Context-dependent effects of relative temperature extremes on bill morphology in a songbird.

Species increasingly face environmental extremes. Morphological responses to changes in average environmental conditions are well documented, but responses to environmental extremes remain poorly understood. We used museum specimens to investigate relationships between a thermoregulatory morphological trait, bird bill surface area (SA) and a measure of short-term relative temperature extremity (RTE), which quantifies the degree that temperature maxima or minima diverge from the 5-year norm.

A review of antibiotic resistance in Group B Streptococcus: the story so far.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal disease worldwide, and invasive disease in adults is becoming more prevalent. Currently, some countries adopt an intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis regime to help prevent the transmission of GBS from mother to neonate during delivery. This precaution has reduced the incidence of GBS-associated early-onset disease; however, rates of late-onset disease and stillbirths associated with GBS infections remain unchanged.

First evidence of introgressive hybridization of apple snails ( spp.) in their native range.

Genetic variation facilitates both natural range expansions and anthropogenic invasions. Contrary to expectations, hybridization does not always impact negatively on biodiversity. Increasing evidence indicates advantageous roles for introgressive hybridization in maintaining standing genetic variation.

Identifying contextually relevant improvement measures, illustrated by a case of executive walkrounds.

Purpose: A method to engage salient organisational stakeholders in identifying and ranking measures of healthcare improvement programs is described. The method is illustrated using Executive WalkRounds (EWRs) in a multi-site Australian Health District.

Design/methodology/approach: Subject matter experts (SMEs) conducted document analysis, identified potential EWRs measures, created driver diagrams and then eliminated weak measures.

Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) Metabolites Induce Vasodilation and Hypotension by Activating Kv7 Potassium Channels Directly and Indirectly.

Objective: Intravenous acetaminophen/paracetamol (APAP) is well documented to cause hypotension. Since the patients receiving intravenous APAP are usually critically ill, any severe hemodynamic changes, as with those associated with APAP, can be life-threatening. The mechanism underlying this dangerous iatrogenic effect of APAP was unknown.

Effects, uptake, and translocation of aluminum oxide nanoparticles in lettuce: A comparison study to phytotoxic aluminum ions.

The widespread use of aluminum oxide nanoparticles (AlO NPs) unavoidably causes the release of NPs into the environment, potentially having unforeseen consequences for biological processes. Due to the well-known issue of Al phytoxicity, plant interactions with AlO NPs are cause for concern, but these interactions remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of AlO NPs on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.

A Study of Faster-Z Evolution in the Great Tit (Parus major).

Sex chromosomes contribute substantially to key evolutionary processes such as speciation and adaptation. Several theories suggest that evolution could occur more rapidly on sex chromosomes, but currently our understanding of whether and how this occurs is limited. Here, we present an analysis of the great tit (Parus major) genome, aiming to detect signals of faster-Z evolution.

Systematic validation of variants of unknown significance in APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized by progressive cognitive decline. More than 200 pathogenic mutations have been identified in amyloid-β precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1) and presenilin 2 (PSEN2). Additionally, common and rare variants occur within APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 that may be risk factors, protective factors, or benign, non-pathogenic polymorphisms.

Loss of glucocorticoid receptor expression mediates in vivo dexamethasone resistance in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Despite decades of clinical use, mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance are poorly understood. We treated primary murine T lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALLs) with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) alone and in combination with the pan-PI3 kinase inhibitor GDC-0941 and observed a robust response to DEX that was modestly enhanced by GDC-0941. Continuous in vivo treatment invariably resulted in outgrowth of drug-resistant clones, ~30% of which showed markedly reduced glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein expression.

Care Transition Decisions After a Fall-related Emergency Department Visit: A Qualitative Study of Patients' and Caregivers' Experiences.

Objective: Falls are a leading cause of injury-related emergency department (ED) visits and may serve as a sentinel event for older adults, leading to physical and psychological injury. Our primary objective was to characterize patient- and caregiver-specific perspectives about care transitions after a fall.

Methods: Using a semistructured interview guide, we conducted in-depth, qualitative interviews using grounded theory methodology.

Publisher Correction: Palm Fruit Bioactives augment expression of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Nile Grass Rat basal ganglia and alter the colonic microbiome.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Effect of copper salts on hydrothermal oxidative decarboxylation: a study of phenylacetic acid.

