We sought to identify risk factors for coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CoNS) surgical site infection (SSI). Risk factors associated with an increased risk of CoNS SSI include male sex and asthma or COPD. Colon surgery was associated with a reduced risk of CoNS SSI.

Nematode records and specimens from the South Australian Museum, Australian Museum, CSIRO Wildlife Collection, Queensland Museum, Western Australian Museum, and Natural History Museum, London, of 1107 individuals of Rattus fuscipes were examined. The nematode community comprised 19 families, 36 genera, and 44 identified species. Mastophorus muris and unidentified heligmonellids were recovered from 4 individuals of R. f. fuscipes. Rattus f. assimilis was infected with 40 identified species of nematode from 955 individuals; R. f. coracius 18 species from 107 individuals; and R. f. greyii 8 species from 28 individuals. Rattus fuscipes harboured 18 species in Northern Queensland, 27 species in Southern Queensland, 27 species in New South Wales, 19 species in Victoria, and 8 species in South Australia. A bootstrap analysis of the R. f. greyii nematode community indicated that 91.3% of species had been found. No core species were revealed. The Trichostrongylidae dominated with Nippostrongylus magnus, and Odilia emanuelae occurring in all the populations. Nippostrongylus magnus, 43% prevalence, in Victoria and Physaloptera troughtoni, 42% prevalence, in South Australia were secondary species. Sorensen’s indices indicated that R. f. assimilis and R. f. coracius had the most similar nematode communities, 54.8%. Overall, the Northern and Southern Queensland populations were most similar (77.3%) and the New South Wales and South Australian populations least similar (22.9%). The identifications of Heterakis spumosa, Physaloptera troughtoni, Rictularia mackerrasae, and Pterygodermatites pearsoni were confirmed. The species composition of the nematode community of R. fuscipes suggested a scenario of coevolution, host switching, recently acquired and occasional infections in a community of cosmopolitan, regional, and indigenous species. Species throughout the component communities of R. fuscipes indicated that climate and habitat were also determinants of species composition.

Schizophrenia features pervasive insight deficits, with many failing to recognize symptoms or the need for treatment, predictors of poorer outcomes. Rather than unitary, insight comprises clinical (awareness of illness and need for care) and cognitive (self-reflectiveness and the ability to question one’s beliefs). This review examines whether mental time travel (MTT) – vivid recollection of past events and construction of detailed future scenarios – may underlie insight deficits in schizophrenia. We synthesize evidence up to May 2025 from meta-analyses, experimental studies, and neuroimaging/neuroanatomical reports on MTT (autobiographical memory specificity, future simulation, temporal horizon) and their associations with clinical and cognitive insight. Individuals with schizophrenia show reduced autobiographical specificity, future simulation vividness, alongside a narrowed temporal horizon. These impairments are linked to diminished self-reflection, narrative coherence, and metacognitive abilities, all of which are essential for accurate illness recognition. Neuroimaging indicates that the networks supporting mental time travel, self-reflection, and insight – particularly the default-mode and ventromedial prefrontal circuits – substantially overlap and are disrupted in schizophrenia, with heterogeneity across illness stage and analytic approach. Moderators such as negative symptoms and trauma appear to intensify the MTT-insight links, while depressive mood may paradoxically enhance illness awareness. Although therapies targeting episodic specificity and metacognitive mastery show promise, longitudinal and interventional evidence remains limited. Associations between MTT impairments and insight are robust but largely correlational, so reverse or bidirectional causality cannot be excluded. We outline priorities for longitudinal, interventional, and trauma-stratified studies – attentive to illness stage and default-mode dynamics – to clarify mechanisms and guide targeted interventions.

It is assumed that the biology and ecology of commercial fish species are relatively well-known, given that many of these parameters are key for stock assessment in fisheries management. Surprisingly (or not), several new parasite species are described annually from fish that are of commercial and cultural importance. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is an important commercial fish species in the North Atlantic with more than 50 parasite species having been reported from it. Despite its commercial importance in Icelandic waters, only 11 parasite species have been reported from Icelandic haddock. In February and March 2023, 26 haddock were sampled, including 16 and 10 from the north and south of Iceland, respectively. Fish were examined for parasites, with a focus on macroparasites (large, usually visible to the eye). Parasites were identified morphologically with identifications of helminths confirmed using DNA barcoding (Sanger sequencing). Overall, 19 different parasite species were recovered with 17 being shared between haddock sampled from the north and south of Iceland. Of these, eight represent new geographical records for parasites of haddock in Icelandic waters. Our study indicates that monitoring for parasites remains important, regardless of how well a species has been studied. Furthermore, reporting parasites per organ and per region, especially when areas are known to be influenced by different abiotic and physical features, is important in the context of parasites as biological tags for stock identification. Despite a small sample size, our study suggests that some parasites might act as potential biological tags for stock identification of haddock in Icelandic waters.

