bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modified intralesional aciclovir treatment in the management of recalcitrant palmoplantar and ungual warts: a case series of 14 patients
Authors: Agarwal Akash , Bansal Parul , Madhual Subhasree , Panda Maitreyee
Published: January 2025

In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of modified intralesional aciclovir for the treatment of recalcitrant palmoplantar and ungual warts in 14 patients (7 men and 7 women) of mean age 24.5 years (SD 8.19). Modified aciclovir (50 mg mL–1) was prepared by mixing 250 mg of lyophilized aciclovir powder with 4 mL of distilled water and 1 mL of 2% lignocaine. Then, this solution was injected into each wart at a dose of 0.1 mL or until blanching occurred. Every 2 weeks, the eschar was pared off and the treatment was repeated until a complete cure was observed, for a maximum of five sessions. After five sessions, 82% (n = 55/67) of warts showed a complete response, and 18% (n = 12/67) showed a partial response. Adverse effects reported included lesional tenderness for 2–3 days following injection in 23% (n = 3/13) of patients. Blistering and nail-plate damage were each seen in one patient. Modifying aciclovir treatment by adding lignocaine resulted in an unaltered concentration of aciclovir while maintaining its efficacy. The efficacy and safety were comparable with those reported for previous studies but with greater patient acceptability.
Mouse CD8+ T cell subsets differentially generate IL-17-expressing cells in the colon epithelium and lamina propria
Authors: Ge Cunjin , Tong Qiaoyun , Zheng Shihua , Liu Lei , Tian Lugao , Luo Hesheng
Published: January 2025

Colon-resident CD8+ T cells actively contribute to gut homeostasis and the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. However, their heterogeneity in generating IL-17-expressing CD8+ T cells, i.e. Tc17 cells, has not been thoroughly revealed. This study aims to characterize the abilities of mouse colonic intraepithelial (IE) and lamina propria (LP) CD8+ T cell subsets to differentiate into Tc17 cells. Using flow cytometry, we found that normal TCRβ+CD4–CD8αα+ cells (CD8αα T cells) and TCRβ+CD4–CD8αβ T cells, (CD8αβ T cells), either IE or LP, expressed abundant granzymes and IFN-γ but minute IL-17A. Under the in vitro Tc17-inducing condition, IE CD8αα T cells showed the weakest Tc17 differentiation ability and LP CD8αβ T cells exhibited the strongest Tc17 differentiation ability, whereas IE CD8αβ T cells and LP CD8αα T cells demonstrated moderate Tc17 differentiation abilities. The expression of IL-6 receptor, TGF-β receptor, TCR signaling indicators, CD161, and IL-23 receptor was low in IE CD8αα T cells, median in IE CD8αβ T cells and LP CD8αα T cells, but high in LP CD8αβ T cells. IE CD8αα T cells weakly induced the expression of chemokines, cytokines, and host defense mediators in colonic epithelial cells while LP CD8αβ T cells showed a robust up-regulatory effect. Furthermore, these colonic CD8+ T cell subsets also exhibited different abilities to generate Tc17 cells in inflamed colons. Collectively, LP CD8αβ T cells have the strongest Tc17 differentiation ability and might play a more significant role than the other subsets in Tc17-mediated immunity or inflammation in the colon.
Exploring symptom clusters and core symptoms during the vulnerable phase in patients with chronic heart failure: a network-based analysis
Authors: Bian Zekun , Shang Bin , Luo Caifeng , Lv Fei , Sun Weiyi , Gong Yijing , Liu Jun
Published: January 2025

Aims

To construct a symptom network of chronic heart failure patients in the vulnerable period and identify core symptoms and bridge symptoms between different symptom clusters.

Methods and results

A convenience sampling method was used to select 402 patients with chronic heart failure within 3 months after discharge from the cardiology departments of two tertiary-level A hospitals in Zhenjiang City, and symptom-related entries of the Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (MLHFQ) were used to conduct the survey. Symptom networks were constructed using the R language. The constructed symptom network was structurally stable, and the correlation stability coefficient was 0.595. In the network, ‘depression’ (MLHFQ9), ‘dyspnoea on exertion’ (MLHFQ3), and ‘worry’ (MLHFQ7) are the core symptoms. ‘Cognitive problems’ (MLHFQ8), ‘sleep difficulties’ (MLHFQ4), and ‘fatigue’ (MLHFQ6) are bridge symptoms connecting the emotional-cognitive and somatic symptom clusters. In the network comparison test, there were no significant differences in symptom networks between patients of different genders and places of residence.

Conclusion

‘Depression’ and ‘increased need to rest’ are the core and most severe symptoms, respectively, in the vulnerable phase of chronic heart failure, and ‘cognitive problems’ is the most important bridge symptom. Clinical caregivers can build a precise intervention programme based on the core and bridge symptoms and focus on the emotional and cognitive symptom clusters, in order to improve the efficacy of symptom management during the vulnerable period in patients with chronic heart failure.
Effect of interactive digital counselling on risk factors and lifestyle in patients with coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lahtinen Minna , Kaakinen Pirjo , Jansson Miia M , Paalimäki-Paakki Karoliina , Virtanen Mari , Kerimaa Heli , Kivelä Kirsi , Oikarinen Anne , Rajala Mira , Hylkilä Krista , Kääriäinen Maria
Published: January 2025

Aims

Digital counselling has gained paramount importance for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients’ treatment in recent years. It has been shown to provide a multitude of benefits, including improved risk factors and enhanced lifestyles. No previous reviews have emphasized the interactiveness of digital counselling. Consequently, the aim of this review is to determine whether interactive two-way digital counselling can provide effective secondary prevention as alternative or adjunct care compared with usual care, where patients visit a cardiac clinic and obtain verbal information and written recommendations of the risk factors without a digital intervention.

