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Abstract The earth is warming, and the frequency of extreme weather events have been rapidly growing globally with unprecedented consequences to farming communities. In principle, weather and climate information services (WCIS) can help farmers better manage their activities and farm level outcomes by supporting their decision-making with relevant and usable information to address the potential impacts of expected changing climate conditions. But, in practice, can the availability and use of WCIS help improve agricultural outcomes given the weather and climate related uncertainties? To understand the use and impact of WCIS in the cotton-wheat cropping areas of Pakistan, we conducted a multistage stratified clustered random sample of 612 farm households in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. Over 55% of the farm households in the sample indicated that they used WCIS provided by the Pakistan Meteorological Department and other sources for making their agricultural decisions. Our analysis, however, suggests that the impact of using WCIS on major farm outcomes (i.e. farm revenue, costs, profits, and input usage) is not statistically significant when compared with those farm households not using WCIS (null result). This result is robust to different estimation techniques (i.e. ordinary least squares, instrumental variable approach, and propensity score matching method). From the focus group discussions, we gathered that farmers perceived WCIS as less reliable, often unclear, and difficult to understand as this information is not translated and transmitted in local languages. Addressing these issues can help reduce the impact of climate and weather variability on farm outcomes in those provinces as well as in Pakistan more generally. Our study suggests that, under uncertainty, emphasis should be on WCIS that farmers can rely on for making farming related decisions.

Background: This study aimed to assess the serum activity of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) based on two genetic variants including the -108C/T variant in the promoter region and the rs3735590 variant in the binding site of miR-616 at the 3ʹ-UTR of the PON1 gene. Materials and Methods: A total of 140 subjects who exhibited clinical symptoms of CAD underwent diagnostic coronary angiography. The patients with CAD were further categorized into two groups: single-vessel disease (SVD) and multi-vessel disease (MVD). The study variants were genotyped using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique after polymerase chain reaction amplification. Results: After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, metformin, and statin usage, a significant association was observed between the -108C/T variant and PON1 activity (P < 0.001). In the sub-groups of both SVD and MVD, individuals with the TC+CC genotypes exhibited significantly higher PON1 activity compared to TT homozygotes (P = 0.001 for SVD and P = 0.01 for MVD). As for the rs3735590 variant, individuals with the A allele (GA+AA genotypes) had higher PON1 activity compared to those with the GG genotype in both the SVD and MVD groups, although the results did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Our study findings indicate a significant decrease in PON1 activity among patients with obstructive CAD. Notably, our results suggest that the -108C/T variant exerts a greater influence on PON1 activity compared to the rs3735590 variant. These findings highlight the crucial role of the -108C/T variant in modulating PON1 activity within the context of atherosclerosis.

This study explored the performance and physiological responses of three commercially used peanut cultivars in Australian farming systems under ambient and elevated CO2 conditions, aiming to identify the most suitable genotype for dual-purpose (grain and graze) cropping experiments. The experiment utilized an open-top chamber (OTC) facility to regulate CO2 concentrations. The elevated CO2 (EC) treatment targeted approximately 650 ± 50 µmol mol−1, while both ambient CO2 (AC) and control plots operated at a concentration of approximately 400 µmol mol−1. Notably, control plots without chambers served as a reference for current CO2 and environmental conditions. In contrast, despite having the same ambient CO2 concentration, AC plots were enclosed in chambers, allowing for plant growth comparisons with EC plots with the same environmental conditions aside from CO2 levels. The analyses revealed significant effects of CO2 enrichment on peanut plants. In particular, the EC treatment led to enhanced photosynthetic rates (20% in Kairi, 31% in Holt, and 19% in Alloway), alongside reduced stomatal conductance (−55% in Kairi, −32% in Holt, and −40% in Alloway), transpiration, and increased water use efficiency compared to AC conditions. Elevated CO2 levels positively influenced pod yields in Kairi (+41%) and Alloway (+36%). However, CO2 enrichment did not significantly alter the protein content, total phenolic content, cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power of peanut plant material. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the phytochemical composition among the three cultivars under ambient or elevated CO2 conditions. On the other hand, analysis of the fibre structure conducted on peanut stover harvested at plant maturity suggested potential declines in feedstock quality. Based on the findings of this research, further investigations and testing, including simulated grazing trials, will be carried out to identify a single breed line suitable for dual-purpose management under future elevated CO2 conditions.

