The Lack of Effect of Botulinum Toxin-A on Upper Limb Activity in Chronic Stroke: A Short Report from the InTENSE Trial.

We examined the effect of botulinum toxin-A on upper limb impairments and activity limitations in chronic stroke. This study is a secondary analysis of control group data from a national, multicenter, Phase III randomized trial with a masked outcome assessment. We studied 71 stroke survivors who received a botulinum toxin-A injection in any muscle(s) that crosses the wrist due to significant spasticity after a stroke greater than 3 months previously.

A 2023 Washington State Pharmacist Workforce Survey: Employment and Patient Care Roles.

Background: The pharmacy workforce is evolving rapidly, and while national data reveal broad trends, they often overlook the impact of state-level policies on local pharmacy practice and education.

Objectives: To describe employment status and patient care roles of pharmacists in Washington State.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of pharmacists licensed in Washington State was conducted in June - July 2023.

Using Polarization to Increase Contrast of Water OH Raman Scattering Relative to Fluorescence of Dissolved Organic Matter.

Environmental fluorescence measurements sometimes use water Raman scattering as an internal standard to compensate for path length, lensing effects, and turbidity. Fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in water may interfere strongly with the measurement of this reference. However, fluorescence in fluid solution is largely unpolarized, while the OH stretching Raman band of water is always strongly polarized.

18S rRNA Metagenomic Analysis of Nodular Gill Disease in Swiss Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Nodular gill disease (NGD) is a serious proliferative gill condition that affects farmed salmonids, particularly in Europe. While the cause of NGD remains unknown (and maybe multifactorial), various amoebae are often isolated from the gills of affected fish and can in some cases be seen associated with lesions by histopathology. The present study aimed to quantify the abundance of different amoeba species directly from the gills of rainbow trout affected by NGD and healthy controls.