Juvenile age and available coral species modulate transition probability from herbivory to corallivory in Acanthaster cf. solaris (Crown-of-Thorns Seastar)

Prior to transitioning to a coral diet, juvenile Acanthaster cf. solaris, the Crown-of-Thorns Seastar (COTS), feed on crustose coralline algae. Although a detailed understanding of juvenile ecology is crucial to predict and prevent outbreaks, the exact timing of the transition is unresolved. Two experiments were conducted to measure time and size of COTS at the transition, and investigate potential modulating effects of different coral species. COTS began early transitions at similar sizes (7.5–8.5 mm), and these first transitions were observed around 136–145 d. Between 175 and 191 d, a 50% transition in the presence of Acropora tenuis was measured. After 175d, the percentage of COTS cohorts that had transitioned was significantly lower in A. millepora (38%) and Stylophora pistillata (7%) compared to A. tenuis (51%). These data fill important knowledge gaps in juvenile ecology, and the influence of coral species on transition suggests an undescribed feedback mechanism between prey and predator

Allopathic and Osteopathic Residents Perform Similarly on the Orthopedic In-Training Examination (OITE).

INTRODUCTION: There is a bias in the medical community that allopathic training is superior to osteopathic training, despite the lack of substantiation. The orthopedic in-training examination (OITE) is a yearly exam evaluating educational advancement and orthopedic surgery resident\u27s scope of knowledge. The purpose of this study was to compare OITE scores between doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) and medical doctor (MD) orthopedic surgery residents to determine whether any appreciable differences exist in the achievement levels between the 2 groups. METHODS: The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons 2019 OITE technical report, which reports the scores from the 2019 OITE for MDs and DOs, was evaluated to determine OITE scores for MD and DO residents. The progression of scores obtained during various postgraduate years (PGY) for both groups was also analyzed. MD and DO scores throughout PGY 1-5 were compared with independent t-tests. RESULTS: PGY-1 DO residents outperformed MD residents on the OITE (145.8 vs 138.8, p \u3c 0.001). The mean scores achieved by DO and MD residents during PGY-2 (153.2 vs 153.2), 3 (176.2 vs 175.2), and 4 (182.0 vs 183.7) did not differ (p = 0.997, 0.440, and 0.149, respectively). However, for PGY-5, the mean scores for MD residents (188.6) were higher than those of DO residents (183.5, p \u3c 0.001). Both groups had trends of improvement seen throughout PGY 1 to 5 years, with both groups showing an increase in average PGY scores when compared to each preceding PGY. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that DO and MD orthopedic surgery residents perform similarly on the OITE within PGY 2 to 4, thus displaying equivalencies in orthopedic knowledge within the majority of PGYs. Program directors at allopathic and osteopathic orthopedic residency programs should take this into account when considering applicants for residency

Knowledge is power: improving outcomes for patients, partners, and professionals in the digital age

Purpose The aim of this research was to develop and evaluate methods to address poor knowledge of hearing aids, hearing loss, and communication in patients, partners, and nonaudiologic health and social care professionals. Method An interactive multimedia educational program (C2Hear) has been co-produced with hearing aid users and audiologists to provide high-quality information and demonstrate complex concepts relating to hearing aids and communication. Results A randomized controlled trial showed numerous benefits for first-time hearing aid users that included better knowledge and skill, and increased hearing aid use and satisfaction. Patients reported that C2Hear was highly useful, enjoyable, and preferable to written information. C2Hear Online is now freely available on YouTube and has global reach, well in excess of 150,000 views. Further developments include a version for communication partners, which showed that joint-working between hearing aid users and their communication partners resulted in joint responsibility for communication that facilitated communication behaviors. In addition, a behavior theory-driven version for use with mobile technologies (m2Hear) has been designed to be tailored to the needs of individual hearing aid users. m2Hear includes more activities/interaction to maximize user engagement and learning. Finally, C2Hear has been used to improve hearing-related knowledge in other health and social care professionals, such as carehome assistants. Conclusion This range of educational programs and tools aims to improve knowledge and skills, leading to better outcomes for patients, partners, and health care professionals

Analysing the PMIP4-CMIP6 collection: a workflow and tool (pmip_p2fvar_analyzer v1)

