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Soil bulk electrical conductivity (BEC) was evaluated alongside soil volumetric water content (VWC) and soil temperature measurements using the HydraProbe (model HydraProbe, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.) (hereafter called HP) with accuracy range of BEC ≤ 0.3 S m−1, and the time domain reflectometry (TDR)‐315L Probe (model TDR‐315L, Acclima, Inc.) (hereafter called AP) suitable for BEC up to 0.6 S m−1, at 23 stations of the U.S. Climate Reference Network. Previous evaluations revealed inconsistent performance of both sensors in some clay soils using manufacturer‐recommended calibrations in converting dielectric permittivity measurements to VWC. Here, we found that hourly values of BEC reached 0.6 S m−1 in high clay content soils and exceeded 2 S m−1 in high saline soils, and these high values of BEC were associated with poor performance and failures of both HP and AP sensors. Large values of BEC occurred in predominantly saturated soils where VWC values reached about 0.5 m3 m−3 for saline soils and about 0.7 m3 m−3 for clay soils, while low magnitudes of BEC were associated with low soil water content and seldomly saturated soils. Low hourly BEC values of less than 0.1 S m−1 were observed in wide variety of soil types, where sensor performance was typically excellent. The most influential factor on BEC was high soil water content conditions. Although dielectric permittivity measurements in estimating the soil water content were sensitive to BEC as some high clay content and high salinity soils increased BEC, the impact of large BEC on dielectric permittivity measurements was smaller in the well‐drained top soil layers than in deep soil layers that remained near saturation. Soil temperature had only a small impact on BEC. With high clay content and high salinity, the specific area of clay minerals was also associated with the magnitude of BEC. Core Ideas: Estimated soil bulk electrical conductivity (BEC) and soil volumetric water content (VWC) at soil depths of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 cm were evaluated across 23 US Climate Reference Network stations.The estimation of BEC and VWC was based on the use of the 50 MHz HydraProbe and the Acclima 1 GHz time‐domain reflectometry (TDR)‐315L.The evaluation suggested that the clay type, specific surface area, clay content, soil salinity, and soil temperature combined to affect how soil BEC increased and decreased with soil water content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some alcohol exclusion laws (AELs) allow health insurers to deny coverage to individuals injured due to being intoxicated. Evidence has shown that such AELs disincentivize health‐care providers to screen for alcohol while they deter treatment utilization by people with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Certain states have changed AELs to enhance the health of people with an AUD, but these changes are not well documented in the extant literature. This study examined the current status and historical trends in AELs across US states. Methods: We conducted a systematic legal analysis in 2023 to examine how state alcohol exclusion laws vary across the United States. These laws allow or prohibit insurers from denying coverage for injuries or deaths related to alcohol use. We classified the states into three categories: (1) States that explicitly permit alcohol exclusions, (2) States that explicitly ban alcohol exclusions, and (3) States that have no clear policy on alcohol exclusions. Results: We found that 18 states still have alcohol exclusion laws, down from 37 in 2004. Meanwhile, the number of states that have explicitly banned AELs and prohibited insurers from applying alcohol exclusions (AEs) to their policies has increased from 3 to 15 in the same period. The remaining 17 states have no clear laws on AEs. We also noted that five states that repealed their AELs did not adopt any specific prohibition on AEs, and four states limited their prohibition to policies that cover hospital, medical, or surgical expenses. Conclusions: Our systematic mapping reveals that some states have prohibited AELs in response to their detrimental effects. However, some states maintain these policies, and none has effectively outlawed AEs in the last 10 years, despite their possible role in reinforcing stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evidence regarding effectiveness of interleukin‐1 receptor antagonism in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C) is lacking. We characterized variation in initial treatment with anakinra and evaluated cardiovascular outcomes associated with adding anakinra to standard initial therapy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of MIS‐C cases in a US surveillance registry from November 2020 to December 2021. Day 0 was the first calendar day of immunomodulatory treatment. Factors associated with initial anakinra use (days 0–1) were identified. We compared cases in patients ages 2–20 years receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and glucocorticoids versus anakinra plus IVIG and/or glucocorticoids on days 0–1, using inverse probability weighting to balance disease severity. Primary outcomes were vasopressor requirement on day 3 and impaired left ventricular ejection fraction on days 3–4. The secondary outcome was 50% reduction in C‐reactive protein on day 3. Results: Among 1,516 MIS‐C cases at 44 sites, 193 (13%) patients received anakinra alone or with other immunomodulators as initial treatment (range 0–74% by site). Site accounted for 59% of residual variance in anakinra use. After balancing disease severity, initial treatment with anakinra plus IVIG and/or glucocorticoids (n = 121) versus IVIG plus glucocorticoids (n = 389) was not associated with significant differences in vasopressor requirement (25.6% versus 20.1%, respectively; risk ratio [RR] 1.27 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.88–1.84]), ventricular dysfunction (33.7% versus 25.7%, respectively; RR 1.31 [95% CI 0.98–1.75]), or C‐reactive protein reduction. Conclusion: We identified substantial variation in initial anakinra use in a real‐world population of children with MIS‐C, but no average short‐term improvement in cardiovascular outcomes associated with early addition of anakinra to IVIG and/or glucocorticoids compared to IVIG and glucocorticoids alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Understanding how climate conditions influence plant–pollinator interactions at the global scale is crucial to understand how pollinator communities and ecosystem function respond to environmental change. Here, we investigate whether climate drives differences in network roles of the main insect pollinator orders: Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Location: Global. Time period: 1968–2020. Major taxa studied: Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Methods: We collated plant–pollinator networks from 26 countries and territories across the five main Köppen–Geiger climate zones. In total, we compiled data from 101 networks that included >1500 plant species from 167 families and >2800 pollinator species from 163 families. We assessed differences in the composition of plant–pollinator interactions among climate zones using a permutational ANOVA. We calculated standard network metrics for pollinator taxonomic groups and used Bayesian generalized mixed models to test whether climate zone influenced the proportion of pollinator network links and the level of pollinator generalism. Results: We found that climate is a strong driver of compositional dissimilarities between plant–pollinator interactions. Relative to other taxa, bees and flies made up the greatest proportion of network links across climate zones. When network size was accounted for, bees were the most generalist pollinator group in the tropics, whereas non‐bee Hymenoptera were the most generalist in arid zones, and syrphid flies were the most generalist in polar networks. Main conclusions We provide empirical evidence at the global scale that climate strongly influences the roles of different pollinator taxa within networks. Importantly, non‐bee taxa, particularly flies, play central network roles across most climate zones, despite often being overlooked in pollination research and conservation. Our results identify the need for greater understanding of how global environmental change affects plant–pollinator interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vertical closure of the pharynx after laryngectomy can result in an outpouch of the anterior wall of the neopharynx below the tongue