@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.},
}

@article {pmid38829346,
year = {2024},
author = {Auersperg, A},
title = {Within the sound of trouble: Do humans use pitch to correctly assess emotional arousal across species?.},
journal = {Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)},
volume = {138},
number = {2},
pages = {77-79},
doi = {10.1037/com0000389},
pmid = {38829346},
issn = {1939-2087},
mesh = {Humans ; *Arousal/physiology ; *Emotions/physiology ; Animals ; Pitch Perception/physiology ; Species Specificity ; },
abstract = {Comments on an article by Jay W. Schwartz , Kayleigh H. Pierson, and Alexander K. Reece (see record 2024-19488-001). In this issue, Schwartz et al. (2024) tackle the pitch rule in humans by testing to what extent we use pitch alone to judge emotional arousal across closely and distantly related animal species. The findings of Schwartz et al. open a number of intriguing possibilities for future research: Notably important additional steps would include to further investigate the accuracy of the pitch rule across closely and distantly related species. Upon this, in order to study the evolutionary ancestry of the pitch rule, it will be necessary to study its applicability across nonhumans. Particularly interesting would be the inclusion of subject species that have been found to eavesdrop on heterospecific alarm calls. Previous research (see Hoeschele, 2017 for a review) as well as present findings on human ratings of macaque versus cricket calls also suggest that we should additionally focus on sound features that compliment emotional arousal rating beyond pitch such as spectral information. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).},
}

Humans
*Arousal/physiology
*Emotions/physiology
Animals
Pitch Perception/physiology
Species Specificity

@article {pmid38826666,
year = {2024},
author = {Tozzi, A and Peters, JF},
title = {Towards a single parameter for the assessment of EEG oscillations.},
journal = {Cognitive neurodynamics},
volume = {18},
number = {3},
pages = {1209-1214},
pmid = {38826666},
issn = {1871-4080},
abstract = {The single macroscopic flow on the boundary of a closed curve equals the sum of the countless microscopic flows in the enclosed area. According to the dictates of the Green's theorem, the counterclockwise movements on the border of a two-dimensional shape must equal all the counterclockwise movements taking place inside the shape. This mathematical approach might be useful to analyse neuroscientific data sets for its potential capability to describe the whole cortical activity in terms of electric flows occurring in peripheral brain areas. Given a map of raw EEG data to coloured ovals in which different colours stand for different amplitudes, the theorem suggests that the sum of the electric amplitudes measured inside every oval equals the amplitudes measured just on the oval's edge. This means that the collection of the vector fields detected from the scalp can be described by a novel, single parameter summarizing the counterclockwise electric flow detected in the outer electrodes. To evaluate the predictive power of this parameter, in a pilot study we investigated EEG traces from ten young females performing Raven's intelligence tests of various complexity, from easy tasks (n = 5) to increasingly complex tasks (n = 5). Despite the seemingly unpredictable behavior of EEG electric amplitudes, the novel parameter proved to be a valuable tool to to discriminate between the two groups and detect hidden, statistically significant differences. We conclude that the application of this promising parameter could be expanded to assess also data sets extracted from neurotechniques other than EEG.},
}

@article {pmid38820727,
year = {2024},
author = {Łopucki, R and Stępień-Pyśniak, D and Christensen, H and Kubiński, K and Lenarczyk, E and Martinez-de-Tejada, G and Kitowski, I and Masłyk, M},
title = {Interspecies transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria between wild birds and mammals in urban environment.},
journal = {Veterinary microbiology},
volume = {294},
number = {},
pages = {110130},
doi = {10.1016/j.vetmic.2024.110130},
pmid = {38820727},
issn = {1873-2542},
mesh = {Animals ; Poland/epidemiology ; *Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; *Escherichia coli/drug effects/genetics/isolation & purification ; *Animals, Wild/microbiology ; *Cities ; Feces/microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Birds/microbiology ; Mammals/microbiology ; Escherichia coli Infections/veterinary/transmission/microbiology/epidemiology ; Crows/microbiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Rodentia/microbiology ; },
abstract = {The transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among wild animal species may hold significant epidemiological implications. However, this issue is seldom explored due to the perceived complexity of these systems, which discourages experimental investigation. To address this knowledge gap, we chose a configuration of birds and mammals coexisting in an urban green area as a research model: the rook Corvus frugilegus and the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius. The indirect transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria between these species is possible because rodents inhabiting rook colonies frequently come into contact with the birds' faeces and pellets. The study was conducted in two cities in eastern Poland (Central Europe) - Lublin and Chełm. Among 71 Escherichia (E.) coli isolates studied, 19.7% showed resistance to from one to six of the antibiotics tested, with much higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the birds (32%) than in the rodents (7%). Whole genome sequencing was performed on 10 selected E. coli isolates representing similar resistance phenotypes. The following antimicrobial resistance genes were detected: blaTEM-1b, tet(A), tet(B), aph(6)-Id, aph(3'')-Ib, aadA1, aadA2, catA1, floR, cmlA, sul2, sul3, dfrA14, and dfrA2. Birds from the same city and also from both neighbouring cities shared E. coli bacteria with the same sequence types, whereas isolates detected in birds were not found to have been transferred to the mammalian population, despite close contact. This demonstrates that even intensive exposure to sources of these pathogens does not necessarily lead to effective transmission of antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains between birds and mammals. Further efforts should be dedicated to investigating actual transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in various ecological systems, including those that are crucial for public health, such as urban environments. This will facilitate the development of more accurate models for epidemiological threats and the formulation of well-balanced decisions regarding the coexistence of humans and urban wildlife.},
}

Animals
Poland/epidemiology
*Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology
*Escherichia coli/drug effects/genetics/isolation & purification
*Animals, Wild/microbiology
*Cities
Feces/microbiology
Drug Resistance, Bacterial
Birds/microbiology
Mammals/microbiology
Escherichia coli Infections/veterinary/transmission/microbiology/epidemiology
Crows/microbiology
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Rodentia/microbiology

@article {pmid38818494,
year = {2024},
author = {Tamba, M and Bonilauri, P and Galletti, G and Casadei, G and Santi, A and Rossi, A and Calzolari, M},
title = {West Nile virus surveillance using sentinel birds: results of eleven years of testing in corvids in a region of northern Italy.},
journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {1407271},
pmid = {38818494},
issn = {2297-1769},
abstract = {The natural transmission cycle of West Nile virus (WNV) involves birds as primary hosts and mosquitoes as vectors, but this virus can spread to mammals, human beings included. Asymptomatic infected donors pose a risk to the safety of blood transfusions and organ transplants, as WNV can be transmitted through these medical procedures. Since 2009, the region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy has been implementing an integrated surveillance system in order to detect WNV circulation in the environment at an early stage. Here we report the results of the two components of the surveillance system, the active testing of corvids and humans, and demonstrate that bird surveillance alone improves a surveillance system based solely on human case detection. As WNV risk reduction measures are applied on a provincial basis, we assessed the ability of this surveillance system component to detect virus circulation prior to the notification of the first human case for each province. Overall, 99 epidemic seasons were evaluated as a result of 11 years (2013-2023) of surveillance in the nine provinces of the region. In this period, 22,314 corvids were tested for WNV and 642 (2.9%) were found to be infected. WNV was generally first detected in birds in July, with sample prevalence peaks occurring between August and September. During the same period, 469 autochthonous human cases were notified, about 60% of which were reported in August. WNV was detected 79 times out of the 99 seasons considered. The virus was notified in birds 73 times (92.4%) and 60 times (75.9%) in humans. WNV was first or only notified in birds in 57 seasons (72.1%), while it was first or only notified in humans in 22 seasons (27.8%). Active surveillance in corvids generally allows the detection of WNV before the onset of human cases. Failure of virus detection occurred mainly in seasons where the number of birds tested was low. Our results show that active testing of a minimum of 3.8 corvids per 100 km[2] provides a satisfactory timeliness in the virus detection, but for early detection of WNV it is crucial to test birds between mid-June and mid-August.},
}

@article {pmid38813372,
year = {2024},
author = {Banta Lavenex, P and Blandin, ML and Gaborieau, C and Lavenex, P},
title = {Well-designed manufacturing work improves some cognitive abilities in individuals with cognitive impairments.},
journal = {Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences},
volume = {5},
number = {},
pages = {1377133},
pmid = {38813372},
issn = {2673-6861},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Employment is recognized as a fundamental human right, which correlates with better physical and mental health. Importantly, well-designed work, which considers the physical, social, and psychological impacts of work, can serve to enhance the cognitive abilities of workers. Although often overlooked, work for individuals with disabilities, including cognitive impairments, is equally important for their physical and mental well-being. What has not been established, however, is whether well-designed work can also enhance the cognitive abilities of individuals with cognitive impairments.

METHODS: Using a longitudinal study design, we investigated the impact of well-designed work on the cognitive abilities of 60 participants (operators) at the AMIPI Foundation factories, which employ individuals with cognitive impairments to produce electrical cables and harnesses for the automobile industry. The same operators were assessed at three different time points: upon hiring (n = 60), and after working in the factory for 1 year (n = 41, since 19 left the factory) and 2 years (n = 28, since 13 more left the factory). We used five cognitive tests evaluating: (1) finger and manual dexterity, bimanual dexterity, and procedural memory using the Purdue Pegboard; (2) sustained and selective attention using the Symbol Cancellation Task; (3) short- and long-term declarative verbal memory and long-term verbal recognition memory using Rey's Audio-Verbal Learning Test; (4) short- and long-term visual recognition memory using the Continuous Visual Memory Test; and (5) abstract reasoning using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices.

RESULTS: We observed improvements in procedural memory, sustained and selective attention, and short- and long-term visual recognition memory after working in the factory for 1 or 2 years. We did not observe improvements in finger or manual dexterity or bimanual dexterity, nor short- or long-term declarative verbal memory or verbal recognition memory, nor abstract reasoning.

DISCUSSION: We conclude that, in addition to improving physical and mental well-being, well-designed manufacturing work can serve as a training intervention improving some types of cognitive functioning in individuals with cognitive impairments.},
}

@article {pmid38808028,
year = {2024},
author = {Parishar, P and Rajagopalan, M and Iyengar, S},
title = {Changes in the dopaminergic circuitry and adult neurogenesis linked to reinforcement learning in corvids.},
journal = {Frontiers in neuroscience},
volume = {18},
number = {},
pages = {1359874},
pmid = {38808028},
issn = {1662-4548},
abstract = {The caudolateral nidopallium (NCL, an analog of the prefrontal cortex) is known to be involved in learning, memory, and discrimination in corvids (a songbird), whereas the involvement of other brain regions in these phenomena is not well explored. We used house crows (Corvus splendens) to explore the neural correlates of learning and decision-making by initially training them on a shape discrimination task followed by immunohistochemistry to study the immediate early gene expression (Arc), a dopaminoceptive neuronal marker (DARPP-32, Dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, Mr 32 kDa) to understand the involvement of the reward pathway and an immature neuronal marker (DCX, doublecortin) to detect learning-induced changes in adult neurogenesis. We performed neuronal counts and neuronal tracing, followed by morphometric analyses. Our present results have demonstrated that besides NCL, other parts of the caudal nidopallium (NC), avian basal ganglia, and intriguingly, vocal control regions in house crows are involved in visual discrimination. We have also found that training on the visual discrimination task can be correlated with neurite pruning in mature dopaminoceptive neurons and immature DCX-positive neurons in the NC of house crows. Furthermore, there is an increase in the incorporation of new neurons throughout NC and the medial striatum which can also be linked to learning. For the first time, our results demonstrate that a combination of structural changes in mature and immature neurons and adult neurogenesis are linked to learning in corvids.},
}

@article {pmid38806771,
year = {2024},
author = {Krämer, K},
title = {Daily briefing: Carrion crows have counting skills seen only in people.},
journal = {Nature},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1038/d41586-024-01579-3},
pmid = {38806771},
issn = {1476-4687},
}

@article {pmid38788911,
year = {2024},
author = {Novčić, I and Mikula, P},
title = {Nearest neighbour distance does not affect escape behaviour in urban hooded crows.},
journal = {Behavioural processes},
volume = {219},
number = {},
pages = {105057},
doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105057},
pmid = {38788911},
issn = {1872-8308},
mesh = {*Crows/physiology ; Animals ; *Escape Reaction/physiology ; Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Male ; Feeding Behavior/physiology ; Female ; },
abstract = {The nearest-neighbour distance is an important property of a group, as individuals can obtain environmental information more quickly and easily from nearby individuals. We examined whether distance to the nearest neighbour affected two components of escape behaviour - alert distance (AD) and flight initiation distance (FID) - in an urban population of hooded crows Corvus cornix, while controlling for confounding variables. We did not find evidence that AD and FID were influenced by the nearest neighbour distance. However, both AD and FID were negatively affected by feeding activity of individuals - focal crows alerted later and escaped at shorter distance if they were feeding during our approach. In addition, AD and FID were positively related to starting distance and grass coverage. The lack of evidence for the nearest neighbour effect on escape behaviour of crows may be due to: (1) disturbance by close neighbours that may impede antipredator behaviour of focal birds, (2) variable distribution of familiar, dominant or experienced individuals within a flock, and (3) dynamic change in position of the nearest neighbour during the potential predator approach.},
}

*Crows/physiology
Animals
*Escape Reaction/physiology
Behavior, Animal/physiology
Male
Feeding Behavior/physiology
Female

