Recent advances in examining the factors influencing the efficacy of biocides against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms in the food industry: A systematic review.

Controlling Listeria monocytogenes and its associated biofilms in the food industry requires various disinfection techniques, including physical, chemical, and biological treatments. Biocides, owing to their ease of use, cost-effectiveness, dissolvability in water, and efficacy against a wide range of microorganisms, are frequently selected options. Nonetheless, concerns have been raised about their efficacy in controlling L.

US Real-World Effectiveness Study of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir in Preventing Hospitalization of High-Risk COVID-19 Patients.

Purpose: We describe nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NMV/r) effectiveness in preventing hospitalization among COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe disease.

Methods: An ongoing US population-based observational cohort study with retrospective and prospective collection of national electronic healthcare data collected from the US Optum® deidentified COVID-19 Electronic Health Record dataset during December 22, 2021-July 20, 2022. Participants were ≥12 years old; had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, COVID-19 diagnosis, or NMV/r prescription; and were at high risk of severe COVID-19 based on demographic/clinical characteristics.

Novel chitosan-based hydrogels as promising wound dressing materials with advanced properties.

Herein, four different grafted chitosans were synthesized by covalent attachment of glycine, L-arginine, L-glutamic acid, or L-cysteine to the chitosan chains. All products were subsequently permethylated to obtain their corresponding quaternary ammonium salts to enhance the inherent antimicrobial properties of native chitosan. In all cases, transparent hydrogels with the following remarkable characteristics were obtained: i) high-water absorption capacity (32-44 g HO per g of polymer), ii) viscoelastic behavior at low deformations, iii) flexibility when subjected to deformations and iv) stability over long time scales.

'The Garlic Gambit': an alternative strategy for controlling vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus F.; Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Plant protection products derived from plant material are proposed to be a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic chemical pesticides. This study determines the efficacy of a commercially available bioinsecticide based on garlic (Allium sativum L.; Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae) extract against vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus F.

Intensity-based optoretinography reveals sub-clinical deficits in cone function in retinitis pigmentosa.

Introduction: Clinical tools have been widely used in the diagnosis, description, and monitoring the progression of retinitis pigmentosa (RP); however, many of these methods have inherently low sensitivity and specificity, and significant photoreceptor disruption can occur before RP progression has clinically manifest. Adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) has shown promise as a powerful tool for assessing photoreceptor disruption both structurally and functionally due to its increased resolution.

Methods: Here we assess photoreceptor structure and function at the cellular level through AOSLO by acquiring intensity based optoretinography (iORG) in 15 individuals with no reported retinal pathology and 7 individuals with a prior clinical diagnosis of RP.

Chemically induced cone degeneration in the 13-lined ground squirrel.

Animal models of retinal degeneration are critical for understanding disease and testing potential therapies. Inducing degeneration commonly involves the administration of chemicals that kill photoreceptors by disrupting metabolic pathways, signaling pathways, or protein synthesis. While chemically induced degeneration has been demonstrated in a variety of animals (mice, rats, rabbits, felines, 13-lined ground squirrels (13-LGS), pigs, chicks), few studies have used noninvasive high-resolution retinal imaging to monitor the cellular effects.

The Skills Olympics: Using Competition to Illustrate Patient Care Challenges and Promote the Transfer of Nursing Knowledge.

The fundamental skills lab provides students with a safe place to learn new skills and develop knowledge and attitudes necessary for professional nursing. However, learning skills without situational challenges like those encountered in the clinical setting does not adequately prepare students for future challenges. The Skills Olympics, a competitive team event, can be used to foster teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities, thereby introducing students to the realities of patient care challenges and promoting transfer of learning.

Real-world comparative effectiveness of palbociclib plus aromatase inhibitor in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

Provide real-world data on palbociclib as evidence of effectiveness in patient populations from routine clinical practice. This was a retrospective, observational cohort study of patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer treated with palbociclib plus aromatase inhibitor (AI) or AI alone as first-line therapy within the US Oncology Network. Patients treated with palbociclib plus AI (n = 838) versus AI alone (n = 450) had a numerically longer median overall survival (42.

Decoding attraction: Improving vine weevil monitoring by exploiting key sensory cues.

Background: Monitoring is an integral component of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes used to inform crop management decisions. Vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), continues to cause economically significant losses in horticultural crops due to an inability to reliably detect the presence of this species before crop damage occurs.

