Search

Background and Aims Many annual grasses exhibit drought-avoiding life cycles in which rapid reproduction must be completed before soil water is exhausted. This strategy would seem to require a hydraulic system capable of sustaining reproduction at all costs to the rest of the plant, yet little is known about the whole-plant structure of hydraulic vulnerability in grasses. Methods We examine vulnerability to water-stress-induced xylem cavitation in roots, flag leaves, and basal and apical regions of peduncles of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Krichauff’) to understand the staged failure of xylem function in severe drought. The functionality of segmented vulnerabilities is tested by conducting rehydration experiments after acute dehydration. Key Results We show that water supply to peduncles is more drought resistant than in leaves due to greater xylem cavitation resistance, ensuring a pathway of water can be maintained from the roots to the reproductive tissues even after severe water deficit. Differential rehydration of peduncles compared to leaves following drought confirmed the functionality of xylem supply from roots to seed after water stress sufficient to completely cavitate flag leaf vessels. Conclusions These results demonstrate that a proportion of the hydraulic pathway between roots and seeds remains functional under extreme dehydration, suggesting that vulnerability traits in this key grass species reflect its reproductive strategy.

Li-metal batteries (LMBs) employing conversion cathode materials (e.g., FeF

Functional characteristics of the jaw apparatus, for example bite force, in vertebrates is a combination of the skeleton and the musculature. In birds, bite force has been measured directly or calculated using various methods including summation of forces generated by the different elements of the jaw musculature. However, there have been no reports of the relationships between body size with the mass of the different muscle groups in a closely related group of birds. This study explored allometry in the different jaw muscle masses from parrot (Psittaciformes) species differing in body mass by 40-fold. It was hypothesised that the different muscle masses would exhibit isometry with body mass and skull size. Parrot heads were dissected and the masses of the individual muscle complexes were recorded. Data were subjected to phylogenetically-controlled regression analysis to document scaling effects with body mass and skull size. Most, but not all muscles, exhibited positive allometry with body mass but most were isometric with skull size. Consequently, as parrots get bigger, their skulls get proportionally longer, but that the muscles within the head isometrically scaled relative to the size of these proportionally larger skulls. The large muscles imply greater bite forces in parrots than have been reported to date, which seems to be associated with an increase in skull size to accommodate more muscles. It is unknown whether this pattern is applicable to other birds within specific orders or even across birds as a whole. There needs to be further investigation into the allometry of the morphological and functional properties of the avian jaw musculature.

The Medicare Hospice Benefit increasingly serves people dying with dementia. We sought to understand characteristics, hospice use patterns, and last-month-of-life care quality ratings among hospice enrollees with dementia coexisting with another terminal illness as compared to enrollees with a principal hospice diagnosis of dementia, and enrollees with no dementia.We conducted a pooled cross-sectional study among decedent Medicare beneficiaries age 70+ using longitudinal data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) (last interview before death; after-death proxy interview) linked to Medicare hospice claims (2011-2017). We used unadjusted and adjusted regression analyses to compare characteristics of hospice enrollees with coexisting dementia to two groups: (1) enrollees with a principal dementia diagnosis, and (2) enrollees with no dementia.Among 1105 decedent hospice enrollees age 70+, 40% had coexisting dementia, 16% had a principal diagnosis of dementia, and 44% had no dementia. In adjusted analyses, enrollees with coexisting dementia had high rates of needing help with 3-6 activities of daily living, similar to enrollees with principal dementia (62% vs. 67%). Enrollees with coexisting dementia had high clinical needs, similar to those with no dementia, for example, 63% versus 61% had bothersome pain. Care quality was worse for enrollees with coexisting dementia versus principal dementia (e.g., 61% vs. 79% had anxiety/sadness managed) and similar to those with no dementia. Enrollees with coexisting dementia had similar hospice use patterns as those with principal diagnoses and higher rates of problematic use patterns compared to those with no dementia (e.g., 16% vs. 10% live disenrollment, p = 0.004).People with coexisting dementia have functional needs comparable to enrollees with principal diagnoses of dementia, and clinical needs comparable to enrollees with no dementia. Changes to hospice care models and policy may be needed to ensure appropriate dementia care.

