Western Connecticut State University

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a novel inflammatory marker predicting cardiovascular mortality (CVM) and all-cause mortality (ACM). To investigate the association between the NLR and CVM and ACM in patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD). We reviewed articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus until May 2024 for the association of ACM and CVM in patients with NLR following PD. We used a fixed effects model and I 2 statistics to pool hazard ratio (HR) and measure heterogeneity. Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis assessed the robustness of our study. Multivariate meta-regression (MMR) was utilized to identify influencing confounding factors. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool was used for quality assessment. Out of 160 articles screened, seven studies from 2011 to 2024 with 4350 patients, a mean age of 49.9 years ± 15 years, and a median follow-up of 4 years were included. We found that higher NLR (> 3) was significantly associated with ACM [adjusted HR (aHR): 1.18, 95%CI: 1.03-1.36, P = 0.016]. However, there was no significant association of NLR (> 3) with CVM (aHR: 1.16, 95%CI: 0.68-1.98, P = 0.59) in patients following PD. Sensitivity analysis showed no variations. JBI tool revealed low bias among the studies. MMR revealed a significant relationship between age and ACM (coefficient: 0.14, P = 0.04). Our meta-analysis identifies a significant association between NLR (> 3) and ACM outcome, which can help prevent deaths in the elderly and optimize resource use. Caution is needed when predicting mortality in this group as age significantly confounds ACM in patients undergoing PD.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable disease marked by irreversible fibrosis and declining respiratory function. Nintedanib inhalation powder is a novel dry powder inhalation formulation of nintedanib consisting of Technosphere® particles that deliver active drug directly to the lungs, aiming to reduce systemic effects associated with oral treatment. The objective of the present work was to assess whether nintedanib dry powder inhalation (DPI) has the potential to provide improved safety and thus effectiveness compared with that of currently available therapeutic options for IPF. Methods: Three preclinical studies evaluated pharmacokinetic and toxicity outcomes associated with nintedanib inhalation powder. Two 28-day repeat-dose studies (one in rats and one in dogs), and a 6-month toxicity study in dogs assessed pulmonary and histological changes after inhaled nintedanib therapy. A phase 1, first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple ascending doses of nintedanib DPI versus placebo in healthy adults. Results: In the 28-day repeat-dose studies and the 6-month study, animals survived to scheduled necropsy without significant adverse findings, including no gastrointestinal adverse findings, and most achieved target pulmonary-deposited nintedanib concentrations. The phase 1 study demonstrated dose-proportional increases in nintedanib plasma concentrations after single doses and rapid absorption of nintedanib, with maximum concentrations within a few minutes of first dose at levels consistent with deep lung deposition. Nintedanib inhalation powder was considered safe and well tolerated throughout the study duration. Conclusion: Inhaled administration of nintedanib via DPI may offer advantages over oral therapies in patients with IPF, potentially reducing adverse effects associated with systemic exposure. Results of the preclinical and phase 1 studies support continued assessment of this formulation in patients with IPF and other pulmonary fibrotic diseases. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT06532942.

The dissertation process represents one of the most challenging and transformative phases of the doctoral journey. Motivation is a significant factor influencing successful dissertation completion and can cause attrition in doctoral programs when motivation is low. This chapter explores the vital role motivation plays in dissertation writing and provides actionable strategies for both graduate students and their research supervisors to foster and sustain motivation. Several core factors that influence motivation are explored, including the quality and timeliness of feedback, the strength of working relationships between doctoral students and their supervisors and committee members, and the development of executive functioning skills like time management, organization, and sustained attention. By integrating relevant theories of motivation and scholarly research, this chapter offers insights into the ways that doctoral scholars can better navigate the complexities of dissertation writing through adopting a mindset grounded in motivation.

Abstract With low nutrient availability and presence of numerous antimicrobial peptides, animal venoms have been traditionally considered to be harsh sterile environments that lack bacteria. Contrary to this assumption, recent studies of animal venom and venom-producing tissues have revealed the presence of diverse microbial communities, warranting further studies of potential microbiota in other venomous animals. In this study we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to elucidate whether scorpion venom contained bacteria, to characterize the bacterial communities, and determine if venom microbiomes differed across geologically complex geographic locations. Our study compares the venom microbiome of two scorpion species, sampled from sites between the Mojave and Great Basin deserts, Paruoctonus becki (family of Vaejovidae) and Anuroctonus phaiodactylus (family of Anuroctonidae), and represents the first assessment of microbial diversity ever conducted using the venom secretion itself, rather than the venom-producing organ and its surrounding tissues.

