Can Citizen Scientists Contribute to Trail Assessment and Monitoring Programs? An Empirical Evaluation of Data Congruence and Overall Efficacy.

Citizen science has been increasingly utilized for monitoring resource conditions and visitor use in protected areas. However, the quality of data provided by citizen scientists remains a major concern that hinders wider applications in protected area management. We evaluated a prototype, citizen science-based trail assessment and monitoring program in Hong Kong using an integrated evaluative approach with a specific focus on the congruence of data collected by trained volunteers and managers.

Tracking hydrothermal infiltration within light oil reservoirs using organic geochemical proxies in the Shunbei area of Tarim Basin in China.

Deep oil reservoirs are becoming increasingly significant fields of hydrocarbon exploration in recent decades. Hydrothermal fluid flow is deemed as a potentially crucial factor affecting the occurrence of deep oil reservoirs, such as enhancing porosity/permeability of reservoirs, accelerating oil generation and thermal cracking, and modifying organic properties of crude oils. Understanding the interplay between hydrothermal fluids and crude oils would provide useful constraints for reconstructing hydrocarbon accumulation processes and predicting the distribution patterns of crude oils.

Does using the Lung Clearance Index (LCI) inform clinical decisions in children with cystic fibrosis?

Introduction: The Lung Clearance Index (LCI) is an established research test, but its role in clinical decision-making is not well defined. This study estimated the proportion of treatment decisions that are changed or supported by the added information provided by LCI.

Methods: A mixed methods prospective observational study was conducted in North America.

The Efficacy and Safety of Angiotensin II for Treatment of Vasoplegia in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: To summarize evidence regarding intravenous angiotensin II administration in critical illness and provide an updated understanding of its effects on various organ dysfunction and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) biomarkers.

Design: A systematic review.

Setting: A search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to May 3, 2024.

Highly parallel simulation tool for the design of isotachophoresis experiments.

Background: Isotachophoresis (ITP) is a well-established electrokinetic method for separation and preconcentration of analytes. Several simulation tools for ITP have been published, but their use for experimental design is limited by the computational time for a single run and/or by the number of conditions that can be investigated per simulation run. A large fraction of the existing solvers also do not account for ionic strength effects, which can influence whether an analyte focuses in ITP.

Interactive effects between yields of Bt and non-Bt corn and planting dates in the southeastern United States.

Transgenic corn (Zea mays L.) expressing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) helps to control or suppress injury from a range of target insect pests. This study summarizes the yield benefits of Bt corn from field trials in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina evaluating Bt and non-Bt corn hybrids from 2009 to 2023.

Validation of the Contraception-Focused Preference-Aligned Fertility Management Index in Uganda and Nigeria.

Objective: To evaluate construct validity of the contraception-focused "Preference-aligned Fertility Management" (PFM) Index, a new person-centered and rights-based outcome measure, in Nigeria and Uganda.

Study Design: We analyzed survey data from convenience samples of new users of contraception and non-users of contraception in Uganda and users of contraception in Nigeria. PFM Index scores were calculated by combining two indicators: Indicator 1 assessing alignment between desire to use contraception and actual use; Indicator 2 evaluating whether users' current methods are desired.

Outcomes of Extremely Preterm Infants Exposed to Prolonged Prelabor Rupture of Membranes before 24 Weeks of Gestation.

Background: Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) before or around the limit of fetal viability is associated with serious maternal and neonatal complications including chorioamnionitis, extremely preterm birth, and pulmonary hypoplasia.

Objectives: To describe contemporary outcomes of extremely preterm infants born after prolonged periviable PPROM, and to identify perinatal factors associated with survival and survival without severe neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI).

Study Design: Among actively treated infants born alive at <27 weeks' gestational age (GA) in centers of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network from 2012 to 2018, the outcomes of survival and survival without severe NDI at 22-26 months' corrected age were compared between infants exposed to prolonged (≥120 hours) periviable (<24 weeks' GA) PPROM and unexposed infants born after rupture of membranes ≤18 hours before delivery or at delivery, adjusting for birth GA, sex, multiple gestation, antenatal steroids, small for gestational age (SGA), insurance, and center.

Associations of prenatal maternal psychosocial stress and depression with neurodevelopmental outcomes in 7.5-month-old infants in the ECHO.CA.IL prospective birth cohorts.

Background: Exposure to maternal stress and depression during pregnancy can have a marked impact on birth outcomes and child development, escalating the likelihood of preterm birth, lower birth weight, and various domains of physical and neurodevelopment.

Methods: The joint ECHO.CA.

Compensation Study of Vascular Surgeons in the United States.

Objective: The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) partnered with Phairify, Inc, an organization with experience in physician compensation data compilation for several other medical specialties, to survey its membership and assess factors influencing vascular surgeon compensation.

Methods: The SVS Compensation Study Task Force developed a vascular surgery-specific survey between January 2023 and May 2023 including experience level, academic rank, bonuses, incentives, gender, race, ethnicity, geography, on-call pay, and other factors influencing overall reimbursement. After a soft launch on May 1, 2023, with an initial phase of SVS leadership engagement in completion, the survey was formally introduced to the SVS membership on June 14, 2023.

