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Objective: Carnobacterium maltaromaticum is considered an emerging pathogen of salmonids in the United States and around the world. Methods: Bacterial cultures obtained from the posterior kidney and skin of moribund Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss from a commercial aquaculture facility in Virginia, USA, grew C. maltaromaticum, which was confirmed by additional phenotypic and molecular characterization. Result: A presumptive diagnosis based on the clinical signs, necropsy observations, histopathology, and bacterial cultures was bacterial septicemia due to C. maltaromaticum. Conclusion: This represents the first documentation of C. maltaromaticum in Rainbow Trout from Virginia. Published version

A new species of deep-water epinephelid fish is described from the west coast of Australia based on 14 specimens, 99-595 mm standard length. Hyporthodus griseofasciatus sp. nov. is endemic to Western Australia from Barrow Island to Two Peoples Bay in depths of 76-470 m. It has a series of eight grey bands alternating with eight brown bands along the body and the soft dorsal, soft anal and caudal fin margins are pale cream to white. It is distinguished from its nearest congener, H. ergastularius, by the presence of a star-like pattern of radiating lines on the head versus an overall brownish colour in the latter as well as significant differences in the quantitative analyses of 25 morphological characters. The two species have allopatric distributions on either side of the Australian continent. H. griseofasciatus is distinguished from H. octofasciatus by several grey bands being distinctly narrower than other grey bands (vs. all grey bands subequal in the latter) and the presence of broad white margins on the dorsal, caudal and anal fins (vs. narrow or absent in the latter). Some scale counts appear to also differ. Analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 sequences revealed reciprocally monophyletic clades with fixed differences and genetic distances typical of recently diverged species of fishes.

Responsive neurostimulation is an effective therapy for patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. However, clinical outcomes are variable, few patients become seizure-free, and the optimal stimulation location is currently undefined. The aim of this study was to quantify responsive neurostimulation in the mesial temporal lobe, identify stimulation-dependent networks associated with seizure reduction, and determine if stimulation location or stimulation-dependent networks inform outcomes.We modeled patient-specific volumes of tissue activated and created probabilistic stimulation maps of local regions of stimulation across a retrospective cohort of 22 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. We then mapped the network stimulation effects by seeding tractography from the volume of tissue activated with both patient-specific and normative diffusion-weighted imaging. We identified networks associated with seizure reduction across patients using the patient-specific tractography maps and then predicted seizure reduction across the cohort.Patient-specific stimulation-dependent connectivity was correlated with responsive neurostimulation effectiveness after cross-validation (p = .03); however, normative connectivity derived from healthy subjects was not (p = .44). Increased connectivity from the volume of tissue activated to the medial prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and precuneus was associated with greater seizure reduction.Overall, our results suggest that the therapeutic effect of responsive neurostimulation may be mediated by specific networks connected to the volume of tissue activated. In addition, patient-specific tractography was required to identify structural networks correlated with outcomes. It is therefore likely that altered connectivity in patients with epilepsy may be associated with the therapeutic effect and that utilizing patient-specific imaging could be important for future studies. The structural networks identified here may be utilized to target stimulation in the mesial temporal lobe and to improve seizure reduction for patients treated with responsive neurostimulation.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether long-term diet (D) and exercise (E) interventions, alone or in combination (D+E), have beneficial effects for older adults with knee osteoarthritis 3.5-years after the interventions end. METHODS This is a secondary analysis of a subset (N = 94) of the first 184 participants who had successfully completed the Intensive Diet and Exercise in Arthritis (IDEA) trial (N = 399) and who consented to follow-up testing. Participants were older (age ≥ 55 years), overweight and obese adults with radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in at least one knee who completed 1.5-year D+E (N=27), D (N=35), or E (N=32) interventions and returned for 5-year follow-up testing an average of 3.5-years later. RESULTS During the 3.5-years following the interventions, weight regain in D+E and D was 5.9 kg (7%) and 3.1 kg (4%), respectively, with a 1 kg (1%) weight loss in E. Compared to baseline, weight (D+E, -3.7 kg, P=.0007; D, -5.8 kg, P

