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Influenza A viruses (IAV) pose a constant threat to human and poultry health. Of particular interest are the infections caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses, such as H5N1, which cause significant production issues. In response to influenza infection, cells activate immune mechanisms that lead to increased interferon (IFN) production. To investigate how alterations in the interferon signaling pathway affect the cellular response to infection in the chicken, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate a chicken cell line that lacks a functional the type I interferon receptor (IFNAR1). We then assessed viral infections with the WSN strain of influenza. Cells lacking a functional IFNAR1 receptor showed reduced expression of the interferon stimulated genes (ISG) such as Protein Kinase R ( PKR ) and Myxovirus resistance ( Mx ) and were more susceptible to viral infection with WSN. We further investigated the role or IFNAR1 on low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) strains (H7N9) and a HPAI strain (H5N1). Intriguingly, Ifnar -/- cells appeared more resistant than WT cells when infected with HPAI virus, potentially indicating a different interaction between H5N1 and the IFN signaling pathway. Our findings support that ChIFNAR1 is a key component of the chicken IFN signaling pathway and these data add contributions to the field of host-avian pathogen interaction and innate immunity in chickens.

Video surveillance and detection of players with visible signs of concussion by experienced medical staff facilitates rapid on-field screening of suspected concussion in professional sports. This method, however has not been validated in community sports where video footage is unavailable. This study aimed to explore the utility of visible signs of concussion to identify players with decrements in performance on concussion screening measures. In this observational prospective cohort study, personnel with basic training observed live matches across a season (60 matches) of community male and female Australian football for signs of concussion outlined in the community-based Head Injury Assessment form (HIAf). Players identified to have positive signs of concussion (CoSign+) following an impact were compared with players without signs (CoSign-). Outcome measures, the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT3) and Cogstate, were administered at baseline and post-match. CoSign+ ( n  = 22) and CoSign- ( n  = 61) groups were similar with respect to age, sex, education, baseline mood, and medical history. CoSign+ players exhibited worse orientation, concentration, and recall, and slower reaction time in attention and working memory tasks. Comparing individual change from baseline to post-match assessment revealed 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 84-100%) of CoSign+ players demonstrated clinically significant deficits on SCAT3 or Cogstate tasks, compared with 59% (95% CI: 46-71%) of CoSign- players. All CoSign+ players observed to have a blank/vacant look demonstrated clinically significant decline on the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC). Detection of visible signs of concussion represents a rapid, real-time method for screening players suspected of concussion in community sports where video technology and medical personnel are rarely present. Consistent with community guidelines, it is recommended that all CoSign+ players be immediately removed from play for further concussion screening.

People seeking asylum are at risk of receiving poorer quality healthcare due, in part, to racist and discriminatory attitudes, behaviours and policies in the health system. Despite fleeing war and conflict; exposure to torture and traumatic events and living with uncertainty; people seeking asylum are at high-risk of experiencing long-term poor physical and mental health outcomes in their host country. This article aims to raise awareness and bring attention to some common issues people seeking asylum face when seeking healthcare in high-income countries where the health system is dominated by a Western biomedical view of health. Clinical case scenarios are used to highlight instances of racist healthcare policies and practices that create and maintain ongoing health disparities; limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health services, and lack of trauma-informed approaches to care. Nurses and midwives can play an important role in countering racism in healthcare settings; by identifying and calling out discriminatory practice and modelling tolerance, respect and empathy in daily practice. We present recommendations for individuals, organisations and governments that can inform changes to policies and practices that will reduce racism and improve health equity for people seeking asylum., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Dry Powder Inhalers (DPIs) continue to be developed to deliver an expanding range of drugs to treat an ever-increasing range of medical conditions; with each drug and device combination needing a specifically designed inhaler. Fast regulatory approval is essential to be first to market, ensuring commercial profitability., Areas Covered: In vitro deposition, particle image velocimetry, and computational modeling using the physiological geometry and representative anatomy can be combined to give complementary information to determine the suitability of a proposed inhaler design and to optimize its formulation performance. In combination, they allow the entire range of questions to be addressed cost-effectively and rapidly., Expert Opinion: Experimental techniques and computational methods are improving rapidly, but each needs a skilled user to maximize results obtained from these techniques. Multidisciplinary teams are therefore key to making optimal use of these methods and such qualified teams can provide enormous benefits to pharmaceutical companies to improve device efficacy and thus time to market. There is already a move to integrate the benefits of Industry 4.0 into inhaler design and usage, a trend that will accelerate.

The global online education sector has been rising rapidly, particularly during and after the events of 2020, and is becoming mainstream much sooner than expected. Despite this, research studies report higher levels of perceived isolation, difficulties with engagement, and higher attrition rates in online compared to equivalent on-campus programs. Reasons include restrictions to the type of institutional support accessible by online students, and the lack of comprehensiveness of orientation resources. This paper describes the collaborative efforts by a cross-faculty academic team, supported by a community of practice, to create a university-wide online orientation resource-the Monash Online Learning Hub (MOLH). The development of the MOLH involved multiple phases, including an analysis of current practice, resource design and content creation, formative evaluation by staff and students, and successful integration into the university's mainstream student orientation platform for widescale implementation. The methods adopted were varied, and involved generating both qualitative and quantitative data across multiple phases of development from online education experts at the University, that culminated in the gradual building and refinement of the MOLH. Final outcomes, implications and lessons learned are also discussed in this paper., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: Social isolation and the impact on mental health is a major concern during COVID-19. Trait equanimity is expected to protect individuals from psychological distress associated with social isolation. The aim of this study is to examine the link between social isolation and psychological distress via the mediator equanimity. It was hypothesised that objective (few social contacts) and perceived social isolation (loneliness) would predict psychological distress and that equanimity would mediate these relationships., Methods: Five hundred and seventy-eight adult United States participants were recruited and completed measures of objective social isolation and perceived social isolation (De Jong Gierveld Social Isolation scale), trait equanimity (Phenomenological Experience of Meditative Equanimity Scale), and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Short Form, DASS-21)., Results: Objective social isolation negatively predicted psychological distress, but equanimity did not mediate this relationship. Perceived social isolation positively predicted psychological distress and equanimity mediated this relationship., Limitations: This study is limited by its cross-sectional and self-report design and by a United States sample, which may affect the generalisability of findings., Conclusions: Rather than a lack of social contact it is the "perceived" nature of isolation that is related to psychological distress and this relationship indirectly operates through trait equanimity. Individuals high in trait equanimity may be better protected from the impact of perceived social isolation. Clinical interventions can be adapted to include equanimity skills to mitigate perceived social isolation for individuals and reduce adverse outcomes., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This paper focuses on improving the performance of scientific instrumentation that uses glass spray chambers for sample introduction, such as spectrometers, which are widely used in analytical chemistry, by detecting incidents using deep convolutional models. The performance of these instruments can be affected by the quality of the introduction of the sample into the spray chamber. Among the indicators of poor quality sample introduction are two primary incidents: The formation of liquid beads on the surface of the spray chamber, and flooding at the bottom of the spray chamber. Detecting such events autonomously as they occur can assist with improving the overall operational accuracy and efficacy of the chemical analysis, and avoid severe incidents such as malfunction and instrument damage. In contrast to objects commonly seen in the real world, beading and flooding detection are more challenging since they are of significantly small size and transparent. Furthermore, the non-rigid property increases the difficulty of the detection of these incidents, as such that existing deep-learning-based object detection frameworks are prone to fail for this task. There is no former work that uses computer vision to detect these incidents in the chemistry industry. In this work, we propose two frameworks for the detection task of these two incidents, which not only leverage the modern deep learning architectures but also integrate with expert knowledge of the problems. Specifically, the proposed networks first localize the regions of interest where the incidents are most likely generated and then refine these incident outputs. The use of data augmentation and synthesis, and choice of negative sampling in training, allows for a large increase in accuracy while remaining a real-time system for inference. In the data collected from our laboratory, our method surpasses widely used object detection baselines and can correctly detect 95% of the beads and 98% of the flooding. At the same time, out method can process four frames per second and is able to be implemented in real time.

