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India's large free-roaming dog populations contribute to significant human health, environmental, and social challenges. Population management strategies, such as catch-neuter-vaccinate-release (CNVR), aim to reduce dog numbers, improve their welfare, and reduce human-animal conflict. Humane Society International (HSI; now operating as Humane World for Animals), in partnership with the Animal Health Foundation, implemented a CNVR program in Jamshedpur, neutering and vaccinating over 20,000 dogs. This study evaluated the impact of this program on dog health, population structure and size. The study areas encompassed 10 sites within Jamshedpur, including both intervention sites where CNVR was directly applied and sites without direct intervention. Data was collected from May 2014 until December 2018, including bi-annual street surveys, as well as clinical data from the dogs captured and treated. We fit logistic regression, negative binomial, and binomial mixed effects models to assess changes in dog population characteristics, health, and reproductive conditions over time in relation to the CNVR intervention. We found that, over the period of this study, the probability of dogs entering the clinic with mange, transmissible venereal tumours, and pregnant significantly reduced. Street surveys showed an increase in sterilised dogs, with higher proportions observed in CNVR-treated sites, although the counts of dogs observed increased overall. The age-structure of free-roaming dogs remained stable over time. In CNVR-treated areas, the probability of observing lactating female dogs decreased, whereas it increased in untreated sites. This work contributes to the growing body of knowledge investigating the impact of dog population management interventions. Continued monitoring and evaluation of CNVR programs are required to identify optimal coverage required to reduce population size effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early attempts to teach travel training to people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDDs) utilized simulation, role playing, and prompting systems; however, these studies utilized interventions that were not age appropriate. More recently, non-interactive computer-based video instruction has been shown to be temporarily effective in teaching young adults diagnosed with IDDs how to signal the bus driver when they wanted to disembark, but the lack of interactivity precluded lasting outcomes. To address this gap, the authors document the creation of a gamified training application, Catch the Bus©(CtB), that uses gamification dynamics, mechanisms, and components. Through the lenses of goal-setting theory, the technology acceptance model, and social cognitive theory CtB training emulates progression as users acquire skills necessary to scaffold to the next level of training. CtB training explicitly focuses on elapsed time to (a) circumvent the expectation of conventions of near-instantaneous travel often associated with video games, and (b) foster time management skills. To explore the effectiveness of CtB training, a mixed methods pilot case study was conducted with individuals having IDDs. The study focused on the efficacy and impact of CtB training on participants' skills and anxiety related to public transit. Findings indicate that CtB training resulted in an increase in participants' self-efficacy in terms of planning a bus trip to new destinations, utilizing bus route maps, and transferring buses correctly. Additionally, CtB training decreased participants' anxiety associated with public transportation usage and increased participants' confidence in navigating public transit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clients should be made aware that if they are between the ages of 60 and 63 inclusively they have the ability to make additional elective catch-up contributions. Often clients in this age range are at a relatively high level of career earnings and thus are able to make larger contributions to their retirement plan accounts. At the same time, all clients need to be aware that for any catch-up contributions, if their income is above the threshold in the prior year, the catch-up amounts will be given Roth treatment once that new rule becomes effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anaerobic digestion industry, which is still developing, generates biogas from organic waste products. A co-product of this process, digestate, is increasingly produced and can be recycled on agricultural land as an alternative to mineral fertilizers. Biogas digestate is a recent product whose chemical composition differs from that of its source material, and additional data still need to be acquired on its effects on dissolved carbon fluxes. The objectives of this study were to assess (i) the effects of applying biogas digestate on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes with different winter crops, (ii) the dynamics of DOC and DIC concentrations during the drainage season, and (iii) the annual dynamics of DOC and DIC fluxes along the soil profile. The study examined effects of applying biogas digestate, pig slurry, or a mineral fertilizer to winter wheat and two catch crops (mustard and a multispecies crop) on DOC and DIC fluxes in the soil. Lysimeters at 40 cm (topsoil) and 90 cm (subsoil) depths were monitored from 2014 to 2023, from November to March (i.e., 9 winter drainage seasons). During the drainage season, the DOC concentration was highest with digestate, and its timing depended on development of the cover crop: from the beginning of the drainage season for mustard and the multispecies crop and around February for wheat. Applying digestate increased the topsoil DOC fluxes (mean of 35.7 ± 13.7 kg.ha⁻¹ with digestate vs. 21.0 ± 6.7 kg.ha⁻¹ with the other treatments), particularly under mustard. Topsoil DIC fluxes were highest with pig slurry due to higher mineralization than that with digestate (mean of 59.1 ± 22.8 kg.ha⁻¹ with pig slurry vs. 46.2 ± 16.3 kg.ha⁻¹ with the other treatments). In the subsoil, DOC fluxes were low (6.2 ± 4.1 kg.ha⁻¹) and DIC fluxes were high (80.0 ± 45.7 kg.ha⁻¹), with no difference among treatments.

