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Evolutionary innovations have played an important role in shaping the diversity of life on Earth. However, how these innovations arise and their downstream effects on patterns of morphological diversification remain poorly understood. Here, we examine the impact of evolutionary innovation on trait diversification in tetraodontiform fishes (pufferfishes, boxfishes, ocean sunfishes, and allies). This order provides an ideal model system for studying morphological diversification owing to their range of habitats and divergent morphologies, including the fusion of the teeth into a beak in several families. Using three-dimensional geometric morphometric data for 176 extant and fossil species, we examine the effect of skull integration and novel habitat association on the evolution of innovation. Strong integration may be a requirement for rapid trait evolution and facilitating the evolution of innovative structures, like the tetraodontiform beak. Our results show that the beak arose in the presence of highly conserved patterns of integration across the skull, suggesting that integration did not limit the range of available phenotypes to tetraodontiforms. Furthermore, we find that beaks have allowed tetraodontiforms to diversify into novel ecological niches, irrespective of habitat. Our results suggest that general rules pertaining to evolutionary innovation may be more nuanced than previously thought., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE).)

Purpose: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a syndrome that often occurs after surgery. Nursing staff are the first-line personnel who have the most time and close contact with postoperative patients. If delirium is not recognized immediately, it will affect the patient's prognosis and increase clinical care requirements and health care costs. This study explores postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nursing staff's knowledge and ability to recognize POD in patients., Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted with purposive sampling to recruit nurses from hospital PACUs in central and southern Taiwan. Data were collected from April to December 2019 using a questionnaire survey on knowledge of POD and videos to test delirium recognition abilities., Methods: A total of 178 nurses from 9 hospitals met the inclusion criteria for participation; 2 participants were unable to attend because of taking leave, resulting in 176 valid questionnaires., Findings: The percentage of correct answers for POD knowledge was 63.84%, and for recognizing POD was 59.1%, both at a moderate level. Nurses' advanced skills significantly influenced their POD knowledge and recognition abilities. There was a positive correlation between PACU nurses' POD knowledge and recognition abilities (r = 0.23, P < .01)., Conclusions: PACU nurses demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge and ability to recognize POD in patients. Those with higher-level nursing skills showed better POD knowledge and recognition abilities. Nurses with better POD knowledge exhibited higher recognition abilities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None to report., (Copyright © 2024 The American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In sport, the awakening responses of cortisol (CAR) and testosterone (TAR) have been used as evaluative tools. Research findings are, however, inconsistent and the mechanisms involved are unclear. This study investigated the CAR and TAR in male athletes across light and heavy training weeks, focusing on skeletal muscle damage as a mediating factor. Twenty elite male judokas were assessed across consecutive weeks of light and heavy training (i.e., 6 days, 9-10 weekly sessions). Plasma cortisol and testosterone concentrations were measured post-awakening (+3, +30, +60 mins), along with creatine kinase (CK) at +3 mins. The CAR and TAR were indexed by baseline-corrected change scores (Δb30, Δb60) and area under the curve (AUCb30, AUCb60). The early-morning surge in plasma cortisol concentration (CAR Δb30 , CAR Δb60 , CAR AUCb30 , CAR AUCb60 ) was significantly larger after light versus heavy training with effect-size differences of 2.14-2.64. The post-awakening decline in plasma testosterone (TAR Δb30 , TAR AUCb30 , TAR AUCb60 ) was found to be significantly less pronounced, whilst CK level was elevated, after heavy than light training with effect-size differences of 0.95-1.04 and 4.70, respectively. Causal mediation analysis confirmed that CK mediated, in part, the training effect on the CAR, but not TAR, measures. In summary, male judokas, upon rising after a light training block, displayed a rising CAR (36%, 22%) and declining TAR (-11%, -15%) at +30 and +60 mins. A high-intensity training block suppressed the CAR (21%, 8%) and attenuated the TAR (-7%, -13%) with accompanying muscle damage offering one mechanism to partly explain the CAR differences., Competing Interests: The authors report that there are no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © Institute of Sport – National Research Instutite.)