Methods and results

Studies that implemented digital interventions in patient counselling among CAD patients were identified by searching 10 electronic databases at the end of August 2022 and updated on 15 December 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institution (JBI) protocol was used for screening, quality assessment, data extraction, and meta-analysis. In total, 15 papers were identified that reported the effect of interactive digital counselling on risk factors and lifestyle changes in CAD patients. The results of the meta-analyses had neutral pre-defined outcomes and did not show any effect on cardiovascular risk factors or lifestyle changes.

Conclusion

There is a need for better descriptions of the content and delivery of interactive digital interventions in studies. In the future, digital interventions should be designed not only to focus on patient, but to incorporate social support, peer groups, and interactive tools on a digital platform. Social support has proved to be important in terms of adherence to treatment.

Registration

PROSPERO CRD42021247315.
Gerbils without Borders: Invasiveness, Plague, and Micro-Global Histories of Science, 1932-1939
Authors: Skotnes-Brown Jules , Silva Matheus Alves Duarte da
Published: January 2025

In the 1930s, a series of bubonic plague outbreaks among humans cropped up in several villages at the border of Angola and Namibia. These outbreaks provoked deep concern, laying bare social and political tensions amongst neighboring imperial powers and Indigenous people within the region. Despite the appearance of this disease in what was then considered a recondite place, its spread sparked debate in transnational forums, such as the League of Nations and the Office International d’Hygiène Publique. Drawing upon archival records in Namibia, South Africa, Portugal, the United States, and the United Kingdom, this article argues that concerns over the spread of plague across land borders led to the development of a nascent invasive species framework which indicted border-crossing “migrant” South African gerbils for the international spread of the disease. It follows the transnational political and scientific dynamics created by the plague “invasion” and discusses how these, like the gerbils, crossed numerous borders and scales. Ultimately, this article shows how localized inter-species and inter-imperial encounters can provide empirical insights into the feasibilities of a micro-global history of science in which more-than-human actors take on an important role.
Acquisition of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) by Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs during interrupted feeding
Authors: Parise Christina M , Ford Shelby L , Burtis James , Hojgaard Andrias , Eisen Rebecca J , Eisen Lars
Published: January 2025

A previous laboratory study using Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks of North American origin showed that larvae could acquire the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) while feeding to completion on infected mice. However, the infection was lost during the molt to the nymphal stage. Nonetheless, questing H. longicornis nymphs and adults collected by drag sampling in the northeastern United States have been reported infected with B. burgdorferi s.s. DNA; occasionally these ticks appeared to be partially engorged. This raises the question of whether H. longicornis ticks can (i) acquire B. burgdorferi s.s. during an interrupted, partial blood meal on an infected host and (ii) transmit spirochetes while completing the blood meal on a second host. In this laboratory study, we demonstrated that H. longicornis nymphs could acquire B. burgdorferi s.s. from infected Mus musculus mice during a partial blood meal. Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. was detected by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction amplicon sequencing assay in 2 of 32 (6.3%) nymphs allowed to remain attached to infected mice for 48 h but, paradoxically, not in any of 25 nymphs that remained attached to infected mice for 72 h. Unfortunately, due to the low percentage of infected nymphs, we were not able to examine if such partially fed, infected nymphs were able to transmit B. burgdorferi s.s. while completing their blood meal on a second, naïve host.
Integrative taxonomy of new neritimorph limpets from Indian Ocean deep-sea hot vents shed light on their biogeographic history
Authors: Gu Xinyu , Chen Chong , Gao Kexin , Zhou Yadong , Sun Jin
Published: January 2025

Red-blooded neritimorph gastropods in the subfamily Shinkailepadinae are specialists of chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, with the most diverse genus Shinkailepas endemic to deep-sea hydrothermal vents. All described Shinkailepas species have so far been from the western Pacific, despite reports of unidentified Shinkailepas from the Indian Ocean in the literature for decades. Here, we use an integrative approach to characterize and describe these Indian Ocean vent neritimorphs for the first time, based on material collected from the Carlsberg Ridge (CR) and the Central Indian Ridge (CIR). We name two new species: Shinkailepas tiarasimia sp. nov. from both the CR and the CIR, and Shinkailepas cornuthauma sp. nov. from the CR. A combination of shell and epipodial lobe characters reliably separate these new species from their described congeners. A phylogenetic reconstruction of all known Shinkailepas species using 658 bp of the mitochondrial COI gene reveal two separate major clades within the genus, each with an Indian Ocean species—implying two independent colonizations of Indian Ocean vents by separate lineages. Our finding of two new species on the CR, including one not known anywhere else, underscores the unique biodiversity at these vents and strengthens the case for protecting them from potential deep-sea mining activities.
Identifying the distribution and causal pathogens of blueberry stem blight disease in Alabama and nearby states
Authors: Amodu Ayodele , Oliver Jonathan E. , Lawrence Kathy S. , Patel Sejal , Koebernick Jenny , Patel Jinesh , Coneva Elina Dimitrova , Ru Sushan
Published: January 2025