In September 2019, two gravid female brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) were captured and equipped with GPS/GSM collars in Paklenica National Park (Croatia). Home ranges during hyperphagia were analyzed to describe the spatiotemporal requirements. Mean seasonal home ranges were very small with 9.2 km 2 and 7.5 km 2 (Brownian Bridge Movement Model 95%). During the tracking period, both bears used different territories and showed little to no use of overlapping area. The bears in our study spent a considerable time in proximity of artificial feeding sites, indicating a probable use of these structures as a food resource (mean 15.7% and 30.7%). Furthermore, the bears approached very close to human structures such as 8.9 m and 4.4 m. As most encounters between humans and bears occur during hyperphagia, it is important to offer refugia from human disturbance, especially as the National Park is not only used by residents, but also by tourists. To adapt management according to the animal's needs, further studies should include more individuals from different age and sex classes. Both females were gravid. It remains unclear whether gravidity has an effect on the home range and should be further investigated.

We evaluated the use of attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy for simultaneous in situ quantification of the nutritional composition of liquid food stuffs in the industrial kitchen context. Different methodologies were compared, including dry and wet acquisition along with instrument parameters and measurement times of 4 and 60 s. The most effective technique was 1-minute measurement, with prediction errors of 2.6, 0.7, 1.0, 2.2, 0.8, 2.4 g/100 mL and 150 Kcal, for carbohydrates, proteins, fat, sugars, saturated fat, water and energy values, respectively.The 4-second method resulted in larger errors but was more applicable for inline measurements. Dry measurements successfully predicted the fractions of proteins, fat, carbohydrates, and sugars, relative to total solids. An app was created to facilitate implementation in a kitchen environment. Compared with other techniques recommended by the FAO, the approach offered a simple alternative for simultaneous prediction of nutritional parameters in an industrial kitchen set-up., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The ability to think creatively is paramount to facing new challenges, but how creativity arises remains mysterious. Here, we show that the brain activity common to the twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness (nonrapid eye movement sleep stage 1 or N1) ignites creative sparks. Participants ( N = 103) were exposed to mathematical problems without knowing that a hidden rule allowed solving them almost instantly. We found that spending at least 15 s in N1 during a resting period tripled the chance to discover the hidden rule (83% versus 30% when participants remained awake), and this effect vanished if subjects reached deeper sleep. Our findings suggest that there is a creative sweet spot within the sleep-onset period, and hitting it requires individuals balancing falling asleep easily against falling asleep too deeply.

Infrared spectroscopy (IR) enables the direct and rapid characterization of cells at the molecular level. Achieving a rapid and consistent cell preparation is critical for the development of point-of-care diagnostics for cell analysis. Here we introduce an open-source, 3D printed device for integrating the isolation, preconcentration, and measurement of attenuated total reflectance IR spectra of cells from biofluids. The tool comprises a disposable card for cytocentrifugation, equipped with magnets, which allows reproducible integration into the pathlength of the IR spectrophotometer. Preliminary results using cell culture media containing A549 cells indicate that this system enables a qualitative and quantitative characterization of cells down to 10 cells μL -1 by using a single and cost-effective device and within a few minutes.

This article aims to explore the concept of spiritual transformation and address the question, 'How does spirituality bring about changes in cognition and behavior?' It draws on the findings of a larger qualitative study that explored the essence of spirituality and spiritual engagement from the perspective of palliative care clients and caregivers. Four clients and ten caregivers from across regional South Australia participated in the larger study utilizing van Manen's phenomenology. Secondary analysis of the qualitative data was undertaken to highlight the statements and phrases that portrayed the marked changes in thinking and behavior catalyzed by spirituality. The findings relate to the participants' spiritual beliefs and practices that helped them journey through the process of death and dying. Spirituality is a plausible explanation of the transformation that occurred, manifested by new thinking and behavior., (© 2021. Crown.)

Purposes Timely delivery of treatment and rehabilitation is generally acknowledged to support injury recovery. This study aimed to describe the timing of health service use by injured truck drivers with work-related injury and to explore the association between demographic and injury factors and the duration of health service use. Methods Retrospective cohort study of injured truck drivers with accepted workers' compensation claims in the state of Victoria, Australia. Descriptive analyses examined the percentage of injured truck drivers using health services by service type. Logistic regression model examined predictors of any service use versus no service use, and predictors of extended service use (≥ 52 weeks) versus short-term use. Results The timing of health service use by injured truck drivers with accepted workers' compensation claims varies substantially by service type. General practitioner, specialist physician, and physical therapy service use peaks within the 14 weeks after compensation claim lodgement, whilst the majority of mental health services were accessed in the persistent phase beyond 14 weeks after claim lodgement. Older age, being employed by small companies, and claiming compensation for mental health conditions were associated with greater duration of health service use. Conclusions Injured truck drivers access a wide range of health services during the recovery and return to work process. Delivery of mental health services is delayed, including for those making mental health compensation claims. Health service planning should take into account worker and employer characteristics in addition to injury type., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Halovirus HF2 was the first member of the Haloferacalesvirus genus to have its genome fully sequenced, which revealed two classes of intergenic repeat (IR) sequences: class I repeats of 58 bp in length, and class II repeats of 29 bp in length. Both classes of repeat contain AT-rich motifs that were conjectured to represent promoters. In the present study, nine IRs were cloned upstream of the bgaH reporter gene, and all displayed promoter activity, providing experimental evidence for the previous conjecture. Comparative genomics showed that IR sequences and their relative genomic positions were strongly conserved among other members of the same virus genus. The transcription of HF2 was also examined by the reverse-transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) method, which demonstrated very long transcripts were produced that together covered most of the genome, and from both strands. The presence of long counter transcripts suggests a regulatory role or possibly unrecognized coding potential.

