Definition of a European pre-vasectomy scoring system to identify patients at risk of vasectomy regret.

Introduction: Vasectomy is a widely used, safe, effective method of permanent contraception and contributes to healthy sexuality.

Aims: We have conducted a 3-step observational clinical study to develop a vasectomy regret risk score and guide patients and clinicians when discussing a vasectomy.

Methods: A 3-step approach has been followed.

Detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in wastewater samples: a wake-up call, Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, 2024.

In 2024, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was detected in wastewater samples in Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK). All strains were genetically linked, but sequence analysis showed high genetic diversity among the strains identified within individual wastewater sites and countries and an unexpected high genetic proximity among isolates from different countries. Taken together these results, with sequential samples having tested positive in various sites, a broader geographic distribution beyond positive sampling sites must be considered.

Investigating the hydrolysis of complex carbohydrates with salivary α-amylase.

Currently, little is known about how complex carbohydrates (maltodextrins) with varying degrees of polymerisation (DP) and molecular branching interact with α-amylase in human saliva and the associated amounts and structures of generated reducing sugars. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate salivary α-amylase and the subsequent reducing sugars generated with complex carbohydrate stimuli. A secondary aim was to investigate reducing sugar generation and complex carbohydrate taste sensitivity.

Involving national stakeholders in a systems approach to map drivers of childhood obesity and actions to prevent childhood obesity in Denmark: the Generation Healthy Kids Study.

Background: Childhood obesity is a preventable global public health challenge, increasingly recognized as a complex problem, stemming from complex drivers. Obesity is characterized by multiple interdependencies and diverse influences at different societal levels. Tackling childhood obesity calls for a holistic approach that engages with complexity and recognizes that there is no single "magic bullet" intervention to prevent obesity.

Assessing the effect of On-site supportive communication training (On-site SCT) on doctor burnout: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Burnout is a critical factor that can influence the quality of care that doctors provide to their patients. Previous research suggests a link between inadequate communication skills training and burnout, and various approaches to enhance communication skills have been explored as a means to address this issue. However, evidence of the effect of these approaches is lacking.

Cryo-EM analysis of complement C3 reveals a reversible major opening of the macroglobulin ring.

The C3 protein is the central molecule within the complement system and undergoes proteolytic activation to C3b in the presence of pathogens. Pattern-independent activation of C3 also occurs via hydrolysis, resulting in C3(HO), but the structural details of C3 hydrolysis remain elusive. Here we show that the conformation of the C3(HO) analog, C3MA, is indistinguishable from C3b.

Cavity as radio telescope for galactic dark photon.

Dark photons, as a minimal extension of the Standard Model through an additional Abelian gauge group, may propagate relativistically across the galaxy, originating from dark matter decay or annihilation, thereby contributing to a galactic dark photon background. The generation of dark photons typically favors certain polarization modes, which are dependent on the interactions between dark matter and dark photons. We introduce a framework in which a resonant cavity is utilized to detect and differentiate these polarizations, leveraging the daily variation in expected signals due to the anisotropic distribution of dark photons and the rotation of the Earth.

PET Quantification in Healthy Humans of Cyclooxygenase-2, a Potential Biomarker of Neuroinflammation.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is present in a healthy brain at low densities but can be markedly upregulated by excitatory input and by inflammogens. This study evaluated the sensitivity of the PET radioligand [C]-6-methoxy-2-(4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl)--(thiophen-2-ylmethyl)pyrimidin-4-amine ([C]MC1) to detect COX-2 density in a healthy human brain. The specificity of [C]MC1 was confirmed using lipopolysaccharide-injected rats and transgenic mice expressing the human gene, with 120-min baseline and blocked scans using COX-1 and COX-2 selective agents.

Transcriptomic signatures of cold acclimated adipocytes reveal CXCL12 as a Brown autocrine and paracrine chemokine.

Besides its thermogenic capacity, brown adipose tissue (BAT) performs important secretory functions that regulate metabolism. However, the BAT microenvironment and factors involved in BAT homeostasis and adaptation to cold remain poorly characterized. We therefore aimed to study brown adipocyte-derived secreted factors that may be involved in adipocyte function and/or may orchestrate intercellular communications.

Ovarian sex cord-stromal cell tumors and the risk of sex hormone-sensitive cancers.

Background: Sex cord-stromal cell tumors (SCST) are rare tumors of the ovary. Some of the SCSTs secrete hormone originating from the sex or stromal cell of the ovaries. Previous studies have indicated an increased risk of breast and endometrial cancers.

The ReAct project: Analysis of data from 23 different laboratories to characterise DNA recovery given two sets of activity level propositions.

The ReAct (Recovery, Activity) project is an ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) supported initiative comprising a large consortium of laboratories. Here, the results from more than 23 laboratories are presented. The primary purpose was to design experiments simulating typical casework circumstances; collect data and to implement Bayesian networks to assess the value (i.

