bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival in Patients With Evidence of Pulmonary Thromboembolism on Ventilation‐Perfusion SPECT 12 Weeks After Double Lung Transplantation: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mohammad Milan , Kristensen Anna W. , Hartmann Jacob P. , Wareham Neval E. , Buttar Sana N. , Greve Anders M. , Lund Thomas K. , Jensen Kristine , Schultz Hans H. L. , Perch Michael , Berg Ronan M. G. , Mortensen Jann
Published: February 2025

Background

Patients who have undergone double lung transplantation (DLTx) are at increased risk of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Although the presence of clinically overt PTE can adversely affect short‐term mortality, the prognostic impact of asymptomatic (silent) PTE detected by routine imaging after DLTx is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether PTE identified by routine ventilation‐perfusion single‐photon emission computed tomography (V̇‐Q̇ SPECT) 12 weeks post‐DLTx is associated with subsequent all‐cause and graft‐related mortality.

Methods

Single‐center retrospective cohort study evaluating 130 DLTx recipients who underwent routine V̇‐Q̇ SPECT imaging 12 weeks posttransplant between 2012 and 2017. V̇‐Q̇ SPECT scans were assessed for perfusion and ventilation defects indicative of PTE. The association between PTE and mortality outcomes was analyzed using multivariable Cox regression, Kaplan‐Meier survival curves, and cumulative incidence functions.

Results

PTE was identified in 24.6% (n = 32) of the patients 12 weeks post‐DLTx. After 3 months of follow‐up, there was no detectable difference in lung function between patients with and without PTE. Moreover, the presence of PTE was not associated with increased hazard ratios for all‐cause mortality (HR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.37–1.41; p = 0.34) or graft‐specific mortality (HR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.42–2.16; p = 0.91).

Conclusions

PTE is a frequent finding on routine V̇‐Q̇ SPECT 12 weeks post‐DLTx that does not inform risk of all‐cause or graft‐related mortality. These findings suggest that an incidentally detected PTE in asymptomatic patients may not necessitate changes in clinical management for asymptomatic DLTx patients.
Pharmacokinetics and ADME Characterization After Oral and Intravenous Administration of [14C]‐Ziftomenib in Healthy Male Participants
Authors: Mitra Amitava , Ahsan Julie Mackey , Tabachri Marilyn , El‐Shahat Taha , Leoni Mollie , Dale Stephen
Published: February 2025

Ziftomenib, a potent, selective inhibitor that binds menin at the lysine methyltransferase 2 interaction site, has demonstrated promising clinical activity with manageable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and nucleophosmin 1 mutations. This phase 1, open‐label study characterized the absorption, metabolism, excretion, and bioavailability of ziftomenib in healthy men and comprised two parts. In part A, a single oral dose of ziftomenib 400 mg (containing 250 μCi [14C]‐ziftomenib) was given to evaluate routes and rates of elimination, total radioactivity, and other pharmacokinetic parameters. In part B, a single oral dose of ziftomenib 400 mg followed by an intravenous dose of ziftomenib < 100 μg (containing 1 μCi [14C]‐ziftomenib) was administered to evaluate absolute bioavailability (both n = 8 patients). A median tmax of 3.5 h and an elimination t1/2 of 61.5 h demonstrated rapid ziftomenib absorption and enabled once‐daily dosing. Total radioactivity recovery was 89.7% in feces and 0.5% in urine over 480 h. Absolute bioavailability of 12.9% was observed. Ziftomenib was primarily metabolized by oxidation, N‐demethylation, and N‐dealkylation, with 19 metabolites recovered in plasma. All metabolites were considered minor (< 10% of total drug‐related exposure). Ziftomenib was the most abundant plasma component (> 10% of total drug‐related exposure). In conclusion, ziftomenib underwent limited metabolism following absorption and was primarily excreted as unchanged parent drug in feces. Ziftomenib was well tolerated with no new safety concerns in healthy men. Considering the pharmacokinetic profile and manageable safety outcomes, these findings support further clinical investigation of ziftomenib as treatment for AML.
A Rare Case of Bullous Melanoma With Subepidermal Separation
Authors: Taş‐Aygar Gamze , Gönül Müzeyyen , Çevirgen‐Cemil Bengü , Gökçe Aysun , Kartal Selda Pelin
Published: February 2025

Several rare subtypes of melanoma, beyond the classic variants, have been described in the literature. The rarity of these variants can hinder recognition and lead to delays in clinical diagnosis. Bullous melanoma is one such rare subtype. Blister formation in bullous melanoma can occur either intraepidermally or subepidermally. While most reported cases exhibit intraepidermal separation, only three cases with subepidermal separation have been documented to date. Here, we present a rare case of bullous melanoma with subepidermal separation characterized by exceptional recurrent bullous episodes.
Ancillary Tools for the Diagnosis of CIC‐Rearranged Sarcoma: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Cloutier Jeffrey M. , Al‐Rohil Rami N. , Patel Rajiv M. , Ko Jennifer S. , Linos Konstantinos
Published: February 2025

