Challenges in estimating species' age from phylogenetic trees.

Aim: Species age, the elapsed time since origination, can give insight into how species longevity might influence eco-evolutionary dynamics, which has been hypothesized to influence extinction risk. Traditionally, species' ages have been estimated from fossil records. However, numerous studies have recently used the branch lengths of time-calibrated phylogenies as estimates of the ages of extant species.

Spontaneous echo contrast in the left atrial appendage is linked to a higher risk of thromboembolic events and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Cardioversion, a rhythm control treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), requires ruling out cardiac embolic sources, often originating from the left atrial appendage (LAA). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is used for LAA evaluation, but it is invasive and not widely available. This study aimed to identify cardiovascular risk factors linked to LAA abnormalities and predictors of thromboembolic events and all-cause mortality.

Climate signal age effects in tree-ring density data from the Spanish Pyrenees.

Key Message:

Abstract: Tree-rings are the prime archive for high-resolution climate information over the past two millennia. However, the accuracy of annually resolved reconstructions from tree-rings can be constrained by what is known as climate signal age effects (CSAE), encompassing changes in the sensitivity of tree growth to climate over their lifespans. Here, we evaluate CSAE in from an upper tree line site in the Spanish central Pyrenees, Lake Gerber, which became a key location for reconstructing western Mediterranean summer temperatures at annual resolution.

Rethinking love, independence, and speciesism in assistance dog discourse.

This paper challenges the prevailing belief that assistance dogs inherently love their roles, arguing that the notion of "unconditional love" in discourses on assistance dog perpetuates a human-centric perspective and reinforces speciesism. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the affective experiences of these working animals and of acknowledging the interdependence between people with disabilities and assistance dogs. The paper has four main objectives: (1) critiquing the concept of unconditional love attributed to assistance dogs, (2) recognizing the physical and affective labor of assistance dogs, (3) highlighting the importance of interdependence over independence, and (4) exploring the intersections of ableism and speciesism in the context of assistance dogs.

From MRI to FEM: an automated pipeline for biomechanical simulations of vertebrae and intervertebral discs.

Introduction: Biomechanical simulations can enhance our understanding of spinal disorders. Applied to large cohorts, they can reveal complex mechanisms beyond conventional imaging. Therefore, automating the patient-specific modeling process is essential.

Improving the Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Genetically Confirmed Adult-Onset Huntington Disease: Considering Nonmotor Presentations.

Background: Huntington disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. Given the focus on motor manifestations, nonmotor symptoms are frequently underappreciated in clinical evaluations, despite frequently contributing to primary functional impairment.

Recent Findings: A diagnosis of motor-onset as the definition of manifest symptoms misrepresents the complex nature of HD presentation.

Enhancing patient education on the role of tibial osteotomy in the management of knee osteoarthritis using a customized ChatGPT: a readability and quality assessment.

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) significantly impacts the quality of life of those afflicted, with many patients eventually requiring surgical intervention. While Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is common, it may not be suitable for younger patients with unicompartmental OA, who might benefit more from High Tibial Osteotomy (HTO). Effective patient education is crucial for informed decision-making, yet most online health information has been found to be too complex for the average patient to understand.

MBI-KG: A knowledge graph of structured and linked economic research data extracted from the 1937 book "Die Maschinen-Industrie im Deutschen Reich".

The MaschinenBauIndustrie Knowledge Graph (MBI-KG) is a structured and semantically enriched dataset extracted from the 1937 publication "Die Maschinen-Industrie im Deutschen Reich" (The Machinery Industry in the German Reich), published by the "Wirtschaftsgruppe Maschinenbau" and edited by Herbert Patschan. This historical source offers data on German companies within the mechanical engineering industry during the pre-World War II era. The book was digitized, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) was applied to extract text.

The Impact of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among UK Women: An Obesity-Adjusted Analysis.

Introduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is known to elevate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but the extent to which obesity and IIH-specific factors contribute to this risk is not well understood. WE aim to separate the effects of obesity from IIH-specific factors on the risk of stroke and CVD, building on previous findings that indicate a two-fold increase in cardiovascular events in women with IIH compared to BMI-matched controls.

Methods: An obesity-adjusted risk analysis was conducted using Indirect Standardization based on data from a cohort study by Adderley et al.

Drug interactions in patients with alcohol use disorder: results from a real-world study on an addiction-specific ward.

Background: The majority of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) regularly take medication. Alcohol interacts negatively with many commonly prescribed drugs. However, little is known about the characteristics and frequency of potential alcohol-medication and drug-drug interactions in patients with AUD.

External low energy electromagnetic fields affect heart dynamics: surrogate for system synchronization, chaos control and cancer patient's health.

All cells in the human body, including cancer cells, possess specific electrical properties crucial for their functions. These properties are notably different between normal and cancerous cells. Cancer cells are characterized by autonomous oscillations and damped electromagnetic field (EMF) activation.

