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The risk assessment of thousands of chemicals used in our society benefits from adequate grouping of chemicals based on the mode and mechanism of toxic action (MoA).

Hybridization caused by frequent environmental changes can lead both to species diversification (speciation) and to speciation reversal (despeciation), but the latter has rarely been demonstrated. Parthenocissus, a genus with its trifoliolate lineage in the Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains (HHM) region showing perplexing phylogenetic relationships, provides an opportunity for investigating speciation dynamics based on integrated evidence.We investigated phylogenetic discordance and reticulate evolution in Parthenocissus based on rigorous analyses of plastome and transcriptome data. We focused on reticulations in the trifoliolate lineage in the HHM region using a population-level genome resequencing dataset, incorporating evidence from morphology, distribution, and elevation.Comprehensive analyses confirmed multiple introgressions within Parthenocissus in a robust temporal-spatial framework. Around the HHM region, at least three hybridization hot spots were identified, one of which showed evidence of ongoing speciation reversal.We present a solid case study using an integrative methodological approach to investigate reticulate evolutionary history and its underlying mechanisms in plants. It demonstrates an example of speciation reversal through frequent hybridizations in the HHM region, which provides new perspectives on speciation dynamics in mountainous areas with strong topographic and environmental heterogeneity. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Objectives. To detail baseline drinking water sample lead concentrations and features of US state-level programs and policies to test school drinking water for lead in 7 states’ operating programs between 2016 and 2018. Methods. We coded program and policy documents using structured content analysis protocols and analyzed state-provided data on lead concentration in drinking water samples collected in public schools during initial testing phases. Results. We analyzed data from 5688 public schools, representing 35% of eligible schools in 7 states. The number of samples per school varied. The proportion of schools identifying any sample lead concentration exceeding 5 parts per billion varied (13%–81%). Four states exceeded 20%. Other program features varied among states. Instances of lead above the state action level were identified in all states. Conclusions. In 2018, many US public school students attended schools in states without drinking water lead-testing programs. Testing all drinking water sources may be recommended. Public Health Implications. Initiating uniform school drinking water lead testing programs and surveillance over time could be used to reduce risk of lead exposure in drinking water. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S7):S679–S689. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306961 )

PURPOSE: Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has been associated with male infertility and poor outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The purpose of this study was to investigate global practices related to the management of elevated SDF in infertile men, summarize the relevant professional society recommendations, and provide expert recommendations for managing this condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online global survey on clinical practices related to SDF was disseminated to reproductive clinicians, according to the CHERRIES checklist criteria. Management protocols for various conditions associated with SDF were captured and compared to the relevant recommendations in professional society guidelines and the appropriate available evidence. Expert recommendations and consensus on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF were then formulated and adapted using the Delphi method. RESULTS: A total of 436 experts from 55 different countries submitted responses. As an initial approach, 79.1% of reproductive experts recommend lifestyle modifications for infertile men with elevated SDF, and 76.9% prescribe empiric antioxidants. Regarding antioxidant duration, 39.3% recommend 4-6 months and 38.1% recommend 3 months. For men with unexplained or idiopathic infertility, and couples experiencing recurrent miscarriages associated with elevated SDF, most respondents refer to ART 6 months after failure of conservative and empiric medical management. Infertile men with clinical varicocele, normal conventional semen parameters, and elevated SDF are offered varicocele repair immediately after diagnosis by 31.4%, and after failure of antioxidants and conservative measures by 40.9%. Sperm selection techniques and testicular sperm extraction are also management options for couples undergoing ART. For most questions, heterogenous practices were demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: This paper presents the results of a large global survey on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF and reveals a lack of consensus among clinicians. Furthermore, it demonstrates the scarcity of professional society guidelines in this regard and attempts to highlight the relevant evidence. Expert recommendations are proposed to help guide clinicians.

Green criminology refers to a perspective within criminology that, broadly speaking, is devoted to the study of crime against and harms to the natural environment. Initially, green criminology was introduced as the study of environmental harm from a political-economic vantage point and was informed by theories from critical, radical, and political-economic (e.g., “conflict paradigm”) perspectives. Over time, however, new definitions of green criminology have emerged, as have new terms for the criminological study of environmental crimes (e.g., “conservation criminology”). These developments have invited new theoretical interpretations of environmental crime and justice. While conflict theories still maintain a degree of centrality in green criminology, the perspective has expanded to include mainstream theoretical orientations (e.g., “classical paradigm,” “consensus/positivist paradigm”) as well.

