Microbiology of Otitis externa in dogs reveals wide variation in Staphylococcus species.

Bacterial infections are a major cause of otitis externa in dogs, with Staphylococcus species frequently implicated. This study analyzed samples from 24 dogs with otitis externa to identify the Staphylococcus species involved. The isolates included Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Staphylococcus schleiferi, Staphylococcus simulans, and Staphylococcus haemolyticus.

Phenotypic plasticity in maize grain yield: Genetic and environmental insights of response to environmental gradients.

Understanding genotype-by-environment (G × E) interactions that underlie phenotypic variation, when observed for complex traits in multi-environment trials, is important for biological discovery and for crop improvement. The regression-on-the-mean model is an approach to observe G × E trends for complex traits across a gradient of environmental inputs. Biologically relevant environmental index values can be utilized to quantify phenotypic plasticity of individuals by correlating environmental means and environmental parameters within specific time windows.

Efficacy of cationic polymer-coated magnesium oxide nanoparticles as anti-cancer candidates.

Conventional cancer therapies are frequently limited by systemic toxicity and inadequate selectivity, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising platform for achieving targeted and drug-free cancer treatments. In this study, we report a drug-free anti-cancer strategy based on cationic polymer-coated magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs).

Reconstructing Cross-Cultural Meanings of Addiction Among Women from Three Countries.

The gender gap in drug use is narrowing in regions where access to criminalized substances, such as opioids, is increasing. While research shows that substance use is gendered, less is known about the cultural norms and values shaping women's drug use, as most studies focus on men. Cross-national comparisons of cultural models of addiction are needed to better understand how addiction is perceived and to inform culturally responsive treatment approaches for women.

Design of Zwitterionic Conjugated Polymers as Protein Aggregation Inhibitors.

Protein aggregation and misfolding is the root cause of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and can be mitigated using small molecules, peptides, and conjugated or zwitterionic polymers. However, polymers that are both conjugated and zwitterionic have not been evaluated as protein aggregation/misfolding inhibitors. Herein, to bridge this gap, we prepare polymers with a conjugated backbone bearing zwitterionic sulfobetaine moieties and poly(ethylene glycol) chains and examine their abilities to inhibit protein aggregation.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR): A Comprehensive Descriptive Analysis.

Objectives: TAVR is a minimally invasive alternative to SAVR, offering a key treatment for high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, including those with advanced age or comorbidities. Its popularity has led to its use in lower volume institutions, where outcomes are comparable to higher volume centers. This study analyzes procedural volume and outcomes at our institution, compares them with the PARTNER III trial, and evaluates complications and patient selection criteria.

An efficient deep learning based approach for automated identification of cervical vertebrae fracture as a clinical support aid.

Cervical vertebrae fractures pose a significant risk to a patient's health. The accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment need to be provided for effective treatment. Moreover, the automated analysis of the cervical vertebrae fracture is of utmost important, as deep learning models have been widely used and play significant role in identification and classification.

Advancing Diabetes Diagnosis in South India Using Artificial Intelligence: A Hub-and-Spoke Model for Early Intervention.

Diabetes mellitus, a non-communicable metabolic disorder, is a significant global health concern, with rising prevalence rates resulting in increased economic burdens on healthcare systems. Early detection and diagnosis are crucial for preventing severe complications. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers immense potential to revolutionize diabetes management and early detection.

P-MRS-Measured Phosphocreatine Recovery Kinetics in Human Muscles in Health and Disease-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The noninvasive, in vivo measurement of postexercise phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery kinetics using 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P-MRS) is a highly prevalent method for assessing skeletal muscle energetics. However, P-MRS methodology is notoriously laboratory-specific, leading to uncertainty about the normal range of PCr recovery kinetics among healthy individuals, as well as relationships with disease and demographic factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis characterized the normal range of PCr recovery kinetics from P-MRS in human skeletal muscles across the lifespan, differences between healthy and those with muscle-related diseases, and relationships between intermuscular PCr recovery measurements and demographic factors.

Employing Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) Methods to Facilitate the ADMET Properties Prediction.

The rationale for using ADMET prediction tools in the early drug discovery paradigm is to guide the design of new compounds with favorable ADMET properties and ultimately minimize the attrition rates of drug failures. Artificial intelligence (AI) in ADMET modeling has gained momentum due to its high-throughput and low-cost attributes. In this study, we developed a machine learning model capable of predicting 11 ADMET properties of chemical compounds.

Pericapsular Nerve Group block in the emergency department for hip fractures: a clinical protocol.