Despite the recent advancements in transfusion medicine, red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization remains a challenge for multiparous women and chronically transfused patients. At times, diagnostic laboratories depend on difficult‐to‐procure rare reagent RBCs for the identification of different alloantibodies in such subjects. We have addressed this issue by developing erythroblasts with custom phenotypes (Rh null, GPB null and Kx null/Kell low) using CRISPR/Cas9 gene‐editing of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) parent line (OT1‐1) for the blood group system genes: RHAG, GYPB and XK. Guide RNAs were cloned into Cas9‐puromycin expression vector and transfected into OT1‐1. Genotyping was performed to select puromycin‐resistant hiPSC KOs. CRISPR/Cas9 gene‐editing resulted in the successful generation of three KO lines, RHAG KO, GYPB KO and XK KO. The OT1‐1 cell line, as well as the three KO hiPSC lines, were differentiated into CD34+CD41+CD235ab+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and subsequently to erythroblasts. Native OT1‐1 erythroblasts were positive for the expression of Rh, MNS, Kell and H blood group systems. Differentiation of RHAG KO, GYPB KO and XK KO resulted in the formation of Rh null, GPB null and Kx null/Kell low erythroblasts, respectively. OT1‐1 as well as the three KO erythroblasts remained positive for RBC markers—CD71 and BAND3. Erythroblasts were mostly at the polychromatic/ orthochromatic stage of differentiation. Up to ~400‐fold increase in erythroblasts derived from HPCs was observed. The availability of custom erythroblasts generated from CRISPR/Cas9 gene‐edited hiPSC should be a useful addition to the tools currently used for the detection of clinically important red cell alloantibodies.

Background Supportive care is the cornerstone of management of adult and paediatric Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). However, consensus on the modalities of supportive care is lacking.Objectives Our aim in this international multicentric Delphi exercise was to establish a multidisciplinary expert consensus to standardize recommendations regarding supportive care in the acute phase of SJS/TEN.Methods Participants were sent a survey via the online tool SurveyMonkey, consisting of 103 statements organized into 11 topics: multidisciplinary team composition, suspect drug management, infection prevention, fluid resuscitation and prevention of hypothermia, nutritional support, pain and psychological distress management, management of acute respiratory failure, local skincare, ophthalmological management, management of other mucosa, and additional measures. Participants evaluated the level of appropriateness of each statement on a scale of 1 (extremely inappropriate) to 9 (extremely appropriate). The results were analysed according to the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method.Results Forty-five participants from 13 countries (on three continents) participated. After the first round, a consensus was obtained for 82.5% of the 103 initially proposed statements. After the second round, a final consensus was obtained for 102 statements.Conclusions We have reached an international Delphi-based consensus on best supportive care practice for SJS/TEN. Our expert consensus should help guide physicians in treating patients with SJS/TEN and thereby improve short-term prognosis and the risk of sequelae.

International audience; he ‘acanthodian’ fishes provide key anatomical insights into the deepest branches of the chondrichthyan stem group. We review the anatomy of the acanthodian Vernicomacanthus uncinatus from the Lochkovian (Lower Devonian, 419.2–410.8 Ma) of Scotland based on eight articulated fossils, one of which is newly described. Broadly, the anatomy of V. uncinatus fits with that of contemporaneous acanthodians such as Climatius and Parexus, with a head covered by robust tesserae, an enlarged postorbital scale, an armoured shoulder girdle, and many pairs of ventrolateral spines. However, it departs from this anatomy in key respects. Its pectoral fin spines are obliquely ridged and posteriorly denticulated, similarly to Carboniferous gyracanth stem-group chondrichthyans. Its scales consist of multiple anteroposteriorly aligned odontodes, similarly to many Palaeozoic ‘sharks’. And its endoskeletal shoulder girdle may have a posterolateral angle, previously observed only in shark-like chondrichthyans. We propose that the differences between V. uncinatus and its congeneric, V. waynensis, which include potentially phylogenetically significant characters of the shoulder girdle and spines, are sufficient to erect a new genus for V. waynensis:Dobunnacanthus gen. nov. The scales of Vernicomacanthus are identical to those of the ‘shark’ scale genus Altholepis, suggesting that some such scales may instead belong to taxa with acanthodian-like gross anatomies. Based on these scales we highlight potential patterns in chondrichthyan scale evolution, in particular the axial addition of odontodes. Anatomical similarities between Vernicomacanthus and gyracanths, highlighted by previous authors, may indicate the existence of a grade including these and similar acanthodian-grade taxa placed relatively crownwards in the chondrichthyan stem-group

