bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hospitality and Exile
Authors: Anooshahr Ali
Published: December 2024

Jawhar provides the most detailed account of Emperor Humayun’s sojourn in Iran in the 1540s. His interpretive framework of his and the emperor’s sojourn in Iran was deeply informed by the pre-modern notions of hospitality and exile. Hospitality was a contractual obligation between lineages not entire people or states. The host needed to remember that his fortunes might be reversed, and that he might expect the guest to return the favor in the future. Mutual obligations were sacred. However, the early sixteenth century was also witnessing the rise of centralized early modern states, and the “reason of state” was competing with the rites of hospitality at this time.
Developing an artificial diet for rearing Ganaspis brasiliensis (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) on spotted-wing drosophila
Authors: Aly Marwa F K , Burrack Hannah J , Isaacs Rufus
Published: December 2024

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a global invasive pest attacking soft-skinned fruit. The specialist larval parasitoid wasp, Ganaspis brasiliensis (Ihering), was recently approved in Europe and the United States for classical biological control releases against D. suzukii. Rearing methods are essential for supporting innundative releases but current methods using fresh fruit are costly and susceptible to variation in host quality. To develop an artificial rearing system, we first compared the performance and development of D. suzukii and G. brasiliensis on fresh raspberries and blueberries and then on various artificial diet shapes and volumes. Drosophila suzukii had 1–2 days shorter development times in raspberry than blueberry, whereas Ganaspis adult development time was similar in both fruit and averaged 25 days. Parasitism rates by G. brasiliensis were significantly higher in blueberry than raspberry in both small and large resource patches. We found that D. suzukii preferred to lay eggs in full sphere diet shapes than in flat diet circles or semisphere diet, and in the first trial with wasps parasitism was only found on D. suzukii larvae in the full sphere shape of raspberry diet. Comparison of parasitism on full sphere raspberry and blueberry diets found higher parasitism in raspberry compared to blueberry diet. Our results indicate potential for further improvement of artificial rearing systems for G. brasiliensis to allow more cost-effective and reliable rearing for biological control programs.
Resilience in Environmental History Discourse
Authors: Mordechai Lee , Haldon John
Published: December 2024

Resilience is a boundary object, holding different meanings for the different groups of scholars who share its use. Here we survey its application in historical research, especially premodern environmental history, and trace how the term entered historical discourse from ecology. A shift in recent decades expanded the term initially toward contemporary social science and subsequently the study of the past. This has resulted in a fuzzy conceptualization of the term within historical discourse. Yet the concept has nevertheless proven important in challenging catastrophist approaches to the societal impacts of environmental stressors (e.g., the fall of the Roman Empire). We demonstrate that today’s discussion continues an earlier twentieth-century debate between an environmentally determinist view and one that emphasizes the role of human factors in the course of history. We conclude that despite the issues accompanying the use of the term and the application of formal resilience theory, both remain valuable, especially in intradisciplinary discourse, primarily as a paradigm through which more nuanced arguments can be framed. We conclude by suggesting the value of more critical work with the term in the future to take advantage of its roots in ecology and the social sciences to promote such a nuanced synthesis.
Kenyan Nubians and the Myth of Nubian Resilience
Authors: Wilks Tammy
Published: December 2024

Often defined and examined as a human characteristic enacted under duress, resilience receives little attention as to how, why, and for whom it is valued. By exploring resilience as a colonial myth or discursive device, this article investigates how racialized ideas of the late nineteenth century informed the way colonial actors in present-day Kenya and East Africa classified and regulated communities according to who counted as “resilient.” It traces the particular myth of Nubian resilience to illustrate how the idea of Nubian soldiers’ exceptionalism among African troops informed, authorized, and at times undermined the colonial project in Kenya as well as the political realities of Nubian soldiers. Drawing on the colonial archive, oral history of the Kenyan Nubian Council of Elders, and ethnography, this article outlines how multiple and often competing versions of the myth of Nubian resilience co-existed throughout the history of Kenya, and concludes with an analysis of how the myth of Nubian resilience is remembered in postcolonial Kenya.
Recognition as Resilience
Authors: Renoir Megan , Covert Shelly
Published: December 2024

Resilience has been conceptualized within international development as the ability to “return to a state of equilibrium” after exogenous shocks. For many Indigenous communities, however, there is no equilibrium to which to return. This article explores how the federally unrecognized Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe (NCRNT) has developed a creative strategy of resilience beyond a return to “equilibrium” in the face of their almost complete erasure by genocide and the illegal termination of their sovereign rights by US state and federal government agencies. The NCRNT’s experience reveals how activities underlying Indigenous resilience include a need for historical redress and reconciliation, thereby creating a “new normal” that is reflective of Native history as well as the ongoing social, political, and economic realities of existing within a settler state. This article bridges history and development studies, revealing how both disciplines must learn from Indigenous groups seeking restorative justice. It further employs oral histories, artwork, and documentation from the newly created NCRN Tribal archive, and so is presented as an interactive digital article.
Urbanization and environmental variation drive phenological changes in the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae)
Authors: Owen Hannah L , Meng Fang , Winchell Kristin M
Published: December 2024