Introduction Dupuytren's disease (DD), a fibro-proliferative disorder of unknown aetiology, affects the palm and is characterised by progressive fibrosis, thickening of palmar fascia, and excess collagen deposition. Patients present with nodules, causing flexion deformity in ∼50%, resulting in loss of hand function. Excision is the standard treatment for DD, recurrence remains high. A 2015 Cochrane review concluded there is insufficient evidence to show superiority of any procedure used. Genetic and other studies have implicated WNT signalling in Dupuytren's pathology, including WNT4 dysregulation. It is not clear how WNT signalling/WNT4 plays a role in triggering DD. Methods Fibroblasts were isolated from the wrists of control healthy adult males and from a family that had inherited DD. Normal skin fibroblasts were treated with WNT4 siRNA and transcriptome of normal skin untreated, normal skin siRNA treated and DD family fibroblasts compared using RNASeq. Results Analysis of the transcriptomes from DD patient and normal fibroblasts showed significant differences including in WNT4 expression. Downregulation of WNT4 in normal fibroblasts using siRNA led to ‘DD-like’ changes in the transcriptome. Conclusion In people susceptible to DD WNT4 is downregulated even in non-fibrotic fibroblasts. Knockdown of WNT4 in normal fibroblasts led to changes making cells ‘DD-like’, suggesting downregulation of WNT4 could drive DD. Previous studies have shown that WNT4 is downregulated in DD disease in the cord cells. This study shows that WNT4 is downregulated in ‘non-disease’ cells, that downregulating WNT4 in normal skin fibroblasts leads to widespread ‘DD like’ changes in the transcriptome, suggesting WNT4 downregulation is a driver of DD disease.

Morphological and single-nucleotide polymorphism data support splitting Pultenaea glabra Benth. into eight species, including one in Victoria, and seven in eastern and northern New South Wales. Six species are newly described, five of which are, like P. glabra, narrow-range endemics within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and adjacent sandstone landforms of the Great Dividing Range. The recognition of six new species from what was broadly P. glabra has implications for conservation management, including for P. glabra itself, which has a smaller distribution and more precise habitat requirements than previously thought. One of the new species, P. percussa, is known by a single 1971 gathering only. The occurrence of several narrow-range Blue Mountains endemic Pultenaea species may be explained by the combination of edaphic diversity and topographic complexity, which could act in concert to promote divergences among small, allopatric populations. Hybrids between P. glabra and P. flexilis Sm. are documented for the first time; however, limited evidence for introgression between the two species was observed. The following new taxa are described: Pultenaea aculeata M.A.M.Renner, P.H.Weston & S.Clarke, Pultenaea percussa M.A.M.Renner & P.H.Weston, Pultenaea furcata M.A.M.Renner & R.L.Barrett, Pultenaea mutabilis M.A.M.Renner & P.H.Weston, Pultenaea mutabilis var. angusta M.A.M.Renner, P.H.Weston, & S.Clarke, Pultenaea praecipua M.A.M.Renner & P.H.Weston, Pultenaea praecipua subsp. temperata M.A.M.Renner & R.L.Barrett, and Pultenaea tenebrosa M.A.M.Renner, P.H.Weston & S.Clarke. Lectotypes are designated for Pultenaea villosa var. glabrescens Benth. and Pultenaea weindorferi Reader.

