A Late Devonian coelacanth reconfigures actinistian phylogeny, disparity, and evolutionary dynamics.

The living coelacanth Latimeria (Sarcopterygii: Actinistia) is an iconic, so-called 'living fossil' within one of the most apparently morphologically conservative vertebrate groups. We describe a new, 3-D preserved coelacanth from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation in Western Australia. We assemble a comprehensive analysis of the group to assess the phylogeny, evolutionary rates, and morphological disparity of all coelacanths. We reveal a major shift in morphological disparity between Devonian and post-Devonian coelacanths. The newly described fossil fish fills a critical transitional stage in coelacanth disparity and evolution. Since the mid-Cretaceous, discrete character changes (representing major morphological innovations) have essentially ceased, while meristic and continuous characters have continued to evolve within coelacanths. Considering a range of putative environmental drivers, tectonic activity best explains variation in the rates of coelacanth evolution.

Intraduodenal Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Ameliorates Gut Atrophy and Cholestasis in a Novel Parenteral Nutrition Piglet Model.

BACKGROUND: Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) provides lifesaving nutritional support intravenously; however it is associated with significant side effects. Given gut microbial alterations noted with TPN, we hypothesized that transferring fecal microbiota from healthy controls would restore gut-systemic signaling in TPN and mitigate injury. METHODS: Using our novel ambulatory model (US Patent: US 63/136,165), 31 piglets were randomly allocated to enteral nutrition (EN), TPN only, TPN + antibiotics (TPN-A) or TPN + intraduodenal fecal microbiota transplant (TPN-FMT) for 14 days. Gut, liver, and serum were assessed through histology, biochemistry, and qPCR. Stool samples underwent 16s rRNA sequencing. PERMANOVA, Jaccard and Bray-Curtis metrics were performed. RESULTS: Significant bilirubin elevation in TPN and TPN-A vs EN (p<0.0001) was prevented with FMT. IFN-G, TNF-alpha, IL-beta, IL-8 and LPS were significantly higher in TPN (p=0.009/0.001/0.043/0.011/<0.0001), with preservation upon FMT. Significant gut-atrophy by villous/crypt ratio in TPN (p<0.0001) and TPN-A (p=0.0001) vs EN was prevented by FMT (p=0.426 vs EN). Microbiota profiles using Principal Coordinate Analysis demonstrated significant FMT and EN overlap, with the largest separation in TPN-A followed by TPN, driven primarily by Firmicutes and Fusobacteria. TPN altered gut barrier was preserved upon FMT. Upregulated CYP7A1 and BSEP in TPN and TPN-A, and downregulatedFGFR4, EGF, FXR and TGR5 vs EN was prevented by FMT. CONCLUSION: This study provides novel evidence of prevention of gut atrophy, liver injury and microbial dysbiosis with intraduodenal FMT, challenging current paradigms into TPN injury mechanisms and underscores importance of gut microbes as prime targets for therapeutics and drug discovery.

Special Prey, Special Glue: NMR Spectroscopy on Aggregate Glue Components of Moth-Specialist Spiders, Cyrtarachninae.

Orb-weaver spiders produce upwards of seven different types of silk, each with unique material properties. We focus on the adhesive within orb-weaving spider webs, aggregate glue silk. These droplets are composed of three main components: water, glycoproteins, and a wide range of low molecular mass compounds (LMMCs). These LMMCs are known to play a crucial role in maintaining the material properties of the glycoproteins, aid in water absorption from the environment, and increase surface adhesion. Orb-weavers within the Cyrtarachninae subfamily are moth specialists and have evolved glue droplets with novel material properties. This study investigated the biochemical composition and diversity of the LMMCs present in the aggregate glue of eight moth-specialist species and compared them with five generalist orb-weavers using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We hypothesized that the novel drying ability of moth-specialist glue was accompanied by novel LMMCs and lower overall percentages by silk weight of LMMCs. We measured no difference in LMMC weight by the type of prey specialization, but observed novel compositions in the glue of all eight moth-catching species. Further, we quantified the presence of a previously reported but unidentified compound that appears in the glue of all moth specialists. These silks can provide insight into the functions of bioadhesives and inform our own synthetic adhesives.

Relationship between Workload, Psychological State and Recovery in Female Soccer Athletes.