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) invaded the USA in 2014. The population has grown into the millions and spread across multiple states, primarily in the north-east but extending into the midwest. We analysed nearly 20 000 records of spotted lanternflies from the citizen-science platform iNaturalist across all reported locations in the USA to explore spatiotemporal patterns of activity and abundance as the invasion progresses. Observations on iNaturalist are consistent with reports of rapid exponential growth in the early years of the invasion. However, in the oldest parts of the invasive range, abundance exhibits logarithmic growth suggestive of reaching carrying capacity in these regions. Since 2015, observed activity has shifted earlier each year and life-cycle stages have lengthened concurrent with a general northern expansion. Activity patterns were correlated with urbanization generally, and earlier activity was associated with higher temperatures in both urban and non-urban locations. Together, these findings suggest that urbanization, and the urban heat island in particular, could facilitate invasion into colder climates and beyond predictions based on current occupancy. Understanding how life-cycle timing is shifting as the invasion progresses, in addition to the environmental factors shaping these changes, underscores the importance of integrating evolutionary ecology into invasion forecasts.
Multienergy cardiovascular CT imaging: current state and future
Authors: Klambauer Konstantin , Lisi Costanza , Moser Lukas Jakob , Mergen Victor , Flohr Thomas , Eberhard Matthias , Alkadhi Hatem
Published: December 2024

Multienergy cardiovascular CT imaging can be defined as data acquisition at 2 (dual-energy) or multiple X-ray energies. Multienergy cardiovascular CT imaging provides additional qualitative and quantitative information such as material maps or virtual monoenergetic images, which are supposed to further improve the quality and diagnostic yield of CT. Recently introduced photon-counting detector CT scanners further address some of the challenges and limitations of previous, conventional CT machines, hereby enhancing and extending the applications of CT for cardiovascular imaging. This review summarizes the technical principles of multienergy cardiovascular CT imaging and addresses the optimization of image quality and discusses the various dual-energy-based applications for coronary, valvular, and myocardial imaging. New developments in regard to k-edge imaging and new contrast media for multienergy cardiovascular CT imaging are being also discussed.
Inter-rater variability in multidisciplinary team meetings of oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer on staging, resectability and treatment recommendation: national retrospective multicentre study
Authors: Jestin Hannan Christine , Risso Solange León , Lindblad Mats , Loizou Louiza , Szabo Eva , Edholm David , Bartholomä Wolf Claus , Åkesson Oscar , Lindberg Fredrik , Strandberg Sara , Linder Gustav , Hedberg Jakob
Published: December 2024

Background

There are differences in oesophageal cancer care across Sweden. According to national guidelines, all patients should be offered equal care, planned and administrated by regional multidisciplinary team meetings. The aim of the study was to investigate differences between regional multidisciplinary team meetings in Sweden regarding clinical staging and treatment recommendations for oesophageal cancer patients.

Methods

All six Swedish regional multidisciplinary teams were each invited to retrospectively include ten consecutive oesophageal cancer cases. After anonymization, radiological investigations were presented, along with the original case-specific medical history, anew at the participating regional multidisciplinary team meetings. Estimation of clinical tumour node metastasis (TNM) classification and treatment recommendation (curative, palliative or best supportive care) were compared between multidisciplinary team meetings as well as with original assessments.

Results

Five multidisciplinary teams participated and contributed a total of 50 cases presented to each multidisciplinary team. In estimations of cT-stage, the multidisciplinary teams were in total agreement in only eight of 50 cases (16%). For cN-stage, total agreement was seen in 17 of 50 cases (34%) and for cM-stage there was agreement in 34 cases (68%). For cT-stage, the overall summarized κ value was 0.57. For N-stage and M-stage the κ values were 0.66 and 0.78 respectively. Differences in appraisal were not associated with usage of positron emission tomography-computed tomography. In 15 of 50 cases (30%) the multidisciplinary teams disagreed on curative or palliative treatment.

Conclusion

The study shows differences in assessment of clinical TNM classification and treatment recommendations made at regional multidisciplinary team meetings. Increased interrater agreement on clinical TNM classification and management plans are essential to achieve more equal care for oesophageal cancer patients in Sweden.
(Re)constructing ‘witness vulnerability’: An analysis of the legal and policy frameworks of the statutory regulators of social work and social care professionals in the UK
Authors: Sorbie Annie , Garippa Lewis
Published: December 2024

This article explores how the legal and policy frameworks of the statutory regulators of social work and social care professionals in the UK approach the question of whether a witness at a Fitness to Practise hearing should be considered as ‘vulnerable’, and the steps that may be taken in response. Our focus is on witnesses who are service users, their families, and wider publics and, in some circumstances, colleagues. This novel socio-legal comparison between the four countries of the UK draws on literature that critically considers how vulnerability is used in the social work and welfare context and feminist vulnerability theory in order to analyse how witness vulnerability is constructed in these texts. We argue that these constructions can be, at the same time, too narrow, too broad, and potentially stigmatizing, and further sit uncomfortably with a social model of disability. We call for a more holistic textual approach to how witness vulnerability is framed and suggest how this may be operationalized in policy and law. Our findings have wider application, beyond the regulation of the UK-wide social work and social care workforce, where regulatory processes designed to protect the public rely on witnesses coming forward to provide evidence.
Obesity: ethical issues
Authors: Mayes Christopher , Williams Jane
Published: December 2024

Introduction

This article reviews the ethical issues surrounding obesity in public health and clinical contexts. We examine how obesity intersects with medical and social norms that raise questions of liberty, fairness, safety, and effectiveness or consequences.

