Anti-icing properties of polar bear fur.

The polar bear () is the only Arctic land mammal that dives into water to hunt. Despite thermal insulation provided by blubber and fur layers and low Arctic temperatures, their fur is typically observed to be free of ice. This study investigates the anti-icing properties of polar bear fur.

A multi-analytical study of the Montelirio beaded attires: Marine resources, sumptuary crafts, and female power in copper age Iberia.

Excellent indicators of technology, social organization, exchange patterns, and even beliefs, beads are a topic of research in their own right. Findings made between 2010 and 2011 at the Montelirio tholos burial, part of the Valencina Copper Age mega-site, in south-western Spain, revealed what amounts to the largest single-burial ever-documented assemblage of beads. Furthermore, the Montelirio beads were part of unparalleled beaded attires worn by some of the people buried in the grave, mostly females.

Tensor networks enable the calculation of turbulence probability distributions.

Predicting the dynamics of turbulent fluids has been an elusive goal for centuries. Even with modern computers, anything beyond the simplest turbulent flows is too chaotic and multiscaled to be directly simulatable. An alternative is to treat turbulence probabilistically, viewing flow properties as random variables distributed according to joint probability density functions (PDFs).

Acellular Dermal Matrices in Reconstructive Pediatric Complex Lower Limb Trauma: An Observational Study.

Background: Contemporary research has shown that acellular dermal matrices can benefit adult lower extremity traumatic injuries; however, its use in children has not been explored.

Objective: This study aims to explore the use of acellular dermal matrices in pediatric complex lower extremity trauma.

Methods: This single-center retrospective observational cohort study of children with complex lower extremity trauma treated with Pelnac™, commercial acellular dermal matrices, was conducted at a tertiary hospital in South Africa from 2010 to 2017.

Review of national contaminated land management frameworks in front of the new EU Soil Monitoring Law era-the case study of Greece.

The European Union (EU) currently addresses the issue of contaminated land management through the national frameworks of its member states, as there is no such EU legislation thus far. However, with the introduction of the new EU Soil Strategy and the anticipated Soil Monitoring Law, EU countries are poised to receive a unified legislative tool that is expected to enhance their soil policies significantly. These legislative developments are set to introduce key initiatives such as the establishment of a contaminated site registry and the imposition of restrictions on soil contamination using screening values and soil monitoring practices.

The impact of specialised gastroenterology services for pelvic radiation disease (PRD): Results from the prospective multi-centre EAGLE study.

To undertake a mixed-methodology implementation study to improve the well-being of men with gastrointestinal late effects following radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer. All men completed a validated screening tool for late bowel effects (ALERT-B) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Score (GSRS); men with a positive score on ALERT-B were offered management following a peer reviewed algorithm for pelvic radiation disease (PRD). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at baseline, 6 and 12 months; and healthcare resource usage (HRU) and patient, support-giver, staff experience and acceptability of staff training (qualitative analysis) were assessed.

Standardised lung function metrics in healthy athletes.

The objective of the current review was to identify whether clinically established lung function metrics of ventilatory and diffusion capacity obtained by standardised methodology are consistent with superior lung function in athletes, and whether this is related to maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O). Three independent reviewers performed a literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and reference screening. Data was extracted and analysed according to a predefined strategy.

Favourable Living Donor Kidney Transplantation Outcomes within a National Kidney Exchange Program: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: KEPs (kidney exchange programs) facilitate living donor kidney transplantations (LDKT) for patients with incompatible donors, who are typically higher risk than non-KEP patients because of higher sensitization and longer dialysis vintage. We conducted a comparative analysis of graft outcomes and risk factors for both KEP and non-KEP living donor kidney transplants.

Methods: All LDKTs performed in the Netherlands between 2004-2021 were included.

Impact of dairy calf management practices on the intestinal tract microbiome pre-weaning.

Microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) consisting of the rumen and hindgut (the small intestine, cecum and colon) in dairy calves play a vital role in their growth and development. This review discusses the development of dairy calf intestinal microbiomes with an emphasis on the impact that husbandry and rearing management have on microbiome development, health and growth of pre-weaned dairy calves. The diversity and composition of the microbes that colonize the lower GIT (small and large intestine) can have a significant impact on the growth and development of the calf, through influence on nutrient metabolism, immune modulation, resistance or susceptibility to infection, production outputs and behaviour modification in adult life.

Nurses and allied professionals' engagement in clinical research-in-practice: a statement of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology.

Many nurses and allied professionals (NAPs) lack the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage in conducting and implementing research. This statement describes the importance of NAPs' involvement in clinical research within the context of cardiovascular care. The existing gaps, barriers and enablers to NAPs involvement in research as a potential response to workforce issues in these professions as well as to contribute to excellence in patient care delivery and associated outcomes are identified.

