Small lightning flashes from shallow electrical storms on Jupiter.

Lightning flashes have been observed by a number of missions that visited or flew by Jupiter over the past several decades. Imagery led to a flash rate estimate of about 4 × 10-3 flashes per square kilometre per year (refs. 1,2). The spatial extent of Voyager flashes was estimated to be about 30 kilometres (half-width at half-maximum intensity, HWHM), but the camera was unlikely to have detected the dim outer edges of the flashes, given its weak response to the brightest spectral line of Jovian lightning emission, the 656.3-nanometre Hα line of atomic hydrogen1,3-6. The spatial resolution of some cameras allowed investigators to confirm 22 flashes with HWHM greater than 42 kilometres, and to estimate one with an HWHM of 37 to 45 kilometres (refs. 1,7-9). These flashes, with optical energies comparable to terrestrial 'superbolts'-of (0.02-1.6) × 1010 joules-have been interpreted as tracers of moist convection originating near the 5-bar level of Jupiter's atmosphere (assuming photon scattering from points beneath the clouds)1-3,7,8,10-12. Previous observations of lightning have been limited by camera sensitivity, distance from Jupiter and long exposures (about 680 milliseconds to 85 seconds), meaning that some measurements were probably superimposed flashes reported as one1,2,7,9,10,13. Here we report optical observations of lightning flashes by the Juno spacecraft with energies of approximately 105-108 joules, flash durations as short as 5.4 milliseconds and inter-flash separations of tens of milliseconds, with typical terrestrial energies. The flash rate is about 6.1 × 10-2 flashes per square kilometre per year, more than an order of magnitude greater than hitherto seen. Several flashes are of such small spatial extent that they must originate above the 2-bar level, where there is no liquid water14,15. This implies that multiple mechanisms for generating lightning on Jupiter need to be considered for a full understanding of the planet's atmospheric convection and composition.

Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Seals, St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada1.

We describe an unusual mortality event caused by a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b involving harbor (Phoca vitulina) and gray (Halichoerus grypus) seals in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada, in 2022. Fifteen (56%) of the seals submitted for necropsy were considered to be fatally infected by HPAI H5N1 containing fully Eurasian or Eurasian/North American genome constellations. Concurrently, presence of large numbers of bird carcasses infected with HPAI H5N1 at seal haul-out sites most likely contributed to the spillover of infection to the seals. Histologic changes included meningoencephalitis (100%), fibrinosuppurative alveolitis, and multiorgan acute necrotizing inflammation. This report of fatal HPAI H5N1 infection in pinnipeds in Canada raises concerns about the expanding host of this virus, the potential for the establishment of a marine mammal reservoir, and the public health risks associated with spillover to mammals.Nous décrivons un événement de mortalité inhabituelle causé par un virus de l'influenza aviaire hautement pathogène A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b chez des phoques communs (Phoca vitulina) et gris (Halichoerus grypus) dans l'estuaire du Saint-Laurent au Québec, Canada, en 2022. Quinze (56%) des phoques soumis pour nécropsie ont été considérés comme étant fatalement infectés par le virus H5N1 de lignées eurasiennes ou de réassortiment eurasiennes/nord-américaines. Un grand nombre simultané de carcasses d'oiseaux infectés par le H5N1 sur les sites d'échouement a probablement contribué à la contamination de ces phoques. Les changements histologiques associés à cette infection incluaient : méningo-encéphalite (100%), alvéolite fibrinosuppurée et inflammation nécrosante aiguë multi-organique. Cette documentation soulève des préoccupations quant à l'émergence de virus mortels, à la possibilité d'établissement de réservoirs chez les mammifères marins, et aux risques pour la santé publique associés aux propagations du virus chez les mammifères.

