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A new species of Aquilonastra O’Loughlin in O’Loughlin and Waters, 2004 is described on the coast of Langkawi Island, Malaysia. This new species is distinguished from 32 congeners based on the number of arms, madreporites, superomarginal and subambulacral spines, the absence of secondary abactinal plates, the shape of abactinal spines, and the attachment site of gonads.

A new species of Flabelligena Gillet, 2001 (Annelida: Acrocirridae) was described from deep-sea sediment collected off Minamidaito Island and on Kita-Koho Seamount, 644–774 m depth. The new species can be discriminated from other known Flabelligena species by having three pairs of branchiae, 1–2 noto/neurochaetae, and ventral genital papillae on chaetiger 7. Phylogenetic analysis based on four genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 16S, 18S, and 28S) supported that the new species belonged to the genus. This is the first described species of Flabelligena from the Pacific Ocean.

It is imperative to develop aquaculture methods for the tropical sea cucumber, Stichopus fusiformiossa as it is an essential component for the pharmaceutical and traditional medicine industry in Malaysia. With sea cucumber stocks harvested freely, conservation efforts should be in place to overcome future depletion or loss of populations in the wild. This study represents the first report to induce spawning of S. fusiformiossa using conventional methods (thermal shock, desiccation, microalgae stimulation) and neurotransmitter injections (serotonin, 1-methyladenine, epinephrine, norepinephrine) in an indoor based aquaculture system. Post induction, the sea cucumbers were observed for 8 hours. They displayed classic sea cucumber pre-spawning behaviours, namely, raising their head, swaying the anterior (side to side, back and forth, head spinning/circling) and prominent visibility of the gonopore. All neurotransmitters used successfully triggered the pre-spawning behaviours, with the group induced with 1-methyladenine remaining active throughout the observation period. During the first 10 minutes (0 hr) of neurotransmitter injection, 1-methyladenine induced group had more than 50 % of the animals with visible gonopores. Generally, body-raising behaviour was observed across all treatments at 0 hr. On the other hand, swaying behaviour was displayed more frequently in all neurotransmitter induced groups, although it remained below 40 % in each case. No swaying action was revealed in the group with raised temperature and microalgae stimulation treated group. While all treatments showed varying degrees of promising pre-spawning behaviour, none spawned during the observation duration. Histology of male and female gonad development stages were also examined randomly. This study describes challenges faced during spawning induction and general maintenance of stichopodid sea cucumbers which potentially undergo autolysis or melting of their external body wall due to physical stress. Utilization of neurotransmitters was unsuccessful; however, the findings from this study paves way for further avenues of research to elucidate the spawning induction techniques of S. fusiformiossa.

Objectives This study aimed (1) to examine the association between patient engagement with a bidirectional, semiautomated postdischarge texting programme and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey outcomes, readmissions and revisit rates in a large health system and (2) to describe operational and clinical flow considerations for implementing a postdischarge texting programme.Setting The study involved 1 main academic hospital (beds: 2500+) and 6 community hospitals (beds: 190–400, averaging 300 beds per hospital) in Houston, Texas.Methods Retrospective, observational cohort study between non-engaged patients (responded with 0–2 incoming text messages) and engaged patients (responded with 3+ incoming, patient-initiated text messages) between December 2022 and May 2023. We used the two-tailed t-test for continuous variables and χ2 test for categorical variables to compare the baseline characteristics between the two cohorts. For the binary outcomes, such as the revisit (1=yes, vs 0=no) and readmissions (1=yes vs 0=no), we constructed mixed effect logistic regression models with the random effects to account for repeated measurements from the hospitals. For the continuous outcome, such as the case mix index (CMI), a generalised linear quantile mixed effect model was built. All tests for significance were two tailed, using an alpha level of 0.05, and 95% CIs were provided. Significance tests were performed to evaluate the CMI and readmissions and revisit rates.Results From 78 883 patients who were contacted over the course of this pilot implementation, 49 222 (62.4%) responded, with 39 442 (50%) responded with 3+ incoming text messages. The engaged cohort had higher HCAHPS scores in all domains compared with the non-engaged cohort. The engaged cohort used significantly fewer 30-day acute care resources, experiencing 29% fewer overall readmissions and 20% fewer revisit rates (23% less likely to revisit) and were 27% less likely to be readmitted. The results were statistically significant for all but two hospitals.Conclusions This study builds on the few postdischarge texting studies, and also builds on the patient engagement literature, finding that patient engagement with postdischarge texting can be associated with fewer acute care resources. To our knowledge, this is the only study that documented an association between a text-based postdischarge programme and HCAHPS scores, perhaps owing to the bidirectionality and ease with which patients could interact with nurses. Future research should explore the texting paradigms to evaluate their associated outcomes in a variety of postdischarge applications.

