bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Cooperation When Mistrust Deepens
Authors: 6 Perri , Heims Eva
Published: January 2025

Why do states commit so resiliently to cooperating in multilateral regimes with other states, even while mistrust deepens and even while they may be preparing for war with those states? This puzzle is as urgent today, as international organizations struggle amid resurgent tensions among great powers, as it has been since international regulatory regimes first emerged. This book presents a novel explanation which draws upon neo-Durkheimian institutional theory. It shows that specific forms of social organization in government can cultivate particular types of institutional buffering between aspects of external policy which can sustain commitment despite deepening conflict. To study the puzzle over a long period, and in a case when there was no long-established practice of cooperation in global bodies during rising tensions, this study examines Britain’s relations with the first global regulatory regime, which was for international telegraphy, submarine telegraph cables, and radiotelegraphy from the 1860s to the outbreak of war in 1914. The regime was created in a period of European wars, yet cooperation, not least between Britain and Germany, deepened in telegraphy even as the Great War neared. Despite growing imperial conflicts and despite seriously contemplating leaving the International Telegraph Union in 1901–1902, Britain became ever more closely involved with the three limbs of the regime. Drawing on extensive archival sources, the study shows that the neo-Durkheimian approach can provide a more satisfying and powerful explanation for deepening cooperation even as mistrust rises than many better-known theories, and that it has significant implications for understanding state formation.
Difficult transition to parallel integration: radiotelegraphy
Authors: 6 Perri , Heims Eva
Published: January 2025

Radiotelegraphy’s development in the 1890s presented difficult challenges for buffering, because of the technology’s early adoption by navies. Transitions in government discussed in previous chapters enabled departments to achieve parallel integrated buffering in radiotelegraphy by 1906–1907, after internal conflict between the General Post Office (GPO) and the Admiralty, enabling Britain to adhere to the international telegraphy regime’s third strand. After being at loggerheads after 1903, by 1912, Britain and Germany were able to work amicably together, precisely because internal parallel integrated buffering in British government had been secured. This form of buffering also helped to sustain British commitment to the whole three-part regime in the aftermath of the Great War.
One-year results of an eHealth intervention on anxiety in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery: randomized clinical trial
Authors: Nilsson Olga , Stenman Malin , Letterstål Anna , Hultgren Rebecka
Published: January 2025

Background

The longitudinal effects of educational interventions in people with abdominal aortic aneurysm are largely unexplored. This prospective study investigated whether the anxiety-lowering effect of an eHealth intervention observed at the 1-month follow-up is maintained 1 year after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

Methods

Those scheduled for surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm were recruited in a single-centre randomized clinical trial. The control group received care and follow-up per the institution’s standard. The intervention group received an eHealth tool along with psychosocial support. The 1-month results have been reported. The primary outcome measure was the anxiety mean score (HADS-A).

Results

Of 120 included participants, 96 completed the 1-year follow-up (48 in each treatment group). The mean age was 73 years, a majority (86%) were male and 73% were current or previous smokers. Anxiety symptoms measured with the HADS-A decreased over time in both the intervention group (−0.33) and the control group (−0.35, P = 0.868). The improvements in anxiety symptoms seen in the short-term follow-up were not sustained at the 1-year follow-up. No significant mean score differences were found in the intention-to-treat or per-protocol analyses.

Conclusion

In this randomized clinical trial, an eHealth intervention did not result in a sustained reduction in anxiety symptoms compared with standard care in the same cohort. The study provides an insight into the limited acceptability of an eHealth tool in people with abdominal aortic aneurysm and valuable data on the recovery trajectory following open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Further research is warranted to evaluate the relevance and long-term effectiveness of eHealth interventions in abdominal aortic aneurysm care.

Registration number

NCT03157973 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Lipopolysaccharide-induced active telocyte exosomes alleviate lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular barrier disruption and acute lung injury via the activation of the miRNA-146a-5p/caspase-3 signaling pathway in endothelial cells
Authors: Huang Xiaoqin , Zhang Haoran , Luo Yuhong , Yi Xin , Zhou Zengding , Guo Feng , Yi Lei
Published: January 2025

Background

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced apoptosis of lung microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) is the main reason of lung edema and acute lung injury (ALI) in septic conditions. Telocytes (TCs) are a distinct type of interstitial cells found around the lung microvasculature, which may protect ECs through the release of shed vesicles. However, whether TCs protect against LPS-induced EC apoptosis and ALI has not been determined.

Methods

The protective effects of TCs on ECs were assessed in vitro using transwell assays and flow cytometry, and in vivo using an LPS-induced mouse ALI model. RNA sequencing was used to identify miRNA-146a-5p as a key component of TC-derived exosomes. The functions of miRNA-146a-5p were further evaluated by western blotting, flow cytometry, and transendothelial electrical resistance measurements.