@article {pmid38786375,
year = {2024},
author = {Bazalo, B and Morales-Sánchez, V and Pérez-Romero, N and Contreras-Osorio, F and Campos-Jara, C and Hernández-Mendo, A and Reigal, RE},
title = {Associations between Fluid Intelligence and Physical Fitness in School Children.},
journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {12},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {38786375},
issn = {2227-9032},
abstract = {Previous research has highlighted that active lifestyles that contribute to improved physical fitness are positively related to cognitive functioning in children and adolescents. Specifically, the increase in physical condition at school age is considered relevant because it is related to better cognitive ability and greater academic performance. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between explosive strength, speed-agility, and fluid reasoning in schoolchildren. To achieve this objective, an associative, comparative, and predictive design was used in this research. A total of 129 children participated in this study (age: M = 9.48; SD = 0.99). To assess fluid reasoning, the Raven test's Standard Progressive Matrices Subtest and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) were used. To assess physical fitness, the speed-agility test and the horizontal jump test (ALPHA-fitness battery tests), as well as the ball throw test (2 kg), were used. The results showed that the speed-agility test significantly predicted WISC-V Fluid Reasoning Index scores, and the medicine ball toss test significantly predicted Raven test scores. The results obtained highlight the associations between physical condition at these ages and fluid intelligence. This suggests that promoting active lifestyles that improve physical fitness could have a positive impact on children's cognitive health.},
}

@article {pmid38783132,
year = {2024},
author = {Lenharo, M},
title = {These crows have counting skills previously only seen in people.},
journal = {Nature},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38783132},
issn = {1476-4687},
}

@article {pmid38781709,
year = {2024},
author = {Fujii, Y and Masatani, T and Nishiyama, S and Takahashi, T and Okajima, M and Izumi, F and Sakoda, Y and Takada, A and Ozawa, M and Sugiyama, M and Ito, N},
title = {Molecular characterization of an avian rotavirus a strain detected from a large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) in Japan.},
journal = {Virology},
volume = {596},
number = {},
pages = {110114},
doi = {10.1016/j.virol.2024.110114},
pmid = {38781709},
issn = {1096-0341},
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/virology ; Japan ; *Rotavirus/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; *Rotavirus Infections/virology/veterinary/transmission ; *Phylogeny ; *Bird Diseases/virology/transmission ; *Feces/virology ; *Genotype ; },
abstract = {Avian rotaviruses A (RVAs) are occasionally transmitted to animals other than the original hosts across species barriers. Information on RVAs carried by various bird species is important for identifying the origin of such interspecies transmission. In this study, to facilitate an understanding of the ecology of RVAs from wild birds, we characterized all of the genes of an RVA strain, JC-105, that was detected in a fecal sample of a large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) in Japan. All of the genes of this strain except for the VP4 and VP7 genes, which were classified as novel genotypes (P[56] and G40, respectively), were closely related to those of the avian-like RVA strain detected from a raccoon, indicating the possibility that crows had been involved in the transmission of avian RVAs to raccoons. Our findings highlight the need for further viral investigations in wild birds and mammals to understand the mechanisms of avian-to-mammal RVA transmission.},
}

Animals
*Crows/virology
Japan
*Rotavirus/genetics/classification/isolation & purification
*Rotavirus Infections/virology/veterinary/transmission
*Phylogeny
*Bird Diseases/virology/transmission
*Feces/virology
*Genotype

@article {pmid38781375,
year = {2024},
author = {Liao, DA and Brecht, KF and Veit, L and Nieder, A},
title = {Crows "count" the number of self-generated vocalizations.},
journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)},
volume = {384},
number = {6698},
pages = {874-877},
doi = {10.1126/science.adl0984},
pmid = {38781375},
issn = {1095-9203},
mesh = {Animals ; Acoustics ; *Crows/physiology ; Cues ; *Vocalization, Animal ; },
abstract = {Producing a specific number of vocalizations with purpose requires a sophisticated combination of numerical abilities and vocal control. Whether this capacity exists in animals other than humans is yet unknown. We show that crows can flexibly produce variable numbers of one to four vocalizations in response to arbitrary cues associated with numerical values. The acoustic features of the first vocalization of a sequence were predictive of the total number of vocalizations, indicating a planning process. Moreover, the acoustic features of vocal units predicted their order in the sequence and could be used to read out counting errors during vocal production.},
}

Animals
Acoustics
*Crows/physiology
Cues
*Vocalization, Animal

@article {pmid38777168,
year = {2024},
author = {Wascher, CAF and Hillemann, F},
title = {Observation of female-male mounting in the carrion crow.},
journal = {Behavioural processes},
volume = {219},
number = {},
pages = {105055},
doi = {10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105055},
pmid = {38777168},
issn = {1872-8308},
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; Female ; Male ; *Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Social Behavior ; Copulation/physiology ; },
abstract = {In the biological sciences, sexual behaviours in non-human animals are traditionally investigated in the context of reproduction and direct fitness benefits. While the evolutionary functions of non-conceptive sexual behaviours ('socio-sexual behaviours') remain less well explored, these interactions and displays have been suggested to be important for shaping and maintaining social relationships. Here, we report an observation of a captive female carrion crow, Corvus corone corone, mounting her co-housed male partner. We highlight the importance of more systematic research, reporting, and discussions of rarely observed behaviours in social evolution research, including considerations for behaviours that transcend binary or heteronormative frameworks, for a more comprehensive understanding of non-conceptive socio-sexual behaviours.},
}

Animals
*Crows/physiology
Female
Male
*Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology
Social Behavior
Copulation/physiology

@article {pmid38774764,
year = {2024},
author = {Assari, S and Zare, H and Sonnega, A},
title = {Racial Disparities in Occupational Distribution Among Black and White Adults with Similar Educational Levels: Analysis of Middle-Aged and Older Individuals in the Health and Retirement Study.},
journal = {Journal of rehabilitation therapy},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {1-11},
pmid = {38774764},
issn = {2767-5122},
support = {U54 MD000214/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Occupational classes play a significant role in influencing both individual and population health, serving as a vital conduit through which higher education can lead to better health outcomes. However, the pathway from education to corresponding occupational classes does not apply uniformly across different racial and ethnic groups, hindered by factors such as social stratification, labor market discrimination, and job segregation.

AIMS: This study seeks to investigate the relationship between educational attainment and occupational classes among Black, Latino, and White middle-aged and older adults, with a focus on their transition into retirement.

METHODS: Using cross-sectional data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this research examines the impact of race/ethnicity, educational attainment, occupational classes, and timing of retirement among middle-aged and older adults. The analysis includes a sample of 7,096 individuals identified as White, Black, or Latino. Through logistic regression, we assess the additive and multiplicative effects of race/ethnicity and education on six defined occupational classes: 1. Managerial and specialty operations, 2. Professional Specialty, 3. Sales, 4. Clerical/administrative support, 5. Services, and 6. Manual labor.

RESULTS: Participants were Black (n = 1,143) or White (n =5,953). This included Latino (N =459) or non-Latino (n = 6,634). Our analysis reveals a skewed distribution of Black and Latino adults in manual and service occupations, in stark contrast to White adults who were more commonly found in clerical/administrative and managerial positions. Educational attainment did not equate to similar occupational outcomes across racial groups. Key findings include: Firstly, Black individuals with a college degree or higher were less likely to occupy clerical and administrative positions compared to their White counterparts. Secondly, holding a General Educational Development (GED) credential or some college education was generally linked to reduced likelihood of being in managerial roles; however, this inverse relationship was less evident among Black middle-aged and older adults than White ones. Thirdly, having a GED reduced the chances of working in sales roles, while having a college degree increased such chances. An interaction between race and some college education revealed that the impact of some college education on sales roles was more significant for Black adults than for White ones. We did not observe any interaction between ethnicity (Latino) and educational attainment on occupational classes. Given the stability of occupational classes, these findings could also apply to the last occupation held prior to retirement.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights significant racial disparities in occupational classes among individuals with comparable levels of education, underscoring the profound implications for health and wellbeing disparities. Future research should explore strategies to alleviate labor market discrimination and job segregation as ways to close these occupational gaps. Additionally, the influence of social stratification, job segregation, and historical legacies, such as the repercussions of the Jim Crow era, on these disparities merits further investigation. Addressing these issues is crucial for enhancing the health and wellbeing of all populations.},
}

@article {pmid38768208,
year = {2024},
author = {Broad, HR and Dibnah, AJ and Smith, AE and Thornton, A},
title = {Anthropogenic disturbance affects calling and collective behaviour in corvid roosts.},
journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences},
volume = {379},
number = {1905},
pages = {20230185},
doi = {10.1098/rstb.2023.0185},
pmid = {38768208},
issn = {1471-2970},
support = {//Leverhulme Trust/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Vocalization, Animal ; *Crows/physiology ; *Noise ; *Social Behavior ; Anthropogenic Effects ; Human Activities ; },
abstract = {Acoustic communication plays an important role in coordinating group dynamics and collective movements across a range of taxa. However, anthropogenic disturbance can inhibit the production or reception of acoustic signals. Here, we investigate the effects of noise and light pollution on the calling and collective behaviour of wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula), a highly social corvid species that uses vocalizations to coordinate collective movements at winter roosting sites. Using audio and video monitoring of roosts in areas with differing degrees of urbanization, we evaluate the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on vocalizations and collective movements. We found that when levels of background noise were higher, jackdaws took longer to settle following arrival at the roost in the evening and also called more during the night, suggesting that human disturbance may cause sleep disruption. High levels of overnight calling were, in turn, linked to disruption of vocal consensus decision-making and less cohesive group departures in the morning. These results raise the possibility that, by affecting cognitive and perceptual processes, human activities may interfere with animals' ability to coordinate collective behaviour. Understanding links between anthropogenic disturbance, communication, cognition and collective behaviour must be an important research priority in our increasingly urbanized world. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.},
}

Animals
*Vocalization, Animal
*Crows/physiology
*Noise
*Social Behavior
Anthropogenic Effects
Human Activities

@article {pmid38768205,
year = {2024},
author = {Walsh, SL and Townsend, SW and Engesser, S and Ridley, AR},
title = {Call combination production is linked to the social environment in Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis).},
journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences},
volume = {379},
number = {1905},
pages = {20230198},
doi = {10.1098/rstb.2023.0198},
pmid = {38768205},
issn = {1471-2970},
support = {//Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment/ ; //Ecological Society of Australia Incorporated/ ; //Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Vocalization, Animal ; Western Australia ; Social Environment ; Social Behavior ; Male ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Female ; Songbirds/physiology ; },
abstract = {It has recently become clear that some language-specific traits previously thought to be unique to humans (such as the capacity to combine sounds) are widespread in the animal kingdom. Despite the increase in studies documenting the presence of call combinations in non-human animals, factors promoting this vocal trait are unclear. One leading hypothesis proposes that communicative complexity co-evolved with social complexity owing to the need to transmit a diversity of information to a wider range of social partners. The Western Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) provides a unique model to investigate this proposed link because it is a group-living, vocal learning species that is capable of multi-level combinatoriality (independently produced calls contain vocal segments and comprise combinations). Here, we compare variations in the production of call combinations across magpie groups ranging in size from 2 to 11 birds. We found that callers in larger groups give call combinations: (i) in greater diversity and (ii) more frequently than callers in smaller groups. Significantly, these observations support the hypothesis that combinatorial complexity may be related to social complexity in an open-ended vocal learner, providing an important step in understanding the role that sociality may have played in the development of vocal combinatorial complexity. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.},
}

Animals
*Vocalization, Animal
Western Australia
Social Environment
Social Behavior
Male
Passeriformes/physiology
Female
Songbirds/physiology

@article {pmid38758592,
year = {2024},
author = {Erker, TD and Arif, Y and John, JA and Embury, CM and Kress, KA and Springer, SD and Okelberry, HJ and McDonald, KM and Picci, G and Wiesman, AI and Wilson, TW},
title = {Neuromodulatory effects of parietal high-definition transcranial direct-current stimulation on network-level activity serving fluid intelligence.},
journal = {The Journal of physiology},
volume = {602},
number = {12},
pages = {2917-2930},
pmid = {38758592},
issn = {1469-7793},
support = {F30 AG076259/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; P20 GM144641/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; P20-GM144641//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; F30-AG076259//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; R01 MH116782/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; RF1 MH117032/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; S10 OD028751/OD/NIH HHS/United States ; S10-OD028751//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; RF1-MH117032//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; F32-NS119375//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; R01-MH116782//HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ ; F32 NS119375/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods ; Adult ; *Parietal Lobe/physiology ; Male ; Female ; *Intelligence/physiology ; Young Adult ; Nerve Net/physiology ; Magnetoencephalography/methods ; },
abstract = {Fluid intelligence (Gf) involves rational thinking skills and requires the integration of information from different cortical regions to resolve novel complex problems. The effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on Gf have been studied in attempts to improve Gf, but such studies are rare and the few existing have reached conflicting conclusions. The parieto-frontal integration theory of intelligence (P-FIT) postulates that the parietal and frontal lobes play a critical role in Gf. To investigate the suggested role of parietal cortices, we applied high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to the left and right parietal cortices of 39 healthy adults (age 19-33 years) for 20 min in three separate sessions (left active, right active and sham). After completing the stimulation session, the participants completed a logical reasoning task based on Raven's Progressive Matrices during magnetoencephalography. Significant neural responses at the sensor level across all stimulation conditions were imaged using a beamformer. Whole-brain, spectrally constrained functional connectivity was then computed to examine the network-level activity. Behaviourally, we found that participants were significantly more accurate following left compared to right parietal stimulation. Regarding neural findings, we found significant HD-tDCS montage-related effects in brain networks thought to be critical for P-FIT, including parieto-occipital, fronto-occipital, fronto-parietal and occipito-cerebellar connectivity during task performance. In conclusion, our findings showed that left parietal stimulation improved abstract reasoning abilities relative to right parietal stimulation and support both P-FIT and the neural efficiency hypothesis. KEY POINTS: Abstract reasoning is a critical component of fluid intelligence and is known to be served by multispectral oscillatory activity in the fronto-parietal cortices. Recent studies have aimed to improve abstract reasoning abilities and fluid intelligence overall through behavioural training, but the results have been mixed. High-definition transcranial direct-current stimulation (HD-tDCS) applied to the parietal cortices modulated task performance and neural oscillations during abstract reasoning. Left parietal stimulation resulted in increased accuracy and decreased functional connectivity between occipital regions and frontal, parietal, and cerebellar regions. Future studies should investigate whether HD-tDCS alters abstract reasoning abilities in those who exhibit declines in performance, such as healthy ageing populations.},
}

