@article {pmid39328063,
year = {2024},
author = {Romero, FG and Beaudry, FEG and Hovmand Warner, E and Nguyen, TN and Fitzpatrick, JW and Chen, N},
title = {A new high-quality genome assembly and annotation for the threatened Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens).},
journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/g3journal/jkae232},
pmid = {39328063},
issn = {2160-1836},
abstract = {The Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), a Federally Threatened, cooperatively-breeding bird, is an emerging model system in evolutionary biology and ecology. Extensive individual-based monitoring and genetic sampling for decades has yielded a wealth of data, allowing for the detailed study of social behavior, demography, and population genetics of this natural population. Here, we report a linkage map and a chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation for a female Florida Scrub-Jay made with long-read sequencing technology, chromatin conformation data, and the linkage map. We constructed a linkage map comprising 4,468 SNPs that had 34 linkage groups and a total sex-averaged autosomal genetic map length of 2446.78 cM. The new genome assembly is 1.33 Gb in length, consisting of 33 complete or near-complete autosomes and the sex chromosomes (ZW). This highly contiguous assembly has an NG50 of 68 Mb and a Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness score of 97.1% with respect to the Aves database. The annotated gene set has a BUSCO transcriptome completeness score of 95.5% and 17,964 identified protein-coding genes, 92.5% of which have associated functional annotations. This new, high-quality genome assembly and linkage map of the Florida Scrub-Jay provides valuable tools for future research into the evolutionary dynamics of small, natural populations of conservation concern.},
}

@article {pmid39324792,
year = {2024},
author = {Gallichotte, EN and Fitzmeyer, EA and Williams, L and Spangler, MC and Bosco-Lauth, AM and Ebel, GD},
title = {WNV and SLEV coinfection in avian and mosquito hosts: impact on viremia, antibody responses, and vector competence.},
journal = {Journal of virology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0104124},
doi = {10.1128/jvi.01041-24},
pmid = {39324792},
issn = {1098-5514},
abstract = {West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) are closely related flaviviruses that can cause encephalitis in humans and related diseases in animals. In nature, both are transmitted by Culex, with wild birds, including jays, sparrows, and robins, serving as vertebrate hosts. WNV and SLEV circulate in the same environments and have recently caused concurrent disease outbreaks in humans. The extent that coinfection of mosquitoes or birds may alter transmission dynamics, however, is not well characterized. We therefore sought to determine if coinfection alters infection kinetics and virus levels in birds and infection rates in mosquitoes. Accordingly, American robins (Turdus migratorius), two species of mosquitoes, and vertebrate and invertebrate cells were infected with WNV and/or SLEV to assess how simultaneous exposure may alter infection outcomes. There was variable impact of coinfection in vertebrate cells, with some evidence that SLEV can suppress WNV replication. However, robins had comparable viremia and antibody responses regardless of coinfection. Conversely, in Culex cells and mosquitoes, we saw a minimal impact of simultaneous exposure to both viruses on replication, with comparable infection, dissemination, and transmission rates in singly infected and coinfected mosquitoes. Importantly, while WNV and SLEV levels in coinfected mosquito midguts were positively correlated, we saw no correlation between them in salivary glands and saliva. These results reveal that while coinfection can occur in both avian and mosquito hosts, the viruses minimally impact one another. The potential for coinfection to alter virus population structure or the likelihood of rare genotypes emerging remains unknown.IMPORTANCEWest Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) are closely related viruses that are transmitted by the same mosquitoes and infect the same birds in nature. Both viruses circulate in the same regions and have caused concurrent outbreaks in humans. It is possible that mosquitoes, birds, and/or humans could be infected with both WNV and SLEV simultaneously, as has been observed with Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses. To study the impact of coinfection, we experimentally infected vertebrate and invertebrate cells, American robins, and two Culex species with WNV and/or SLEV. Robins were efficiently coinfected, with no impact of coinfection on virus levels or immune response. Similarly, in mosquitoes, coinfection did not impact infection rates, and mosquitoes could transmit both WNV and SLEV together. These results reveal that WNV and SLEV coinfection in birds and mosquitoes can occur in nature, which may impact public health and human disease risk.},
}

@article {pmid39315189,
year = {2024},
author = {Huang, J and Zhang, X and Chang, Y},
title = {Effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxin type A combined with blepharoplasty in treating sagging skin around the eyes.},
journal = {Heliyon},
volume = {10},
number = {18},
pages = {e37407},
pmid = {39315189},
issn = {2405-8440},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Researchers looked into the safety and effectiveness of blepharoplasty in conjunction with botulinum toxin type A for the treatment of periocular skin laxity.

METHODS: 92 patients who received treatment at our institution for periocular skin laxity were chosen as research subjects. Their admission time ranged from May 2020 to December 2022. Using various therapy modalities, the patients were split into two groups: an observational team (n = 46) and a controlling team (n = 46). They were respectively given blepharoplasty treatment intervention and botulinum toxin type A combined with blepharoplasty treatment intervention. Eyelid bags, crow's feet, skin radiance and aesthetic results, quality of life were analyzed before and after the intervention, and physician and patient' satisfaction with the results were compared.

RESULTS: 95.65 % was the effective rate of the observed group, which was 71.74 % compared with the control group, and significantly increased (P < 0.05). After interference, the score, aesthetic effect and quality of life grade of skin gloss, crow's feet and eyelid bags were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The complication rate in the observation group was 6.52 % was significantly higher than 30.43 % in the control group (P < 0.05). The patient satisfaction of the observation group was 93.48 %, significantly greater than the control group 69.57 % (P < 0.05); the customer satisfaction of the observation group was 95.65 %, which was significantly higher than the control group 82.61 % (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The combination of type A botulinum toxin and eye bag plastic surgery has a good effect on improving skin laxity around the eyes. It can significantly reduce eyelid bags and crow's feet, improve skin gloss, increase aesthetic effects, and comprehensively restore vitality to aged eye skin, improve life quality, and have high doctor-client contentment and safety.},
}

@article {pmid39313949,
year = {2024},
author = {Choi, SY and Koh, YG and Yoo, KH and Han, HS and Seok, J and Kim, BJ},
title = {A Randomized, Participant- and Evaluator-Blinded, Matched-Pair, Prospective Study Comparing the Safety and Efficacy Between Polycaprolactone and Polynucleotide Fillers in the Correction of Crow's Feet.},
journal = {Journal of cosmetic dermatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/jocd.16576},
pmid = {39313949},
issn = {1473-2165},
support = {//This work was funded by DexLevo, Inc./ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Dermal fillers have gained widespread popularity for facial cosmetic enhancement and anti-aging treatments. Recently, polycaprolactone (PCL) and polynucleotides (PN) fillers have emerged as promising options owing to their safety and long-lasting effects.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a novel PCL-based dermal filler (DLMR01) with purified PN filler (RJR: Rejuran) in correcting crow's feet wrinkles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, evaluator-blinded, prospective split-face study was conducted with 218 healthy Asian participants. The primary outcome was in the improvement rate of the Crow's Feet Grading Scale (CFGS) at rest after 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included the improvement rate of the CFGS at expression and rest at earlier time points, changes in CFGS, and the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) assessment.

RESULTS: The results showed that DLMR01 was not inferior to RJR in improving crow's feet wrinkles, with a significantly higher CGFS improvement rate at week 12. Both fillers demonstrated good safety profiles, with mild and tolerable adverse events. No serious adverse events were reported during the study period.

CONCLUSION: DLMR01, a pegylated PCL-based dermal filler, showed effectiveness and safety in improving wrinkles described as crow's feet. The study suggests that DLMR01 could be a promising option for noninvasive anti-aging treatments.},
}

@article {pmid39307930,
year = {2024},
author = {Micula, A and Holmer, E and Ning, R and Danielsson, H},
title = {Relationships Between Hearing Status, Cognitive Abilities, and Reliance on Visual and Contextual Cues.},
journal = {Ear and hearing},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39307930},
issn = {1538-4667},
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Visual and contextual cues facilitate speech recognition in suboptimal listening conditions (e.g., background noise, hearing loss, hearing aid signal processing). Moreover, successful speech recognition in challenging listening conditions is linked to cognitive abilities such as working memory and fluid intelligence. However, it is unclear which cognitive abilities facilitate the use of visual and contextual cues in individuals with normal hearing and hearing aid users. The first aim was to investigate whether individuals with hearing aid users rely on visual and contextual cues to a higher degree than individuals with normal hearing in a speech-in-noise recognition task. The second aim was to investigate whether working memory and fluid intelligence are associated with the use of visual and contextual cues in these groups.

DESIGN: Groups of participants with normal hearing and hearing aid users with bilateral, symmetrical mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss were included (n = 169 per group). The Samuelsson and Rönnberg task was administered to measure speech recognition in speech-shaped noise. The task consists of an equal number of sentences administered in the auditory and audiovisual modalities, as well as without and with contextual cues (visually presented word preceding the sentence, e.g.,: "Restaurant"). The signal to noise ratio was individually set to 1 dB below the level obtained for 50% correct speech recognition in the hearing-in-noise test administered in the auditory modality. The Reading Span test was used to measure working memory capacity and the Raven test was used to measure fluid intelligence. The data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects modeling.

RESULTS: Both groups exhibited significantly higher speech recognition performance when visual and contextual cues were available. Although the hearing aid users performed significantly worse compared to those with normal hearing in the auditory modality, both groups reached similar performance levels in the audiovisual modality. In addition, a significant positive relationship was found between the Raven test score and speech recognition performance only for the hearing aid users in the audiovisual modality. There was no significant relationship between Reading Span test score and performance.

CONCLUSIONS: Both participants with normal hearing and hearing aid users benefitted from contextual cues, regardless of cognitive abilities. The hearing aid users relied on visual cues to compensate for the perceptual difficulties, reaching a similar performance level as the participants with normal hearing when visual cues were available, despite worse performance in the auditory modality. It is important to note that the hearing aid users who had higher fluid intelligence were able to capitalize on visual cues more successfully than those with poorer fluid intelligence, resulting in better speech-in-noise recognition performance.},
}

@article {pmid39282745,
year = {2024},
author = {Karaavci, FA and Dortbudak, MB and Demircioglu, M and Kocyigit, A},
title = {Investigation of Glandula Uropygialis in Different Avian Species Using Morphometric and Histological Methods.},
journal = {Anatomia, histologia, embryologia},
volume = {53},
number = {5},
pages = {e13107},
doi = {10.1111/ahe.13107},
pmid = {39282745},
issn = {1439-0264},
mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Male ; *Birds/anatomy & histology ; Feathers/anatomy & histology ; Geese/anatomy & histology ; Columbidae/anatomy & histology ; },
abstract = {The aim of this study was to identify the glandula uropygialis's macroanatomical and histological structure in male and female birds (stork, goose, eagle, pigeon, crow and sparrowhawk) that belong to different populations. A total of 58 specimens were used in the study. The study materials were delivered to our laboratory by nature conservation and national parks, and no animals were euthanised for this study. The longitudinal and transversal lengths, dorsoventral heights and feather length of the glandula uropygialis and papilla uropygialis were measured with a digital calliper. Haematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome staining were performed for histological examinations. The shape of the glandula uropygialis was found to be pear-shaped in pigeons and sparrowhawks, heart-shaped in geese, kidney-shaped in eagles and oval-fascule-shaped in storks. In the crow, the shape of the glandula uropygialis was different from the other species in that it was located dorso-caudally. Histomorphological examination of the glands of these species revealed that the gland generally consisted of two lobes, right and left, surrounded by connective tissue from the outside. The parenchyma of these lobes consisted of tubulo-alveolar secretory glands with a radial arrangement from the periphery to the centre. The glands within the lobes differed from the periphery to the centre and although the general histomorphological appearance was similar between bird species, some differences were observed between species. Similar stromal structure was observed in all bird species evaluated in the study. However, the reticular connective tissue forming the roof of the gland was found to be more developed in pigeons, especially in Masson's trichroma staining. The degenerative layer in the glands was more prominent in the eagle, followed by the goose and crow. Although a common general histological structure was observed among bird species, simple histomorphological differences were found between these formations, but no differences were found between the sexes. The results obtained will be compared with the findings of the aves class and will provide a data source for this special gland specific to birds. It is thought that the results obtained may help to determine the functional properties of the gland and contribute to the science of ornithology.},
}

Animals
Female
Male
*Birds/anatomy & histology
Feathers/anatomy & histology
Geese/anatomy & histology
Columbidae/anatomy & histology

@article {pmid39282681,
year = {2024},
author = {Ayoub, AEA and Aljughaiman, AM and Alghawi, MA and Morsy, A and Omara, EMN and Abdulla Alabbasi, AM and Renzulli, JS},
title = {Validation of Hamdan intelligence scale in upper elementary grades using the Rasch model: exploratory study.},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1407734},
pmid = {39282681},
issn = {1664-1078},
abstract = {Hamdan Intelligence Scale (HIS) is the first intelligence scale that has been developed and normed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to examine the refinement, validity, and reliability of HIS in upper elementary grades using the Rasch model. A total of 4,301 students (34.3% Male; 65.7% Female) from grade 4 to 6 (32.1% grade 4; 33.7% grade 5; 34.2% grade 6) were administered to the HIS. The confirmatory factor analysis was first conducted to verify the fitness of the one-factor model of the HIS. The results of validity showed strong correlation coefficients between the HIS and the Aurora-g battery (0.83) and the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM; 0.86). Moreover, the results of the developmental trends demonstrated that raw scores of the HIS increase with age and grade relatively constantly across composite scores. Unidimensionality was confirmed through the Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Principal Component Analysis of Residuals (PCAR). The low eigenvalues of the first contrast were below 2, and additionally, the infit and outfit mean squares ranged from 0.88 to 1.14 and 0.84 to 1.14. Rasch's person reliability result of 0.62 was acceptable reliability. The results provided strong support for the validity and reliability of using the Hamdan Intelligence Scale in the UAE environment.},
}

@article {pmid39275229,
year = {2024},
author = {Liu, S and Yu, X and Xing, Z and Ding, P and Cui, Y and Liu, H},
title = {The Impact of Exposure to Iodine and Fluorine in Drinking Water on Thyroid Health and Intelligence in School-Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Investigation.},
journal = {Nutrients},
volume = {16},
number = {17},
pages = {},
pmid = {39275229},
issn = {2072-6643},
support = {82173641//National Nature Science Foundation of China/ ; TJWJ2022MS045//The Scientific and Technological Project of Tianjin health/ ; TJSQNYXXR-D2-151//Tianjin high-level personnel training program/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Child ; *Iodine/urine/deficiency ; Male ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Fluorine ; *Intelligence/drug effects ; *Drinking Water/chemistry/analysis ; *Thyroid Gland/drug effects ; China ; Thyroid Hormones/blood ; Adolescent ; Intelligence Tests ; },
abstract = {Iodine and fluorine, as halogen elements, are often coexisting in water environments, with nearly 200 million people suffering from fluorosis globally, and, in 11 countries and territories, adolescents have iodine intakes higher than that required for the prevention of iodine deficiency disorders. It has been suggested that excess iodine and/or fluorine can affect thyroid health and intellectual development, especially in children, but their combined effect has been less studied in this population. This study investigated 399 school-age children in Tianjin, China, collected drinking water samples from areas where the school-age children lived, and grouped the respondents according to iodine and fluorine levels. Thyroid health was measured using thyroid hormone levels, thyroid volume, and the presence of thyroid nodules; intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed using the Raven's Progressive Matrices (CRT) test; and monoamine neurotransmitter levels were used to explore the potential relationship between thyroid health and intelligence. Multiple linear regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses showed that iodine and fluorine were positively correlated with thyroid volume and the incidence of thyroid nodules in school-age children, and negatively correlated with IQ; similar results were obtained in the secondary subgroups based on urinary iodine and urinary fluoride levels. Interaction analyses revealed a synergistic effect of iodine and fluorine. A pathway analysis showed that iodine and fluorine were negatively associated with the secretion of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free tetraiodothyronine (FT4), which in turn were negatively associated with the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Iodine and fluorine may affect IQ in school-aged children through the above pathways that affect thyroid hormone secretion; of these, FT3 and TSH were negatively correlated with IQ, whereas FT4 was positively correlated with IQ. The relationship between thyroid hormones and monoamine neurotransmitters may involve the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, with FT4 hormone concentrations positively correlating with dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HT) concentrations, and FT3 hormone concentrations positively correlating with DA concentrations. Monoamine neurotransmitters may play a mediating role in the effects of iodine and fluoride on intelligence in schoolchildren. However, this study has some limitations, as the data were derived from a cross-sectional study in Tianjin, China, and no attention was paid to the reciprocal effects of iodine and fluorine at different doses on thyroid health and intelligence in schoolchildren in other regions.},
}

Humans
Child
*Iodine/urine/deficiency
Male
Female
Cross-Sectional Studies
*Fluorine
*Intelligence/drug effects
*Drinking Water/chemistry/analysis
*Thyroid Gland/drug effects
China
Thyroid Hormones/blood
Adolescent
Intelligence Tests

@article {pmid39270252,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhu, H and Fang, Y and Wu, J and Wang, Z and Li, J and Cheng, X and Ji, H and Su, Y and Shieh, W},
title = {Narrow-bandwidth silicon photonic CROW filter for carrier-extracted self-coherent (CESC) detection.},
journal = {Optics letters},
volume = {49},
number = {18},
pages = {5151-5154},
doi = {10.1364/OL.536778},
pmid = {39270252},
issn = {1539-4794},
abstract = {In this Letter, we report a second-order silicon photonic (SiP) coupled resonator optical waveguide (CROW) filter with an ultra-narrow 10-dB bandwidth of 1.75 GHz and a high extinction ratio (ER) of ∼50 dB. By utilizing this CROW filter, we demonstrated an innovative self-coherent detection, called carrier-extracted self-coherent (CESC) detection. By effectively suppressing signal components with the narrow-bandwidth CROW, full-field recovery can be achieved without expensive coherent lasers and sophisticated iteration algorithms. The performance of the CROW filter-based CESC system was further experimentally verified by retrieving 100 Gb/s QPSK signals.},
}

@article {pmid39263731,
year = {2024},
author = {Hu, B and Wang, J and Wang, Y and Li, Y and Wang, B and Xiang, C and Xing, Y and Han, S and Yuan, G and He, H},
title = {The First Report of Sphaerirostris picae Infection in the Oriental Magpie (Pica serica) in Beijing, China.},
journal = {Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1089/vbz.2023.0101},
pmid = {39263731},
issn = {1557-7759},
abstract = {Background: Sphaerirostris picae is a parasitic species known for its ability to infect and transmit between hosts in the gastrointestinal tracts of wild avian species. However, there is limited information on its presence and impact on urban avian populations, particularly in China. Materials and Methods: In this study, morphological observations were conducted to detect the presence of Sphaerirostris sp. within the intestinal tract of the Oriental Magpie (Pica serica) collected in Beijing, China. Further confirmation of the parasite's identity was achieved through phylogenetic analysis using COX1 gene sequencing to compare with previously documented Sphaerirostris picae isolates. Results: The morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the presence of Sphaerirostris picae in the Oriental Magpie. Phylogenetic analysis indicated a close relationship with known Sphaerirostris picae isolates. This represents the first reported case of Sphaerirostris picae infection in magpies from Beijing, China. Conclusion: The findings highlight the potential health hazards posed by Sphaerirostris picae to urban avian populations and public health. The study suggests that additional research and surveillance efforts are necessary to better understand the risks associated with this parasite and to develop effective mitigation strategies.},
}

@article {pmid39261348,
year = {2024},
author = {Koçak, HK},
title = {The effect of cognitive intervention program on intelligence scores in preschool.},
journal = {Cognitive processing},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39261348},
issn = {1612-4790},
abstract = {Dynamic assessment is an approach that aims to improve student performance through interventions. One of the important application areas of dynamic assessment is the assessment of intelligence. Within the scope of the study, after a Cognitive intervention program (CIP) was developed, its effects on intelligence scores were examined with a quasi-experimental research method. The CIP was prepared by adopting a dynamic assessment approach to improve the performance of students with expert support. This improvement would be provided by the clues and feedback given during the intervention within the scope of the CIP. The sample of the study included 173 students in the 5-6 age group (83 experimental group, 90 control group). The CIP developed by the researcher consisted of 54 worksheets and was applied to the experimental group for 9 weeks. The implementation of the worksheets was supervised by classroom teachers. The digital application of the Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale (d-ASIS) and Raven's colored progressive matrices (RCPM) were applied to both the experimental and control groups as pretests and posttests. The increases in the intelligence scores of the experimental and control groups were analyzed by MANOVA. The analysis showed that the intelligence levels of the experimental group increased significantly more than the control group in terms of both d-ASIS and RCPM total gain scores (posttest to pretest). This result indicated that the CIP, which was developed by adopting a dynamic assessment approach, supported cognitive development.},
}

@article {pmid39260852,
year = {2024},
author = {Chugh, Y and Sharma, S and Guinness, L and Sharma, D and Garg, B and Mehndiratta, A and Prinja, S},
title = {Establishing national hospital costing systems: insights from the qualitative assessment of cost surveillance pilot in Indian hospitals.},
journal = {BMJ open},
volume = {14},
number = {9},
pages = {e082965},
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082965},
pmid = {39260852},
issn = {2044-6055},
mesh = {Humans ; India ; *Qualitative Research ; Pilot Projects ; *Hospital Costs ; Interviews as Topic ; },
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The Indian Government launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the world's largest health insurance scheme, in 2018. To reform pricing and gather evidence on healthcare costs, a hospital cost-surveillance pilot was initiated among PM-JAY empanelled hospitals. We analysed the process and challenges from both healthcare providers and payer agency's perspectives and offer recommendations for implementing similar systems in lower- and middle-income countries.