Background: The Dohne Merino sheep was introduced to Australia from South Africa in the 1990s. It was primarily used in crosses with the Merino breed sheep to improve on attributes such as reproduction and carcass composition. Since then, this breed has continued to expand in Australia but the number of genotyped and phenotyped purebred individuals remains low, calling into question the accuracy of genomic selection. The Australian Merino, on the other hand, has a substantial reference population in a separate genomic evaluation (MERINOSELECT). Combining these resources could fast track the impact of genomic selection on the smaller breed, but the efficacy of this needs to be investigated. This study was based on a dataset of 53,663 genotypes and more than 2 million phenotypes. Its main objectives were (1) to characterize the genetic structure of Merino and Dohne Merino breeds, (2) to investigate the utility of combining their evaluations in terms of quality of predictions, and (3) to compare several methods of genetic grouping. We used the 'LR-method' (Linear Regression) for these assessments., Results: We found very low Fst values (below 0.048) between the different Merino lines and Dohne breed considered in our study, indicating very low genetic differentiation. Principal component analysis revealed three distinct groups, identified as purebred Merino, purebred Dohne, and crossbred animals. Considering the whole population in the reference led to the best quality of predictions and the largest increase in accuracy (from 'LR-method') from pedigree to genomic-based evaluations: 0.18, 0.14 and 0.16 for yearling fibre diameter (YFD), yearling greasy fleece weight (YGFW) and yearling liveweight (YWT), respectively. Combined genomic evaluations showed higher accuracies than the evaluation based on the Dohne reference only (accuracies increased by 0.16, 0.06 and 0.07 for YFD, YGFW, and YWT, respectively). For the combined genomic evaluations, metafounder models were more accurate than Unknown Parent Groups models (accuracies increased by 0.04, 0.04 and 0.06 for YFD, YGFW and YWT, respectively)., Conclusions: We found promising results for the future transition of the Dohne breed from pedigree to genomic selection. A combined genomic evaluation, with the MERINOSELECT evaluation in addition to using metafounders, is expected to enhance the quality of genomic predictions for the Dohne Merino breed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The dingo is a wild dog endemic to Australia with enigmatic origins. Dingoes are one of two remaining unadmixed populations of an early East Asian dog lineage, the other being wild dogs from the New Guinea highlands, but morphological connections between these canid groups have long proved elusive. Here, we investigate this issue through a morphometric study of ancient dingo remains found at Lake Mungo and Lake Milkengay, in western New South Wales. Direct accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates from an ancient Lake Mungo dingo demonstrate that dingoes with a considerably smaller build than the predominant modern morphotype were present in semi-arid southeastern Australia c.3000-3300 calBP. 3D geometric morphometric analysis of a near-complete Mungo cranium finds closest links to East Asian and New Guinean dogs, providing the first morphological evidence of links between early dingoes and their northern relatives. This ancient type is no longer extant within the range of modern dingo variability, but populations from nearby southeastern Australia show a closer resemblance than those to the north and west. Our results reaffirm prior characterisations of regional variability in dingo phenotype as not exclusively derived from recent domestic dog hybridisation but as having an earlier precedent, and suggest further that the dingo's phenotype has changed over time., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

As the population ages and grows, health services must evolve in ways to offer versatile patient care, whilst improving patient outcomes and maintaining long-term economic viability. A facility assisting in the provision of such healthcare is the hybrid operating room (HOR): a specialised suite allowing simultaneous radiological and surgical diagnostics and therapeutics in a single episode of care. Versatile and customizable, the HOR is utilised by a broad range of subspecialties in elective and emergency settings, including (but not limited to) vascular surgery, trauma surgery and interventional radiology. Though the benefits of hybrid techniques to patient care are well known, the actual steps in operationalising the HOR can be challenging if not considered and coordinated appropriately. The intention of this narrative review is to highlight issues and suggest solutions in the design and commissioning of