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Objectives: To identify research and development priorities for virtual care following the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic from the perspective of key stakeholders (patients, clinicians, informaticians and academics)., Design: Qualitative study using a modified nominal group technique., Setting: Online semi-structured interviews and workshops held in November 2022 and February 2023., Participants: Health workers involved in delivering virtual care in two metropolitan local health districts and one specialty statewide network, and people who had received care from these sites, were recruited using passive snowball sampling. Research and academic staff from a tertiary institution were also invited to participate., Main Outcome Measures: Priorities to support a translational research agenda for virtual care., Results: Twenty-five individuals participated including 18 innovation deliverers, two innovation recipients and five implementation facilitators. Stakeholders identified several key priorities for developing virtual care models and for sustaining and scaling virtual care services. These included demonstrating the economic and societal value of virtual care, developing a common framework to support evaluation and comparison of virtual care services, ensuring virtual care services integrate acute and primary care, and defining which models of care are most appropriate for virtual care delivery., Conclusion: As the health system recalibrates with the return of in-person care, there is a growing need to demonstrate the value of virtual care models to patients, the health system, and society at large. Demonstrating this value while also demonstrating improvements to health outcomes will future-proof virtual care, enabling it to be used to address broader challenges of health care delivery. In addition, sustaining virtual care will depend on robust operational structures and workforce training and education. As services evolve, research and development priorities must be revisited to ensure that translational research aligns with stakeholder interests., (© 2024 AMPCo Pty Ltd.)

Objective: To describe the barriers to and facilitators of implementing and delivering virtual hospital (VH) services, and evidence and practice gaps where further research and policy changes are needed to drive continuous improvement., Study Design: Qualitative descriptive study., Setting, Participants: Online semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted between July 2022 and April 2023 with doctors, nurses and leadership staff involved in VH services at three sites in New South Wales, Australia., Main Outcome Measures: Barriers to and facilitators of implementing and delivering VH services in sites with differing operating structures and levels of maturity, and evidence and practice gaps relating to VH services., Results: A total of 22 individuals took part in the study. Barriers, facilitators, and evidence and practice gaps emerged within five major themes: scope and structure of VH services; development and implementation of VH models of care; delivery of VH models of care; evaluation of VHs and VH models of care; and sustainment and scalability of VH services. Facilitators of VH success included hybrid approaches to care, partnerships with external services, and skills of the VH workforce. Barriers and gaps in evidence and practice included technical challenges, the need to define the role of VH services, the need to evaluate the tangible impact of VH care models and technologies, and the need to develop funding models that support VH care delivery. Participants also highlighted the perceived impacts and benefits of VH services on the workforce (within and beyond the VH setting), consumers, and the health care system., Conclusions: Our findings can help inform the development of new VH services and the improvement of existing VH services. As VH services become more mainstream, gaps in evidence and practice must be addressed by future research and policy changes to maximise the benefits., (© 2024 AMPCo Pty Ltd.)

The global temperature is increasing mainly due to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in the last century. While the overall global increase in emissions is due to fossil fuel operations, Brazil has as its primary emitter from forestry and land use, and agriculture sectors. Though these sectors can emit, both can play an important role in mitigating global warming, due to the natural ecosystem and agroecosystem capability of carbon absorption. We aimed to understand the impact of carbon removal on Brazil's national inventory. For that, we compared two GHG inventories - Climate TRACE and SEEG - and explored how precipitation and photosynthesis impact their estimates to determine how the inventories capture seasonal variability. First, we compared the GHG emissions and removals estimates for each sector between both inventories, especially the Forestry and Land Use sector. Moreover, we performed correlation analysis and linear regressions between them, at a biome and pixel level between 2015 and 2022. Our results show that differences between the GHG inventories could reach 1 Giga ton of CO 2 eq in some years, mainly due to the forestry sector. Furthermore, in some ecosystems, such as Caatinga, precipitation, and photosynthesis were increasing between 2015 and 2022, thus boosting the removal capacity in this biome. In 2022, the Caatinga GHG removal represented almost 50 % of the total removals in Brazil. A higher removal capacity could significantly contribute to achieving net-zero GHG emissions, especially if deforestation and other anthropogenic disturbances to ecosystems are halted. Our findings suggest that the Climate TRACE inventory captures more seasonal variability than SEEG. This outcome highlights the open issue of carbon removal estimates and also that seasonal aspects could be incorporated to improve our understanding., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts the neuronal projections from the brain to the region of the spinal cord that produces walking, leading to various degrees of paralysis. Here, we aimed to identify brain regions that steer the recovery of walking after incomplete SCI and that could be targeted to augment this recovery. To uncover these regions, we constructed a space-time brain-wide atlas of transcriptionally active and spinal cord-projecting neurons underlying the recovery of walking after incomplete SCI. Unexpectedly, interrogation of this atlas nominated the lateral hypothalamus (LH). We demonstrate that glutamatergic neurons located in the LH (LH Vglut2 ) contribute to the recovery of walking after incomplete SCI and that augmenting their activity improves walking. We translated this discovery into a deep brain stimulation therapy of the LH (DBS LH ) that immediately augmented walking in mice and rats with SCI and durably increased recovery through the reorganization of residual lumbar-terminating projections from brainstem neurons. A pilot clinical study showed that DBS LH immediately improved walking in two participants with incomplete SCI and, in conjunction with rehabilitation, mediated functional recovery that persisted when DBS LH was turned off. There were no serious adverse events related to DBS LH . These results highlight the potential of targeting specific brain regions to maximize the engagement of spinal cord-projecting neurons in the recovery of neurological functions after SCI. Further trials must establish the safety and efficacy profile of DBS LH , including potential changes in body weight, psychological status, hormonal profiles and autonomic functions., Competing Interests: Competing interests: G.C., J.B., N.C., J.W.S., R.D., L.A. and L.B.-F. hold various patents in relation to the present work. G.C. is a consultant of ONWARD Medical. G.C. and J.B. are minority shareholders of ONWARD Medical, a company with partial relationships with the presented work. The other authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Background: To address the rising demand for urgent care and decrease hospital use, health systems are implementing different strategies to support urgent care patients (i.e. patients who would have typically been treated in hospital) in the community, such as general practitioner (GP) advice lines. The aims of this study were to: identify the support and resources GPs need to manage urgent care patients in the community; assess the need for GP advice lines by primary care services in Australia; and identify the facilitators and barriers to adoption, and strategies to support the sustainability of GP advice lines., Methods: Qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with GPs, hospital-based healthcare providers, consumers, and healthcare management, recruited via existing investigator networks and snowballing approach. The interviews were conducted between February and August 2023. Major themes were identified by an iterative and inductive thematic analysis., Results: We interviewed 16 participants (median age 50, IQR 38-59). Based on the aims of the study, three themes emerged: support and resources for GPs; motivation for GP advice lines; and factors influencing the uptake and sustainability of GP advice lines. Participants reported that better communication from hospital services with GPs is critical to ensure continuity of care between tertiary and primary settings. They also noted that GP advice lines can help increase capacity to manage urgent care patients in the community by providing timely decision-support to GPs. However, a reported barrier to the uptake and ongoing use of GP advice lines was the limited hours of the service. To sustain GP advice lines, participants highlighted a need to broaden the scope of the service beyond the pandemic, conduct rigorous evaluation on health outcomes, and further digitise the service so that a tiered level of support could be provided based on risk stratification., Conclusions: The benefits of GP advice lines are yet to be fully realised. With increasing technology sophistication, there remain opportunities to further digitise and optimise GP advice lines, whilst ensuring better integration within and across primary and tertiary care services. This is however dependent on continued financial and policy support from the government., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethics approval was received from Western Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (2022/ETH01690), in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. All participants provided informed consent. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Candida albicans is an opportunistic yeast capable of causing a wide range of mucosal, cutaneous, and systemic infections. However, therapeutic strategies are limited to a few antifungal agents. Inorganic nanoparticles have been investigated as carrier systems for antifungals as potential new treatments. In this study, we focused on the antifungal activity of gold nanorods, a specific rod-shaped gold nanoparticle, produced by green synthesis using resveratrol as a metal-reducing agent. The synthesis method resulted in stable control nanoparticles (AuNp) and resveratrol-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNpRSV) with medium sizes of 32.4 × 15.9 nm for AuNp, and 33.5 × 15.3 nm for AuNpRSV. Both AuNp and AuNpRSV inhibited the C. albicans grown at 2.46 µg/mL, exhibited fungicidal effects at 4.92 µg/mL, and significantly decreased filamentation, biofilm viability, reactive oxygen species production and ergosterol levels of C. albicans . In addition, exposure to AuNpRSV reduced the ability of C. albicans to grow in the presence of cell membrane stressors. Transmission electron microscopy revealed enlargement of the cell wall and retraction of the cell membrane after treatment with AuNp and AuNpRSV. Promisingly, in vivo toxicity analysis demonstrated that both nanoparticles maintained the full viability of Galleria mellonella larvae at 49.20 µg/mL. In conclusion, both gold nanoparticles exhibited antifungal activity; however, these effects were enhanced by AuNpRSV. Altogether, AuNps and AuNpRSVs are potential antifungal agents for the treatment of C. albicans infections.