CIC‐rearranged sarcoma is a rare and aggressive undifferentiated round cell sarcoma that presents significant diagnostic challenges due to its histologic overlap with other round cell sarcomas. This review, conducted on behalf of the American Society of Dermatopathology Appropriate Use Criteria Committee (soft tissue subgroup), provides an overview of current immunohistochemical, cytogenetic, and molecular tests used to support the diagnosis of CIC‐rearranged sarcoma. This comprehensive analysis included 36 studies, encompassing 436 CIC‐rearranged sarcomas. The immunohistochemical markers, CD99 (typically non‐diffuse), nuclear WT1, ETV4, and DUX4, were found to be relatively highly sensitive for CIC‐rearranged sarcoma (CD99: 87%, WT1: 83%, ETV4: 85%, DUX4: 97%). However, the specificity of these markers is variable, with CD99 being highly non‐specific, while WT1 (81%–90%), ETV4 (95%), and DUX4 (100%) offering greater specificity. CIC break‐apart FISH can be a helpful and cost‐effective assay for detection of CIC‐rearrangements, but has a false‐negative rate that ranges from 26% to 43%. Next‐generation sequence RNA fusion analysis also carries a risk of false negatives, which may be partly mitigated through manual data review. Ultimately, an accurate diagnosis of CIC‐rearranged sarcoma requires careful morphologic assessment in combination with immunohistochemical studies and cytogenetics/molecular assays.
Integrating routine screening for pregnancy intention and contraceptive use into care of women who use alcohol or other drugs
Authors: Murnion Bridin , Chase Vicki , Carniato Grace , Masters Kate , McNamara Kelly
Published: February 2025

Introduction

There are high rates of unplanned pregnancy and low rates of contraceptive use in women with substance use disorders. Women who use drugs experience many barriers to health. In addiction treatment services in New South Wales, Australia, patients undergo routine health screening on treatment entry and annually thereafter. An integrated pregnancy and contraceptive screening tool was developed. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to report the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of this tool.

Methods

A pregnancy intention screening (PIS) tool was developed and integrated into the electronic medical record and the annual routine screening. This tool consisted of four yes/no questions about current pregnancy, future pregnancy plans and contraceptive use. Responses to these questions are reported. Descriptive statistics were used to report demographic and outcome data.

Results

One hundred women were offered and completed the survey. There were low rates of effective or highly effective contraceptive use (24.5 percent of eligible participants). Seventy‐four percent of participants wanted further information on contraception.

Discussion and Conclusions

As with other studies, our studies demonstrate low rates of contraceptive use and high rates of interest in contraception use among women who use drugs. The PIS tool was completed by all women to whom it was offered, suggesting high levels of patient acceptability. Integration of a PIS tool was effective in identifying women with contraceptive needs and was acceptable to women.
The Distribution of Wild Bee Species Along a Latitudinal Gradient in Northern Europe Depends on Their Flower Preferences
Authors: Torvanger Marianne S. , Dupont Yoko L. , Olesen Jens M. , Rasmussen Claus , Madsen Henning B. , Star Bastiaan , Sydenham Markus A. K.
Published: February 2025

Aim

The functional diversity of bees contribute to the maintenance of plant biodiversity because different species of wild bees prefer and pollinate different plants. Many bees, in particular species with narrow flower preferences or specialised habitat requirements, are threatened by landscape homogenisation and climate change. Nonetheless, we still lack an understanding of large‐scale impacts of anthropogenic stressors on the distribution of wild bee species with different flower preferences.

Location

Northern Europe: Norway, Denmark and Germany.

Methods

We combine a dataset comprising ~30,000 observations of presences or absences of bee occurrences from structured surveys at 269 sites in northern Europe to investigate if flower preferences modulate species distributions across multiple environmental gradients. Bees were assigned a continuous functional trait separating preference for short vs. tubular flowers.

Results

We observe that bee flower preference for either tubular flowers (Fabaceae) or plants with shallow flowers (including Apiaceae and Brassicaceae) can be described by a continuous flower preference trait score. The likelihood of observing a bee along a latitudinal gradient—encompassing variation in temperature, atmospheric N deposition and elevation—is dependent on its flower preference trait score. Specifically, bees with preferences for tubular flowers have a higher likelihood of occurrence with higher latitudes, while bees with preference for non‐tubular flowers increase towards the south.

Main Conclusions

Our results improve our understanding of how species‐specific variation in flower preferences drives community‐wide shifts in diversity and can therefore help devise region‐specific conservation strategies.
Distance From the Road, Habitat Type and Environmental Factors Predict Distribution of Invasive and Native Plant Species in the Above‐Ground Vegetation and Soil Seedbanks
Authors: Dai Wanting , Oduor Ayub M. O. , Guo Chaodan , Quan Zhanjun , Li Junsheng , Zhao Caiyun
Published: February 2025

Aim

Road networks are common landscape disturbances that can facilitate the spread of invasive plants. This study explored the influence of distance from the road, habitat type and broader environmental factors in shaping the distribution patterns of both invasive and native species in the above‐ground vegetation and soil seed banks.

Location

Guangxi, China.

