Emergent Relationships Between the Functional Diversity of Marine Planktonic Copepods and Ecosystem Functioning in the Global Ocean.

Copepods are a major group of the mesozooplankton and thus a key part of marine ecosystems worldwide. Their fitness and life strategies are determined by their functional traits which allow different species to exploit various ecological niches. The range of functional traits expressed in a community defines its functional diversity (FD), which can be used to investigate how communities utilize resources and shape ecosystem processes.

Highlights from the plenary session: clinically relevant outcomes.

The plenary session on clinically relevant outcomes in systemic vasculitis emphasized the significance of monitoring creatinine, haematuria and proteinuria for predicting renal outcomes, recovery of kidney function in severe ANCA glomerulonephritis and outcomes post-kidney transplantation in anti-glomerular basement membrane disease. These findings have the potential to enhance clinical practice by refining prognostication and treatment strategies. Future research gaps include exploring the predictive role of proteinuria and understanding the impact of different clinical phenotypes on disease outcomes in Takayasu arteritis.

Cerebral Protection Devices in Case of Left Sided Intracardiac Thrombus: A Multicentre Experience From the Cath Lab and EP Lab.

Background: Performing a left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) or catheter ablation with left-sided intracardiac thrombus is considered very-high risk for periinterventional stroke. Cerebral embolic protection (CEP) devices are designed to prevent cardioembolic stroke and have been widely studied in TAVR procedures. However, their role in LAAO and catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or in pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with cardiac thrombus present remains unknown.

ERS Congress 2024: highlights from the Paediatrics Assembly.

https://bit.ly/40944lv.

Protocol: Effectiveness of Sexual and Reproductive Health Blended Learning Approaches for Capacity Strengthening of Health Professionals in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The objectives are as follows. The primary objective of this systematic review is to evaluate and synthesise both published and unpublished literature on the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health blended learning approaches for capacity strengthening of healthcare practitioners in LMICs.

Donor after circulatory death in pancreas transplantation: a scoping review of the literature.

The growing disparity between the demand for pancreas transplants and the availability of suitable organs underscores the urgent need for innovative donor strategies, including the utilization of donors after circulatory death (DCD). This scoping review presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of transplantation outcomes between DCD and donors after brain death (DBD), focusing on pancreatic graft survival, postoperative complications, and functional metrics such as graft performance and HbA1c levels. Although DCD grafts were suspected to be associated with higher rates of early complications, including delayed graft function and thrombosis, altogether resulting from potentially more ischemia-reperfusion injuries, their long-term outcomes are comparable to those of DBD grafts.

A mass spectrometry-based strategy for investigating volatile molecular interactions in microbial consortia: unveiling a -specific induction of an antifungal compound.

Co-cultivation of microorganisms has emerged as a promising methodology for deciphering the intricate molecular interactions between species. This approach facilitates the replication of natural niches of ecological or clinical relevance where microbes consistently interact. In this context, increasing attention has been addressed toward elucidating the molecular crosstalk within fungal co-cultures.

Case Series: Free vascularized costochondral grafts in upper extremity reconstruction.

Introduction: Costochondral grafting is well-known reconstructive option for the temporomandibular joint. In the upper extremity, non-vascularized costochondral grafts have been used for radial head reconstruction, for osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint and proximal pole reconstruction of the scaphoid. Evidence suggests that vascularization of bone grafts lead to a higher union rate and a faster time to union.

Cellular and molecular determinants mediating the dysregulated germinal center immune dynamics in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by dysregulated humoral immunity, leading to the generation of autoreactive B cells that can differentiate both within and outside of lymph node (LN) follicles.

Methods: Here, we employed spatial transcriptomics and multiplex imaging to investigate the follicular immune landscaping and the transcriptomic profile in LNs from SLE individuals.

Results: Our spatial transcriptomic analysis revealed robust type I IFN and plasma cell signatures in SLE compared to reactive, control follicles.

Femoral fractures in non-accidental trauma and child abuse: biomechanical perspective and insights.

Physical abuse remains a global problem that affects children in every country, from every ethnic group, and of all social backgrounds. The fracture of an infant's femur should constitute a red flag to a pediatrician; it must be recognized, recorded, investigated, and potentially result in measures to protect that child. Certain confounding factors, such as the reported mechanism of trauma, could negatively influence the physician's appropriate and unbiased judgment.

Computational tools for the prediction of site- and regioselectivity of organic reactions.

The regio- and site-selectivity of organic reactions is one of the most important aspects when it comes to synthesis planning. Due to that, massive research efforts were invested into computational models for regio- and site-selectivity prediction, and the introduction of machine learning to the chemical sciences within the past decade has added a whole new dimension to these endeavors. This review article walks through the currently available predictive tools for regio- and site-selectivity with a particular focus on machine learning models while being organized along the individual reaction classes of organic chemistry.

