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Poor health conditions of livestock cause sizeable losses for many farmers in the Global South. Veterinary services, including vaccinations, could help but often fail to reach farmers under typical smallholder conditions. Here, we examine how the provision of a vaccine against East Coast Fever (ECF)—a tick‐borne disease affecting cattle in Africa—can be designed to reduce typical adoption barriers. Using data from a choice experiment with dairy farmers in Kenya, we evaluate farmers' preferences and willingness to pay for various institutional innovations in vaccine delivery, such as a stronger role of dairy cooperatives, new payment modalities with a check‐off system, vaccination at farmers' homestead, and bundling vaccinations with discounts for livestock insurance. Our data reveal that farmers' awareness of the ECF vaccine is limited and adoption rates are low, largely due to institutional constraints. Results from mixed logit and latent class models suggest that suitable institutional innovations—tailored to farmers' heterogeneous conditions—could significantly increase adoption. This general finding likely also holds for other veterinary technologies and services in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction People who metabolize nicotine more quickly are generally less successful at quitting smoking. However, the mechanisms that link individual differences in the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), a phenotypic biomarker of the rate of nicotine clearance, to smoking outcomes are unclear. We tested the hypotheses that higher NMR is associated with greater smoking reinforcement, general craving, and cue-induced cigarette craving in a treatment-seeking sample. Methods Participants were 252 adults who smoke cigarettes enrolled in a randomized controlled smoking cessation trial (NCT03262662) conducted in Buffalo, New York, USA. Participants completed the Choice Behavior Under Cued Conditions (CBUCC) paradigm, a laboratory choice procedure, ~1 week before the first cessation treatment visit, at which time a saliva sample was collected for NMR assessment. On each CBUCC trial, participants reported cigarette craving during cue presentation (cigarette, water) and spent $0.01–$0.25 for a chance (5%–95%) to sample the cue (one puff, sip), providing measures of smoking reinforcement (spending for cigarettes vs. water), general cigarette craving (averaged across cigarette and water cues), and cue-specific craving (cigarette craving during cigarette vs. water cues). Results As observed in prior work, the NMR was significantly higher among White and female participants. As expected, both spending and cigarette craving were significantly greater on cigarette compared to water trials. However, contrary to our hypotheses, higher NMR was not associated with greater smoking reinforcement, general craving, or cue-specific craving. Conclusions The present data do not support that smoking reinforcement or craving is related to nicotine metabolism among individuals seeking to quit smoking. Implications Though greater smoking reinforcement, general craving, and cue-specific craving are hypothesized to be linked to faster nicotine metabolism, there was no evidence of such relationships in the present sample of adults seeking to quit smoking. Further research, including replication and consideration of alternate hypotheses, is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms by which the NMR is related to smoking cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) oxide‐coated sand has been suggested as an amendment for scrubbing metals in water filtration beds and also as a less concentrated medium for uniformly amending soils with Mn oxides in mesocosm scale studies. Earlier work at the lab bench scale, using potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solutions that were reduced with sodium (Na) lactate, resulted in sands coated with about 0.13% Mn. The goal of this project was to increase the amount of Mn oxide that could be coated on sand to make it a more useful amendment and also to attempt to scale up the procedure to produce larger (kg) quantities of coated sand. Titration experiments examined the effects of (1) varying the molar ratio of Na lactate to KMnO4, (2) varying the rate at which the titration was accomplished, and (3) varying the concentration (molarity) of the original KMnO4 solution. The results of this work led to an optimal approach utilizing 0.32 M KMnO4 solution that was titrated to a final lactate:permanganate ratio of ∼1.1 with 10% of the lactate being added every 10 min while the suspension was being stirred. The proportion of sand to an initial solution was also increased 5–20 fold to between 50 and 200 g per 100 mL of solution. Applying this method and using a large 20‐ to 30‐L reaction vessel yields sands coated with up to 0.7% Mn in batches 5–10 kg is size, which could be useful as an amendment in mesocosm scale studies, or as a component of treatment filter beds. The examination of various size fractions of the coated sands demonstrated that more Mn was coated on finer sand fractions, which appears to be a function of the particle surface area available for the coating of Mn oxides, and at a rate of 0.3–0.5 µg Mn mm−2 of the particle surface. Core Ideas: Manganese (Mn) oxide‐coated sands (MCS) can be synthesized with much higher Mn content (up to 0.5%–0.7% Mn).MSC can be produced in large batches (up to 5–10 kg).Scaled‐up production of MCS makes it feasible for use as an amendment or in treatment filter beds.As the Mn coating increases (up to 0.2% Mn), sand colors become progressively darker (lower Munsell value).A digital colorimeter (using Munsell value) can be used to accurately estimate % Mn oxide at levels <0.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of integrating molecular data into electronic health records (EHRs) for oncology treatment. It highlights the challenges of the current system, where molecular profiling results are often buried in PDF reports and require manual workflows. However, advancements in EHRs and data interoperability standards have allowed for the transmission of discrete molecular data elements into EHRs. This integration enables clinicians to access precision medicine features, such as AI tools, user interfaces for finding molecular results, clinical decision support, and clinical trial enrollment. The article also mentions specific examples of EHR systems that have successfully integrated molecular data. The authors emphasize the need to move from simply delivering molecular information to delivering actionable insights and call for collaboration between molecular technology companies, EHR systems, clinicians, and other stakeholders to enable the use of clinical decision support tools within the oncology workflow. [Extracted from the article]

Recently, dithienopyrazines have emerged as promising building blocks in the field of materials science, showcasing their potential as hole-transport materials in organic electronic devices. Herein, we report the synthesis of its heavier analogues, the diselenopyrazines, along with an analysis of their optoelectronic and structural properties. In the acquired crystal structures, interesting molecular packing motifs suitable for potential device fabrication were observed. Additionally, short contact interactions are present in one of the investigated molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of integrating molecular data into electronic health records (EHRs) for oncology treatment. It highlights the challenges of the current system, where molecular profiling results are often buried in PDF reports and require manual workflows. However, advancements in EHRs and data interoperability standards have allowed for the transmission of discrete molecular data elements into EHRs. This integration enables clinicians to access precision medicine features, such as AI tools, user interfaces for finding molecular results, clinical decision support, and clinical trial enrollment. The article also mentions specific examples of EHR systems that have successfully integrated molecular data. The authors emphasize the need to move from simply delivering molecular information to delivering actionable insights and call for collaboration between molecular technology companies, EHR systems, clinicians, and other stakeholders to achieve this goal. [Extracted from the article]