Rural-urban disparity in survival and use of PCI in patients who develop STEMI while hospitalized for a non-cardiac condition.

Background: The development of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients hospitalized for non-cardiac indications carries a high mortality rate.

Objectives: Determine the impact of rural vs. urban hospital location and hospital percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volumes on clinical outcomes.

Direct Evaluation of Salivary Antioxidant Properties in Patients with Down Syndrome for assessment to Periodontal Disease and Premature Aging.

To evaluate oxidative stress involved in Down syndrome periodontal disease and pathological premature aging, reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O) and hydroxyl radical (HO) in human saliva were measured using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The groups consisted of 20 subjects in the Down syndrome (DS) child (DC) group (mean age 11.3 ± 4.

Tapinarof cream 1% once daily was well tolerated in adults and children with atopic dermatitis in two phase 3 randomized trials.

Tapinarof cream 1% once daily (QD) demonstrated significant efficacy in patients down to age 2 years with atopic dermatitis (AD) in the ADORING 1 and 2 phase 3 trials. We report local tolerability outcomes. Patients received Tapinarof or vehicle cream QD for 8 weeks.

A translational review of hyperthermia biology.

This review was written to be included in the Special Collection 'Therapy Ultrasound: Medicine's Swiss Army Knife?' The purpose of this review is to provide basic presentation and interpretation of the fundamentals of hyperthermia biology, as it pertains to uses of therapeutic ultrasound. The fundamentals are presented but in the setting of a translational interpretation and a view toward the future. Subjects that require future research and development are highlighted.

Potentiating the effect of immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer using gas-entrapping materials.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show limited success in treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), largely due to immune evasion mechanisms, including downregulating expression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I). Our retrospective analysis demonstrated that smoking - a state of elevated CO exposure - is correlated with increased MHC I expression in pancreatic tumors. Here we tested our hypothesis that introducing exogenous CO augments the anti-cancer effects of immunotherapy.

A conserved switch to less catalytically active Polycomb repressive complexes in non-dividing cells.

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), composed of the core subunits EED, SUZ12, and either EZH1 or EZH2, is critical for maintaining cellular identity in multicellular organisms. PRC2 deposits H3K27me3, which is thought to recruit the canonical form of PRC1 (cPRC1) to promote gene repression. Here, we show that EZH1-PRC2 and cPRC1 are the primary Polycomb complexes on target genes in non-dividing, quiescent cells.

Methodological standards for comparative effectiveness research: considerations for evidentiary review for medicare drug price negotiation.

Introduction: The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is expected to result in lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries in the United States (US). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the most recent draft guidance for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation (DPN) program in May 2024.

Areas Covered: In August 2023, the list of 10 drugs selected for the DPN were published and the first round of negotiations are now complete.

Kinetically-derived maximal dose (KMD) confirms lack of human relevance for high-dose effects of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4).

The kinetically-derived maximal dose (KMD) is defined as the maximum external dose at which kinetics are unchanged relative to lower doses, e.g., doses at which kinetic processes are not saturated.

Sex Differences in Melanoma Survival-a GEM study.

Sex differences in melanoma are prominent, with females having a significant survival advantage. However, it is unclear why we see this survival advantage. Here we investigate the relationship between sex, clinicopathologic variables, and melanoma specific survival in 1,753 single primary melanomas from patients in the GEM study.

[Homer 1a overexpression alleviates nerve injury in mice with traumatic brain injury by regulating autophagy mediated by PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway].

Objective To investigate the effects and molecular mechanism of Homer protein homolog 1a (Homer 1a) overexpression on nerve injury in mice with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods Sixty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups: sham group, TBI group, empty lentivirus (Lv-NC) group, Homer 1a overexpression lentivirus (Lv-Homer 1a) group and Lv-Homer 1a + 740 Y-P group, with 12 mice in each group. The lentivirus was orthotopic injected into the cerebral cortex of mice 5 d before modeling, while 740 Y-P was injected intraperitoneally 1 d before modeling.

Hemolymph microbiota and immune effectors' expressions driven by geographical rearing acclimation of the aquacultured Penaeus stylirostris.

Background: In holobiont, microbiota is known to play a central role on the health and immunity of its host. Then, understanding the microbiota, its dynamic according to the environmental conditions and its link to the immunity would help to react to potential dysbiosis of aquacultured species. While the gut microbiota is highly studied, in marine invertebrates the hemolymph microbiota is often set aside even if it remains an important actor of the hemolymph homeostasis.

Effects of continuous positive airway pressure treatment on arterial stiffness and inflammatory factors in patients with coronary heart disease complicated with obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment brings more benefits than risks to most coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the pathophysiological mechanism by which CPAP treatment improves the prognosis of patients with CHD and OSA remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether CPAP can improve arterial stiffness and inflammatory factor levels in CHD patients with OSA, and to further improve prognosis.