Anthropogenic impacts at isolated and inaccessible reefs are often minimal, offering rare opportunities to observe fish assemblages in a relatively undisturbed state. The remote Rowley Shoals are regarded as one of the healthiest reef systems in the Indian Ocean with demonstrated resilience to natural disturbance, no permanent human population nearby, low visitation rates, and large protected areas where fishing prohibitions are enforced. We used baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) to quantify fish assemblages and the relative abundance of regionally fished species within the lagoon, on the slope and in the mesophotic habitat at the Rowley Shoals at three times spanning 14 years and compared abundances of regionally fished species and the length distributions of predatory species to other isolated reefs in the northeast Indian Ocean. Fish assemblage composition and the relative abundance of regionally fished species were remarkably stable through time. We recorded high abundances of regionally fished species relative to other isolated reefs, including globally threatened humphead Maori wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) and bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). Length distributions of fish differed among habitats at the Rowley Shoals, suggesting differences in ontogenetic shifts among species. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands typically had larger‐bodied predatory species than at the Rowley Shoals. Differences in geomorphology, lagoonal habitats, and fishing history likely contribute to the differences among remote reefs. Rowley Shoals is a rare example of a reef system demonstrating ecological stability in reef fish assemblages during a time of unprecedented degradation of coral reefs., Fish assemblage composition and the relative abundance of regionally fished species were remarkably stable through time at the Rowley Shoals. We recorded high abundances of regionally fished species relative to other isolated reefs, including globally threatened humphead Maori wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) and bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum).

OBJECTIVE To evaluate relative cytotoxicity of antibiotics to normal canine joint tissues in vitro. STUDY DESIGN Experimental in vitro study. SAMPLE POPULATION Chondrocytes and synoviocytes (three dogs); cartilage explants (three dogs); six dogs total. METHODS Chondrocytes and synoviocytes from normal femoropatellar joints of three dogs were plated on 24-well plates (50 000 cells/cm2 , triplicate, 48 hours) and exposed to antibiotics (ampicillin sulbactam, vancomycin, cefazolin, ceftazidime, amikacin, enrofloxacin; 0.39-25 mg/mL, 24 hours). Viability was assessed by using trypan blue dye exclusion. Antibiotic concentrations at which 50% cell death occurred (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) were determined to rank antibiotics for relative cytotoxicity. Occurrence of caspase-3 expression after antibiotic exposure was assessed as an indication of apoptosis induction. Cartilage explants from three different dogs were minced and exposed to antibiotics (amikacin, ceftazidime, cefazolin, enrofloxacin; 5 mg/mL, 72 hours). Live/dead staining was performed, and fluorescence was visualized by using confocal microscopy. Percentage of live vs dead cells was quantitated. RESULTS Viability of chondrocytes and synoviocytes decreased with increasing antibiotic concentrations. Half-maximal inhibitory concentrations were determined for synoviocytes (vancomycin 13.77, ampicillin sulbactam 3.07, amikacin 2.26, ceftazidime 1.62, cefazolin 1.48, enrofloxacin 1.25 mg/mL) and chondrocytes (vancomycin 8.65, ampicillin sulbactam 8.63, ceftazidime 3.16, amikacin 2.74, cefazolin 1.67, enrofloxacin 0.78 mg/mL). Caspase-3 expression was upregulated, providing evidence that apoptotic pathways were active in cell death. CONCLUSION Half-maximal inhibitory concentration data provided evidence of lower toxicity of vancomycin and ampicillin sulbactam to joint tissues in vitro. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE These results provide evidence to justify future in vitro work with osteoarthritic joint tissues and in vivo clinical trials to evaluate safety and efficacy of intra-articular antibiotics to treat dogs with septic arthritis.