Results

We demonstrated that LPS stimulation induced the secretion of active exosomes from TCs, which inhibited LPS-mediated apoptosis of ECs and reduced ALI in mice. Moreover, miRNA-146a-5p was identified as the main bioactive molecule in TC-derived exosomes, capable of inhibiting LPS-induced caspase-3 activation and apoptosis in ECs.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that TCs effectively prevent LPS-induced EC apoptosis and ALI through the release of exosomes, with subsequent activation of the miRNA-146a-5p/caspase-3 signaling pathway in ECs.
Simultaneous Quantification of Biogenic Amines and their Metabolites in Mice Tissue by Combining Ultraviolet and Integrated Pulsed Amperometric Detectors
Authors: Yoon Hae-Jee , Kim Jin Hee , Oh Myung Sook , Hong Seon-Pyo , Kwon Ha-Jeong
Published: January 2025

We developed a reversed-phased high-performance liquid chromatographic method combining ultraviolet detection and integrated pulsed amperometric detection for the simultaneous quantification of dopamine, 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid, homovanillic acid, serotonin, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, norepinephrine and epinephrine. All target components were completely separated in a C18 column with isocratic elution of 5% acetonitrile solution containing 8 mM HClO4 and 0.20 mM 1-octanesulfonic acid as an ion pairing reagent. This method showed limits of detection of 0.03–0.1 ng and limits of quantification of 0.10–0.3 ng with linear regression coefficients of 0.9998–1.0000. All inter-day and intra-day precision values were below 9.58%, and the average recoveries were 93.71–109.82% for mouse striatum samples. The mean levels of the seven components in striatal brain tissue in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease decreased by 2–12 times compared to those of a control group. In particular, the decrease in dopamine, 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis confirmed that the seven components are useful biomarkers. The significance of the developed method lies in its ability to simultaneously analyze seven biogenic amines related to Parkinson’s disease by combining two detectors, offering a simple and cost-effective approach for clinical and biological labs.
Research on peanut pedigree analysis and variety identification methods based on deep features extraction and hierarchical clustering
Authors: Hua Zhenlu , Liu Xiaoyang , Zhang Runzhe , Jia Xiaofei , Zhao Longgang , Qiao Lixian , Deng Limiao
Published: January 2025

In order to screen high-quality peanut pod varieties on food processing production lines and promote the sustainable development of the peanut as well as the expansion of its consumer market, this study improved the recognition ability of peanut pod varieties and the efficiency of deep feature extraction by optimizing the ResNet50 deep learning network model. Experimental results showed that the accuracy of the optimized network model reached 91.6%, which was 2.1% higher than the original ResNet50 model. Additionally, this study extracted the deep features of the appearance morphology of peanut pods, used the agglomerative clustering method to explore the genetic relationship of hybrid offspring varieties under the same line, and constructed a pedigree diagram containing 18 varieties. These research findings provide a crucial scientific foundation for the cultivation of high-quality peanut varieties. The selected high-quality peanuts not only enhance the added value of the peanut industry but also further expand the market potential of peanut by-products.
Cystic Breast Disease: What to Do When It’s Not So Cystic
Authors: Bhatt Asha A , Harper Laura K , Anderson Sarah , Solanki Malvika H , Ataya Dana K
Published: January 2025

Cystic breast masses are a common entity encountered by breast radiologists. The imaging features of benign and malignant cystic masses may overlap, causing confusion and miscategorization with the potential to produce diagnostic delay and harm. This article provides a review of key differentiating imaging features that help guide appropriate mass characterization and treatment.
Benchmarking in inflammatory bowel disease: lessons from Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Litwin Peter , Andrews Jane
Published: January 2025

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex chronic disease estimated to affect almost 1% of the Western population, where proactive care has largely replaced a reactive approach. Whilst there have also been great strides in new care models and therapies, care quality, and outcomes are poorly known, leaving us designing and delivering services without an effective feedback loop.

Quality of care, guidelines, consensus statements, and standards will each be discussed, as a solid understanding of these concepts is essential.

Assessing quality involves measuring the 3 core domains of structure, process, and outcomes. Benchmarking is an extension of quality assessment, which is recurrent or continuous and enables transparent, valid comparisons of quality between care sites. Assessment of QUALITY and BENCHMARKING are resource intensive unless processes are automated and use routinely collected data generated in the moments of care. Digital tools now provide realistic opportunities to make this affordable and sustainable, though concerns around privacy and security hamper solutions, whilst siloed data within institutions restrict comparative use.

One novel solution to enable IBD benchmarking has been developed in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). Crohn’s Colitis Care (CCCare) is a cloud-based, IBD-specific EMR, now being used in routine care documentation at 22 sites across ANZ. De-identified data feed from CCCare’s clinical module into a Clinical Quality Registry, in which audit, research, and benchmarking can be performed. The pathway from conception to implementation will be presented.

