-friendly separation applications.

Quasi-Three-Dimensional Cyclotriphosphazene-Based Covalent Organic Framework Nanosheet for Efficient Oxygen Reduction.

Metal-free carbon-based materials are considered as promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts for clean energy conversion, and their highly dense and exposed carbon active sites are crucial for efficient ORR. In this work, two unique quasi-three-dimensional cyclotriphosphazene-based covalent organic frameworks (Q3CTP-COFs) and their nanosheets were successfully synthesized and applied as ORR electrocatalysts. The abundant electrophilic structure in Q3CTP-COFs induces a high density of carbon active sites, and the unique bilayer stacking of [6 + 3] imine-linked backbone facilitates the exposure of active carbon sites and accelerates mass diffusion during ORR. In particular, bulk Q3CTP-COFs can be easily exfoliated into thin COF nanosheets (NSs) due to the weak interlayer π-π interactions. Q3CTP-COF NSs exhibit highly efficient ORR catalytic activity (half-wave potential of 0.72 V vs. RHE in alkaline electrolyte), which is one of the best COF-based ORR electrocatalysts reported so far. Furthermore, Q3CTP-COF NSs can serve as a promising cathode for Zn-air batteries (delivered power density of 156 mW cm-2 at 300 mA cm-2). This judicious design and accurate synthesis of such COFs with highly dense and exposed active sites and their nanosheets will promote the development of metal-free carbon-based electrocatalysts.

Health coaching and genetic risk testing in primary care: Randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Accessible interventions are needed to prevent coronary heart disease (CHD) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D). This prospective, randomized, controlled trial evaluated remote health coaching (HC), genetic risk testing (GRT), or both added to standardized risk assessment (SRA) in at-risk military primary care patients. METHOD: Using a 2 × 2 factorial longitudinal design, 200 Air Force at-risk participants provided primary outcomes at baseline, 3-, 6- (HC endpoint), and 12-months. Secondary measures were taken less often. Per protocol analyses used linear models and logistic regression; intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses used mixed models. RESULTS: Compared with those not receiving HC, the HC group was 3.6 times more likely to report moderate to intense physical activity at 6-months (p = .0009), and 2.9 times more likely to report such at 12-months (p = .0065). ITT longitudinal model did not reach significance (p = .0885). The HC group reported lower emotional representations of illness at 6-weeks and lower depression at 6 months. There were no other significant findings. HC and GRT interacted; higher T2D risk participants receiving HC were 4.7 times more likely to report higher stage of change for exercise at 6-months, and lost 2.2 kg more by 12-months. Lower T2D risk participants receiving HC perceived greater control over CHD risk at 6-weeks, and averaged lower 6-month depression. CONCLUSIONS: Remote HC after SRA increased physical activity, which was sustained 6-months later. Incorporating GRT into SRA warrants further exploration regarding the potential to leverage HC for weight loss in elevated T2D risk participants, and for depression in lower T2D risk participants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Chemically Stable Guanidinium Covalent Organic Framework for the Efficient Capture of Low-Concentration Iodine at High Temperatures.

The capture of radioactive I2 vapor from nuclear waste under industrial operating conditions remains a challenging task, as the practical industrial conditions of high temperature (≥150 °C) and low I2 concentration (∼150 ppmv) are unfavorable for I2 adsorption. We report a novel guanidinium-based covalent organic framework (COF), termed TGDM, which can efficiently capture I2 under industrial operating conditions. At 150 °C and 150 ppmv I2, TGDM exhibits an I2 uptake of ∼30 wt %, which is significantly higher than that of the industrial silver-based adsorbents such as Ag@MOR (17 wt %) currently used in the nuclear fuel reprocessing industry. Characterization and theoretical calculations indicate that among the multiple types of adsorption sites in TGDM, only ionic sites can bond to I2 through strong Coulomb interactions under harsh conditions. The abundant ionic groups of TGDM account for its superior I2 capture performance compared to various benchmark adsorbents. In addition, TGDM exhibits exceptionally high chemical and thermal stabilities that fully meet the requirements of practical radioactive I2 capture (high-temperature, humid, and acidic environment) and differentiate it from other ionic COFs. Furthermore, TGDM has excellent recyclability and low cost, which are unavailable for the current industrial silver-based adsorbents. These advantages make TGDM a promising candidate for capturing I2 vapor during nuclear fuel reprocessing. This strategy of incorporating chemically stable ionic guanidine moieties in COF would stimulate the development of new adsorbents for I2 capture and related applications.