Context: We previously reported positive behavioral effects of both daily mantra meditation and classical music listening interventions in breast cancer survivors with cancer related cognitive complaints. Objective: The objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of the meditation intervention to a music listening intervention on biomarkers of inflammation and cellular aging (secondary outcomes) in breast cancer survivors. Design: Randomized control trial, baseline data collection (time 1), post intervention data collection (time 2) Setting: Community-based, Central Texas Participants: 25 breast cancer survivors (BCS) who were 3 months to 6 years post chemotherapy completion and reported cognitive decline Intervention(s): Kirtan Kriya meditation (KK) or music listening (ML), 8 weeks, 12 minutes a day Main Outcome: Telomerase activity [TA], c-reactive protein [CRP], soluble IL-2 receptor alpha [sIL-2Rα], soluble IL-4 receptor [sIL-4R], soluble IL-6 receptor [sIL-6R], soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II [sTNF-RII], VEGF receptor 2 [sVEGF-R2], and VEGF receptor 3 [sVEGF-R3] Results: Repeated measures analysis of variance models were analyzed from time 1 to time 2 by group for each biomarker. A pattern of greater telomerase activity across time in both groups (F (1,15) = 3.98, p = .06, η²p = .21); significant decreases in sIL-4R across time for both groups (F (1,22)= 6.28, p = .02, η²p = .22); group*time effect was nominally different but not statistically different for sIL-4R (F(1,22)= 3.82, p = .06, η²p = .15); and a pattern for a group*time effect with ML group showing higher levels of sVEGF-R3 at time 2 (F (1,20)=, p = .12, η²p = .11). No significant effects were found for CRP, sIL-2Rα, sIL-6R, sTNF-RII, or sVEGF-R2.

How do exclusionary boundaries persist in consumption subcultures amid increased progress, representation, and inclusion? In video gaming, women have come to represent nearly half of the market; yet, this is a limited indicator of gender-based progress. A culture of masculine dominance persists. Extending previous research on boundary work, the authors employ a cultural perspective of tokenism to examine how gendered boundaries in consumption subcultures persist despite efforts to transform or even eradicate them. This qualitative study draws on interviews with 23 gamers who identify as women (ages 19–29 years), coupled with data from social media platforms, news media, and industry reports. Empirical findings capture the recursive process of maladaptive boundary crossing: how women’s efforts to subvert gendered boundaries at the micro level (e.g., through response enactments) get churned through the structuring tokenistic mechanics of boundary work at the meso level and result in the inadvertent cultural persistence of masculine dominance. The analysis offers a conceptual framework that explains how micro–meso level dynamics perpetuate and conceal inequity in consumption subcultures. Implications address the precarious promise of progress and the cultural legacy of tokenism in the marketplace with particular relevance to broader systems of domination.

The current study examines the effects of teams front-loading information and planning ahead through team-level communication during action phases of taskwork on team performance across all-human and human-autonomy teams (HATs) in a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System-Synthetic Task Environment (RPAS-STE). Twenty-one three-member teams (two participants teaming with either a trained experimenter or autonomous agent) flew an RPA with the goal of photographing target waypoints. Basing action phases on Information-Negotiation-Feedback (I-N-F) loops, we used the time difference between F-I as an indication of a team front-loading information. Planning ahead was hypothesized to occur in teams with longer F-I times. We found that all-human teams performed better than HATs while engaging in less front-loading. This indicates that F-I might have been measuring an aspect of team coordination related to optimal timing of action phases and flow of performing taskwork. Effective teamwork may require the right person (agent) get the right information at the right time rather than front-loading information as much as possible.

Previous research has found evidence for the Intermanual Speed Advantage (ISA), wherein novice actors perform a visually-guided, two-handed task faster with one hand from each partner (i.e., intermanually) compared to when one actor completes the task with their own two hands (i.e., bimanually). The ISA is erased, however, after the task has been well-practiced by both actors bimanually. Visuomotor coupling (i.e., coordination between eye and hand movements) has been found to account for the moderating effect of practice on the ISA. Through a lag analysis, this study uses secondary data to further investigate visuomotor coupling and the ISA. Findings show that the time lag between the gaze and the hands of novice actors entrains to the partner with lower visuomotor coupling (i.e., the less coupled partner) in the intermanual trials. However, for experienced actors with previous bimanual practice, dyads entrain to the more coupled partner.