Objective To determine the prevalence of fundus pathology in metropolitan Australian EDs utilising a non-mydriatic fundus photography screening programme. Secondary objectives include diagnostic accuracy among emergency physicians compared to telehealth ophthalmologist review. Methods Prospective cross-sectional study investigating non-mydriatic fundus photography as a new diagnostic test in two tertiary Australian EDs. Consecutive adult patients were enrolled if they presented with headache, focal neurological deficit, visual disturbance or diastolic BP >120 mmHg. Diagnostic agreement was determined using kappa statistics and sensitivity and specificity using a reference standard consensus ophthalmology review. Results A total of 345 consecutive patients were enrolled among whom 56 (16%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 13-21) had urgent fundus pathology. Agreement between emergency physician and ophthalmic assessment of fundus photographs was 74% (kappa = 0.196, P = 0.001). Emergency physicians had 40% sensitivity (95% CI 27-54) and 82% specificity (95% CI 76-86) for detecting urgent pathology on photographs. Conclusions Fundus photography detects a clinically significant proportion of fundus pathology and urgent diagnoses. Telehealth specialist image review is important to detect some important, time-critical illnesses that can be missed in routine care. This offers an accurate alternative to direct ophthalmoscopy that warrants further research in Australian EDs.

Purpose To test octafluorocyclobutane (OFCB) as an inhalation contrast agent for fluorine-19 MRI of the lung, and to compare the image quality of OFCB scans with perfluoropropane (PFP) scans THEORY AND METHODS: After normalizing for the number of signal averages, a theoretical comparison between the OFCB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and PFP SNR predicted the average SNR advantage of 90% using OFCB during gradient echo imaging. The OFCB relaxometry was conducted using single-voxel spectroscopy and spin-echo imaging. A comparison of OFCB and PFP SNRs was performed in vitro and in vivo. Five healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were imaged during single breath-hold and continuous breathing using a Philips Achieva 3.0T MRI scanner (Philips, Andover, MA). The scan time was constant for both gases. Statistical comparison between PFP and OFCB scans was conducted using a paired t test and by calculating the Bayes factor. Results Spin-lattice (T1 ) and effective spin-spin ( T 2 ∗ ) relaxation time constants of the pure OFCB gas were determined as 28.5 ± 1.2 ms and 10.5 ± 1.8 ms, respectively. Mixing with 21% of oxygen decreased T1 by 30% and T 2 ∗ by 20%. The OFCB in vivo images showed 73% higher normalized SNR on average compared with images acquired using PFP. The statistical significance was shown by both paired t test and calculated Bayes factors. The experimental results agree with theoretical calculations within the error of the relaxation parameter measurements. Conclusion The quality of the lung images acquired using OFCB was significantly better compared with PFP scans. The OFCB images had higher a SNR and were artifact-free.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, a technique for retrieving multispecies DNA from environmental samples, can detect a diverse array of marine species from filtered seawater samples. There is a growing potential to integrate eDNA alongside existing monitoring methods in order to establish or improve the assessment of species diversity. Remote island reefs are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related threats and as such there is a pressing need for cost-effective whole-ecosystem surveying to baseline biodiversity, study assemblage changes and ultimately develop sustainable management plans. We investigated the utility of eDNA metabarcoding as a high-resolution, multitrophic biomonitoring tool at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia (CKI)-a remote tropical coral reef atoll situated within the eastern Indian Ocean. Metabarcoding assays targeting the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and CO1 genes, as well as the 18S rRNA nuclear gene, were applied to 252 surface seawater samples collected from 42 sites within a 140 km2 area. Our assays successfully detected a wide range of bony fish and elasmobranchs (244 taxa), crustaceans (88), molluscs (37) and echinoderms (7). Assemblage composition varied significantly between sites, reflecting habitat partitioning across the island ecosystem and demonstrating the localisation of eDNA signals, despite extensive tidal and oceanic movements. In addition, we document putative new occurrence records for 46 taxa and compare the efficiency of our eDNA approach to visual survey techniques at CKI. Our study demonstrates the utility of a multimarker metabarcoding approach in capturing multitrophic biodiversity across an entire coral reef atoll and sets an important baseline for ongoing monitoring and management.