Primary hyperthyroidism is a rarely diagnosed endocrinopathy in equids and there have been no previous reports of structural and functional cardiac changes associated with hyperthyroidism in these species. This case report investigates a 20-year-old mule gelding that presented for a three-month history of thin body condition despite polyphagia, with a heart murmur and elevated free and total thyroid hormone concentrations. On presentation, physical exam revealed a body condition score of two out of nine, persistent tachycardia, pansystolic heart murmur and firm bilateral ventral proximal cervical masses. Bloodwork confirmed markedly elevated free T4, total T4 and T3 concentrations. Echocardiogram demonstrated left ventricular concentric hypertrophy with increased ventricular and atrial systolic function. Bilateral thyroidectomy was performed under standing sedation without complications. Histopathology demonstrated adenocarcinoma of the left thyroid gland and multiple adenomas with osseous metaplasia within the right thyroid. The mule was supplemented with levothyroxine sodium two weeks post-op after a thyroid panel demonstrated undetectable concentrations. Polyphagia resolved following surgery and the mule began gaining weight. Echocardiographic changes improved but did not resolve at two years post-operative. Continued bi-annual follow up and monitoring of thyroid levels was recommended. This case represents the first documentation of hemodynamically relevant cardiac remodeling in an equid associated with primary hyperthyroidism.

Two new species of Hesionidae, Parahesione pulvinata sp. nov. and Parahesione apiculata sp. nov. are described based on materials collected at tidal flats in Okinawa (Japan) from burrows of the ghost shrimps Neocallichirus jousseaumei and Glypturus armatus. The two new species are characterized by having eight enlarged cirri, dorsal cirrophores with dorsal foliose lobe and biramous parapodia, and by lacking median antenna. Parahesione apiculata sp. nov. has digitate lobes on the posterior margin of the dorsal foliose lobe (absent in P. pulvinata sp. nov.). The two new species were never found outside the ghost shrimp burrows, suggesting they are obligate symbionts. Phylogenetic analyses based on four concatenated genes suggest that the symbiotic lifestyle has evolved several times in Hesionidae.

The Association of Pathology Chairs, an organization of American and Canadian academic pathology departments, has a record percent of women department chairs in its ranks (31%), although still not representative of the percent of women pathology faculty (43%). These women chairs were surveyed to determine what had impeded and what had facilitated their academic advancement before becoming chairs. The 2 most frequently identified impediments to their career advancement were heavy clinical loads and the lack of time, training, and/or funding to pursue research. Related to the second impediment, only one respondent became chair of a department which was in a top 25 National Institutes of Health-sponsored research medical school. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said that they had experienced gender bias during their careers in pathology, and 31% identified gender bias as an important impediment to advancement. The top facilitator of career advancement before becoming chairs was a supportive family. Strikingly, 98% of respondents have a spouse or partner, 75% have children, and 38% had children younger than 18 when becoming chairs. Additional top facilitators were opportunities to attend national meetings and opportunities to participate in leadership. Previous leadership experiences included directing a clinical service, a residency training program, and/or a medical student education program. These results suggest important ways to increase the success of women in academic pathology and increasing the percent of women department chairs, including supporting a family life and providing time, encouragement and resources for research, attending national meetings, and taking on departmental leadership positions.