Methods

We collected data on plant species composition from both soil seed banks and above‐ground vegetation at six distances from the road edge: 0 m, 2 m, 4 m, 9 m, 14 m and 24 m in three habitat types, including abandoned land, Eucalyptus plantations and natural secondary forests. We collected data on environmental variables at each sampling location. We examined the compositional similarity of plant communities by non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and identified the influence factors by redundancy analysis (RDA).

Results

Our results indicated that invasive species richness decreased with distance from the road, especially in natural secondary forests. Conversely, native species did not show consistent distribution patterns relative to distance from roads across the various habitats. The composition of invasive plant communities was similar in both soil seed banks and above‐ground vegetation, while only 13.33% of native species identified in the soil were observed in the above‐ground vegetation. Road characteristics, human disturbance and soil properties correlated with the distribution of invasive and native species, with the strength of these correlations varying among habitat types. The richness and density of native plants were associated with the presence of invasive alien plants at various distances from the road across the three types of habitats.

Main Conclusions

The study highlights that proximity to the road, habitat type and environmental factors are critical in determining the distribution of plant species within nature reserves. Moreover, it underscores the importance of integrating both above‐ground and seed bank perspectives for effective management strategies to control invasive species and promote native plant communities.
Care in Times of Crisis: Phenomenological, Political and Theological Perspectives
Authors: Jørgensen Anders Skou
Published: February 2025

The threat of increasingly adverse existential conditions has prompted activist groups like Extinction Rebellion to enact civil disobedience. In this article, this sort of behavior is interpreted as a message about not only what they care about, but about what they think their surroundings ought to care about. Care is investigated through the lens of hermeneutic phenomenology as a call to awareness of the value of something or someone. By drawing especially on Jean‐Luc Marion's phenomenology of love and on Joan Tronto's early work on political care, it is shown how to bridge phenomenological concerns with an ethics of caring for someone or something. It is argued that that we may, in some circumstances, demand that other people care about what we care about. Last, these reflections are connected to Sallie McFague's theological suggestion of a friendship model of the divine‐creation relationship.
Screening for disordered eating in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes: A comparison of Diabetes Eating Problem Survey Revised (DEPS‐R) and Youth Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (YEDE‐Q) with item‐level analysis
Authors: Abild Caroline B. , Clausen Loa , Wisting Line , Bruun Jens Meldgaard , Kristensen Kurt , Støving Rene Klinkby , Vestergaard Esben Thyssen
Published: February 2025

Aims

People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) face an increased risk of disordered eating (DE) and eating disorders (ED), associated with glucose levels outside target range and an increased risk of complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the type and severity of DE and assess the item accuracy of the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey Revised (DEPS‐R) compared to the Youth Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (YEDE‐Q) in the screening of DE among adolescents with T1D.

Methods

Cross‐sectional online survey including DEPS‐R, YEDE‐Q and medical records. Item to total analysis with correlations, and group comparisons were performed.

Results

A total of 131 adolescents between 11 and 19 (mean age 15.3 ± 2.2) years completed both DEPS‐R and YEDE‐Q, identifying 21.4% and 22.9% with DE, respectively. Significantly more females (>30%) than males (≈5%) were identified in both measures. More than 50% reported insulin restriction in DEPS‐R vs. 1.5% in YEDE‐Q. YEDE‐Q yielded 32% with weight controlling behaviours, however, half of these were unidentified by DEPS‐R. Item‐total analysis of DEPS‐R showed that item 10 had small correlations to both total score and clinical variables.

Conclusion

This study confirms the clinical relevance of DEPS‐R, including associations between DE and female sex, older age, and glucose levels outside target range, however, it may not accurately capture distinct ED risk behaviours, such as excessive exercise or shape and weight related insulin restriction. The item‐total analysis shows that the relevance of item 10 should be further investigated.
Use of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors and risk of dementia: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Zhuo Lin , Zhang Baixue , Yin Yueqi , Sun Yexiang , Shen Peng , Jiang Zhiqin , Zhan Siyan , Zhao Houyu
Published: February 2025

Background and Aims

The effects of sodium‐glucose co‐transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT‐2i) on dementia risk have not been assessed in the Chinese population. We aimed to assess the association between the use of SGLT‐2i and dementia incidence in a mainland Chinese population.

Materials and Methods

A target trial of SGLT‐2i vs. dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP‐4i) was emulated, with cohorts of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who were new users of SGLT‐2i or DPP‐4i being assembled using the Yinzhou Regional Health Care Database. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to control potential confounding, and a Cox model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of the association between the use of SGLT‐2i and incident dementia.