Sensitivity to Environmental Stress and Adversity and Lung Cancer.

Importance: Sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity may influence lung cancer risk, highlighting a critical link between psychosocial factors and cancer etiology.

Objective: To evaluate whether genetically estimated sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity is associated with lung cancer risk.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data were obtained from a genome-wide association study identifying 37 independent genetic variants strongly associated with sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity and a cross-ancestry genome-wide meta-analysis from the International Lung Cancer Consortium.

A comparative analysis of risk stratification tools in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: a EUSTAR analysis.

Objectives: The 2022 European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society (ESC/ERS) Guidelines for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) recommend risk stratification to optimize management. However, the performance of generic PAH risk stratification tools in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated PAH remains unclear. Our objective was to identify the most accurate approach for risk stratification at SSc-PAH diagnosis.

Foot peripheral sensory neuropathy: a frequent disabling manifestation in systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy (PSN) is an under-recognized feature in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Moreover, SSc foot involvement is frequent but poorly investigated. We aimed to provide a detailed characterization of foot PSN in a large cohort of SSc patients, describing its associations with disease-specific features, physical disability, and Quality of Life (QoL).

A Comprehensive Pipeline to Assess the Efficiency of Human Erythropoiesis In Vitro and Ex Vivo.

Erythropoiesis, a remarkably dynamic and efficient process responsible for generating the daily quota of red blood cells (approximately 280 ± 20 billion cells per day), is crucial for maintaining individual health. Any disruption in this pathway can have significant consequences, leading to health issues. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 25% of the global population presents symptoms of anemia.

Autologous Peripheral Blood-Derived Orthobiologics for the Management of Elbow Disorders: A Review of Current Clinical Evidence.

Introduction: Elbow ailments are common, but conventional treatment modalities have shortcomings, offering only interim pain relief rather than targeting the underlying pathophysiology. The last two decades have seen a marked increase in the use of autologous peripheral blood-derived orthobiologics (APBOs), such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), to manage elbow disorders. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is the most widely used APBO, but its efficacy remains debatable.

Assessing the role of education level on climate change belief, concern and action: a multinational survey of healthcare professionals in nephrology.

Background: Climate change poses a significant risk to kidney health, and countries with lower national wealth are more vulnerable. Yet, citizens from lower-income countries demonstrate less concern for climate change than those from higher-income countries. Education is a key covariate.

Real world clinical experience of using Brainomix e-CTA software in a medium size acute NHS trust.

Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) software including Brainomix "e-CTA" which detect large vessel occlusions (LVO) have clinical potential. We hypothesised that in real world use where prevalence is low, its clinical utility may be overstated.

Methods: In this single centre retrospective service evaluation project, data sent to Brainomix from a medium size acute National Health Service (NHS) Trust hospital between 1/3/2022-1/3/2023 was reviewed.

Revolutionising Osseous Biopsy: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Era of Personalised Medicine.

In a rapidly evolving healthcare environment, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming diagnostic techniques and personalised medicine. This is also seen in osseous biopsies. AI applications in radiomics, histopathology, predictive modelling, biopsy navigation, and interdisciplinary communication are reshaping how bone biopsies are conducted and interpreted.

Silence as epistemic agency in mania.

Silence is a byword for socially imposed harm in the burgeoning literature on epistemic injustice in psychiatry. While some silence is harmful and should be broken, this understanding of silence is untenably simplistic. Crucially, it neglects the possibility that silence can also play a constructive epistemic role in the lives of people with mental illness.

Respiratory physiological changes post initiation of neurally adjusted ventilatory assist in preterm infants with evolving or established bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

To assess respiratory changes after neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) initiation in preterm infants with evolving or established bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Premature infants born less than 32 weeks gestation with evolving or established BPD initiated on invasive or non-invasive (NIV) NAVA were included. Respiratory data: PCO and SpO₂/FiO₂ (S/F) ratio before and at 4, 24, 48 h post-NAVA initiation were collected.

Baricitinib Provides Significant Improvements in Quality of Life and Functioning in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis with Baseline Body Surface Area ≤ 40% and Severe Itch.

Introduction: Patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), a body surface area (BSA) of ≤ 40%, and an itch numerical rating scale (NRS) score of ≥ 7 ("BARI itch dominant") have been characterized as an important group to consider for the oral janus kinase (JAK) 1/2 inhibitor baricitinib (BARI). Herein we aim to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and functioning outcomes in adult patients with BSA ≤ 40% and itch NRS ≥ 7 at baseline (BL) who received BARI 4 mg in the topical corticosteroid (TCS) combination trial BREEZE-AD7.

Materials: BREEZE-AD7 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group outpatient study involving adult patients with moderate-to-severe AD who received once-daily placebo or 2-mg or 4-mg BARI in combination with TCS for 16 weeks.