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Microplastics (MPs) contamination has increased significantly due to inadequate plastic waste, leading to MPs infiltration in marine organisms. Crustaceans, especially the anomuran crabs, represented significant benthic communities in the intertidal zone. The current investigation aims to check the variation in MP contamination in Hermit crab Clibanarius rhabdodactylus inhabiting the intertidal and subtidal zone of Gujarat state, India. A total of 50 crabs (25 males and 25 females) of C. rhabdodactylus were collected from both zones along the coast of Gujarat in January and February 2024. In the laboratory, hermit crabs were weighed, dissected, and processed for tissue digestion. Sediment and water samples also underwent digestion. All samples were then processed through flotation, filtration, microscopic observation, and chemical characterization. The higher contamination was recorded in intertidal specimens than in subtidal specimens. The MP contamination in C. rhabdodactylus varied significantly between intertidal and subtidal specimens. MP contamination in both habitats was greater in females than in males. MP contamination in sediment and water was higher in the intertidal region than in the subtidal region, with no significant difference. Morphometric examination of MPs indicated the maximum abundance of fibers in terms of MP shape, followed by fragments and films. Black coloured MPs with 0.5–1 mm size were recorded dominantly in both habitats. The isolated MPs were primarily composed of polyethylene and polypropylene polymers. This study proposed immediate measures to address the issue of effective management of plastic litter in the marine ecosystem of the state. The present study revealed that MPs are widely distributed in the intertidal region and possess a greater risk of MP accumulation than those in the subtidal region.

A species of pebble crab, Alox chaunos Galil & Ng, 2007 is recorded for the first time from India. The specimen examined was collected from the trawl catch at Digha Mohana, West Bengal state, India. Alox chaunos can be identified based on the carapace surface covered with mushroom-like tubercles, irregular pits, a prominent groove on the surface running parallel to the anterolateral carapace margin, and a slender male first gonopod (G1), slightly twisted in its distal half. The shape of the second gonopod (G2) illustrated in previous studies appears aberrant; an accurate illustration is provided herein. Alox chaunos can be differentiated from its close congener A. rugosum based on carapace shape, groove pattern, long telson, and narrow G1 distally. The species was originally described from specimens collected in the Philippines, redescribed based on specimens from Japan and is reported here for the first time from India.

Patients with cancer typically have greater financial hardships and time costs than individuals without cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this, while posing substantial challenges to delivering cancer care and resulting in important changes in care-delivery models, including the rapid adoption of telehealth. To estimate patient travel, time, and cost savings associated with telehealth for cancer care delivery. An economic evaluation of cost savings from completed telehealth visits from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, in a single-institution National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. All patients aged 18 to 65 years who completed telehealth visits within the designated time frame and had a Florida mailing address documented in their electronic medical record were included in the study cohort. Data were analyzed from April 2020 to June 2021. The main outcome was estimated patient cost savings from telehealth, which included 2 components: costs of travel (defined as roundtrip distance saved from car travel) and potential loss of productivity due to the medical visit (defined as loss of income from roundtrip travel plus loss of income from in-person clinic visits). Two different models with a combination of 2 different mileage rates ($0.56 and $0.82 per mile) and census tract-level median hourly wages were used. The study included 25 496 telehealth visits with 11 688 patients. There were 4525 (3795 patients) new or established visits and 20 971 (10 049 patients) follow-up visits. Median (IQR) age was 55.0 (46.0-61.0) years among the telehealth visits, with 15 663 visits (61.4%) by women and 18 360 visits (72.0%) by Hispanic non-White patients. According to cost models, the estimated mean (SD) total cost savings ranged from $147.4 ($120.1) at $0.56/mile to $186.1 ($156.9) at $0.82/mile. For new or established visits, the mean (SD) total cost savings per visit ranged from $176.6 ($136.3) at $0.56/mile to $222.8 ($177.4) at $0.82/mile, and for follow-up visits, the mean (SD) total cost savings per visit was $141.1 ($115.3) at $0.56/mile to $178.1 ($150.9) at $0.82/mile. In this economic evaluation, telehealth was associated with savings in patients time and travel costs, which may reduce the financial toxicity of cancer care. Expansion of telehealth oncology services may be an effective strategy to reduce the financial burden among patients with cancer.