Results

The final cohort included 47 335 new users of DPP‐4i or SGLT‐2i. In the primary analysis, the incidence of dementia was 500.2 and 347.5 per 100 000 person‐years in users of DPP‐4i and SGLT‐2i, respectively. SGLT‐2i use was associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia after adjusting for potential confounding using IPTW, with an HR of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.60–0.93). The results were generally consistent in various subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

The use of SGLT‐2i is associated with a decreased risk of dementia incidence in the study population in mainland China.
Valve It Right? Can Transthoracic Imaging Prevent CIED‐Induced Tricuspid Regurgitation?
Authors: Bourg Corentin , Donal Erwan
Published: February 2025

The subcostal en face view of the tricuspid valve has emerged as a promising echocardiographic technique for visualizing right ventricular (RV) lead positions in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). This approach offers the potential to prevent tricuspid regurgitation (TR) by allowing rhythmologists to adjust lead positions in real time, ensuring optimal device placement and minimizing valve interference. A study by Zach et al. (2024) demonstrated the feasibility of this technique in 64% of patients, offering a viable alternative when 3D echocardiography is unavailable or non‐diagnostic. The study found no significant correlation between lead position and TR severity, suggesting that other factors may contribute to TR development. While the subcostal en face view holds significant promise, limitations such as poor image quality in patients with obesity, abdominal pathologies, or multiple leads, as well as the need for experience to maximize success rates, must be addressed. Future prospective studies are needed to validate the clinical benefits of the subcostal en face view during CIED implantation, including its impact on procedural duration and TR prevention. This technique represents an important step toward enhancing patient safety and improving CIED implantation protocols.
Body composition markers are more strongly associated with type 2 diabetes than inflammatory markers—Results from the study of health in Pomerania
Authors: Bibi Saima , Naeem Muhammad , Schipf Sabine , Bahls Martin , Dörr Marcus , Friedrich Nele , Nauck Matthias , Bülow Robin , Völzke Henry , Markus Marcello Ricardo Paulista , Ittermann Till
Published: February 2025

Background and Aims

Evidence links body composition and inflammatory markers with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the comparative analysis of body composition markers derived from different modalities and inflammatory markers in relation to T2D remains unexplored. This study aims to evaluate and compare the association of body composition and inflammatory markers with T2D.

Methods

We included 4043 participants (2081 female, 51.4%) aged 20–84 enrolled in the population‐based Study of Health in Pomerania. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for confounding were used to analyse associations of standardized body composition markers derived from classic anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance analysis, magnetic resonance imaging as well as inflammatory markers C‐reactive protein, white blood cell count, fibrinogen, ferritin and CRP‐to‐albumin ratio with prevalent T2D.

Results

Body composition markers were more strongly associated with T2D than inflammatory markers. Waist circumference exhibited the strongest association with T2D (female: odds ratio (OR) = 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.17–3.00; male: OR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.86–2.60). Similarly, body weight (female: 2.07; 1.78‐2.41; male: OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.71–2.31), waist‐to‐height ratio (female: OR = 2.39; 95% CI = 2.05–2.77; male: 2.28; 1.92–2.70) and visceral adipose tissue (female: 3.02; 95% CI = 2.11–4.32; male: 1.50; 1.19–1.89) showed strong associations with T2D. Among inflammatory markers, white blood cell count in male and CRP‐to‐albumin ratio in female exhibit the strongest association with T2D.

Conclusions

Body composition markers seem to be more tightly associated with prevalent T2D compared to inflammatory markers.
GEE‐PICX: generating cloud‐free Sentinel‐2 and Landsat image composites and spectral indices for custom areas and time frames – a Google Earth Engine web application
Authors: Pflumm Luisa , Kang Hyeonmin , Wilting Andreas , Niedballa Jürgen
Published: February 2025

Earth observation satellites are collecting vast amounts of free and openly accessible data with immense potential to support environmental, economic, and social fields. As the availability of remotely sensed data increases, so do the methods for accessing and processing it. Many solutions exist for creating cloud‐free image composites from often cloudy satellite data, but these typically require coding skills or in‐depth training in remote‐sensing techniques. This technical barrier prevents many researchers and practitioners from utilising available satellite data. The few user‐friendly solutions that exist often have limitations in terms of data export size and quality assessment capabilities. We developed GEE‐PICX, a web application with an intuitive graphical user interface on the cloud computing platform Google Earth Engine. This tool addresses the aforementioned challenges by creating cloud‐free, analysis‐ready image composites for user‐defined areas and time periods. It utilises Sentinel‐2 and Landsat 5, 7, 8, and 9 images and offers global coverage. Users can aggregate image composites annually or seasonally, with data availability starting from 1984 (the launch of Landsat 5). The workflow automatically filters all available satellite data according to user input, removing clouds, cloud shadows, and snow. It provides spectral band information, calculates various thematic spectral indices (including vegetation, burn, built‐up area, bare soil, snow, moisture, and water indices), and includes a quality assessment band indicating the number of valid scenes per pixel. GEE‐PICX offers a customizable tool for creating custom data products from freely accessible satellite data, catering to researchers with limited remote sensing experience. It provides extensive temporal and global spatial coverage, with server‐side processing eliminating hardware constraints. The tool facilitates easy export of time series as ready‐to‐use rasters with numerous spectral indices, supporting environmental programmes and biodiversity research across various disciplines.