Background Differentiation of lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteropathy (LPE) from small cell lymphoma (SCL) in cats can be challenging. Hypothesis/objective Histology-guided mass spectrometry (HGMS) is a suitable method for the differentiation of LPE from SCL in cats. Animals Forty-one cats with LPE and 52 cats with SCL. Methods This is a retrospective clinicopathologic study. Duodenal tissue samples of 17 cats with LPE and 22 cats with SCL were subjected to HGMS, and the acquired data were used to develop a linear discriminate analysis (LDA) machine learning algorithm. The algorithm was subsequently validated using a separate set of 24 cats with LPE and 30 cats with SCL. Cases were classified as LPE or SCL based on a consensus by an expert panel consisting of 5-7 board-certified veterinary specialists. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and clonality testing were available for all cats. The panel consensus classification served as a reference for the calculation of test performance parameters. Results Relative sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of HGMS were 86.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 74.5%-98.8%), 91.7% (95% CI: 80.6%-100%), and 88.9% (95% CI: 80.5%-97.3%), respectively. Comparatively, the clonality testing had a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85.7% (95% CI: 72.8%-98.7%), 33.3% (95% CI: 14.5%-52.2%), and 61.5% (95% CI: 48.3%-74.8%) relative to the panel decision. Conclusions and clinical importance Histology-guided mass spectrometry was a reliable technique for the differentiation of LPE from SCL in duodenal formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of cats and might have advantages over tests currently considered state of the art.

Spiracles are a general character of gnathostomes (jawed fishes), being present in antiarch placoderms, commonly regarded as the most basal gnathostome group. The presence of spiracular tubes in acanthodians has been deduced from grooves on the neurocranium of the derived acanthodiform Acanthodes bronni from the Permian of Germany, but until now these tubes were presumed to lack an external opening, rendering them non‐functional. Here we describe the external spiracular elements in specimens of the Middle Devonian acanthodiforms Cheiracanthus murchisoni, Cheiracanthus latus and Mesacanthus pusillus from northern Scotland, and the internal structure of these elements in C. murchisoni, demonstrating that the spiracle in acanthodiforms differed from all known extant and extinct fishes in having paired cartilage‐pseudobranch structures. This arrangement represents a transitional state between the presumed basal gnathostome condition with an unconstricted first gill slit (as yet not identified in any fossil) and the derived condition with a spiracle and a single pseudobranch derived from the posterior hemibranch of the mandibular arch. We identify the main tissue forming the pseudobranch as elastic cartilage, a tissue previously unrecorded in fossils.

We quantify the relative importance of multi‐scale drivers of reef fish assemblage structure on isolated coral reefs at the intersection of the Indian and Indo‐Pacific biogeographical provinces. Large (>30 cm), functionally‐important and commonly targeted species of fish, were surveyed on the outer reef crest/front at 38 coral reef sites spread across three oceanic coral reef systems (i.e. Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Rowley Shoals), in the tropical Indian Ocean (c. 1.126 x 106 km2). The effects of coral cover, exposure, fishing pressure, lagoon size and geographical context, on observed patterns of fish assemblage structure were modelled using Multivariate Regression Trees. Reef fish assemblages were clearly separated in space with geographical location explaining ~53 % of the observed variation. Lagoon size, within each isolated reef system was an equally effective proxy for explaining fish assemblage structure. Among local‐scale variables, ‘distance from port’, a proxy for the influence of fishing, explained 5.2% of total variation and separated the four most isolated reefs from Cocos (Keeling) Island, from reefs with closer boating access. Other factors were not significant. Major divisions in assemblage structure were driven by sister taxa that displayed little geographical overlap between reef systems and low abundances of several species on Christmas Island corresponding to small lagoon habitats. Exclusion of geographical context from the analysis resulted in local processes explaining 47.3% of the variation, highlighting the importance of controlling for spatial correlation to understand the drivers of fish assemblage structure. Our results suggest reef fish assemblage structure on remote coral reef systems in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean reflects a biogeographical legacy of isolation between Indian and Pacific fish faunas and geomorphological variation within the region, more than local fishing pressure or reef condition. Our findings re‐emphasise the importance that historical processes play in structuring contemporary biotic communities.