Dialectica hedemanni (Rebel, 1896) (Gracillariidae) is reported new to the UK from Middlesex (vice-county vC21) - a female was collected on 7 June 2018. the species is normally resident in Macaronesia. the identification is confirmed by genital morphology and by DNA barcoding. A 100% match in the DNA barcode ties its origin to Spain (e.g. Canary Islands: La Palma) rather than Portugal (Madeira), according to available COI-5P sequences on BOLD. It is unknown if this specimen was an adventive or is breeding on Malvaceae species locally. We discuss its relationships with and separation from other Dialectica species. D. hedemanni is quite divergent from the other two Dialectica species now confirmed to be breeding on species of Boraginaceae in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to devise and validate a clinical scoring system for risk prediction of bladder cancer to guide urgent cystoscopy evaluation among people with diabetes. Methods: People with diabetes who received cystoscopy from a large database in the Chinese population (2009–2018). We recruited a derivation cohort based on random sampling from 70% of all individuals. We used the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for independent risk factors to devise a risk score, ranging from 0 to 5: 0–2 'average risk' (AR) and 3–5 'high risk' (HR). Results: A total of 5905 people with diabetes, among whom 123 people with BCa were included. The prevalence rate in the derivation (n = 4174) and validation cohorts (n = 1731) was 2.2% and 1.8% respectively. Using the scoring system constructed, 79.6% and 20.4% in the derivation cohort were classified as AR and HR respectively. The prevalence rate in the AR and HR groups was 1.57% and 4.58% respectively. The risk score consisted of age (18–70: 0; >70: 2), male sex (1), ever/ex‐smoker (1) and duration of diabetes (≥10 years: 1). Individuals in the HR group had 3.26‐fold (95% CI = 1.65–6.44, p = 0.025) increased prevalence of bladder than the AR group. The concordance (c‐) statistics was 0.72, implying a good discriminatory capability of the risk score to stratify high‐risk individuals who should consider earlier cystoscopy. Conclusions: The risk prediction algorithm may inform urgency of cystoscopy appointments, thus allowing a more efficient use of resources and contributing to early detection of BCa among people planned to be referred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the influence of resistance training (RT) proximity-to-failure, determined by repetitions-in-reserve (RIR), on quadriceps hypertrophy and neuromuscular fatigue. Resistance-trained males (n = 12) and females (n = 6) completed an 8-week intervention involving two RT sessions per week. Lower limbs were randomised to perform the leg press and leg extension exercises either to i) momentary muscular failure (FAIL), or ii) a perceived 2-RIR and 1-RIR, respectively (RIR). Muscle thickness of the quadriceps [rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL)] and acute neuromuscular fatigue (i.e., repetition and lifting velocity loss) were assessed. Data was analysed with Bayesian linear mixed-effect models. Increases in quadriceps thickness (average of RF and VL) from pre- to post-intervention were similar for FAIL [0.181 cm (HDI: 0.119 to 0.243)] and RIR [0.182 cm (HDI: 0.115 to 0.247)]. Between-protocol differences in RF thickness slightly favoured RIR [−0.036 cm (HDI: −0.113 to 0.047)], but VL thickness slightly favoured FAIL [0.033 cm (HDI: −0.046 to 0.116)]. Mean volume was similar across the RT intervention between FAIL and RIR. Lifting velocity and repetition loss were consistently greater for FAIL versus RIR, with the magnitude of difference influenced by the exercise and the stage of the RT intervention. Terminating RT sets with a close proximity-to-failure (e.g., 1- to 2-RIR) can be sufficient to promote similar hypertrophy of the quadriceps as reaching momentary muscular failure in resistance-trained individuals over eight weeks, but the overall influence of proximity-to-failure on muscle-specific hypertrophy may also depend on other factors (e.g., exercise selection, order, and subsequent musculature targeted). Due to high repetition loss (from the first to final set) when sets are terminated at momentary muscular failure, performing RT with 1- to 2-RIR allows for similar volume load and repetition volume accumulation as reaching momentary muscular failure across eight weeks, possibly influencing the overall RT stimulus achieved. Performing RT to momentary muscular failure consistently induces higher levels of acute neuromuscular fatigue versus RT performed with 1- to 2-RIR; however, improved fatigue resistance overtime may attenuate acute neuromuscular fatigue and subsequent repetition loss (but may depend on the exercise performed). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive fungal (IF) diseases are a leading global cause of mortality, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic further exacerbated this scenario, intensifying comorbid IF infections such as mucormycoses of the nasopharynx. In the work reported here, it is shown that zygomycetes, significant contributors to mycoses, are sensitive to the natural product allicin. Inhibition of Mucorales fungi by allicin in solution and by allicin vapor was demonstrated. Mathematical modeling showed that the efficacy of allicin vapor is comparable to direct contact with the commercially available antifungal agent amphotericin B (ampB). Furthermore, the study revealed a synergistic interaction between allicin and the non-volatile ampB. The toxicity of allicin solution to human cell lines was evaluated and it was found that the half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of allicin was 25–72 times higher in the cell lines as compared to the fungal spores. Fungal allicin sensitivity depends on the spore concentration, as demonstrated in a drop test. This study shows the potential of allicin, a sulfur-containing defense compound from garlic, to combat zygomycete fungi. The findings underscore allicin's promise for applications in infections of the nasopharynx via inhalation, suggesting a novel therapeutic avenue against challenging fungal infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β3-Adrenoceptors mediate several functions in rodents that could be beneficial for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This includes promotion of insulin release from the pancreas, cellular glucose uptake, lipolysis, and thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. In combination, they lead to a reduction of body weight in several rodent models including ob/ob mice and Zucker diabetic fatty rats. These findings stimulated drug development programs in various pharmaceutical companies, and at least nine β3-adrenoceptor agonists have been tested in clinical trials. However, all of these projects were discontinued due to the lack of clinically relevant changes in body weight. Following a concise historical account of discoveries leading to such drug development programs we discuss species differences that explain why β3-adrenoceptors are not a meaningful drug target for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the commonest cancers, especially among the Asian populations. We compared the recurrence rate of advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACN) at 5 year vs 7–10 years among individuals with non‐advanced adenoma (NAA) detected and polypectomized at baseline colonoscopy in a large Chinese population. Methods: We extracted data of a large Chinese population with NAA polypectomized who received surveillance colonoscopy after 5 or 7–10 years from a large database (2008–2018). The outcome variable included recurrence of ACN at surveillance colonoscopy. We examined the association between length of surveillance and the outcome variable, whilst controlling for risk factors of colorectal cancer. Results: We include 109 768 subjects who have received a baseline colonoscopy from our dataset. They were aged 67.35 (SD 9.84) years, and 60.9% of them were male subjects. The crude 5‐year and 10‐year recurrence rate of ACN was 1.50% and 2.42%, respectively (crude odds ratio = 1.629, 95% CI 1.362 to 1.949, P < 0.001). From the binary logistic regression model, individuals with surveillance colonoscopy performed at 10 years had a statistically higher recurrence rate of ACN than those followed‐up at 5 year (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.544, 95% CI 1.266 to 1.877, P < 0.001), but the effect size of aOR is small. Conclusions: There is a small difference in recurrence of ACN between individuals who received colonoscopy workup at 5 years vs 7–10 years. These findings support a 7–10 years surveillance period after baseline NAA was polypectomized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno‐economic analysis (TEA) models are developed for a tertiary wastewater treatment system that employs a biochar‐integrated reactive filtration (RF) approach. This innovative system incorporates the utilization of biochar (BC) either in conjunction with or independently of iron‐ozone catalytic oxidation (CatOx)—resulting in two configurations: Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF and BC‐RF. The technology demonstrates 90%–99% total phosphorus removals, adsorption of phosphorus to biochar for recovery, and >90% destructive removal of observed micropollutants. In this work, we conduct an ISO‐compliant LCA of a 49.2 m3/day (9 gpm) field pilot‐scale Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF system and a 1130 m3/day (0.3 MGD) water resource recovery facility (WRRF)‐installed RF system, modeled with BC addition at the same rate of 0.45 g/L to quantify their environmental