Sesame is an emerging crop of interest in Australia and has attracted widespread interest due to the health-benefitting properties of its bioactive compounds, including fatty acids, lignans, and polyphenols. This study aimed to investigate the impact of drought stress on these bioactive compounds, using eleven cultivars of black sesame seeds grown in Australia. Specific varieties responded positively to water deficit (WD) conditions, showing increased levels of TPC, FRAP, CUPRAC, and lignans. Varieties 1, 4, 7, and 12 showed significantly increased FRAP values ranging from 158.02 ± 10.43 to 195.22 ± 9.63 mg TE/100 g DW in the WD treatment compared to the well-watered (WW) treatment, whereas varieties 7, 10, 12, 13, and 18 demonstrated the highest CUPRAC values of all varieties (2584.86 ± 99.68–2969.56 ± 159.72 mg TE/100 g) across both WW and WD conditions, with no significant variations between irrigation regimes. Moreover, lignan contents (sesamin and sesamolin) were higher in varieties 1, 2, 5, and 8 grown in WD conditions. Compared to the optimal unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (Σ UFA/Σ SFA ratio) of 0.45, all sesame genotypes showed superior ratios (ranging between 1.86 and 2.34). Moreover, the ω-6/ω-3 PUFA ratio varied from 33.7–65.5, with lower ratios in varieties 2, 4, 5, 8, and 18 under WD conditions. The high levels of phenolic compounds and healthy fats suggest the potential of black sesame to be incorporated into diets as a functional food. Furthermore, the enhanced phytochemistry of these cultivars in WD conditions is promising for widespread adoption. However, larger trial studies to confirm these findings across different geographic locations and seasons are warranted.

Bioprospecting native Australian plants offers the potential discovery of latent and novel bioactive compounds. The promising cytotoxic and antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of Pittosporum angustifolium and Terminalia ferdinandiana led to further fractionation and isolation using our laboratory’s bioassay-guided fractionation protocol. Hence, the aim of this study was to further evaluate the bioactivity of the fractions and subfractions and characterize bioactive compounds using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography MS (GC-MS). Compounds tentatively identified in P. angustifolium Fraction 1 using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS were chlorogenic acid and/or neochlorogenic acid, bergapten, berberine, 8′-epitanegool and rosmarinic acid. GC-MS analysis data showed the presence of around 100 compounds, mainly comprising carboxylic acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, amino acids and monoalkylglycerols. Furthermore, the fractions obtained from T. ferdinandiana flesh extracts showed no cytotoxicity, except against HT29 cell lines, and only Fraction 2 exhibited some antibacterial activity. The reduced bioactivity observed in the T. ferdinandiana fractions could be attributed to the potential loss of synergy as compounds become separated within the fractions. As a result, the further fractionation and separation of compounds in these samples was not pursued. However, additional dose-dependent studies are warranted to validate the bioactivity of T. ferdinandiana flesh fractions, particularly since this is an understudied species. Moreover, LC-MS/GC-MS studies confirm the presence of bioactive compounds in P. angustifolium Fraction 1/subfractions, which helps to explain the significant acute anticancer activity of this plant. The screening process designed in this study has the potential to pave the way for developing scientifically validated phytochemical/bioactivity information on ethnomedicinal plants, thereby facilitating further bioprospecting efforts and supporting the discovery of novel drugs in modern medicine.

Inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) replication by small molecules that modulate capsid assembly and the encapsidation of pgRNA and viral polymerase by HBV core protein is a clinically validated approach toward the development of new antivirals. Through definition of a minimal pharmacophore, a series of isoquinolinone-based capsid assembly modulators (CAMs) was identified. Structural biology analysis revealed that lead molecules possess a unique binding mode, exploiting electrostatic interactions with accessible phenylalanine and tyrosine residues. Key analogs demonstrated excellent primary potency, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and pharmacokinetic properties, and efficacy in a mouse model of HBV. The optimized lead also displayed potent inhibition of capsid uncoating in HBV-infected HepG2 cells expressing the sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) receptor, affecting the generation of HBsAg and cccDNA establishment. Based on these results, isoquinolinone derivative AB-836 was advanced into clinical development. In Phase 1b trials, AB-836 demonstrated >3 log 10 reduction in serum HBV DNA, however, further development was discontinued due to the observation of incidental alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations.

Isoquinolinone-based HBV capsid assembly modulators that bind at the dimer:dimer interface of HBV core protein have been shown to suppress viral replication in chronic hepatitis B patients. Analysis of their binding mode by protein X-ray crystallography has identified a region of the small molecule where the application of a constraint can lock the preferred binding conformation and has allowed for further optimization of this class of compounds. Key analogues demonstrated single digit nM EC 50 values in reducing HBV DNA in a HepDE19 cellular assay in addition to favorable ADME and pharmacokinetic properties, leading to a high degree of oral efficacy in a relevant in vivo hydrodynamic injection mouse model of HBV infection, with 12e effecting a 3 log 10 decline in serum HBV DNA levels at a once daily dose of 1 mg/kg. Additionally, maintenance of activity was observed in clinically relevant HBV core protein variants T33N and I105T., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 American Chemical Society.)

This study aimed to assess which action component (movement or goal) infants prioritize in their imitation behavior when they get information about its relevance from two important sources: perceptual goal saliency and experimenter's verbal information. 16- to 18-month-olds (N = 72) observed how the experimenter moved a toy mouse with a hopping or sliding movement onto one of two empty spaces (low goal saliency) or 2D circles (medium saliency), or inside one of two 3D houses (high saliency). Before the demonstration, the experimenter verbally announced the movement style or the goal. Results showed that verbal action descriptions did not influence infants' imitation. However, matching previous findings, infants imitated the goal more often than the movement in the high-saliency condition, and the movement more often than the goal in the low-saliency condition. Moreover, in the novel medium-saliency condition, infants imitated both components equally often. Thus, selective imitation varied as a function of perceptual goal saliency, but not of verbal cues. This suggests that perceptual features can enhance infants' bottom-up processing and imitation of action components, while the impact of top-down processes based on verbal cues may vary depending on task characteristics and infants' verbal abilities, inducing a need for further research., (© 2024 The Author(s). Infancy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Congress of Infant Studies.)

