The UmboMic: A PVDF Cantilever Microphone.

Objective: We present the "UmboMic," a prototype piezoelectric cantilever microphone designed for future use with totally-implantable cochlear implants. Methods: The UmboMic sensor is made from polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) because of its low Young's modulus and biocompatibility. The sensor is designed to fit in the middle ear and measure the motion of the underside of the eardrum at the umbo. To maximize its performance, we developed a low noise charge amplifier in tandem with the UmboMic sensor. This paper presents the performance of the UmboMic sensor and amplifier in fresh cadaveric human temporal bones. Results: When tested in human temporal bones, the UmboMic apparatus achieves an equivalent input noise of 32.3 dB SPL over the frequency range 100 Hz to 7 kHz, good linearity, and a flat frequency response to within 10 dB from about 100 Hz to 6 kHz. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the feasibility of a PVDF-based microphone when paired with a low-noise amplifier. The reported UmboMic apparatus is comparable in performance to a conventional hearing aid microphone. Significance: The proof-of-concept UmboMic apparatus is a promising step towards creating a totally-implantable cochlear implant. A completely internal system would enhance the quality of life of cochlear implant users.

Penile and Scrotal Porokeratosis: A Single-Institution Experience.

ABSTRACT: There is a paucity of data regarding porokeratosis confined to the penis and scrotum. We evaluated our single-institutional experience regarding this entity. We interrogated our pathology archive for all specimens from the penis or scrotum, signed out as porokeratosis between 2000 and 2022. Clinical and histopathological features were reviewed, including the number of cornoid lamella(e) per tissue profile and squamous dysplasia. Nine patients were included in the study. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 51 years. Multiple lesions were present in 3 patients. Six patients had exclusively penile involvement, whereas 2 patients had exclusively scrotal involvement. One patient had multiple lesions consistent with porokeratosis ptychotropica, extending from the scrotum to the buttocks and perineum. Clinically, a collarette of scale was noted in 3 patients and diagnosis of porokeratosis was considered in 1 patient before biopsy. Histopathologically, 2 patients exhibited multiple cornoid lamellae in the same profile and 1 patient had follicular cornoid lamellae. Focal squamous dysplasia was only present in 1 patient. Follow-up was available for 5 patients (median duration: 35 months). In 4 patients, the lesions were removed completely during the shave biopsy procedure. At the past follow-up, there were no signs of recurrence or malignant transformation to squamous cell carcinoma in any patient. Porokeratosis involving the penis and/or scrotum may be elusive to diagnosis based on clinical features alone, emphasizing the role of histopathological examination. Increased awareness of this entity may help better delineate its clinicopathological presentation and appropriate classification.

Polarization is the psychological foundation of collective engagement.

The term polarization is used to describe both the division of a society into opposing groups (political polarization), and a social psychological phenomenon (group polarization) whereby people adopt more extreme positions after discussion. We explain how group polarization underpins the political polarization phenomenon: Social interaction, for example through social media, enables groups to form in such a way that their beliefs about what should be done to change the world-and how this differs from the stance of other groups-become integrated as aspects of a new, shared social identity. This provides a basis for mobilization to collective action.

Coral reef protection is fundamental to human rights.

The intensifying loss of coral reefs from global climate change and local stressors has seen international commitments targeted at conservation and repair, for example the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Fulfilling these targets requires decisions to be made on where, when, and how to act, ultimately dictating where limited resources will be deployed. Every choice on action or inaction toward our ocean has direct and indivisible consequences not only for the health of marine ecosystems but also for the health of humans, particularly those who directly depend on marine habitats, both culturally and economically. The well-being of the environment, humans, and animals is interlinked, co-dependent, and even co-produced, as has already been acknowledged by One Health approaches, which endorse a cross- and trans-disciplinary view to health. Coral reefs epitomie how tightly intertwined ecosystem health and the fate of the human and nonhuman communities that depend on them are. A field that thus far remains poorly considered is a human rights-based approach to coral reef protection. A human rights-based approach implements human rights obligations, including the recently affirmed right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, while embedding principles of accountability, nondiscrimination, participation, and empowerment for local and Indigenous communities that ensure effectiveness and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Tying the protection of coral reef ecosystems to human rights emphasises the importance of healthy ecosystems to human well-being and thus the inevitable connection between nonhuman and human life. The general failure to consider coral reef protection through a human rights-based approach is a missed opportunity to expedite reef protection while simultaneously advancing climate justice for both humans and nonhumans.