Botryosphaeria stem blight is a fungal disease of blueberry caused by members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family, which can lead to rapid wilting of leaves and stems, often resulting in significant yield loss and even plant death. Botryosphaeria stem blight is a major disease in Alabama, however, information on the distribution and causal pathogens for stem blight in Alabama is limited. This study surveyed blueberry farms in Alabama and nearby parts of Georgia and Mississippi to reveal the occurrence, species identities, and virulence of causal pathogens for Botryosphaeria stem blight. As part of this work, a total of 45 symptomatic blueberry samples were collected between 2021 and 2023. Phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequences of the ITS, β-tubulin, and EF1-α genomic regions revealed that Botryosphaeriaceae (34%) was the most common family associated with disease samples, followed by Sporocadaceae (21%), Diaporthaceae (13%), Pleosporaceae (9%), and other families. Within Botryosphaeriaceae, Neofusicoccum and Lasiodiplodia were the most common genera identified. Virulence testing on the blueberry cultivar ‘Vernon’ using an attached-stem assay showed that isolates of Neofusicoccum kwambonambiense, Neofusicoccum sp., Lasiodiplodia sp., N. parvum, and N. ribis caused the longest lesion length four weeks after inoculation, compared to isolates of other genera and species. Results of this study provide the latest information on the distribution, pathogenicity, and virulence of blueberry stem blight pathogens in Alabama and nearby states. Aggressive isolates identified in this study may be useful for screening blueberry cultivars for stem blight tolerance.
A Study on Real-time Detection of Rice Diseases in Farmlands Based on Multi-dimensional Data Fusion
Authors: Ye Wei , Jiang Fei , Li Zhaoxing , Zhao Lei , Wang Jiaoyu , Wang Hongkai
Published: January 2025

To meet the need of crop leaf disease detection in complex scenarios, this study designs a method based on the computing power of mobile devices that ensures both detection accuracy and real-time efficiency, offering significant practical application value. Based on a comparison with existing mainstream detection models, this paper proposes a target detection and recognition algorithm, TG_YOLOv5, which utilizes multi-dimensional data fusion on the YOLOv5 model. The triplet attention mechanism and C3CBAM module are incorporated into the network structure to capture connections between spatial and channel dimensions of input feature maps, thereby enhancing the model's feature extraction capabilities without significantly increasing the parameter count. The GhostConv lightweight module is used to construct the backbone network, reducing model complexity, shrinking the model size, and improving detection speed. A self-constructed rice leaf disease dataset is used for experimentation. Results show that TG_YOLOv5 achieves a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 98.3% and a recall rate of 97.2%, representing a 1.2% improvement in mAP and a 4.3% improvement in recall over the traditional YOLOv5 algorithm. The trained lightweight model is then deployed on a Raspberry Pi using the MNN engine for acceleration, showing a 73.8% increase in detection speed across models after MNN acceleration. Additionally, this model achieves satisfactory detection accuracy and speed on apple and tomato datasets, validating its generalization ability. This research provides a theoretical foundation for remote real-time detection of rice diseases in agriculture.
Trends in Antepartum, Delivery, and Postpartum Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Kola Olivia , Huang Yongmei , D’Alton Mary E. , Wright Jason D. , Friedman Alexander M.
Published: January 2025

OBJECTIVE:

To assess trends in risk for obstetric venous thromboembolism (VTE).

METHODS:

This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the 2008–2019 Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicaid Multi-State databases. Women aged 15–54 years with a delivery hospitalization and health care enrollment from 1 year before pregnancy to 60 days after delivery were identified. Risk for VTE during pregnancy from 2009 to 2019 was analyzed with joinpoint regression, with trends reported as the average annual percent change (APC). Venous thromboembolism events were identified with diagnosis codes along with pharmacy receipt of anticoagulants. Additionally, the association between risk factors for VTE and VTE events was evaluated with log-Poisson regression models with unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (aRR) with 95% CIs as measures of association.

RESULTS:

Among 1,970,971 pregnancies, there were 5,270 VTE events, of which 35.5% (n=1,871) included a pulmonary embolism diagnosis and 64.5% (3,399) included a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis, alone. Risk for VTE increased significantly during pregnancy over the study period, with an APC of 9.2% (95% CI, 5.7–12.9%). Rates of VTE also increased individually during the antenatal period (APC 8.2%, 95% CI, 3.7–12.9%), during delivery hospitalizations (APC 12.2%, 95% CI, 7.4–17.3%), during the postpartum period (APC 8.4%, 95% CI, 5.9–11.0%), and individually for vaginal and cesarean delivery hospitalizations. Trends analyses individually for pulmonary embolism (APC 12.4%, 95% CI, 8.6–16.4%) and deep vein thrombosis (APC 7.6%, 95% CI, 4.0–11.3%) also demonstrated significant increases. In adjusted analyses for VTE, obesity (aRR 1.91, 95% CI, 1.78–2.05), chronic heart disease (aRR 3.14, 95% CI, 2.93–3.37), tobacco use (aRR 1.61, 95% CI, 1.34–1.95), asthma (aRR 1.46, 95% CI, 1.33–1.60), and preeclampsia (aRR 1.44, 95% CI, 1.31–1.58) were the factors associated the greatest increased adjusted relative risk.

