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How animal cell types, tissues, and regional body plans arose is a fundamental question in EvoDevo. Many current efforts attempt to link genetic information to the morphology of cells, tissues and regionalization of animal body plans using single-cell sequencing of cell populations. However, a lack of in-depth understanding of the morphology of non-bilaterian animals remains a considerable block to understanding the transitions between bilaterian and non-bilaterian cells and tissues. Sponges (Porifera), one of the earliest diverging animal phyla, pose a particular challenge to this endeavour, because their body plans lack mouths, gut, conventional muscle and nervous systems. With a goal to help bridge this gap, we have studied the morphology, behaviour and transcriptomics of cells and tissue types of an easily accessible and well-studied species of freshwater sponge, Ephydatia muelleri. New features described here include: a polarized external epithelium, a new contractile sieve cell that forms the entry to incurrent canals, motile cilia on apopyle cells at the exit of choanocyte chambers, and non-motile cilia on cells in excurrent canals and oscula. Imaging cells in vivo shows distinct behavioural characteristics of motile cells in the mesohyl. Transcriptomic phenotypes of three cell types (cystencytes, choanocytes and archaeocytes) captured live indicate that cell-type transcriptomes are distinct. Importantly, individual archaeocytes show a range of transcriptomic phenotypes which is supported by the distinct expression of different genes by subsets of this cell type. In contrast, all five choanocyte cells sampled live revealed highly uniform transcriptomes with significantly fewer genes expressed than in other cell types. Our study shows that sponges have tissues whose morphology and cell diversity are both functionally complex, but which together enable the sponge, like other metazoans, to sense and respond to stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a stringent measurement of the dust-obscured star formation rate density (SFRD) at z = 4–6 from the ASPIRE JWST Cycle-1 medium and ALMA Cycle-9 large program. We obtained JWST/NIRCam grism spectroscopy and ALMA 1.2 mm continuum map along 25 independent quasar sightlines, covering a total survey area of ∼35 arcmin2 where we search for dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at z = 0–7. We identify eight DSFGs in seven fields at z = 4–6 through the detection of H α or [O iii ] λ 5008 lines, including fainter lines such as H β, [O iii ] λ 4960, [N ii ] λ 6585, and [S ii ] λλ 6718,6733 for six sources. With this spectroscopically complete DSFG sample at z = 4–6 and negligible impact from cosmic variance (shot noise), we measure the infrared luminosity function (IRLF) down to L IR ∼ 2 × 1011 L ⊙. We find flattening of IRLF at z = 4–6 towards the faint end (power-law slope α = 0.5 9 − 0.45 + 0.39 ). We determine the dust-obscured cosmic SFRD at this epoch to be log [ ρ SFR , IR / (M ⊙ yr − 1 Mpc − 3) ] = − 1.5 2 − 0.13 + 0.14 . This is significantly higher than previous determinations using ALMA data in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which is void of DSFGs at z = 4–6 because of strong cosmic variance (shot noise). We conclude that the majority (66% ± 7%) of cosmic star formation at z ∼ 5 is still obscured by dust. We also discuss the uncertainty of SFRD propagated from far-IR spectral energy distribution and IRLF at the bright end, which will need to be resolved with future ALMA and JWST observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients with activated PI3Kδ syndrome (APDS) may elude diagnoses for nearly a decade. Methods to hasten the identification of these patients, and other patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEIs), are needed. We sought to demonstrate that querying electronic health record (EHR) systems by aggregating disparate signs into a risk score can identify these patients. Methods: We developed a structured query language (SQL) script using literature-validated APDS-associated clinical concepts mapped to ICD-10-CM codes. We ran the query across EHRs from 7 large, US-based medical centers encompassing approximately 17 million patients. The query calculated an "APDS Score," which stratified risk for APDS for all individuals in these systems. Scores for all known patients with APDS (n=46) were compared. Results: The query identified all but one known patient with APDS (98%; 45/46) as well as patients with other complex disease. Median score for all patients with APDS was 9 (IQR = 5.75; range 1-25). Sensitivity analysis suggested an optimal cutoff score of 7 (sensitivity = 0.70). Conclusion: Disease-specific queries are a relatively simple method to foster patient identification across the rare-disease spectrum. Such methods are even more important for disorders such as APDS where an approved, pathway-specific treatment is available in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Deucravacitinib, an oral, selective, allosteric tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, is approved in multiple countries for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy. The safety and efficacy of deucravacitinib in psoriasis has been demonstrated through 3 years in the phase 3 POETYK PSO-1, PSO-2, and long-term extension (LTE) trials enrolling adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Methods: To review the effect of deucravacitinib treatment on adverse events of interest (AEIs) over 3 years in POETYK PSO-1, PSO-2, and LTE, cumulative exposure-adjusted incidence rates (EAIRs) of AEIs were recorded through 3 years. Results: AEIs and 3-year EAIRs of select infections included serious infections (2.5/100 person-years [PY]), COVID-19 (1.6/100 PY), and herpes zoster (0.6/100 PY). Excluding COVID-19, the serious infections EAIR was 0.9/100 PY. Major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) and venous thromboembolism EAIRs were 0.3/100 PY and 0.1/100 PY, respectively. The EAIRs for malignancies were 0.9/100 PY overall and 0.5/100 PY, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Cutaneous events included acne (EAIR, 1.3/100 PY) and folliculitis (EAIR, 1.1/100 PY). Three-year cumulative EAIRs generally remained stable or decreased relative to 1-year rates. EAIRs of non-COVID-19 serious infections, malignancies excluding NMSC, and MACE through 3 years were consistent with rates for other antipsoriatic agents from clinical trials, disease registries, and real-world claims data. Conclusion: In adults with plaque psoriasis treated with deucravacitinib, the cumulative incidence of AEIs remained comparable or decreased over 3 years of follow-up and aligned with comparison data for other antipsoriatic therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate financing decisions, particularly the choice between equity and debt, significantly impact a company's financial health and value. This study predicts binary corporate debt levels (high or low) using supervised machine learning (ML) models and firms' characteristics as predictive variables. Key features include companies' size, tangibility, profitability, liquidity, growth opportunities, risk, and industry. Deterministic models, represented by logistic regression and multilevel logistic regression, and stochastic approaches that incorporate a certain degree of randomness or probability, including decision trees, random forests, Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Machines, and Artificial Neural Networks, were evaluated using usual metrics. The results indicate that decision trees, random forest, and XGBoost excelled in the training phase but showed higher overfitting when evaluated in the test sample. Deterministic models, in contrast, were less prone to overfitting. Notably, all models delivered statistically similar results in the test sample, emphasizing the need to balance performance, simplicity, and interpretability. These findings provide actionable insights for managers to benchmark their company's debt level and improve financing strategies. Furthermore, this study contributes to ML applications in corporate finance by comparing deterministic and stochastic models in predicting capital structure, offering a robust tool to enhance managerial decision-making and optimize financial strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dairy consumption has been associated with various health outcomes that may be mediated by changes in gut microbiota. