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Contrast sensitivity is reduced in older adults and is often measured at an overall perceptual level. Recent human psychophysical studies have provided paradigms to measure contrast sensitivity independently in the magnocellular (MC) and parvocellular (PC) visual pathways and have reported desensitization in the MC pathway after flicker adaptation. The current study investigates the influence of aging on contrast sensitivity and on the desensitization effect in the two visual pathways. The steady- and pulsed-pedestal paradigms were used to measure contrast sensitivity under two adaptation conditions in 45 observers. In the non-flicker adaptation condition, observers adapted to a pedestal array of four 1°×1° squares presented with a steady luminance; in the flicker adaptation condition, observers adapted to a square-wave modulated luminance flicker of 7.5 Hz and 50% contrast. Results showed significant age-related contrast sensitivity reductions in the MC and PC pathways, with a significantly larger decrease of contrast sensitivity for individuals older than 50 years of age in the MC pathway but not in the PC pathway. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that sensitivity reduction observed at the overall perceptual level likely comes from both the MC and PC visual pathways, with a more dramatic reduction resulting from the MC pathway for adults >50 years of age. In addition, a similar desensitization effect from flicker adaptation was observed in the MC pathway for all ages, which suggests that aging may not affect the process of visual adaptation to rapid luminance flicker.

Aneurysm wall enhancement (AWE) after the administration of contrast gadolinium is a potential biomarker of unstable intracranial aneurysms. While most studies determine AWE subjectively, this study comprehensively quantified AWE in 3D imaging using a semi-automated method. Thirty patients with 33 unruptured intracranial aneurysms prospectively underwent high-resolution imaging with 7T-MRI. The signal intensity (SI) of the aneurysm wall was mapped and normalized to the pituitary stalk (PS) and corpus callosum (CC). The CC proved to be a more reliable normalizing structure in detecting contrast enhancement (p < 0.0001). 3D-heatmaps and histogram analysis of AWE were used to generate the following metrics: specific aneurysm wall enhancement (SAWE), general aneurysm wall enhancement (GAWE) and focal aneurysm wall enhancement (FAWE). GAWE was more accurate in detecting known morphological determinants of aneurysm instability such as size ≥ 7 mm (p = 0.049), size ratio (p = 0.01) and aspect ratio (p = 0.002). SAWE and FAWE were aneurysm specific metrics used to characterize enhancement patterns within the aneurysm wall and the distribution of enhancement along the aneurysm. Blebs were easily identified on 3D-heatmaps and were more enhancing than aneurysm sacs (p = 0.0017). 3D-AWE mapping may be a powerful objective tool in characterizing different biological processes of the aneurysm wall.

Depression and burnout, which are common among healthcare workers, were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and psilocybin have been reported to reduce depressive symptoms, but the efficacy of the combination requires comparison to an active treatment control. We sought to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin and MBSR versus MBSR alone for frontline healthcare providers with symptoms of depression and burnout related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that psilocybin would augment the antidepressant effects of MBSR in this population. We conducted a randomized controlled trial that enrolled physicians and nurses with frontline clinical work during the COVID-19 pandemic and symptoms of depression and burnout. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05557643) Participants were enrolled between January 2nd, 2023 and January 16th, 2024, and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either an 8-week MBSR curriculum alone or an 8-week MBSR curriculum plus group psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) with 25 mg psilocybin. Evaluation of safety and feasibility of enrollment and retention was a primary objective of the study. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in depressive symptoms, as measured by the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS-SR-16) at 2 weeks post-intervention. Symptoms of depression and burnout were assessed at baseline, and 2 weeks and 6 months post-intervention utilizing the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS-SR-16) and Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey for Medical Professionals (MBI-HSS-MP), respectively. Secondary outcome measures included the Demoralization Scale (DS-II) and the Watt's Connectedness Scale (WCS). Adverse events (AEs) and suicidality were assessed through a 6-month follow-up. Twenty-five participants were enrolled and randomized. Safety was a study outcome and assessed by rate and severity of AEs and any incident suicidality or significant mental health symptoms. Baseline and outcome data were summarized using descriptive statistics, with continuous variables reported as means and standard deviations. We recorded 12 study-related, Grade 1-2 AEs and no serious AEs. In a linear mixed model analysis (LMM), the MBSR + PAP arm evidenced a significantly larger decrease in QIDS-SR-16 score than the MBSR-only arm from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention (between-groups effect = 4.6, 95% CI [1.51, 7.70]; p = 0.008). This effect waned at the 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures for burnout (subscales of the MBI-HSS-MP), demoralization (DS II), and connectedness (WCS) favored the MBSR + PAP arm; however, these effects did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. A mixed RM-ANCOVA was conducted to control for baseline differences in outcome measures. Sensitivity analyses were conducted, adjusting for baseline differences in gender and clustering within group cohorts. Study limitations that affect the generalizability of results include a small sample size, homogenous study population, and significant differences in intervention intensity. This trial met its primary endpoint: group psilocybin-assisted therapy plus MBSR was associated with clinically significant improvement in depressive symptoms without serious AEs and with greater reduction in symptoms than MBSR alone. Our findings suggest that integrating psilocybin with mindfulness training may represent a promising treatment for depression and burnout among physicians and nurses. Larger trials are needed to establish efficacy, generalizability, and durability of these effects.