CONCLUSION:

Risk for obstetric VTE increased significantly over the study period. Risk increased during the antenatal, delivery, and postpartum periods and for both cesarean and vaginal delivery.
Rise in Minimally Invasive Surgery for Colorectal Cancer Is Associated With Adoption of Robotic Surgery
Authors: Manisundaram Naveen , Childers Christopher P. , Hu Chung-Yuan , Uppal Abhineet , Konishi Tsuyoshi , Bednarski Brian , White Michael G , Peacock Oliver , You Y. Nancy , Chang George J.
Published: January 2025

BACKGROUND:

Minimally invasive surgery is associated with improved short-term outcomes and similar long-term oncologic outcomes for colorectal cancer patients compared with open surgery. Although the robotic approach has ergonomic and technical benefits, how it has impacted utilization of traditional laparoscopic surgery and minimally invasive surgery overall is unclear.

OBJECTIVE:

Describe trends in open, robotic, and laparoscopic approaches for colorectal cancer resections and examine factors associated with minimally invasive surgery.

DESIGN:

Retrospective cohort study using data from the National Cancer Database from 2010 through 2020.

SETTING:

Commission on Cancer-accredited U.S. facilities.

PATIENTS:

Patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic colon or rectal adenocarcinoma.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES:

Surgical approach rates (open, robotic, laparoscopic).

RESULTS:

We identified 475,001 patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma, of whom 192,237 (40.5%) underwent open surgery, 64,945 (13.7%) underwent robotic surgery, and 217,819 (45.9%) underwent laparoscopic surgery. For colon cancer, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery use steadily increased, with a peak prevalence of 54.0% in 2016, and total minimally invasive surgery (robotic + laparoscopic) was performed more often than open surgery from 2013 through 2020. For rectal cancer, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery had a peak prevalence of 37.2% in 2014 and declined from 2014 through 2020; robotic surgery prevalence increased throughout the study period (5.5% in 2010, 24.7% in 2015, 48.8% in 2020). Minimally invasive surgery use increased in facilities performing robotic surgery every year during the study period. For both colon and rectal cancer, use of open surgery decreased across all facilities throughout the study period.

LIMITATIONS:

Utilized National Cancer Database which may not be generalizable to non-Commission on Cancer institutions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Minimally invasive surgery steadily increased across all facilities from 2010 through 2020. Open resections declined, laparoscopic resections plateaued, and robotic resections increased for colon and rectal cancer. Minimally invasive surgery increases may be driven by increases in robot-assisted surgery. See Video Abstract.
Management of psoriasis in women 18 to 45 years of age in Australia and Japan: insights from patient and dermatologist surveys
Authors: Yamaguchi Yukie , Spelman Lynda , Mizutani Yoko , Lukowski Bartosz , Lanzafame Alfred , Smith Annika
Published: January 2025

Background:

A psoriasis (PSO) diagnosis may pose specific treatment challenges for women of childbearing age (WoCBA) who are considering pregnancy, are pregnant, or have just given birth.

Objective:

To report perspectives of WoCBA with PSO regarding pregnancy and dermatologists about the disease management of these women in Australia and Japan.

Methods:

Online surveys were completed by women aged 18 to 45 years who were pregnant within the past 5 years with moderate to severe PSO and dermatologists.

Results:

In Japan (n = 31) and Australia (n = 27), most WoCBA with PSO did not feel adequately informed about pregnancy planning and had concerns regarding the safety of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) when used during pregnancy. Dermatologists (Australia: n = 40; Japan: n = 97) also had safety concerns around prescribing TNFi during pregnancy, and most were impartial toward or not at all comfortable with prescribing TNFi to women who were pregnant or actively planning pregnancy. Dermatologists felt that more safety data on pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric outcomes 5 years postdelivery would increase their comfort with prescribing TNFi.

Limitations:

Limitations included small respondent size, a lack of formal validation for questionnaires, recall bias among participants, and generalizability of results to all WoCBA with PSO. Response rates of survey participants were also not collected.

Conclusion:

Additional safety information can help address concerns about biologic use (including TNFi) in WoCBA, enabling dermatologists to make informed treatment recommendations in such patients.
Global perspectives on transplant disparities
Authors: Brosi Deena , Wainstein Marina , Cervantes Lilia , Schold Jesse D.
Published: January 2025

Purpose of review

Our goal was to review and summarize the current state of global disease burden from organ failure and the efforts to improve outcomes with organ transplantation. We also reviewed intra- and inter-country disparities in organ failure and organ transplantation along with potential mechanisms to improve access to organ transplantation globally.

Recent findings

Many disparities and inequities observed globally can be characterized by the country's income category. Low- and lower-middle income countries (LLMICs) have higher rates of communicable disease-attributed organ failure, while upper-income countries (UICs) have high overall prevalence due to global growth in noncommunicable etiologies of organ failure. Many downstream disparities in access to organ transplantation and outcomes are associated with country income designation. Improvements in data collection and surveillance of populations with organ failure and organ transplantation are urgently needed.