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the association between the colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiota and the self-reported intake of total dairy, milk, cheese, and yogurt. A total of 97 colonic mucosal biopsies collected from 34 polyp-free individuals were analyzed. Dairy consumption in the past year was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. The 16S rRNA gene V4 region was amplified and sequenced. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) classification was performed using the UPARSE and SILVA databases. OTU diversity and relative abundance were compared between lower vs. higher dairy consumption groups. Multivariable negative binomial regression models for panel data were used to estimate the incidence rate ratio and 95% confidence interval for bacterial counts and dairy consumption. False discovery rate-adjusted p values (q value) < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: Higher total dairy and milk consumption and lower cheese consumption were associated with higher alpha microbial diversity (adjusted p values < 0.05). Higher total dairy and milk consumption was also associated with higher relative abundance of Faecalibacterium. Higher milk consumption was associated with higher relative abundance of Akkermansia. Higher total dairy and cheese consumption was associated with lower relative abundance of Bacteroides. Conclusions: Dairy consumption may influence host health by modulating the structure and composition of the colonic adherent gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a neural network emulator to constrain the thermal parameters of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at |$5.4 \le z \le 6.0$| using the Lyman- |$\alpha$| (Ly  |$\alpha$|⁠) forest flux autocorrelation function. Our autodifferentiable JAX -based framework accelerates the surrogate model generation process using approximately 100 sparsely sampled Nyx hydrodynamical simulations with varying combinations of thermal parameters, i.e. the temperature at mean density |$T_0$|⁠ , the slope of the temperature–density relation |$\gamma$|⁠ , and the mean transmission flux |$\langle F \rangle$|⁠. We show that this emulator has a typical accuracy of 1.0 per cent across the specified redshift range. Bayesian inference of the IGM thermal parameters, incorporating emulator uncertainty propagation, is further expedited using NumPyro Hamiltonian Monte Carlo. We compare both the inference results and computational cost of our framework with the traditional nearest-neighbour interpolation approach applied to the same set of mock Ly  |$\alpha$| flux. By examining the credibility contours of the marginalized posteriors for |$T_0, \gamma , \text{and}~\langle F \rangle$| obtained using the emulator, the statistical reliability of measurements is established through inference on 100 realistic mock data sets of the autocorrelation function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The immature lungs of very preterm infants are exposed to supraphysiologic oxygen, contributing to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease that is the most common morbidity of prematurity. While the microbiota significantly influences neonatal health, the relationship between the intestinal microbiome, particularly micro-eukaryotic members such as fungi and yeast, and lung injury severity in newborns remains unknown. Results: Here, we show that the fungal microbiota modulates hyperoxia-induced lung injury severity in very low birth weight premature infants and preclinical pseudohumanized and altered fungal colonization mouse models. Instead of fungal communities dominated by Candida and Saccharomyces, the first stool microbiomes of infants who developed BPD had less interconnected community architectures with a greater diversity of rarer fungi. After using a pseudohumanized model to show that transfer to the neonatal microbiome from infants with BPD increased the severity of lung injury, we used gain and loss of function approaches to demonstrate that modulating the extent of initial neonatal fungal colonization affected the extent of BPD-like lung injury in mice. We also identified alterations in the murine intestinal microbiome and transcriptome associated with augmented lung injury. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that features of the initial intestinal fungal microbiome are associated with the later development of BPD in premature neonates and exert a microbiome-driven effect that is transferable and modifiable in murine models, which suggests both causality and a potential therapeutic strategy. 7tBaiGhHzrwGBbT1j3n_5h Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited and conflicting evidence on the comparative cardiometabolic safety and effectiveness of aripiprazole in the management of severe mental illness. We investigated the hypothesis that aripiprazole has a favourable cardiometabolic profile, but similar effectiveness when compared to olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. Methods and findings: We conducted an observational emulation of a head-to-head trial of aripiprazole versus olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone in UK primary care using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. We included adults diagnosed with severe mental illness (i.e., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other non-organic psychoses) who were prescribed a new antipsychotic between 2005 and 2017, with a 2-year follow-up to 2019. The primary outcome was total cholesterol at 1 year (cardiometabolic safety). The main secondary outcome was psychiatric hospitalisation (effectiveness). Other outcomes included body weight, blood pressure, all-cause discontinuation, and mortality. Analyses adjusted for baseline confounders, including sociodemographics, diagnoses, concomitant medications, and cardiometabolic parameters. We included 26,537 patients (aripiprazole, n = 3,573, olanzapine, n = 8,554, quetiapine, n = 8,289, risperidone, n = 6,121). Median (IQR) age was 53 (42−67) years, 55.4% were female, 82.3% White, and 18.0% were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Patients prescribed aripiprazole had similar total cholesterol levels after 1 year to those prescribed olanzapine (adjusted mean difference [aMD], −0.03, 95% CI, −0.09 to 0.02, p = 0.261), quetiapine (aMD, −0.03, 95% CI, −0.09 to 0.03, p = 0.324), and risperidone (aMD, −0.01, 95% CI, −0.08 to 0.05, p = 0.707). However, there was evidence that patients prescribed aripiprazole had better outcomes on other cardiometabolic parameters, such as body weight and blood pressure, especially compared to olanzapine. After additional adjustment for prior hospitalisation, patients prescribed aripiprazole had similar rates of psychiatric hospitalisation as those prescribed olanzapine (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.91, 95% CI, 0.82–1.01, p = 0.078), quetiapine (aHR, 0.94, 95% CI, 0.85–1.04, p = 0.230), or risperidone (aHR, 1.01, 95% CI, 0.91–1.12, p = 0.854). Conclusions: Data from our large, powered, diverse, real-world target trial emulation sample, followed over 2 years, suggest that adults diagnosed with severe mental illness prescribed aripiprazole have similar total cholesterol 1 year after first prescription compared to those prescribed olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. However, patients prescribed aripiprazole had better outcomes on some other cardiometabolic parameters, and there was little evidence of differences in effectiveness. Our findings inform a common clinical dilemma and contribute to the evidence base for real-world clinical decision-making on antipsychotic choice for patients diagnosed with severe mental illness. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment in severe mental illness. The decision to prescribe one medication over another requires careful evaluation of potential risks and benefits. Aripiprazole was licensed in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2004, where it has become one of the most frequently prescribed antipsychotics—alongside olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. Systematic reviews of randomised evidence typically report aripiprazole as similar or less effective in reducing primary symptoms (psychotic, manic, or depressive symptoms, as appropriate) than olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone, but similar or favourable on cardiometabolic safety parameters (such as total cholesterol and body weight). However, there are methodological concerns about randomised trials of antipsychotic and, in particular, their generalisability to real-world practice. Reviews of real-world evidence have highlighted aripiprazole as among the least metabolically characterised second-generation antipsychotics, and no comparative real-world cardiometabolic safety data has come from UK practice. What did the researchers do and find?: We emulated a head-to-head trial of aripiprazole versus olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone for patients diagnosed with severe mental illness in UK primary care and provide real-world evidence on comparative cardiometabolic safety and psychiatric effectiveness. In this target trial emulation involving 26,537 patients, there was little evidence of differences in total cholesterol levels after 1 year or in the rate of psychiatric hospitalisation among patients prescribed aripiprazole when compared to those prescribed olanzapine, quetiapine, or risperidone. However, patients prescribed aripiprazole had better outcomes on other cardiometabolic parameters, such as body weight and blood pressure, especially when compared to patients prescribed olanzapine. What do these findings mean?: Data from our large, powered, diverse, real-world target trial emulation, which followed patients over 2 years, suggest that aripiprazole might confer some comparative cardiometabolic benefits over the comparators without compromising psychiatric effectiveness. Our findings inform a common clinical dilemma and contribute to the evidence base for real-world clinical decision-making on antipsychotic choice for patients diagnosed with severe mental illness. Although our analyses accounted for many measured potential confounders, there is a risk of residual and unmeasured confounding as we could not account for factors such as functional impairment and psychiatric service contact. There was missing data for cardiometabolic safety outcomes—although we used multiple imputation to handle missing data, our results may not generalise to people who engage less, or not at all, with primary care. In a target trial emulation, Alvin Richards-Belle and colleagues compare the efficacy and safety profile of aripiprazole and other second-generation antipsychotics in patients diagnosed with severe mental illness in UK primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The KinaTrax markerless motion capture system, used extensively in the analysis of baseball pitching and hitting, is currently being adapted for use in clinical biomechanics. In clinical and laboratory environments, repeatability is inherent to the quality of any diagnostic tool. The KinaTrax system was assessed on within- and between-session reliability for gait kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters in healthy adults. Nine subjects contributed five trials per session over three sessions to yield 135 unique trials. Each trial was comprised of a single bilateral gait cycle. Ten spatiotemporal parameters for each session were calculated and compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Standard Error of the Measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC). In addition, seven kinematic waveforms were assessed from each session and compared using the coefficient of multiple determination (CMD). ICCs for between-session spatiotemporal parameters were lowest for left step time (0.896) and left cadence (0.894). SEMs were 0.018 (s) and 3.593 (steps/min) while MDCs were 0.050 (s) and 9.958 (steps/min). Between-session average CMDs for joint angles were large (0.969) in the sagittal plane, medium (0.554) in the frontal plane, and medium (0.327) in the transverse plane while average CMDs for segment angles were large (0.860), large (0.651), and medium (0.561), respectively. KinaTrax markerless motion capture system provides reliable spatiotemporal measures within and between sessions accompanied by reliable kinematic measures in the sagittal and frontal plane. Considerable strides are necessary to improve methodological comparisons, however, markerless motion capture poses a reliable application for gait analysis within healthy individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current understanding of viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and host responses driving the pathogenic mechanisms in COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. Here, we conducted a longitudinal study to investigate gene expression patterns during acute SARS-CoV-2 illness. Cases included SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals with extremely high viral loads early in their illness, individuals having low SARS-CoV-2 viral loads early in their infection, and individuals testing negative for SARS-CoV-2. We could identify widespread transcriptional host responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection that were initially most strongly manifested in patients with extremely high initial viral loads, then attenuating within the patient over time as viral loads decreased. Genes correlated with SARS-CoV-2 viral load over time were similarly differentially expressed across independent datasets of SARS-CoV-2 infected lung and upper airway cells, from both in vitro systems and patient samples. We also generated expression data on the human nose organoid model during SARS-CoV-2 infection. The human nose organoid-generated host transcriptional response captured many aspects of responses observed in the above patient samples, while suggesting the existence of distinct host responses to SARS-CoV-2 depending on the cellular context, involving both epithelial and cellular immune responses. Our findings provide a catalog of SARS-CoV-2 host response genes changing over time and magnitude of these host responses were significantly correlated to viral load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The audit profession's technical and ethical standards require the application of professional skepticism throughout the financial statement audit process, as auditor skepticism is essential for detecting financial statement fraud and protecting the investing public. However, recent research suggests that audit supervisors often punish staff for exercising skepticism, presenting auditors with an ethical conflict between acting in their own self-interest and acting in a way that improves audit quality and protects the public. This research also suggests that supervisors who reward appropriate skeptical behavior, regardless of the outcome, appear to develop staff that are more likely to detect and convey fraud red flags to their superiors. Building on this research, we use a case-based survey to identify the characteristics of audit supervisors (audit seniors and managers) who are more likely to reward appropriate skepticism, even if it ultimately does not identify a misstatement. We find that trait skepticism, especially suspending one's judgment, positively drives the evaluations of professional skepticism in our setting. Also, we observe that when supervisors believe that their own audit partner will view the skepticism favorably, they "pay it forward" by rewarding their own staff who engage in skepticism. Our findings identify the characteristics that audit firms may want to develop and foster in auditors rising to supervisory levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Recent advancements in parallel sequencing methods have precipitated a surge in publicly available short-read sequence data. This has encouraged the development of novel computational tools for the de novo assembly of transcriptomes from RNA-seq data. Despite the availability of these tools, performing an end-to-end transcriptome assembly remains a programmatically involved task necessitating familiarity with best practices. Aside from quality control steps, including error correction, adapter trimming, and chimera filtration needing to be correctly used, moving data between programs often requires manual reformatting or restructuring, which can further impede throughput. Here, we introduce Semblans , a tool for streamlining the assembly process that efficiently and consistently produces high-quality transcriptome assemblies. Results Semblans abstracts the key quality control, reconstitution, and postprocessing steps of transcriptome assembly from raw short-read sequences to annotated coding sequences. Evaluating its performance against previously assembled transcriptomes on the basis of assembly quality, we find that Semblans produced higher quality assemblies for 98 of the 101 short-read runs tested. Availability and implementation Semblans is written in C++ and runs on Unix-compliant operating systems. Source code, documentation, and compiled binaries are hosted under the GNU General Public License at https://github.com/gladshire/Semblans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2024 European guideline recommendations on coronary revascularization have been endorsed by multiple societies, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based guidelines and multidisciplinary collaboration in patient care. The guidelines address concerns raised by global professional societies regarding the downgrade of CABG recommendations in previous guidelines, providing recommendations for revascularization in patients with 3-vessel disease and diabetes. The document advocates for a Heart Team approach and emphasizes the importance of patient risk profiles and informed preferences in decision-making. [Extracted from the article]

