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Objectives/Goals: The identification of the cascade of molecular and cellular events occurring during the progression of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in human kidney biopsies from kidney transplant (KTx) recipients (KTR) with normal function or recurrent FSGS to determine potential targets of intervention and therapy. Methods/Study Population: In this study, we evaluate the molecular and cellular events associated with primary FSGS in both native and transplant kidneys. We collected biopsy samples from the native normal kidney (nNK, n = 3), normal functioning allografts (NKTx, n = 3), primary FSGS in the native kidney (nFSGS, n = 1), recurrent FSGS (KTxFSGS, n = 5). KTxFSGS comprises a collection of longitudinal samples with biopsy also collected at the subsequent recurrence. Blood samples were collected during biopsy collection. Biopsies were preserved in RNAlater at the time of collection. 10X genomics chromium single nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) was performed using isolated nuclei. Data was analyzed using Seurat on R. Conditionally immortalized podocytes were treated with a patient serum to determine the change in expression observed in snRNAseq data. Results/Anticipated Results: Recurrence rates of primary FSGS are high in kidney allograft recipients up to 25–50% in first, and up to 80% in second transplants, often leading to graft loss. Our findings reveal that podocyte detachment is driven by metabolic and structural dysregulation rather than cell death, increasing VEGFA expression and disrupting glomerular endothelial cell growth and permeability. Parietal epithelial cells initially compensate by dedifferentiating toward podocytes but later increase collagen deposition, contributing to glomerular sclerosis. Increased interactions of glomerular cells with B cells exacerbate extracellular matrix deposition and scarring. We also observed tubular sclerosis and disruption of the regenerative potential of proximal tubular cells, with increased interaction with T cells. Discussion/Significance of Impact: These findings offer new insights into the pathogenesis of recurrent FSGS and suggest potential therapeutic targets and establishes a foundation for future studies to further evaluate the role of metabolic dysfunction as the cause of podocyte injury and loss.
The prevalence of alcohol use disorder among older adults is increasing, with this population being particularly vulnerable to alcohol’s detrimental effects. While knowledge of preventative factors is scarce, physical activity has emerged as a potential modifiable protective factor. This study aimed to examine associations between alcohol consumption and physical activity in a large-scale, multi-national prospective study of the older adult population.
Methods
Longitudinal data from the SHARE study on physical activity, alcohol consumption, demographic, socioeconomic, and health variables, were analyzed in older adults. Individual-level data were examined using logistic regression models. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal models were calculated to account for potential latency in the association between physical activity and alcohol consumption.
Results
The study included 3133 participants from 13 countries. Higher physical activity levels were significantly associated with higher alcohol consumption in cross-sectional (p = 0.0004) and longitudinal analyses (p = 0.0045) over a median follow-up of 6 years. While the presence of depressive symptoms and higher educational attainment were associated with higher alcohol consumption, female sex and persons with lower perceived health showed lower frequency of alcohol consumption. Additionally, the country of residence also proved to be a relevant factor for alcohol consumption.
Conclusions
Higher levels of physical activity showed an association with higher alcohol consumption in older adults. Future research should investigate whether this association is causal and underpinned by neurobiological, social, or methodological factors.
Monetary incentives are a procedural pillar in experimental economics. By applying four distinct monetary incentive schemes in three experimental finance applications, we investigate the impact of an incentive scheme’s salience on results and elicit subjects’ perception of the experienced scheme. We find (1) no differences in results between salient schemes but a significant impact if the incentive scheme is non-salient. (2) The number of previous participations has a significant impact on the perception of the incentive scheme by subjects: it strongly correlates with subjects’ motives for participation, positively contributes to subjects’ understanding of the incentive scheme, but has no influence on subjects’ motivation within the experiment. (3) Subjects favor more salient over less- or non-salient schemes in the gain domain and negatively evaluate high salience in the loss domain.
Neurodevelopmental follow-up programmes for children with CHD help identify neurodevelopmental impairments and support the delivery of recommended interventions. The Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Special Interest Group surveyed members to assess perceived patient barriers to neurodevelopmental follow-up, previous diversity and inclusion education, and confidence in caring for historically marginalised populations.
Methods:
A link to a Redcap online survey was emailed to Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative members on 23 April 2022, with 4 weeks given to complete.
Results:
Eighty-four participants from 37 institutions in North America completed the survey. Respondents acknowledged that education on the importance of neurodevelopmental follow-up and frequent accommodations for cancellations or rescheduling clinic visits is essential. Language interpretation and written materials were available in languages other than English, but a limited number provided fully translated evaluation reports. Driving distance and the caregiver’s lack of understanding of the rationale for neurodevelopmental follow-up were the top perceived barriers to programme attendance. At the institutional level, training for cultural competency was typically provided, and most respondents felt comfortable caring for patients from diverse backgrounds. However, many agreed their programmes could do more to make evaluations accessible to historically marginalised/underserved populations.
Conclusions:
Multiple barriers exist to cardiac neurodevelopmental follow-up, particularly for patients from under-represented minorities and for those whose primary language is not English. Surveying families will be valuable to understand how we may overcome these barriers. Further education about the importance of neurodevelopmental follow-up programmes continues to be essential.
Chronic headache after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains an ongoing area of investigation, with uncertainty regarding its prevalence and long-term outcomes.
Methods:
A systematic review was conducted across five databases – Medline (Ovid), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Ovid), PsychInfo (Ovid), Embase (Ovid) and Scopus (Elsevier) – to identify all studies investigating the prevalence of chronic headaches after aSAH. A total of five studies were identified and included in our review.