DESIGN: We employed an open-ended, descriptive and qualitative study design using in-depth interviews (IDI) as the data collection strategy.

SETTINGS: The interviews were conducted in both virtual and face-to-face modes depending on the convenience of the participants. The IDIs for the National Health Authority (NHA) officials and all providers in Kerala were conducted virtually, while face-to-face interviews were conducted and in Haryana and Chhattisgarh.

PARTICIPANTS: Staff from 21 hospitals in three states (Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Kerala), including officials from State Health Agency (n=5) and NHA (n=3) were interviewed.

RESULTS: The findings highlight significant challenges in reporting cost data at the hospital level. These include a shortage of trained staff, leading to difficulties in collecting comprehensive and high-quality data. Additionally, the data collection process is resource-intensive and time-consuming, putting strain on limited capacity. Operational issues with transaction management system, such as speed, user-friendliness and frequent page expirations, also pose obstacles. Finally, current patient records data has gaps, in terms of quantity and quality, to be directly put to use for pricing.

CONCLUSION: Accurate cost data is vital for health policy decisions. Capacity building across healthcare levels is needed for precise cost collection. Integration into digital infrastructure is key to avoid burdening providers and ensure quality data capture.},
}

Humans
India
*Qualitative Research
Pilot Projects
*Hospital Costs
Interviews as Topic

@article {pmid39257567,
year = {2024},
author = {Ham, JR and Pellis, SM and Pellis, VC},
title = {Oppositions, joints, and targets: the attractors that are the glue of social interactions.},
journal = {Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience},
volume = {18},
number = {},
pages = {1451283},
doi = {10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1451283},
pmid = {39257567},
issn = {1662-5153},
abstract = {Social interactions are often analyzed by scoring segments of predefined behavior and then statistically assessing numerical and sequential patterns to identify the structure of the encounters. However, this approach can miss the dynamics of the animals' relationship over the course of the encounter, one that often involves invariant bonds, say a nose-to-nose orientation, with many different movements performed by both partners acting to counteract each other's attempts to break or maintain the relationship. Moreover, these invariant bonds can switch from one configuration to another during an interaction, leading from one stable configuration to another. It is this stepwise sequence of configurational stabilities that lead to functional outcomes, such as mating, aggression, or predation. By focusing on the sequence of invariant relational configurations, the deep structure of interactions can be discerned. This deep structure can then be used to differentiate between compensatory movements, no matter how seemingly stereotyped they may appear, from movement patterns which are restricted to a particular form when more than one option is available. A dynamic perspective requires suitable tools for analysis, and such tools are highlighted as needed in describing particular interactions.},
}

@article {pmid39255757,
year = {2024},
author = {Griffiths, H},
title = {John Raven (1941-2024).},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {34},
number = {17},
pages = {R802-R804},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.069},
pmid = {39255757},
issn = {1879-0445},
mesh = {History, 21st Century ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; },
abstract = {Obituary for John Raven, FRS, FRSE.},
}

History, 21st Century
History, 20th Century
Humans

@article {pmid39253095,
year = {2024},
author = {d' Isa, R and Parsons, MH and Chrzanowski, M and Bebas, P and Stryjek, R},
title = {Catch me if you can: free-living mice show a highly flexible dodging behaviour suggestive of intentional tactical deception.},
journal = {Royal Society open science},
volume = {11},
number = {7},
pages = {231692},
doi = {10.1098/rsos.231692},
pmid = {39253095},
issn = {2054-5703},
abstract = {Intentional tactical deception, the employment of a tactic to intentionally deceive another animal, is a complex behaviour based on higher-order cognition, that has rarely been documented outside of primates and corvids. New laboratory-to-field assays, however, provide the opportunity to investigate such behaviour among free-living mice. In the present study, we placed laboratory-style test chambers with a single entrance near a forest outside Warsaw, where we observed the social interactions of two territorial murids, black-striped and yellow-necked mice, under food competition for seven months. Notably, among the social interactions, we video-recorded 21 instances of deceptive pursuer evasion. In the most obvious cases, an individual inside the chamber, to avoid an incoming mouse, hid by the chamber opening (the only means to enter or exit), paused until the pursuer entered and passed by, and then exploited the distraction of the back-turned pursuer by fleeing through the opening in a direction opposite to the one the pursuer came from. This deceptive dodging is the first evidence of a behaviour suggestive of intentional tactical deception among mice. As such, this deceptive behaviour may be of interest not only for rodent psychology but also, more generally, for the fields of non-human intentionality and theory of mind.},
}

@article {pmid39252993,
year = {2024},
author = {Prinja, S and Dixit, J and Nimesh, R and Garg, B and Khurana, R and Paliwal, A and Aggarwal, AK},
title = {Impact of health benefit package policy interventions on service utilisation under government-funded health insurance in Punjab, India: analysis of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).},
journal = {The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia},
volume = {28},
number = {},
pages = {100462},
pmid = {39252993},
issn = {2772-3682},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The design of health benefits package (HBP), and its associated payment and pricing system, is central to the performance of government-funded health insurance programmes. We evaluated the impact of revision in HBP within India's Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) on provider behaviour, manifesting in terms of utilisation of services.

METHODS: We analysed the data on 1.35 million hospitalisation claims submitted by all the 886 (222 government and 664 private) empanelled hospitals in state of Punjab, from August 2019 to December 2022, to assess the change in utilisation from HBP 1.0 to HBP 2.0. The packages were stratified based on the nature of revision introduced in HBP 2.0, i.e., change in nomenclature, construct, price, or a combination of these. Data from National Health System Cost Database on cost of each of the packages was used to determine the cost-price differential for each package during HBP 1.0 and 2.0 respectively. A dose-response relationship was also evaluated, based on the multiplicity of revision type undertaken, or based on extent of price correction done. Change in the number of monthly claims, and the number of monthly claims per package was computed for each package category using an appropriate seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) time series model.

FINDINGS: Overall, we found that the HBP revision led to a positive impact on utilisation of services. While changes in HBP nomenclature and construct had a positive effect, incorporating price corrections further accentuated the impact. The pricing reforms highly impacted those packages which were originally significantly under-priced. However, we did not find statistically significant dose-response relationship based on extent of price correction. Thirdly, the overall impact of HBP revision was similar in public and private hospitals.

INTERPRETATION: Our paper demonstrates the significant positive impact of PM-JAY HBP revisions on utilisation. HBP revisions need to be undertaken with the anticipation of its long-term intended effects.

FUNDING: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).},
}

@article {pmid39241525,
year = {2024},
author = {Shichijo, T and Ikeda, T and Higashide, D and Omori, A and Suzuki, T and Suzuki, M},
title = {Quantification of wildlife visits to pig farms via camera traps in Japan.},
journal = {Preventive veterinary medicine},
volume = {232},
number = {},
pages = {106318},
doi = {10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106318},
pmid = {39241525},
issn = {1873-1716},
abstract = {Infectious diseases in livestock not only cause significant economic losses but also affect food security. Although wildlife may be involved in these infectious diseases by serving as reservoirs, research has primarily focused on livestock and related species. Moreover, while these species represent a potential threat in wildlife-borne infectious diseases, comprehensive surveys of the presence of various species are limited. In this study, we aimed to quantitatively investigate the occurrence of various mammals and birds at three pig farms in Japan. We conducted camera trap surveys from October 15, 2020, to March 24, 2022, and determined the relative abundance index inside and outside the sanitary control zone. Wild boar (Sus scrofa), sika deer (Cervus nippon), and Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) were photographed only outside the sanitary control zone. In contrast, small and medium-sized mammals, such as feral cats (Felis catus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and rodent species (Muridae), and birds, such as the rufous oriental turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) and crows of the genus Corvus, were photographed both inside and outside the sanitary control zone. This comprehensive quantitative evidence suggests that various mammals and birds may be in indirect contact with livestock, highlighting the need to improve biosecurity at livestock farms. Moreover, while fences are effective against large mammals, they are inefficient against small to medium-sized mammals and birds. Therefore, the results of this study provide important insights into enhancing biosecurity on livestock farms by strengthening physical fencing, disinfecting clothing and equipment, and complying with standards of hygiene management.},
}

@article {pmid39240772,
year = {2024},
author = {Yonemoto, G and Cheung, TP and Vyce, SD and Gazes, MI},
title = {Vacuum-Assisted Eggshell-Type Bone Debridement with Implantation of Antibiotic-Impregnated Bone Substitute for Treatment of Calcaneal Osteomyelitis with Subsequent Charcot's Reconstruction: A Case Report.},
journal = {Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association},
volume = {114},
number = {4},
pages = {},
doi = {10.7547/23-092},
pmid = {39240772},
issn = {1930-8264},
mesh = {Humans ; Female ; Middle Aged ; *Osteomyelitis/surgery/etiology ; *Calcaneus/surgery ; *Debridement/methods ; *Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use/administration & dosage ; *Bone Substitutes/therapeutic use ; Arthropathy, Neurogenic/surgery ; Calcium Sulfate/therapeutic use ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods ; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy/methods ; },
abstract = {Charcot's neuroarthropathy complicated by calcaneal osteomyelitis can be difficult to treat. Various surgical techniques describe how to manage these conditions. Eggshell-type debridement with application of antibiotic-impregnated bone substitute is a viable option that eliminates infected bone and allows staged reconstructive surgery. A 50-year-old woman with right midfoot Charcot's neuroarthropathy presented with osteomyelitis of the cuboid and fourth and fifth metatarsal bases after resection and failed antibiotic therapy. The patient eventually developed adductovarus, septic shock, and hematogenous osteomyelitis of the calcaneus, navicular, and lateral cuneiform. Vacuum-assisted eggshell-type debridement was performed, and the calcaneal defect was filled with antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate. Eight weeks after the initial surgery, the infection resolved; however, the patient had trouble walking. She underwent staged Charcot's reconstructive surgery with application of a dynamic multiplanar external fixator with gradual deformity and split-thickness skin graft to cover the residual plantar lateral foot wound. The second stage included septic fusion of the midfoot and subtalar joint from the frame. Twelve weeks postoperatively, radiographic union was achieved, the external fixator was removed, and the patient demonstrated a plantigrade foot. She was transitioned to a total-contact cast and allowed to bear weight as tolerated. Eighteen months after the initial procedure, the patient is wound-free and weightbearing in a CROW boot. This innovative eggshell-type debridement technique aspirates osteomyelitic cancellous bone while preserving cortical bone. It can be particularly useful in hematogenous osteomyelitis, where cortical integrity is not breached, or in situations where there is minimal cortical involvement. Specifically preserving the calcaneus, a major weightbearing bone, permits subsequent reconstructive surgical planning. At 18 months, there were no signs of osteomyelitis recurrence.},
}

Humans
Female
Middle Aged
*Osteomyelitis/surgery/etiology
*Calcaneus/surgery
*Debridement/methods
*Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use/administration & dosage
*Bone Substitutes/therapeutic use
Arthropathy, Neurogenic/surgery
Calcium Sulfate/therapeutic use
Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods
Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy/methods

@article {pmid39234642,
year = {2024},
author = {Hsu, WY and Hu, SW and Yen, CE},
title = {The relationship between the food intake frequency, weight status and intelligence in school children.},
journal = {Nutrition and health},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {2601060241277579},
doi = {10.1177/02601060241277579},
pmid = {39234642},
issn = {0260-1060},
abstract = {This study aimed to explore the relationship between food intake frequency, weight status, and intelligence among school children. A cross-sectional study involved 562 children (aged 6.3-12.7 years) randomly selected from five elementary schools in Taichung City, Taiwan. Demographic information was collected, and the children's body weight and height were measured to calculate their body mass index. A food frequency questionnaire assessed the participating children's dietary habits. Intelligence quotient scores were evaluated using Raven's colored progress matrices for first and second graders, and Raven's standard progressive matrices for third to sixth graders. This study found that there was no significant relationship in intelligence quotient scores between gender, birth order groups, and weight status. The higher consumption of pork liver, hamburgers, fruit juices, and the Taiwanese snack "Science Noodles" was associated with lower intelligence quotient scores among school children.},
}

@article {pmid39228068,
year = {2024},
author = {Forbes, SL and Huculak, M and Watson, CJ},
title = {Taphonomic impact of vertebrate scavengers on degradation and dispersal of remains, southeastern British Columbia.},
journal = {Journal of forensic sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1556-4029.15620},
pmid = {39228068},
issn = {1556-4029},
support = {C150-2017-12//The Canada 150 Research Chairs/ ; RGPIN/6098/2019//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; },
abstract = {Vertebrate scavengers represent important taphonomic agents that can act on a body, particularly when in an outdoor environment. Understanding the effects of these agents will direct how and where to search for human remains and influence the likelihood of discovery in a particular region. The current study aimed to identify the taphonomic impact of scavenger guilds in the peri-urban and rural regions of southeastern British Columbia. Vertebrate scavenger activity on pig carcasses was recorded remotely using trail cameras and analyzed to determine temporal scavenging profiles. Both the peri-urban and rural environments produced comparable scavenger guilds, namely: turkey vultures, American crows/northern ravens (classified as "corvids"), American black bears, and coyotes. Although the two locations had different study lengths due to variable degrees of scavenging, for the period that was common to both locations (summer to early fall), the black bear was the most frequent scavenger followed by coyote. However, the dispersal of remains by the mammalian scavengers was distinctly different between sites. Only 12%-33% of skeletal elements were recovered at the rural sites compared to 80%-90% recovered at the peri-urban sites, even though the latter sites had a longer study timeframe. The extended timeframe of the peri-urban sites confirmed that certain scavengers (e.g., turkey vultures and black bears) are only seasonally active in this region. These findings demonstrate the variability of scavenger behavior and the need to assign caution and local ecological knowledge when predicting scavenger trends. Such taphonomic information is relevant for human remains searches in regions with comparable scavenger guilds.},
}

@article {pmid39227504,
year = {2024},
author = {Cornero, FM and Clayton, NS},
title = {Object permanence in rooks (Corvus frugilegus): Individual differences and behavioral considerations.},
journal = {Learning & behavior},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39227504},
issn = {1543-4508},
abstract = {Piagetian object permanence (OP) refers to the ability to know that an object continues to exist when out of sight: In humans, it develops in six stages. Species of great apes, other mammals, and birds (parrots, corvids, and pigeons) have been shown to possess partial or full OP, which is a prerequisite for more complex physical cognition abilities they may possess. In birds, the greatest variation is in Stage 6 (invisible displacements) and in "A-not-B" errors-incorrectly persevering in searching an empty location rewarded previously. Caching abilities have been invoked as holding explanatory power over results in corvids, for which this error is sometimes completely absent. The rook (Corvus frugilegus), a cognitively advanced, social, caching corvid, has not yet been studied for OP. This study applies tasks of one OP scale commonly adapted for nonhuman animals, Uzgiris and Hunt's Scale 1, as well as later-conceived tasks 16 and S, to a sample of adult, captive rooks. One rook demonstrated full OP (Stage 6b, multiple invisible displacements), whereas other individuals varied, attaining between Stages 5a (single visible displacements) and 6a (single invisible displacements). Like some corvids, a few made transient "A-not-B" errors. Behavioral considerations potentially underlying observed individual variation in results in rooks, including dominance, neophobia, past experiences, and individual idiosyncrasies, are examined. Rooks, like other corvids, possess well-developed OP abilities, and these results support the idea that exertion of executive control is required to avoid "A-not-B" errors, rather than caching abilities or developmental age, as previously suggested.},
}

@article {pmid39224166,
year = {2024},
author = {Stone, MM and Afriandi, H and Suwanda, FN and Andono, A and Mahmud, R and Khairani, OK and Clark, AB and Webster, M and McGowan, K and Radcliffe, RW},
title = {Symbiosis between the Javan rhinoceros and slender-billed crow: A novel inferred cleaning mutualism.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {14},
number = {9},
pages = {e70224},
pmid = {39224166},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Over the past century, the Javan rhinoceroses' (Rhinoceros sondaicus) secluded nature and low population size have led to a gap in knowledge of their ecology. With fewer than 80 individuals surviving in a single population in West Java, Indonesia, the Javan rhinoceros is one of the most critically endangered mammals in the world. As part of a pilot bioacoustics study of the Javan rhinoceros in 2019, we systematically reviewed camera trap footage from the core Javan rhinoceros range in Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP). In doing so, we discovered a previously unknown interaction between the Javan rhinoceros and the slender-billed crow (Corvus enca), in which the crow finds and eats ectoparasites from the rhinoceros (Figure 1). We describe this interaction and suggest that it may represent a cleaning mutualism with benefits for both the crow and the rhinoceros.},
}

@article {pmid39215030,
year = {2024},
author = {Malik, S and Patro, SGK and Mahanty, C and Lasisi, A and Al-Sareji, OJ},
title = {Hybrid raven roosting intelligence framework for enhancing efficiency in data clustering.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {20163},
pmid = {39215030},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {The field of data exploration relies heavily on clustering techniques to organize vast datasets into meaningful subgroups, offering valuable insights across various domains. Traditional clustering algorithms face limitations in terms of performance, often getting stuck in local minima and struggling with complex datasets of varying shapes and densities. They also require prior knowledge of the number of clusters, which can be a drawback in real-world scenarios. In response to these challenges, we propose the "hybrid raven roosting intelligence framework" (HRIF) algorithm. HRIF draws inspiration from the dynamic behaviors of roosting ravens and computational intelligence. What distinguishes HRIF is its effective capacity to adeptly navigate the clustering landscape, evading local optima and converging toward optimal solutions. An essential enhancement in HRIF is the incorporation of the Gaussian mutation operator, which adds stochasticity to improve exploration and mitigate the risk of local minima. This research presents the development and evaluation of HRIF, showcasing its unique fusion of nature-inspired optimization techniques and computational intelligence. Extensive experiments with diverse benchmark datasets demonstrate HRIF's competitive performance, particularly its capability to handle complex data and avoid local minima, resulting in accurate clustering outcomes. HRIF's adaptability to challenging datasets and its potential to enhance clustering efficiency and solution quality position it as a promising solution in the world of data exploration.},
}

@article {pmid39212877,
year = {2024},
author = {Sánchez Arteaga, J},
title = {"The Logic of Monsters:" Pere Alberch and the Evolutionary Significance of Experimental Teratology.},
journal = {Journal of the history of biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39212877},
issn = {1573-0387},
abstract = {This paper offers an historical introduction to Pere Alberch's evolutionary thought and his contributions to Evo-Devo, based on his unique approach to experimental teratology. We will take as our point of reference the teratogenic experiments developed by Alberch and Emily A. Gale during the 1980s, aimed at producing monstrous variants of frogs and salamanders. We will analyze his interpretation of the results of these experiments within the framework of the emergence of evolutionary developmental biology (or "Evo-Devo"). The aim is understand how Alberch interpreted teratological anomalies as highly revealing objects of study for understanding the development of organic form, not only in an ontogenetic sense-throughout embryonic development-but also phylogenetically-throughout the evolution of species. Alberch's interpretation of monsters reflects the influence of a long tradition of non-Darwinian evolutionary thought, which began in the nineteenth century and was continued in the twentieth century by people such as Richard Goldschmidt, Conrad H. Waddington, and Stephen Jay Gould. They all proposed various non-gradualist models of evolution, in which embryonic development played a central role. Following this tradition, Alberch argued that, in order to attain a correct understanding of the role of embryological development in evolution, it was necessary to renounce the gradualist paradigm associated with the Darwinian interpretation of evolution, which understood nature as a continuum. According to Alberch, the study of monstrous abnormalities was of great value in understanding how certain epigenetic restrictions in development could give rise to discontinuities and directionality in morphological transformations throughout evolution.},
}

@article {pmid39210516,
year = {2024},
author = {Pesant, M-J and Ferrell, S and Köszegi, M and Baby, V and Grenier Saint-Sauveur, V and Valle Tejada, C and Lair, S and Gagnon, CA},
title = {Complete genome sequence of a Circovirus pigeon strain in lymphocyte-depleted bursa of Fabricius of a Common Raven (Corvus corax).},
journal = {Microbiology resource announcements},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e0037824},
doi = {10.1128/mra.00378-24},
pmid = {39210516},
issn = {2576-098X},
abstract = {A necropsy was performed on a Common Raven (Corvus corax) presenting an opportunistic fungal respiratory infection and a bursal lymphoid depletion with inclusion bodies, suggestive of a circovirus infection. High-throughput sequencing of circular DNA in the bursa of Fabricius revealed a complete genome sequence of a Circovirus pigeon strain.},
}