an HOR. Key areas in need of specific attention include stakeholder involvement, economic feasibility, suite location, workflow planning, hybrid equipment choice, and team organisation., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestThe authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Objective: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) may develop into elevated anxiety or depression symptoms, but few risk factors for this development are known. Objective recurrence risk estimation is possible in some cancers. Using theories of risk communication and phobias, we examined whether the proportionality of FCR to known objective recurrence risk influences the development of anxiety and depression symptoms., Method: Uveal melanoma (UM) patients can opt for reliable prognostic testing. Patients experience either a 'good' or 'poor' prognostic outcome, whereby 10-year mortality due to metastatic disease is, respectively, low or high. In a five-year prospective study of a consecutive sample of 589 UM survivors, we used random intercept cross lagged panel analyses to examine whether proportionality differentially influences whether FCR progresses to anxiety and depression., Results: Positive cross paths predicting anxiety from FCR were stronger in the poor prognosis group than the good prognosis and not tested groups. Prognostic group differences were not evident for depression., Conclusions: FCR was more likely to progress to elevated anxiety symptoms when proportionate to the known objective recurrence risk. Objective evidence may play a prominent role in the development and structure of fear because it assumes a high epistemic weight that activates a wide range of emotional and cognitive responses. Interventions that assist survivors to tolerate FCR in the presence of higher recurrence risks may be important in reducing anxiety symptoms., (© 2024 The Authors. British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects up to 11% of the population. General practice is at the forefront of the identification of patients with declining kidney function, and appropriate monitoring and management of patients with CKD. An individualized and patient-centred approach is currently recommended in guidelines, but would be enhanced by more detailed guidance on how this should be applied to different age groups, such as use of a kidney trajectory chart. We explored the opinion of general practitioners (GPs) about the potential utility of kidney trajectory charts., Methods: Qualitative study interviewing 27 Australian GPs about their management of chronic kidney disease. GPs were presented with charts that plotted percentiles of kidney function (eGFR) with age and discussed how they would use the charts manage to patients with declining kidney function. GPs' opinion was sought as to how useful these charts might be in clinical practice., Results: Most GPs were positive about the use of kidney trajectory charts to assist them with recognition and management of declining kidney function in general practice: e.g, comments included a "valuable tool", "a bit of an eye opener"," will help me explain to the patients", "I'll stick it on my wall.". GPs responded that the charts could help monitor patients, trigger early recognition of a younger patient at risk, and assist with older patients to determine when treatment may not be warranted. GPs also thought that charts could also be useful to motivate patients and help them monitor their own condition., Conclusions: Use of percentile charts in conjunction with the current CKD guidelines help support a patient-centred model of care. Kidney trajectory charts can help patients to understand their risk of further kidney damage or decline. Research on the use of these charts in clinical practice should be undertaken to further develop their use., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests- Paul Glasziou and Jenny Doust report grants from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council during the period of this study. Michelle Guppy, Paul Glasziou, and Jenny Doust received a grant from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Foundation to undertake this research. Joy Bowles was paid as a research assistant through this grant. