Background: Neck vessel imaging is often performed in hyperacute stroke to allow neurointerventionalists to estimate access complexity. This study aimed to assess clinician agreement on catheterization strategies based on imaging in these scenarios. Methods: An electronic portfolio of 60 patients with acute ischemic stroke was sent to 53 clinicians. Respondents were asked: (1) the difficulty of catheterization through femoral access with a regular Vertebral catheter, (2) whether to use a Simmons or reverse-curve catheter initially, and (3) whether to consider an alternative access site. Agreement was assessed using Fleiss’ Kappa statistics. Results: Twenty-two respondents (7 neurologists, 15 neuroradiologists) completed the survey. Overall there was slight interrater agreement (κ=0.17, 95% CI: 0.10–0.25). Clinicians with >50 cases annually had better agreement (κ=0.22) for all questions than those with fewer cases (κ=0.07). Agreement did not significantly differ by imaging modality: CTA (κ=0.18) and MRA (κ=0.14). In 40/59 cases (67.80%), at least 25% of clinicians disagreed on whether to use a Simmons or reverse-curve catheter initially. Conclusions: Agreement on catheterization strategies remains fair at best. Our results suggest that visual assessment of pre-procedural vessels imaging is not reliable for the estimation of endovascular access complexity.

The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) offers powerful new capabilities for studying the polarised and magnetised Universe at radio wavelengths. In this paper, we introduce the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a groundbreaking survey with three primary objectives: (1) to create a comprehensive Faraday rotation measure (RM) grid of up to one million compact extragalactic sources across the southern $\sim50$% of the sky (20,630 deg$^2$); (2) to map the intrinsic polarisation and RM properties of a wide range of discrete extragalactic and Galactic objects over the same area; and (3) to contribute interferometric data with excellent surface brightness sensitivity, which can be combined with single-dish data to study the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium. Observations for the full POSSUM survey commenced in May 2023 and are expected to conclude by mid-2028. POSSUM will achieve an RM grid density of around 30–50 RMs per square degree with a median measurement uncertainty of $\sim$1 rad m$^{-2}$. The survey operates primarily over a frequency range of 800–1088 MHz, with an angular resolution of 20” and a typical RMS sensitivity in Stokes Q or U of 18 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$. Additionally, the survey will be supplemented by similar observations covering 1296–1440 MHz over 38% of the sky. POSSUM will enable the discovery and detailed investigation of magnetised phenomena in a wide range of cosmic environments, including the intergalactic medium and cosmic web, galaxy clusters and groups, active galactic nuclei and radio galaxies, the Magellanic System and other nearby galaxies, galaxy halos and the circumgalactic medium, and the magnetic structure of the Milky Way across a very wide range of scales, as well as the interplay between these components. This paper reviews the current science case developed by the POSSUM Collaboration and provides an overview of POSSUM’s observations, data processing, outputs, and its complementarity with other radio and multi-wavelength surveys, including future work with the SKA.

Background: Traditional insomnia drugs enhance gamma-aminobutyric acid and are associated with abuse/dependence. Dual orexin-receptor antagonists (DORAs) represent an alternate mechanism promoting wakefulness, rather than inhibition. Nonclinical studies indicate DORAs do not demonstrate abuse potential. Nonetheless, based on human abuse potential (HAP) studies and lack of postmarketing data at approval, DORAs are Schedule 4 controlled substances. However, HAP studies may not predict real-world abuse-potential risk. Methods: Adverse events with preferred terms (PTs) of drug-withdrawal-syndrome, drug-abuse, and drug-dependence were evaluated from Eisai’s ongoing global postmarketing safety surveillance system in the US, Canada, and Japan (20/Dec/2019–30/Sep/2023) and the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS; 01/Jan/2015–30/Jun/2023). In FAERS, reports of those PTs from DORAs (lemborexant/suvorexant/daridorexant) were compared with zolpidem and with benzodiazepines approved for patients with insomnia (estazolam/temazepam/triazolam). Results: Since lemborexant’s approval, few of the 3 PTs were reported in Eisai’s surveillance system (~0.15 cases per million patient-days of global exposure). Reports in FAERS for PTs of drug-withdrawal-syndrome, drug-abuse, and drug-dependence for DORAs (10,202 reports) were <0.1%/<0.1%/0.1%, respectively. Reports for benzodiazepines (5534 reports) were 0.8%/12.9%/3.7%, respectively, and 1.0%/9.1%/5.3% for zolpidem (18,330 reports), respectively. Conclusions: Abuse potential may be better represented by nonclinical studies and national surveillance systems, suggesting DORAs may not pose meaningful abuse potential and related risks.

