Epidemiology of watersport related traumatic spinal cord injuries in New Zealand (2007-2021).

Background: To investigate the incidence, demographic characteristics, etiologies, surgical interventions, hospital stays, and neurologic outcomes associated with watersport-related traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) in New Zealand.

Methods: Retrospective study collected data from New Zealand's two spinal rehabilitation units, the Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit (ASRU) and the Burwood Spinal Unit (BSU). It included adults aged over 16 years, between January 2007 and December 2021 with new TSCI secondary to traumatic watersport activities.

Masking Ability of Subtractively and Additively Manufactured Dental Ceramic Restorations: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review on the masking ability of subtractively and additively manufactured dental ceramics.

Materials And Methods: The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The electronic search was carried out through MEDLINE, Scopus, and Website of Science databases with a date restriction being from 2001 onwards.

Child and Family Characteristics Associated with Symptoms of Anxiety in Autistic Children: A Biobank Study.

Purpose: Autistic children have an increased likelihood of anxiety, but more research is needed on the characteristics that predict various types of anxiety in this population.

Methods: In this study, we examined a range of child and family predictors of various types of anxiety using a sample of 452 autistic children from the Australian Autism Biobank. We used logistic regression to examine child and family predictors of four common types of anxiety in autistic children: generalised, phobic, separation, and social anxiety.

The role of muscle synergies and task constraints on upper limb motor impairment after stroke.

This study explores the role of task constraints over muscle synergies expression in the context of upper limb motor impairment after stroke. We recruited nine chronic stroke survivors with upper limb impairments and fifteen healthy controls, who performed a series of tasks designed to evoke muscle synergies through various spatial explorations. These tasks included an isometric force task, a dynamic reaching task, the clinical Fugl-Meyer (FM) assessment, and a pinch task.

Impacts of climate-induced drought on lake and reservoir biodiversity and ecosystem services: A review.

Intensifying extreme droughts are altering lentic ecosystems and disrupting services provisioning. Unfortunately, drought research often lacks a holistic and intersectoral consideration of drought impacts, which can limit relevance of the insights for adaptive management. This literature review evaluated the current state of lake and reservoir extreme drought research in relation to biodiversity and three ecosystem services.

Click beetle larvae from Cretaceous Burmese amber represent an ancient Gondwanan lineage.

The click beetles (Elateridae) represent the major and well-known group of the polyphagan superfamily Elateroidea. Despite a relatively rich fossil record of Mesozoic Elateridae, only a few species are described from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Although Elateridae spend most of their lives as larvae, our knowledge on immature stages of this family is limited, which is especially valid for the fossils.

A survey of paediatric epilepsy surgery in Asia and Australasia.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to define the scope of paediatric epilepsy surgery performed in Asia and Australasia.

Methods: Representative surgeons from each county were emailed a survey about paediatric epilepsy surgery as it is practiced in their country. The survey covered topics including what investigations, operations and number of surgeries are performed and by whom (adult or paediatric neurosurgeons).

Subject-specific biomechanics influences tendon strains in patients with Achilles tendinopathy.

The treatment of Achilles tendinopathy is challenging, as 40% of patients do not respond to existing rehabilitation protocols. These protocols neglect individual Achilles tendon (AT) characteristics, which are crucial for healing of the tendon tissue. Although prior studies suggest an optimal strain for AT regeneration (6% tendon strains), it is unclear if current protocols meet this condition.

Bacillus velezensis A-27 as a potential biocontrol agent against Meloidogyne incognita and effects on rhizosphere communities of celery in field.

Meloidogyne incognita, a highly destructive plant-parasitic nematode, poses a significant threat to crop production. The reliance on chemical nematicides for nematode control has been crucial; however, the banning of many effective nematicides due to their adverse effects has necessitated the exploration of alternative solutions. Rhizosphere biocontrol bacteria, particularly strains of Bacillus, have demonstrated promising results in managing plant-parasitic nematodes.

Defining ortholog-specific UHRF1 inhibition by STELLA for cancer therapy.

UHRF1 maintains DNA methylation by recruiting DNA methyltransferases to chromatin. In mouse, these dynamics are potently antagonized by a natural UHRF1 inhibitory protein STELLA, while the comparable effects of its human ortholog are insufficiently characterized, especially in cancer cells. Herein, we demonstrate that human STELLA (hSTELLA) is inadequate, while mouse STELLA (mSTELLA) is fully proficient in inhibiting the abnormal DNA methylation and oncogenic functions of UHRF1 in human cancer cells.

Orbicularis Oculi Transpalpebral Pedicle Flap for the Repair of Laminar Resorption Associated With Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis.

Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) is a surgical procedure reserved for severe end-stage corneal blindness with a dry, keratinized ocular surface. Late resorption of bone has been described as a complication of this procedure. We present a novel surgical technique to repair laminar resorption associated with OOKP using transpalpebral split-pedicle orbicularis oculi flaps.