Improving outcomes for patients with end-organ disease globally will require countries to improve organ transplantation access and care. For LLMICs, collaboration with international transplant systems and engagement with neighboring countries may establish important foundations for organ transplant systems. For UICs, increasing organ donor availability through technological advances and increasing public engagement will help meet the growing needs for organ transplantation as an important treatment modality.
The Postmortem Pathology of Sudden Death in Chronic Alcohol Exposure and Acute Alcohol Intoxication
Authors: Haynes Harry R. , Gallagher Patrick J. , Thom Maria H. , Morovat Reza A. , Delaney Russell J. , Jeffery Amanda J.
Published: January 2025

Chronic alcohol exposure is common in all societies and is seen at high rates during coronial (medicolegal) postmortem examinations. In both setting of acute alcohol intoxication and chronic misuse, a wide range of pathologies and mechanisms of death may be encountered, particularly with regard to sudden, unexpected or violent deaths. These warrant special attention. In this review, we examine the approach to postmortem examination where alcohol is likely to have played a key role in death. Attention is given to the scene of death, patterns of traumatic injury, systemic pathology (particularly of chronic alcohol exposure), seizures related to alcohol, and appropriate biochemical investigations.
PhyloMix: Enhancing microbiome-trait association prediction through
phylogeny-mixing augmentation
Authors: Jiang Yifan , Liao Disen , Zhu Qiyun , Lu Yang Young
Published: January 2025

Motivation

Understanding the associations between traits and microbial composition
is a fundamental objective in microbiome research. Recently, researchers
have turned to machine learning (ML) models to achieve this goal with
promising results. However, the effectiveness of advanced ML models is often
limited by the unique characteristics of microbiome data, which are
typically high-dimensional, compositional, and imbalanced. These
characteristics can hinder the models’ ability to fully explore the
relationships among taxa in predictive analyses. To address this challenge,
data augmentation has become crucial. It involves generating synthetic
samples with artificial labels based on existing data and incorporating
these samples into the training set to improve ML model
performance.

Results

Here we propose PhyloMix, a novel data augmentation method specifically
designed for microbiome data to enhance predictive analyses. PhyloMix
leverages the phylogenetic relationships among microbiome taxa as an
informative prior to guide the generation of synthetic microbial samples.
Leveraging phylogeny, PhyloMix creates new samples by removing a subtree
from one sample and combining it with the corresponding subtree from another
sample. Notably, PhyloMix is designed to address the compositional nature of
microbiome data, effectively handling both raw counts and relative
abundances. This approach introduces sufficient diversity into the augmented
samples, leading to improved predictive performance. We empirically
evaluated PhyloMix on six real microbiome datasets across five commonly used
ML models. PhyloMix significantly outperforms distinct baseline methods
including sample-mixing-based data augmentation techniques like vanilla
mixup and compositional cutmix, as well as the phylogeny-based method TADA.
We also demonstrated the wide applicability of PhyloMix in both supervised
learning and contrastive representation learning.

Availability

The Apache licensed source code is available at (https://github.com/batmen-lab/phylomix).
Discrimination of inherent characteristics of susceptible and resistant
strains ofAnopheles gambiaeby explainable Artificial Intelligence
Analysis of Flight Trajectories
Authors: Qureshi Yasser M. , Voloshin Vitaly , Gleave Katherine , Ranson Hilary , McCall Philip J. , Towers Cathy E. , Covington James A. , Towers David P.
Published: January 2025

Understanding mosquito behaviours is vital for development of
insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs), which have been successfully deployed in
sub-Saharan Africa to reduce disease transmission, particularly malaria.
However, rising insecticide resistance (IR) among mosquito populations, owing to
genetic and behavioural changes, poses a significant challenge. We present a
machine learning pipeline that successfully distinguishes between IR and
insecticide-susceptible (IS) mosquito behaviours by analysing trajectory data.
Data driven methods are introduced to accommodate common tracking system
shortcomings that occur due to mosquito positions being occluded by the bednet
or other objects. Trajectories, obtained from room-scale tracking of two IR and
two IS strains around a human-baited, untreated bednet, were analysed using
features such as velocity, acceleration, and geometric descriptors. Using these
features, an XGBoost model achieved a balanced accuracy of 0.743 and a ROC AUC
of 0.813 in classifying IR from IS mosquitoes. SHAP analysis helped decipher
that IR mosquitoes tend to fly slower with more directed flight paths and lower
variability than IS—traits that are likely a fitness advantage by enhancing
their ability to respond more quickly to bloodmeal cues. This approach provides
valuable insights based on flight behaviour that can reveal the action of
interventions and insecticides on mosquito physiology.
Mapping Global Causal Responses to Noninvasive Modulation of Genetically and
Spatially Targeted Neural Populations with Sonogenetic-fPET
Authors: Yang Yaoheng , Weixel Charlotte , Hu Zhongtao , Yue Yimei , Wang Isaac , Xu Lu , Chen Hong
Published: January 2025