OBJECTIVES Safety, efficacy and durability are important considerations when selecting a bioprosthesis for aortic valve replacement (AVR). This study assessed 7-year clinical outcomes and haemodynamic performance of the Avalus bioprosthesis. METHODS Patients indicated for surgical AVR were enrolled in this prospective, nonrandomized trial, conducted across 39 sites globally. The primary end-point of this analysis was freedom from surgical explant or percutaneous valve-in-valve reintervention due to structural valve deterioration (SVD) at 7 years of follow-up, determined using Kaplan–Meier (KM) analysis. We also evaluated a composite end-point of SVD and/or severe haemodynamic dysfunction requiring reintervention. Survival, valve-related safety events and haemodynamic performance were assessed. Deaths and safety events were adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee. RESULTS A total of 1132 patients underwent surgical AVR. Mean age was 70 years; 854 patients (75%) were men. The mean STS risk of mortality was 2.0 ± 1.4%, and 659 patients (58%) had a New York Heart Association classification of I/II. One or more concomitant procedures were performed in 577 patients (51%). At 7 years, the Kaplan–Meier rate of freedom from SVD/severe haemodynamic dysfunction requiring reintervention was 1.2% (0.5–2.5%) with no cases adjudicated as SVD. The survival rate was 82.6% (79.5–85.0%). The KM event rate was 5.7% (4.3–7.7%) for reintervention, 6.3% (4.9–8.3%) for endocarditis and 0.4% (0.1–1.1%) for valve thrombosis. Mean aortic gradient, dimensionless velocity index and effective orifice area were 13.8 ± 5.9 mmHg, 0.42 ± 0.09 and 1.99 ± 0.53 cm2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This analysis demonstrated excellent durability of the Avalus valve with good clinical outcomes and stable haemodynamic performance through 7 years of follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosody is an important indicator of reading development, but many teachers are unclear about how it can help students improve their reading fluency. Beyond demonstrating expressive or flowing reading, specific components of reading prosody can distinctly reveal how well word recognition and comprehension processes coalesce, providing teachers with useful information for their instruction. In this article, we review the research on reading prosody to clarify how differences in intonation, amplitude, and timing components distinguish struggling and strong readers. In addition, we discuss reading prosody considerations for classroom assessment and intervention by sharing insights drawn from educators trained to evaluate it systematically. We aim to clarify how teachers can use these reading prosody components to enhance classroom reading fluency practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) may confer an increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease, including major adverse cerebro-cardiovascular events (MACE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients with these conditions are often exposed for extended time periods to biologics, such as ixekizumab (IXE). Therefore, understanding the risk of CV events, especially MACE, in patients with PsO, PsA, and axSpA exposed to IXE is important. Methods: The incidence of MACE (i.e., adjudicated cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke), DVT, and PE was assessed in adults who received ≥ 1 dose of IXE across 25 randomized clinical trials (17 PsO, 4 PsA, 4 axSpA). Rates of CV events were analyzed for pooled studies by indication and analyzed from treatment initiation up to the end of the study program. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates per 100 patient-years (IR/100 PY) are reported. Results: This integrated safety analysis included 6892 patients with PsO, 1401 with PsA, and 932 with axSpA. The median duration of IXE exposure was 478.5 days (1.3 years) for patients with PsO, 504.5 days (1.4 years) for patients with PsA, and 981.0 days (2.7 years) for patients with axSpA. The incidence of adjudicated MACE was low (IR/100 PY: PsO = 0.5; PsA = 0.5; axSpA = 0.3) and stable over the treatment periods. The most common types of MACE reported were non-fatal myocardial infarction (IR/100 PY: PsO = 0.3; PsA = 0.3; axSpA = 0.3), followed by non-fatal stroke (IR/100 PY: PsO = 0.1; PsA = 0.2; axSpA = 0.0), and cardiovascular death (IR/100 PY: PsO = 0.1; PsA = 0.1; axSpA = 0.0). The incidences of DVT (IR/100 PY: PsO = 0.1; PsA = 0.1; axSpA = 0.1) and PE (IR/100 PY: PsO = 0.1; PsA = 0.0; axSpA = 0.0) were low. Conclusion: This integrated safety analysis of 25 randomized clinical trials showed that the incidence of adjudicated MACE was low among adult patients with PsO, PsA, and axSpA and that the rates did not increase with increasing IXE exposure. Trial Registration: The supplementary Table S1 provides a comprehensive list of clinical trials and their registration numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction are early events in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and contribute to neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment. Evidence suggests that the inflammatory axis mediated by macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) binding to its receptor, CD74, plays an important role in many central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as AD. Our group has developed DRhQ, a novel CD74 binding construct which competitively inhibits MIF binding, blocks macrophage activation and migration into the CNS, enhances anti-inflammatory microglia cell numbers and reduces pro-inflammatory gene expression. Here, we evaluate its effects in amyloid-β (Aβ) overexpressing mice. 5xFAD mice and their wild type littermates were treated with DRhQ (100 µg) or vehicle for 4 weeks. DRhQ improved cognition and cortical mitochondrial function in both male and female 5xFAD mice. Aβ plaque burden in 5xFAD animals was not robustly impacted by DRhQ treatment in either the hippocampus or the cortex. Cortical microglial activation was similarly not apparently affected by DRhQ treatment, although in the hippocampus there was evidence of a reduction in activated microglia for female 5xFAD mice. Future studies are needed to confirm this possible sex-dependent response on microglial activation, as well as to optimize the dose and timing of DRhQ treatment and gain a better understanding of its mechanism of action in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Velocity-based training (VBT) positively impacts muscle morphology and performance in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD); however, optimal training frequencies for VBT in patients with PD remain undetermined. Changes in ultrasound-determined muscle thickness (MT) and echo intensity (EI)-derived muscle quality of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL), neuromuscular performance, and functional capacity were examined following 2 VBT frequencies (2-3 d·wk-1) using 30% velocity loss thresholds for 12 weeks. Neuromuscular performance was assessed using computerized pneumatic resistance machines. For each variable, 2 (time) 3 2 (group) repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine significant main effects and interactions. Significant time effects were seen for MT and EI of all muscles (p, 0.05). Muscle thickness improvements included right VL (RVL) (0.171 6 0.065 cm; p 5 0.019), left VL (LVL) (0.214 6 0.101 cm; p 5 0.049), right RF (RRF) (0.194 6 0.077 cm; p 5 0.023), and left RF (LRF) (0.318 6 0.109 cm; p 5 0.010). For EI, improvements occurred in RVL (218.688 6 3.600; p5,0.001), LVL (210.959 6 4.894; p 5 0.040), RRF (29.516 6 3.537; p 5 0.016), and LRF (29.018 6 3.444; p 5 0.019). Time effects were seen for leg-press 1-repetition maximum and peak power (p, 0.01) and habitual walking speed (p 5 0.022), with a group by time interaction for maximal gait speed favoring the 3 d·wk-1 condition (δ0.15 m·s21, p 5 0.002). The results indicate that VBT at 2 or 3 d·wk-1 can