Groebke Blackburn Bienaymé-mediated multi-component synthesis of selective HDAC6 inhibitors with anti-inflammatory properties.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a class of enzymes that cleave acyl groups from lysine residues of histone and non-histone proteins. There are 18 human HDAC isoforms with different cellular targets and functions. Among them, HDAC6 was found to be overexpressed in different types of cancer. However, when used in monotherapy, HDAC6 inhibition by selective inhibitors fails to show pronounced anti-cancer effects. The HDAC6 enzyme also addresses non-histone proteins like α-tubulin and cortactin, making it important for cell migration and angiogenesis. Recently, the NLRP3 inflammasome was identified as an important regulator of inflammation and immune responses and, importantly, HDAC6 is critically involved the activation of the inflammasome. We herein report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a library of selective HDAC6 inhibitors. Starting from the previously published crystal structure of MAIP-032 in complex with CD2 of zHDAC6, we performed docking studies to evaluate additional possible interactions of the cap group with the L1-loop pocket. Based on the results we synthesized 13 novel HDAC6 inhibitors via the Groebke-Blackburn-Bienaymé three component reaction as the key step. Compounds 8k (HDAC1 IC50: 5.87 µM; HDAC6 IC50: 0.024 µM; selectivity factor (SF1/6): 245) and 8m (HDAC1 IC50: 3.07 µM; HDAC6 IC50: 0.026 µM; SF1/6: 118) emerged as the most potent and selective inhibitors of HDAC6 and outperformed the lead structure MAIP-032 (HDAC1 IC50: 2.20 µM; HDAC6 IC50: 0.058 µM; SF1/6: 38) both in terms of inhibitory potency and selectivity. Subsequent immunoblot analysis confirmed the high selectivity of 8k and 8m for HDAC6 in a cellular environment. While neither 8k and 8m nor the selectivity HDAC6 inhibitor tubastatin A showed antiproliferative effects in the U-87 MG glioblastoma cell line, compound 8m attenuated cell migration significantly in wound healing assays in U-87 MG cells. Moreover, in macrophages compounds 8k and 8m demonstrated significant inhibition of LPS-induced IL1B mRNA expression and TNF release. These findings suggest that our imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-capped HDAC6 inhibitors may serve as promising candidates for the development of drugs to effectively treat NLRP3 inflammasome-driven inflammatory diseases.

Reconstructing Nasal Defects With Acellular Dermal Matrix After Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A 12-year Experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Large defects of the nose after Mohs surgery pose a significant reconstructive challenge to both dermatologic and reconstructive surgeons. The authors present their 12-year experience utilizing acellular dermal matrices for nasal reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients undergoing Mohs surgery and alloplastic nasal reconstruction with acellular dermal matrices between 2010 and 2022 was performed. Patients who underwent single-stage reconstruction and dual-stage reconstruction with skin graft with at least 90 days of follow-up were included. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients met criteria with a median age of 77 years. Fifty-three lesions were reconstructed with acellular dermal matrices. The most common lesion location was nasal sidewall (50%) with a mean defect size of 10.8 cm 2 . 30.8% underwent same-day acellular dermal matrix reconstruction, with 69.2% undergoing two-stage reconstruction. Acellular dermal matrices successfully reconstructed acquired defects in 94.2% of lesions. Average time to re-epithelialization was 27.6 + 6.2 days. Average time to repigmentation was 145.35 + 86 days. No recurrences were recorded. Total complication rate was 9.62%. Average size for successful healing was 10.8 cm 2 . Average defect size for complication or failure was 14.7 cm 2 . Seven sites (13.46%) underwent aesthetic improvement procedures. CONCLUSION: Acellular bilayer wound matrix is an adequate reconstructive option for single or dual-stage reconstruction of the nose with low complication and revision rates.

'With or without you': associations between noteworthy events and cognitive complaints across 100 days.

OBJECTIVES: Daily noteworthy events have implications for physical and mental health, but less is known about the role daily events have for self-reported cognition and whether the involvement of close social partners differentiates these associations. The current study examined how daily positive and negative noteworthy events relate to subjective memory and attentional difficulties and whether close social partners moderated associations. METHOD: We used data from a 100-day microlongitudinal web-based study of 104 older adults (Nobservations=7,051; Mage=63.13 years, SDage=7.81, 88.46% Female). Participants reported on exposure to and valence of noteworthy events, involvement of close social partners, and subjective cognitive complaints at the end of each day. RESULTS: Logistic multilevel models revealed that days with a negative event were associated with increased odds of forgetting something and trouble concentrating whereas days with positive events were associated with decreased odds of trouble concentrating. Close social partner involvement did not moderate within-person associations. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that day-to-day events are correlates of cognitive complaints regardless of close social partner involvement in the events. Research should clarify the role of daily positive and negative events in personalized interventions and determine whether this person-centered approach to self-reported cognitive health helps inform diagnostic practices.

