Boat noise reduces vocalization rate and alters vocal characteristics in wild plainfin midshipman fish.

Anthropogenic noise pollution has been accelerating at an alarming rate, greatly altering aquatic soundscapes. Animals use various mechanisms to avoid acoustic masking in noisy environments, including altering calling rates or the frequency (pitch) of their vocalizations or increasing the amplitude (loudness) of their vocalizations (i.e.

Adaptive approach to diagnosis of amebic liver abscess in non-endemic areas.

Entamoeba histolytica infections range from asymptomatic intestinal amebiasis to more severe syndromes like invasive colitis or hepatic abscess. While diagnostic tests available for assessing these infections have evolved, the optimal use of newer diagnostics like enteric multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) panels has not been fully established. Here we describe the case of a 34-year-old male with an amebic liver abscess (ALA) that was diagnosed via multiplex Gastrointestinal (GI) PCR panel on formed stool and subsequently confirmed by testing liver abscess fluid (off-label) on the same multiplex GI PCR panel leading to rapid diagnosis and targeted treatment modification with excellent outcome.

Nanoscale Fe(0)-zeolite composite derived from coal bottom ash for efficient treatment of Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater: Unveiling the importance of locations for surface-bound Fe(II) and Fe(0) passivation products.

The synthesis of coal bottom ash-induced zeolite (Si-Al material) has been widely reported; however, the selective recovery of the three main elements, viz., Si, Al, and Fe, from coal bottom ash for the synthesis of reactive adsorbents has not yet been reported. In this study, we separated the magnetic and non-magnetic fractions of coal bottom ash to selectively recover Fe and Si-Al for synthesizing nanoscale zero-valent iron@zeolite (NZVI@ZBA) composites with uniform formation of Fe(0) nanoparticles on the ZBA surface.

Combined UV/HO and biochar processes for enhanced removal of contaminants of emerging concern in dry wells.

Dry wells are neighborhood-scale stormwater infiltration systems increasingly used in drought-prone areas for stormwater capture and groundwater recharge. These systems bypass the low permeability surface soil to maximize infiltration rates. However, hydrophilic contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in urban runoff pose potential groundwater contamination risks.

New modern and Pleistocene fossil micromammal assemblages from Swartkrans, South Africa: Paleobiodiversity, taphonomic, and environmental context.

The oldest deposit at the hominin-bearing cave of Swartkrans, South Africa, is the Lower Bank of Member 1, dated to ca. 2.2 million years ago.

Associations and potential epigenetic changes between air pollution and osteoarthritis risk and survival: Insights from a prospective cohort study.

Background: The influence of air pollution on osteoarthritis (OA) remains underexplored.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank, estimating exposure levels of particulate matter (PM, PM, PM) nitrogen oxides (NO, NO), and air pollutants exposure score (APES). Cox models assessed associations between air pollution exposure and OA incidence, joint replacement, and survival.

Effects of benzotriazoles UV-328, UV-329, and UV-P on the self-renewal and adipo-osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are pervasive environmental contaminants that pose significant risks to human health. This study evaluated the effects of three typical BUVSs (UV-328, UV-329, and UV-P) on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), which play crucial roles in tissue maintenance and repair. hMSCs were exposed to BUVSs across a range of concentrations, and their maintenance and differentiation capacities were assessed.

How do restrictions on opioid prescribing, harm reduction, and treatment coverage policies relate to opioid overdose deaths in the United States in 2013-2020? An application of a new state opioid policy scale.

Background: Identifying the most effective state laws and provisions to reduce opioid overdose deaths remains critical.

Methods: Using expert ratings of opioid laws, we developed annual state scores for three domains: opioid prescribing restrictions, harm reduction, and Medicaid treatment coverage. We modeled associations of state opioid policy domain scores with opioid-involved overdose death counts in 3133 counties, and among racial/ethnic subgroups in 1485 counties (2013-2020).

Effect of siponimod on retinal thickness, a marker of neurodegeneration, in participants with SPMS: Findings from the EXPAND OCT substudy.

Background: People with MS show abnormal thinning of the retinal layers, which is associated with clinical disability and brain atrophy, and is a potential surrogate marker of neurodegeneration and treatment effects.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of retinal thickness as a surrogate marker of neurodegeneration and treatment effect in participants with secondary progressive MS (SPMS) from the optical coherence tomography (OCT) substudy of the EXPAND Phase 3 clinical trial (siponimod versus placebo).

Methods: In the OCT substudy population (n = 159), treatment effects on change in the average thickness of the retinal layer, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and combined macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers (GCIPL) were analyzed by high-definition spectral domain OCT at months 3, 12, and 24.

True cancer stem cells exhibit relative degrees of dormancy and genomic stability.

Background: Cancer stem cells in human tumors have been defined by stem cell markers, embryonal signaling pathways and characteristic biology, ie., namely the ability to repopulate the proliferating population. However, even if these properties can be demonstrated within a tumor cell subpopulation, it does not mean that they are truly hierarchical stem cells because they could have been derived from the proliferating population in a reversible manner.