Entrainment of growth patterns of multiple species to single climatic drivers can lower ecosystem resilience and increase the risk of species extinction during stressful climatic events. However, predictions of the effects of climate change on the productivity and dynamics of marine fishes are hampered by a lack of historical data on growth patterns. We use otolith biochronologies to show that the strength of a boundary current, modulated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, accounted for almost half of the shared variance in annual growth patterns of five of six species of tropical and temperate marine fishes across 23° of latitude (3000 km) in Western Australia. Stronger flow during La Niña years drove increased growth of five species, whereas weaker flow during El Niño years reduced growth. Our work is the first to link the growth patterns of multiple fishes with a single oceanographic/climate phenomenon at large spatial scales and across multiple climate zones, habitat types, trophic levels and depth ranges. Extreme La Niña and El Niño events are predicted to occur more frequently in the future and these are likely to have implications for these vulnerable ecosystems, such as a limited capacity of the marine taxa to recover from stressful climatic events.

There is little known about sexual offenders hospitalized under forensic commitment statutes such as not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). We conducted a chart review to delineate the demographic, clinical, and legal characteristics of NGRI sexual offenders (n = 68) committed to the California Department of State Hospitals-Napa, including 41 found NGRI for a sexual offense and 27 found NGRI for a nonsexual offense. The two groups did not differ significantly in their demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, victim characteristics, or recidivism risk as measured by the Static-99R. Those found NGRI for a sexual offense were older at the time of their first criminal and first violent offense, younger at the time of their committing offense, and had fewer prior total convictions and sexual offense convictions. These findings may indicate that sexual offenders found NGRI for a sexual offense are less antisocial than those found NGRI for a nonsexual offense.

As pressure on coastal marine resources is increasing globally, the need to quantitatively assess vulnerable fish stocks is crucial in order to avoid the ecological consequences of stock depletions. Species of Sciaenidae (croakers, drums) are important components of tropical and temperate fisheries and are especially vulnerable to exploitation. The black-spotted croaker, Protonibea diacanthus, is the only large sciaenid in coastal waters of northern Australia where it is targeted by commercial, recreational and indigenous fishers due to its food value and predictable aggregating behaviour. Localized declines in the abundance of this species have been observed, highlighting the urgent requirement by managers for information on fine- and broad-scale population connectivity. This study examined the population structure of P. diacanthus across north-western Australia using three complementary methods: genetic variation in microsatellite markers, otolith elemental composition and parasite assemblage composition. The genetic analyses demonstrated that there were at least five genetically distinct populations across the study region, with gene flow most likely restricted by inshore biogeographic barriers such as the Dampier Peninsula. The otolith chemistry and parasite analyses also revealed strong spatial variation among locations within broad-scale regions, suggesting fine-scale location fidelity within the lifetimes of individual fish. The complementarity of the three techniques elucidated patterns of connectivity over a range of spatial and temporal scales. We conclude that fisheries stock assessments and management are required at fine scales (100 s of km) to account for the restricted exchange among populations (stocks) and to prevent localized extirpations of this species. Realistic management arrangements may involve the successive closure and opening of fishing areas to reduce fishing pressure.

