Effect of mental health staffing inputs on initiation of care among recently separated Veterans.

Objective: To estimate a causal relationship between mental health staffing and time to initiation of mental health care for new patients.

Data Sources And Study Setting: As the largest integrated health care delivery system in the United States, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides a unique setting for isolating the effects of staffing on initiation of mental health care where demand is high and out-of-pocket costs are not a relevant confounder. We use data from the Department of Defense and VHA to obtain patient and facility characteristics and health care use.

The effects of the Veterans Health Administration's Referral Coordination Initiative on referral patterns and waiting times for specialty care.

Objective: To investigate whether the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) 2019 Referral Coordination Initiative (RCI) was associated with changes in the proportion of VA specialty referrals completed by community-based care (CC) providers and mean appointment waiting times for VA and CC providers.

Data Sources/study Settings: Monthly facility level VA data for 3,097,366 specialty care referrals for eight high-volume specialties (cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, physical therapy, and podiatry) from October 1, 2019 to May 30, 2022.

Study Design: We employed a staggered difference-in-differences approach to evaluate RCI's effects on referral patterns and wait times.

Growth of community-based immunotherapy treatment in the Veterans Health Administration.

Background: The MISSION and CHOICE Acts expanded the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) capacity to purchase immunotherapy services for VA patients from community-based providers. Our objective was to identify predictors of community-based immunotherapy treatment, and assess differences in cost and utilization across community treatment settings METHODS: We examined claims for 21,257 patients who started immunotherapy treatment between 2015 and 2020. We assessed growth in VA community-based immunotherapy care, predictors of community-based immunotherapy treatment using multivariable logistic regression based on patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Ecological predictors of interspecific variation in bird bill and leg lengths on a global scale.

Bills and legs are two vital appendages for birds, and they exhibit huge interspecific variation in form and function, yet no study has examined the global predictors of this variation. This study examined global gradients in the relative lengths of bird bills and tarsi (i.e.

Giant pandas are losing their edge: Population trend and distribution dynamic drivers of the giant panda.

Comprehending the population trend and understanding the distribution range dynamics of species are necessary for global species protection. Recognizing what causes dynamic distribution change is crucial for identifying species' environmental preferences and formulating protection policies. Here, we studied the rear-edge population of the flagship species, giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), to (1) assess their population trend using their distribution patterns, (2) evaluate their distribution dynamics change from the second (1988) to the third (2001) survey (2-3 Interval) and third to the fourth (2013) survey (3-4 Interval) using a machine learning algorithm (eXtremely Gradient Boosting), and (3) decode model results to identify driver factors in the first known use of SHapley Additive exPlanations.

Age-related alterations in metabolome and microbiome provide insights in dietary transition in giant pandas.

We conducted UPLC-MS-based metabolomics, 16S rRNA, and metagenome sequencing on the fecal samples of 44 captive giant pandas () from four age groups (i.e., Cub, Young, Adult, and Old) to comprehensively understand age-related changes in the metabolism and gut microbiota of giant pandas.

Assessing Global Efforts in the Selection of Vertebrates as Umbrella Species for Conservation.

The umbrella-species strategy has been proposed as an attainable tool to achieve multi-species and community conservation with limited investment. There have been many umbrella-related studies since the concept's inception; thus, a summary of global study efforts and recommended umbrella species is important for understanding advances in the field and facilitating conservation applications. Here, we collated 213 recommended umbrella species of terrestrial vertebrates from 242 scientific articles published during 1984-2021 and analyzed their geographic patterns, biological features, and conservation statuses to identify global trends in the selection of umbrella species.

Large-scale genetic surveys for main extant population of wild giant panda () reveals an urgent need of human management.

There are only six isolated living giant panda populations, and a comprehensive understanding of their genetic health status is crucial for the conservation of this vulnerable species. Liangshan Mountains is one of the main distribution areas of living giant pandas and is outside the newly established Giant panda national park. In this study, 971 giant panda fecal samples were collected in the heartland of Liangshan Mountains (Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve: MB; Meigu Dafengding Nature Reserve: MG; and Heizhugou Nature Reserve: HZG).

, a new species (Apiaceae) from Shaanxi, China.

Q.P.Jiang & X.

The plastid genome of twenty-two species from Ferula, Talassia, and Soranthus: comparative analysis, phylogenetic implications, and adaptive evolution.

Background: The Ferula genus encompasses 180-185 species and is one of the largest genera in Apiaceae, with many of Ferula species possessing important medical value. The previous studies provided more information for Ferula, but its infrageneric relationships are still confusing. In addition, its genetic basis of its adaptive evolution remains poorly understood.

Evidence from Phylogenomics and Morphology Provide Insights into the Phylogeny, Plastome Evolution, and Taxonomy of .

Pimenov is one of the segregate genera of sensu lato within the Apiaceae. The phylogenetic position and morphological delimitation of have been controversial. In this study, we used plastid genome (plastome) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences to reconstruct the phylogeny of , along with comparative plastome and morphological analyses between and related taxa.

Comparative transcriptomes of nine tissues for the Heilongjiang brown frog (Rana amurensis).