Supervised pulmonary tele-rehabilitation and individualized home-based pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with COPD, unable to participate in center-based programs. The protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial - the REPORT study.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) costs EURO 1.4 billion annually in healthcare costs. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a vital aspect of care for patients with COPD, but despite the compelling evidence, it is delivered to less than 30%.

Xalnesiran with or without an Immunomodulator in Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background: Xalnesiran, a small interfering RNA molecule that targets a conserved region of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome and silences multiple HBV transcripts, may have efficacy, with or without an immunomodulator, in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Methods: We conducted a phase 2, multicenter, randomized, controlled, adaptive, open-label platform trial that included the evaluation of 48 weeks of treatment with xalnesiran at a dose of 100 mg (group 1), xalnesiran at a dose of 200 mg (group 2), xalnesiran at a dose of 200 mg plus 150 mg of ruzotolimod (group 3), xalnesiran at a dose of 200 mg plus 180 μg of pegylated interferon alfa-2a (group 4), or a nucleoside or nucleotide analogue (NA) alone (group 5) in participants with chronic HBV infection who had virologic suppression with NA therapy. The primary efficacy end point was hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss (HBsAg level, <0.

The Psychometric Properties of the EuroQol 5D Five Level in Survivors of Critical Illness.

Objectives: The EuroQol 5D five level (EQ-5D-5L) instrument is a standardized measure of health-related quality of life and is routinely used in survivors of critical illness. However, information on its psychometric properties and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in this patient group is lacking.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from the previously published PREDICT (a registry in critically ill patients to determine predictors of disability-free survival) study, a prospective, multicenter cohort study.

Interconnected pathways link faecal microbiota plasma lipids and brain activity to childhood malnutrition related cognition.

Malnutrition affects over 30 million children annually and has profound immediate and enduring repercussions. Survivors often suffer lasting neurocognitive consequences that impact academic performance and socioeconomic outcomes. Mechanistic understanding of the emergence of these consequences is poorly understood.

Pharmacokinetics of Methadone in Adult Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces profound physiological changes that may alter the pharmacokinetics of methadone. We aimed to describe the pharmacokinetics of an intravenous bolus of methadone racemate in adult patients undergoing heart surgery with CPB.

Methods: We prospectively studied 29 patients aged 45 to 75 years scheduled for cardiac surgery with CPB who received methadone 0.

Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis in an Adolescent Undergoing Gender-Affirming Therapy with a Gonadal-Releasing Hormone Analog: A Case Report.

Case: Physeal stability in slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) depends on integrity of the hypertrophic zone. This in turn is affected by imbalance between circulating growth hormones and gonadal hormones. This case describes the occurrence of SCFE in a Māori (indigenous New Zealander) transgender girl, undergoing gender-affirming therapy with a gonadal-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa).

Comparative analysis of qPCR and metagenomics for detecting antimicrobial resistance in wastewater: a case study.

Objective: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the top threats to global public health. While AMR surveillance of human clinical isolates is well-established in many countries, the increasing threat of AMR has intensified efforts to detect antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) accurately and sensitively in environmental samples, wastewater, animals, and food. Using five ARGs and the 16S rRNA gene, we compared quantitative PCR (qPCR) and metagenomic sequencing (MGS), two commonly used methods to uncover the wastewater resistome.

From dusk to dawn: examining how adolescents engage with digital media using objective measures of screen time in a repeated measures study.

Background: Although evening screen time is thought to impair subsequent sleep, current measures are limited to questionnaires which seem unlikely to accurately assess screen time in youth. Given the ubiquitous nature of digital devices, improving measurement of screen time is required before related health effects can be appropriately determined. The aim of this study was to objectively quantify screen time before sleep using video camera footage.

Factors influencing choice of residency program among medical intern doctors and medical students: a cross-sectional survey.

Introduction: The global shortage of healthcare professionals is a critical concern, with an estimated deficit of 18 million workers by 2030, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Oman faces challenges with its doctor-to-population ratio falling below the global average. This study examines the factors influencing residency program choices among Omani medical students and interns, with a specific focus on internal medicine.

Advanced Surgical Training Models for Wrist Surgery.

Globally, surgical exposure for the trainee has become challenging due to changes in shift patterns, increasing medicolegal issues and the recognition of burnout. Simulation models are a crucial adjunct for the development of arthroscopic skills and open procedures. Advanced anatomically precise 3D-printed wrist models are used in our workshops.

Synovial Chondromatosis of the Hand and Wrist: A 35-Year Retrospective Case Review.

Synovial chondromatosis is a condition that rarely occurs in the hand and wrist. Recurrence and malignant transformation are two potential complications of the disease. We set out to retrospectively review 35 years of practice within our sarcoma and tertiary hand unit and identify recurrence or malignant transformation.