Despite significant progress in brain circuit mapping over recent decades, a
major challenge remains: no method currently allows for the noninvasive
modulation of genetically and spatially defined neural populations while
simultaneously monitoring their global effects throughout the brain and body.
Here, we present sonogenetic-fPET, a technique that integrates sonogenetics with
[18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose functional positron
emission tomography (FDG-fPET) to overcome this challenge. Sonogenetics enables
noninvasive, spatially targeted modulation of neurons genetically engineered to
express the ultrasound-sensitive ion channel TRPV1, while FDG-fPET captures
glucose metabolic changes triggered by this stimulation across the brain and
body. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique by targeting neurons in
the dorsal striatum, showcasing its capability to map global network responses
to specific neuronal activation. Incorporating an acoustic hologram for
sonogenetics further enables flexible modulation of different brain regions
within a single mouse while concurrently mapping the resulting network activity.
In summary, sonogenetic-fPET offers a tool for dissecting the global responses
of the brain and body to the noninvasive modulation of genetically and spatially
defined neuronal populations.
Habitat quality influences gut microbiota via cortisol in Siberian flying
squirrels (Pteromys volans)
Authors: Petrullo Lauren , Santangeli Andrea , Wistbacka Ralf , Husby Arild , Raulo Aura
Published: January 2025

Interactions between the mammalian neuroendocrine system and the gut
microbiota (i.e., the gut-brain axis) can shape how animals cope with
environmental challenges. For example, both immune function and the extraction
of energy from dietary items depend on microbiota, which can be influenced by
the environment directly through transmission or indirectly through
neuroendocrine responses. Environmental variation has been shown to translate
into variation in microbiome profiles among wild animals, but whether this is
due to different environmental microbial transmission or environmental
conditions evoking microbiome-modulating physiological stress responses is not
known. Here, we investigate covariation among habitat quality, cortisol levels
and gut microbiota in adult and juvenile Siberian flying squirrels
(Pteromys volans) inhabiting a region impacted by
variable rates of human disturbance. We test competing hypotheses related to
direct (e.g., via diet or transmission) versus indirect (e.g., via the gut-brain
axis) effects of habitat on the gut microbiota. Overall, we found that adults
had richer gut microbiota and higher concentrations of hair cortisol than
juveniles. Our measures of habitat quality exerted direct effects on cortisol
concentrations, but had no direct effects on microbiota. Regardless, cortisol
predicted microbiota composition among adult squirrels. Finally, structural
equation modeling revealed indirect effects of habitat quality on microbial
diversity by way of elevations in cortisol among adults. In contrast, among
juveniles, habitat-related cortisol variation had no downstream effects on
microbial diversity. Together, these findings provide evidence for indirect
effects of environmental quality on gut microbiota via the host endocrine
system, and suggest these effects can be age-dependent.
Ecological resource competition as a driver of metallome evolution
Authors: Sobol Morgan S. , Rucker Holly R. , Libby Eric , Kaçar Betül , Anbar Ariel D.
Published: January 2025

Undoubtedly, Earth’s first redox revolution, which culminated ∼2.4 billion
years ago in the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), fundamentally altered the
resources available to microbial communities, leading to novel ecological
competitions and evolutionary innovations. These eco-evolutionary dynamics are
largely unexplored, particularly at the molecular level. Here, we hypothesize
that such dynamics in the wake of the GOE explain the otherwise paradoxical
evolutionary history of metal use in nitrogen fixation by nitrogenase. This
ancient metalloenzyme exists in three isozymes, with distinct metal cofactors.
Recent research demonstrates that the most ancient isozyme, emerging a billion
years or more before the GOE, required a molybdenum (Mo)-based cofactor.
“Alternative” nitrogenases using iron (Fe) or vanadium (V) cofactors evolved
after the GOE. This history is puzzling because Mo availability in the
environmentincreasedafter the GOE, while Fe
availabilitydecreased, due to the contrasting
environmental redox behaviors of these elements. Why, then, did the alternatives
emerge only after the GOE? Using a simple model constrained by known microbial
Mo quotas, we demonstrate that a strong selection pressure for use of metals in
nitrogenase other than Mo is a likely consequence of competition between
nitrogen-fixing prokaryotes and nitrate-reducing microbes, which require Mo for
nitrate reduction and assimilation. This competition would have intensified
after the GOE due to increasing environmental availability of nitrate,
explaining the evolutionary timing of the nitrogenase isozymes. Ecological
resource competition therefore emerges as a third driver of metallome evolution
in deep-time, alongside the relative environmental availabilities and adaptive
advantages of particular metals.

Significance statement

The selection of metals in biochemical evolution is widely attributed to
either the relative environmental availability of specific metals or their
functional benefits in biological systems. We propose a third pressure,
ecological resource competition, which is typically overlooked as a driver
of molecular novelty in deep time. Specifically, we hypothesize that
competition between Mo-dependent nitrogen-fixing prokaryotes and
Mo-dependent nitrate reducers led to the emergence of Mo-free “alternative”
nitrogenase enzymes during the early Proterozoic. This novel hypothesis
explains the paradoxical emergence of alternative nitrogenases after the
Great Oxidation Event despite increasing ocean Mo abundances at that time.
Competition among microbial species for the same metals likely drove
molecular innovations, especially in response to dynamically changing
geochemical landscapes.
Feathered Icons: Drivers of Global Attention on Bird Species
Authors: Si Haozhong , Fu Changjian , Yu Fan , Li Zhongqiu
Published: January 2025