Real-World Tumor Response of Palbociclib in Combination With an Aromatase Inhibitor as First-Line Therapy in Pre/Perimenopausal Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Background: Limited real-world data exist regarding the efficacy of palbociclib in combination with endocrine therapy in pre/perimenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer.

Objective: We aimed to compare real-world tumor responses among pre/perimenopausal women who initiated palbociclib plus an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or AI monotherapy as first-line treatment for hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study (NCT05012644) used electronic health record data from The US Oncology Network.

The Shape of the Foveal Avascular Zone: When a Circle Isn't Round.

Quantitative assessment of OCT-A images includes evaluating circularity and roundness of the FAZ. Inconsistent or inaccurate mathematical definitions of these metrics impacts their utility as biomarkers and impairs the ability to combine and compare results across studies.

Reducing Medication Math Anxiety of Prelicensure Nursing Students Using Social Media Tutorials: A Feasibility Study.

Background: First-semester prelicensure nursing students commonly report experiencing math anxiety that negatively affects academic performance and triggers fear of causing patient harm. Students often turn to social media platforms to supplement their learning experience.

Purpose: To explore the feasibility of using Instagram tutorials to reduce math anxiety of first-semester prelicensure nursing students.

Elevated estradiol during a hormone simulated pseudopregnancy decreases sleep and increases hypothalamic activation in female Syrian hamsters.

Sleep disruptions are a common occurrence during the peripartum period. While physical and environmental factors associated with pregnancy and newborn care account for some sleep disruptions, there is evidence that peripartum fluctuations in estrogens may independently impact sleep. However, the impact of these large fluctuations in estrogens on peripartum sleep is unclear because it is difficult to tease apart the effects of estrogens on sleep from effects associated with the growth and development of the fetus or parental care.

Extracting spacing-derived estimates of rod density in healthy retinae.

Quantification of the rod photoreceptor mosaic using adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) remains challenging. Here we demonstrate a method for deriving estimates of rod density and rod:cone ratio based on measures of rod spacing, cone numerosity, and cone inner segment area. Twenty-two AOSLO images with complete rod visualization were used to validate this spacing-derived method for estimating density.

Treatment of Cancer-related-Fatigue in Acute Hematological Malignancies: Results of a Feasibility Study of using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Background: Despite cancer related fatigue (CRF) being the most common, and debilitating symptom in patients with recently diagnosed acute hematological malignancies (HM), there are limited effective treatments for CRF in HM. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for CRF in HM.

Methods: In this preliminary longitudinal prospective study, HM patients diagnosed a median of one month previously with moderate to severe fatigue were enrolled.

Provider Perspectives: Identification and Follow-up of Infants who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Objective: Without timely screening, diagnosis, and intervention, hearing loss can cause significant delays in a child's speech, language, social, and emotional development. In 2019, Texas had nearly twice the average rate of loss to follow-up (LFU) or loss to documentation (LTD; i.e.

Intergrader agreement of foveal cone topography measured using adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy.

The foveal cone mosaic can be directly visualized using adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). Previous studies in individuals with normal vision report wide variability in the topography of the foveal cone mosaic, especially the value of peak cone density (PCD). While these studies often involve a human grader, there have been no studies examining intergrader reproducibility of foveal cone mosaic metrics.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux induced sleep-related laryngospasm.

Background: Sleep-related laryngospasm (SRL) has been defined as the sustained closure of the vocal cords during sleep. Studies have suggested that it is a rare manifestation of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Difficulties in diagnosing SRL and LPR have led to the condition being under-recognised in the clinical setting.

Optimising Vine Weevil, F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Monitoring Tool Design.

Vine weevil, F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically important insect pest of horticultural crops. To identify an effective and reliable monitoring system for adult vine weevil, this study investigated the influence of colour, height and entrance position on the efficacy of a model monitoring tool using modified paper cups as refuges.

Assessing Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Receipt and Timeliness of Newborn Hearing Screening and Diagnostic Services Among Infants Born in Four States.

The study compares receipt and timeliness of newborn hearing screening and follow-up diagnostic services between the pre-pandemic birth cohort and the pandemic birth cohort in four participating states. Findings from this study will help inform state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs in the future should a major public health event occur again.