base, called a pseudo‐diverticulum. The prolapsed mucosa that separates the rest of the neopharynx from the pseudo‐diverticulum is termed a pseudo‐epiglottis. Methods: Prospective study of patients with pseudo‐epiglottis. M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) scores were used to assess swallowing outcomes pre‐ and post‐pseudo‐epiglottis division, including minimally clinically important difference (MCID) assessment. Results: Of 16 patients with a pseudo‐epiglottis, 12 had dysphagia (75%). Symptomatic patients had significantly worse global MDADI and subscale scores. After division, the mean composite MDADI increased from 48.3 to 64.7 (p = 0.035), including a high MCID (16.4) with a similar improvement in the global question rating findings (31.1 vs. 60, p = 0.021). The MCID was significant for all MDADI subscales. Conclusions: Pseudo‐epiglottis formation is associated with significantly worse global and subscale MDADI scores. A clinically‐ and statistically‐significant improvement in the MDADI scores was found following surgical division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A predictive model of melt rate in waste glass vitrification operations is needed to inform melter operations during normal and off‐normal operations. This paper describes the development of a model of the cold cap (the reacting melter feed floating on molten glass in a glass melter) that couples heat transfer with the feed‐to‐glass conversion kinetics. The model was applied to four melter feeds designed for high‐level and low‐activity nuclear waste feeds using the material properties, either measured or estimated, to obtain temperature and conversion distribution within the cold cap. The cold cap model, when coupled with a computational fluid dynamics model of a Joule‐heated glass melter, allows the prediction of the glass production rate and power consumption. The results show reasonable agreement with the melting rates measured during pilot‐scale melter tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) has been engaged in ground‐based soil water and soil temperature observations since 2009. As a nationwide climate network, the network stations are distributed across vast complex terrains. Due to the expansive distribution of the network and the related variability in soil properties, obtaining site‐specific calibrations for sensors is a significant and costly endeavor. Presented here are three commercial‐grade electromagnetic sensors, with built‐in thermistors to measure both soil water and soil temperature, including the SoilVUE10 Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) probe (hereafter called SP) (Campbell Scientific, Inc.), 50 MHz coaxial impedance dielectric sensor (model HydraProbe, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.) (hereafter called HP), and the TDR‐315L Probe (model TDR‐315L, Acclima, Inc.) (hereafter called AP), which were evaluated in a relatively nonconductive loam soil in Oak Ridge, TN, from 2021 to 2022. The HP manufacturer‐supplied calibration equation for loam soils was used in this study. While volumetric water content data from HP and AP were 82–99% of respective gravimetric observations at 10 cm, data from SP were only 65–81% of respective gravimetric observations in the top 20‐cm soil horizon, where soil water showed relatively large spatial variability. The poor performance of the SP is likely due to poor contact between SP sensor electrodes and soil and the presence of soil voids caused by the installation method used, which itself may have caused soil disturbance. Core Ideas: Volumetric soil water content observations were evaluated inside a custom‐built soil testbed.The SoilVUE10 TDR was compared with the 50 MHz HydraProbe and the Acclima 1 GHz Time‐Domain Reflectometry (TDR)‐315L.Soil water content measurements by the SoilVUE10 TDR were less accurate than measurements by the other probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ventricular scar is traditionally highlighted on a bipolar voltage (BiVolt) map in areas of myocardium <0.50 mV. We describe an alternative approach using Ripple Mapping (RM) superimposed onto a BiVolt map to differentiate postinfarct scar from conducting borderzone (BZ) during ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation. Methods: Fifteen consecutive patients (left ventricular ejection fraction 30 ± 7%) underwent endocardial left ventricle pentaray mapping (median 5148 points) and ablation targeting areas of late Ripple activation. BiVolt maps were studied offline at initial voltage of 0.50–0.50 mV to binarize the color display (red and purple). RMs were superimposed, and the BiVolt limits were sequentially reduced until only areas devoid of Ripple bars appeared red, defined as RM‐scar. The surrounding area supporting conducting Ripple wavefronts in tissue <0.50 mV defined the RM‐BZ. Results: RM‐scar was significantly smaller than the traditional 0.50 mV cutoff (median 4% vs. 12% shell area, p <.001). 65 ± 16% of tissue <0.50 mV supported Ripple activation within the RM‐BZ. The mean BiVolt threshold that differentiated RM‐scar from BZ tissue was 0.22 ± 0.07 mV, though this ranged widely (from 0.12 to 0.35 mV). In this study, septal infarcts (7/15) were associated with more rapid VTs (282 vs. 347 ms, p =.001), and had a greater proportion of RM‐BZ to RM‐scar (median ratio 3.2 vs. 1.2, p =.013) with faster RM‐BZ conduction speed (0.72 vs. 0.34 m/s, p =.001). Conversely, scars that supported hemodynamically stable sustained VT (6/15) were slower (367 ± 38 ms), had a smaller proportion of RM‐BZ to RM‐scar (median ratio 1.2 vs. 3.2, p =.059), and slower RM‐BZ conduction speed (0.36 vs. 0.63 m/s, p =.036). RM guided ablation collocated within 66 ± 20% of RM‐BZ, most concentrated around the RM‐scar perimeter, with significant VT reduction (median 4.0 episodes preablation vs. 0 post, p <.001) at 11 ± 6 months follow‐up. Conclusion: Postinfarct scars appear significantly smaller than traditional 0.50 mV cut‐offs suggest, with voltage thresholds unique to each patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For decades, alcohol exclusion laws (AELs) have allowed insurance companies to reject claims for physical injuries caused by alcohol consumption, including injuries from impaired driving. A central premise of AELs is that they function as a deterrent to risk‐taking behaviors, such as excessive drinking. If this assumption is correct, state repeal of these laws should result in increased drinking. This study examines whether the repeal of AELs by some states affects drinking behaviors. Methods: Data were obtained from the 1993 to 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System nationwide survey. Exploiting the natural experiment presented by state repeal of AELs, we assessed the impact on current drinking and binge drinking. We used a rigorous quasi‐experimental difference‐in‐differences analysis and conducted a battery of sensitivity analyses to assure robust findings. Results: Overall, the study found no discernable impact of state repeal of AELs on alcohol consumption. While the repeal of AELs significantly decreased the odds of reporting drinking in the past 30 days compared to those living in states with AELs or that never had AELs, the effects were small (aOR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.96, 0.99). Likewise, there were higher odds of binge drinking among individuals living in states that repealed AELs compared to those living in states without AELs, yet with small effects (aOR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.05). After additionally adjusting for state‐varying characteristics and state‐specific time trends, no significant effects were identified regarding current and binge drinking. Findings from the sensitivity analyses were largely consistent with the main analysis. Conclusion: This study found no evidence supporting the idea that repealing AELs increased alcohol consumption or binge drinking. Future studies should consider other state‐specific dimensions within the Uniform Accident and Sickness Policy Provision Law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi‐natural features among farmland have a key role in maintaining wildlife in rural landscapes. Practical conservation requires knowledge of which combinations of features are of greatest value and whether this differs among faunal groups. We used a 'landscape' approach to investigate the relative importance to birds and insects (bees, flies, wasps) of combinations of three wooded features typical of farmland in south‐eastern Australia: scattered trees, wooded roadsides and wooded streamside vegetation.We selected 44 landscapes (1 km