Four new species of Daylithos (Flabelligeridae, Annelida) are described, based on specimens collected from rocks and corals of Japan and Malaysia. Daylithos, contains one species, D. parmatus, currently reported from Japan. However, the specimens described in previous reports were unable to be located and thus deemed lost. Therefore, it was unclear whether the specimens described as D. parmatus in those studies were, indeed, the species. In Malaysia, D. parmatus has also been known as popular species from corals. The specimens collected from Langkawi (Malaysia) showed clearly different characters from D. parmatus and other congeners. In this study, we describe four new species, Daylithos japonicus, D. amamiensis, D. sugashimaensis and D. langkawiensis, based on newly-collected specimens from several part of Japan and Malaysia. These new species can be discriminated from other congeners by body colour, presence of eyes, shape of dorsal shield, length of caruncle and arrangement of neurochaetae. We have also provided mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences of the new species.

With the advent of internet technologies, students are increasingly turning towards social media and cross-platform messaging apps such as Whatsapp, Line and WeChat to support their learning processes. Although each messaging app has varying features, Whatsapp remains one of the most popular cross-platform apps that allow for fast, simple, secure messaging and free calls anytime, anywhere. There could be peer to peer learning and a lecturer will be able to share knowledge digitally via the creation of Whatsapp Groups. Content analysis techniques were utilized to analyze data collected by closed-ended question forms. Studies demonstrated that 98.8% of college students from the Monash University Foundation Year agreed that the employment of Whatsapp Groups was helpful as a learning tool. Approximately 71.3% disagreed that notifications and alerts from the Whatsapp Group was a disruption in their studies. Students commented that they could silence the notifications and hence, it would not disturb their flow of thoughts. An overwhelming majority of students (95.0%) found it enjoyable to participate in Whatsapp Groups for educational purposes. Overall, the utilization of Whatsapp Groups as a supportive technology in teaching and learning should be implemented in all classes to continuously engage our Internet Generation of students in the ever-changing digital landscape.

Plastic pollution is both a societal and environmental problem and citizen science has shown to be a useful tool to engage both the public and professionals in addressing it. However, knowledge on the educational and behavioral impacts of citizen science projects focusing on marine litter remains limited. Our preregistered study investigates the impact of the citizen science project Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) on the participants’ ocean literacy, pro-environmental intentions and attitudes, well-being, and nature connectedness, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 410 secondary school students from seven countries, in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia) were trained to sample plastics on sandy beaches and to analyze their collection in the classroom. Non-parametric statistical tests (n = 239 matched participants) demonstrate that the COLLECT project positively impacted ocean literacy (i.e., awareness and knowledge of marine litter, self-reported litter-reducing behaviors, attitudes towards beach litter removal). The COLLECT project also led to higher pro-environmental behavioral intentions for students in Benin and Ghana (implying a positive spillover effect) and higher well-being and nature connectedness for students in Benin. Results are interpreted in consideration of a high baseline in awareness and attitudes towards marine litter, a low internal consistency of pro-environmental attitudes, the cultural context of the participating countries, and the unique settings of the project’s implementation. Our study highlights the benefits and challenges of understanding how citizen science impacts the perceptions and behaviors towards marine litter in youth from the respective regions.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic responses in jails have forced detention officers to adjust how they approach the confinement and care of individuals while they are incarcerated. One aspect of incarceration affected was detention officers’ roles. The aims of this research project were to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the general duties of detention officers at a Southwest County Jail. Detention officers were recruited via email to participate in an online questionnaire from October to December 2020. Participants answered Likert scale and open-ended questions regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their job duties. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to identify themes and patterns in the responses. Results Among 24 detention officers, 87% indicated agreement that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the duties of detention officers at CCDF. The most discussed change was the introduction of a 14-day quarantine process for newly incarcerated individuals. The 14-day quarantine increased the workload of detention officers. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic responses in jail may have unintended negative consequences for the job duties of detention officers. Current and future pandemic response strategies in jails would benefit from taking staff perspectives into consideration as they are directly impacted by the COVID-19 response strategies put into place. Policy implications are discussed.

