Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms, such as tremor, slowness (bradykinesia) and postural instability. Global prevalence has doubled in the past 25 years, with 8.5 million people affected worldwide in 2019(1). PD is also associated with other 'non motor’ symptoms, including constipation and orthostatic hypotension early in the disease(2). Overt dysphagia is common later in the disease, and associated with reduced fluid intake of approximately 300 mLs per day(3). This study investigates whether fluid intake is also reduced in individuals newly diagnosed with PD.

Participants with newly diagnosed PD (within six months of diagnosis or longer if untreated) were recruited alongside household controls. Assessments included a 24-hour dietary recall, a video-recorded swallowing evaluation, and stool consistency grading using the Bristol Stool Chart.

The study enrolled 30 participants: 19 with newly diagnosed PD and 11 household controls. Fluid intake from beverages was significantly lower in the PD group compared to controls (median intake: 1124 mL vs. 1799 mL, p=0.005). Dietary fluid sources did not offset this reduction. While the PD group exhibited slightly slower drinking speeds (6.0 mL/second vs. 7.5 mL/second for controls), this difference was not statistically significant. Participants with PD also had significantly harder stools, with a mean Bristol Stool Chart score of 3.2 compared to 4.6 in controls (p=0.01).

Newly diagnosed PD is associated with reduced fluid intake from beverages, which may exacerbate constipation and orthostatic hypotension.

Vitamin C is important for several biological processes that are relevant to skeletal muscle. It is involved in the synthesis of collagen and carnitine, acts as an antioxidant (1), and recent animal studies have shown that deficiency can lead to muscle atrophy and loss of strength and physical function (2,3). Maintaining an adequate vitamin C status may be important for maintaining muscle mass, muscle strength and physical function during ageing and for preventing sarcopenia. Prior epidemiological research investigating vitamin C and muscle strength or physical function in humans has mainly focused on dietary vitamin C. In this study, we investigate associations between both plasma and dietary intakes of vitamin C and measures of muscle strength and physical function in adult men and women.

Cross-sectional data from the third health check of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk cohort were provided. Over 5,000 participants (age 48 to 92 years) had full datasets for analysis. Plasma vitamin C was measured from non-fasting blood samples by fluorometric assay and organised into categories for analysis (low <25mmol/L, suboptimal 25 to <50mmol/L, optimal ≥50mmol/L). Dietary vitamin C intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and categorised into quintiles for analysis. Hand grip strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer and normalised by dividing by height2 (HGSht). Physical function was assessed using 4m gait speed (GS) and time to complete 5 chair stands (CS). Multiple linear regression, including relevant lifestyle, medical, biological, and dietary covariates (percent energy intake (EI) from protein, and ratio of EI to estimated energy requirement), was used to investigate associations between dietary and plasma vitamin C and HGSht, GS, and CS. Least square means were calculated via linear regression analysis.

Women with low versus optimal plasma vitamin C had 0.54 kg/m2 lower HGSht (p = 0.009), 0.11m/s slower GS (p < 0.001), and an increased CS time of 1.03s (p = 0.028). In men, no association was found between plasma vitamin C and grip strength. Men with low versus optimal plasma vitamin C had 0.05 m/s slower GS (p= 0.01) and an increased CS time of 0.71s (p = 0.026). No associations were found between dietary vitamin C and grip strength in men or women, or with GS and CS in men. Compared with Q1, women in Q2 and Q5 of dietary vitamin C intake had 0.04 m/s faster GS (p < 0.01 for both), and women in Q4 and Q5 had 0.67s (p = 0.002) and 0.57s (p = 0.013) faster CS times respectively.

These results suggest that maintaining optimal vitamin C status may be important for maintaining physical function in both men and women. These associations should be investigated prospectively to confirm our findings.

The Hector Galaxy Survey is a new optical integral field spectroscopy (IFS) survey currently using the Anglo-Australian Telescope to observe up to 15 000 galaxies at low redshift ($z \lt 0.1$). The Hector instrument employs 21 optical fibre bundles feeding into two double-beam spectrographs, AAOmega and the new Spector spectrograph, to enable wide-field multi-object IFS observations of galaxies. To efficiently process the survey data, we adopt the data reduction pipeline developed for the SAMI Galaxy Survey, with significant updates to accommodate Hector’s dual-spectrograph system. These enhancements address key differences in spectral resolution and other instrumental characteristics relative to SAMI and are specifically optimised for Hector’s unique configuration. We introduce a two-dimensional arc fitting approach that reduces the root-mean-square (RMS) velocity scatter by a factor of 1.2–3.4 compared to fitting arc lines independently for each fibre. The pipeline also incorporates detailed modelling of chromatic optical distortion in the wide-field corrector, to account for wavelength-dependent spatial shifts across the focal plane. We assess data quality through a series of validation tests, including wavelength solution accuracy (1.2–2.7 km s$^{-1}$ RMS), spectral resolution (FWHM of 1.2–1.4 Å for Spector), throughput characterisation, astrometric precision ($\lesssim$ 0.03 arcsec median offset), sky subtraction residuals (1–1.6% median continuum residual), and flux calibration stability (4% systematic offset when compared to Legacy Survey fluxes). We demonstrate that Hector delivers high-fidelity, science-ready datasets, supporting robust measurements of galaxy kinematics, stellar populations, and emission-line properties and provide examples. Additionally, we address systematic uncertainties identified during the data processing and propose future improvements to enhance the precision and reliability of upcoming data releases. This work establishes a robust data reduction framework for Hector, delivering high-quality data products that support a broad range of extragalactic studies.

