Sand and dust storms: a growing global health threat calls for international health studies to support policy action.

Sand and dust storms increasingly threaten global environmental and public health. To date, 150 countries are directly affected, with more than 100 classified as non-dust source regions. With climate change, these storms are expected to become more frequent and severe.

Structure-guided discovery of viral proteins that inhibit host immunity.

Viruses encode proteins that inhibit host defenses, but sifting through the millions of available viral sequences for immune-modulatory proteins has been so far impractical. Here, we develop a process to systematically screen virus-encoded proteins for inhibitors that physically bind host immune proteins. Focusing on Thoeris and CBASS, bacterial defense systems that are the ancestors of eukaryotic Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) immunity, we discover seven families of Thoeris and CBASS inhibitors, encompassing thousands of genes widespread in phages.

Breast imaging readers' performance in the PERFORMS test-set based assessment scheme within the MyPeBS international randomised study.

Purpose: A survey conducted by the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI) in 2023 revealed significant variations in Quality Assurance (QA) practices across Europe. The UK encourages regular performance monitoring for screen readers. This study aimed to assess the variability in diagnostic performance among readers participating in a wider prospective randomised trial across multiple countries.

The 2024 Assisi think tank on breast cancer: Focus on the use of a tumour bed boost after breast conserving therapy.

At the Fifth Assisi Think Tank Meeting (ATTM) on breast cancer, one key topic was the role of tumor bed boost in invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ. The need for a tumor bed boost after whole breast irradiation is controversial. A literature review assessed boost indications, target volume definition, techniques, dose fractionation, and ongoing trials.

One hundred thirty-four germ line PU.1 variants and the agammaglobulinemic patients carrying them.

Leukopoiesis is lethally arrested in mice lacking the master transcriptional regulator PU.1. Depending on the animal model, subtotal PU.

Occupational burnout during war: The role of stress, disruptions in routine, sleep, work-family conflict, and organizational support as a moderator.

Background: Occupational burnout, resulting from long-term exposure to work-related stressors, is a significant risk factor for both physical and mental health of employees. Most research on burnout focuses on routine situations, with less attention given to its causes and manifestations during prolonged national crises such as war. According to the Conservation of Resources theory, wartime conditions are associated with a loss of resources, leading to accelerated burnout.

Estimating effective population size trajectories from time-series identity-by-descent segments.

Long, identical haplotypes shared between pairs of individuals, known as identity-by-descent (IBD) segments, result from recently shared co-ancestry. Various methods have been developed to utilize IBD sharing for demographic inference in contemporary DNA data. Recent methodological advances have extended the screening for IBD segments to ancient DNA (aDNA) data, making demographic inference based on IBD also possible for aDNA.

Lost opportunities: How gendered arrangements harm men.

Traditional gendered arrangements-norms, roles, prejudices, and hierarchies-shape every human life. Associated harms are primarily framed as women's issues due to more severe consequences women face. Yet, gendered arrangements also shape 's relationships, career paths, and health.

Hybrid remote and in-clinic maternal-fetal surveillance for women with gestational diabetes: A prospective pilot study.

Objective: This study explores a hybrid approach to maternal-fetal care for gestational diabetes (GD), integrating virtual visits seamlessly with in-clinic assessments. We assessed the feasibility, time efficiency, patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes to facilitate wider adoption of maternal-fetal telemedicine.

Methods: We conducted a 4-week prospective study involving 20 women with GD at ≥32 weeks of pregnancy, alternating between remote and in-clinic weekly visits.

PM and NOX concentrations decrease as a result of a railway electrification.

This work examines the impact of the electrification of the Holon-Bat Yam passenger train line (central Israel) on air pollutant concentrations using data collected from air quality monitoring stations that operated at the train stations across the electrified train line. We present statistically significant reduction in the annual average NO, NO and NO concentrations (29-45%, 79-85% and 65-75%, respectively), attributed to the electrification of the passenger train line. The drop in the NO and NO concentrations was much stronger than in the NO concentrations, since NO is the main nitrogen species emitted by diesel locomotives.

Characterizing the underlying microangiopathy of deep cerebellar intracerebral hemorrhage.

Introduction: While cerebral amyloid angiopathy is likely responsible for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) occurring in superficial (grey matter, vermis) cerebellar locations, it is unclear whether hypertensive arteriopathy (HA), the other major cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), is associated with cerebellar ICH (cICH) in deep (white matter, deep nuclei, cerebellar peduncle) regions. We tested the hypothesis that HA-associated neuroimaging markers are significantly associated with deep cICH compared to superficial cICH.

Patients And Methods: Brain MRI scans from consecutive non-traumatic cICH patients admitted to a referral center were analyzed for cSVD markers.

Resolving spatiotemporal dynamics in bacterial multicellular populations: approaches and challenges.