Lessons learnt from the ANZ benchmarking journey will be discussed and suggestions for an effective global approach to IBD data will be proposed.
What is wrong with the international business tax system?
Authors: Vella John
Published: January 2025

Despite wave after wave of reform, the existing international business tax system remains poor. This article evaluates the system against five standard evaluative criteria: economic efficiency, robustness to profit shifting, fairness, ease of administration, and incentive compatibility, and concludes that it performs poorly on all five. The article argues that the root cause of this poor performance is the underlying fundamental structure of the system, in particular its origin basis and the separate entity approach.
The Atlas of Protein–Protein Interactions in Cancer (APPIC)—a webtool to visualize and analyze cancer subtypes
Authors: Ahn Benjamin , Chou Charissa , Chou Caden , Chen Jennifer , Zug Amelia , Baykara Yigit , Claus Jessica , Hacking Sean M , Uzun Alper , Gamsiz Uzun Ece D
Published: January 2025

Cancer is a complex disease with heterogeneous mutational and gene expression patterns. Subgroups of patients who share a phenotype might share a specific genetic architecture including protein–protein interactions (PPIs). We developed the Atlas of Protein–Protein Interactions in Cancer (APPIC), an interactive webtool that provides PPI subnetworks of 10 cancer types and their subtypes shared by cohorts of patients. To achieve this, we analyzed publicly available RNA sequencing data from patients and identified PPIs specific to 26 distinct cancer subtypes. APPIC compiles biological and clinical information from various databases, including the Human Protein Atlas, Hugo Gene Nomenclature Committee, g:Profiler, cBioPortal and Clue.io. The user-friendly interface allows for both 2D and 3D PPI network visualizations, enhancing the usability and interpretability of complex data. For advanced users seeking greater customization, APPIC conveniently provides all output files for further analysis and visualization on other platforms or tools. By offering comprehensive insights into PPIs and their role in cancer, APPIC aims to support the discovery of tumor subtype-specific novel targeted therapeutics and drug repurposing. APPIC is freely available at https://appic.brown.edu.
Decentralized worker-centred occupational management in health care: nationwide survey and alpha testing
Authors: Barrit S , Abene S , de Froidmont A , André J , El Hadwe S , Al Barajraj M , Niset A
Published: January 2025

Background

Occupational stress among healthcare workers negatively impacts job satisfaction and patient care quality, jeopardizing healthcare system sustainability. Traditional employer-driven approaches often fail to address these challenges comprehensively, leading to persistent gaps in work condition transparency and well-being.

Aims

To elucidate the working conditions of health workers and introduce a worker-centred, technology-based strategy moving beyond traditional practices and entrenched medical culture.

Methods

A nationwide survey of Belgian medical residents evaluated occupational conditions and perceptions of management practices. Additionally, the alpha version of a decentralized mobile application was tested to gather user satisfaction and feedback on its usability. The data were surveyed using Pearson’s chi-squared and Kruskal–Wallis rank sum tests to assess associations between categorical and ordinal variables, respectively. Alpha-testing results were evaluated using descriptive statistics.

Results

The nationwide survey, involving 257 participants, revealed significant associations between medical specialty, work choices and compensation. Notably, 91% of participants expressed strong interest in our proposed open, decentralized solution. In the alpha testing phase, 12 testers reported high satisfaction regarding time-tracking accuracy and payroll verification, though challenges related to administrative burden were also identified.

Conclusions

The findings underscore the need for innovative, worker-centred occupational management solutions. The proposed solution shows promise in improving autonomy and transparency, potentially enhancing healthcare delivery and sustainability.
Laboratory Confirmation of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Is Not Associated With an Increased Risk of Death in Adults With Acute Respiratory Illness
Authors: Kline Jeffrey A , Welch Robert D , Kabrhel Christopher , Courtney Daniel Mark , Camargo Carlos A ,   RESP-LENS site investigators, Roshon Michael J , Turner-Lawrence Danielle E , Puskarich Michael A , Gordon Ngai Ka Ming , Hunter Benton R , Bledsoe Joseph , d'Ettiene James K , Lim Stephen S , Kabrhel Christopher W , Choo Esther J , Moore Steven M H , Buck Katherine R , Beiser David M , Galbraith James G , Thoppil Joby E , Kelly Chris , Castillo Edward W , Green-Hopkins Israel E , Nordenholz Kristen S , Guirgis Faheem C , Wilson Bryan , Pulia Michael L , House Stacey , Pagenhardt Justine M
Published: January 2025

Background

Limited data have described the testing patterns and outcomes of adults (≥18 years) with acute respiratory illness (ARI) in the emergency department setting.

Methods

This prospective cohort study includes patients with ARI from a program sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entitled Respiratory Virus Laboratory Emergency Department Network Surveillance (RESP-LENS) from August 2021 until March 2024 (91 hospitals). Patients with ARIs were identified weekly by electronic surveillance for 1 or more of 130 ICD-10 codes that defined ARI. Patients were followed for 30 days for the primary outcomes of hospitalization and mortality. Testing for RSV with nasopharyngeal swabbing followed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was done as part of usual care. Risk of 30-day mortality and RSV positivity was tested in a generalized estimating equation.

Results

From 1 210 394 patients with ARI, 345 185 (28.5%) adults underwent RSV testing, which was positive in 2.4%. In adults who were RSV+, the overall mortality rate was 1.9% as compared with 2.9% in adults who were RSV−. Mortality with RSV+ status increased with age ≥65 years to 3.8% (95% CI, 3.1%–4.5%). However, in the generalized estimating equation, RSV+ status was not associated with a higher rate of hospitalization (adjusted odds, 0.79; 95% CI, .75–.84) or 30-day mortality (odds, 0.62; 95% CI, .53–.74) relative to those who were RSV–. Age ≥65 years, incremental worsening of vital signs, male sex, and heart failure were independently associated with death.