significantly improve muscle morphology, neuromuscular performance, and functional capability in patients with PD; however, improvements in maximal gait speed require 3 d·wk21. These findings provide flexibility when developing exercise prescriptions for patients with PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform the first measurement of the thermal and ionization state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) across |$0.9 \lt z \lt 1.5$| using 301 Ly  |$\,\alpha$| absorption lines fitted from 12 archival Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph quasar spectra. We employ the machine-learning-based inference method that uses joint Doppler parameter–column density (⁠|$b{-}N_{{\rm {H\,{\small I}}}{}}$|⁠) distributions obtained from Ly |$\,\alpha$| forest decomposition. Our results show that the H  i photoionization rates, |$\Gamma _{{\rm {H\,{\small I}}}{}}$|⁠ , agree with recent ultraviolet background synthesis models, with |$\log (\Gamma _{{\rm{H\,{\small I}}}}/\text{s}^{-1})={-11.79}^{+0.18}_{-0.15}$|⁠ , |${-11.98}^{+0.09}_{-0.09}$|⁠ , and |${-12.32}^{+0.10}_{-0.12}$| at |$z=1.4$|⁠ , 1.2, and 1, respectively. We obtain the IGM temperature at the mean density, |$T_0$|⁠ , and the adiabatic index, |$\gamma$|⁠ , as |$[\log (T_0/\text{K}), \gamma ]=$| [ |${4.13}^{+0.12}_{-0.10}$|⁠ , |${1.34}^{+0.10}_{-0.15}$| ], |$[{3.79}^{+0.11}_{-0.11}$|⁠ , |${1.70}^{+0.09}_{-0.09}]$|⁠ , and |$[{4.12}^{+0.15}_{-0.25}$|⁠ , |${1.34}^{+0.21}_{-0.26}]$| at |$z=1.4$|⁠ , 1.2, and 1. Our measurements of |$T_0$| at |$z=1.4$| and 1.2 are consistent with the trend predicted from previous |$z\lt 3$| temperature measurements and theoretical expectations, where the IGM cools down after He  ii reionization in the absence of any non-standard heating. However, our |$T_0$| measurement at |$z=1$| shows unexpectedly high IGM temperature. Given the relatively large uncertainty in these measurements, where |$\sigma _{T_0} \sim 5000$|  K, mostly emanating from the limited size of our data set, we cannot conclude whether the IGM cools down as expected. Lastly, we generate mock data sets to test the constraining power of future measurement with larger data sets. The results demonstrate that, with redshift path-length |$\Delta z \sim 2$| for each redshift bin, three times the current data set, we can constrain the |$T_0$| of IGM within 1500 K, which would be sufficient to constrain the IGM thermal history at |$z \lt 1.5$| conclusively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Many studies have moved toward saliva and peripheral blood sampling for studying cortisol, even in relation to disorders of the brain. However, the degree to which peripheral cortisol reflects central cortisol levels has yet to be comprehensively described. Data describing the effect that biological characteristics such as age and sex have on cortisol levels across compartments is also limited. Objective To assess the relationships of cortisol levels across cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), saliva, and plasma (total and free) compartments and describe the effects of age and sex on these relationships. Design Multisite cross-sectional observation study. Setting Samples collected in academic outpatient settings in 2001-2004. Patients or Other Participants Healthy community volunteers (n = 157) of both sexes, aged 20-85 years. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures This study was a secondary analysis of data collected from a previously published study. Results CSF cortisol correlated more strongly with plasma (r = 0.49, P <.0001) than with saliva cortisol levels. Sex but not age was a significant modifier of these relationships. CSF cortisol levels trended higher with older age in men (R2 = 0.31, P <.001) but not women. Age-related cortisol binding globulin trends differed by sex but did not correlate with sex differences in cortisol levels in any compartment. Conclusion Variability in the correlations between central and peripheral cortisol discourages the use of peripheral cortisol as a direct surrogate for central cortisol measures. Further investigation of how mechanistic drivers interact with biological factors such as sex will be necessary to fully understand the dynamics of cortisol regulation across fluid compartments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given that college life is a major life-changing and stressful event for many young adults, they may use e-cigarettes to manage their stress, which in the long run could be detrimental to their health. Furthermore, perceived social support and self-esteem are important factors that might influence young adults' e-cigarette use behavior. This cross-sectional study examines the associations of perceived stress, social support, and self-esteem with e-cigarette use among U.S. college-aged young adults. Methods: Students (aged 18–24 years, n = 220) attending Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania between February-May 2023 were recruited to complete an online survey. The outcome variables were current (past 30 days) and ever e-cigarette users, while the explanatory variables were perceived stress, perceived social support, self-esteem, and socio-demographics. Data was analyzed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: About 30.1% and 55.0% of participants were current users and ever users of e-cigarettes, respectively. Participants who perceived high stress (vs. low stress) were 12.4 (Adjusted Odds ratio (aOR) = 12.39, p = 0.02) and 7.4 (aOR = 7.37, p = 0.04) times more likely to be current users and ever users of e-cigarettes, respectively. For every one-unit increase in self-esteem score, the likelihood of participants being current e-cigarette users decreased by 7% (OR = 0.93, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Perceived stress and self-esteem are significantly associated with e-cigarette use among college-aged young adults. Public health efforts should focus on stress reduction, healthy coping strategies, and improving self-esteem in order to prevent e-cigarette use among this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dye‐sensitized photoelectrochemical cells can enable the production of molecules currently accessible through energetically demanding syntheses. Copper(I)‐based dyes represent electronically tunable charge transfer and separation systems. Herein, we report a Cu(I)‐bisdiimine donor‐chromophore‐acceptor dye with an absorbance in the visible part of the solar spectrum composed of a phenothiazine electron donor, and dipyrido[3,2‐a:2′,3′‐c]phenazine electron acceptor. This complex is incorporated onto a zinc oxide nanowire semiconductor surface effectively forming a photoanode that is characterized spectroscopically and electrochemically. We investigate the photo‐oxidation of hydroquinone, and the photosensitization of 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl and N‐hydroxyphthalimide for the oxidation of furfuryl alcohol to furfuraldehyde, resulting in near quantitative conversions, with poor selectivity to the alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A copper(I) donor–chromophore–acceptor triad bearing 1,8-napthalenemonoimide as the electron acceptor and triphenylamine as the electron donor was synthesized. Photophysical and electrochemical characterization suggest stepwise photoinduced charge separation upon excitation of the copper(I)-based metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition. Analyses of femtosecond transient absorption data of the triad show that intersystem crossing from the 1MLCT to the 3MLCT state is followed by two electron-transfer steps with time constants of 20 ps and 722 ps yielding a presumed final charge-separated state with a radical cation on the donor and radical anion on the acceptor that has an 18 ns lifetime in acetonitrile. Finally, this triad was anchored onto n-type (ZnO) and p-type (NiO) semiconductor surfaces to construct a photoanode and photocathode respectively. Successful photocurrent generation from both electrodes upon white light illumination confirms the potential utilization of such systems in dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is scant data on the relationship between skeletal maturity and pelvic parameters such as the pelvic incidence (PI). The aim of this study was to report on the relationship between PI and the modified Oxford Hip Score (mOHS) as a measure of skeletal maturity. We hypothesised a significant correlation would be determined between the mOHS and PI. Methods: CT performed for major trauma or abdominal pathology was assessed. The PI and segmental vertebral body angles, L1-L5, were obtained. The mOHS was used to assess maturity with total scores ranging from 16 to 25 (least-most mature). 