Objective: Develop and test a person-centred goal-setting package for discharge care planning in acute and rehabilitation stroke units., Methods: A multidisciplinary, expert working group ( n  = 15), and consumer group ( n  = 4) was convened. A multistage iterative approach was used to develop and test the package. Stages included: (i) contextual understanding, (ii) package development, and (iii) clinician training and field-testing in acute and rehabilitation settings. Observational field notes were taken and clinicians' perspectives captured using semi-structured focus groups post-testing., Results: The final package included a 34-item menu aligned with a manual containing: guideline summaries; common goals; goal metrics based on the SMART Goal Evaluation Method (SMART-GEM); evidence-based strategies; and worked examples. Twenty-three clinicians attended training. Clinician observations ( n  = 5) indicated that: the package could be incorporated into practice; a range of person-centred goals were set; and opportunities provided to raise additional issues. Clinician feedback ( n  = 8) suggested the package was useful and facilitated person-centred goal-setting. Enablers included potential for incorporation into existing processes and beliefs that it promoted person-centred care. Barriers included additional time., Conclusion: The package demonstrated potential to facilitate comprehensive person-centred goal-setting for patients with stroke., Innovation: We developed an innovative approach to support structured person-centred goal setting in clinical and research settings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Background: Friedreich ataxia is an inherited neurodegenerative disease, with cerebral and cerebellar pathology evident. Despite an increased understanding of its neuropathology, disease progression in this disease remains poorly understood. This study aimed to characterise longitudinal change in brain structure using a multi-modal approach across cerebral and cerebellar grey and white matter., Methods: T1-weighted, diffusion-tensor, and magnetisation transfer magnetic resonance images were obtained from 28 individuals with Friedreich ataxia and 29 age- and gender-matched controls at two time-points, 2 years apart. Region-of-interest and exploratory between-group comparisons assessed changes in brain macrostructure (cerebellar lobule volume, cerebral cortical thickness/gyrification, brain white matter volume) and microstructure (white matter fractional anisotropy, mean/axial/radial diffusivity, magnetisation transfer ratio). Rates of change were correlated against change in neurological severity, Time 1 severity, and onset age., Results: Individuals with Friedreich ataxia had a greater rate of white matter volume loss than controls in the superior cerebellar peduncles and right peri-thalamic/posterior cerebral regions, and greater reduction in left primary motor cortex gyrification. Greater cerebellar/brainstem white matter volume loss and right dorsal premotor gyrification loss was observed amongst individuals with less severe neurological symptoms at Time 1. Conversely, cerebral atrophy and changes in axial diffusivity were observed in individuals with more severe Time 1 symptoms. Progression in radial diffusivity was more pronounced amongst individuals with earlier disease onset. Greater right ventral premotor gyrification loss correlated with greater neurological progression., Conclusion: Heterogeneity in Friedreich ataxia progression is observed at the neurobiological level, with evidence of earlier cerebellar and later cerebral degeneration., (© 2021. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Professionalism in radiography is a complex, multidimensional concept seldom investigated. During clinical placements, students may observe or be involved in unprofessional practice/professionalism lapses which result in professionalism dilemmas. Establishing what constitutes a professionalism dilemma and what action to take may be challenging for students and also practitioners. This is due to unclear reporting pathways and fear of retribution, both deterrents to raising concerns. The aim of this integrative literature review was to investigate how and why professionalism dilemmas occur. In addition, to explore the types of dilemma students experience during clinical placement and to contextualise and reflect on these findings within radiography. Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar and the grey literature were reviewed, analysed and themed., Key Findings: Twenty-eight papers (published between 2004 and 2020) were analysed and summarised. Four themes emerged, and were discussed within the radiography context; the nature of professionalism lapses (mistreatment, verbal abuse, exclusion and intimidation), reasons for professionalism lapses (burnout and poor role modelling), student response at the time of the professionalism dilemma (accept, resist or report) and long-term impacts on students (moral/emotional distress, professional development and choice of career)., Conclusion: Professionalism dilemmas are not reported in the radiography literature but are cited in radiology and other health professions studies. Student experiences of such dilemmas can be profound and long lasting. Thus, research is required to investigate specifically the professional dilemmas experienced by radiography students in the unique environment in which they develop their clinical skills., Implications for Practice: The literature review findings can be used to support the development of strategies to enhance future teaching and modelling of professionalism and develop related research in radiography., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement None, (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Meaningful involvement of consumers in healthcare is a high priority worldwide. In Victoria, Australia, a Partnering in Healthcare (PiH) policy framework was developed to guide health services in addressing consumer-focused healthcare improvements. The aim of this project was to identify priorities for improvement relating to the framework from the perspective of Victorian healthcare consumers and those who work in the healthcare sector., Methods: A survey of Victorians representing key stakeholder groups was used to identify a "long list" of potential priorities, followed by a day-long summit to reduce this to a "short list" using explicit prioritization criteria. The survey was piloted prior to implementation, and diverse consumer groups and key health service providers were purposefully sampled for the summit., Results: The survey (n = 680 respondents) generated 14-20 thematic categories across the proposed framework's five domains. The summit (n = 31 participants, including n = 21 consumer representatives) prioritized the following five areas based on the survey findings: communication, shared decision-making, (shared) care planning, health (system) literacy and people (not) around the patient. These priorities were underpinned by three cross-cutting principles: care/compassion/respect, accountability and diversity., Conclusion: Few studies have explicitly sought consumer input on health policy implementation. Adopting a codesign approach enabled the framework to be a shared foundation of healthcare improvement. The framework was subsequently launched in 2019. All Victorian health services are required to commit annually to improvement priorities against at least two framework domains., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The military population face a unique set of risk factors that may increase the risk of being diagnosed with dementia. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a higher prevalence in this group in comparison to the civilian population. By delving into the individual relationships between TBI and dementia, and PTSD and dementia, we are able to better explore dementia in the military and veteran populations. While there are some inconsistencies in results, the TBI-dementia association has become more widely accepted. Moderate-to-severe TBI has been found to increase the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. A correlation between PTSD and dementia has been established, however, whether or not it is a causal relationship remains unclear. Factors such as blast, combat and chemical exposure may occur during a deployment, along with TBI and/or PTSD diagnosis, and can impact the risk of dementia. However, there is a lack of literature exploring the direct effects of deployment on dementia risk. Sleep problems have been observed to occur in those following TBI, PTSD and deployment. Poor sleep has been associated with possible dementia risk. Although limited studies have focused on the link between sleep and dementia in military and veteran populations, sleep is a valuable factor to study due to its association and interconnection with other military/veteran factors. This review aims to inform of various risk factors to the cognitive health of military members and veterans: TBI, PTSD, deployment, and sleep., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Evidence from different countries shows that the level of support given to mothers who return to paid employment can significantly determine the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). However, little is known about how returning to work impacts Ethiopian women's EBF practice. The aim of this study was to explore women's attitudes and experiences of EBF when they returned to work. Mothers who had an infant of less than 12 months, working in government institutions in Tigray region, Ethiopia, were invited to participate in this study. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were used to explore mothers' perspectives of the factors that influenced EBF when they returned to work. The interview data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Twenty mothers were interviewed from 10 organizations. Three themes were identified from their accounts: mother's knowledge, attitudes and practice towards breastfeeding; workplace context and employment conditions; and support received at home. Most participants were familiar with the benefits of EBF. Most participants reported that their colleagues had more positive attitudes towards breastfeeding than their managers. In almost all the workplaces, there was no specific designated breastfeeding space. Participants reported that close family members including husbands and mothers were supportive. Mothers' knowledge and attitude towards breastfeeding, workplace and employment conditions and support received at home were found to be the main factors determining the duration of EBF among employed women. Participants reported that the overall support given to breastfeeding women from their employers was insufficient to promote EBF., (© 2021 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: Investigate the strategies used to support graduate transition-to-practice, and how they align with the four domains of work readiness: work competence; personal work characteristics; organisational acumen; and social intelligence., Design: Integrative review with narrative synthesis., Data Sources: Databases searched in 2019 included Medline, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Embase via EBSCO, ERIC and MIDIRS. Grey literature was obtained through Proquest Dissertations and Thesis Global, and Trove., Review Methods: The 5-step method included: 1) Independent title and abstract review; 2) discussion of conflicting findings after title and abstract review; 3) independent full text review; 4) discussion of conflicting findings after full text review; and 5) quality evaluation using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Twenty eligible studies were analyzed and synthesized using the framework method informed by four domains of Graduate Work Readiness., Results: Of the 24 strategies identified, most (n = 20) supported graduate development across two or more work readiness domains. Structured education (n = 14) and preceptorship (n = 13) were most often used, and findings related to development of graduate work competence (n = 17) were most often measured. All four domains of work readiness were seldom addressed, with social intelligence a common gap., Conclusions: This review provides two important considerations for graduate nurse programs. First, a combination of strategies is required to address all four domains of work readiness. Second, there is a need to tailor strategies, and their implementation, to the context of the organisation and clinical workplace., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In human body, alveoli are the primary sites for gas exchange which are formed by the dilation and protrusion of bronchioles at the end of the lung, and the rapid gas-exchanging process in the alveoli ensures normal life activities. Based on the unique structures and functions of alveoli, it is necessary to study the regulation mechanism of its formation, respiration, and apoptosis. Herein, a class of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-derived amphiphilic triblock copolymers, PEO-b-P(DEAEMA-co-FMA)-b-PS is designed and synthesized. Due to the amphiphilic and gas-responsive segments, these triblock copolymers can self-assemble in aqueous solution and undergo the morphological transition from nanotubes to vesicles under gas stimulation; meanwhile, in the cycles of CO 2 /O 2 stimulation, these vesicles can further realize the volume expansion and contraction, eventually rupture. The gas-driven morphological transformations of these aggregates successfully imitate the formation, respiration, and apoptosis of alveoli, and provide an essential basis for revealing the life phenomena., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The human brain consists of specialized areas that flexibly interact to form a multitude of functional networks. Complementary to this notion of modular organization, brain function has been shown to vary along a smooth continuum across the whole cortex. We demonstrate a mathematical framework that accounts for both of these perspectives: harmonic modes. We calculate the harmonic modes of the brain's functional connectivity graph, called "functional harmonics," revealing a multi-dimensional, frequency-ordered set of basis functions. Functional harmonics link characteristics of cortical organization across several spatial scales, capturing aspects of intra-areal organizational features (retinotopy, somatotopy), delineating brain areas, and explaining macroscopic functional networks as well as global cortical gradients. Furthermore, we show how the activity patterns elicited by seven different tasks are reconstructed from a very small subset of functional harmonics. Our results suggest that the principle of harmonicity, ubiquitous in nature, also underlies functional cortical organization in the human brain., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nowadays, location awareness becomes the key to numerous Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Among the various methods for indoor localisation, received signal strength indicator (RSSI)-based fingerprinting attracts massive attention. However, the RSSI fingerprinting method is susceptible to lower accuracies because of the disturbance triggered by various factors from the indoors that influence the link quality of radio signals. Localisation using body-mounted wearable devices introduces an additional source of error when calculating the RSSI, leading to the deterioration of localisation performance. The broad aim of this study is to mitigate the user's body shadowing effect on RSSI to improve localisation accuracy. Firstly, this study examines the effect of the user's body on RSSI. Then, an angle estimation method is proposed by leveraging the concept of landmark. For precise identification of landmarks, an inertial measurement unit (IMU)-aided decision tree-based motion mode classifier is implemented. After that, a compensation model is proposed to correct the RSSI. Finally, the unknown location is estimated using the nearest neighbour method. Results demonstrated that the proposed system can significantly improve the localisation accuracy, where a median localisation accuracy of 1.46 m is achieved after compensating the body effect, which is 2.68 m before the compensation using the classical K-nearest neighbour method. Moreover, the proposed system noticeably outperformed others when comparing its performance with two other related works. The median accuracy is further improved to 0.74 m by applying a proposed weighted K-nearest neighbour algorithm.