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: © 2024 Guppy et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Prominent product placement is a core promotional tactic in retail food environments. How this practice has been adapted for online supermarkets, and the extent to which it is applied to healthier and less healthy food products in this setting, is largely unknown. We aimed to investigate placement-type promotions of food products in Australian online supermarkets., Methods: We developed a new method to assess placement promotions and applied it to the online stores of the two largest supermarket retailers in Australia. Each online store was audited across six 'locations' (input prior to data collection), including a randomly selected high socio-economic position area and low socio-economic position area from each of the three largest Australian cities. The names, page locations and type of placement strategy of promoted food products were captured, with product healthiness assessed using the Health Star Rating (HSR) nutrient profiling system. Descriptive statistics summarised the page locations of promoted products and the placement strategies used to promote them, and chi-squared tests applied to compare product healthiness by retailer and socio-economic position., Results: We recorded 12,152 food products promoted through placement strategies, 99% of which were eligible for a HSR. Overall, 44% of products promoted through placement strategies were unhealthy. Cross-promotions and recommendations was the most common strategy recorded overall (55.9% of all strategies), and advertisements and site content was the strategy most likely to promote unhealthy products (53.7% of products unhealthy). One retailer was more likely to promote unhealthy products (46% v 43%, p = 0.004) and unhealthy products were more likely to be promoted in more disadvantaged than less disadvantaged locations (45% vs 43%, p = 0.05), though the magnitudes of difference were small., Conclusions: A considerable number of unhealthy products are likely presented to online grocery shoppers in Australia. Public health policies targeting unhealthy food promotions may need to be updated, including with consideration of the different ways that products can be prominently displayed online, to avoid exacerbating risks of diet-related disease and health inequalities. Our novel methodology could be used for ongoing monitoring of online supermarkets in Australia and elsewhere to inform such policies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Guidelines for terminology defining chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been in use for 20 years. Age is not currently considered in the guideline definition of CKD. In previous studies, General Practitioners (GPs) have been reluctant to give older patients the label of CKD., Aim: Our study aimed to determine what language general practitioners are using to describe or label chronic kidney disease with their older patients, and to explore the reasons for their use of alternative language., Design & Setting: This was a descriptive qualitative interview study of Australian GPs., Method: Twenty-seven GPs were recruited via email and interviewed regarding their management of CKD., GPs were asked what language and terminology they used when discussing a diagnosis of CKD with their older patients., Results: "Labelling of CKD", the language that GPs use when talking about CKD with their patients, emerged as a major theme from the initial GP interviews. Sub-themes emerged, including: types of labels, alternate labels and rationale for alternate labelling. GPs used descriptions of "reduced kidney function" to explain CKD to their patients, either in parallel with the diagnosis of CKD or instead of it. GPs had concerns about the words "chronic" and "disease" and used different terminology to explain these words to patients when diagnosing them with CKD., Conclusion: GPs use alternative descriptions to explain mild decrease in kidney function with older patients. Alternative labels that denote level of risk to older patients, without creating unnecessary concern about normal age-related kidney function need to be explored., (Copyright © 2024, The Authors.)

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common condition with complex psychological and biological background. While its aetiology is still unclear, chronic stress stands amongst major risk factors to MDD pathogenesis. When researching on MDD, it is necessary to be familiar with the neurobiological effects of several prominent contributors to the chronic stress factor experienced across hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neurotransmission, immune system reflexivity, and genetic alterations. Bi-directional flow of MDD pathogenesis suggests that psychological factors produce biological effects. Here, a summary of how the MDD expresses its mechanisms of action across an overactive HPA axis, the negative impacts of reduced neurotransmitter functions, the inflammatory responses and their gene x environment interactions. This paper builds on these conceptual factors and their input towards the MDD symptomatology with a purpose of synthesising the current findings and create an integrated view of the MDD pathogenesis. Finally, relevant treatment implications will be summarised, along with recommendations to a multimodal clinical practice.