Comparative outcomes of endovascular vs. surgical treatment in craniocervical junction dural arteriovenous fistulas: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Craniocervical junction dural arteriovenous fistulas (CCJ-DAVFs) are rare and complex vascular malformations that are challenging to diagnose and treat. This study aims to compare surgical and endovascular treatments for CCJ-DAVFs through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines.

Telephone follow-up on Medicare patient surveys remains critical.

Objectives: Patient experience surveys are essential to measuring patient-centered care, a key component of health care quality. Low response rates in underserved groups may limit their representation in overall measure performance and hamper efforts to assess health equity. Telephone follow-up improves response rates in many health care settings, yet little recent work has examined this for surveys of Medicare enrollees, including those with Medicare Advantage.

Cancellations in primary care in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Objectives: Unused medical appointments affect both patient care and clinic operations, and the frequency of cancellations due to clinic reasons is underreported. The prevalence of these unused appointments in primary care in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VA) is unknown. This study examined the prevalence of unused primary care appointments and compared the relative frequency of cancellations and no-shows for patient and clinic reasons.

Effects of individualized nurse-led care plans on olaparib treatment duration.

Objective: To assess the effects of a nurse-led personalized care plan on the duration of olaparib therapy among patients with cancer.

Study Design: Cohort study conducted from January 2020 to June 2022.

Methods: Data from an independent specialty pharmacy were used to identify patients 18 years and older with at least 1 olaparib (Lynparza) prescription who were at high risk for olaparib nonadherence as assessed using a pharmacy intake survey.

Medical loss ratio's role in the large group insurer market.

Objectives: To assess trends in the medical loss ratio (MLR) and understand how health insurance premiums in the large group market are driven by medical claims spending and insurer margins.

Study Design: Study of approximately 500 insurers covering more than 40 million lives annually in the large group market that submitted an MLR submission form (2014-2022).

Methods: We assessed trends in the MLR, premiums, medical claims spending, administrative costs, quality improvement spending, and margins among all insurers in the large group market.

Microbial communities in Hudson Strait amidst rapid environmental changes.

Climate change is rapidly altering Arctic marine environments, leading to warmer waters, increased river discharge, and accelerated sea ice melt. The Hudson Bay Marine System (HBMS) experiences the fastest rate of sea ice loss in the Canadian North resulting in a prolonged open water season during the summer months. We examined microbial communities in the Hudson Strait using high throughput 16s rRNA gene sequencing during the peak of summer, in which the bay was almost completely ice-free, and air temperatures were high.

Uptake of Recommended Vaccines During Pregnancy Among Publicly and Privately Insured People in the United States, December 2020-September 2022.

To estimate maternal COVID-19, influenza, and pertussis vaccine uptake during pregnancy by insurance type and identify factors characterizing those vaccinated and unvaccinated. We conducted a US cohort study of pregnant individuals (for pregnancies ending December 11, 2020-September 30, 2022) using insurance claims data. We calculated vaccination probability using Kaplan-Meier methods and identified factors associated with vaccination through binomial regression with inverse probability weights.

Support for and likely impacts of endgame measures in the Smokefree Aotearoa Action Plan: findings from the 2020-2021 International Tobacco Control New Zealand (EASE) surveys.

Aim: In February 2024, the Aotearoa New Zealand Government repealed legislation to mandate very low nicotine cigarettes (VLNCs), greatly reduce the number of tobacco retailers and disallow sale of tobacco products to people born after 2008 (smokefree generation). We investigated acceptability and likely impacts of these measures among people who smoke or who recently (≤2 years) quit smoking.

Method: We analysed data from 1,230 participants from Wave 3 (conducted in late 2020 and early 2021) and 615 participants from Wave 3.

Informing Planetary Protection Policies for the Future Exploration of Ceres: State of Understanding after the Dawn Mission.

We review the current state of understanding of Ceres as it relates to planetary protection policy for future landed missions, including for sample return, to the dwarf planet. The Dawn mission found Ceres to be an intriguing target for a mission, with evidence for the presence of regional, possibly extensive liquid at depth, and local expressions of recent and potentially ongoing activity. The Dawn mission also found a high abundance of carbon in the regolith, interpreted as a mix of carbonates and amorphous carbon, as well as locally high concentrations of organic matter.

Production of Organic Precursors via Meteoritic Impacts and Its Implications for Prebiotic Inventory of Early Planetary Surfaces.

Meteoritic impacts on planetary surfaces deliver a significant amount of energy that can produce prebiotic organic compounds such as cyanides, which may be a key step to the formation of biomolecules. To study the chemical processes of impact-induced organic synthesis, we simulated the physicochemical processes of hypervelocity impacts (HVI) in experiments with both high-speed C projectiles and laser ablation. In the first approach, a C beam was accelerated to collide with ammonium nitrate (NHNO) to reproduce the shock process and plume generation of meteoritic impacts on nitrogen-rich planetary surfaces.

Lysosomal dysfunction and inflammatory sterol metabolism in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Vascular inflammation regulates endothelial pathophenotypes, particularly in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Dysregulated lysosomal activity and cholesterol metabolism activate pathogenic inflammation, but their relevance to PAH is unclear. Nuclear receptor coactivator 7 () deficiency in endothelium produced an oxysterol and bile acid signature through lysosomal dysregulation, promoting endothelial pathophenotypes.