@article {pmid39207215,
year = {2024},
author = {Islam, A and Wille, M and Rahman, MZ and Porter, AF and Hosaain, ME and Hassan, MM and Shirin, T and Epstein, JH and Klaassen, M},
title = {Phylodynamics of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in Bangladesh identifying domestic ducks as the amplifying host reservoir.},
journal = {Emerging microbes & infections},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {2399268},
doi = {10.1080/22221751.2024.2399268},
pmid = {39207215},
issn = {2222-1751},
abstract = {AbstractHigh pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1 first emerged in Bangladesh in 2007. Despite the use of vaccines in chickens since 2012 to control HPAI, HPAI H5Nx viruses have continued to infect poultry, and wild birds, resulting in notable mass mortalities in house crows (Corvus splendens). The first HPAI H5Nx viruses in Bangladesh belonged to clade 2.2.2, followed by clade 2.3.4.2 and 2.3.2.1 viruses in 2011. After the implementation of chicken vaccination in 2012, these viruses were mostly replaced by clade 2.3.2.1a viruses and more recently clade 2.3.4.4b and h viruses. In this study, we reconstruct the phylogenetic history of HPAI H5Nx viruses in Bangladesh to evaluate the role of major host species in the maintenance and evolution of HPAI H5Nx virus in Bangladesh and reveal the role of heavily impacted crows in virus epidemiology. Epizootic waves caused by HPAI H5N1 and H5N6 viruses amongst house crows occurred annually in winter. Bayesian phylodynamic analysis of clade 2.3.2.1a revealed frequent bidirectional viral transitions between domestic ducks, chickens, and house crows that was markedly skewed towards ducks; domestic ducks might be the source, or reservoir, of HPAI H5Nx in Bangladesh, as the number of viral transitions from ducks to chickens and house crows was by far more numerous than the other transitions. Our results suggest viral circulation in domestic birds despite vaccination, with crow epizootics acting as a sentinel. The vaccination strategy needs to be updated to use more effective vaccinations, assess vaccine efficacy, and extension of vaccination to domestic ducks, the key reservoir.},
}

@article {pmid39201022,
year = {2024},
author = {Colucci, F and Stefanelli, S and Contaldi, E and Gozzi, A and Marchetti, A and Pugliatti, M and Laudisi, M and Antenucci, P and Capone, JG and Gragnaniello, D and Sensi, M},
title = {Cognition in Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia 1 (SCA1) and 2 (SCA2): A Neurophysiological and Neuropsychological Approach.},
journal = {Journal of clinical medicine},
volume = {13},
number = {16},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/jcm13164880},
pmid = {39201022},
issn = {2077-0383},
abstract = {Background/Objectives: Cognitive impairment in spinocerebellar ataxia patients has been reported since the early-disease stage. We aimed to assess cognitive differences in SCA1 and SCA2 patients. Methods: We performed neuropsychological (NPS) and neurophysiological (auditory event-related potentials, aERPs) assessments in 16 SCA1 and 18 SCA2 consecutive patients. Furthermore, clinical information (age at onset, disease duration, motor disability) was collected. Results: NPS tests yielded scores in the normal range in both groups but with lower scores in the Frontal Assessment Battery (p < 0.05) and Visual Analogue Test for Anosognosia for motor impairment (p < 0.05) in SCA1, and the Trail Making Test (p < 0.01), Raven's progressive matrices (p < 0.01), Stroop (p < 0.05), and emotion attribution tests (p < 0.05) in SCA2. aERPs showed lower N100 amplitude (p < 0.01) and prolonged N200 latency (p < 0.01) in SCA1 compared with SCA2. Clinically, SCA2 had more severe motor disability than SCA1 in the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia Scale. Conclusions: SCA2 showed more significant difficulties in attentional, visuospatial, and emotional function, and greater motor impairment. In contrast, SCA1 showed less cognitive flexibility/phasic ability, probably affected by a more severe degree of dysarthria. The same group revealed less neural activity during nonconscious attentional processing (N100-N200 data), suggesting greater involvement of sensory pathways in discriminating auditory stimuli. NFS did not correlate with NPS findings, implying an independent relationship. However, the specific role of the cerebellum and cerebellar symptoms in NPS test results deserves more focus.},
}

@article {pmid39195696,
year = {2024},
author = {Iacob, D and Paduraru, E and Gabor, VR and Gache, C and Breaban, IG and Gurlui, S and Plavan, G and Jijie, R and Nicoara, M},
title = {Trace Metal Bioaccumulation in Feral Pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) and Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) Residing in the Urban Environment of Iasi City, Romania.},
journal = {Toxics},
volume = {12},
number = {8},
pages = {},
pmid = {39195696},
issn = {2305-6304},
abstract = {Nowadays, trace metal contamination within urban atmospheres is a significant and concerning global issue. In the present study, two synanthropic bird species, namely, the feral pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica) and the rook (Corvus frugilegus), were employed as bioindicators to assess the atmospheric trace metal pollution in Iasi City, Romania. The concentrations of Ni, Pb, Cd, Co, Cr, and Cu were determined through high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF-AAS) of various tissues, including the liver, kidney, lung, heart, muscle, and bone, of feral pigeons and rooks collected in Iasi City. The order of trace metal concentrations in the tissues of feral pigeons and rooks in Iasi City was similar: Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd > Cr > Co. However, trace element values in most tissues were higher in the rook samples than in feral pigeon ones, except for Co, which had elevated levels in feral pigeon renal and cardiac tissues, and Cu, which registered the highest concentrations in feral pigeon liver and kidney tissues. While not statistically significant, Pb concentration values in the PM10 fraction of atmospheric particles positively correlated with Pb concentrations in rook kidney samples (p = 0.05). The concentration levels of Cd, Pb, and Ni in the PM10 fraction of air particles showed a positive correlation with Cd levels in the samples of pigeon heart and rook liver, kidney, and heart, Pb levels in the samples of pigeon kidney, heart, and muscle and rook liver and bone, and Ni levels in the samples of pigeon liver, kidney, and bone and rook liver, muscle, and bone, respectively.},
}

@article {pmid39195074,
year = {2024},
author = {Rasouli, N and Malakouti, SK and Bayat, M and Mahjoubnavaz, F and Fallahinia, N and Khosrowabadi, R},
title = {Frontal Activity of Recent Suicide Attempters: EEG spectrum Power Performing Raven Task.},
journal = {Clinical EEG and neuroscience},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {15500594241273125},
doi = {10.1177/15500594241273125},
pmid = {39195074},
issn = {2169-5202},
abstract = {Background: Deficits in problem-solving may be related to vulnerability to suicidal behavior. We aimed to identify the electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectrum associated with the performance of the Raven as a reasoning/problem-solving task among individuals with recent suicide attempts. Methods: This study with the case-control method, consisted of 61 participants who were assigned to three groups: Suicide attempt + Major Depressive Disorder (SA + MDD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Healthy Control (HC). All participants underwent clinical evaluations and problem-solving abilities. Subsequently, EEG signals were recorded while performing the Raven task. Results: The SA + MDD and MDD groups were significantly different from the HC group in terms of anxiety, reasons for life, and hopelessness. Regarding brain oscillations in performing the raven task, increased theta, gamma, and betha power extending over the frontal areas, including anterior prefrontal cortex, dlPFC, pre-SMA, inferior frontal cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex, was significant in SA + MDD compared with other groups. The alpha wave was more prominent in the left frontal, particularly in dlPFC in SA + MDD. Compared to the MDD group, the SA + MDD group had a shorter reaction time, while their response accuracy did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Suicidal patients have more frontal activity in planning and executive function than the two other groups. Nevertheless, it seems that reduced activity in the left frontal region, which plays a crucial role in managing emotional distress, can contribute to suicidal tendencies among vulnerable individuals. Limitation The small sample size and chosen difficult trials for the Raven task were the most limitations of the study.},
}

@article {pmid39172397,
year = {2024},
author = {Gomes-Ng, S and Gray, Q and Cowie, S},
title = {Pigeons' (Columba livia) intertemporal choice in binary-choice and patch-leaving contexts.},
journal = {Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1037/com0000387},
pmid = {39172397},
issn = {1939-2087},
support = {//Auckland University of Technology/ ; },
abstract = {Typical approaches to study self-control present subjects with a simultaneous choice between a larger-later (LL) reinforcer and a smaller-sooner (SS) reinforcer. In contrast, in patch-leaving tasks, subjects choose between staying at a patch for an SS (or LL) reinforcer and leaving for an LL (or SS) reinforcer. Previous studies show that blue jays, monkeys, humans, and rats prefer the SS reinforcer in binary-choice tasks, whereas the same subjects prefer the LL reinforcer in equivalent patch-leaving tasks. The current study systematically replicated this research using pigeons. Six pigeons responded in a binary-choice task and in two patch-leaving tasks in which staying led to an LL (Patch-L) or SS (Patch-S) reinforcer. Across conditions, the SS reinforcer delay varied from 5 to 55 s; the LL reinforcer delay was always 60 s. In binary-choice conditions, subjects preferred the SS reinforcer. In Patch-L and Patch-S conditions, subjects preferred the LL and SS reinforcer, respectively, reflecting a bias to stay at the patch. This bias persisted when the stay response was more effortful and when the delays to both reinforcers were equal. This may reflect a species-specific win-stay bias and the differential consequences of staying (which led to a stimulus signaling food) versus leaving (which led to a stimulus never associated with food). Thus, we propose a conditioned-reinforcement account of intertemporal choice in patch-leaving contexts. We suggest several avenues for further investigations of the mechanisms underlying intertemporal choice in different contexts and question the economic equivalence of the operant and patch-leaving procedures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).},
}

@article {pmid39175800,
year = {2023},
author = {Suvorov, V and SaAkian, DB and Lynch, M},
title = {A solution of the Crow-Kimura evolution model on fluctuating fitness landscape.},
journal = {Europhysics letters},
volume = {142},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {39175800},
issn = {0295-5075},
support = {R35 GM122566/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {The article discusses the Crow-Kimura model in the context of random transitions between different fitness landscapes. The duration of epochs, during which the fitness landscape is constant over time, is modeled by an exponential distribution. To obtain an exact solution, a system of functional equations is required. However, to approximate the model, we consider the cases of slow or fast transitions and calculate the first-order corrections using either the transition rate or its inverse. Specifically, we focus on the case of slow transitions and find that the average fitness is equal to the average fitness for evolution on static fitness landscapes, but with the addition of a load term. We also investigate the model for a small number of genes and identify the exact transition points to the transient phase.},
}

@article {pmid39172108,
year = {2024},
author = {Mason, LLK and Masuda, B and Swaisgood, RR and Flanagan, AM},
title = {Nest quality predicts the probability of egg loss in the critically endangered 'Alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis).},
journal = {Zoo biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/zoo.21849},
pmid = {39172108},
issn = {1098-2361},
support = {//San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/ ; //State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife/ ; //Max and Yetta Karasik Family Foundation/ ; //National Fish and Wildlife Foundation/ ; //U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/ ; //Anonymous/ ; },
abstract = {Conservation breeding programs for endangered species face challenges, notably in the development of husbandry techniques, complicated by the impracticality of conducting controlled experiments. To reduce uncertainty regarding what works in conservation breeding programs, it is essential to capture data. In avian breeding programs, the construction of quality nests and appropriate incubation and handling of eggs by the parents are essential prerequisites to the successful production of offspring. Here, we study factors influencing nest-building and parental incubation outcomes in 'alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis), which is extinct in the wild and numbers fewer than 130 individuals in human care. Using parent-incubated egg data from 2018 to 2021 (171 clutches, 55 pairs), we evaluated the role of husbandry factors in determining the quality of nests constructed by 'alalā and the likelihood of nest quality and other social and environmental factors to predict egg loss (breaking, cannibalization, or ejection of an egg from the nest). More than half of all eggs laid failed to reach the hatch date. Nest quality was the most influential predictor of egg loss, with eggs in higher quality nests more likely to reach the hatch date. Male age also influenced egg loss, with very young (3 years old) and older males (⪞12 years old) experiencing more egg loss. Furthermore, the two facilities and two aviary types also differed in the quality of nests 'alalā constructed, indicating that nest-building behavior can be influenced by husbandry practices. These findings reduce uncertainty and provide insights for recommended management interventions to facilitate successful reproduction in human care.},
}

@article {pmid39169572,
year = {2024},
author = {Onal, C and Demirhan, B and Elmali, A and Guler, OC},
title = {Nomograms for detecting lymph node metastasis detected with surgery-Can you name any birds other than crow?.},
journal = {The Prostate},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/pros.24759},
pmid = {39169572},
issn = {1097-0045},
}

@article {pmid39169115,
year = {2024},
author = {Dos Santos, FAA and Barros, SC and Fagulha, T and Ramos, F and Henriques, AM and Duarte, A and Magalhães, A and Luís, T and Duarte, MD},
title = {First detection of Bagaza virus in Common magpies (Pica pica), Portugal 2023.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {19452},
pmid = {39169115},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {Project UIDB/00276/2020//FCT/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Portugal ; *Flavivirus/genetics/isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Bird Diseases/virology/epidemiology ; Flavivirus Infections/virology/veterinary/transmission/epidemiology ; },
abstract = {Bagaza virus (BAGV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae, genus Orthoflavivirus, Ntaya serocomplex. Like other viruses of the Ntaya and Japanese encephalitis serocomplexes, it is maintained in nature in transmission cycles involving viremic wild bird reservoirs and Culex spp. mosquitoes. The susceptibility of red-legged partridge, ring-necked pheasant, Himalayan monal and common wood pigeon is well known. Determining whether other species are susceptible to BAGV infection is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of disease transmission and maintenance. In September 2023, seven Eurasian magpies were found dead in a rural area in the Mértola district (southern Portugal) where a BAGV-positive cachectic red-legged partridge had been found two weeks earlier. BAGV had also been detected in several red-legged partridges in the same area in September 2021. Three of the magpies were tested for Bagaza virus, Usutu virus, West Nile virus, Avian influenza virus and Avian paramyxovirus serotype 1, and were positive for BAGV only. Sequencing data confirmed the specificity of the molecular detection. Our results indicate that BAGV is circulating in southern Portugal and confirm that Eurasian magpie is potential susceptible to BAGV infection. The inclusion of the abundant Eurasian magpie in the list of BAGV hosts raises awareness of the potential role of this species as as an amplifying host.},
}

Animals
Portugal
*Flavivirus/genetics/isolation & purification
Phylogeny
Bird Diseases/virology/epidemiology
Flavivirus Infections/virology/veterinary/transmission/epidemiology

@article {pmid39148142,
year = {2024},
author = {Martínez-Renau, E and Martín-Platero, AM and Bodawatta, KH and Martín-Vivaldi, M and Martínez-Bueno, M and Poulsen, M and Soler, JJ},
title = {Social environment influences microbiota and potentially pathogenic bacterial communities on the skin of developing birds.},
journal = {Animal microbiome},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {47},
pmid = {39148142},
issn = {2524-4671},
support = {PRE2018-085378//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/ ; CGL2017-83103-P//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/ ; CGL2017-83103-P//European Regional Development Fund/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Animal bacterial symbionts are established early in life, either through vertical transmission and/or by horizontal transmission from both the physical and the social environment, such as direct contact with con- or heterospecifics. The social environment particularly can influence the acquisition of both mutualistic and pathogenic bacteria, with consequences for the stability of symbiotic communities. However, segregating the effects of the shared physical environment from those of the social interactions is challenging, limiting our current knowledge on the role of the social environment in structuring bacterial communities in wild animals. Here, we take advantage of the avian brood-parasite system of Eurasian magpies (Pica pica) and great spotted cuckoos (Clamator glandarius) to explore how the interspecific social environment (magpie nestlings developing with or without heterospecifics) affects bacterial communities on uropygial gland skin.

RESULTS: We demonstrated interspecific differences in bacterial community compositions in members of the two species when growing up in monospecific nests. However, the bacterial community of magpies in heterospecific nests was richer, more diverse, and more similar to their cuckoo nest-mates than when growing up in monospecific nests. These patterns were alike for the subset of microbes that could be considered core, but when looking at the subset of potentially pathogenic bacterial genera, cuckoo presence reduced the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacterial genera on magpies.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the role of social interactions in shaping the assembly of the avian skin bacterial communities during the nestling period, as exemplified in a brood parasite-host system.},
}

@article {pmid39146098,
year = {2024},
author = {Xu, M and Lei, P and Bai, Y and Chen, Z and Xie, X},
title = {Enhancement of Brillouin nonlinearities with a coupled resonator optical waveguide.},
journal = {Optics letters},
volume = {49},
number = {16},
pages = {4541-4544},
doi = {10.1364/OL.533979},
pmid = {39146098},
issn = {1539-4794},
abstract = {Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is a nonlinear optical phenomenon mediated from the coupling of photons and phonons. It has found applications in various realms, yet the acousto-optic interaction strength remains relatively weak. Enhancing the SBS with resonant structures could be a promising solution, but this method faces strict constraints in operational bandwidth. Here, we present the first demonstration to our knowledge of the broadband enhancement of Brillouin nonlinearities by a suspended coupled resonator optical waveguide (CROW) on an SOI platform. By comprehensively balancing the Brillouin gain and operational bandwidth, a 3-fold enhancement for the Brillouin gain coefficient (GB) and a broad operational bandwidth of over 80 GHz have been achieved. Furthermore, this 1.1 mm device shows a forward Brillouin gain coefficient of 2422 m[-1]W[-1] and a high mechanical quality factor (Qm) of 1060. This approach marks a pivotal advancement toward wide bandwidth, low energy consumption, and compact integrated nonlinear photonic devices, with potential applications in tunable microwave photonic filters and phonon-based non-reciprocal devices.},
}

@article {pmid39142379,
year = {2024},
author = {Seo, H and Ansai, E and Sase, T and Saito, T and Takano, T and Kojima, Y and Waki, T},
title = {Introduction of a snake trematode of the genus Ochetosoma in eastern Japan.},
journal = {Parasitology international},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {102947},
doi = {10.1016/j.parint.2024.102947},
pmid = {39142379},
issn = {1873-0329},
abstract = {In Japan, trematodes of the family Ochetosomatidae are not naturally distributed. However, the introduced ochetosomatid Ochetosoma kansense (Crow, 1913) has been reported from the oral cavity of native snakes in western Japan since 2010. In this study, trematodes were isolated from the oral cavities of the native Japanese snakes, Elaphe quadrivirgata (Boie, 1826), E. climacophora (Boie, 1826), and Rhabdophis tigrinus (Boie, 1826), in the central Kanto region of eastern Japan. Morphological and molecular analyses of the isolated trematodes revealed that all trematodes were identifiable to a newly introduced ochetosomatid species to Japan, O. elongatum (Pratt, 1903), which originated from North America; Lechriorchis tygarti was synonymized with O. elongatum based on identical molecular data and morphological similarity. To identify first intermediate hosts of O. elongatum, seven freshwater snail species were examined in eastern Japan. Molecular analysis was used to identify O. elongatum sporocysts in the freshwater snail Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805), which also originated from North America. The other six species did not host O. elongatum, suggesting that Ph. acuta is the only first intermediate host of O. elongatum in Japan. Although O. elongatum has been detected in Japan, its invasion route and period of introduction are unclear. Frequent imports of freshwater snails and wild snakes from North America, after the 1990s and 2005, respectively, presumably introduced O. elongatum in Japan.},
}

@article {pmid39141936,
year = {2024},
author = {Nelson, APK and Mole, J and Pombo, G and Gray, RJ and Ruffle, JK and Chan, E and Rees, GE and Cipolotti, L and Nachev, P},
title = {The minimal computational substrate of fluid intelligence.},
journal = {Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior},
volume = {179},
number = {},
pages = {62-76},
doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.003},
pmid = {39141936},
issn = {1973-8102},
abstract = {The quantification of cognitive powers rests on identifying a behavioural task that depends on them. Such dependence cannot be assured, for the powers a task invokes cannot be experimentally controlled or constrained a priori, resulting in unknown vulnerability to failure of specificity and generalisability. Evaluating a compact version of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), a widely used clinical test of fluid intelligence, we show that LaMa, a self-supervised artificial neural network trained solely on the completion of partially masked images of natural environmental scenes, achieves representative human-level test scores a prima vista, without any task-specific inductive bias or training. Compared with cohorts of healthy and focally lesioned participants, LaMa exhibits human-like variation with item difficulty, and produces errors characteristic of right frontal lobe damage under degradation of its ability to integrate global spatial patterns. LaMa's narrow training and limited capacity suggest matrix-style tests may be open to computationally simple solutions that need not necessarily invoke the substrates of reasoning.},
}

@article {pmid39140880,
year = {2024},
author = {Machado, RB and Amorim, TOS and de Castro, F and Andriolo, A},
title = {Use of whistles for acoustic classification of delphinids (odontoceti: Delphinidae) in the Western South Atlantic Ocean.},
journal = {The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America},
volume = {156},
number = {2},
pages = {1070-1080},
doi = {10.1121/10.0028170},
pmid = {39140880},
issn = {1520-8524},
mesh = {Animals ; *Vocalization, Animal/classification ; *Acoustics ; Atlantic Ocean ; *Dolphins/classification/physiology ; Sound Spectrography ; Brazil ; Species Specificity ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; },
abstract = {This study focuses on the acoustic classification of delphinid species at the southern continental slope of Brazil. Recordings were collected between 2013 and 2015 using towed arrays and were processed using a classifier to identify the species in the recordings. Using Raven Pro 1.6 software (Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY), we analyzed whistles for species identification. The random forest algorithm in R facilitates classification analysis based on acoustic parameters, including low, high, delta, center, beginning, and ending frequencies, and duration. Evaluation metrics, such as correct and incorrect classification percentages, global accuracy, balanced accuracy, and p-values, were employed. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area-under-the-curve (AUC) values demonstrated well-fitting models (AUC ≥ 0.7) for species definition. Duration and delta frequency emerged as crucial parameters for classification, as indicated by the decrease in mean accuracy. Multivariate dispersion plots visualized the proximity between acoustic and visual match data and exclusively acoustic encounter (EAE) data. The EAE results classified as Delphinus delphis (n = 6), Stenella frontalis (n = 3), and Stenella longirostris (n = 2) provide valuable insights into the presence of these species between approximately 23° and 34° S in Brazil. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of acousting classification in discriminating delphinids through whistle parameters.},
}