diameter) representing four combinations: (a) landscapes with all three features present, (b) landscapes lacking scattered trees, (c) lacking wooded roadsides and (d) lacking wooded streamsides. We surveyed birds and selected insects, and compared mean alpha (α, site), beta (β, between site) and gamma (γ, landscape) diversity for each taxon between landscape types; and gamma (γ) diversity of bird species displaying breeding activity.Mean α‐diversity of birds was reduced in landscapes lacking wooded roadsides or streams, relative to those with all three wooded features; while species differentiation (β‐diversity) increased in these landscapes. Loss of streamside vegetation had the greatest landscape‐scale impact, reducing γ‐diversity by ~33% for all land‐birds and ~50% for woodland birds. Bird breeding activity declined by ~50% in landscapes lacking wooded streamsides. In contrast, insects showed little response, except bees for which mean α‐diversity was greater in more open landscapes lacking scattered trees or wooded roadsides, compared with those containing all wooded features. This did not lead to differences in landscape‐level (γ) diversity.Synthesis and applications. Birds and insects respond differently to combinations of semi‐natural features in rural landscapes, highlighting the need to better meet the requirements of multiple faunal groups in nature conservation activities. Wooded features, especially streamside vegetation, are critical for maintaining diversity and breeding activity of woodland birds. Given a general lack of knowledge of the insect fauna in some regions and varied results here, a prudent approach is to foster a diverse farmland mosaic comprising semi‐natural habitats together with floristically rich, modified features that provide temporally dynamic resources. These combined landscape features are important for faunal conservation, while also supporting farm productivity and ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower visitors use different parts of the landscape through the plants they visit, however these connections vary within and among land uses. Identifying which flower‐visiting insects are carrying pollen, and from where in the landscape, can elucidate key pollen–insect interactions and identify the most important sites for maintaining community‐level interactions across land uses. We developed a bipartite meta‐network, linking pollen–insect interactions with the sites they occur in. We used this to identify which land‐use types at the site‐ and landscape‐scale (within 500 m of a site) are most important for conserving pollen–insect interactions. We compared pollen–insect interactions across four different land uses (remnant native forest, avocado orchard, dairy farm, rotational potato crop) within a mosaic agricultural landscape. We sampled insects using flight intercept traps, identified pollen carried on their bodies and quantified distinct pollen–insect interactions that were highly specialized to both natural and modified land uses. We found that sites in crops and dairy farms had higher richness of pollen–insect interactions and higher interaction strength than small forest patches and orchards. Further, many interactions involved pollinator groups such as flies, wasps, and beetles that are often under‐represented in pollen–insect network studies, but were often connector species in our networks. These insect groups require greater attention to enable wholistic pollinator community conservation. Pollen samples were dominated by grass (Poaceae) pollen, indicating anemophilous plant species may provide important food resources for pollinators, particularly in modified land uses. Field‐scale land use (within 100 m of a site) better predicted pollen–insect interaction richness, uniqueness, and strength than landscape‐scale. Thus, management focused at smaller scales may provide more tractable outcomes for conserving or restoring pollen–insect interactions in modified landscapes. For instance, actions aimed at linking high‐richness sites with those containing unique (i.e., rare) interactions by enhancing floral corridors along field boundaries and between different land uses may best aid interaction diversity and connectance. The ability to map interactions across sites using a meta‐network approach is practical and can inform land‐use planning, whereby conservation efforts can be targeted toward areas that host key interactions between plant and pollinator species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Climatic extremes and fire affect ecosystems across the globe, yet our understanding of how species are influenced by the interaction of these broadscale ecological drivers is poorly understood. Using a ten‐year dataset, we tested how extreme drought and rainfall interacted with time since fire (TSF) to shape bird species' distributions. Location: Semi‐arid mallee woodlands of south‐eastern Australia. Methods: We quantified the effects of climatic extremes on bird species' occurrence, species richness and incidence at 180 sites across three climatic periods—an El Niño‐associated drought (the "Big Dry"), immediately after La Niña drought‐breaking rainfall ("Big Wet") and three years following the La Niña event ("Post‐Big Wet"). We then compared species' responses with TSF across the three climatic periods using a chronosequence of sites from 1 to 117 years post‐fire. Results: La Niña rainfall had sustained impacts on species' occurrence. Over half of species increased significantly during the Big Wet. Despite three intervening years of below‐average rainfall, three quarters of these species remained comparably high, Post‐Big Wet. By contrast, less than half of threatened and declining species benefited from high rainfall. Responses of species to TSF were found to differ contingent on climatic conditions: almost twice as many species responded to TSF during the Big Wet and almost three times as many Post‐Big Wet, compared with the Big Dry. Across climatic periods, a majority of species showed preference for mid to older post‐fire vegetation. Main conclusions: Variation in responses to TSF is likely due to the effect of climatic variation on resources. We suggest that, at sites of different post‐fire age, interactions between TSF and climate may differentially influence both the availability and longevity of resources. Given climatic extremes are predicted to become increasingly severe with climate change, accounting for their influence on fauna–fire dynamics will require careful management of fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of conversion of nuclear waste melter feed to glass is affected by the selection of melter feed materials and by melter design and operation. The melting rate correlation (MRC) is an equation that relates the glass production rate with two types of variables: (a) feed and melt properties: conversion heat, cold‐cap bottom temperature, and glass melt viscosity; and (b) melter design and operation parameters: melter geometry, melter operating temperature, and gas bubbling rate. The MRC shows good agreement for an extended melting rate data set of high‐level waste (HLW) melter feeds and a data set generated for low‐activity waste (LAW) melter feeds. Laboratory observation of heated melter feed samples is often used to assess the cold‐cap bottom temperature of HLW melter feeds (moderately foaming feeds), but this technique appears inadequate for LAW melter feeds (vigorously foaming feeds). For LAW feeds, an adequate assessment of the cold‐cap bottom temperature was achieved using evolved gas analysis, which allows identification of the collapse of primary foam for oxidized feeds. This assessment shows that the cold‐cap bottom temperature for vigorously foaming LAW feeds is higher than that for moderately foaming HLW feeds. When the results of MRC are compared, LAW feeds are generally less sensitive to the bubbling rate and melt viscosity, and more sensitive to the cold‐cap bottom temperature than HLW feeds. The MRC qualifies as a promising tool to support the selection of melter feed materials and melter operating conditions, which is determined from expensive independent scaled melter experiments, and sophisticated mathematical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy PointsOut‐of‐network air ambulance bills are a type of surprise medical bill and are driven by many of the same market failures behind other surprise medical bills, including patients' inability to choose in‐network providers in an emergency or to avoid potential balance billing by out‐of‐network providers.The financial risk to consumers is high because more than three‐quarters of air ambulances are