Evaluating genomic selection and speed breeding for Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat using stochastic simulations.

Unlabelled: Genomic selection-based breeding programs offer significant advantages over conventional phenotypic selection, particularly in accelerating genetic gains in plant breeding, as demonstrated by simulations focused on combating Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat. FHB resistance, a crucial trait, is challenging to breed for due to its quantitative inheritance and environmental influence, leading to slow progress using conventional breeding methods. Stochastic simulations in our study compared various breeding schemes, incorporating genomic selection (GS) and combining it with speed breeding, against conventional phenotypic selection.

Associations Between Patient-Reported Nutritional Status, Toxicity, and Survival in Limited-Stage SCLC.

Introduction: In general, malnutrition is associated with more treatment toxicity and shorter survival in patients with cancer, but little is known about its impact on limited-stage (LS) SCLC. We investigated whether nutritional status and weight loss were associated with treatment outcomes in a randomized trial of thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in LS SCLC (NCT02041845, N = 170).

Methods: Patients received platinum-etoposide-chemotherapy and were randomized to receive TRT of 60 Gy in 40 fractions or 45 Gy in 30 fractions.

River co-learning arenas: principles and practices for transdisciplinary knowledge co-creation and multi-scalar (inter)action.

This paper develops the methodological concept of river co-learning arenas (RCAs) and explores their potential to strengthen innovative grassroots river initiatives, enliven river commons, regenerate river ecologies, and foster greater socio-ecological justice. The integrity of river systems has been threatened in profound ways over the last century. Pollution, damming, canalisation, and water grabbing are some examples of pressures threatening the entwined lifeworlds of human and non-human communities that depend on riverine systems.

Fabrication and optimization of a multielectrode microfluidic electrochemical flow cell for fast and dynamic detection of reaction products.

Construction and experimental validation of electrochemical cells with multiple electrodes in a microfluidic channel is described. Details of the fabrication of the electrodes and polydimethylsiloxane channel using soft lithography methods are given. Calibration of the collection efficiencies and transit times between electrodes validate the use of these cells for fast electrochemical detection of soluble species.

The Norwegian version of the Norwich Patellar Instability score has good validity and moderate reproducibility.

Purpose: To translate and adapt the Norwich Patellar Instability (NPI) score into Norwegian, and second, to examine the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version (NPI-No).

Methods: NPI was translated according to international guidelines. A cohort of 107 patients surgically treated for recurrent patellofemoral instability completed NPI-No, related questionnaires and functional tests prior to and six months post-surgery.

Incidence and prevalence of traumatic and non-traumatic wounds and burns and access to wound care in Sierra Leone; data from a nationwide household survey (PRESSCO) 2020.

Objectives: This wound section of the PREvalence Study on Surgical COnditions (PRESSCO) determines the incidence and prevalence of wounds and burns in Sierra Leone. It further describes access to wound care and wound-related healthcare-seeking behaviour.

Methods: Between October 2019 and March 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional household survey was performed.

Occupation and 11-year lung function decline in the HUNT Study.

Background: The association between occupational titles and lung function has mostly been examined through cross-sectional studies. Preventive measures are expected to mitigate adverse effects; hence, updated estimates are necessary.

Aims: To study change in lung function measured by spirometry across occupations.

Developmental plasticity does not improve performance during a species interaction: Implications for species turnover.

Species interactions can contribute to species turnover when the outcomes of the interactions are context dependent (e.g., change along environmental gradients).

Informal care for people with dementia in Europe.

Introduction: Informal care estimates for use in health-economic models are lacking. We aimed to estimate the association between informal care time and dementia symptoms across Europe.

Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on 13,529 observations in 5,369 persons from 9 European pooled cohort or trial studies in community-dwelling persons with dementia.

Brain health in Norwegian female former top-level football players: a protocol for a longitudinal cohort study.

Introduction: Repetitive head impacts (RHI) in sports may represent a risk factor for long-term cognitive and neurological sequelae. Recent studies have identified an association between playing football at the top level and an elevated risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disease. However, these were conducted on men, and there is a knowledge gap regarding these risks in female athletes.

A thorny tale: The origin and diversification of Cirsium (Compositae).

Widely distributed plant genera offer insights into biogeographic processes and biodiversity. The Carduus-Cirsium group, with over 600 species in eight genera, is diverse across the Holarctic regions, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, Southwest Asia, Japan, and North America. Despite this diversity, evolutionary and biogeographic processes within the group, particularly for the genus Cirsium, remain underexplored.

Seeking innovative concepts in development of antiviral drug combinations.

Antiviral drugs are crucial for managing viral infections, but current treatment options remain limited, particularly for emerging viruses. These drugs can be classified based on their chemical composition, including neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), recombinant human receptors (rhRs), antiviral CRISPR/Cas systems, interferons, antiviral peptides (APs), antiviral nucleic acid polymers, and small molecules. Some of these agents target viral factors, host factors, or both.

Elevated High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Risk of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Prospective Population Based Study in The Norwegian HUNT Study.

