A review on the status and modeling of suitable habitats of the southern white-cheeked gibbon.

The southern white-cheeked gibbon Nomascus siki is endemic to Indochina and is classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The most updated information on the status of this species dates back to a decade ago. As hunting has tremendous impacts on wildlife in Southeast Asia, the population of N. siki might have changed a lot in the last decade. Updated information on the status and potential distribution of this species is critically important for conservation and prioritization, especially for N. siki because of its undefined distribution range. The goal of this study was to review the population status of N. siki in Vietnam and Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) and to model its potential distribution. In Vietnam, this species has been intensively surveyed in all major areas of occurrence from 2016 to 2021. The total number of N. siki groups recorded and estimated in Vietnam were 324 and 483, respectively. In Lao PDR, the occurrence of N. siki has been confirmed in Nam Kading, Nakai Nam Theun, Hin Nam No, and Phou Hinpoun national protected areas. However, population estimates are generally lacking. The suitable habitat of N. siki was predicted from about 105.00° to 106.80° E longitude and from about 16.60° to 17.90° N latitude located in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces (Vietnam), and Khammounan and Savannakhet provinces (Lao PDR). The area of the potential distribution range is about 9894.15 km2, both in Vietnam and Lao PDR. Particularly, the high, medium, and low suitable habitats were estimated at around 1229.58 km2, 3019.68 km2, and 5644.89 km2, respectively. The area of suitable habitat of N. siki in Vietnam was predicted to be 4151.25 km2, of which only 1257.93 km2 (30.30%) is in the protected area network. Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong and Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserves, and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park should receive priority for conservation of N. siki in Vietnam. Improving conservation beyond the protected areas' boundaries or transforming the forest enterprises and watershed protection forests into protected areas should also be considered as an alternative for the conservation of N. siki. In Lao PDR, surveys of the species in its entire distribution range should be the first priority.

Examining teachers' behavioural intention for online teaching after COVID-19 pandemic: A large-scale survey.

Recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to rapid digitalisation in education, requiring educators to adopt several technologies simultaneously for online learning and teaching. Using a large-scale survey (N = 1740), this study aims to construct a model that predicts teachers' extensive technology acceptance by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) and innovativeness. TAM has been a valuable tool to measure the adoption of new technology in various contexts, including education. However, TAM has been designed and principally applied to assess user acceptance of a specific technology implementation. This study has extended TAM to measure teachers' technology-enabled practice (online teaching) with the adoption of various technologies. The proposed model explains teachers' behavioural intention to teach online with a good fit. Our findings revealed the collective effects of TPACK, perceived usefulness (PU) of technology, and innovativeness on teachers' behavioural intention to teach online post-pandemic. Moreover, the study identified training and support from school as a significant predictor for both teachers' TPACK and PU. The novelty of this study lies in its model conceptualisation that incorporates both information-technology-based constructs and personal-competence-based features, including TPACK and innovativeness. Furthermore, our study contributes to the growing body of literature that addresses the online teaching adoption by schoolteachers in the post-pandemic era.

Treatment compliance in amblyopia: A mini-review and description of a novel online platform for compliance tracking.

Patient compliance with amblyopia therapies, including eye patching and atropine drops, is crucial for optimal visual acuity outcomes. Studies utilizing objective measures of compliance measurement have consistently shown that a majority of patients receive significantly less treatment than prescribed. We review the subjective and objective compliance rates reported in the literature, assess possible explanations for poor compliance, and describe studies of interventions to improve compliance. Additionally, we report our experience implementing Inside Out Care, a novel online platform designed to improve monitoring of amblyopia patient compliance, in our clinics. We have found that this platform, which is accessible via both computer and smartphone, has improved monitoring of amblyopia patient patching compliance, as well as allowed for enhanced doctor-patient communication.