193 scans were analysed. The mean age 9.7 years (range 4.0 - 15.7); 62 female (32%). Results: There were significant positive correlations between age and all components of the mOHS: FH (r = 0.765; p < 0.001), GT (r = 0.749; p < 0.001), LT (r = 0.704; p < 0.001), TC (r = 0.775; p < 0.001), IL (r = 0.642; p < 0.001) and mOHS (r = 0.811; p < 0.001). Mean PI for the cohort was 40.8 (s.d. 9.1; range 19.3–69.4). There were significant albeit weak correlations with FH (r = 0.213; p = 0.003), GT (r = 0.209; p = 0.004), LT (r = 0.247; p < 0.001), TC (r = 0.263; p = < 0.001), IL (r = 0.221; p = 0.002) and total mOHS (r = 0.255; p < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression indicated TC and LT the best predictors of PI. Significant correlations noted between L1 segmental lordosis and all components of the mOHS, strongest with triradiate (r=-0.406; p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this CT-based study, the mOHS correlated weakly with PI and proximal vertebral body lordosis. Of the mOHS components, triradiate and lesser trochanter cartilage status appeared to be best correlated with PI and may be anatomic variables to focus on in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the appropriateness of equal weights estimation (sumscores) and the application of the composite equivalence index (CEI) vis-à-vis differentiated indicator weights produced by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Design/methodology/approach: The authors rely on prior literature as well as empirical illustrations and a simulation study to assess the efficacy of equal weights estimation and the CEI. Findings: The results show that the CEI lacks discriminatory power, and its use can lead to major differences in structural model estimates, conceals measurement model issues and almost always leads to inferior out-of-sample predictive accuracy compared to differentiated weights produced by PLS-SEM. Research limitations/implications: In light of its manifold conceptual and empirical limitations, the authors advise against the use of the CEI. Its adoption and the routine use of equal weights estimation could adversely affect the validity of measurement and structural model results and understate structural model predictive accuracy. Although this study shows that the CEI is an unsuitable metric to decide between equal weights and differentiated weights, it does not propose another means for such a comparison. Practical implications: The results suggest that researchers and practitioners should prefer differentiated indicator weights such as those produced by PLS-SEM over equal weights. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of the CEI's usefulness. The results provide guidance for researchers considering using equal indicator weights instead of PLS-SEM-based weighted indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psoriasis in high-impact areas, including the scalp, nails, palms, and soles, can disproportionately impair patient quality of life. Here, we evaluate the 2-year efficacy of bimekizumab treatment in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in post hoc analyses of five phase 3/3b trials. Methods: High-impact area efficacy data were pooled through 2 years across five phase 3/3b trials: BE VIVID, BE READY, BE SURE, their ongoing open-label extension (OLE) BE BRIGHT, and BE RADIANT (including its double-blinded treatment period and the first year of its OLE). Complete clearance of psoriasis in high-impact areas is reported over 2 years using the scalp Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA), palmoplantar IGA, and modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (mNAPSI). Patients included in these analyses had baseline moderate to severe scalp or palmoplantar involvement (scalp or palmoplantar IGA score ≥ 3) or mNAPSI score > 10. Results: A total of 1107 patients were randomized to bimekizumab and entered the OLEs. Subsets of 821 patients had scalp IGA ≥ 3 at baseline, 377 had mNAPSI > 10, and 193 had palmoplantar IGA ≥ 3. Complete scalp clearance in patients with baseline scalp IGA ≥ 3 randomized to bimekizumab was achieved rapidly, with high responses sustained from first (86.4%) to second year (85.9%). Nail clearance responses in patients with baseline mNAPSI > 10 increased from 63.4% to 68.5% from first to second year. Palmoplantar clearance in patients with baseline palmoplantar IGA ≥ 3 was sustained from first (88.3%) to second year (89.8%). Similar trends were seen in the 374 patients who received bimekizumab 320 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W)/every 8 weeks (Q8W) initial/maintenance dosing. Conclusion: In these analyses pooled across 2 years, bimekizumab showed sustained efficacy in psoriasis in high-impact areas. Clinicaltrials.gov Trial Registration Numbers: NCT03370133, NCT03410992, NCT03412747, NCT03598790, NCT03536884. Plain Language Summary: Psoriasis in some body areas can have a bigger impact on the self-confidence and well-being of patients. These body areas, called high-impact areas, are often very visible or important for day-to-day activities. They include the scalp, fingernails, palms, and soles of the feet. People with psoriasis often find applying creams or ointments to these areas challenging. The treatment may also not be effective. Therefore, new medications that can clear psoriasis from these areas are needed by patients and physicians. Bimekizumab is a drug given by injection. We examined whether bimekizumab can clear psoriasis in high-impact areas over 2 years in five clinical trials. Psoriasis of the scalp, palms, and soles cleared quickly with bimekizumab. Most patients reported clear skin in these areas after 4 months, and skin remained clear for the rest of the 2-year period. After 2 years, 90% (18 in 20) of patients with psoriasis on their palms and soles saw it clear completely; 86% of patients (around 17 in 20) saw their scalp psoriasis completely cleared. Nail psoriasis took slightly longer to clear, because nails grow more slowly. Nevertheless, 63% of patients (around 13 in 20) had completely clear nails after 1 year and 69% of patients (around 14 in 20) had clear nails after 2 years. Bimekizumab can clear psoriasis in high-impact areas quickly, and this is maintained over the long-term. Bimekizumab can provide a lasting treatment option for areas of the body which are difficult to treat and have a big impact on patients' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nordic hamstring curl appears effective in reducing the incidence of injury in physically active young adults, likely through its capacity as an eccentric exercise to increase muscle stiffness. Although eccentric exercises have been shown to increase muscle stiffness, medium- and long-term Nordic hamstring curl training programs have not demonstrated an effect on muscle stiffness. This study examined the acute effects of a single session of Nordic hamstring curls on the stiffness of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscles using ultrasound shear wave elastography, an accepted method for measuring passive muscle stiffness. Twenty physically active adults (ages 19–27 years) were randomly assigned to either the Nordic hamstring curl group (n = 10) or the control group (n = 10). Shear wave elastography was performed on the dominant kicking leg for both groups. The exact location of the probe was marked to ensure the same area was assessed during post-testing. Both groups performed a 5-minute cycle ergometer warm-up followed by three 30-second standing static stretches. The Nordic hamstring curl group then performed three sets of six repetitions of the eccentric phase of the Nordic hamstring curl with 1-minute rest intervals between sets. All subjects then rested for five minutes before shear wave elastography was performed. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant main effects or interactions for the biceps femoris or semitendinosus (p >0.05). However, analysis of the semimembranosus was inconclusive due to variability of measurement values. These results are in agreement with findings indicating that long- and short-term Nordic hamstring curl training has no impact on hamstring stiffness, although the effects of Nordic hamstring curl on reducing the probability of hamstring injury are still valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with calls to stimulate methodological diversity and support evidence‐based human resource development (HRD) through quantitative competencies, we present a methods demonstration leveraging open‐source tools and lesser‐known quantitative research methods to support the HRD research community and applied HRD in the workplace. In this paper, we provide an informative introduction to partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM). We discuss PLS‐SEM application trends in the field of HRD, present key characteristics of the method, and demonstrate up‐to‐date metrics and evaluation guidelines using an illustrative model. Our PLS‐SEM demonstration and explanations can serve as a valuable resource for practitioners concerned with substantiating results for organizational stakeholders and support researchers in methodological decision‐making while avoiding common pitfalls associated with less familiar methods. Our step‐by‐step demonstration is conducted in open‐source software and accompanied by explicitly coded operations so that readers can easily replicate the illustrative analyses presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines challenges to the study of rural crime and criminal justice through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It emphasizes that the rural population of the world and within many countries is a significant share of the total, even though urbanization will inevitably continue through the remainder of the 21st century. Contrary to longstanding stereotypes, especially those found in criminology, rural places are quite diverse. In addition, rural localities everywhere are changing, and with these changes emerge important issues related to the safety and security of rural populations. All 17 SDGs are discussed within the context of crimes that affect rural people and their perceptions of safety; we examine what rural criminology can do to help criminal justice policymakers and practitioners focus strategies and tactics suitable for a rural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Group‐level analyses from the phase 3 DISCOVER‐2 trial of guselkumab demonstrated robust and durable improvements across psoriatic arthritis (PsA) domains. To specifically evaluate continuous disease control in individual patients, persistence of clinically relevant improvements was assessed, both at consecutive guselkumab dosing visits and over time. Methods: Post hoc analyses included biologic‐naïve patients randomized to 100 mg of guselkumab at week 0, week 4, and then every 8 weeks (Q8W). Improvements in joint (minimal clinically important improvement [MCII] in Disease Activity Index for PsA [DAPSA; ≥7.25], clinical DAPSA [cDAPSA; ≥5.7]), skin (Investigator's Global Assessment [IGA] 0/1), and overall disease activity (patient global assessment of arthritis and psoriasis [PtGA Arthritis+Psoriasis; MCII ≥ 15 mm], PsA Disease Activity Score [PASDAS; MCII ≥ 0.8]) were assessed. Proportions of patients with maintenance of DAPSA and cDAPSA MCII at consecutive Q8W guselkumab dosing visits (ie, at weeks 4 and 12, weeks 12 and 20, etc through week 52) and patient‐level durability of response through week 100 (Kaplan‐Meier) were determined. Results: Among 248 patients randomized to guselkumab Q8W, 93% to 99% maintained clinical improvement in joint disease at consecutive Q8W dosing visits through week 52 across time periods. Among guselkumab patients achieving MCII by week 24, estimated probabilities of maintenance of clinical improvement 100 weeks post achievement ranged from 68% (IGA 0/1) to 89% (PASDAS MCII). Median times to loss of improvement were not reached; estimated mean weeks of maintenance of improvement were 58.6, 52.4, 75.7, 83.6, and 76.7, respectively, for DAPSA, cDAPSA, IGA, PtGA Arthritis+Psoriasis, and PASDAS. Conclusion: Guselkumab provided highly durable patient‐level improvements, both at consecutive Q8W dosing visits for joint disease activity and over time across PsA domains according to physician‐ and patient‐driven assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this paper is to determine a claims-based definition of frontloaded home health physical therapy (HHPT) and examine the effect of frontloaded HHPT visits on all-cause 30-day hospital readmissions. Methods This study used a retrospective analysis of Medicare fee-for-service claims from older adults (≥65 years) in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011–2017) with ≥1 HHPT visit within 30 days of a hospitalization (n = 1344 hospitalizations; weighted n = 7,727,384). An exploratory analysis of home health claim distribution was conducted to determine definitions of frontloaded HHPT. Generalized linear models were then used to examine the relationship between hospital readmission and each definition of frontloading. Results Four definitions of frontloaded HHPT were identified: ≥2 HHPT visits in the first week after discharge; ≥3 visits in the first week; ≥4 visits in the first 2 weeks; and ≥ 5 visits in the first 2 weeks. The adjusted risk of readmission was lower for older adults receiving frontloaded HHPT in the first week: (risk ratio [RR] for ≥2 vs <2 visits = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.41–0.79; RR for ≥3 vs <3 visits = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.22–0.72). The reduction in risk of readmission was even greater for older adults receiving ≥4 versus <4 HHPT visits (RR = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.21–0.48) and ≥ 5 versus <5 HHPT visits (RR = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.14–0.50) within the first 2 weeks. The effect of HHPT frontloading was greater for patients hospitalized with surgical versus medical diagnoses and for patients with diagnoses targeted by the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. Conclusion Frontloaded HHPT reduces 30-day hospital readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries. Additional research is needed to determine the optimal number of visits and those most likely to benefit from frontloaded HHPT. Impact Frontloaded HHPT can be an effective approach for reducing 30-day hospital readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries. Lay Summary This study found that providing home health physical therapist visits early and often after hospital discharge decreases the risk that patients will be readmitted over the next 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban tree canopy cover is often unequally distributed across cities such that more socially vulnerable neighborhoods often have lower tree canopy cover than less socially vulnerable neighborhoods. However, how the diversity and composition of the urban canopy affect the nature of social‐ecological benefits (and burdens), including the urban forest's vulnerability to climate change, remains underexamined. Here, we synthesize tree inventories developed by multiple organizations and present a species‐specific, geolocated database of more than 600,000 urban trees across the 7‐county Minneapolis‐St. Paul (MSP) metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest of the United States. We find that tree diversity across the MSP is variable yet dominated by a few species (e.g., Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Acer platanoides, and Gleditsia triacanthos), contributing to the vulnerability of the MSP urban forest to future climate change and disturbances. In contrast to tree canopy cover, tree diversity was not well predicted by socioeconomic or demographic factors. However, our analysis identified areas where both climate and social vulnerability are high. Our results add to a growing body of literature emphasizing the importance of considering how complex and interacting social and ecological factors drive urban forest diversity and composition when pursuing management objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines challenges to the study of rural crime and criminal justice through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It emphasizes that the rural population of the world and within many countries is a significant share of the total, even though urbanization will inevitably continue through the remainder of the 21st century. Contrary to longstanding stereotypes, especially those found in criminology, rural places are quite diverse. In addition, rural localities everywhere are changing, and with these changes emerge important issues related to the safety and security of rural populations. All 17 SDGs are discussed within the context of crimes that affect rural people and their perceptions of safety; we examine what rural criminology can do to help criminal justice policy-makers and practitioners focus strategies and tactics suitable for a rural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insights into quantitative differences