Keywords: cloud masking, cloud‐free image mosaic, environmental monitoring, remote sensing, satellite imagery, time series
Identifying Preliminary Risk Profiles for Dissociation in 16‐ to 25‐Year‐Olds Using Machine Learning
Authors: McGuinness Roberta , Herring Daniel , Wu Xinyi , Almandi Maryam , Bhangu Daveena , Collinson Lucia , Shang Xiaocheng , Černis Emma
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Dissociation is associated with clinical severity, increased risk of suicide and self‐harm, and disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults. Whilst evidence indicates multiple factors contribute to dissociative experiences, a multi‐factorial explanation of increased risk for dissociation has yet to be achieved.

Methods

We used multiple regression to investigate the relative influence of five plausible risk factors (childhood trauma, loneliness, marginalisation, socio‐economic status, and everyday stress), and machine learning to generate tentative high‐risk profiles for ‘felt sense of anomaly’ dissociation (FSA‐dissociation) using cross‐sectional online survey data from 2384 UK‐based 16‐ to 25‐year‐olds.

Results

Multiple regression indicated that four risk factors significantly contributed to FSA‐dissociation, with relative order of contribution: everyday stress, childhood trauma, loneliness and marginalisation. Exploratory analysis using machine learning suggested dissociation results from a complex interplay between interpersonal, contextual, and intrapersonal pressures: alongside marginalisation and childhood trauma, negative self‐concept and depression were important in younger (16–20 years), and anxiety and maladaptive emotion regulation in older (21–25 years) respondents.

Conclusions

Validation of these findings could inform clinical assessment, and prevention and outreach efforts, improving the under‐recognition of dissociation in mainstream services.
‘If the School Does Not Provide What I Expect, I Have to Supply It From Other Sources’: Czech Parents' Dissatisfaction as a Driver of Shadow Education
Authors: Šťastný Vít
Published: February 2025

Shadow education (various forms or types of private supplementary tutoring) and its implications and determinants have been explored by the scholarly literature, yet gaps remain in the understanding of its complex relationships with mainstream schooling in various national settings. This study reduces one of these gaps by scrutinising the role of parental dissatisfaction, exploring which aspects of schooling make dissatisfied parents consider procuring private supplementary tutoring for their children. Data for the qualitative study were gathered through individual, semistructured, in‐depth interviews with 65 Czech parents. A maximum‐variation sampling strategy was employed to gain insights from parents with different backgrounds and life situations. Parents who sought private tutoring because of their dissatisfaction with schooling listed a large array of school‐related causes that triggered their decision. These were related to classroom instruction (e.g., inappropriate curriculum, grade inflation in student assessment), classroom organisation (e.g., unfavourable disciplinary climate and classroom composition), school communication (e.g., late teacher feedback on students' performance) and general school culture (e.g., unfavourable student–teacher relationships). The study has implications for teachers, schools and relatedly also policymakers by showing how their (in)actions and ignorance towards the quality of the service they offer may nurture the demand for private tutoring, which in turn may undermine their efforts to mitigate educational inequalities.
The Rotenone‐Induced Sporadic Parkinsonism Model: Timeline of Motor and Non‐Motor Features
Authors: de Souza Nascimento Tyciane , Oliveira Alfaete Vieira , de Oliveira Bélem Mônica , Bezerra Jéssica Rabelo , do Carmo Marta Regina Santos , da Silva Mateus Edson , Cunha Rodrigo A. , Feitosa Caio Roberto Caldas , do Santos Armenio Aguiar , Sampaio Tiago Lima , de Andrade Geanne Matos
Published: February 2025

The prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) requires better characterized animal models, in particular of the PD prodrome. Since pesticide are well‐established triggers of Parkinsonism, we now undertook a detailed characterization of the time‐dependent onset of behavioural and neurochemical alterations after the repeated daily intraperitoneal administration to adult male rats of a low dose of rotenone (2.75 mg/kg) during weekdays for 21 days. The onset of motor (bradykinesia in the open field test) and coordination deficits (balance in the rotarod and rearing in the open field) occurred after 14 days of exposure to rotenone, linked to a nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration and increased accumulation of α‐synuclein, which are key features of PD. Moreover, we identified several modifications pre‐dating the onset of PD‐like motor symptoms, encompassing gastrointestinal alterations and a modified whole‐body composition together with olfactory dysfunction and memory and emotional impairments, which were typified by: i) a delayed gastric emptying of liquids (13CO2 analysis), which was evident from the third day of rotenone administration and was aggravated over subsequent days; ii) a loss of total, visceral and subcutaneous body fat and dehydration (bioimpedance spectroscopy); iii) olfactory dysfunction (discrimination test and food buried test). The characterization of this prodrome period in this robust model of PD offers a new window of opportunity to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of PD onset and to devise and test novel neuroprotective strategies.
The Individuality of Meaning in Life
Authors: Kipke Roland
Published: February 2025

