Sensorimotor Synchronization and Neural Entrainment to Imagined Rhythms in Individuals With Proficient Imagery Ability.

Sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) is the temporal coordination of motor movements with external or imagined stimuli. Finger-tapping studies indicate better SMS performance with auditory or tactile stimuli compared to visual. However, SMS with a visual rhythm can be improved by enriching stimulus properties (e.g., spatiotemporal content) or individual differences (e.g., one's vividness of auditory imagery). We previously showed that higher self-reported vividness of auditory imagery led to more consistent synchronization-continuation performance when participants continued without a guiding visual rhythm. Here, we examined the contribution of imagery to the SMS performance of proficient imagers, including an auditory or visual distractor task during the continuation phase. While the visual distractor task had minimal effect, SMS consistency was significantly worse when the auditory distractor task was present. Our electroencephalography analysis revealed beat-related neural entrainment, only when the visual or auditory distractor tasks were present. During continuation with the auditory distractor task, the neural entrainment showed an occipital electrode distribution, suggesting the involvement of visual imagery. Unique to SMS continuation with the auditory distractor task, we found neural and sub-vocal (measured with electromyography) entrainment at the three-beat pattern frequency. In this most difficult condition, proficient imagers employed both beat- and pattern-related imagery strategies. However, this combination was insufficient to restore SMS consistency to that observed with visual or no distractor task. Our results suggest that proficient imagers effectively utilized beat-related imagery in one modality when imagery in another modality was limited.

Transition from rehabilitation hospital to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for people with brain injury and spinal cord injury: a data linkage protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) are both major contributors to permanent disability globally, with an estimated 27 million new cases of TBI and 0.93 million new cases of SCI globally in 2016. In Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides support to people with disability. Reports from the NDIS suggest that the cost of support for people with TBI and SCI has been increasing dramatically, and there is a lack of independent analysis of the drivers of these increases. This data linkage seeks to better understand the participant transition between rehabilitation hospitals and the NDIS and the correlation between functional independence in rehabilitation and resource allocation in the NDIS. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a retrospective, population-based cohort study using Australia-wide NDIS participant data and rehabilitation hospital episode data. The linked dataset provides a comparison of functional independence against which to compare the NDIS resource allocation to people with TBI and SCI. This protocol outlines the secure and separated data linkage approach employed in linking partially identified episode data from the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC) with identified participant data from the NDIS. The linkage employs a stepwise deterministic linkage approach. Statistical analysis of the linked dataset will consider the relationship between the functional independence measure score from the rehabilitation hospital and the committed funding supports in the NDIS plan. This protocol sets the foundation for an ongoing data linkage between rehabilitation hospitals and the NDIS to assist transition to the NDIS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is from the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee. AROC Data Governance Committee and NDIS Data Management Committee have approved this project. Research findings will be disseminated to key stakeholders through peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and presentations to clinical and policy audiences via AROC and NDIS.

Risk of incident gout following exposure to recombinant zoster vaccine in US adults aged ≥50 years.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) is associated with an increased risk of new-onset gout among US adults aged ≥50 years. METHODS: We conducted a real-world, retrospective safety study with a self-controlled risk interval (SCRI) design using administrative claims data. We included health plan members aged ≥50 years with RZV exposure, followed by incident gout within 60 days. Days 1-30 following RZV exposure were considered the risk window (RW), and days 31-60 were considered the control window (CW). We estimated the risk ratio (RR) of gout in the RW versus CW, using a conditional Poisson model. The primary analysis estimated the risk of incident gout following any RZV dose. Sensitivity analyses evaluated dose 1- and dose 2-specific risks, risk among patients compliant with recommended dose spacing of 60-183 days, adjustment for seasonality, and restriction to the pre-COVID-19 era (before December 1, 2019). RESULTS: A total of 461,323 individuals received ≥1 RZV dose; we included 302 individuals (mean age 72.5 years; 66 % male) with evidence of new-onset gout within 60 days in SCRI analyses. A total of 153 (50.7 %) individuals had gout events in the RW and 149 (49.3 %) in the CW (RR 1.03; 95 % confidence interval 0.81, 1.29). All sensitivity analyses had consistent results, with no association of RZV with incident gout. CONCLUSION: In a population of US adults aged ≥50 years, there was no statistically significant increase in the risk of gout during the 30 days immediately after RZV exposure, compared with a subsequent 30-day CW.