Assessing the safety of interrogating cardiac-implantable electronic devices with brand-mismatched remote interrogators: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Remote cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) interrogators, originally developed for home use, have been proven to be efficacious in clinical settings, especially emergency departments. Concern exists that attempting to interrogate a CIED with the remote interrogator of a different brand, i.e., a brand-mismatched interrogator, may cause device malfunction. The aim of this study was to determine if intentionally attempting to interrogate a CIED with a brand-mismatched remote interrogator resulted in device malfunction. METHODS: A total of 75 ex vivo CIEDs manufactured by various companies underwent attempted interrogation by a brand-mismatched remote interrogator. CIED settings were compared before and after attempted mismatch interrogation. A total of 30 in vivo CIEDs were then randomized for an attempted 2-minute mismatched remote interrogation by one of the two possible mismatched remote interrogators. CIED settings were compared before and after attempted mismatch interrogation. RESULTS: Of 150 ex vivo brand-mismatched interrogations, no device setting changes or malfunctions occurred; no remote interrogators connected to a mismatched CIED, and no devices were turned off. In the 30 patients undergoing brand-mismatched interrogations, the mean (standard deviation) age was 71.6 ( ± 14.7) years, 16 (53%) were male, with 24 pacemakers (80%), four pacemaker/implantable cardioverter defibrillators (13%), and two implantable cardioverter defibrillators (7%). Of the 30 mismatched interrogations performed, no device setting changes or malfunctions occurred; no remote interrogators connected to a mismatched CIED, and no devices turned off. CONCLUSION: In a total 180 attempted brand-mismatched CIED interrogations, no CIED malfunctions occurred. This suggests that the use of remote CIED interrogators when device manufacturer is unknown is unlikely to result in adverse CIED-related events.

The role of trabeculectomy in the era of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review discusses recent findings in surgical management of glaucoma, focusing on trabeculectomy and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). We discuss how the role these procedures play in conjunction with phacoemulsification. RECENT FINDINGS: New findings of the Primary Trab Vs Tube study and findings regarding the Hydrus, Xen 45, Kahook dual blade, Ab-interno Canaloplasty and head-to-head MIGS studies are summarized. SUMMARY: Patients with glaucoma greatly benefit from combining cataract surgery with a MIGS procedure that can be tailored to disease severity and medication use. Certain MIGS combined with phacoemulsification in severe and refractory glaucoma can potentially delay incisional glaucoma, although trabeculectomy- mitomycin C (MMC) still remains the best option in certain patient populations. We provide an update in the MIGS treatment paradigm based on newer, stronger evidence.

Herpes Simplex Conjunctivitis and Recurrent Chalazia in a Patient DOCK8 Deficiency.

PURPOSE: To report a case of recurrent chalazia and Herpes Simplex conjunctivitis in a patient with DOCK8 deficiency. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 15-year-old male patient with genetically diagnosed DOCK8 deficiency who presented with a left lower eyelid mass and left eye conjunctivitis. The lesion did not resolve despite aggressive measures, including topical steroids, topical antibiotics, and multiple debulking procedures but eventually resolved after the initiation of intravenous acyclovir. The diagnosis of HSV infection was supported by pathology findings from the eyelid mass. CONCLUSION: Patients with DOCK8 deficiency can present with a variety of cutaneous viral infections. In our case, a DOCK8-deficient patient with chalazia and conjunctivitis resistant to antibiotics, steroids and debulking responded to intravenous acyclovir.

Acute epiglottitis in a COVID-19 positive patient.

There have been more than 178 million global cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with more than 3.8 million deaths worldwide [1]. COVID-19 can present with a wide variety of symptoms, and one rare manifestation that has been reported in the literature is acute epiglottitis. To date, there have been two reported cases of acute epiglottitis in COVID-19 positive patients [2, 3]. We present a case of a 49-year-old male presenting to a community emergency department with the chief complaint of dysphagia and sore throat, confirmed as acute epiglottitis, in the presence of a positive rapid COVID-19 PCR test.

Healthcare Use After Buprenorphine Prescription in a Community Emergency Department: A Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies from urban academic centers have shown the promise of emergency physician-initiated buprenorphine for improving outcomes in opioid use disorder (OUD) patients. We investigated whether emergency physician-initiated buprenorphine in a rural, community setting decreases subsequent healthcare utilization for OUD patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients presenting to a community hospital emergency department (ED) who received a prescription for buprenorphine from June 15, 2018-June 15, 2019. Demographic and opioid-related International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, (ICD-10) codes were documented and used to create a case-matched control cohort of demographically matched patients who presented in a similar time frame with similar ICD-10 codes but did not receive buprenorphine. We recorded 12-month rates of ED visits, all-cause hospitalizations, and opioid overdoses. Differences in event occurrences between groups were assessed with Poisson regression. RESULTS: Overall 117 patients were included in the study: 59 who received buprenorphine vs 58 controls. The groups were well matched, both roughly 90% White and 60% male, with an average age of 33.4 years for both groups. Controls had a median two ED visits (range 0-33), median 0.5 hospitalizations (range 0-8), and 0 overdoses (range 0-3), vs median one ED visit (range 0-8), median 0 hospitalizations (range 0-4), and median 0 overdoses (range 0-3) in the treatment group. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for counts of ED visits was 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.49, 0.75, favoring medication-assisted treatment (MAT). For hospitalizations, IRR was 0.34, 95% CI, 0.22, 0.52 favoring MAT, and for overdoses was 1.04, 95% CI, 0.53, 2.07. CONCLUSION: Initiation of buprenorphine by ED providers was associated with lower 12-month ED visit and all-cause hospitalization rates with comparable overdose rates compared to controls. These findings show the ED's potential as an initiation point for medication-assisted treatment in OUD patients.

