The promise of community-driven preprints in ecology and evolution.

Publishing preprints is quickly becoming commonplace in ecology and evolutionary biology. Preprints can facilitate the rapid sharing of scientific knowledge establishing precedence and enabling feedback from the research community before peer review. Yet, significant barriers to preprint use exist, including language barriers, a lack of understanding about the benefits of preprints and a lack of diversity in the types of research outputs accepted (e.

Dental and oral health assessments in the German National Cohort (NAKO).

Background: Despite considerable improvements in oral health in recent decades, caries and periodontitis are still widespread, ranking among the most prevalent diseases worldwide and requiring future research. The German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie, NAKO) is a large-scaled, multidisciplinary, nationwide, multi-centre, population-based, prospective cohort study with oral examinations that aims to provide a resource to study risk factors for major diseases. The aim of the present article is to provide the methodological background, to report on the data quality, and to present initial results of the oral examinations.

Designing an online BCI forum: insights from researchers and end-users.

Objective: Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can support non-muscular communication and device control for severely paralyzed people. However, efforts that directly involve potential or actual end-users and address their individual needs are scarce, demonstrating a translational gap. An online BCI forum supported by the BCI Society could initiate and sustainably strengthen interactions between BCI researchers and end-users to bridge this gap.

Flower colour contrast, 'spectral purity' and a red herring.

Nature offers a bewildering diversity of flower colours. Understanding the ecology and evolution of this fantastic floral diversity requires knowledge about the visual systems of their natural observers, such as insect pollinators. The key question is how flower colour and pattern can be measured and represented to characterise the signals that are relevant to pollinators.

Occurrence and clinical correlates of SARS-CoV-2 viremia in two German patient cohorts.

Viremia defined as detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the blood is a potential marker of disease severity and prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Here, we determined the frequency of viremia in serum of two independent COVID-19 patient cohorts within the German National Pandemic Cohort Network (German: tionales andemie horten etzwerk, NAPKON) with diagnostic RT-PCR against SARS-CoV-2. A cross-sectional cohort with 1,122 COVID-19 patients (German: , SUEP) and 299 patients recruited in a high-resolution platform with patients at high risk to develop severe courses (German: , HAP) were tested for viremia.

Transcriptome-scale analysis uncovers conserved residues in the hydrophobic core of the bacterial RNA chaperone Hfq required for small regulatory RNA stability.

The RNA chaperone Hfq plays crucial roles in bacterial gene expression and is a major facilitator of small regulatory RNA (sRNA) action. The toroidal architecture of the Hfq hexamer presents three well-characterized surfaces that allow it to bind sRNAs to stabilize them and engage target transcripts. Hfq-interacting sRNAs are categorized into two classes based on the surfaces they use to bind Hfq.

Effectiveness of a timed praziquantel treatment of school children in relation to seasonal transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis in Northwestern Tanzania.

Background: Regular mass drug administration of praziquantel has a positive impact on reducing the burden of human schistosomiasis, however transmission still persists in many areas. To reach disease elimination; tailored interventions are needed to not only further reduce infections but also to tackle areas of persistent high prevalences of infection. One proposed approach is timed treatment based on the natural disease transmission cycle in relation to seasons.

Spatial Characterization of Woody Species Diversity in Tropical Savannas Using GEDI and Optical Data.

Developing the capacity to monitor species diversity worldwide is of great importance in halting biodiversity loss. To this end, remote sensing plays a unique role. In this study, we evaluate the potential of Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) data, combined with conventional satellite optical imagery and climate reanalysis data, to predict in situ alpha diversity (Species richness, Simpson index, and Shannon index) among tree species.

Unveiling the Mechanisms of a Remission in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)-like Syndrome: The Role of Hippocampal Palmitoyltransferase Expression and Stress Susceptibility.

Post-translational modifications of proteins via palmitoylation, a thioester linkage of a 16-carbon fatty acid to a cysteine residue, reversibly increases their affinity for cholesterol-rich lipid rafts in membranes, changing their function. Little is known about how altered palmitoylation affects function at the systemic level and contributes to CNS pathology. However, recent studies suggested a role for the downregulation of palmitoyl acetyltransferase (DHHC) 21 gene expression in the development of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)-like syndrome.

Leptomeningeal Dissemination in Choroid Plexus Tumors: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Appearance and Risk Factors.

Background: Intracranial choroid plexus tumors (CPT) are rare and primarily affect young children. Leptomeningeal dissemination (LMD) has been reported not only in high-grade choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) but also in lower histological grades; however, a systematic evaluation of CPT-specific imaging characteristics remains lacking.

Methods: We analyzed the imaging characteristics of LMD in a single-center pediatric cohort of 22 CPT patients (thirteen choroid plexus papilloma (CPP), six atypical choroid plexus papilloma (aCPP), three CPC), comparing LMD features with those of the primary tumor.

ITS2 rRNA Gene Sequence-Structure Phylogeny of the Chytridiomycota (Opisthokonta, Fungi).

To date, standard rRNA marker genes have had limited success in resolving the phylogeny of the phylum Chytridiomycota. Whereas the conserved and easily alignable ribosomal small subunit 18S rRNA gene had problems resolving nodes relating orders, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) has been claimed to not be alignable for this group of organisms. Although the ITS2 is a fast-evolving locus, its secondary structure is well conserved.