Sarcoma is a rare cancer that has a significant impact on patients' and carers' quality of life. Despite this, there has been a paucity of research exploring the diverse experiences of patients and carers following sarcoma treatment. The aim of this study was to explore patients' and carers' reflections on life after treatment for sarcoma. A qualitative research design with a social constructionist epistemology was used. Participants included patients previously treated for sarcoma ( n = 21) and family carers of patients treated for sarcoma ( n = 16). Participants completed semi-structured interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis. Three primary themes were identified: "This journey is never going to be over", "But what happens when I am better?", and finding a silver lining. Participants represented sarcoma as having a long-term, and sometimes indefinite, threat on their life that they had limited control over. Conclusions: This study highlight the heterogeneous and ongoing needs of sarcoma survivors and their families. Patients and carers strove to translate their experiences in a meaningful way, such as by improving outcomes for other people affected by sarcoma. Parental carers in particular attempted to protect the patient from the ongoing stress of managing the disease.

Understanding the order and progression of change in biomarkers of neurodegeneration is essential to detect the effects of pharmacological interventions on these biomarkers. In Huntington's disease (HD), motor, cognitive and MRI biomarkers are currently used in clinical trials of drug efficacy. Here for the first time we use directly compare data from three large observational studies of HD (total N = 532) using a probabilistic event-based model (EBM) to characterise the order in which motor, cognitive and MRI biomarkers become abnormal. We also investigate the impact of the genetic cause of HD, cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat length, on progression through these stages. We find that EBM uncovers a broadly consistent order of events across all three studies; that EBM stage reflects clinical stage; and that EBM stage is related to age and genetic burden. Our findings indicate that measures of subcortical and white matter volume become abnormal prior to clinical and cognitive biomarkers. Importantly, CAG repeat length has a large impact on the timing of onset of each stage and progression through the stages, with a longer repeat length resulting in earlier onset and faster progression. Our results can be used to help design clinical trials of treatments for Huntington's disease, influencing the choice of biomarkers and the recruitment of participants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wijeratne, Johnson, Gregory, Georgiou-Karistianis, Paulsen, Scahill, Tabrizi and Alexander.)

Learning through work is a common feature of preparing health professionals for practice. Current understandings of work-integrated learning or a 'work-based placement', focus on students being consumers of experiences rather than providing a reciprocal benefit to the organisation in which they are placed. More nuanced understanding of the ways that students can offer value to organisations may provide new opportunities and increased capacity for workplace learning. This study drew on Social Exchange Theory to explore the perceived value and benefits of work-integrated learning experiences to the organisations in which students are placed. The focus was on population health placements undertaken by dietetics students at a large Australian university. An interpretive approach was employed with interviews with placement educators and document analysis of student-generated products from their placement. Seventeen of 20 eligible placement educators were interviewed, with interview data coded using thematic framework analysis. These data were supported with document analysis of student scientific posters completed as part of assessment to develop themes which were interpreted with social exchange theory. Three themes were identified: (1) students add to the organisation's capacity, (2) benefits outweigh time cost of planning and supervising and (3) explicitly valuing students for their contributions may build trust and further potentiate bi-directional benefits. Results suggest that student placements can add value to organisations. This reciprocity of benefits should be communicated to all stakeholders involved in the university-community collaboration, including students. Social exchange theory sensitised researchers to nuanced findings that may support the translation of these study findings to other student work-integrated learning settings., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Involving patients in their healthcare using shared decision-making (SDM) is promoted through policy and research, yet its implementation in routine practice remains slow. Research into SDM has stemmed from primary and secondary care contexts, and research into the implementation of SDM in tertiary care settings has not been systematically reviewed. Furthermore, perspectives on SDM beyond those of patients and their treating clinicians may add insights into the implementation of SDM. This systematic review aimed to review literature exploring barriers and facilitators to implementing SDM in hospital settings from multiple stakeholder perspectives., Methods: The search strategy focused on peer-reviewed qualitative studies with the primary aim of identifying barriers and facilitators to implementing SDM in hospital (tertiary care) settings. Studies from the perspective of patients, clinicians, health service administrators, and decision makers, government policy makers, and other stakeholders (for example researchers) were eligible for inclusion. Reported qualitative results were mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify behavioural barriers and facilitators to SDM., Results: Titles and abstracts of 8724 articles were screened and 520 were reviewed in full text. Fourteen articles met inclusion criteria. Most studies (n = 12) were conducted in the last four years; only four reported perspectives in addition to the patient-clinician dyad. In mapping results to the TDF, the dominant themes were Environmental Context and Resources, Social/Professional Role and Identity, Knowledge and Skills, and Beliefs about Capabilities. A wide range of barriers and facilitators across individual, organisational, and system levels were reported. Barriers specific to the hospital setting included noisy and busy ward environments and a lack of private spaces in which to conduct SDM conversations., Conclusions: SDM implementation research in hospital settings appears to be a young field. Future research should build on studies examining perspectives beyond the clinician-patient dyad and further consider the role of organisational- and system-level factors. Organisations wishing to implement SDM in hospital settings should also consider factors specific to tertiary care settings in addition to addressing their organisational and individual SDM needs., Trial Registration: The protocol for the review is registered on the Open Science Framework and can be found at https://osf.io/da645/ , DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/DA645 ., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Interactions between bacteriophages and mammalian cells are poorly understood. Establishing common methodologies investigating these interactions is important for advancing our understanding in this area. The protocols presented here provide an overview of key approaches investigating interactions between bacteriophages and eukaryotic cells using a variety of techniques, including transwells, microscopy, and whole-cell analysis. These techniques allow for the direct measurement of phage-cellular interactions and characterization of how the presence of phages affects cellular pathways, cell biology, immunology, and the microbiome. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Nguyen et al. (2017) and Bichet et al. (2021)., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in an unprecedented need for diagnostic testing that is critical in controlling the spread of COVID-19. We propose a portable infrared spectrometer with purpose-built transflection accessory for rapid point-of-care detection of COVID-19 markers in saliva. Initially, purified virion particles were characterized with Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron infrared (IR) and AFM-IR. A data set comprising 171 transflection infrared spectra from 29 subjects testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR and 28 testing negative, was modeled using Monte Carlo Double Cross Validation with 50 randomized test and model sets. The testing sensitivity was 93 % (27/29) with a specificity of 82 % (23/28) that included positive samples on the limit of detection for RT-qPCR. Herein, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept high throughput infrared COVID-19 test that is rapid, inexpensive, portable and utilizes sample self-collection thus minimizing the risk to healthcare workers and ideally suited to mass screening., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered the ways in which disabled people are made more vulnerable due to structural inequalities. These vulnerabilities are the result of the interaction between individual and structural factors that shape how risk is experienced by disabled people. In Australia, these vulnerabilities are influenced by the way disability services and care for disabled people are delivered through a consumer-directed approach. We analysed the policies and documentation made by the Australian Government and state and territory governments during the pandemic to explore whether these were disability-inclusive. We aimed to unpack how these policies shaped disabled people as vulnerable citizens., Methods: Guided by documentary research, we used framework analysis to examine the policies of the Australian Government and state and territory governments. We analysed legislation that was given royal assent by the federal, state and territory governments, and documents (reports, fact sheets, guidance documents, etc.) published by the federal government and the state of Victoria (given that this state experienced the brunt of the epidemic in Australia) between February 2020 to August of 2020., Results: We found that most of the resources were not aimed at disabled people, but at carers and workers within disability services. In addition, most policies formulated by the Australian Government were related to the expansion of welfare services and the creation of economic stimulus schemes. However, while the stimulus included unemployed people, the expansion of benefits explicitly excluded disabled people who were not employed. Most of the legislation and documents offered accessibility options, though most of these options were only available in English. Disability oriented agencies offered more extensive accessibility options., Conclusions: The findings indicate a large number of documents addressing the needs of disabled people. However, disability-inclusiveness appeared to be inconsistent and not fully considered, leaving disabled people exposed to greater risk of COVID-19. Neoliberal policies in the health and welfare sector in Australia have led to an individualisation of the responsibility to remain healthy and a reliance on people as independent consumers. Governments need to take a clear stance towards the emergence of such a discourse that actively disvalues disabled people., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Processing induced structural changes of whole foods for the regulation of the colonic fermentation rate and microbiota composition are least understood and often overlooked. In the present study, intact cotyledon cells from pinto beans were isolated as a whole pulse food model and subjected to a series of processing temperatures to modulate the structure, most dominantly the cell wall permeability. The cell wall permeability, observed with the diffusion of fluorescently labeled dextran (FITC-dextran), was increased as a function of the hydrothermal temperature, which is in line with the rise in the in vitro fecal fermentation rate and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from the pinto bean cells. Further, the abundance of beneficial microbiota, such as Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides, and Coprococcus, were significantly higher for cells processed at 100 °C compared to the 60 °C-treated ones. We conclude that cell wall provides an effective barrier for the microbial fermentation of intact cells. With an increase in cell wall permeability, microbes and/or microbial enzymes have easier access to intracellular starch for fermentation, leading to an increase in the production of metabolites and the abundance of beneficial microbes. Thus, desired colonic fermentation profiles can be achieved with the controlled processing of whole foods for enhanced gut health.