Conclusions

Among adults with ARI presenting to an emergency department who were tested for RSV as part of their usual care, laboratory-confirmed RSV positivity was not associated with increased risk, including hospitalization, intensive care unit requirement, or death.
Detection of Pneumococcal Carriage in Asymptomatic Healthcare Workers
Authors: Waghela Pari , Davis Raechel , Campbell Melissa , Datta Rupak , Hislop Maikel S , Vega Noel J , Wurst Loren , Yolda-Carr Devyn , Couch Luke , Hernandez Michael , Grant Lindsay R , Alexander-Parrish Ronika , Arguedas Adriano , Gessner Bradford D , Martinello Richard A , Weinberger Daniel M , Wyllie Anne L
Published: January 2025

Background

Healthcare workers are at increased risk of exposure to respiratory pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). While little asymptomatic carriage has been reported in young-to-middle-aged adults, this may be due to nonsensitive diagnostic methods. The aim of the current study was to investigate the rates of pneumococcal carriage in a large cohort of healthcare workers, using saliva as a respiratory specimen.

Methods

We evaluated pneumococcal carriage in convenience samples of saliva, self-collected from asymptomatic healthcare workers (Connecticut, USA) who were testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from 30 March to 11 June 2020. DNA extracted from the culture-enriched saliva was later tested using quantitative polymerase chain reaction for piaB, lytA, and serotype. Saliva samples were considered positive for pneumococcus when the piaB cycle threshold value was <40.

Results

Study participants were 22–74 years old (mean age, 38.5 years), 75% female, 75% white, and with occupations including registered nurses (48%), medical doctors (23%), and patient care assistants (5%). Overall, 138 of 1241 samples (11%) from 86 of 392 individuals (21%) tested piaB positive at some point during the 4-month study period, with 28 (33%) colonized individuals positive at multiple time points. Carriers reflected the overall study population. No significant demographic characteristics were associated with detection of pneumococcus. Colonized individuals primarily carried serotypes 19F (25.6%) and 3 (12.8%).

Conclusions

During a period of mandatory masking, we identified a cumulative pneumococcal carriage prevalence of 21% among healthcare workers. This study highlights that healthcare workers may act as unrecognized reservoirs of pneumococcus in the population. Despite long-standing pediatric immunization programs, vaccine-targeted serotypes continue to be prevalent among the adult population.
A novel susceptibility locus to Erysiphe necator (SEN2) identified by genetic mapping of automated microscopy computer vision data in grapevines
Authors: Duwadi Achyut , Sapkota Surya , Zou Cheng , Chen LiLing , Cadle-Davidson Lance , Hwang Chin-Feng
Published: January 2025

Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator, is one of the primary causes of grape yield loss across the globe. While numerous resistance loci have been identified in various grapevine species, the genetic determinants of susceptibility to E. necator remain largely unexplored. Understanding the genetics of susceptibility for pathogenesis is equally important for developing durable resistance grapevines against this pathogen. To identify these factors in Vitis interspecific hybrid ‘Chambourcin’, a controlled leaf disc assay was conducted for two years using an automated microscopy phenotyping system with 273 F1 genotypes from a cross of ‘Chambourcin’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’. Additionally, a high-resolution linkage map using the same number of ‘Chambourcin’-derived hybrids was constructed with 355 simple sequence repeats (SSR) and 1,394 RNaseH2-dependent amplicon sequencing (rhAmpSeq)-derived haplotype markers that clustered into 19 linkage groups. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis identified a susceptibility locus (here named Sen2) on linkage group (LG) 7 explaining 8.90 % – 12.57 % of the total phenotypic variance. The markers associated with this susceptibility locus were used to identify 78 accessions in the USDA-ARS cold hardy Vitis collection at Geneva, NY that carry Sen2 and can be used to selectively exclude susceptible progenies. Additionally, 6 accessions carry the alternative haplotype encoding recessive resistance and can be used for resistance breeding. The identification of powdery mildew susceptibility loci is crucial for identifying genes that could be targeted for gene knock-out, gene editing, RNA interference (RNAi), or selection among breeding genotypes to enhance sustainable protection against pathogens.
Incidence, Distribution, and Pathogenicity of Fungi Growing on Sugar Beet Roots on Top of Outdoor Piles in Idaho
Authors: Strausbaugh Carl Alan
Published: January 2025

Sugar beet roots in Idaho are held under ambient conditions in outdoor storage piles which can lead to fungal growth and rot and substantial sucrose loss. Thus the incidence, distribution, and pathogenicity of fungi associated with fungal growth on the surface of sugar beet roots on top of outdoor piles was investigated. The surface fungal growth on sugar beet roots held on top of 14 Idaho outdoor piles [tarped ventilated (TV) piles and piles with no tarps or ventilation (NTV) at 7 locations] was assessed in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Cladosporium spp. were the only fungi covering more than 1% of the root surface (2 to 48%) on top of NTV piles both years with the most frequently isolated species being C. cladosporioides, C. macrocarpon, and C. subtilissimum both years. On TV piles Cladosporium spp. (13 to 60%) were also dominant, but Penicillium spp. (0 to 35%), an Athelia-like basidiomycete (0 to 2%), and Botrytis cinerea (0 to 2%) were also frequently present. In the plug assay to test pathogenicity, B. cinerea caused the most rot (P < 0.0001; averaged 31 to 32 mm of rot) followed by Penicillium spp. (P. expansum 14-22 mm, P. polonicum 14-16 mm, and P. cellarum 10 mm). Although Cladosporium spp. caused little or no rot (0 to 2 mm), workers should be cautious on or around sugar beet piles since a number of the Cladosporium spp. are established to be associated with human clinical samples.
6‐Nitrodopamine potentiates catecholamine‐induced contractions of human isolated vas deferens
Authors: Lima Antonio Tiago , Jabbour Sami , Britto‐Júnior José , de Carvalho Demétrio Martinho Ramos , Fregonesi Adriano , Mariano Fernanda V. , de Souza Valéria Barbosa , Schenka Andre Almeida , Antunes Edson , De Nucci Gilberto
Published: January 2025