Competing challenges in adolescence and young adulthood can distract from optimal type 1 diabetes (T1D) self-management, and increase risks of premature morbidity and mortality. There are limited data mapping the glycemic control of people with T1D in this age group, across Australasia.Clinical data were extracted from the Australasian Diabetes Data Network, a prospective clinical diabetes registry. Inclusion criteria were individuals with T1D aged 16-25 years at their last recorded T1D healthcare visit (from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2020), with T1D duration of at least 1 year. Data were stratified by two last recorded T1D healthcare visit ranges, while generalized estimated equation (GEE) modeling was used to examine factors associated with HbA1c across visits during the 10 year period.Data from 6329 young people (52.6% male) attending 24 diabetes centers across Australasia were included. At the last visit within the most recent 5 years, mean ± SD age was 18.5 ± 2.3 years, T1D duration was 8.8 ± 4.7 years and HbA1c was 8.8 ± 1.8% (72.2 ± 19.9 mmol/mol); only 12.3% had an HbA1c below the international target of7.0% (53 mmol/mol). Across all T1D healthcare visits, in GEE modeling, higher HbA1c was associated with female sex (B = 0.20; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.29, p 0.001), longer T1D duration (B = 0.04, 0.03 to 0.05, p 0.001). Lower HbA1c was associated with attendance at a pediatric T1D healthcare setting (B = -0.33, -0.45 to -0.21, p 0.001) and use of CSII versus BD/MDI therapy (B = -0.49, -0.59 to 0.40, p 0.001).This Australasian study demonstrates widespread and persistent sub-optimal glycemic control in young people with T1D, highlighting the urgent need to better understand how healthcare services can support improved glycemic control in this population.

Background Hyperglycaemia occurs frequently in the critically ill. Dietary intake of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), specifically N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), may exacerbate hyperglycaemia through perturbation of insulin sensitivity. The present study aimed to determine whether the use of nutritional formulae, with varying AGE loads, affects the amount of insulin administered and inflammation. Methods Exclusively tube fed patients (n = 35) were randomised to receive Nutrison Protein Plus Multifibre (R), Diason (R) or Glucerna Select (R). Insulin administration was standardised according to protocol based on blood glucose (

Context New approaches to education and pedagogy are needed in athletic training education to better support developmental benchmarks that cultivate skills for lifelong learning. Objective Explore and understand students' perceptions of their education and how those perceptions support their development toward self-authorship through the complexity of their meaning making. Design Qualitative, grounded theory. Setting Division I Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants Twelve participants (9 female, 3 male; age = 24 ± 2 years) in their second year of athletic training education were recruited for the study. Of the 12 participants, 11 were engaged in an immersive clinical experience. Data Collection and Analysis Participants engaged in a semistructured video conference interview. Data were analyzed using grounded theory approach to understand the complexity of students' ways of making meaning cognitively, intrapersonally, and interpersonally. Data saturation, peer review, member checks, and theoretical triangulation were used to establish credibility. Results Participants exhibited meaning making in 2 distinct ways: (1) external guidance and (2) movement toward internal guidance. The categories were further broken down by theme. Placing responsibility for knowledge on authorities, need for step-by-step guidance, and seeking approval marked the themes of external guidance. Building confidence and role identity development marked themes of movement toward internal guidance. Conclusions Participants who were reliant on external guidance required external authorities for knowledge acquisition and learning. Some participants demonstrated deeper meaning making when discussing their experiences with clinical education.

Allen Lowrie memorial.

BackgroundTarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) involves entrapment of the tibial nerve at the medial ankle beneath the flexor retinaculum and its branches, the medial and lateral plantar nerves, as they course through the porta pedis formed by the deep fascia of the abductor hallucis muscle. TTS is likely underdiagnosed, because diagnosis is based on clinical evaluation and history of present illness. The ultrasound-guided lidocaine infiltration test (USLIT) is a simple approach that may aid in the diagnosis of TTS and predict the response to neurolysis of the tibial nerve and its branches. Traditional electrophysiological testing cannot confirm the diagnosis and only adds to other findings.MethodsWe performed a prospective study of 61 patients (23 men and 38 women) with a mean age of 51 (29–78) years who were diagnosed with idiopathic TTS using the ultrasound guided near-nerve needle sensory technique (USG-NNNS). Patients subsequently underwent USLIT of the tibial nerve to assess the effect on pain reduction and neurophysiological changes.ResultsUSLIT led to an improvement in symptoms and nerve conduction velocity. The objective improvement in nerve conduction velocity can be used to document the pre-operative functional capacity of the nerve. USLIT may also be used as a possible quantitative indicator of whether the nerve has the potential to improve in neurophysiological terms and ultimately inform prognosis after surgical decompression.ConclusionUSLIT is a simple technique with potential predictive value that can help the clinician to confirm the diagnosis of TTS before surgical decompression.