The in vitro fecal fermentation characteristics and microbiota responses to A- and B-type polymorphic starches as model (whole) foods enriched with resistant starch was investigated. Marked difference in fermentation rate as well as microbial genera was observed during fermentation, the degradation pattern as well as structural evolution during fermentation was almost similar. The final butyrate concentrations of both HAMS and PS (ca. 38 mM) were significantly higher than that of WMS (23 mM) and NMS (33 mM), which was associated with the increase of the relative abundance of Roseburia, Blautia, and Lachnospiraceae. A-type polymorphic starches, on the other hand had remarkably faster fermentation rate and promoted Megamonas. X-ray diffraction and size-exclusion chromatography of residual starch during the fermentation course demonstrated the "side-by-side" fermentation pattern. Based on the structural changes observed, we conclude that in vitro fecal fermentation of starch granules predominantly controlled by the surface features rather than the molecular and supra-molecular structure., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The cell wall microstructure has been recognized to modulate the digestibility and bioaccessibility of nutrients in whole pulse foods, while the role of cell wall integrity is unclarified in the hydrolysis of intracellular nutrients during human gastrointestinal transit. Intact pea cells were isolated to prepare a series of cell wall integrity subjected to cooking and followed by the in vitro hydrolysis of starch and protein properties using the INFOGEST 2.0 in vitro simulation. Thermal properties showed that cell samples either in raw or cooked form with different wall integrity exhibited similar and higher starch gelatinization temperatures compared to the isolated starch counterpart. It was found that intact pea cells showed the limited hydrolysis extent of the maltose (16.2%) and NH 2 (6.7%) compared to the damaged cells. In addition, intact cells also withheld the cell wall integrity throughout gastrointestinal digestion with minor rupture, and presented the higher protein molecular weight (70 kDa) in the SDS-PAGE profiles. Results suggested that the in vitro starch and protein digestion properties are modulated by the cell wall integrity, which may lead to lower glycemic response and open up the possibilities of designing health food products., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

