Exploring the Strategic Use of TikTok for Clinical Trial Recruitment: How audiences' Prior Short-Form Video Usage Influences Persuasive Effects.

Guided by the elaboration likelihood model and framing theory, this study explores the potential of short-form video platforms (e.g. TikTok), for targeted clinical trial recruitment. An online experiment compared doctor vs. peer-led videos addressing logistical or psychological barriers to participation, mimicking common TikTok communication tactics. Results indicate that high (vs. low) TikTok users are more persuaded by recruitment messages, and they exhibit stronger intentions to participate in clinical trials. Although doctor-sourced messages generate greater credibility and a more favorable message attitude, peer-sourced messages may be more effective in increasing participation intention. Lastly, doctor-sourced videos that address logistical barriers and peer-sourced videos that discuss psychological barriers result in higher self-efficacy for clinical trial participation. This study contributes to the growing body of research on new media's role in health communication and provides insights into how to strategically utilize TikTok and other short-form video platforms for clinical trial recruitment.

COVID-19 vaccination communication: Effects of vaccine conspiracy beliefs and message framing among black and white participants.

BACKGROUND: The importance of vaccination in combating the COVID-19 pandemic is widely acknowledged. The aim of this study was (1) to understand how one's vaccine conspiracy beliefs would influence their public health news processing, (2) to examine how specific public health news features (i.e., news frame) would influence message processing, and (3) to examine if there were any differences between Black and White participants in their message processing. METHODS: A nationwide online experiment (N = 821) with a 3 (vaccine conspiracy beliefs: high vs. moderate vs. low) × 2 (participants' race: Black vs. White) × 2 (news frames: gain vs. loss) mixed-factorial design was conducted in the United States. RESULTS: Participants' level of vaccine conspiracy beliefs was predictive of their responses to outcome measures. Additionally, Black participants reported higher perceived message effectiveness, more favorable attitudes toward the message, and higher vaccination intentions than White participants. Furthermore, health news that emphasized vaccination benefits produced more favorable attitudes than those emphasizing losses associated with non-vaccination, especially for White participants. Lastly, participants reported more favorable attitudes toward gain-framed health news regardless of their vaccine conspiracy beliefs. CONCLUSION: It is crucial for health officials to work to find effective media message strategies to combat COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories and misinformation. Furthermore, this study supports the significance of health organizations' ongoing efforts to tailor public health messaging to specific racial groups, as evidenced by considerable variations in perceptions among Black and White Americans.

Tannic acid-assisted upcycling of Cu from waste printed circuit boards to an efficient peroxymonosulfate catalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants.

The recovery of metals from solid waste for use as heterogeneous catalysts to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for organic wastewater treatment is a promising, environmentally friendly and economical strategy. Herein, we present a facile and versatile strategy for upcycling copper (Cu) from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) to Cu oxides supported on a three-dimensional carbon framework (10PCBs-Cu-TA) with the aid of tannic acid (TA). Compared to the PCBs-Cu synthesized without TA, introducing TA into 10PCBs-Cu-TA reduced Cu leaching, enhanced crystallinity, promoted electron transfer, and increased the number of oxygen vacancies. Moreover, 10PCBs-Cu-TA exhibited superior catalytic activity in activating PMS for the degradation of reactive brilliant blue KN-R, exceeding the activity of 10Cu-TA prepared using commercial Cu(NO3)2·3H2O. This enhanced performance may be attributed to the higher specific surface area and oxygen vacancies of 10PCBs-Cu-TA. The 10PCBs-Cu-TA/PMS system also exhibited broad catalytic universality and adaptability to various contaminants and water matrices. Quenching experiments, electron paramagnetic resonance analysis, and electrochemical measurements indicated that radical and non-radical processes jointly contributed to KN-R degradation. The proposed strategy for upcycling Cu from waste PCBs into functional materials provides novel insights into the utilization of solid waste and the development of PMS activators.