6‐Nitrodopamine (6‐ND) is the main catecholamine released from human isolated vas deferens and the adrenergic nervous system is known to play a major role in the contractions of the epididymal portion of the vas deferens. Here it was investigated the interactions of 6‐ND on the contractions of the human isolated vas deferens induced by either classical catecholamines or electric‐field stimulation (EFS). The vas deferens obtained from 106 patients who underwent vasectomy surgery were mounted in a 10‐mL glass chamber filled with warmed (37°C) and oxygenated Krebs–Henseleit's solution. The strips were pretreated (30 min) with 6‐ND (0.1–100 nM) and exposed to increasing concentrations of noradrenaline (0.01–300 M), dopamine (0.00001–10 mM), or adrenaline (0.01–300 M). The strips were also submitted to EFS in tissues pre‐incubated or not with 6‐ND (1–100 nM), noradrenaline (100 nM), adrenaline (100 nM), or dopamine (100 nM). Catecholamine basal release was evaluated by LC–MS/MS and expression of tyrosine hydroxylase by both immunohistochemistry (IC) and fluorescence in‐situ hybridization (FISH). Pre‐incubation of the vas deferens with 6‐ND caused marked potentiation of the contractions induced by noradrenaline, adrenaline, and dopamine, as characterized by significant increases in Emax, without changes in pEC50 values. 6‐nitrodopamine also caused significant increases in the EFS‐induced contractions. The basal release of 6‐ND was not affected by pre‐treatment of the tissues with tetrodotoxin. Tyrosine hydroxylase was detected in epithelial cells of human vas deferens samples by both IC and FISH. The results clearly demonstrate that epithelium‐derived 6‐ND is a major modulator of human vas deferens contractility.
Incidental Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas: Performance of the AGA, European, and IAP Guidelines in Advising Further Management after Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle Aspiration Biopsy
Authors: Pacheco Débora , Micelli-Neto Otávio , Taglieri Eloy , Issamu Tabushi Fernando , Malafaia Osvaldo , Cañada Trofo Surjan Rodrigo , Machado Marcel Autran , Venco Filadélfio Euclides , Kemp Rafael , dos Santos José Sebastião , Ardengh José Celso
Published: January 2025

Objectives:

We compared the performance of AGA-2015, ESG-2018, and IAP-2024 guidelines in referring patients for surgery versus surveillance when applied to incidental after diagnosis by EUS-FNA.

Methods:

Single-center, retrospective study with prospective data collection. PLs identified incidentally on CT or MRI/MRCP performed for other diseases with inconclusive imaging results were eligible for analysis. After EUS-FNA and microhistological diagnosis, each of the guidelines was applied; sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were compared.

Results:

140 asymptomatic patients (mean age 64.7 y, 61% female) had a confirmed diagnosis of MN. Of these, 42 (30%) had “high rik stigmata” and 16 (11.4%) were malignant. AGA-2015, ESG-2018, and IAP-2024, criteria would have advised surgery unnecessarily in 66%, 15%, and 46%, respectively (P<0.001). AGA-2015, ESG-2018, and IAP-2024, and criteria failed to identify 59%, 46.1%, and 33.3% of HGD/IC, respectively (P=1.00).

Conclusion:

The AGA-2015 criteria were highly specific, while IAP-2024 had superior sensitivity. All had moderate sensitivity to indicate surgery, and all missed similar numbers of malignant lesions. Performing EUS-FNA before application of guidelines seems appropriate to guide further management of asymptomatic PLs, preventing unnecessary surgery and referring patients appropriately for surveillance. The ESG-2018 guideline proved most accurate for this purpose.
Mpox primer for clinicians: what makes the difference in 2024?
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Sama Mahmoud , Bayici Büşra Zeynep , Keske Şiran , Kuşkucu Mert , Özsürekçi Yasemin , Rimoin Anne W. , Rodriguez-Morales Alfonso J. , Ergönül Önder
Published: January 2025

Purpose of review

The 2024 mpox outbreak, primarily driven by the possibly more virulent clade Ib strain, prompted the WHO declaring it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on August 14, 2024. This review provides essential guidance for clinicians managing mpox cases, as it contrasts the features of the 2024 outbreak with those of the 2022 epidemic to support better clinical decision-making.