With advances in neonatal care there has been an increase in survival rates for infants born very preterm and/or with complex needs, such as those who require major surgery, who may not have survived decades ago. Despite advances in survival, these infants remain at high-risk for a range of neurodevelopmental delays and/or impairments including motor, cognitive and emotional/behavioural challenges. Research has improved our ability to identify which infants are at high-risk of developmental delay and/or impairments, and there is mounting evidence that early interventions can improve outcomes of these infants. However, clinical practice varies throughout the world regarding recommendations for developmental screening. Moreover, intervention, when available, is often not commenced early enough in development. Given limited resources, those infants most at risk of developmental impairments and their families should be targeted, with further research needed on the cost-effectiveness of surveillance and early interventions., (© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In adolescents and young adults, self-compassion has been positively associated with wellbeing and negatively associated with psychological distress. One population of youth who may draw particular benefit from self-compassion are those who have parents with mental illness. This qualitative study explored the perspectives and experiences of self-compassion among a group of young adult children of parents with mental illness., Methods: A purposive sample of ten Australian emerging adults aged 18-25 years (3 men, 6 women and 1 non-binary person) participated in individual semi-structured telephone interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to examine and interpret participants' experiences and perspectives of self-compassion., Results: Participants described self-compassion as personally relevant and beneficial, although difficult to engage in. Some participants had learnt about, and actively practiced self-compassion, and offered advice for others. Conversely, others described self-compassion as difficult to practice and outlined barriers to self-compassion, from society and family life. Although participants identified common negative social conceptions of self-compassion, they articulated how self-compassion could be valuable for those who have parents with mental illness., Conclusions: Results indicate the perceived importance of self-compassion along with barriers and facilitators of self-compassion for young adults who have parents with a mental illness. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are presented., (Copyright © 2021 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The concept of "enterotype" has been proposed to differentiate the gut microbiota between individual humans, and different dominant bacteria utilize fiber substrates with different fermentation properties and microbial changes. In this study, we made propionylated high-amylose maize starch and investigated both in vitro fecal fermentation properties and microbial responses by individual Bacteroides-dominated enterotype inocula. Propionyl group substitution of HAMS did not significantly change gas production profiles, suggesting that the gas production during fermentation is independent of propionylation. The final concentration of released propionate significantly increased (10.26-12.60 mM) as a function of propionylation degree, suggesting that the introduced propionyl groups can increase the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) during colonic fermentation. At the genus level, Bacteroides was obviously promoted for all donors with the final abundance in the range of 0.1-0.24, indicating that propionylated high-amylose maize starch changed the structure and abundance of microbiota compared to unmodified starch. Besides, the non-metric dimensional scoring (NMDS) plots showed that those changes were related to the initial microbiota composition. The results may offer useful information for the design of personalized food products and relevant therapies at least within Bacteroides-dominated enterotype., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The DEFECTIVE EMBRYO AND MERISTEMS 1 (DEM1) gene encodes a protein of unknown biochemical function required for meristem formation and seedling development in tomato, but it was unclear whether DEM1's primary role was in cell division or alternatively, in defining the identity of meristematic cells. Genome sequence analysis indicates that flowering plants possess at least two DEM genes. Arabidopsis has two DEM genes, DEM1 and DEM2, which we show are expressed in developing embryos and meristems in a punctate pattern that is typical of genes involved in cell division. Homozygous dem1 dem2 double mutants were not recovered, and plants carrying a single functional DEM1 allele and no functional copies of DEM2, i.e. DEM1/dem1 dem2/dem2 plants, exhibit normal development through to the time of flowering but during male reproductive development, chromosomes fail to align on the metaphase plate at meiosis II and result in abnormal numbers of daughter cells following meiosis. Additionally, these plants show defects in both pollen and embryo sac development, and produce defective male and female gametes. In contrast, dem1/dem1 DEM2/dem2 plants showed normal levels of fertility, indicating that DEM2 plays a more important role than DEM1 in gamete viability. The increased importance of DEM2 in gamete viability correlated with higher mRNA levels of DEM2 compared to DEM1 in most tissues examined and particularly in the vegetative shoot apex, developing siliques, pollen and sperm. We also demonstrate that gamete viability depends not only on the number of functional DEM alleles inherited following meiosis, but also on the number of functional DEM alleles in the parent plant that undergoes meiosis. Furthermore, DEM1 interacts with RAS-RELATED NUCLEAR PROTEIN 1 (RAN1) in yeast two-hybrid and pull-down binding assays, and we show that fluorescent proteins fused to DEM1 and RAN1 co-localize transiently during male meiosis and pollen development. In eukaryotes, RAN is a highly conserved GTPase that plays key roles in cell cycle progression, spindle assembly during cell division, reformation of the nuclear envelope following cell division, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. Our results demonstrate that DEM proteins play an essential role in cell division in plants, most likely through an interaction with RAN1., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Precise polymer architecture and self-assembled morphological control are attractive due to their promising applications, such as drug delivery, biosensors, tissue engineering and "smart" optical systems. Herein, starting from the same hydrophilic units poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), using CO 2 -sensitive monomer N, N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) and hydrophobic monomer benzyl methacrylate (BzMA), a series of well-defined statistical, block, and gradient copolymers is designed and synthesized with similar degree of polymerization but different monomer sequences by batch and semi-batch RAFT polymerization process and their CO 2 -responsive behaviors of these nano-objects is systematically studied. The gradient copolymers are generated by using semi-batch methods with programmed monomer feed rate controlled by syringe pumps, achieving precise control over desired gradient copolymer composition distribution. In aqueous solution, the copolymers could self-assemble into various aggregates before CO 2 stimulus. Upon bubbling CO 2 , the gradient copolymers preferred to form nanosheet-like structures, while the block and statistical copolymers with similar molar mass could only form larger vesicles with thinner membrane thickness or disassemble. The semi-batch strategy to precisely control over the desired composition distribution of the gradient segment presents an emerging trend for the fabrication and application of stimuli-responsive polymers., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Conservation management can be aided by knowledge of genetic diversity and evolutionary history, so that ecological and evolutionary processes can be preserved. The Button Wrinklewort daisy (Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides) was a common component of grassy ecosystems in south-eastern Australia. It is now endangered due to extensive habitat loss and the impacts of livestock grazing, and is currently restricted to a few small populations in two regions >500 km apart, one in Victoria, the other in the Australian Capital Territory and nearby New South Wales (ACT/NSW). Using a genome-wide SNP dataset, we assessed patterns of genetic structure and genetic differentiation of 12 natural diploid populations. We estimated intrapopulation genetic diversity to scope sources for genetic management. Bayesian clustering and principal coordinate analyses showed strong population genetic differentiation between the two regions, and substantial substructure within ACT/NSW. A coalescent tree-building approach implemented in SNAPP indicated evolutionary divergence between the two distant regions. Among the populations screened, the last two known remaining Victorian populations had the highest genetic diversity, despite having among the lowest recent census sizes. A maximum likelihood population tree method implemented in TreeMix suggested little or no recent gene flow except potentially between very close neighbours. Populations that were more genetically distinctive had lower genetic diversity, suggesting that drift in isolation is likely driving population differentiation though loss of diversity, hence re-establishing gene flow among them is desirable. These results provide background knowledge for evidence-based conservation and support genetic rescue within and between regions to elevate genetic diversity and alleviate inbreeding.

Although neurodisability features significantly across child welfare and youth justice cohorts, little research investigates neurodisability among crossover children with dual systems involvement. This study examined differences in childhood adversity, child protection involvement, and offending among crossover children by neurodisability status. Data were from a sample of 300 children (68% male, 31% female, 1% transgender; mean age = 16.2 years, range 10-21) who were charged and appeared in three Australian children's courts, and who also had statutory child protection involvement in the study jurisdiction. The results indicated that nearly one-half of crossover children had a neurodisability (48%) and this group experienced greater cumulative maltreatment and adversity, earlier out-of-home care entry and offending onset, more caregiver relinquishment and residential care placement, and a greater volume of charges. While substantial differences between specific neurodisabilities were evident, crossover children with any neurodisability had greater odds of having charges related to criminal damage and motor vehicle theft, however they were no more likely to have violent charges relative to other crossover children. The study's findings demonstrated that the prevalence of neurodisability, and child welfare system responses to this phenomenon, contributes to several offending-related trends observed among crossover children.