The objective of this review is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of bedside-focused transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in acute atraumatic thoracic aortic syndrome in adults. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of publications that described the use of bedside-focused TTE on adults presenting to the emergency care setting with suspected atraumatic thoracic aortic syndrome. Studies were identified using keyword and Medical Subject Heading searches on databases and grey literature, followed by abstract screening and study selection by two independent reviewers. Sixteen studies over six decades were included in the meta-analysis (n = 4569 patients). The prevalence of Type A thoracic aortic dissection was 11% (range 1.4-45.7%) and Type B dissection was 7% (range 1.8-30.55%). Type A dissection through direct visualisation of an intimal flap on TTE (i.e. direct sign) pooled sensitivity and specificity were 89% [95% confidence interval (CI), 82-94%] and 92% (95% CI, 88-95%) respectively. For Type B dissection, the pooled sensitivity was 65% (95% CI, 45-80%) and specificity was 100% (95% CI, 0.69-100%). TTE indirect signs for dissection showed a pooled sensitivity of 64% (95% CI, 5.2-98.2%) and specificity of 94% (95% CI, 92-96.1%) for aortic valve regurgitation, a pooled sensitivity of 92% (95% CI 54-99.2%) and specificity of 87% (95% CI, 62-97%) for thoracic aortic aneurysm and a pooled sensitivity of 39% (95% CI 33.8-45%) and a specificity of 94% (95% CI, 92-95%) for pericardial effusion. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, bedside-focused TTE has a good specificity for Type A and B dissection, but poor sensitivity for Type B, and unclear for intramural haematoma and penetrating aortic ulcer., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 pandemic massively changed the context and feasibility of developmental research. This new reality, as well as considerations about sample diversity and naturalistic settings for developmental research, highlights the need for solutions for online studies. In this article, we present e-Babylab, an open-source browser-based tool for unmoderated online studies targeted for young children and babies. e-Babylab offers an intuitive graphical user interface for study creation and management of studies, users, participant data, and stimulus material, with no programming skills required. Various kinds of audiovisual media can be presented as stimuli, and possible measures include webcam recordings, audio recordings, key presses, mouse-click/touch coordinates, and reaction times. An additional feature of e-Babylab is the possibility to administer short adaptive versions of MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (Chai et al. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63, 3488-3500, 2020). Information pages, consent forms, and participant forms are customizable. e-Babylab has been used with a variety of measures and paradigms in over 12 studies with children aged 12 months to 8 years (n = 1516). We briefly summarize some results of these studies to demonstrate that data quality, participant engagement, and overall results are comparable between laboratory and online settings. Finally, we discuss helpful tips for using e-Babylab and present plans for upgrades., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Test-retest reliability-establishing that measurements remain consistent across multiple testing sessions-is critical to measuring, understanding, and predicting individual differences in infant language development. However, previous attempts to establish measurement reliability in infant speech perception tasks are limited, and reliability of frequently used infant measures is largely unknown. The current study investigated the test-retest reliability of infants' preference for infant-directed speech over adult-directed speech in a large sample (N = 158) in the context of the ManyBabies1 collaborative research project. Labs were asked to bring in participating infants for a second appointment retesting infants on their preference for infant-directed speech. This approach allowed us to estimate test-retest reliability across three different methods used to investigate preferential listening in infancy: the head-turn preference procedure, central fixation, and eye-tracking. Overall, we found no consistent evidence of test-retest reliability in measures of infants' speech preference (overall r = 0.09, 95% CI [-0.06,0.25]). While increasing the number of trials that infants needed to contribute for inclusion in the analysis revealed a numeric growth in test-retest reliability, it also considerably reduced the study's effective sample size. Therefore, future research on infant development should take into account that not all experimental measures may be appropriate for assessing individual differences between infants. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We assessed test-retest reliability of infants' preference for infant-directed over adult-directed speech in a large pre-registered sample (N = 158). There was no consistent evidence of test-retest reliability in measures of infants' speech preference. Applying stricter criteria for the inclusion of participants may lead to higher test-retest reliability, but at the cost of substantial decreases in sample size. Developmental research relying on stable individual differences should consider the underlying reliability of its measures., (© 2024 The Author(s). Developmental Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We investigated the temporal impact of multisensory settings on children's learning of word-object and action-object associations at 1- and 2-years of age. Specifically, we examined whether the temporal alignment of words and actions influenced the acquisition of novel word-action-object associations. We used a preferential looking and violation of expectation task in which infants and young children were first presented with two distinct word-object and action-object pairings either in a synchronous (overlapping in time) or sequential manner (one after the other). Findings revealed that 2-year-olds recognized both, action-object and word-object associations when they first saw the word-action-object combinations synchronously, but not sequentially, as evidenced by looking behavior. 1-year-olds did not show evidence for recognition for either of the word-object and action-object pairs, regardless of the initial temporal alignment of these cues. To control for individual differences, we explored factors that might influence associative learning based on parental reports of 1- and 2-year-olds development, however, developmental measures did not explain word-action-object associative learning in either group. We discuss that while young children may benefit from the temporal alignment of multisensory cues as it enables them to actively engage with the multisensory content in real-time, infants may have been overwhelmed by the complexity of this input., (© 2024 The Authors. Infancy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Congress of Infant Studies.)

