A new species of rock skink (Scincidae: Liopholis) from the Central Ranges bioregion of arid Australia.

A new species of rock skink Liopholis Fitzinger 1843 (Scincidae) is described from the Mann-Musgrave Ranges of north-western South Australia. Liopholis margaretae sensu lato (Storr 1968) is currently known to occur in two disjunct populations: the MacDonnell Ranges bioregion and nearby regions in the Northern Territory, and the Central Ranges bioregion in South Australia. Based on morphological examination of both museum and field specimens, as well as on newly generated molecular data, we show that specimens from these two ranges constitute distinct species.

Photoluminescence and Scintillation Mechanism of CsPbBr.

Small bandgap scintillators have gained significant attention in recent years. Especially CsPbBr is an interesting material, mitigating the small Stokes shift-related problem of perovskites like CsPbBr. In this work, optical and scintillation properties of CsPbBr single crystals are investigated as a function of temperature, with a detailed focus at 10 K.

Estimation of carbon sequestration potential and air quality impacts of biochar production from straw in China.

Aiming to optimize straw resource utilization and to reduce air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions in China, the environmental benefits of biochar production using straw and utilization need to be assessed. Two biochar production scenarios were studied: centralized production scenario (CPS) utilizing an industrialized production method with advanced air pollution control devices, and decentralized production scenario (DPS) based on a distributed production method of biochar at the village level, compared to an open-burning scenario (OBS). The potential GHG emission reductions under DPS, including the benefit of soil biochar application, were evaluated as 680 Tg CO-eq yr, which was lower than the reductions under CPS (780 Tg CO-eq yr).

Diagnosing a genetic disease in a donor-conceived child: case report and discussion of the ethical, legal, and practical issues.

We describe the unexpected challenges pediatricians may experience when children conceived with assisted reproduction are diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. A local case series triggered a dialogue between many stakeholders with varied expertise. Indeed, diagnosing a genetic disease in a child conceived by embryo, egg, or sperm donation is becoming more common now that genetic testing and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are readily accessible.

Translational strategies to uncover the etiology of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract.

While up to 50% of children requiring kidney replacement therapy have congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT), they represent only a fraction of the total patient population with CAKUT. The extreme variability in clinical outcome underlines the fundamental need to devise personalized clinical management strategies for individuals with CAKUT. Better understanding of the pathophysiology of abnormal kidney and urinary tract development provides a framework for precise diagnoses and prognostication of patients, the identification of biomarkers and disease modifiers, and, thus, the development of personalized strategies for treatment.

Fast meta-analytic approximations for relational event models: applications to data streams and multilevel data.

Large relational-event history data stemming from large networks are becoming increasingly available due to recent technological developments (e.g. digital communication, online databases, etc).

Real-Time Monitoring of Oxygen-Consumption Rate in Mouse Liver Slices Incubated in Organ-on-a-Chip Devices.

We developed an organ-on-a-chip (OOC) based on precision-cut liver slices to assess liver function in real-time, both in health and disease, in a controlled and noninvasive manner. We achieved this by integrating fiber-optic-based oxygen sensors before and after the microchamber in which a liver slice was incubated under flow, to measure oxygen concentrations in the medium in real time. We first demonstrated that the basal oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of liver slices is a reliable indicator of liver slice viability.

Three cases with chronic obsessive compulsive disorder report gains in wellbeing and function following rituximab treatment.

Immunological aetiology is supported for a subgroup with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and conceptualized as autoimmune OCD. The longitudinal clinical course is detailed for three severely ill cases with OCD and indications of immunological involvement with off-label rituximab treatment every six months. All cases showed clear and sustained gains regarding symptom burden and function for over 2.

Development of a Canadian Medical Assistance in Dying Curriculum for Healthcare Providers.

Objectives: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016, necessitating greater education and training in MAiD for physicians and nurse practitioners. To meet this need, the Canadian MAiD Curriculum (CMC) was developed to offer a nationally accredited, comprehensive, bilingual, hybrid (synchronous and asynchronous) educational program to support and enhance the practice of MAiD in Canada.

Methods: This work describes the process of developing the CMC, including its guiding principles and framework.

Spatiotemporal omics for biology and medicine.

The completion of the Human Genome Project has provided a foundational blueprint for understanding human life. Nonetheless, understanding the intricate mechanisms through which our genetic blueprint is involved in disease or orchestrates development across temporal and spatial dimensions remains a profound scientific challenge. Recent breakthroughs in cellular omics technologies have paved new pathways for understanding the regulation of genomic elements and the relationship between gene expression, cellular functions, and cell fate determination.

Orthogonal Electrochemical Stability of Bulk and Surface in Lead Halide Perovskite Thin Films and Nanocrystals.

Lead halide perovskites have attracted significant attention for their wide-ranging applications in optoelectronic devices. A ubiquitous element in these applications is that charging of the perovskite is involved, which can trigger electrochemical degradation reactions. Understanding the underlying factors governing these degradation processes is crucial for improving the stability of perovskite-based devices.

Reevaluating the Drivers of Fertilizer-Induced NO Emission: Insights from Interpretable Machine Learning.

Direct nitrous oxide (NO) emissions from fertilizer application are the largest anthropogenic source of global NO, but the factors influencing these emissions remain debated. Here, we compile 1134 observations of fertilizer-induced NO emission factor (EF) from 229 publications, covering various regions and crops globally. We then employ an interpretable machine learning model to investigate the driving factors of fertilizer-induced NO emissions.