Humans
*Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods
Adult
*Parietal Lobe/physiology
Male
Female
*Intelligence/physiology
Young Adult
Nerve Net/physiology
Magnetoencephalography/methods

@article {pmid38756014,
year = {2024},
author = {},
title = {Retracted: "Optimized lung tumor diagnosis system using enhanced version of crow search algorithm, Zernike moments, and support vector machine".},
journal = {Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {9544119241255854},
doi = {10.1177/09544119241255854},
pmid = {38756014},
issn = {2041-3033},
}

@article {pmid38748646,
year = {2024},
author = {Davies, JR and Garcia-Pelegrin, E and Clayton, NS},
title = {Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) show episodic-like memory through the incidental encoding of information.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {5},
pages = {e0301298},
pmid = {38748646},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Memory, Episodic ; Mental Recall/physiology ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; },
abstract = {Episodic memory describes the conscious reimagining of our memories and is often considered to be a uniquely human ability. As these phenomenological components are embedded within its definition, major issues arise when investigating the presence of episodic memory in non-human animals. Importantly, however, when we as humans recall a specific experience, we may remember details from that experience that were inconsequential to our needs, thoughts, or desires at that time. This 'incidental' information is nevertheless encoded automatically as part of the memory and is subsequently recalled within a holistic representation of the event. The incidental encoding and unexpected question paradigm represents this characteristic feature of human episodic memory and can be employed to investigate memory recall in non-human animals. However, without evidence for the associated phenomenology during recall, this type of memory is termed 'episodic-like memory'. Using this approach, we tested seven Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) on their ability to use incidental visual information (associated with observed experimenter made 'caches') to solve an unexpected memory test. The birds performed above chance levels, suggesting that Eurasian jays can encode, retain, recall, and access incidental visual information within a remembered event, which is an ability indicative of episodic memory in humans.},
}

Animals
*Memory, Episodic
Mental Recall/physiology
Passeriformes/physiology
Male
Female
Humans

@article {pmid38729409,
year = {2024},
author = {Espinoza, MJ and Laviada, I and Taberner Cerezo, A and Luna, Á and Gil-Delgado, JA and Bernat-Ponce, E},
title = {Do birds select the plastics debris used for nest construction? A case study in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape.},
journal = {Environmental research},
volume = {255},
number = {},
pages = {119117},
doi = {10.1016/j.envres.2024.119117},
pmid = {38729409},
issn = {1096-0953},
mesh = {Animals ; *Plastics/analysis ; *Nesting Behavior ; *Agriculture ; Spain ; Waste Products/analysis ; Passeriformes ; Environmental Monitoring ; },
abstract = {Plastic pollution is becoming a global problem due to its ubiquitous occurrence and the impacts detected for many species. However, the research about plastics in nests of terrestrial bird species has remained relatively overlooked in comparison to those devoted to marine ecosystems. Here we study the occurrence and patterns of use of anthropogenic material in nests of two passerine birds, the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) and the European serin (Serinus serinus), breeding in an orange tree cultivation in Mediterranean Spain. Our results show that both species use extensively plastic debris as nest material; almost 71% of the European serin nests and 96% of nests of Eurasian magpies contained plastic debris. Furthermore, by analyzing the plastic debris availability in the agricultural landscape surveyed we confirmed a selection pattern in the two species. Thus, both species preferably select plastic filaments over other plastic debris. The Eurasian magpie does not select plastic based on size or color but the European serin avoid black plastics prefer smaller fragments in comparison to the average size available. Moreover, we suggest the apparent similarity of plastic filaments with the natural materials typically used by these species, as well as how they use the plastic in their nests could influence their selection behavior. More studies focused on terrestrial birds inhabiting human modified habitats could offer a deeper approach to how plastic debris interacts with wildlife in different ways.},
}

Animals
*Plastics/analysis
*Nesting Behavior
*Agriculture
Spain
Waste Products/analysis
Passeriformes
Environmental Monitoring

@article {pmid38722645,
year = {2024},
author = {Driscoll, RMH and Beaudry, FEG and Cosgrove, EJ and Bowman, R and Fitzpatrick, JW and Schoech, SJ and Chen, N},
title = {Allele frequency dynamics under sex-biased demography and sex-specific inheritance in a pedigreed jay population.},
journal = {Genetics},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/genetics/iyae075},
pmid = {38722645},
issn = {1943-2631},
support = {R35 GM133412/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {Sex-biased demography, including sex-biased survival or migration, can alter allele frequency changes across the genome. In particular, we can expect different patterns of genetic variation on autosomes and sex chromosomes due to sex-specific differences in life histories, as well as differences in effective population size, transmission modes, and the strength and mode of selection. Here, we demonstrate the role that sex differences in life history played in shaping short-term evolutionary dynamics across the genome. We used a 25-year pedigree and genomic dataset from a long-studied population of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) to directly characterize the relative roles of sex-biased demography and inheritance in shaping genome-wide allele frequency trajectories. We used gene dropping simulations to estimate individual genetic contributions to future generations and to model drift and immigration on the known pedigree. We quantified differential expected genetic contributions of males and females over time, showing the impact of sex-biased dispersal in a monogamous system. Due to female-biased dispersal, more autosomal variation is introduced by female immigrants. However, due to male-biased transmission, more Z variation is introduced by male immigrants. Finally, we partitioned the proportion of variance in allele frequency change through time due to male and female contributions. Overall, most allele frequency change is due to variance in survival and births. Males and females make similar contributions to autosomal allele frequency change, but males make higher contributions to allele frequency change on the Z chromosome. Our work shows the importance of understanding sex-specific demographic processes in characterizing genome-wide allele frequency change in wild populations.},
}

@article {pmid38715207,
year = {2023},
author = {Prinja, S and Chugh, Y and Gupta, N and Aggarwal, V},
title = {Establishing a Health Technology Assessment Evidence Ecosystem in India's Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.},
journal = {Health systems and reform},
volume = {9},
number = {3},
pages = {2327097},
doi = {10.1080/23288604.2024.2327097},
pmid = {38715207},
issn = {2328-8620},
mesh = {India ; *Technology Assessment, Biomedical/methods ; Humans ; Universal Health Insurance/trends ; Health Care Reform/methods/trends ; },
abstract = {The introduction of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) scheme in India was a significant step toward universal health coverage. The PM-JAY scheme has made notable progress since its inception, including increasing the number of people covered and expanding the range of services provided under the health benefit package (HBP). The creation of the Health Financing and Technology Assessment (HeFTA) unit within the National Health Authority (NHA) further enhanced evidence-based decision-making processes. We outline the journey of HeFTA and highlight significant cost savings to the PM-JAY as a result of health technology assessment (HTA). Our paper also discusses the application of HTA evidence for decisions related to inclusions or exclusions in HBP, framing standard treatment guidelines as well as other policies. We recommend that future financing reforms for strategic purchasing should strengthen strategic purchasing arrangements and adopt value-based pricing (VBP). Integrating HTA and VBP is a progressive approach toward health care financing reforms for large government-funded schemes like the PM-JAY.},
}

India
*Technology Assessment, Biomedical/methods
Humans
Universal Health Insurance/trends
Health Care Reform/methods/trends

@article {pmid38701808,
year = {2024},
author = {Westhoff, KM and Fischer, D and Jäger, K and Trinkaus, K and Ziegler, U and Lierz, M},
title = {Laryngeal and oropharyngeal adenocarcinoma with pulmonary metastases in a common raven (Corvus corax).},
journal = {Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere},
volume = {52},
number = {2},
pages = {125-129},
doi = {10.1055/a-2289-1297},
pmid = {38701808},
issn = {2567-5842},
mesh = {Animals ; Male ; *Lung Neoplasms/veterinary/pathology/secondary ; *Adenocarcinoma/veterinary/pathology/diagnosis ; *Bird Diseases/pathology ; *Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/veterinary/pathology ; *Laryngeal Neoplasms/veterinary/pathology ; Fatal Outcome ; },
abstract = {A captive 15-year-old male common raven (Corvus corax) was presented for post-mortem examination. It had been previously presented to a local veterinarian due to a 3-4 weeks long history of abnormal respiratory sounds. Upon admission, the bird demonstrated severe dyspnea and a massive amount of mucous in the oropharynx. After symptomatic treatment, dyspnea deteriorated dramatically, and euthanasia was elicited because of poor prognosis. The necropsy revealed a 2.65 x 2.15 x 2.18 cm expansile and poorly delineated cauliflower-shaped mass around the glottis and extending inside the tracheal lumen. Additionally, a dilated salivary gland in the adjacent tissue and multifocal reddish-fleshy areas in the lung parenchyma were detected. Histopathological examination identified the mass as moderately differentiated, tubular adenocarcinoma with invasive growth and moderate to marked cellular atypia and numerous mitoses. The presumptive origin of the neoplasia was one of the salivary glands. Multiple metastases were identified in the lung both macroscopically and histologically. Bacterial culture and molecular testing for West Nile and Usutu viruses were negative. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of metastatic laryngeal and oropharyngeal adenocarcinoma in a common raven.},
}

Animals
Male
*Lung Neoplasms/veterinary/pathology/secondary
*Adenocarcinoma/veterinary/pathology/diagnosis
*Bird Diseases/pathology
*Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/veterinary/pathology
*Laryngeal Neoplasms/veterinary/pathology
Fatal Outcome

@article {pmid38701068,
year = {2024},
author = {Stefanova, V and Scheepers, C and Wilson, P and Papageorgiou, KA},
title = {Grandiose narcissism associates with higher cognitive performance under stress through more efficient attention distribution: An eye-tracking study.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {5},
pages = {e0302644},
pmid = {38701068},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; *Narcissism ; *Cognition/physiology ; Adult ; *Attention/physiology ; Young Adult ; Eye-Tracking Technology ; Stress, Psychological ; Adolescent ; Self Concept ; },
abstract = {Narcissism is a part of the Dark Triad that consists also of the traits of Machiavellianism and psychopathy. Two main types of narcissism exist: grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Being a Dark Triad trait, narcissism is typically associated with negative outcomes. However, recent research suggests that at least the grandiose type may be linked (directly or indirectly) to positive outcomes including lower levels of psychopathology, higher school grades in adolescents, deeper and more strategic learning in university students and higher cognitive performance in experimental settings. The current pre-registered, quasi-experimental study implemented eye-tracking to assess whether grandiose narcissism indirectly predicts cognitive performance through wider distribution of attention on the Raven's Progressive Matrices task. Fifty-four adults completed measures of the Dark Triad, self-esteem and psychopathology. Eight months to one year later, participants completed the Raven's, while their eye-movements were monitored during high stress conditions. When controlling for previous levels of psychopathology, grandiose narcissism predicted higher Raven's scores indirectly, through increased variability in the number of fixations across trials. These findings suggest that grandiose narcissism predicts higher cognitive performance, at least in experimental settings, and call for further research to understand the implications of this seemingly dark trait for performance across various settings.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
*Narcissism
*Cognition/physiology
Adult
*Attention/physiology
Young Adult
Eye-Tracking Technology
Stress, Psychological
Adolescent
Self Concept

@article {pmid38689546,
year = {2024},
author = {Storms, RF and Carere, C and Musters, R and Hulst, R and Verhulst, S and Hemelrijk, CK},
title = {A robotic falcon induces similar collective escape responses in different bird species.},
journal = {Journal of the Royal Society, Interface},
volume = {21},
number = {214},
pages = {20230737},
pmid = {38689546},
issn = {1742-5662},
support = {//Dutch Research Council (NWO)/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Escape Reaction/physiology ; *Falconiformes/physiology ; *Robotics ; Predatory Behavior/physiology ; Birds/physiology ; Species Specificity ; },
abstract = {Patterns of collective escape of a bird flock from a predator are fascinating, but difficult to study under natural conditions because neither prey nor predator is under experimental control. We resolved this problem by using an artificial predator (RobotFalcon) resembling a peregrine falcon in morphology and behaviour. We imitated hunts by chasing flocks of corvids, gulls, starlings and lapwings with the RobotFalcon, and compared their patterns of collective escape to those when chased by a conventional drone and, in case of starlings, hunted by wild peregrine falcons. Active pursuit of flocks, rather than only flying nearby by either the RobotFalcon or the drone, made flocks collectively escape more often. The RobotFalcon elicited patterns of collective escape in flocks of all species more often than the drone. Attack altitude did not affect the frequency of collective escape. Starlings escaped collectively equally often when chased by the RobotFalcon or a wild peregrine falcon. Flocks of all species reacted most often by collective turns, second most often by compacting and third by splitting into subflocks. This study demonstrates the potential of an artificial aerial predator for studying the collective escape behaviour of free-living birds, opening exciting avenues in the empirical study of prey-predator interactions.},
}