Decarboxylation of carboxylic acids is favored under hydrothermal conditions, and can be influenced by dissolved metals. Here, we use phenylacetic acid as a model compound to study its hydrothermal decarboxylation in the presence of copper(ii) salts but no O. Our results showed a strong oxidizing role of copper in facilitating oxidative decarboxylation.

Gene Expression Profiles in Children With Suspected Sepsis.

Study Objective: Sepsis recognition is a clinical challenge in children. We aim to determine whether peripheral blood gene expression profiles are associated with pathogen type and sepsis severity in children with suspected sepsis.

Methods: This was a prospective pilot observational study in a tertiary pediatric emergency department with a convenience sample of children enrolled.

Derivation and assessment of the opioid use disorder severity scale: prediction of health, psychological and social adjustment problems.

Severity of substance use disorder (SUD) is typically evaluated by tabulating the number of symptoms. The resulting estimate of disorder severity is, however, biased due to intercorrelations among symptoms and their unequal salience. .

Sepsis in Complex Patients in the Emergency Department: Time to Recognition and Therapy in Pediatric Patients With High-Risk Conditions.

Objectives: To compare timeliness of sepsis recognition and initial treatment in patients with and without high-risk comorbid conditions.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting to a pediatric emergency department (ED) who triggered a vital sign-based electronic sepsis alert resulting in bedside "huddle" assessment per institutional practice. A positive sepsis alert was defined as age-specific tachycardia or hypotension, concern for infection, and at least 1 of the following: abnormal capillary refill, abnormal mental status, or a high-risk condition.

Inter and intra-reliability of ultrasonography for the measurement of abdominal subcutaneous & visceral adipose tissue thickness at 12 weeks gestation.

Background: Excess abdominal adiposity cause metabolic disturbances, particularly in pregnancy. Methods of accurate measurement are limited in pregnancy due to risks associated with these procedures. This study outlines a non-invasive methodology for the measurement of adipose tissue in pregnancy and determines the intra- and inter-observer reliability of ultrasound (US) measurements of the two components of adipose tissue (subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)) within a pregnant population.

Joint Effects of Parental Smoking Cessation and an Antismoking Parenting Program on Children's Susceptibility to Smoking: A Three-Year Prospective Study.

Cognitive susceptibility to smoking is indicated by positive social expectancies about smoking, being curious about smoking, wanting to try smoking, and intending to try smoking. Among children, cognitive susceptibility is a risk factor for initiating smoking; reducing susceptibility is, therefore, a viable primary prevention strategy. Our study tested prospectively the combined effect of two variables-parental modeling of smoking cessation and parental exposure to an antismoking parenting program-on cognitive susceptibility to smoking among children who had never puffed on a cigarette.

Palm Fruit Bioactives augment expression of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Nile Grass Rat basal ganglia and alter the colonic microbiome.

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) catalyzes the hydroxylation of L-tyrosine to L-DOPA. This is the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of the catecholamines - dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EP). Catecholamines (CA) play a key role as neurotransmitters and hormones.

Evaluation of arsenic field test kits for drinking water: Recommendations for improvement and implications for arsenic affected regions such as Bangladesh.

Arsenic field test kits are widely used to measure arsenic levels in drinking water sources, especially in countries like Bangladesh, where water supply is highly decentralized and water quality testing infrastructure is limited. From a public health perspective, the ability of a measurement technique to distinguish samples above and below relevant and actionable drinking water standards is paramount. In this study, the performance of eight commercially available field test kits was assessed by comparing kit estimates to hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HG-AAS) analyses.

Geospatial mapping and resource utilization tool in support of a national smoke-free public housing rule.

Objective: To advance public health support for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's smoke-free rule, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated with the Georgia Institute of Technology to develop a geospatial mapping tool.

Modelling competition between hybridising subspecies.

The geographic niches of many species are dramatically changing as a result of environmental and anthropogenic impacts such as global climate change and the introduction of invasive species. In particular, genetically compatible subspecies that were once geographically separated are being reintroduced to one another. This is of concern for conservation, where rare or threatened subspecies could be bred out by hybridising with their more common relatives, and for commercial interests, where the stock or quality of desirable harvested species could be compromised.