Publications by authors named "TAIT A"

Pterosaur remains have been reported from every continent; however, pterosaur skeletons remain rare. A new pterosaur is presented here, Haliskia peterseni gen. et sp.

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Flystrike remains an important animal health issue on New Zealand sheep farms. To date no useful predictive tool to assist farmers to develop control options has been available. The aim of this study was to use National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) virtual climate station data in New Zealand to develop a weather-based model to accurately predict the presence of Lucilia spp.

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Radio-frequency interference is a growing concern as wireless technology advances, with potentially life-threatening consequences like interference between radar altimeters and 5 G cellular networks. Mobile transceivers mix signals with varying ratios over time, posing challenges for conventional digital signal processing (DSP) due to its high latency. These challenges will worsen as future wireless technologies adopt higher carrier frequencies and data rates.

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Objectives: Fibrosis of the vocal fold lamina propria reduces vocal cord vibration resulting in a chronically hoarse voice. We describe a novel approach using umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in a dehydrated collagen matrix (cellogen) to reconstruct the delicate balance of extracellular matrix within the vocal fold lamina propria whilst limiting the host inflammatory response to the implant.

Methods: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem-cells were embedded in bovine type I collagen hydrogel and dehydrated using the RAFT™ 3D culture system.

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Purpose: To determine the experiences, information, support needs and quality of life of women in the UK living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) to provide content for educational materials.

Methods: An online survey, hosted for 3 months on a UK MBC charity website, comprised sections covering issues such as communication about MBC treatment and management, helpful and less helpful things that healthcare professionals, family and friends did or said and completion of the Patient Roles and Responsibilities Scale (PRRS).

Results: A total of 143 patients participated; 48/143(33%) presented de novo; 54/143(38%) had been living with MBC > 2 years.

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Emerging neuromorphic hardware promises to solve certain problems faster and with higher energy efficiency than traditional computing by using physical processes that take place at the device level as the computational primitives in neural networks. While initial results in photonic neuromorphic hardware are very promising, such hardware requires programming or "training" that is often power-hungry and time-consuming. In this article, we examine the online learning paradigm, where the machinery for training is built deeply into the hardware itself.

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The expansion of telecommunications incurs increasingly severe crosstalk and interference, and a physical layer cognitive method, called blind source separation (BSS), can effectively address these issues. BSS requires minimal prior knowledge to recover signals from their mixtures, agnostic to the carrier frequency, signal format, and channel conditions. However, previous electronic implementations did not fulfil this versatility due to the inherently narrow bandwidth of radio-frequency (RF) components, the high energy consumption of digital signal processors (DSP), and their shared weaknesses of low scalability.

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Buparvaquone remains the only effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of tropical theileriosis caused by Theileria annulata. However, an increase in the rate of buparvaquone treatment failures has been observed in recent years, raising the possibility that resistance to this drug is associated with the selection of T. annulata genotypes bearing mutation(s) in the cytochrome b gene (Cyto b).

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Adenovirus vectors have become an important class of vaccines with the recent approval of Ebola and COVID-19 products. In-process quality attribute data collected during Adenovirus vector manufacturing has focused on particle concentration and infectivity ratios (based on viral genome: cell-based infectivity), and data suggest only a fraction of viral particles present in the final vaccine product are efficacious. To better understand this product heterogeneity, lab-scale preparations of two Adenovirus viral vectors, (Chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAdOx1) and Human adenovirus Type 5 (Ad5), were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

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Background: Despite the advantages of simulation-based training, trainees are typically unable to view internal anatomical structures. This limitation can be overcome by using mixed reality (MR) wherein 3-D virtual anatomical images can be projected. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of an MR trainer for peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) placement.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists want to find out if there is life on other planets, and they look for special molecules called organic molecules that are found in all living things on Earth.
  • NASA's Perseverance rover and the future ExoMars rover are using special tools to detect these molecules on Mars, but they aren't as powerful as the machines we have here on Earth.
  • A meteorite that fell to Earth called Lafayette was studied, and scientists discovered it has many organic molecules, including a type of toxin, which could mean it came from a place with plants and even a possible student collector from Purdue University.
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  • Parasitic helminths, like other pathogens, can quickly develop resistance to drugs, making it crucial to understand the genetics behind this resistance, especially in nematodes.
  • This study used genetic crosses in natural hosts to map resistance genes for major classes of anthelmintics, identifying new alleles linked to resistance against benzimidazoles, levamisole, and ivermectin.
  • The findings pinpoint the gene cky-1 as significant for ivermectin survival, providing a pathway for developing molecular diagnostics to address drug resistance in parasitic infections.
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Species composition in high-alpine ecosystems is a useful indicator for monitoring climatic and environmental changes at the upper limits of habitable environments. We used environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to document the breadth of high-alpine biodiversity present on Earth's highest mountain, Mt. Everest (8,849 m a.