SUMMARYThe development of multicellularity represents a key evolutionary transition that is crucial for the emergence of complex life forms. Although multicellularity has traditionally been studied in eukaryotes, it originates in prokaryotes. Coordinated aggregation of individual cells within the confines of a colony results in emerging, higher-level functions that benefit the population as a whole.

Immunobridging Trials: An Important Tool to Protect Vulnerable and Immunocompromised Patients Against Evolving Pathogens.

Safeguarding patients from emerging infectious diseases demands strategies that prioritise patient well-being and protection. Immunobridging is an established trial methodology which has been increasingly employed to ensure patient protection and provide clinicians with swift access to vaccines. It uses immunological markers to infer the effectiveness of a new drug through a surrogate measure of efficacy.

Next-Generation Dental Materials: Exploring Bacterial Biofilm Formation on 3D-Printable Resin-Based Composites.

This study evaluated the microbial growth profile of subgingival multispecies biofilm on 3D-printable resin-based composites (PRBCs). A 96-well cell plate cultivated a 39-species biofilm associated with periodontitis over 7 days. Cylindrical specimens with 12 mm high and 3 mm diameters were prepared by the PRBC group (Cosmos Temp-Yller; Prizma 3D Bio Crown; Prizma 3D Bio Prov) and an acrylic resin as control.

Reply to Cosio et al. Glycation of Nail Proteins as a Risk Factor for Onychomycosis. Comment on "Gupta et al. Diabetic Foot and Fungal Infections: Etiology and Management from a Dermatologic Perspective. 2024, , 577".

We find the comment on the article titled "Diabetic Foot and Fungal Infections: Etiology and Management from a Dermatologic Perspective" informative and wish to thank the authors for their added insight on this complex topic [...

Alopecia Areata Is Associated with an Increased Risk for Prediabetes and Obesity: A Nationwide Case-Control Study.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring inflammatory hair loss condition associated with various immune-mediated comorbidities. Prediabetes, characterized by elevated blood glucose levels not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes, significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular complications. The associations between AA obesity and prediabetes have long been investigated in an attempt to identify preventable risk factors, yet the literature is relatively scarce and inconclusive.

The Constrained Disorder Principle Overcomes the Challenges of Methods for Assessing Uncertainty in Biological Systems.

Different disciplines are developing various methods for determining and dealing with uncertainties in complex systems. The constrained disorder principle (CDP) accounts for the randomness, variability, and uncertainty that characterize biological systems and are essential for their proper function. Per the CDP, intrinsic unpredictability is mandatory for the dynamicity of biological systems under continuously changing internal and external perturbations.

Evaluating Diagnostic Accuracy and Treatment Efficacy in Mental Health: A Comparative Analysis of Large Language Model Tools and Mental Health Professionals.

Large language models (LLMs) offer promising possibilities in mental health, yet their ability to assess disorders and recommend treatments remains underexplored. This quantitative cross-sectional study evaluated four LLMs (Gemini (Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental), Claude (Claude 3.

Health Disparities: The Emerging Trends and Pressing Challenges.

Health disparities represent one of the most pressing challenges in modern healthcare systems worldwide (Shadmi et al [...

Encapsulation of Hydrogen Peroxide in PVA/PVP Hydrogels for Medical Applications.

Researchers have been investigating the physical and morphological properties of biodegradable polymer and copolymer films, blending them with other chemicals to solve challenges in medical, industrial, and eco-environmental fields. The present study introduces a novel, straightforward method for preparing biodegradable hydrogels based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) for medical applications. The resulting PVA/PVP-based hydrogel uniquely combines the water absorbency, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of the polymer composite.

Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Generate a Pro-Healing Inflammasome When Cultured on Titanium-Aluminum-Vanadium Surfaces with Microscale/Nanoscale Structural Features.

The surface topography and chemistry of titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti6Al4V) implants play critical roles in the osteoblast differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) and the creation of an osteogenic microenvironment. To assess the effects of a microscale/nanoscale (MN) topography, this study compared the effects of MN-modified, anodized, and smooth Ti6Al4V surfaces on MSC response, and for the first time, directly contrasted MN-induced osteoblast differentiation with culture on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) in osteogenic medium (OM). Surface characterization revealed distinct differences in microroughness, composition, and topography among the Ti6Al4V substrates.

Visual System Inspired Algorithm for Enhanced Visibility in Coronary Angiograms (VIAEVCA).

Numerous efforts have been invested in previous algorithms to expose and enhance blood vessel (BV) visibility derived from clinical coronary angiography (CAG) procedures, such as noise reduction, segmentation, and background subtraction. Yet, the visibility of the BVs and their luminal content, particularly the small ones, is still limited. We propose a novel visibility enhancement algorithm, whose main body is inspired by a line completion mechanism of the visual system, i.

On the Differential and the Integral Value of Information.

A quantitative expression for the value of information within the framework of information theory and of the maximal entropy formulation is discussed. We examine both a local, differential measure and an integral, global measure for the value of the change in information when additional input is provided. The differential measure is a potential and as such carries a physical dimension.