Predicting the invasiveness of alpine newts in the UK.

Unlabelled: Predicting invasion risk to novel environments is essential for risk management and conservation decision making but the evolutionary lineage at which to make these predictions is often unclear. Here we predict the current suitability across the United Kingdom (UK) for the alpine newt , a species with a complex evolutionary history, a broad native range, a growing number of introduced populations and anecdotal reports of ecological consequences to native amphibian communities. We use species distribution and ecological niche modelling to predict environmental suitability of the alpine newt in the UK at both the species-level and lineage-level and to quantify evolutionary lineage niche overlap.

Differences in Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Diastasis Recti Abdominis Between Primiparous and Age-Matched second-Parous Females After Vaginal Delivery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the differences in pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) and diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) between primiparous and second-parous females with known risk factors controlled.

Patients And Methods: 49 primiparous and 49 age-matched second-parous postpartum after spontaneous vaginal delivery were included between October and December 2023. Independent variables include weight, height, body mass index (BMI), fetal weight, gestational weight gain (GWG).

Perspectives on access to imaging digital health records in oncology: A mixed methods systematic review.

Background: Digital Health Records (DHR) have become essential for managing patient data, including radiology and nuclear medicine reports. The wider adoption of DHR globally presents an opportunity to improve patient engagement and empowerment through effective access and sharing of imaging investigations. This review aims to synthesize literature on views, experiences, expectations, and preferences of oncology patients and healthcare professionals (HCP) when accessing imaging via DHR.

Effectiveness of Pulse Intravenous Infusion of Methylprednisolone on Pain in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) can cause pain in the lower back and leg, as well as numbness or weakness in the affected area. Various steroids, including methylprednisolone, are currently used for treatment.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of pulse intravenous infusion of 500 mg methylprednisolone with common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in relieving pain and improving the clinical condition of patients with lumbar disc herniation.

Tofacitinib in early active axial spondyloarthritis: protocol of a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase IV study, FASTLANE.

Background: Early treatment initiation is one of the strongest predictors of good treatment response in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Recently, the Assessment in SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) defined early axSpA as a diagnosis of axSpA with a duration of axial symptoms equal to or less than 2 years. Tofacitinib is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD) and Outcomes (NordiNet and ANSWER).

Adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) is a rare disease with both physiological and psychological effects for untreated patients. AGHD symptoms can improve over time with GH treatment. Here we have analyzed the long-term effectiveness and safety of short-acting GH replacement therapy (GHRT) in treatment naïve and nonnaïve patients with AGHD using real-world data from the NordiNet® International Outcome Study and American Norditropin® Studies: Web Enabled Research Program.

Peak alpha frequency is related to the degree of widespread pain, but not pain intensity or duration, among people with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Introduction: Effective prevention and management strategies for chronic pain remain elusive. This has prompted investigations into biomarkers to better understand the mechanisms underlying pain development and persistence. One promising marker is low peak alpha frequency (PAF), an electroencephalography (EEG) measure that has been associated with increased sensitivity during acute experimental pain.

The role of cerebrovascular reactivity on brain activation during a working memory task in type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: Impaired cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is common in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients and is a risk factor for dementia. However, most prior functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies in T2D disregarded the impact of impaired CVR on brain activation patterns. This study investigated the relationship between CVR and brain activation during an fMRI task in T2D patients.

Foundation models in bioinformatics.

With the adoption of foundation models (FMs), artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly significant in bioinformatics and has successfully addressed many historical challenges, such as pre-training frameworks, model evaluation and interpretability. FMs demonstrate notable proficiency in managing large-scale, unlabeled datasets, because experimental procedures are costly and labor intensive. In various downstream tasks, FMs have consistently achieved noteworthy results, demonstrating high levels of accuracy in representing biological entities.

Countercontrol and Associated Challenges in Residential Treatment.

B. F. Skinner described countercontrol as a response to socially mediated aversive consequences that is primarily reinforced through negative reinforcement (i.

The Compound Multiple-Baseline Design.

The multiple-baseline design is a predominant experimental design in applied behavior-analytic research. Despite its strengths, when baseline lengths are assigned a priori, it is possible that the independent variable may be implemented when baseline data are trending in the same direction that is anticipated for positive treatment outcomes, thus threatening experimental control. A partial solution to this problem is to modify the traditional multiple-baseline design and stagger baselines across more than one dimension (e.

Behavioral Measurement as Centerpiece.