A comparison of two versus five epineural sutures to achieve successful polyethylene glycol (PEG) nerve fusion in a rat sciatic nerve repair model.

Background: We compared rates of successful polyethylene glycol (PEG) nerve fusion between two epineural suture repairs (2SR) and five epineural suture repairs (5SR) in a rat sciatic nerve transection neurorrhaphy model. We hypothesise that the two and five epineural neural suture repair groups will achieve a similar rate of PEG fusion. Methods: Twenty-five Lewis rats underwent bilateral sciatic nerve transection. Primary neurorrhaphy (PN) consisting of 2SR in one hind limb and 5SR in the contralateral hind limb was performed utilizing PEG fusion. Successful PEG fusion was confirmed by a distal muscle twitch after nerve stimulation proximal to the nerve fusion site. Sciatic nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) across the repair site and the force generated by tibialis anterior muscle (TAM) contraction were also compared between the 2SR and 5SR groups. Results: Success rates were 100% for the 2SR and the 5SR groups. No statistically significant differences in SNCV (P = 0.444) or isometric tetanic TAM contractile force (P = 0.820) were observed between 2SR and 5SR in the setting of PEG fusion. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate no significant difference in successful PEG fusion between the 2SR and 5SR groups. In addition, the findings demonstrate no statistically significant differences in SNCV or isometric tetanic TAM contractile force following sciatic nerve transection when performing a 2SR or 5SR PN in the setting of PEG fusion. Successful PEG fusion can be achieved acutely with either a two or five-epineural suture repair in a rat model.

Policy, practice, and prediction: model-based approaches to evaluating N. gonorrhoeae antibiotic susceptibility test uptake in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a significant threat to global health with Neisseria gonorrhoea emerging as a key pathogen of concern. In Australia, the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Program (AGSP) plays a critical role in monitoring resistance patterns. However, antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) uptake - a crucial component for effective resistance surveillance - remains to be a limiting factor. The study aims to model the processes involved in generating AST tests for N. gonorrhoea isolates within the Australian healthcare system and assess the potential impact of systematic and policy-level changes. METHODS: Two models were developed. The first model was a mathematical stochastic health systems model (SHSM) and a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) to simulate the clinician-patient dynamics influencing AST initiation. Key variables were identified through systematic literature review to inform the construction of both models. Scenario analyses were conducted with the modification of model parameters. RESULTS: The SHSM and BBN highlighted clinician education and the use of clinical support tools as effective strategies to improve AST. Scenario analysis further identified adherence to guidelines and changes in patient-level factors, such as persistence of symptoms and high-risk behaviours, as significant determinants. Both models supported the notion of mandated testing to achieve higher AST initiation rates but with considerations necessary regarding practicality, laboratory constraints, and culture failure rate. CONCLUSION: The study fundamentally demonstrates a novel approach to conceptualising the patient-clinician dynamic within AMR testing utilising a model-based approach. It suggests targeted interventions to educational, support tools, and legislative framework as feasible strategies to improve AST initiation rates. However, the research fundamentally highlights substantial research gaps in the underlying understanding of AMR.

The contribution of auditory imagery and visual rhythm perception to sensorimotor synchronization with external and imagined rhythm.

Sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) refers to the temporal coordination of an external stimulus with movement. Our previous work revealed that while SMS with visual flashing patterns was less consistent than with auditory or tactile patterns, it was still evident in a sample of nonmusicians. Although previous studies have speculated the potential role of auditory imagery, its contribution to visual SMS performance is not well quantified. Utilizing a synchronization-continuation finger-tapping task with a visual stimulus that included implied motion, we aimed to examine how participants' imagery ability, musicality, and rhythm perception affected SMS performance. We quantified participants' SMS consistency in synchronization (with visual cues) and continuation (without visual cues) phases. Participants also performed a perception task assessing their ability to detect temporal perturbations in the visual rhythm and completed musical ability and imagery questionnaires. Our linear regression model for SMS consistency included the trial phase, self-reported auditory imagery control and musicality, and visual rhythm perception as predictors. Significant effects of trial phase and auditory imagery scores on SMS consistency suggested that participants performed SMS more consistently while the guiding visual stimulus was present and that the higher one's self-reported auditory imagery ability, the better their SMS when continuing with unguided rhythm. One's visual rhythm perception accuracy significantly correlated with SMS consistency during the synchronization phase, and there was no correlation between rhythm perception and auditory imagery control. Overall, our results suggested relatively independent contributions of auditory imagery and visual rhythm perception to SMS with visual rhythm. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly contagious human herpes virus responsible for causing chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster). Despite the approval of a highly effective vaccine, Shingrix®, the global incidence of herpes zoster is increasing and the economic burden to the health care system and society are substantial due to significant loss of productivity and health complications, particularly among elderly and immunocompromised individuals. This is primarily because access to the vaccines remains mostly limited to countries within developed economies, such as USA and Canada. Therefore, similarly effective vaccines against VZV that are more accessible to the rest-of-the-world are necessary. In this study, we aimed to evaluate immunogenicity and memory response induced by three mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates targeting VZV's surface glycoprotein E (gE). C57BL/6 mice were immunized with each candidate vaccine, and humoral and cellular immune responses were assessed. Our results demonstrate that the mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates elicited robust and durable humoral responses specific to the gE antigen. Notably, mice vaccinated with the mRNA-LNP vaccines exhibited significantly higher antigen-specific T-cell cytokine production compared to the group receiving Shingrix®, the current standard of care vaccine. Additionally, mRNA-LNP vaccines induced long-lasting memory response, as evidenced by detection of persistent gE-specific Long-Lived Plasma Cells (LLPCs) and memory T cells four months after final immunization. These findings underscore the potential of our mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates in generating potent immune responses against VZV, offering promising prospects for their clinical development as an effective prophylactic vaccine against herpes zoster.

DNA barcoding aids in generating a preliminary checklist of the lichens and allied fungi of Calvert Island, British Columbia: Results from the 2018 Hakai Terrestrial BioBlitz.

Background: Bioblitzes are a tool for the rapid appraisal of biodiversity and are particularly useful in remote and understudied regions and for understudied taxa. Lichens are an example of an often overlooked group, despite being widespread in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and having many important ecological functions. New information: We report the lichens and allied fungi collected during the 2018 terrestrial bioblitz conducted on Calvert Island on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. We identified 449 specimens belonging to 189 species in 85 genera, increasing the total number of species known from Calvert Island to 194, and generated Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences for 215 specimens from 121 species. Bryoriafurcellata, Chaenothecopsislecanactidis and C.nigripunctata were collected for the first time in British Columbia. We also found Pseudocyphellariarainierensis, which is listed as Special Concern on the federal Species at Risk Act, and other rarely reported species in British Columbia including Opegraphasphaerophoricola, Protomicarealimosa, Raesaeneniahuuskonenii and Sareadifformis. We demonstrate that DNA barcoding improves the scope and accuracy of expert-led bioblitzes by facilitating the detection of cryptic species and allowing for consistent identification of chemically and morphologically overlapping taxa. Despite the spatial and temporal limitations of our study, the results highlight the value of intact forest ecosystems on the Central Coast of British Columbia for lichen biodiversity, education and conservation.