impacts. LCA results indicated that the Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF pilot system is a BC dose‐dependent carbon‐negative technology at −1.21 kg CO2e/m3, where biochar addition constitutes a −1.53 kg/m3 CO2e beneficial impact to the process. For the WRRF‐installed RF system, modeled with the same rate of BC addition, the overall process changed from 0.02 kg CO2e/m3 to a carbon negative −1.41 kg CO2e/m3, demonstrating potential as a biochar dose‐dependent negative emissions technology. Using the C100 100‐year carbon accounting approach rather than Cnet reduces these CO2e metrics for the process by about 25%. A stochastic TEA for the cost of water treatment using this combinatorial P removal/recovery, micropollutant destructive removal, and disinfection advanced technology shows that at scale, the mean cost for treating 1130 m3/day (0.3 MGD) WRRF secondary influent water with Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF using the C100 metric is US$0.18 ± US$0.01/m3 to achieve overall process carbon neutrality. Using the same BC dose in an estimation of a 3780 m3/day (1 MGD) Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF facility, the carbon neutral cost of treatment is reduced further to US$0.08 ± $0.01 with added BC accounting for US$0.03/m3. Overall, the results demonstrate the potential of carbon negativity to become a water treatment performance standard as important and attainable as pollutant and pathogen removal. Practitioner Points: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of a pilot scale tertiary biochar water treatment process with or without catalytic ozonation at a WRRF shows a carbon negative global warming potential of −1.21‐kg CO2e/m3 while removing 90%–99% TP and >90% of detected micropollutants.Biochar‐integrated reactive filtration use can aid in long‐term carbon sequestration by reducing the carbon footprint of advanced water treatment in a dose‐dependent manner, allowing an overall carbon‐neutral or carbon‐negative process.A companion paper to this work (Yu et al., 2023) presents the details related to the process operation and mechanism and evaluates the pollutant removal performance of this Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF process in engineering laboratory pilot research and field WRRF pilot‐scale water resource recovery trials.Techno‐economic analysis (TEA) of this biochar catalytic oxidation reactive filtration process using Monte Carlo stochastic modeling shows a forecasted carbon‐neutral process cost with low P and micropollutant removal as US$0.11/m3 ± 0.01 for a 3780‐m3/day (1 MGD) scale installation with BC cost at US$0.03/m3 of that total.The results demonstrate the potential of carbon negativity to become a water treatmentperformance standard as important and attainable as pollutant and pathogen removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of who infected whom during an outbreak of an infectious disease is important to determine risk factors for transmission and to design effective control measures. Both whole-genome sequencing of pathogens and epidemiological data provide useful information about the transmission events and underlying processes. Existing models to infer transmission trees usually assume that the pathogen is introduced only once from outside into the population of interest. However, this is not always true. For instance, SARS-CoV-2 is suggested to be introduced multiple times in mink farms in the Netherlands from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic among humans. Here, we developed a Bayesian inference method combining whole-genome sequencing data and epidemiological data, allowing for multiple introductions of the pathogen in the population. Our method does not a priori split the outbreak into multiple phylogenetic clusters, nor does it break the dependency between the processes of mutation, within-host dynamics, transmission, and observation. We implemented our method as an additional feature in the R-package phybreak. On simulated data, our method correctly identifies the number of introductions, with an accuracy depending on the proportion of all observed cases that are introductions. Moreover, when a single introduction was simulated, our method produced similar estimates of parameters and transmission trees as the existing package. When applied to data from a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Dutch mink farms, the method provides strong evidence for independent introductions of the pathogen at 13 farms, infecting a total of 63 farms. Using the new feature of the phybreak package, transmission routes of a more complex class of infectious disease outbreaks can be inferred which will aid infection control in future outbreaks. Author summary: Information about transmission routes is essential to design effective control measures for infectious disease outbreaks. A key question is whether outbreaks are caused by single imported index cases, or by multiple introductions. We introduce the concept of a 'history host' in a Bayesian model for simultaneous inference of phylogenetic and transmission trees. This artificial host—representing a source population—merges transmission trees by acting as the infector of all index cases, creating one large transmission tree. We applied the model to data from a SARS-CoV2 outbreak among mink farms in the Netherlands. We conclude that introductions from humans were an important factor in the outbreak, which implies that culling of infected farms alone was insufficient to prevent newly infected farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide, gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality. This study aims to devise and validate a scoring system based on readily available clinical data to predict the risk of gastric cancer in a large Chinese population. Methods: We included a total of 6,209,697 subjects aged between 18 and 70 years who have received upper digestive endoscopy in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2018. A binary logistic regression model was constructed to examine the predictors of gastric cancer in a derivation cohort (n = 4,347,224), followed by model evaluation in a validation cohort (n = 1,862,473). The algorithm's discriminatory ability was evaluated as the area under the curve (AUC) of the mathematically constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Age, male gender, history of Helicobacter pylori infection, use of proton pump inhibitors, non‐use of aspirin, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and statins were significantly associated with gastric cancer. A scoring of ≤8 was designated as "average risk (AR)". Scores at 9 or above were assigned as "high risk (HR)". The prevalence of gastric cancer was 1.81% and 0.096%, respectively, for the HR and LR groups. The AUC for the risk score in the validation cohort was 0.834, implying an excellent fit of the model. Conclusions: This study has validated a simple, accurate, and easy‐to‐use scoring algorithm which has a high discriminatory capability to predict gastric cancer. The score could be adopted to risk stratify subjects suspected as having gastric cancer, thus allowing prioritized upper digestive tract investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This themed issue explores the different length and timescales that determine the physics and chemistry of a variety of key of materials, explored from the perspective of a wide range of disciplines, including physics, chemistry materials science, Earth science and biochemistry. The topics discussed include catalysis, chemistry under extreme conditions, energy materials, amorphous and liquid structure, hybrid organic materials and biological materials. The issue is in two parts, with this second set of contributions exploring hybrid organic materials, catalysis low-dimensional and graphitic materials, biological materials and naturally occurring, super-hard material as well as dynamic high pressure and new developments in imaging techniques pressure. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 2)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystalline graphitic carbon nitride, poly-triazine imide (PTI) is highly unusual among layered materials since it is spontaneously soluble in aprotic, polar solvents including dimethylformamide (DMF). The PTI material consists of layers of carbon nitride intercalated with LiBr. When dissolved, the resulting solutions consist of dissolved, luminescent single to multilayer nanosheets of around 60–125 nm in diameter and Li+ and Br− ions originating from the intercalating salt. To understand this unique solubility, the structure of these solutions has been investigated by high-energy X-ray and neutron diffraction. Although the diffraction patterns are dominated by inter-solvent correlations there are clear differences between the X-ray diffraction data of the PTI solution and the solvent in the 4–6 Å−1 range, with real space differences persisting to at least 10 Å. Structural modelling using both neutron and X-ray datasets as a constraint reveal the formation of distinct, dense solvation shells surrounding the nanoparticles with a layer of Br−close to the PTI-solvent interface. This solvent ordering provides a configuration that is energetically favourable underpinning thermodynamically driven PTI dissolution. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 2)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor medication adherence is a major barrier to HIV control among youth living with HIV (Y-PLWH). The PEERNaija application (app) is an adapted smartphone app grounded in social cognitive and contigency management theories and designed to harness peer-based social incentives and conditional financial incentives to promote medication adherence. The app delivers a multifaceted medication adherence intervention including (1) peer-based social incentives, (2) financial incentives, (3) virtual peer social support, and (4) early clinic-based outreach for non-adherent Y-PLWH. A pilot trial of the app will be conducted in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with the 4th largest HIV epidemic, and home to 10% of the world's four million Y-PLWH. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, we will compare implementation outcomes (feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness measured via validated scales, enrollment and application installation rates, feedback surveys and focus group discussions with participants, and back-end application data), and preliminary efficacy (in improving medication adherence and viral suppression) of the PEERNaija app at 6 months. Participants in Arm 1 (PEERNaija) will receive daily medication reminders, peer-based social incentives, and virtual peer social support. Participants in Arm 2 (PEERNaija +) will additionally receive a conditional financial incentive based on their adherence performance. Eligibility for Y-PLWH includes (1) being aged 14–29 years, (2) being on ART, (3) owning a smartphone, (4) being willing to download an app, and (5) being able to read simple text in English. Discussion: This study will serve as the basis for a larger intervention trial evaluating the PEERNaija app (and the integration of mHealth, incentive, and peer-support-based strategies) to improve HIV outcomes in a critically important region of the world for Y-PLWH. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT04930198. First submitted date: May 25, 2021. Study start: August 1, 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/. Protocol version: January 21, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This themed issue explores the different length scales and timescales that determine the physics and chemistry of a variety of key materials, explored from the perspective of a wide range of disciplines, including physics, chemistry, materials science, Earth science and biochemistry. The topics discussed include catalysis, chemistry under extreme conditions, energy materials, amorphous and liquid structure, hybrid organic materials and biological materials. The issue is in two parts, with the present part exploring glassy and amorphous systems and materials at high pressure. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 1)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which assessed how the bioenergetics of scattering layer forays by a model predator vary across biomes using an interdisciplinary approach. Topics discussed include archival tagging and geolocation, dive extraction and classification of layer prey, and construction of light attenuation profiles from the archival depth-light series data.

Background and Aim: Worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and ranks second among the leading causes of cancer death. This study aims to devise and validate a scoring system based on metabolic parameters to predict the risk of advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACN) in a large Chinese population. Methods: This was a cohort study of 495 584 symptomatic subjects aged 40 years or older who have received colonoscopy in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2017. The algorithm's discriminatory ability was evaluated as the area under the curve (AUC) of the mathematically constructed receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: Age, male gender, inpatient setting, abnormal aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase, white blood cell, plasma gamma‐glutamyl transferase, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and hemoglobin A1c were significantly associated with ACN. A scoring of < 2.65 was designated as "low risk (LR)." Scores at 2.65 or above had prevalence higher than the overall prevalence and hence were assigned as "high risk (HR)." The prevalence of ACN was 32% and 11%, respectively, for HR and LR groups. The AUC for the risk score in the derivation and validation cohort was 70.12%. Conclusions: This study has validated a simple, accurate, and easy‐to‐use scoring algorithm, which has a high discriminatory capability to predict ACN in symptomatic patients. Future studies should examine its predictive performance in other population groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) oxide coatings from indicators of reduction in soil (IRIS) is considered a function of microbial reduction of these elements under sufficiently reducing conditions, but there may be situations where removal is abiotic. We examined whether abiotic removal of Mn and Fe oxide coatings may be facilitated by organic acids and whether loss of Mn can take place via chemical reduction by ferrous iron (Fe2+) in vitro. Loss of color from Mn‐IRIS in citric acid solution was highest at 1 and 10 mM regardless of pH, with no loss observed at lower concentrations. Effects of citric acid on Fe‐IRIS were also limited to 1 and 10 mM, but color loss only occurred at pH 4.5 and the rate and extent of loss were lower than for Mn‐IRIS. Color loss from Mn‐IRIS in oxalic acid was highest at 1 and 10 mM and increased with decreasing pH. Effects of oxalic acid on loss of color from Fe‐IRIS were limited to 1 and 10 mM. Loss of color from Mn‐IRIS was limited to 10 mM salicylic acid and pH 4.5, with no effect on Fe‐IRIS regardless of concentration and pH. Only the two highest concentrations of Fe2+ (50 and 100 mM) resulted in reduction of the Mn‐IRIS coating and subsequent deposition of an Fe oxide coating. Organic acids and pH have a differential effect on color loss from Mn‐ and Fe‐IRIS, with only high concentrations of organic acids at low pH possibly interfering with interpretation. Core Ideas: Indicators of reduction in soil (IRIS) are used to assess redox conditions in soils, particularly in wetland soils.We assessed the role of organic acids and Fe2+ as interferences in lab experiments.Interference with IRIS is unlikely except for soil with mM concentrations of the organic acids or Fe2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar (BC) use in water treatment is a promising approach that can simultaneously help address societal needs of clean water, food security, and climate change mitigation. However, novel BC water treatment technology approaches require operational testing in field pilot‐scale scenarios to advance their technology readiness assessment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the system performance of BC integrated into hydrous ferric oxide reactive filtration (Fe‐BC‐RF) with and without catalytic ozonation (CatOx) process in laboratory and field pilot‐scale scenarios. For this investigation, Fe‐BC‐RF and Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF pilot‐scale trials were conducted on synthetic lake water variants and at three municipal water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) at process flows of 0.05 and 0.6 L/s, respectively. Three native and two iron‐modified BCs were used in these studies. The commercially available reactive filtration process (Fe‐RF without BC) had 96%–98% total phosphorus (TP) removal from 0.075‐ and 0.22‐mg/L TP, as orthophosphate process influent in these trials. With BC integration, phosphorus removal yielded 94%–98% with the same process‐influent conditions. In WRRF field pilot‐scale studies, the Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF process removed 84%–99% of influent total phosphorus concentrations that varied from 0.12 to 8.1 mg/L. Nutrient analysis on BC showed that the recovered BC used in the pilot‐scale studies had an increase in TP from its native concentration, with the Fe‐amended BC showing better P recovery at 110% than its unmodified state, which was 16%. Lastly, the field WRRF Fe‐CatOx‐BC‐RF process studies showed successful destructive removals at >90% for more than 20 detected micropollutants, thus addressing a critical human health and environmental water quality concern. The research demonstrated that integration of BC into Fe‐CatOx‐RF for micropollutant removal, disinfection, and nutrient recovery is an encouraging tertiary water treatment technology that can address sustainable phosphorus recycling needs and the potential for carbon‐negative operation. Practitioner Points: A pilot‐scale hydrous