Animals
*Escape Reaction/physiology
*Falconiformes/physiology
*Robotics
Predatory Behavior/physiology
Birds/physiology
Species Specificity

@article {pmid38687063,
year = {2024},
author = {Chen, Z and Grim, CJ and Ramachandran, P and Meng, J},
title = {Advancing metagenome-assembled genome-based pathogen identification: unraveling the power of long-read assembly algorithms in Oxford Nanopore sequencing.},
journal = {Microbiology spectrum},
volume = {12},
number = {6},
pages = {e0011724},
doi = {10.1128/spectrum.00117-24},
pmid = {38687063},
issn = {2165-0497},
support = {U01 FD001418/FD/FDA HHS/United States ; U01FDU001418//HHS | U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/ ; },
mesh = {*Algorithms ; *Metagenome ; *Nanopore Sequencing/methods ; *Genome, Bacterial ; *High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods ; Bacteria/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; Computational Biology/methods ; Salmonella enterica/genetics/classification/isolation & purification ; Metagenomics/methods ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/genetics/isolation & purification/classification ; },
abstract = {Oxford Nanopore sequencing is one of the high-throughput sequencing technologies that facilitates the reconstruction of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). This study aimed to assess the potential of long-read assembly algorithms in Oxford Nanopore sequencing to enhance the MAG-based identification of bacterial pathogens using both simulated and mock communities. Simulated communities were generated to mimic those on fresh spinach and in surface water. Long reads were produced using R9.4.1+SQK-LSK109 and R10.4 + SQK-LSK112, with 0.5, 1, and 2 million reads. The simulated bacterial communities included multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotypes Heidelberg, Montevideo, and Typhimurium in the fresh spinach community individually or in combination, as well as multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the surface water community. Real data sets of the ZymoBIOMICS HMW DNA Standard were also studied. A bioinformatic pipeline (MAGenie, freely available at https://github.com/jackchen129/MAGenie) that combines metagenome assembly, taxonomic classification, and sequence extraction was developed to reconstruct draft MAGs from metagenome assemblies. Five assemblers were evaluated based on a series of genomic analyses. Overall, Flye outperformed the other assemblers, followed by Shasta, Raven, and Unicycler, while Canu performed least effectively. In some instances, the extracted sequences resulted in draft MAGs and provided the locations and structures of antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements. Our study showcases the viability of utilizing the extracted sequences for precise phylogenetic inference, as demonstrated by the consistent alignment of phylogenetic topology between the reference genome and the extracted sequences. R9.4.1+SQK-LSK109 was more effective in most cases than R10.4+SQK-LSK112, and greater sequencing depths generally led to more accurate results.IMPORTANCEBy examining diverse bacterial communities, particularly those housing multiple Salmonella enterica serotypes, this study holds significance in uncovering the potential of long-read assembly algorithms to improve metagenome-assembled genome (MAG)-based pathogen identification through Oxford Nanopore sequencing. Our research demonstrates that long-read assembly stands out as a promising avenue for boosting precision in MAG-based pathogen identification, thus advancing the development of more robust surveillance measures. The findings also support ongoing endeavors to fine-tune a bioinformatic pipeline for accurate pathogen identification within complex metagenomic samples.},
}

*Algorithms
*Metagenome
*Nanopore Sequencing/methods
*Genome, Bacterial
*High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods
Bacteria/genetics/classification/isolation & purification
Computational Biology/methods
Salmonella enterica/genetics/classification/isolation & purification
Metagenomics/methods
Pseudomonas aeruginosa/genetics/isolation & purification/classification

@article {pmid38686548,
year = {2024},
author = {Reid, SM and Byrne, AMP and Lean, FZX and Ross, CS and Pascu, A and Hepple, R and Dominguez, M and Frost, S and Coward, VJ and Núñez, A and James, J and Stephan, L and Aegerter, JN and Brown, IH and Banyard, AC},
title = {A multi-species, multi-pathogen avian viral disease outbreak event: Investigating potential for virus transmission at the wild bird - poultry interface.},
journal = {Emerging microbes & infections},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {2348521},
pmid = {38686548},
issn = {2222-1751},
mesh = {Animals ; *Influenza in Birds/transmission/virology/epidemiology ; *Chickens/virology ; *Animals, Wild/virology ; *Disease Outbreaks/veterinary ; *Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype/isolation & purification/pathogenicity/genetics ; United Kingdom/epidemiology ; *Poultry Diseases/virology/transmission/epidemiology ; Poultry/virology ; Crows/virology ; Birds/virology ; },
abstract = {A free-range organic broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) premises in Staffordshire was infected by high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N8 during the 2020-2021 epizootic in the United Kingdom (UK). Following initial confirmation of the infection in poultry, multiple wild bird species were seen scavenging on chicken carcasses. Detected dead wild birds were subsequently demonstrated to have been infected and succumbed to HPAIV H5N8. Initially, scavenging species, magpie (Pica pica) and raven (Corvus corax) were found dead on the premises but over the following days, buzzards (Buteo buteo) were also found dead within the local area with positive detection of HPAIV in submitted carcasses. The subacute nature of microscopic lesions within a buzzard was consistent with the timeframe of infection. Finally, a considerable number of free-living pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were also found dead in the surrounding area, with carcasses having higher viral antigen loads compared to infected chickens. Limited virus dissemination was observed in the carcasses of the magpie, raven, and buzzard. Further, an avirulent avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1) was detected within poultry samples as well as in the viscera of a magpie infected with HPAIV. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal colocalization of avian paramyxovirus antigens with lesions, supporting an avirulent APMV-1 infection. Overall, this case highlights scenarios in which bi-directional transmission of avian viral diseases between commercial and wild bird species may occur. It also underlines the importance of bio separation and reduced access when infection pressure from HPAIV is high.},
}

Animals
*Influenza in Birds/transmission/virology/epidemiology
*Chickens/virology
*Animals, Wild/virology
*Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
*Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype/isolation & purification/pathogenicity/genetics
United Kingdom/epidemiology
*Poultry Diseases/virology/transmission/epidemiology
Poultry/virology
Crows/virology
Birds/virology

@article {pmid38685700,
year = {2024},
author = {Davis, A and Furtak, A and Paterson, S and Velthuizen, R and Shen, J and Nip, J and Bappal, A and Lathrop, W and Villa, A and Lee, JM and Guelakis, M},
title = {Topical application of retinyl propionate, 4 hexyl resorcinol, and niacinamide reverses molecular and clinical features of ageing.},
journal = {International journal of cosmetic science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/ics.12958},
pmid = {38685700},
issn = {1468-2494},
support = {//Unilever/ ; },
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Topical tretinoin is the mainstay of treatment for photoageing, despite the risk of skin irritation. Cosmetic combination anti-ageing formulations may offer similar efficacy to tretinoin, while improving on tolerability. We aim to demonstrate facial appearance benefits of a novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide and to identify transcriptomic biomarkers underpinning these benefits.

METHODS: A cosmetic prototype formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide was evaluated ex vivo and in a clinical study. For ex vivo experiments, the cosmetic formulation was applied for 3 days to healthy surgical discard skin from female donors aged 31-51 years, with tissues harvested for gene expression and histologic analyses. In the clinical study, females aged 47-66 years with moderate-to-severe overall visual photodamage on the face applied either topical 0.02% tretinoin or the cosmetic formulation to the face for 16 weeks and to forearms for 1 week, with forearm biopsies taken for gene expression analyses. Visual grading for facial photodamage and VISIA-CR images was taken throughout the clinical study. Safety was visually assessed during site visits, and adverse event monitoring was conducted throughout.

RESULTS: Gene expression analyses in both studies revealed modulation of pathways associated with skin rejuvenation, with several genes of interest identified due to being implicated in ageing and differentially expressed following the application of the cosmetic formulation. Reversal of a consensus skin ageing gene signature was observed with the cosmetic formulation and tretinoin in the ex vivo and clinical studies. Both the cosmetic formulation and tretinoin clinically improved the overall appearance of photoageing, crow's feet, lines, wrinkles, and pores. Adverse event reporting showed that the cosmetic formulation caused less skin irritation than tretinoin.

CONCLUSION: In a double-blind clinical study, the novel triple-active cosmetic combination formulation improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to prescription tretinoin. The cosmetic formulation and tretinoin reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing. Together with adverse event reporting, these results suggest that the cosmetic formulation may be a well-tolerated and efficacious alternative to tretinoin for improving the visual features of photoageing.},
}

@article {pmid38684368,
year = {2024},
author = {Kersten, Y and Moll, FW and Erdle, S and Nieder, A},
title = {Input and Output Connections of the Crow Nidopallium Caudolaterale.},
journal = {eNeuro},
volume = {11},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {38684368},
issn = {2373-2822},
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; *Telencephalon/physiology/anatomy & histology ; *Neural Pathways/physiology ; Male ; Neurons/physiology ; Female ; },
abstract = {The avian telencephalic structure nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) functions as an analog to the mammalian prefrontal cortex. In crows, corvid songbirds, it plays a crucial role in higher cognitive and executive functions. These functions rely on the NCL's extensive telencephalic connections. However, systematic investigations into the brain-wide connectivity of the NCL in crows or other songbirds are lacking. Here, we studied its input and output connections by injecting retrograde and anterograde tracers into the carrion crow NCL. Our results, mapped onto a published carrion crow brain atlas, confirm NCL multisensory connections and extend prior pigeon findings by identifying a novel input from the hippocampal formation. Furthermore, we analyze crow NCL efferent projections to the arcopallium and report newly identified arcopallial neurons projecting bilaterally to the NCL. These findings help to clarify the role of the NCL as central executive hub in the corvid songbird brain.},
}

Animals
*Crows/physiology
*Telencephalon/physiology/anatomy & histology
*Neural Pathways/physiology
Male
Neurons/physiology
Female

@article {pmid38683398,
year = {2024},
author = {Smirnova, AA and Bulgakova, LR and Cheplakova, MA and Jelbert, SA},
title = {Hooded crows (Corvus cornix) manufacture objects relative to a mental template.},
journal = {Animal cognition},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {36},
pmid = {38683398},
issn = {1435-9456},
support = {No. 23-28-00364//Russian Science Foundation Project/ ; No. 23-28-00364//Russian Science Foundation Project/ ; No. 23-28-00364//Russian Science Foundation Project/ ; },
mesh = {*Crows ; Animals ; *Tool Use Behavior ; Female ; Male ; Reward ; Cognition ; },
abstract = {It was recently found that not only tool-specialized New Caledonian crows, but also Goffin cockatoos can manufacture physical objects in accordance with a mental template. That is, they can emulate features of existing objects when they manufacture new items. Both species spontaneously ripped pieces of card into large strips if they had previously learned that a large template was rewarded, and small strips when they previously learned that a small template was rewarded. Among New Caledonian crows, this cognitive ability was suggested as a potential mechanism underlying the transmission of natural tool designs. Here, we tested for the same ability in another non-specialised tool user-Hooded crows (Corvus cornix). Crows were exposed to pre-made template objects, varying first in colour and then in size, and were rewarded only if they chose pre-made objects that matched the template. In subsequent tests, birds were given the opportunity to manufacture versions of these objects. All three crows ripped paper pieces from the same colour material as the rewarded template, and, crucially, also manufactured objects that were more similar in size to previously rewarded, than unrewarded, templates, despite the birds being rewarded at random in both tests. Therefore, we found the ability to manufacture physical objects relative to a mental template in yet another bird species not specialized in using or making foraging tools in the wild, but with a high level of brain and cognitive development.},
}

*Crows
Animals
*Tool Use Behavior
Female
Male
Reward
Cognition

@article {pmid38682905,
year = {2024},
author = {Jung, SG and Hwang, K and Hwang, YJ},
title = {Aging-Related Changes of the Historical Japanese Beauty, Ono no Komachi (, 825-900 AD).},
journal = {The Journal of craniofacial surgery},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1097/SCS.0000000000010182},
pmid = {38682905},
issn = {1536-3732},
abstract = {The aim of this study was to determine how the aging-related changes of a beautiful woman were described in Japanese literature. A poem written by Ono no Komachi was reviewed. Images of her were also searched through Google search. Komachi's poem in Hyakunin Isshu reads: "How the color has faded from the flowers. As I gaze in reverie at the falling rain, I find my beauty, too, has fallen in this world's esteem." Tamatsukuri Komachiko's Death Book describes: "She became thin and looked tired. Her hair looks like a lotus with frost. Her skin resembles a frozen pear. Her bones stick out and her tendons are visible. Her face is dark, and her teeth are yellow". Color woodblock print shows an old woman: She retains her intelligence and beauty even in her advanced years. Her posture was stooped, with a pronounced forward curvature of the spine, resulting as "turtle neck." Her hair was long and gray. Visible signs of aging included forehead wrinkles, crow's feet, deepened nasolabial folds, and marionette lines. Her upper jaw appeared retracted, a "witch's chin." She exhibited neck wrinkles as well as on her hands and wrists, which grasped a bamboo walking stick. Her eyes were sunken, accompanied by a drooping of the upper eyelids. We think that the narrative of her transformation into an ugly and poor woman was intended to convey to men the fleeting nature of women's beauty, and to women that the power of beauty is not ultimately of major significance.},
}