Smaller Differences in the Comparative Effectiveness of Biologics in Reducing Asthma-Related Hospitalizations Compared With Overall Exacerbations.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the comparative effectiveness of respiratory biologics remains sparse. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of omalizumab, mepolizumab, benralizumab, and dupilumab in a matched retrospective cohort of patients with asthma. METHODS: We identified patients with asthma aged ≥18 years who were incident users of these biologics between November 1, 2018, and June 30, 2023, in administrative claims data from the Food and Drug Administration's Sentinel System and Merative MarketScan Commercial Database. We compared asthma-related exacerbations and hospitalizations in the 12 months since biologic prescription in pairwise comparisons of propensity score-matched cohorts. Covariates used in matching included age, sex, allergic comorbidities, baseline asthma medications use, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using negative binomial regression models. RESULTS: A total of 893 patients on mepolizumab, 1300 on benralizumab, 1170 on omalizumab, and 1863 on dupilumab were identified. The average age was 55 years, and two-thirds of the participants were female. At baseline, over 80% of these individuals had an active prescription for an inhaled corticosteroid. Almost half of patients on dupilumab had concomitant nasal polyposis compared with 6% to 13% of patients on the other biologics. Covariates were balanced after matching. In matched analyses, dupilumab was associated with the lowest incidence of exacerbations over the follow-up period (vs dupilumab): mepolizumab (IRR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.64), omalizumab (IRR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.58), benralizumab (IRR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.41). For exacerbations leading to hospitalizations, benralizumab and mepolizumab were associated with the lowest incidence of hospitalizations, and the greatest difference was between mepolizumab versus dupilumab (IRR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.56, 1.03). CONCLUSIONS: Dupilumab was associated with the lowest incidence of overall exacerbations, and mepolizumab with the lowest incidence of asthma hospitalizations in this administrative claims-based cohort of individuals with asthma. Despite matching propensity scores, residual confounding, such as baseline eosinophil count, may explain some of these findings.

Fibrin Glue Acutely Blocks Distal Muscle Contraction after Confirmed Polyethylene Glycol Nerve Fusion: An Animal Study.

Background: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a synthetic, biodegradable, and hyperosmotic material promising in the treatment of acute peripheral nerve injuries. Our team set out to investigate the impact of fibrin glue upon PEG fusion in a rat model. Methods: Eighteen rats underwent sciatic nerve transection and PEG fusion. Electrophysiologic testing was performed to measure nerve function and distal muscle twitch. Fibrin glue was applied and testing repeated. Due to preliminary findings, fibrin glue was applied to an uncut nerve in five rodents and testing was conducted before and after glue application. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare median values between outcome measures. A Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine normality of data for each comparison, significance set at a P value less than 0.05. Results: PEG fusion was confirmed in 13 nerves with no significant change in amplitude (P = 0.054), latency (P = 0.114), or conduction velocity (P = 0.114). Stimulation of nerves following PEG fusion produced distal muscle contraction in 100% of nerves. Following application of fibrin glue, there was a significant reduction in latency (P = 0.023), amplitude (P < 0.001), and conduction velocity (P = 0.023). Stimulation of the nerve after application of fibrin glue did not produce distal muscle twitch. Five uncut nerves with fibrin glue application blocked distal muscle contraction following stimulation. Conclusions: Our data suggest that fibrin glue alters the nerve's function. The immediate confirmation of PEG fusion via distal muscle twitch is blocked with application fibrin glue in this experimental model. Survival and functional outcome studies are necessary to understand if this has implications on the long-term functional outcomes.

Real-world Evidence Comparing Tofacitinib and Vedolizumab in Anti-TNF-experienced Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Antitumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) inhibitors are first-line treatment among patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). With time, patients tend to lose response or become intolerant, necessitating switching to small cell biologics such as tofacitinib or vedolizumab. In this real-world study of a large, geographically diverse US population of TNF-experienced patients with UC, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of newly initiating treatment with tofacitinib vs vedolizumab. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using secondary data from a large US insurer (Anthem, Inc.). Our cohort included patients with UC newly initiating treatment with tofacitinib or vedolizumab. Patients were required to have evidence of treatment with anti-TNF inhibitors in the 6 months prior to cohort entry. The primary outcome was treatment persistence >52 weeks. Additionally, we evaluated the following secondary outcomes as additional measures of effectiveness and safety: (1) all-cause hospitalization; (2) total abdominal colectomy; (3) hospitalization for infection; (4) hospitalization for malignancy; (5) hospitalization for cardiac events; and (6) hospitalization for thromboembolic events. We used fine stratification by propensity scores to control for confounding by demographics, clinical factors, and treatment history at baseline. RESULTS: Our primary cohort included 168 new users of tofacitinib and 568 new users of vedolizumab. Tofacitinib was associated with lower treatment persistence (adjusted risked ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60 -0.99). Differences in secondary measures of effectiveness or safety between tofacitinib initiators vs vedolizumab initiators were not statistically significant (all-cause hospitalization, adjusted hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.83-1.84; total abdominal colectomy, adjusted HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 0.93-3.44;and hospitalization for any infection, adjusted HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 0.83-4.52). DISCUSSION: Ulcerative colitis patients with prior anti-TNF experience initiating tofacitinib demonstrated lower treatment persistence compared with those initiating vedolizumab. This finding is in contrast to other recent studies suggesting superior effectiveness of tofacitinib. Ultimately, head-to-head randomized, controlled trials that focus on directly measured end points may be needed to best inform clinical practice.