Rosetta's Predictive Ability for Low-Affinity Ligand Binding in Fragment-Based Drug Discovery.

Fragment-based drug discovery begins with the identification of small molecules with a molecular weight of usually less than 250 Da which weakly bind to the protein of interest. This technique is challenging for computational docking methods as binding is determined by only a few specific interactions. Inaccuracies in the energy function or slight deviations in the docking pose can lead to the prediction of incorrect binding or difficulties in ranking fragments in in silico screening. Here, we test RosettaLigand by docking a series of fragments to a cysteine-depleted variant of the TIM-barrel protein, HisF (UniProtKB Q9X0C6). We compare the computational results with experimental NMR spectroscopy screens. NMR spectroscopy gives details on binding affinities of individual ligands, which allows assessment of the ligand-ranking ability using RosettaLigand and also provides feedback on the location of the binding pocket, which serves as a reliable test of RosettaLigand's ability to identify plausible binding poses. From a library screen of 3456 fragments, we identified a set of 31 ligands with intrinsic affinities to HisF with dissociation constants as low as 400 µM. The same library of fragments was blindly screened in silico. RosettaLigand was able to rank binders before non-binders with an area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics of 0.74. The docking poses observed for binders agreed with the binding pocket identified by NMR chemical shift perturbations for all fragments. Taken together, these results provide a baseline performance of RosettaLigand in a fragment-based drug discovery setting.

Estimation of the odds ratio in a proportional odds model with censored time-lagged outcome in a randomized clinical trial.

In many randomized clinical trials of therapeutics for COVID-19, the primary outcome is an ordinal categorical variable, and interest focuses on the odds ratio (OR; active agent vs control) under the assumption of a proportional odds model. Although at the final analysis the outcome will be determined for all subjects, at an interim analysis, the status of some participants may not yet be determined, for example, because ascertainment of the outcome may not be possible until some prespecified follow-up time. Accordingly, the outcome from these subjects can be viewed as censored. A valid interim analysis can be based on data only from those subjects with full follow-up; however, this approach is inefficient, as it does not exploit additional information that may be available on those for whom the outcome is not yet available at the time of the interim analysis. Appealing to the theory of semiparametrics, we propose an estimator for the OR in a proportional odds model with censored, time-lagged categorical outcome that incorporates additional baseline and time-dependent covariate information and demonstrate that it can result in considerable gains in efficiency relative to simpler approaches. A byproduct of the approach is a covariate-adjusted estimator for the OR based on the full data that would be available at a final analysis.

A retrospective case series of Mohs micrographic surgery and interdisciplinary management of female genital skin cancers: Local recurrence rates and patient-reported outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Conventional excision of female genital skin cancers has high rates of local recurrence and morbidity. Few publications describe local recurrence rates (LRRs) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for female genital skin cancers. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate LRRs, PROs, and interdisciplinary care after MMS for female genital skin cancers. METHODS: A retrospective case series was conducted of female genital skin cancers treated with MMS between 2006 and 2021 at an academic center. The primary outcome was local recurrence. Secondary outcomes were PROs and details of interdisciplinary care. RESULTS: Sixty skin cancers in 57 patients were treated with MMS. Common diagnoses included squamous cell cancer (n = 26), basal cell cancer (n = 12), and extramammary Paget disease (n = 11). Three local recurrences were detected with a mean follow-up of 61.1 months (median: 48.8 months). Thirty-one patients completed the PROs survey. Most patients were satisfied with MMS (71.0%, 22/31) and reported no urinary incontinence (93.5%, 29/31). Eight patients were sexually active at follow-up and 75.0% (6/8) experienced no sexual dysfunction. Most cases involved interdisciplinary collaboration 71.7% (43/60). LIMITATIONS: Limitations include the retrospective single-center design, heterogeneous cohort, and lack of preoperative function data. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating MMS into interdisciplinary teams may help achieve low LRRs and satisfactory function after genital skin cancer surgery.