A portable multi-taxa phenotyping device to retrieve physiological performance traits.

Organismal phenotyping to identify fitness traits is transforming our understanding of adaptive responses and ecological interactions of species within changing environments. Here we present a portable Multi-Taxa Phenotyping (MTP) system that can retrieve a suite of metabolic and photophysiological parameter across light, temperature, and/or chemical gradients, using real time bio-optical (oxygen and chlorophyll a fluorescence) measurements. The MTP system integrates three well-established technologies for the first time: an imaging Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) chlorophyll a fluorometer, custom-designed well plates equipped with optical oxygen sensors, and a thermocycler. We demonstrate the ability of the MTP system to distinguish phenotypic performance characteristics of diverse aquatic taxa spanning corals, mangroves and algae based on metabolic parameters and Photosystem II dynamics, in a high-throughput capacity and accounting for interactions of different environmental gradients on performance. Extracted metrics from the MTP system can not only provide information on the performance of aquatic taxa exposed to differing environmental gradients, but also provide predicted phenotypic responses of key aquatic organisms to environmental change. Further work validating how rapid phenotyping tools such as the MTP system predict phenotypic responses to long term environmental changes in situ are urgently required to best inform how these tools can support management efforts.

Effects of intensified training with insufficient recovery on joint level and single muscle fibre mechanical function: the role of myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity.

Intense exercise training with insufficient recovery time is associated with reductions in neuromuscular performance. However, it is unclear how single muscle fibre mechanical function and myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity contribute to these impairments. We investigated the effects of overload training on joint-level neuromuscular performance and cellular-level mechanical function. Fourteen athletes (4 female and 10 male) underwent a 3-week intensified training protocol consisting of up to 150% of their regular training hours with three additional high-intensity training sessions per week. Neuromuscular performance of the knee extensors was assessed via maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force, electrically evoked twitch contractions, and a force-frequency relationship. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis to assess single fibre mechanical function. Neither MVC force nor twitch parameters were altered following training (all p > 0.05), but a rightward shift in the force-frequency curve was observed with average reduction in force of 6%-27% across frequencies 5-20 Hz (all p < 0.05). In single fibres, maximal force output was not reduced following training, but there was a rightward shift in the force-pCa curve driven by a 6% reduction in Ca2+ sensitivity (p < 0.05). These data indicate intensified training leads to impaired Ca2+ sensitivity at the single fibre level, which in part explains impaired neuromuscular function at the joint level during lower frequencies of activation. This is an important consideration for athletes, as performance is often assessed at maximal levels of activation, and these underlying impairments in force generation may be less obvious.

Comparison of Digital Pathology and Light Microscopy Among Dermatology Residents: A Reappraisal Following Practice Changes.

BACKGROUND: Following transition to digital pathology for primary diagnosis at our institution, dermatology residents have reduced exposure to light microscopy. This study compares resident competency with light microscopy versus digital pathology following practice changes. METHODS: Twenty-one dermatology residents were administered a dermatopathology examination composed of 32 diagnoses evaluated using digital slides and 32 with light microscopy. Case difficulty was graded and balanced between modalities. Diagnostic accuracy was measured using the number of correct diagnoses for each modality. Participants were surveyed regarding their experience and preferences. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy was higher with digital pathology than light microscopy (22/32 vs. 18/32, P < 0.001). Diagnostic accuracy with digital pathology increased with years of training, but accuracy with light microscopy did not. Residents with previous light microscopy experience achieved an average score of 19/32 on glass, as compared with 10/32 for those without experience (P = 0.039). Digital pathology was preferred over light microscopy (18/21, 85.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Trainees had better diagnostic proficiency with digital pathology and preferred this modality. Most practices at this time continue to use light microscopy. Therefore, we need to maintain proficiency in microscopy during training while concurrently preparing trainees for a digital future.

Invasion and Amplification of Endogenous Retroviruses in Dasyuridae Marsupial Genomes.

