Noninvasive, epigenetic age estimation in an elasmobranch, the cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus).

Age data are essential for estimating life history parameters and are thus critical for population assessment, management, and conservation. Traditional vertebrae-based age estimation in elasmobranchs can be costly, time intensive, of low accuracy, and is by necessity lethal. Herein, epigenetic clocks were developed for an elasmobranch, the cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus), using aquarium-born individuals (n = 42) with known dates of birth (age range: 7-7,878 days or 0-21 years) and two tissue types (fin clips and whole blood) that can be sampled in a relatively non-invasive manner.

Cesarian section and long-term outcomes for cownose rays ().

Cownose rays () are schooling rays commonly displayed in large groups in public aquariums. They are long-lived, have an annual reproductive cycle, and readily breed in managed care with most pregnancies culminating with the unaided and successful birth of a single neonate. Occasionally, females are observed to have prolonged pregnancies or suffer dystocia during parturition and intervention via a cesarian section (C-section) is required to deliver the neonate.

Politicizing science funding undermines public trust in science, academic freedom, and the unbiased generation of knowledge.

This commentary documents how federal funding agencies are changing the criteria by which they distribute taxpayer money intended for scientific research. Increasingly, STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) funding agencies are requiring applicants for funding to include a plan to advance DEI ("Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion") in their proposals and to dedicate a part of the research budget to its implementation. These mandates undermine the academic freedom of researchers and the unbiased generation of knowledge needed for a well-functioning democracy.

Unmatched. What's Next? Is a Preliminary Year of Residency or Research Fellowship Better for Reapplicants to Plastic Surgery?

Background: Plastic and reconstructive surgery is one of the most competitive residency programs, and given the increased number of applicants for a relatively fixed number of positions, successfully matching is a challenge. Match rates have declined since 2018, with a match rate of ~55% in 2022. Two common options before reapplying are a preliminary year of residency (preliminary year) or a research fellowship.

Can Electrical Stimulation Prevent Recurrence of Keloid Scars? A Scoping Review.

Keloids represent a symptomatic, aberrant healing process that is difficult to treat with high recurrence rates spanning from 55% to 100% if treated excision without adjuvant therapy. Electrical stimulation (ES) has demonstrated findings that suggest it could reduce the recurrence rate of keloids after resection. Therefore, the aim of this study is to conduct a scoping review to investigate ES as an adjuvant therapy for decreasing keloid recurrence after excision.

A Day in the Life of a Surgical Instrument: The Cycle of Sterilization.

Surgeons must be confident that the instruments they use do not pose risk of infection to patients due to bioburden or contamination. Despite this importance, surgeons are not necessarily aware of the steps required to ensure that an instrument has been properly sterilized, processed, and prepared for the next operation. At the end of an operation, instruments must be transported to the sterile processing unit.

Picture Perfect: Standardizing and Safekeeping Clinical Photography in Plastic Surgery.

Plastic surgery relies heavily on clinical photography to document preoperative and postoperative changes, visualize surgical approaches, and evaluate outcomes. However, the contemporary landscape of plastic surgery photography faces challenges, including a lapse in standards due to the prevalence of smartphones, social media platforms, and security concerns related to data storage and cyberattacks. In this comprehensive review, the authors aim to provide plastic surgeons with practical guidelines for achieving standardized, high-quality clinical photography while navigating the evolving landscape of technology, security, and ethical considerations.

Osteoarthritis Increases the Frequency and Duration of Postoperative Hand Clinic Visits after Carpal Tunnel Release.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome affects up to 6% of the general population, and surgical intervention is often required to ameliorate symptoms. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition that often coexists with carpal tunnel syndrome. We hypothesized that patients with preexisting OA use more healthcare resources after carpal tunnel release (CTR) than patients without arthritis.

Indocyanine Green Angiography Overpredicts Postoperative Necrosis Compared to Multispectral Reflectance Imaging.

Background: Sufficient perfusion is foundational to successful reconstructive surgery. Various technologies have been developed to help determine whether tissue is adequately perfused, or whether it will be prone to necrosis postoperatively. Indocyanine green (ICG) angiography is one such method that uses fluorescence and analyzes tissue perfusion.