Recent findings

The review highlights significant differences between the 2024 and 2022 outbreaks, including total case numbers, demographic distribution, and fatality rates. It also examines the increased severity associated with clade Ib. The article reviews the differential diagnosis of mpox, diagnostic tools, updates on Tecovirimat treatment, and infection control practices, particularly among healthcare workers. Vaccination strategies, including the role of smallpox vaccines and at-risk groups, are also discussed, along with recommendations for countries outside Africa.

The findings underscore the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment for mpox in light of the 2024 outbreak's unique characteristics. Clinicians are advised to stay informed about updated diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, including vaccine recommendations, to mitigate the spread of the disease.
Performance of an Algorithm Grading Surgery-Related Adverse Events According to the Clavien-Dindo Classification
Authors: Båverud Olsson Lisen , Parkan Dennis , Sjövall Annika , Nauclér Pontus , van der Werff Suzanne D. , Buchli Christian
Published: January 2025

Objective:

To assess performance of an algorithm for automated grading of surgery-related adverse events (AEs) according to Clavien-Dindo (C-D) classification.

Summary Background Data:

Surgery-related AEs are common, lead to increased morbidity for patients, and raise healthcare costs. Resource-intensive manual chart review is still standard and to our knowledge algorithms using electronic health record (EHR) data to grade AEs according to C-D classification have not been explored.

Method:

The algorithm was developed in a research database containing all EHR data of Karolinska University Hospital Stockholm and returns a C-D grade for each AE within 30 days. This raw score was used to grade postoperative recovery of 1,379 elective colorectal procedures according to C-D classification and Comprehensive Complication Index® (CCI). Agreement with manual annotation of colorectal surgeon (gold standard) and research nurse (current practice) was assessed in a random sample of 399 procedures.

Results:

For the C-D classification, kappa was 0.77 (95%CI 0.71-0.84) for algorithm vs surgeon and 0.74 (95%CI 0.67-0.82) for algorithm vs nurse. The kappa value increased to 0.89 (95%CI 0.84-0.95) after correction of misclassified annotations of surgeon. The intraclass correlation for CCI between algorithm and surgeon was 0.89 (95%CI 0.87-0.91) after correction and 0.76 (95%CI 0.71-0.80) for algorithm vs nurse.

Conclusion:

The performance of the algorithm motivates in our opinion implementation to real-time data under continuous scientific evaluation of the impact on AEs in different types of surgery. In the future, local EHR data could be used to enhance risk prediction with machine learning techniques.
DNA and spores from coprolites reveal that colourful truffle-like fungi endemic to New Zealand were consumed by extinct moa (Dinornithiformes)
Authors: Boast Alexander P. , Wood Jamie R. , Cooper Jerry , Bolstridge Nic , Perry George L. W. , Wilmshurst Janet M.
Published: January 2025

Mycovores (animals that consume fungi) are important for fungal spore dispersal, including ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi symbiotic with forest-forming trees. As such, fungi and their symbionts may be impacted by mycovore extinction. New Zealand (NZ) has a diversity of unusual, colourful, endemic sequestrate (truffle-like) fungi, most of which are ECM. As NZ lacks native land mammals (except bats), and sequestrate fungi are typically drab and mammal-dispersed, NZ’s sequestrate fungi are hypothesized to be adapted for bird dispersal. However, there is little direct evidence for this hypothesis, as 41% of NZ’s native land bird species became extinct since initial human settlement in the thirteenth century. Here, we report ancient DNA and spores from the inside of two coprolites of NZ’s extinct, endemic upland moa (
Megalapteryx didinus
) that reveal consumption and likely dispersal of ECM fungi, including at least one colourful sequestrate species. Contemporary data from NZ show that birds rarely consume fungi and that the introduced mammals preferentially consume exotic fungi. NZ’s endemic sequestrate fungi could therefore be dispersal limited compared with fungi that co-evolved with mammalian dispersers. NZ’s fungal communities may thus be undergoing a gradual species turnover following avian mycovore extinction and the establishment of mammalian mycovores, potentially affecting forest resilience and facilitating invasion by exotic tree taxa.
Demystifying the functions of the mitochondrial ORFan proteins in bivalves with doubly uniparental inheritance
Authors: Brémaud Julie , Debelli Alizée , Khorami Hajar Hosseini , Stewart Donald T. , Angers Annie , Angers Bernard , Breton Sophie
Published: January 2025

Strict maternal inheritance of mitochondria is known to be the rule in animals, but over 100 species across six orders of bivalves possess doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) of mitochondria. Under DUI, two distinctive sex-specific mitogenomes coexist. In marine and freshwater mussels, each mitogenome has an additional protein-coding gene, called female- and male-specific open reading frame or
forf
and
morf
, respectively. The function(s) of the associated FORF and MORF proteins remain unknown. Herein, we show that these proteins present similar tissue expression patterns in two distantly related DUI species: MORF was only expressed in male gonads, whereas FORF was expressed in all tissues of both sexes in the marine mussel
Mytilus edulis
and the freshwater mussel
Venustaconcha ellipsiformis
. Moreover, MORF was only expressed during the reproductive season, while FORF presented no clear seasonality pattern in
M. edulis
. Immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of both proteins in mitochondria and acrosomes of late spermatids and mature sperm. We hypothesize that MORF has a key function in spermatogenesis, while FORF has a more general function in both sexes. We also propose that both proteins may be involved in the fertilization process. The involvement of MORF in paternal mitochondrial transmission is also discussed.
Random walk models in the life sciences: including births, deaths and local interactions
Authors: Plank Michael J. , Simpson Matthew J. , Baker Ruth E.
Published: January 2025