Effect of folic acid supplementation in the association between short sleep duration and gestational diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: To examine whether or not folic acid (FA) supplementation may modify the relationships between duration or quality of sleep and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. METHODS: In a case-control study of patients with GDM and controls, mothers were interviewed face-to-face at enrollment. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale was used to assess duration and quality of sleep during early pregnancy, and information on FA supplementation and covariates was obtained using a semiquantitative questionnaire. RESULTS: Among 396 patients with GDM and 904 controls, GDM risk increased by 328% and 148% among women with short (< 7 h) and long (≥ 9 h) sleep durations, respectively, compared to those averaging 7-8.9 h sleep. Mothers with poor sleep quality increased their GDM risk by an average of 75% (all p < 0.05). The effect of short sleep duration on GDM risk was much weaker among women with adequate FA supplementation (taking supplements containing ≥ 0.4 mg FA daily for each day of the first three months of pregnancy) than that among women with inadequate FA supplementation, with a p-value for interaction = 0.003. There were no significant effects of FA on links among long duration and poor quality of sleep with GDM risk. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep duration and quality in early gestation were related to increased GDM risks. FA supplementation may reduce GDM risk associated with short sleep duration.

Application of topical pharyngeal anesthesia to reduce adverse reactions during painless gastroscopy: A prospective randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported that certain adverse reactions can occur during painless gastroscopy examination. Knowing how to decrease the risks and incidence of adverse reactions is of great importance. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether topical pharyngeal anesthesia combined with intravenous anesthesia is superior to intravenous anesthesia alone in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy and to determine whether this combined approach had any additional benefits. METHODS: Three hundred patients undergoing painless gastroscopy were randomly assigned to either the control group or the experimental group. In the control group, patients were anesthetized with propofol, while patients in the experimental group received propofol combined with 2% lidocaine spray for topical pharyngeal anesthesia. Hemodynamic parameters before and after the procedure, including the heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse oxygen saturation (SPO2) were recorded. Any adverse reactions experienced by the patient, including choking and respiratory depression, and the total dosage of propofol required during each procedure were also documented. RESULTS: Compared with pre-anesthetic data, the HR, MAP, and SPO2 were reduced after the completion of the painless gastroscopy procedure in both groups. However, the HR, MAP, and SPO2 measurements taken after the gastroscopy were significantly lower in the control group than those of the experimental group (P< 0.05); thus, the hemodynamic parameters of the experimental group were more stable. Compared with the control group, there was significant reduction in the total amount of propofol administered in the experimental group (P< 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions, including choking and respiratory depression, was significantly lower in the experimental group (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the application of topical pharyngeal anesthesia in painless gastroscopy can significantly reduce the incidence of adverse reactions. Thus, the combination of topical pharyngeal and intravenous anesthesia is worthy of clinical application and promotion.

Waiting for a Match: Mitigating Reactance in Prosocial Health Behavior Using Psychological Distance.

This study examined how psychological distance, both social and temporal, can be leveraged in prosocial health behavior messages to mitigate perceived psychological reactance. Following the construal level and psychological reactance theories, we conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design (N = 245), which manipulated naturalistic messages regarding a prosocial communications campaign. Structural equation modeling showed that far temporal distance combined with far social distance could significantly reduce threat to freedom and therefore positively affect attitudes and behavioral intentions toward prosocial health topics. The effect of social distance was found not significant, differing from past findings. Further, intertwined and parallel psychological reactance models were tested and discussed. We suggest the need for more psychological reactance research, particularly examining prosocial health behavior. Strategies for practical persuasion strategies in prosocial messages are proposed.

Overcoming Black Americans' Psychological and Cognitive Barriers to Clinical Trial Participation: Effects of News Framing and Exemplars.

This study examines how news features (framing and the use of exemplars) can help overcome two common barriers (psychological and cognitive) impeding Black American participation in clinical trials. In an online experiment, Black participants (N = 390) viewed social media news posts varying in framing (focus on psychological vs. cognitive barriers) and use of an exemplar (present vs. absent and White vs. Black) and then responded to outcome measures including perceived message effectiveness, message attitudes, and intention to participate in clinical trials. The findings illustrate that including a racially matched (i.e. Black) exemplar improves attitudes toward clinical trial messages. Most notably, featuring a race-matched exemplar increases intention to participate in a trial when the messages discuss psychological barriers. These findings enhance our understanding of how messages can be better designed to increase Black American participation in clinical trials, thereby contributing to reducing health inequities and improving health outcomes.

Emerging Insights into the Roles of the Rhizome-Culm System in Bamboo Shoot Development through Analysis of Non-Structural Carbohydrate Changes.