We present microsecond-resolution, coherently dedispersed, polarimetric measurements of 35 fast radio bursts (FRBs) detected during the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients (CRAFT) incoherent sum (ICS) survey with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). We find a wide diversity of time–frequency morphology and polarisation properties broadly consistent with those of currently known non-repeating FRBs. The high S/N and fine time-resolution of our data however reveals a wealth of new information. Key results include (i) the distribution of scattering timescales, ${{{\unicode{x03C4}}_\textrm{obs}}}$, is limited purely by instrumental effects, with no downturn at high ${{{\unicode{x03C4}}_\textrm{obs}}}$ as expected from a log-normal distribution; (ii) for the 29 FRBs with known redshift, there is no detectable correlation between ${{{\unicode{x03C4}}_\textrm{obs}}}$ and dispersion measure (DM) fluctuations about the Macquart relation, in contrast to expectations from pulsar scattering–DM relations; (iii) all FRBs probably have multiple components, and at least a large fraction have variable PA, the identification of which is limited by scattering; (iv) at least half of all FRBs exhibit PA microstructure at 200 $\mu{}$s–200 ns timescales, with behaviour most closely resembling a sub-category of Crab main pulses; (v) that there is a break in the FRB circular polarisation distribution at Stokes $V \gtrsim 20$%, which is suggestive of a discrete sub-population.

Background: State-level hospital comparative antibiotic usage rates can highlight opportunities for interventions to optimize antimicrobial stewardship (AS). We sought to characterize antibiotic usage rates for Nebraska hospitals stratified by hospital size and rurality. Methods: NHSN antibiotic use (AU) data reported from September 2023 to August 2024 was extracted. Hospitals reporting adult data for any antibiotics of interest were included in analysis. Data from all units reported by the hospital were included. Hospital sizes were categorized by number of beds reported to NHSN: critical access (≤25 beds), medium (26-150 beds), and large (>150 beds). Rurality was defined using the USDA rural urban commuting area codes: urban (1-3), semi-urban (4-6), and rural (7-10). AU rate was calculated using antimicrobial days of therapy over 1,000 days present. Pooled AU rates were used to provide a state rate by covariates and antibiotics. Descriptive statistics were used to describe prescribing patterns. A negative binomial regression model was used to understand the effect of hospital size and rurality on rate and one-way ANOVA to test significance. Results: AU data was analyzed for 51 facilities including 7 large hospitals (14%), 16 medium-sized hospitals (31%), and 28 critical access hospitals (55%). Of these, 27 facilities (53%) were located in rural and 9 (18%) in semiurban areas (Table 1). The top 5 antibiotics used were cefazolin, ceftriaxone, piperacillin/tazobactam, vancomycin, and cefepime (Figure 1). Although, there were no significant variations in total AU based on hospital size and rurality, some significant differences were noted when broken down by specific antibiotics (Figures 2 and 3). Critical access hospitals reported 1.8 times higher AU rate for ceftriaxone [95% CI: 1.2, 2.7], 2.2 times the rate for fluoroquinolones [95% CI: 1.3, 3.7], and 2.3 times the rate for azithromycin [95% CI: 1.4, 3.7], compared to large hospitals. Similarly compared to urban hospitals, rural hospitals reported 1.9 times higher AU rate for ceftriaxone [95% CI: 1.4, 2.5], 2.3 times the rate for fluoroquinolones [95% CI: 1.6, 3.4], and 2.2 times the rate for azithromycin [95% CI: 1.6, 3.2]. No significant difference was noted in the use of any antibiotics when comparing semiurban to urban and medium to large size hospitals. Conclusions: Significant variation exists in use of some antibiotics based on the hospital size and rurality. NHSN AU data can be leveraged to identify potential AS targets across various hospital settings.