Random walks and related spatial stochastic models have been used in a range of application areas, including animal and plant ecology, infectious disease epidemiology, developmental biology, wound healing and oncology. Classical random walk models assume that all individuals in a population behave independently, ignoring local physical and biological interactions. This assumption simplifies the mathematical description of the population considerably, enabling continuum-limit descriptions to be derived and used in model analysis and fitting. However, interactions between individuals can have a crucial impact on population-level behaviour. In recent decades, research has increasingly been directed towards models that include interactions, including physical crowding effects and local biological processes such as adhesion, competition, dispersal, predation and adaptive directional bias. In this article, we review the progress that has been made with models of interacting individuals. We aim to provide an overview that is accessible to researchers in application areas, as well as to specialist modellers. We focus particularly on derivation of asymptotically exact or approximate continuum-limit descriptions and simplified deterministic models of mean-field behaviour and resulting spatial patterns. We provide worked examples and illustrative results of selected models. We conclude with a discussion of current areas of focus and future challenges.
Morphological change in an isolated population of red squirrels (
Sciurus vulgaris
) in Britain
Authors: Chandler Kim E. , Gálvez-López Eloy , Black Stuart , Kitchener Andrew C. , Hamill Kat , Roberts Bethan , Doherty Sean , Cox Philip G.
Published: January 2025

The mechanical properties of dietary items are known to influence skull morphology, either through evolution or by phenotypic plasticity. Here, we investigated the impact of supplementary feeding of peanuts on the morphology of red squirrels (
Sciurus vulgaris
) from five populations in Britain (North Scotland, Borders, Jersey and two temporally distinct populations from Formby (Merseyside)). Stable isotope analysis confirmed dietary ecology in 58 specimens. Geometric morphometrics were used to analyse three-dimensional and two-dimensional shape variation across 113 crania and 388 mandibles, respectively. Nitrogen isotope ratios (δ
15
N) were lower in the 1990s and 2010s Formby squirrels (suggesting a diet with an increased proportion of peanuts), and higher in other populations. Significant differences in cranio-mandibular shape were found between all populations, with 1990s Formby red squirrels exhibiting a morphology associated with reduced masticatory efficiency. This effect was partially reversed following a reduction in supplementary feeding of peanuts. We propose that these morphological changes are related to the reduced mechanical effort needed to process peanuts relative to naturally occurring food items. This could be an example of diet-induced plastic changes to the skeleton in non-muroid wild mammals, although further research is needed to exclude other driving factors such as genetics.
Robust and time-resolved estimation of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic indices
Authors: Candia-Rivera Diego , de Vico Fallani Fabrizio , Chavez Mario
Published: January 2025

The time-resolved analysis of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) is crucial for the evaluation of the dynamic changes of autonomic activity under different clinical and behavioural conditions. Standard HRV analysis is performed in the frequency domain because the sympathetic activations tend to increase low-frequency HRV oscillations, while the parasympathetic ones increase high-frequency HRV oscillations. However, a strict separation of HRV into frequency bands may cause biased estimations, especially in the low-frequency range. To overcome this limitation, we propose a robust estimator that combines HR and HRV dynamics, based on the correlation of the Poincaré plot descriptors of interbeat intervals from the electrocardiogram. To validate our method, we used electrocardiograms gathered from open databases where standardized paradigms were applied to elicit changes in autonomic activity. Our proposal outperforms the standard spectral approach for the estimation of low- and high-frequency fluctuations in HRV, and its performance is comparable with newer methods. Our method constitutes a valuable, robust, time-resolved and cost-effective tool for a better understanding of autonomic activity through HR and HRV in a healthy state and potentially for pathological conditions.
Multi-modal integration of MRI and global chamber charge density mapping for the evaluation of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Sharp Alexander J. , Pope Michael T. B. , Briosa e Gala Andre , Varini Richard , Betts Timothy R. , Banerjee Abhirup
Published: January 2025

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent clinical arrhythmia, posing significant mortality and morbidity challenges. Outcomes of current catheter ablation treatment strategies are suboptimal, highlighting the need for innovative approaches. A major obstacle lies in the inability to comprehensively assess both structural and functional remodelling in AF. Combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)’s detailed structural insights with global chamber charge density mapping (CDM)’s functional mapping capabilities holds promise for advancing AF management. Our research introduces a novel tool for three-dimensional reconstruction of left atrial geometries from MRI, facilitating integration into CDM systems. We comprehensively assess our tool by generating three-dimensional left atrial meshes from MRIs of eight patients with AF and compare them with the established CDM intra-chamber ultrasound approach utilizing both geometric and clinical parameters. We apply the CDM inverse algorithm to both sets of reconstructions in order to compare derived conductions across various heart rhythms and AF conduction patterns. Finally, we explore the potential utility of our integrated pipeline through an exploration of the relationship between AF conduction patterns and their proximity to adjacent thoracic structures. Ultimately, this multifaceted approach aims to unveil insights into AF mechanisms, potentially improving treatment outcomes through personalized ablation strategies targeting arrhythmogenic atrial substrate.
Socioeconomic correlates of urban mobility trends in two Australian cities during transitional periods of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kollepara Pratyush , Dey Subhrasankha , Tomko Martin , Martino Erika , Bentley Rebecca , Tizzoni Michele , Geard Nicholas , Zachreson Cameron
Published: January 2025