Hank Pennypacker's interest in behavioral measurement began early in his career and gradually became the centerpiece of his diverse accomplishments. A review of his focus in the 1960s is followed by a brief summary of the evolution of behavioral measurement practices in applied behavior analysis as it emerged from the field's laboratory history. This examination serves as pretext for a discussion of the contributions of (Johnston & Pennypacker, 1980), (Johnston & Pennypacker, 1993a, 2009), and Johnston et al.

Henry S. Pennypacker's Contributions to Breast Cancer Detection: Developing a Behavioral Technology to Improve Breast Self-Exam Skills.

Starting in the early 1970s, Henry S. Pennypacker and collaborators developed and validated a technology for assessing and training breast self-exam (BSE) skills that was eventually commercialized and widely disseminated. This article provides a brief synopsis of Pennypacker's research and highlights the connections among BSE, stimulus discrimination training, and signal detection theory.

From Percentages to Precision: Using Response Rates to Advance Analyses of Procedural Fidelity.

Unlabelled: In some domains of behavior analysis, summarizing data as a percentage is nearly ubiquitous. This is certainly the case when behavior analysts report data about procedural fidelity (the extent to which procedures are implemented as designed); fidelity data were reported solely as percentage in 423 of 425 recent studies published in the . In this article, we critically examine the use of percentage, especially in the context of analyzing procedural-fidelity data.

Levels of Replication.

In behavior analysis, replication is one of the most fundamental strategies used to establish generality of results. However, replication is not restricted to just repeating an experiment, whether directly or systematically. Replication is also a defining component of many procedures used in individual experiments in behavior analysis.

Re-Engineering the Educational System: Technology Transfer from a Behavioral Perspective.

Access to quality education is a fundamental human right, deeply connected to an individual's overall well-being and quality of life. This article explores how effectively transferring behavior-analytic principles can improve educational outcomes and re-engineer educational systems. Drawing on Dr.

The Need to Distinguish between "Lapse" and "Relapse".

Over the last decade, behavior analysts have become increasingly interested in relapse and have used the term to describe the reemergence of problem behavior following successful reductions achieved during clinical intervention. Nonetheless, some elements of the current terminology may interfere with behavior analysts' efforts to examine, predict, and mitigate the conditions that lead to the reemergence of severe problem behavior in clinical settings. The current article (1) describes how the term "relapse" has been used in the field of behavior analysis and fails to capture more nuanced effects observed in the reemergence of problem behavior; (2) suggests use of the terms "lapse" and "relapse" to capture these distinct effects; and (3) outlines the positive impact enhanced technological distinction between the concept of "lapse" and "relapse" could have on clinical research and practice.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Managing Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) in USA: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) vs Standard of Care (SoC).

Purpose: Chronic skin ulcers in diabetic foot patients are a significant health concern. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) significantly threaten the health and longevity of individuals with diabetes, leading to severe complications like infection and amputation and contributing to high morbidity and mortality rates. Given the severe implications, practical strategies to prevent and manage DFUs are crucial to reducing amputation rates.

"That's Definitely a Red Flag": Sexual Violence Risk Perception by Men who have Sex with Men Using Dating and Sexual Networking Apps.

Sexual violence (SV) victimization is a growing concern for men who have sex with men (MSM), given their high risk for SV relative to heterosexual peers. MSM frequently utilize dating and sexual networking (DSN) apps to meet potential partners, which also puts them at a higher risk of victimization. Understanding the connection between DSN apps and SV victimization for MSM can inform the development of prevention interventions.

Freshwater faces a warmer and saltier future from headwaters to coasts: climate risks, saltwater intrusion, and biogeochemical chain reactions.

Unlabelled: Alongside global climate change, many freshwater ecosystems are experiencing substantial shifts in the concentrations and compositions of salt ions coming from both land and sea. We synthesize a risk framework for anticipating how climate change and increasing salt pollution coming from both land and saltwater intrusion will trigger chain reactions extending from headwaters to tidal waters. Salt ions trigger 'chain reactions,' where chemical products from one biogeochemical reaction influence subsequent reactions and ecosystem responses.

 (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Cerro Golondrinas in the northern Andes of Ecuador.

Exploratory field expeditions to the Chocó forests in the northern Andes of Ecuador resulted in the discovery of a new species of (Gesneriaceae). J.L.

A digital multi-access key for easy identification of large tree species of ebony wood in Madagascar.

In 2013, all populations of the precious wood genera (Fabaceae) and (Ebenaceae) from Madagascar were placed on CITES Appendix II in an effort to combat unsustainable and illicit over-exploitation and illegal exportation for the international market. The accompanying Action Plan adopted by CITES identified several information and capacity gaps, which undermine the sustainable and equitable management of these valuable resources. These gaps include the lack of practical, reliable tools to identify species along the entire value chain, from standing trees to cut wood and finished products.