Sources of data

PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar.

Areas of agreement

We identify three main areas of agreement that are pertinent to ethical analysis of obesity: stigma is considered harmful, there needs to be a more-than personal responsibility approach, and a general acceptance of a global rise in body weight.

Areas of controversy

There are many areas of controversy, we limit our focus to four: conflicts of interest in the creation of guidelines and policies, mortality rates, whether weight is a meaningful proxy for health, and how to treat childhood obesity.

Areas timely for developing research

Post-genomic explanations, such as exposure to endocrine disrupting toxins, and development of epigenomics and microbiomics in the form of personalized nutrition are two developing areas we identify.
Diversity and leaflet anatomical characters evolution of Machaerium Pers. (Fabaceae – Faboideae)
Authors: Rosa Marcus Paulo Gonçalves , Arruda Rosani do Carmo de Oliveira , Alves Flávio Macedo , Sartori Ângela Lúcia Bagnatori
Published: December 2024

Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Machaerium species have demonstrated overlapping morphological characters that delimit sections and/or clades, such as width, length, and overall shape of the leaflets and venation pattern. We conducted a comparative analysis of the morphoanatomical characters of Machaerium leaflets. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of leaflet anatomical characters for Machaerium systematics, to assess whether these characters support the monophyly of the Lineata clade, to identify leaflet anatomical synapomorphies for the Lineata clade, and to evaluate secretory structures present in the leaflets regarding the type, location, distribution, and chemical nature of their exudates. Subterminal leaflets from 26 Machaerium species were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. Phylogenetic and ancestral character state reconstruction analyses were performed for all members of the Lineata clade. Characters such as secondary venation pattern, type of stomata, presence of a subepidermal layer at the leaflet margin (hypodermis), trichome morphology, and the type and location of mucilaginous idioblasts are relevant at the species level. Secretory structures such as secretory-base trichomes, mucilaginous idioblasts, and phenolic idioblasts are confirmed for the species. Craspedodromous venation, papillose epidermis and marginal vascular bundles are shared by species of the Lineata clade and are considered a possible synapomorphy for the group. Our data reveal new useful characters for taxonomy of Machaerium species, reinforce the recognition of the monophyly of the Lineata clade, and support future studies focused on the systematics of the genus.
Systematic modelling of barriers to solar energy integration in coal-intensive steel manufacturing settings: a case study in India
Authors: Sangode Pallawi Baldeo
Published: December 2024

India’s coal supplies are becoming low, hence a switch to renewable energy is required. Strategic planning and investment in renewable energy are urgently needed to ensure energy security and reduce environmental effect, given the growing demand and environmental concerns. In India, one of the biggest users of coal is the steel industry. Even with the country’s increased attention to renewable energy, there is still a gap between the state of renewable energy sources now and what the coal-intensive steel industries anticipate for them in the future. Therefore, in order for the industry to overcome these obstacles, impediments to adopting solar energy as a green source must be investigated. The purpose of this article is to model the obstacles that prevent solar energy from being used in India’s coal-intensive steel industries. The interpretive structural modelling method is used to establish interrelationships within the barriers. The findings of this study indicate that the Indian solar energy model is indicative of a complex transition towards solar energy, which would necessitate an integrative approach, including government support, financial assistance, and infrastructural development.
Widespread imiquimod-induced psoriasis like eruption: case report and analysis of mast cell infiltration
Authors: Katsumi Tatsuya , Hayashi Ryota , Takei Shingo , Okamura Manon , Tsutsui Yuka , Ansai Osamu , Hasegawa Akito , Matsui Yu , Takenouchi Tatsuya , Abe Riichiro
Published: December 2024

We report a case of psoriasis-like eruptions after topical imiquimod. We demonstrated that MCs are significantly associated with imiquimod-induced psoriasis and supports previous reports. Based on the differences in mast cell counts, it can be inferred that the pathomechanism of imiquimod-induced psoriasis is distinct from psoriasis.
A doughnut-shaped plaque and pigmented papule on the cheek
Authors: Wang Wei-Yao , Chen Chieh-Hsun
Published: December 2024

A 57-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of an asymptomatic, slow-growing plaque on the right cheek, accompanied by an adjacent pigmented papule. The diagnosis of these rare diseases was established through a combination of observing characteristic clinical features, histopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis.
Long-term effectiveness and safety of deucravacitinib for psoriasis: a 52-week real-world study of genital, scalp and nail lesions
Authors: Hagino Teppei , Saeki Hidehisa , Fujimoto Eita , Kanda Naoko
Published: December 2024

Background

The long-term (around 1-year) effectiveness and safety of deucravacitinib for the treatment of psoriasis have not been extensively studied in real-world settings, particularly in difficult-to-treat areas, such as the genital, scalp and nail regions.

