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Motivation: A well‐constructed nest is a key element of successful reproduction in most species of birds, and nest morphology varies widely across the class. Macroecological and macroevolutionary studies tend to group nest design into a small number of discrete categories, often based on taxonomic inference. In reality, however, many species display considerable intraspecific variation in their nest‐building behaviour, and broad‐level categories may include several functionally distinct nest types. To address this imprecision in the literature and facilitate future studies of broad‐scale variation in avian parental care, we here introduce a detailed, global comparative database of nest building in birds, together with preliminary correlations between these traits and species‐level environmental variables. Main types of variables contained: We present species‐level data for nest structure, location, height, material composition, sex of builder, building time and nest dimensions. Spatial location and grain: Global. Maps are presented at the 10 × 10 level. Time period and grain: Included species are generally extant, although we present some data for recently extinct taxa. The data were collected in 2017–2021 and was drawn from secondary sources published in 1992–2021. Major taxa and level of measurement: Partial or complete trait data is presented for 8601 species of birds, representing 36 of 36 orders and 239 of 243 families. Software format: Data have been uploaded as Supplementary Material in.csv format and are separated by species and source for all traits (Dataset S1, and Metadata) as well as summarized at the species level for the major structure and location variables (Dataset S2, and Metadata). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between treatment modality and chronic opioid use in a large cohort of patients with head and neck cancer.Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.Setting: Single academic center.Methods: There were 388 patients with head and neck cancer treated between January 2011 and December 2017 who met inclusion criteria. Clinical risk factors for opioid use at 3 and 6 months were determined with univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: The prevalence of opioid use was 43.0% at 3 months and 33.2% at 6 months. On multivariate analysis, primary chemoradiation (odds ratio [OR], 4.04; 95% CI, 1.91-8.55) and surgery with adjuvant chemoradiation (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.09-5.26) were associated with opioid use at 3 months. Additional risk factors at that time point included pretreatment opioid use (OR, 7.63; 95% CI, 4.09-14.21) and decreasing age (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06). At 6 months, primary chemoradiation (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.34-4.28), pretreatment opioid use (OR, 5.86; 95% CI, 3.30-10.38), current tobacco use (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.18-3.40), and psychiatric disorder (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.02-3.14) were associated with opioid use.Conclusion: Of the patients who receive different treatment modalities, those receiving primary chemoradiation are independently at highest risk for chronic opioid use. Other risk factors include pretreatment opioid use, tobacco use, and a psychiatric disorder. In an effort to reduce their risk of chronic opioid use, preventative strategies should be especially directed to these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Rotavirus infection is the leading cause of fatal diarrhea among children younger than 5 y, accounting for 453,000 deaths in the year 2008 based on recently published World Health [...], Background: To minimize potential risk of intussusception, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended in 2009 that rotavirus immunization should be initiated by age 15 weeks and completed before 32 weeks. These restrictions could adversely impact vaccination coverage and thereby its health impact, particularly in developing countries where delays in vaccination often occur. Methods and Findings: We conducted a modeling study to estimate the number of rotavirus deaths prevented and the number of intussusception deaths caused by vaccination when administered on the restricted schedule versus an unrestricted schedule whereby rotavirus vaccine would be administered with DTP vaccine up to age 3 years. Countries were grouped on the basis of child mortality rates, using WHO data. Inputs were estimates of WHO rotavirus mortality by week of age from a recent study, intussusception mortality based on a literature review, predicted vaccination rates by week of age from USAID Demographic and Health Surveys, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and WHO-UNICEF 2010 country-specific coverage estimates, and published estimates of vaccine efficacy and vaccine-associated intussusception risk. On the basis of the error estimates and distributions for model inputs, we conducted 2,000 simulations to obtain median estimates of deaths averted and caused as well as the uncertainty ranges, defined as the 5th-95th percentile, to provide an indication of the uncertainty in the estimates. We estimated that in low and low-middle income countries a restricted schedule would prevent 155,800 rotavirus deaths (5th-95th centiles, 83,300217,700) while causing potentially 253 intussusception deaths (76-689). In contrast, vaccination without age restrictions would prevent 203,000 rotavirus deaths (102,000-281,500) while potentially causing 547 intussusception deaths (2371,160). Thus, removing the age restrictions would avert an additional 47,200 rotavirus deaths (18,700-63,700) and cause an additional 294 (161-471) intussusception deaths, for an incremental benefit-risk ratio of 154 deaths averted for every death caused by vaccine. These extra deaths prevented under an unrestricted schedule reflect vaccination of an additional 21%25% children, beyond the 63%-73% of the children who would be vaccinated under the restricted schedule. Importantly, these estimates err on the side of safety in that they assume high vaccine-associated risk of intussusception and do not account for potential herd immunity or non-fatal outcomes. