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Predation by crustaceans and echinoderms is a significant driver of mortality for sessile invertebrates in near-shore marine ecosystems. As a response, shellfish growers use predator exclusion cages to grow their product. Oysters grown in these cages and clams in and under nets have been observed to exhibit thinner, brittle shells, which is not optimal for market, nor for those being grown for restoration purposes. Here, the nonconsumptive predator effects of several native and nonnative predators on shell morphology of Crassostrea virginica oyster spat. Juvenile (1-3 mm) seed oysters were exposed separately to chemical cues of five different predators and one nonpredator crab were investigated and compared with control (no exposure) spat. Significant effects of predator presence on the total wet weight (g) of the spat was demonstrated, with the highest increase for spat exposed to black-fingered mud crabs (Panopeus, 1.70 mg [d.sup.-1]) and the biggest decreases for spat exposed to the European green crabs (Carcinus mamas--1.34 mg [d.sup.-1]) and the sea stars (Asterias rubens--1.47 mg [d.sup.-1]). Changes to oyster length (mm) and shell density (crushing resistance) were not significant. Implications for aquaculturists and wild bivalve populations are that growth could be negatively affected by the lack of predators on these important organisms. KEY WORDS: Crassostreci virginica, oysters, spat, crabs, shell growth, shell strength, Asterias rubens, INTRODUCTION As global demand for seafood increases, commercial aquaculture has emerged as one solution to meet this demand. Today, aquaculture has reached parity as a main method of production of [...]

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing public health concern worldwide. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing and staging MASLD, but it is invasive and carries associated risks. In recent years, there has been significant progress in developing noninvasive techniques for evaluation. This review article discusses briefly current available noninvasive assessments and the various liver biopsy techniques available for MASLD, including invasive techniques such as transjugular and transcutaneous needle biopsy, intraoperative/laparoscopic biopsy, and the evolving role of endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy. In addition to discussing the various biopsy techniques, we review the current state of knowledge on the histopathologic evaluation of MASLD, including the various scoring systems used to grade and stage the disease. We also explore current and alternative modalities for histopathologic evaluation, such as whole slide imaging and the utility of immunohistochemistry. Overall, this review article provides a comprehensive overview of the progress in liver biopsy techniques for MASLD and compares invasive and noninvasive modalities. However, beyond clinical trials, the practical application of liver biopsy may be limited, as ongoing advancements in noninvasive fibrosis assessments are expected to more effectively identify candidates for MASLD treatment in real-world settings. Plain language summary: Modernizing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease diagnostics: the progressive shift from liver biopsy to non-invasive techniques Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is a condition where fat builds up in the liver, causing inflammation and scarring. This problem is becoming more common worldwide and can lead to serious health issues like chronic liver disease, liver failure, and liver cancer. Doctors can use a method called a liver biopsy to check if a patient has a liver problem like MASLD. However, this method can be a bit risky because it involves inserting a needle into the liver to get a sample. Although doctors can also rely on blood work and different medical imaging approaches to assess the severity of liver disease, specifically MASLD, these options aren't completely accurate. Therefore, there is still a need for a liver biopsy. This article explores various methods and techniques that doctors can use to perform a liver biopsy. It explains how the sample taken with the needle can be analyzed under a microscope to help guide the management of patients with MASLD. We hope this review will be useful for doctors and researchers in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) has reinstated its organizational certification under the Registered Project Management Corporation (RegPMC) accreditation. This certification signifies an organization's commitment to superior project management practices and leadership in the field. The RegPMC accreditation evaluates organizations across ten key categories, including leadership, governance, strategy, results focus, risk management, stakeholders, standards and quality, systems and knowledge management, people, and project management framework. Achieving RegPMC accreditation requires a thorough evaluation process and provides organizations with feedback on areas of strength and improvement. The accreditation acknowledges organizations that employ innovative and fit-for-purpose approaches to project management and is relevant for organizations of all sizes and industries. The reinstatement of the RegPMC accreditation is significant for both Australian and global organizations seeking to enhance their project management capabilities. AIPM is committed to ensuring the accreditation remains relevant in a rapidly changing world by evolving the criteria and assessment processes. [Extracted from the article]

Bruck syndrome is an autosomal recessive form of osteogenesis imperfecta caused by biallelic variants in PLOD2 or FKBP10 and is characterized by joint contractures, bone fragility, short stature, and scoliosis. PLOD2 encodes LH2, which hydroxylates type I collagen telopeptide lysines, a critical step for collagen crosslinking. The Plod2 global knockout mouse model is limited by early embryonic lethality, and thus, the role of PLOD2 in skeletogenesis is not well understood. We generated a novel Plod2 mouse line modeling a variant identified in two unrelated individuals with Bruck syndrome: PLOD2 c.1559dupC, predicting a frameshift and loss of the long isoform LH2b. In the mouse, the duplication led to loss of LH2b mRNA as well as significantly reduced total LH2 protein. This model, Plod2fs/fs, survived up to E18.5 although in non-Mendelian genotype frequencies. The homozygous frameshift model recapitulated the joint contractures seen in Bruck syndrome and had indications of absent type I collagen telopeptide lysine hydroxylation in bone. Genetically labeling tendons with Scleraxis-GFP in Plod2fs/fs mice revealed the loss of extensor tendons in the forelimb by E18.5, and developmental studies showed extensor tendons developed through E14.5 but were absent starting at E16.5. Second harmonic generation showed abnormal tendon type I collagen fiber organization, suggesting structurally abnormal tendons. Characterization of