Background: For treatment of high-grade gliomas (HGGs), subtotal resection (STR) may be preferred to minimize injury to eloquent areas. We aimed to characterize neurologic deficits developed in STR patients within the first month post-operatively and to establish a potential threshold for a safe volume of residual tumor to avoid neurological worsening. Methods: This is a single institution retrospective chart review, with 146 charts reviewed and 78 patients deemed eligible. Preoperative deficits and postoperative neurological deficits presenting prior to 1 month after surgery were captured. Imaging features such as tumour volume, edema, and other pertinent imaging characteristics were collected from preoperative and postoperative imaging. Results: Most patients that developed a postoperative deficit presented with motor deficits (55.1%), while only 1.3% of patients developed new or worsening tremor after surgery. On average, in patients with a new deficit, 26.5% of tumor was resected, and all patients had more than 19% of residual tumor. Conclusions: Postoperative neurologic deficits may develop after a subtotal resection when an average of 73.5% of tumor remains. The proposed threshold for tumor resection is greater than 26.5% to minimize the potential of neurologic worsening 1 month postoperatively.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is the awareness of individuals’ well-being in life in physical, personal, mental and social wellbeing and needs to be addressed in brain tumor patients. Methods: A retrospective study conducted in 2017 in a single academic center that included patients diagnosed with brain tumors in a 10 year period. The assessment of the QoL was done using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), a standardized model (QLQ-C30) that assess several domains (Global Health, Physical function, Role functioning, Emotional Functioning, Cognitive functioning, social functioning and symptoms domain) and Brain cancer model (BN20) to assess symptoms to evaluate all aspects of wellbeing. Results: The total number of patients included in this study is 76 patients with no gender predilection. The most common brain tumor was meningioma by 40% followed by glioma/ others. More than half of the brain tumor patients had a WHO grade I (65%), intermediate grading grade II (15%) and higher grading grade III/IV (20%). The scales and measurements of functioning in life were low in all types of brain tumors. Conclusions: Quality of life in brain tumor patients seemed poor regardless of the type. Further prospective studies are needed to assess QoL worldwide.

Algeria’s micro-satellite, Alsat-1b, was successfully launched into a 680 km low Earth orbit onboard a PSLV-C35 rocket from Sriharikota, South India, on September 26, 2016. The spacecraft was conceived, built and launched as part of an 18-month technology transfer programme between Algeria’s Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) and the United Kingdom’s Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL). This document details the Power Conditioning and Distribution Module’s (PCM-PDM) design and performance in orbit, critical component of a satellite electrical power system, responsible for converting, regulating and distributing power to various subsystems and payloads. The PCM-PDM developed and produced by SSTL was subjected to rigorous testing simulating harsh space conditions to assess its performance. The results of this comprehensive analysis indicate that the module can effectively withstand extreme environmental factors and function optimally in challenging settings. The analysis focused on the PCM-PDM’s ability to provide reliable and efficient power conditioning and distribution to the satellite, including its load management capabilities, overcurrent protection, protection against undervoltage and critical mode operations. The results of the performance analysis showed that the PCM-PDM met the required specifications and demonstrated reliable and efficient operation in different modes of the satellite’s mission. The study highlights the importance of careful design and rigorous testing of the PCM-PDM to ensure the reliable and efficient operation of the satellite and its payloads.