In contemporary philosophical discourse, there is a widespread assumption that meaning in life is individual: that it is a value inherent in individual human lives, that the content of this meaning varies from individual to individual, and that it differs in degree based on the individual. Despite these claims, however, objectivist theories of meaningful life have so far failed to do full justice to this assumption of individuality, leading to certain deficiencies and distortions in the understanding of meaningful life. This paper aims to highlight these shortcomings and to explain how the individuality of meaning in life can be better understood within an objectivist framework. This proposed individuality account provides a necessary correction and complement to existing objectivist accounts of meaningful life. The paper demonstrates how the individuality account successfully addresses common shortcomings, withstands various objections, and differs significantly from current approaches.
From Tics to Stabs: Renaming Cluster Tics in Cluster Headache—A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Carney May , Søborg Marie‐Louise Kulas , Maarbjerg Stine , Lund Nunu , Worm Jacob , Bendtsen Lars , Jensen Rigmor Højland , Petersen Anja Sofie
Published: February 2025

Background

Short‐lasting paroxysms of facial pain in patients with cluster headache have traditionally been called “cluster tics.” Mostly described as co‐occurring trigeminal neuralgia, they remain to be explored as an independent phenomenon. We investigated the prevalence of cluster tics in cluster headache, the clinical differentiation from trigeminal neuralgia, and propose a distinct definition and renaming of cluster tics.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, controlled, cross‐sectional study using semi‐structured interviews of patients with cluster headache at the Danish Headache Center. A comparator cohort of patients with trigeminal neuralgia was included from a previous study. We investigated the lifetime prevalence of cluster tics in the cluster headache group and characterized them according to duration, location, pain‐intensity, triggerability, and serial occurrence.

Results

We included 424 participants with cluster headache (median age 52 years (IQR: 32–72), male–female ratio 3:2) and 576 participants with trigeminal neuralgia (median age 72 years (IQR: 50–94), male–female ratio 1:3). Cluster tics were reported by 200 (47%) cluster headache participants with higher odds for participants of female sex (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.27–2.96, p = 0.002) and participants with chronic cluster headache (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.15–2.63, p = 0.008). Unlike trigeminal neuralgia, cluster tics were not triggerable (OR: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01–0.04, p < 2e‐16) and presented with pain restricted to the first trigeminal division.

Conclusions

Cluster tics are prevalent in nearly half of patients with cluster headache, associated to female sex and chronic phenotype. Unlike trigeminal neuralgia, cluster tics occur in the orbital region and are largely non‐triggerable. To improve terminology, we propose renaming cluster tics to “cluster stabs.”
Long‐term safety and efficacy of adjunctive perampanel in pediatric patients (ages 4 to <12 years) with inadequately controlled focal‐onset seizures or generalized tonic–clonic seizures
Authors: Flamini Robert , Fogarasi Andras , Omatsu Hirowo , Milh Mathieu , Phillips Steven , Patten Anna , Takase Takao , Ngo Leock Y.
Published: February 2025

Objective

Study 311 (NCT02849626) Extension A assessed long‐term outcomes of adjunctive perampanel treatment in children (ages 4 to <12 years) with uncontrolled focal‐onset seizures (FOS), with/without focal to bilateral tonic–clonic seizures (FBTCS), or generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCS).

Methods

Patients completing the 23‐week Core Study could enter Extension A (29‐week Maintenance and 4‐week Follow‐up Periods) to receive perampanel at the dose achieved during the Core Study. Dose adjustments were permitted per the investigator's discretion during Extension A. The maximum dose was 12 mg/day for patients enrolled in Japan and without enzyme‐inducing anti‐seizure medications (EIASMs), or 16 mg/day with EIASM(s). Safety and tolerability were monitored throughout Extension A. Efficacy assessments included median percent change in seizure frequency per 28 days from baseline and 50% responder rates. Outcomes were analyzed by seizure type, age (4 to <7 vs 7 to <12 years), and EIASM use.

Results

Of 180 patients enrolling in the Core Study, 136 entered (FOS, n = 116 [including 43 with FBTCS]; GTCS, n = 20) and 122 completed Extension A. Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were the most common reason for discontinuation (4%). The mean (standard deviation) dose during Extension A was 8.3 (3.2) mg/day. Incidences of TEAEs in Extension A were 69% overall and 62%–89% across subgroups; TEAEs led to dose adjustment in 10% of patients. No changes of clinical concern in cognition, growth, development, or quality of life were identified over 52 weeks. At Weeks 40–52, median percent reductions in seizure frequency per 28 days from baseline were 69% (FOS, n = 108), 74% (FBTCS, n = 41), and 100% (GTCS, n = 13); 50% responder rates were 62% (FOS and GTCS) and 81% (FBTCS). Efficacy outcomes were comparable across age and EIASM groups.

Significance

These findings support long‐term (≤52 weeks) use of adjunctive perampanel in children with epilepsy, irrespective of seizure type, age, or EIASM use.
Vagus nerve stimulation in Lennox–Gastaut syndrome: Twenty‐four‐month data and experience from the CORE‐VNS study
Authors: Lyons Paul , Wheless James , Verner Ryan , Ferreira Jose , Liow Kore , Valeriano James , Motamedi Gholam , Giannicola Gaia , Nichol Kathryn
Published: February 2025

Objective

The drug‐resistant epilepsy associated with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) has a long‐term effect on patients and is difficult to treat with conventional pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies. Our objective is to demonstrate that adjunctive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can help manage the seizures associated with LGS.