the skeleton by μCT and Raman spectroscopy showed normal bone mineralization levels. This work highlights the importance of properly crosslinked type I collagen in tendon and bone, providing a promising new mouse model to further our understanding of Bruck syndrome. Lay Summary: Bruck syndrome is a rare disease where individuals have brittle bone as well as contracted or stiff joints. Mutations in two genes are associated with Bruck syndrome and, in this work, we focus on PLOD2. Mice without Plod2 die at an early embryonic stage, before they have a chance to fully develop. In this work, we created a mouse with a PLOD2 mutation seen in people with Bruck syndrome. Some of these new Bruck syndrome model mice survived to a later gestational age, but all died at birth. The Bruck syndrome mice were small and had contracted joints. We found that they were missing tendons in their arms and had structurally abnormal tendons in their knees. Bone mineralization was normal, but there were indications that the modifications needed for normal type I collagen structure were absent. Overall, this is an advantageous new mouse model of Bruck syndrome that can be used to study this rare disease and highlights the importance of Plod2 in tendon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt marshes have ecological and economic value, but shoreline development, the increasing rate of sea-level rise, and other human impacts have caused significant loss of salt marshes. As a result, restoration of these ecosystems is widespread. For restoration and management to be effective, it is imperative to improve our understanding of marsh-building plants that serve as the ecological foundation of these habitats. Given the observed differences in characteristics between populations of smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, restoration plantings may impact the biodiversity and resilience of restored ecosystems. Understanding differences in the structural and functional outcomes of active planting of restoration sites will enable the long-term success of restoration efforts to be improved. Natural and restored salt marshes in Long Island Sound were studied in 2021–2022 for S. alterniflora genetics, biomass, stem morphology, and faunal community composition. The average genotypic diversity of S. alterniflora was more than 4 times higher in restored than in natural marshes, and differentiation between each restored site and natural sites decreased with time. No difference was observed in live S. alterniflora belowground biomass; however, mean dead belowground biomass in natural marshes was more than 3 times greater than in restored marshes. Marsh platform invertebrates differed between the restored and natural sites, with natural marsh edge habitats having 9 times higher density of Geukensia demissa and 3 times as many crab burrows than in restored marshes, but there was no detected difference in species richness or abundance of nekton at high tide. With restoration practitioners seeking resilient, self-sustaining ecosystems, it is important to evaluate whether restored marsh characteristics are consistent with those goals and modify restoration planning accordingly to incorporate genetics, structure, and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The long-lasting persistence of autoantibodies stands as one of the hypotheses explaining the multisystemic manifestations seen in individuals with post-COVID-19 condition. The current review offers restricted insights into the persistence of autoantibodies in plasma/serum in people with post-COVID symptoms. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, as well as on medRxiv and bioRxiv preprint servers were searched up to January 5th, 2024. Papers investigating the presence of autoantibodies in plasma/serum samples in people with post-COVID symptoms were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess methodological quality. Results: From 162 identified records, five articles met all inclusion criteria; four studies included infected controls with no post-COVID symptoms whereas all five studies included non-infected controls (410 COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID symptoms, 223 COVID-19 survivors with no post-COVID symptoms as controls and 266 non-infected healthy controls). Four studies concluded that the presence of autoantibodies had a potential (but small) role in post-COVID-19 condition whereas one study concluded that autoantibodies were not associated. Quality assessment showed all studies had high methodological quality. Conclusion: Although evidence suggests that persistent autoantibodies can be associated with post-COVID symptoms, the clinical relevance of their presence seems modest at this stage. Current results highlight further research to clarify the role of autoantibodies in the development of post-COVID symptoms, guiding the development of tailored diagnostic and treatment approaches to enhance patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral persistence is one of the main hypotheses explaining the presence of post-COVID symptoms. This systematic review investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma, stool, urine, and nasal/oral swab samples in individuals with post-COVID symptomatology. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science databases, as well as medRxiv/bioRxiv preprint servers were searched up to November 25th, 2023. Articles investigating the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma, stool, urine or nasal/oral swab samples in patients with post-COVID symptoms were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale or Cochrane's Risk of Bias (Rob) tool. From 322 studies identified, six studies met all inclusion criteria. The sample included 678 COVID-19 survivors (52 % female, aged from 29 to 66 years). The methodological quality was moderate in 88 % of the studies (n=5/6). Three papers investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma, three studies in nasal/oral swabs, two studies in stool samples, one in urine and one in saliva. The follow-up was shorter than two months (<60 days after) in 66 % of the studies (n=4/6). The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA ranged from 5 to 59 % in patients with post-COVID symptoms the first two months after infection, depending on the sample tested, however, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was also identified in COVID-19 survivors without post-COVID symptoms (one study). Available evidence can suggest the presence of persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-COVID patients in the short term, although the biases within the studies do not permit us to make firm assumptions. The association between post-COVID symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the samples tested is also conflicting. The lack of comparative group without post-COVID symptoms limits the generalizability of viral persistence in post-COVID-19 condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]