Experiment outputs are now available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project's sixth phase (CMIP6) and the past climate experiments defined in the Palaeoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project's fourth phase (PMIP4). All of this output is freely available from the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). Yet there is overhead in analysing this resource that may prove complicated or prohibitive. Here we document the steps taken by ourselves to produce ensemble analyses covering past and future simulations. We outline the strategy used to curate, adjust the monthly calendar aggregation and process the information downloaded from the ESGF. The results of these steps were used to perform analysis for several of the initial publications arising from PMIP4. We provide post-processed fields for each simulation, such as climatologies and common measures of variability. Example scripts used to visualise and analyse these fields are provided for several important case studies

Energy recovery from immobilised cells of Scenedesmus obliquus after wastewater treatment

Biomethane batch test of alginate beads and beads with algae at different stages of utilisation in the wastewater treatment plants showed that immobilised S. obliquus yield similar biogas and biomethane than freely suspended algae (between 60.51 ± 4.19 and 82.32 ± 2.17 mL g-1 VSadd) and that a pre-treatment stage was not necessary for the digestion process

Warping and F-term uplifting

We analyse the effective supergravity model of a warped compactification with matter on D3 and D7-branes. We find that the main effect of the warp factor is to modify the F-terms while leaving the D-terms invariant. Hence warped models with moduli stabilisation and a small positive cosmological constant resulting from a large warping can only be achieved with an almost vanishing D-term and a F-term uplifting. By studying string-motivated examples with gaugino condensation on magnetised D7-branes, we find that even with a vanishing D-term, it is difficult to achieve a Minkowski minimum for reasonable parameter choices. When coupled to an ISS sector the AdS vacua is uplifted, resulting in a small gravitino mass for a warp factor of order 10^-5.Comment: 24 pages, v3: typos, minor clarifications adde

Evaluating a theoretically informed and co-created mHealth educational intervention for first-time hearing aid users: a qualitative interview study

© David W Maidment, Rachel Heyes, Rachel Gomez, Neil S Coulson, Heather Wharrad, Melanie A Ferguson. Background: Adults living with hearing loss have highly variable knowledge of hearing aids, resulting in suboptimal use or nonuse. This issue can be addressed by the provision of high-quality educational resources. Objective: This study aims to assess the everyday experiences of first-time hearing aid users when using a newly developed, theoretically informed cocreated mobile health (mHealth) educational intervention called m2Hear. This intervention aims to deliver greater opportunities for individualization and interactivity compared with our previously developed multimedia intervention, C2Hear. Methods: A total of 16 first-time hearing aid users trialed m2Hear for a period of 10-weeks in their everyday lives, after which individual semistructured interviews were completed. The data were analyzed using an established deductive thematic analysis procedure underpinned by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior model. The model stipulates that to engage in a target behavior, an individual must have physical and psychological capability, physical and social opportunity, and automatic and reflective motivation. Results: Capability-m2Hear was viewed as a concise and comprehensive resource, suitable for a range of digital literacy skills. It was stated that m2Hear could be conveniently reused to provide useful reminders that facilitate knowledge of hearing aids and communication. Opportunity-m2Hear was simple and straightforward to use, enabling greater individualization and independence. The availability of m2Hear via mobile technologies also improved accessibility. Motivation-m2Hear provided greater support and reassurance, improving confidence and empowering users to self-manage their hearing loss. Conclusions: Overall, this qualitative study suggests that m2Hear supports first-time hearing aid users to successfully self-manage their hearing loss postfitting. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the utility of employing a combined theoretical and ecologically valid approach in the development of mHealth educational resources to meet the individual self-management needs of adults living with hearing loss

Activity-driven relaxation of the cortical actomyosin II network synchronizes Munc18-1-dependent neurosecretory vesicle docking

In neurosecretory cells, secretory vesicles (SVs) undergo Ca2(+)-dependent fusion with the plasma membrane to release neurotransmitters. How SVs cross the dense mesh of the cortical actin network to reach the plasma membrane remains unclear. Here we reveal that, in bovine chromaffin cells, SVs embedded in the cortical actin network undergo a highly synchronized transition towards the plasma membrane and Munc18-1-dependent docking in response to secretagogues. This movement coincides with a translocation of the cortical actin network in the same direction. Both effects are abolished by the knockdown or the pharmacological inhibition of myosin II, suggesting changes in actomyosin-generated forces across the cell cortex. Indeed, we report a reduction in cortical actin network tension elicited on secretagogue stimulation that is sensitive to myosin II inhibition. We reveal that the cortical actin network acts as a 'casting net' that undergoes activity-dependent relaxation, thereby driving tethered SVs towards the plasma membrane where they undergo Munc18-1-dependent docking