Complementary integrated assessment of zooplankton abundance, size structure, and biomass using hydroacoustic and stratified sampling methods.

Accurate estimation of zooplankton biomass remains challenging due to species-specific acoustic signatures and sampling biases. This study evaluated zooplankton abundance and biomass across acoustically defined layers and assessed the consistency between biomass estimates derived from net sampling and acoustic methods. Zooplankton samples were collected using the Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sampling System (MOCNESS) in higher signal scattering layers (HSLs) and lower signal scattering layers (LSLs), with acoustic signals verified using a scientific echosounder (38 and 200 kHz).

One-Pot Monomer-Level Fabrication of Anion Exchange Membranes for High-Performance Water Electrolysis.

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis (AEMWE) is considered an economical technology for producing green hydrogen energy. However, conventional AEMs comprising polymer backbones with anisotropically aligned cationic pendant groups exhibit unsatisfactory AEMWE performance and durability, limiting their practical implementation. Herein, a facile method for fabricating a durable high-performance AEM via a one-pot monomer-level Menshutkin (m-Men) reaction in a porous mechanical support is proposed.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in China.

Background: Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) leads to fat malabsorption and maldigestion and is most commonly treated with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). Patients suffering from PEI in China are more likely not to receive adequate treatment as this drug is not part of the Chinese national essential medicine list.

Aim: To examine the cost-effectiveness of PERT for patients suffering from PEI in China.

Optimized Ion-Transport Properties of Diallylammonium-Cyclopolymerized Anion-Exchange Membranes for High-Performance Water Electrolysis.

Anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) are the key components of AEM-based water electrolysis (AEMWE) for green hydrogen production. Unfortunately, many AEMs have unsatisfactory ion conductivity, and the factors governing their ion transport remain unclear. To address these limitations, herein, a new pyrrolidinium-containing diallylammonium-cyclopolymerized (PDT) AEM is proposed.

Tandem High-Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Osteosarcoma With Initial Pulmonary Metastases.

Background: Although the survival rates of patients with localized osteosarcoma have significantly improved, metastatic osteosarcoma still has a poor prognosis. The role of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC/ASCT) in high-risk osteosarcoma remains unclear compared to that of conventional chemotherapy, and an optimal conditioning regimen remains unestablished. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of tandem HDC/ASCT in patients newly diagnosed with osteosarcoma and pulmonary metastasis.

Cost-benefit analysis of a quadrivalent influenza vaccine in India.

Background: In India, influenza presents a significant burden of disease to the population at large. Influenza vaccination is a cost-effective means of preventing the disease, with quadrivalent vaccines providing broader protection against influenza by covering more strains, but generally at a higher list price, than older trivalent vaccines.

Research Design And Methods: Broadly, the economic burden of influenza can be categorized into treatment and productivity costs.

The Cost-Effectiveness of the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination in Asia Pacific Countries: What Lessons Can Indonesia Learn?-A Systematic Review.

Cervical cancer is a significant issue in Indonesia, with many cases diagnosed at advanced stages. Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has long been recommended by the WHO, it was only recently included in Indonesia's immunization program in 2023. This study aimed to examine the existing prevention strategies and their effectiveness through systematic review of the existing literature.

A narrative review of the economic burden of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease and analogous conditions.

Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a serious, debilitating presentation, including residual disability after relapses.

Objectives: To evaluate the economic impacts of MOGAD and analogous conditions, including direct costs, indirect costs and cost drivers.

Design: Systematic literature search and narrative review.

Investigating health related quality of life and clinical measures in autoimmune encephalitis: a systematic review.

Unlabelled: This systematic review sought to understand the types of quality of life or clinical outcome measures currently being utilised for autoimmune encephalitis (AE) patients to determine whether the current measured outcomes accurately represented the full disease burden of AE. This included how the measures were being used (e.g.

Periprosthetic Infection after Endoprosthetic Reconstruction for Femoral Bone Metastases: Incidence and Risk Factors, a Single Center Study.

Background: This study aims to identify the incidence and risk factors of periprosthetic infections following endoprosthetic reconstruction of femoral metastatic bone disease (MBD). In this population with MBD, the marked impact of infection on the patient's systemic treatment highlights the importance of understanding both the incidence and associated risk factors.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a total of 140 patients who underwent endoprosthetic reconstruction for femoral MBD at a tertiary referral hospital in South Korea between 2009 and 2019.

Ecofriendly Upcycling of Poly(vinyl chloride) Waste Plastics into Precious Metal Adsorbents.

Global interest in the recycling of precious metals (PMs) in various industrial sectors has spurred the exploration of high-performance PM adsorbents. Unfortunately, many adsorbents exhibit unsatisfactory PM adsorption performance and require complex fabrication protocols and toxic chemicals. Hence, further development of simple, efficient, and eco-friendly adsorbents is necessary.

Evaluating Chinese migrant workers' housing conditions by diarrhea disease prevalence.

Chinese migrant workers often face significant health-related social inequalities, particularly in housing, in urban China. However, there is limited research investigating the health impacts of housing inequalities among migrant workers. We examined the accommodation types associated with the prevalence of diarrhea among migrant workers in urban China.

A Narrative Review of the Evidence for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implants.