Magnetic, conductive nanoparticles as building blocks for steerable micropillar-structured anodic biofilms.

In bioelectrochemical systems (BES), biofilm formation and architecture are of crucial importance, especially for flow-through applications. The interface between electroactive microorganisms and the electrode surface plays an important and often limiting role, as the available surface area influences current generation, especially for poor biofilm forming organisms. To overcome the limitation of the available electrode surface, nanoparticles (NPs) with a magnetic iron core and a conductive, hydrophobic carbon shell were used as building blocks to form conductive, magnetic micropillars on the anode surface.

On the directional asymptotic approach in optimization theory.

As a starting point of our research, we show that, for a fixed order , each local minimizer of a rather general nonsmooth optimization problem in Euclidean spaces is either M-stationary in the classical sense (corresponding to stationarity of order 1), satisfies stationarity conditions in terms of a coderivative construction of order , or is asymptotically stationary with respect to a critical direction as well as order in a certain sense. By ruling out the latter case with a constraint qualification not stronger than directional metric subregularity, we end up with new necessary optimality conditions comprising a mixture of limiting variational tools of orders 1 and . These abstract findings are carved out for the broad class of geometric constraints and , and visualized by examples from complementarity-constrained and nonlinear semidefinite optimization.

Use of Diced Cartilage for Management of Internal Mammary Vessel Exposure Sites in Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Exposure of internal mammary vessels in autologous breast reconstruction often requires removal of a rib cartilage segment, which can lead to breast contour deformity. This study evaluated the use of diced cartilage (DC) to counteract substance loss in the microvascular anastomosis area.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort study included all breast reconstructions in which DC was used from October 2021 to June 2023.

The evolution of chemical ordering and property in Fe Se upon intercalation ratios.

Intercalation has been considered as an effective method to explore innovative two-dimensional (2D) materials and modify their properties. However, the relationship between intercalation concentration, structure, and property remains a largely uncharted territory, and the controllable synthesis of desired intercalated phases faces challenges. Here, a general intercalated rule for the effect of self-intercalation ratio on atomic arrangements is revealed.

Monitoring C-C coupling in catalytic reactions via machine-learned infrared spectroscopy.

Tracking atomic structural evolution along chemical transformation pathways is essential for optimizing chemical transitions and enhancing control. However, molecule-level knowledge of structural rearrangements during chemical processes remains a great challenge. Here, we couple infrared spectroscopy as a non-invasive method to probe molecular transformations, with a machine-learned protocol to immediately map the spectroscopic fingerprints to atomistic structures.

Genomic regions associated with spot blotch resistance in elite barley breeding populations.

Unlabelled: Spot blotch (SB), a prevalent foliar disease of barley, is caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen . Predominately occurring in humid growing regions worldwide, SB can result in yield losses of up to 30%. Genetic resistance remains the most effective strategy for disease management; however, most Australian barley cultivars exhibit susceptibility despite the previous identification of major resistance loci.

Does coenzyme Q10 improve semen quality and circulating testosterone level? a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Seminal oxidative stress has been shown to be a key factor in the development of male infertility. However, the benefits of infertility treatments with antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) remains controversial.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on semen quality, i.

Uncovering cryptic species diversity of () associated with from Thailand.

This study advances our understanding of , an extensively studied entomopathogenic fungus within the , particularly in Thailand. We introduce seven novel species associated with - , , , , , , and . Remarkably, , , and exhibit ascomata on the subterminal region of the stromata, with the asexual form appearing at the apex of the stipe, reminiscent of .

Fungal Planet description sheets: 1697-1780.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: , from accumulated snow sediment sample. , on leaf spots of . , on submerged decaying wood in sea water, on , as endophyte from healthy leaves of .

As Time Goes By: Event File Decay Does Not Unleash Inhibition of Return.

Inhibition of return (IOR) refers to a location repetition cost typically observed when signaling the detection of or localizing sequentially presented stimuli repeating or changing their location. In discrimination tasks, however, IOR is often reduced or even absent; here, effects of binding and retrieval are thought to take place. Information is bound into an event file, which upon feature repetition causes retrieval, leading to partial repetition costs.

After a Hand Was Lent: Sporadically Experiencing Multisensory Interference During the Rubber Hand Illusion Does Not Shield Against Disembodiment.

Observations from multisensory body illusions indicate that the body representation can be adapted to changing task demands, e.g., it can be expanded to integrate external objects based on current sensorimotor experience (embodiment).

Control of Crystallization Pathways in the BiFeO-BiFeO System.

Bismuth ferrites, specifically perovskite-type BiFeO and mullite-type BiFeO, hold significant technological promise as catalysts, photovoltaics, and room-temperature multiferroics. However, challenges arise due to their frequent cocrystallization, particularly in the nanoregime, hindering the production of phase-pure materials. This study unveils a controlled sol-gel crystallization approach, elucidating the phase formation complexities in the bismuth ferrite oxide system by coupling thermochemical analysis and total scattering with pair distribution function analysis.