Hormonal induction and seasonal variation in male reproductive viability of the Southern Rocky Mountain boreal toad.

The Southern Rocky Mountain boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) depends on both the rearing of wild-collected egg masses and a long-standing conservation breeding program (CBP), the latter of which heavily relies on assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) to support wild populations. Achieving consistent reproductive success in the CBP, however, remains a significant challenge. Natural breeding has not led to a sustained increase in reproductive capacity, prompting the exploration of exogenous hormone treatments as an alternative strategy.

A U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) overview of Pan American botanicals used in dietary supplements and herbal medicines.

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is a nonprofit, scientific, standard-setting organization, and world leader in establishing quality, purity, and testing standards for medicines, foods, and dietary supplements. USP quality standards are used in more than 140 countries and are legally recognized by more than 40 countries. Currently, there is renewed interest in herbal medicines globally, and health policies are being implemented worldwide for the use of complementary and traditional medicine.

Social and ecological determinants of antimicrobial resistance in Africa: a systematic review of epidemiological evidence.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest global health problems for humans, animals, and the environment. Although the association between various factors and AMR is being increasingly researched, the need to understand the contribution of social and ecological determinants, especially in developing nations, remains. This review fills these knowledge gaps by synthesizing existing evidence on the social and ecological determinants of AMR in Africa.

Treatment Targets Should Influence Choice of Infliximab Dose Intensification Strategy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pharmacokinetic Simulation Study.

Background: The optimal infliximab dose intensification strategy to address loss of response associated with subtherapeutic infliximab trough levels remains uncertain, as does whether post-intensification trough and treatment targets should influence this decision.

Objectives: This pharmacokinetic simulation study aimed to identify infliximab dose intensification strategies capable of achieving post-intensification infliximab trough thresholds associated with clinical and objective treatment targets in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Methods: A validated pharmacokinetic infliximab model, applied to 200 simulated patients, identified those with subtherapeutic (< 3.

"Getting the Dose Right"-Revisiting the Topic With Focus on Biologic Agents.

Nearly two decades after the Peck and Cross article '"Getting the dose right: facts, a blueprint, and encouragements" was published, a review of dose recommendations for biologics shows that the success in getting the dose right appears to have improved given the relatively low incidence of drug withdrawals and dosing/label changes. However, the clinical experience with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) following approval has been less than perfect. In inflammatory diseases, the disease burden changes with time and high treatment failure rates have been reported.

Refrigerated storage and cryopreservation of hormonally induced sperm in the threatened frog, Litoria aurea.

As sperm cryopreservation and other assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) advance in common amphibian species, focus on applying non-lethal sperm collection methods to the conservation and genetic management of threatened species is imperative. The goal of this study was to examine the application of logistically practical ART protocols in a threatened frog (Litoria aurea). First, we tested the efficacy of various concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (20, 40 IU/g bodyweight) and Gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist (0.

Establishment of a Practical Sperm Cryopreservation Pathway for the Axolotl (): A Community-Level Approach to Germplasm Repository Development.

The axolotl () draws great attention around the world for its importance as a biomedical research model, but housing and maintaining live animals is increasingly expensive and risky as new transgenic lines are developed. The goal of this work was to develop an initial practical pathway for sperm cryopreservation to support germplasm repository development. The present study assembled a pathway through the investigation of axolotl sperm collection by stripping, refrigerated storage in various osmotic pressures, cryopreservation in various cryoprotectants, and in vitro fertilization using thawed sperm.

More Diverse and Equal: Insights on Moving From "Real-Life" to "Remote" Practicum Experiences and Career Development From Undergraduate Global Public Health Students During COVID-19.

A key facet to typical undergraduate or graduate global public health programs is an applied practice experience (a practicum) that culminates in shared results and public presentations (e.g., research posters, conference and working papers, needs assessments).

Application of a Precision-Dosing Model to a Real-World Cohort of Patients on Infliximab Maintenance Therapy: Drug Usage and Cost Analysis.

Precision-dosing models forecast infliximab doses to achieve targeted trough concentrations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These models have shown to reduce nonresponse and improve patient outcomes. We compared infliximab doses determined by iDOSE precision dosing with standard dosing, and the associated drug costs, in patients with IBD.

Combining the potential of 3D printed buccal films and nanostructured lipid carriers for personalised cannabidiol delivery.

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been recognized for its numerous therapeutic benefits, such as neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory effects, and cardioprotection. However, CBD has some limitations, including unpredictable pharmacokinetics and low oral bioavailability. To overcome the challenges associated with CBD delivery, we employed Design of Experiments (DoE), lipid carriers, and 3D printing techniques to optimize and develop buccal film loaded with CBD-NLCs.

Cryopreservation Cooling Rate Impacts Post-Thaw Sperm Motility and Survival in .