The Dynamic Interplay of Objective and Subjective Balance and Subsequent Task Performance: Implications for Fall Risk in Older Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Falls occur in daily life when an activity results in a loss of balance that is too great to recover from. Our purpose in this study was to examine how fall risk differentiates the dynamic interplay of objective and subjective balance on a given day and subsequent task performance on that day. METHODS: For 30 consecutive days, following a baseline fall risk assessment, 41 older adults (56% female, Age M = 75.22, SD = 6.75) self-assessed balance and task performance using a smartphone. The Activity-specific Balance Confidence scale measured subjective balance. Postural sway and chair-stand performance were measured within a smartphone using accelerometry. Data were analyzed using multilevel random coefficient models. RESULTS: Tests of heterogeneity in level one residuals showed day-to-day variability in balance confidence and postural sway to be greater in individuals with higher fall risk at baseline. Baseline fall risk differentiated how the interplay of balance confidence and postural sway on a given day related to chair-stand performance on that day. For those with higher fall risk, on days that balance confidence was higher, greater postural sway was followed by greater chair-stand performance. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that older adults, especially those with higher fall risk, may be unaware of subtle fluctuations in balance, which could lead to engaging in activities that exceed the capacity to maintain balance at that moment. Fall prevention efforts should address older adults' understanding of and responses to fluctuations of physical function in daily life.

A Cost Comparison Between Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Conventional Excision for the Treatment of Head and Neck Melanomas In Situ and Thin Melanomas.

BACKGROUND: Variation in operative setting and surgical technique exists when treating specialty site melanomas. There are limited data comparing costs among surgical modalities. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the costs of head and neck melanoma surgery performed with Mohs micrographic surgery or conventional excision in the operating room or office-based settings. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on patients aged 18 years and older with surgically treated head and neck melanoma in 2 cohorts, an institutional cohort and an insurance claims cohort, for the years 2008-2019. The primary outcome was total cost of care for a surgical encounter, provided in the form of insurance reimbursement data. A generalized linear model was used to adjust for covariates affecting differences between treatment groups. RESULTS: In the institutional and insurance claims cohorts, average adjusted treatment cost was highest in the conventional excision-operating room treatment group, followed by the Mohs surgery and conventional excision-office setting ( p < .001). CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate the important economic role the office-based setting has for head and neck melanoma surgery. This study allows cutaneous oncologic surgeons to better understand the costs of care involved in head and neck melanoma treatment. Cost awareness is important for shared decision-making discussions with patients.

The Microwave Temperature and Humidity Profiler: Description and Preliminary Results.

This manuscript presents the Microwave Temperature and Humidity Profiler (MTHP), a dual-band spectroradiometer designed for measuring multi-incidence angle temperature and humidity atmospheric profiles from an aircraft platform. The MTHP bands are at 60 GHz for measuring the oxygen complex lines, therefore at this band, MTHP has a hyperspectral radiometer able to provide 2048 channels over an 8 GHz bandwidth, and 183 GHz for measuring water vapor, which only uses four channels since this absorption band's spectral richness is simpler. The MTHP builds upon the Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP) with the inclusion of the hyperspectral radiometer. The instrument's design, components, and calibration methods are discussed in detail, with a focus on the three-point calibration scheme involving internal calibration loads and static air temperature readings. Preliminary results from the Technological Innovation into Iodine and GV aircraft Environmental Research (TI3GER) campaign are presented, showcasing the instrument's performance during flights across diverse geographical regions. The manuscript presents successful antenna temperature measurements at 60 GHz and 183 GHz. The hyperspectral measurements are compared with a simulated antenna temperature using the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator (ARTS) showing an agreement better than R2 > 0.88 for three of the flights analyzed. Additionally, the manuscript draws attention to potential Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) effects observed during a specific flight, underscoring the instrument's sensitivity to external interference. This is the first-ever airborne demonstration of a broadband and hyperspectral multi-incidence angle 60 GHz measurement. Future work on the MTHP could result in an improved spatial resolution of the atmospheric temperature vertical profile and, hence, help in estimating the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) with better accuracy. The MTHP and its hyperspectral multi-incidence angle at 60 GHz have the potential to be a valuable tool for investigating the PBL's role in atmospheric dynamics, offering insights into its impact on Earth's energy, water, and carbon cycles.

