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Vaccines have revolutionised the field of medicine, eradicating and controlling many diseases. Recent pandemic vaccine successes have highlighted the accelerated pace of vaccine development and deployment. Leveraging this momentum, attention has shifted to cancer vaccines and personalised cancer vaccines, aimed at targeting individual tumour-specific abnormalities. The UK, now regarded for its vaccine capabilities, is an ideal nation for pioneering cancer vaccine trials. This article convened experts to share insights and approaches to navigate the challenges of cancer vaccine development with personalised or precision cancer vaccines, as well as fixed vaccines. Emphasising partnership and proactive strategies, this article outlines the ambition to harness national and local system capabilities in the UK; to work in collaboration with potential pharmaceutic partners; and to seize the opportunity to deliver the pace for rapid advances in cancer vaccine technology.
Caribbean health research has overwhelmingly employed measures developed elsewhere and rarely includes evaluation of psychometric properties. Established measures are important for research and practice. Particularly, measures of stress and coping are needed. Stressors experienced by Caribbean people are multifactorial, as emerging climate threats interact with existing complex and vulnerable socioeconomic environments. In the early COVID-19 pandemic, our team developed an online survey to assess the well-being of health professions students across university campuses in four Caribbean countries. This survey included the Perceived Stress Scale, 10-item version (PSS-10) and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). The participants were 1,519 health professions students (1,144 females, 372 males). We evaluated the psychometric qualities of the measures, including internal consistency, concurrent validity by correlating both measures, and configural invariance using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Both scales had good internal consistency, with omega values of 0.91 for the PSS-10 and 0.81 for the BRCS. CFA suggested a two-factor structure of the PSS-10 and unidimensional structure of the BRCS. These findings support further use of these measures in Caribbean populations. However, the sampling strategy limits generalizability. Further research evaluating these and other measures in the Caribbean is desirable.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Our study explores the dose-related effects of THC on cardiovascular measures, self-reported effects, balance, and cognitive function among older adults. We also evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of study procedures, to inform future study designs employing this population. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Using a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled design and standard behavioral pharmacology methods, reasonably healthy male and female adults aged 55-70 years undergo an eligibility screening, followed by a mock session and 3 experimental sessions (>7 days apart). During experimental sessions, participants are administered cannabis-infused brownies with varying THC doses. Prior to and at multiple intervals post- consumption, subjects complete assessments including self reports and observer ratings, psychomotor and cognitive performance measures, and vital signs. Follow-up interviews regarding the experience will be conducted one day after each session. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We anticipate our results to mirror those of previously reported studies conducted in adults under 45 years old in that a dose-response relationship exists for subjective drug effects and vital signs with the caveat that this relationship may be exacerbated in our population. We additionally anticipate findings that indicate THC impairs balance and coordination, potentially increasing the risk of falls and accidents among this population, and cognitive function, affecting attention, memory, and executive functions. Feedback provided during the follow-up interviews will help refine procedures for future studies, ensuring that the methodology is acceptable and feasible for this population. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Prior work demonstrates the safety and efficacy of THC in conditions common among older adults, however, no conclusive data regarding tolerability and safety in this population exists. The presented work is vital groundwork for future research on THC as a potential therapeutic for older adults.
Globally, human house types are diverse, varying in shape, size, roof type, building materials, arrangement, decoration and many other features. Here we offer the first rigorous, global evaluation of the factors that influence the construction of traditional (vernacular) houses. We apply macroecological approaches to analyse data describing house features from 1900 to 1950 across 1000 societies. Geographic, social and linguistic descriptors for each society were used to test the extent to which key architectural features may be explained by the biophysical environment, social traits, house features of neighbouring societies or cultural history. We find strong evidence that some aspects of the climate shape house architecture, including floor height, wall material and roof shape. Other features, particularly ground plan, appear to also be influenced by social attributes of societies, such as whether a society is nomadic, polygynous or politically complex. Additional variation in all house features was predicted both by the practices of neighouring societies and by a society's language family. Collectively, the findings from our analyses suggest those conditions under which traditional houses offer solutions to architects seeking to reimagine houses in light of warmer, wetter or more variable climates.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease that can only be diagnosed at post-mortem. Revised criteria for the clinical syndrome of CTE, known as traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), include impairments in episodic memory and/or executive function as core clinical features. These criteria were informed by retrospective interviews with next-of-kin and the presence and rates of objective impairments in memory and executive functions in CTE are unknown. Here, we characterized antemortem neuropsychological test performance in episodic memory and executive functions among deceased contact sport athletes neuropathologically diagnosed with CTE.