Young children learn selectively from reliable over unreliable sources. However, the cognitive underpinnings of their selectivity (attentional biases or trait ascriptions) and its early ontogeny are unclear. Thus, across three studies (N = 139, monolingual German speakers, 67 female), selective-trust tasks were adapted to test both preschoolers (5-year-olds) and toddlers (24-month-olds), using eye-tracking and interactive measures. These data show that preschoolers' selectivity is not based on attentional biases, but on person-specific trait ascriptions. In contrast, toddlers showed no selective trust, even in the eye-tracking tasks. They succeeded, however, in eye-tracking tasks with the same word-learning demands, if no ascriptions of reliability were required. Thus, these findings suggest that preschoolers, but not toddlers, use trait-like ascriptions of reliability to guide their selective learning., (© 2024 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.)

Developmental research utilizes various different methodologies and measures to study the cognitive development of young children; however, the reliability and validity of such measures have been a critical issue in all areas of research practices. To address this problem, particularly in the area of research on infants' interests, we examined the convergent validity of previously reported measures of children's interests in natural object categories, as indexed by (1) parents' estimation of their child's interest in the categories, (2) extrinsic (overt choices in a task), (3) intrinsic (looking time toward objects), and (4) physiological (pupil dilation) responses to objects of different categories. Additionally, we also examined the discriminant validity of all the aforementioned measures against the well-established and validated measure of parents' estimations of children's vocabulary knowledge. Children completed two tasks: (a) an eye-tracking task, where they were presented with images from a range of defined categories, which collected indices of looking time and pupillary activity; (b) a sticker-choice task, where they were asked to choose between two sticker-images from two different categories belonging to the range of categories assessed in the previous task. Parents completed two questionnaires to estimate (i) their child's interests and (ii) vocabulary knowledge in the categories presented. We first analyzed the discriminant validity between the two parent measures, and found a significant positive association between them. Our successive analyses showed no strong or significant associations between any of our measures, apart from a significant positive association between children's looking time and parents' estimations of children's vocabulary knowledge. From our findings, we conclude that measures of infants' interests thus far may not have sufficient reliability to adequately capture any potential relationship between these measures, or index different components of interest in young children. We suggest next steps for further validation studies in infant research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors state that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We (a) describe the development of a hospital-school-community telepartnership (HSCT) program targeting suicidality crisis response implemented in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) report on service utilization outcomes from the first year and half of program implementation, and (c) share early lessons learned and implications for future directions., Method: Using program evaluation data collected from September 2020 to December 2021, demographic, usage outcomes, care coordination, and support outcomes are reported. Representative case vignettes are also illustrated., Results: Students ( N = 258) were referred to the HSCT program for suicidality from partnering school districts in the large metropolitan area of Austin, Texas. Students referred were adolescents, 12 years of age and older ( n = 196, 76%). Sixty-two (24%) of the students referred for suicidal ideation entered the HSCT program through urgent same-day assessment. Medication evaluations were offered for 125 (48%) of the students. The most frequently prescribed medications included antidepressants (e.g., SSRIs; n = 29, 64%). Program clinicians referred 12 (5%) students identified as high risk for suicide for hospitalization. Of the 258 total students, 212 (82%) were referred to community providers for therapy., Conclusions: By providing rapid access to crisis response with mental health specialists and care coordinators, at-risk students received timely evidence-based care and referral to mental health resources in their communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The recent COVID-19 pandemic underscored the limitations of currently available direct-acting antiviral treatments against acute respiratory RNA-viral infections and stimulated major research initiatives targeting anticoronavirus agents. Two novel nsp5 protease (MPro) inhibitors have been approved, nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir, along with two existing nucleos(t)ide analogues repurposed as nsp12 polymerase inhibitors, remdesivir and molnupiravir, but a need still exists for therapies with improved potency and systemic exposure with oral dosing, better metabolic stability, and reduced resistance and toxicity risks. Herein, we summarize our research toward identifying nsp12 inhibitors that led to nucleoside analogues 10e and 10n , which showed favorable pan-coronavirus activity in cell-infection screens, were metabolized to active triphosphate nucleotides in cell-incubation studies, and demonstrated target (nsp12) engagement in biochemical assays.