A Second Drain Decreases Seroma Formation in Prepectoral Immediate Breast Reconstruction with an Acellular Dermal Matrix.

Unlabelled: Seroma formation is the most common complication after mastectomy. While the exact pathophysiology behind seroma development has not been entirely elucidated, seromas are associated with negative outcomes in breast reconstruction. The utilization of drains is one method to combat seroma.

Post-9/11 veterans perceptions of the pandemic: Areas of greatest impact on health and well-being.

Objective: Assess potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on a subset of Post-9/11 U.S. Veterans included in a study of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE).

Phage Therapy of Mycobacterium Infections: Compassionate Use of Phages in 20 Patients With Drug-Resistant Mycobacterial Disease.

Background: Nontuberculous Mycobacterium infections, particularly Mycobacterium abscessus, are increasingly common among patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic bronchiectatic lung diseases. Treatment is challenging due to intrinsic antibiotic resistance. Bacteriophage therapy represents a potentially novel approach.

The genetic origin of Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians.

Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians were migration-period nomadic tribal confederations that arrived in three successive waves in the Carpathian Basin between the 5 and 9 centuries. Based on the historical data, each of these groups are thought to have arrived from Asia, although their exact origin and relation to other ancient and modern populations have been debated. Recently, hundreds of ancient genomes were analyzed from Central Asia, Mongolia, and China, from which we aimed to identify putative source populations for the above-mentioned groups.

Infrared Spectrum of the Amantadine Cation: Opening of the Diamondoid Cage upon Ionization.

Radical cations of diamondoids, a fundamental class of highly stable cycloalkanes, are intermediates in functionalization reactions and possibly present in the interstellar medium. Herein, we characterize the structure of the radical cation of 1-amantadine (1-CHNH, Ama), the amino derivative of the parent adamantane (CH, Ada), by infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The structural isomers of Ama produced by electron ionization are probed by infrared photodissociation of cold Ar-tagged ions.

Environmental Characterization of Underwater Munitions Constituents at a Former Military Training Range.

As a result of military activities, unexploded ordnance and discarded military munitions are present in underwater environments, which has resulted in the release of munitions constituents including the high explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), along with their primary degradation products, to the water column and adjacent sediments. The present study focused on the characterization of underwater exposure and concentrations of energetics such as TNT and RDX at the former Vieques Naval Training Range at Bahia Salina del Sur (Vieques, Puerto Rico, USA), a bay with documented high incidence of munitions. In situ passive sampling using polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) was used for the detection and quantification of constituents in water at target locations approximately 15 to 30 cm from 15 individual potentially leaking munitions, and also at 15 unbiased locations approximately evenly spaced across the Bay.

Natural environmental conditions and collaborative efforts provide the secret to success for sand tiger shark Carcharias taurus reproduction in aquaria.

Sand tiger sharks are an iconic large shark species held in aquaria worldwide. They rarely reproduce under managed care, with only seven aquaria reporting limited and sporadic success. For the first time in the Americas, a full-term young was born in an aquarium.

TRPM8 as the rapid testosterone signaling receptor: Implications in the regulation of dimorphic sexual and social behaviors.

Testosterone regulates dimorphic sexual behaviors in all vertebrates. However, the molecular mechanism underlying these behaviors remains unclear. Here, we report that a newly identified rapid testosterone signaling receptor, Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 8 (TRPM8), regulates dimorphic sexual and social behaviors in mice.

Release of Munitions Constituents in Aquatic Environments Under Realistic Scenarios and Validation of Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers for Monitoring.

Munitions constituents (MC) may be released into aquatic environments as a result of underwater military munitions (UWMM) corrosion and breach. The present study investigated the release of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) from Composition B fragments under 2 realistic exposure scenarios in a large flume with flow set at 15 cm/s: the first represented the release of MC from fully exposed Composition B, and the second represented release through a small hole, simulating a breached munition. Release of MC through a small hole was approximately 10 times lower than from exposed Composition B, demonstrating the strong influence of exposure to flow on release.