Exposure to traumatic and/or violent events is an inherent part of the first responder role, which increases the risk of developing acute and chronic mental health symptoms and conditions. Suicidality for Australian first responders have recently increased with prevalence considered much higher compared with the general population. To inform specific recommendations for Australian first responders, there is a need to establish what evidence is available regarding these issues within the Australian context. The aim of this scoping review was to explore the impacts of trauma on the mental health of Australian first responders, the strategies recommended to address these issues and any unique needs in rural contexts. A scoping review was undertaken following PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews. Peer-reviewed articles on Australian first responder mental health from seven databases were screened for inclusion. This review highlights that despite available evidence on the types of traumas and adverse mental health outcomes experienced, less evidence exists pertaining to intervention effectiveness. There are major gaps in evidence within rural and remote contexts which hinders effective planning and delivery of support for rural and regional first responders. Clinicians such as mental health nurses, particularly in rural areas, need to be aware of these gaps which impact planning and delivery of support and are in prime position to ensure screening, interventions and strategies are used and evaluated to determine their suitability for rural first responders., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Mental Health Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objectives: To examine relationships between visual function (ie, contrast sensitivity, visual field, color vision, and motion perception) and cognitive impairment, including any definition of "cognitive impairment," mild cognitive impairment, or dementia., Design: Systematic review and meta-analyses., Setting and Participants: Any settings; participants with (cases) or without (controls) cognitive impairment., Methods: We searched 4 databases (to January 2024) and included published studies that compared visual function between cases and controls. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% CIs were calculated where data were available. Data were sufficient for meta-analyses when cases were people with dementia. The Joanna Briggs Institute checklists were used for quality assessment., Results: Fifty-one studies/69 reports were included. Cross-sectional evidence shows that people with dementia had worse contrast sensitivity function and color vision than controls: measured by contrast sensitivity (log units) on letter charts, SMD -1.22 (95% CI -1.98, -0.47), or at varied spatial frequencies, -0.92 (-1.28, -0.57); and by pseudoisochromatic plates, -1.04 (-1.59, -0.49); color arrangement, -1.30 (-2.31, -0.29); or matching tests, -0.51 (-0.78, -0.24). They also performed more poorly on tests of motion perception, -1.20 (-1.73, -0.67), and visual field: mean deviation, -0.87 (-1.29, -0.46), and pattern standard deviation, -0.69 (-1.24, -0.15). Results were similar when cases were limited to participants with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer disease. Sources of bias included lack of clarity on study populations or settings and definitions of cognitive impairment. The 2 included longitudinal studies with follow-ups of approximately 10 years were of good quality but reported inconsistent results., Conclusions and Implications: In the lack of longitudinal data, cross-sectional studies indicate that individuals with cognitive impairment have poorer visual function than those with normal cognition. Additional longitudinal data are needed to understand whether poor visual function precedes cognitive impairment and the most relevant aspects of visual function, dementia pathologies, and domains of cognition., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder, is being studied alongside its comorbidity, conduct disorder (CD), a behavioral disorder. Because ADHD and CD share commonalities, distinguishing them is difficult, thus increasing the risk of misdiagnosis. It is crucial that these two conditions are not mistakenly identified as the same because the treatment plan varies depending on whether the patient has CD or ADHD. Hence, this study proposes an electroencephalogram (EEG)-based deep learning system known as ADHD/CD-NET that is capable of objectively distinguishing ADHD, ADHD + CD, and CD. The 12-channel EEG signals were first segmented and converted into channel-wise continuous wavelet transform (CWT) correlation matrices. The resulting matrices were then used to train the convolutional neural network (CNN) model, and the model's performance was evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation. Gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) was also used to provide explanations for the prediction result made by the 'black box' CNN model. Internal private dataset (45 ADHD, 62 ADHD + CD and 16 CD) and external public dataset (61 ADHD and 60 healthy controls) were used to evaluate ADHD/CD-NET. As a result, ADHD/CD-NET achieved classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision of 93.70%, 90.83%, 95.35% and 91.85% for the internal evaluation, and 98.19%, 98.36%, 98.03% and 98.06% for the external evaluation. Grad-CAM also identified significant channels that contributed to the diagnosis outcome. Therefore, ADHD/CD-NET can perform temporal localization and choose significant EEG channels for diagnosis, thus providing objective analysis for mental health professionals and clinicians to consider when making a diagnosis., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-023-10028-2., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

In the development of communication devices for individuals who are Deafblind, a significant challenge is achieving a seamless transition from human-generated to technology-mediated communication. This study compares the intelligibility of the Australian Deafblind tactile fingerspelling alphabet rendered on the HaptiComm tactile communication device with the same alphabet articulated by a human signer. After a short training period, participants identified the 26 English alphabet letters in both the mediated (device) and non-mediated (human) conditions. Results indicated that while participants easily identified most letters in the non-mediated condition, the mediated condition was more difficult to decipher. Specifically, letters presented on the palm or near the index finger had significantly lower recognition rates. These findings highlight the need for further research on the tactile features of communication devices and emphasize the importance of refining these features to enhance the reliability and readability of mediated tactile communication produced through tactile fingerspelling.