Anti-TNF-experienced patients with UC initiating vedolizumab demonstrated higher treatment persistence compared with those initiating tofacitinib in this real-world evaluation of comparative effectiveness. Ultimately, head-to-head randomized trials that focus on directly measured end points are needed to best inform clinical practice.

Strengthening antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging global public health crisis. Surveillance is a fundamental component in the monitoring and evaluation of AMR mitigation endeavours. The primary aim of the scoping review is to identify successes, barriers, and gaps in implementing AMR surveillance systems and utilising data from them. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases were searched systematically to identify literature pertaining to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of AMR surveillance systems. A thematic analysis was conducted where themes within the literature were inductively grouped based on the described content. RESULTS: The systematic search yielded 639 journal articles for screening. Following deduplication and screening, 46 articles were determined to be appropriate for inclusion. Generally, most studies focused on human AMR surveillance (n = 38, 82.6%). Regionally, there was equal focus on low- and middle-income countries (n = 7, 15.2%) and trans-national contexts (n = 7, 14.5%). All included articles (n = 46, 100.0%) discussed barriers to either implementing or utilising AMR surveillance systems. From the scoping review, 6 themes emerged: capacity for surveillance, data infrastructure, policy, representativeness, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability. Data infrastructure was most frequently discussed as problematic in evaluation of surveillance systems (n = 36, 75.0%). The most frequent success to surveillance system implementation was stakeholder engagement (n = 30, 65.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Experiences of AMR surveillance systems are diverse across contexts. There is a distinct separation of experiences between systems with emerging surveillance systems and those with established systems. Surveillance systems require extensive refinement to become representative and meet surveillance objectives.

Enhancing Insights into Australia's Gonococcal Surveillance Programme through Stochastic Modelling.

Continued surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is critical as a feedback mechanism for the generation of concerted public health action. A characteristic of importance in evaluating disease surveillance systems is representativeness. Scenario tree modelling offers an approach to quantify system representativeness. This paper utilises the modelling approach to assess the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme's representativeness as a case study. The model was built by identifying the sequence of events necessary for surveillance output generation through expert consultation and literature review. A scenario tree model was developed encompassing 16 dichotomous branches representing individual system sub-components. Key classifications included biological sex, clinical symptom status, and location of healthcare service access. The expected sensitivities for gonococcal detection and antibiotic status ascertainment were 0.624 (95% CI; 0.524, 0.736) and 0.144 (95% CI; 0.106, 0.189), respectively. Detection capacity of the system was observed to be high overall. The stochastic modelling approach has highlighted the need to consider differential risk factors such as sex, health-seeking behaviours, and clinical behaviour in sample generation. Actionable points generated by this study include modification of clinician behaviour and supplementary systems to achieve a greater contextual understanding of the surveillance data generation process.

The association of varying treatment thresholds of mepolizumab on asthma exacerbations in adults.