ferric oxide reactive sand filtration process integrating biochar injection typically yields >90% total phosphorus removal to ultralow levels.Biochar, modified with iron, recovers phosphorus from wastewater, creating a P/N nutrient upcycled soil amendment.Addition of ozone to the process stream enables biochar‐iron‐ozone catalytic oxidation demonstrating typically excellent (>90%) micropollutant destructive removals for the compounds tested.A companion paper to this work explores life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno‐economic analysis (TEA) to explore biochar water treatment integrated reactive filtration impacts, costs, and readiness.Biochar use can aid in long‐term carbon sequestration by reducing the carbon footprint of advanced water treatment in a dose‐dependent manner, including enabling an overall carbon‐negative process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the distribution and severity of muscle atrophy in diabetic patients with active Charcot foot (CF) compared to diabetic patients without CF. Furthermore, to correlate the muscle atrophy with severity of CF disease. Material/methods: In this retrospective study, MR images of 35 diabetic patients (21 male, median:62.1 years ± 9.9SD) with active CF were compared with an age- and gender-matched control group of diabetic patients without CF. Two readers evaluated fatty muscle infiltration (Goutallier-classification) in the mid- and hindfoot. Furthermore, muscle trophic (cross-sectional muscle area (CSA)), intramuscular edema (none/mild versus moderate/severe), and the severity of CF disease (Balgrist Score) were assessed. Results: Interreader correlation for fatty infiltration was substantial to almost perfect (kappa-values:0.73–1.0). Frequency of fatty muscle infiltration was high in both groups (CF:97.1–100%; control:77.1–91.4%), but severe infiltration was significantly more frequent in CF patients (p-values: < 0.001–0.043). Muscle edema was also frequently seen in both groups, but significantly more often in the CF group (p-values: < 0.001–0.003). CSAs of hindfoot muscles were significantly smaller in the CF group. For the flexor digitorum brevis muscle, a cutoff value of 139 mm2 (sensitivity:62.9%; specificity:82.9%) in the hindfoot was found to differentiate between CF disease and the control group. No correlation was seen between fatty muscle infiltration and the Balgrist Score. Conclusion: Muscle atrophy and muscle edema are significantly more severe in diabetic patients with CF disease. Muscle atrophy does not correlate with the severity of active CF disease. A CSA < 139 mm2 of the flexor digitorum brevis muscle in the hindfoot may indicate CF disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its excellent bioactivity profile, which is increasingly utilized in pharmaceutical and synthetic chemistry, spirooxindole is an important core scaffold. We herein describe an efficient method for the construction of highly functionalized new spirooxindolocarbamates via a gold‐catalyzed cycloaddition reaction of terminal alkynes or ynamides with isatin‐derived ketimines. This protocol has a good functional group compatibility, uses readily available starting materials, mild reaction conditions, low catalyst loadings and no additives. It enables the transformation of various functionalized alkyne groups into cyclic carbamates. Gram‐scale synthesis was achieved and DFT calculations verify the feasibility of the mechanistic proposal. Some of the target products exhibit good to excellent antiproliferative activity on human tumor cell lines. In addition, one of the most active compounds displayed a remarkable selectivity towards tumor cells over normal ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aufgrund seines hervorragenden Bioaktivitätsprofils, das zunehmend in der pharmazeutischen und synthetischen Chemie genutzt wird, ist Spirooxindol ein wichtiger Grundbaustein. Wir beschreiben hier eine effiziente Methode zum Aufbau hochfunktionalisierter neuer Spirooxindolocarbamate über eine Gold‐katalysierte Cycloadditionsreaktion von terminalen Alkinen oder Inamiden mit von Isatin abgeleiteten Ketiminen. Dieses Protokoll weist eine gute Kompatibilität mit funktionellen Gruppen auf, verwendet leicht verfügbare Ausgangsstoffe, milde Reaktionsbedingungen, geringe Katalysatorbeladungen und keine Additive. Es ermöglicht die Umwandlung verschiedener funktionalisierter Alkingruppen in zyklische Carbamate. Es gelang eine Synthese im Grammmaßstab und DFT‐Berechnungen bestätigen die Machbarkeit des mechanistischen Ansatzes. Einige der Zielprodukte zeigen eine gute bis ausgezeichnete antiproliferative Aktivität auf menschlichen Tumorzelllinien. Darüber hinaus zeigte eine der aktivsten Verbindungen eine bemerkenswerte Selektivität für Tumorzellen gegenüber normalen Zellen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A foundational tenet of the ecosystem services concept is that they arise from biophysical processes. Riverine landscapes are process-response systems where river flow and geomorphology generate a heterogeneous physical template that influences ecological processes, suggesting that the supply of ecosystem services in riverine landscapes should be congruent with the character and heterogeneity of the physical template. In this study, we examine the congruency between the physical template (river functional process zones; FPZs) and the supply of river flow dependent ecosystem services from riverine landscapes of the Koshi River Basin, Nepal. The supply of ecosystem services was congruent with FPZs. Social factors were shown to mediate the use and value of ecosystem services between FPZs. Heterogeneity of the physical template interacts with place, social activity, and demography to influence the use and potential value of ecosystem services across the riverine landscape. These spatial patterns of greater use of some types of riverine ecosystem services in certain areas of the riverine landscape are indicative of a highly coupled agricultural or "green loop" social-ecological system (SES) and show that maintaining riverine template heterogeneity is an important element of this green loop SES that supports 40 million people in the Koshi River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign conditions of the lower urinary tract, including benign prostatic hyperplasia, overactive bladder syndrome, and stress urinary incontinence, are frequent in the general population. Despite their benign nature, they have major adverse effects on the quality of life of the afflicted patients and their partners. Despite major progress in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, improved understanding and management of these patients remain substantial medical needs. This editorial discusses some recent high-quality articles published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine on the understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic, and treatment of benign diseases of the lower urinary tract tissues such as the bladder and prostate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper covers considerations in using criterion measures based on administrative data. We begin with a conceptual framework for understanding and evaluating administrative criterion measures as "objective" rather than (ratings-based) assessments of job performance. We then describe the associated advantages (e.g., availability) and disadvantages (e.g., contamination) of using administrative data for criterion-related validation purposes. Best practices in the use of administrative data for validation purposes, including procedures for (a) handling missing data, (b) performing data checks, and (c) reporting detailed decision rules so future researchers can replicate the analyses are also described. Finally, we discuss "modern data management" approaches for improving administrative data for supporting organizational decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectothermy and endothermy in extant fishes are defined by distinct integrated suites of characters. Although only ⁓0.1% of fishes are known to have endothermic capacity, recent discoveries suggest that there may still be uncommon pelagic fish species with yet to be discovered endothermic traits. Among the most rarely encountered marine fishes, the louvar Luvarus imperialis is a remarkable example of adaptive evolution as the only extant pelagic species in the order Acanthuriformes (including surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes and Moorish idol). Magnetic resonance imaging and gross necropsy did not yield evidence of cranial or visceral endothermy but revealed a central‐posterior distribution of myotomal red muscle that is a mixture of the character states typifying ectotherms (lateral‐posterior) and red muscle endotherms (central‐anterior). Dissection of a specimen confirmed, and an osteological proxy supported, that L. imperialis has not evolved the vascular rete that is vital to retaining heat in the red muscle. The combination of presumably relying on caudal propulsion while exhibiting internal red