Gating Effects for Ion Transport in Three-Dimensional Functionalized Covalent Organic Frameworks.

The development of bioinspired nano/subnano-sized (<2 nm) ion channels is still considered a great challenge due to the difficulty in precisely controlling pore's internal structure and chemistry. Herein, for the first time, we report that three-dimensional functionalized covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can act as an effective nanofluidic platform for intelligent modulation of the ion transport. By strategic attachment of 12-crown-4 groups to the monomers as ion-driver door locks, we demonstrate that gating effects of functionalized COFs can be activated by lithium ions. The obtained materials exhibit an outstanding selective ion transmission performance with a high gating ratio (up to 23.6 for JUC-590), which is among the highest values in metal ion-activated solid-state nanochannels reported so far. Furthermore, JUC-590 offers high tunability, selectivity, and recyclability of ion transport proved by the experimental and simulated studies.

Tetrathiafulvalene-based covalent organic frameworks for ultrahigh iodine capture.

To safeguard the development of nuclear energy, practical techniques for capture and storage of radioiodine are of critical importance but remain a significant challenge. Here we report the synergistic effect of physical and chemical adsorption of iodine in tetrathiafulvalene-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs), which can markedly improve both iodine adsorption capacity and adsorption kinetics due to their strong interaction. These functionalized architectures are designed to have high specific surface areas (up to 2359 m2 g-1) for efficient physisorption of iodine, and abundant tetrathiafulvalene functional groups for strong chemisorption of iodine. We demonstrate that these frameworks achieve excellent iodine adsorption capacity (up to 8.19 g g-1), which is much higher than those of other materials reported so far, including silver-doped adsorbents, inorganic porous materials, metal-organic frameworks, porous organic frameworks, and other COFs. Furthermore, a combined theoretical and experimental study, including DFT calculations, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, reveals the strong chemical interaction between iodine and the frameworks of the materials. Our study thus opens an avenue to construct functional COFs for a critical environment-related application.

3D Thioether-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Selective and Efficient Mercury Removal.

Developing functionalized 3D covalent organic frameworks (3D COFs) is critical to broaden their potential applications. However, the introduction of specific functionality in 3D COFs remains a great challenge because most of the functional groups are not compatible with the synthesis conditions. Herein, for the first time 3D thioether-based COFs (JUC-570 and JUC-571) for mercury (Hg2+ ) removal from aqueous solution is reported. These 3D thioether-based COFs prepared by the bottom-up approach display high Hg2+ uptakes (972 mg g-1 for JUC-570 and 970 mg g-1 for JUC-571 at pH = 5), fast adsorption kinetics (distribution coefficient Kd value of 2.29 × 107  mL g-1 for JUC-570 and 2.07 × 107  mL g-1 for JUC-571), and favorable selectivity. In particular, JUC-570 is periodically decorated with isopropyl groups around imine bonds that markedly improve its chemical stability and effectively prevent the pore collapse, and thus endows high Hg2+ adsorption capacity (619 mg g-1 ) and excellent cycle performance even at pH = 1. This study not only puts forward a new route to construct stable functionalized 3D COFs, but also promotes their potential applications in areas related to the environment.

Are Demographic Factors Associated with Diabetes Risk Perception and Preventive Behavior?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between perceived diabetes susceptibility, demographic factors, diet, and physical activity. DESIGN: This descriptive, correlational study used multilevel modeling in a secondary analysis of data collected in a randomized controlled trial of genetic-risk testing and risk counseling for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in primary care. SAMPLE: 409 participants who had undergone genetic-risk testing for T2DM in primary care were randomized into either a standard risk assessment (SRA) arm for type 2 diabetes or an SRA plus results of genetic-risk testing (SRA+G) arm. RESULTS: Perceived diabetes susceptibility was not significantly related to demographic factors but only to fruit-and-vegetable intake at 12 months after genetic-risk counseling (p = .04). Daily servings of fruits and vegetables had a significant, positive relationship with female gender (p = .006), age (p = .02), and Hispanic ethnicity at 3 (p = .002) and 12 months after baseline (p = .01). Daily servings of fatty foods were inversely related to age at baseline (p = .02) and 3 months later. At all three timepoints, Blacks were consuming more servings of fatty foods than were other groups. A positive relationship between age and moderate activity was significant at 3 months (p = .05). Vigorous activity was inversely related to age; higher among men at all three timepoints; and higher among Hispanics at baseline (p = .0038) and 3 months later (p = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: To plan effective, sustainable interventions, providers must understand the associations among demographic factors, individuals' risk perceptions, and lifestyle changes.