This study assessed the multifaceted relations between measures of workload, psychological state, and recovery throughout an entire soccer season in female collegiate soccer athletes (19.8±1.2 yrs, 132±12.3 lbs, 63±3.2 in). A prospective longitudinal study was utilized to measure workload (GPS training load, Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), psychological state (mental stress, mental fatigue, and mood), and recovery (sleep duration, sleep quality, and soreness), during 90 observations (59 training sessions and 21 games). Separate linear-mixed effect models were used to assess outcomes of RPE, soreness, and sleep duration. A linear mixed-effects model explained 59% of the variance in RPE following each session. Specifically, each standard deviation increase in GPS load and mental stress in the morning prior to training increased RPE by 1.46 (SE=0.08) and 0.29 (SE=0.07), respectively, following that day's training. Furthermore, a significant interaction was found between several predictor variables and chronological day in the season while predicting RPE. Specifically, for each standard deviation increase in GPS load, RPE went up by 0.0055 per day during the season suggesting that load had a higher impact on RPE as the season progressed. In contrast, the interaction of day by mental stress, sleep duration, and soreness continued to be stronger as the season progressed. Each linear mixed-effect model predicted a larger amount of variance when accounting for individual variations in the random effects.

A self-stiffening compliant intracortical microprobe.

Utilising a flexible intracortical microprobe to record/stimulate neurons minimises the incompatibility between the implanted microprobe and the brain, reducing tissue damage due to the brain micromotion. Applying bio-dissolvable coating materials temporarily makes a flexible microprobe stiff to tolerate the penetration force during insertion. However, the inability to adjust the dissolving time after the microprobe contact with the cerebrospinal fluid may lead to inaccuracy in the microprobe positioning. Furthermore, since the dissolving process is irreversible, any subsequent positioning error cannot be corrected by re-stiffening the microprobe. The purpose of this study is to propose an intracortical microprobe that incorporates two compressible structures to make the microprobe both adaptive to the brain during operation and stiff during insertion. Applying a compressive force by an inserter compresses the two compressible structures completely, resulting in increasing the equivalent elastic modulus. Thus, instant switching between stiff and soft modes can be accomplished as many times as necessary to ensure high-accuracy positioning while causing minimal tissue damage. The equivalent elastic modulus of the microprobe during operation is ≈ 23 kPa, which is ≈ 42% less than the existing counterpart, resulting in ≈ 46% less maximum strain generated on the surrounding tissue under brain longitudinal motion. The self-stiffening microprobe and surrounding neural tissue are simulated during insertion and operation to confirm the efficiency of the design. Two-photon polymerisation technology is utilised to 3D print the proposed microprobe, which is experimentally validated and inserted into a lamb's brain without buckling.

Route of drug administration in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A protocol for a randomised controlled trial (PARAMEDIC-3).

Aims: The PARAMEDIC-3 trial evaluates the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an intraosseous first strategy, compared with an intravenous first strategy, for drug administration in adults who have sustained an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Methods: PARAMEDIC-3 is a pragmatic, allocation concealed, open-label, multi-centre, superiority randomised controlled trial. It will recruit 15,000 patients across English and Welsh ambulance services. Adults who have sustained an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are individually randomised to an intraosseous access first strategy or intravenous access first strategy in a 1:1 ratio through an opaque, sealed envelope system. The randomised allocation determines the route used for the first two attempts at vascular access. Participants are initially enrolled under a deferred consent model.The primary clinical-effectiveness outcome is survival at 30-days. Secondary outcomes include return of spontaneous circulation, neurological functional outcome, and health-related quality of life. Participants are followed-up to six-months following cardiac arrest. The primary health economic outcome is incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. Conclusion: The PARAMEDIC-3 trial will provide key information on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drug route in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.Trial registration: ISRCTN14223494, registered 16/08/2021, prospectively registered.

Placoderms.

For over 70 million years, during the Paleozoic, the placoderms (Greek for 'plated skin'), an extinct group of armoured fishes, were the most abundant and diverse vertebrates on our planet. Some of the first placoderm fossils discovered - such as Bothriolepis with its bone-covered pectoral fins - seemed so bizarre that they were thought to represent turtles or ancient beetles. All placoderms bear thick overlapping dermal plates around the head (called the 'head shield') and an area of the body covered in similar overlapping plates enveloping the pectoral to anal region (called the 'trunk-shield'). Placoderm fossils (Figure 1) are known from every continent on Earth ranging from the early Silurian (∼438 million years ago) to the end Devonian (∼359 million years ago) when they became extinct.