Currently, multiple transcatheter aortic valves exist in clinical use, with varying efficacy and safety rates. This review aims to evaluate the evidence base for current transcatheter valves used in the management of aortic stenosis in Australia to improve informed decision making for both clinicians and patients. The evidence base included published peer-reviewed human studies of aortic valves with approval for use in Australia through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Modeling urban wasp nest occurrences using 119 fire service reports, LiDAR, and hyperspectral imagery: The role of green spaces and structural factors.

The increasing presence of wasp nests in urban areas raises ecological, economic, and public safety concerns. This study integrates 10 years (2014-2023) of data from 119 fire service reports, high-resolution LiDAR-derived structural information, hyperspectral imagery, and urban microclimate analysis to examine the spatial distribution and key environmental factors influencing wasp nest occurrences in Gwacheon, South Korea. The results indicate a 4.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infections in children in Queensland, Australia, 2000-2019.

Aim: To investigate the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infections (P-BSI) in Queensland children aged 0-18 years.

Methods: A retrospective data-linkage study was conducted of P-BSI identified by Pathology Queensland laboratories from resident Queensland children admitted to publicly-funded Queensland Hospitals between 2000 and 2019. We estimated age-standardised incidence of P-BSI and case fatality ratios (48 h, 7-, 30- and 90-day all-cause mortality from the date of the blood culture collection).

Cost-effectiveness of fenofibrate for preventing diabetic complications in Australia.

Background: This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of using fenofibrate to treat type 2 diabetes in Australia. The financial burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus is estimated to surpass AUD10 billion, mainly due to the cost of diabetic complications from diabetic neuropathy. Clinical evidence from the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study demonstrated that fenofibrate can reduce the risk of amputation and other diabetes-related complications.

Interfacially Assembled Anion Exchange Membranes for Water Electrolysis.

High-performance and durable anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are critical for realizing economical green hydrogen production through alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) or AEM water electrosysis (AEMWE). However, existing AEMs require sophisticated fabrication protocols and exhibit unsatisfactory electrochemical performance and long-term durability. Here we report an AEM fabricated via a one-pot, in situ interfacial Menshutkin reaction, which assembles a highly cross-linked polymer containing high-density quaternary ammoniums and nanovoids inside a reinforcing porous support.

Co-occurrence between key HAB species and particle-attached bacteria and substrate specificity of attached bacteria in the coastal ecosystem.

The ecological dynamics of particle-attached bacteria (PAB) were observed through changes in the core phytoplankton phycosphere, and were associated with the dynamics of free-living bacteria (FLB) using metabarcoding and microscopic analyses over 210 days (with weekly sampling intervals) in the Jangmok coastal ecosystem, South Korea. Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling classified the phytoplankton community into six groups comprising core phytoplankton species, including the harmful algal species Akashiwo sanguinea (dinoflagellate) in late autumn, Teleaulax amphioxeia (cryptomonads) in early winter and spring, Skeletonema marinoi-dohrnii complex (diatom) in winter, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima (diatom) in early spring, and diatom complexes such as Chaetoceros curvisetus and Leptocylindrus danicus in late spring. We identified 59 and 32 indicators in PAB and FLB, respectively, which rapidly changed with the succession of the six core phytoplankton species.

Determining ecological interactions of key dinoflagellate species using an intensive metabarcoding approach in a semi-closed coastal ecosystem of South Korea.

Marine phytoplankton communities are pivotal in biogeochemical cycles and impact global climate change. However, the dynamics of the dinoflagellate community, its co-occurrence relationship with other eukaryotic plankton communities, and environmental factors remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to analyze the temporal changes in the eukaryotic plankton community using a 18S rDNA metabarcoding approach.

The Impact of Generic Entry of Pharmaceuticals in Australia.

Objectives: In this article, we estimate the initial and temporal impacts of generic entry on benchmark drug prices as reimbursed through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme of Australia and the degree to which further generic competition affects these prices under the current regulatory framework.

Methods: We construct a panel data set consisting of 781 Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listed drugs over a 95-month time period and use fixed-effect regressions. The dynamic price effects of generic competition are investigated by implementing panel methods.

Comparison of survival prediction models for bone metastases of the extremities following surgery.

Aims: This study aimed to compare the performance of survival prediction models for bone metastases of the extremities (BM-E) with pathological fractures in an Asian cohort, and investigate patient characteristics associated with survival.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 469 patients, who underwent surgery for BM-E between January 2009 and March 2022 at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Postoperative survival was calculated using the PATHFx3.

Amputation in patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma: the experience of an East Asian referral center.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and clinical outcomes in a series of patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) who underwent amputation at a large East Asian referral center.

Patients And Methods: Of the 652 patients who underwent surgery for extremity STS, data of 37 consecutive patients who underwent amputation were reviewed retrospectively. The median follow-up period was 96.

Exploring the Evolution of Statin Pricing in Australia: Observations of Price Disclosure Effects on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Expenditure.

Objectives: The high cardiovascular disease burden globally and in Australia necessitates attention on statin expenditure, the primary pharmacological intervention for cardiovascular disease risk factors. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidies approved statins for Australians. Managing PBS government expenditure occurs through price control strategies of statutory price decreases upon first generic entry and price disclosure.