Background: Asthma has a high healthcare burden globally, with up to 10% of the asthma population suffering from severe disease. Biologic agents are a newer class of asthma treatments for severe asthma, with good evidence for efficacy in clinical trials. Nevertheless, real-world studies of its impact on clinical outcomes are limited.Methods: This is an observational cohort study using administrative claims data. The study population consisted of patients aged ≥18 years who had a diagnosis of asthma and initiated mepolizumab after November 4, 2015 and had continuous medical and drug coverage in both the 365 days prior to and following mepolizumab initiation. In patients treated with mepolizumab, we described clinically significant asthma exacerbations by minimum continuous treatment thresholds following initiation of mepolizumab, medication switching patterns and chronic oral corticosteroid (≥28 days) use.Results: We identified 2,536 adults with asthma who initiated mepolizumab. There was an association toward reduction in severe asthma-related events over the first one year of exposure. We observed associations with reduced dispensings of oral corticosteroids over the first year after mepolizumab initiation. Very few patients switched to other biologics during the study period.Conclusions: Treatment with mepolizumab may be associated with fewer asthma-related events in the first year. Over the first one year after initiating mepolizumab, we found associations with decreased concomitant dispensings of oral corticosteroids and medium to high dose ICS/LABA. Additionally, most patients who initiated mepolizumab did not switch to other biologics.

Sensorimotor synchronization with visual, auditory, and tactile modalities.

While it is well known that humans are highly responsive to rhythm, the factors that influence our ability to synchronize remain unclear. In the current study, we examined how stimulus modality and rhythmic deviation, along with the synchronizer's level of musicality, impacted sensorimotor synchronization (SMS). Utilizing a finger-tapping task and three sensory modalities (visual, auditory, and tactile), we manipulated rhythmic deviation by varying the temporal position, intensity, and availability of cues across four deviation levels. Additionally, to determine our participants' musical familiarity and aptitude, we administered the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI) questionnaire. We found that SMS to external rhythmic stimuli was significantly more precise for auditory and tactile than for visual sequences. Further, we found SMS consistency significantly decreased in all modalities with increased rhythmic deviation, suggesting rhythmic deviation directly relates to SMS difficulty. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between Gold-MSI scores and SMS consistency in the most rhythmically deviant level, such that the higher one's musical general sophistication score, the greater one's SMS ability. This held for all three modalities. Combined, these findings suggest that rhythmic synchronization performance is affected not only by the modality and rhythmic deviation of the stimuli but also by the musical general sophistication of the synchronizer.

Real-World Evidence Comparing Vedolizumab and Ustekinumab in Antitumor Necrosis Factor-Experienced Patients With Crohn's Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Many patients with Crohn's disease (CD) lose response or become intolerant to antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy and subsequently switch out of class. We compared the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab to vedolizumab in a large, geographically diverse US population of TNF-experienced patients with CD. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using longitudinal claims data from a large US insurer (Anthem, Inc.). We identified patients with CD initiating vedolizumab or ustekinumab with anti-TNF treatment in the prior 6 months. Our primary outcome was treatment persistence for >52 weeks. Secondary outcomes included (i) all-cause hospitalization, (ii) hospitalization for CD with surgery, (iii) hospitalization for CD without surgery, and (iv) hospitalization for infection. Propensity score fine stratification was used to control for demographic and baseline clinical characteristics and prior treatments. RESULTS: Among 885 new users of ustekinumab and 490 new users of vedolizumab, we observed no difference in treatment persistence (adjusted risk ratio 1.09 [95% confidence interval 0.95-1.25]). Ustekinumab was associated with a lower rate of all-cause hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio 0.73 [0.59-0.91]), nonsurgical CD hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio 0.58 [0.40-0.83]), and hospitalization for infection (adjusted hazard ratio 0.56 [0.34-0.92]). DISCUSSION: This real-world comparative effectiveness study of anti-TNF-experienced patients with CD initiating vedolizumab or ustekinumab showed similar treatment persistence rates beyond 52 weeks, although secondary outcomes such as all-cause hospitalizations, nonsurgical CD hospitalizations, and hospitalizations for infection favored ustekinumab initiation. We, therefore, advocate for individualized decision making in this medically refractory population, considering patient preference and other factors such as cost and route of administration.

Methods and measures in social and personality psychology: a comparison of JPSP publications in 1982 and 2016.

Reviews of articles from social and personality psychology journals have been largely limited to subsets of publications from particular years and to a focus on descriptive qualities of articles. This paper compares the methods and measures employed in all empirical articles published in 1982 to those that appeared in 2016 from Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. There has been an increase in self-report data, a decline in behavioral observations, and an increase in detailed reports of procedures and analyses. A heavy reliance on laboratory experimentation involving college students has been supplanted by online participant pools and data collection procedures. Compared to 1982, articles in 2016 were fewer in number but longer in length, included more studies per article, and had a greater number and diversity of authors. Explanations are offered for these findings along with implications for social and personality psychology.