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The development of civilization is related to an increase in energy demand, while its production is still based mainly on fossil fuels. The release of carbon into the environment, which disturbs the balance of the global system, is the consequence of using these fuels. One possible way to reduce the carbon footprint of the energy sector is the widespread use of cover crops' biomass for energy production. The aim of this paper is to critically review the knowledge on the dissemination of catch and cover crops' cultivation in different regions of the world, and the yield, chemical composition and biomethane potential of their biomass. Additionally, the environmental benefits, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with this biomass use in the energy sector, are considered. The review showed that the aboveground biomass of cover and catch crops is a valuable source for the production of bioenergy in biogas plants. However, the key role of these crops is to prevent soil degradation. Therefore, changes in biomass target use must be preceded by a multi-aspect analysis that allows their impact on the environment to be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) in Lower Saxony, Germany, has increased since they recolonized the region in 2007, and developing appropriate management strategies requires accurate information on wolf habitat use. As research on space use and foraging ecology necessitates capture, tagging, and tracking of wolves, we evaluated the feasibility of using cage traps to catch animals unharmed. Due to legal restrictions in Germany, especially concerning body-grasping traps (e.g., foothold traps and foot snares), we developed an alternative trapping system. From July 2018 to December 2020, we installed net box traps at different locations in Lower Saxony. However, our study was disrupted and traps were removed prematurely because of human activities and sabotage. Although we did not capture any wolves, we photographically documented wolf pups entering our net box traps on seven occasions and suggest that young wolves can potentially be captured in our net box traps. We believe our work opens the possibility for further trapping options to improve future research on European gray wolves.

Policy shifts toward health information transparency provide a new opportunity for patients to contribute to diagnostic safety. We investigated whether sharing clinical notes with patients can support identification of “diagnostic safety blindspots”—potentially consequential breakdowns in the diagnostic process that may be difficult for clinical staff to observe.We used mixed methods to analyze patient-reported ambulatory documentation errors among 22,889 patients at three US health care centers who read ≥ 1 visit note(s). We identified blindspots by tailoring a previously established taxonomy. We used multiple regression analysis to identify factors associated with blindspot identification.774 patients reported a total of 962 blindspots in 4 categories: (1) diagnostic misalignments (n = 421, 43.8%), including inaccurate symptoms or histories and failures or delay in diagnosis; (2) errors of omission (38.1%) including missed main concerns or next steps, and failure to listen to patients; (3) problems occurring outside visits (14.3%) such as tests, referrals, or appointment access; and (4) multiple low-level problems (3.7%) cascading into diagnostic breakdowns. Many patients acted on the blindspots they identified, resulting in “good catches” that may prevent potential negative consequences. Older, female, sicker, unemployed or disabled patients, or those who work in health care were more likely to identify a blindspot. Individuals reporting less formal education; those self-identifying as Black, Asian, other, or multiple races; and participants who deferred decision-making to providers were less likely to report a blindspot.Patients who read notes have unique insight about potential errors in their medical records that could impact diagnostic reasoning but may not be known to clinicians—underscoring a critical role for patients in diagnostic safety and organizational learning. From a policy standpoint, organizations should encourage patient review of visit notes, build systems to track patientreported blindspots, and promote equity in note access and blindspot reporting.