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both government-mandated lockdowns and discretionary changes in behaviour combined to produce dramatic and abrupt changes to human mobility patterns. To understand the socioeconomic determinants of intervention compliance and discretionary behavioural responses to epidemic threats, we investigate whether changes in human mobility showed a systematic variation by socioeconomic status during two distinct periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. We analyse mobility data from two major urban centres and compare the trends during mandated stay-at-home policies and after the full relaxation of nonpharmaceutical interventions, which coincided with a large surge of COVID-19 cases. We analyse data aggregated from de-identified global positioning system trajectories, collated from providers of mobile phone applications and aggregated to small spatial regions. Our results demonstrate systematic decreases in mobility relative to the pre-pandemic baseline with the index of education and occupation, for both pandemic periods. On the other hand, the index of economic resources was not correlated with mobility changes. This result contrasts with observations from other national contexts, where reductions in mobility typically increased strongly with indicators of wealth. Our analysis suggests that economic support policies in place during the initial period of stay-at-home orders in Australia facilitated broad reductions in mobility across the economic spectrum.
Hummingbirds use compensatory eye movements to stabilize both rotational and translational visual motion
Authors: Lapsansky Anthony B. , Kreyenmeier Philipp , Spering Miriam , Wylie Douglas R. , Altshuler Douglas L.
Published: January 2025

To maintain stable vision, behaving animals make compensatory eye movements in response to image slip, a reflex known as the optokinetic response (OKR). Although OKR has been studied in several avian species, eye movements during flight are expected to be minimal. This is because vertebrates with laterally placed eyes typically show weak OKR to nasal-to-temporal motion (NT), which simulates typical forward locomotion, compared with temporal-to-nasal motion (TN), which simulates atypical backward locomotion. This OKR asymmetry is also reflected in the pretectum, wherein neurons sensitive to global visual motion also exhibit a TN bias. Hummingbirds, however, stabilize visual motion in all directions through whole-body movements and are unique among vertebrates in that they lack a pretectal bias. We therefore predicted that OKR in hummingbirds would be symmetrical. We measured OKR in restrained hummingbirds by presenting gratings drifting across a range of speeds. OKR in hummingbirds was asymmetrical, although the direction of asymmetry varied with stimulus speed. Hummingbirds moved their eyes largely independently of one another. Consistent with weak eye-to-eye coupling, hummingbirds also exhibited disjunctive OKR to visual motion simulating forward and backward translation. This unexpected oculomotor behaviour, previously unexplored in birds, suggests a potential role for compensatory eye movements during flight.
Scaling up to understand disease risk: distinct roles of host functional traits in shaping infection risk of avian malaria across different scales
Authors: Wu Qiang , Fecchio Alan , Han Yuxiao , Liu Juan , Jin Tinghao , Huang Zheng Y. X. , Ding Ping
Published: January 2025

Understanding the impacts of diversity on pathogen transmission is essential for public health and biological conservation. However, how the outcome and mechanisms of the diversity–disease relationship vary across biological scales in natural systems remains elusive. In addition, although the role of host functional traits has long been established in disease ecology, its integration into the diversity–disease relationship largely falls behind. By examining avian haemosporidians of 1101 birds from 86 species, we investigated how host functional traits and diversity may shape infection risk across individual and community levels. We found that host traits affect individual-level infection risk but fail to scale up the effect to the community level when testing community-weighted means. Moreover, functional divergence reduced community-level infection risk, indicating the dilution effect of functional diversity. Host richness also showed dilution effect at the community level, but not individual level for one parasite genus, suggesting that the dilution mechanism results from the aggregation of non-competent hosts into richer communities. These results demonstrate that the outcome and mechanism of diversity–disease relationship depend on biological scale, and aggregating observations may cause biased evidence and misattributed mechanisms. Overall, our work suppports the integration of trait-based ecology to further understand the diversity–disease relationship across biological scales.
Not all branches are equal: Branch Length Evaluation for Phylogenetic Diversity analysis
Authors: Miranda-Esquivel Daniel Rafael
Published: January 2025

Phylogenetic Diversity (PD) is a crucial metric in evolutionary and conservation studies; however, its dependence on branch-length information can be a source of uncertainty. Branch Length Evaluation for Phylogenetic Diversity analysis (BLEPD) is a free and open-source R program used to quantify the uncertainty in PD calculations caused by varying branch length information. It offers two main approaches: resampling branch lengths within the phylogenetic tree, and modifying individual branch lengths. By comparing the initial and selected areas after resampling or modification, BLEPD allows researchers to assess the sensitivity of PD to these variations. This analysis of branch length sensitivity provides valuable insights into the robustness of PD results and their dependence on this information. BLEPD may improve the interpretation of PD analyses in evolutionary, conservation, and ecological studies.