Participants and Methods:
The sample included 80 deceased male contact sport athletes from the UNITE brain bank who had autopsy-confirmed CTE (and no other neurodegenerative diseases). Published criteria were used for the autopsy diagnosis of CTE. Neuropsychological test reports (raw scores) were acquired through medical record requests. Raw scores were converted to z-scores using the same age, sex, and education-adjusted normative data. Tests of memory included long delay trials from the Rey Complex Figure, CVLT-II, HVLT-R, RBANS, and BVMT-R. Tests of executive functions included Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B), Controlled Oral Word Association Test, WAIS-III Picture Arrangement, and various WAIS-IV subtests. Not all brain donors had the same tests, and the sample sizes vary across tests, with 33 donors having tests from both domains. Twenty-eight had 1 test in memory and 3 had 2+. Eight had 1 test of executive function and 46 had 2+. A z-score of 1.5 standard deviations below the normative mean was impaired. Interpretation of test performance followed the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology guidelines (Guilmette et al., 2020). Bivariate correlations assessed cumulative p-tau burden (summary semiquantitative ratings of p-tau severity across 11 brain regions) and TMT-B (n=34) and CVLT-II (n=14), the most common tests available.
Results:
Of the 80 (mean age= 59.9, SD=18.0 years; 13, 16.3% were Black), 72 played football, 4 played ice hockey, and 4 played other contact sports. Most played at the professional level (57, 71.3%). Mean time between neuropsychological testing and death was 3.9 (SD= 4.5) years. The most common reason for testing was dementia-related (43, 53.8%). Mean z-scores fell in the average psychometric range(mean z= -0.52, SD=1.5, range= -6.0 to 3.0) for executive function and the low average range for memory (mean z= -1.3, SD=1.1, range= -4.0 to 2.0). Eleven (20.4%) had impairment on 1 test and 3 (5.6%) on 2+ tests of executive functions. The most common impairment was on TMT-B (mean z= -1.77, 13 [38.2%] impaired). For memory, 13 (41.9%) had impairment on 1 test. Of the 14 who had CVLT-II, 7 were impaired (mean z= -1.33). Greater p-tau burden was associated with worse performance on CVLT-II (r= -.653, p= .02), but not TMT-B (r= .187, p>.05).
Conclusions:
This study provides the first evidence for objectively-measured impairments in executive functions and memory in a sample with known, autopsy-confirmed CTE. Furthermore, p-tau burden corresponded to worse memory test performance. Examination of neuropsychological tests from medical records has limitations but can overcome shortcomings of retrospective informant reports to provide insight into the cognitive profiles associated with CTE.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion are associated with increased dementia risk. Accurate TBI/concussion exposure estimates are relatively unknown for less common neurodegenerative conditions like frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We evaluated lifetime TBI and concussion frequency in patients diagnosed with a range of FTD spectrum conditions and related prior head trauma to cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) characteristics observable on MRI.