out‐of‐network and their prices are high and rising. Consumers facing out‐of‐network air ambulance bills have few legal protections owing to the Airline Deregulation Act's federal preemption of state laws.Any federal policies for surprise medical bills should also address surprise air ambulance bills and should incorporate substantive consumer protections—not just billing transparency—and correct the market distortions for air ambulances. Context: Out‐of‐network air ambulance bills are a growing problem for consumers. Because most air ambulance transports are out‐of‐network and prices are rising, patients are at risk of receiving large unexpected bills. This article estimates the prevalence and magnitude of privately insured persons' out‐of‐network air ambulance bills, describes the legal barriers to curtailing surprise air ambulance bills, and proposes policies to protect consumers from out‐of‐network air ambulance bills. Methods: We used the Health Care Cost Institute's 2014‐2017 data from three large national insurers to evaluate the share of air ambulance claims that are out‐of‐network and the prevalence and magnitude of potential surprise balance bills, focusing on rotary‐wing transports. We estimated the magnitude of potential balance bills for out‐of‐network air ambulance services by calculating the difference between the provider's billed charges and the insurer's out‐of‐network allowed amount, including the patient's cost‐sharing. For in‐network air ambulance transports, we calculated the average charges and allowed amounts, both in absolute magnitude and as a multiple of the rate that Medicare pays for the same service. Findings: We found that less than one‐quarter of air ambulance transports of commercially insured patients were in‐network. Two‐in‐five transports resulted in a potential balance bill, averaging $19,851. In the latter years of our data, in‐network rates for transports by independent (non‐hospital‐based) carriers averaged $20,822, or 369% of the Medicare rate for the same service. Conclusions: Because the states' efforts to curtail air ambulance balance billing have been preempted by the Airline Deregulation Act, a federal solution is needed. Owing to the failure of market forces to discipline either prices or supply, out‐of‐network air ambulance rates should be benchmarked to a multiple of Medicare rates or, alternatively, air ambulance services could be delivered and financed through an approach that combines competitive bidding and public utility regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We describe organisms found in the respiratory tracts of a multicenter cohort of pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients with respiratory failure. Methods: Twelve centers contributed up to 25 pediatric allogeneic HCT recipients requiring mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure to a retrospective database. Positive respiratory pathogens and method of obtaining sample were recorded. Outcomes were assessed using Mann‐Whitney U test or chi‐squared analysis. Results: Of the 222 patients in the database, ages 1 month through 21 years, 34.6% had a positive respiratory culture. 105 pathogens were identified in 77 patients; of those, 48.6% were viral, 34.3% bacterial, 16.2% fungal, and 1% parasitic. PICU mortality with a respiratory pathogen was 68.8% compared to 54.9% for those without a respiratory pathogen (P =.045). Those with a positive respiratory pathogen had longer PICU length of stay, 20 days (IQR 14.0, 36.8) vs 15 (IQR 6.5, 32.0), P =.002, and a longer course of mechanical ventilation, 17 days (IQR 10, 29.5) vs 8 (3, 17), P <.0001. Method of pathogen identification, type of pathogen, and the presence of multiple pathogens were not associated with changes in PICU outcomes. Conclusions: In this multicenter retrospective cohort of intubated pediatric post‐HCT patients, there was high variability in the respiratory pathogens identified. Type of pathogen and method of detection did not affect PICU mortality. The presence of any organism leads to increased PICU mortality, longer PICU stay, and increased duration of mechanical ventilation suggesting that early detection and treatment of pathogens may be beneficial in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of two commercial-grade electromagnetic sensors in measuring soil water content for the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN). One sensor was a 50-MHz coaxial impedance dielectric sensor (model HydraProbe, StevensWaterMonitoring Systems). The second sensorwas a 1-GHz time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensor (model TDR-315L, Acclima). There was no substantial difference between both probes in daily mean volumetric soil water content and soil temperature measurements at a 0.1-m depth in a customized uniform loamy soil testbed in Oak Ridge, TN, from 2016 to 2018, and at select USCRN stations with a variety of soils. However, the TDR-315L provided more representative soil water content measurements for stations with high-clay-content soils than the HydraProbe. These results confirm the necessity of using site-specific soil properties for soil sensors like the HydraProbe for estimating soil water content in different soil environments. They also suggest that TDR sensors may provide an opportunity to improve USCRN soil moisture measurements in higher-clay-content soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many non‐bee insects are important for pollination, yet few studies have assessed the effectiveness of sampling these taxa using low‐cost techniques, such as coloured vane traps, among different habitat types. This study sampled 192 sites – 108 in wooded and 84 in open habitats – within an agricultural region of southern Australia. Pairs of blue and yellow vane traps were placed at each site for a period of seven days during the austral spring. Overall, 3114 flies (Diptera) from 19 families and 528 wasps (non‐bee and non‐formicid Hymenoptera) from 16 families were collected during the study. This sampling was representative of the region, with vane traps equally or more likely to collect as many families from both taxa as those reported on the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) database for the sampling area. Blue vane traps (BVTs) had greater average richness of both flies and wasps and greater activity density (abundance per 7‐day sampling period) of individuals than yellow vane traps (YVTs). BVTs were particularly favoured by fly and wasp families known to pollinate flowers (e.g. Syrphidae, Bombyliidae and Scoliidae), whilst YVTs sampled flower visitors that also provide additional ecosystem services, such as pest control and nutrient cycling. Here, vane traps were an effective sampling technique to capture non‐bee flower visitors, such as flies and wasps. This study supports the use of vane traps as a component of the sampling protocol for ecological census and population monitoring within multiple habitat types, where colour attraction will more effectively sample a comprehensive pollinator community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is a complex procedure, generally requiring at least one overnight hospital stay. We investigated the safety and feasibility of early mobilization and same‐day discharge following streamlined peri‐ablation management for AF. Methods: From 2014, we offered same‐day discharge to selected patients who underwent uncomplicated AF ablation on the morning lists, with ultrasound‐guided femoral access, uninterrupted warfarin or minimal interruption in novel oral anticoagulants, and reversal of intraprocedural heparin with protamine. Patients were discharged 6‐8 h postprocedure and offered access to a dedicated nurse helpline. Results: Of 1599 AF ablation cases performed from April 2014 to March 2017, 811 (50.7%) were performed on the morning lists and 169/811 (20.8%) were discharged on the same day. Excluding 26 research cases, 1/143 (0.7%) had transient right phrenic nerve palsy and five (3.5%) cases experienced minor problems that did not preclude same‐day discharge; three (2.1%) needed rehospitalization postdischarge: one for pericarditic chest pain and two for nausea/vomiting. Compared to 642 overnight cases, day‐case procedures were shorter, more likely to be redos, to be performed under sedation rather than general anesthesia, and less likely to involve linear lesions and electrical cardioversion. There were no significant differences in patient age, gender, body mass index, CHA2DS2‐VASc, in preprocedural anticoagulation regimen (warfarin vs novel anticoagulants vs no anticoagulation) and in choice of ablation method (cryoballoon vs