We demonstrate a case report of triventricular hydrocephalus due to an aqueductal web and stenosis which presented itself clinically solely with bilateral hand tremors in an adolescent male. The patient underwent Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and the subsequent improvement in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow resulted in complete resolution of his tremor. We propose a mechanism involving compression of the rubrospinal tract (or stretching of the frontal premotor area) and advise cranial imaging in cases of hand tremor to exclude this as a potential cause. Neurosurgical review and potential CSF diversion if triventriclar hydrocephalus is established should be considered as positive clinical outcome can be achieved.

Mutualism is more prevalent in the tropics than temperate zones and is therefore expected to play an important role in generating and maintaining high species richness found at lower latitudes. However, results on the impact of mutualism on latitudinal diversity gradients are mixed, and few empirical studies sample both temperate and tropical regions. We investigated whether a latitudinal diversity gradient exists in the symbiotic microbial community associated with the legumeChamaecrista nictitans. We sampled bacteria DNA from nodules and the surrounding soil of plant roots across a latitudinal gradient (38.64 °N to 8.68 °N). Using 16S rRNA sequence data, we identified many non-rhizobial species withinC. nictitansnodules that cannot form nodules or fix nitrogen. Species richness increased towards lower latitudes in the non-rhizobial portion of the nodule community but not in the rhizobial community. The microbe community in the soil did not predict the non-rhizobia community inside nodules, indicating that host selection is important for structuring non-rhizobia communities in nodules. We next factorially manipulated the presence of three non-rhizobia strains in greenhouse experiments and found that co-inoculations of non-rhizobia strains with rhizobia had a marginal effect on nodule number and no effect on plant growth. Our results suggest that these non-rhizobia bacteria are likely commensals – species that benefit from associating with a host but are neutral for host fitness. Overall, our study suggests that temperateC. nictitansplants are more selective in their associations with the non-rhizobia community, potentially due to differences in soil nitrogen across latitude.

In this paper we explore the potential of academic podcasting to effect positive change within academia and between academia and society. Building on the concept of “epistemic living spaces,” we consider how podcasting can change how we evaluate what is legitimate knowledge and methods for knowledge production, who has access to what privileges and power, the nature of our connections within academia and with other partners, and how we experience the constraints and opportunities of space and time. We conclude by offering a guide for others who are looking to develop their own academic podcasting projects and discuss the potential for podcasting to be formalized as a mainstream academic output. To listen to an abridged and annotated version of this paper, visit: https://soundcloud.com/conservechange/podcastinginacademia.

The role of inflammation in predicting early cardiac complications among stroke patients is unclear. Electronic medical records from TriNetX, a global federated health research network, were used for this retrospective analysis. Patients with ischemic stroke and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels measured within 24 h post-stroke were categorized into three groups: (i) 3 mg/L. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of cardiac complications (heart failure (HF), ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular arrhythmias and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy) or death at 30 days from the index event. Cox-regression analyses were used to produce hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) following 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Of the 104,741 patients enrolled, 51% were female and the mean age was 66 ± 16 years. After PSM, a new cardiac complication or death within 30 days occurred in 5624 (33.1%) patients with CRP > 3 mg/L, in 4243 (25.6%) patients with CRP 1–3 mg/L and in 3891 (23.5%) patients with CRP 3 mg/L had higher risk of the composite outcome (HR 1.10, 95%CI 1.05–1.52; HR 1.51, 95%CI 1.45–1.58), death (HR 1.43, 95%CI 1.24–1.64; HR 3.50, 95%CI 3.01–3.96), HF (HR 1.08, 95%CI 1.01–1.16; HR 1.51, 95%CI 1.41–1.61), AF (HR 1.10, 95% CI:1.02–1.18; HR 1.42, 95%CI 1.33–1.52) and ventricular arrhythmias (HR 1.25, 95%CI 1.02–1.52; HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.38–2.01) compared to those with CRP 3 mg/L compared to those with CRP The role of inflammation in predicting early cardiac complications among stroke patients is unclear. Electronic medical records from TriNetX, a global federated health research network, were used for this retrospective analysis. Patients with ischemic stroke and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels measured within 24 h post-stroke were categorized into three groups: (i) < 1 mg/L, (ii)1–3 mg/L and (iii) > 3 mg/L. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of cardiac complications (heart failure (HF), ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular arrhythmias and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy) or death at 30 days from the index event. Cox-regression analyses were used to produce hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) following 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Of the 104,741 patients enrolled, 51% were female and the mean age was 66 ± 16 years. After PSM, a new cardiac complication or death within 30 days occurred in 5624 (33.1%) patients with CRP > 3 mg/L, in 4243 (25.6%) patients with CRP 1–3 mg/L and in 3891 (23.5%) patients with CRP < 1 mg/L. Patients with CRP levels of 1–3 mg/L and > 3 mg/L had higher risk of the composite outcome (HR 1.10, 95%CI 1.05–1.52; HR 1.51, 95%CI 1.45–1.58), death (HR 1.43, 95%CI 1.24–1.64; HR 3.50, 95%CI 3.01–3.96), HF (HR 1.08, 95%CI 1.01–1.16; HR 1.51, 95%CI 1.41–1.61), AF (HR 1.10, 95% CI:1.02–1.18; HR 1.42, 95%CI 1.33–1.52) and ventricular arrhythmias (HR 1.25, 95%CI 1.02–1.52; HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.38–2.01) compared to those with CRP < 1 mg/L. Ischemic heart disease were more common among patients with CRP levels > 3 mg/L compared to those with CRP < 1 mg/L (HR:1.33, 95% CI:1.26–1.40), while no association with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was found in all the analyses. CRP levels within the first 24 h of an ischemic stroke predict 30-day cardiac complications or death.