between core laboratory and center‐reported echocardiographic assessment of the native and bioprosthetic aortic valve are lacking. We aimed to explore clinically relevant differences between these evaluations. Methods: Data were used from the PERIcardial SurGical AOrtic Valve ReplacemeNt (PERIGON) Pivotal Trial for the Avalus valve. In this trial, patients with an indication for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) due to aortic stenosis or regurgitation (AR) were enrolled. Serial echocardiographic examinations were performed at each center and blindly reanalyzed by an independent echocardiographic core laboratory (ECL). For the bioprosthetic valve analysis, postoperative data throughout the 5‐year follow‐up were pooled. Differences between the ECL and the centers in continuous parameters were quantified in mean differences and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Agreement on AR, paravalvular leak (PVL), and prosthesis‐patient mismatch (PPM) classification was investigated using Cohen's kappa coefficients. Results: The analysis on the native aortic valve was performed on 1118 echocardiograms. The relative mean difference was largest for the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) area, followed by stroke volume and effective orifice area (index), with center‐reported values being 11%–7% higher. High ICCs of around 0.90 were observed for the parameters peak aortic jet velocity, mean pressure gradient, and the velocity‐time integral across the aortic valve. Over 5000 echocardiograms were available for the bioprosthetic valve analysis. Therein, comparable results were observed. The kappa coefficient was 0.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56, 0.63) for agreement on native AR, 0.28 (95% CI 0.18, 0.37) for PVL, and 0.42 (95% CI 0.40, 0.44) for PPM. Conclusions: There is high agreement between the ECL and clinical centers on continuous‐wave Doppler‐related measurements. In contrast, agreement is low for parameters that involve measurement of the LVOT diameter. These results provide important context for the interpretation of aortic valve performance in studies that lack central ECL evaluation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02088554 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation of hydromechanical behavior of fluid-saturated tight rock is motivated by the need to quantify the effect of changes of fluid pressure p and mean stress P on rock deformation, hydrothermal fluid, and mass transport. In particular, hydromechanical properties of low porosity crystalline rock are required for analysis of geological processes including areal hydration or dehydration, mineral weathering, and fault mechanics. In this study, poroelastic parameters – drained bulk modulus K, and Biot coefficient α – governing the volumetric response of Westerly blue granite, a typical crystalline rock of low porosity are measured. Three additional hydromechanical properties, unjacketed bulk modulus K s ′ , expansion modulus H, and permeability k, are also measured. For the Terzaghi effective mean stress of 1.0 < P′ = P - p < 25.0 MPa, the unjacketed bulk modulus K s ′ = 57.5 GPa is constant within the range of mean stresses investigated but other poroelastic coefficients exhibit effective mean stress dependency; the ranges are 13.2 < K < 32.3 GPa, 19.0 < H < 60.0 GPa, 0.83 > α > 0.38, and 20 > k > 5 nanodarcy. The agreement between poroelastic coefficients determined from various methods suggests that the underlying linear elastic assumption in Biot's theory of poroelasticity is applicable to Westerly blue granite over small increments of effective mean stress. Highlights: A procedure for saturation of tight, low-porosity rock is illustrated. Biot coefficient, unjacketed, expansion, and drained bulk moduli are measured and verified using different approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Indogermanische Forschungen: Zeitschrift für Indogermanistik und allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article addresses the problem of one-sided hypothesis testing on the means of two populations when there is uncertainty as to which population a datum is drawn. Such situations arise, for example, in the use of Bayesian imputation methods to assess racial and ethnic disparities with certain survey, health, and financial data. Earlier work on this problem, from a frequentist point of view, is limited in the sample sizes for which computations could reasonably be executed. By employing a bootstrap approach to generate summary statistics for the population of p-values arising from all possible configurations of the data, the credibility of the disparity hypothesis is ascertained. Previous limitations on sample sizes are eliminated. R-codes to carry out the relevant computations, illustrated in this article, are provided in the Appendices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for renewable resources has grown globally as a result of the harmful effects of fossil fuel use on the environment, such as global warming and acid rain. Biomass fuels do not contribute to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This study utilised response surface methodology for the optimisation of pyrolysis process parameters (temperature, heating rate, reaction time, nitrogen flow rate, and particle size) at five levels of experimental runs to enhance bio-oil production from the intermediate pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse. The bio-oil yield increased continuously with an increase in T (320–520°C) and H (7.5–12.5°C/min) due to complete pyrolysis, while a decrease in bio-oil was noticed at a T (520–720°C) and H (22.5–27.5°C/min) due to secondary cracking such as thermal cracking, repolymerisation and recondensation that might enhance the yield of NCG and biochar. The optimum bio-oil yield (46.7 wt%) was achieved at a temperature, reaction time, heating rate, nitrogen flow rate, and particle size of 493.7°C, 15.5 min, 24.5°C/min, 225 cm3/min, and 0.1 mm, respectively. Results showed that the predicted data closely correlated with the experimental data (p < 0.05, R2 = 0.9891). Hence, the model is suitable and can accurately predict the experimental data. The presence of alkene, alcohol, and ester makes the bio-oil applicable for energy generation to power heavy equipment, ships, compressor, and boilers. Likewise, the presence of by-products such as oleic acids, methyl ester, 9,17-octadecdienal, and 9,12-octadecadienoyl chloride makes it suitable as fuel for high-speed diesel engines, powering heavy machines, vehicle locomotion, marine equipment, mining types of machinery, and manufacturing industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first isolate of the emerging filovirus Lloviu virus (LLOV) was obtained in 2022. No animal disease models have been established. We assessed the pathogenic potential of LLOV in ferrets after intranasal, intramuscular, or aerosol exposure. The lack of disease development shows ferrets are not a disease model for LLOV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the KEEPsAKE 1 (NCT03675308) and KEEPsAKE 2 (NCT03671148) phase 3 trials, risankizumab demonstrated greater efficacy compared with placebo in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This post hoc integrated analysis evaluated achieving the following efficacy outcomes at weeks 24 and 52 by baseline demographics and clinical characteristics: ≥20%/50%/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR20/50/70), ≥90% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, minimal disease activity status, Low Disease Activity status (Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis), and minimal clinically important difference in pain. Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were similar between risankizumab (n = 707) and placebo (n = 700) groups. Numerically higher ACR20 response rates at week 24 (primary endpoint) were observed among the risankizumab (46.3%−60.1%) vs. placebo (15.5%−36.2%) cohorts, regardless of subgroups. At week 52, consistent proportions of patients randomized to risankizumab achieved ACR20 (48.6%−75.8%) while those initially randomized to placebo and switched to risankizumab experienced an improvement from week 24 (43.7%−63.9%), regardless of subgroups. Similar trends were observed for other efficacy measures assessing rigorous skin response criteria, composite measures of overall disease activity, and PsA-related symptoms. Risankizumab treatment was efficacious among patients with varying demographic and psoriatic disease characteristics through 52 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]