Methods

CORE‐VNS (NCT03529045) is a prospective, multicenter, multinational observational study to collect data on seizure and nonseizure outcomes following treatment with VNS. Participants were identified as having a documented LGS diagnosis and received initial VNS implants. Baseline seizure frequency data and patient‐reported outcome measures were collected at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. This interim analysis compared baseline data to VNS therapy outcomes at 24 months, and the results are presented here.

Results

Sixty participants in the CORE‐VNS study had a diagnosis of LGS and received an initial implant of VNS. The population was geographically diverse: 31.7% European, 26.7% from the Americas, and 26.7% from the Western Pacific. The median age at implant was 11.8 years (range = 2.2–47.6), and only 26.7% of those diagnosed with LGS were >18 years of age. Most (70%) of the participants had severe cognitive impairment. The LGS participants failed a median of 6 antiseizure medications, and 83.3% had not undergone epilepsy surgery. The LGS responder rate (≥50% reduction in seizure frequency) at 24 months for focal and generalized seizures was 66.7% and 47.4%, respectively. Some participants (20%, 12/60) experienced a ≥80% reduction in total seizure frequency. VNS was well tolerated, with only 15% (9/60) reporting at least one treatment‐emergent adverse event, primarily cough, dysphonia, and oropharyngeal pain.

Significance

LGS participants who received adjunctive VNS therapy to manage seizures were predominantly severely cognitively impaired children. Reductions in seizure frequency, including those with drops, and the sustained nature of the response support VNS as a promising therapy in LGS.
Democratization and Research: Can Ethnography Save Itself?
Authors: LEVIN NADINE
Published: February 2025

With a strategic analysis of the push to “democratize” research—to open the research practice to non‐researchers—this paper charts a path to shape the future value and practice of ethnography. While democratization debates often focus on concerns that it will take jobs away from trained researchers, I focus instead on what democratization looks like in practice and why it is appealing to organizations. I argue that democratization is a window into the changing knowledge practices, value systems, and organization of labor in modern tech environments. Through this lens, I lay out concrete ways ethnographers can have more agency and long‐term influence in our evolving organizational and business contexts.
Estimating the Return on Ethnographic Investment: Finding More Human(e) Ways to Measure Our Impact
Authors: METZO KATHERINE
Published: February 2025

This paper argues that more appropriate measures are needed to illuminate the full value to organizations of investing in ethnography. The author proposes a framework for defining qualitative and quantitative variables for impacts that unfold across both short‐ and long‐term horizons, and through direct and indirect outcomes that are financial, organizational, and strategic. The author also argues that these variables must be defined in ways that are meaningful to both the organizations we work for and the communities they interact with. A case study of a past project demonstrates the multidimensional return on ethnographic investment.
Seeing It from Other Eyes: How First‐Person Data Reshapes the Role of the Applied Ethnographer
Authors: CURY MARIA , WHITWORTH ERYN , ABONIZIO ARIEL , COREN GABRIEL , POTTER MAYA , MOELLENBERG TAMARA , KRENCHEL MIKKEL
Published: February 2025

This paper argues that first‐person data—video, audio, and other data that is recorded from the research participants' point of view through wearable technology—affords new possibilities for anthropology and the social sciences to capture and work with longitudinal, immersive, behavioral data at scale. We position first‐person data capture as an ethnographic method, complimentary and adjacent to others. Collecting detailed data on what people see, hear and experience through wearable technology opens a new way of understanding people, communities, and societies that has the potential to fundamentally change the social sciences as researchers gain access to nuanced, real‐time interactions and behaviors. We also show the value of ethnography in informing the development of wearable technology, as well as engineering and research to develop next‐generation technology across areas like computer vision and foundational AI. The paper draws on a series of projects the authors conducted for Meta Reality Labs Research during 2018–2024, which resulted in 1000+ hours of first‐person footage that were analyzed alongside participant observation, semi‐structured interviews, and diary studies.
What's Going on with Strategic Research in Big Tech?
Authors: RAMSEY‐ELLIOT MORGAN , LOTTERMAN CHARLIE , WU CAMERON
Published: February 2025

For years big tech was one of the major employers of, and training grounds for, industry ethnographers focused on solving complex, longer‐term strategic problems. But the wave of layoffs that hit white‐collar workers beginning in 2022 prompted many in the research community to question their historical value to companies and their offerings to them in the future. Many participants in this discourse arrived at the same conclusion: Researchers need to do more strategic research—but what does that mean? And does the core of the issue lie with research, tech, strategy, or some combination of the three? After surveying shifts in the macro context that have upended the status of researchers within businesses, specifically large technology companies, we apply Roger Martin's strategy playbook to develop a strategy for ourselves. We argue that to meet the moment, researchers should grow the strategic muscle of their companies by shifting their focus from how users interact with products to how their businesses interact with a wider world. By repositioning our offering to companies in this way, we argue that researchers can apply ethnography's unique capabilities to the most pressing strategic questions facing businesses today.
The People Say: How We Built a Groundbreaking Public Research Platform to Catalyze Human‐Centered Policymaking
Authors: MAULDIN CHELSEA , KOTTAMASU RAJ , ROUTZAHN PETEY
Published: February 2025