Knowledge of the morphological phenotypes of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda: Digenea) is analysed. The influence of parasite age on its dimensions, the adult fluke growth model, variation in a biometric variable versus time, and variation in a biometric variable versus another biometric variable (allometric model) are revised. The most useful allometric model appears to be (y2m]#x2212;y2)/y2=c [(y1m−y1)/y1]b, where y1=body area or body length, y2=one of the measurements analysed, y1m, y2m=maximum values towards which y1 and y2, respectively, tend, and c, b=constants. A method based on material standardization, the measurement proposal and allometric analysis is detailed. A computer image analysis system (CIAS), which includes a colour video-camera connected to a stereomicroscope (for adult studies) and a microscope (for egg studies), facilitates the processing of digital imaging. Examples of its application for the analysis of the influence of different factors on the liver fluke phenotype are shown using material from the Northern Bolivian Altiplano, where human and domestic animal fascioliasis is caused by F. hepatica only. Comparisons between the development of livestock fluke populations from highlands and lowlands are discussed and the relationships between host species and liver fluke morphometric patterns is analysed.

A morphological study of adult liver flukes and eggs from sheep in a human fascioliasis endemic zone in the Northern Bolivian Altiplano showed that they belong to the species Fasciola hepatica. An exhaustive morphometric comparison with a F. hepatica population from Spanish sheep was made using image analysis and an allometric model: (y2m - y2)]#x002F;y2 = c[(y1m - y1)/y1]b, where y1 = body surface or body length, y2 = one of the measurements analysed, y1m, y2m = maximum values towards which y1 and y2 respectively tend, and c, b = constants. Only slight allometric differences in worms were observed despite the geographic distance between both Spanish and Bolivian sheep populations and the very high altitude of the Bolivian Altiplano.

The Bali myna Leucopsar rothschildi has long suffered heavy trapping, leading to its near extinction in the wild and categorization as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Decades of conservation breeding, release of birds and post-release management at Bali Barat National Park have, until recently, failed to secure a viable wild population. However, over the past decade, population increases, expansion into new areas of the National Park and beyond, and successful breeding in both artificial and natural nest sites have occurred. These recent successes are associated with a change in approach by the National Park authority from concentrating efforts on the last refugium of the species (an area protected from trapping but with potentially suboptimal habitat) and towards the human-dominated landscapes around the main road through the National Park. Bali mynas tended to favour areas with extensive shorter grass cover and open canopies and to shun denser woodland. Anthropogenic landscapes such as farmland and plantations presumably mimic the original savannah habitat of the species, but nestbox provision has probably been crucial in these areas in the absence of natural cavities. A potential further factor in the increases in myna numbers and range has been a scheme involving local people in commercial breeding of the species, thereby reducing its market price, and working with communities to reduce trapping pressure. We encourage continuing operation of this management strategy inside the National Park and its further extension into adjacent tourist areas, which appear to have myna-friendly socio-ecological conditions.

The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope has carried out a survey of the entire Southern Sky at 887.5 MHz. The wide area, high angular resolution, and broad bandwidth provided by the low-band Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS-low) allow the production of a next-generation rotation measure (RM) grid across the entire Southern Sky. Here we introduce this project as Spectral and Polarisation in Cutouts of Extragalactic sources from RACS (SPICE-RACS). In our first data release, we image 30 RACS-low fields in Stokes I, Q, U at 25$^{\prime\prime}$ angular resolution, across 744–1032 MHz with 1 MHz spectral resolution. Using a bespoke, highly parallelised, software pipeline we are able to rapidly process wide-area spectro-polarimetric ASKAP observations. Notably, we use ‘postage stamp’ cutouts to assess the polarisation properties of 105912 radio components detected in total intensity. We find that our Stokes Q and U images have an rms noise of $\sim$80 $\unicode{x03BC}$Jy PSF$^{-1}$, and our correction for instrumental polarisation leakage allows us to characterise components with $\gtrsim$1% polarisation fraction over most of the field of view. We produce a broadband polarised radio component catalogue that contains 5818 RM measurements over an area of $\sim$1300 deg$^{2}$ with an average error in RM of $1.6^{+1.1}_{-1.0}$ rad m$^{-2}$, and an average linear polarisation fraction $3.4^{+3.0}_{-1.6}$ %. We determine this subset of components using the conditions that the polarised signal-to-noise ratio is $>$8, the polarisation fraction is above our estimated polarised leakage, and the Stokes I spectrum has a reliable model. Our catalogue provides an areal density of $4\pm2$ RMs deg$^{-2}$; an increase of $\sim$4 times over the previous state-of-the-art (Taylor, Stil, Sunstrum 2009, ApJ, 702, 1230). Meaning that, having used just 3% of the RACS-low sky area, we have produced the 3rd largest RM catalogue to date. This catalogue has broad applications for studying astrophysical magnetic fields; notably revealing remarkable structure in the Galactic RM sky. We will explore this Galactic structure in a follow-up paper. We will also apply the techniques described here to produce an all-Southern-sky RM catalogue from RACS observations. Finally, we make our catalogue, spectra, images, and processing pipeline publicly available.