Participants and Methods:
We administered the Ohio State University TBI Identification and Boston University Head Impact Exposure Assessment to 108 patients (age 69.5 ± 8.0, 35% female, 93% white or unknown race) diagnosed at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center with one of the following FTD or related conditions: behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (N=39), semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (N=16), nonfluent variant PPA (N=23), corticobasal syndrome (N=14), or progressive supranuclear palsy (N=16). Data were also obtained from 217 controls (“HC”; age 76.8 ± 8.0, 53% female, 91% white or unknown race). CSP characteristics were defined based on width or “grade” (0-1 vs. 2+) and length of anterior-posterior separation (millimeters). We first describe frequency of any and multiple (2+) prior TBI based on different but commonly used definitions: TBI with loss of consciousness (LOC), TBI with LOC or posttraumatic amnesia (LOC/PTA), TBI with LOC/PTA or other symptoms like dizziness, nausea, “seeing stars,” etc. (“concussion”). TBI/concussion frequency was then compared between FTD and HC using chi-square. Associations between TBI/concussion and CSP characteristics were analyzed with chi-square (CSP grade) and Mann-Whitney U tests (CSP length). We explored sex differences due to typically higher rates of TBI among males.
Results:
History of any TBI with LOC (FTD=20.0%, HC=19.2%), TBI with LOC/PTA (FTD:32.2%, HC=31.5%), and concussion (FTD: 50.0%, HC=44.3%) was common but not different between study groups (p’s>.4). In both FTD and HC, prior TBI/concussion was nominally more frequent in males but not significantly greater than females. Frequency of repeat TBI/concussion (2+) also did not differ significantly between FTD and HC (repeat TBI with LOC: 6.7% vs. 3.3%, TBI with LOC/PTA: 12.2% vs. 10.3%, concussion: 30.2% vs. 28.7%; p’s>.2). Prior TBI/concussion was not significantly related to CSP grade or length in the total sample or within the FTD or HC groups.
Conclusions:
TBI/concussion rates depend heavily on the symptom definition used for classifying prior injury. Lifetime symptomatic TBI/concussion is common but has an unclear impact on risk for FTD-related diagnoses. Larger samples are needed to appropriately evaluate sex differences, to evaluate whether TBI/concussion rates differ between specific FTD phenotypes, and to understand the rates and effects of more extensive repetitive head trauma (symptomatic and asymptomatic) in patients with FTD.
Significant advances in the research of sport-related concussion (SRC) and repetitive head impacts (RHI) over the previous decade have translated to improved injury identification, diagnosis, and management. However, an objective gold standard for SRC/RHI treatment has remained elusive. SRC often result in heterogenous clinical outcomes, and the accumulation of RHI over time is associated with long-term declines in neurocognitive functioning. Medical management typically entails an amalgamation of outpatient medical treatment and psychiatric and/or behavioral interventions for specific symptoms rather than treatment of the underlying functional and/or structural brain injury. Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), a form of light therapy, has been proposed as a non-invasive treatment for individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), possibly including SRC/RHI. With the present proof-of-concept pilot study, we sought to address important gaps in the neurorehabilitation of former athletes with a history of SRC and RHI by examining the effects of tPBM on neurocognitive functioning.
Participants and Methods:
The current study included 49 participants (45 male) with a history of SRC and/or RHI. Study inclusion criteria included: age 18-65 years and a self-reported history of SRC and/or RHI. Exclusion criteria included: a history of neurologic disease a history of psychiatric disorder, and MRI contraindication. We utilized a non-randomized proof-of-concept design of active treatment over the course of 8-10 weeks, and neurocognitive functioning was assessed at pre- and post-treatment. A Vielight Neuro Gamma at-home brain tPBM device was distributed to each participant following baseline assessment.
Participants completed standardized measures of neurocognitive functioning, including the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-3), Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), Continuous Performance Test (CPT-3), and The NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery. Neurocognitive assessments were collected prior to and following tPBM treatment. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon’s signed-rank tests were used to evaluate change in performance on measures of neurocognitive functioning for normal and nonnormal variables, respectively, and estimates of effect size were obtained.
Results:
Study participants’ ability for adapting to novel stimuli and task requirements (i.e., fluid cognition; t=5.96; p<.001; d=.90), verbal learning/encoding (t=3.20; p=.003; d=.48) and delayed recall (z=3.32; p=.002; d=.50), processing speed (t=3.13; p=.003; d=.47), sustained attention (t=-4.39; p<.001; d=-.71), working memory (t=3.61; p=.001; d=.54), and aspects of executive functioning improved significantly following tPBM treatment. No significant improvements in phonemic and semantic verbal fluencies, reading ability, and vocabulary were shown following tPBM treatment.