Background: The ongoing global crisis of Higher Education (HE) institutions during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period has increased the likelihood of enduring psychological stressors for staff. This study aimed to identify factors associated with job insecurity, burnout, psychological distress and coping amongst staff working at HE institutions globally., Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 with staff at HE institutions across 16 countries. Job insecurity was measured using the Job Insecurity Scale (JIS), burnout using the Perceived Burnout measure question, psychological distress using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and coping using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Multivariable logistic regression with a stepwise variable selection method was used to identify associations., Results: A total of 2,353 staff participated; the mean age (± SD) was 43(± 10) years and 61% were females. Most staff (85%) did not feel job insecurity, one-third (29%) perceived burnout in their jobs, more than two-thirds (73%) experienced moderate to very high levels of psychological distress, and more than half (58%) exhibited medium to high resilient coping. Perceived job insecurity was associated with staff working part-time [Adjusted Odds Ratio 1.53 (95% Confidence Intervals 1.15-2.02)], having an academic appointment [2.45 (1.78-3.27)], having multiple co-morbidities [1.86 (1.41-2.48)], perceived burnout [1.99 (1.54-2.56)] and moderate to very high level of psychological distress [1.68 (1.18-2.39)]. Perceived burnout was associated with being female [1.35 (1.12-1.63)], having multiple co-morbidities [1.53 (1.20-1.97)], perceived job insecurity [1.99 (1.55-2.57)], and moderate to very high levels of psychological distress [3.23 (2.42-4.30)]. Staff with multiple co-morbidities [1.46 (1.11-1.92)], mental health issues [2.73 (1.79-4.15)], perceived job insecurity [1.61 (1.13-2.30)], and perceived burnout [3.22 (2.41-4.31)] were associated with moderate to very high levels of psychological distress. Staff who perceived their mental health as good to excellent [3.36 (2.69-4.19)] were more likely to have medium to high resilient coping., Conclusions: Factors identified in this study should be considered in reviewing and updating current support strategies for staff at HE institutions across all countries to reduce stress and burnout and improve wellbeing., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The study compared nutrient intake and growth performance of local chickens to that of local x broiler crossbreds under scavenging and indoor conventional systems. A total of 48 male and 48 female chickens for each of the two chicken types were allocated to four outdoor free-range pens. The chickens were allowed to scavenge whilst being supplemented with sorghum plus kitchen waste and broiler growers from week 5 to week 13 of age. The same design was repeated using the indoor conventional system. Local chickens and their crosses with broilers had higher growth rates under the scavenging system than the indoor production system (P < 0.05). Local chickens and their crosses with broilers had the same growth rates when fed the same diet (P > 0.05). Crop and gizzard contents from local chickens had the same crude protein as their crosses with broilers under both systems (P > 0.05). The crude protein values of crop and gizzard contents ranged from 25.4 to 30.4%. Crop and gizzard contents from scavenging chickens had energy content ranging from 16.2 to 17.1 MJ/Kg which was lower (P < 0.05) than that from chickens under the indoor conventional system (20.3 to 25.8 kJ/Kg). Iron content ranged from 655.7 to 1619.4 mg/Kg in scavenging chickens and 156.1 to 621.4 mg/Kg in enclosed chickens. Chickens of the same type had higher iron content in their crop and gizzard contents under the scavenging system than the conventional system (P < 0.05). Crossbreds between local chickens and broilers matches the scavenging abilities of the local chickens but have lower growth rates under the scavenging system., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The family, at community, must be an important part of elderly care. However, most of the elderly experience a decrease in psychological well-being and quality of life. This is not in accordance with the concept of the family-centered care (FCC) model and can endanger the continuity of the elderly with chronic illnesses., Objective: The aim of this study was to explore experience of FCC among patients with chronic illness, nurses, families, and volunteers., Methods: This study examines the contextual-based FCC model qualitatively. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted by 12 elderly people, 3 nurses, 10 family members, and 3 volunteers. In total, 36 people, where several were FGD participants, were also interviewed in depth. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with codes organized into larger themes., Result: In total, 36 interviews and FGDs were conducted. The concept of information interaction, the phenomenon of emotional interaction, the practical interaction, and various factors that can either facilitate or impede interaction, were considered the four significant themes., Conclusion: FCC acceptance is found in interactions between parents, nurses, family, and volunteers who are not optimistic. Lack of communication and collaboration was noted between community nurses and volunteers. Offer a new perspective on developing and implementing interventions that facilitate positive interactions, reduce family burdens, provide high-quality treatment for parents with chronic diseases, and improve the quality of care for those with advanced chronic conditions., Recommendation: These insights provide a fresh perspective on how to develop and implement effective interventions in this context. It is recommended that future research should employ multiple methodologies to investigate FCC across diverse health practices for the elderly population., (© Ah Yusuf et al., 2024; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Background: Natural hazards are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Many of these natural disasters cannot be prevented; what may be reduced is the extent of the risk and negative impact on people and property. Research indicates that the 2019-2020 bushfires in Australia (also known as the "Black Summer Bushfires") resulted in significant psychological distress among Australians both directly and indirectly exposed to the fires. Previous intervention research suggests that communities impacted by natural hazards (eg, earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods) can benefit from interventions that integrate mental health and social support components within disaster preparedness frameworks. Research suggests that disaster-affected communities often prefer the support of community leaders, local services, and preexisting relationships over external supports, highlighting that community-based interventions, where knowledge stays within the local community, are highly beneficial. The Community-Based Disaster Mental Health Intervention (CBDMHI) is an evidence-based approach that aims to increase disaster preparedness, resilience, social cohesion, and social support (disaster-related help-seeking), and decrease mental health symptoms, such as depression and anxiety., Objective: This research aims to gain insight into rural Australian's recovery needs post natural hazards, and to enhance community resilience in advance of future fires. Specifically, this research aims to adapt the CBDMHI for the rural Australian context and for bushfires and second, to assess the acceptability and feasibility of the adapted CBDMHI in a rural Australian community., Methods: Phase 1 consists of qualitative interviews (individual or dyads) with members of the target bushfire-affected rural community. Analysis of these data will include identifying themes related to disaster preparedness, social cohesion, and mental health, which will inform the adaptation. An initial consultation phase is a key component of the adaptation process and, therefore, phase 2 will involve additional discussion with key stakeholders and members of the community to further guide adaptation of the CBDMHI to specific community needs, building on phase 1 inputs. Phase 3 includes identifying and training local community leaders in the adapted intervention. Following this, leaders will co-deliver the intervention. The acceptability and feasibility of the adapted CBDMHI within the community will be evaluated by questionnaires and semistructured interviews. Effectiveness will be evaluated by quantifying psychological distress, resilience, community cohesion, psychological preparedness, and help-seeking intentions., Results: This study has received institutional review board approval and commenced phase 1 recruitment in October 2022., Conclusions: The study will identify if the adapted CBDMHI is viable and acceptable within a village in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. These findings will inform future scale-up in the broader rural Australian context. If this intervention is well received, the CBDMHI may be valuable for future disaster recovery and preparedness efforts in rural Australia. These findings may inform future scale-up in the broader rural Australian context., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/53454., (©Caitlin E Pike, Henriette C Dohnt, Phillip J Tully, Warren Bartik, Courtney Welton-Mitchell, Clara V Murray, Kylie Rice, Suzanne M Cosh, Amy D Lykins. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 04.06.2024.)