Pregnenolone Sulfate Permeation at the Blood-Brain Barrier is Independent of OATP2B1-In Vivo and In Vitro Insights.

Sulfated steroids such as pregnenolone sulfate (PregS) are important for neuronal development and cognitive functions. Given the hydrophilic sulfate moiety, it is assumed that PregS requires an active transport mechanism to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The human organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)2B1 has been previously shown to transport sulfated steroids and is therefore a proposed candidate for the transport of PregS.

Comparison of reprojected 'pseudoplanar' bone SPECT/CT and planar bone scintigraphy for the detection and localization of foot and ankle osteoarthritis.

Purpose: To compare the performance of pseudoplanar (PP) images reprojected from bone single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) against 'real' planar bone scintigraphy for the assessment of localization and grading of radiotracer uptake of active osteoarthritic joints in the foot and ankle. Noninferiority of PP images would shorten the protocol substantially.

Methods: Late-phase real planar (RP) and SPECT/CT reconstructed PP images of 96 feet in 48 patients (22 women, 26 men, median age: 49 years, interquartile range: 34-67 years) with foot and ankle osteoarthritis were independently evaluated by three different readers.

Forestwalk: A Machine Learning Workflow Brings New Insights Into Posture and Balance in Rodent Beam Walking.

The beam walk is widely used to study coordination and balance in rodents. While the task has ethological validity, the main endpoints of "foot slip counts" and "time to cross" are prone to human-rater variability and offer limited sensitivity and specificity. We asked if machine learning-based methods could reveal previously hidden, but biologically relevant, insights from the task.

Real-World Data and Real-World Evidence in Regulatory Decision Making: Report Summary From the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) Working Group XIII.

Data from sources other than traditional randomized clinical trials are known as real-world data (RWD), and the evidence derived from the review and analysis of RWD is known as real-world evidence (RWE). RWD and RWE are used increasingly throughout the lifecycle of medicinal products to provide evidence about their effectiveness and safety. Recent regulatory guidance about RWE and approvals based on the use of RWE to demonstrate beneficial effects of products have created an urgency to develop generally accepted processes that promote trust in the evidence-generation process.

Fall and rise of a threatened raptor: Unraveling long-term population dynamics with spatially explicit integrated models.

Population dynamics are governed by the so-called four BIDE processes: birth, immigration, death, and emigration. However, most population models fail to explicitly consider all four processes, which may hinder a comprehensive understanding of how and why populations change over time. The advent of Integrated Population Models (IPMs) and recent developments in spatial mark-recapture models have enabled deeper insights into demography and dispersal.

A comprehensive study of the sperm head defects in MMAF condition and their impact on embryo development in mice.

Among rare cases of teratozoospermia, MMAF (multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum) syndrome is a complex genetic disorder involving at least 70 different genes. As the name suggests, patients with MMAF syndrome produce spermatozoa with multiple flagellar defects, rendering them immobile and non-fertilizing, leading to complete infertility in affected men. The only viable treatment option is ICSI.

Evaluating Perinatal Health in Europe: A Comparison of Routine Population Birth Data Sources.

Background: International comparisons of population birth data provide essential benchmarks for evaluating perinatal health policies.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe routine national data sources in Europe by their ability to provide core perinatal health indicators.

Methods: The Euro-Peristat Network collected routine national data on a recommended set of core indicators from 2015 to 2021 using a federated protocol based on a common data model with 16 data items.

Predicting admission to and length of stay in intensive care units after general anesthesia: Time-dependent role of pre- and intraoperative data for clinical decision-making.

Background: Accurate prediction of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and length of stay (LOS) after major surgery is essential for optimizing patient outcomes and healthcare resources. Factors such as age, BMI, comorbidities, and perioperative complications significantly influence ICU admissions and LOS. Machine learning methods have been increasingly utilized to predict these outcomes, but their clinical utility beyond traditional metrics remains underexplored.

The DCIDE framework: systematic investigation of evolutionary hypotheses, exemplified with autism.

Evolutionary explanations of mental disorders are a longstanding aim of evolutionary psychiatry, but have suffered from complexities including within-disorder heterogeneity and environmental effects of contemporary societies obscuring possible ancestral functions. Studying the relevant processes of human evolution directly is not possible, so hypotheses have remained speculative, exaggerating "just-so storytelling" critiques. This is despite significant evidence existing in genetics, neuroscience and epidemiology, all of which bears some inferential relevance to evolutionary hypotheses, but which is often not marshalled in a systematic way.

Caution in Handling Switchers in Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies Estimating Treatment Effects: The Example of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Real-world evidence assessing dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i)'s risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is conflicting. One study modelling DPP4i as a time varying exposure (TVE) observed a harmful effect in a UK population, while an active-comparator new-user (ACNU) study observed a null effect in a US population. To assess the impact of study design in estimating treatment effect, we implemented both designs in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink population from 2007-2022.