@article {pmid38675927,
year = {2024},
author = {Brehm, AL and Dunham, TJ and Pinto, SM and Williams, KA and Coffin, KL and Ring, ME and Ratnayake, OC and Rovnak, J and Perera, R},
title = {The 23rd Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Virology Association.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/v16040586},
pmid = {38675927},
issn = {1999-4915},
support = {R13AI179143/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Colorado ; Animals ; *Virology ; Virus Diseases/virology ; Viruses/genetics/classification ; Prions ; Arboviruses ; One Health ; },
abstract = {Located 50 miles west of Fort Collins, Colorado, Colorado State University's Mountain Campus in Pingree Park hosted the 23rd annual Rocky Mountain Virology Association meeting in 2023 with 116 participants. The 3-day event at the end of September consisted of 28 talks and 43 posters that covered the topics of viral evolution and surveillance, developments in prion research, arboviruses and vector biology, host-virus interactions, and viral immunity and vaccines. This year's Randall Jay Cohrs keynote presentation covered the topic of One Health and emerging coronaviruses. This timely discussion covered the importance of global disease surveillance, international collaboration, and trans-disciplinary research teams to prevent and control future pandemics. Peak fall colors flanked the campus and glowed along the multiple mountain peaks, allowing for pristine views while discussing science and networking, or engaging in mountain activities like fly fishing and hiking. On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Virology Association, this report summarizes select presentations from the 23rd annual meeting.},
}

Humans
Colorado
Animals
*Virology
Virus Diseases/virology
Viruses/genetics/classification
Prions
Arboviruses
One Health

@article {pmid38666841,
year = {2024},
author = {van Hasselt, SJ and Coscia, M and Allocca, G and Vyssotski, AL and Meerlo, P},
title = {Sleep and Thermoregulation in Birds: Cold Exposure Reduces Brain Temperature but Has Little Influence on Sleep Time and Sleep Architecture in Jackdaws (Coloeus monedula).},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {13},
number = {4},
pages = {},
pmid = {38666841},
issn = {2079-7737},
support = {OCENW.KLEIN.240/NWO_/Dutch Research Council/Netherlands ; },
abstract = {Birds have an electrophysiological sleep state that resembles mammalian rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. However, whether its regulation and function are similar is unclear. In the current experiment, we studied REM sleep regulation in jackdaws (Coloeus monedula) by exposing the birds to low ambient temperature, a procedure that selectively suppresses REM sleep in mammals. Eight jackdaws were equipped with electrodes to record brain activity and neck muscle activity and a thermistor to record cortical brain temperature. Recordings covered a three-day period starting with a 24 h baseline day at an ambient temperature of 21 °C, followed by a 12 h cold night at 4 °C, after which the ambient temperature was restored to 21 °C for the remaining recovery period. Cold exposure at night caused a significant drop in brain temperature of 1.4 °C compared to the baseline night. However, throughout the cold night, jackdaws expressed NREM sleep and REM sleep levels that were not significantly different from the baseline. Also, EEG spectral power during NREM sleep was unaffected by cold exposure. Thus, while cold exposure had a clear effect on brain temperature in jackdaws, it did not have the same REM sleep suppressing effect reported for mammals. These findings suggest that the REM-sleep-like state in birds, unlike REM sleep in mammals, is protected against the influence of low temperature.},
}

@article {pmid38657438,
year = {2024},
author = {Wada, Y and Ibrahim, AB and Umar, YA and Afolabi, HA and Wada, M and Alissa, M and Al Amri, KAS and Al Ibrahim, AA and Al Fares, MA and Albayat, H and AlKhathlan, MK and Al Kaabi, NA and Al-Subaie, MF and Alfaresi, M and Alrasheed, HA and Rabaan, AA and Yean, CY and Zaidah, AR},
title = {Status of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in species of wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis.},
journal = {Journal of infection and public health},
volume = {17},
number = {6},
pages = {1023-1036},
doi = {10.1016/j.jiph.2024.04.004},
pmid = {38657438},
issn = {1876-035X},
mesh = {Animals ; *Animals, Wild/microbiology ; *Birds/microbiology ; *Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/epidemiology/veterinary/microbiology ; Prevalence ; *Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci/isolation & purification ; },
abstract = {Wild birds could be a reservoir of medically relevant microorganisms, particularly multidrug-resistant Enterococcus spp. Resistant bacteria's epidemiology and transmission between animals and humans has grown, and their zoonotic potential cannot be ignored. This is the first study to evaluate the status of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) in various wild bird species using meta-analysis and a systematic review. In this study, the pooled prevalence was obtained by analyzing data from published articles on the occurrence of VRE in wild bird species. It's unclear how the antibiotic resistance gene transfer cycle affects wild birds. Google Scholar and PubMed were used to conduct the research. The data and study methodology was assessed and extracted by two reviewers independently, with a third reviewing the results. Heterogeneity between study and publication bias were analyzed using the random effect model. Thirty-eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. 382 out of the 4144 isolates tested, were VRE. The pooled prevalence of VRE among wild birds was estimated at 11.0% (95% CI; 6.9 -17.2%; I[2] = 93.204%; P < 0.001). There was high variability between study (t[2] = 2.156; heterogeneity I[2] = 93.204% with chi-square (Q) = 544.413, degrees of freedom (df) = 37, and P < 0.001). Egger's test verified the funnel plot's bias, while result from the leave-one-out forest plot had no effect on the pooled prevalence.},
}

Animals
*Animals, Wild/microbiology
*Birds/microbiology
*Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/epidemiology/veterinary/microbiology
Prevalence
*Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci/isolation & purification

@article {pmid38656932,
year = {2024},
author = {Sutton, AO and Strickland, D and Lachapelle, J and Young, RG and Hanner, R and Brunton, DF and Skevington, JH and Freeman, NE and Norris, DR},
title = {Fecal DNA metabarcoding helps characterize the Canada jay's diet and confirms its reliance on stored food for winter survival and breeding.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {4},
pages = {e0300583},
pmid = {38656932},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Seasons ; *Feces/chemistry ; *Diet ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; Breeding ; Canada ; DNA/analysis/genetics ; },
abstract = {Accurately determining the diet of wild animals can be challenging if food items are small, visible only briefly, or rendered visually unidentifiable in the digestive system. In some food caching species, an additional challenge is determining whether consumed diet items have been previously stored or are fresh. The Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis) is a generalist resident of North American boreal and subalpine forests with anatomical and behavioural adaptations allowing it to make thousands of arboreal food caches in summer and fall that are presumably responsible for its high winter survival and late winter/early spring breeding. We used DNA fecal metabarcoding to obtain novel information on nestling diets and compiled a dataset of 662 published and unpublished direct observations or stomach contents identifications of natural foods consumed by Canada jays throughout the year. We then used detailed natural history information to make informed decisions on whether each item identified to species in the diets of winter adults and nestlings was best characterized as 'likely cached', 'likely fresh' (i.e., was available as a non-cached item when it appeared in a jay's feces or stomach), or 'either possible'. Of the 87 food items consumed by adults in the winter, 39% were classified as 'likely cached' and 6% were deemed to be 'likely fresh'. For nestlings, 29% of 125 food items identified to species were 'likely cached' and 38% were 'likely fresh'. Our results support both the indispensability of cached food for Canada jay winter survival and previous suggestions that cached food is important for late winter/early spring breeding. Our work highlights the value of combining metabarcoding, stomach contents analysis, and direct observations to determine the cached vs. non-cached origins of consumed food items and the identity of food caches, some of which could be especially vulnerable to degradation through climate change.},
}

Animals
*Seasons
*Feces/chemistry
*Diet
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods
Passeriformes/physiology
Feeding Behavior
Breeding
Canada
DNA/analysis/genetics

@article {pmid38643223,
year = {2024},
author = {Mansoor, MH and Lu, X and Woksepp, H and Sattar, A and Humak, F and Ali, J and Li, R and Bonnedahl, J and Mohsin, M},
title = {Detection and genomic characterization of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli harboring tet(X4) in black kites (Milvus migrans) in Pakistan.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {9054},
pmid = {38643223},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; Tigecycline/pharmacology ; *Escherichia coli ; *Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Pakistan ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Birds/genetics ; Plasmids/genetics ; Genomics ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; },
abstract = {The emergence of plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance gene tet(X4) among clinically relevant bacteria has promoted significant concerns, as tigecycline is considered a last-resort drug against serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. We herein focused on the isolation and molecular characterization of tet(X4)-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in wild bird populations with anthropogenic interaction in Faisalabad, Pakistan. A total of 150 birds including black kites (Milvus migrans) and house crows (Corvus splendens) were screened for the presence of tigecycline resistance K. pneumoniae and E. coli. We found two K. pneumoniae and one E. coli isolate carrying tet(X4) originating from black kites. A combination of short- and long-read sequencing strategies showed that tet(X4) was located on a broad host range IncFII plasmid family in K. pneumoniae isolates whereas on an IncFII-IncFIB hybrid plasmid in E. coli. We also found an integrative and conjugative element ICEKp2 in K. pneumoniae isolate KP8336. We demonstrate the first description of tet(X4) gene in the WHO critical-priority pathogen K. pneumoniae among wild birds. The convergence of tet(X4) and virulence associated ICEKp2 in a wild bird with known anthropogenic contact should be further investigated to evaluate the potential epidemiological implications. The potential risk of global transmission of tet(X4)-positive K. pneumoniae and E. coli warrant comprehensive evaluation and emphasizes the need for effective mitigation strategies to reduce anthropogenic-driven dissemination of AMR in the environment.},
}

Animals
Tigecycline/pharmacology
*Escherichia coli
*Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Pakistan
Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics
Birds/genetics
Plasmids/genetics
Genomics
Microbial Sensitivity Tests

@article {pmid38640235,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhang, C and Jia, B and Zhu, Y and Zhu, SC},
title = {Human-level few-shot concept induction through minimax entropy learning.},
journal = {Science advances},
volume = {10},
number = {16},
pages = {eadg2488},
pmid = {38640235},
issn = {2375-2548},
abstract = {Humans learn concepts both from labeled supervision and by unsupervised observation of patterns, a process machines are being taught to mimic by training on large annotated datasets-a method quite different from the human pathway, wherein few examples with no supervision suffice to induce an unfamiliar relational concept. We introduce a computational model designed to emulate human inductive reasoning on abstract reasoning tasks, such as those in IQ tests, using a minimax entropy approach. This method combines identifying the most effective constraints on data via minimum entropy with determining the best combination of them via maximum entropy. Our model, which applies this unsupervised technique, induces concepts from just one instance, reaching human-level performance on tasks of Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), Machine Number Sense (MNS), and Odd-One-Out (O[3]). These results demonstrate the potential of minimax entropy learning for enabling machines to learn relational concepts efficiently with minimal input.},
}

@article {pmid38622257,
year = {2024},
author = {Schumm, YR and Lederer-Ponzer, N and Masello, JF and Quillfeldt, P},
title = {High prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in Eurasian jays.},
journal = {Parasitology research},
volume = {123},
number = {4},
pages = {182},
pmid = {38622257},
issn = {1432-1955},
support = {LOEWE priority project Nature 4.0 - Sensing Biodiversity//Hessen State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Parasites ; Prevalence ; DNA, Protozoan ; Phylogeny ; *Songbirds ; *Passeriformes ; *Haemosporida/genetics ; *Bird Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology ; *Protozoan Infections, Animal/epidemiology/parasitology ; },
abstract = {Avian haemosporidians are vector-borne parasites, infecting a great variety of birds. The order Passeriformes has the highest average infection probability; nevertheless, some common species of Passeriformes have been rather poorly studied. We investigated haemosporidians in one such species, the Eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius (Corvidae), from a forest population in Hesse, Central Germany. All individuals were infected with at least one haemosporidian genus (overall prevalence: 100%). The most common infection pattern was a mixed Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon infection, whereas no Plasmodium infection was detected. Results on lineage diversity indicate a rather pronounced host-specificity of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon lineages infecting birds of the family Corvidae.},
}

Humans
Animals
*Parasites
Prevalence
DNA, Protozoan
Phylogeny
*Songbirds
*Passeriformes
*Haemosporida/genetics
*Bird Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology
*Protozoan Infections, Animal/epidemiology/parasitology

@article {pmid38591218,
year = {2024},
author = {De Tollenaere, M and Meunier, M and Lapierre, L and Chapuis, E and Guilleret, A and Harrison, I and Jean, T and Rannou, A and Scandolera, A and Reynaud, R},
title = {High molecular weight hyaluronic acid vectorised with clay provides long-term hydration and reduces skin brightness.},
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 = {4},
pages = {e13672},
pmid = {38591218},
issn = {1600-0846},
mesh = {Humans ; *Hyaluronic Acid/pharmacology/chemistry ; Clay ; Molecular Weight ; Skin ; *Skin Aging ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a widely used active cosmetic ingredient. Its multiple skin care benefits are modulated by its molecular weight. Low molecular weight (LMW) HA can penetrate the skin, but high molecular weight (HMW) HA remains at the surface. Here, we assessed how vectorization of HMW HA with bentonite clay-achieved with an innovative technology-enhances its cosmetic and hydrating properties.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The two HA forms were applied to skin explants; their penetration and smoothing effects were monitored by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The two forms were biochemically characterised by chromatography, enzyme sensitivity assays, and analysis of Zeta potential. Cosmetics benefits such as, the smoothing effect of vectorised-HA was assessed in ex vivo experiments on skin explants. A placebo-controlled clinical study was finally conducted applying treatments for 28 days to analyse the final benefits in crow's feet area.