This study investigates the social and infrastructural determinants of firearm violence in the United States through a PMESII-informed analytical framework. Drawing from open-access national datasets, including CDC WISQARS, the American Community Survey, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, and the CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index, the research analyzes data from 2,914 U.S. counties. Employing multivariate linear regression, principal component analysis with clustering, and interaction term modeling, the study evaluates how systemic variables contribute to firearm homicide rates. The findings highlight that higher educational attainment (β = -0.176, p < .001) and stricter gun laws (β = -0.045, p < .001) are the most significant protective factors. Furthermore, infrastructural strength measured through healthcare access, housing quality, digital connectivity, and civic support shows a strong inverse correlation with firearm mortality. Notably, a compounded risk effect (β = 3.303, p < .001) emerges in counties with both high social vulnerability and weak infrastructure, underscoring the need for integrated interventions. The study advocates for targeted policy reforms that strengthen educational equity, enforce robust firearm regulations, and expand infrastructure in high-risk areas. These findings emphasize the critical importance of multi-dimensional, data-driven strategies in mitigating gun violence and offer an actionable framework for researchers, policymakers, and urban planners addressing public safety through systemic resilience.

The common loon (Gavia immer) is considered a sentinel of ecosystem health, and declines in this species have been linked to several different drivers. Loons are widely recognized as being very sensitive to fungal respiratory disease, and this has proven a major barrier to successful clinical care and rehabilitation. The goal of the present study was to assess the presence of antibody reactivity to Aspergillus with secondary testing including Aspergillus antigen and gliotoxin detection as well as plasma protein electrophoresis and complete blood count as sample volume permitted. Conducted over two years in collaboration with multiple centers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Florida, samples were collected in the Northeast from healthy wild adult and juvenile birds (n = 72) as well as clinically abnormal birds presented for rehabilitation (n = 29). In addition, a cohort of rehabilitation samples was obtained from clinically abnormal overwintering birds (n = 6). Necropsy results were available for those found moribund or euthanized (n = 29). Of these birds, eight were confirmed to have aspergillosis where the remainder were diagnosed with other complications. Only three of eight displayed antibody reactivity to Aspergillus using a recombinant antigen-based ELISA and four tested positive for the presence of gliotoxin. An abnormal electrophoretogram was present in samples from all eight birds. The presence of antibody reactivity was not observed in clinically normal loons and only in one of the necropsied loons without aspergillosis. Overall, aspergillosis appears uncommon in healthy, free-ranging birds but likely can be an opportunistic infection after a stress inducing event. Serological testing and protein electrophoresis may provide an opportunity to monitor the health of this species and may improve the ability to manage this species in captivity.

ABSTRACT The paper uses a hybrid model of convolutional neural network and long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM) to examine the impact of the prediction (or input) window length on the prediction accuracy of trading decisions for US equity ETFs. Results demonstrate that the prediction window length plays a vital role in the prediction accuracy of the trading decision. A hump-shaped relationship is observed between prediction accuracy and prediction window length over monthly trading days.

A central claim of scholarship on employee ownership (EO) is that it has the strongest impacts on employee outcomes when implemented in combination with other HR practices that are typically associated with high-performance work systems. However, our explanations for why these complementary practices are important remain underdeveloped. In this paper, we draw on theories about the psychology of ownership and the abilities-motivation-opportunities (AMO) framework from the industrial relations and HR literatures to theorize the effects of three types of what we call “ownership HRM” (OHRM) practices on employee attitudes and behaviors in a dataset of 881 employees in nine companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). We find that the extent to which employees perceive that they have influence, are engaged as owners through information sharing and business literacy training, and receive high quality communications about the ESOP have direct effects on organizational commitment, turnover intention, voice behavior, and helping behavior, and that these effects vary across these four outcomes. In addition, we find that psychological ownership moderates the impact of OHRM practices on employee attitudes and behaviors. Our findings reveal that there are multiple, complex pathways through which OHRM practices impact employee outcomes in EO companies, and a broader range of theoretical explanations for these impacts than has been captured in the literature.