Results:
There were five observational studies (three cohort and two cross-sectional). The overall prevalence of chronic headaches after aSAH ranged from 16.1% to 41%, albeit across a follow-up time frame of 12 months to 7.5 years. Outcome measurements included quantitative pain scores and opioid usage; however, these were inconsistent across studies, and the studies did not address the long-term impacts of chronic headaches on quality of life or their psychosocial implications.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of chronic headache after aSAH is not well-characterized, and long-term outcomes are seldom studied, highlighting a critical gap in the current literature. Longitudinal cohort studies with standardized approaches to ascertain the psychosocial and physiological burden associated with post-aSAH chronic headaches are urgently needed.
In February 2023, 52 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported in customers of Takeaway A, South Wales. Shigella flexneri serotype 2a was the causative organism. An outbreak investigation was conducted to determine the extent and vehicle of the outbreak.
Following descriptive summary and environmental investigations, a case–control study was completed. Participants completed a telephone questionnaire on food, travel, and environmental exposures. A multivariable logistic regression model was built, including exposures with p-values < 0.2 and interactions identified on stratified analysis. Staff faecal samples were screened for Shigella sp.
Thirty-one cases and 29 controls were included in the study. Eighty-seven per cent of cases and 76% of controls ate from Takeaway A on 10 February 2023. Coleslaw was the main factor associated with illness (aOR: 200, 95% CI: 12–3220) and an interaction with cabbage was identified (aOR: 886, 95% CI: 26–30034). Shigella sp. were not detected in any staff samples.
Coleslaw was the most likely vehicle. Though the contamination route is unknown, a food handler is the most likely source. This large outbreak differs from recent European outbreaks, which primarily have been associated with sexual transmission. Although uncommon in the UK, S. flexneri should be considered as a cause of foodborne outbreaks.
Ongoing policy negotiations, such as the negotiations for a future global plastics treaty, include calls for increased recycling of plastics. However, before recycling of plastics can be considered a safe practice, the flaws in today’s systems must be addressed. Plastics contain a vast range of chemicals, including monomers, polymers, processing agents, fillers, antioxidants, plasticizers, pigments, microbiocides and stabilizers. The amounts and types of chemicals in plastics products vary, and there are little requirements for transparency and reporting. Additionally, they are inherently contaminated with reaction by-products and other nonintentionally added substances (NIASs). As the chemical composition of plastics wastes is largely unknown, and many plastics chemicals are hazardous, they therefore hinder safe recycling since recyclers are not able to exclude materials that contain hazardous chemicals. To address this problem, we suggest the following policy strategies: 1) improved reporting, transparency and traceability of chemicals in plastics throughout their full life cycle; 2) chemical simplification and group-based approaches to regulating hazardous chemicals; 3) chemical monitoring, testing and quality control; 4) economic incentives that follow the waste hierarchy; and 5) support for a just transition to protect people, including waste pickers, impacted throughout the plastics life cycle.
This study sought to assess undergraduate students’ knowledge and attitudes surrounding perceived self-efficacy and threats in various common emergencies in communities of higher education.
Methods
Self-reported perceptions of knowledge and skills, as well as attitudes and beliefs regarding education and training, obligation to respond, safety, psychological readiness, efficacy, personal preparedness, and willingness to respond were investigated through 3 representative scenarios via a web-based survey.
Results
Among 970 respondents, approximately 60% reported their university had adequately prepared them for various emergencies while 84% reported the university should provide such training. Respondents with high self-efficacy were significantly more likely than those with low self-efficacy to be willing to respond in whatever capacity needed across all scenarios.
Conclusions
There is a gap between perceived student preparedness for emergencies and training received. Students with high self-efficacy were the most likely to be willing to respond, which may be useful for future training initiatives.
We present results of frequency tripling experiments performed at the Hilase facility on a cryogenically gas cooled multi-slab ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser system, Bivoj/DiPOLE. The laser produces high-energy ns pulses at 10 Hz repetition rate, which are frequency doubled using a type-I phase-matched lithium triborate (LBO) crystal and consequently frequency summed using a type-II phase-matched LBO crystal. We demonstrated a stable frequency conversion to 343 nm at 50 J energy and 10 Hz repetition rate with conversion efficiency of 53%.
Ideally, survey respondents read and understand survey instructions, questions, and response scales, and provide answers that carefully reflect their beliefs, attitudes, or knowledge. However, respondents may also arrive at their responses using cues or heuristics that facilitate the production of a response, but diminish the targeted information content. We use eye-tracking data as covariates in a Bayesian switching-mixture model to identify different response behaviors at the item–respondent level. The model distinguishes response behaviors that are predominantly influenced either positively or negatively by the previous response, and responses that reflect respondents’ preexisting knowledge and experiences of interest. We find that controlling for multiple types of adaptive response behaviors allows for a more informative analysis of survey data and respondents.
Student Engagement: Promoting Positive Classroom Behaviour encourages pre-service teachers in Australian primary and secondary schools to make choices about how best to design and manage their classrooms and schools to maximise productive behaviour and learning. The text explores numerous dimensions of student engagement from within and outside school settings, including verbal and non-verbal communication; disengaged behaviours and corrective strategies; trauma-informed practice; working with students with emotional and behavioural disorders; and bullying prevention and intervention strategies. Linking to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs), each chapter includes 'Embedding the theory' and 'Story from the field' boxes that discuss the theoretical research behind different approaches to engagement and explore their practical applications. 'Making professional decisions' boxes at the end of each chapter also provide further guidance on how to approach different situations and build a repertoire of resources for practice.