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Extended reality (XR)-based simulation training offers unique features that facilitate collection of dynamic behavioral data and increased immersion/realism while providing opportunities for training health care professionals on critical events that are difficult to recreate in real life. Sequential analysis can be used to summarize learning behaviors by discovering hidden learning patterns in terms of common learning or clinical decision-making sequences. This project describes the use of sequential analysis to examine differential patterns of clinical decision-making behaviors in observed XR scenarios, allowing for new insights when using XR as a method to train for critical events and to trace clinical decision making.

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Introduction: Retaining leftover prescription opioids poses the risks of diversion, misuse, overdose, and death for youth and other family members. This study examined whether a new educational program would enhance risk perceptions and disposal intentions among parents and decrease their retention of leftover prescription opioids.

Study Design: This study is an RCT (NCT03287622).

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Article Synopsis
  • Ivermectin is crucial for global health in humans and animals, but resistance to the drug is widespread in parasites, raising concerns about treatment effectiveness.
  • Despite extensive research, the genetic basis for this resistance in parasitic helminths remains poorly understood due to their complex genomes and evolutionary factors.
  • A genetic study of Haemonchus contortus revealed that resistant populations exhibit specific gene expression changes linked to ivermectin resistance, including upregulation of key genes involved in neuronal function and cellular processes.
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We have more data about wildlife trafficking than ever before, but it remains underutilized for decision-making. Central to effective wildlife trafficking interventions is collection, aggregation, and analysis of data across a range of source, transit, and destination geographies. Many data are geospatial, but these data cannot be effectively accessed or aggregated without appropriate geospatial data standards.

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Neuromorphic photonic processors based on resonator weight banks are an emerging candidate technology for enabling modern artificial intelligence (AI) in high speed analog systems. These purpose-built analog devices implement vector multiplications with the physics of resonator devices, offering efficiency, latency, and throughput advantages over equivalent electronic circuits. Along with these advantages, however, often come the difficult challenges of compensation for fabrication variations and environmental disturbances.

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Objective: This randomized controlled trial examined whether an interactive, risk-focused educational program was associated with higher risk perceptions and decreased prescription opioid use/misuse among emerging adults.

Methods: 503 participants aged 15-24 years scheduled for ambulatory surgery were randomized to routine prescription education with or without our Scenario-Tailored Opioid Messaging Program (STOMP) provided prior to receipt of a prescribed opioid. Surveys were completed preoperatively, and at days 7&14, months 1&3 postoperatively.

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Meteorites that fall to Earth quickly become contaminated with terrestrial microorganisms. These meteorites are out of chemical equilibrium in the environments where they fall, and equilibration promotes formation of low-temperature alteration minerals that can entomb contaminant microorganisms and thus preserve them as microfossils. Given the well-understood chemistry of meteorites and their recent discovery on Mars by rovers, a similarly weathered meteorite on Mars could preserve organic and fossil evidence of a putative past biosphere at the martian surface.

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Objective: Quality of life, independence, and employment outcomes are poor for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (YA-ASD). This study explored the desires and experiences of YA-ASD as they transition into adulthood.

Methods: Fifteen YA-ASD, age 18 to 25 years, were recruited from autism spectrum disorder centers, participant registries, and social media advertising.

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Engineered epithelial cell sheets for clinical replacement of non-functional upper aerodigestive tract mucosa are regulated as medicinal products and should be manufactured to the standards of good manufacturing practice (GMP). The current gold standard for growth of epithelial cells for research utilises growth arrested murine 3T3 J2 feeder layers, which are not available for use as a GMP compliant raw material. Using porcine mucosal tissue, we demonstrate a new method for obtaining and growing non-keratinised squamous epithelial cells and fibroblast cells from a single biopsy, replacing the 3T3 J2 with a growth arrested primary fibroblast feeder layer and using pooled Human Platelet lysate (HPL) as the media serum supplement to replace foetal bovine serum (FBS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The Everest region's alpine environment is being studied through sediment core samples from Taboche Lake, aimed at understanding environmental changes and tectonic activity.
  • Research focuses on geological records from the lake core, revealing past earthquakes which are crucial for predicting future seismic hazards and assessing risks of glacial lake floods.
  • The core undergoes analysis revealing sediment structures and variations that indicate climatic and tectonic changes over the last 1,600 years, highlighting the area's dynamic history.
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Background: Pediatric airway emergencies are relatively rare, but have potentially devastating consequences. Simulation based education is important in providing zero-risk management experience for these critical events.

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess usability and feasibility of combined interactive instructional videos and a novel Virtual Reality (VR) trainer for healthcare professionals and to evaluate the impact of this combination on learners' knowledge of critical airway events in children.

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