Animals
*Vocalization, Animal/classification
*Acoustics
Atlantic Ocean
*Dolphins/classification/physiology
Sound Spectrography
Brazil
Species Specificity
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

@article {pmid39140629,
year = {2024},
author = {Wang, SS and Parikh, JR},
title = {A Radiologist's Wellness Journey: AJR Podcast Series on Wellness, Episode 5.},
journal = {AJR. American journal of roentgenology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.2214/AJR.24.31888},
pmid = {39140629},
issn = {1546-3141},
}

@article {pmid39123837,
year = {2024},
author = {Sankaranarayanan, S and Vijayakumar, R and Swaminathan, S and Almarri, B and Lorenz, P and Rodrigues, JJPC},
title = {Node Localization Method in Wireless Sensor Networks Using Combined Crow Search and the Weighted Centroid Method.},
journal = {Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {24},
number = {15},
pages = {},
pmid = {39123837},
issn = {1424-8220},
support = {No. KFU241353//Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia/ ; No. 306607/2023-9//Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development-CNPq/ ; },
abstract = {Node localization is critical for accessing diverse nodes that provide services in remote places. Single-anchor localization techniques suffer co-linearity, performing poorly. The reliable multiple anchor node selection method is computationally intensive and requires a lot of processing power and time to identify suitable anchor nodes. Node localization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is challenging due to the number and placement of anchors, as well as their communication capabilities. These senor nodes possess limited energy resources, which is a big concern in localization. In addition to convention optimization in WSNs, researchers have employed nature-inspired algorithms to localize unknown nodes in WSN. However, these methods take longer, require lots of processing power, and have higher localization error, with a greater number of beacon nodes and sensitivity to parameter selection affecting localization. This research employed a nature-inspired crow search algorithm (an improvement over other nature-inspired algorithms) for selecting the suitable number of anchor nodes from the population, reducing errors in localizing unknown nodes. Additionally, the weighted centroid method was proposed for identifying the exact location of an unknown node. This made the crow search weighted centroid localization (CS-WCL) algorithm a more trustworthy and efficient method for node localization in WSNs, with reduced average localization error (ALE) and energy consumption. CS-WCL outperformed WCL and distance vector (DV)-Hop, with a reduced ALE of 15% (from 32%) and varying communication radii from 20 m to 45 m. Also, the ALE against scalability was validated for CS-WCL against WCL and DV-Hop for a varying number of beacon nodes (from 3 to 2), reducing ALE to 2.59% (from 28.75%). Lastly, CS-WCL resulted in reduced energy consumption (from 120 mJ to 45 mJ) for varying network nodes from 30 to 300 against WCL and DV-Hop. Thus, CS-WCL outperformed other nature-inspired algorithms in node localization. These have been validated using MATLAB 2022b.},
}

@article {pmid39118841,
year = {2024},
author = {Hosoda, C and YunFeng, Z and Watanabe, J and Maruya, K and Tabuchi, R and Hosokawa, K and Matsuhashi, T},
title = {The importance of childhood social capitals in the future well-being of children.},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1389269},
pmid = {39118841},
issn = {1664-1078},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Elucidating the enduring effects of childhood social capital is vital for shaping future well-being. Here, we investigate the impact of childhood social capital (SC) and parental engagement on adult psychological well-being and cognitive performance.

METHODS: Utilizing a cohort of 292 Japanese university students, we assessed the influences of SC and parental time during childhood on adult outcomes. Participants retrospectively reported their early childhood experiences, focusing on social interactions and parental involvement.

RESULTS: Our findings reveal a significant positive correlation between childhood SC and adult subjective well-being, particularly in its positive dimensions. Additionally, maternal involvement during childhood is associated with cognitive abilities in adulthood, as measured by Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis highlights the substantial impact of childhood SC on adult well-being, elucidating the intricate interplay between social and parental contributions to developmental trajectories.

DISCUSSION: These results highlight the crucial roles of both parental and non-parental figures in fostering social, emotional, and cognitive development from childhood to adulthood, underscoring the importance of nurturing supportive relationships throughout early life to promote positive developmental outcomes.},
}

@article {pmid39111859,
year = {2024},
author = {Shimoda, M and Ishitsuka, K and Morisaki, N},
title = {[Development and psychometric properties of the Japanese version of Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised (CYRM-R) among Japanese youth].},
journal = {[Nihon koshu eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.11236/jph.23-113},
pmid = {39111859},
issn = {0546-1766},
abstract = {Objectives Resilience is the ability to navigate adversity and recover from challenging situations. Developing resilience at a young age promotes mental health and provides benefits throughout one's lifespan. Validated measures for assessing resilience at a young age are required in both clinical practice and epidemiological studies. The Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised (CYRM-R) is a tool used worldwide to assess resilience in children and young people. The objective of this study was to develop a Japanese version of the CYRM-R and investigate its psychometric properties.Methods Children in grades 5-9 were recruited via a two-stage cluster random sampling taken from the Japan Adolescent and Youth (JAY) Longitudinal Cohort Study. The participants completed the Japanese version of the CYRM-R . The CYRM-R consists of two subscales, personal resilience and caregiver resilience, with a total of 17 items. The linguistic validity of the Japanese version of the CYRM-R was ensured through translation and back-translation.Cronbach's alpha coefficients were examined for the total score and the two subscales to assess the internal consistency of the Japanese version of the CYRM-R scale. In addition, correlation coefficients of the subscales were calculated. For factorial validity, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the same two-factor structure as in the original version to assess the model's goodness of fit. Results A total of 2,266 children (50.0% male) were included in the study. The overall Cronbach's alpha of the Japanese version of the CYRM-R obtained from this sample was 0.956; For the personal resilience subscale, Cronbach's alpha was 0.932; for the caregiver resilience subscale, it was 0.919. Significant positive correlations were also found between subscales (r = 0.827, p < 0.001). A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using a two-factor structure for validity. The model fit was good (RMSEA = 0.085, SRMR = 0.041, CFI = 0.934).Conclusion The Japanese version of the CYRM-R maintained the same two-factor structure as the original version. The study findings showed that the Japanese version of the CYRM-R had adequate internal consistency and factorial validity for assessing resilience in children and youth. Therefore, this scale is a valuable tool for identifying individuals or groups at risk in terms of children's resilience and for evaluating the effectiveness of support and interventions.},
}

@article {pmid39110762,
year = {2024},
author = {Zandberg, L and Morfi, V and George, JM and Clayton, DF and Stowell, D and Lachlan, RF},
title = {Bird song comparison using deep learning trained from avian perceptual judgments.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {20},
number = {8},
pages = {e1012329},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012329},
pmid = {39110762},
issn = {1553-7358},
abstract = {Our understanding of bird song, a model system for animal communication and the neurobiology of learning, depends critically on making reliable, validated comparisons between the complex multidimensional syllables that are used in songs. However, most assessments of song similarity are based on human inspection of spectrograms, or computational methods developed from human intuitions. Using a novel automated operant conditioning system, we collected a large corpus of zebra finches' (Taeniopygia guttata) decisions about song syllable similarity. We use this dataset to compare and externally validate similarity algorithms in widely-used publicly available software (Raven, Sound Analysis Pro, Luscinia). Although these methods all perform better than chance, they do not closely emulate the avian assessments. We then introduce a novel deep learning method that can produce perceptual similarity judgements trained on such avian decisions. We find that this new method outperforms the established methods in accuracy and more closely approaches the avian assessments. Inconsistent (hence ambiguous) decisions are a common occurrence in animal behavioural data; we show that a modification of the deep learning training that accommodates these leads to the strongest performance. We argue this approach is the best way to validate methods to compare song similarity, that our dataset can be used to validate novel methods, and that the general approach can easily be extended to other species.},
}

@article {pmid39108544,
year = {2024},
author = {Dai, M and Mo, J and Liao, X and Li, Z and Wu, H and Xia, S and Xu, Q},
title = {The complete mitochondrial genome of Mya japonica (Jay, 1857 Myida:myidae).},
journal = {Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources},
volume = {9},
number = {8},
pages = {991-994},
pmid = {39108544},
issn = {2380-2359},
abstract = {The soft-shell clam Mya japonica (Jay, 1857) is a commercially important fishery resource. In this study, we identified the complete mitochondrial genome of M. japonica and performed a phylogenetic analysis to explore its genetic relationship with Mya arenaria. The genome is 21,396 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 23 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and 5 D-Loop control regions. The atp8 gene was annotated in Myidae for the first time. Notably, the genome contains an additional trnM, consistent with M. arenaria. The length of the cox2 gene is 1,947 bp, which is 513 bp longer than that in M. arenaria. Its base composition is 29.14% A, 37.26% T, 10.89% C, and 22.71% G. Phylogenetic analysis based on 12 PCGs and 2 rRNAs indicates that M. japonica and M. arenaria form a sister group. In this study, the identification and phylogenetic analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of M. japonica provide significant information for future taxonomic and evolutionary research of the genus Mya.},
}

@article {pmid39107974,
year = {2024},
author = {Zang, S and Chen, J and Chevalier, C and Zhang, J and Li, S and Wang, H and Li, J and Chen, Y and Xu, H and Sheng, L and Zhang, Z and Qiu, J},
title = {Holistic investigation of the anti-wrinkle and repair efficacy of a facial cream enriched with C-xyloside.},
journal = {Journal of cosmetic dermatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/jocd.16489},
pmid = {39107974},
issn = {1473-2165},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To investigate the repairing and anti-wrinkle efficacy of the facial cream enriched with C-xyloside, aiming at comprehensively evaluating its skin anti- aging effect and clarify its potential mechanism of action.

METHODS: The repairing efficacy was studied on 3D epidermis skin model and the antiaging efficacy was studied on ex-vivo human skin. Two clinical studies were conducted with Chinese females. In the first study, 49 subjects aged between 30 and 50 with wrinkle concerns were recruited and instructed to apply the investigational cream containing C-xyloside for 8 weeks. Wrinkles attributes were assessed by dermatologist. Instrumental measurements on skin hydration, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and skin elasticity were also conducted. In the second study, 30 subjects aged between 25 and 60 with self-declared sensitive skin and facial redness were recruited and instructed to apply the cream for 4 weeks. Biomarker analysis of the stratum corneum was conducted through facial tape strips.

RESULTS: The cream improved the histomorphology of the 3D epidermis skin model after SLS stimulation, and significantly increase the expression of LOR and FLG. On human skin, the cream improved the histopathology induced by UV, and significantly increased the protein content of COL I and COL III, collagen density and the number of Ki-67 positive cell of skin compared with model group (n = 3, p < 0.01). The results from the first clinical study demonstrate a significant increased the skin hydration and elasticity by 21.90%, 13.08% (R2) and 12.30% (R5), respectively (n = 49, p < 0.05), and the TEWL values decreased by 33.94% (n = 49, p < 0.05), after 8 weeks application of the cream. In addition, the scores for nasolabial folds, glabellar wrinkle, underneath eye wrinkles, crow's feet wrinkle and forehead wrinkle in the volunteers exhibited a significant reduction of 34.02%, 43.34%, 50.03%, 33.64% and 55.81% respectively (n = 49, p < 0.05). The (rCE)/(fCE) ratio of volunteers based on tape stripping significant increased after using the sample cream (n = 30, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The cream containing C-xyloside showed improvement of skin wrinkles and enhancement of skin barrier function. These efficacies may be attributed to the fact that the sample cream can increase the expression of skin barrier related proteins LOR and FLG, promote the maturation of cornified envelope, enhance collagen I and III protein expression and stimulate skin cell proliferation, to provide sufficient evidence supporting its antiaging efficacy of skin.},
}

@article {pmid39106453,
year = {2024},
author = {Hew, YL and Hiono, T and Monne, I and Nabeshima, K and Sakuma, S and Kumagai, A and Okamura, S and Soda, K and Ito, H and Esaki, M and Okuya, K and Ozawa, M and Yabuta, T and Takakuwa, H and Nguyen, LB and Isoda, N and Miyazawa, K and Onuma, M and Sakoda, Y},
title = {Cocirculation of Genetically Distinct Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N5 and H5N1 Viruses in Crows, Hokkaido, Japan.},
journal = {Emerging infectious diseases},
volume = {30},
number = {9},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3201/eid3009.240356},
pmid = {39106453},
issn = {1080-6059},
abstract = {We isolated highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N5 and H5N1 viruses from crows in Hokkaido, Japan, during winter 2023-24. They shared genetic similarity with HPAI H5N5 viruses from northern Europe but differed from those in Asia. Continuous monitoring and rapid information sharing between countries are needed to prevent HPAI virus transmission.},
}

@article {pmid39073820,
year = {2024},
author = {Krieger, N and Testa, C and Chen, JT and Johnson, N and Watkins, SH and Suderman, M and Simpkin, AJ and Tilling, K and Waterman, PD and Coull, BA and De Vivo, I and Smith, GD and Diez Roux, AV and Relton, C},
title = {Epigenetic Aging and Racialized, Economic, and Environmental Injustice: NIMHD Social Epigenomics Program.},
journal = {JAMA network open},
volume = {7},
number = {7},
pages = {e2421832},
pmid = {39073820},
issn = {2574-3805},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; *Epigenomics/methods ; *Aging/genetics ; Aged ; *Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics ; United States ; Racism/statistics & numerical data ; Adult ; Social Justice ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Aged, 80 and over ; },
abstract = {IMPORTANCE: Epigenetic age acceleration is associated with exposure to social and economic adversity and may increase the risk of premature morbidity and mortality. However, no studies have included measures of structural racism, and few have compared estimates within or across the first and second generation of epigenetic clocks.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether epigenetic age acceleration is positively associated with exposures to diverse measures of racialized, economic, and environmental injustice measured at different levels and time periods.

This cross-sectional study used data from the My Body My Story (MBMS) study between August 8, 2008, and December 31, 2010, and examination 5 of the Multi-Ethnic Atherosclerosis Study (MESA) from April 1, 2010, to February 29, 2012. In the MBMS, DNA extraction was performed in 2021; linkage of structural measures to the MBMS and MESA, in 2022. US-born individuals were randomly selected from 4 community health centers in Boston, Massachusetts (MBMS), and 4 field sites in Baltimore, Maryland; Forsyth County, North Carolina; New York City, New York; and St Paul, Minnesota (MESA). Data were analyzed from November 13, 2021, to August 31, 2023.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Ten epigenetic clocks (6 first-generation and 4 second-generation), computed using DNA methylation data (DNAm) from blood spots (MBMS) and purified monocytes (MESA).

RESULTS: The US-born study population included 293 MBMS participants (109 men [37.2%], 184 women [62.8%]; mean [SD] age, 49.0 [8.0] years) with 224 Black non-Hispanic and 69 White non-Hispanic participants and 975 MESA participants (492 men [50.5%], 483 women [49.5%]; mean [SD] age, 70.0 [9.3] years) with 229 Black non-Hispanic, 191 Hispanic, and 555 White non-Hispanic participants. Of these, 140 (11.0%) exhibited accelerated aging for all 5 clocks whose estimates are interpretable on the age (years) scale. Among Black non-Hispanic MBMS participants, epigenetic age acceleration was associated with being born in a Jim Crow state by 0.14 (95% CI, 0.003-0.27) SDs and with birth state conservatism by 0.06 (95% CI, 0.01-0.12) SDs, pooling across all clocks. Low parental educational level was associated with epigenetic age acceleration, pooling across all clocks, for both Black non-Hispanic (0.24 [95% CI, 0.08-0.39] SDs) and White non-Hispanic (0.27 [95% CI, 0.03-0.51] SDs) MBMS participants. Adult impoverishment was positively associated with the pooled second-generation clocks among the MESA participants (Black non-Hispanic, 0.06 [95% CI, 0.01-0.12] SDs; Hispanic, 0.07 [95% CI, 0.01-0.14] SDs; White non-Hispanic, 0.05 [95% CI, 0.01-0.08] SDs).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this cross-sectional study of MBMS and MESA participants suggest that epigenetic age acceleration was associated with racialized and economic injustice, potentially contributing to well-documented inequities in premature mortality. Future research should test the hypothesis that epigenetic accelerated aging may be one of the biological mechanisms underlying the well-documented elevated risk of premature morbidity and mortality among social groups subjected to racialized and economic injustice.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
Cross-Sectional Studies
Middle Aged
*Epigenomics/methods
*Aging/genetics
Aged
*Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics
United States
Racism/statistics & numerical data
Adult
Social Justice
Socioeconomic Factors
Aged, 80 and over

@article {pmid39069816,
year = {2024},
author = {Connelly, F and Johnsson, RD and Mulder, RA and Hall, ML and Lesku, JA},
title = {Experimental playback of urban noise does not affect cognitive performance in captive Australian magpies.},
journal = {Biology open},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1242/bio.060535},
pmid = {39069816},
issn = {2046-6390},
support = {//Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment/ ; //Ecological Society of Australia/ ; DP170101003//Australian Research Council/ ; },
abstract = {Exposure of wildlife to anthropogenic noise is associated with disruptive effects. Research on this topic has focused on behavioural and physiological responses of animals to noise, with little work investigating links to cognitive function. Neurological processes that maintain cognitive performance can be impacted by stress and sleep disturbances. While sleep loss impairs cognitive performance in Australian magpies, it is unclear whether urban noise, which disrupts sleep, can impact cognition as well. To fill this gap, we explored how environmentally relevant urban noise affected the performance of wild-caught, city-living Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen tyrannica) on a cognitive task battery including associative and reversal learning, inhibitory control, and spatial memory. Birds were housed and tested in a laboratory environment; sample sizes varied across tasks (n=7 - 9 birds). Tests were conducted over four weeks, during which all magpies were exposed to both an urban noise playback and a quiet control. Birds were presented with the entire test battery twice: following exposure to, and in the absence of, an anthropogenic noise playback; however, tests were always performed without noise (playback muted during testing). Magpies performed similarly in both treatments on all four tasks. We also found that prior experience with the associative learning task had a strong effect on performance, with birds performing better on their second round of trials. Like previous findings on Australian magpies tested on the same tasks in the wild under noisy conditions, we could not find any disruptive effects on cognitive performance in a controlled experimental laboratory setting.},
}

@article {pmid39064646,
year = {2024},
author = {Nobile, V and Dudonné, S and Kern, C and Roveda, G and Garcia, C},
title = {Antiaging, Brightening, and Antioxidant Efficacy of Fermented Bilberry Extract (Vaccinium myrtillus): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.},
journal = {Nutrients},
volume = {16},
number = {14},
pages = {},
pmid = {39064646},
issn = {2072-6643},
support = {n/a//Seppic Research and Innovation/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Skin Aging/drug effects ; *Antioxidants/pharmacology ; *Plant Extracts/pharmacology ; Female ; *Vaccinium myrtillus/chemistry ; Double-Blind Method ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Male ; Skin/drug effects ; Skin Pigmentation/drug effects ; Fermentation ; Dietary Supplements ; Aged ; Anthocyanins ; },
abstract = {Strategies for successful aging, including the use of food supplements, are part of the approach to support skin youthfulness. To demonstrate the efficacy of fermented bilberry extract (FBE) against skin aging and uneven complexion, a clinical trial was carried out on 66 subjects with visible "crow's feet" wrinkles, mild-to-moderate skin slackness, and uneven skin tone. The wrinkle depth, skin smoothness (Ra) and roughness (Rz), skin firmness (R0) and elasticity (R2), skin coloration (ITA°), and skin antioxidant capacity were measured before and after 28 (D28), 56 (D56), and 84 (D84) days of product use (either FBE or a placebo). These parameters were also integrated with a clinical evaluation, carried out by a dermatologist, and a self-assessment questionnaire to align the measured efficacy with the visual or perceived efficacy. At D84, the wrinkle depth had decreased by 10.6%, Ra had improved by 7.9%, Rz had decreased by 7.3%, R0 had improved by 13.3%, R2 had improved by 12.4%, and skin antioxidant capacity had increased by 20.8%. ITA° increased by 20.8% and was accompanied by a decrease in the skin's redness component by 16.8% and an increase in the lightness component by 2.2%. The variation of all the above-mentioned parameters was statistically significant between the FBE and PL groups. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of FBE in improving skin aging and complexion evenness.},
}

Humans
*Skin Aging/drug effects
*Antioxidants/pharmacology
*Plant Extracts/pharmacology
Female
*Vaccinium myrtillus/chemistry
Double-Blind Method
Middle Aged
Adult
Male
Skin/drug effects
Skin Pigmentation/drug effects
Fermentation
Dietary Supplements
Aged
Anthocyanins