Introduction American Society for Microbiology, Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories (2012) state that educators must use best practices to minimize risk of biohazard contamination to students. Integrating mobile digital devices into Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) programs’ clinical training is potentially one means of reducing this risk. Historically, student assignments and evaluations for clinical rotations were in paper format. The purpose of this pilot project was to ascertain attitudes from students and clinical educators on using mobile devices as a laboratory bench-side educational tool during clinical rotations. Methods In this prospective study, three senior-level MLS students used Apple iPads (Apple, Inc; Cupertino, CA) in concert with Google Drive (Google; Mountain View, CA) in lieu of paper manuals during Hematology and Transfusion Medicine clinical rotations at Virginia Commonwealth University Health in fall 2018. Two VCUH clinical educators from these laboratories also participated. All participants were trained on usage and access of electronic material on the iPads as well as proper cleaning of the devices. As a comparison, student participants used paper clinical manuals during their Chemistry and Microbiology rotations. In addition, the clinical educators used paper versions of clinical manuals during four of five student rotations that occurred in fall 2018. Prestudy surveys were used to assess attitudes toward mobile devices. Focus groups, for students and clinical educators, separately, were conducted after completion of the clinical rotations. Conclusions The results of the study indicate that advantages of employing mobile devices include improvement of safety by eliminating transfer of paper worksheets from laboratory to the outside, ability to electronically monitor students’ progress through clinical laboratory rotations, and ease of accessibility to electronic references at the bench-side. Moving forward, the study will expand to include additional disciplines and students as well as employment of styli and DocuSign (DocuSign, Inc.; San Francisco, CA).

Background Talking about breathlessness can be emotionally challenging. People can feel a sense of illegitimacy and discomfort in some research contexts. Comic-based illustration (cartooning) offers an opportunity to communicate in a more creative and inclusive way. We used cartooning in patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) work to explore symptoms of breathlessness and their impact on peoples’ everyday lives. Main body Five, 90-min cartooning workshops were delivered online to members of Breathe Easy Darlington (UK). The workshop series involved 5–10 Breathe Easy members and were facilitated by a professional cartoonist supported by three researchers. The experience of living with breathlessness was represented via illustrations of cartoon characters and ideas explored in subsequent conversations. Cartooning was fun and the majority found it a nostalgic experience. Sharing the experience helped the research team develop new understandings of breathlessness and fostered relationships with the Breathe Easy members. The illustrations showed characters leaning against objects, sweating and sitting down, demonstrating living with the sensation of not being in control. Conclusion Comic-based art, as a fun and innovative PPIE approach. It facilitated the research team becoming embedded in an existing group who will act as PPIE members on a long-term research programme. Illustrations enabled storytelling and fostered novel insights into the lived experiences of people with breathlessness including sensations of a loss of control, disorientation, and unsteadiness. This will impact on work investigating balance in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This model has potential to be applied in a range of PPIE and research contexts.