Objectives

To evaluate the 52-week real-world effectiveness and safety of deucravacitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis of the genital, scalp and nail regions.

Methods

This prospective study analysed 104 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis treated with deucravacitinib. Clinical scores, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), both static and site-specific Physician Global Assessment (PGA), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and laboratory inflammatory indices were assessed during a 52-week period.

Results

Deucravacitinib decreased clinical severity scores, and the decrease was sustained for 52 weeks. At week 52, 86% (37/43), 63% (27/43) and 26% (11/43) of patients achieved PASI 75, PASI 90 and PASI 100 reductions (representing a ≥ 75%, ≥ 90% or 100% improvement from baseline), respectively. Deucravacitinib reduced the PGA scores for the genital, scalp and nail regions, as well as the DLQI. Among the patients who completed the 52-week treatment, no significant impact on laboratory inflammatory indices was observed, and no severe or lethal adverse events were reported. Not all patients completed the full 52-week treatment period, as some discontinued early due to adverse events or for other reasons.

Conclusions

Deucravacitinib may be a promising long-term treatment option for psoriasis, demonstrating sustained effectiveness and safety, including in difficult-to-treat areas, such as the genital, scalp and nail regions in real-world clinical practice.
Activation of aryl chlorides through π-coordination for radical coupling with arenes
Authors: Nagata Masaya , Itonaga Keita , Mutoh Yuichiro , Endo Kohei , Ilies Laurean
Published: December 2024

π-Coordination of an aryl chloride to a chromium carbonyl fragment promotes radical coupling with an arene in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide as a base and a catalytic amount of a spirobipyridine derivative as a promoter. After the removal of chromium under oxidative conditions, biaryl compounds are obtained in moderate to good yields. The chloroarene itself can be used as the substrate after arene exchange with a chromium naphthalene complex to generate the chromium chloroarene complex in situ, followed by radical reaction with an arene.
Cholera in Haiti: A Tale of Two Interventions
Authors: Aydogan M Behesti
Published: December 2024

This article contextualises the historical continuum of interventions in Haiti. First, I describe the phase of transition from a multinational intervention into an institutional/international intervention. The process of transition establishes the historical continuality between different interventions. The interventions at the hands of multinational groupings and the subsequent take-over and furtherance of interventions by international organisations present an enjoined structure. Second, the institutional engagement with the question of responsibility reinforces this historical continuality. The practice of ex gratia responsibility by international organisations links interventionist practices with a history of colonial benevolence.
Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors reduce the risk of adverse outcomes after acute kidney injury in diabetic patients
Authors: Liao Hung-Wei , Cheng Chung-Yi , Chen Hsing-Yu , Chen Jui-Yi , Pan Heng-Chih , Huang Tao-Min , Wu Vin-Cent
Published: December 2024

Background

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4is) are considered safe for use in patients with diabetes mellitus and kidney dysfunction. We explored whether usage of DPP4is in patients who recovered from dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury (AKI) could reduce the risk of future cardiac and kidney events.

Methods

We used the TriNetX platform to investigate whether the use of DPP4is in diabetes mellitus patients within 90 days of discharge from acute kidney disease could reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, major adverse kidney events (MAKEs), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and re-dialysis. The patients were followed for 5 years or until the occurrence of significant outcomes, with cohort data collected from 1 January 2016 to 30 September 2022.

Results

The cohort utilizing DPP4is comprised 7348 patients with acute kidney disease, while the control group encompassed 229 417 individuals. After applying propensity score matching, 7343 patients (age 66.2 ± 13.4 years; male, 49.9%) who used DPP4is showed a significant reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.89; E-value 1.50 , MAKEs (aHR 0.86; E-value 1.59), MACEs (aHR 0.91; E-value 1.44), and re-dialysis (aHR 0.73; E-value 2.10) after a median follow-up of 2.4 years.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that in diabetes mellitus patients concurrently experiencing acute kidney disease, DPP4i usage could decrease the risk of mortality, MAKEs, MACEs, and re-dialysis. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of tailored treatment strategies involving DPP4i for acute kidney disease patients.
Beyond the Veil of Market Prices - The Implications of Ecologically Unequal Exchange for Conceptualizations of Technological Development: A Critical Survey
Authors: Hornborg Alf
Published: December 2024