@article {pmid39072224,
year = {2022},
author = {Wenig, K and Pacher, L and Bugnyar, T},
title = {Testing the contagious nature of allopreening: bystander ravens are affected by conspecifics' affiliative interactions.},
journal = {Animal behaviour},
volume = {184},
number = {},
pages = {71-80},
pmid = {39072224},
issn = {0003-3472},
abstract = {Emotional contagion refers to the mechanism of aligning with conspecifics' emotional states and is thought to be highly beneficial in social group living. While emotional contagion is well studied in humans, most studies in nonhuman animals fail to clearly distinguish between behavioural and emotional contagion. Furthermore, evidence for positive emotional contagion in nonhuman animals is almost entirely restricted to the context of play. In the present study, we aimed at adding observational evidence of contagion in a positive context, while separating aspects of behavioural and emotional contagion. In a group of nonbreeder common ravens, Corvus corax, we investigated whether witnessing conspecifics in positive social interaction, namely allopreening, would influence a bystander's behavioural and, possibly, emotional state. We recorded behavioural expressions of bystanders in postpreening observation phases and compared them to those in matched-control observation phases. We found effects of witnessing others' allopreening on the bystanders' subsequent affiliative interactions but not on their self-directed behaviours (e.g. autopreening) or agonistic interactions. Specifically, bystanders were more likely to engage in allopreening themselves in the postpreening observation phase than in the matched-control observation phase, which could be explained via behavioural and emotional contagion; however, bystanders also showed elevated levels of nonpreening affiliative interactions and spent more time close to conspecifics after observing others allopreening, which hints towards a more general effect on the bystanders' emotional states. Whether these nonpreening affiliative interactions are indeed an indication of emotional contagion needs to be tested in further studies that measure, and manipulate, emotional states.},
}

@article {pmid39061443,
year = {2024},
author = {Terra de Oliveira, R and Lino, TB and Scarmagnan, GS and Miziara Barbosa, SR and de Souza Pegorare, ABG and Christofoletti, G},
title = {A Controlled Clinical Trial on the Effects of Aquatic Exercise on Cognitive Functions in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.},
journal = {Brain sciences},
volume = {14},
number = {7},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/brainsci14070703},
pmid = {39061443},
issn = {2076-3425},
support = {275/2022//Fundect/ ; },
abstract = {Several therapies have been developed to reduce cognitive decline associated with aging. Aquatic exercises, which are widely used to enhance functional capacity, may play a role in stimulating cognitive functions. This study investigated the effects of a 3-month aquatic exercise program on cognitive functions in community-dwelling older adults. In this prospective, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial, 31 participants were allocated to either the experimental (aquatic exercises) or control (no-exercise) group. The intervention program consisted of exercises conducted twice a week in a 1.2 m deep indoor pool. The main outcome measures were cognitive functions, assessed using Raven's Progressive Matrices test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess the impact of the exercise program. The effect sizes (η[2]p) were reported when a level of significance was achieved (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the participants who underwent aquatic exercises showed positive outcomes in Raven's Progressive Matrices test (p = 0.046; η[2]p = 0.131) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (p = 0.001, η[2]p = 0.589). Complementary analyses of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test indicated that the benefits of the aquatic exercise were observed in terms of the number of trials (p = 0.001, η[2]p = 0.478), number of errors (p = 0.001, η[2]p = 0.458), and number of non-perseverative errors (p = 0.001, η[2]p = 0.302). The results indicate that a period of three months of aquatic exercise was beneficial for stimulating specific aspects of the cognitive function of community-dwelling older individuals. Aquatic exercise should be prescribed to this population.},
}

@article {pmid39060612,
year = {2024},
author = {Blackburn, G and Ashton, BJ and Thornton, A and Hunter, H and Woodiss-Field, S and Ridley, AR},
title = {Investigating the relationship between physical cognitive tasks and a social cognitive task in a wild bird.},
journal = {Animal cognition},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {52},
pmid = {39060612},
issn = {1435-9456},
support = {DP200100566//ARC Discovery Grant/ ; DP200100566//ARC Discovery Grant/ ; DP200100566//ARC Discovery Grant/ ; DP200100566//ARC Discovery Grant/ ; },
abstract = {Despite considerable research into the structure of cognition in non-human animal species, there is still much debate as to whether animal cognition is organised as a series of discrete domains or an overarching general cognitive factor. In humans, the existence of general intelligence is widely accepted, but less work has been undertaken in animal psychometrics to address this question. The relatively few studies on non-primate animal species that do investigate the structure of cognition rarely include tasks assessing social cognition and focus instead on physical cognitive tasks. In this study, we tested 36 wild Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) on a battery of three physical (associative learning, spatial memory, and numerical assessment) and one social (observational spatial memory) cognitive task, to investigate if cognition in this species fits a general cognitive factor model, or instead one of separate physical and social cognitive domains. A principal component analysis (PCA) identified two principal components with eigenvalues exceeding 1; a first component onto which all three physical tasks loaded strongly and positively, and a second component onto which only the social task (observational spatial memory) loaded strongly and positively. These findings provide tentative evidence for separate physical and social cognitive domains in this species, and highlight the importance of including tasks assessing both social and physical cognition in cognitive test batteries.},
}

@article {pmid39059727,
year = {2024},
author = {McKechnie, AE and Freeman, MT and Kemp, R and Wolter, K and Naidoo, V},
title = {Effects of lead on avian thermoregulation in the heat: an experimental test with pied crows (Corvus albus).},
journal = {Environmental toxicology and pharmacology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {104519},
doi = {10.1016/j.etap.2024.104519},
pmid = {39059727},
issn = {1872-7077},
abstract = {Many of the negative physiological effects of lead involve the hypothalamus, but the possibility that thermoregulation is affected has received little attention. We tested the hypothesis that lead exposure reduces avian thermoregulatory performance under hot conditions in pied crows (Corvus albus) experimentally exposed to lead in their diet. Crows in our high lead treatment (blood [Pb] = 87.3 ± 44.7μgdL[-1]) showed significantly higher air temperature (Tair) inflections for evaporative water loss (EWL) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) compared to control (6.4 ± 1.8μgdL[-1]) or intermediate (53.9 ± 23.7μgdL[-1]) lead groups, which did not differ. EWL, RMR and body temperature (Tb) all increased more rapidly at Tair >Tb in the high lead treatment. In contrast, neither maximum Tair tolerated by the crows nor maximum Tb varied with treatment. Our data reveal that water and energy balance during hot weather is affected by lead exposure.},
}

@article {pmid39057739,
year = {2024},
author = {Gharaibeh, NY and De Fazio, R and Al-Naami, B and Al-Hinnawi, AR and Visconti, P},
title = {Automated Lung Cancer Diagnosis Applying Butterworth Filtering, Bi-Level Feature Extraction, and Sparce Convolutional Neural Network to Luna 16 CT Images.},
journal = {Journal of imaging},
volume = {10},
number = {7},
pages = {},
pmid = {39057739},
issn = {2313-433X},
abstract = {Accurate prognosis and diagnosis are crucial for selecting and planning lung cancer treatments. As a result of the rapid development of medical imaging technology, the use of computed tomography (CT) scans in pathology is becoming standard practice. An intricate interplay of requirements and obstacles characterizes computer-assisted diagnosis, which relies on the precise and effective analysis of pathology images. In recent years, pathology image analysis tasks such as tumor region identification, prognosis prediction, tumor microenvironment characterization, and metastasis detection have witnessed the considerable potential of artificial intelligence, especially deep learning techniques. In this context, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based methodology for lung cancer diagnosis is proposed in this research work. As a first processing step, filtering using the Butterworth smooth filter algorithm was applied to the input images from the LUNA 16 lung cancer dataset to remove noise without significantly degrading the image quality. Next, we performed the bi-level feature selection step using the Chaotic Crow Search Algorithm and Random Forest (CCSA-RF) approach to select features such as diameter, margin, spiculation, lobulation, subtlety, and malignancy. Next, the Feature Extraction step was performed using the Multi-space Image Reconstruction (MIR) method with Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM). Next, the Lung Tumor Severity Classification (LTSC) was implemented by using the Sparse Convolutional Neural Network (SCNN) approach with a Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN). The developed method can detect benign, normal, and malignant lung cancer images using the PNN algorithm, which reduces complexity and efficiently provides classification results. Performance parameters, namely accuracy, precision, F-score, sensitivity, and specificity, were determined to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented hybrid method and compare it with other solutions already present in the literature.},
}

@article {pmid39050654,
year = {2024},
author = {Nakashima, Y and Hashizume, A and Kanda, A},
title = {A statistical approach to assess interspecific consumptive competition and functional redundancy in ephemeral resource uses using camera traps.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {14},
number = {7},
pages = {e70031},
pmid = {39050654},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Camera traps have been widely used in wildlife research, offering significant potential for monitoring species interactions at ephemeral resources. However, raw data obtained from camera traps often face limitations due to observation censoring, where resource consumption by dominant animals may obscure potential resource use by less dominant animals. We extended time-to-detection occupancy modeling to quantify interspecific consumptive competition and redundancy of ecosystem functions through consumption between two species, while accounting for observation censoring. By treating resource use by rival species as censored data, we estimated the proportion of resources potentially used in the absence of rival species and calculated the loss caused by the rival species, which is defined as "Competition Intensity Index." We also defined the Unique Functional Contribution, which represents the net functional loss when a species is removed, calculated by excluding the contribution potentially substituted by the other species. We also considered resource degradation and computed the quantity of resources acquired by each species. This established framework was applied to predation data on bird nests by alien squirrels and other predators (Case 1) as well as scavenging on mammalian carcasses by two carnivores (Case 2). In Case 1, the introduction of squirrels significantly affected the breeding success of birds. Although nests were being preyed upon by native crows also, our model estimated that Unique Functional Contribution by the squirrels was 0.47. This means that, by eradicating the squirrels, the reproductive success of the birds could potentially increase by as much as 47%. In Case 2, the Competition Intensity Index for foxes was 0.17, whereas that for raccoon dogs was 0.46, suggesting an asymmetric effect of resource competition between the two species. The frequency distribution of wet mass available to the two species differed significantly. This approach will enable a more robust construction of resource-consumer interaction networks.},
}

@article {pmid39049707,
year = {2024},
author = {Fujita, Y and Biswas, KB and Kawai, Y and Takayama, S and Masutani, T and Iddamalgoda, A and Sakamoto, K},
title = {Mentha piperita leaf extract suppresses the release of ATP from epidermal keratinocytes and reduces dermal thinning as well as wrinkle formation.},
journal = {International journal of cosmetic science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/ics.12996},
pmid = {39049707},
issn = {1468-2494},
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To achieve a more beautiful and younger appearance, reducing wrinkles is a key concern. The process of wrinkle formation is complex and the development of truly effective cosmetic ingredients to reduce wrinkles remains a challenge. Recent studies have revealed a close relationship between wrinkles and skin thinning, suggesting that preventing skin thinning could also prevent wrinkle formation. In this study, we examined the role of extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP) in the progression of thinning, as eATP reportedly increases skin ageing factors, such as senescence-associated secreted phenotype (SASP) factors in epidermal cells. We determined the effects of Mentha piperita leaf extract on suppressing eATP to reduce thinning and wrinkles.

METHODS: Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were measured in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) in the presence of M. piperita leaf extract. Dryness, high pH, and UVB radiation were used as extrinsic ageing factors. Intrinsic skin ageing was evaluated by comparing cells from adults (AD-NHEK) and newborns (NB-NHEK). A placebo-controlled in vivo study was carried out with a formulation containing 1% M. piperita leaf extract.

RESULTS: The eATP levels were significantly higher in AD-NHEK compared with that in NB-NHEK cells. M. piperita leaf extract significantly decreased eATP levels in adult cells. Extrinsic ageing factors increased eATP levels in NHEK, whereas M. piperita leaf extract significantly suppressed eATP under all conditions. The active components of M. piperita leaf extract, luteolin glucuronide and rosmarinic acid, also decreased eATP. Moreover, compared with placebo lotion, M. piperita leaf extract-formulated lotion markedly increased dermal thickness and reduced wrinkles associated with crow's feet and the neck area.

CONCLUSION: We demonstrated for the first time that M. piperita leaf extract containing rosmarinic acid and luteolin-7-O-glucuronide has the potential to reduce eATP release from epidermal keratinocytes. An increase in eATP was observed not only during inflammation but also during natural ageing. Furthermore, the in vivo experiment revealing that 1% M. piperita leaf extract-containing lotion improved dermal thinning and wrinkles across multiple areas is attributed to the amelioration of dermal thinning. Thus, our data suggest the possibility of a novel cosmetic approach for reducing skin ageing by reducing eATP-mediated dermal thinning.},
}

@article {pmid39044204,
year = {2024},
author = {Mohanty, SK and Wadasadawala, T and Sen, S and Maiti, S and E, J},
title = {Catastrophic health expenditure and distress financing of breast cancer treatment in India: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study.},
journal = {International journal for equity in health},
volume = {23},
number = {1},
pages = {145},
pmid = {39044204},
issn = {1475-9276},
mesh = {Humans ; *Breast Neoplasms/economics/therapy ; Female ; India ; *Health Expenditures/statistics & numerical data ; Longitudinal Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Catastrophic Illness/economics ; Cohort Studies ; Aged ; Financing, Personal/statistics & numerical data ; },
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To estimate the catastrophic health expenditure and distress financing of breast cancer treatment in India.

METHODS: The unit data from a longitudinal survey that followed 500 breast cancer patients treated at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai from June 2019 to March 2022 were used. The catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) was estimated using households' capacity to pay and distress financing as selling assets or borrowing loans to meet cost of treatment. Bivariate and logistic regression models were used for analysis.

FINDINGS: The CHE of breast cancer was estimated at 84.2% (95% CI: 80.8,87.9%) and distress financing at 72.4% (95% CI: 67.8,76.6%). Higher prevalence of CHE and distress financing was found among rural, poor, agriculture dependent households and among patients from outside of Maharashtra. About 75% of breast cancer patients had some form of reimbursement but it reduced the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure by only 14%. Nearly 80% of the patients utilised multiple financing sources to meet the cost of treatment. The significant predictors of distress financing were catastrophic health expenditure, type of patient, educational attainment, main income source, health insurance, and state of residence.

CONCLUSION: In India, the CHE and distress financing of breast cancer treatment is very high. Most of the patients who had CHE were more likely to incur distress financing. Inclusion of direct non-medical cost such as accommodation, food and travel of patients and accompanying person in the ambit of reimbursement of breast cancer treatment can reduce the CHE. We suggest that city specific cancer care centre need to be strengthened under the aegis of PM-JAY to cater quality cancer care in their own states of residence.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTRI/2019/07/020142 on 10/07/2019.},
}

Humans
*Breast Neoplasms/economics/therapy
Female
India
*Health Expenditures/statistics & numerical data
Longitudinal Studies
Middle Aged
Adult
Catastrophic Illness/economics
Cohort Studies
Aged
Financing, Personal/statistics & numerical data

@article {pmid39041009,
year = {2024},
author = {Bonde, BM and Stien, A},
title = {Ecological implications of the pink salmon invasion in northern Norway-Aggregative responses and terrestrial transfer by white-tailed eagles.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {14},
number = {7},
pages = {e70001},
pmid = {39041009},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Over the last 10 years, the spawning population of invasive pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) has increased in the river systems in northern Norway to a level that is causing concern about their impact on endemic fauna and ecosystem processes. The scale of transfer of pink salmon carcasses into the terrestrial ecosystem is likely to be a key determinant of terrestrial impact. Bears (Ursus sp.) are responsible for most such transfers in North America but are rare in Norway. The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is common however, and a candidate to be a main cause of such transfers. To evaluate this hypothesis, data on the abundance of white-tailed eagles and pink salmon were collected along the river Skallelv in northern Norway in 2021, a year the pink salmon spawned in the river, and in 2022, a year no pink salmon spawned in the river. The abundance of white-tailed eagles along the river was much higher the year pink salmon spawned in the river. Furthermore, white-tailed eagles were observed aggregating and catching pink salmon where and when pink salmon were present at the spawning and post-spawning stages. Based on our observations, we suggest that the white-tailed eagle is the main species involved in the transport of pink salmon from the river into the riparian zone in northern Norway and that other scavengers, in particular the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and common raven (Corvus corax), play an important role in transporting pink salmon carcasses from the riparian zone to the wider terrestrial ecosystem.},
}

@article {pmid39030682,
year = {2024},
author = {Varnado, K and Richardson, S and Somyoo, N and Mejia-Downs, A and Dial, M},
title = {How Integrating the 5 Pillars of Community Practice Can Transform Physical Therapist Education and Reduce Health Disparities.},
journal = {Physical therapy},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/ptj/pzae103},
pmid = {39030682},
issn = {1538-6724},
abstract = {Patient history assists clinicians in determining the most appropriate tests to identify the symptoms' source and select appropriate interventions. Therefore, a subjective history is an essential component of patient management. When physical therapist practitioners transition into academia, they must understand how the history of the education system may affect learners. Health disparities are related to the lack of workforce diversity and skills in cultural responsiveness, and the education system is critical in addressing the impact of future providers on health disparities. Developing a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program to address health disparities requires an analysis of the historical context of the United States (US) educational and health care systems, along with traditional components of physical therapist education. This country's education system was built upon a 2-tiered system, where minoritized individuals struggled to overcome barriers imposed by legislation and societal beliefs. Jim Crow laws continued this unequal access to education, and the recent Supreme Court ruling to deny race-based affirmative action continues these inequities. This historical context informed the construction of the College of Saint Mary (CSM) DPT Program. The program's mission led to using less traditional educational approaches; thus, the pillars of practice took form. The 5 pillars evolved to include social determinants, inclusive faculty and student recruitment and retention practices, equitable grading, culturally responsive pedagogy, and community development. The purpose of this paper is to present a historical overview of the United States education system and its influence on physical therapist education. Furthermore, it will illustrate how this historical context inspired the 5 Pillars of Community Practice from CSM and discuss the challenges and interventions related to these pillars. There are tremendous disparities in educational outcomes and patient services in the US. Disparities are most significant in those with historically marginalized identities. If those disparities are to improve, a change is required in the people providing care to patients. The best way to accomplish this is by transforming how future providers are educated.},
}

@article {pmid39028848,
year = {2024},
author = {Green, JP},
title = {An introduction to "A tribute to the life and work of Steven Jay Lynn (1946-2024): in memoriam".},
journal = {The American journal of clinical hypnosis},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-10},
doi = {10.1080/00029157.2024.2374225},
pmid = {39028848},
issn = {2160-0562},
}

@article {pmid39017034,
year = {2024},
author = {Yi, KH and Wan, J},
title = {Anatomical considerations of medial eye wrinkles: Guidelines for botulinum neurotoxin injections.},
journal = {Journal of cosmetic dermatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/jocd.16474},
pmid = {39017034},
issn = {1473-2165},
abstract = {Crow's feet lines in the lateral canthal region are a common concern among aging patients, initially appearing as dynamic wrinkles during facial expressions and becoming more pronounced with age. Botulinum neurotoxin temporarily paralyzes muscles by inhibiting acetylcholine release, smoothing wrinkles and enhancing skin's youthful appearance. Effective treatment requires tailored approaches considering individual anatomy and muscle activity. Recent cadaveric studies identified the tear trough muscle, emphasizing its role in infraorbital support and aging. Clinically, patients often present medial eye wrinkles after BoNT treatment for crow's feet, prompting exploration of underlying mechanisms and management strategies. Three cases demonstrated that medial BoNT injections in the orbicularis oculi muscle significantly improve medial eye wrinkles and tear trough appearance. The study underscores the importance of understanding muscle hyperactivity and anatomical variations for precise treatment. Enhanced injection techniques targeting specific areas can achieve better outcomes and minimize complications, particularly in culturally sensitive regions where facial expressions are valued. This research highlights the necessity for comprehensive anatomical knowledge and patient-specific treatment strategies to address medial eye wrinkles effectively.},
}

@article {pmid39026409,
year = {2020},
author = {Barath, H},
title = {Flocking Phase Change: New work shows how jackdaw flocks (sometimes) transition from chaos to order.},
journal = {Scientific American},
volume = {322},
number = {2},
pages = {21},
doi = {10.1038/scientificamerican0220-21},
pmid = {39026409},
issn = {0036-8733},
}

@article {pmid39005308,
year = {2024},
author = {Di Tullio, RW and Wei, L and Balasubramanian, V},
title = {Slow and steady: auditory features for discriminating animal vocalizations.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39005308},
issn = {2692-8205},
abstract = {We propose that listeners can use temporal regularities - spectro-temporal correlations that change smoothly over time - to discriminate animal vocalizations within and between species. To test this idea, we used Slow Feature Analysis (SFA) to find the most temporally regular components of vocalizations from birds (blue jay, house finch, American yellow warbler, and great blue heron), humans (English speakers), and rhesus macaques. We projected vocalizations into the learned feature space and tested intra-class (same speaker/species) and inter-class (different speakers/species) auditory discrimination by a trained classifier. We found that: 1) Vocalization discrimination was excellent (> 95%) in all cases; 2) Performance depended primarily on the ∼10 most temporally regular features; 3) Most vocalizations are dominated by ∼10 features with high temporal regularity; and 4) These regular features are highly correlated with the most predictable components of animal sounds.},
}

@article {pmid38989962,
year = {2024},
author = {Warma, S and Warma, H and Merja, A and Patel, N and Patel, M},
title = {Revitalizing skin, hair, nails, and muscles: Unlocking beauty and wellness with vegan collagen.},
journal = {Journal of cosmetic dermatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/jocd.16443},
pmid = {38989962},
issn = {1473-2165},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Collagen, a key protein in the body maintains hair, skin and bone health and its production tends to decrease in synthesis as humans age. The demand for vegan collagen-builder has increased worldwide due to increased adaptability to vegan diet.