Several invasive mosquito species that are nuisances or of medical and veterinary importance have been introduced into the Southeastern region of the USA, posing a threat to other species and the local ecosystems and/or increasing the risk of pathogen transmission to people, livestock, and domestic pets. Prompt and effective monitoring and control of invasive species is essential to prevent them from spreading and causing harmful effects. However, the capacity for invasive mosquito species surveillance is highly variable among mosquito control programs in the Southeast, depending on a combination of factors such as regional geography and climate, access to resources, and the ability to interact with other programs. To facilitate the development of invasive mosquito surveillance in the region, we, the Mosquito BEACONS (Biodiversity Enhancement and Control of Non-native Species) working group, conducted a survey on the capacities of various public health agencies and pest control agencies engaged in mosquito surveillance and control in seven Southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina). Ninety control programs completed the survey, representing an overall response rate of 25.8%. We report key findings from our survey, emphasizing the training and resource needs, and discuss their implications for future invasive mosquito surveillance and control capacity building. By increasing communication and collaboration opportunities (e.g., real-time sharing of collection records, coordinated multistate programs), the establishment of Mosquito BEACONS and the implementation of this survey can accelerate knowledge transfer and improve decision support capacity in response to or in preparation for invasive mosquito surveillance and can establish infrastructure that can be used to inform programs around the world.

Conservation conflicts are pressing social and environmental sustainability issues, and the complex underlying causes and escalating factors of such conflicts can often be difficult to understand. This article synthesizes a breadth of conservation conflict literature to lay out a transdisciplinary framework for diagnosing complex conservation conflicts composed of six key aspects: complexity, emergence, and stages; conflict status; basis of contention and cognitive framing; state of knowledge; state of values; and interventions. This framework is based in systems thinking and encourages users to harness thinking based in storytelling and consider how a conservation conflict represents a larger ongoing narrative with depth, meaning, and containing complex, interrelated storylines. This paper was authored by Hannah L. Harrison and Philip A. Loring. This paper was originally published in Biological Conservation.

This paper explores the conflict that arose between stakeholders after the 2014 decision to end Atlantic salmon stocking in Wales. Using discourse analysis, the paper examines how the conflict unfolded and gives recommendations for avoiding such conflicts in the future. This paper was authored by Hannah L. Harrison, Sophia Kochalski, Robert Arlinghaus, and Øystein Aas. This paper was originally published in People and Nature.

Fish hatcheries have received a lot of criticism in recent years over concerns that rearing and releasing fish from hatcheries may have negative impacts on wild fish populations. Yet, many local-level stakeholder groups, such as anglers, continue to support the use of hatcheries as a means of conserving declining wild fish stocks, particularly for Atlantic salmon. Could it be that their interest and support of hatcheries is about more than the fish they produce? In this paper, we explore the different kinds of social, psychological, and conservation benefits produced by hatcheries in three European case studies. This article was originally published in Fisheries Research. This paper was authored by Hannah L Harrison, Sophia Kochalski, Robert Arlinghaus, and Øystein Aas.

This article examines the human dimensions of hatcheries and stocking in Alaska's salmon enhancement program using interviews with key stakeholder groups throughout the Gulf of Alaska. This paper was authored by Hannah L. Harrison and Julie Grønsleth Gould. This paper was originally published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management.

Export-oriented seafood trade faltered during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, alternative seafood networks (ASNs) that distribute seafood through local and direct marketing channels were identified as a “bright spot”. In this paper, we draw on multiple lines of quantitative and qualitative evidence to show that ASNs experienced a temporary pandemic “bump” in both the United States and Canada in the wake of supply chain disruptions and government mandated social protections. We use a systemic resilience framework to analyze the factors that enabled ASNs to be resilient during the pandemic as well as challenges. The contrast between ASNs and the broader seafood system during COVID-19 raises important questions about the role that local and regional food systems may play during crises and highlights the need for functional diversity in supply chains. This paper was authored by Joshua S Stoll, Hannah L Harrison, Emily De Sousa, Debra Callaway, Melissa Collier, Kelly Harrell, Buck Jones, Jordyn Kastlunger, Emma Kramer, Steve Kurian, M Alan Lovewell, Sonia Strobel, Tracy Sylvester, Brett Tolley, Andrea Tomlinson, Easton R White, Talia Young, Philip A Loring. This paper was originally published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.