Long-term Trends of Dissolved Organic Carbon Dynamics in a Subtropical Forest Responding to Environmental Changes.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics are critical to carbon cycling in forest ecosystems and sensitive to global change. Our study, spanning from 2001 to 2020 in a headwater catchment in subtropical China, analyzed DOC and water chemistry of throughfall, litter leachate, soil waters at various depths, and streamwater. We focused on DOC transport through hydrological pathways and assessed the long-term trends in DOC dynamics amidst environmental and climatic changes.

Gut microbiome composition and functionality impact the responsiveness to a dairy-based product containing galacto-oligosaccharides for improving sleep quality in adults.

Sleep quality and duration can be impacted by diet, and has been linked to gut microbiota composition and function as the result of communication via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. As one strategy to improve sleep quality could be through the modulation of the gut microbiome, we assessed the effects of a dairy-based product containing whey protein, galacto-oligosaccharides, tryptophan, vitamins and minerals after a 3 weeks intervention on gut microbiota composition and (gut-brain related) functions on basis of 67 healthy subjects with moderate sleep disturbances. Associations of the gut microbiota with sleep quality and with response/non-response to the treatment were revealed by shotgun metagenomics sequencing of faecal DNA samples, and subsequent analyses of microbiota taxonomy and generic functionality.

Characterization of reduced astrocyte creatine kinase levels in Alzheimer's disease.

The creatine-phosphocreatine cycle serves as a crucial temporary energy buffering system in the brain, regulated by brain creatine kinase (CKB), in maintaining Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been linked to increased CKB oxidation and loss of its regulatory function, although specific pathological processes and affected cell types remain unclear. In our study, cerebral cortex samples from individuals with AD, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and age-matched controls were analyzed using antibody-based methods to quantify CKB levels and assess alterations associated with disease processes.

A novel questionnaire to perform teletriage of dental emergencies in children: A before-and-after study nested within a randomized clinical trial.

This will be a before-and-after study nested within a randomized clinical trial. Its objective will be to analyze the effectiveness of a teleconsultation and validate a questionnaire for performing teletriage in dental urgency/emergency situations in children aged 3 to 13, whose parents will have signed a free and informed consent form, and who have had full access to the internet. The Questionnaire for Teletriage of Emergencies and Urgencies in Pediatric Dentistry (QuesT-Odontoped)-will be validated by applying it to 140 randomized child parents/guardians.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With a Stable or Growing Vestibular Schwannoma Managed by Wait and Scan or Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Objective: To assess the effect of wait and scan (W&S) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over time in patients with a stable vestibular schwannoma (VS) and growing VS.

Study Design: Longitudinal, multicenter, observational study.

Setting: Tertiary expert center for VS (Radboudumc Nijmegen) and Gamma-Knife center ETZ Hospital Tilburg.

Bayesian Multivariate Logistic Regression for Superiority and Inferiority Decision-Making under Observable Treatment Heterogeneity.

The effects of treatments may differ between persons with different characteristics. Addressing such treatment heterogeneity is crucial to investigate whether patients with specific characteristics are likely to benefit from a new treatment. The current paper presents a novel Bayesian method for superiority decision-making in the context of randomized controlled trials with multivariate binary responses and heterogeneous treatment effects.

Biochar dispersion in a tropical soil and its effects on native soil organic carbon.

Although biochar application to soils has been found to increase soil quality and crop yield, the biochar dispersion extent and its impacts on native soil organic carbon (SOC) has received relatively little attention. Here, the vertical and lateral migration of fine, intermediate and coarse-sized biochar (<0.5, 0.

Adrenal fast-track and enhanced recovery in retroperitoneoscopic surgery for primary aldosteronism improving patient outcome and efficiency.

Purpose: No data exist on perioperative strategies for enhancing recovery after posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (PRA). Our objective was to determine whether a multimodality adrenal fast-track and enhanced recovery (AFTER) protocol for PRA can reduce recovery time, improve patient satisfaction and maintain safety.

Methods: Thirty primary aldosteronism patients were included.

A probe into the acid deposition mitigation path in China over the last four decades and beyond.

China currently has the highest acid deposition globally, yet research on its status, impacts, causes and controls is lacking. Here, we compiled data and calculated critical loads regarding acid deposition. The results showed that the abatement measures in China have achieved a sharp decline in the emissions of acidifying pollutants and a continuous recovery of precipitation pH, despite the drastic growth in the economy and energy consumption.

Behavioral and neural responses to social rejection: Individual differences in developmental trajectories across childhood and adolescence.

Dealing with social rejection is challenging, especially during childhood when behavioral and neural responses to social rejection are still developing. In the current longitudinal study, we used a Bayesian multilevel growth curve model to describe individual differences in the development of behavioral and neural responses to social rejection in a large sample (n > 500). We found a peak in aggression following negative feedback (compared to neutral feedback) during late childhood, as well as individual differences during this developmental phase, possibly suggesting a sensitive window for dealing with social rejection across late childhood.

Developing a national undergraduate medical education pain management and substance use disorder curriculum to address the opioid crisis: a program evaluation pilot study.

Background: Pain and addiction are one of the most common reasons for adults to seek health care, yet educational programs focused on pain are often underrepresented in medical school curricula. In January 2021, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) launched an online national, bilingual, competency-based curriculum for undergraduate medical (UGME) students in pain management and substance use in response to the opioid crisis and to bridge the content gaps in programs across Canada. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pilot of this national curriculum.