Conclusions:
The results of this pilot study demonstrate that following 8-10 weeks of active tPBM treatment, retired athletes with a history of SRC and/or RHI experienced significant improvements in fluid cognition, learning and memory, processing speed, attention, working memory, and aspects of executive functioning. Importantly, the majority of effect sizes ranged from moderate to large, suggesting that tPBM has clinically meaningful improvements on neurocognitive functioning across various cognitive domains. These results offer support for future research employing more rigorous study designs on the potential neurorehabilitative effects of tPBM in athletes with SRC/RHI.
Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, additional risk factors affecting family caregivers’ mental health have arisen. Therefore, personal stress coping strategies and family dynamics became important factors in reducing the impact of the pandemic on family caregivers’ mental health. The present research aimed to estimate the association between COVID-19 stressors and family caregiving burden. Moreover, moderating effects of emotion dysregulation and family functioning on this association were investigated.
Methods
This study analyzed data collected in April 2021 from 154 family caregivers (Mage = 38.79, SDage = 9.36, range = 22–64) recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The impact of COVID-19 stressors on family caregiving burden was tested, and moderating impacts of emotion dysregulation and family functioning were also investigated.
Results
Both COVID-19 stress exposure and stress appraisal were positively associated with family caregiving burden. Emotion dysregulation and problematic family functioning were also positively associated with family caregiving burden. A significant moderating effect of emotion dysregulation was found, such that family caregivers with higher emotion dysregulation were likely to feel more caregiving burden when they experienced more COVID-19 stressors.
Significance of results
The current research highlighted the role of emotion regulation in reducing the negative impact of COVID-19 stressors on family caregiving burden. The research also emphasizes the need for intervention programs to improve emotion regulation strategies to decrease family caregiving burden during the pandemic.
To determine the effectiveness of active, upper-room, germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) devices in reducing bacterial contamination in patient rooms in air and on surfaces as a supplement to the central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) air handling unit (AHU) with MERV 14 filters and UV-C disinfection.
Methods:
This study was conducted in an academic medical center, burn intensive care unit (BICU), for 4 months in 2022. Room occupancy was monitored and recorded. In total, 402 preinstallation and postinstallation bacterial air and non–high-touch surface samples were obtained from 10 BICU patient rooms. Airborne particle counts were measured in the rooms, and bacterial air samples were obtained from the patient-room supply air vents and outdoor air, before and after the intervention. After preintervention samples were obtained, an active, upper-room, GUV air disinfection system was deployed in each of the patient rooms in the BICU.
Results:
The average levels of airborne bacteria of 395 CFU/m3 before GUV device installation and 37 CFU/m3 after installation indicated an 89% overall decrease (P < .0001). Levels of surface-borne bacteria were associated with a 69% decrease (P < .0001) after GUV device installation. Outdoor levels of airborne bacteria averaged 341 CFU/m3 in March before installation and 676 CFU/m3 in June after installation, but this increase was not significant (P = .517).
Conclusions:
Significant reductions in air and surface contamination occurred in all rooms and areas and were not associated with variations in outdoor air concentrations of bacteria. The significant decrease of surface bacteria is an unexpected benefit associated with in-room GUV air disinfection, which can potentially reduce overall bioburden.