muscle without associated retia is unique to L. imperialis among all extant fishes, raising the macroevolutionary question of whether this species – in geologic timescales – will remain an ectotherm or evolve red muscle endothermy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron–ozone catalytic oxidation (CatOx) shows promise in addressing challenging wastewater pollutants. This study investigates a CatOx reactive filtration (Fe-CatOx-RF) approach with two 0.4L/s field pilot studies and an 18-month, 18L/s full-scale municipal wastewater deployment. We apply ozone to leverage common sand filtration and iron metal salts used in water treatment into a next-generation technology. The process combines micropollutant and pathogen destructive removal with high-efficiency phosphorus removal and recycling as a soil amendment, clean water recovery, and the potential for carbon-negative operation with integrated biochar water treatment. A key process innovation is converting a continuously renewed iron oxide coated, moving bed sand filter into a “sacrificial iron” d-orbital catalyst bed after adding O3 to the process stream. Results for the Fe-CatOx-RF pilot studies show >95% removal efficiencies for almost all >5× LoQ detected micropollutants, with removal rates slightly increasing with biochar addition. Phosphorus removal for the pilot site with the most P-impacted discharge was >98% with serial reactive filters. The long-term, full-scale Fe-CatOx-RF optimization trials showed single reactive filter 90% TP removal and high-efficiency micropollutant removals for most of the compounds detected, but slightly less than the pilot site studies. TP removal decreased to a mean of 86% during the 18L/s, 12-month continuous operation stability trial, and micropollutant removals remained similar to the optimization trial for many detected compounds but less efficient overall. A >4.4 log reduction of fecal coliforms and E. coli in a field pilot sub-study suggests the ability of this CatOx approach to address infectious disease concerns. Life cycle assessment modeling suggests that integrating biochar water treatment into the Fe-CatOx-RF process for P recovery as a soil amendment makes the overall process carbon-negative at −1.21 kg CO2e/m³. Results indicate positive Fe-CatOx-RF process performance and technology readiness in full-scale extended testing. Further work exploring operational variables is essential to establish site-specific water quality limitations and responsive engineering approaches for process optimization. Practitioners Points • Adding ozone to WRRF secondary influent flows into tertiary ferric/ferrous salt dosed sand filtration amplifies a mature reactive filtration technology into a catalytic oxidation process for micropollutant removal and disinfection. • Expensive catalysts are not used. • Iron oxide compounds used to remove phosphorus and other pollutants act as sacrificial catalysts with ozone, and these rejected iron compounds can be returned upstream to aid in secondary process TP removal. • Biochar addition to the CatOx process improves CO2e sustainability and phosphorus removal/recovery for long-term soil and water health. • Short duration field pilot scale and 18-month full-scale operation at three WRRFs with good results demonstrate technology readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors aimed to update knowledge of the use of supplements among Australian athletes at a state-based sports institute. The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire to assess the influence of age, sports category, and scholarship category on supplement use. Of 94 completed questionnaires, 82 (87%) indicated supplements in the previous 12 months (mean = 4.9 ± 3.3). No significant difference in supplement usage rate was identified when considering age, scholarship category, or sport category. The most frequently used supplements were sports drinks (70%), caffeine (48%), protein powder (42%), and sports bars (42%). Recovery (63%), health maintenance (59%), and improved energy (50%) were the most frequently reported rationale to use supplements. Allied health professionals and credible online resources were the predominant sources of influence regarding use. However, athletes from lower scholarship categories were more likely to have social media, parents, and siblings influence usage, and age was inversely related to increased influence from parents, social media, physicians not associated with the institute, the Internet, and siblings. Older athletes and those on higher scholarships were more likely to source supplements from training facilities and sports nutrition staff outside of the institute or direct from a supplier, whereas those on lower scholarships tended to rely more on family and friends for their supplements. Findings from this study show a high prevalence of supplement use and are the first to show an influence of social media, particularly in younger athletes. Opportunities exist to optimize how athletes are informed regarding supplement use and organizational and supplement policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First, CRC screening meets the vast majority, if not all, criteria of screening proposed by Wilson and Jungner (WHO), which remains a widely recognized standard. Keywords: cancer; colorectal; screening EN cancer colorectal screening 1 3 3 10/31/23 20231001 NES 231001 Worldwide, the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) increased substantially in various countries, which could be attributed to the rising rate of lifestyle, metabolic, and environmental risk factors due to globalization, urbanization and westernization.[[1]] Nevertheless, the value of population-based, CRC screening has been challenged by recent evidence.[3] It was opined that CRC screening may offer limited value at the population level, mainly due to its modest impact on decreased CRC mortality based on findings from the NordICC trial, the first pragmatic, randomised controlled trial of colonoscopy screening.[4] According to the landmark study, which included data from 84,585 healthy subjects aged 55-64 years recruited from three European countries between 2009 and 2014, the risk ratio (0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-1.16) and absolute risk reduction (-0.03, 95% CI -0.11-0.05) of mortality from CRC were not statistically significant. By all means, it is inappropriate to recommend CRC screening for all clinical consultations, but a large proportion of the population would benefit from screening, especially those with risk factors such as smoking and a family history of CRC. [Extracted from the article]

Precipitation events have been predicted and observed to become fewer, but larger, as the atmosphere warms. Water-limited ecosystems are especially sensitive to changes in water cycling, yet evidence suggests that productivity may either increase or decrease in response to precipitation intensification. Interactions among climate, soil properties, and vegetation type may explain different responses, but this is difficult to experimentally test over large spatial scales. Simulation modeling may reveal the mechanisms through which climate, soils, and vegetation interact to affect plant growth. We use an individual-based plant ecohydrological model to simulate the effects of 25%, 50%, and 100% increases in precipitation event sizes on water cycling and shrub, grass, and forb biomass in 200 shrub-steppe sites spanning 651,000 km2 of the Intermountain West, USA. Simulations did not change annual precipitation amounts and were performed for 0, 3, and 5 °C warming. Larger precipitation events decreased evaporation and 'pushed' water into shrub root zones in arid and semi-arid sites, but 'pushed' water below shrub root zones in mesic sites resulting in increased shrub biomass in arid and semi-arid, but not mesic, sites. Positive effects of precipitation intensification on shrub growth partially counteracted negative effects of warming. Grasses and forbs showed no consistent response to precipitation intensification. Results indicate that increased precipitation intensity creates a competitive advantage for shrubs in arid and semi-arid sites. This advantage results in greater shrub relative abundance and suggests that precipitation intensification contributes to woody plant encroachment observed globally in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: This systematic review with meta-analysis investigated the influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on muscle hypertrophy. Methods: Literature searches in the PubMed, SCOPUS and SPORTDiscus databases identified a total of 15 studies that measured muscle hypertrophy (in healthy adults of any age and resistance training experience) and compared resistance training performed to: (A) momentary muscular failure versus non-failure; (B) set failure (defined as anything other than momentary muscular failure) versus non-failure; or (C) different velocity loss thresholds. Results: There was a trivial advantage for resistance training performed to set failure versus non-failure