Genomic Introgression Between Critically Endangered and Stable Species of Darwin's Tree Finches on the Galapagos Islands.

Natural hybridisation among rare or endangered species and stable congenerics is increasingly topical for the conservation of species-level diversity under anthropogenic impacts. Evidence for beneficial genes being introgressed into or selected for in hybrids raises concurrent questions about its evolutionary significance. In Darwin's tree finches on the island of Floreana (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador), the Critically Endangered medium tree finch () undergoes introgression with the stable small tree finch (), and hybrids regularly backcross with Earlier studies in 2005-2013 documented an increase in the frequency of hybridisation on Floreana using field-based and microsatellite data.

Achievements, priorities and strategies in pediatric nephrology in Europe: need for unifying approaches or acceptance of differences?

Background: There is a lack of information on the current healthcare systems for children with kidney diseases across Europe. The aim of this study was to explore the different national approaches to the organization and delivery of pediatric nephrology services within Europe.

Methods: In 2020, the European society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) conducted a cross-sectional survey to identify the existing pediatric nephrology healthcare systems in 48 European countries covering a population of more than 200 million children.

Prognostic factors for overall survival in elderly patients with glioblastoma: Analysis of the pooled NOA-08 and Nordic trials with the CCTG-EORTC (CE.6) trial.

Background: The majority of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma are >60 years. Three randomized trials addressed the roles of radiotherapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) for elderly patients. NORDIC and NOA-08 compared RT versus TMZ, while CE.

Optical coherence tomography angiography enables visualization of microvascular patterns in chronic venous insufficiency.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a global health concern with significant public health and individual impact. Currently available diagnostic methods cannot visualize microvenous pathologies that have shown to result in severe forms of CVI and also affect the skin. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) may close the CVI diagnostic gap by providing a fast, label-free, and non-invasive solution to visualize cutaneous microvasculature.

Revisiting the role of education in attitudes toward immigration in different contexts in Europe.

Unlabelled: Among the individual determinants of attitudes toward immigration, the liberalising role of education is well known-those with higher levels of education tend to be more in favour of immigration. However, recent socioeconomic changes and idiosyncratic differences between European countries prompt us to reassess the role of education, given these contextual differences. Does it still apply, and is it universal? Moreover, does this relationship apply to both cultural and economic attitudes toward immigration? Using data from the European Social Survey, we analyse the role of education and socioeconomic changes in shaping economic and cultural attitudes toward immigration in 15 European countries over 16 years using a hierarchical model with cross-classified random effects.

The earliest large carpenter bee () and its adhering pollen (Araliaceae, Theaceae).

The association of pollinators with their host plants is a critical element of ecosystem functioning and one that is usually determined indirectly in the fossil record from specific morphological traits of flowers or putative pollinating animals. The exceptionally fine preservation at Messel, Germany, offers an excellent source of data on pollen from fossil flowers as well as preserved adhering to insects as direct evidence of their association with specific floral lineages. Here, we report on pollen recovered from the body and legs of a large carpenter bee (Apidae: Xylocopinae: Xylocopini) from the Eocene of Messel.

The effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on myocardial, hepatic, pancreatic lipid content, body fat distribution and other cardiometabolic risk factors: A magnetic resonance-based study in transgender individuals.

Purpose: We aimed to assess the changes in body fat distribution, intraorgan lipid accumulation, and cardiometabolic risk factors after 6 months of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) in transgender men (TM) and transgender women (TW).

Methods: Conducted at the Medical University of Vienna between 2019 and 2022, the study included 15 TW and 20 TM. We conducted magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy to determine the visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) amounts, the VAT/SAT ratio, and the intraorgan lipid content (liver, pancreas, myocardium), bloodwork, and an oral glucose tolerance test at baseline and after 6 months of GAHT.

Immunogenicity, safety, and reactogenicity of concomitant administration of the novavax vaccine against Omicron XBB.1.5 (NVX-CoV2601) and a 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in adults aged ≥60 years: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority trial.

Objectives: There is conflicting evidence as to whether the combined administration of two vaccines can lead to poorer immunogenicity and reactogenicity. The co-administration of the Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine from Novavax (NVX-CoV2601) and a 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) has not been previously investigated.

Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority trial, immunocompetent participants aged ≥60 years were randomised in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to four groups: NVX-CoV2601 plus PCV20 (combination group); NVX-CoV2601 plus placebo (NVX-only group); PCV20 plus placebo (PCV20-only group); or placebo plus placebo (placebo group).

Intra-individual variability in ancient plasmodium DNA recovery highlights need for enhanced sampling.

Malaria has been a leading cause of death in human populations for centuries and remains a major public health challenge in African countries, especially affecting children. Among the five Plasmodium species infecting humans, Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal. Ancient DNA research has provided key insights into the origins, evolution, and virulence of pathogens that affect humans.

Altered thrombin generation with prothrombin complex concentrate is not detected by viscoelastic testing: an in vitro study.

Background: Bleeding guidelines currently recommend use of viscoelastic testing (VET) to direct haemostatic resuscitation in severe haemorrhage. However, VET-derived parameters of clot initiation, such as clotting time (CT) and activated clotting time (ACT), might not adequately reflect a clinically relevant interaction of procoagulant and anticoagulant activity, as revealed by thrombin generation assays. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of CT and ACT to indicate thrombin generation activity.