This article surveys the emergence of theories of ecologically unequal exchange (EUE) and outlines the implications of an EUE perspective for a materialist conceptualization of trade and technological development. It briefly traces the progression of new perspectives and methodologies for identifying EUE from the early 1970s, reviewing the genealogy of concerns with asymmetric global transfers of embodied energy, materials, land, and labor that are obscured by the fictive reciprocity of market prices. Trade that is perceived by mainstream economists as balanced in monetary terms may be highly asymmetric in terms of transfers of biophysical resources. Contrary to the mainstream view, EUE theory holds that the material substance of traded commodities may have significant implications for the capacity of different geographical areas to accumulate technological infrastructure, achieve economic growth, and displace environmental pressures to other regions or countries. The article argues that such non-monetary transfers should be understood in terms of biophysical metrics rather than economic values, shifting the perspective from monetary valuation to the material properties of traded commodities. Net transfers of embodied resources through trade do not just represent economic cost-shifting but are physically constitutive of productive infrastructures. This focus on social metabolism signifies an ontological shift from neoclassical to ecological economics. The EUE perspective illuminates how modern technologies are no less fetishized than other commodities in the sense that they obscure social relations of exchange. It indicates that local technological progress, such as the Industrial Revolution in Britain, may reflect asymmetric global resource flows.
Reproductive behavior and early immature morphology of Portschinskia magnifica: implications for evolutionary biology in bot flies (Diptera: Oestridae)
Authors: Li Xinyu , Xu Wentian , Fan Yaqian , Zhang Dong , Pape Thomas
Published: December 2024

Portschinskia Semenov is a rare genus of bot flies whose larvae are obligate parasites of pikas and murine rodents, crucial for understanding the evolutionary biology of Oestridae. However, limited information on their adult biology and early immature stages has hindered the progress. Here, we provided the first documentation of adult oviposition, behavior, and morphology of newly hatched first instars of P. magnifica Pleske. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, we characterized the ultrastructure of egg and first-instar larva, identifying key traits facilitating attachment. Eggs were deposited individually or in groups, and glued on non-host surfaces with white adhesive substances, without specialized attachment organ. Newly hatched first instars were circled with an anterior spinose band on each body segment except the anal division, awaited hosts in an upright position, and anchored to the egg shell by their anal division, likely supported by curved spines originating from the peritreme of the posterior spiracles. Evolutionary analyses of reproductive behavior across the 4 bot fly subfamilies reveal at least 3 times independent evolution of oviposition on non-host surfaces in Portschinskia or the Hypodermatinae clade as a sister group to Ochotonia, Gasterophilus pecorum (Fabricius) (Gasterophilinae), and Cuterebrinae. In contrast, species in the Oestrinae are larviparous, depositing first instars directly onto hosts. Our findings shed light on oviposition behavior and early immature morphology of the rare genus Portschinskia, offering insights into reproductive strategies and evolutionary adaptations of bot flies.
Behavior and survival of parasitic Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) fledglings
Authors: Crudele Ignacio , Riovitti Bruno , Reboreda Juan C , Fiorini Vanina D
Published: December 2024

For songbirds, the post-fledging period is critical for development and survival, as young must learn to get food, practice flying, and identify predators to become independent from their parents and disperse or migrate. Obligate avian brood parasites, like cuckoos and cowbirds, lay eggs in nests of other bird species that provide parental care until the parasite’s young become independent. The information on the post-fledging period in songbirds is limited due to the difficulty in following and observing fledglings and it is even scarcer for brood parasites. We studied the behavior, survival, and age of independence of Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) fledglings raised by 2 hosts that differ markedly in body size: the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) and the Chalk-Browed Mockingbird (Mimus saturninus). We radio-tracked individuals from a few days before they left the nest until they disappeared from the natal territory. We found: (1) chicks left the nest when they were 11–15 days of age and the age of fledgling did not differ between the 2 host species, (2) after leaving the nest, they spent most of the time perched in a hidden place without begging but as they grew, the proportion of time perched without begging decreased and begging in hidden and exposed places increased, (3) we observed approaches between adult parasitic females and young in host territories, (4) young abandoned the host territory and joined conspecific flocks when they were 35–39 days of age, and (5) the estimated post-fledging survival was between 12.5% and 20.8%.
Natal and breeding dispersal patterns in a patchy population of the western yellow wagtail
Authors: Shitikov Dmitry , Grachev Nikita , Grudinskaya Viktoria , Grabovsky Alexander , Samsonov Stanislav , Korolev Alexey , Makarova Tatiana
Published: December 2024