for muscle hypertrophy in studies applying any definition of set failure [effect size=0.19 (95% confidence interval 0.00, 0.37), p=0.045], with no moderating effect of volume load (p=0.884) or relative load (p=0.525). Given the variability in set failure definitions applied across studies, sub-group analyses were conducted and found no advantage for either resistance training performed to momentary muscular failure versus non-failure for muscle hypertrophy [effect size=0.12 (95% confidence interval −0.13, 0.37), p=0.343], or for resistance training performed to high (>25%) versus moderate (20–25%) velocity loss thresholds [effect size=0.08 (95% confidence interval −0.16, 0.32), p=0.529]. Conclusion: Overall, our main findings suggest that (i) there is no evidence to support that resistance training performed to momentary muscular failure is superior to non-failure resistance training for muscle hypertrophy and (ii) higher velocity loss thresholds, and theoretically closer proximities-to-failure do not always elicit greater muscle hypertrophy. As such, these results provide evidence for a potential non-linear relationship between proximity-to-failure and muscle hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portland cement-based grouts used for radioactive waste immobilisation contain a Ca- and Si-rich binder phase, known as calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H). Depending on the blend of cement used, the Ca/Si ratio can vary considerably. A range of C–S–H minerals with Ca/Si ratios from 0.6 to 1.6 were synthesised and contacted with aqueous U(VI) at 0.5 mM and 10 mM concentrations. Solid-state 29Si MAS-NMR spectroscopy was applied to probe the Si coordination environment in U(VI)-contacted C–S–H minerals and, in conjunction with U LIII-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis, inferences of the fate of U(VI) in these systems were made. At moderate or high Ca/Si ratios, uranophane-type uranyl silicates or Ca-uranates dominated, while at the lowest Ca/Si ratios, the formation of a Ca-bearing uranyl silicate mineral, similar to haiweeite (Ca[(UO2)2Si5O12(OH)2]·3H2O) or Ca-bearing weeksite (Ca2(UO2)2Si6O15·10H2O) was identified. This study highlights the influence of Ca/Si ratio on uranyl sequestration, of interest in the development of post-closure safety models for U-bearing radioactive waste disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation We face an increasing flood of genetic sequence data, from diverse sources, requiring rapid computational analysis. Rapid analysis can be achieved by sampling a subset of positions in each sequence. Previous sequence-sampling methods, such as minimizers, syncmers and minimally overlapping words, were developed by heuristic intuition, and are not optimal. Results We present a sequence-sampling approach that provably optimizes sensitivity for a whole class of sequence comparison methods, for randomly evolving sequences. It is likely near-optimal for a wide range of alignment-based and alignment-free analyses. For real biological DNA, it increases specificity by avoiding simple repeats. Our approach generalizes universal hitting sets (which guarantee to sample a sequence at least once) and polar sets (which guarantee to sample a sequence at most once). This helps us understand how to do rapid sequence analysis as accurately as possible. Availability and implementation Source code is freely available at https://gitlab.com/mcfrith/noverlap. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Repetitive minor amputations carry the concomitant risks of multiple surgical procedures, major amputations have physical and economical major drawbacks. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a distinct number of minor amputations predicting a major amputation in the same leg and to determine risk factors for major amputation in multiple minor amputations. Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review including 429 patients with 534 index minor amputations between 07/1984 and 06/2019 was conducted. Patient demographics and clinical data including number and level of re-amputations were extracted from medical records and statistically analyzed. Results: 290 legs (54.3%) had one or multiple re-amputations after index minor amputation. 89 (16.7%) legs needed major amputation during follow up. Major amputation was performed at a mean of 32.5 (range 0 – 275.2) months after index minor amputation. No particular re-amputation demonstrated statistically significant elevated odds ratio (a.) to be a major amputation compared to the preceding amputation and (b.) to lead to a major amputation at any point during follow up. Stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed minor re-amputation within 90 days (HR 3.8, 95% CI 2.0-7.3, p <0.001) as the only risk factor for major amputation if at least one re-amputation had to be performed. Conclusions: There is no distinct number of prior minor amputations in one leg that would justify a major amputation on its own. If a re-amputation has to be done, the timepoint needs to be considered as re-amputations within 90 days carry a fourfold risk for major amputation. Level of evidence: Retrospective comparative study (Level III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There is a scarcity of economic analysis on the use of non-invasive biomarkers to inform policy-making with respect to their application in population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs. The objective of this study is to conduct a comparative cost-effectiveness analysis on using M3CRC (m3 + Fn + Ch + Bc + FIT) as a primary test for population-based screening, when compared with FIT and colonoscopy. The study can provide economic analysis regarding the use of non-invasive biomarkers in population-based CRC screening programs. This study aimed to examine the cost-effectiveness of fecal biomarker M3 panel compared to fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and colonoscopy in an Asian population. In a hypothetical population of 100,000 persons aged 50 years who received FIT yearly, M3 biomarker yearly, or colonoscopy every 10 years until the age of 75 years. Participants with positive FOBT or a result of "high risk" identified using the M3 biomarker are offered colonoscopy. We assumed surveillance colonoscopy is repeated every 3 years, and examined the treatment cost. A comparison of various outcome measures was conducted using Markov modelling. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of FIT, M3 biomarker, and colonoscopy was USD108,176, USD133,485 and USD159,596, respectively. Comparing with FIT, the use of M3 biomarker could lead to significantly smaller total loss of cancer-related life-years (2783 vs. 5279); a higher number of CRC cases prevented (1622 vs. 146), a higher proportion of CRC cases prevented (50.2% vs. 4.5%), more life-years saved (2852 vs. 339), and cheaper total costs per life-year saved (USD212,553 vs. 773,894). The total costs per life-year saved is more affordable than that achieved by colonoscopy as a primary screening tool (USD212,553 vs. USD236,909). The findings show that M3 biomarkers may be more cost-effective than colonoscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has induced a significant global concern on mental health. However few studies have measured the ability of individuals to "withstand setbacks, adapt positively, and bounce back from adversity" on a global scale. We aimed to examine the level of resilience, its determinants, and its association with maladaptive coping behaviours during the pandemic. Methods: The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) conducted a global survey involving 26 countries by online, self-administered questionnaire (October 2020-December 2021). It was piloted-tested and validated by an expert panel of epidemiologists and primary care professionals. We collected data on socio-demographics, socioeconomic status, clinical information, lifestyle habits, and resilience levels measured by the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) among adults aged ≥ 18 years. We examined factors associated with low resilience level, and evaluated whether low resilience was correlated with engagement of maladaptive coping behaviours. Results: From 1,762 surveys, the prevalence of low resilience level (BRS score 1.00–2.99) was 36.4% (America/Europe) and 24.1% (Asia Pacific). Young age (18–29 years; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.31–0.58 in older age groups), female gender (aOR = 1.72, 95% C.I. = 1.34–2.20), poorer financial situation in the past 6 months (aOR = 2.32, 95% C.I. = 1.62–3.34), the presence of one (aOR = 1.56, 95% C.I. = 1.19–2.04) and more than two (aOR = 2.32, 95% C.I. = 1.59–3.39) medical conditions were associated with low resilience level. Individuals with low resilience were significantly more likely to consume substantially more alcohol than usual (aOR = 3.84, 95% C.I. = 1.62–9.08), take considerably more drugs (aOR = 12.1, 95% C.I. = 2.72–54.3), buy supplements believed to be good for treating COVID-19 (aOR = 3.34, 95% C.I. = 