Contrast sensitivity is reduced in older adults and is often measured at an overall perceptual level. Recent human psychophysical studies have provided paradigms to measure contrast sensitivity independently in the magnocellular (MC) and parvocellular (PC) visual pathways and have reported desensitization in the MC pathway after flicker adaptation. The current study investigates the influence of aging on contrast sensitivity and on the desensitization effect in the two visual pathways. The steady- and pulsed-pedestal paradigms were used to measure contrast sensitivity under two adaptation conditions in 45 observers. In the non-flicker adaptation condition, observers adapted to a pedestal array of four 1°×1° squares presented with a steady luminance; in the flicker adaptation condition, observers adapted to a square-wave modulated luminance flicker of 7.5 Hz and 50% contrast. Results showed significant age-related contrast sensitivity reductions in the MC and PC pathways, with a significantly larger decrease of contrast sensitivity for individuals older than 50 years of age in the MC pathway but not in the PC pathway. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that sensitivity reduction observed at the overall perceptual level likely comes from both the MC and PC visual pathways, with a more dramatic reduction resulting from the MC pathway for adults >50 years of age. In addition, a similar desensitization effect from flicker adaptation was observed in the MC pathway for all ages, which suggests that aging may not affect the process of visual adaptation to rapid luminance flicker.

With the increasing attention to shale oil and gas in the field of oil and gas exploration and development, accurate prediction of TOC content has become the key to evaluating shale gas sweet spots. This paper studies a method for predicting shale TOC content using a BP neural network optimized by an improved cuckoo search algorithm. First, for the Longmaxi Formation shale, through logging sensitivity analysis, seven logging parameters sensitive to TOC content were determined: DEN, AC, RT, U, K, GR, and CNL. Using these parameters, a CSBP model was established and compared with the traditional BP neural network, multiple linear fitting method, and extended ∆lgR method. The results show that the CSBP model has higher prediction accuracy and generalization ability, with the mean absolute error and mean absolute percentage error being 0.38 and 15.00% respectively, which are significantly better than other methods. Further, the CSBP model was applied to predict the TOC content of Well W16 in the study area and verified by comparing with the measured TOC values. The correlation between the predicted and measured values is 0.89, and the change trends are consistent, confirming the applicability of the CSBP model. Finally, combined with the seismic waveform-guided simulation inversion technology, the planar and spatial distribution of TOC in the study area was predicted. The correlations between the predicted and measured values of four wells in the study area are all greater than 0.89. This method has high accuracy in the three-dimensional TOC content prediction of shale reservoirs and provides technical support for the evaluation of shale gas sweet spots in the work area.

To assess association of pharmacist gender with acceptance of antibiotic stewardship recommendations. A retrospective evaluation of the Reducing Overuse of Antibiotics at Discharge (ROAD) Home intervention. The study was conducted from May to October 2019 in a single academic medical center. The study included patients receiving antibiotics on a hospitalist service who were nearing discharge. During the intervention, clinical pharmacists (none who had specialist postgraduate infectious disease residency training) reviewed patients on antibiotics and led an antibiotic timeout (ie, structured conversation) prior to discharge to improve discharge antibiotic prescribing. We assessed the association of pharmacist gender with acceptance of timeout recommendations by hospitalists using logistic regression controlling for patient characteristics. Over 6 months, pharmacists conducted 295 timeouts: 158 timeouts (53.6%) were conducted by 12 women, 137 (46.4%) were conducted by 8 men. Pharmacists recommended an antibiotic change in 82 timeouts (27.8%), of which 51 (62.2%) were accepted. Compared to male pharmacists, female pharmacists were less likely to recommend a discharge antibiotic change: 30 (19.0%) of 158 versus 52 (38.0%) of 137 (P < .001). Female pharmacists were also less likely to have a recommendation accepted: 10 (33.3%) of 30 versus 41 (8.8%) of 52 (P < .001). Thus, timeouts conducted by female versus male pharmacists were less likely to result in an antibiotic change: 10 (6.3%) of 158 versus 41 (29.9%) of 137 (P < .001). After adjustments, pharmacist gender remained significantly associated with whether recommended changes were accepted (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.10; 95%confidence interval [CI], 0.03-0.36 for female versus male pharmacists). Antibiotic stewardship recommendations made by female clinical pharmacists were less likely to be accepted by hospitalists. Gender bias may play a role in the acceptance of clinical pharmacist recommendations, which could affect patient care and outcomes.