Objective: Inflammation seems to be crucial in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Previous research links inflammatory biomarkers, such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP), to AAA. Few studies, however, have used a prospective design.

Association between Activity Quotient and cause-specific mortality - A prospective cohort study of 0.5 million participants in Asia.

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is important for reducing the risk of chronic diseases and improving overall health. Activity Quotient (AQ) is a novel metric that translates heart rate during PA into a weekly score, providing an objective measure of an individual's PA. We prospectively examined the association of AQ with cancer and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality outcomes, the two major causes of death, in a Taiwanese population.

State estimation in water distribution system via diffusion on the edge space.

The steady state of a water distribution system abides by the laws of mass and energy conservation. Hydraulic solvers, such as the one used by EPANET approach the simulation for a given topology with a Newton-Raphson algorithm. However, iterative approximation involves a matrix inversion which acts as a computational bottleneck and may significantly slow down the process.

Dairy farmers' intention to use calf management technologies in four European countries: A QCA and PLS-SEM approach.

Whilst livestock management technologies may help to improve productivity, economic performance, and animal welfare on farms, there has been low uptake of technologies across farming systems and countries. This study aimed to understand dairy farmers' intention to use calf management technologies by combining partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). We evaluated the hypotheses that dairy farmers will intend to use calf technologies if they have sufficient competencies, sufficient materials, and positive meanings (e.

Motile cilia modulate neuronal and astroglial activity in the zebrafish larval brain.

The brain uses a specialized system to transport cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), consisting of interconnected ventricles lined by motile ciliated ependymal cells. These cells act jointly with CSF secretion and cardiac pressure gradients to regulate CSF dynamics. To date, the link between cilia-mediated CSF flow and brain function is poorly understood.

Identification and Characterization of a New Thermophilic κ-Carrageenan Sulfatase.

Carrageenans are sulfated polysaccharides found in the cell wall of certain red seaweeds. They are widely used in the food industry for their gelling and stabilizing properties. In nature, carrageenans undergo enzymatic modification and degradation by marine organisms.

Gross Motor Development by Age and Functional Level in Children with Cerebral Palsy from 6 Months to 17 Years-A Norwegian Population-Based Registry Study.

Cerebral palsy is a complex lifespan disability caused by a lesion to the immature brain. Evaluation of interventions for children with cerebral palsy requires valid and reliable outcome measures. Motor development curves and reference percentiles for The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) are valuable tools for following, predicting, comparing, and evaluating changes in gross motor skills.

Enhanced Sensor Placement Optimization and Defect Detection in Structural Health Monitoring Using Hybrid PI-DEIM Approach.

This work introduces a novel methodology for identifying critical sensor locations and detecting defects in structural components. Initially, a hybrid method is proposed to determine optimal sensor placements by integrating results from both the discrete empirical interpolation method (DEIM) and the random permutation features importance technique (PI). Subsequently, the identified sensors are utilized in a novel defect detection approach, leveraging a semi-intrusive reduced order modeling and genetic search algorithm for fast and reliable defect detection.

Advanced Brain Tumor Classification in MR Images Using Transfer Learning and Pre-Trained Deep CNN Models.

Background/objectives: Brain tumor classification is a crucial task in medical diagnostics, as early and accurate detection can significantly improve patient outcomes. This study investigates the effectiveness of pre-trained deep learning models in classifying brain MRI images into four categories: Glioma, Meningioma, Pituitary, and No Tumor, aiming to enhance the diagnostic process through automation.

Methods: A publicly available Brain Tumor MRI dataset containing 7023 images was used in this research.

Reduction in Remnant Cholesterol in Obese Individuals After Bariatric Surgery with Gastric Bypass or Sleeve Gastrectomy.

The effectiveness of bariatric surgery in reducing remnant cholesterol (RC) levels, particularly when obesity is accompanied by elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), is insufficiently investigated. In this study, we aimed to examine the impacts of two common bariatric procedures, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG), as regards their effects on RC and HbA1c levels. Adult morbidly obese subjects were included and assigned to receive either RYGB or SG.

Response of Pedunculate Oak ( L.) to Adverse Environmental Conditions in Genetic and Dendrochronological Studies.

Pedunculate oak ( L.) is widely distributed across Europe and serves critical ecological, economic, and recreational functions. Investigating its responses to stressors such as drought, extreme temperatures, pests, and pathogens provides valuable insights into its capacity to adapt to climate change.

Exploring nursing students' learning experiences within tripartite meetings in nursing home clinical placements: a qualitative study using video-stimulated recall interviews.

Background: Nursing students' clinical learning is premised on experiences in clinical placements in nurse education, with the processes and outcomes of tripartite meetings among the student, nurse preceptor and teacher being central components. The tripartite meetings form the basis and framework for stakeholders' dialogue and collaboration and have the central purpose of facilitating student learning and development and assessing the students' achievement against predetermined learning outcomes for the placement period. Students' experiences with tripartite meetings seems to be an underexplored field, and therefor this study aimed to explore first-year nursing students' learning experiences within tripartite clinical placement meetings in nursing homes.