Retroviruses are an ancient viral family that have globally coevolved with vertebrates and impacted their evolution. In Australia, a continent that has been geographically isolated for millions of years, little is known about retroviruses in wildlife, despite the devastating impacts of a retrovirus on endangered koala populations. We therefore sought to identify and characterize Australian retroviruses through reconstruction of endogenous retroviruses from marsupial genomes, in particular the Tasmanian devil due to its high cancer incidence. We screened 19 marsupial genomes and identified over 80,000 endogenous retrovirus fragments which we classified into eight retrovirus clades. The retroviruses were similar to either Betaretrovirus (5/8) or Gammaretrovirus (3/8) retroviruses, but formed distinct phylogenetic clades compared to extant retroviruses. One of the clades (MEBrv 3) lost an envelope but retained retrotranspositional activity, subsequently amplifying throughout all Dasyuridae genomes. Overall, we provide insights into Australian retrovirus evolution and identify a highly active endogenous retrovirus within Dasyuridae genomes.

Novel viruses discovered in metatranscriptomic analysis of farmed barramundi in Asia and Australia.

Barramundi aquaculture is at risk of severe disease outbreaks and massive production losses. Here we used bioinformatics to screen 84 farmed barramundi transcriptomes to identify novel viruses that could threaten barramundi aquaculture and to establish a barramundi aquaculture virome. We discovered five novel viruses: latid herpesvirus 1 (LatHV-1) from the Alloherpesviridae family, barramundi parvovirus 1 (BParV1) from the Parvoviridae family, barramundi calicivirus 1 (BCaV1) from the Caliciviridae family, and barramundi associated picorna-like virus 1 and 2 (BPicV1 and BPicV2) from the Picornaviridae family. LatHV-1, BCaV1, and BParV1 are closely related to pathogenic viruses found in other fish species that can cause mass mortality in farms. To aid in future viral surveillance, we also designed and successfully tested an RT-PCR assay for the detection of BCaV1. Overall, we discovered a range of pathogenic viruses in barramundi aquaculture, paving the way for developing effective detection methods to assist early outbreak management.

Conceptualizing transgender experiences in psychology: Do we have a 'true' gender?

Psychological research has acknowledged that the commonly accepted definitions of 'transgender', 'sex' and 'gender' within psychological research have resulted in limitations in accounting for the lived realities of transgender individuals. Such limitations include, but are not limited to, the continued pathologization of transgender experiences through idealizing sex and gender congruence and incapacity to account for non-normative and non-binary transition pathways. This paper provides a review of these limitations to first demonstrate how the incongruence definition of 'transgender' is reliant on the idea of a 'true' gender, and next suggest that problematising the idea of a 'true' gender allows new conceptions of transgender experiences to be advanced. To undertake this problematization, the work of Judith Butler and Sara Ahmed is used to consider how gender could be conceptualized otherwise in psychology and then applied to transgender experiences. In all, this paper theorizes transgender experiences without a reliance on the assertion of a true gender, to suggest instead a focus on contextualized transgender experiences. Last, the limitations and implications of this definition of transgender are briefly discussed. Overall, transgender experiences are conceptualized as those experiences that run counter to the dominant (re)production of binary sexed gender.

Phytonutrients in the promotion of healthspan: a new perspective.

Considering a growing, aging population, the need for interventions to improve the healthspan in aging are tantamount. Diet and nutrition are important determinants of the aging trajectory. Plant-based diets that provide bioactive phytonutrients may contribute to offsetting hallmarks of aging and reducing the risk of chronic disease. Researchers now advocate moving toward a positive model of aging which focuses on the preservation of functional abilities, rather than an emphasis on the absence of disease. This narrative review discusses the modulatory effect of nutrition on aging, with an emphasis on promising phytonutrients, and their potential to influence cellular, organ and functional parameters in aging. The literature is discussed against the backdrop of a recent conceptual framework which describes vitality, intrinsic capacity and expressed capacities in aging. This aims to better elucidate the role of phytonutrients on vitality and intrinsic capacity in aging adults. Such a review contributes to this new scientific perspective-namely-how nutrition might help to preserve functional abilities in aging, rather than purely offsetting the risk of chronic disease.