Background: Although unapproved by the FDA for treating insomnia, trazodone is commonly prescribed in the US partly due to lack of scheduling, hence it’s perceived as safer than z-drugs and benzodiazepines. This study investigated trazodone abuse/dependence potential and safety risks. Methods: Cases involving trazodone or benzodiazepines (temazepam, triazolam, estazolam) frequently prescribed for insomnia were identified from the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS), National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) for confiscation data, and the American Association of Poison Control Centers’-National Poison Data System (AAPCC-NPDS). Drug-related falls risk was assessed from claims databases. Results: FAERS included 11,228 trazodone and 5120 benzodiazepine reports. Of these, drug-abuse and drug-dependence cases with trazodone were lower than benzodiazepines (drug-abuse: 6.4%/12.6%; drug-dependence: 1.1%/3.6%). Serious cases (81.8%/83.9%) and deaths (35.4%/36.0%), were similar between trazodone and benzodiazepines. NFLIS reported 612/1,575,874 (0.04%) drug-seizure cases that included trazodone. AAPCC-NPDS reported 22,225/1,446,011 (1.54%) total case mentions of trazodone/all pharmaceuticals and 8445 trazodone-related single-exposure cases. Falls risk (1year-period) in Medicare beneficiaries ≥65y and commercially-insured enrollees ≥18y was reported for trazodone and benzodiazepines: Medicare, 9.5%/11.3%; Commercially-insured: 4.6%/3.7%. Conclusions: Trazodone has abuse/dependence potential and important safety risks. Given limited data from well-controlled studies and off-label use, re-evaluation of trazodone prescribing rates in patients with insomnia is warranted.

Background: The late-onset cerebellar ataxias (LOCAs) have until recently resisted molecular diagnosis. Contributing to this diagnostic gap is that non-coding structural variations, such as repeat expansions, are not fully accessible to standard short-read sequencing analysis. Methods: We combined bioinformatics analysis of whole-genome sequencing and long-read sequencing to search for repeat expansions in patients with LOCA. We enrolled 66 French-Canadian, 228 German, 20 Australian and 31 Indian patients. Pathogenic mechanisms were studied in post-mortem cerebellum and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons from 2 patients. Results: We identified 128 patients who carried an autosomal dominant GAA repeat expansion in the first intron of the FGF14 gene. The expansion was present in 61%, 18%, 15% and 10% of patients in the French-Canadian, German, Australian and Indian cohorts, respectively. The pathogenic threshold was determined to be (GAA)≥250, although incomplete penetrance was observed in the (GAA)250-300 range. Patients developed a slowly progressive cerebellar syndrome at an average age of 59 years. Patient-derived post-mortem cerebellum and induced motor neurons both showed reduction in FGF14 RNA and protein expression compared to controls. Conclusions: This intronic, dominantly inherited GAA repeat expansion in FGF14 represents one of the most common genetic causes of LOCA uncovered to date.