Statement of Problem: Inorganic fillers can be incorporated into additively manufactured (AM) resins to improve their properties, and a ceramic composite concentrate has been recently marketed for this purpose. However, knowledge on the printability of AM resins modified with this concentrate is lacking., Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the manufacturing trueness and internal fit of AM crowns in a dental resin modified with a commercially available ceramic composite concentrate., Material and Methods: A maxillary right first molar typodont tooth was prepared and digitized to design a crown in standard tessellation language (STL) format. This STL file was used to fabricate a total of 30 AM crowns, 10 with a resin with no fillers for interim restorations (AM-I), 10 AM-I resin incorporated with ceramic composite concentrate (AM-IR), and 10 with a ceramic-filled resin intended for definitive restorations (AM-D). The modification of the AM-IR resin was performed by mechanically mixing 30 wt% of a commercially available ceramic composite concentrate into AM-I. An intraoral scanner was used to digitize all crowns, which were then seated on the prepared typodont abutment and rescanned. The manufacturing trueness of each crown was measured in 4 regions (overall, external, intaglio, and marginal) and reported with root mean square (RMS) estimates. The internal gaps were calculated by using a triple scan protocol. The intaglio surface deviations were assessed with the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests, while the remaining data were analyzed with the 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey honestly significant difference tests (α=.05)., Results: AM-IR had the highest overall and external RMS and had higher intaglio RMS than AM-D (P≤.001). AM-I had the lowest marginal RMS (P≤.002). AM-IR had the highest average gap values (P≤.027)., Conclusions: AM-IR crowns mostly had lower trueness and high internal gaps. However, the differences among the tested materials in fabrication trueness and average gap values were small, and internal gaps were within the previously reported thresholds., (Copyright © 2024 Editorial Council for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence, distribution, and co-occurrence of mental ill-health and substance use among gender and sexuality diverse young people relative to their cisgender and heterosexual peers in Australia using population-level, nationally representative data., Methods: We utilised Wave 8 (2018) data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N = 3037, M age = 18.4) collected via an assessment protocol comprising interviews, direct observations, and assessments (on average 60 min per survey occasion). Weighted prevalence ratios and logistic regression models adjusted for demographic confounders were used to estimate the prevalence and distribution of mental ill-health (psychological distress, past 12-month self-harm thoughts and behaviours, past 12-month suicidal ideation, planning, attempt/s) and substance use outcomes (past 12-month cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use) across gender identity (trans vs. cisgender), sexuality (gay/lesbian, bisexual, queer [those identifying with an 'other' sexuality identity that is not 'gay', 'lesbian', 'bisexual', or 'heterosexual'] vs. heterosexual) and sexuality diversity status (sexuality diverse vs heterosexual) subgroups. Sex-stratified prevalence rates and accompanying adjusted logistic regression models were also used to assess mental ill-health and substance use disparities by sexuality diversity status. Adjusted multinominal logistic regression models were used to test disparities in co-occurring outcomes by sexuality identity) sexuality status sub-groups, and Fisher's Exact Test of Independence for co-occurring disparities by gender identity (due to small sample size). All analyses used Wave 8 sample weights and adjusted for postcode-level clustering., Results: Among gender and sexuality diverse participants, 59 - 64% reported high or very high levels of psychological distress, 28 - 46% reported past 12-month self-harm ideation or attempts, and 26 - 46% reported past 12-month suicidal ideation, planning, or behaviour. We found significant disparities in high/very high levels of psychological distress, self-harm behaviours and suicidal behaviours among trans participants (adjusted odds ratios (aORs) ranged from 3.5 to 5.5) and sexuality diverse participants (aORs ranged from 3.5 to 3.9), compared with cisgender and heterosexual participants, respectively. Highest disparities in any past 12-month self-harm and suicidal behaviours appeared most pronounced among trans participants and queer participants compared with their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. Minor differences by sex among sexuality diverse participants were observed for select mental ill-health outcomes. Sexuality diverse participants, and particularly sexuality diverse females, were significantly more likely to report past 12-month cigarette use and past 12-month marijuana use (adjusted odds ratio (aORs) ranging 1.4-1.6). Trans young people were at significantly elevated risk of mental ill-health in co-occurrence with cigarette and marijuana use compared with their cisgender peers (Fisher's Exact Test of Independence p < 0.05 for all), whereas sexuality diverse young people were at greater risk of co-occurring mental ill-health and cigarette co-use and marijuana co-use, compared with their non-sexuality diverse peers (adjusted multinomial odds ratios (aMORs) ranging 2.2-6.0)., Conclusion: Mental ill-health, substance use, and their co-occurrence disproportionately affects gender and sexuality diverse young people in Australia. Further research should study the longitudinal development of these disparities through adolescence, with close attention to the social, embodied contexts of substance use among LGBTQ + young people with the view to building LGBTQ + affirming models of harm reduction., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this report is to present the complete workflow of 3D virtual patient for planning and performing implant surgery with magnetically retained 3D-printed stackable guides., Clinical Considerations: A 3D-printed stackable system was proposed based on bone, dental, and facial references. Initially, a 66-year-old male patient was digitalized through photographs, cone beam computed tomography, and intraoral scans (Virtuo Vivo, Straumann). All files were merged to create a 3D virtual patient in the planning software (coDiagnostiX, Straumann). Sequential