Are children and adults sensitive to gaps in their knowledge, and do they actively elicit information to resolve such knowledge gaps? In a cross-situational word learning task, we asked 5-year-olds, 6- to 9-year-olds and adults to estimate their knowledge of newly learned word-object associations. We then examined whether participants preferentially sampled objects they reported not knowing the label in order to hear their labels again. We also examined whether such uncertainty-driven sampling behaviour led to improved learning. We found that all age groups were sensitive to gaps in their knowledge of the word-object associations, i.e. were more likely to say they had correctly indicated the label of an object when they were correct, relative to when they were incorrect. Furthermore, 6- to 9-year-olds and adults-but not 5-year-olds-were more likely to sample objects whose labels they reported not knowing. In other words, older children and adults displayed sampling behaviour directed at reducing knowledge gaps and uncertainty, while younger children did not. However, participants who displayed more uncertainty-driven sampling behaviour were not more accurate at test. Our findings underscore the role of uncertainty in driving 6- to 9-year-olds' and adults' sampling behaviour and speak to the mechanisms underlying previously reported performance boosts in active learning., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

This current study examines the extent to which children's interests and caregivers' sensitivity to their children's interests are associated with the quality of caregiver-child interaction, and subsequent learning. Eighty-one caregiver-child dyads (24-30-month old children) completed an online shared book-reading task where caregivers and children read two e-books with pictures and descriptions of objects from different categories-one previously determined to be of low and one of high interest to the child (with one novel word-object mapping introduced in each book). We also obtained separate behavioural indices of children's interests and children's later recognition of newly introduced word-object mappings. Our findings highlight that the quality of caregiver-child interaction is predicted by children's interests and caregivers' perception of children's interests, although we find only limited overlap between our behavioural indices of children's interests and caregiver perception of children's interests. Neither of these factors predicted later novel word recognition. Thus, while the dynamics between higher quality of caregiver-child interaction, children's interests and learning remain inconclusive, caregivers and children appear to be more attentive, enthusiastic and engaged in reading about topics that (caregivers believe) interest the child. Furthermore, learning in itself seems to be successful, regardless of factors involved, through the mere task of shared book reading., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

This study describes the profile of children diagnosed with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in the pediatric hematology oncology unit and highlights the clinical features of PRES in immunosuppressed children. This retrospective study included 10 children diagnosed with PRES with a mean age of 6.8 years. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia was the most common primary diagnosis followed by post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Most cases of PRES occurred within one month of treatment initiation. Hypertension was noted in all at the time of diagnosis. Neuroimaging revealed bilateral lesions with parietal and occipital lobe involvement being the most common. All patients received corticosteroids as part of treatment for primary diagnosis. Controlling blood pressure was critical in managing PRES. Consideration of PRES as a clinical possibility in pediatric hematology oncology unit in children presenting with symptoms such as headache, seizures, and visual disturbances will aid in early diagnosis after ruling out other causes of these symptoms., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Published by Scientific Scholar on behalf of Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice.)