The goal of weed science extension efforts are to encourage and accelerate adoption of diverse, effective, and economical management tactics. To be most successful and efficient, extension personnel need to know how growers prefer to receive information, the format in which the information is delivered, and areas that future extension research should focus on. To this end, surveys were distributed at crop and forage extension meetings in Virginia. The results from 249 responses indicate that both crop and forage producers have similar preferences. Agribusiness personnel (e.g., co-ops, suppliers, vendors, crop consultants, sales representatives) had the greatest influence on herbicide-purchasing decisions and were the primary source of information for producers who make weed management decisions, and thus should be a target audience of extension. Respondents said that economic assessments, weed control data, and yield data are most likely to influence changes in their management practices and that they would prefer to receive that information through traditional extension formats (presentations, publications, and on-farm demonstrations). Generally, respondents also indicated that they wanted extension efforts to focus on evaluating new herbicides for weed control and crop safety in the future over alternative nonherbicidal weed control methods. Therefore, extension personnel are likely to be more successful by including herbicides in the practice of integrated weed management rather than relying solely on nonchemical approaches.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This study explored whether gabapentin (GBN) differentially impacted heart rate variability (HRV) and whether HRV was associated with opioid withdrawal ratings among participants with opioid use disorder (OUD) undergoing a randomized, double blind placebo-controlled, trial (RCT) of GBN during a buprenorphine (BUP)-assisted taper. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Participants (ages 18-64) with OUD, no recent use of benzodiazepines/barbiturates, and no major psychiatric disorders or unstable medical conditions were enrolled in the RCT, inducted onto BUP starting week 1 day 1 and randomly assigned to receive adjunct GBN or placebo starting week 1 day 3. All participants began a 10-day BUP-taper beginning week 2 day 3. HRV measures were assessed on week 1 day 2 (before GBN/placebo induction), week 2 day 2, and week 3 day 5 (end of BUP taper). HRV metrics were analyzed using Two Sample T-Test to determine differences between GBN vs. Placebo. Correlations between HRV metrics and opioid withdrawal ratings administered at the above timepoints will be analyzed using Spearman correlation. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: 28 participants underwent at least 1 HRV session that resulted in usable data. Preliminary statistical analyses revealed that HRV trended lower for GBN subjects during PB exercises than Placebo subjects, demonstrated by a higher mean heart rate for GBN subjects compared to Placebo subjects (p=0.0506) at the end of the BUP-taper (week 3 day 5). We expect future analyses to demonstrate a negative correlation between certain HRV metrics indicative of parasympathetic tone and opioid withdrawal rating assessment scores indicative of withdrawal severity. Such findings would demonstrate an association between opioid withdrawal severity and lower parasympathetic tone and HRV. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Individuals with OUD have previously been shown to have a lower parasympathetic tone than individuals without OUD. Additionally, opioid withdrawal has been shown to be associated with reduced parasympathetic tone. Our initial findings suggest that adjunct GBN administration was not associated with lower parasympathetic tone during PB exercises.
A dynamical understanding of the physical process of surface gravity wave breaking remains an unresolved problem in fluid dynamics. Conceptually, breaking can be described by inception and onset, where breaking inception is the initiation of unknown irreversible processes within a wave crest that precede the visible manifestation of breaking onset. In the search for an energetic indicator of breaking inception, we use an ensemble of non-breaking and breaking crests evolving within unsteady wave packets simulated in a numerical wave tank to investigate the evolution of each term in the kinetic energy balance equation. We observe that breaking onset is preceded by around one quarter of a wave period by a rapid increase in the rate of convergence of kinetic energy that triggers an irreversible acceleration of the kinetic energy growth rate. This energetic signature, which is present only for crests that subsequently break, arises when the kinetic energy growth rate exceeds a critical threshold. At this point the additional kinetic energy convergence cannot be offset by converting excess kinetic energy to potential energy or by dissipation through friction. Our results suggest that the ratio of the leading terms of the kinetic energy balance equation at the time of this energetic signature is proportional to the strength of the breaking crest. Hence this energetic inception point both predicts the occurrence of breaking onset and indicates the strength of the breaking event.
A collisionless shock is a self-organized structure where fields and particle distributions are mutually adjusted to ensure a stable mass, momentum and energy transfer from the upstream to the downstream region. This adjustment may involve rippling, reformation or whatever else is needed to maintain the shock. The fields inside the shock front are produced due to the motion of charged particles, which is in turn governed by the fields. The overshoot arises due to the deceleration of the ion flow by the increasing magnetic field, so that the drop of the dynamic pressure should be compensated by the increase of the magnetic pressure. The role of the overshoot is to regulate ion reflection, thus properly adjusting the downstream ion temperature and kinetic pressure and also speeding up the collisionless relaxation and reducing the anisotropy of the eventually gyrotropized distributions.