1.56–7.16), exercise less than before the pandemic (aOR = 1.76, 95% C.I. = 1.09–2.85), consume more unhealthy food than before the pandemic (aOR = 2.84, 95% C.I. = 1.72–4.67), self-isolate to stay away from others to avoid infection (aOR = 1.83, 95% C.I. = 1.09–3.08), have an excessive urge to disinfect hands for avoidance of disease (aOR = 3.08, 95% C.I. = 1.90–4.99) and transmission (aOR = 2.54, 95% C.I. = 1.57–4.10). Conclusions: We found an association between low resilience and maladaptive coping behaviours in the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk factors identified for low resilience in this study were also conditions known to be related to globalization-related economic and social inequalities. Our findings could inform design of population-based, resilience-enhancing intervention programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article notes the significant increase in academic papers and policy guidance on the subject of ethical practice in military healthcare over the past two decades. This is usually within the domain of "military medical ethics," linking medical ethics as applied to the medical profession (doctors) with ethics as applied within the military (primarily from the perspective of officers). This article argues that this, highly elitist, perspective disenfranchises the majority of the military healthcare team who are nurses and allied health professionals and serve across the entire rank spectrum. We suggest that the subject should be reframed under the banner "military healthcare ethics" to include the concepts within military medical ethics but to emphasize the obligations of all military health professionals to comply with legal, regulatory, and ethical guidance for the practice of healthcare in the military environment. We recommend that the subject should be included in the curricula for education and training for all military health professions across their whole career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A soil‐landscape conceptual model developed in the Rhode River subestuary of Maryland was applied to create a soil survey for the adjacent West River subestuary. The survey for the West River subestuary was completed before samples were collected there to evaluate the soil‐landscape conceptual model used to generate the soil survey. The West River subestuary was then sampled along transects that crossed soil map units to compare observed soil taxa with predicted soil taxa. Observed transect samples were classified and scored based on their similarity to predicted taxa in soil map units. These data were resampled via a bootstrapping method to determine if the predictions of the West River subestuary soil survey were significantly different from random predictions. Significant information was provided by the survey, and therefore by the soil‐landscape conceptual model used to generate it. Core Ideas: Soil surveys can be statistically evaluated using bootstrapping statistical methods.A polygon‐based soil survey can function as a testable hypothesis.A soil‐landscape model developed in one setting can be evaluated in similar settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proportion of Babesia rossi infections in dogs are classified as complicated and one of the most lethal complications is acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Most dogs that die succumb within 24 hours of presentation. The pulmonary pathology caused by B. rossi in dogs has not been described. The aim of this study was to provide a thorough macroscopic, histological and immunohistochemical description of the lung changes seen in dogs naturally infected with B. rossi that succumbed to the infection. Death was invariably accompanied by alveolar oedema. Histopathology showed acute interstitial pneumonia characterised by alveolar oedema and haemorrhages, with increased numbers of mononuclear leucocytes in alveolar walls and lumens. Intra-alveolar polymerised fibrin aggregates were observed in just over half the infected cases. Immunohistochemistry showed increased numbers of MAC387- and CD204-reactive monocyte-macrophages in alveolar walls and lumens, and increased CD3-reactive T-lymphocytes in alveolar walls, compared with controls. These histological features overlap to some extent (but far from perfectly) with the histological pattern of lung injury referred to as the exudative stage of diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) as is quite commonly reported in ALI/ARDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality globally. Early detection through risk-based screening can markedly improve prognosis. However, most risk models were developed in North American cohorts of smokers, whereas less is known about risk profiles for never-smokers, which represent a growing proportion of lung cancers, particularly in Asian populations. Methods Based on the China Kadoorie Biobank, a population-based prospective cohort of 512 639 adults with up to 12 years of follow-up, we built Asian Lung Cancer Absolute Risk Models (ALARM) for lung cancer mortality using flexible parametric survival models, separately for never and ever-smokers, accounting for competing risks of mortality. Model performance was evaluated in a 25% hold-out test set using the time-dependent area under the curve and by comparing model-predicted and observed risks for calibration. Results Predictors assessed in the never-smoker lung cancer mortality model were demographics, body mass index, lung function, history of emphysema or bronchitis, personal or family history of cancer, passive smoking, and indoor air pollution. The ever-smoker model additionally assessed smoking history. The 5-year areas under the curve in the test set were 0.77 (95% confidence interval = 0.73 to 0.80) and 0.81 (95% confidence interval = 0.79 to 0.84) for ALARM-never-smokers and ALARM-ever smokers, respectively. The maximum 5-year risk for never and ever-smokers was 2.6% and 12.7%, respectively. Conclusions This study is among the first to develop risk models specifically for Asian populations separately for never and ever-smokers. Our models accurately identify Asians at high risk of lung cancer death and may identify those with risks exceeding common eligibility thresholds who may benefit from screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Which armed organizations form coalitions despite the inherent difficulties of cooperation in civil wars? We introduce the concept of tacit coalitions, which pertains to strategic and informal coalition behavior between civil war actors to address this puzzle. Our theoretical model of coalition behavior takes in theater-wide conflict behavior to allow for predictions that coalitions are more likely to form. It provides novel insights into the way military synergies within potential coalitions affect the trade-off between pooling resources and worrying about the division of gains. The empirical section finds considerable support for our theoretical argument that actors are more likely to engage in tacit coalition behavior (1) if potential coalitions are power balanced, (2) if joint capability of potential coalitions is not too high, and (3) when coalitions can unlock synergies. In addition, it produces evidence for the important role of geography and ethnic ties in generating military synergies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral remote sensing already is important in geoscientific research in the fields of geology, soil, exploration and mining. New hyperspectral satellite systems are already in operation (e.g. PRISMA and DESIS; Caporusso et al. 2020; Alonso et al. (Sensors 19(20):4471–4515, 2019)) and more systems are planned e.g. the European Copernicus Next Generation Hyperspectral Satellite CHIME (Nieke and Rast 2018). The German system EnMAP was successfully launched into space on 1st of April 2022 (DLR 2022). The potential of hyperspectral airborne and satellite borne data for mining-related applications is discussed. Investigated are the information contents of hyperspectral data for exploration target recognition and their dependency on spatial resolutions of different sensor platforms. Airborne data offer high spatial resolution of 2.5 m with limited areal data acquisition, whereas hyperspectral spaceborne sensors guaranty nearly worldwide data availability with the same spectral characteristics but medium spatial resolution (30 m). The aspects of high spectral resolution and high versus medium spatial resolution targeted mineral mapping is investigated. The methodological concept includes processing aspects, standardized data availability for mineral mapping and mineralization targeting for operational application, to maintain/allow application of hyperspectral data even for non-remote sensing experts. Based on hyperspectral airborne data acquired in the Aggeneys region in South Africa, spaceborne hyperspectral data are simulated following the EnMAP specifications, and the concept for targeted mapping of surface alterations of a lead zinc deposit is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]