Toward an atlas of Salish Sea biodiversity: the flora and fauna of Galiano Island, British Columbia, Canada. Part I. Marine zoology.

Background: Based on records dating from 1859 to 2021, we provide an overview of the marine animal diversity reported for Galiano Island, British Columbia, Canada. More than 650 taxa are represented by 20,000 species occurrence records in this curated dataset, which includes dive records documented through the Pacific Marine Life Surveys, museum voucher specimens, ecological data and crowd-sourced observations from the BC Cetacean Sightings Network and iNaturalist. New information: We describe Galiano Island's marine animal diversity in relation to the Salish Sea's overall biodiversity and quantify the proportional contributions of different types of sampling effort to our current local knowledge. Overviews are provided for each taxonomic group in a format intended to be accessible to amateur naturalists interested in furthering research into the region's marine biodiversity. In summary, we find that the Pacific Marine Life Surveys, a regional community science diving initiative, account for 60% of novel records reported for Galiano Island. Voucher specimens account for 19% and crowd-sourced biodiversity data 18% of novel records, respectively, with the remaining 3% of reports coming from other sources. These findings shed light on the complementarity of different types of sampling effort and demonstrate the potential for community science to contribute to the global biodiversity research community. We present a biodiversity informatics framework that is designed to enable these practices by supporting collaboration among researchers and communities in the collection, curation and dissemination of biodiversity data.

Phylogenetic restriction of plant invasion in drought-stressed environments: Implications for insect-pollinated plant communities in water-limited ecosystems.

BACKGROUND: Plant-pollinator community diversity has been found to decrease under conditions of drought stress; however, research into the temporal dimensions of this phenomenon remains limited. In this study, we investigated the effect of seasonal drought on the temporal niche dynamics of entomophilous flowering plants in a water-limited ecosystem. We hypothesized that closely related native and exotic plants would tend to share similar life history and that peak flowering events would therefore coincide with phylogenetic clustering in plant communities based on expected phenological responses of plant functional types to limitations in soil moisture availability. LOCATION: Galiano Island, British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: Combining methods from pollinator research and phylogenetic community ecology, we tested the influence of environmental filtering over plant community phenology across gradients of landscape disturbance and soil moisture. Floral resource availability and community structure were quantified by counts of flowering shoots. We constructed a robust phylogeny to analyze spatial and temporal variation in phylogenetic patterns across the landscape, testing the significance of the observed patterns against a randomly generated community phylogeny. Phylogenetic metrics were then regressed against factors of disturbance and soil moisture availability. RESULTS: Critical seasonal fluctuations in floral resources coincided with significant phylogenetic clustering in plant communities, with decreasing plant diversity observed under conditions of increasing drought stress. Exotic plant species in the Asteraceae became increasingly pervasive across the landscape, occupying a late season temporal niche in drought-stressed environments. MAIN CONCLUSION: Results suggest that environmental filtering is the dominant assembly process structuring the temporal niche of plant communities in this water-limited ecosystem. Based on these results, and trends seen elsewhere, the overall diversity of plant-pollinator communities may be expected to decline with the increasing drought stress predicted under future climate scenarios.

The Use of Anterior Superior Iliac Spine Osteotomy to Access the Anterior Column in Tumor Resection: A Case Report.

CASE: A 24-year-old woman with chondrosarcoma of the superior pubic ramus underwent a Type III pelvic resection through an ilioinguinal approach, modified with anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) osteotomy. The osteotomy mobilized the ASIS and sartorious distally, exposing the anterior wall and superior ramus. A custom cutting guide was placed on the anterior acetabular wall for en bloc superior ramus resection with hip-sparing osteotomy and negative margins. CONCLUSION: ASIS osteotomy for sartorius mobilization improves visualization of the anterior column of the acetabulum and heals more reliably than sartorius tenotomy, therefore should be considered during tumor resection involving the anterior column, superior ramus, or acetabular wall.