The study of the shape of droplets on surfaces is an important problem in the physics of fluids and has applications in multiple industries, from agrichemical spraying to microfluidic devices. Motivated by these real-world applications, computational predictions for droplet shapes on complex substrates – rough and chemically heterogeneous surfaces – are desired. Grid-based discretisations in axisymmetric coordinates form the basis of well-established numerical solution methods in this area, but when the problem is not axisymmetric, the shape of the contact line and the distribution of the contact angle around it are unknown. Recently, particle methods, such as pairwise-force smoothed particle hydrodynamics (PF-SPH), have been used to conveniently forego explicit enforcement of the contact angle. The pairwise-force model, however, is far from mature, and there is no consensus in the literature on the choice of pairwise-force profile. We propose a new pair of polynomial force profiles with a simple motivation and validate the PF-SPH model in both static and dynamic tests. We demonstrate its capabilities by computing droplet shapes on a physically structured surface, a surface with a hydrophilic stripe and a virtual wheat leaf with both micro-scale roughness and variable wettability. We anticipate that this model can be extended to dynamic scenarios, such as droplet spreading or impaction, in the future.

We assessed implementation of a local intravenous-to-enteral antimicrobial transition protocol for pediatric hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant patients with bacterial or candidal bloodstream infection and central line removal. Among 76 cases, 57 met protocol criteria. Enteral antimicrobials were used in 29 (50.8%) cases meeting eligibility criteria for conversion.

This paper describes subgroup analyses of a recent real-world study examining the impact of esketamine nasal spray combined with a newly initiated oral antidepressant (OAD) on quality-of-life and depression severity in participants with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Patients with TRD, defined as major depressive disorder in adults who have not responded adequately to ≥2 different OADs of adequate dose and duration to treat the current depressive episode, were recruited from the esketamine early access program in Australia and New Zealand. Subgroups were defined by prior antidepressant medications received in the current depressive episode (2, 3–5, or ≥6) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety disorder comorbidity (with or without). Comorbid PTSD or anxiety disorder was identified by treating psychiatrists. Outcome measurements included Assessment of Quality-of-Life (AQoL-8D) and Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) scales. From baseline to Week 16, all subgroups saw significant improvements in AQoL-8D and HAM-D. There was no statistical difference between outcome improvements for participants with or without comorbid anxiety or PTSD. When separated by prior therapy, participants with 2 prior therapies demonstrated the greatest outcome improvements. Real-world esketamine treatment in conjunction with a newly initiated OAD benefits real-world participants with TRD and comorbid anxiety or PTSD, regardless of previously failed treatments.

UK Biobank (UKB) is a large-scale, prospective resource offering significant opportunities for mental health research. Data include genetic and biological data, healthcare linkage, and mental health enhancements. Challenges arise from incomplete linkage of some sources and the incomplete coverage for enhancements, which also occur at different times post-baseline. We searched for publications using UKB for mental health research from 2016 to 2023 to describe and inspire future use. Papers were classified by mental health topic, ‘additional’ aspects, and the data used to define the mental health topic. We identified 480 papers, with 338 focusing on mental health disorder topics (affective, anxiety, psychotic, multiple, and transdiagnostic). The most commonly studied disorder was depression (41%). The most common single method of ascertaining mental disorder status was the Mental Health Questionnaire (26%), with genetic risk, for example, using polygenic risk scores, also frequent (21%). Common additional aspects included brain imaging, gene–environment interaction, and the relationship with physical health. The review demonstrates the value of UKB to mental health research. We explore the strengths and weaknesses, producing resources informed by the review. A strength is the flexibility: conventional epidemiological studies are present, but also genomics, imaging, and other tools for understanding mental health. A major weakness is selection effects. UKB continues to hold potential, especially with additional data continuing to become available.

Anhedonia is a common and impairing symptom of psychopathology that predicts negative outcomes and may undermine peer relationships. Anhedonia comprises both trait (stable, time-invariant) and state (dynamic, time-varying) components. Relative to trait anhedonia, state anhedonia may be more strongly related to proximal risk for deleterious outcomes. Yet, associations between state anhedonia and daily-life socio-affective experiences in adolescence are not well understood. Thus, the present study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine within-person associations between state anhedonia and the quantity and quality of daily-life peer interactions among a sample of adolescents enriched for suicidality risk, a population at high risk for anhedonic and peer problems. Participants included 102 adolescents assigned female at birth (ages 12–18; M[SD] = 15.34[1.50]; 67.6% at elevated risk for suicidality). State anhedonia, as well as being with peers, connectedness with peers, and positive affect with peers, was measured three times per day for 10 days via EMA (n = 30 prompts). Multilevel models demonstrated that within-person fluctuations in state anhedonia relate to reduced odds of being with peers, as well as decreased connectedness and positive affect with peers. Findings suggest that dynamic changes in state anhedonia are related to both the quantity and quality of peer experiences among adolescents.