Global biodiversity faces profound threats. Efforts to slow biodiversity
loss remain inadequate without greater public engagement. With challenges in the
biases of species knowledge across taxa and regions, many endemic or threatened
species receive insufficient attention. Birds, with their ecological importance
and cultural visibility, present an ideal object for exploring biases in species
knowledge. To understand factors driving scientific and public interest in
birds, we compiled a comprehensive dataset to investigate how phenotypic,
ecological, and cultural factors influence attention toward global bird species.
Our analysis reveals that factors related to public familiarity and species
charisma significantly shape public and scientific priorities. In contrast
species that are threatened or have limited ranges often receive little public
attention. IUCN status alone fails to sustain public interest in these species.
To address this imbalance, we propose comprehensive strategies such as media
campaigns and conservation education to better engage the public and scientific
communities. These efforts are crucial for ensuring conservation efforts could
encompass a sufficient range of species.
A real-time forecasting framework for emerging infectious diseases affecting
animal populations
Authors: Theng Meryl , Baker Christopher M. , Lee Simin , Breed Andrew , Roche Sharon , Sellens Emily , Fraser Catherine , Wood Kelly , Jewell Chris P. , Stevenson Mark A. , Firestone Simon M.
Published: January 2025

Infectious disease forecasting has become increasingly important in public
health, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, forecasting tools
for emergency animal diseases, particularly those offering real-time decision
support when parameters governing disease dynamics are unknown, remain limited.
We introduce a generalised modelling framework for near-real-time forecasting of
the temporal and spatial spread of infectious livestock diseases using data from
the early stages of an outbreak. We applied the framework to the 2007 equine
influenza outbreak in Australia, generating prediction targets at three
timepoints across four regional clusters. Our targets included future daily case
counts, outbreak size, peak timing and duration, and spatial distributions of
future spread. We evaluated how well the forecasts predicted daily cases and the
spatial distribution of case counts, using skill scores as a benchmark for
future model improvements. Forecast accuracy, certainty, and skill improved
significantly after the outbreak’s peak, while early predictions were more
variable, suggesting that pre-peak forecasts should be interpreted with caution.
Spatial forecasts maintained positive skill throughout the outbreak, supporting
their use in guiding response priorities. This framework provides a tool for
real-time decision-making during livestock disease outbreaks and establishes a
foundation for future refinements and applications to other animal
diseases.
Developmentally regulated actin-microtubule crosstalk in Drosophila
oogenesis
Authors: Chou Wei-Chien , Lakonishok Margot , Lu Wen , Gelfand Vladimir I. , McCartney Brooke M.
Published: January 2025

Actin-microtubules (MT) interactions are essential, but how those mechanisms
are orchestrated in complex developing systems is poorly understood. Here we
show that actin-MT crosstalk regulates actin cable assembly and the assembly and
organization of MTs in Drosophila nurse cells during oogenesis. We found that a
stable MT meshwork develops concurrently with actin cable initiation and
requires acetylation for its maintenance. These γ-tubulin nucleated MTs are
cortically tethered via Patronin and Shortstop, extend into the cytoplasm, and
coalign with the elongating actin cables. The MT network promotes the cortical
enrichment of the actin assembly factors Diaphanous and Enabled and loss of MTs
dramatically reduced actin cable density and growth rate. We further
demonstrated that actin filament assembly promotes cortical tethering of MTs and
that loss of the actin filament bundler Villin/Quail results in fewer, shorter,
and more highly coaligned MTs. Together, our data reveal multiple modes of
coordinated actin-MT crosstalk producing actin cable-MT network synergy that is
instrumental for oogenesis.

This study demonstrates actin–microtubule crosstalk in Drosophila
oogenesis, revealing coregulation between actin filament assembly/bundling
and microtubule nucleation/organization, highlighting the coordinated
regulation of the cytoskeleton required during development.
A three-dimensionalex vivomodel recapitulatesin vivofeatures
and unravels increased drug resistance in childhood acute lymphoblastic
leukemia
Authors: Kanari Magdalini , Garcia Iria Jimenez , Steffen Fabio D. , Krattiger Lisa A. , Bataclan Charles , Liu Wangjie , Simona Benjamin R. , Deplancke Bart , Naveiras Olaia , Ehrbar Martin , Bornhauser Beat , Bourquin Jean-Pierre
Published: January 2025

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) preferentially localizes in the bone
marrow (BM) and displays recurrent patterns of medullary and extra-medullary
involvement. Leukemic cells exploit their niche for propagation and survive
selective pressure by chemotherapy in the BM microenvironment, suggesting the
existence of protective mechanisms. Here, we established a three-dimensional
(3D) BM mimic with human mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial cells that
resemble vasculature-like structures to explore the interdependence of leukemic
cells with their microenvironment. This model recapitulates recurrent topologic
differences between B-cell and T-cell precursor ALL, whereby B-ALL interacts
more closely with the mesenchymal compartment. Migration versatility was found
to be associated with subtype, consistent with increased motility observed in
T-ALLin vivo. Single-cell RNA signatures revealed
similarities to profiles fromin vivopatient derived
xenografts, suggesting relevant statesex vivo.
Furthermore, enhanced migration, adherence and cell cycle heterogeneity was
visualized in our co-culture model. Finally, drug response profiling experiments
in this 3D system reproduced established response patterns and indicated that
drug resistant leukemic subpopulations may be detected more faithfully compared
to information from two-dimensional models.
Timing and social consequences of divorce in wild great tits: a
phenomenological approach
Authors: Abraham A.D. , Sheldon B.C. , Firth J.A.
Published: January 2025