radiofrequency). Conclusions: Selective same‐day discharge after AF ablation is safe and feasible using a streamlined peri‐procedural care protocol. Wider adoption can potentially reduce health‐care costs while improving patient experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socialization has crucial outcomes for both the employee and the employer. Through an exploratory qualitative study conducted in India, we examined how people with disabilities (PWD) viewed various aspects of their socialization process. Specifically, we looked at the role of coworkers, supervisors, organizational practices, and employee proactive behaviors in influencing organizational integration. We found that integration was most influenced by coworkers and supervisors. Organizational practices and employee proactive behaviors were less important. Respondent gender and tenure also influenced certain findings. Specifically, PWD with less tenure sought and accepted more help from coworkers and supervisors. Further, more men with disabilities than women with disabilities indicated that they were proactive in terms of obtaining training to make themselves employable, and more men with disabilities indicated that having coworkers with a disability helped them during socialization. We discuss both theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions based on our findings. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As employees' international mobility has increased, implementing repatriation processes has become a significant human resource (HR) issue. Through an exploratory study using a semi-structured interview method, we examine repatriated employees' views about HR activities that facilitate and hinder the repatriation process in the emerging economy of India. Respondents described lack of formal repatriation assistance, no contact person in HR to help with repatriation, and lack of re-entry culture-related training as characteristic of the repatriation process. Managing employees' expectations, along with creating a more sensitive, structured, and strategic HR function, are recommended to improve the repatriation process. From a theoretical perspective, results point to the multi-dimensionality of the repatriation construct and provide evidence of the context-specificity of HR practices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retirement of baby boomers along with a smaller cohort group of young people replacing them poses a challenge for employers in the future—where will they find the workers they need? One largely untapped source of human resources is people with disabilities (PWDs). Why have employers mostly ignored this large labor pool? This research used a semistructured interview approach with 38 executives across a broad array of industries and geographic regions to examine why employers don't hire PWDs and what they believe can be done to change this situation. Results show that most employers are not very proactive in hiring PWDs and that most employers hold stereotypical beliefs not supported by research evidence. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

9 Prendergast K. S. & Hogendoorn K. (2021) Methodological shortcomings and lack of taxonomic effort beleaguer Australian bee studies. Prendergast and Hogendoorn (2021) comment on the ' I methodological shortcomings i ' of Australian bee studies, but forgo the opportunity to provide a balanced assessment of the relative merits of different survey methods to inform future studies (for a constructive example of this see Packer & Darla-West 2021). [Extracted from the article]

A rapidly changing business environment has put pressure on the Human Resource (HR) function to justify its existence. While it has long been recognized that the human resource function must take a more customer-oriented perspective on the design and delivery of HR programs, this view has focused primarily on internal customers. However, external customers can provide important input into HR activities e.g., job analysis information, they can participate in HR activities e.g., selection decisions, and they can use HR activities e.g., receive training. By expanding customer orientation in the HR function to focus explicitly on external customers, a more direct relationship between human resource management and competitive organizational performance can be established. By expanding customer orientation in the HR function to focus explicitly on external customers, a more direct relationship between human resource management and competitive organizational performance can be established and a positive side effect may be to enhance the reputation of HR both within the organization and as a profession.

Body size is an integral functional trait that underlies pollination‐related ecological processes, yet it is often impractical to measure directly. Allometric scaling laws have been used to overcome this problem. However, most existing models rely upon small sample sizes, geographically restricted sampling and have limited applicability for non‐bee taxa. Allometric models that consider biogeography, phylogenetic relatedness, and intraspecific variation are urgently required to ensure greater accuracy. We measured body size as dry weight and intertegular distance (ITD) of 391 bee species (4,035 specimens) and 103 hoverfly species (399 specimens) across four biogeographic regions: Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. We updated existing models within a Bayesian mixed‐model framework to test the power of ITD to predict interspecific variation in pollinator dry weight in interaction with different co‐variates: phylogeny or taxonomy, sexual dimorphism, and biogeographic region. In addition, we used ordinary least squares regression to assess intraspecific dry weight ~ ITD relationships for ten bees and five hoverfly species. Including co‐variates led to more robust interspecific body size predictions for both bees and hoverflies relative to models with the ITD alone. In contrast, at the intraspecific level, our results demonstrate that the ITD is an inconsistent predictor of body size for bees and hoverflies. The use of allometric scaling laws to estimate body size is more suitable for interspecific comparative analyses than assessing intraspecific variation. Collectively, these models form the basis of the dynamic R package, "pollimetry," which provides a comprehensive resource for allometric pollination research worldwide. Novel predictive allometric models for two dominant pollinating taxa, bees and hoverflies that consider biogeography, phylogeny, and sexual dimorphism. These models, along with existing allometric equations for pollinating insects, form the R package, "pollimetry." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A large number of SCN5A variants have been reported to underlie Brugada syndrome (BrS). However, the evidence supporting individual variants is highly heterogeneous. Objective: We systematically re‐evaluated all SCN5A variants reported in BrS using the 2015 American college of medical genetics and genomics and the association for molecular pathology (ACMG‐AMP) guidelines. Methods: A PubMed/Embase search was performed to identify all reported SCN5A variants in BrS. Standardized bioinformatic re‐analysis (SIFT, PolyPhen, Mutation Taster, Mutation assessor, FATHMM, GERP, PhyloP, and SiPhy) and re‐evaluation of frequency in the gnomAD database were performed. Fourteen ACMG‐AMP rules were deemed applicable for SCN5A variant analysis. Results: Four hundred and eighty unique SCN5A variants were identified, the majority of which 425 (88%) were coding variants. One hundred and fifty‐six of 425 (37%) variants were classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic. Two hundred and fifty‐eight (60%) were classified as variants of uncertain significance, while a further 11 (3%) were classified as benign/likely benign. When considering the subset of variants that were considered "null" variants separately, 95% fulfilled criteria for pathogenicity/likely pathogenicity. In contrast, only 17% of missense variants fulfilled criteria for pathogenicity/likely pathogenicity. Importantly, however, only 25% of missense variants had available functional data, which was a major score driver for pathogenic classification. Conclusion: Based on contemporary ACMG‐AMP guidelines, only a minority of SCN5A variants implicated in BrS fulfill the criteria for pathogenicity or likely pathogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pan trapping is a common method for sampling wild bees, although the use of vane traps is growing globally. Despite this, few studies have tested the effectiveness of