OBJECTIVE: This clinical study was designed aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vegan collagen builder (VEGCOL™️) at different dosages (2.5, 5, and 10 g) in adult participants.

METHODS: Total 66 subjects (22 subjects/dose) aged 30 to 50 years were enrolled, and 63 subjects completed the study. Duration of study was 60 days. Evaluations included change in skin elasticity, hydration, crow's feet area wrinkles, fine lines, skin, Glogau skin age, change in pain scale score, muscle strength and subject perception assessment about test treatment use.

RESULTS: After 60 days of treatment, there was significant improvement in hair growth rate by 45.01%, 38.54% and 50.37% with p < 0.01 for doses 2.5, 5, and 10 g respectively. Additionally, 19.64% (p < 0.0001) and 20.51% (p < 0.0001) increase in hair density and hair thickness respectively was observed with 10 g dose. 2.5 g dose resulted in 33.03% (p < 0.01) increase in skin smoothness and 49.94% (p < 0.0001) decrease in crow's feet area wrinkles, decreased retraction time by 21.71 milliseconds (p < 0.05). 52.54% reduction in pain score (p < 0.001). No any adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSION: Vegan collagen-builder effectively improved multiple age-related concerns such as wrinkles, fine lines, joint pain, muscle strength and hair growth. All respondents perceived the product as beneficial in improving the aesthetics of the skin, hair, and nails. The findings support the use of vegan collagen-builder as safe and efficacious in promoting healthier skin, stronger muscles, and improved hair and nail conditions.},
}

@article {pmid38989559,
year = {2024},
author = {Rodriguez, DCP and Weber, KC and Sundberg, B and Glasgow, A},
title = {MAGPIE: An interactive tool for visualizing and analyzing protein-ligand interactions.},
journal = {Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society},
volume = {33},
number = {8},
pages = {e5027},
doi = {10.1002/pro.5027},
pmid = {38989559},
issn = {1469-896X},
support = {R00GM135529/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {*Software ; Ligands ; *Proteins/chemistry/metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Models, Molecular ; },
abstract = {Quantitative tools to compile and analyze biomolecular interactions among chemically diverse binding partners would improve therapeutic design and aid in studying molecular evolution. Here we present Mapping Areas of Genetic Parsimony In Epitopes (MAGPIE), a publicly available software package for simultaneously visualizing and analyzing thousands of interactions between a single protein or small molecule ligand (the "target") and all of its protein binding partners ("binders"). MAGPIE generates an interactive three-dimensional visualization from a set of protein complex structures that share the target ligand, as well as sequence logo-style amino acid frequency graphs that show all the amino acids from the set of protein binders that interact with user-defined target ligand positions or chemical groups. MAGPIE highlights all the salt bridge and hydrogen bond interactions made by the target in the visualization and as separate amino acid frequency graphs. Finally, MAGPIE collates the most common target-binder interactions as a list of "hotspots," which can be used to analyze trends or guide the de novo design of protein binders. As an example of the utility of the program, we used MAGPIE to probe how different antibody fragments bind a viral antigen; how a common metabolite binds diverse protein partners; and how two ligands bind orthologs of a well-conserved glycolytic enzyme for a detailed understanding of evolutionarily conserved interactions involved in its activation and inhibition. MAGPIE is implemented in Python 3 and freely available at https://github.com/glasgowlab/MAGPIE, along with sample datasets, usage examples, and helper scripts to prepare input structures.},
}

*Software
Ligands
*Proteins/chemistry/metabolism
Protein Binding
Models, Molecular

@article {pmid38989155,
year = {2023},
author = {Guzmán Naranjo, M and Jäger, G},
title = {Euclide, the crow, the wolf and the pedestrian: distance metrics for linguistic typology.},
journal = {Open research Europe},
volume = {3},
number = {},
pages = {104},
pmid = {38989155},
issn = {2732-5121},
abstract = {It is common for people working on linguistic geography, language contact and typology to make use of some type of distance metric between lects. However, most work so far has either used Euclidean distances, or geodesic distance, both of which do not represent the real separation between communities very accurately. This paper presents two datasets: one on walking distances and one on topographic distances between over 8700 lects across all macro-areas. We calculated walking distances using Open Street Maps data, and topographic distances using digital elevation data. We evaluate these distance metrics on three case studies and show that from the four distances, the topographic and geodesic distances showed the most consistent performance across datasets, and would be likely to be reasonable first choices. At the same time, in most cases, the Euclidean distances were not much worse than the other distances, and might be a good enough approximation in cases for which performance is critical, or the dataset cover very large areas, and the point-location information is not very precise.},
}

@article {pmid38980174,
year = {2024},
author = {Kawar, K},
title = {The Relationship Between Oral and Written Language in Narrative Production by Arabic-Speaking Children: Fundamental Skills and Influences.},
journal = {Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-15},
doi = {10.1044/2024_JSLHR-23-00717},
pmid = {38980174},
issn = {1558-9102},
abstract = {PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between oral and written language skills in narrative production among Arabic-speaking children, focusing on cognitive and linguistic abilities. It examines the differences in narrative parameters between oral and written narratives and explores the associations between these parameters and cognitive and linguistic skills.

METHOD: The research involved 237 sixth-grade Arabic-speaking students from low-socioeconomic status schools in Israel. Each participant was instructed to orally tell a narrative and to write another narrative based on two sets of six sequential pictures. Various narrative features were analyzed, including word count for length, type-token ratio (TTR) for lexical diversity, mean length of utterance (MLU) for morphosyntax, and number of episodes for macrostructure. Cognitive linguistic measures, including Raven's Progressive Matrices, reading comprehension (RC), and morphological awareness (MA) were also assessed.

RESULTS: The study found significant differences between oral and written narratives regarding lexical diversity and macrostructure. Participants exhibited significantly higher TTR in written narratives compared to oral narratives, whereas the number of episodes was significantly higher in oral narratives than in written ones. However, no significant differences were observed in narrative length or MLU. Moreover, the study identified significant predictors for various aspects of written narratives, particularly MA and RC, which significantly predicted TTR, MLU, and macrostructure. Additionally, the inclusion of word count in oral narratives significantly enhanced the explained variance for narrative length and macrostructure in written language.

CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of the oral-written interface in both micro- and macrostructure representations in both oral and written modalities. They suggest that cognitive and linguistic skills, such as MA and RC, play a crucial role in narrative production. The findings have implications for educational practices and literacy outcomes in the Arab world, enhancing the understanding of the challenges and strategies involved in written language production among Arabic-speaking children.},
}

@article {pmid38965805,
year = {2024},
author = {Robic, J and Lata, W and Nkengne, A and Bigouret, A and Vie, K},
title = {The impact of air pollution on the facial skin of Caucasian women using real-life pollutant exposure measurements.},
journal = {Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI)},
volume = {30},
number = {7},
pages = {e13669},
pmid = {38965805},
issn = {1600-0846},
support = {//Laboratoires Clarins/ ; },
mesh = {Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; *Air Pollution/adverse effects ; *Environmental Exposure/adverse effects ; Environmental Monitoring/methods ; *Face ; Geographic Information Systems ; Paris ; *Particulate Matter/adverse effects ; Pollen ; Skin/drug effects ; *Skin Aging/drug effects ; Smartphone ; White People ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: To date, studies examining the effect of air pollution on skin characteristics have relied on regional pollution estimates obtained from fixed monitoring sites. Hence, there remains a need to characterize the impact of air pollution in vivo in real-time conditions. We conducted an initial investigation under real-life conditions, with the purpose of characterizing the in vivo impact of various pollutants on the facial skin condition of women living in Paris over a 6-month period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A smartphone application linked to the Breezometer platform was used to collect participants' individual exposures to pollutants through the recovery of global positioning system (GPS) data over a 6-month period. Daily exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 µm and PM 10 µm), pollen, and air quality was measured. Facial skin color, roughness, pore, hydration, elasticity, and wrinkle measurements were taken at the end of the 6-month period. Participants' cumulated pollutant exposure over 6 months was calculated. Data were stratified into two groups (lower vs. higher pollutant exposure) for each pollutant.

RESULTS: 156 women (20-60 years-old) were recruited, with 124 women completing the study. Higher PM 2.5 µm exposure was associated with altered skin color and increased roughness under the eye. Higher PM 10 µm exposure with increased wrinkles and roughness under the eye, increased pore appearance, and decreased skin hydration. Exposure to poorer air quality was linked with increased forehead wrinkles and decreased skin elasticity, while higher pollen exposure increased skin roughness and crow's feet.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests a potential correlation between air pollution and facial skin in real-life conditions. Prolonged exposure to PM, gases, and pollen may be linked to clinical signs of skin ageing. This study highlights the importance of longer monitoring over time in real conditions to characterize the effect of pollution on the skin.},
}

Adult
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Young Adult
*Air Pollution/adverse effects
*Environmental Exposure/adverse effects
Environmental Monitoring/methods
*Face
Geographic Information Systems
Paris
*Particulate Matter/adverse effects
Pollen
Skin/drug effects
*Skin Aging/drug effects
Smartphone
White People

@article {pmid38962998,
year = {2024},
author = {Factor, L and Vasconcellos, GSFM and Carvalho, VV and Acedo, T and Cortinhas, C and Chebel, RC and Baruselli, PS},
title = {Effects of supplementation of grazing Nellore cows with β-carotene and vitamins A + D3 + E + biotin on follicle diameter, oestrus, establishment of pregnancy, and foetal morphometry.},
journal = {Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene},
volume = {59},
number = {7},
pages = {e14660},
doi = {10.1111/rda.14660},
pmid = {38962998},
issn = {1439-0531},
mesh = {Animals ; Cattle ; Female ; Pregnancy ; *Vitamin A/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; *Dietary Supplements ; *beta Carotene/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; *Vitamin E/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; *Estrus/drug effects ; *Biotin/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; Cholecalciferol/pharmacology/administration & dosage ; Ovarian Follicle/drug effects ; Diet/veterinary ; Vitamins/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; Animal Feed ; Lactation ; Fetus/drug effects ; },
abstract = {The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effects of supplementation of Nellore (Bos indicus) cows with β-carotene + vitamins A + D3 + E + biotin on body condition score (BCS), oestrus, pregnancy, and foetal morphometry. Lactating cows (n = 497) from two herds were balanced for BCS and calving period [early calving (EC); late calving (LC)] and were assigned randomly to: Control (n = 251)-supplementation with a mineral supplement; and SUP (n = 246)-supplementation with the mineral supplement fed to control + β-carotene (150 mg/day) + vitamin A (40,000 IU/day) + vitamin D3 (5000 IU/day) + vitamin E (300 mg/day) + biotin (20 mg/day). Cows were supplemented from Days -30 to 30 (Day 0 = timed artificial insemination; TAI). Pregnancy was diagnosed 30 days after TAI and foetal crown-rump distance and thoracic diameter were measured at 30 and 77 days of gestation. Cows in the SUP treatment were more likely to have BCS ≥3.0 on Day 0 (63.0 ± 3.1 vs. 60.2 ± 3.1; p < .01) and were more likely to gain BCS from Days -30 to 30 (57.7 ± 3.3 vs. 44.1 ± 3.3%; p < .01). Fewer LC cows in the SUP treatment were detected in oestrus at the time of the first TAI (Control: LC: 75.4 ± 4.4 vs. SUP: LC: 64.0 ± 5.2 vs. Control: EC: 65.3 ± 4.0 vs. SUP: EC: 71.8 ± 3.7; p = .04). There was a tendency for the SUP treatment to increase pregnancy to the first TAI (64.2 ± 3.0 vs. 56.6 ± 3.1%; p = .08). A greater percentage of SUP cows was detected in oestrus at the time of the second TAI (70.1 ± 5.0 vs. 52.3 ± 4.8%; p = .01). The SUP treatment increased pregnancy to the second TAI among LC cows (SUP: LC: 75.9 ± 8.0% vs. Control: LC: 50.0 ± 8.3% vs. Control: EC: 52.0 ± 5.9% vs. SUP: EC: 41.4 ± 6.5%; p = .02). The SUP treatment increased foetal size (crown-rump; p = .04 and thoracic diameter; p < .01) at 30 days of gestation and, despite decreasing crow-rump length at 77 days after the first TAI among EC cows (p < .01), it increased the thoracic diameter at 77 days after the first TAI independent of calving season. Our results support that pregnancy establishment and foetal growth can be improved when grazing Nellore cows are supplemented with β-carotene and vitamins A + D3 + E + biotin.},
}

Animals
Cattle
Female
Pregnancy
*Vitamin A/administration & dosage/pharmacology
*Dietary Supplements
*beta Carotene/administration & dosage/pharmacology
*Vitamin E/administration & dosage/pharmacology
*Estrus/drug effects
*Biotin/administration & dosage/pharmacology
Cholecalciferol/pharmacology/administration & dosage
Ovarian Follicle/drug effects
Diet/veterinary
Vitamins/administration & dosage/pharmacology
Animal Feed
Lactation
Fetus/drug effects

@article {pmid38954382,
year = {2024},
author = {de Almeida, AT and de Sanctis Pecora, C and Marques, ER and Contin, L and de Almeida, CT and da Cunha, AL},
title = {Assessment of the Efficacy and Durability of IncobotulinumtoxinA in the Treatment of the Upper Face in Adult Women.},
journal = {Dermatology and therapy},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38954382},
issn = {2193-8210},
support = {001/2022//Merz Pharmaceuticals/ ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: IncobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin®) is used in the treatment of dynamic wrinkles and the aesthetic repositioning of facial structures. The duration of its muscular effect typically extends for around 4 months. However, the residual aesthetic benefit can be observed for a longer period. To date, the long-term aesthetic benefit of incobotulinumtoxinA in facial aesthetics has not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate longitudinally the duration and aesthetic benefits of incobotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of the upper face in adult women.

METHODS: A quasi-experimental, evaluator-blind, clinical trial involving 28 adult women (30-60 years old) with facial movement lines, undergoing treatment of the upper face with incobotulinumtoxinA by two injectors, following an individualized protocol (ONE21 and glabellar contraction patterns) was performed. Participants were evaluated on the day of the intervention (day 0) and days 30, 120, 180, and 240, and subjected to standardized photographs. The following outcomes were evaluated blindly at each visit: Merz Aesthetics Facial Contraction Scale (MAS), GAIS (Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale), and patient satisfaction. Adverse effects were evaluated at each visit.

RESULTS: Participants ranged in age from 30 to 60 years, 93% were self-declared white, and most of their baseline MAS scores for dynamic lines were moderate and severe. All the parameters presented significative reduction from baseline until day 180. At day 240, the dynamic MAS scores were lower than baseline for forehead lines in 15.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8-30.0%) of the participants, for glabellar lines in 38.5% (95% CI 18.8-58.1%), and for crow's feet lines in 26.9% (95% CI 9.0-44.8%). Aesthetic improvement compared to baseline was identified in 35% (CI 95% 23‒50%) of the participants at day 240, and 62% (CI 95% 42‒81%) of the sample kept reporting some satisfaction with the procedure.

CONCLUSION: The aesthetic treatment of the upper face with incobotulinumtoxinA demonstrates enduring clinical benefits, and patient satisfaction lasting up to 180 days in most participants. The length of efficacy, which exceeded those reported in the literature, may be attributed to the use of techniques based on individualized assessment such as ONE21 and glabellar patterns of contraction.},
}

@article {pmid38951235,
year = {2024},
author = {Battista, P and Aresta, S and Tagliente, S and Merlo, F and Mongelli, D and Lagravinese, G and Falcone, R and Palmirotta, C and Turi, G and Castellari, M and Zonno, A and Gelao, C and Picciola, E and Fiore, P and Battel, I and Minafra, B},
title = {Exploring the Neuropsychological Correlates of Swallowing Disorders in People with Parkinson's Disease: a Cross-Sectional Study.},
journal = {Dysphagia},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38951235},
issn = {1432-0460},
abstract = {Around 80% of persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) present symptoms of dysphagia. Although cognitive impairment may contribute to dysphagia, few studies have investigated the association between the PD neuropsychological profile and objective measures of swallowing dysfunction. Since the swallowing function comprises involuntary but also voluntary actions, we hypothesize that specific measures of attention and executive functions can be underlined in PD-related dysphagia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to extensively investigate the correlation and the relationship between attentive and executive functions and safety/efficiency of pharyngeal phase of swallowing in people with PD. All participants received a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and were evaluated using the Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS); the Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale (IT-YPRSRS), and the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS-IT). Participants also underwent a neuropsychological assessment covering global cognitive status, attention, and frontal executive functions. Correlations and associations between neuropsychological measures and swallowing components were calculated. Twenty-one participants with PD (mean age 69.38 ± 6.58 years, mean disease duration 8.38 ± 5.31 years; mean MDS-UPDRS III 43.95 ± 24.18) completed all evaluations. The most significant correlations were found between attentive functions (i.e., Stroop Time), and executive functions (i.e., Raven's Progressive Matrices, Digit Backward and Semantic Fluency), and FOIS-IT, PAS, and IT-YPRSRS sinuses and valleculae. These associations were not influenced by disease duration. These results suggest that a dysfunction to attentional processes and/or to executive functions can contribute to penetration and the presence of pharyngeal residue in participants with middle-stage PD.},
}

@article {pmid38949222,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhang, X and Wu, G and Qiu, C and Yang, W and Yao, T and Zhang, Z and He, Y},
title = {Research Progress of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in Recent 20 Years Based on Visual Bibliometric Analysis.},
journal = {Seminars in ophthalmology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-12},
doi = {10.1080/08820538.2024.2373268},
pmid = {38949222},
issn = {1744-5205},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To dynamically track the publications on central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and depict the research status and hot spots to guide future research.

METHODS: Gather all papers published in this area between 2004 and 2024 in the WOSCC databases comprehensively, assess their trends, and characterize the contributions of various nations, authors, institutions, and journals. In addition, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software are used to obtain the most popular keywords for the topic.

RESULTS: A total of 2,203 papers were published across 1,863 institutions in 59 countries. Among these, 6,907 authors contributed to publications in 300 journals and generated a total of 35,638 citations. The number of publications continues to grow steadily. Notably, Jay Chhablani's team/Lab stands out as the leading contributor with ownership of 84 publications. Through keyword network analysis and clustering techniques, risk factor-related clustering, imaging-related clustering, pathogenesis-related clustering, and treatment-related clustering were identified. Furthermore, keyword analysis has unveiled emerging frontier areas including pachychoroid disease, choroidal vasculature abnormalities, PDT therapy, and optical coherence tomography that have garnered increasing interest.