Automated High-Throughput Flow Cytometry for High-Content Screening in Antibody Development.

The tedious sample preparation for flow cytometry limits the throughput and thus its usage as a primary screening method despite its sensitivity and accuracy. With the growing focus on utilizing antibodies as a therapeutic modality in drug discovery, it is critical to develop a high-throughput flow cytometry (HTFC) workflow to cope with the increasing need to support antibody discovery programs. We have developed a seamless HTFC sample preparation and readout workflow using the HighRes modular robotic system and the IntelliCyt iQue Screener PLUS. To fully utilize the advantages offered by flow cytometry, we typically multiplex multiple cell lines of interest in one well to simultaneously quantitate on-target activity and nonspecific activity along with measurement of antibody concentration. The ability to measure multiple parameters coupled with speed and increased accuracy provides gains in productivity and helps speed up antibody lead discovery.

Dispersive magnetic immunoaffinity extraction. Anatoxin-a determination.

Specific monoclonal antibodies were coupled with magnetic Sepharose-based beads and used, for the first time. The methodology was applied to preconcentrate anatoxin-a from water and the later determination by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). Dispersive magnetic immunoaffinity (d-MagIA) extraction methodology provided a limit of detection of 0.02µgL-1 and a satisfactory precision with a relative standard deviation lower than 15%. Recoveries were evaluated at 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0µgL-1 anatoxin-a with quantitative values from 91 to 115%. Additionally, isobaric interferences with phenylalanine were completely avoided by the use of the developed d-MagIA extraction coupled to IMS determinations.

Genome Sequence of Mycobacteriophage Momo.

Momo is a newly discovered phage of Mycobacterium smegmatis mc(2)155. Momo has a double-stranded DNA genome 154,553 bp in length, with 233 predicted protein-encoding genes, 34 tRNA genes, and one transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) gene. Momo has a myoviral morphology and shares extensive nucleotide sequence similarity with subcluster C1 mycobacteriophages.

Peripheral blood expression of nuclear factor-kappab-regulated genes is associated with rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and responds differentially to anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha versus methotrexate.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate peripheral blood expression of genes regulated by nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), a key mediator of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) signaling, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before and during treatment with anti-TNF-alpha or methotrexate (MTX). We analyzed association of gene expression with disease activity, rheumatoid factor (RF), age, sex, disease duration, treatment modality, and clinical response. METHODS: Sixty patients consented for RNA analysis at baseline and after 2 and 6 weeks of treatment. Disease activity was quantified using Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Expression of 67 TNF-alpha-responsive, NF-kappaB-regulated genes was measured using Affymetrix arrays and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Expression of 34 genes was associated with DAS28-CRP, notably S100A12/calgranulin C, IL7R, and aquaporin 3. No association was observed with age, sex, RF, or disease duration. Expression of 16 genes changed in a manner that differed significantly between treatment groups. Eleven were reduced in anti-TNF-alpha-treated patients relative to MTX, while 5 were increased. The majority of these observations were confirmed using RT-PCR. Gene expression was not associated significantly with change in disease activity. CONCLUSION: NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression in peripheral leukocytes is highly correlated with RA activity as measured by DAS28-CRP. Expression of many genes responds differentially to anti-TNF-alpha versus MTX, suggesting fundamentally different effects on the NF-kappaB pathway. This peripheral blood expression signature provides candidate markers that could lead to development of a simple, minimally invasive pharmacodynamic assay for RA treatments directed at the NF-kappaB pathway. Combination of gene expression data with clinical scores and serum markers may provide more sensitive and predictive measures of RA disease activity.