The Heilongjiang brown frog (Rana amurensis) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. In particular, the oviduct and skin have been developed into various health products. However, limited numbers of complete genomes of amphibian species have been reported, excluding the Heilongjiang brown frog.

Comparative analysis of microsatellites in coding regions provides insights into the adaptability of the giant panda, polar bear and brown bear.

Short Tandem repeats (STRs) often occur within coding regions and adaptive selection could play a vital role in shaping the landscape of coding STRs. Here, we identified 849, 1282 and 1501 genes that contained 966, 1565 and 1921 STRs in the coding regions of the giant panda, polar bear and brown bear genomes, respectively. The results showed that coding STRs were subject to strong selection on STR type, motif, repetition and mode of evolution.

Characterization of the microsatellite landscape provides insights into the evolutionary dynamics of the mammals based on the chromosome-level genomes.

As a classical molecular marker, microsatellite (simple sequence repeat, SSR) has been widely used in the study of genetics and evolution of mammals. However, there are widespread problems about lack of comparative analysis and low quality of genomic data. Based on high-quality chromosome-level genomes, we compared the SSR distribution patterns of 81 mammals species belonging to 13 orders in evolution landscape.

Preclinical and Clinical Trial Results Using Talazoparib and Low-Dose Chemotherapy.

Purpose: On the basis of preclinical data, we hypothesized that low doses of chemotherapy (10% of therapeutic doses) with full dose of a PARP inhibitor could have improved efficacy and tolerability.

Patients And Methods: In this phase I dose-escalation study, patients with BRCA-normal advanced malignancies were assigned to either talazoparib/temozolomide or talazoparib/irinotecan. Talazoparib was dose-escalated from 500 mcg to 1 mg daily before dose escalation of temozolomide/irinotecan.

Genomics and morphometrics reveal the adaptive evolution of pikas.

Pikas (Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae) are small mouse-like lagomorphs. To investigate their adaptation to different ecological environments during their dispersal from the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau (QTP), we collected 226 pikas and measured 20 morphological characteristics and recorded habitat information. We also sequenced the genome of 81 specimens, representing 27 putative pika species.

Integrated Health Record Viewers and Reduction in Duplicate Medical Imaging: Retrospective Observational Analysis.

Background: Health information exchange and multiplatform health record viewers support more informed medical decisions, improve quality of care, and reduce the risk of adverse outcomes due to fragmentation and discontinuity in care during transition of care. An example of a multiplatform health record viewer is the VA/DoD Joint Longitudinal Viewer (JLV), which supports the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) health care providers with read-only access to patient medical records integrated from multiple sources. JLV is intended to support more informed medical decisions such as reducing duplicate medical imaging when previous image study results may meet current clinical needs.

Molecular evolution and phylogenetic relationships of Ligusticum (Apiaceae) inferred from the whole plastome sequences.

Background: The genus Ligusticum belongs to Apiaceae, and its taxonomy has long been a major difficulty. A robust phylogenetic tree is the basis of accurate taxonomic classification of Ligusticum. We herein used 26 (including 14 newly sequenced) plastome-scale data to generate reliable phylogenetic trees to explore the phylogenetic relationships of Chinese Ligusticum.

Phylogenetic position of (Apiaceae, Apioideae): evidence from molecular data and carpological characters.

(Apiaceae, Apioideae) is now considered to have an East-Asia and Sino-Himalaya distribution. The genus was not recognized as a natural and separate genus and was treated as a synonym of both in and since first established, though Pimenov have made many taxonomic revisions to , phylogenetic relationships between and have been in dispute. Thirty-four plastomes and 35 nrITS from Apioideae were analysed by RAxML and MrBayes to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships, along with carpology of 10 species and comparative analyses of 17 plastomes to investigate the evidence supporting the independence of .

 (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from Henan, China.

D.F.Xie & X.

Comparative transcriptomes of three different skin sites for the Asiatic toad ().

Toads release toxic dry secretions from glands in their skin. Toxin possesses a wide range of biological effects, but little is known about its specific gene expression pattern and regulatory mechanisms. The Asiatic toad () is widely used to produce toxin.

Phylogeny, Age, and Evolution of Tribe Lilieae (Liliaceae) Based on Whole Plastid Genomes.

Tribe Lilieae, encompassing , , , and , includes economically important crops with a horticultural and medicinal value. It is considered to be a core lineage of Liliaceae, but phylogenetic relationships within it, and the timing of the origin of individual clades, remain incompletely resolved. To address these issues, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the tribe.

The gut microbiome and antibiotic resistome of chronic diarrhea rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and its similarity to the human gut microbiome.

Background: Chronic diarrhea is a common disease causing morbidity and mortality of captive rhesus macaques (RMs, Macaca mulatta). Chronic diarrhea in RMs is typically characterized by long-term diarrhea and a weak response to antibiotic treatment. Diarrhea is also a common disease in humans and can cause death.

Have China's national forest reserves designated since 1990 conserved forests effectively?

China's forests were severely degraded by human activities during the latter half of the 20th century. Therefore, China enacted ambitious programs of natural forest protection and afforestation to protect and expand forests. Yet it is unclear how the programs, especially the designation of forest reserves, have affected forest cover and fragmentation.