Understanding how children and young people with chronic non-cancer pain and their families experience living with pain, pain management and services: a meta-ethnography.

Background: Childhood chronic pain is a widespread public health issue. We need to understand how children with chronic pain and their families experience chronic pain and its management. Objectives: To conduct a meta-ethnography on the experiences and perceptions of children with chronic pain and their families of chronic pain, treatments and services. We investigated how children and their families conceptualise and live with chronic pain; what they think of and want from health and social care services; and what they conceptualise as 'good' pain management. Design: Meta-ethnography with stakeholder and patient and public involvement in the design, search and sampling strategies, analysis and dissemination. Review strategy: comprehensive searches of 12 bibliographic databases and supplementary searches in September 2022, to identify qualitative studies with children aged 3 months to 18 years with chronic non-cancer pain and their families. We included studies with rich explanatory data; appraised methodological limitations using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool; and extracted, analysed and synthesised studies' findings. We used Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-confidence in the evidence from reviews of qualitative research to assess confidence in review findings. We integrated findings with 14 Cochrane treatment effectiveness reviews on children's chronic non-cancer pain. Results: We synthesised 43 studies sampled from 170 eligible studies reported in 182 publications. Studies had minor (n = 24) or moderate (n = 19) methodological limitations. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-confidence in the evidence from reviews of qualitative research assessments of review findings were high (n = 22), moderate (n = 13) or very low confidence (n = 1). Moderate and severe chronic pain had profound adverse impacts on family members' well-being, autonomy and self-identity; family dynamics; parenting approaches; friendships and socialising; children's education and parental paid employment. Most children and families sought a biomedical cure for pain. They experienced difficulties seeking and receiving support from health services to manage pain and its impacts. Consequently, some families repeatedly visited health services. Cochrane reviews of intervention effects and trials did not measure some outcomes important to children and families, for example effects of pain on the family and resolution of pain. Reviews have mainly neglected a biopsychosocial approach when considering how interventions work. Limitations: There were limited data on common pain conditions like migraine/headache, abdominal pain; some rarer conditions; children with learning disabilities and under-fives; siblings; fathers and experiences of treatments/services. We excluded studies on cancer, end-of-life pain and experiences of healthcare professionals. Conclusions: We developed the family-centred theory of children's chronic pain management, integrating health and social care with community support. Future work: Future research should explore families' experiences of services and treatments, including opioids, and social care services; experiences of children with autism and learning disabilities, under 5 years old and with certain common pain conditions. We need development and testing of family-centred interventions and services. Study registration: This study is registered as PROSPERO (CRD42019161455) and Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care (623). Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR128671) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 17. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Chronic pain lasting 3 months or more affects at least 8% of children in the UK. It causes difficulties with many aspects of children's lives including relationships, school attendance and use of National Health Services. In the UK, there are few specialist services and a lack of high-quality research for managing children's chronic pain. Our study aimed to locate and pull together existing research on the experiences and views of children with chronic pain and their families. We wanted to find out how they think about and live with chronic pain, and their views and experiences of services and treatments, and what they want to achieve from them. We conducted this study alongside children with chronic pain and their families, charities, healthcare professionals and academic experts. They helped us to conduct the study and to ensure our findings are relevant to children, families and the National Health Service. We pulled together data from 43 studies that best answered our questions. We found that moderate and severe children's chronic pain that was not well managed affected the whole family, including their relationships and social lives. Families found it difficult to get help and a diagnosis from health services. Most families wanted a medical cure for pain. Families had long waits for answers and treatment but gradually realised there may be no cure, so they focused on living well with pain or gave up hope. Children and families from ethnic minority groups or with a learning disability experienced discrimination. Few studies focused on children under 5 years old, children with learning disabilities or experiences of services. Families need a pain management approach tailored to the whole family's needs involving schools, social care and health services. Our findings could improve treatment guidelines, training of health and social care professionals and service design and treatments.

Myelodysplasia cutis and VEXAS syndrome initially diagnosed as histiocytoid Sweet syndrome: A diagnostic pitfall.