Dispersal is an important life history trait with significant consequences for spatially structured populations, as the exchange of individuals between habitat patches is crucial for maintaining metapopulation connectivity. In this study, we used a long-term data set (2005–2023) to describe dispersal patterns in a patchy population of the Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava within a large (approximately 1,300 km2) study area in the boreal zone of European Russia. We quantified dispersal distances for birds that dispersed outside their natal or breeding habitat patches and applied a multistate capture–recapture approach to estimate natal and breeding dispersal probabilities. Of 395 adult wagtails and 1,610 nestlings ringed, 3% of birds ringed as adults and 3% of birds ringed as nestlings were resighted outside their natal or breeding patches. The probability of natal dispersal (0.29 ± 0.05) was significantly higher than the probability of breeding dispersal (0.05 ± 0.01). The median natal dispersal distances (2.8 km for males, 3.9 km for females) were the same as the median breeding dispersal distances (2.7 km for males, 3.9 km for females). We did not find a significant effect of the fledging date on either the natal dispersal distance or the natal dispersal probability. Similarly, we did not find a significant effect of the previous reproductive success on either the breeding dispersal distance or the breeding dispersal probability. Our results indicate that strong breeding site fidelity and short-distance natal dispersal are the dominant dispersal strategies in a patchy population of the western yellow wagtail.
Probe my Pathway (PmP): a portal to explore the chemical coverage of the human Reactome
Authors: Kwak Haejin Angela , Liu Lihua , Schapira Matthieu
Published: December 2024

Deciphering pathway–phenotype associations is critical for a system-wide understanding of cells and the chemistry of life. An approach to reach this goal is to systematically modulate pathways pharmacologically. The targeted and controlled regulation of an increasing number of proteins is becoming possible, thanks to the growing list of chemical probes and chemogenomic compounds available to cell biologists, but no resource is available that directly maps these chemical tools on cellular pathways. To fill this gap, we developed Probe my Pathway (PmP), a database where high-quality chemical probes and well-characterized sets of chemogenomic compounds are mapped on all the human pathways of the Reactome database. The web interface allows users to browse the data via icicle charts or search the data for compounds, proteins, or pathways. Chemists can rapidly find pathways with low chemical coverage or explore the structural chemistry of ligands targeting specific cellular machineries. Cell biologists can look for chemical probes targeting different proteins in the same pathway or find which pathways are targeted by chemical probes of interest. PmP is updated annually and will grow with the expanding chemical tool kit produced by Target 2035 and other efforts.

Database URL: https://apps.thesgc.org/pmp/
Epigenetic control of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis by m4C DNA methylation in a cyanobacterium
Authors: Schmidt Nils , Stappert Nils , Nimura-Matsune Kaori , Watanabe Satoru , Sobotka Roman , Hagemann Martin , Hess Wolfgang R
Published: December 2024

Epigenetic DNA modifications are pivotal in eukaryotic gene expression, but their regulatory significance in bacteria is less understood. In Synechocystis 6803, the DNA methyltransferase M.Ssp6803II modifies the first cytosine in the GGCC motif, forming N4-methylcytosine (GGm4CC). Deletion of the sll0729 gene encoding M.Ssp6803II (∆sll0729) caused a bluish phenotype due to reduced chlorophyll levels, which was reversed by suppressor mutations. Re-sequencing of 7 suppressor clones revealed a common GGCC to GGTC mutation in the slr1790 promoter’s discriminator sequence, encoding protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase, HemJ, crucial for tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. Transcriptomic and qPCR analyses indicated aberrant slr1790 expression in ∆sll0729 mutants. This aberration led to the accumulation of coproporphyrin III and protoporphyrin IX, indicative of impaired HemJ activity. To confirm the importance of DNA methylation in hemJ expression, hemJ promoter variants with varying discriminator sequences were introduced into the wild type, followed by sll0729 deletion. The sll0729 deletion segregated in strains with the GGTC discriminator motif, resulting in wild-type-like pigmentation, whereas freshly prepared ∆sll0729 mutants with the native hemJ promoter exhibited the bluish phenotype. These findings demonstrate that hemJ is tightly regulated in Synechocystis and that N4-methylcytosine is essential for proper hemJ expression. Thus, cytosine N4-methylation is a relevant epigenetic marker in Synechocystis and likely other cyanobacteria.
Disparities in Gender and Race Representation Among Authors of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Trials
Authors: Gros Beatriz , Peraza Jellyana , Bassi Mehak , Sleiman Joseph , Abdelhalim Sara , Park Erica , Wong Serre-Yu , Agrawal Manasi , Grinspan Lauren T , Charabaty Aline
Published: December 2024

Background and Aims

Female physicians, particularly those from minority populations, are significantly underrepresented in research authorship in gastroenterology. This underrepresentation negatively impacts their career progression. This study analyses gender and race representation trends in published clinical trials in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and associated factors.

Methods

Inflammatory bowel disease clinical trials were identified from ClinicalTrials.gov and www.ibd-eii.com, spanning the years 1955 to 2023. The variable gender was extracted for all authors and race was extracted for first, second, senior, corresponding authors, and principal investigator (PI) using predictive tools and manual verification. Data on authorship, trial characteristics, and sponsorship were collected.

Results

A total of 438 clinical trials involving 5517 authors were analyzed. Females constituted 26.3% of authors, 17.1% of first authors, 6.1% of senior authors, and 24.2% of PIs, with nonwhite individuals representing 12.3% of first authors, 5.9% of senior authors, and 18.8% of PIs. Female representation increased from 1971 to 2023 but remained substantially lower relative to male representation. Industry-sponsored trials had the lowest female author and PI representation while nonindustry, single-center, pediatric, and advanced therapy trials had higher female representation.