Only 6 to 8 % of the UK adults meet the daily recommendation for dietary fibre. Fava bean processing lead to vast amounts of high-fibre by-products such as hulls. Bean hull fortified bread was formulated to increase and diversify dietary fibre while reducing waste. This study assessed the bean hull: suitability as a source of dietary fibre; the systemic and microbial metabolism of its components and postprandial events following bean hull bread rolls. Nine healthy participants (53·9 ± 16·7 years) were recruited for a randomised controlled crossover study attending two 3 days intervention sessions, involving the consumption of two bread rolls per day (control or bean hull rolls). Blood and faecal samples were collected before and after each session and analysed for systemic and microbial metabolites of bread roll components using targeted LC-MS/MS and GC analysis. Satiety, gut hormones, glucose, insulin and gastric emptying biomarkers were also measured. Two bean hull rolls provided over 85 % of the daily recommendation for dietary fibre; but despite being a rich source of plant metabolites (P = 0·04 v. control bread), these had poor systemic bioavailability. Consumption of bean hull rolls for 3 days significantly increased plasma concentration of indole-3-propionic acid (P = 0·009) and decreased faecal concentration of putrescine (P = 0·035) and deoxycholic acid (P = 0·046). However, it had no effect on postprandial plasma gut hormones, bacterial composition and faecal short chain fatty acids amount. Therefore, bean hulls require further processing to improve their bioactives systemic availability and fibre fermentation.
This study examined the association between pubertal timing, daily affect, conduct problems, and the exposure to hassles across family, peer, and school contexts. Adolescents (Mage = 12.27; 49.7% female; 62.6% White) completed ecological momentary assessments across 14 consecutive days (N = 388). Earlier maturing girls reported lower daily averages of positive affect compared to their same-sex, same-age peers. We did not find evidence for a relationship between pubertal timing and daily negative affect or conduct problems in girls, nor for daily negative and positive affect or conduct problems in boys. However, pubertal timing did moderate the day-level association between average negative affect and family hassles for both girls and boys. When experiencing more family hassles, earlier maturing girls reported greater negative affect relative to later maturing girls who experienced family hassles. In contrast, later maturing boys, relative to earlier maturing boys, reported higher levels of negative affect in the context of family hassles.
To examine the use of telemedicine among Canadian concussion providers and clinics before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset and identify barriers and facilitators for future use.
Methods:
Ninety-nine concussion clinics and healthcare providers across Canada that offered one or more clinical concussion-related service were identified using standardized online searches and approached to complete a cross-sectional online survey.
Results:
Thirty clinics or providers completed the survey and two completed subsections of the survey (response rate of 32.3%). Only 28.1% of respondents indicated that they used telemedicine to provide care prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Providers most commonly using telemedicine prior to the pandemic were occupational therapists and physicians, while the most commonly used services were in-person videoconferencing and eConsultation. Most respondents (87%) indicated their clinic’s use of telemedicine changed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic including new use of in-person video-conferencing, telephone calls, and eConsultation. Ninety-three percent indicated that they would consider using telemedicine to provide care to their concussion patients once the pandemic was over. Barriers needed to be overcome to facilitate use or greater use of telemedicine-based services were the inability to conduct a complete physical examination, lack of appropriate reimbursement, lack of start-up, and maintenance funding and medico-legal risk.
Conclusion:
Telemedicine was used by a minority of Canadian concussion clinics and providers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but was rapidly adopted by many facilities. This study provides important insight into the factors that must be considered to optimize use of telemedicine in concussion care in the future.
The process of identifying and connecting with clinical trial study teams can be challenging and difficult for members of the public. The national volunteer community registry, ResearchMatch, and the public clinical trials search tool, Trials Today, work in tandem to bridge this connection by providing a streamlined process for potential participants to identify clinical trials which may be of interest.