Dehydration, assessed by urine and blood evaluation, is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association between water deficit, as determined by a dietary assessment, and CKD prevalence is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify this association among adults in the USA. This cross-sectional study included the data of 9332 participants aged 18 years or older from the 2009–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Water turnover was calculated using an equation developed by the International Doubly Labelled Water Database Group. Total water intake was assessed by 24-h dietary recall on ≥ 1 d. Water deficit was defined as the ratio of water intake to water turnover. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1·73 m2, calculated by the 2021 CKD Epidemiology formula. OR for CKD prevalence were calculated using multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models. The mean daily water intake, turnover and deficit were 2799 ml, 3290 ml and –15 %, respectively. CKD prevalence was 6·3 %. After adjusting for lifestyle and urine and serum osmolality, the fourth water deficit quartile was inversely associated with CKD prevalence when compared with the first quartile (OR, 0·71; 95 % CI, 0·51, 0·98). In the spline analysis, the water deficit at which the OR for CKD prevalence plateaued was approximately –30 % to 0 %. Water deficit had an L-shaped association with CKD prevalence independent of urine and serum osmolality, highlighting the importance of assessing water intake relative to dietary needs. These findings may assist the development of water requirements.

This review aims to highlight some of the key bioactive functionalities that a range of components in milk can potentially make to reduce risks to health at key life stages. Such functionalities cannot be adequately explained by traditional estimates of nutrient supply. The benefits of gangliosides from the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) for neonatal neurodevelopment are examined along with milk proteins for growth stimulation of children via the proteins’ ability to stimulate insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Exosomes in bovine milk and their miRNA are bioavailable, with an animal study indicating that placenta development and embryo survival were both enhanced. Concerning bone health, the unique characteristics of the casein micelle for supplying Ca, P and Mg to the GI tract were considered. The so-called dairy food matrix and the hypotensive effect of some peptides from milk proteins may be compensatory factors for SFA regarding CVD risk. The recent rise in use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for adiposity reduction and improving glycaemic control is noted alongside evidence that milk proteins can stimulate GLP-1 synthesis potentially reducing GLP-1 receptor agonist need in high milk protein consumers. Other functionality included the ability of whey proteins to stimulate synthesis of skeletal muscle protein, crucial for bone protection and glycaemic control and the role of milk/Ca for reducing colorectal cancer risk. Perhaps the most exciting functionality is that of polar phospholipids in the MFGM potentially improving cognition and reducing the risk of dementia in the elderly. Clearly more human studies are needed.

The long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) are beneficial for health. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of worldwide dietary recommendations for LC n-3PUFA across life-stages for general healthy populations from technical and scientific documents (TSD) that underpin food based dietary guidelines (FBDG) or TSD from expert groups. Using the Food and Agriculture Organization global online repository of FBDG and structured Google searches, forty-two TSD were identified for inclusion. Seventy-one percent of TSD included quantitative dietary intake recommendations which varied widely across life-stages with gaps for some groups, 62% included health messages related to LC n-3PUFA consumption, 33% discussed supplementation and 29% gave guidance on high intakes. The most frequently recommended intakes for adults were 250 mg/day EPA + DHA and 250 mg/day EPA + DHA plus an additional 100–200 mg/day DHA in pregnancy. This overview is useful for nutrition science, medical, industry and consumer communities since it identifies the recommendations available and the gaps of interest to national or international groups wishing to set dietary intake recommendations for LC n-3PUFA. Low dietary intake of LC n-3PUFA from seafood is a risk factor for suboptimal health. Intake recommendations can be challenging to achieve. Most countries for which data are available show that LC n-3PUFA intakes fail to meet recommended targets, highlighting the need for accessible, innovative, sustainable alternative EPA + DHA sources e.g. bio-enriched foods and supplements to support higher population intakes, LC n-3PUFA status and health benefits.