Dredging can have significant impacts on aquatic environments, but the direct effects on fish have not been critically evaluated. Here, a meta-analysis following a conservative approach is used to understand how dredging-related stressors, including suspended sediment, contaminated sediment, hydraulic entrainment and underwater noise, directly influence the effect size and the response elicited in fish across all aquatic ecosystems and all life-history stages. This is followed by an in-depth review summarizing the effects of each dredging-related stressor on fish. Across all dredging-related stressors, studies that reported fish mortality had significantly higher effect sizes than those that describe physiological responses, although indicators of dredge impacts should endeavour to detect effects before excessive mortality occurs. Studies examining the effects of contaminated sediment also had significantly higher effect sizes than studies on clean sediment alone or noise, suggesting additive or synergistic impacts from dredging-related stressors. The early life stages such as eggs and larvae were most likely to suffer lethal impacts, while behavioural effects were more likely to occur in adult catadromous fishes. Both suspended sediment concentration and duration of exposure greatly influenced the type of fish response observed, with both higher concentrations and longer exposure durations associated with fish mortality. The review highlights the need for in situ studies on the effects of dredging on fish which consider the interactive effects of multiple dredging-related stressors and their impact on sensitive species of ecological and fisheries value. This information will improve the management of dredging projects and ultimately minimize their impacts on fish.

Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (PECAM-1) is an adhesion and signaling receptor that is expressed on endothelial and hematopoietic cells and plays important roles in angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and regulation of cellular responsiveness. To better understanding the tissue specificity of PECAM-1 functions, we generated mice in which PECAM1, the gene encoding PECAM-1, could be conditionally knocked out. A targeting construct was created that contains loxP sites flanking PECAM1 exons 1 and 2 and a neomycin resistance gene flanked by Flippase Recognition Target (FRT) sites that was positioned upstream of the 3’ loxP site. The targeting construct was electroporated into C57BL/6 embryonic stem (ES) cells, and correctly targeted ES cells were injected into C57BL/6 blastocysts, which were implanted into pseudo-pregnant females. Resulting chimeric animals were bred with transgenic mice expressing Flippase 1 (FLP1) to remove the FRT-flanked neomycin resistance gene and mice heterozygous for the floxed PECAM1 allele were bred with each other to obtain homozygous PECAM1(flox/flox) offspring, which expressed PECAM-1 at normal levels and had no overt phenotype. PECAM1(flox/flox) mice were bred with mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the SRY-box containing gene 2 (Sox2Cre) promoter to delete the floxed PECAM1 allele in offspring (Sox2Cre;PECAM1(del/WT)), which were crossbred to generate Sox2Cre; PECAM1(del/del) offspring. Sox2Cre; PECAM1(del/del) mice recapitulated the phenotype of conventional global PECAM-1 knockout mice. PECAM1(flox/flox) mice will be useful for studying distinct roles of PECAM-1 in tissue specific contexts and to gain insights into the roles that PECAM-1 plays in blood and vascular cell function.

Aim To determine the prevalence and determinants of co-sleeping in school-aged children with a motor disability compared with the school-aged general population. Method A questionnaire on demographic characteristics and co-sleeping habits, along with the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), was sent to parents of children aged between 4 years and 18 years followed in our tertiary paediatric neurorehabilitation clinic, and to school-aged children in a representative sample of state schools. Result We analysed responses for 245 children with motor disability (142 males, 103 females; mean age 10y 6mo, standard deviation [SD] 3y 10mo, range 4–18y) and 2891 of the general population (1484 males, 1497 females; mean age [SD] 9y 6mo [3y 5mo], range 4–18y) (response rates 37% and 26% respectively). Cerebral palsy was the most common diagnosis among children with motor disability. Weekly co-sleeping was significantly more common in children with motor disability than in the general population (11.8% vs 7.9% respectively, p=0.032). Special care of the child with motor disability at night, mainly addressing epilepsy, was reported as a cause of co-sleeping by two-thirds of parents. Factors associated with co-sleeping in the motor disability group were age, housing crowding, severe visual impairment, and pathological sleep according to the SDSC. Interpretation Co-sleeping is common among children with motor disability. It is influenced by personal and medical factors, as well as the requirements for special care at night. Therefore, health professionals should explore sleeping arrangements in families of children with motor disability.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence and clinical importance of previously unrecognised tuberculosis (TB) and isolation of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) among HIV-infected individuals in a teaching hospital in Ghana.METHODS: Intensified mycobacterial case finding was conducted among HIV-positive individuals before initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, medical history and TB-related signs and symptoms, and participants were followed for six months to determine treatment and vital status. Two sputum samples were obtained and examined for mycobacteria with smear microscopy, culture and Xpert MTB/RIF assay. NTM species were identified with the GenoType Mycobacterium CM/AS or sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene.RESULTS: Of 473 participants, 60 (12.7%) had confirmed pulmonary TB, and 38 (8.0%) had positive cultures for NTM. Mycobacterium avium complex was identified in 9/38 (23.7%) of NTM isolates. Participants with NTM isolated were more likely to have CD4 cell count< 100 cells/μL (aOR 2.37; 95% CI: 1.10-5.14), BMICONCLUSIONS: Intensified mycobacterial screening of HIV-infected individuals revealed a high burden of unrecognised pulmonary TB before ART initiation, which increased risk of death within six months. NTM were frequently isolated and associated with signs of poor clinical status but not with increased mortality.