The People Say is a pioneering research repository and a model for making rich qualitative data available for policy innovation. This case study describes the rigorous research and data processing techniques used to create the platform, as well as the immediate impact it had in informing policy. It addresses a key challenge for government agencies and NGOs, which increasingly involve the public in formative research, yet face limitations around recruitment, lack of longitudinal studies, and poor engagement policies. Created by Public Policy Lab and SCAN Foundation, the platform is designed to improve policymaking for older adults, with 108 topic and subtopic tags that users can use to filter and associate data with existing quantitative studies. The project also underscores the value of qualitative research in capturing lived experiences and shifting systems to meet the needs of marginalized populations. Future goals include longitudinal research, expanding to other demographics and locations, and supporting civic researchers in creating more public research.
An Apprenticeship in Attention for a Time Between Worlds
Authors: WELLER INDIGO
Published: February 2025

PechaKucha Presentation Abstract

The aim of this Pecha Kucha is to describe the power and beauty of intergenerational sense‐making at the end of life and what it asks of us as ethnographic researchers in times of upheaval and transition. Reminiscence work asks ethnographers to reexamine: 1. our conceptions of expertise; 2. The supposed ‘depth’ of in‐depth interviews; 3. The need to welcome serendipity and silence, whereby the guiding measure of an ethnographic encounter is the quality of presence and play, not the extractive rush to ‘actionable insight.‘
“How Can I Help You?” Exploring Empathy Work in Customer Support
Authors: LABORDE NICOLE , PHILLIPS MARISE
Published: February 2025

PechaKucha Presentation Abstract

In this PechaKucha, we explore the role of human connection and empathy in customer support work – a setting that is often fraught with frustration. As ethnographers, we have the opportunity to work with companies to understand and improve employee and customer experience and needs, and to leverage the emotional labor provided by agents answering customer calls.
Saving (Tattoo) Clients from Themselves
Authors: KISKADDON DUSTIN
Published: February 2025

PechaKucha Presentation Abstract

Drawing on direct experience with professional tattooing, I explore the art and strategy of saving clients from their own bad ideas. Doing well for others, it turns out, means doing well for yourself.
The Inflammatory Landscape of a Whole‐Tissue Explant Model of Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Authors: Leboit Phoebe E. , Patel Dhara U. , Cohen Jarish N. , Moss Madison I. , Naik Haley B. , Yates Ashley E. , Harris Hobart W. , Klufas Daniel M. , Kim Esther A. , Neuhaus Isaac M. , Hansen Scott L. , Kyle Ryan L. , Kelly Matthew , Rosenblum Michael D. , Lowe Margaret M.
Published: February 2025

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a relatively common and highly morbid inflammatory skin disease. Due to the relatively limited understanding of HS's pathogenesis, there are currently insufficient treatment options available, and many patients' medical needs are not being met. This is partly due to the historical scarcity of ex vivo assays and animal models that accurately recapitulate the disease. Thus, we have developed a standardised whole‐tissue explant model of HS to examine its pathogenic mechanisms and the efficacy of potential treatments within intact human tissue. We measured cytokine protein and RNA within whole tissue maintained in an agar‐media solution, finding that IL‐6 and IL‐8 concentrations trended upwards in both HS explants and healthy controls, while IL‐17A, IL‐1β, and TNF‐α exhibited increases in HS tissue alone. We also show that the explants were responsive to treatment with both dexamethasone and IL‐2. Not only do our results show that this model effectively delivers treatments throughout the explants, but they also elucidate which cytokines are related to the explant process regardless of tissue state and which are related to HS tissue specifically, laying the groundwork for future implementations of this model.
Quantification of Data Imbalance
Authors: Wibbeke Jelke , Rohjans Sebastian , Rauh Andreas
Published: February 2025

In this article, we propose a novel approach to quantify the imbalance in data, addressing a significant gap in the field of regression analysis. Real‐world datasets often exhibit an inherent imbalance in their data distribution, which adversely affects learning algorithms such as those used in neural networks. This results in less accurate learning of rare occurrences and a model bias towards more frequent cases, posing challenges in scenarios where rare events are crucial, like energy load prediction. While many solutions exist for classification problems with imbalanced data, regression problems lack adequate research. To address this, we introduce a method to quantify data imbalance by defining it as the disparity between the probability distribution of the data and a relevance‐associated distribution. Our approach includes various metrics that can handle multivariate data, allowing for the identification of imbalanced samples and the abstract quantification of imbalance through the mean imbalance ratio. This method facilitates the comparison of regression datasets based on their imbalance, providing insights into dataset quality and evaluating data resampling techniques. We validate our approach using synthetic data and compare it to established metrics such as the Kullback–Leibler divergence and the Wasserstein metric. Furthermore, analysis of real datasets shows a moderate correlation between sample rarity and the approximation error of neural networks, extreme gradient boosting trees and random forests, indicating that underrepresented samples are linked to higher approximation errors.