The PubCast Protocol, a version specially created for ResearchEquals users, was created by Hannah L. Harrison (Dalhousie University) and Philip A. Loring (University of Guelph) to help users conceptualize, record, and produce PubCasts of their own work.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women after lung cancer; however, it is the primary cause of death among Hispanic women. About 10-20% of breast cancers are basal (triple-negative) subtype at the time of diagnosis, and they do not respond well to treatment regimens due to a lack of specific targets. Triple-negative breast cancer is a deadly and very aggressive tumor type associated with poor prognosis compared to other molecular subtypes of breast cancer, especially among Hispanic women. Thus, identifying novel molecules with prognostic and therapeutic value is critical to treat this ever-evolving disease. Numerous studies suggest that genes transcribed from chromosome X (X-linked genes) are implicated in cancers. The expression of these genes is tightly regulated and restricted to immune-privileged organs; however, many of them escape regulation and become aberrantly expressed in tumors.Interestingly, our genomic analysis suggests that several newly annotated X-linked genes are cancer testis-antigens (CT genes) that are highly antigenic and are located at regions previously considered to be gene deserts in the human genome. To date, very minimal is known about their expression and role in triple-negative breast cancer. In this regard, we used an integrated genomic approach to identify testis-tissue-specific genes that are differentially expressed in triple-negative breast cancer. Further, we identified a highly immunogenic cancer-testis gene by incorporating cutting-edge technology-driven (Global Run-On Sequencing) gene expression analysis. Mechanistically, by using cell-, mouse-based, and genomic approaches, we have found that candidate CT gene modulates gene expression, immune response, and tumor growth in triple-negative breast cancer. Hence, it has the potential to change the way triple-negative breast cancer is diagnosed and treated. S.S.G. is supported by a First-time Faculty Recruitment Award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT; RR170020). S.S.G. is also supported by a grant from Lizanell and Colbert Coldwell foundation. Citation Format: Melina J Sedano, Alana L Harrison, Ine le, Shrikanth S Gadad. The role of a cancer testis-antigen in regulating tumor growth and oncogenic pathways in triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-12-12.

We identified (a) sources of and communication about HPV information and (b) factors (e.g., religious affiliations) related to information sources and communication regarding HPV among Hispanic/Latino college students attending US institutions. Applying a cross-sectional design, we recruited 209 participants from US colleges. Most participants used healthcare professionals for their sources and communication about HPV-related information. Respondents who were practicing Catholics tended to use the Internet and healthcare professionals as their sources for HPV-related information. Healthcare professionals, TV, schoolteachers, same-sex friends, and family members affected participants' HPV vaccination, knowledge, and attitudes. Religious faith may influence information-seeking behaviors and requires more research.

Objectives Lifestyle interventions during pregnancy improve maternal and infant outcomes. We aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of 4 antenatal lifestyle intervention types with standard care. Methods A decision tree model was constructed to compare lifestyle intervention effects from a novel meta-analysis. The target population was women with singleton pregnancies and births at more than 20 weeks’ gestation. Interventions were categorized as diet, diet with physical activity, physical activity, and mixed (lacking structured diet and, or, physical activity components). The outcome of interest was cost per case prevented (gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, cesarean birth) expressed as an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) from the Australian public healthcare perspective. Scenario analyses were included for all structured interventions combined and by adding neonatal intensive care unit costs. Costs were estimated from published data and consultations with experts and updated to 2019 values. Discounting was not applied owing to the short time horizon. Results Physical activity interventions reduced adverse maternal events by 4.2% in the intervention group compared with standard care and could be cost saving. Diet and diet with physical activity interventions reduced events by 3.5% (ICER = A$4882) and 2.9% (ICER = A$2020), respectively. Mixed interventions did not reduce events and were dominated by standard care. In scenario analysis, all structured interventions combined and all interventions when including neonatal intensive care unit costs (except mixed) may be cost saving. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that for physical activity and all structured interventions combined, the probability of being cost saving was 58% and 41%, respectively. Conclusions Governments can expect a good return on investment and cost savings when implementing effective lifestyle interventions population-wide.