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests that in low- and middle-income countries the additional lives saved by removing age restrictions for rotavirus vaccination would far outnumber the potential excess vaccine-associated intussusception deaths. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Clark, Andrew D. H., Joanne M. Youd, Stephen Rattigan, Eugene J. Barrett, and Michael G. Clark. Heterogeneity of laser Doppler flowmetry in perfused muscle indicative of nutritive and nonnutritive flow. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 280: H1324-H1333, 2001.--Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) signal responses have been compared with metabolic changes using both a surface macroprobe and randomly placed implantable microprobes in muscles of the constant-flow-perfused rat hindlimb. Changes in response to total flow and to vasoconstrictors that are known to increase (norepinephrine, NE) or decrease (serotonin, 5-HT) hindlimb oxygen uptake were assessed. The surface macroprobe (anterior end of biceps femoris) identified only one type of LDF response characterized by increased signal in response to NE and decreased signal in response to 5-HT. Implanted microprobes (tibialis, gastrocnemius, vastus, or bicep femoris) identified sites that gave three LDF responses of differing character. These responses were where the LDF signal increased with NE and decreased with 5-HT (56.7%), where the LDF signal decreased with NE and increased with 5-HT (16.5%), or where there was no net response to either vaso-constrictor (24.7%). The data are consistent with discrete regions of nutritive and nonnutritive flow in muscle where flow in each as controlled by vasoconstrictors relates directly to the metabolic behavior of the tissue. microcirculation; regional blood flow; shunts; hemodynamics

Insulin-mediated hemodynamic effects in muscle were assessed in relation to insulin resistance in obese and lean Zucker rats. Whole-body glucose infusion rate (GIR), femoral blood flow (FBF), hindleg glucose extraction (HGE), hindleg glucose uptake (HGU), 2-deoxyglucose (DG) uptake into muscles of the lower leg (R(g)), and metabolism of infused 1-methylxanthine (1-MX) to measure capillary recruitment were determined for isogylcemic (4.8 +/- 0.2 mmol/l, lean; 11.7 +/- 0.6 mmol/l, obese) insulin-clamped (20 mU. min(-1). kg(-1) x 2 h) and saline-infused control anesthetized age-matched (20 weeks) lean and obese animals. Obese rats (445 +/- 5 g) were less responsive to insulin than lean animals (322 +/- 4 g) for GIR (7.7 +/- 1.4 vs. 22.2 +/- 1.1 mg. min(-1). kg(-1), respectively), and when compared with saline-infused controls there was no increase due to insulin by obese rats in FBF, HGE, HGU, and R(g) of soleus, plantaris, red gastrocnemius, white gastrocnemius, extensor digitorum longus (EDL), or tibialis muscles. In contrast, lean animals showed marked increases due to insulin in FBF (5.3-fold), HGE (5-fold), HGU (8-fold), and R(g) ( approximately 5.6-fold). Basal (saline) hindleg 1-MX metabolism was 1.5-fold higher in lean than in obese Zucker rats, and insulin increased in only that of the lean. Hindleg 1-MX metabolism in the obese decreased slightly in response to insulin, thus postinsulin lean was 2.6-fold that of the postinsulin obese. We conclude that muscle insulin resistance of obese Zucker rats is accompanied by impaired hemodynamic responses to insulin, including capillary recruitment and FBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No comparative clinical information on the properties of lipid-associated amphotericin preparations is presently available. In this single-centre retrospective analysis over a 5-year period the indications, efficacy and toxicity of true liposomal amphotericin (AmBisome®) were compared with a lipid complexed preparation (Abelcet®). In a novel approach APACHE III scores were used in addition to neutrophil counts, disease status and additional immunosuppression to accurately assess the severity of illness in both groups and enable valid comparison. Overall, AmBisome at a median dose of 1.9 mg/kg/d was found to have similar clinical outcome to Abelcet at a median dose of 4.8 mg/kg/d. Nephrotoxicity and electrolyte abnormalities were similar in both groups. Rigors and febrile episodes were more common with Abelcet. Prospective randomized comparative trials are required to clarify the optimum dosages and therapeutic and economic issues associated with these agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2018, Afghanistan introduced the monovalent oral rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix) nationwide, administered as a 2-dose series at six and ten weeks of age. We describe characteristics of intussusception cases and assess potential intussusception risk associated with Rotarix vaccination in Afghan infants. Multi-center prospective active hospital-based surveillance for intussusception was conducted from May 2018 to March 2022 in four sentinel sites in Afghanistan. We applied the Brighton