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) required for bamboo shoot development, the critical stage that determines the yield of a bamboo stand, originate from the parent bamboo with the complex underground system. However, the metabolic mechanism of NSCs in the rhizome-culm system during bamboo shoot development remains unclear. In this study, we focused on the changes of NSCs in the rhizome-culm system and used anatomical, physiological, and biochemical methods to investigate the metabolism of NSCs in bamboo shoots of Phyllostachys edulis and the role of NSCs supply in the parent bamboo at different ages. The results showed that NSCs were accumulated and consumed from the bottom to the top in a bamboo shoot, which was consistent with the developmental pattern. The starch granules were stored in advance. The bamboo sheath stored starch from the dormant stage of shoot buds. The functions of culms and rhizomes showed age-dependent differences. Adult culms showed the highest capacity to provide NSCs, with more stored NSCs and higher ß-amylase activity. Conversely, young culms seemed to prefer their growth, while old culms tended to store starch. Accordingly, adult rhizomes preferred sugar transport due to the lowest starch storage, lower ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) activity, and higher ß-amylase activity, while young and old rhizomes tended to prefer starch storage. These results provide a basis for further understanding of nutrient metabolism in bamboo stands.

The association between systemic inflammatory response index and new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) complicating with ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with worse prognosis. The systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), serves as a novel inflammatory indicator, is found to be predictive of adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to explore the association between NOAF and SIRI. METHODS: A retrospective data included 616 STEMI participants treated with PCI in our cardiology department had been analyzed in present investigation, of which being divided into a NOAF or sinus rhythm (SR) group based on the presence or absence of atrial fibrillation. The predictive role of SIRI for in detecting NOAF had been evaluated by the logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Additionally, long-term all-cause mortality between both groups was compared using the Kaplan-Meier test. RESULTS: NOAF during hospitalization developed in 7.6% of PCI-treated individuals. After multivariate regression analyses, SIRI remains to be an independently predictor of NOAF (odds ratio 1.782, 95% confidence interval 1.675-1.906, P = 0.001). In the ROC curve analysis, SIRI with a cut-off value of 4.86 was calculated to predict NOAF, with 4.86, with a sensitivity of 80.85% and a specificity of 75.57%, respectively (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.826, P < 0.001). Furthermore, pairwise compassion of ROC curves displayed the superiority of SIRI in the prediction of NOAF in comparison with that of neutrophil/lymphocyte or monocyte/lymphocyte (P < 0.05). In addition, the participants in NOAF group had a significantly higher incidence of all-cause death compared to those in SR group after a median of 40-month follow-up (22.0% vs 5.8%, log-rank P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: SIRI can independently predict NOAF in patients with STEMI after PCI, with being positively correlated to worsened outcomes.

Improving rural White men's attitudes toward clinical trial messaging and participation: effects of framing, exemplars and trust.

This study examined whether framing, exemplar presence and exemplar race in social media news posts influence rural White men's perceptions, attitudes and behavioral intentions toward clinical trial participation, and if so, how individual trust in doctors moderates the effects of these three factors. An experiment with a 2 within (framing: cognitive versus psychological barriers) × 2 within (exemplar: present versus absent) × 2 between (exemplar race: White versus Black) subjects mixed factorial design was conducted among rural White men (N = 208). Twelve social media news posts about clinical trial participation were created for the experiment. Results revealed that respondents had greater behavioral intentions to participate in clinical trials after seeing posts with exemplars present (versus absent). When news posts addressed cognitive barriers (e.g. lacking knowledge about the value of clinical trials), the presence of exemplars enhanced perceived self-efficacy to participate in clinical trials. Participants with lower trust in doctors reported more favorable attitudes to posts with exemplars, and the posts with Black exemplars were perceived as more effective (approaching statistical significance). When communicating about clinical trials to rural White men, health professionals should consider including exemplars and addressing cognitive barriers to participation.

Waste eggshell-supported CuO used as heterogeneous catalyst for reactive blue 19 degradation through peroxymonosulfate activation (CuO/eggshell catalysts activate PMS to degrade reactive blue 19).

Advanced oxidation processes play an important role in the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater, in which it is essential to develop an eco-friendly, effective, stable, and inexpensive catalyst. Herein, waste eggshell-supported copper oxide (CuO/eggshell) was synthesized via a facile method and employed as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for the elimination of reactive blue 19 (RB19). CuO/eggshell exhibited high degradation efficiency of RB19 (approximately 100%) by activation of PMS under the optimum conditions of 20 mg/L RB19, 0.2 g/L CuO/eggshell, 0.36 mM PMS, and initial pH 7.12 within 20 min. In addition, the effects of catalyst dosage, PMS concentration, initial pH, inorganic ions, and humic acid on RB19 degradation were investigated. Scavenging experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance revealed that multiple reactive oxygen species, including sulfate radicals (SO4·-), hydroxyl radicals (·OH), superoxide radicals (O2·-), and singlet oxygen (1O2), contributed to RB19 degradation, and 1O2 played a dominant role. Finally, a possible PMS activation mechanism was proposed. This study suggests that loading catalytically active components onto waste eggshell is eco-friendly and effective for enhancing the degradation of dyes from wastewater.