RESULTS: Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed native HMW HA to accumulate at the surface of skin explants, whereas vectorised HMW HA was detected in deeper skin layers. This innovative vectorisation process changed the zeta potential of vectorised HMW HA, being then more anionic and negative without impacting the biochemical structure of native HA. In terms of cosmetic benefits, following application of vectorised HMW HA ex vivo, the skin's surface was visibly smoother. This smoothing was clinically confirmed, with a significant reduction in fine lines.

CONCLUSION: The development of innovative process vectorising HMW HA allowed HMW HA penetration in the skin. This enhanced penetration extends the clinical benefits of this iconic cosmetic ingredient.},
}

Humans
*Hyaluronic Acid/pharmacology/chemistry
Clay
Molecular Weight
Skin
*Skin Aging

@article {pmid38589583,
year = {2024},
author = {Krige, Z and Spencer, EE and Crowther, MS and Dickman, CR and Newsome, TM},
title = {Flooding, season and habitat interact to drive changes in vertebrate scavenging and carcass persistence rates.},
journal = {Oecologia},
volume = {204},
number = {4},
pages = {861-874},
pmid = {38589583},
issn = {1432-1939},
support = {Threatened Species Recovery Hub [Theme 1//Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program/ ; Subproject 1.1.11//Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Floods ; *Ecosystem ; *Seasons ; Australia ; Vertebrates/physiology ; Food Chain ; Climate Change ; },
abstract = {Scavenging dynamics are influenced by many abiotic and biotic factors, but there is little knowledge of how scavengers respond to extreme weather events. As carrion is a major driver of the organisation and structure of food webs within ecological communities, understanding the response of scavengers to extreme weather events is critical in a world that is increasingly subject to climate change. In this study, vertebrate scavenging and carcass persistence rates were quantified in the Simpson Desert of central Australia; a system that experiences major fluctuations and extremes in weather conditions. Specifically, a total of 80 adult red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) carcasses were placed on the landscape and monitored using remote sensor cameras. This included 40 carcasses monitored before and then 40 carcasses monitored after a major flooding event. The carcasses were monitored equally before and after the flood across different seasons (warm and cool) and in dune and interdune habitats. Overall, a total of 8124 scavenging events for 97,976 visitation minutes were recorded for 11 vertebrate species within 30 days of carcass placement pre- and post-flood. Vertebrate scavenging increased post-flood in the warm season, especially by corvids which quadrupled their scavenging events during this time. There was little difference in carcass persistence between habitats, but carcasses persisted 5.3-fold longer post-flood in warm seasons despite increased vertebrate scavenging. The results demonstrate that a flood event can influence scavenging dynamics and suggest a need to further understand how seasons, habitats and extreme weather events can drive changes in carrion-based food webs.},
}

Animals
*Floods
*Ecosystem
*Seasons
Australia
Vertebrates/physiology
Food Chain
Climate Change

@article {pmid38583936,
year = {2024},
author = {Hu, B and Wang, JM and Zhang, QX and Xu, J and Xing, YN and Wang, B and Han, SY and He, HX},
title = {Enterococcus faecalis provides protection during scavenging in carrion crow (Corvus corone).},
journal = {Zoological research},
volume = {45},
number = {3},
pages = {451-463},
pmid = {38583936},
issn = {2095-8137},
mesh = {Animals ; Mice ; *Crows ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Ecosystem ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Feeding Behavior ; Birds ; },
abstract = {The gut microbiota significantly influences host physiology and provides essential ecosystem services. While diet can affect the composition of the gut microbiota, the gut microbiota can also help the host adapt to specific dietary habits. The carrion crow (Corvus corone), an urban facultative scavenger bird, hosts an abundance of pathogens due to its scavenging behavior. Despite this, carrion crows infrequently exhibit illness, a phenomenon related to their unique physiological adaptability. At present, however, the role of the gut microbiota remains incompletely understood. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technology to assess colonic content in carrion crows and 16 other bird species with different diets in Beijing, China. Our findings revealed that the dominant gut microbiota in carrion crows was primarily composed of Proteobacteria (75.51%) and Firmicutes (22.37%). Significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of Enterococcus faecalis among groups, highlighting its potential as a biomarker of facultative scavenging behavior in carrion crows. Subsequently, E. faecalis isolated from carrion crows was transplanted into model mice to explore the protective effects of this bacterial community against Salmonella enterica infection. Results showed that E. faecalis down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), prevented S. enterica colonization, and regulated the composition of gut microbiota in mice, thereby modulating the host's immune regulatory capacity. Therefore, E. faecalis exerts immunoregulatory and anti-pathogenic functions in carrion crows engaged in scavenging behavior, offering a representative case of how the gut microbiota contributes to the protection of hosts with specialized diets.},
}

Animals
Mice
*Crows
Enterococcus faecalis
Ecosystem
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Feeding Behavior
Birds

@article {pmid38583220,
year = {2024},
author = {Melo-Souza, V and Gavrilov, A and Rossi-Santos, MR},
title = {Dropping a bombshell: Acoustic characterization of blast fishing in Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil, and its implication for marine conservation.},
journal = {Marine pollution bulletin},
volume = {202},
number = {},
pages = {116332},
doi = {10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116332},
pmid = {38583220},
issn = {1879-3363},
mesh = {Brazil ; *Bays ; *Acoustics ; *Fisheries ; Animals ; *Conservation of Natural Resources ; Fishes ; Environmental Monitoring ; Explosions ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {Blast fishing is an illegal fishing method that not only affects fish populations and the marine ecosystem, but also local food security and local economy. Despite its effects, blast fishing continues to persist in many coastal regions around the world, including Todos os Santos Bay (BTS - Baia de Todos os Santos) in Northeastern Brazil. This study provides the first acoustic record of underwater explosions along this region. The acoustic data were collected between 2016 and 2018, from a boat-survey platform, using a portable system consisting of an HTI-90 min hydrophone (sensitivity of about -165 dB re 1 V/μPa) connected to a TASCAM DR-40 digital recorder (combined frequency response up to 30 kHz), recording at 7 m depth. The acoustic analysis was performed using both RAVEN 1.6 and MATLAB 2021a softwares. The results revealed a distinctive underwater explosion signal detected in the BTS, indicating evidence of blast fishing activities. The acoustic characterization of blast fishing in BTS provides crucial information on its occurrence and extent of this destructive practice worldwide.},
}

Brazil
*Bays
*Acoustics
*Fisheries
Animals
*Conservation of Natural Resources
Fishes
Environmental Monitoring
Explosions
Ecosystem

@article {pmid38582185,
year = {2024},
author = {Maruyama, M and Ushine, N and Watanabe, Y and Ishii, C and Saito, K and Sakai, H and Kuritani, T and Doya, R and Ogasawara, K and Ikenaka, Y and Yohannes, YB and Ishizuka, M and Nakayama, SMM},
title = {Current situation of lead (Pb) exposure in raptors and waterfowl in Japan and difference in sensitivity to in vitro lead exposure among avian species.},
journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)},
volume = {349},
number = {},
pages = {123907},
doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123907},
pmid = {38582185},
issn = {1873-6424},
mesh = {Animals ; *Lead/blood/metabolism ; Japan ; *Raptors/metabolism ; *Environmental Pollutants/blood ; *Birds/metabolism ; Environmental Monitoring/methods ; Lead Poisoning/veterinary ; Environmental Exposure/statistics & numerical data ; Crows ; },
abstract = {Although lead (Pb) poisoning in wild birds has been considered a serious problem in Japan for over 30 years, there is little information about Pb exposure and its sources throughout Japan except for Hokkaido. Furthermore, to identify and effectively prioritize the conservation needs of highly vulnerable species, differences in sensitivity to Pb exposure among avian species need to be determined. Therefore, we investigated the current situation of Pb exposure in raptors (13 species, N = 82), waterfowl (eight species, N = 44) and crows (one species, N = 6) using concentration and isotope analysis. We employed blood or tissue samples collected in various Japanese facilities mainly in 2022 or 2023. We also carried out a comparative study of blood δ-ALAD sensitivity to in vitro Pb exposure using blood of nine avian species. Pb concentrations in the blood or tissues displayed increased levels (>0.1 μg/g blood) in two raptors (2.4%), ten waterfowl (23%) and one crow (17%). Among them, poisoning levels (>0.6 μg/g blood) were found in one black kite and one common teal. The sources of Pb isotope ratios in ten blood samples with high Pb levels were determined as deriving from shot pellets (N = 9) or rifle bullets (N = 1). In the δ-ALAD study, red-crowned crane showed the highest sensitivity among the nine tested avian species and was followed in order by five Accipitriformes species (including white-tailed and Steller's sea eagle), Blakiston's fish owl, Muscovy duck and chicken, suggesting a genetically driven variance in susceptibility. Further studies on contamination conditions and exposure sources are urgently needed to inform strict regulations on the usage of Pb ammunition. Furthermore, detailed examinations of δ-ALAD sensitivity, interspecific differences, and other factors involved in the variability in sensitivity to Pb are required to identify and prioritize highly sensitive species.},
}

Animals
*Lead/blood/metabolism
Japan
*Raptors/metabolism
*Environmental Pollutants/blood
*Birds/metabolism
Environmental Monitoring/methods
Lead Poisoning/veterinary
Environmental Exposure/statistics & numerical data
Crows

@article {pmid38571527,
year = {2024},
author = {Cheyette, SJ and Piantadosi, ST},
title = {Response to Difficulty Drives Variation in IQ Test Performance.},
journal = {Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science},
volume = {8},
number = {},
pages = {265-277},
pmid = {38571527},
issn = {2470-2986},
abstract = {In a large (N = 300), pre-registered experiment and data analysis model, we find that individual variation in overall performance on Raven's Progressive Matrices is substantially driven by differential strategizing in the face of difficulty. Some participants choose to spend more time on hard problems while others choose to spend less and these differences explain about 42% of the variance in overall performance. In a data analysis jointly predicting participants' reaction times and accuracy on each item, we find that the Raven's task captures at most half of participants' variation in time-controlled ability (48%) down to almost none (3%), depending on which notion of ability is assumed. Our results highlight the role that confounding factors such as motivation play in explaining individuals' differential performance in IQ testing.},
}

@article {pmid38564380,
year = {2024},
author = {Farris, P and Berson, D and Bhatia, N and Goldberg, D and Lain, E and Mariwalla, K and Zeichner, J and Miller, D and McGuire, T and Kizoulis, M},
title = {Efficacy and Tolerability of Topical 0.1% Stabilized Bioactive Retinol for Photoaging: A Vehicle-Controlled Integrated Analysis.},
journal = {Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD},
volume = {23},
number = {4},
pages = {209-215},
doi = {10.36849/JDD.8124},
pmid = {38564380},
issn = {1545-9616},
mesh = {Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Administration, Cutaneous ; Double-Blind Method ; Retinoids ; *Skin Aging ; Treatment Outcome ; Tretinoin/adverse effects ; *Vitamin A ; Adult ; Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Chronic exposure to ultraviolet light photoages skin. Retinol, a precursor molecule to retinoic acid that causes less irritation, is available as a nonprescription, cosmetic retinoid and improves collagen production, skin elasticity, and signs of photoaging. Advances in formulation science have allowed the production of stabilized bioactive retinol formulations. This integrated analysis aims to build on previous studies and further examine the comprehensive efficacy and tolerability of topical 0.1% stabilized bioactive retinol.

METHODS: This analysis included 6 vehicle-controlled studies of 0.1% stabilized bioactive retinol in women with mild-to-moderate signs of photodamage. Across all studies, the same dermatologist investigator assessed overall photodamage; wrinkles on the forehead, cheeks, and undereye area; crow’s feet wrinkles and fine lines; lack of even skin tone; and brown spots at baseline and weeks 4, 8, and 12 on a numerical scale. Tolerability was also assessed.

RESULTS: Participants (retinol, N=237; vehicle, N=234) had a mean (SD) age of 47.4 (6.6) years. Retinol induced greater improvements from baseline in all signs of photoaging vs vehicle as early as week 4 and through 12 weeks of application. Few participants experienced irritation; all events were mild to moderate and transient. The most common signs of irritation were erythema (n=2) and skin scaling/peeling (n=5).