Simple Summary: Guizotia abyssinica is a plant cultivated mainly in Ethiopian and Indian climate conditions. Its seeds can be used to produce oil or as feed for ornamental birds. In recent years, interest has increased in its use as a catch crop between crops in European conditions. However, owing to its rapid growth rate, attention has also been paid to the possibility of ensiling this plant and using it to prepare feed for cattle after harvesting 58, 68, and 90 days after seed sowing. The results of this research indicate that collecting silage material on the 90th day after sowing allows for the preparation of very good-quality silage. Guizotia abyssinica is currently being used for soil improvement; however, owing to its rapid growth and high productivity, it may have value as feed for ruminants, although this has not been well studied. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the silage quality of Guizotia abyssinica grown during the short season (July–October) as a catch crop in northern Europe when harvested 58, 68, and 90 days after sowing (DAS) over two production years. Ensiled material was analyzed to compare silage quality for the three different DAS. Two factors were analyzed factorially in the experiment: the silage preparation year (2018 or 2019) and the form of the ensiled material (fresh or wilted). We used 36 replications, 18 for each variant of the experimental factor. Harvesting at 58 DAS resulted in unsatisfactory forage fermentability, even after wilting. At 68 DAS, silage quality was satisfactory, but the dry matter content before ensiling was below 20% for both fresh and wilted forage, indicating limitations for silage use without additional wilting for that DAS harvest time. Dry matter content and water-soluble carbohydrates consistently increased as harvest was delayed. Thus, the highest silage quality was obtained from forage harvested 90 DAS regardless of differences in dry matter content. Therefore, it is possible to prepare silage at lower temperatures when the wilting process is limited by environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundWorkday sleep deprivation has become normalized in contemporary society. While previous research suggested that weekend catch-up sleep (WCS) could reduce the risk of depression, there is currently limited evidence supporting the role of WCS in reducing the development of specific depressive symptoms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between WCS and specific depressive symptoms among American.MethodsA total of 7,695 participants were recruited from the 2017–2020 NHANES. Concurrently, an external validation set comprising 180 independent clinical participants from Xijing Hospital was collected. The presence of depressive symptoms was determined through analysis of the PHQ-9 questionnaire, with each item representing one distinct type of depressive symptom. Multivariate logistic regression and generalized additive models were used to determine the correlation between WCS sleep and specific depressive symptoms. Subgroup analysis was used to reveal differences between WCS and specific depressive symptoms in specific populations.ResultsThe findings of the multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that WCS associated with a wide range of specific depressive symptoms, particularly suicidal ideation, with OR = 0.53 (95% CI: 0.33–0.85) in the NHANES group and OR = 0.12 (95% CI: 0.04–0.41) in the clinical sample. Following adjustment for all covariates, non-linear associations of WCS with sleep disturbance and psychomotor disturbance in both samples (NHANES/Xijing Hospital). Furthermore, the results of subgroup analyses indicated that specific subgroups of the vast majority of depressive symptoms were correlated with WCS.ConclusionsThe results of this study confirm that WCS inversely related to specific depressive symptoms, particularly among individuals under 35 with suicidal ideation.

The use of light in pots has been shown to increase snow crab catch rates in eastern Canada and the Barents Sea, where better fishing efficiency could result in less fuel consumption, and financial and ecological benefits. However, some light characteristics necessary for maximizing efficiency have yet to be researched. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a change in catch per unit effort (CPUE; number of snow crab per pot) and size selectivity of snow crab with varying light intensity. Three types of experimental luminescent-netting pots were used, each type with a different level of light intensity via the amount of phosphorescent strands woven into the pot netting, (either 2-, 4-, or 6-strands) and were compared to the traditional pot used in the fishery. There were mixed results among treatments, with the 2-strand pot catching fewer snow crab

Several evidence gaps exist regarding the use of long-acting polyethylene glycol recombinant human growth hormone (PEG-rhGH) in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS), particularly studies conducted in real-world settings, with long-term follow-up, involving varied dosing regimens, and in comparison with daily rhGH. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and adherence of once-weekly PEG-rhGH for catch-up growth in children with prepubertal ISS compared to daily rhGH. A real-world retrospective cohort study was conducted in prepubertal children with ISS in China. Children who voluntarily received once-weekly PEG-rhGH or daily rhGH were included and were followed up for 2 years. Ninety-five children were included, 47 received PEG-rhGH 0.2–0.3 mg/kg weekly and 48 received daily rhGH. Outcome measures included effectiveness in catch-up growth, adverse events, and treatment adherence. Height velocity increased significantly in both groups during rhGH therapy. In children who received PEG-rhGH treatment, height velocity was 10.59 ± 1.37 cm/year and 8.75 ± 0.86 cm/year in the first and second year, respectively, which were significantly more than those who received daily rhGH (9.80 ± 1.05 cm/year, P = 0.002, and 8.03 ± 0.89 cm/year, P