Evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods for complex isolates from people with and without cystic fibrosis.

The complex (BCC) is a group of Gram-negative bacteria that cause opportunistic infections, most notably in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), and have been associated with outbreaks caused by contaminated medical products. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is often used to guide treatment for BCC infections, perhaps most importantly in people with CF who are being considered for lung transplant. However, recent studies have highlighted problems with AST methods.

Floodplain forests drive fruit-eating fish diversity at the Amazon Basin-scale.

Unlike most rivers globally, nearly all lowland Amazonian rivers have unregulated flow, supporting seasonally flooded floodplain forests. Floodplain forests harbor a unique tree species assemblage adapted to flooding and specialized fauna, including fruit-eating fish that migrate seasonally into floodplains, favoring expansive floodplain areas. Frugivorous fish are forest-dependent fauna critical to forest regeneration via seed dispersal and support commercial and artisanal fisheries.

Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous abatacept + standard treatment for active idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: phase III randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous (SC) abatacept and standard of care (SOC) for the treatment of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) over 52 weeks.

Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial, patients with treatment-refractory IIM received SC abatacept (125 mg weekly) + SOC (abatacept group) or placebo + SOC (placebo group) (NCT02971683). A 24-week double-blind period was followed by an open-label period to assess outcomes from continued therapy with abatacept and initiation with abatacept (placebo-to-abatacept switch group) from 24 to 52 weeks.

Nitrogen isotopes reveal high NO emissions from arid agricultural soils in the Salton Sea Air Basin.

Air quality management commonly aims to mitigate nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions from combustion, reducing ozone (O) and particulate matter (PM) pollution. Despite such ongoing efforts, regulations have recently proven ineffective in rural areas like the Salton Sea Air Basin of Southern California, which routinely violates O and PM air quality standards. With over $2 billion in annual agricultural sales and low population density, air quality in the region is likely influenced by the year-round farming activity.

A social norms campaign based positive intervention aimed at promoting protective behaviours.

Introduction: Social norms campaigns are communication strategies designed to influence people's behaviour by highlighting the social norms of their reference group. Such campaigns have been shown to be effective in promoting healthy behaviours in a variety of settings. This study explored the effectiveness of a social norms campaign applied to COVID-19 protective behaviours among university students during the pandemic.