Filter clotting is a major issue in continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) that interrupts treatment, reduces delivered effluent dose, and increases cost of care. While a number of variables are involved in filter life, treatment modality is an understudied factor. We hypothesized that filters in pre-filter continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) would have shorter lifespans than in continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD). This was a single center, pragmatic, unblinded, quasi-randomized cluster trial conducted in critically ill adult patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) between March 2020 and December 2020. Patients were quasi-randomized by time block to receive pre-filter CVVH (convection) or CVVHD (diffusion). The primary outcome was filter life, and secondary outcomes were number of filters used, number of filters reaching 72 hours, and in-hospital mortality. In the intention-to-treat analysis, filter life in pre-filter CVVH was 79% of that observed in CVVHD (mean ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.97, p = 0.02). Median filter life (with interquartile range) in pre-filter CVVH was 21.8 (11.4-45.3) and was 26.6 (13.0-63.5) for CVVHD. In addition, 11.8% of filters in pre-filter CVVH were active for >72 hours, versus 21.2% in the CVVHD group. Finally, filter clotting accounted for the loss of 26.7% of filters in the CVVH group compared to 17.5% in the CVVHD group. There were no differences in overall numbers of filters used or mortality between groups. Among critically patients with severe AKI requiring CKRT, use of pre-filter CVVH resulted in significantly shorter filter life compared to CVVHD. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04762524. Registered 02/21/21-Retroactively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04762524?cond=The+Impact+of+CRRT+Modality+on+Filter+Life&draw=2&rank=1.

In front of Longmen Mountain, there is a mountainous area with large terrain elevation differences and dense vegetation. The coupling between detectors in limestone and gravel exposed areas and the surface layer is poor. The completion of blasting wells in gravel areas, as well as the layout and burial of seismic survey lines and detectors in mountainous areas, pose difficulties in seismic exploration. The article dissects the factors that affect the quality of collected data, such as shot point measurement, shot point drilling, detector burial, mountainous survey line layout, and interference source control. Targeted measures to enhance GPS measurement signals, gravel area shot well drilling, and mountainous survey line layout are proposed to effectively improve the quality of collected data and work efficiency, which can provide reference for seismic exploration in mountainous areas.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278550.].

Filter clotting is a major issue in continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) that interrupts treatment, reduces delivered effluent dose, and increases cost of care. While a number of variables are involved in filter life, treatment modality is an understudied factor. We hypothesized that filters in pre-filter continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) would have shorter lifespans than in continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD). This was a single center, pragmatic, unblinded, quasi-randomized cluster trial conducted in critically ill adult patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) between March 2020 and December 2020. Patients were quasi-randomized by time block to receive pre-filter CVVH (convection) or CVVHD (diffusion). The primary outcome was filter life, and secondary outcomes were number of filters used, number of filters reaching 72 hours, and in-hospital mortality. In the intention-to-treat analysis, filter life in pre-filter CVVH was 79% of that observed in CVVHD (mean ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.97, p = 0.02). Median filter life (with interquartile range) in pre-filter CVVH was 21.8 (11.4-45.3) and was 26.6 (13.0-63.5) for CVVHD. In addition, 11.8% of filters in pre-filter CVVH were active for >72 hours, versus 21.2% in the CVVHD group. Finally, filter clotting accounted for the loss of 26.7% of filters in the CVVH group compared to 17.5% in the CVVHD group. There were no differences in overall numbers of filters used or mortality between groups. Among critically patients with severe AKI requiring CKRT, use of pre-filter CVVH resulted in significantly shorter filter life compared to CVVHD.