Three-Dimensional Tetrathiafulvalene-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Tunable Electrical Conductivity.

The functionalization of three-dimensional (3D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is essential to broaden their applications. However, the introduction of organic groups with electroactive abilities into 3D COFs is still very limited. Herein we report the first case of 3D tetrathiafulvalene-based COFs (3D-TTF-COFs) with non- or 2-fold interpenetrated pts topology and tunable electrochemical activity. The obtained COFs show high crystallinity, permanent porosity, and large specific surface area (up to 3000 m2/g). Furthermore, these TTF-based COFs are redox active to form organic salts that exhibit tunable electric conductivity (as high as 1.4 × 10-2 S cm-1 at 120 °C) by iodine doping. These results open a way toward designing 3D electroactive COF materials and promote their applications in molecular electronics and energy storage.

Uncovering cyberincivility among nurses and nursing students on Twitter: A data mining study.

BACKGROUND: Although misuse of social networking sites, particularly Twitter, has occurred, little is known about the prevalence, content, and characteristics of uncivil tweets posted by nurses and nursing students. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of tweets posted by nurses and nursing students on Twitter with a focus on cyberincivility. METHOD: A cross-sectional, data-mining study was held from February through April 2017. Using a data-mining tool, we extracted quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 163 self-identified nurses and nursing students on Twitter. The analysis of 8934 tweets was performed by a combination of SAS 9.4 for descriptive and inferential statistics including logistic regression and NVivo 11 to derive descriptive patterns of unstructured textual data. FINDINGS: We categorized 413 tweets (4.62%, n = 8934) as uncivil. Of these, 240 (58%) were related to nursing and the other 173 (42%) to personal life. Of the 163 unique users, 60 (36.8%) generated those 413 uncivil posts, tweeting inappropriately at least once over a period of six weeks. Most uncivil tweets contained profanity (n = 135, 32.7%), sexually explicit or suggestive material (n = 37, 9.0%), name-calling (n = 14, 3.4%), and discriminatory remarks against minorities (n = 9, 2.2%). Other uncivil content included product promotion, demeaning comments toward patients, aggression toward health professionals, and HIPAA violations. CONCLUSION: Nurses and nursing students share uncivil tweets that could tarnish the image of the profession and violate codes of ethics. Individual, interpersonal, and institutional efforts should be made to foster a culture of cybercivility.

Cerebral Blood Flow Velocities and Functional Outcomes in Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Outcomes can be challenging to predict in children with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound has become an increasingly useful modality in adult and pediatric TBI by measuring blood flow velocities within the circle of Willis. In children with moderate-to-severe TBI, multiple studies have correlated abnormal TCD measurements and poor outcomes. Additionally, TCD has shown value in assessing adults with mild brain injury. To date, there are no studies that correlate TCD findings and outcomes in children with mild TBI. We hypothesize that altered cerebral blood flow after mild TBI is associated with poor functional outcome using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended, Pediatrics (GOS-E Peds). TCD was performed within 24 h of admission on 60 patients at a tertiary Level 1 children's hospital. A secondary analysis was performed on the subgroup of 28 mild TBI patients. GOS-E Peds was measured at the time of hospital discharge and 4-6 weeks post-discharge. Cerebral blood flow velocities did not show correlation with outcome. At discharge, the right-sided Spearman's correlation coefficient was 0.19 (p value = 0.33) and the left-sided was 0.36 (p = 0.06). At follow up the right-sided coefficient was -0.04 (p = 0.84), the left-sided was -0.25 (p = 0.24). Pulsatility index likewise showed no correlation. Right and left-sided correlation at discharge were -0.25 (p = 0.19) and 0.01 (p = 0.96), respectively. At follow up the right side showed 0.004 (p = 0.99), and the left showed 0.18 (p = 0.41). Although our data did not show correlation, it showed that the investigation could feasibly be done in pediatric patients with mild TBI. The study was limited by small sample size and infrequent outcome of interest. Future studies may help define the role of TCD in the large population of mild pediatric TBI patients.