CONCLUSION: This study presents a comprehensive review of central serous retinopathy research conducted in the past two decades, highlighting key trends and exploring emerging research frontiers within this field. As such, it provides valuable references and suggestions for researchers engaged in studying this topic.},
}

@article {pmid38948655,
year = {2024},
author = {Isik, K and Odabaşı, Z},
title = {An interesting cause of wrist drop: The crow position in yoga and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies.},
journal = {Turkish journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation},
volume = {70},
number = {2},
pages = {282-284},
pmid = {38948655},
issn = {2587-1250},
abstract = {Hereditary neuropathy with liability pressure palsies (HNPP) is usually caused by compression and is an episodic, painless, recurrent hereditary neuropathy with focal motor and sensory involvement. It begins in adolescence and young adulthood. The most commonly affected nerves in HNPP are the ulnar, peroneal, radial, and median nerves. In this article, we present a 31-year-old female patient with a previously undescribed case of HNPP, which presented with wrist drop due to the trapping of the radial nerve in the spiral groove after the crow position in yoga.},
}

@article {pmid38948538,
year = {2024},
author = {Cavill, EL and Morales, HE and Sun, X and Westbury, MV and van Oosterhout, C and Accouche, W and Zora, A and Schulze, MJ and Shah, N and Adam, PA and Brooke, ML and Sweet, P and Gopalakrishnan, S and Gilbert, MTP},
title = {When birds of a feather flock together: Severe genomic erosion and the implications for genetic rescue in an endangered island passerine.},
journal = {Evolutionary applications},
volume = {17},
number = {7},
pages = {e13739},
pmid = {38948538},
issn = {1752-4571},
abstract = {The Seychelles magpie-robin's (SMR) five island populations exhibit some of the lowest recorded levels of genetic diversity among endangered birds, and high levels of inbreeding. These populations collapsed during the 20th century, and the species was listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List in 1994. An assisted translocation-for-recovery program initiated in the 1990s increased the number of mature individuals, resulting in its downlisting to Endangered in 2005. Here, we explore the temporal genomic erosion of the SMR based on a dataset of 201 re-sequenced whole genomes that span the past ~150 years. Our sample set includes individuals that predate the bottleneck by up to 100 years, as well as individuals from contemporary populations established during the species recovery program. Despite the SMR's recent demographic recovery, our data reveal a marked increase in both the genetic load and realized load in the extant populations when compared to the historical samples. Conservation management may have reduced the intensity of selection by increasing juvenile survival and relaxing intraspecific competition between individuals, resulting in the accumulation of loss-of-function mutations (i.e. severely deleterious variants) in the rapidly recovering population. In addition, we found a 3-fold decrease in genetic diversity between temporal samples. While the low genetic diversity in modern populations may limit the species' adaptability to future environmental changes, future conservation efforts (including IUCN assessments) may also need to assess the threats posed by their high genetic load. Our computer simulations highlight the value of translocations for genetic rescue and show how this could halt genomic erosion in threatened species such as the SMR.},
}

@article {pmid38945195,
year = {2024},
author = {Desai, JK and Trangadia, BJ and Patel, UD and Patel, HB and Kalaria, VA and Kathiriya, JB},
title = {Reply to Comment on "neurotoxicity of 4-nonylphenol in adult zebrafish: Evaluation of behaviour, oxidative stress parameters and histopathology of brain" by Jay K. Desai. et al. [Environmental Pollution 334 (2023): 122206].},
journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {124441},
doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124441},
pmid = {38945195},
issn = {1873-6424},
}

@article {pmid38943372,
year = {2024},
author = {Beran, F and Heckel, DG},
title = {Escalation by duplication: Milkweed bug trumps Monarch butterfly.},
journal = {Molecular ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e17443},
doi = {10.1111/mec.17443},
pmid = {38943372},
issn = {1365-294X},
abstract = {The iconic Monarch butterfly is probably the best-known example of chemical defence against predation, as pictures of vomiting naive blue jays in countless textbooks vividly illustrate. Larvae of the butterfly take up toxic cardiac glycosides from their milkweed hostplants and carry them over to the adult stage. These compounds (cardiotonic steroids, including cardenolides and bufadienolides) inhibit the animal transmembrane sodium-potassium ATPase (Na,K-ATPase), but the Monarch enzyme resists this inhibition thanks to amino acid substitutions in its catalytic alpha-subunit. Some birds also have substitutions and can feast on cardiac glycoside-sequestering insects with impunity. A flurry of recent work has shown how the alpha-subunit gene has been duplicated multiple times in separate insect lineages specializing in cardiac glycoside-producing plants. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Herbertz et al. toss the beta-subunit into the mix, by expressing all nine combinations of three alpha- and three beta-subunits of the milkweed bug Na,K-ATPase and testing their response to a cardenolide from the hostplant. The findings suggest that the diversification and subfunctionalization of genes allow milkweed bugs to balance trade-offs between resistance towards sequestered host plant toxins that protect the bugs from predators, and physiological costs in terms of Na,K-ATPase activity.},
}

@article {pmid38937886,
year = {2024},
author = {Dassanayake, TL and Ariyasinghe, DI and Baminiwatta, A and Hewawasam, C},
title = {Age-stratified norms for Raven's standard progressive matrices for Sri Lankan adults.},
journal = {The Clinical neuropsychologist},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-15},
doi = {10.1080/13854046.2024.2370908},
pmid = {38937886},
issn = {1744-4144},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to create age-stratified norms for the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) for Sri Lankan adults.

METHODS: A sample of 610 adults (age: 18-72 years; education: 1-19 years), underwent the 60-item version of the SPM under individual supervision of a test administrator. The sample was stratified into 5-year age bands, and the norms are presented as percentile tables and percentile curves.

RESULTS: The age-related changes were more accurately predicted by a curvilinear model (overall R[2] = 0.961) than a linear regression model (R[2] = 0.639). The SPM norms are presented as age-stratified percentile tables, as well as sex-, age- and education-adjusted multiple regression equations. The highest percentiles in the younger end of the age spectrum showed a ceiling effect. In the context of age-stratified US (1993) and British (1992) norms, older individuals in the Sri Lankan sample scored much lower than their Western counterparts. However, the difference narrowed in the younger age bands, showing no difference among the 18-to-22-year age bands in the three countries.

CONCLUSIONS: This age-by-country interaction can be partly explained by poorer education in the older individuals in the present sample compared to those in the US and UK standardization samples. SPM norms presented in this paper fill a hiatus in assessment of general intellectual ability in Sri Lankan adults. Given that Sri Lanka improves its educational, socioeconomic and health standards faster than the nations who have already reached higher standards, these norms would require re-standardization in the coming decades.},
}

@article {pmid38931431,
year = {2024},
author = {Kobylarz, D and Paprotny, Ł and Wianowska, D and Gnatowski, M and Jurowski, K},
title = {Silent Bird Poisoning in Poland: Reconfirmation of Bromadiolone and Warfarin as the Proximal Causes Using GC-MS/MS-Based Methodology for Forensic Investigations.},
journal = {Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {17},
number = {6},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ph17060764},
pmid = {38931431},
issn = {1424-8247},
abstract = {The extensive use of rodenticides poses a severe threat to non-target species, particularly birds of prey and scavengers. In this study, a GC-MS/MS-based method was used to unlock the cause of bird deaths in Poland. Organs (liver, heart, kidney, and lungs) collected during autopsies of two rooks (Corvus frugilegus) and one carrion crow (Corvus corone corone), as well as fecal samples, were analyzed for the presence of anticoagulant coumarin derivatives, i.e., warfarin and bromadiolone. As for warfarin, the highest concentration was found in crow samples overall, with concentrations in the feces and lungs at 5.812 ± 0.368 µg/g and 4.840 ± 0.256 µg/g, respectively. The heart showed the lowest concentration of this compound (0.128 ± 0.01 µg/g). In the case of bromadiolone, the highest concentration was recorded in the liver of a rook (16.659 ± 1.499 µg/g) and this concentration significantly exceeded the levels in the other samples. By revealing the reality of the threat, these discoveries emphasize the need to regulate and monitor the trade in rodenticides.},
}

@article {pmid38927338,
year = {2024},
author = {Beauchamp, G and Barve, S},
title = {Gazing Strategies among Sentinels of a Cooperative Breeder Are Repeatable but Unrelated to Survival.},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/biology13060458},
pmid = {38927338},
issn = {2079-7737},
abstract = {Vigilance is a common behavioural adaptation to increase the chances of detecting predators before it is too late to escape. Behavioural traits are often repeatable among individuals over the long term, suggesting differences in personality. Earlier studies have documented individual consistency in the time allocated to vigilance. However, little is known about individual consistency in the ways vigilance is achieved from one moment to another and whether different patterns of vigilance among individuals are associated with survival. We aimed to determine whether sentinels of a cooperative breeder showed individual consistency in their vigilance and if individual variation was related to annual survival. During sentinel bouts from vantage points, Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) turn their heads from side to side to monitor their surroundings. Over three field seasons, we found that the head-turning frequency was repeatable in breeders but not in juveniles or non-breeding helpers. The moderate repeatability in breeders was not related to survival. Our results suggest that the head-turning frequency in sentinels of the Florida scrub-jay is repeatable in breeders but not in less experienced juveniles or helpers and, therefore, likely becomes more repeatable as individuals age. The assumption that individual variation in vigilance is related to survival was unsupported in our study and requires further study.},
}

@article {pmid38923365,
year = {2024},
author = {Dardas, LA and Al-Ammouri, I and Sweis, S and Eid, A and Abid, M and Pan, W},
title = {Beyond the heart: Cognitive and verbal outcomes in Arab children with congenital heart diseases.},
journal = {Birth defects research},
volume = {116},
number = {6},
pages = {e2374},
doi = {10.1002/bdr2.2374},
pmid = {38923365},
issn = {2472-1727},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; *Heart Defects, Congenital/psychology ; *Quality of Life/psychology ; *Arabs/psychology ; *Cognition/physiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Jordan ; Wechsler Scales ; Intelligence Tests ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: This study investigates how congenital heart diseases (CHD) characteristics and interventions affect cognitive and verbal skills in Arab children, while also uncovering previously unexplored connections between these skills and the quality of life (QoL) scores as perceived by both children and parents.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan, involving 62 children with CHD aged 6-16. Data were collected through standardized intelligence tests (namely The Raven's Progressive Matrices Test and The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and QoL assessments.

RESULTS: Sex, disease severity, cyanosis, CHD defect status, conducted operations, and types of interventions did not significantly influence cognitive scores. However, a significant difference was observed in Wechsler's scores between cyanotic and non-cyanotic children (p < .01) and between severe and moderate cases (p = .01). Further, a significant positive correlation was identified between Wechsler's Scores and QoL reported by parents (r = 0.33, p < .01). This correlation was particularly pronounced in the social and school functioning dimensions of QoL.

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need for personalized care approaches for children with CHDs based on their individual characteristics. While cognitive abilities did not directly correlate with children's QoL reports, a significant positive correlation between verbal skills and QoL reported by parents underscores the importance of effective communication in assessing a child's overall well-being. Future research should further examine the cognitive development in this population, employing neurocognitive investigations and longitudinal studies to gain a deeper understanding of their cognitive profiles and trajectories.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
Child
*Heart Defects, Congenital/psychology
*Quality of Life/psychology
*Arabs/psychology
*Cognition/physiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Adolescent
Jordan
Wechsler Scales
Intelligence Tests

@article {pmid38921693,
year = {2024},
author = {Ma, Y and Yin, J and Xuan, H and Ren, X and He, J and Wang, T},
title = {Personality Traits and Family SES Moderate the Relationship between Media Multitasking and Reasoning Performance.},
journal = {Journal of Intelligence},
volume = {12},
number = {6},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/jintelligence12060058},
pmid = {38921693},
issn = {2079-3200},
support = {32000761//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 20YJC880095//Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China/ ; 2020FDD04//China Association of Higher Education/ ; },
abstract = {The prevalence of media multitasking has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on cognitive abilities. Despite increasing attention given to this topic, there remains no consensus on how media multitasking is related to cognitive performance. This study aims to shed light on this issue by examining whether and how personality traits and family socioeconomic status (SES) moderate the relationship between media multitasking and reasoning performance. To this end, a large sample of university students (n = 777) completed a battery of measures, including the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, the Media Multitasking Inventory, the Big Five Inventory, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Grit Scale, and the Family SES Questionnaire. Results revealed a negative correlation between media multitasking and reasoning performance. However, this relationship was substantially moderated by conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, and family SES. Specifically, media multitasking was more detrimental to reasoning performance among individuals with lower levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, and family SES, whereas it was less detrimental to counterparts with higher levels of these personality traits and family SES. The proposed moderation model, for the first time, not only offers novel insights into the theoretical accounts regarding how media multitasking relates to cognitive abilities, but also identifies the protective factors that may buffer the negative impacts of media multitasking.},
}

@article {pmid38915110,
year = {2024},
author = {Shields, W and Kenney, A and Shiang, E and Malizia, R and Billie, H},
title = {Unintentional injury prevention in American Indian and Alaska Native communities: a scoping review of the Indian Health Service Primary Care Provider newsletter.},
journal = {Injury epidemiology},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {27},
pmid = {38915110},
issn = {2197-1714},
support = {5R49CE003090/CE/NCIPC CDC HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Unintentional injuries disproportionately impact American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Developing effective and culturally tailored data collection and intervention programs requires an understanding of past prevention efforts in AI/AN communities, but limited peer-reviewed literature on the topic is available. This scoping review aims to summarize efforts that have been published in the Primary Care Provider newsletter, a source of gray literature available through the Indian Health Service.

METHODS: The research team obtained all injury related articles in the Provider newsletter and excluded those that did not describe an unintentional injury prevention effort. Included articles were organized chronologically and by topic, and outcomes were described in a data abstraction form.

RESULTS: A total of 247 articles from the Provider newsletter were screened, and 68 were included in this review. The most number of articles were published in 2007 (n = 15). Many focused not specifically on one tribal community but on the AI/AN community as a whole (n = 27), while others reported that certain tribes were the focus of study but did not identify tribes by name (n = 24). The following is a list of 14 tribal communities explicitly mentioned: Omaha, Cherokee, Ute, Yakama, Chippewa, Apache, Ho-Chunk, The Crow Tribe, Tohono O'odham Nation, Fort Mojave Tribe, Chemehuevi Tribe, The Rosebud Tribe, Navajo, and The Pueblo of Jemez. Published unintentional injury prevention efforts have covered the following 7 topics in AI/AN communities: falls, motor vehicle crashes, poisonings, improving data, burns, children, and other.

CONCLUSION: This scoping review makes available and searchable information on injury prevention work conducted in and for AI/AN communities that is not currently found in the peer-reviewed literature.},
}

@article {pmid38913945,
year = {2024},
author = {Green, JP},
title = {A Tribute to the Life and Work of Steven Jay Lynn (1946-2024): In Memoriam.},
journal = {The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis},
volume = {72},
number = {3},
pages = {219-228},
doi = {10.1080/00207144.2024.2355831},
pmid = {38913945},
issn = {1744-5183},
mesh = {History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; *Hypnosis/history ; },
}

History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
*Hypnosis/history

@article {pmid38913736,
year = {2024},
author = {Ichien, N and Stamenković, D and Whatley, MC and Castel, AD and Holyoak, KJ},
title = {Advancing with age: Older adults excel in comprehension of novel metaphors.},
journal = {Psychology and aging},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1037/pag0000836},
pmid = {38913736},
issn = {1939-1498},
support = {//National Science Foundation/ ; //Canon Corporation/ ; },
abstract = {Older adults may experience certain forms of cognitive decline, but some forms of semantic memory remain intact in older age. To address how metaphor comprehension changes with age and whether metaphor comprehension relies more heavily on analogical reasoning (supported by fluid intelligence) or on conceptual combination (supported by crystalized intelligence), we compared performance of younger and older adults. In two experiments, healthy older adults (54-88 years) scored lower on a measure of fluid intelligence (Ravens Progressive Matrices) but higher on a measure of crystalized intelligence (Mill Hill Vocabulary Test) relative to younger adults (18-34 years). Groups were equally successful in comprehending relatively easy metaphors (Study 1), but older adults showed a striking advantage over younger adults for novel literary metaphors (Study 2). Mixed-effects modeling showed that measures of fluid and crystalized intelligence each made separable contributions to metaphor comprehension for both groups, but older adults relied more on crystalized intelligence than did younger adults. These age-related dissociations clarify cognitive effects of aging and highlight the importance of crystalized intelligence for metaphor comprehension in both younger and older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).},
}

@article {pmid38906144,
year = {2024},
author = {Harten, L and Chen, X and de Marcas, L and Rachum, A and Handel, M and Goldshtein, A and Levi, MF and Rosencwaig, S and Yovel, Y},
title = {Time-mapping and future-oriented behavior in free-ranging wild fruit bats.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.046},
pmid = {38906144},
issn = {1879-0445},
abstract = {Episodic memory and mental time travel have been viewed as uniquely human traits.[1][,][2][,][3] This view began to shift with the development of behavioral criteria to assess what is referred to as "episodic-like memory" in animals.[4][,][5] Key findings have ranged from evidence of what-where-when memory in scrub-jays, rats, and bees; through decision-making that impacts future foraging in frugivorous primates; to evidence of planning based on future needs in scrub-jays and tool use planning in great apes.[4][,][6][,][7][,][8][,][9][,][10][,][11][,][12][,][13] Field studies of these issues have been rare, though there is field-based evidence for future-oriented behaviors in primates.[8][,][10][,][14][,][15] We report evidence that free-ranging wild fruit bats rely on mental temporal maps and exhibit future-oriented behaviors when foraging. We tracked young bats as they navigated and foraged, documenting every tree they visited over many months. We prevented the bats from foraging outside for different time periods and monitored their foraging decisions, revealing that the bats map the spatiotemporal patterns of resources in their environment. Following a long period in captivity, the bats did not visit those trees that were no longer providing fruit. We show that this time-mapping ability requires experience and is lacking in inexperienced bats. Careful analysis of the bats' movement and foraging choices indicated that they plan which tree to visit while still in the colony, thus exhibiting future-oriented behavior and delayed gratification on a nightly basis. Our findings demonstrate how the need for spatiotemporal mental mapping can drive the evolution of high cognitive abilities that were previously considered exclusive to humans.},
}

@article {pmid38897044,
year = {2024},
author = {Kampouri, M and Margetaki, K and Koutra, K and Kyriklaki, A and Daraki, V and Roumeliotaki, T and Bempi, V and Vafeiadi, M and Kogevinas, M and Chatzi, L and Kippler, M},
title = {Urinary iodine concentrations in preschoolers and cognitive development at 4 and 6 years of age, the Rhea mother-child cohort on Crete, Greece.},
journal = {Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)},
volume = {85},
number = {},
pages = {127486},
doi = {10.1016/j.jtemb.2024.127486},
pmid = {38897044},
issn = {1878-3252},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding child iodine intake and neurodevelopment is scarce.

METHODS: We aimed to assess the impact of child iodine intake at 4 years of age on cognitive and motor development at 4 and 6 years among 304 children from the Rhea cohort on Crete, Greece. Child iodine intake was assessed via urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and adjusted for specific gravity. Child cognitive and motor development was assessed using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) at 4 years of age and Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), Finger Tapping Test (FTT), and Trail Making Test (TMT) at 6 years. Associations were explored using multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses with UIC categorized according to WHO criteria [insufficient intake <100 µg/L, adequate 100-299 µg/L (reference group), excessive ≥300 µg/L].

RESULTS: The children's median UIC was 249 µg/L (25-75th percentile: 181-344 μg/L). Children with UIC <100 μg/L had lower scores in the motor scale at 4 years (MSCA-motor scale: B=-10.3; 95 %CI -19.9, -0.6; n=10) and in intelligence at 6 years (RCPM-total score: B=-3.6, 95 %CI -6.8, -0.5; n=9) than children in the reference group. No associations were found with the general cognitive scale at 4 years or with TMT and FTT scales at 6 years. Children with UIC ≥300 μg/L had lower cognitive scores both at 4 (MSCA; B= -3.5; 95 %CI -6.9, -0.1; n =101) and 6 years of age (RCPM-total score; B= -1.2; 95 %CI -2.3, -0.0; n =98) than children in the reference group. No associations were observed with the motor scale at 4 years or with TMT and FTT scales at 6 years.

CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that both low and excessive iodine intake at preschool age may adversely affect child cognitive abilities. Additionally, low iodine intake may also impact motor abilities.},
}

@article {pmid38889775,
year = {2024},
author = {Hashizume, A and Koda, R and Nakashima, Y},
title = {Infection risk associated with carnivore carcasses may govern trophic interactions between maggots and insectivorous passerine birds.},
journal = {Biology letters},
volume = {20},
number = {6},
pages = {20240069},
doi = {10.1098/rsbl.2024.0069},
pmid = {38889775},
issn = {1744-957X},
support = {//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Food Chain ; *Predatory Behavior ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; Raccoons/physiology ; Larva/physiology ; Japan ; Feeding Behavior ; },
abstract = {Infection risk by pathogenic agents motivates hosts to avoid using resources with high risks. This, in turn, results in increased availability of these resources for other species that are more tolerant of infections. For instance, carcasses of mammalian carnivores are frequently avoided by conspecific or closely related carnivores, allowing them to be almost exclusively used by maggots. This may lead to novel interactions with other species. This study investigated the consumption of maggots from carnivore carcasses by non-corvid passerines. We successfully monitored 66 raccoon carcasses in Hokkaido, Japan, from 2016 to 2019. Vertebrates only scavenged 14 carcasses before maggot dispersal; the other 52 carcasses produced abundant maggots that regularly fed at least 12 species of non-corvid passerines. Surprisingly, predation occurred at a distance from the carcasses, mainly after maggot dispersal for pupation, despite the higher efficiency of feeding on maggot masses on the carcasses. Birds are likely to reduce the potential risk of infection from the carcass and/or from maggots on the carcasses. Overall, only 1% of maggots were consumed. Our results suggest that necrophagous flies could benefit from the infection risk associated with carnivore carcasses, which may decrease scavenging by other carnivores and constrain maggot consumption by insectivorous birds.},
}

Animals
*Food Chain
*Predatory Behavior
*Passeriformes/physiology
Raccoons/physiology
Larva/physiology
Japan
Feeding Behavior

@article {pmid38878496,
year = {2024},
author = {Relimpio, D and Serna Moreno, MDC and Horta Muñoz, S and Viaplana, E and Mancera, JC and Urniza, A and de la Fuente, J and Gortázar, C},
title = {Improved stability and specificity of baits for oral administration of substances to wild boar.},
journal = {Preventive veterinary medicine},
volume = {229},
number = {},
pages = {106241},
doi = {10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106241},
pmid = {38878496},
issn = {1873-1716},
abstract = {Oral vaccination is one of the most effective interventions for disease control in wildlife. As a result of the recent global reemergence of African swine fever and ongoing classical swine fever and animal tuberculosis, oral vaccination of Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) receives increased interest. Several baits for wild boar and feral pigs have been described, but developing more stable and personalized formulations is important. This paper proposes a new bait formulation primarily composed of corn flour, piglet feed, sugar, and honey as a binder to obtain improved elasticity. The bait consists of a matrix with no protective coats, has a hemispherical shape (ø 3.4 ×1.6 cm), and displays an anise aroma and blue color. The color and aroma did not affect bait choice by wild boar, while bait coloring contributed to avoid consumption by non-target species (corvids). Baits with the new formulation were significantly more resistant to humidity and high temperatures than previous versions. Simulations suggest that baits with the new formulation are elastic enough to resist impacts from a maximum altitude of 750 m. Thus, the new bait prototype solves several problems of previous bait formulations while keeping a format that can be selectively consumed by piglets and adult wild boar.},
}