stackable guides were designed, printed, and cured. Magnets were inserted into connectors, and the interim protheses received color characterization. Four mounted guides were produced for the specific purposes of pin fixation, bone reduction, implant placement, and immediate provisionalization. After surgery and healing period, patient digital data were updated. Final implant positions were compared to planned values and inconsistencies were clinically acceptable. The mean angular deviation was 5.4° (3.2-7.3) and mean 3D discrepancies were of 0.90 mm (0.46-1.12) at the entry point and 1.68 mm (1.00-2.20) at implant apex. Case follow-up revealed stability, patient's comfort, and no intercurrences., Conclusion: Magnetically retained stackable guides provide treatment accuracy and reduce surgical and prosthetic complications. The projected virtual patient enhances decision-making and communication between the multidisciplinary team and the patient, while decreases time and costs., Clinical Significance: Bidimensional diagnosis and freehand implant placement have limitations and outcomes often rely on professionals' expertise. Performing facially driven virtual planning improves treatment predictability. This approach promotes function, esthetic harmony, and patient satisfaction. Implant guided surgery and 3D printed prostheses constitute a reproducible digital workflow that can be implemented into clinical practice to optimize dental care., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga/Hunga-Ha'apai eruption on January 15, 2022 sent off a plume of ash material up to the stratosphere and triggered a meteotsunami and barometric pressure pulse that rippled through the atmosphere and oceans all around the world. The nature of the volcanic event and its global impacts on the oceans, atmosphere, lithosphere and the cryosphere are a matter of debate. Here we present a first overview of the time travel of the sound atmospheric pressure wave through the Antarctic continent based on in situ measurements, which represented a unique event observed through the polar ice sheet during the instrumental meteorological era. In addition, we estimated the tsunami travel time of the Hunga-Tonga event from a first order model to infer its impact over the Antarctic Sea ice and ice shelves. One outcome from our observations and modeling is the detection of the meteotsunami in the Antarctic Peninsula and the impact of the continental relief over the atmospheric pressure wave dispersion.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the influence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol on the decision-making for the positioning of dental implants in edentulous arches in comparison to planning based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)., Materials and Methods: One phantom was scanned with CBCT and two MRI protocols (T1- and T2-weighted). Two calibrated examiners performed digital implant planning (coDiagnostiX, Dental Wings), considering a digital prosthetic planning and alveolar ridge surface scan. Four implants were planned for each patient dataset, and the angular deviation between the long axis of the implants and the prosthetic planning occlusal plane was measured., Results: Each examiner planned 40 implants, 12 implants with CBCT and 28 implants with MRI (16 with T1 and 12 with T2 images). Significant differences in angle deviation were observed between CBCT, T1, and T2 in the anterior region for both examiners (p = 0.009 for examiner 1 and p = 0.042 for examiner 2). Implants planned with CBCT showed significantly lower angular deviation than those based on the T1 and T2 scans for both examiners (p = 0.028 and p = 0.046 for examiner 1 and p = 0.028 and p = 0.027 for examiner 2). No significant difference in angular deviation was found between T1 and T2 for both examiners (examiner 1: p = 0.600, examiner 2: p = 0.916)., Conclusion: Compared to CBCT planning, the MRI protocol influenced decision-making for anterior dental implants, with angular deviations within acceptable clinical thresholds, but further studies are needed to validate these findings., (© 2024 by the American College of Prosthodontists.)

Background: Mental ill-health and substance use bear significant public health burden on young people. Prevention is key. Trauma-informed approaches to prevention of mental ill-health and substance use demonstrate significant promise, yet it is unclear how well existing approaches work for young people targeting mental ill-health and substance use. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of trauma-informed mental ill-health and/or substance use prevention programs for young people., Methods: We searched the PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library reference databases for peer-reviewed studies of trauma-informed mental ill-health and/or substance use prevention programs for young people published between 2013 and 2022. Studies in any language were included and reference lists of included articles were scanned for additional studies of relevance., Results: In total, 30 studies were included in this review, comprising five randomized controlled trials (RCTs), seven non-RCTs, 10 quasi-experimental designs, and eight qualitative studies. Among the 30 studies, 27 unique trauma-informed prevention interventions were detailed. Eighteen studies reported statistically significant decreases in mental ill-health, and two studies reported significant decreases in substance use outcomes among participants, up to 6 months following the interventions. Most preventative interventions with statistically significant effects were selective (rather than universal or indicated) in their approach (n = 10, 55%). Broad acceptability and feasibility of trauma-informed prevention programs was observed among studies reporting this information though most quantitative studies were at high risk of bias and/or did not include a control group, whilst qualitative studies tended to report research conducted without a priori research aims., Discussion: This review synthesizes for the first-time evidence on the effectiveness (or efficacy), feasibility, and acceptability of trauma-informed mental ill-health and/or substance use programs for young people, especially for those exposed to traumatic or adverse experiences. While there are promising efficacy outcomes, further research conducting rigorous, well-powered RCTs is required for large-scale evaluation and scaling of the potential preventative benefits of such programs., (© 2024 Foundation for Professionals in Services to Adolescents.)