EFFECTS OF A SINGLE ORAL DOSE OF TRAZODONE ON BEHAVIOR AND SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS IN BLUE WILDEBEEST (CONNOCHAETES TAURINUS).

Trazodone is a dose-dependent serotonin antagonist and agonist used to treat anxiety-related conditions. Trauma has been identified as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in several nondomestic ruminant species and can be exacerbated by stress. In a recent study in domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus), trazodone reduced activity levels without adverse effects. Trazodone could allow for safer capture and handling in nondomestic ruminant species. The objectives of this study were to identify a dose of trazodone that decreases activity levels in captive blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and to evaluate its safety and its effects on serum cortisol levels following a routine veterinary procedure. A pilot study using ethograms identified a group fed 15 mg/kg oral dose of trazodone as effective to reduce activity levels. Over 6 h, this dose resulted in a 111% increase in time spent sleeping or resting (P = 0.0003), a 41% increase in time spent lying down (P = 0.0016), a 64% reduction in time spent moving (P= 0.005), and a 65% reduction in time spent being vigilant (P= 0.026). Systemic absorption of trazodone was identified when plasma concentrations were measured after 2 h (95 ± 48 µg/L). Serum cortisol levels during a routine venipuncture event were not significantly different following trazodone administration (P > 0.05). Mild hyporexia was the only adverse effect noted at 15 mg/kg and was absent at a 12 mg/kg dose. Trazodone appears safe and promising to decrease activity in blue wildebeest and might thus have a positive effect on nondomestic ruminant welfare and the safety of veterinary procedures.

MRTFA: A critical protein in normal and malignant hematopoiesis and beyond.

Myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTFA) is a coactivator of serum response factor, a transcription factor that participates in several critical cellular functions including cell growth and apoptosis. MRTFA couples transcriptional regulation to actin cytoskeleton dynamics, and the transcriptional targets of the MRTFA-serum response factor complex include genes encoding cytoskeletal proteins as well as immediate early genes. Previous work has shown that MRTFA promotes the differentiation of many cell types, including various types of muscle cells and hematopoietic cells, and MRTFA's interactions with other protein partners broaden its cellular roles. However, despite being first identified as part of the recurrent t(1;22) chromosomal translocation in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, the mechanisms by which MRTFA functions in malignant hematopoiesis have yet to be defined. In this review, we provide an in-depth examination of the structure, regulation, and known functions of MRTFA with a focus on hematopoiesis. We conclude by identifying areas of study that merit further investigation.

Structure-function analysis of the role of megakaryoblastic leukemia 1 in megakaryocyte polyploidization.

Not available.

Deviations from typical paths: a novel approach to working with GPS data in the behavioral sciences.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral science researchers are increasingly collecting detailed location data such as second-by-second GPS tracking on participants due to increased ease and affordability. While intraindividual variability has been discussed in the travel literature for decades, traditional methods designed for studying individual differences in central tendencies limit the extent to which novel questions about variability in lived experiences can be answered. Thus, new methods of quantifying behavior that focus on intraindividual variability are needed to address the context in which the behavior occurs and the location tracking data from which behavior is derived. METHODS: We propose deviations from typical paths as a data processing technique to separate individual-level typical travel behavior from a location tracking data set in order to highlight atypical travel behavior as an outcome measure. RESULTS: A simulated data example shows how the method works to produce deviation measures from a location dataset. Analysis of these deviations offers additional insights compared to traditional measures of maximum daily distance from home. CONCLUSIONS: This process can be integrated into larger research questions to explore predictors of atypical behavior and potential mechanisms of behavior change.