tudy Objective To describe three cases of pericarditis probably related to azacitidine administration in a span of 3 years at our center. Design Case series. Setting Comprehensive cancer center within a large, academic medical center. Patients Three patients with high-grade myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia who received azacitidine. Intervention None. Measurements None. Main Results Patient 1 presented with pericarditis after cycle 2 of azacitidine, patient 3 presented 3 weeks after completing cycle 5, and patient 2 presented during cycle 1. All patients were treated symptomatically and responded to corticosteroids. None of the patients were re-challenged with hypomethylating agents. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a probable adverse drug reaction (score of 6) for patients 1 and 3 and a possible adverse drug reaction (score of 3) for patient 2. Conclusion With the exclusion of other common causes of pericarditis, we believe it is likely that azacitidine was responsible for the findings in our patients. Providers caring for patients receiving hypomethylating agents should consider this potential adverse drug reaction in the setting of unexplained chest pain or other clinical signs consistent with cardiotoxicity.

The capture of a rarely encountered Randall's snapper Randallichthys filamentosus (female, 587 mm fork length) from the upper continental slope (c. 350 m) off the south coast of Western Australia (c. 34·5° S; 122·5° E) in January 2014 represents its first record from the temperate Indian Ocean and a southern range extension. This record suggests that spawning of this predominantly tropical species may probably be occurring in the eastern Indian Ocean, considering the extensive, and unlikely, distance the progeny would have otherwise travelled from its typical distribution in the western and central Pacific Ocean.

We use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to estimate how net worth was affected among low- and moderate-income households who became first-time homebuyers at different points during the volatile 2000s. We address selection using propensity score matching and estimating difference-in-difference models, and use quantile regressions to account for the skew in net worth outcomes. Results highlight the significance of race in the relationship between first-time home buying and net worth during the decade. Although timing was critical to the short-term trajectory of net worth for whites, total net worth declines for black first-time homebuyers regardless of economic climate. The most dramatic differences between black and white new homebuyers is their neighborhood locations, with blacks purchasing in predominantly black neighborhoods with lower housing prices and price appreciation, and lower and declining rates of homeownership.

Can radical political-economic transformation be achieved by electoral regimes that have not thoroughly reconstructed the state? Contemporary Venezuela offers an optimal venue for examining this question. The Chavista movement did not replace the previous state: instead, its leaders attempted to reform existing state entities and establish new ones in pursuit of its transformation agenda. It has also used its oil wealth to support cooperatively-oriented economic activity, without necessarily fundamentally altering the property structure. Thus, the social change-oriented political economy exists alongside the traditional one. Focusing on agrarian transformation, we examine ethnographically how these factors have impacted the state's capacity to attain its goal of national food sovereignty. We find that the state's ability to accomplish this objective has been compromised by lack of agency-level capacity, inter-agency conflict and the persistence of the previously-extant agrarian property structure. These dynamics have influenced the state to shift from its initial objective of food sovereignty to a policy of nationalist food security.