Histiocytoid Sweet syndrome (H-SS) is a histopathological variant of Sweet syndrome (SS) defined by cutaneous infiltration of immature myeloid cells morphologically resembling histiocytes. The association of H-SS with underlying malignancy, particularly myelodysplastic syndromes, is well-established. Myelodysplasia cutis (MDS-cutis) has been proposed to describe cases historically diagnosed as H-SS but characterized by shared clonality of the myeloid infiltrate in skin and bone marrow. Therefore, identifying patients who might have MDS-cutis is critical for the management of the associated hematologic malignancy. VEXAS syndrome, an adult-onset autoinflammatory disease, should also be included in the histopathologic differential diagnosis of H-SS, as it shares clinical and pathologic features with MDS-cutis. Through the presentation of two cases, we aim to highlight the defining features and key clinical implications of MDS-cutis and VEXAS syndrome.

Motivations to engage in collective action: A latent profile analysis of refugee supporters.

What motivates people to participate in collective action? Some actions such as symbolic or online actions are often critiqued as performative allyship, motivated by personal gain rather than genuine concern for the cause. We aim to adjudicate this argument by examining the quality of motivations for acting, drawing on the insights of self-determination theory and the social identity approach. Using latent profile analysis, we examined whether there are different types of supporters of refugees based on their underlying motives. In Study 1, we surveyed supporters of Syrian refugees from six nations (N = 936) and measured autonomous and controlled motivation, pro-refugee identification and collective action. In Study 2 (N = 1994), we surveyed supporters of Ukrainian refugees in Romania, Hungary and the UK. We found 4-5 profiles in each sample and consistently found that supporters with high autonomous motivation take more action than disengaged or ambivalent supporters (low/neutral on all motives). However, contrary to the tenets of self-determination theory, those high in both autonomous and controlled motives were the most engaged. We conclude that the most committed supporters are those with multiple motives, but further research is needed on the role of controlled motivation.

Is doomscrolling related to celebrity worship? A cross-cultural study.

Building upon evidence supporting the co-occurrence of behavioural addictions, this study delved into the relationship between social media doomscrolling and celebrity worship among university student social media users in Iran and the United States. Objectives were threefold: (a) provide psychometric support for the Social Media Doomscrolling Scale (SMDS), (b) examine psychological correlates of doomscrolling and celebrity worship, and (c) explore the relationship between doomscrolling and celebrity worship. The SMDS demonstrated good psychometric properties in the US sample, like the original study of the SMDS conducted in an Iranian sample. Doomscrolling showed a positive association with future anxiety and a negative association with psychological well-being in both US and Iranian samples. Celebrity worship was positively linked with future anxiety in the Iranian and US samples. A positive correlation emerged between doomscrolling and celebrity worship in both the US and Iranian samples. This cross-cultural study offers preliminary evidence for the co-occurrence of two emerging media-related behavioural addictions.

Long-read RNA sequencing identifies region- and sex-specific C57BL/6J mouse brain mRNA isoform expression and usage.

Alternative splicing (AS) contributes to the biological heterogeneity between species, sexes, tissues, and cell types. Many diseases are either caused by alterations in AS or by alterations to AS. Therefore, measuring AS accurately and efficiently is critical for assessing molecular phenotypes, including those associated with disease. Long-read sequencing enables more accurate quantification of differentially spliced isoform expression than short-read sequencing approaches, and third-generation platforms facilitate high-throughput experiments. To assess differences in AS across the cerebellum, cortex, hippocampus, and striatum by sex, we generated and analyzed Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read RNA sequencing (lrRNA-Seq) C57BL/6J mouse brain cDNA libraries. From > 85 million reads that passed quality control metrics, we calculated differential gene expression (DGE), differential transcript expression (DTE), and differential transcript usage (DTU) across brain regions and by sex. We found significant DGE, DTE, and DTU across brain regions and that the cerebellum had the most differences compared to the other three regions. Additionally, we found region-specific differential splicing between sexes, with the most sex differences in DTU in the cortex and no DTU in the hippocampus. We also report on two distinct patterns of sex DTU we observed, sex-divergent and sex-specific, that could potentially help explain sex differences in the prevalence and prognosis of various neurological and psychiatric disorders in future studies. Finally, we built a Shiny web application for researchers to explore the data further. Our study provides a resource for the community; it underscores the importance of AS in biological heterogeneity and the utility of long-read sequencing to better understand AS in the brain.