Amnion-derived acellular bioscaffold (ADABP) products demonstrate interesting anti-inflammatory and healing properties which could be beneficial for intrauterine use. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of intrauterine injection of ADABP on systemic and uterine health. The study design randomly assigned subjects to one of two groups, control mares (n = 3) which received 3 mL injection of sterile saline in the base of each uterine horn, and treatment mares (n = 9) which received 3 mL of ADABP in the base of one uterine horn and 3 mL injection of sterile saline in the base of the other uterine horn. The leukogram had no significant effect of group and no group by day interaction. The serum biochemistry panel had no effect of group on any of the parameters examined. There were no significant differences in uterine culture or uterine biopsy results. The data suggests intrauterine injection of ADABP has no negative systemic or uterine effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: There is a dire paucity of research into the burden, correlates and motives of substance use among trans young people in Australia., Method: Using data from a national survey of Australian trans young people (N = 859, M age  = 19.4), we estimated prevalence of past 6-month substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, other drugs) and lifetime substance use disorder diagnoses. Covariate-adjusted multivariate logistic regression models tested associations between substance use types with 18 interpersonal factors. Open-ended responses regarding substance use motives (n = 489) were qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis with an interpretative phenomenological approach., Results: Prevalence of lifetime substance use disorder diagnosis was 13.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.1, 16.1). Alcohol use was most reported (72.4%; 95% CI 68.9, 75.6) followed by tobacco (31.1%; 95% CI 27.7, 34.6) and cannabis (30.6%; 95% CI 27.2, 34.2). Trans women reported highest rates of alcohol and cannabis use; use of other drugs was highest among trans men. Highest risk of substance use was observed among trans youth who experienced discrimination, intimate partner abuse, peer rejection and lack of family support (adjusted odds ratios ranging 1.5 to 3.0). Four multi-levelled themes of substance use motives were identified: circumstantial use, somatic use, feeling better about oneself and one's life, and harm reduction., Discussion and Conclusions: While substance use among trans young is largely circumstantial, hedonistic and altruistic, facilitating self-exploration, friendship and community connectedness, substance use among trans young people is highly prevalent and may be used to cope with sleep difficulties, depression/anxiety and cisnormativity, including delays and waitlists for accessing gender-affirming care., (© 2024 The Author(s). Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Solubility and aggregation of proteins are crucial factors for their functional and further biological roles. Aggregation of proteins in vivo , such as the amyloid beta (Aβ 1-40 ) peptide into fibrils, is significantly modulated by membrane lipids, abundantly present in cells. We developed a model membrane system, composed of lipid hybrid-vesicles bearing embedded hydrophilic polymers to in vitro study the aggregation of the Aβ 1-40 peptide. Focus is to understand and inhibit the primordial, nucleation stages of their fibrillation by added hybrid-vesicles, composed of a natural lipid and amphiphilic polymers. These designed hybrid-vesicles are based on 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), displaying embedded hydrophilic (EO) m P n A&#95; EG polymers ( m = 2 or 3; P n = 10 to 52 with M n = 2800-9950 gmol -1 ) in amounts ranging from 5-20 mol%, anchored to the POPC vesicles via hydrophobic hexadecyl-, glyceryl- and cholesteryl-moieties, affixed to the polymers as end-groups. All investigated hybrid-vesicles significantly delay fibrillation of the Aβ 1-40 peptide as determined by thioflavin T (ThT) assays. We observed that the hybrid-vesicles interacted with early aggregating species of Aβ 1-40 peptide, irrespective of their composition or size. A substantial perturbation of both primary ( k + k n ) and secondary ( k + k 2 ) nucleation rates of Aβ 1-40 by the POPC-polymer vesicles compared to POPC vesicles was observed, particularly for the cholesteryl-anchored polymers, interfering with the fragmentation and elongation steps of Aβ 1-40 . Furthermore, morphological differences of the aggregates were revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images supported the inhibitory kinetic signatures., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Objective: This systematic review aims to understand the limitations and benefits of the guided direct restorative technique, to optimize the final outcomes, considering the evolution from analog to digital, including planning, the diversification of guides, and the different resins employed., Methodology: A search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane, and through manual searches, initiated in May 2023 and updated in April 2024. The following search strategy was used: ((injectable composite resin) OR (direct pressed composite)) OR (3D-guided), utilizing the PICO framework., Results: Initially, 739 articles were retrieved. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 studies were considered suitable for data extraction, including 12 in vitro studies and 21 case reports or technique descriptions. The articles focused on comparisons of techniques, flowable, heated, and conventional resins, as well as various technique reports with variations in guides, materials, and planning, potentially aiding clinicians in more effective and safer execution of this restorative technique., Conclusion: The utilization of digital workflows presents greater solutions to the challenges of the guided direct restorative technique. Understanding the properties of the resins used is crucial for the results and should be chosen according to the patient's needs., Clinical Significance: A guided direct restorative procedure can deliver previously planned dental treatment based on individualized planning. This method ensures greater reproducibility in aesthetics and occlusion, resulting in superior quality work for the patient., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Refractory black carbon (rBC) has great potential to increase melting when deposited on snow and ice surfaces. Previous studies attributed sources and impacts of rBC in the northern Antarctic Peninsula region by investigating long-range atmospheric transport from South Hemisphere biomass burning and industrial regions or by assessing impacts from local tourism and research activities. We used high-resolution measurements of refractory rBC in a firn core collected near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, as well as atmospheric rBC from Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2, satellite measurements, modeling, burned area data, and tourism statistics, to assess combined impacts of both long-range transported rBC and locally emitted rBC. Our findings suggest that tourism activities have a regional rather than local impact and the increase in rBC concentrations during late spring-summer, influenced by tourism activities and fires in the Southern Hemisphere, can enhance ice melt. This highlights the need for strategies to reduce local and distant rBC emissions.

The communication between intestinal Glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1)-producing cells and the peripheral nervous system has garnered renewed interest considering the availability of anti-obesity and anti-diabetic approaches targeting GLP-1 signaling. While it is well-established that intestinal GLP-1 cells can exert influence through paracrine mechanisms, recent evidence suggests the possible existence of synaptic-like connections between GLP-1 cells and peripheral neurons, including those of the vagus nerve. In this study, using a reporter Phox2b-Cre-Tomato mouse model and super-resolution confocal microscopy, we demonstrated that vagal axons made apparent contacts with less than 0.5% of GLP-1 cells. Moreover, immunohistochemistry combined with super-resolution confocal microscopy revealed abundant post-synaptic density 95 (PSD-95) immunoreactivity within the enteric plexus of the lower intestines of C57/BL6 mice, with virtually none in its mucosa. Lastly, utilizing RNAScope in situ hybridization in the lower intestines of mice, we observed that GLP-1 cells expressed generic markers of secretory cells such as Snap25 and Nefm, but neither synaptic markers such as Syn1 and Nrxn2, nor glutamatergic markers such as Slc17a7. Through theoretical considerations and a critical review of the literature, we concluded that intestinal GLP-1 cells primarily communicate with vagal neurons through paracrine mechanisms, rather than synaptic-like contacts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Peer support groups are implemented globally, and viewed as cost-effective, scalable platforms for delivering health and nutrition programming. Quality is important for participation and achieving social and behavior change goals. Little research has explored the perspectives of peer group participants on quality. This manuscript describes community-based implementation research, and associated findings, which was conducted to learn how participants of a nutrition and health program define quality peer groups and how they suggest improving peer groups. In-depth interviews on experiences, benefits, and challenges were conducted with participants of health and nutrition peer groups, including group members (n = 64) and facilitators (n = 30), in three districts in Zimbabwe. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and preliminary results were presented in six follow-up focus group discussions with interviewees to provide input on results and interpretation. Peer groups met some of participants' needs for knowledge, social support, and visible improvements in their lives and homes. Participants described generally positive experiences that sustained participation and motivated behavior change. They highlighted group dynamics, interactive facilitation, and community recognition which support the credibility and motivation of group facilitators. Implementation could be improved by strengthening family engagement and more hands-on learning for encouraging participation. Local adaptation of group activities can address influences on behavior change and increase relevance to participants' needs. The perspectives of core stakeholders are essential to understand what aspects of peer groups are most important to implement the approach with quality across contexts. Implementation research and continued monitoring to understand participant perspectives should be an integral part of all programs to ensure the application of adult learning principles and an appropriate balance between fidelity and adaptation for local relevance and engagement., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Auer et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

In a unique collaboration between Simulations Plus and several industrial partners, we were able to develop a new version 11.0 of the previously published in silico pK a model, S+pKa, with considerably improved prediction accuracy. The model's training set was vastly expanded by large amounts of experimental data obtained from F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Genentech Inc., and the Crop Science division of Bayer AG. The previous v7.0 of S+pKa was trained on data from public sources and the Pharmaceutical division of Bayer AG. The model has shown dramatic improvements in predictive accuracy when externally validated on three new contributor compound sets. Less expected was v11.0's improvement in prediction on new compounds developed at Bayer Pharma after v7.0 was released (2013-2023), even without contributing additional data to v11.0. We illustrate chemical space coverage by chemistries encountered in the five domains, public and industrial, outline model construction, and discuss factors contributing to model's success., (© 2024 The Author(s). Molecular Informatics published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: To investigate the relationship of inflammatory biomarkers with corneal epithelial quantifiable metrics in patients with keratoconus and in healthy eyes., Design: Prospective observational comparative study., Participants: This study included 100 eyes of 100 patients: 48 eyes of 48 patients with keratoconus and 52 healthy eyes of 52 healthy controls., Methods: The concentrations of tear cytokines were investigated in both groups: interleukin (IL) 1B, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL12p70, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) were obtained by capillary flow and measured using flow cytometer. Cortisol concentrations were determined in both groups from the most proximal hair segment as an index of cumulative secretion and measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Epithelial variables were obtained with OCT. Pearson correlation (r) was used to measure linear dependence between 2 different variables., Main Outcome Measures: Investigating the existence, strength, and significance of any correlation between inflammatory biomarkers (IL1B, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL12p70, TNFα, and hair cortisol concentration) and OCT corneal epithelial quantifiable variables such as minimum and maximum epithelial thickness of the map, difference between the minimum and maximum (Epithelial Min-Max) and standard deviation of the epithelial thickness of the map (Epithelial Std Dev), and average epithelial thickness of the superior and inferior regions of the map., Results: Eyes with keratoconus presented statistically significantly higher levels of IL1b ( P  = 0.02), IL6 ( P < 0.0001), IL8 ( P < 0.0001), and TNFα ( P < 0.0001) and hair cortisol concentration ( P  = 0.01) compared with healthy controls.There was a significant correlation between IL6 and measurement Epithelium Min-Max [Pearson = -0.59 (-0.69, -0.47); P  < 0.0001] and Epithelial Std Dev (Pearson = +0.56 [0.44, 0.67]; P  < 0.0001). There was a significant correlation between hair cortisol concentration and Epithelium Min-Max (Pearson = -0.27 [-0.42, -0.1]; P  < 0.0001]) and Epithelium Std Dev groups (Pearson = +0.2 [0.03, 0.36]; P  = 0.021). There was also a significant correlation between TNFα and Epithelial Max (Pearson = -0.37 [-0.55, 0.17]; P  < 0.0001). We found no significant correlation between the concentration of IL1b, IL8, IL10, and IL2p70 with any epithelium parameters., Conclusions: The higher concentration of inflammatory markers (IL6 and hair cortisol) in eyes with keratoconus present a significant correlation with OCT metrics identifying epithelial variability, such as Epithelial Min-Max and Std Dev. These findings demonstrate the role of chronic inflammation in eyes with keratoconus, and that these epithelial changes detectable with OCT are sensitive to this inflammatory process., Financial Disclosures: The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article., (© 2024 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.)

Objective: To evaluate the effect of different modeling agents on color changes, surface roughness, and translucency parameters over time in Bulkfill resin composites., Material and Methods: Sixty specimens were prepared using three Bulkfill resin composites (Tetric N-Ceram Bulkfill, Filtek One Bulkfill and Opus Bulkfill) and three modeling agents (Wetting Resin, Optibond FL and Ambar APS). All specimens were subjected to a simulated tooth-brushing (Baseline, 50.000 cycles, 100.000 cycles), and surface roughness was measured at each interval. Surface topography was evaluated. The translucency parameter and color changes were assessed after 24-h, 7-, 14- and 30-day immersion in water, wine, and coffee. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and Bonferroni test., Results: All specimens increased roughness after simulated tooth-brushing (p < 0.05). Wetting Resin decreased roughness on Tetric N-Ceram Bulkfill (p < 0.05). The translucency parameter remained unaltered for all groups. All groups changed color after 30-days of immersion in wine and coffee (p < 0.05). Ambar APS and Wetting Resin on Tetric N-Ceram Bulkfill showed higher color changes when immersed in coffee (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The use of modeling agents does not jeopardize translucency properties but may affect surface roughness and color properties of Bulkfill resin composites depending on their composition., Clinical Significance: The findings of this study suggest that surface roughness and color properties are affected by the differences in the composition between modeling agents and Bulkfill resins composites., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a printed surgical guide for root sectioning in the socket-shield technique., Materials and Methods: A typodont model of the maxilla with augmented filler was used for the upper right central incisor, and CBCT images were obtained. Two types of vertical root sectioning guides were tested: one with a buccal sleeve (Group A, n = 10) and another with a buccal orientation slit (Group B, n = 10). Control group (n = 10) performed freehand cuts on printed models. After crown cutting with diamond burs, root sectioning was conducted using an ultrasonic tip with the guides. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for the remaining root length, width, and volume. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's post hoc test., Results: Statistical analysis showed significant differences in root width between the control group (2.0 mm) and both Groups A (2.655 mm; p < 0.0001) and B (2.460 mm; p < 0.0001). Group B (5.585 mm) also showed a significant difference in root remnant compared with the control (13.880 mm; p < 0.0043). Groups A and B did not differ significantly from each other., Conclusions: The socket shield technique is safe and effective, this study aimed to add improvements through the introduction of surgical guides, facilitating the root section, which is the critical phase so that the parameters that are requisite for success are achieved in terms of width, length, and volume of the root remnant. Both guided techniques effectively facilitated root sectioning, maintaining satisfactory root thickness and length., Clinical Significance: Sectioning the root is challenging for the correct angulation to remove the palatal portion in the socket shield technique. Therefore, modifying this technique with the use of the presented guides, it is possible to prevent damage to the soft tissues and to plan the surgery with the help of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans to remove the root apex and maintain the root remnant with a thickness greater than 1.5 mm, making the socket-shield technique more predictable., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background Context: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common form of atraumatic spinal cord injury globally. Degeneration of spinal discs, bony osteophyte growth and ligament pathology results in physical compression of the spinal cord contributing to damage of white matter tracts and grey matter cellular populations. This results in an insidious neurological and functional decline in patients which can lead to paralysis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirms the diagnosis of DCM and is a prerequisite to surgical intervention, the only known treatment for this disorder. Unfortunately, there is a weak correlation between features of current commonly acquired MRI scans ("community MRI, cMRI") and the degree of disability experienced by a patient., Purpose: This study examines the predictive ability of current MRI sequences relative to "advanced MRI" (aMRI) metrics designed to detect evidence of spinal cord injury secondary to degenerative myelopathy. We hypothesize that the utilization of higher fidelity aMRI scans will increase the effectiveness of machine learning models predicting DCM severity and may ultimately lead to a more efficient protocol for identifying patients in need of surgical intervention., Study Design/setting: Single institution analysis of imaging registry of patients with DCM., Patient Sample: A total of 296 patients in the cMRI group and 228 patients in the aMRI group., Outcome Measures: Physiologic measures: accuracy of machine learning algorithms to detect severity of DCM assessed clinically based on the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) scale., Methods: Patients enrolled in the Canadian Spine Outcomes Research Network registry with DCM were screened and 296 cervical spine MRIs acquired in cMRI were compared with 228 aMRI acquisitions. aMRI acquisitions consisted of diffusion tensor imaging, magnetization transfer, T 2 -weighted, and T 2 *-weighted images. The cMRI group consisted of only T 2 -weighted MRI scans. Various machine learning models were applied to both MRI groups to assess accuracy of prediction of baseline disease severity assessed clinically using the mJOA scale for cervical myelopathy., Results: Through the utilization of Random Forest Classifiers, disease severity was predicted with 41.8% accuracy in cMRI scans and 73.3% in the aMRI scans. Across different predictive model variations tested, the aMRI scans consistently produced higher prediction accuracies compared to the cMRI counterparts., Conclusions: aMRI metrics perform better in machine learning models at predicting disease severity of patients with DCM. Continued work is needed to refine these models and address DCM severity class imbalance concerns, ultimately improving model confidence for clinical implementation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest One or more of the authors declare financial or professional relationships on ICMJE-TSJ disclosure forms., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Alcohol use and anxiety often co-occur, causing increased severity impairment. This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that aims to test the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a web-based, self-guided alcohol and anxiety-focused program, compared with a web-based brief alcohol-focused program, for young adults who drink at hazardous levels and experience anxiety. It will also test moderators and mechanisms of change underlying the intervention effects., Design: This RCT will be conducted with a 1:1 parallel group., Setting: The study will be a web-based trial in Australia., Participants: Individuals aged 17-30 years who drink alcohol at hazardous or greater levels and experience at least mild anxiety (n = 500) will be recruited through social media, media (TV, print) and community networks., Intervention and Comparator: Participants will be randomly allocated to receive a web-based, integrated alcohol-anxiety program plus technical and motivational telephone/e-mail support (intervention) or a web-based brief alcohol-feedback program (control)., Measurements: Clinical measures will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention (2 months), 6 months (primary end-point), 12 months and 18 months. Co-primary outcomes are hazardous alcohol consumption and anxiety symptom severity. Secondary outcomes are binge-drinking frequency; alcohol-related consequences; depression symptoms; clinical diagnoses of alcohol use or anxiety disorder (at 6 months post-intervention), health-care service use, educational and employment outcomes; and quality of life. Mediators and moderators will also be assessed. Efficacy will be tested using mixed models for repeated measures within an intention-to-treat framework. The economic evaluation will analyze individual-level health and societal costs and outcomes of participants between each trial arm, while mediation models will test for mechanisms of change., Comments: This will be the first trial to test whether a developmentally targeted, web-based, integrated alcohol-anxiety intervention is effective in reducing hazardous alcohol use and anxiety severity among young adults. If successful, the integrated alcohol-anxiety program will provide an accessible intervention that can be widely disseminated to improve wellbeing of young adults, at minimal cost., (© 2024 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Eucalyptus species play an important role in the global carbon cycle, especially in reducing the greenhouse effect as well as storing atmospheric CO₂. Thus, assessing the amount of CO₂ released by the soil in forest areas can generate important information for environmental monitoring. This study aims to verify the relation between soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) flux (FCO₂), spectral bands, and vegetation indices (VIs) derived from a UAV-based multispectral camera over an area of eucalyptus species. Multispectral imageries (green, red-edge, and near-infrared) from the Parrot Sequoia sensor, derived vegetation indices, and the FCO₂ data from a LI-COR 8100 analyzer, combined with soil moisture and temperature data, were collected and related. The vegetation indices ATSAVI (Adjusted Transformed Soil-Adjusted VI), GSAVI (Green Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index), and SAVI (Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index), which use soil correction factors, exhibited a strong negative correlation with FCO₂ for the species E. camaldulensis, E. saligna, and E. urophylla species. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance showed significance (p < 0.01) for the species factor, which indicates that there are differences when considering all variables simultaneously. The results achieved in this study show a specific correlation between the data of soil CO₂ emission and the eucalypt species, providing a distinction of values between the species in the statistical data., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to assess the frequency of cataract surgery in Brazil between 2010 and 2019 and determine the impact of public policies on preventing blindness, thereby providing evidence to conduct healthcare programs., Methods: An analytical epidemiological approach was employed, which used data from public databases, specifically the Hospital Information System (SIH-SUS) and the Outpatient Information System (SIA-SUS). We focused on cataract surgeries conducted via phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract extraction techniques between 2010 and 2019, mainly targeting senile cataracts within the Brazilian public health system. Data were analyzed on an annual basis and stratified by region. Trends over time were assessed using generalized additive models., Results: A statistically significant upward trend in cataract surgeries was observed both nationally and within the South region ( p  < 0.05). Nationally, there was a 40.22% increase in surgeries between 2010 and 2019. Furthermore, the surgery rate per 1000 individuals aged ≥50 years varied across regions: nationally, it was 10.85, with rates of 9.23 in the Southeast, 13.86 in the Northeast, 9.23 in the South, 11.94 in the Midwest, and 14.2 in the North., Conclusion: All regions of the country, a satisfactory number of cataract surgeries were performed at some point. Only the Southern region demonstrated a notable upward trend in the number of cataract surgeries. Conversely, the remaining regions failed to sustain surgical performance, hindering consistent improvement in cataract-related conditions. To accurately gauge the prevalence of blindness in Brazil, it is crucial to examine the population growth among individuals aged ≥50 years.