@article {pmid38874516,
year = {2024},
author = {Chen, J and Moubadder, L and Clausing, ES and Kezios, KL and Conneely, KN and Hüls, A and Baccarelli, A and Factor-Litvak, P and Cirrillo, P and Shelton, RC and Link, BG and Suglia, SF},
title = {Associations of childhood, adolescence, and midlife cognitive function with DNA methylation age acceleration in midlife.},
journal = {Aging},
volume = {16},
number = {11},
pages = {9350-9368},
doi = {10.18632/aging.205943},
pmid = {38874516},
issn = {1945-4589},
mesh = {Humans ; *DNA Methylation ; Female ; Male ; Adolescent ; Middle Aged ; *Cognition/physiology ; Child ; Aging/genetics ; Adult ; Intelligence/genetics ; Cognitive Aging ; },
abstract = {Prior studies showed increased age acceleration (AgeAccel) is associated with worse cognitive function among old adults. We examine the associations of childhood, adolescence and midlife cognition with AgeAccel based on DNA methylation (DNAm) in midlife. Data are from 359 participants who had cognition measured in childhood and adolescence in the Child Health and Development study, and had cognition, blood based DNAm measured during midlife in the Disparities study. Childhood cognition was measured by Raven's Progressive Matrices and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Adolescent cognition was measured only by PPVT. Midlife cognition included Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR), Verbal Fluency (VF), Digit Symbol (DS). AgeAccel measures including Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge and DunedinPACE were calculated from DNAm. Linear regressions adjusted for potential confounders were utilized to examine the association between each cognitive measure in relation to each AgeAccel. There are no significant associations between childhood cognition and midlife AgeAccel. A 1-unit increase in adolescent PPVT, which measures crystalized intelligence, is associated with 0.048-year decrease of aging measured by GrimAge and this association is attenuated after adjustment for adult socioeconomic status. Midlife crystalized intelligence measure WTAR is negatively associated with PhenoAge and DunedinPACE, and midlife fluid intelligence measure (DS) is negatively associated with GrimAge, PhenoAge and DunedinPACE. AgeAccel is not associated with VF in midlife. In conclusion, our study showed the potential role of cognitive functions at younger ages in the process of biological aging. We also showed a potential relationship of both crystalized and fluid intelligence with aging acceleration.},
}

Humans
*DNA Methylation
Female
Male
Adolescent
Middle Aged
*Cognition/physiology
Child
Aging/genetics
Adult
Intelligence/genetics
Cognitive Aging

@article {pmid38865769,
year = {2024},
author = {Graziosi, G and Lupini, C and Favera, FD and Martini, G and Dosa, G and Trevisani, G and Garavini, G and Mannelli, A and Catelli, E},
title = {Characterizing the domestic-wild bird interface through camera traps in an area at risk for avian influenza introduction in Northern Italy.},
journal = {Poultry science},
volume = {103},
number = {8},
pages = {103892},
doi = {10.1016/j.psj.2024.103892},
pmid = {38865769},
issn = {1525-3171},
abstract = {Direct or indirect interactions between sympatric wildlife and poultry can lead to interspecies disease transmission. Particularly, avian influenza (AI) is a viral epidemic disease for which the poultry-wild bird interface shapes the risks of new viral introductions into poultry holdings. Given this background, the study hereby presented aimed to identify wild bird species in poultry house surroundings and characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of these visits. Eight camera traps were deployed for a year (January to December 2021) in 3 commercial chicken layer farms, including free-range and barn-type setups, located in a densely populated poultry area in Northern Italy at high risk for AI introduction via wild birds. Camera traps' positions were chosen based on wildlife signs identified during preliminary visits to the establishments studied. Various methods, including time series analysis, correspondence analysis, and generalized linear models, were employed to analyze the daily wild bird visits. A total of 1,958 camera trap days yielded 5,978 videos of wild birds from 27 different species and 16 taxonomic families. The animals were predominantly engaged in foraging activities nearby poultry houses. Eurasian magpies (Pica pica), ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), and Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) were the most frequent visitors. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), an AI reservoir species, were observed only in a farm located next to a fishing sport lake. Time series analysis indicated that wild bird visits increased during spring and winter. Farm and camera trap location also influenced visit frequencies. Overall, the results highlighted specific species that could be prioritized for future AI epidemiological surveys. However, further research is required to assess their susceptibility and infectivity to currently circulating AI viruses, essential for identifying novel bridge hosts.},
}

@article {pmid38859176,
year = {2024},
author = {Aslan, B and Franchi, R and Biasi, S and Ali, S and Pavesi, L},
title = {On the spectral response of a taiji-CROW device.},
journal = {Optics express},
volume = {32},
number = {9},
pages = {15177-15198},
doi = {10.1364/OE.514629},
pmid = {38859176},
issn = {1094-4087},
abstract = {Physical systems with topological properties are robust against disorder. However, implementing them in integrated photonic devices is challenging because of the various fabrication imperfections and/or limitations that affect the spectral response of their building blocks. One such feature is strong backscattering due to the surface wall roughness of the waveguides, which can flip the propagating modes to counterpropagating modes and destroy the desired topological behavior. Here, we report a study on modeling, designing and testing an integrated photonic structure based on a sequence of two taiji microresonators coupled with a middle link microresonator (a taiji-CROW device, where CROW stands for coupled resonator optical waveguides). Our study provides design constraints to preserve the ideal operation of the structure by quantifying a minimum ratio between the coupling coefficients and the backscattering coefficients. This ratio is valuable to avoid surface roughness problems in designing topological integrated photonic devices based on arrays of microresonators.},
}

@article {pmid38857943,
year = {2024},
author = {Sharma, D and Chauhan, AS and Guinness, L and Mehndiratta, A and Dhiman, A and Singh, M and Prinja, S},
title = {Understanding the extent of economic evidence usage for informing policy decisions in the context of India's national health insurance scheme: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY).},
journal = {BMJ global health},
volume = {9},
number = {6},
pages = {},
pmid = {38857943},
issn = {2059-7908},
support = {INV-003239/GATES/Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; India ; *Health Policy ; *National Health Programs/economics ; Policy Making ; Decision Making ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is one of the world's largest tax-funded insurance schemes. The present study was conducted to understand the decision-making process around the evolution (and revision) of health benefit packages (HBPs) and reimbursement rates within PM-JAY, with a specific focus on assessing the extent of use of economic evidence and role of various stakeholders in shaping these policy decisions.

METHODS: A mixed-methods study was adopted involving in-depth interviews with seven key stakeholders involved in HBP design and reimbursement rates decisions, and a survey of 80 government staff and other relevant stakeholders engaged in the implementation of PM-JAY. The data gathered were thematically analysed, and a coding framework was developed to explore specific themes. Additionally, publicly available documents were reviewed to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making processes.

RESULTS: Findings reveal a progressive transition towards evidence-based practices for policy decisions within PM-JAY. The initial version of HBP relied heavily on key criteria like disease burden, utilisation rates, and out-of-pocket expenditures, along with clinical opinion in shaping decisions around the inclusion of services in the HBP and setting reimbursement rates. Revised HBPs were informed based on evidence from a national-level costing study and broader stakeholder consultations. The use of health economic evidence increased with each additional revision with consideration of health technology assessment (HTA) evidence for some packages and reimbursement rates based on empirical cost evidence in the most recent update. The establishment of the Health Financing and Technology Assessment unit further signifies the use of evidence-based policymaking within PM-JAY. However, challenges persist, notably with regard to staff capacity and understanding of HTA principles, necessitating ongoing education and training initiatives.

CONCLUSION: While substantial progress has been made in transitioning towards evidence-based practices within PM-JAY, sustained efforts and political commitment are required for the ongoing systematisation of processes.},
}

Humans
India
*Health Policy
*National Health Programs/economics
Policy Making
Decision Making

@article {pmid38854476,
year = {2024},
author = {Lee, JS and Yoon, YC and Kim, JM and Kim, YH and Kang, YH and Shin, YC},
title = {Liquid collagen from freshwater fish skin ameliorates hydration, roughness and elasticity in photo-aged skin: a randomized, controlled, clinical study.},
journal = {Nutrition research and practice},
volume = {18},
number = {3},
pages = {357-371},
pmid = {38854476},
issn = {1976-1457},
abstract = {BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Collagen is commonly used in diverse forms as a functional component in skincare products. On the other hand, the effects of collagen on human skin are controversial. Dietary collagen hydrolysates from freshwater Pangasius hypophthalmus fish skin ameliorated photo-aged skin of hairless mice. This study conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine if liquid fish collagen (Collagen-Tripep20™, Tripep20) as a drink strengthens skin health and quality.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this clinical trial, 85 subjects aged 35-60 yrs were diagnosed with photo-aged skin. Eighty-five subjects were randomized to receive either Tripep20 (n = 44) or placebo (n = 41). Seventy-eight subjects fully participating for a 12-week period consumed 1,000 mg of Tripep20 (n = 41) or placebo (n = 37) in a 50-mL bottle as a daily drink. The intend-to-treat and per-protocol populations were 85 and 78, respectively. Skin hydration, wrinkles, and elasticity were assessed at 0 (baseline), 6, and 12 weeks during the study period.

RESULTS: Skin hydration in the Tripep20 group was significantly higher from 6 weeks (P < 0.001) than the baseline. After 12 weeks, the Crow's-feet visual score and skin roughness (Ra, Rq, and Rmax) were significantly improved in the Tripep20 group than in the placebo group (P < 0.05). Consuming liquid collagen Tripep20 greatly enhanced skin elasticity (Gross R2, Net R5, and Biological elasticity R7) in 6 weeks compared to the placebo group. The Tripep20 group showed a significant increase in skin elasticity from the baseline after 6 and 12 weeks (P < 0.001). Neither abnormal symptoms nor adverse events were encountered during the study period in subjects ingesting Tripep20 or placebo. The changes in parameters related to hematology and clinical chemistry were within the normal ranges.

CONCLUSION: Oral consumption of liquid collagen Tripep20 was safe and well-tolerated. The results of this study show that freshwater fish-derived liquid collagen Tripep20 can be used as a healthy functional food ingredient to improve skin moisturizing, anti-wrinkling, and elasticity in an aging population.},
}

@article {pmid38845349,
year = {2024},
author = {Cho, E and Pinzur, MS and Schiff, AP and Hamid, K},
title = {Outcomes Following Surgical Correction of Talocalcalcaneal Joint Dislocation in Diabetes Associated Charcot Foot Arthropathy.},
journal = {Foot & ankle international},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {10711007241255373},
doi = {10.1177/10711007241255373},
pmid = {38845349},
issn = {1944-7876},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Growing clinical interest in the treatment of acquired foot deformity due to diabetes-associated Charcot foot arthropathy has led to multiple reports of favorable clinical outcomes in patients when their acquired deformity is at the midfoot level. Clinical failures and less than optimal clinical outcomes are achieved when the deformity is at the hindfoot or ankle levels.

METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent surgical correction of diabetes-associated Charcot foot arthropathy with talocalcaneal dislocation over an 18-year period. Reduction of the talocalcaneal dislocation, and maintenance of the correction with percutaneous pins and circular external fixation after subtalar joint preparation for fusion, was used as the method of surgically achieving a clinically plantigrade foot. Clinical outcomes were based on resolution of infection, limb salvage, and the ability to ambulate with commercially available therapeutic footwear.

RESULTS: Forty-three feet in 39 patients were included. A favorable clinical outcome was achieved in 32 of 43 feet (74%) with 26 (60%) considered to have an "excellent" result with minimal shoeing issues and 6 (14%) considered to have a "good" outcome based on their need for a custom shoe modification and/or some form of short ankle-foot orthosis. Eleven feet (26%) were judged to have a "poor" clinical outcome and among those 11 feet, 6 underwent partial, or whole-foot amputation, 2 had persistent wounds, and 5 required the use of a standard ankle foot orthosis or Charcot Restraint Orthotic Walker (CROW).

CONCLUSION: Subtalar dislocation in Charcot arthropathy is a complex clinical problem. In our series, reduction and maintenance of the reduction after subtalar dislocation was essential for a favorable clinical outcome.},
}

@article {pmid38841999,
year = {2024},
author = {Babu, KR and Prasad, JL and Bhaskar, NL and Kumar, PN},
title = {Study on Universal Health Coverage Scheme in India - The Stumper to Private Hospitals.},
journal = {Hospital topics},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-7},
doi = {10.1080/00185868.2024.2359553},
pmid = {38841999},
issn = {1939-9278},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Many governments have introduced health insurance schemes for the poor sections of society to save them from catastrophic health expenditure. Private hospitals play a key role in India, as they are in significant number in secondary and tertiary care services. Private hospitals have to fund their infrastructure, staff salaries from the revenue of previous year. In this study, we compared money received by a private medical college hospital bed through government insurance scheme patient and private paying patient.

METHODS: Observational study, comparing money reimbursed for top ten procedures treated in private medical college hospitals by Ayushman Bharat (AB) fund and the price offered by a paying patient in similar bed.

RESULTS: On average 600 patients received medical care through the AB scheme per month at our tertiary care super-specialty hospital. Highest numbers were seen in specialties like cardiovascular, and cancer treatments and infectious diseases under general medicine specialty. The costs considered were surgeon's cost, medicines, devices, and hospitalization costs. The laparoscopic procedures were incurring a loss of 130%, knee replacements about 50%, coronary bypass grafting thankfully due to controlling of prices by central government is incurring a loss of 10%. The package amount offered accounts to 26-52% only of the costs incurred by the private hospitals.

CONCLUSION: The private academic hospitals need 25% to 50% more than current prices offered, across various procedures.},
}

@article {pmid38841134,
year = {2024},
author = {Anastasiu, P and Miu, IV and Gavrilidis, AA and Preda, C and Rozylowicz, L and Sirbu, C and Oprea, A and Urziceanu, M and Camen-Comanescu, P and Nagoda, E and Memedemin, D and Barbos, M and Boruz, V and Cislariu, A and Don, I and Fagaras, M and Frink, JP and Georgescu, IM and Haruta, OI and Hurdu, BI and Matis, A and Milanovici, S and Muncaciu, S and Neacsu, AG and Neblea, M and Nicolin, AL and Niculescu, M and Oroian, S and Pop, OG and Radutoiu, DI and Samarghitan, M and Simion, I and Soare, LC and Steiu, C and Stoianov, E and Strat, D and Szabo, A and Szatmari, PM and Tanase, C and Mirea, MD and Manta, N and Sirbu, IM},
title = {Alien plant species distribution in Romania: a nationwide survey following the implementation of the EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species.},
journal = {Biodiversity data journal},
volume = {12},
number = {},
pages = {e119539},
pmid = {38841134},
issn = {1314-2828},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Biological invasions pose an increasing risk to nature, social security and the economy, being ranked amongst the top five threats to biodiversity. Managing alien and invasive species is a priority for the European Union, as outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Alien plant species are acknowledged to impact the economy and biodiversity; thus, analysing the distribution of such species provides valuable inputs for the management and decision-making processes. The database presented in the current study is the first consolidated checklist of alien plant species that are present in Romania, both of European Union concern and of national interest. This database complements a prior published distribution, based only on records from literature, bringing new information regarding the occurrence of alien plants in Romania, as revealed by a nationwide field survey. We consider this database a valuable instrument for managing biological invasions at both national and regional levels, as it can be utilised in further research studies and in drafting management and action plans, assisting stakeholders in making informed decisions and implementing management actions.

NEW INFORMATION: We present the results of the first nationwide survey of alien plant species in Romania, conducted between 2019 and 2022, in the framework of a national project coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests and the University of Bucharest. The present database complements and updates the database published by Sirbu et. al (2022), which included occurrence records published until 2019. The new database includes 98323 occurrence records for 396 alien plant species in 77 families, with most species belonging to the Asteraceae family. One alien plant species in our database, the black locust Robiniapseudoacacia L., had more than 10,000 occurrence records. The distribution database also includes information on newly-reported invasive alien plant species of European Union concern in Romania (i.e. the floating primrose-willow Ludwigiapeploides (Kunth) P.H.Raven) and documents the presence of plants in 44 additional families compared to Sirbu et al. (2022). Each entry includes information on species taxonomy, location, year, person who recorded and identified the alien plant, geographical coordinates and taxon rank.},
}

@article {pmid38837343,
year = {2024},
author = {Yang, X and Yang, R and Zhang, T and Junyi Tan, D and Pan, R and Chen, Z and Wu, D and Chen, C and Xu, Y and Zhang, L and Li, X and Shu, Q and Hu, L},
title = {Genotypic and Phenotypic Spectrum of maple syrup urine disease in Zhejiang of China.},
journal = {QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/qjmed/hcae104},
pmid = {38837343},
issn = {1460-2393},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder originating from defects in the branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex encoded by BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT. This condition presents a spectrum of symptoms and potentially fatal outcomes. Although numerous mutations in the BCKDH complex genes associated with MSUD have been identified, the relationship between specific genotypes remains to be fully elucidated.

AIM: Our objective was to predict the pathogenicity of these genetic mutations and establish potential links between genotypic alterations and the clinical phenotypes of MSUD.

DESIGN: Retrospective population-based cohort.

METHODS: We analyzed 20 MSUD patients from the Children's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China), recorded from January 2010 to May 2023. Patients' blood samples were collected by heel-stick through neonatal screening, and amino acid profiles were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. In silico methods were employed to assess the pathogenicity, stability, and biophysical properties. Various computation tools were utilized for assessment, namely PredictSNP, MAGPIE, iStable, Align GVGD, ConSurf and SNP effect.

RESULTS: We detected 25 distinct mutations, including 12 novel mutations. The BCKDHB gene was the most commonly affected (53.3%) compared to the BCKDHA gene (20.0%) and DBT gene (26.7%). In silico webservers predicted all novel mutations were disease-causing.

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the genetic complexity of MSUD and underscores the importance of early detection and intervention. Integrating neonatal screening with advanced sequencing methodologies is pivotal in ensuring precise diagnosis and effective management of MSUD, thereby significantly improving the prognosis for individuals afflicted with this condition.},
}

@article {pmid38835280,
year = {2024},
author = {Speechley, EM and Ashton, BJ and Thornton, A and King, SL and Simmons, LW and Woodiss-Field, SL and Ridley, AR},
title = {Aggressive interactions influence cognitive performance in Western Australian magpies.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {291},
number = {2024},
pages = {20240435},
doi = {10.1098/rspb.2024.0435},
pmid = {38835280},
issn = {1471-2954},
mesh = {Animals ; *Cognition ; *Social Behavior ; Western Australia ; *Aggression ; Male ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Female ; },
abstract = {Extensive research has investigated the relationship between the social environment and cognition, suggesting that social complexity may drive cognitive evolution and development. However, evidence for this relationship remains equivocal. Group size is often used as a measure of social complexity, but this may not capture intraspecific variation in social interactions. Social network analysis can provide insight into the cognitively demanding challenges associated with group living at the individual level. Here, we use social networks to investigate whether the cognitive performance of wild Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) is related to group size and individual social connectedness. We quantified social connectedness using four interaction types: proximity, affiliative, agonistic and vocal. Consistent with previous research on this species, individuals in larger groups performed better on an associative learning task. However, social network position was also related to cognitive performance. Individuals receiving aggressive interactions performed better, while those involved in aggressive interactions with more group members performed worse. Overall, this suggests that cognitive performance is related to specific types of social interaction. The findings from this study highlight the value of considering fine-grained metrics of sociality that capture the challenges associated with social life when testing the relationship between the social environment and cognition.},
}

Animals
*Cognition
*Social Behavior
Western Australia
*Aggression
Male
Passeriformes/physiology
Female

@article {pmid38830782,
year = {2024},
author = {Higginbotham, GD},
title = {The Dark Side of Safety: A Call for a More Thorough Consideration of Racism and Collective Power Motivations in the Social Psychology of Firearms.},
journal = {Psychological reports},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {332941241252773},
doi = {10.1177/00332941241252773},
pmid = {38830782},
issn = {1558-691X},
abstract = {This paper situates current social psychological research on the symbolic use of firearms (e.g., as a source of personal safety) in broader historical context to motivate a more thorough consideration of collective power motives. Historically, firearms have been used to dominate racial outgroup members (e.g., White Americans use of firearms and firearm laws to dispossess indigenous people of land or control free and enslaved Black people) or, at times, attempt to resist group-based oppression (e.g., Black Americans use of firearms to struggle against White Jim Crow terrorism). Given most gun owners report self-protection as their primary reason for firearm ownership and yet anti-Black attitudes are still a consistently important predictor of firearm ownership among dominant group members (e.g., White Americans), this paper examines how guns may function as a perceived source of personal safety and collective power. I center the persistent role of White supremacy and anti-Blackness in original U.S. firearm psychology and policy to illuminate the interrelatedness of personal safety and collective power perceptions, and how perceived threats to in-group power may motivate the use of guns and policies that selectively regulate gun access to mitigate associated safety concerns. Seeking to nudge social psychology to more thoroughly examine firearms' potential function as a symbolic source of collective power, I end by discussing how considering collective power can help us better understand how historically dominant and historically marginalized groups view firearms today while also illuminating some barriers to the pursuit of gun safety for all.},
}