different coloured vane traps in attracting bees among different habitat types, and none exist in the southern hemisphere. The present study sampled 192 sites (108 in wooded habitats and 84 in open habitats) within an agricultural region of southern Australia. Pairs of coloured vane traps (one blue and one yellow) were placed at each site for a period of seven days. Combined, 16 348 individuals were collected from four families, comprising 13 genera (21 subgenera) and 55 species. Blue vane taps were most effective, sampling six times as many individuals as yellow vane traps and 96% of total species. Their effectiveness was consistent among open and wooded habitat types. The present study highlights the efficacy of vane traps as a passive sampling technique for wild bees. An added benefit of this technique is that vane traps do not require pheromones or lethal agents. A systematic sampling method best suited to the research question should be incorporated into studies of wild bees. For ecological census and population monitoring within multiple habitat types, the present study supports the use of blue vane taps as a major component of the sampling protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Demonstration of exit block after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the cornerstone of ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). It requires the demonstration of local pulmonary vein (PV) capture and absence of conduction to the atrium but is often challenging due to the inability to see local paced PV‐evoked potentials. We retrospectively examined the ability of adenosine to augment this technique during CARTO‐based radiofrequency ablation procedures. Methods: Retrospective analysis of evoked PV potentials during adenosine administration while testing for PV exit block at a single UK center. Results: One hundred and twenty‐nine PVs in 33 patients were isolated using radiofrequency energy to demonstrate entry block. Of those, the pacing of 24 veins under baseline conditions did not clearly demonstrate local PV‐evoked potentials sufficient to be sure that the local vein was truly captured and dissociated from the atrium. Adenosine was administered in 19 of these, with 10 of 19 (52.6%) veins then demonstrating clear local PV‐evoked potentials transiently during adenosine administration, sufficient to allow assessment of definite exit block. Conclusion: Adenosine administered during PV pacing allows transient visualization of local PV‐evoked potentials after PVI facilitating the clearer demonstration of PV exit block in over 50% veins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is common in critically ill, postsurgical, and posttrauma patients in whom both systemic inflammation and immune suppression are associated with adverse outcomes. RBC products contain a multitude of immunomodulatory mediators that interact with and alter immune cell function. These interactions can lead to both proinflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. Defining clinical outcomes related to immunomodulatory effects of RBCs in transfused patients remains a challenge, likely due to complex interactions between individual blood product characteristics and patient-specific risk factors. Unpacking these complexities requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of immunomodulatory effects of RBC products. In this review, we outline and classify potential mediators of RBC transfusion-related immunomodulation and provide suggestions for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthamoeba encephalitis is a rare, often fatal condition, particularly after HSCT, with 9 reported cases to date in the world literature. Our case was originally diagnosed with ALL at age 3 years, and after several relapses underwent HSCT at age 9 years. At 17 years of age, he was diagnosed with secondary AML for which he underwent a second allogeneic HSCT. He presented with acute-onset worsening neurological deficits on day +226 after the second transplant and a post-mortem diagnosis of Acanthamoeba encephalitis was established, with the aid of the CDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Carolina is a populous state (10 million) with lower-than-average income (42nd nationally) and a historically high uninsurance rate (6th nationally). Thus, the state had a large number of potential new applicants eligible for subsidized coverage, and in fact has achieved the fourth highest exchange enrollment in the country (approximately 600,000). North Carolina is also notable for being the second largest state to have only one carrier statewide-Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This field study sought to better understand the evolution of health insurance competition in the health insurance exchange marketplaces in five states: California, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. This summary highlights key findings from each of the states and offers a series of testable hypotheses about the evolution of these markets. Four broad themes emerged from the analysis. First, health insurance markets are local, largely due to the necessity to establish local networks of health care providers. Second, higher than expected claims costs were the source of much of the turmoil in the marketplaces over the initial 4 years. Third, there has been a substantial shift toward narrower networks of providers, largely achieved by eliminating preferred provider plan options. Fourth, hospital and physician competition is essential for a robust and competitive insurer market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transfusion-related immunomodulation (TRIM) in the intensive care unit (ICU) is difficult to define and likely represents a complicated set of physiologic responses to transfusion, including both proinflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. Similarly, the immunologic response to critical illness in both adults and children is highly complex and is characterized by both acute inflammation and acquired immune suppression. How transfusion may contribute to or perpetuate these phenotypes in the ICU is poorly understood, despite the fact that transfusion is common in critically ill patients. Both hyperinflammation and severe immune suppression are associated with poor outcomes from critical illness, underscoring the need to understand potential immunologic consequences of blood product transfusion. In this review we outline the dynamic immunologic response to critical illness, provide clinical evidence in support of immunomodulatory effects of blood product transfusion, review preclinical and translational studies to date of TRIM, and provide insight into future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core Ideas: This study quantifies the variability of soils at US Climate Reference Network sites.Soil properties were determined from the analysis of soil core samples.Soil properties displayed large variability with depth and location within and among sites.Variability of soil properties helped determine and interpret soil moisture variability. The objective of this study was to provide direct measurements of soil properties for 70 of the 114 US Climate Reference Network (USCRN) sites across the continental United States. Soil properties determined from the analysis of soil core samples include the particle size distribution (PSD, consisting of sand, silt, and clay contents), soil texture classifications, bulk density (BD), and the soil moisture content at water potentials of 33 kPa (field capacity, FC) and 1500 kPa (wilting point, WP). Sand, silt, and clay contents of the 70 sites indicated about 10 soil texture classifications as follows: three sites with loamy sand, 15 with sandy loam, two with clay, 11 with silt loam, five with clay loam, 10 with loam, seven with sand, eight with silty clay loam, four with sandy clay, and three with silty clay. The comparison of soil properties among soil depths and pits indicated considerable variability, with the silt, clay, and sand contents varying more with soil depth than with location at individual sites. The silt content tended to decrease with soil depth, clay tended to increase, and sand tended to vary randomly with depth. Regression lines fitted to values of FC and WP between the pits indicated a slope > 0.8, R2 > 0.88, and RMSE ranging from 2.7 to 4%. Compared with FC and WP, BD was less consistent among the pits, with slope = 0.6, R2 = 0.4, and RMSE of about 0.2 g cm−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ecosystems world-wide increasingly are subject to multiple interacting disturbances. Biodiversity in anthropogenic landscapes can be enhanced