Effects of multiple mammalian herbivores and climate on grassland-shrubland transitions in the Chihuahuan Desert.

The replacement of grasses by shrubs or bare ground (xerification) is a primary form of landscape change in drylands globally with consequences for ecosystem services. The potential for wild herbivores to trigger or reinforce shrubland states may be underappreciated, however, and comparative analyses across herbivore taxa are sparse. We sought to clarify the relative effects of domestic cattle, native rodents, native lagomorphs, and exotic African oryx (Oryx gazella) on a Chihuahuan Desert grassland undergoing shrub encroachment.

Clinical outcomes after liver transplant in people with cystic fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Data on the impact of liver transplantation (LT) in cystic fibrosis (CF) on lung function and exacerbations are limited. The objective of this study was to summarize the literature on lung function, nutritional status, survival, and complications following LT in people with CF.

Methods: Three databases were searched until September 2023, to identify the impact of LT in CF.

The origin of ferritin reference intervals: a systematic review.

Iron deficiency is a highly prevalent condition, which contributes to unnecessary morbidity, mortality, and health inequity. A serum ferritin concentration of less than 30 μg/L has a high specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing iron deficiency in adults, but the laboratory reported lower limit of normal (LLN) is typically lower. These LLNs might not be rooted in rigorous scientific evidence and might be contributing to structural underdiagnosis of iron deficiency.

HIV Prevention and Treatment Interventions for Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in Canada: Scoping Systematic Review.

Background: Black men who have sex with men (MSM) experience disproportionately high HIV incidence globally. A comprehensive, intersectional approach (race, gender, and sexuality or sexual behavior) in understanding the experiences of Black MSM in Canada along the HIV prevention and care continuums has yet to be explored.

Objective: This scoping review aims to examine the available evidence on the access, quality, gaps, facilitators, and barriers of engagement and identify interventions relevant to the HIV prevention and care continuum for Black MSM in Canada.

The effect of recreational cannabis legalization and commercialization on substance use, mental health, and injury: a systematic review.

Objective: To determine the effect of recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) and/or recreational cannabis commercialization (RCC) on emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths due to substance use, injury, and mental health among those aged 11 years and older.

Methods: A systematic review of six electronic databases up to February 1, 2023. Original, peer-reviewed articles with interrupted time series or before and after designs were included.

Clinical tools to assess functional capacity before elective non-cardiac surgery: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to map the evidence on clinical tools to assess functional capacity prior to elective non-cardiac surgery.

Introduction: Functional capacity is a strong prognostic indicator before surgery, which can be used to identify patients at elevated risk of postoperative complications, yet, there is no consensus on which clinical tools should be used to assess functional capacity in patients prior to non-cardiac surgery.

Inclusion Criteria: This review will consider any randomized or non-randomized studies that evaluate the performance of a functional capacity assessment tool in adults (≥18 years) prior to non-cardiac surgery.

Global trends in training and credentialing guidelines for gastrointestinal endoscopy: a systematic review.

Credentialing, the process through which an institution assesses and validates an endoscopist's qualifications to independently perform a procedure, can vary by region and country. Little is known about these inter-societal and geographic differences. We aimed to systematically characterize credentialing recommendations and requirements worldwide.

The ability of machine learning algorithms to predict defibrillation success during cardiac arrest: A systematic review.

Objective: To evaluate the existing knowledge on the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) algorithms inpredicting defibrillation success during in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus were searched from inception to August 30, 2022. Studies were included that utilized ML algorithms for prediction of successful defibrillation, observed as return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital or discharge, or neurological status at discharge.

Validity evidence for observational ERCP competency assessment tools: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND : Assessment of competence in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is critical for supporting learning and documenting attainment of skill. Validity evidence supporting ERCP observational assessment tools has not been systematically evaluated. METHODS : We conducted a systematic search using electronic databases and hand-searching from inception until August 2021 for studies evaluating observational assessment tools of ERCP performance.

The benefits and risks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for postoperative analgesia in sinonasal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have emerged as an alternative to opioids for optimal postoperative pain management. However, the adoption of NSAIDs in sinonasal surgery has been impeded by a theoretical concern for postoperative bleeding. Our objective is to systematically review the efficacy and safety of NSAIDs for patients undergoing sinonasal surgery.

Comorbidity and functional outcomes after hip fracture: an umbrella review protocol.

Objective: The objective of the review is to examine the association between comorbidity and functional outcomes after hip fracture.

Introduction: Patients who have suffered a hip fracture are at risk of poor functional recovery, which may be influenced by factors such as age, functional status at baseline, and comorbid conditions. Patients recovering from a hip fracture seldom present without other comorbid conditions.

Predictors of Transfusion in Trauma and Their Utility in the Prehospital Environment: A Scoping Review.

Hemorrhage is a leading cause of preventable mortality from trauma, necessitating resuscitation through blood product transfusions. Early and accurate identification of patients requiring transfusions in the prehospital setting may reduce delays in time to transfusion upon arrival to hospital, reducing mortality. The purpose of this study is to characterize existing literature on predictors of transfusion and analyze their utility in the prehospital context.