Nanoplastic in aqueous environments: The role of chemo-electric properties for nanoplastic-mineral interaction.

Due to increasing plastic production, the continuous release of primary and secondary nanoplastic particles (NPs, <1 μm) has become an emerging contaminant in terrestrial environments. The fate and transport of NPs in subsurface environments remain poorly understood, largely due to the complex interplay of mineralogical, chemical, biological, and morphological heterogeneity. This study examines interactions between abundant subsurface minerals and NPs under controlled water chemistry (1 mM KCl, pH 5.

Design of ()-3-(5-Thienyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic Acid Derivatives as Novel NMDA Receptor Glycine Site Agonists: Variation in Molecular Geometry to Improve Potency and Augment GluN2 Subunit-Specific Activity.

NMDA receptor ligands have therapeutic potential in neurological and psychiatric disorders. We designed ()-3-(5-thienyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic acid derivatives with nanomolar agonist potencies at NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN12/A-D). These compounds are superagonists at GluN1/2C compared to glycine and partial to full agonists at GluN1/2A and GluN1/2D but display functional antagonism at GluN1/2B due to low agonist efficacy.

CASTER: Direct species tree inference from whole-genome alignments.

Genomes contain mosaics of discordant evolutionary histories, challenging the accurate inference of the tree of life. While genome-wide data are routinely used for discordance-aware phylogenomic analyses, due to modeling and scalability limitations, the current practice leaves out large chunks of genomes. As more high-quality genomes become available, we urgently need discordance-aware methods to infer the tree directly from a multiple genome alignment.

Self-consistent Quantum Linear Response with a Polarizable Embedding Environment.

Quantum computing presents a promising avenue for solving complex problems, particularly in quantum chemistry, where it could accelerate the computation of molecular properties and excited states. This work focuses on computing excitation energies with hybrid quantum-classical algorithms for near-term quantum devices, combining the quantum linear response (qLR) method with a polarizable embedding (PE) environment. We employ the self-consistent operator manifold of quantum linear response (q-sc-LR) on top of a unitary coupled cluster (UCC) wave function in combination with a Davidson solver.

Stories that matter: a qualitative study of general practitioners' reflections and experiences of exploring patients' impactful life stories.

Purpose: There is solid evidence of the impact of life experiences on health. Yet, knowledge of how general practitioners (GPs) relate to patients' stories of such experiences is sparse. This study explored GPs' reflections and experiences concerning managing potentially impactful patient stories.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Resection of Localized Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Following Preoperative FOLFIRINOX.

Importance: The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX (combination leucovorin calcium [folinic acid], fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and oxaliplatin in full or modified dosing) chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) is unclear because current studies do not account for the number of cycles of preoperative chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

Objective: To investigate the association of adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX with OS, taking into account the number of cycles of preoperative chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study included patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with 2 to 11 cycles of preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX followed by resection across 48 centers in 20 countries from 2010 to 2018.

Bayesian Inference of Phylogenetic Distances: Revisiting the Eigenvalue Approach.

Using genetic data to infer evolutionary distances between molecular sequence pairs based on a Markov substitution model is a common procedure in phylogenetics, in particular for selecting a good starting tree to improve upon. Many evolutionary patterns can be accurately modelled using substitution models that are available in closed form, including the popular general time reversible model (GTR) for DNA data. For more complex biological phenomena, such as variations in lineage-specific evolutionary rates over time (heterotachy), other approaches such as the GTR with rate variation (GTR ) are required, but do not admit analytical solutions and do not automatically allow for likelihood calculations crucial for Bayesian analysis.

Systematic review of the needs and health-related quality of life domains relevant to people surviving cancer in Europe.

Purpose: To systematically review qualitative studies on outcomes, needs, experiences, preferences, concerns and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people surviving cancer in Europe in the last decade.

Methods: Protocol registered ( https://www.crd.

The Multimorbidity Questionnaire (MMQ1): English translation and validation of a Danish patient reported outcome measure for quality of life in people with multiple long-term conditions in a cross-sectional survey.

Purpose: MMQ1 is a Danish-language patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for quality of life (QOL) in people with multiple long-term conditions (MLTC). It measures needs-based QOL across six scales: Physical ability, Concerns and worries, Limitations in daily life, Social life, Personal finances and Self-image. There is currently no such measure available in English.

Protocol for the AFTERHERNIA Project: patient-reported outcomes of groin and ventral hernia repair.

Purpose: The AFTERHERNIA Project aims to shift the focus of hernia surgery towards patient-reported outcomes by examining the impact of surgical methods and long-term complications on a national level. Groin and ventral hernia repairs are common surgical procedures with significant impact on patient quality of life and healthcare costs. Most large-scale studies focus on clinical outcomes like reoperation and readmission rates, rather than patient-reported outcomes.