Conclusions

This study highlights persistent gender and racial disparities in IBD trial authorship and leadership despite some progress over the decades. Female and nonwhite individuals remain underrepresented, especially in industry-sponsored trials and in senior authorship roles. Systemic interventions are warranted to foster an inclusive and equitable research environment, including mentorship and support for underrepresented groups.
Performance of the Edwards Sapien 3 bioprosthesis in atrioventricular valve position: a case series
Authors: Garretano Alejandra , Abella Raul , Doblas Joaquin Fernández , Catalán Antonio Pamiès , Codina Paola Dolader , Ipiña Ferran Gran , Godoy Laura Marfil , Blasco Pedro Betrián
Published: December 2024

Background

The Edwards Sapien percutaneous valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) is a promising therapeutic option for congenital atrioventricular disease mostly because of the possibility to accommodate somatic growth with balloon dilatation.

Case summary

This article reports the performance of the Edwards Sapien 3 valve in atrioventricular valve position in four paediatric patients.

Discussion

Despite aggressive antiplatelet and anticoagulation strategies, most patients showed early bioprosthesis dysfunction, with increasing gradient not related with somatic growth. The decrease in leaflet motility in the absence of thrombosis or pannus could be associated with the low-velocity flow and low-pressure gradient that exists between the atria and ventricles in small children. It is well-known graft lifespan is usually shorter in small children, but we hypothesize the possibility of a second factor that valve design is intended to support higher flow-velocity patterns and can present an early failure in low-flow low-pressure situation. More studies are necessary to provide reliable evidence.
Influence of gingival margin height variation on perceived aesthetics following absent maxillary lateral incisor-canine substitution
Authors: Hershaw Catherine M , Seehra Jadbinder , Johnson Nicola , Slipper Carmel , Papageorgiou Spyridon N , Asimakopoulou Koula , Cobourne Martyn T
Published: December 2024

Background

Maxillary lateral incisor agenesis is often managed with orthodontic space closure and canine substitution. Anatomic gingival margin heights associated with the maxillary anterior teeth are considered important for achieving aesthetic excellence with space closure, but evidence relating to the perceptions of lay people is poor.

Objectives

This study investigated the influence of gingival margin height variation in the maxillary anterior teeth following orthodontic space closure and canine substitution in the absence of maxillary lateral incisor teeth on perceived aesthetics judged by a lay population.

Material and Methods

Images of a case treated with space closure and bilateral canine substitution were digitally modified to create gingival margin height variation for the substituted lateral incisors and canines. Six variations were created, including one conforming to accepted norms for anatomic gingival margin heights. Lay people represented by parents of orthodontic patients ranked the images based on aesthetics, with data analysed statistically using linear models at 5%.

Results

One hundred and twenty responders were included (median age 48.0 years), 50% male and 81.7% Caucasian, with 87% able to provide specific preferences. In absolute terms, the highest-ranking [image C] had substituted lateral incisor gingival margins below the central incisors (considered normal) but substituted canine margins symmetrically below the substituted lateral incisors (considered to be too low); followed by [image D] with symmetrically level gingival margins; and [image F] with asymmetric substituted lateral incisor margins and substituted canine margins symmetrically too low. The lowest-ranked [image E] had normal substituted lateral incisor margins but asymmetric substituted canine margins. Image C was most often ranked first (29.8% of responders) and image E last (22.1%). After adjusting for potential confounding effects, image E received the worse scores.

Conclusions

Anatomic norms for gingival margin height in absent maxillary lateral incisor-canine substitution do not correlate with the highest-ranking aesthetic choices of a lay population. Lateral incisor gingival margins symmetrically below the central incisors and substituted canine margins symmetrically below these ranked highest. Vertical asymmetry in the substituted canine position was considered the least aesthetic.
The ‘roller coaster effect’ in premolar extraction cases: clear aligners vs. straight-wire appliance
Authors: Qian Yuran , Tang Zhenxing , Chen Yao , Song Wanzhong , Zhao Zhihe , Zheng Wei , Li Yu
Published: December 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to quantitatively investigate the intractable ‘roller coaster effect’ (RCE) that occurs in premolar extraction cases treated with clear aligner therapy (CAT) or straight-wire appliance (SWA).

Methods

Protrusion cases treated with extraction of bilateral first premolars were included. Pre- and post-treatment cephalograms were obtained to measure the bending angle of occlusal plane (BAOP), namely the occlusal intersection angle between the anterior occlusal plane (AOP) and posterior occlusal plane (POP). BAOP is proposed as the indicator for quantifying RCE in this study.

Results

In the maxillary dentition, BAOP significantly decreased from 177.50 ± 5.57° to 171.10 ± 3.32° in the SWA group (n = 30), and from 178.00 ± 4.66° to 168.10 ± 5.63° in the CAT group (n = 36). In the mandibular dentition, BAOP had no significant change (from 164.90 ± 5.00° to 164.30 ± 6.40°) in the SWA group (n = 29), while significantly decreased from 163.40 ± 6.36° to 155.90 ± 7.48° in the CAT group (n = 37). In the both dentitions, the post-treatment BAOP was significantly smaller in the CAT compared to SWA group. Decrease of BAOP in the CAT group resulted from bending of the AOP rather than POP. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the mandibular canine crown length had a positive correlation with the mandibular post-treatment BAOP.