Level 1 criteria for intussusception and verified vaccination status by reviewing vaccine cards. We used the self-controlled case series (SCCS) methodology to compare intussusception incidence in the 1 to 21 days after each dose of Rotarix vaccination against non-risk periods. A total of 468 intussusception cases were identified in infants under 12 months, with 264 cases aged between 28 and 245 days having confirmed vaccination status contributing to the SCCS analysis. Most case-patients (98 %) required surgery for treatment, and over half (59 %) of those who underwent surgery required intestinal resection. Nineteen (7 %) case-patients died. Eighty-six percent of case-patients received the first dose of Rotarix, and 69 % received the second dose before intussusception symptom onset. There was no increased risk of intussusception in the 1–7 days (relative incidence: 0.9, 95 % CI: 0.1, 7.5), 8–21 days (1.3, 95 % CI: 0.4, 4.2), or 1–21 days (1.1, 95 % CI: 0.4, 3.4) following receipt of the first dose or in the 1–7 days (0.2, 95 % CI: 0.3, 1.8), 8–21 days (0.7, 95 % CI: 0.3, 1.5), or 1–21 days (0.6, 95 % CI: 0.3, 1.2) following the second dose. Rotarix vaccination was not associated with an increased intussusception risk, supporting its continued use in Afghanistan's immunization program. However, there was a high level of death and resection due to intussusception among Afghan infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Afghanistan introduced monovalent rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix) into its national immunisation schedule in January, 2018. While post-licensure studies have shown substantial declines in rotavirus gastroenteritis cases and deaths globally, there is little evidence of rotavirus vaccine effectiveness and impact from low-income countries in Asia. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Rotarix vaccine and the impact of Rotarix vaccine on rotavirus gastroenteritis hospitalisations (ie, hospital admissions) among children younger than 5 years in Afghanistan., Methods: We used a test-negative case-control design embedded in an active sentinel surveillance platform to evaluate vaccine effectiveness. Children born on or after Jan 1, 2018, who had documentation of their rotavirus vaccination status and who were admitted for acute gastroenteritis at one of four sentinel hospitals from May, 2018 to December, 2021 were eligible to be included. We used an unconditional logistic regression model to estimate vaccine effectiveness and 95% CIs for a complete series of doses compared with no rotavirus vaccine doses among patients admitted with acute gastroenteritis. Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation was calculated as (1 - [odds of being vaccinated in cases] / [odds of being vaccinated in controls]) × 100%. We compared pre-vaccine (2013-15) and post-vaccine (2019-21) surveillance data from two sites to calculate vaccine impact., Findings: The vaccine effectiveness analysis included 1172 cases and 2173 controls. Approximately 2108 (63·0%) of 3345 cases and controls were male, 1237 (37·0%) were female, and 2171 (65·0%) were aged 6-11 months. Two doses of Rotarix were 45% (95% CI 22-62) effective against rotavirus hospitalisation in children aged 6-59 months, adjusting for age, severity, admission year, and rotavirus season. Rotavirus positivity decreased from 51% pre-vaccine to 39% post-vaccine, resulting in a 39% adjusted reduction in rotavirus positivity among children younger than 5 years admitted with acute gastroenteritis., Interpretation: Rotarix showed moderate effectiveness in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis hospitalisations, consistent with findings in other low-income countries. These findings support the continued administration of the rotavirus vaccine in Afghanistan., Funding: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance., Translation: For the Dari translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been linked to obesity-related insulin resistance and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, but the mechanisms have not been elucidated. To investigate whether TNF-alpha directly impairs insulin-mediated vasoreactivity in skeletal muscle resistance arteries and the role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in this interference., Methods and Results: Insulin-mediated vasoreactivity of isolated resistance arteries of the rat cremaster muscle to insulin (4 to 3400 microU/mL) was studied in the absence and presence of TNF-alpha (10 ng/mL). Although insulin or TNF-alpha alone did not affect arterial diameter, insulin induced dose-dependent vasoconstriction of cremaster resistance arteries in the presence of TNF-alpha, (-12+/-1% at 272 microU/mL). Blocking endothelin receptors in the absence of TNF-alpha uncovered insulin-mediated vasodilatation (18+/-6% at 272 microU/mL) but not in the presence of TNF-alpha (2+/-2% at 272 microU/mL), showing that TNF-alpha inhibits vasodilator effects of insulin. Using digital imaging microscopy, we discovered that TNF-alpha activates JNK in arterial endothelium, visible as an increase in phosphorylated JNK. Moreover, inhibition of JNK with the cell-permeable peptide inhibitor L-JNKI abolished insulin-mediated vasoconstriction in the presence of TNF-alpha, showing that JNK is required for interaction between TNF-alpha and insulin., Conclusions: TNF-alpha inhibits vasodilator but not vasoconstrictor effects of insulin in skeletal muscle resistance arteries, resulting in insulin-mediated vasoconstriction in the presence of TNF-alpha. This effect of TNF-alpha is critically dependent on TNF-alpha-mediated activation of JNK.