Maternal consumption of a high-fat diet (mHFD) during perinatal life influences hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation and impacts the long-term physiological and metabolic health of offspring. Milk-derived extracellular vesicles (MEVs) are lipid-coated nanovesicles that transfer biological materials from mother to infant and can survive intestinal degradation and cross the blood-brain barrier. MEVs provide cytoprotection in peripheral organs; however, their pro-survival functions remain unknown in the neonatal brain. Further, sex differences resulting from MEV treatment require investigation, as male and female neonates display variable responses to early life nutrient stress. We investigated the interaction between MEVs and the heat shock protein response in the liver, hypothalamus, and prefrontal cortex in male and female neonatal rats exposed to perinatal mHFD at postnatal day 11. MEV treatment robustly modulated the HSR in female neonates with the largest response recorded in the prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that MEVs may influence pro-survival outcomes in the prefrontal cortex by activating HSF1-mediated pro-survival in a sex-specific manner.

Measuring waning in vaccine effectiveness (VE) is challenging due to potential depletion-of-susceptibles bias. Some SARS-CoV-2 studies excluded individuals with prior infection and adjusted for the probability of remaining uninfected. We applied this approach to assess waning influenza VE in Hong Kong during the 2012/2013 season. First, we estimated the infection risk for unvaccinated children using published serological and surveillance data. Next, we derived infection risk for vaccinated children, assuming VE against infection of 57%. Uncorrected VE from 14 to 270 days post-vaccination was estimated from hospitalized children. We calculated the rate of depletion of susceptibles given infection risk and VE corrected for depletion-of-susceptibles bias. Waning rates for uncorrected and bias-corrected VE were measured by comparing VE at day 270 versus day 14. Bias was assessed as the absolute difference between two waning rates in percentage points. Waning rate of uncorrected VE was overestimated by 5.9 percentage points or 1.3 percentage points when assessed up to day 120. Bias was substantial when assuming 80% unvaccinated, and all vaccinated children were initially uninfected, but minimal when these proportions were similar. The observed waning in 2012/2013 was unlikely due to depletion-of-susceptibles bias. Further studies across various conditions are needed to confirm our findings.

Notocotylidae is a family of digeneans with some aberrant morphological features (absence of ventral sucker), which as sexual adults parasitise herbivorous and molluscivorous birds and mammals. The phylogenetics and taxonomy of this family have many unresolved problems concerning the relatedness of genera and species and the reliability of identification of specimens for which molecular data are available. The aim of this study is morphological and molecular characterisation of the type species of Notocotylus Diesing, 1839 (Notocotylus triserialis Diesing, 1839) and its two congeners, Notocotylus pacifera (Noble, 1933) and Notocotylus sp., and verification of the monophyly of the genus Notocotylus within the taxonomic boundaries established in the recent revision. Notocotylus triserialis was collected from a Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons (Scopoli, 1769) taken down in the Russian Karelia, and the other two digenean species were derived from European Coots Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758, from different locations in Eurasia (Eastern Europe and the Far East). We provide detailed morphological descriptions of the examined digeneans, supplemented with original line drawings. Notocotylus sp. is morphologically similar to N. pacifera but differs in cirrus sac length. Phylogenetic inference based on the 28S rRNA gene dataset places N. triserialis within a well-supported clade comprising several congeners, whereas N. pacifera is recovered outside this assemblage, forming a closer phylogenetic association with Pseudocatatropis dvoryadkini Izrailskaia, Besprozvannykh, Tatonova, Nguyen and Ngo, 2019. Thus, our data do not support the monophyly of the genus Notocotylus.

Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) is a zoonotic parasitic worm that has a significant impact on both public health and the livestock industry. It is widely used in experimental studies because of several unique features of its life cycle that can be completed in a single host, including distinct intestinal and muscular phases of infection, and it can be easily maintained in laboratory animals. These characteristics make T. spiralis a valuable model for evaluating the efficacy of new drugs and vaccines against parasitic infections. The current work aims to evaluate the procedures used for Trichinella larval counting in experimental studies by comparing the magnetic stirring digestion method (MSDM) with individual muscle digestion and compression techniques under standardised, controlled conditions to assess their effectiveness and applicability. Fifteen male Swiss albino mice were orally infected with T. spiralis and sacrificed on day 35 post-infection. They were divided into three groups: group 1—MSDM for total larval count; group 2—individual digestion of masseter, diaphragm, gastrocnemius, and tongue muscles; and group 3—slide compression method of the same muscles. MSDM yielded the highest larval counts, with individual muscle digestion and compression methods generally producing significantly lower results, except tongue digestion, while correlation and concordance analyses identified gastrocnemius compression as an alternative despite overall poor agreement with the reference method. Therefore, MSDM is the most accurate method for larval counting in experimental studies, compared to individual muscle digestion or compression methods.