Factors related to mean corpuscular volume in p.C282Y homozygotes.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to define the relationships between factors other than transferrin saturation (TS) to mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and macrocytosis (MCV > 100 fL) in p.C282Y (rs1800562) homozygotes.

Methods: We studied white post-screening participants with p.

Reading words versus seeing font or handwriting style: a study of hemifield processing.

Tachistoscopic studies have established a right field advantage for the perception of visually presented words, which has been interpreted as reflecting a left hemispheric specialization. However, it is not clear whether this is driven by the linguistic task of word processing, or also occurs when processing properties such as the style and regularity of text. We had 23 subjects perform a tachistoscopic study while they viewed five-letter words in either computer font or handwriting.

Detection of necrotic enteritis risk through non-invasive monitoring of Clostridium perfringens in feces.

Necrotic enteritis (NE), caused by the gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium perfringens, results in an estimated $6 billion in annual economic losses to the global poultry industry. C. perfringens is part of the normal microflora of the poultry gastrointestinal tract, but damage to the intestinal epithelium can lead to increased cell proliferation and production of toxins which gives rise to disease.

Use of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and risk of multiple myeloma in US Veterans with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Biologic (b) and targeted synthetic (ts) disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) used in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) target inflammatory pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM). It is unknown whether use of b/tsDMARDs affects the incidence of MM.

Methods: In this cohort study using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data, we identified Veterans newly diagnosed with RA from 1/1/2002 to 12/31/2018 using diagnostic codes and medication fills.

First Clinical Feasibility and Safety Study of a Novel Multimodality Fallopian Tube Imaging Endoscope.

Study Objective: We present the results of the first feasibility and safety study of a novel multi-modality falloposcope, in 19 volunteers. The falloposcope incorporated multispectral fluorescence imaging (MFI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for evaluation of the fallopian tubes (FT).

Methods: Nineteen females undergoing elective salpingectomy were recruited in this IRB-approved study.

Inferring effects of mutations on SARS-CoV-2 transmission from genomic surveillance data.

New and more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 have arisen multiple times over the course of the pandemic. Rapidly identifying mutations that affect transmission could improve our understanding of viral biology and highlight new variants that warrant further study. Here we develop a generic, analytical epidemiological model to infer the transmission effects of mutations from genomic surveillance data.

A domed window chamber for multi-modality optical imaging.

Current dorsal skin flap window chambers with flat glass windows are compatible with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and multiphoton microscopy (MPM) imaging. However, light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) performs best with a cylindrical or spherical sample located between its two 90° objectives and when all sample materials have the same index of refraction (). A modified window chamber with a domed viewing window made from fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), with n similar to water and tissue, was designed.

Community Synchrony in Seed Production is Associated With Trait Similarity and Climate Across North America.

Mast seeding, the synchronous and highly variable production of seed crops by perennial plants, is a population-level phenomenon and has cascading effects in ecosystems. Mast seeding studies are typically conducted at the population/species level. Much less is known about synchrony in mast seeding between species because the necessary long-term data are rarely available.

Thoracic and abdominal diagnostic imaging findings in dogs diagnosed with immune-mediated polyarthritis: 71 cases (2011-2023).

Objectives: To describe thoracic and abdominal imaging findings in dogs with immune-mediated polyarthritis and to evaluate their impact on the decision to commence immunosuppressive therapy.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective case series describing imaging findings in dogs with immune-mediated polyarthritis across modalities, including thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography, and where available, echocardiography. Additionally, two internal medicine clinicians reviewed the signalment, clinical signs, clinicopathological findings and diagnostic imaging results on two separate occasions, reaching a consensus for each dog on whether immunosuppression would be their treatment of choice or whether their recommendations would be altered by the results of diagnostic imaging.

Multiphoton Microscopy Assessment of Healing From Tendon Laceration and Microthermal Coagula in a Rat Model.

Objectives: To study the healing response of rat Achilles tendon when lacerated or treated with intense therapeutic ultrasound (ITU) via utilization of multiphoton microscopy (MPM) imaging and histology.

Materials And Methods: The right Achilles tendon of each Sprague Dawley rat within a cohort was partially lacerated. 1 to 2 days post-surgery, each rat received ITU treatment of the Achilles tendon on either the right or left leg.

You….. And Me…..and a Cup of Tea: Eight insights we've gleaned from enlightened masters.

This Reflection piece offers eight insights that have been gleaned from enlightened masters related to the nature of consciousness, awareness and experience. These insights are elucidated in ways that can help in the evaluation of the usefulness of our values and beliefs, and how these dictate the way we respond to our life experiences. In this way the essay points to the importance of cultivating and refining one's own awareness because it is the level of our awareness that controls the flow of creativity and experience, both into and out of our lives.

Co-mast: Harmonized seed production data for woody plants across US long-term research sites.