Comparing relationships between health-related behaviour clustering and episodic memory trajectories in the United States of America and England: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Health-related behaviours (HRBs) cluster within individuals. Evidence for the association between HRB clustering and cognitive functioning is limited. We aimed to examine and compare the associations between three HRB clusters: "multi-HRB cluster", "inactive cluster" and "(ex-)smoking cluster" (identified in previous work based on HRBs including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and social activity) and episodic memory trajectories among men and women, separately, in the United States of America (USA) and England. METHODS: Data were from the waves 10-14 (2010-2018) of the Health and Retirement Study in the USA and the waves 5-9 (2010-2018) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing in England. We included 17,750 US and 8,491 English participants aged 50 years and over. The gender-specific HRB clustering was identified at the baseline wave in 2010, including the multi-HRB (multiple positive behaviours), inactive and ex-smoking clusters in both US and English women, the multi-HRB, inactive and smoking clusters in US men, and only the multi-HRB and inactive clusters in English men. Episodic memory was measured by a sum score of immediate and delayed word recall tests across waves. For within country associations, a quadratic growth curve model (age-cohort model, allowing for random intercepts and slopes) was applied to assess the gender-stratified associations between HRB clustering and episodic memory trajectories, considering a range of confounding factors. For between country comparisons, we combined country-specific data into one pooled dataset and generated a country variable (0 = USA and 1 = England), which allowed us to quantify between-country inequalities in the trajectories of episodic memory over age across the HRB clusters. This hypothesis was formally tested by examining a quadratic growth curve model with the inclusion of a three-way interaction term (age × HRB clustering × country). RESULTS: We found that within countries, US and English participants within the multi-HRB cluster had higher scores of episodic memory than their counterparts within the inactive and (ex-)smoking clusters. Between countries, among both men and women within each HRB cluster, faster declines in episodic memory were observed in England than in the USA (e.g., b England versus the USA for men: multi-HRB cluster = -0.05, 95%CI: -0.06, -0.03, b England versus the USA for women: ex-smoking cluster = -0.06, 95%CI: -0.07, -0.04). Additionally, the range of mean memory scores was larger in England than in the USA when comparing means between two cluster groups, including the range of means between inactive and multi-HRB cluster for men (b England versus the USA = -0.56, 95%CI: -0.85, -0.27), and between ex-smoking and multi-HRB cluster for women (b England versus the USA = -1.73, 95%CI: -1.97, -1.49). CONCLUSIONS: HRB clustering was associated with trajectories of episodic memory in both the USA and England. The effect of HRB clustering on episodic memory seemed larger in England than in the USA. Our study highlighted the importance of being aware of the interconnections between health behaviours for a better understanding of how these behaviours affect cognitive health. Governments, particularly in England, could pay more attention to the adverse effects of health behaviours on cognitive health in the ageing population.

The effectiveness of exergames on fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review.

ObjectivesFear of falling is common among older adults and can increase fall-risk through premature activity restriction. Exergames, an emerging tool in fall prevention, combine exercise with interactive and adaptive game elements. This review examines the extent to which exergame interventions reduce fear of falling among community-dwelling older adults. Method: Guided by the PRISMA methodology, we reviewed peer-reviewed studies that were published in English between 2006 and 2019 and employed a comparative design to test the effect of exergames on fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults. Two reviewers screened the literature and extracted data on the exergame platform, participants, study design, and results. A modified PEDro scale was used to assess study quality. Disagreements were resolved through discussion with the third reviewer. Results: Our literature search resulted in 23 eligible studies on exergame interventions where fear of falling was the primary or secondary outcome. Most interventions (35%) occurred within hospitals and were delivered via a Wii-based system (61%). Fear of falling was most commonly measured using the Falls Efficacy Scale, the Activities-specific Balance Scale and their modified versions. A total of 15 of the 23 studies reported statistically significant changes in fear of falling. Quality assessment showed 10 studies to be rated as 'good.' Conclusion: This review showed that exergame may have a positive effect in reducing fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults. The finding provides a direction for clinical practice in the research area of intervention on fear of falling in older adults.