"Urban Harvests" is part of a series of PubCasts (a take on publication podcasts), audio-book style recordings of peer reviewed scientific research, read to you by the authors. You can find more Pubcasts on the Coastal Routes project webpage at www.coastalroutes.org/pubcasts (www.coastalroutes.org). Find the published version of this paper at the journal of Agriculture and Food Security: https://agricultureandfoodsecurity.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40066-016-0065-5 About the paper: In this study, we discuss two wild seafood harvests that are popular among residents of the largest urban and peri-urban region of Alaska: dipnet fishing for salmon on the Kenai River and clam digging on the beaches of the Kenai Peninsula. Our goal is twofold: to provide descriptive information on these understudied aspects of the food system and to also contribute to the broader discussion of wild food harvests in the lives and experiences of urban residents, where the issues of people’s connections with nature, tradition and self-determination, sustainability, and social and environmental justice all arguably converge.

Introduction People with atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently have competing mechanisms for ischaemic stroke, including extracranial carotid atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to determine associations between use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) plus antiplatelet agents (APA) after ischaemic stroke and outcomes for patients with AF and carotid artery disease. Patients and Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Participants receiving OACs with or without APA were propensity score–matched for age, sex, ethnicity, co-morbidities and presence of cardiac and vascular implants and grafts. Outcomes were 1-year mortality, recurrent stroke and major bleeding. Results Of 5708 patients, 24.1% (n=1628) received non-vitamin K antagonist OACs (NOACs) with no APA, 26.0% (n=1401) received NOACs plus APA, 20.7% (n=1243) received warfarin without APA and 29.2% (n=1436) received warfarin plus APA. There was no significant difference in risk of recurrent stroke between the groups. Compared to receiving NOACs without APA, receiving warfarin plus APA was associated with a higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.51 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 1.89)) and major bleeding (HR 1.66 (95% CI 1.40, 1.96)). Receiving NOACs plus APA was also associated with a higher risk of major bleeding compared to NOACs without APA (HR 1.27 (95% CI 1.07, 1.51), respectively). Conclusions The results suggest for patients with AF and carotid artery disease after ischaemic stroke, receiving NOACs without APA is associated with a lower risk of major bleeding with no negative impact on recurrent stroke or mortality. Evidence from randomised trials is needed to confirm this finding.

We theoretically implement a strategy from quantum computation architectures to simulate Stuart-Landau oscillator dynamics in all-to-all connected networks, also referred to as complete graphs. The technique builds upon the triad structure minor embedding which expands dense graphs of interconnected elements into sparse ones which can potentially be realized in future on-chip solid state technologies with tunable edge weights. As a case study, we reveal that the minor embedding procedure allows simulating the XY model on complete graphs, thus bypassing a severe geometric constraint.

Source data and analysis files in support of -"The root of the problem: diverse vulnerability to xylem cavitation found within the root system of wheat plants", by Beatrice L. Harrison Day, Kate M. Johnson, Vanessa Tonet, Ibrahim Bourbia, Chris Blackman, Timothy J. Brodribb. Published in New Phytologist 2023.

Antenatal lifestyle interventions optimise gestational weight gain, yet longer-term efficacy on postpartum weight retention is unclear. Overall, 228 pregnant women15 weeks gestation were randomised to intervention (four behavioural self-management sessions) or control (generic health information). Median weight retention at 12 months postpartum was significantly reduced in the intervention with a between group difference of -2.3 (-2.8 (-5.9 to 0.35) vs -0.5 (-2.6 to 2.1) kg, respectively P 0.05, (n = 75) ± 6.3 kg vs -0.5 ± 4.7 kg, respectively, P 0.05) and associated increased self-weighing behaviours, compared with the control group (regular weighing: 68% vs 43%, P 0.01). Results demonstrate the efficacy of a low-intensity, behavioural lifestyle intervention in limiting postpartum weight retention.