by manipulating landscape patterns, but could such landscape management also assist biota to cope with the effects of extreme climatic events, such as drought?, We surveyed woodland bird communities in 24 'whole' landscapes (each 100 km2) in an agricultural region of south-eastern Australia near the beginning (2002-2003), middle (2006-2007) and after (2011-2012) an extreme drought (the 'Millennium Drought'). We quantified the resistance, resilience and stability of the avifauna to the decade of drought and related these measures to properties of the study landscapes: the extent of wooded habitat, configuration of habitat, land-use composition, landscape productivity and geographic context., Landscape productivity, represented by the extent of riparian tree cover in the landscape, was the strongest driver of the resistance, resilience and stability of avifaunal richness to severe drought. Woodland bird communities in landscapes with larger areas of riparian tree cover retained a larger proportion of their species richness during the Millennium Drought and consequently had greater stability over the drought's duration., Synthesis and applications. Landscape properties can influence the resistance, resilience and stability of faunal communities to an extreme climatic event. By protecting, restoring and enhancing native vegetation in productive areas of landscapes along stream systems, drainage lines and floodplains, land managers can effectively build climatic refugia and thereby enhance the resistance of biota to climatic extremes. However, a net decline over the entire study period suggests this will not, by itself, arrest decline during periods of extreme drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of Cdc14 phosphatases are common in animals and fungi, but absent in plants. Although its orthologs are conserved in plant pathogenic fungi, their functions during infection are not clear. In this study, we showed that the CDC 14 ortholog is important for pathogenesis and morphogenesis in F usarium graminearum. FgCDC 14 is required for normal cell division and septum formation and FgCdc14 possesses phosphatase activity with specificity for a subset of Cdk-type phosphorylation sites. The F gcdc14 mutant was reduced in growth, conidiation, and ascospore formation. It was defective in ascosporogenesis and pathogenesis. Septation in F gcdc14 was reduced and hyphal compartments contained multiple nuclei, indicating defects in the coordination between nuclear division and cytokinesis. Interestingly, foot cells of mutant conidia often differentiated into conidiogenous cells, resulting in the production of inter-connected conidia. In the interphase, FgCdc14- GFP localized to the nucleus and spindle-pole-body. Taken together, our results indicate that Cdc14 phosphatase functions in cell division and septum formation in F . graminearum, likely by counteracting Cdk phosphorylation, and is required for plant infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We have previously shown that critically ill children transfused with red blood cells (RBCs) of longer storage durations have more suppressed monocyte function after transfusion compared to children transfused with fresher RBCs and that older stored RBCs directly suppress monocyte function in vitro, through unknown mechanisms. We hypothesized that RBC-derived microvesicles (MVs) were responsible for monocyte suppression.Study Design and Methods: To determine the role of stored RBC unit-derived MVs, we cocultured monocytes with supernatants, isolated MVs, or supernatants that had been depleted of MVs from prestorage leukoreduced RBCs that had been stored for either 7 or 30 days. Isolated MVs were characterized by electron microscopy and flow cytometry. Monocyte function after coculture experiments was measured by cytokine production after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).Results: Monocyte function was suppressed after exposure to supernatants from 30-day RBC units compared to monocytes cultured in medium alone (LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-α production, 17,611 ± 3,426 vs. 37,486 ± 5,598 pg/mL; p = 0.02). Monocyte function was not suppressed after exposure to MV fractions. RBC supernatants that had been depleted of MVs remained immunosuppressive. Treating RBC supernatants with heat followed by RNase (to degrade protein-bound RNA) prevented RBC supernatant-induced monocyte suppression.Conclusion: Our findings implicate soluble mediators of stored RBC-induced monocyte suppression outside of MV fractions and suggest that extracellular protein-bound RNAs (such as microRNA) may play a role in transfusion-related immunomodulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflecting debates about whether statutory workforce-wide consultation arrangements are likely to undermine or underpin trade union representation, unions' approaches towards the UK's Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 have been ambivalent and their engagement with the legislation limited. Evidence from longitudinal case studies in 25 organizations suggests that the introduction of information and consultation bodies did not have the effect of marginalizing trade union representation and collective bargaining, and in some cases reinforced unions' standing within the organization. The article highlights the implications for union strategies and legislative reform, and suggests a research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ablation Effectiveness Quotient Introduction Inability to predict clinical outcome despite acutely successful pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) remains the Achilles' heel of atrial fibrillation ablation (AFA). Arrhythmia recurrence is frequently due to recovery of radiofrequency (RF) ablation lesions believed to be complete at the original procedure. Objectives We hypothesized that a high ratio between post-AFA levels of serum high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (HScTnT), a highly specific marker of acute myocardial injury, and duration of RF application (the ablation effectiveness quotient, AEQ) would indicate effective ablation and correlate with early clinical success. Methods We prospectively measured HScTnT levels in 60 patients (42 [70%] male, 22 [37%] with paroxysmal AF [PAF], mean age 62.5 ± 10.6 years) 12-18 hours after AFA and calculated the AEQ for each. Patients were followed-up with ECGs and Holter monitors for recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT). Results Early recurrence of AT within 6 months occurred in 22 (37%). AT recurrence was not significantly related to left atrial size or comorbidities, nor to RF time or HScTnT level. Mean AEQ was significantly lower in those with recurrence than those without (0.35 ± 0.14 ng/L/s vs. 0.45 ± 0.18 ng/L/s), P = 0.02. Subgroup analysis showed this finding was due to patients with PAF in whom early significance was maintained to one year, with an AEQ >0.4 ng/L/s having 75% sensitivity and 90% specificity in predicting freedom from AT. Conclusion A high AEQ correlates well with freedom from AT in patients with PAF in both the short and medium term. If confirmed in further studies, AEQ may become a useful marker of risk of AT post-AFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous in vitro work showed that stored red blood cells (RBCs) increasingly suppress markers of innate immune function with increased storage time. This multicenter prospective observational study tests the hypothesis that a single RBC transfusion in critically ill children is associated with immune suppression as a function of storage time.Study Design and Methods: Blood samples were taken immediately before and 24 (±6) hours after a single RBC transfusion ordered as part of routine care. Innate and adaptive immune function was assessed by ex vivo whole blood stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phytohemagglutinin, respectively. Monocyte HLA-DR expression, regulatory T cells, plasma interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 levels were also measured.Results: Thirty-one transfused critically ill children and eight healthy controls were studied. Critically ill subjects had lower pretransfusion LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-α production capacity compared to healthy controls, indicating innate immune suppression (p < 0.0002). Those who received RBCs stored for not more than 21 days demonstrated recovery of innate immune function (p = 0.02) and decreased plasma IL-6 levels (p = 0.002) over time compared to children transfused with older blood, who showed persistence of systemic inflammation and innate immune suppression. RBC storage time was not associated with changes in adaptive immune function.Conclusion: In this pilot cohort of critically ill children, transfusion with older prestorage leukoreduced RBCs was associated with persistence of innate immune suppression and systemic inflammation. This was not seen with fresher RBCs. RBC transfusion had no short-term association with adaptive immune function. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings in a larger cohort of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Student-led clinics have the potential to meet community rehabilitation needs and provide valuable clinical placement experiences. Student-led clinical learning may offer pedagogical advantages similar to problem-based learning; however, this line of research is new and little is known about student-led clinical learning. The purpose of this study was to describe the novel learning experiences of a clinical placement in a student-led clinic from student perspectives. Methods We conducted a descriptive qualitative focus group study with six participants. The focus group began with an open-ended question: 'What does the student-led clinic mean to you as a learner?' This was followed by a discussion of three topics: (1) the student-led clinic is learner focused; (2) faculty involvement in supervision; and (3) learning in a shared space with other students. A content analysis was used to analyse the data, and a summary of the researcher's interpretations was sent to study participants for further comments. Results There were two major themes that represented experiences within the student-led clinic. 'Increased responsibility' was viewed as a novel experience, and as reducing the perceived gap between the classroom and the 'real world'. As clinical instructors do not carry their own caseload, the second theme pertained to 'Safety-in-learning'. Although this theme was not viewed as novel, it was perceived to be important in enabling autonomy. Conclusion Student-led clinics have clear community benefits by mitigating service gaps while providing experiential learning opportunities. These learning opportunities are perceived to be novel, and may resemble advantages observed in the classroom with problem-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, such as severe droughts and intense rainfall periods. We explored how the avifauna of a highly modified region responded to a 13-year drought (the 'Big Dry'), followed by a two-year period of substantially higher than average rainfall (the 'Big Wet'). Location Temperate woodlands in north central Victoria, Australia. Methods We used two spatially extensive, long-term survey programmes, each of which was repeated three times: early and late in the Big Dry, and in the Big Wet. We compared species-specific changes in reporting rates between periods in both programmes to explore the resistance (the ability to persist during drought) and resilience (extent of recovery post-drought) of species to climate extremes. Results There was a substantial decline in the reporting rates of 42-62% (depending on programme) of species between surveys conducted early and late in the Big Dry. In the Big Wet, there was some recovery, with 21-29% of species increasing substantially. However, more than half of species did not recover and 14-27% of species continued to decline in reporting rate compared with early on in the Big Dry. Species' responses were not strongly related to ecological traits. Species resistance to the drought was inversely related to resilience in the Big Wet for 20-35% of the species, while 76-78% of species with low resistance showed an overall decline across the study period. Conclusions As declines occurred largely irrespective of ecological traits, this suggests a widespread mechanism is responsible. Species that declined the most during the Big Dry did not necessarily show the greatest recoveries. In already much modified regions, climate extremes such as extended drought will induce on-going changes in the biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R2524 --> 662.4 --> Functional characterization of proteins typically involves disrupting expression by genetic deletions, mRNA knockdowns, or by inhibiting function with conditional mutations, followed by observation of concomitant biological effects. These methods, however, are prone to indirect effects resulting from the permanent or long‐term changes to the target protein expression/function. In contrast, the auxin‐inducible degradation (AID) system allows very rapid depletion of endogenous target protein levels, thereby minimizing deleterious effects from long‐term perturbation caused by some traditional methodologies. Combining the AID system with quantitative proteomics in applicable model systems allows detection of proteome changes immediately following target protein degradation. The rapid depletion achieved by AID is well‐suited to studying the biological specificity of regulatory enzymes and confidently identifying their direct substrates. Our lab is interested in understanding the role of phosphatases in the regulation of the cell cycle. We demonstrate the power of combining AID and proteomics in the budding yeast, S. cerevisiae, by targeting components of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), an abundant heterotrimeric phosphatase with numerous substrates involved in multiple cellular processes, including the cell cycle. The AID system achieves ≥ 85% reduction in the abundance of PP2A components within 10‐15 minutes after auxin addition, resulting in detectable phosphoproteome changes by 20 minutes. The rapid response time allows us to selectively probe the proximate phosphoproteome changes enriched with direct PP2A substrates while minimizing long‐term, indirect effects resulting from slower transcriptional changes and cellular adaptation responses. Current work is focused on applying this system to studying the contributions of different PP2A complexes at different cell cycle stages, providing novel information on PP2A regulatory contributions to this fundamental biological process. The AID system coupled with proteomics is broadly applicable for studying the role of almost any protein in diverse physiological settings and model organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular Ultrasound for AFA Introduction The most frequent complications of AF ablation (AFA) are related to vascular access, but there is little evidence as to how these can be minimized. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing AFA at a high-volume center received either standard care (Group S) or routine ultrasound-guided vascular access (Group U). Vascular complications were assessed before hospital discharge and by means of postal questionnaire 1 month later. Outcome measures were BARC 2+ bleeding complications, postprocedural pain, and prolonged bruising. Results Patients in Group S (n = 146) and U (n = 163) were well matched at baseline. Follow-up questionnaires were received from 92.6%. Patients in Group U were significantly less likely to have a BARC 2+ bleed, 10.4% versus 19.9% P = 0.02, were less likely to suffer groin pain after discharge (27.1% vs. 42.8%; P = 0.006) and were less likely to experience prolonged local bruising (21.5% vs. 40.4%; P = 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association of vascular complications with nonultrasound guided access (OR 3.12 95%CI 1.54-5.34; P = 0.003) and increasing age (OR 1.05 95%CI 1.01-1.09; P = 0.02). Conclusion Routine use of ultrasound-guided vascular access for AFA is associated with a significant reduction in bleeding complications, postprocedural pain, and prolonged bruising when compared to standard care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on evidence from longitudinal case studies in 25 organizations, this article examines whether information and consultation (I&C) bodies established in the context of the UK's Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 have been the vehicle for effective consultation, based on objective criteria. Assessed against the regulations' default provisions that require I&C concerning strategic business issues and major organizational change, a substantial minority of participating organizations were categorized as 'active consulters', while a majority were 'communicators'. The differing trajectories of I&C primarily reflected internal organizational dynamics, particularly management's approach to consultation. Beyond providing the catalyst for managerial moves to introduce I&C, the influence of the statutory framework proved largely peripheral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]