Limitations

Only two-dimensional cephalometric measurements were conducted.

Conclusions

In premolar extraction cases, CAT undergoes more severe RCE at completion of its first-phase treatment compared to SWA at the end of treatment. Longer mandibular canine crown may mitigate mandibular RCE in CAT.
Digest: Stabilizing selection drives sperm length divergence in promiscuous passerines
Authors: Ottenburghs Jente
Published: December 2024

Divergence in gametic traits can play a key role in reproductive isolation. Lifjeld et al. (2025) examined the evolution of sperm length in pairs of songbird populations at various stages along the speciation continuum. Their analyses demonstrated that sperm length diverges more rapidly in species with higher levels of female promiscuity, likely due to stabilizing selection favoring sperm cells that fit within female sperm storage structures. This divergence in sperm length may kickstart speciation in promiscuous songbirds.
An evolutionary perspective for the exposome
Authors: Vineis Paolo , Dagnino Sonia
Published: December 2024

The exposome was proposed following the realization that most human diseases have an environmental rather than a genetic (hereditary) origin. Non-communicable diseases are, in fact, the consequence of multiple exposures that activate a sequence of stages in a multistage process that already starts in early life. This attracted attention to both the multiplicity (in fact, potentially the totality) of exposures humans are exposed to since conception and to the life-long perspective of disease causation. In this paper, we examine an extension of the exposome concept that incorporates a Darwinian approach based on the concept of phenotypic plasticity. One of the theses is that interpreting exposome science as “precision environmental research” is only a partial interpretation, largely focused on chemical exposures, while a broadening of the perspective is needed, also in light of the planetary crisis. Such broadening involves the incorporation of basic concepts from evolutionary biology and medicine, including the ability of organisms to adapt to rapidly changing environments. We refer in particular to cancer and “Darwinian carcinogenesis.”
Hiding in plain sight: a research parasite’s perspective on new lessons in old data
Authors: Skinnider Michael A
Published: December 2024

High-throughput techniques that measure thousands of analytes at once have become ubiquitous features of biological research. The increasing expectation that the raw data generated by these techniques be deposited to public repositories creates rich opportunities for secondary analysis of these datasets. Such opportunities can take multiple forms. As the recipient of the 2023 Junior Research Parasite Award, I was asked to comment on the role of so-called research parasites within the ecosystem of secondary data analysis. Drawing on my own experiences, I discuss mechanisms by which reanalysis of published datasets can catalyze biological discoveries, produce resources that would be impossible to generate within a single laboratory, and drive the refinement of computational methods.
Coseismic slip model and early post-seismic deformation processes of the 2024 M7.5 Noto Peninsula, Japan earthquake revealed by InSAR and GPS observations
Authors: Chen Yunguo , Li Jingwei , Lu Ke , Hu Tenghui
Published: December 2024

On 2024 January 1, an Mw7.5 earthquake ruptured the shallow reverse fault in the Noto Peninsula, which provides opportunities to better constrain the distributed coseismic slip of this earthquake and explore the early post-seismic deformation processes following this earthquake. We first utilized the coseismic displacements to invert the preferred coseismic rupture, including the optimal fault geometry and slip distribution. Our results indicated that the distributed slip mode on the simple fault plane with the dip and strike angles of 35o and 51o of this event is mainly featured by thrust slip. Three main rupture zones with ∼100 km length and 0–20 km depths have averaged slip of ∼3 m and maximum slip of ∼5.2 m, which has a seismic moment of 2.18 × 1020 Nm (Mw7.49). We first estimate the 3-D surface deformation due to the viscoelastic relaxation in the lower crust and upper mantle through the finite-element simulation method, and obtain the residual displacements at these GPS stations through removing its deformation effects from the observed post-seismic displacements. Based on the above fault geometry, we then inverted the first 138-day afterslip evolution following this earthquake by fitting the above residual displacements. The afterslip model mainly occurred the gap between two shallow slip asperities, which has a peak slip of up to ∼1.2 m and a seismic moment of 2.36 × 1019 Nm (Mw6.85). A number of aftershocks mainly ruptured on the surroundings of the coseismic slip and afterslip zones, suggesting that the aftershocks are mostly driven by the combined stress changes from the coseismic and post-seismic slip of the fault. The viscoelastic relaxation in the lower crust and upper mantle and the afterslips of the fault play the dominant roles in the early deformation processes, which also contribute to the post-seismic surface deformation following this earthquake. We simulate the deformation due to the poroelastic rebound in the top of upper crust. Model results indicate that the poroelastic rebound produces the centimetre-scale surface subsidence in the near-field area within ∼50 km around the hypocentre of the earthquake.