Portion size affects food selection in an immersive virtual reality buffet and is related to measured intake in laboratory meals varying in portion size.

A crucial step for validating the utility of an immersive virtual reality (iVR) buffet to study eating behavior is to determine whether variations in food characteristics such as portion size (PS) are relevant predictors of food selection in an iVR buffet. We tested whether manipulating PS in an iVR buffet affects the weight of food selected, and whether this response to PS is similar to participants' measured intake when PS varies at laboratory meals. In a randomized crossover design, 91 adults (18-71 y; 64 females; BMI = 25.3 ± 5.7) used their iVR remote to select lunch and dinner portions from an iVR buffet before consuming a standardized lab meal at two visits separated by one week. The PS in the iVR buffet and lab meals varied between a standard PS and a large PS. This design enabled comparisons of PS effects between iVR and lab settings, despite the scale difference in food weight between the environments. Portion size significantly affected food selection and food intake (p < 0.001). Subjects selected an additional 350 g in iVR and consumed an additional 154 g of food in the lab meals when offered the large portion compared to the small portion. The effect of PS showed a similar percentage increase in iVR (36.5%) and lab meals (39.2%). There was no significant difference in the effect of PS between iVR and lab meals after accounting for scale differences in food weight between the environments. The response to PS was not influenced by subject characteristics such as body mass index, sex, or age. These results demonstrate the utility of iVR for replicating real-world eating behaviors and enhancing our understanding of the intricate dynamics of food-related behaviors in a variety of contexts.

High incidence and recurrence of tympanostomy tube procedures in children who underwent nasolacrimal duct probe and intubation for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of tympanostomy tube (T-tube) insertion in children who required probing and intubation for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) at a single academic institution and to analyze success rates. METHODS: The medical records of 92 patients who underwent nasolacrimal probing and intubation for CNLDO over a 9-year period were reviewed retrospectively. A preoperative questionnaire was given to the patient's guardian concerning laterality of CNLDO, history of otitis media (OM) antibiotic therapy, history of T-tube placement and number placed. At least 12 months following the initial nasolacrimal duct P&I, a second questionnaire was administered regarding resolution of CNLDO symptoms, additional measures taken to relieve postoperative symptoms if present, and any further history regarding OM episodes or T-tube insertion. RESULTS: Of the 92 children with CNLDO, 37 (40%) required T-tubes either prior to or following nasolacrimal duct probing and intubation, a rate higher than in the general population (P < 0.00001). 21 (56%) of CNLDO probing and intubation patients who required T-tubes required at least two sets, at different times, to relieve OM symptoms. Six of 37 patients (16%) with a history of T-tube placement and 1 of 55 (2%) with no history of T-tube placement had persistent epiphora after nasolacrimal probing and intubation (relative risk, 8.92; P = 0.0388). CONCLUSIONS: In our study cohort, pediatric patients with CNLDO who required nasolacrimal probing and intubation were at higher risk of needing T-tubes for chronic OM than the general population, and those needing T-tubes were at increased risk of residual epiphora.

The development of an immersive mixed-reality application to improve the ecological validity of eating and sensory behavior research.

Introduction: The modern eating environment has been implicated as a driving force of the obesity epidemic. Mixed reality applications may improve traditional methodological assessments of eating behavior by improving the ecological validity of the laboratory setting. Methods: Research experts evaluated the utility and ecological validity of a mixed reality application that allowed immersion within virtual environments through utilizing the passthrough cameras of the head mounted display to view and interact with real foods. An initial evaluation was conducted that involved three virtual environments: a traditional laboratory booth, a non-textured restaurant, and a full-textured restaurant. The feedback from the initial evaluation was used to create a new virtual restaurant environment and a subsequent evaluation was conducted. Results: Nearly all research experts suggested adding social cues such as people and background noise to create a more authentic and ecologically valid experience. The experts scored the new virtual restaurant environment to be more acceptable than eating or conducting research in a sensory booth but scored lower when compared to conducting research in a real-world restaurant setting. Discussion: The results of this evaluation suggest that mixed reality applications may be a new methodology to assess environmental influences of eating behavior and may be a promising direction for eating behavior and sensory science research.