An informed approach to the development of primary care pediatric firearm safety messages.

BACKGROUND: Firearm ownership is prevalent in the US and many children spend time in areas where firearms are not stored safely. The AAP recommends firearm safety counseling at pediatric well-visits. METHODS: We developed and tested six contextual messages to promote safe firearm storage based on: absence of harm, collective appeal to understanding child behavior, pediatrician's authority, evidence-based, fear appeal, and general safety considerations. One hundred four parents who keep firearms at home were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk Prime and viewed video messages and reported behavioral intentions and emotional reactions following each message. RESULTS: All six contextual messages were perceived as important and believable and increased parents' intentions to follow safety advice provided, but also elicited negative emotions. The authority message elicited more negative emotions and resulted in lower intentions to follow safe storage advice. CONCLUSIONS: Including firearm messages with other child safety advice merits further evaluation. Authority messages should be avoided.

Bacteria-specific phototoxic reactions triggered by blue light and phytochemical carvacrol.

Development of alternatives to antibiotics is one of the top priorities in the battle against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. Here, we report that two naturally occurring nonantibiotic modalities, blue light and phytochemical carvacrol, synergistically kill an array of bacteria including their planktonic forms, mature biofilms, and persisters, irrespective of their antibiotic susceptibility. Combination but not single treatment completely or substantially cured acute and established biofilm-associated Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections of full thickness murine third-degree burn wounds and rescued mice from lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa skin wound infections. The combined therapy diminished bacterial colony-forming units as high as 7.5 log10 within 30 min and introduced few adverse events in the survival of cocultured mammalian cells, wound healing, or host DNA. Mechanistic studies revealed that carvacrol was photocatalytically oxidized into a series of photoreactive substrates that underwent photolysis or additional photosensitization reactions in response to the same blue light, forming two autoxidation cycles that interacted with each other resulting in robust generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. This phototoxic reaction took place exclusively in bacteria, initiated by blue light excitation of endogenous porphyrin-like molecules abundantly produced in bacteria compared with mammalian cells. Moreover, no bacterial resistance developed to the combined treatment after 20 successive passages. This highly selective phototoxic reaction confers a unique strategy to combat the growing threat of MDR bacteria.

Porous carbon-confined Co x S y nanoparticles derived from ZIF-67 for boosting lithium-ion storage.

Reasonable regulation and synthesis of hollow nanostructure materials can provide a promising electrode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, utilizing a metal-organic framework (MOF, ZIF-67) as the raw material and template, a composite of Co x S y with a carbon shell is successfully formed through a hydrothermal vulcanization and a subsequent high temperature sintering process. The as-obtained Co x S y (700) material sintered at 700 °C has a large specific surface area, and at the same time possesses a hollow carbon shell structure. Benefiting from unique structural advantages, the volume change during the electrochemical reaction can be well alleviated, and thus the structural stability is greatly improved. The presence of the carbon matrix can also offer sufficient ion/electron transfer channels, contributing to the enhanced electrochemical performance. As a result, the Co x S y (700) electrode can deliver an excellent capacity of 875.6 mA h g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1. Additionally, a high-capacity retention of 88% is achieved after 1000 cycles when the current density is increased to 500 mA g-1, and exhibiting a prominent rate capability of 526.5 mA h g-1, simultaneously. The novel synthesis route and considerable electrochemical properties presented by this study can afford guidance for the exploration of high-performance cobalt sulfide anodes in LIBs.

The Third Rail of Pediatric Communication: Discussing Firearm Risk and Safety in Well-Child Exams.

This research endeavors to understand how pediatricians and parents discuss - or do not discuss - firearm risks for children during well-child visits. Through individual semi-structured interviews with 16 pediatric providers and 20 parents, the research explores discursive barriers to open conversation, perspectives on anticipatory guidance, and new ideas for culturally competent messaging. The research focuses particularly on how parents' and providers' perspectives on firearm risk communication are tied to cultural norms and expectations. One salient theme that emerged is that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that pediatricians ask parents about ownership status is deemed undesirable by pediatricians and parents because of the delicate intercultural setting. Born out of pediatric and parent experiences, and mindful of culturally salient barriers, this study offers alternative strategies for discussing firearm risk in well-child exams.