CONCLUSIONS: This pooled analysis of 6 vehicle-controlled clinical studies provides new evidence for the efficacy of 0.1% stabilized bioactive retinol in improving signs of photoaging without causing major irritation. Topical 0.1% stabilized bioactive retinol was well tolerated with only a few reported cases of skin irritation. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(4):&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;doi:10.36849/JDD.8124.},
}

Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Administration, Cutaneous
Double-Blind Method
Retinoids
*Skin Aging
Treatment Outcome
Tretinoin/adverse effects
*Vitamin A
Adult
Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic

@article {pmid38563943,
year = {2024},
author = {Wadas, MJ and White, WJ and LeFevre, HJ and Kuranz, CC and Towne, A and Johnsen, E},
title = {Hydrodynamic Mechanism for Clumping along the Equatorial Rings of SN1987A and Other Stars.},
journal = {Physical review letters},
volume = {132},
number = {11},
pages = {111201},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.111201},
pmid = {38563943},
issn = {1079-7114},
abstract = {An explanation for the origin and number of clumps along the equatorial ring of Supernova 1987A has eluded decades of research. Our linear analysis and hydrodynamic simulations of the expanding ring prior to the supernova reveal that it is subject to the Crow instability between vortex cores. The dominant wave number is remarkably consistent with the number of clumps, suggesting that the Crow instability stimulates clump formation. Although the present analysis focuses on linear fluid flow, future nonlinear analysis and the incorporation of additional stellar physics may further elucidate the remnant structure and the evolution of the progenitor and other stars.},
}

@article {pmid38557350,
year = {2024},
author = {Wang, Z and Mayer, CH and Li, J},
title = {A psychobiographical analysis of Empress Dowager Cixi: exploring the femininity castrated complex.},
journal = {International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)},
volume = {36},
number = {1-2},
pages = {56-68},
doi = {10.1080/09540261.2023.2274934},
pmid = {38557350},
issn = {1369-1627},
mesh = {Female ; Humans ; Animals ; *Femininity ; *Chickens ; },
abstract = {In Chinese culture, there is a widely circulated phrase, 'A hen crows in the morning'. This phrase is used to humiliate women who steal power and engage in the political field. It demonstrates the complicated relationship between women and power in the context of Chinese culture. Women are not completely excluded from the politics, but women in power are often stigmatised. This study explores the life of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908), the last female dominator in Chinese history, takes psychobiography as the research method, and attempts to understand the complicated relationship between women and power in Chinese culture through analysing Cixi's life from the perspective of complex and cultural complex theory which originated with C.G. Jung and analytical theory. The research findings show that humiliating and suppressing women with political talent can trigger their complexes, both personal and cultural. This study attempts to propose the femininity castrated complex to better describe the conscious and unconscious psychological dynamics impacting on women within patriarchal, political Chinese culture. This complex further relates to (1) denying her biological sex in order to avoid accusations of superego and, (2) the relationship with her son who is not only her son, but also her enemy regarding (political) power.},
}

Female
Humans
Animals
*Femininity
*Chickens

@article {pmid38553766,
year = {2024},
author = {Chambon, R and Paillisson, JM and Fournier-Sowinski, J and Dugravot, S},
title = {Agricultural habitat use and selection by a sedentary bird over its annual life cycle in a crop-depredation context.},
journal = {Movement ecology},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {26},
pmid = {38553766},
issn = {2051-3933},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Modern agriculture has undoubtedly led to increasing wildlife-human conflicts, notably concerning bird damage in productive and attractive crops during some parts of the annual cycle. This issue requires utmost attention for sedentary birds that may impact agricultural crops at any stage of their annual life cycle. Reducing bird-human conflicts requires a better understanding of the relationship between bird foraging activity and the characteristics of agricultural areas, notably with respect to changes in food-resource availability and crop sensitivity across the year.

METHODS: We explored how GPS-tagged adult male western jackdaws- sedentary corvids- utilize agricultural areas throughout their annual cycle, in a context of crop depredation. More precisely, we described their daily occurrence distribution and the extent of habitat use and selection consistency with respect to landscape composition across time.

RESULTS: Jackdaws moved in the close agricultural surroundings of their urban nesting place over the year (< 2.5 km from the nest, on average). Daily occurrence distributions were restricted (< 2.2 km[2]), relatively centered on the nesting locality (distance between the daily occurrence centroid and the nest < 0.9 km), and rather spatially stable during each annual life-cycle period (overlap range: 63.4-76.1%). Their foraging patterns highlighted that they fed mainly in grasslands all year round, and foraged complementarily and opportunistically in maize (during sowing- coinciding with the first stages of the birds' breeding period) and cereal crops (during harvesting- their post-fledging period).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate the very limited space use by breeding male jackdaws which foraged preferentially in grasslands. We call for future investigations in other agricultural contexts and also considering non-breeders for extrapolation purposes.},
}

@article {pmid38545615,
year = {2024},
author = {Hooper, R and Maher, K and Moore, K and McIvor, G and Hosken, D and Thornton, A},
title = {Ultimate drivers of forced extra-pair copulations in birds lacking a penis: jackdaws as a case-study.},
journal = {Royal Society open science},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {231226},
pmid = {38545615},
issn = {2054-5703},
support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; },
abstract = {Forced copulation is common, presumably because it can increase male reproductive success. Forced extra-pair copulation (FEPC) occurs in birds, even though most species lack a penis and are widely thought to require female cooperation for fertilization. How FEPC persists, despite a presumed lack of siring success and likely non-negligible costs to the male, is unknown. Using the jackdaw (Corvus monedula) as a case study, we use SNPs to quantify the extra-pair paternity rate through FEPC and evaluate explanations for the persistence of FEPC in species without a penis. We then collate evidence for FEPC across penis-lacking birds. Combining genetic and behavioural analyses, our study suggests that the most likely explanations for the maintenance of FEPC in jackdaws are that it provides a selective advantage to males or it is a relic. Our literature review shows that across birds lacking a penis, FEPC is taxonomically widespread, and yet, little is known about its evolution. A broader implementation of the approach used here, combining both genetic and behavioural data, may shed light on why this widespread sexual behaviour persists. Additional work is necessary to understand whether a penis is needed for paternity through forced copulation and to quantify the costs of FEPC.},
}

@article {pmid38545558,
year = {2024},
author = {Tummeleht, L and Häkkä, SSS and Jürison, M and Vilem, A and Nurmoja, I and Viltrop, A},
title = {Wild boar (Sus scrofa) carcasses as an attraction for scavengers and a potential source for soil contamination with the African swine fever virus.},
journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {1305643},
pmid = {38545558},
issn = {2297-1769},
abstract = {The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a social animal species native to Eurasia. During the last decade, the wild boar population in Estonia has been severely affected by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), which has also affected domestic pig farming. The potential transmission routes of ASFV remain unclear and are currently under intensive investigation. This pilot study aimed to clarify the frequency and characteristics of contacts between living wild boars and the carcasses of their conspecifics, which could play a role in the transmission of ASFV. Wild animals' contact and scavenging behavior on wild boar carcasses were studied using trail cameras in an experimental setting on Hiiumaa, Western Estonia. Four legally hunted carcasses were used in the present study. This study aimed to determine whether intraspecies scavenging occurs in wild boars. The persistence of ASFV DNA in soil contaminated with infected wild boar carcasses was investigated separately. Among the 17 identified wildlife species that visited wild boar carcasses, the common raven (Corvus corax) was the most frequent one (37.26%), followed by raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides; 4.25%), carcass conspecific/wild boars (3.16%), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes; 2.14%). Regarding the direct contact with the carcass, the same species ranking was detected: common raven (74.95%), raccoon dogs (9.94%), wild boars (4.21%), and red foxes (4.21%). No clear signs of cannibalism were noted among the wild boars, although brief physical contact with the carcasses was evident. The persistence of ASFV DNA in soil contaminated by infected wild boar carcasses was investigated separately. This study revealed that ASFV DNA from infected carcasses could be detected in forest soil for prolonged periods, even after removing the carcasses. Hence, the carcasses of infected wild boars may play an important role in spreading the African swine fever virus in wild boar populations; thus, prompt removal and disinfection of the soil could be considered necessary to limit the spread of the infection.},
}

@article {pmid38541285,
year = {2024},
author = {Held, S and Feng, D and McCormick, A and Schure, M and Other Medicine, L and Hallett, J and Inouye, J and Allen, S and Holder, S and Bull Shows, B and Trottier, C and Kyro, A and Kropp, S and Turns Plenty, N},
title = {The Báa nnilah Program: Results of a Chronic-Illness Self-Management Cluster Randomized Trial with the Apsáalooke Nation.},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
volume = {21},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {38541285},
issn = {1660-4601},
support = {U01 MD010619/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; U01MD010619/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; U54GM104944/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; P20GM103474/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; P20 GM103474/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U54 GM104944/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *American Indian or Alaska Native ; Chronic Disease ; Community-Based Participatory Research/methods ; *Indians, North American ; *Self-Management ; },
abstract = {Indigenous people in Montana are disproportionately affected by chronic illness (CI), a legacy of settler colonialism. Existing programs addressing CI self-management are not appropriate because they are not consonant with Indigenous cultures in general and the Apsáalooke culture specifically. A research partnership between the Apsáalooke (Crow Nation) non-profit organization Messengers for Health and Montana State University co-developed, implemented, and evaluated a CI self-management program for community members. This article examines qualitative and quantitative program impacts using a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial design with intervention and waitlist control arms. The quantitative and qualitative data resulted in different stories on the impact of the Báa nnilah program. Neither of the quantitative hypotheses were supported with one exception. The qualitative data showed substantial positive outcomes across multiple areas. We examine why the data sets led to two very different stories, and provide study strengths and limitations, recommendations, and future directions.},
}

Humans
*American Indian or Alaska Native
Chronic Disease
Community-Based Participatory Research/methods
*Indians, North American
*Self-Management

@article {pmid38538209,
year = {2024},
author = {Shatkovska, OV and Ghazali, M and Mytiai, IS and Stegney, MM},
title = {Patterns of integrated growth of body parts in Rook (Corvus frugilegus) ontogeny.},
journal = {Journal of morphology},
volume = {285},
number = {4},
pages = {e21690},
doi = {10.1002/jmor.21690},
pmid = {38538209},
issn = {1097-4687},
support = {2020.02/0247//National Research Foundation of Ukraine/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows ; Wings, Animal ; Chickens ; Hindlimb ; Forelimb ; },
abstract = {The early period of ontogeny is key to understanding the patterns of body plan formation in birds. Most studies of avian development have focused on the development of individual avian characters, leaving their developmental integration understudied. We explored the dynamics and integration of relative percentage increments in body mass, lengths of head, skeletal elements of wing and leg, and primary flight feathers in the embryonic and postnatal development of the Rook (Corvus frugilegus). The relative percentage increments were calculated according to Brody's equation. Groups of similar growing traits (modules) were determined using hierarchical cluster analysis, and the degree of correlation between modules was estimated by PLS analysis. The embryonic and postnatal periods demonstrate significant consistency both in the dynamics of changes in relative percentage increments of studied traits as well as in the clustering of individual modules. The modules mainly include the body mass and head length, as well as the elements that form the fore- and hind limbs. Differences were revealed in the combination of modules into clusters in embryonic and postnatal periods. Hind limb elements clustered together with wing elements in the embryonic period but with body mass and the head in the postnatal period. The strongest modularity was noted for the leg in embryogenesis, and for the wing in postnatal development. The forelimb and especially the primary feathers had more distinctive growth patterns. We suggest the changes in the degree of integration between locomotor modules in ontogenesis are connected with the earlier functioning of the legs in the postnatal period and with the preparation of the wings for functioning after a chick leaves the nest.},
}

Animals
*Crows
Wings, Animal
Chickens
Hindlimb
Forelimb

@article {pmid38537165,
year = {2024},
author = {Edwards-Grossi, È and Willoughby, CDE},
title = {Slavery and Its Afterlives in US Psychiatry.},
journal = {American journal of public health},
volume = {114},
number = {S3},
pages = {S250-S257},
pmid = {38537165},
issn = {1541-0048},
mesh = {Humans ; *Enslavement ; Mental Health ; *Psychiatry/history ; Socioeconomic Factors ; United States ; *Black or African American/psychology ; },
abstract = {Antecedents of racist treatments of Black patients by the psychiatric profession in the United States affect the way they view treatment today. Specifically, in this essay, we explore the enduring consequences of racial science on various treatment practices. We examined a range of primary sources on the history of racial theories about the mind, medical and psychiatric publications, and hospitals. We contextualize this analysis by examining the secondary literature in the history and sociology of psychiatry. Through analyzing racial thinking from the antebellum through the Jim Crow periods, we show how US medicine and psychiatry have roots in antebellum racial science and how carceral logics underpinned the past and present politics of Black mental health. Changing this trajectory requires practitioners to interrogate the historical foundations of racist psychiatric concepts. This essay urges them to reject biological racial realism, which bears reminiscences to 19th-century racial science, and embrace the variable of race as a social construct to study social inequalities in health as a first step toward moving away from the legacies of past injustices in medicine. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(S3):S250-S257. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307554).},
}

Humans
*Enslavement
Mental Health
*Psychiatry/history
Socioeconomic Factors
United States
*Black or African American/psychology

@article {pmid38536907,
year = {2024},
author = {Humpenöder, F and Popp, A and Merfort, L and Luderer, G and Weindl, I and Bodirsky, BL and Stevanović, M and Klein, D and Rodrigues, R and Bauer, N and Dietrich, JP and Lotze-Campen, H and Rockström, J},
title = {Food matters: Dietary shifts increase the feasibility of 1.5°C pathways in line with the Paris Agreement.},
journal = {Science advances},
volume = {10},
number = {13},
pages = {eadj3832},
pmid = {38536907},
issn = {2375-2548},
mesh = {Feasibility Studies ; *Diet ; *Greenhouse Gases ; Food ; Carbon Dioxide/metabolism ; Climate Change ; Greenhouse Effect ; },
abstract = {A transition to healthy diets such as the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet could considerably reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the specific contributions of dietary shifts for the feasibility of 1.5°C pathways remain unclear. Here, we use the open-source integrated assessment modeling (IAM) framework REMIND-MAgPIE to compare 1.5°C pathways with and without dietary shifts. We find that a flexitarian diet increases the feasibility of the Paris Agreement climate goals in different ways: The reduction of GHG emissions related to dietary shifts, especially methane from ruminant enteric fermentation, increases the 1.5°C compatible carbon budget. Therefore, dietary shifts allow to achieve the same climate outcome with less carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and less stringent CO2 emission reductions in the energy system, which reduces pressure on GHG prices, energy prices, and food expenditures.},
}

Feasibility Studies
*Diet
*Greenhouse Gases
Food
Carbon Dioxide/metabolism
Climate Change
Greenhouse Effect

@article {pmid38518171,
year = {2024},
author = {Bibi, C and Nigar, Z},
title = {Clinical Evaluation of a Topical Unani Polyherbal Formulation in the Management of Photodamaged Facial skin: An open-label Standard Controlled Trial.},
journal = {Alternative therapies in health and medicine},
volume = {30},
number = {3},
pages = {16-23},
pmid = {38518171},
issn = {1078-6791},
mesh = {Humans ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; *Skin Aging/drug effects ; Medicine, Unani/methods ; Aged ; Face ; Administration, Topical ; Phytotherapy/methods ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use/pharmacology ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Ageing is a natural process of life. With increasing age, the skin suffers progressive morphological and physiological decrement. Hyperpigmentation, Wrinkles, and roughness of skin are some of the symptoms of aged skin. Exposure to sunlight, pollution, stress, nicotine, etc aggravates Skin aging. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of polyherbal formulation and compare its efficacy with the standard drug tretinoin in subjects of moderate to advanced Photoaged facial skin. Ingredients of polyherbal formulation are Aarade baqla (Vicia faba), Jau (Hordeum vulgare), Nakhud (Cicer arietinum),Masoor (Lens esculenta), Tukhm e turb (Raphanus sativus), Khardal (Brassica nigra), Haldi (Curcuma longa), Kateera (Cochlospermum religiosum).