It is increasingly apparent that bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria and more commonly referred to as simply phages, have tropisms outside their bacterial hosts. Using live tissue culture cell imaging, we demonstrate that cell type, phage size, and morphology play a major role in phage internalization. Uptake was validated under physiological conditions using a microfluidic device. Phages adhered to mammalian tissues, with adherent phages being subsequently internalized by macropinocytosis, with functional phages accumulating intracellularly. We incorporated these results into a pharmacokinetic model demonstrating the potential impact of phage accumulation by cell layers, which represents a potential sink for circulating phages in the body. During phage therapy, high doses of phages are directly administered to a patient in order to treat a bacterial infection, thereby facilitating broad interactions between phages and mammalian cells. Understanding these interactions will have important implications on innate immune responses, phage pharmacokinetics, and the efficacy of phage therapy., Competing Interests: J.J.B. has a patent application related to this work (WO2018129536A1)., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

The selection of high quality sperm is critical for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a prevalent assisted reproduction technology. However, standard selection methods are time-consuming and fail to recover the most viable sperm, thereby limiting the ICSI success rate. Microfluidics enables rapid selection of viable sperm in a manner representing in vivo processes, however, existing platforms lack clinical applicability. Here, we present FertDish, which integrates the clinically established ICSI Petri dish with a film featuring an array of sperm-selecting microchannels for selection of sperm directly from semen. The FertDish format mimics the clinician-familiar ICSI dish setup, and provides rapid (<10 min) single stage sperm preparation that circumvents standard labour-intensive multi-stage sperm processing steps. Tests with human donor and patient semen samples show that FertDish enables the selection of a high quality sperm sub-population, featuring improvements in DNA fragmentation index of more than 91% (donor) and 74% (patient) versus raw semen and 50% (donor) and 63% (patient) versus standard methods, and a distribution of more than 97% sperm with viable and high level DNA. The FertDish enables a high sperm recovery rate (>3.3 × 105 sperm per mL), and is readily adaptable to the clinical workflow with potential to improve ICSI outcomes.

Pili of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) are surface-exposed structures involved in adhesion and colonisation of the host during infection. The major protein component of the GAS pilus is the T-antigen, which multimerises to form the pilus shaft. There are currently no licenced vaccines against GAS infections and the T-antigen represents an attractive target for vaccination. We have generated a multivalent vaccine called TeeVax1, a recombinant protein that consists of a fusion of six T-antigen domains. Vaccination with TeeVax1 produces opsonophagocytic antibodies in rabbits and confers protective efficacy in mice against invasive disease. Two further recombinant proteins, TeeVax2 and TeeVax3 were constructed to cover 12 additional T-antigens. Combining TeeVax1-3 produced a robust antibody response in rabbits that was cross-reactive to a full panel of 21 T-antigens, expected to provide over 95% vaccine coverage. These results demonstrate the potential for a T-antigen-based vaccine to prevent GAS infections.

The postprandial blood glucose level is very high for the body size in frugivorous bats. Like other homeotherms, bats release heat during digestion of dietary macronutrients. Despite males and females of the same species exhibiting different foraging behaviour, empirical support for sex differences in blood glucose and body surface temperature in fruit bats is poor. Moreover, while flight affects postprandial metabolism, whether such effects are different in each sex of fruit bats is unclear. Here, we studied these questions in the fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx We first assessed whether there are sex differences in the postprandial level of blood glucose and body surface temperature over time in rested bats. We then assessed whether flight affects outcomes of sex differences in both traits. We found that the estimated marginal means of both traits were generally higher in females than males, in rested bats. Notably, the sex difference in both traits was only significant at specific sampling time of the assay. Further, the trait means significantly differed between the sexes only in the rested, but not active, bats, meaning that signals of sex difference in metabolic traits eroded when bats were active. Taken together, our findings suggest that in C. sphinx , the sex specificity in the expression of metabolic traits is significantly dependent on physical activity., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2021. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Background: Existing comorbidity measures predict mortality among general patient populations. Due to the lack of outcome specific and patient-group specific measures, the existing indices are also applied to non-mortality outcomes in injury epidemiology. This study derived indices to capture the association between comorbidity, and burden and readmission outcomes for injury populations., Methods: Injury-related hospital admissions data from July 2012 to June 2014 (161,334 patients) for the state of Victoria, Australia were analyzed. Various multivariable regression models were run and results used to derive both binary and weighted indices that quantify the association between comorbidities and length of stay (LOS), hospital costs and readmissions. The new and existing indices were validated internally among patient subgroups, and externally using data from the states of New South Wales and Western Australia., Results: Twenty-four comorbidities were significantly associated with overnight stay, twenty-seven with LOS, twenty-eight with costs, ten with all-cause and eleven with non-planned 30-day readmissions. The number of and types of comorbidities, and their relative impact were different to the associations established with the existing Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Elixhauser Comorbidity Measure (ECM). The new indices performed equally well to the long-listed ECM and in certain instances outperformed the CCI., Conclusions: The more parsimonious, up to date, outcome and patient-specific indices presented in this study are better suited for use in present injury epidemiology. Their use can be trialed by hospital administrations in resource allocation models and patient classification models in clinical settings.

Head restraint systems specifically engineered to reduce the impact of whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision were introduced in the late 1990s with the aim of reducing whiplash injury risk that went 'beyond simple geometric improvements' to head restraints. Whilst studies have shown that whiplash-reducing head restraint systems are highly effective in reducing whiplash injury, these were based on a limited range of systems including Toyota's Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) seating system, Volvo's Whiplash Injury Prevention System (WHIPS) and the Saab Active Head Restraint (SAHR) and have generally focussed on Swedish crash and insurance data. However, there has been no broad real-world crash-based evaluation of the effectiveness of whiplash-reducing head restraint systems currently present in the vehicle fleet that validates the results of these studies in other populations. The objective of this study was to undertake a retrospective evaluation of vehicle whiplash-reducing head restraint systems to prevent whiplash injury using real-world crash data linked to insurance claims data in Victoria, Australia. It was found that whiplash-reducing head restraint systems are associated with a statistically significant reduction in the odds of driver and front seat passenger whiplash injury in a vehicle struck in a rear-end collision of 11.6 % (95 % CI 0.20 %, 21.6 %). The results indicate that whiplash-reducing head restraint systems are an effective technology for reducing the risk of whiplash injury to drivers and front seat passengers in a vehicle struck in a rear-end collision. Considering that around a quarter of all casualty crashes involving passenger and light commercial vehicles are rear-end, the fitment of whiplash-reducing head restraint systems to all vehicles as a standard safety feature would likely see a significant reduction in the incidence of whiplash injury., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to investigate the impact of adding a grid to a two-inlet dry powder inhaler (DPI). The purpose of the paper is to show the importance of the correct choice of closure model and modeling approach, as well as to perform validation against particle dispersion data obtained from in-vitro studies and flow velocity data obtained from particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments., Methods: CFD simulations are performed using the Ansys Fluent 2020R1 software package. Two RANS turbulence models (realisable k - ε and k - ω SST) and the Stress Blended Eddy Simulation (SBES) models are considered. Lagrangian particle tracking for both carrier and fine particles is also performed., Results: Excellent comparison with the PIV data is found for the SBES approach and the particle tracking data are consistent with the dispersion results, given the simplicity of the assumptions made., Conclusions: This work shows the importance of selecting the correct turbulence modelling approach and boundary conditions to obtain good agreement with PIV data for the flow-field exiting the device. With this validated, the model can be used with much higher confidence to explore the fluid and particle dynamics within the device.