Rapid implementation of telehealth for cancer care during COVID-19 required innovative and adaptive solutions among oncology health care providers and professionals (HPPs). The aim of this qualitative study was to explore oncology HPPs' experiences with telehealth implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted at Moffitt Cancer Center (Moffitt), an NCI (National Cancer Institute)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prior to COVID-19, Moffitt piloted telehealth visits on a limited basis. After COVID-19, Moffitt rapidly expanded telehealth visits. Telehealth visits included real-time videoconferencing between HPPs and patients and virtual check-ins (ie, brief communication with an HPP by telephone only). We conducted semistructured interviews with 40 oncology HPPs who implemented telehealth during COVID-19. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes using Dedoose software (version 4.12). Approximately half of the 40 participants were physicians (n=22, 55%), and one-quarter of the participants were advanced practice providers (n=10, 25%). Other participants included social workers (n=3, 8%), psychologists (n=2, 5%), dieticians (n=2, 5%), and a pharmacist (n=1, 3%). Five key themes were identified: (1) establishing and maintaining patient-HPP relationships, (2) coordinating care with other HPPs and informal caregivers, (3) adapting in-person assessments for telehealth, (4) developing workflows and allocating resources, and (5) future recommendations. Participants described innovative strategies for implementing telehealth, such as coordinating interdisciplinary visits with multiple HPPs and inviting informal caregivers (eg, spouse) to participate in telehealth visits. Health care workers discussed key challenges, such as workflow integration, lack of physical exam and biometric data, and overcoming the digital divide (eg, telehealth accessibility among patients with communication-related disabilities). Participants recommended policy advocacy to support telehealth (eg, medical licensure policies) and monitoring how telehealth affects patient outcomes and health care delivery. To support telehealth growth, implementation strategies are needed to ensure that HPPs and patients have the tools necessary to effectively engage in telehealth. At the same time, cancer care organizations will need to engage in advocacy to ensure that policies are supportive of oncology telehealth and develop systems to monitor the impact of telehealth on patient outcomes, health care quality, costs, and equity.

Data integration, the processes by which data are aggregated, combined, and made available for use, has been key to the development and growth of many technological solutions. In health care, we are experiencing a revolution in the use of sensors to collect data on patient behaviors and experiences. Yet, the potential of this data to transform health outcomes is being held back. Deficits in standards, lexicons, data rights, permissioning, and security have been well documented, less so the cultural adoption of sensor data integration as a priority for large-scale deployment and impact on patient lives. The use and reuse of trustworthy data to make better and faster decisions across drug development and care delivery will require an understanding of all stakeholder needs and best practices to ensure these needs are met. The Digital Medicine Society is launching a new multistakeholder Sensor Data Integration Tour of Duty to address these challenges and more, providing a clear direction on how sensor data can fulfill its potential to enhance patient lives.

The population structure and breeding biology of the Xanthid crab, (H. Milne Edwards, 1834), on the rocky intertidal region of Shivrajpur in Saurashtra coast, Gujarat state, were examined. From March 2021 to February 2022, monthly sampling was conducted during low tide using catch per unit effort in the 500 m area. The sampled specimens were categorised into male, non-ovigerous female or ovigerous female. In order to estimate fecundity, the morphology of the crab specimens (carapace width and body weight) as well as the size of eggs, number of eggs and weight of egg mass were recorded. A total of 1,215 individuals were sampled of which 558 individuals were males and 657 individuals were females. The size (carapace width) of males ranges from 5.15 to 29.98 mm, while females ranges from 5.26 to 28.63 mm which shows that the average size of male and female individuals did not differ significantly. The overall as well as monthly sex ratio was skewed towards males with a bimodal distribution while unimodal in females. The population breeds year-round, which was indicated by the occurrence of ovigerous females throughout the year. However, the maximum percentage occurrence of ovigerous females was observed from December to April which indicates the peak breeding season. The size of eggs, number of eggs and weight of egg mass were shown to positively correlate with the morphology of ovigerous females (carapace width and wet weight).

While the health care community advocates broadly for climate change policy, medical professionals can look within care practices to assess their contribution to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and provide solutions wherever possible. Telemedicine can help in mitigating climate change by providing care from a distance. To assess the carbon savings achieved from telemedicine visits. This cross-sectional study of telemedicine visits was conducted at a single-institution National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center. Eligible patients were aged 18 years and above, completed telemedicine visits from April 1, 2020, to June 20, 2021, and had a Florida mailing address documented in their electronic medical record. Groups were divided between those within driving time of 60 minutes (1-way) to the cancer center vs those living beyond 60 minutes of drive time. Data were analyzed between April 2020 and June 2021. Carbon emission savings from telemedicine, measured in total and average per-visit savings. A total 49 329 telemedicine visits with 23 228 patients were conducted from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. A total 21 489 visits were for patients with driving time of 60 minutes or less (median [IQR] age, 62.0 [52.0-71.0] years; 12 334 [57.4%] female; 1685 [7.8%] Black, 1500 [7.0%] Hispanic, 16 010 [74.5%] non-Hispanic White), while 27 840 visits were for patients with driving time greater than 60 minutes (median [IQR] age, 67.0 [57.0-74.0] years; 14 372 [51.6%] female; 1056 [3.8%] Black, 1364 [5.0%] Hispanic, 22 457 [80.7%] non-Hispanic White). For patients living within a driving time of 60 minutes from the cancer center, 424 471 kg CO2 emissions were saved (mean [SD] emissions savings, 19.8 [9.4] kg CO2 per visit) due to telemedicine-equivalent to 91.5 passenger vehicles driven for 1 year. For patients whose driving distance was greater than 60 minutes, 2 744 248 kg CO2 emissions were saved (mean emissions savings, 98.6 [54.8] kg CO2 per visit)-equivalent to 591 passenger vehicles driven for 1 year. Using a large data set, this cross-sectional analysis highlighted the carbon emissions savings due to telemedicine in oncology. This has important implications in reducing health care-related carbon footprint.