METHODS: This was a randomized open-label standard controlled study. 82 eligible subjects were allocated equally into test and control groups by computer-generated random numbers. In the test group, a paste of 15 gm polyherbal formulation in milk, and the control group, 0.025% Tretinoin 1 gram was used topically on the face once a day for two months. The response was assessed by theclinician using following different scales for different parameters.

It was assessed by the Skin Hyperpigmentation Index online calculator (SHI). It describes the ratio of two scores, namely the hyperpigmented skin of the affected area and normal sun-protected skin from the same patient. The image was recorded with a Digital microscope-Win7 from a hyperpigmented area and normal sun-protected area. Both the images were uploaded on https://shi.skinimageanalysis.com/ and calculated the mean value of hyperpigmentation. SHI ranges from 1 (no hyperpigmentation) to 4 (maximum hyperpigmentation) where scores between 1 and 2 showed as light hyperpigmentation, 2-3 as medium hyperpigmentation, and scores between 3 and 4 as severe hyperpigmentation.

ASSESSMENT OF FINE WRINKLES: Fine wrinkles number was determined by digital photography. The photographs were taken through Canon EOS 1500D DSLR Camera with an 18-55 mm Lens. Three images were taken of each subject's face (right, left, and center full face) on Baseline and Day 15th, 30th, 45th, and 60th to assess visible changes/improvement in their fine wrinkles score.

ASSESSMENT OF NASOLABIAL FOLD: Modified Fitzpatrick Wrinkle Scale (MFWS) was used to assess Nasolabial folds. The scale comprised four main classes of Nasolabial wrinkling: 0, 1, 2, and 3 representing absent, fine, moderate, and deep wrinkles, respectively, and three inter classes i.e., 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 to estimate wrinkle depth. The definitions of the entire classes of the scale are as follows: Class 0 = No wrinkle. No visible wrinkle; continuous skin line; Class 0.5 = Very shallow yet visible wrinkle; Class 1= Fine wrinkle. Visible wrinkle and slight indentation; Class 1.5= Visible wrinkle and clear indentation. <1-mm wrinkle depth; Class 2= Moderate wrinkle. Visible wrinkle, 1- to 2-mm wrinkle depth; Class 2.5= Prominent and visible wrinkle. More than 2-mm and less than 3-mm wrinkle depth; Class 3=Deep wrinkle. Deep and furrow wrinkle; more than 3-mm wrinkle depth.

Forehead lines were assessed (number and depth) by a Validated Grading Scale for Forehead Lines. The Forehead Lines Grading Scale is a 5- point photonumeric rating scale that was developed to objectively quantify resting (static) and hyperkinetic (dynamic) forehead lines. The scale ratings are 0 for no wrinkles, 1 for no wrinkles present at rest but fine lines with facial expression, 2 for fine wrinkles present at rest and deep lines with facial expression, 3 for fine wrinkles present at rest and deeper lines with facial expression, and 4 for deeper wrinkles at rest and deeper furrows with facial expression.

The number of lateral canthal lines was determined by a Validated Grading Scale for Crow's Feet. The Crow's Feet Grading Scale is a 5- point photonumeric rating scale developed to objectively quantify the severity of crow's feet. This scale was applied to two separate evaluations of crow's feet: at rest (static) and with expression (dynamic). The scale ratings are 0 for no wrinkles, 1 for very fine wrinkles, 2 for fine wrinkles, 3 for moderate wrinkles, and 4 for severe wrinkles.

The Allergan Skin Roughness Scale was used for facial skin roughness assessment. The area of assessment for the Allergan Skin roughness Scale is the area between the nasolabial fold to the preauricular cheek and from the inferior orbital rim to the mandible. The Allergan Skin Roughness Scale assigns a grade from none (0) to extreme (4) that describes the severity of skin coarseness, crosshatching, and elastosis in the midface area. The scale grading are 0 (None) Smooth visual skin texture, 1 (Minimal) Slightly coarse and uneven visual skin texture, 2 (Moderate) Moderately coarse and uneven visual skin texture; may have early elastosis, 3 (Severe) Severely coarse visual skin texture, cross-hatched fine lines; may have some elastosis, and 4 (Extreme) Extremely coarse visual skin texture, cross Hatched deep creases; extreme elastosis.

ASSESSMENT OF FACIAL DULLNESS: Dullness was assessed on a clinical basis with an arbitrary scoring ranging from 0 to 9 where 0-3=mild, 3.5-6=moderate, and 6.5-9=severe facial skin dullness.

ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE: Subjects' life quality was assessed by the Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire. It consists of 10 questions. Each question is scored on a four-point Likert scale: Very much = 3, A lot = 2, A little = 1, Not at all = 0, Not relevant = 0 and Question unanswered = 0. The DLQI is calculated by adding the score of each question, resulting in a maximum of 30 and a minimum of 0. Where, 0-1= no effect at all on patient's life, 2-5 = small effect on patient's life, 6-10 = moderate effect on patient's life, 11-20 = very large effect on patient's life, 21-30 = extremely large effect on patient's life.

RESULTS: Both groups showed a significant improvement in Fine Wrinkles, Forehead Lines, Crow's Feet, Roughness, Dullness, Nasolabial Fold, Hyperpigmentation, and Quality of Life parameters. (P < .001) A large number of subjects in the control group reported mild to moderate redness, itching, dryness, and blackening of the skin, while in the test group, absolutely no side effects were reported during treatment.

CONCLUSION: The effects in both groups were substantial, but the polyherbal formulation is safe and effective for use in photoaged facial skin. It may be a more feasible easily accessible cheap and safe formulation to prevent skin aging and restore skin elasticity and make skin brighter. Further studies to evaluate the efficacy of formulation on objective parameters using standard instruments should be done for appropriate measurements of parameters.},
}

Humans
Middle Aged
Female
Male
Adult
*Skin Aging/drug effects
Medicine, Unani/methods
Aged
Face
Administration, Topical
Phytotherapy/methods
Plant Extracts/therapeutic use/pharmacology

@article {pmid38514912,
year = {2024},
author = {Hernández, LAP and Hernández, AMP and Castelanich, D and Shitara, D and Chacín, M},
title = {A novel hybrid BonT-A and hyaluronic acid cannula-based technique for eyelid ptosis and periorbital rejuvenation.},
journal = {Journal of cosmetic dermatology},
volume = {23},
number = {6},
pages = {2001-2006},
doi = {10.1111/jocd.16264},
pmid = {38514912},
issn = {1473-2165},
support = {//Universidad Simón Bolívar/ ; //Internal Funds for Research Strengthening from Universidad Simón Bolívar, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Extensión e Innovación, Barranquilla, Colombia/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Hyaluronic Acid/administration & dosage ; *Blepharoptosis ; *Botulinum Toxins, Type A/administration & dosage ; *Rejuvenation ; *Cannula ; *Eyelids ; Female ; Cosmetic Techniques/instrumentation ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Oculomotor Muscles/drug effects ; Male ; Neuromuscular Agents/administration & dosage ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Eyelid ptosis is characterized by an inferior displacement of the upper eyelid when the eye assumes its primary position. Besides its aesthetic implications, ptosis can also adversely affect visual acuity.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the simultaneous administration of IncobotulinumtoxinA (IncoBonTA) and hyaluronic acid effect in eyelid ptosis and ocular rejuvenation.

METHODS: A novel, non-surgical technique for eyelid ptosis management involving IncoBonTA and hyaluronic acid the co-administration within a single syringe, and applied using a cannula.

RESULTS: The dual action of IncoBonTA and hyaluronic acid in conjunction with the exact injection sites approaches improves overall aesthetic outcomes but also optimizes the restoration of eyelid functionality in palpebral ptosis.

CONCLUSIONS: The functional balance achieved among the contributory muscles-primarily the orbicularis oculi (OO) and its antagonists, the frontal muscle and levator palpebrae superioris (LPS), yields to both, cosmetic and functional.},
}

Humans
*Hyaluronic Acid/administration & dosage
*Blepharoptosis
*Botulinum Toxins, Type A/administration & dosage
*Rejuvenation
*Cannula
*Eyelids
Female
Cosmetic Techniques/instrumentation
Middle Aged
Adult
Treatment Outcome
Oculomotor Muscles/drug effects
Male
Neuromuscular Agents/administration & dosage

@article {pmid38512931,
year = {2024},
author = {Gutema, BT and Tariku, EZ and Melketsedik, ZA and Levecke, B and De Henauw, S and Abubakar, A and Abbeddou, S},
title = {Assessing the influence of COVID-19 lockdown measures on cognition and behavior in school age children in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance site, Southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.},
journal = {PLOS global public health},
volume = {4},
number = {3},
pages = {e0002978},
pmid = {38512931},
issn = {2767-3375},
abstract = {Ethiopian schools were closed for nearly 40 weeks as a measure to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the study was to evaluate the role of COVID-19 pandemic's restrictive measures on cognition and behavioral difficulties of schoolchildren in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Site. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in November 2019 (pre-COVID-19-lockdown) and November 2020 (post-COVID-19 lockdown). Data were collected both at the school and homes of the children. Cognitive development of the children was assessed using digit span, Raven's coloured progressive matrices (RCPM) and Visual search using cancellation task. Behavioral difficulties score of the children was assessed using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare between the cognition outcomes and behavioral difficulties score pre- and post-COVID-19-lockdown. In a sub-group of children who provided data in both surveys, the difference in cognitive and behavioral outcomes was tested using a mixed effect model. Compared to the pre-COVID-19-lockdown, schoolchildren post-COVID-19-lockdown scored lower in the standardized performance index for the visual search task, which measures attention (0.27 SD, 95% confidence intervals (95%CI): -0.40, -0.13). However, they scored higher by 0.26 SD (95%CI: 0.13, 0.40) and 0.36 SD (95%CI: 0.22, 0.49) in digit span and RCPM, respectively, measuring working memory and non-verbal intelligence. There was no significant difference in total difficulties score between pre- and post-COVID-19-lockdown (0.01 SD, 95%CI: -0.12, 0.15). The subgroup analysis showed a significant increase in digit span among children post-COVID-19-lockdown while the other domains did not show a significant change. Factors contributing to the improvement of children's cognitive domains while away from the school environment should be explored and utilized to enhance child development. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04137354 on October 14, 2019.},
}

@article {pmid38507327,
year = {2024},
author = {López-Vázquez, MA and Varela-Montes, J and Serrano-Corral, ML and Junco-Muñoz, ML and Olvera-Cortés, ME},
title = {Pressure control and treatment interact in the deterioration of incidental visuospatial memory in hypertensive patients.},
journal = {Archivos de cardiologia de Mexico},
volume = {94},
number = {1},
pages = {25-32},
pmid = {38507327},
issn = {1665-1731},
mesh = {Female ; Humans ; *Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use/pharmacology ; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use/pharmacology ; *Hypertension/complications/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Systemic hypertension (SH) is the main risk factor to cognitive deterioration, whereas visuospatial memory is more vulnerable to ageing. Some antihypertensive agents have a neuroprotector effect, however, such effects could be masked by comorbidities and/or the lack of effective control on the arterial pressure of patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess this, the evaluation of incidental visuospatial memory of SH patients and the relation to the treatment received and the effective control of pressure were made.

METHOD: 80 patients (46 woman) were included grouped by the received medication: angiotensin 2 receptor blockers (ARB) or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI). A multiple correlation analysis between visuospatial scores and clinical variables was made; also, a mixed model analysis (fixed factors: treatment, pressure control, diabetes comorbidity; aleatory factors: age, schooling, months from SH diagnoses).

RESULTS: Half of the patients had a controlled pressure, from them the higher proportion received ARB, and a minor number of patients received ACEI. The normotensive patients receiving ACEI were inefficient whereas the hypertensive patients were more efficient. The systolic pressure was negatively related with the visuospatial scores in spite of no correlations occurred with MoCA and Raven tests.

CONCLUSIONS: The visuospatial incidental/intentional scores were negatively correlated with systolic pressure. The efficiency in the visuospatial ability depends on the interaction of treatment and effective control of blood pressure. The interaction between treatment and effective pressure control must be taken in count when cognitive deterioration is studied.},
}

Female
Humans
*Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use/pharmacology
Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use/pharmacology
*Hypertension/complications/drug therapy/epidemiology
Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use
Blood Pressure