The cryopreservation and storage of gametes (biobanking) can provide a long-term, low-cost option for the preservation of population genetic diversity and is particularly impactful when applied to manage selective breeding within conservation breeding programs (CBPs). This study aimed to develop a sperm cryopreservation protocol for the critically endangered Booroolong frog () to capture founder genetics within the recently established (est. 2019) CBP for this species.

Dynamic exposure and body burden models for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) enable management of food safety risks in cattle.

With increasing global focus on planetary boundaries, food safety and quality, the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the food chain presents a challenge for the sustainable production and supply of quality assured food. Consumption of food is the primary PFAS exposure route for the general population. At contaminated sites, PFAS have been reported in a range of agricultural commodities including cattle.

Observed Parenting and Adolescent Brain Structure.

Parent-youth relationships and parenting are critically important to adolescents' development. The present study examined associations between parenting behaviors (which included observed parent emotion expression and negative and positive parenting behaviors during a parent-adolescent interaction) and adolescent brain structure, and sex differences in associations, in 66 12-14 year-olds. The study found that 1) among all adolescents in the sample, greater parent negative emotion expression in parent-youth interactions was associated with greater adolescent gray matter volume (GMV) in the left hippocampus, 2) parent positive emotion expression was not associated with adolescent GMV, 3) several associations differed by sex.

Chemical characterization and quantitative determination of flavonoids and phenolic acids in yerba santa (Eriodictyon spp.) using UHPLC/DAD/Q-ToF.

Eriodictyon species, commonly known as yerba santa, are plants native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The plants are known for their medicinal properties and have been used by indigenous people for centuries to treat various ailments, in particular, respiratory conditions. Despite a long history of traditional use, many of the species have never been fully chemically characterized, and the constituent range of the species has not been comprehensively reported.

Design, execution, and interpretation of plant RNA-seq analyses.

Genomics has transformed our understanding of the genetic architecture of traits and the genetic variation present in plants. Here, we present a review of how RNA-seq can be performed to tackle research challenges addressed by plant sciences. We discuss the importance of experimental design in RNA-seq, including considerations for sampling and replication, to avoid pitfalls and wasted resources.

The Increasing Role of Short-Term Sperm Storage and Cryopreservation in Conserving Threatened Amphibian Species.

Multidisciplinary approaches to conserve threatened species are required to curb biodiversity loss. Globally, amphibians are facing the most severe declines of any vertebrate class. In response, conservation breeding programs have been established in a growing number of amphibian species as a safeguard against further extinction.

Nomenclature: Herbal Taxonomy in the Global Commerce of Botanicals.

In the world trade of medicinal plants, the naming of plants is fundamental to understanding which species are acceptable for therapeutic use. There are a variety of nomenclatural systems that are used, inclusive of common names, Latinized binomials, Galenic or pharmaceutical names, and pharmacopeial definitions. Latinized binomials are the primary system used for naming wild plants, but these alone do not adequately define medicinal plant parts.

PROTEUS Study: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Stress Echocardiography.

Background: Stress echocardiography (SE) is one of the most commonly used diagnostic imaging tests for coronary artery disease (CAD) but requires clinicians to visually assess scans to identify patients who may benefit from invasive investigation and treatment. EchoGo Pro provides an automated interpretation of SE based on artificial intelligence (AI) image analysis. In reader studies, use of EchoGo Pro when making clinical decisions improves diagnostic accuracy and confidence.

Black Representation in the Primary Care Physician Workforce and Its Association With Population Life Expectancy and Mortality Rates in the US.

Importance: Studies have suggested that greater primary care physician (PCP) availability is associated with better population health and that a diverse health workforce can improve care experience measures. However, it is unclear whether greater Black representation within the PCP workforce is associated with improved health outcomes among Black individuals.

Objective: To assess county-level Black PCP workforce representation and its association with mortality-related outcomes in the US.

Paradigm shift in frog sperm cryopreservation: reduced role for non-penetrating cryoprotectants.

In Brief: Sperm cryopreservation has been recognised as a tool for preventing loss of genetic diversity in amphibians; however, the combined effect of penetrative and non-penetrative cryoprotectants in cryodiluents is poorly understood. We demonstrate a clear benefit of using low concentrations of non-penetrative cryoprotectants when cryopreserving sperm of Australian tree frogs.

Abstract: Sperm cryopreservation protocols have been developed for an increasing number of amphibian species since the recognition of a global amphibian decline.

Spatio-temporal trends in livestock exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) inform risk assessment and management measures.

The migration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) onto agricultural properties has resulted in the accumulation of PFAS in livestock. The environmental determinants of PFAS accumulation in livestock from the grazing environment are poorly understood, resulting in limited capacity to manage livestock exposure and subsequent transfer of PFAS through the food chain. Analytical- (n = 978 samples of soil, water, pasture, and serum matrices), farm management/practice- and livestock physiology data were collated and interrogated from environmental PFAS investigations across ten farms, from four agro-ecological regions of Victoria (Australia).