Purpose: Women with greater than 20-25% lifetime breast cancer risk are recommended to have breast cancer screening with annual mammogram and supplemental breast MRI. However, few women follow these screening recommendations. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators of screening among women at high risk for breast cancer, guided by the Health Services Utilization Model (HSUM)., Methods: Unaffected high-risk women (N=63) completed semi-structured qualitative interviews exploring their experiences with breast cancer screening. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a combined deductive and inductive approach., Results: Most participants (84%) had received a screening mammogram; fewer (33%) had received a screening breast MRI. Only 14% had received neither screening. In line with the HSUM, qualitative analysis identified predisposing factors, enabling factors, and need factors associated with receipt of breast cancer screening. Enabling factors - including financial burden, logistic barriers, social support, and care coordination - were most frequently discussed. Predisposing factors included knowledge, health beliefs, and self-advocacy. Need factors included healthcare provider recommendation, family history of breast cancer, and personal medical history. Although HSUM themes were consistent for both mammography and breast MRI, participants did highlight several important differences in barriers and facilitators between the two screening modalities., Conclusion: Barriers and enabling factors associated with supplemental screening for high-risk women represent possible intervention targets. Future research is needed to develop and test multilevel interventions targeting these factors, with the ultimate goal of increasing access to supplemental screening for high-risk women., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The guntea loach, Lepidocephalichthys guntea, is categorically common freshwater fish in Southeast Asia. Current study is the first elucidation on the reproductive feature of L. guntea including population structure, sex ratio (SR), size at first maturity (L m ), breeding period, and condition factor, emphasizing on the effect of environmental factors on reproduction of this fish in the Payra River (Southern Bangladesh) during July 2021 to June 2022. Using various conventional gears, 1128 individuals (534 males and 594 females) have been collected. Total length (TL), standard length (SL), and body weight (BW) of each fish were measured. Ovaries were cautiously dissected, removed, and precisely weighed. TL ranges from 4.6 to 9.7 cm (BW = 0.7-9.27 g) for male and 4.6-10.3 cm (BW = 0.8-10.75 g) for female. Both male (47.34%) and female (52.66%) populations were the leading group in 7.00-7.99 cm TL. Overall SR was not notably altered from anticipated value of 1:1 (male:female = 1:1.11). Nonetheless, monthly variations of SR specified females were considerably outnumbered males in each month excluding March-May. L m range was 6.4-7.0 cm, so larger than L m is recommended to exploit. Monthly changes in GSI indicated that the main spawning season was from March to June. The spawning season was substantially correlated with rainfall, nonetheless with temperature. Additionally, relative weight indicated that habitat was imbalanced with higher predators. A fishing ban is recommended during peak spawning to protect L. guntea in the Payra River and its surroundings based on current research., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Introduction: Public and patient involvement can provide crucial insights to optimise research by enhancing relevance and appropriateness of studies. The World Health Organization (WHO) engaged in an inclusive process to ensure that both technical experts and women had a voice in defining the research gaps and needs to increase or reintroduce the use of assisted vaginal birth (AVB) in settings where this intervention is needed but unavailable or underused., Methods: We describe the methods and outcomes of online workshops led by WHO to obtain women representatives' perspectives about AVB research gaps and needs., Results: After technical experts created a list of research questions based on various evidence syntheses, WHO organised four online workshops with 31 women's representatives from 27 mostly low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries. Women rated the importance and priority of the research questions proposed by the technical experts, improving and broadening some of them, added new questions, and voiced their main concerns and views about AVB. Women helped to put the research questions into context in their communities, highlighted neglected factors/dimensions that influence practices and affect women's experience during labour and childbirth, underscored less salient consequences of AVB, and highlighted the main concerns of women about research on AVB. The consolidated vision of technical experts and women's representatives resulted in a technical brief published by WHO. The technical brief is expected to stimulate global research and action closely aligned with women's priorities., Conclusions: We describe a successful experience of engaging women, mostly from LMICs, in the identification of research gaps and needs to reintroduce AVB use. This process contributed to better aligning research questions with women's views, concerns, and priorities. Given the scarcity of reports about engaging women from LMICs to optimise research, this successful experience can serve as an inspiration for future work., Patient or Public Contribution: Women representatives were involved at every stage of the workshops described in full in this manuscript., (© 2024 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: This study was guided by three research aims: firstly, to examine the longitudinal trends of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among gender and sexuality diverse (LGBTQA2S+) young people through adolescence (ages 14-19); secondly, to assess longitudinal associations between poor mental health and HR-QoL among LGBTQA2S+ young people through adolescence; and thirdly, to examine differences in HR-QoL among LGBTQA2S+ young people during early adolescence (ages 14 and 15) depending on select school-, peer-, and parent-level factors., Methods: This study used three of nine available waves of data from a large population-level, probability sample-based, longitudinal cohort study, namely the K' cohort: children aged 4-5 years old at time of study enrolment followed-up biennially (~ 61% retention rate). HR-QoL weighted means and standard deviations were calculated using Child Health Utility 9D (CHU-9D) scores for LGBTQA2S+ participants at ages 14 and 15 (Wave 6), ages 16 and 17 (Wave 7), and ages 18 and 19 (Wave 8). To strategically identify policy-relevant modifiable behavioural factors suitable for prevention and early intervention, non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank tests tested differences in mean CHU-9D ranks at ages 14 and 15 (Wave 6) between groups (gender identity: trans vs. cis; identity-level sexuality: gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other diverse sexuality vs. heterosexual; group-level sexuality: sexually diverse vs. not sexually diverse) and selected school factors (school acceptance, belonging, freedom of expression), peer factors (peer relationship quality, trust, respect), and family factors (parental acceptance, understanding, trust), with Hedge's g correction statistics computed for effect sizes. Longitudinal associations between gender, sexuality, and poor mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety, symptoms, self-harm thoughts/behaviour, and suicidal thoughts/behaviour) and HR-QoL were tested using mixed-effects models with random intercepts and random slopes for nested clustering (participants within postcodes)., Results: HR-QoL disparities disproportionately affecting LGBTQA2S+ groups relative to their cisgender, heterosexual peers, were well-established by age 14 to 15 relatively steeper reductions in HR-QoL were observed throughout adolescence among all LGBTQA2S+ groups, with HR-QoL widening the most for trans participants. Poor mental health was significantly associated with HR-QoL declines. LGBTQA2S+ participants with positive school- and parent factors related to feelings of acceptance, belonging, and freedom of self-expression, reported significantly higher HR-QoL during early adolescence., Conclusion: Evidence-based public health policy responses are required to address the dire HR-QoL inequities among LGBTQA2S+ young people, particularly trans young people. Prioritising the promotion of school- and family-based interventions which foster LGBTQA2S+ inclusivity, acceptance, and a sense of belonging from early adolescence through young adulthood, represents a feasible, evidence-based, and cost-effective response to address these HR-QoL disparities., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The development of engineered nanomaterials has been considered a promising strategy to control oral infections. In this study, silver-embedded carbon nitrides (Ag@g-CN) were synthesized and tested against Candida albicans , investigating their antifungal action and biocompatibility in animal cells. Ag@g-CN was synthesized by a simple one-pot thermal polymerization technique and characterized by various analytical techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed slight alterations in the crystal structure of g-CN upon the incorporation of Ag. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Ag-N bonds, indicating successful silver incorporation and potential interactions with g-CN's amino groups. UV-vis spectroscopy demonstrated a red shift in the absorption edge of Ag@g-CN compared with g-CN, attributed to the surface plasmon resonance effect of silver nanoparticles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the 2D layered sheet like morphology of both materials. The Ag 3d peaks found in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of metallic Ag 0 nanoparticles in Ag@g-CN. The Ag@g-CN materials exhibited high antifungal activity against reference and oral clinical strains of C. albicans , with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges between 16-256 μg/mL. The mechanism of Ag@g-CN on C. albicans was attributed to the disruption of the membrane integrity and disturbance of the biofilm. In addition, the Ag@g-CN material showed good biocompatibility in the fibroblastic cell line and in Galleria mellonella , with no apparent cytotoxicity observed at a concentration up to 1000 μg/mL. These findings demonstrate the potential of the Ag@g-CN material as an effective and safe antifungal agent for the treatment of oral fungal infections.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the behavioral patterns of data on cataract surgery performed in the Brazilian public health system before, during, and after the COVID-19 outbreak and estimate the setbacks generated by the pandemic to guide public policies., Materials and Methods: This was an observational, longitudinal, and descriptive epidemiological study based on data retrieved from the public health system's databases of cataract surgeries performed each year and in each region from 2015 to 2022., Result: In Brazil, compared with the average of the 5-years preceding the pandemic, a 23 % reduction in the number of cataract surgeries was observed in 2020, followed by a 21 % increase in 2021, compensating for the majority of patients that were not operated on. However, the worsening situation of blindness caused by cataracts due to the pandemic not be avoided in the Central-West region, where unrecovered cases continue to accumulate., Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic did not worsen the situation of cataract blindness in Brazil due to the efficacy of the measures taken by the government in resuming elective surgeries. However, the auhtors recommend that the distribution of resources for cataract surgeries should consider regional discrepancies based on epidemiological data., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 HCFMUSP. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This review emphasizes the effect of light on visual efficiency, the impact of different lighting focuses, types of lighting, and their influence on vision and productivity. Light sources and standards are intriguing subjects for ophthalmologists. Guidelines regarding the level of lighting influence on visual activities can enhance visual performance.Methods: This article was developed based on literature reviews, with a bibliographic survey conducted in databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, LILACS, and SciELO., Results: Provides recommendations for understanding information regarding the influence of lighting on visual performance., Conclusion: Proper workplace lighting is crucial for improving visual efficiency, safety, productivity, and worker health. Efficient workplace lighting should avoid light sources directed towards the worker's face, prevent harmful glare, be more intense in the work area, and uniform in the rest of the room. Ophthalmologists should be knowledgeable about and provide guidance on correct lighting to ensure patient comfort and satisfaction with visual correction.

Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of a school-based multiple health behaviour change e-health intervention for modifying risk factors for chronic disease (secondary outcomes)., Study Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial., Setting, Participants: Students (at baseline [2019]: year 7, 11-14 years old) at 71 Australian public, independent, and Catholic schools., Intervention: Health4Life: an e-health school-based multiple health behaviour change intervention for reducing increases in the six major behavioural risk factors for chronic disease: physical inactivity, poor diet, excessive recreational screen time, poor sleep, and use of alcohol and tobacco. It comprises six online video modules during health education class and a smartphone app., Main Outcome Measures: Comparison of Health4Life and usual health education with respect to their impact on changes in twelve secondary outcomes related to the six behavioural risk factors, assessed in surveys at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 12 and 24 months after the intervention: binge drinking, discretionary food consumption risk, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, difficulty falling asleep, and light physical activity frequency (categorical); tobacco smoking frequency, alcohol drinking frequency, alcohol-related harm, daytime sleepiness, and time spent watching television and using electronic devices (continuous)., Results: A total of 6640 year 7 students completed the baseline survey (Health4Life: 3610; control: 3030); 6454 (97.2%) completed at least one follow-up survey, 5698 (85.8%) two or more follow-up surveys. Health4Life was not statistically more effective than usual school health education for influencing changes in any of the twelve outcomes over 24 months; for example: fruit intake inadequate: odds ratio [OR], 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57-2.05); vegetable intake inadequate: OR, 0.97 (95% CI, 0.64-1.47); increased light physical activity: OR, 1.00 (95% CI, 0.72-1.38); tobacco use frequency: relative difference, 0.03 (95% CI, -0.58 to 0.64) days per 30 days; alcohol use frequency: relative difference, -0.34 (95% CI, -1.16 to 0.49) days per 30 days; device use time: relative difference, -0.07 (95% CI, -0.29 to 0.16) hours per day., Conclusions: Health4Life was not more effective than usual school year 7 health education for modifying adolescent risk factors for chronic disease. Future e-health multiple health behaviour change intervention research should examine the timing and length of the intervention, as well as increasing the number of engagement strategies (eg, goal setting) during the intervention., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12619000431123 (prospective)., (© 2024 The Authors. Medical Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of AMPCo Pty Ltd.)

The conversion of native vegetation to agricultural areas leads to a natural process of carbon loss but these systems can stabilize in terms of carbon dynamics depending on the management and conversion time, presenting potential to both store and stabilize this carbon in the soil, resulting in lower soil respiration rates. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the effect of converting native Cerrado forest areas to agricultural systems with a forest planted with Eucalyptus camaldulensis and silvopastoral systems on the dynamics of CO 2 emission and carbon stock at different soil depths. The experimental sites are located in the Midwest of Brazil, in the coordinates 20°22'31″ S and 51°24'12″ W. Were evaluated soil CO 2 emission (FCO 2 ), soil organic carbon, the degree of humification of soil organic matter (HLIFS), soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil chemical and physical attributes. The soil of the area is classified as an Oxisol (Haplic Acrustox). Soil samples were collected at depths of 0.00-0.10, 0.10-0.20, 0.20-0.30, and 0.30-0.40 m. The lowest FCO 2 values were found in the silvopastoral system (1.05 μmol m -2  s -1 ), followed by the native forest (1.65 μmol m -2  s -1 ) and the eucalyptus system (1.96 μmol m -2  s -1 ), indicating a 36% reduction in FCO 2 compared to the conversion of the native forest to the silvopastoral system and an increase of 19% when converting the native forest to the eucalyptus system. The soil chemical attributes (N, K + , Ca 2+ , H + +Al 3+ , CEC, and organic carbon) showed a decrease along the profile. The shallowest depths (0.00-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m) presented no differences between systems but the subsequent depths (0.20-0.30 and 0.30-0.40 m) had a difference (95% confidence interval), relative to N, Ca 2+ , H + +Al 3 , CEC, and organic carbon stock (OCS), and the soil under silvopastoral system showed a higher concentration of these attributes than the native forest. The multivariate analysis showed that the eucalyptus and silvopastoral systems did not differ from the forest in the shallowest soil layer but differed from each other. This behavior changed from the second assessed depth (0.10-0.20 m), in which the silvopastoral system stands out, differing both from the eucalyptus system and from the native forest, and this behavior is maintained at the following depths (0.20-0.30 and 0.30-0.40 m). OCS, H + +Al 3 , CEC, and nitrogen are strongly related to land use change for silvopastoral system. Regarding the behavior/relationship of attributes as a function of depth, the silvopastoral system contributed to soil carbon accumulation and stability over consecutive years., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We evaluated the completeness of real-world Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) in children after blunt abdominal trauma by benchmarking against established expert guidelines., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, analyzing a random sample of FASTs from two urban pediatric emergency departments. Two experts reviewed and labeled all FASTs for completeness using a predefined guideline of 5 anatomic views and 30 landmarks. We compared frequencies of views and landmarks as medians with interquartile ranges., Results: We analyzed 200 FASTs, consisting of 1636 video clips, performed by 31 clinicians representing 198 children with a median age of 10 years (IQR 5,14). Over half of FASTs (52%) had all 5 views. The right upper quadrant view was most commonly visualized (96.5%), and suprapubic sagittal was least (65%). None of the FASTs included all 30 landmarks, ranging from 0 to 28 and median of 19 (IQR 15,23). The least visualized landmark of the right and left upper quadrants was caudal liver edge (60%) and splenic tip (64%), respectively. In the pericardial view, it was left atrium (45%). In both transverse and sagittal pelvic views, retro-uterine space was least visualized in girls, 21 and 29% respectively., Conclusions: In our study, most FAST views and landmarks were visualized. However, the pelvic sagittal view was the least frequently visualized view, and caudal liver edge was the least visualized landmark. Future research should evaluate if variability in visualizing FAST views and landmarks correlates with inconsistencies in diagnostic test performance., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.)