Social media use and cybercivility guidelines in U.S. nursing schools: A review of websites.

This research analyzes to what extent U.S. nursing schools use social media, their policies or guidelines on cybercivility in social media, online classrooms, and email correspondence, and whether these protocols are readily available to students. This website-based study employs a descriptive, cross-sectional, non-experimental search design. Data were collected in nursing schools offering master's programs (n=197) and online graduate programs in master's degree (n=110) listed in the 2017 edition of U.S. News and World Report. School ranking was positively correlated with the total number of social networking sites being used in the schools, but not with the presence of cybercivility guidelines. About a third of the nursing schools in the sample had policies/guidelines concerning social media, while fewer than 10% had policies/guidelines about online classroom conduct (n=14) or email use (n=16). Key features of these protocols were professionalism, expected behaviors, and consequences. Establishing and implementing policies and guidelines regarding cybercivility is a vital step to promote a culture of civility online. It is especially important to do so in nursing schools where standards should reflect the values of the profession.

Is carpal tunnel syndrome present in acute stroke patients? An investigative study using clinical and imaging screening tools.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is known to develop post-stroke. Median nerve ultrasound (US) is an inexpensive, effective means of screening. In this prospective feasibility study, we compared the ability of the physical exam, the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) and median nerve US to screen for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) within 72hours of stroke onset. We enrolled 24 consecutive patients. Using US, 19 (79%, p=0.0386) of the 24 patients screened positive for CTS on the paretic side and 20 (83%, p=0.0042) on the nonparetic side. With clinical examination, only 11 out of 24 (46%) screened positive for CTS on the paretic side and 8 (33%) on the nonparetic side. The BCTQ did not predict CTS. US can be an effective screening tool post-stroke. Further research is needed to determine specificity and efficacy compared to electrodiagnostic testing in this population.

Regulatory function of Arabidopsis lipid transfer protein 1 (LTP1) in ethylene response and signaling.

Ethylene as a gaseous plant hormone is directly involved in various processes during plant growth and development. Much is known regarding the ethylene receptors and regulatory factors in the ethylene signal transduction pathway. In Arabidopsis thaliana, REVERSION-TO-ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY1 (RTE1) can interact with and positively regulates the ethylene receptor ETHYLENE RESPONSE1 (ETR1). In this study we report the identification and characterization of an RTE1-interacting protein, a putative Arabidopsis lipid transfer protein 1 (LTP1) of unknown function. Through bimolecular fluorescence complementation, a direct molecular interaction between LTP1 and RTE1 was verified in planta. Analysis of an LTP1-GFP fusion in transgenic plants and plasmolysis experiments revealed that LTP1 is localized to the cytoplasm. Analysis of ethylene responses showed that the ltp1 knockout is hypersensitive to 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid (ACC), while LTP1 overexpression confers insensitivity. Analysis of double mutants etr1-2 ltp1 and rte1-3 ltp1 demonstrates a regulatory function of LTP1 in ethylene receptor signaling through the molecular association with RTE1. This study uncovers a novel function of Arabidopsis LTP1 in the regulation of ethylene response and signaling.

Association of cytochrome b5 with ETR1 ethylene receptor signaling through RTE1 in Arabidopsis.

Ethylene plays important roles in plant growth, development and stress responses, and is perceived by a family of receptors that repress ethylene responses when ethylene is absent. Repression by the ethylene receptor ETR1 depends on an integral membrane protein, REVERSION TO ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY1 (RTE1), which acts upstream of ETR1 in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and Golgi apparatus. To investigate RTE1 function, we screened for RTE1-interacting proteins using the yeast split-ubiquitin assay, which yielded the ER-localized cytochrome b(5) (Cb5) isoform D. Cb5s are small hemoproteins that perform electron transfer reactions in all eukaryotes, but their roles in plants are relatively uncharacterized. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), we found that all four ER-localized Arabidopsis Cb5 isoforms (AtCb5­B, -C, -D and -E) interact with RTE1 in plant cells. In support of this interaction, atcb5 mutants exhibited phenotypic parallels with rte1 mutants in Arabidopsis. Phenotypes included partial suppression of etr1­2 ethylene insensitivity, and no suppression of RTE1-independent ethylene receptor isoforms. The single loss-of-function mutants atcb5­b, -c and -d appeared similar to the wild-type, but double mutant combinations displayed slight ethylene hypersensitivity. Over-expression of AtCb5­D conferred reduced ethylene sensitivity similar to that conferred by RTE1 over-expression, and genetic analyses suggested that AtCb5­D acts upstream of RTE1 in the ethylene response. These findings suggest an unexpected role for Cb5, in which Cb5 and RTE1 are functional partners in promoting ETR1-mediated repression of ethylene signaling.