The efflux pump ABCC1/MRP1 constitutively restricts PROTAC sensitivity in cancer cells.

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are bifunctional molecules that induce selective protein degradation by linking an E3 ubiquitin ligase enzyme to a target protein. This approach allows scope for targeting "undruggable" proteins, and several PROTACs have reached the stage of clinical candidates. However, the roles of cellular transmembrane transporters in PROTAC uptake and efflux remain underexplored.

Drug-drug interactions between palbociclib and proton pump inhibitors in early breast cancer: an exploratory analysis of PALLAS (ABCSG-42/AFT-05/BIG-14-13/PrE0109).

Background: Concomitant intake of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may create drug-drug interactions, potentially impacting efficacy of anticancer agents. In the phase III PALLAS trial, the addition of palbociclib capsules to standard adjuvant endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative early breast cancer did not improve invasive disease-free survival (iDFS). We explored whether concomitant use of PPIs affected survival outcomes in patients treated with palbociclib in PALLAS.

Results of a patient-level pooled analysis of three studies of trastuzumab deruxtecan in HER2-positive breast cancer with active brain metastasis.

Background: Brain metastases (BMs) are common in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced breast cancer, increasing morbidity and mortality. Systemic therapy for BMs can be effective, with the triple combination of trastuzumab, capecitabine, and tucatinib being a potential standard. More recently, intracranial activity of antibody-drug conjugates has been reported, but the size of individual studies has been small.

Listen to Me! Target Perceptions of Digital Hate: A Scoping Review of Recent Research.

Digital hate is typically targeted toward individuals or groups based on distinct attributes. Despite numerous studies on targets of digital hate, there is a lack of a systematic meta-perspective on targets' perceptions of digital hate. Therefore, this scoping review aims to assess available definitions and characteristics of targets, consequences of digital hate together with targets' reactions and coping strategies, dominant methodologies, and identified future outlooks of digital hate victimization research.

Behind the scenes of EQA-characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

The main stakeholders in external quality assessment (EQA) programs are the participants, in whose interests these challenges are ultimately organised. EQA schemes in the medical field contribute to improving the quality of patient care by evaluating the analytical and diagnostic quality of laboratory and point-of-care tests (POCT) by independent third parties and, if necessary, pointing out erroneous measurement results and analytical or diagnostic improvement potential. Other benefits include the option of using EQA samples for other important laboratory procedures, such as the verification or validation of diagnostic medical devices (IVD-MDs), a contribution to the estimation of measurement uncertainty, a means of training and educating laboratory staff through educational EQA programmes or samples, or even for independent and documented monitoring of staff competence, such as on samples with unusual or even exceptional characteristics.

Characterizing the In Utero Phenome of the Chiari II Malformation-A Network Medicine Approach, Using Fetal MRI.

Objective: To apply a network medicine-based approach to analyze the phenome of the prenatal fetal MRI and biometric findings in the Chiari II malformation (CM II) to detect specific patterns and co-occurrences.

Method: A single-center retrospective review of fetal MRI scans obtained in fetuses with CM II was performed. Co-occurrence analysis was utilized to generate a phenotypic comorbidity matrix and visualized by Gephi software.

Sex-specific mechanisms in vascular aging: exploring cellular and molecular pathways in the pathogenesis of age-related cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Aging remains the foremost risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, surpassing traditional factors in epidemiological significance. This review elucidates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying vascular aging, with an emphasis on sex differences that influence disease progression and clinical outcomes in older adults. We discuss the convergence of aging processes at the macro- and microvascular levels and their contributions to the pathogenesis of vascular diseases.

Working with technical purity: simulation of red tattoo pigment metabolism by online-liquid chromatography-electrochemistry-mass spectrometry.

Tattooing is a popular form of body art that has evolved from ancient times into being part of modern society. The understanding of biotransformation processes of coloring tattoo pigments in human skin is limited although skin reactions to tattoos with unknown culprits occur. Electrochemistry coupled to mass spectrometry (EC-MS) has widely been used as a tool for a purely instrumental approach to simulating the enzymatic biotransformation of xenobiotics.

Synaptoneurolipidomics: lipidomics in the study of synaptic function.

The brain is an exceptionally lipid-rich organ with a very complex lipid composition. Lipids are central in several neuronal processes, including membrane formation and fusion, myelin packing, and lipid-mediated signal transmission. Lipid diversity is associated with the evolution of higher cognitive abilities in primates, is affected by neuronal activity, and is instrumental for synaptic plasticity, illustrating that lipids are not static components of synaptic membranes.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

External quality assessment (EQA) enhances patient safety through the evaluation of the quality of laboratory-based and point of care testing. Regulatory agencies and accreditation organizations utilize the results and the laboratory's response to them as part of assessing the laboratory's fitness to practice. In addition, where EQA samples are commutable and the assigned value has been determined using reference measurement procedures (RMPs), EQA data contributes to the verification of metrological traceability of assays as part of the post-market surveillance of diagnostic (IVD) medical devices (IVD-MDs).