Plants display a range of temporal patterns of inter-annual reproduction, from relatively constant seed production to "mast seeding," the synchronized and highly variable interannual seed production of plants within a population. Previous efforts have compiled global records of seed production in long-lived plants to gain insight into seed production, forest and animal population dynamics, and the effects of global change on masting. Existing datasets focus on seed production dynamics at the population scale but are limited in their ability to examine community-level mast seeding dynamics across different plant species at the continental scale.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor (ACEI) and Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB) Use are Associated With Increased Readmission After Ileostomy Creation.

Background: High output is a common cause for readmission after new ileostomy creation. The loss of sodium leads to compensatory activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are first-line therapy for hypertension in the United States.

Imagery and perception in acquired prosopagnosia: Functional variants and their relation to structure.

Current models of face perception and the face-processing network suggest that acquired prosopagnosia may not be a single disorder but rather a family of variants differing in mechanism. It has been proposed that tests of face perception and face imagery can probe component processes to support apperceptive, associative, and amnestic distinctions. However, validating this proposal is hampered by the rarity of this condition.

A randomised control trial to compare conventional and haemostatic dressings in radial arterial access: Assessment of Radial Artery Complications Whilst Achieving Rapid Haemostasis (ARCH Trial).

Objectives: This trial aimed to compare conventional and haemostatic dressings in achieving rapid and effective radial artery haemostasis following coronary procedures.

Background: In small studies, using a haemostatic dressing is associated with expedited haemostasis and a reduced duration of external radial compression.

Methods: Patients were randomised to one of three compression strategies: 120-min (min) with conventional dressing (C2) vs 60-min with conventional dressing (C1) vs 60-min with haemostatic dressing (H1).

Two fitness inference schemes compared using allele frequencies from 1068 391 sequences sampled in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the course of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, genetic variation has contributed to the spread and persistence of the virus. For example, various mutations have allowed SARS-CoV-2 to escape antibody neutralization or to bind more strongly to the receptors that it uses to enter human cells. Here, we compared two methods that estimate the fitness effects of viral mutations using the abundant sequence data gathered over the course of the pandemic.

Escalation to Biologics After Methotrexate Among US Veterans With Rheumatoid Arthritis Grouped by Rural Versus Urban Areas.

Objective: Racial and ethnic disparities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outcomes are well recognized. However, whether disparities in RA treatment selection and outcomes differ by urban versus rural residence, independent of race, have not been studied. Our objective was to evaluate whether biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) initiation after methotrexate administration differs by rural versus urban residence among veterans with RA.

Radar-Based Fall Detection: A Survey.

Fall detection, particularly critical for high-risk demographics like the elderly, is a key public health concern where timely detection can greatly minimize harm. With the advancements in radio frequency technology, radar has emerged as a powerful tool for human detection and tracking. Traditional machine learning algorithms, such as Support Vector Machines (SVM) and k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), have shown promising outcomes.

Efficient epistasis inference via higher-order covariance matrix factorization.

Epistasis can profoundly influence evolutionary dynamics. Temporal genetic data, consisting of sequences sampled repeatedly from a population over time, provides a unique resource to understand how epistasis shapes evolution. However, detecting epistatic interactions from sequence data is technically challenging.

Chronic infections can generate SARS-CoV-2-like bursts of viral evolution without epistasis.

Multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants have arisen during the first years of the pandemic, often bearing many new mutations. Several explanations have been offered for the surprisingly sudden emergence of multiple mutations that enhance viral fitness, including cryptic transmission, spillover from animal reservoirs, epistasis between mutations, and chronic infections. Here, we simulated pathogen evolution combining within-host replication and between-host transmission.

Psychological, psychosocial and physical barriers preventing nature-based intervention participation in adults with mental health disorders: A scoping review.

Nature-based interventions (NBIs) are becoming a common mental health care referral option; however, little is known about the barriers to participation. Research reveals a concentration of evidence on the practical barriers with a paucity of guidance on the personal barriers as experienced by service users. This review explores what is known on the psychological, psychosocial and physical barriers as disclosed by adult mental health service users and the various stakeholders involved in NBI.

The 2024 Richardson Lecture: Prosopagnosia - A Classic Neurologic Deficit Meets the Modern Era.

Acquired prosopagnosia is a rare disorder, but it serves as a model for impairments in expert-level visual processing. This review discusses five key observations made over the past 30 years. First, there are variants, an apperceptive type linked to damage to the inferior occipitotemporal cortex and an amnestic type associated with anterior temporal lesions, both either right or bilateral.

Wearable-Enabled Algorithms for the Estimation of Parkinson's Symptoms Evaluated in a Continuous Home Monitoring Setting Using Inertial Sensors.

Motor symptoms such as tremor and bradykinesia can develop concurrently in Parkinson's disease; thus, the ideal home monitoring system should be capable of tracking symptoms continuously despite background noise from daily activities. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of detecting symptom episodes in a free-living scenario, providing a higher level of interpretability to aid AI-powered decision-making. Machine learning models trained on wearable sensor data from scripted activities performed by participants in the lab and clinician ratings of the video recordings of these tasks identified tremor, bradykinesia, and dyskinesia in the supervised lab environment with a balanced accuracy of 83%, 75%, and 81%, respectively, when compared to the clinician ratings.