INTRODUCTION: More than one in three older adults (≥65 years) fall within a two-year period. Over one third of cancer diagnoses are among people aged ≥75 years. Falls research in the UK cancer population is limited and contradictory. The aim of this study was to explore the association between a cancer diagnosis and incidence of falls in older adults in England. METHODS: Data were extracted from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (an ongoing panel study) collected between 2002 and 2014, consisting of a representative cohort of older adults living in England. Baseline data were collected within two-years of a cancer diagnosis. Falls data were extracted from the subsequent two-year period. The unexposed group included those with no chronic conditions. The fully adjusted logistic regression analysis model included age, sex, wealth, and education level as covariates. We defined odds ratios between 0.67 and 1.5 as the region of practical equivalence. RESULTS: A total of 139 people had a type of cancer (exposed group) (Breast = 18.7%, Colon, Rectum or Bowel = 14.4%, Melanoma or Skin = 7.2%, Lung = 4.3%, Somewhere else = 51.8%) (70.6±7.1 years; 58.3% male) with 3,899 in the unexposed group (69.5±7.3 years; 54.6% male). The fully-adjusted odds ratio was 1.21 (95% CI: 0.81 to 1.82; P = 0.348). The probability of falling among the exposed group was 22.7% versus 19.5% for the unexposed group. CONCLUSION: The cancer and control groups were not statistically equivalent for falls incidence, and a meaningful positive association between cancer and falls cannot be ruled out. Further research is required to elucidate this relationship.

BackgroundHealth systems are increasingly interested in collaborative dementia care. Implementation challenges include the limited dementia specialist workforce, time pressures of high-volume care, increasing use of telemedicine, and inadequate reimbursement. The Care Ecosystem is a telephone-based collaborative dementia care model designed to augment existing healthcare services and be amenable to scale. Here we present the latest evidence for the Care Ecosystem, including the effects among subpopulations at risk for health disparities (rural and Hispanic/Latino), and facilitators from the early phase of Care Ecosystem implementation at 6 diverse health systems.MethodEffectiveness was evaluated in a single-blind, randomized clinical trial (N = 804). Persons with dementia (PWD)-caregiver dyads were randomized to receive 12 months of the intervention (N = 527) or usual care (N = 277). Outcomes were measured via telephone surveys at 6 and 12 months after randomization and medical record review. Subgroup analyses were performed for the 124 dyads who identified as Hispanic/Latino, and the 66 who lived in rural Nebraska or Iowa. The intervention was primarily delivered by an unlicensed, trained care team navigator, who provided education, support and care coordination with supervision and help from a dementia specialist team (advanced practice nurse, social worker, and pharmacist). Implementation facilitators were evaluated through observation and qualitative interviews with clinical teams at 6 health systems implementing the model.ResultsThe PWD-caregiver dyads lived in California (n = 476), Nebraska (n = 286), or Iowa (n = 42). Compared with usual care, the Care Ecosystem improved PWD quality of life, reduced emergency department visits, reduced the use of potentially inappropriate medications, and decreased caregiver depression and caregiver burden. Effect sizes were similar or greater in Hispanic/Latino and rural subgroups on most outcomes. Facilitators of Care Ecosystem implementation included open-access implementation tools (online training, care protocols), the adaptability of the care model, the care team navigator role, and remote care delivery.ConclusionEffective dementia care can be delivered by care team navigators via telephone to mitigate the burdens of dementia, including for underserved PWD living in rural areas or who identify as Hispanic/Latino. Implementation is a challenge although features of the care model appear to facilitate adoption.

Little is known about implementing preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the rural US South, where most HIV infections occur. To investigate how to better reach the at-risk population in rural eastern North Carolina (ENC), the characteristics and clinical courses of those receiving PrEP from our clinic were reviewed and analyzed.A retrospective study was used to describe the characteristics and outcomes of PrEP participants in rural ENC.Thirty-five patients were included whose median age was 37 years (range 22-69). The majority of patients tolerated PrEP well and continued the medication, with only 6 (17%) discontinuations; the reasons for discontinuing included partner mistrust, intolerance to medication, and pregnancy. Patients who initiated PrEP in ENC were more likely to be insured (89%), White (66%), and male (69%). Average travel time to the clinic was 34 minutes (range 2-123 minutes) and the average travel distance was 23 mi (range 1-93 mi).The study results were noteworthy given that in North Carolina, young Black men have the highest estimated rates of HIV infection. The reasons behind this discrepancy are likely multifactorial, and this study highlights the need for future programs and research to make PrEP more widely accessible to the at-risk population in this rural ENC community.