Isolated hip fractures incur significant mortality within 1 year of operative repair. Adequate analgesia is important in maintaining functional status and facilitating recovery. A multi-modal pain management strategy incorporating regional anesthesia may decrease the need for high-dose narcotics and promote faster recovery.

24-week, all-oral regimens for pulmonary rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in TB-PRACTECAL trial sites: an economic evaluation.

Background: New 6-month rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis treatment regimens containing bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid (BPaL) with or without moxifloxacin or clofazimine, could improve treatment efficacy, safety, and tolerability, and free up resources within the health system. Following a change to WHO rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis treatment guidelines, countries are facing difficult decisions about when and how to incorporate new drug regimens into national guidelines. We aimed to assess the probability of BPaL-based regimens being cost-saving using data collected in the TB-PRACTECAL trial.

The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at the Kellogg Biological Station.

The Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Agroecosystem Research site (KBS LTAR) joined the national LTAR network in 2015 to represent a northeast portion of the North Central Region, extending across 76,000 km of southern Michigan and northern Indiana. Regional cropping systems are dominated by corn (Zea mays)-soybean (Glycine max) rotations managed with conventional tillage, industry-average rates of fertilizer and pesticide inputs uniformly applied, few cover crops, and little animal integration. In 2020, KBS LTAR initiated the Aspirational Cropping System Experiment as part of the LTAR Common Experiment, a co-production model wherein stakeholders and researchers collaborate to advance transformative change in agriculture.

Uncertainty in tuberculosis clinical decision-making: An umbrella review with systematic methods and thematic analysis.

Tuberculosis is a major infectious disease worldwide, but currently available diagnostics have suboptimal accuracy, particularly in patients unable to expectorate, and are often unavailable at the point-of-care in resource-limited settings. Test/treatment decision are, therefore, often made on clinical grounds. We hypothesized that contextual factors beyond disease probability may influence clinical decisions about when to test and when to treat for tuberculosis.

Unlocking the versatility of nitric oxide in plants and insights into its molecular interplays under biotic and abiotic stress.

In plants, nitric oxide (NO) has become a versatile signaling molecule essential for mediating a wide range of physiological processes under various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The fundamental function of NO under various stress scenarios has led to a paradigm shift in which NO is now seen as both a free radical liberated from the toxic product of oxidative metabolism and an agent that aids in plant sustenance. Numerous studies on NO biology have shown that NO is an important signal for germination, leaf senescence, photosynthesis, plant growth, pollen growth, and other processes.

Effectiveness of a virtual reality trainer for retention of tourniquet application skills for hemorrhage control among emergency medicine residents.

Background: With a rise in mass casualty incidents, training in hemorrhage control using tourniquets has been championed as a basic-and lifesaving-procedure for bystanders and medical professionals alike. The current standard for training is in-person (IP) courses, which can be limited based on instructor availability. Virtual reality (VR) has demonstrated the potential to improve the accuracy of certain medical tasks but has not yet been developed for hemorrhage control.

Metal-Assisted Injection Spinning of Ultra Strong Fibers from Megamolecular LC Polysaccharides.

The molecular orientation of liquid crystalline (LC) hydrogels has the potential to induce a range of functionalities that can deliver great mechanical strength. Sacran is a supergiant LC polysaccharide isolated from the cyanobacterium with a high amount of anionic functional groups such as sulfates and carboxylates. In this article, ultra-strong sacran hydrogels and their dried fibers were produced by cross-linking under injection flow with trivalent metal ions such as Al, Cr, Fe, In, and rare-earth metal ions such Er and Sr.

Quantification of pendimethalin residue in green fodder and silage of winter cereals using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Use of agro-chemicals in forage crops is restricted due to the fear of direct toxicity to livestock and risk of pesticide residue accumulation in the food chain. Wheat and barley can be used as green fodder and silage, and herbicide residue estimation in green fodder and silage is important for ensuring the safety of dairy cattle. A field experiment was conducted for two years to study pendimethalin residues in the green fodder and silage of wheat and barley.

Refining the provider payment system of India's government-funded health insurance programme: an econometric analysis.

Objectives: Reimbursement rates in national health insurance schemes are frequently weighted to account for differences in the costs of service provision. To determine weights for a differential case-based payment system under India's publicly financed national health insurance scheme, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), by exploring and quantifying the influence of supply-side factors on the costs of inpatient admissions and surgical procedures.

Design: Exploratory analysis using regression-based cost function on data from a multisite health facility costing study-the Cost of Health Services in India (CHSI) Study.