Social behaviour is a key part of the life of many species. An example of an
important social association is that between breeding partners – a key social
connection in monogamously breeding species. The selection of a breeding partner
begins well before reproduction for many species, and this process can have
consequences for subsequent reproductive success. Thus, the non-breeding season
can shape behaviour during the breeding season. However, it is currently unknown
how outcomes in the breeding season can impact associate choice during the
non-breeding season, as studying this has been limited due to requiring high
volumes of individual social data across both contexts. This study used three
years of wild great tit social data from Wytham Woods, Oxford, UK, to examine
social associations between pairs classified with respect to prior and future
relationship status. We found a distinct behavioural pattern in ’divorced’
pairs, which was present from early in the winter, suggesting that the act of
divorce occurs soon after the completion of the breeding season. Pairs forming
for the first time behaved similarly to divorced pairs earlier in the season,
but became similar to faithful pairs throughout the winter. On a finer
spatiotemporal scale the behaviour of faithful and divorced birds diverged over
the winter. These results provide the first evidence of when divorce occurs in
paired great tits, while suggesting that different behaviours may drive
behavioural divorce at different times.
Putative neofunctionalization of a Poales-specific EXO70 clade
Authors: Bergum Molly , Sklenar Jan , Hernández-Pinzón Inmaculada , Taylor Jodie , Smoker Matthew , Samwald Sebastian , Allen Megan , Thind Anupriya , Green Phon , Moon Hyeran , Menke Frank L. H. , Zipfel Cyril , Rhodes Jack , Faulkner Christine , Moscou Matthew J.
Published: January 2025

EXO70s are uniquely expanded in land plants compared to all other eukaryotic
lineages. The functional implications of this expansion and diversification on
the conserved role of EXO70 as a subunit of the octameric exocyst complex have
remained unresolved. We previously demonstrated barley (Hordeum
vulgare) EXO70FX12, a member of the monocot-specific EXO70FX
clade, is required for resistance to wheat stripe rust in conjunction with the
leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase (LRR-RK) HvPUR1. Through phylogenetic
analysis, we identified unique features of the EXO70FX clade, leading us to
hypothesize that this clade experienced neofunctionalization. Using structural
predictions and protein-protein interaction assays, we demonstrate that
HvEXO70FX12 lost the ability to serve as a subunit within the exocyst complex.
We predict that the EXO70FX clade has largely lost exocyst association and
represents a novel acquisition that emerged during Poales diversification for
immunity.
Highly recurrent multi-nucleotide mutations in SARS-CoV-2
Authors: De Maio Nicola , Smith Kyle , Turakhia Yatish , Goldman Nick
Published: January 2025

Multi-nucleotide mutations (MNMs) simultaneously replace multiple
nu-cleotides. They are a significant contributor to evolution and disease, as
well as to misdiagnosis, misannotation and other biases in genome data
analysis.

MNMs are generally thought to be rare and random events. However, by
processing millions of publicly shared genomes, we show that certain MNMs are
highly recurrent in SARS-CoV-2: they repeatedly and consistently modify the same
multiple nucleotides at the same genome position in the same way. The most
frequent of these MNMs have independently occurred hundreds of times across all
SARS-CoV-2 lineages.

The vast majority of these recurrent MNMs are linked to transcription
regulatory sequences. We propose a mechanism that explains them through template
switching as part of the natural transcription process of the virus.

This previously unknown mutational pattern increases our understanding of
the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and potentially many other nidoviruses. It also has
important consequences for computational evolutionary biology: we show that for
example recurrent MNMs cause approximately 14% of false positives during
inference of recombination in SARS-CoV-2.
A complete collagen IV fluorophore knock-in toolkit reveals α-chain diversity
in basement membrane
Authors: Srinivasan Sandhya , Ramos-Lewis Willam , Morais Mychel R.P.T. , Chi Qiuyi , Soh Adam W. J. , Williams Emily , Lennon Rachel , Sherwood David R.
Published: January 2025

The type IV collagen triple helix, composed of three ⍺-chains, is a core
basement membrane (BM) component that assembles into a network within BMs.
Endogenous tagging of all ⍺-chains with genetically encoded fluorophores has
remained elusive, limiting our understanding of this crucial BM component.
Through genome editing, we show that the C-termini of theC.
eleganstype IV collagen ⍺-chains EMB-9 and LET-2 can be fused
to a variety of fluorophores to create a strain toolkit with wild-type health.
Using quantitative imaging, our results suggest a preference for
LET-2-LET-2-EMB-9 trimer construction, but also tissue-specific flexibility in
trimers assembled driven by differences in ⍺-chain expression levels. By
taggingemb-9andlet-2mutants
that model human Gould Syndrome, a complex multi-tissue disorder, we further
discover defects in extracellular accumulation and turnover that might help
explain disease pathology. Together, our findings identify a permissive tagging
site that will allow diverse studies on type IV collagen regulation and function
in animals.

Srinivasan et al., construct a collagen IV fluorophore knock-in toolkit
inC. elegansusing a newly identified
permissive genome editing site and reveal tissue-specific α-chain diversity
and basement membrane turnover defects in collagen IV mutants modeling human
COL4A1/A2 (Gould) syndrome.