Flowerlike Tin Diselenide Hexagonal Nanosheets for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

SnSe2 nanosheet is a common anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but its severe agglomeration hinders its practical application. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) SnSe2 nanoflower (F-SnSe2) composed of non-stacking vertical upward hexagonal nanosheets was prepared through a colloidal method as an anode material for LIBs. Benefiting from the advantages of fast reaction-diffusion kinetics and buffering unavoidable volume variation during cycling, the F-SnSe2 electrode displays remarkable specific capacity of 795 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1 and superior rate performance (282 mAh g-1 at 2,000 mA g-1). This work provides an effective way to get non-stacking nanosheets in energy storage field.

Sub-Acute Treatment of Curcumin Derivative J147 Ameliorates Depression-Like Behavior Through 5-HT1A-Mediated cAMP Signaling.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mental disorder related to the deficiency of monoamine neurotransmitters, particularly to abnormalities of 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine, serotonin) and its receptors. Our previous study suggested that acute treatment with a novel curcumin derivative J147 exhibited antidepressant-like effects by increasing brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in the hippocampus of mice. The present study expanded upon our previous findings and investigated the antidepressant-like effects of sub-acute treatment of J147 for 3 days in male ICR mice and its possible relevancy to 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors and downstream cAMP-BDNF signaling. METHODS: J147 at doses of 1, 3, and 9 mg/kg (via gavage) was administered for 3 days, and the anti-immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests (FST and TST) was recorded. The radioligand binding assay was used to determine the affinity of J147 to 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor. Moreover, 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B agonist or its antagonist was used to determine which 5-HT receptor subtype is involved in the antidepressant-like effects of J147. The downstream signaling molecules such as cAMP, PKA, pCREB, and BDNF were also measured to determine the mechanism of action. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that sub-acute treatment of J147 remarkably decreased the immobility time in both the FST and TST in a dose-dependent manner. J147 displayed high affinity in vitro to 5-HT1A receptor prepared from mice cortical tissue and was less potent at 5-HT1B receptor. These effects of J147 were blocked by pretreatment with a 5-HT1A antagonist NAD-299 and enhanced by a 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT. However, 5-HT1B receptor antagonist NAS-181 did not appreciably alter the effects of J147 on depression-like behaviors. Moreover, pretreatment with NAD-299 blocked J147-induced increases in cAMP, PKA, pCREB, and BDNF expression in the hippocampus, while 8-OH-DPAT enhanced the effects of J147 on these proteins' expression. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that J147 induces rapid antidepressant-like effects during a 3-day treatment period without inducing drug tolerance. These effects might be mediated by 5-HT1A-dependent cAMP/PKA/pCREB/BDNF signaling.

A Porous Mooncake-Shaped Li4 Ti5 O12 Anode Material Modified by SmF3 and Its Electrochemical Performance in Lithium Ion Batteries.

Reasonably designing and synthesizing advanced electrode materials is significant to enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, a metal-organic framework (MOF, Mil-125) was used as a precursor and template to successfully synthesize the porous mooncake-shaped Li4 Ti5 O12 (LTO) anode material assembled from nanoparticles. Even more critical, SmF3 was used to modify the prepared porous mooncake-shaped LTO material. The SmF3 -modified LTO maintained a porous mooncake-shaped structure with a large specific surface area, and the SmF3 nanoparticles were observed to be attach on the surface of the LTO material. It has been proven that the SmF3 modification can further facilitate the transition from Ti4+ to Ti3+ , reduce the polarization of electrode, decrease charge transfer impedance (Rct ) and solid electrolyte interface impedance (Rsei ), and increase the lithium ion diffusion coefficient (DLi ), thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance of LTO. Therefore, the porous mooncake-shaped LTO modified using 2 wt % SmF3 displays a large specific discharge capacity of 143.8 mAh g-1 with an increment of 79.16 % compared to pure LTO at a high rate of 10 C (1 C=170 mAh g-1 ), and shows a high retention rate of 96.4 % after 500 cycles at 5 C-rate.

Constructing and influencing perceived authenticity in science communication: Experimenting with narrative.

This study develops a measure of perceived authenticity in science communication and then explores communication strategies to improve the perceived authenticity of a scientific message. The findings are consistent with literature around trust and credibility, but indicate that authenticity-the perception that the scientist is a unique individual with qualities beyond institutional affiliations or a role in the production of the research-may add a potentially important dimension to accepted categories of integrity and benevolence.