Vaginal foreign bodies in six nonhuman primates with underlying pathological conditions.

Four female Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) from the same group as well as Wolf's guenon (Cercopithecus wolfi) and a Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) from a second institution presented with vaginal foreign bodies in parallel with diseases of the urogenital tract or with endocrine disorders. These foreign bodies were associated with a mild to marked, diffuse vaginitis in all cases. Underlying pathological conditions consisted of a cavernous uterine hemangioma in a 20-year-old macaque, diffuse endometritis in a 21-year-old macaque, an in situ endometrial carcinoma in a 24-year-old macaque, endometritis and an ovarian cyst-like structure in the 27-year-old Western lowland gorilla, chronic cystitis and chronic renal disease in a 24-year-old macaque, and a history of hypothyroidism with irregular reproductive cycles in the 12-year-old Wolf's guenon. Vaginal foreign bodies have been reported in nonhuman primates used in biomedical research, but their concurrence with underlying conditions has not been explored. In women, vaginal foreign bodies have been linked to serious underlying medical conditions. This case series emphasizes the recommendation to investigate this abnormal behavior for underlying medical or adverse psychosocial conditions in primates under human care.

EVALUATION OF CLINICAL DIAGNOSTICS FOR PROVENTRICULAR NEMATODIASIS DUE TO SYNHIMANTUS NASUTA IN LORIKEETS (TRICHOGLOSSUS SPP.).

In this case series, clinical investigations were pursued during a Synhimantus nasuta infection in a lorikeet (Trichoglossus spp.) flock outbreak situation to better describe and document clinical presentations. In 11 lorikeets suspected to be infected with Synhimantus based on at least one abnormal finding on their physical examination (lethargy, feather-damaging behavior on the ventrum, weight loss, pale iris), the presence of five additional parameters was documented: anemia, relative eosinophilia, increased proventricular diameter-to-keel height ratio (PKR), proventricular barium filling defect, and positive fecal occult blood detection test. A total score (X of 9) was calculated by combining all these findings. Synhimantus nasuta infection was confirmed in four of these individuals by modified Wisconsin fecal examination. Suspected cases (n = 7 of 11) presented only with low scores (1-3 of 9), whereas birds with confirmed infections (n = 4 of 11) presented with both low (1-3 of 9, n = 2 of 4) and high (6-7 of 9, n = 2 of 4) total scores. High scores were associated with clinical anemia. Fecal occult blood was present in all confirmed cases and 4 of 7 suspected cases. An enlarged proventriculus was only observed in birds with active shedding (n = 3 of 4). Follow-up evaluations after 6 mon of treatment with ivermectin and selamectin suggested complete recovery with lowered or normalized total scores. In conclusion, during an S. nasuta outbreak, a rapid physical examination helps to identify suspect cases, including individuals requiring immediate medical attention. In the absence of ova shedding, infection cannot be excluded on the basis of scarce clinical findings, but the detection of occult fecal blood and an increased PKR should raise the index of suspicion.

Early Childhood Teachers' Self-efficacy and Professional Support Predict Work Engagement.

Early childhood teachers play a central role in children's learning and development. Yet, they encounter stressors that can negatively impact their well-being, relationships with children, and, ultimately, job retention. To inform efforts to support early childhood teachers' work-related well-being, the current study examines positive factors that predict work engagement. Participants were 50 early childhood teachers from Head Start (34%), center-based programs (32%), and licensed home-based programs (34%). Consistent with a resilience framework and the Job Demands-Resources model, we examined both a personal resource (self-efficacy) and a workplace resource (professional support) in relation to work engagement, or the positive, fulfilling connection to one's work. Teachers' self-efficacy and professional support predicted greater work engagement, accounting for job demands (teachers' compassion fatigue/work distress and children's challenging behaviors) and teachers' education and professional development. Although not causal, findings are suggestive that supporting early childhood teachers with what they need to do their job effectively and feel that they can make meaningful differences in children's lives may help them to engage in their work with passion, dedication, and positive energy. Ultimately, supporting teachers' work engagement may in turn have developmental benefits for children as well.