Diurnal timing of physical activity in relation to obesity and diabetes in the German National Cohort (NAKO).

Background: Physical activity supports weight regulation and metabolic health, but its timing in relation to obesity and diabetes remains unclear. We aimed to assess the diurnal timing of physical activity and its association with obesity and diabetes.

Methods: We cross-sectionally analyzed hip-worn accelerometry data from 61,116 participants aged 20-75 in the German National Cohort between 2015 and 2019.

Functional traits mediate the effect of land use on drivers of community stability within and across trophic levels.

Understanding how land use affects temporal stability is crucial to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Yet, the mechanistic links between land-use intensity and stability-driving mechanisms remain unclear, with functional traits likely playing a key role. Using 13 years of data from 300 sites in Germany, we tested whether and how trait-based community features mediate the effect of land-use intensity on acknowledged stability drivers (compensatory dynamics, portfolio effect, and dominant species variability), within and across plant and arthropod communities.

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.

Influenza Immunization in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: Epidemiology and Long-Term Outcomes.

Background: Very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs; birth weight < 1500 g) are at an increased risk of complicated influenza infection, which frequently includes pneumonia, encephalitis or even death. Data on influenza immunization and its outcome in VLBWIs are scarce. This study aimed to provide epidemiological data on influenza immunization for German VLBWIs and hypothesized that immunization would protect VLBWIs from infection-mediated neurodevelopmental impairment and preserves lung function at early school age.

Survival Among Patients Treated with Total Mesorectal Excision or Selective Watch-and-Wait After Total Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Pooled Analysis of the CAO/ARO/AIO-12 and OPRA Randomized Phase II Trials.

Background: Prospective data comparing watch-and-wait (WW) to mandatory total mesorectal excision (TME) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) remains limited, as randomized control trials assessing these two treatment approaches are considered impractical. This pooled analysis of the CAO/ARO/AIO-12 and OPRA trials analyzes survival outcomes among LARC patients managed with either a selective WW or mandatory TME strategy following total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT).

Patients And Methods: The CAO/ARO/AIO-12 and OPRA trials were multicenter, phase II trials that randomized patients with stage II/III rectal cancer to receive either induction or consolidation chemotherapy as part of TNT.

Investigation of the threonine metabolism of Echinococcus multilocularis: The threonine dehydrogenase as a potential drug target in alveolar echinococcosis.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe zoonotic disease caused by the metacestode stage of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. We recently showed that E. multilocularis metacestode vesicles scavenge large amounts of L-threonine from the culture medium.

MicroRNA Expression in High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma With 11q Aberration.

Mature aggressive B-cell lymphomas, such as Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), show variations in microRNA (miRNA) expression. The entity of High-grade B-cell lymphoma with 11q aberration (HGBCL-11q) shares several biological features with both BL and DLBCL but data on its miRNA expression profile are yet scarce. Hence, this study aims to analyze the potential differences in miRNA expression of HGBCL-11q compared to BL and DLBCL.

Direct and indirect effects of land use on microbiomes of trap-nesting solitary bee larvae and nests.

Introduction: The global decline in biodiversity and insect populations highlights the urgent need to conserve ecosystem functions, such as plant pollination by solitary bees. Human activities, particularly agricultural intensification, pose significant threats to these essential services. Changes in land use alter resource and nest site availability, pesticide exposure and other factors impacting the richness, diversity, and health of solitary bee species.

Development and maintenance of consensus recommendations on pediatric outpatient antibiotic therapy in Germany: a framework for rational use.

Unlabelled: In pediatric outpatient care, overuse and misuse of antibiotics is linked to a high risk of adverse events and increased antibiotic resistance. In 2019, building upon the work of the Antibiotic Therapy in Bielefeld (AnTiB) project (founded in 2016), a collaboration among the AnTiB, the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI), and the Professional Association of Outpatient Pediatricians and Adolescent Physicians (BVKJ) was established to develop consensus recommendations for antibiotic therapy in pediatric outpatient settings in Germany. This working group became the Antibiotic Stewardship in Outpatient Pediatrics (ABSaP).

Perioperative Chemotherapy or Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Cancer.

Background: The best multimodal approach for resectable locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma is unclear. An important question is whether perioperative chemotherapy is preferable to preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: In this phase 3, multicenter, randomized trial, we assigned in a 1:1 ratio patients with resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma to receive perioperative chemotherapy with FLOT (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) plus surgery or preoperative chemoradiotherapy (radiotherapy at a dose of 41.

Aging platelets shift their hemostatic properties to inflammatory functions.

Platelets are crucial players in hemostasis and thrombosis, but also contribute to immune regulation and host defense, using different receptors, signaling pathways and effector functions, respectively. Whether distinct subsets of platelets specialize in these diverse tasks is insufficiently understood. Here, we employed an in vivo pulse-labelling method in Mus musculus models for tracking in vivo platelet ageing and its functional implications.

Cold waves in the Amazon rainforest and their ecological impact.

Cold waves crossing the Amazon rainforest are an extraordinary phenomenon likely to be affected by climate change. We here describe an extensive cold wave that occurred in June 2023 in Amazonian-Andean forests and compare environmental temperatures to experimentally measured thermal tolerances and their impact on lowland animal communities (insects and wild mammals). While we found strong reductions in activity abundance of all animal groups under the cold wave, tropical lowland animals showed thermal tolerance limits below the lowest environmental temperatures measured during the cold wave.