CTR1 phosphorylates the central regulator EIN2 to control ethylene hormone signaling from the ER membrane to the nucleus in Arabidopsis.

The gaseous phytohormone ethylene C(2)H(4) mediates numerous aspects of growth and development. Genetic analysis has identified a number of critical elements in ethylene signaling, but how these elements interact biochemically to transduce the signal from the ethylene receptor complex at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to transcription factors in the nucleus is unknown. To close this gap in our understanding of the ethylene signaling pathway, the challenge has been to identify the target of the CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE1 (CTR1) Raf-like protein kinase, as well as the molecular events surrounding ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2), an ER membrane-localized Nramp homolog that positively regulates ethylene responses. Here we demonstrate that CTR1 interacts with and directly phosphorylates the cytosolic C-terminal domain of EIN2. Mutations that block the EIN2 phosphorylation sites result in constitutive nuclear localization of the EIN2 C terminus, concomitant with constitutive activation of ethylene responses in Arabidopsis. Our results suggest that phosphorylation of EIN2 by CTR1 prevents EIN2 from signaling in the absence of ethylene, whereas inhibition of CTR1 upon ethylene perception is a signal for cleavage and nuclear localization of the EIN2 C terminus, allowing the ethylene signal to reach the downstream transcription factors. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying ethylene signal transduction.

Heteromeric interactions among ethylene receptors mediate signaling in Arabidopsis.

The gaseous hormone ethylene is perceived in Arabidopsis by a five member receptor family that consists of the subfamily 1 receptors ETR1 and ERS1 and the subfamily 2 receptors ETR2, ERS2, and EIN4. Previous work has demonstrated that the basic functional unit for the ethylene receptor, ETR1, is a disulfide-linked homodimer. We demonstrate here that ethylene receptors isolated from Arabidopsis also interact with each other through noncovalent interactions. Evidence that ETR1 associates with other ethylene receptors was obtained by co-purification of ETR1 with tagged versions of ERS1, ETR2, ERS2, and EIN4 from Arabidopsis membrane extracts. ETR1 preferentially associated with the subfamily 2 receptors compared with the subfamily 1 receptor ERS1, but ethylene treatment affected the interactions and relative composition of the receptor complexes. When transgenically expressed in yeast, ETR1 and ERS2 can form disulfide-linked heterodimers. In plant extracts, however, the association of ETR1 and ERS2 can be largely disrupted by treatment with SDS, supporting a higher order noncovalent interaction between the receptors. Yeast two-hybrid analysis demonstrated that the receptor GAF domains are capable of mediating heteromeric receptor interactions. Kinetic analysis of ethylene-insensitive mutants of ETR1 is consistent with their dominance being due in part to an ability to associate with other ethylene receptors. These data suggest that the ethylene receptors exist in plants as clusters in a manner potentially analogous to that found with the histidine kinase-linked chemoreceptors of bacteria and that interactions among receptors contribute to ethylene signal output.

Visual pattern memory requires foraging function in the central complex of Drosophila.

The role of the foraging (for) gene, which encodes a cyclic guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG), in food-search behavior in Drosophila has been intensively studied. However, its functions in other complex behaviors have not been well-characterized. Here, we show experimentally in Drosophila that the for gene is required in the operant visual learning paradigm. Visual pattern memory was normal in a natural variant rover (for(R)) but was impaired in another natural variant sitter (for(S)), which has a lower PKG level. Memory defects in for(S) flies could be rescued by either constitutive or adult-limited expression of for in the fan-shaped body. Interestingly, we showed that such rescue also occurred when for was expressed in the ellipsoid body. Additionally, expression of for in the fifth layer of the fan-shaped body restored sufficient memory for the pattern parameter "elevation" but not for "contour orientation," whereas expression of for in the ellipsoid body restored sufficient memory for both parameters. Our study defines a Drosophila model for further understanding the role of cGMP-PKG signaling in associative learning/memory and the neural circuit underlying this for-dependent visual pattern memory.