Repeat assault injuries: A scoping review of the incidence and associated risk factors.

Objective: Individuals who experience assault are at high risk of being re-assaulted. Our objective was to identify reported incidences of re-assault and associated risk factors to better inform prevention strategies.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review and searched databases (MEDLINE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Reviews, and Scopus) and grey literature.

Machine Learning in the Prediction of Trauma Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Study Objective: Machine learning models carry unique potential as decision-making aids and prediction tools for improving patient care. Traumatically injured patients provide a uniquely heterogeneous population with severe injuries that can be difficult to predict. Given the relative infancy of machine learning applications in medicine, this systematic review aimed to better understand the current state of machine learning development and implementation to help create a basis for future research.

Genome Wide MeDIP-Seq Profiling of Wild and Cultivated Olives Trees Suggests DNA Methylation Fingerprint on the Sensory Quality of Olive Oil.

Secondary metabolites are particularly important to humans due to their pharmaceutical properties. Moreover, secondary metabolites are key compounds in climate change adaptation in long-living trees. Recently, it has been described that the domestication of subspecies had no major selection signature on coding variants and was mainly related to changes in gene expression.

The Lepidoptera of Cuatrociénegas Protected Area 1. A new species in the genus Hübner, [1823] (Erebidae, Erebinae, Euclidiini) from the Chihuahuan Desert, Coahuila, Mexico.

A new species of Hübner, [1823] (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Erebinae, Euclidiini) is described from Cuatrociénegas Protected Area and Biosphere Preserve in Coahuila, Mexico. Adult male and female moths are illustrated, including genitalia. Homziak & Metzler, is one of 27 new species of insects discovered during an inventory survey of arthropods of White Sands National Monument, USA, and Cuatrociénegas Protected Area (Mexico), funded by the U.

Financial Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the prevalence of disclosed and undisclosed financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) among clinical practice guidelines (CPGs).

Methods: In this systematic review, we ascertained the prevalence and types of FCOI for CPGs from January 1, 1980, to March 3, 2019. The primary outcome was the prevalence of FCOI among authors of CPGs.

Declines in rodent abundance and diversity track regional climate variability in North American drylands.

Regional long-term monitoring can enhance the detection of biodiversity declines associated with climate change, improving future projections by reducing reliance on space-for-time substitution and increasing scalability. Rodents are diverse and important consumers in drylands, regions defined by the scarcity of water that cover 45% of Earth's land surface and face increasingly drier and more variable climates. We analyzed abundance data for 22 rodent species across grassland, shrubland, ecotone, and woodland ecosystems in the southwestern USA.

A revision of the shield-back katydid genus Neduba (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae: Nedubini).

The Nearctic shield-back katydid genus Neduba is revised. Species boundaries were demarcated by molecular phylogenetic analysis, morphology, quantitative analysis of calling songs, and karyotypes. Nine previously described species are redescribed: N.

The role of PQL genes in response to salinity tolerance in and barley.

While soil salinity is a global problem, how salt enters plant root cells from the soil solution remains underexplored. Non-selective cation channels (NSCCs) are suggested to be the major pathway for the entry of sodium ions (Na), yet their genetic constituents remain unknown. Yeast PQ loop (PQL) proteins were previously proposed to encode NSCCs, but the role of PQLs in plants is unknown.

Barriers in accessing HIV care for Francophone African, Caribbean and Black people living with HIV in Canada: a scoping review.

Introduction: In 2001, 50%-55% of French-speaking minority communities did not have access to health services in French in Canada. Although Canada is officially a bilingual country, reports indicate that many healthcare services offered in French in Anglophone provinces are insufficient or substandard, leading to healthcare discrepancies among Canada's minority Francophone communities.

Objectives: The primary aim of this scoping systematic review was to identify existing gaps in HIV-care delivery to Francophone minorities living with HIV in Canada.

EMS-Induced Mutagenesis of for Increased Atmospheric CO Reduction Efficiency and Solvent Production.

(P7) is one of the most important solvent-producing bacteria capable of fermenting syngas (CO, CO, and H) to produce chemical commodities when grown as an autotroph. This study aimed to develop ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-induced P7 mutants that were capable of growing in the presence of CO as a unique source of carbon with increased solvent formation and atmospheric CO reduction to limit global warming. Phenotypic analysis including growth and end product characterization of the P7 wild type (WT) demonstrated that this strain grew better at 25 °C than 37 °C when CO served as the only source of carbon.

Species-specific molecular responses of wild coral reef fishes during a marine heatwave.

The marine heatwave of 2016 was one of the longest and hottest thermal anomalies recorded on the Great Barrier Reef, influencing multiple species of marine ectotherms, including coral reef fishes. There is a gap in our understanding of what the physiological consequences of heatwaves in wild fish populations are. Thus, in this study, we used liver transcriptomes to understand the molecular response of five species to the 2016 heatwave conditions.