Introduction: Reporting of aromatherapy-focused research often lacks sufficient quality and detail for replication and subsequent application of results. To our knowledge currently, no quality appraisal tool exists for aromatherapy research reporting. To address this gap, the Aromatic Research Quality Appraisal Taskforce (ARQAT) composed of aromatherapy professionals with varied expert backgrounds came together. Presented here is the Transparent Reporting for Essential oil and Aroma Therapeutic Studies (TREATS) checklist, which is a result of this collaborative effort. Methods: Creation of TREATS followed a three-stage process, including determination of interest/need, development, and dissemination. The shortcomings of existing aromatherapy research reporting quality were evaluated and responses to address these shortcomings were used to create checklist items that were then grouped into sections. Items for each section were brain-stormed with reference to the aromatherapy literature and ARQAT's expert knowledge, and the development of each section followed an iterative process until agreement was reached. An explanatory document was also created to assist more accurate use of the tool; it and the checklist were reviewed by a group of aromatherapy experts. Results: The TREATS checklist with 38 items in four sections was developed along with the explanatory document. The ARQAT and a global group of aromatherapy experts reviewed the TREATS. Their results and comments assisted development of the current version. The TREATS identifies key components of research involving essential oils, their application, and olfactory considerations that ARQAT considers the minimum necessary for high-quality aromatherapy research. Conclusion: The TREATS, explanatory document, and associated website (www.arqat.org) contribute to thorough aromatherapy research critique. The TREATS checklist aids appraisal of quality and can be used with any study design. It lays the foundation for the future development of aromatic research reporting guidelines.

Maturity offset (i.e., age from peak height velocity [PHV]) is widely used to assess maturational status among youth athletes, but details on the skeletal periphery, hormones and training factors are lacking. More precision is also needed to explicate the timing, tempo, and sequence of growth-related events. These gaps were addressed in a cross-sectional study. One hundred and two athletic boys (aged 14.1 ± 0.5 years) were evaluated for training details, salivary testosterone and cortisol, height, body mass, body mass index, body fat, fat-free mass (FFM), hand and carpal bone area, bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD), and countermovement jump performance. Participants were assigned to circa-PHV (N = 56) and post-PHV (N = 46) groups for comparisons, before data pooling and disaggregation using generalized additive and linear regression models. The older post-PHV group had a larger body size, more testosterone, and better performance and skeletal outcomes, whilst weekly training and school-based exercise favored the younger circa-PHV group (all p < 0.001). Smoother plots verified these differences via linear, or weakly non-linear, associations. Maturity offset was predicted (R 2 = 0.848) by the linear combination of FFM (42.0 % relative contribution), hand BMD (31.5 %), chronological age (16.0 %), testosterone (6.7 %), and training hours (3.8 %). In conclusion, athletic boys who presented at different stages of maturity (-0.98 to 2.84 years from PHV) also differed on many developmental features. Most variables increased at constant, or near-constant, tempo with a higher maturity offset, with FFM and hand BMD emerging as the strongest linear predictors of maturational status., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

There is a long history of starvation, including reports dated back to antiquity. Despite exceptional scientific developments, starvation still exists today. The medical aspects of starvation were well established in the twentieth century, particularly following studies related to the 1943-1944 Bengal famine in India and starved prisoners of war and survivors of World War 2. The refeeding of the starved victims provided disappointing results. Nevertheless, those studies eventually led to the development of a new branch of research in medicine and to the definition of what is now known as refeeding syndrome. This paper briefly reviews the history and groundwork that led to today's understanding of starvation and refeeding, with a particular emphasis on the observations from studies on starved Holocaust survivors and prisoners of war after World War 2. The relevance of these studies for modern times is briefly discussed.

Prolonged sitting is postulated to influence musculoskeletal performance (cervical flexor endurance, balance, and agility), discomfort and alter cervical spine angles during work-based computer use. Stair climbing breaks may be a great addition at typical and home offices however remain unexplored for its impact on musculoskeletal performance. In our counterbalanced pilot crossover trial, 24 adults were randomised to three interventions: (1) prolonged sitting, (2) interrupted by 2 min of self-paced, and (3) externally paced stair climbing for 2 h. Cervical spine angles were measured every 30 min while balance, agility, endurance, and discomfort were assessed before and after 120 min. Stair climbing interruptions have favourable effects on agility ( F  = 8.12, p  = 0.009, η p 2  = 0.26) and musculoskeletal discomfort, but failed to improve other musculoskeletal outcomes associated with prolonged sitting. Brief stair climbing interruptions are effective in improving discomfort and agility while pragmatic trials are warranted for translated effects.