Abstract Background Most women incarcerated in jail are not physically active and do not attend recreation time (rec-time), a time dedicated to being physically active, outside. The purpose of this study was to determine barriers and facilitators to attending and being physically active during rec-time among women incarcerated in jail. Methods We recruited and distributed a cross-sectional questionnaire to 100 women incarcerated at the Coconino County Detention Facility (CCDF) in Flagstaff, Arizona from March to July 2020. Women were asked about their experience with rec-time at CCDF, including if they had ever attended, how often they attended, if they exercised at rec-time, activities they participated in, and facilitators, barriers, and benefits to attend rec-time. Results Among 99 women who completed the questionnaire, 89% had ever attended rec-time. Most women identified environmental- and health-related facilitators to attending rec-time including enjoying natural light (74%), getting fresh air (83%), a change in environment (62%), and to move around and exercise (72%). Many women indicated environmental-, equipment-, clothing, and motivation-related barriers to attending rec-time. Specifically, women believed there was a lack of equipment (56%) and limited access to proper footwear (49%). Conclusions As health and environment are important facilitators and barriers to being physically active among women incarcerated in jail, it is important to identify appropriate environmental and policy interventions to increase the use of rec-time and physical activity. If a correctional facility does not offer rec-time or a similar alternative, one should be established, accessible, and welcoming.

Bycatch in static nets (i.e., gillnets, trammel nets and tangle nets) has been identified as the leading cause of harbour porpoise mortality globally. Various options are available for mitigating and managing this risk. However, selecting the most effective management measures to balance harbour porpoise conservation needs with sustainable fishing practice is challenging. By understanding the spatial variation of bycatch risk, it is possible to tailor mitigation and management options for a specific localised area or region. This study identified areas of potential interaction between harbour porpoise and static net fishing activity. An interaction index, a measure of the coincidence of porpoise and fishing activity, was developed. Using this approach, it was possible to differentiate between areas that potentially represented concentrations of higher bycatch risk and other areas with a lower but more widespread level of risk. For the Irish and Celtic Seas, an area recognised as having the highest harbour porpoise bycatch rate in European waters, there was a low to moderate interaction index, with the risk spread over a relatively large area. In the North Sea, in contrast, high values of the interaction index occurred in smaller areas, indicating that bycatch risk was more concentrated in this region. With the exception of some coastal areas, the interaction index was generally low for the West of Scotland and Ireland region. The identification of potential areas of interaction between harbour porpoise and static net fishing provides an opportunity to focus monitoring efforts and inform management decisions. For example, the use of area‐based management encompassing small areas may be appropriate when spatially concentrated risk of bycatch is evidenced, whereas the use of technical measures, such as pingers, could be considered for areas with widespread lower risk of bycatch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioluminescence, a phenomenon observed widely in organisms ranging from bacteria to metazoans, has a significant impact on the behaviour and ecology of organisms. Among bioluminescent organisms, Polycirrus, which has unique emission wavelengths, has received attention, and advanced studies such as RNA-Seq have been conducted, but they are limited to a few cases. In addition, accurate species identification is difficult due to lack of taxonomic organization. In this study, we conducted comprehensive taxonomic survey of Japanese Polycirrus based on multiple specimens from different locations and described as three new species: Polycirrus onibi sp. nov., P. ikeguchii sp. nov. and P. aoandon sp. nov. The three species can be distinguished from the known species based on the following characters: (i) arrangement of mid-ventral groove, (ii) arrangement of notochaetigerous segments, (iii) type of neurochaetae uncini, and (iv) arrangement of nephridial papillae. By linking the bioluminescence phenomenon with taxonomic knowledge, we established a foundation for future bioluminescent research development. We also provide a brief phylogenetic tree based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences to discuss the evolution of bioluminescence and the direction of future research.

The Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) project (2021-2022) is a citizen science initiative, supported by the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), which aimed to acquire distribution and abundance data of coastal plastic litter in seven countries: in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia). In this paper, we describe the workflow used to establish and run this project, as well as the methodologies to acquire data. The COLLECT project consisted of training local students (15 - 18 years old) from ten second cycle institutions (“high schools”) on sampling and analyzing macro-, meso- and microplastics in beach sediments, using a quantitative assessment protocol. We further describe in detail the methodologies applied in assessing the impact of participating in the activities from a social sciences perspective. All documents and materials resulting from this project will be open access and available according to the FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). The results and outcomes from COLLECT will contribute to expanding knowledge and establishing baseline information on coastal plastic pollution, with citizen science being an enabler of open science, allowing data to be freely available to the public, academics and policymakers. Expected results from the use of the COLLECT protocol globally will further contribute to the identification of hotspots of coastal plastic litter, and bring awareness to local communities on the potential consequences of plastic pollution. The COLLECT project actively contributes with data suitable to survey plastic litter to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), in particular to SDG 14, on the sustainable use of the ocean.

Two new species of Discorhabdella are described from Sagami Bay, Japan. Discorhabdella has been suggested to have an ancient Tethyan origin according to discovery of their unique pseudoastrose acanthostyles from late Eocene to Oligocene deposits. This is the first record of the genus from the northwest Pacific and first record of the family Crambeidae from Japan. Discorhabdella hispida sp. nov. is distinctive within the genus by possession of special sigmoid microscleres and C-shaped isochelae with short alae. Discorhabdella misakiensis sp. nov. is characterized by short choanosomal subtylostyles, and their length overlapped with that of the ectosomal subtylostyles. Only one other species, Discorhabdella tuberosocapitata (Topsent, 1890), has the same spicule composition. However, all spicule types are larger in D. tuberosocapitata than those of D. misakiensis sp. nov., and the shape of the isochelae is different: the alae are more widely opened in D. tuberosocapitata. An identification key to species of the genus Discorhabdella is also provided. The discovery of two new species from warm temperate northwest Pacific extends the geographical distribution of the genus Discorhabdella.

Abstract Background Melioidosis, the infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is associated with a high case fatality rate, due in part to difficulties in clinical recognition and diagnostic confirmation of the disease. Although head and neck involvement is common in children, specific disease manifestations differ between geographic regions. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of melioidosis of the head and neck among children in Sarawak, Malaysia, and determine if fine-needle aspiration of suspected head or neck lesions could improve melioidosis diagnosis. Methods We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of all children aged

Mangroves occur in tropical and subtropical regions, including harsh arid areas. Little is known about how the environmental conditions of deserts influence the ecology of mangrove seedlings. The seedlings of the mangrove Avicennia marina were examined in situ in a natural stand of the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia to (1) estimate and compare the growth rate of A. marina between selected microhabitats with different tidal exposures, and (2) examine the influence of sandstorms on the growth and survival of the seedlings. Samplings were conducted in four zones established according to their tidal exposure: low tidal exposure (Z1), medium tidal exposure (Z2), high tidal exposure with numerous burrows (Z3), and high tidal exposure with a few or no burrows (Z4). Vertical growth and mortality of the seedlings and selected environmental variables were quantified. The results show that seedling growth rates differed significantly between the sampling zones, the highest growth being found in the high tidal regions (Z3 followed by Z4) and the lowest growth in Z1. Growth rate followed a significant decreasing pattern over time, coinciding with increasing air temperature and decreasing relative humidity. Sandstorms showed a marked increase in July, leading to massive dust deposition that caused extensive mortality of the seedlings by burial. Our study highlights that seedling growth can be affected by the extent of tidal inundation and that sandstorms act as a natural stressor.