Methods:
Building on the existing infrastructure of ResearchMatch and Trials Today, we created a mechanism by which the public can request that their basic contact information (e.g., email/phone) be securely shared with any actively recruiting clinical trial, including trials with no existing relationship with ResearchMatch.
Results:
Within the first 2 years of use (July 2019–July 2021), ResearchMatch Volunteers sent 12,251 requests to study teams. On average, 20% of these requests were accepted by the study teams.
Conclusions:
The utilization of this tool indicates that there is active interest among members of the public to independently contact study teams about trials of interest. Additionally, research teams unaffiliated with ResearchMatch are willing to at minimum accept contact information. This allows ResearchMatch to successfully serve as a medium, connecting members of the public with actively recruiting trials.
Two introduced carnivores, the European red fox Vulpes vulpes and domestic cat Felis catus, have had extensive impacts on Australian biodiversity. In this study, we collate information on consumption of Australian birds by the fox, paralleling a recent study reporting on birds consumed by cats. We found records of consumption by foxes on 128 native bird species (18% of the non-vagrant bird fauna and 25% of those species within the fox’s range), a smaller tally than for cats (343 species, including 297 within the fox’s Australian range, a subset of that of the cat). Most (81%) bird species eaten by foxes are also eaten by cats, suggesting that predation impacts are compounded. As with consumption by cats, birds that nest or forage on the ground are most likely to be consumed by foxes. However, there is also some partitioning, with records of consumption by foxes but not cats for 25 bird species, indicating that impacts of the two predators may also be complementary. Bird species ≥3.4 kg were more likely to be eaten by foxes, and those <3.4 kg by cats. Our compilation provides an inventory and describes characteristics of Australian bird species known to be consumed by foxes, but we acknowledge that records of predation do not imply population-level impacts. Nonetheless, there is sufficient information from other studies to demonstrate that fox predation has significant impacts on the population viability of some Australian birds, especially larger birds, and those that nest or forage on the ground.
The aim of the current study was to explore the effect of gender, age at onset, and duration on the long-term course of schizophrenia.
Methods
Twenty-nine centers from 25 countries representing all continents participated in the study that included 2358 patients aged 37.21 ± 11.87 years with a DSM-IV or DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia; the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale as well as relevant clinicodemographic data were gathered. Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used, and the methodology corrected for the presence of potentially confounding effects.
Results
There was a 3-year later age at onset for females (P < .001) and lower rates of negative symptoms (P < .01) and higher depression/anxiety measures (P < .05) at some stages. The age at onset manifested a distribution with a single peak for both genders with a tendency of patients with younger onset having slower advancement through illness stages (P = .001). No significant effects were found concerning duration of illness.
Discussion
Our results confirmed a later onset and a possibly more benign course and outcome in females. Age at onset manifested a single peak in both genders, and surprisingly, earlier onset was related to a slower progression of the illness. No effect of duration has been detected. These results are partially in accord with the literature, but they also differ as a consequence of the different starting point of our methodology (a novel staging model), which in our opinion precluded the impact of confounding effects. Future research should focus on the therapeutic policy and implications of these results in more representative samples.
Social inequality is ubiquitous in contemporary human societies, and has deleterious social and ecological impacts. However, the factors that shape the emergence and maintenance of inequality remain widely debated. Here we conduct a global analysis of pathways to inequality by comparing 408 non-industrial societies in the anthropological record (described largely between 1860 and 1960) that vary in degree of inequality. We apply structural equation modelling to open-access environmental and ethnographic data and explore two alternative models varying in the links among factors proposed by prior literature, including environmental conditions, resource intensification, wealth transmission, population size and a well-documented form of inequality: social class hierarchies. We found support for a model in which the probability of social class hierarchies is associated directly with increases in population size, the propensity to use intensive agriculture and domesticated large mammals, unigeniture inheritance of real property and hereditary political succession. We suggest that influence of environmental variables on inequality is mediated by measures of resource intensification, which, in turn, may influence inequality directly or indirectly via effects on wealth transmission variables. Overall, we conclude that in our analysis a complex network of effects are associated with social class hierarchies.