Previous studies showed that word learning is affected by children's existing knowledge. For instance, knowledge of semantic category aids word learning, whereas a dense phonological neighbourhood impedes learning of similar-sounding words. Here, we examined to what extent children associate similar-sounding words (e.g., rat and cat) with objects of the same semantic category (e.g., both are animals), that is, to what extent children assume meaning overlap given form overlap between two words. We tested this by first presenting children (N = 93, Mage = 22.4 months) with novel word-object associations. Then, we examined the extent to which children assume that a similar sounding novel label, that is, a phonological neighbour, refers to a similar looking object, that is, a likely semantic neighbour, as opposed to a dissimilar looking object. Were children to preferentially fixate the similar-looking novel object, it would suggest that systematic word form-meaning relations aid referent selection in young children. While we did not find any evidence for such word form-meaning systematicity, we demonstrated that children showed robust learning for the trained novel word-object associations, and were able to discriminate between similar-sounding labels and also similar-looking objects. Thus, we argue that unlike iconicity which appears early in vocabulary development, we find no evidence for systematicity in early referent selection., (© 2023 The Authors. Developmental Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Both words and gestures have been shown to influence object categorization, often even overriding perceptual similarities to cue category membership. However, gestures are often meaningful to infants while words are arbitrarily related to an object they refer to, more similar to arbitrary actions that can be performed on objects. In this study, we examine how words and arbitrary actions shape category formation. Across three conditions (word cue, action cue, word-action cue), we presented infants ( N = 90) with eight videos of single-category objects which vary in colour and other perceptual features. The objects were either accompanied by a word and/or an action that is being performed on the object. Infants in the word and action condition showed a decrease in looking over the course of the familiarization phase indicating habituation to the category, but infants in the word-action condition did not. At test, infants saw a novel object of the just-learned category and a novel object from another category side-by-side on the screen. There was some evidence for an advantage for words in shaping early object categorization, although we note that this was not robust across analyses., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: With exponential growth in the publication of interprofessional education (IPE) research studies, it has become more difficult to find relevant literature and stay abreast of the latest research. To address this gap, we developed, evaluated, and validated search strategies for IPE studies in PubMed, to improve future access to and synthesis of IPE research. These search strategies, or search hedges, provide comprehensive, validated sets of search terms for IPE publications., Methods: The search strategies were created for PubMed using relative recall methodology. The research methods followed the guidance of previous search hedge and search filter validation studies in creating a gold standard set of relevant references using systematic reviews, having expert searchers identify and test search terms, and using relative recall calculations to validate the searches' performance against the gold standard set., Results: The three recommended search hedges for IPE studies presented had recall of 71.5%, 82.7%, and 95.1%; the first more focused for efficient literature searching, the last with high recall for comprehensive literature searching, and the remaining hedge as a middle ground between the other two options., Conclusion: These validated search hedges can be used in PubMed to expedite finding relevant scholarships, staying up to date with IPE research, and conducting literature reviews and evidence syntheses., (Copyright © 2024 Rebecca Carlson, Sophie Nachman, Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Nandita Mani.)

Background: Non-fatal strangulation as a consequence of a sexual assault attack or domestic violence represents serious bodily harm. Otolaryngologists have an important role in documenting physical findings and managing airway symptoms. This study aimed to describe our otolaryngology department's experience managing patients referred from the sexual assault referral centre who suffered non-fatal strangulation., Method: A retrospective analysis of patients suffering non-fatal strangulation referred to the Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Otolaryngology Department from Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019 was carried out., Results: A total of 86 patients were referred from Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Of these patients, 56 were given telephone advice and the remaining 30 were seen by the on-call otolaryngology team. In addition, 20 out of 30 (66.6 per cent) patients underwent fibre-optic nasal endoscopy. Common presenting symptoms were neck pain (81.4 per cent), dyspnoea (80.2 per cent) and dizziness (72.1 per cent). Five patients had identifiable laryngeal injury on endoscopy., Conclusion: Meticulous documentation is recommended when managing patients who suffer non-fatal strangulation because medical records may be used as evidence in criminal investigations.