Introduction Research on pre-surgical education and discharge planning for head and neck cancer (HNC) remains limited. To address this gap, this qualitative study aims to assess patient and caregiver perspectives on pre-surgical education and discharge planning in HNC surgery. Methods and Materials Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 individuals who received HNC surgery and 10 of their caregivers after hospital discharge. Participants were recruited from an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a community oncology setting. Results Five key recommendations for HNC surgical care emerged from the data: (1) improve communication about anticipated side effects; (2) provide targeted education through multiple modalities; (3) connect patients and caregivers with individuals who have gone through HNC surgery; (4) improve patient-provider communication for individuals with speech, vision, and hearing impairment; and (5) present the best and worst case scenarios to prepare individuals for post-surgical recovery. Conclusion Participants identified gaps in pre-surgical education and discharge planning and provided recommendations to improve HNC surgical care. Plain Language Summary The goal of the study was to understand how to better prepare and support individuals with head and neck cancer and their family caregivers before and after surgery. 23 people (13 patients and 10 family caregivers) were interviewed about their experiences. Five recommendations were provided: 1. Improve communication about possible side effects from surgery 2. Provide education in multiple ways 3. Connect patients and caregivers with other people who have gone through surgery 4. Improve communication with individuals who may have trouble hearing, seeing, or speaking 5. Provide information on all possible outcomes including the best case scenario and the worst case scenario This information can help hospitals and medical teams improve how they prepare and support patients and families before and after surgery.

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants in the marine environment, exhibiting persistence in coastal sediment over extended periods. However, the mechanism of their uptake by marine organisms and distribution in habitat is less understood. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of MP contamination in burrow sediment, feeding pellets, and tissue of in the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat State. A total of 500 g of burrow sediment, 100 g of feeding pellets, and body tissue of 10 resident were pooled as one replica. Such seven replicas from each site were analyzed for MP extraction from three sites, including Asharmata, Mandvi, and Serena, located in the Gulf of Kachchh. The standard protocol was used during the analysis of the collected samples in order to isolate MPs. The abundance of MP was found higher in burrow sediment, feeding pellets and tissue of at study site Mandvi, followed by Serena and Asharmata. The abundance of MP was found higher in tissue, followed by burrow sediment and feeding pellet. A significant variation was observed in MP abundance among burrow sediment, feeding pellets, and tissue. MPs with various shapes (fiber, film, and fragment), sizes (1-2, 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5 mm), and colors (blue, green, black, pink, purple, red transparent) were recorded from all the study sites. Polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride were recognized as the chemical profile of the extracted MPs. The current investigation revealed greater accumulation of MPs in 's tissues compared to sediment and pellets, suggesting a risk of MP contamination in marine benthic fauna with a greater rate of bioaccumulation. plays a significant role as a structuring agent for MP distribution in the intertidal flat through burrowing activity.

The population structure and breeding biology of a Xanthid crab, Etisus laevimanus Randall, 1840, a commonly occurring species on the rocky intertidal region of Saurashtra coast of Gujarat State, India, were investigated. Samples were collected from the intertidal region for 12 consecutive months during low tide using catch per unit effort in a 500 m2 area. The individuals were categorized into male, non‐ovigerous female, or ovigerous female. For fecundity estimation, the total number of eggs, size of eggs, and weight of egg mass were measured along with the carapace width and body weight of the respective ovigerous females. Sexual dimorphism was evident in the collected samples, with males being significantly larger than females. The overall as well as monthly sex ratio was female‐biased. Size frequency distribution showed a bimodal frequency distribution in males while being unimodal in females. The occurrence of ovigerous females throughout the year suggests that the species has a continuous breeding pattern with peaks from December to April. The total number of eggs, size of eggs, and weight of the egg mass showed a significantly positive correlation with the carapace width of the ovigerous females. The population structure and breeding biology of a Xanthid crab Etisus laevimanus Randall, 1840, were investigated; this is commonly occurring species on the rocky intertidal region of Saurashtra coast of Gujarat State, India. Size frequency distribution showed a bimodal frequency distribution in males while being unimodal in females. The occurrence of ovigerous females throughout the year suggests that the species has a continuous breeding pattern with peaks from December to April. The total number of eggs, size of eggs, and weight of the egg mass showed a significantly positive correlation with the carapace width of the ovigerous females.