@article {pmid40269659,
year = {2025},
author = {Emmerich, E and Alcantara, E and Úngari, L and O'Dwyer, L and Pérez-Ponce de León, G and Silva, R},
title = {First integrative assessment of Ochetosoma heterocoelium (Travassos, 1921) (Digenea: Ochetosomatidae) parasite of Bothrops moojeni Hoge, 1966 (Reptilia: Viperidae) from Brazil.},
journal = {Journal of helminthology},
volume = {99},
number = {},
pages = {e57},
doi = {10.1017/S0022149X25000343},
pmid = {40269659},
issn = {1475-2697},
mesh = {Animals ; Brazil ; Phylogeny ; *Bothrops/parasitology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; *Trematoda/genetics/classification/isolation & purification/anatomy & histology/ultrastructure ; DNA, Helminth/genetics/chemistry ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics/chemistry ; *Trematode Infections/veterinary/parasitology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Mouth/parasitology ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Esophagus/parasitology ; Venomous Snakes ; },
abstract = {Ochetosoma heterocoelium (Travassos, 1921) was collected from the mouth and oesophagus of a pit viper, Bothrops moojeni Hoge, 1966 in São Sebastião do Paraíso Farm (21°51'48.26" S, 48°26'56.78" W), municipality of Boa Esperança do Sul, São Paulo State, Brazil. In this study, we provide the first molecular characterisation of this digenean using 28S rDNA and COI sequences, and its phylogenetic position within the Plagiorchiida is assessed. Furthermore, new morphological features are added to the diagnosis of the species, and scanning electron microscopy photomicrographs are presented. Sequences of the 28S rRNA gene of O. heterocoelium were successfully obtained and aligned with 35 digenean species belonging to Plagiorchiida. Only three congeners - O. aniarum (Leidy, 1890), O elongatum (Seo et al. 2024), and O. kansense (Crow, 1913) - have been sequenced for this molecular marker. The newly sequenced individuals of O. heterocoelium are 98.7% and 99.4% similar to O. aniarum and O. kansensis, respectively, and Ochetosoma is not recovered as a monophyletic group. Dasymetra nicolli Holl and Allison, 1935 and Lechriorchis tygarti Talbot, 1933 are nested with Ochetosoma.},
}

Animals
Brazil
Phylogeny
*Bothrops/parasitology
RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics
*Trematoda/genetics/classification/isolation & purification/anatomy & histology/ultrastructure
DNA, Helminth/genetics/chemistry
DNA, Ribosomal/genetics/chemistry
*Trematode Infections/veterinary/parasitology
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
Mouth/parasitology
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Esophagus/parasitology
Venomous Snakes

@article {pmid40268688,
year = {2025},
author = {Buniyaadi, A and Prabhat, A and Bhardwaj, SK and Kumar, V},
title = {Role of melatonin in physiological mitigation of sleep disruption in an unnatural temporal environment.},
journal = {Journal of neuroendocrinology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e70035},
doi = {10.1111/jne.70035},
pmid = {40268688},
issn = {1365-2826},
support = {//Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi/ ; },
abstract = {Illuminated nights reduce melatonin peak and disrupt sleep. Using this as the basis of the present experimental paradigm, we investigated whether nocturnal melatonin levels were crucial for sleep regulation in a diurnal vertebrate. Acclimated Indian house crows (Corvus splendens) were randomly segregated into three groups of 12 each. For the next 10 days, one group was maintained on 12 L:12 D, as before (LD control); for the other two groups, the absolute darkness was replaced with dim light at night (dLAN; L = ~150 lux, D = ~6 lux). Under dLAN, half an hour before light off time, the LD control and one dLAN group received intraperitoneally 200 μL of vehicle (0.75% physiological saline), while the other dLAN group received a similar 200 μL vehicle but containing melatonin at a dose of 50 μg bird[-1] day[-1]. Under dLAN, exogenous melatonin elevated nocturnal AANAT mRNA and plasma melatonin levels and induced changes in diurnal expressions of clock genes (PER2, CRY1, BMAL1, NPAS2, REVERB) in the pineal gland and hypothalamus, and of genes encoding melatonin receptors (MEL1a, MEL1b) and epigenetic modifiers (HAT1, HDAC2, HDAC4, DNMT3a) in the hypothalamus. Elevated nocturnal melatonin levels bettered sleep with positive effects on the hypothalamic expression of genes associated with nocturnal sleep (cytokine pathway: TLR4, TNFα, IL-1β, NOS1; calcium pathway: CAMK2, SIK3) and awake (ACHM3, EGR1, HOMER1a, OREXIN) states, and with neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity (BDNF, EGR1, CREB). These suggested the role of melatonin in mitigation of the dLAN-induced sleep disruption. Nocturnal melatonin peak levels are a crucial component of the regulatory transcriptional pathways underlying the daily wake-sleep pattern, with far-reaching implications for sleep-related issues in diurnal species including perhaps humans inhabiting an over-lit environment with pervasive light pollution.},
}

@article {pmid40264843,
year = {2025},
author = {Sadik, AS and Datta, AK},
title = {Nesting on Cell Phone Towers: An Inexplicable Breeding Strategy by Asian Woollynecks Ciconia episcopus in Bangladesh.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {4},
pages = {e71353},
pmid = {40264843},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {The Asian Woollynecks were once thought to be a rare winter migrant to the wetlands of Bangladesh, and until very recently, only a few incidents of nesting had been observed. New information shows expanding populations across their habitat, though little is known about their movement ecology, breeding ecology and preferences for artificial nest sites. In this paper, we documented some crucial nesting and breeding information on this species. We used camera traps as a means of passive monitoring and identified Large-billed crow Corvus macrorhynchos and House crow Corvus splendens as potential nest predators. Three nests were found in artificial structures, where anthropogenic activity, like disturbances during cell phone tower maintenance, or predators limit the breeding success of Asian Woollynecks.},
}

@article {pmid40257903,
year = {2025},
author = {Havoc, RC and Woody, WD},
title = {The shrouded self: Racial passing as a tool of survival in early 20th century psychology.},
journal = {History of psychology},
volume = {28},
number = {2},
pages = {170-178},
doi = {10.1037/hop0000277},
pmid = {40257903},
issn = {1939-0610},
abstract = {Josiah Moses faced repeated rejections from academic positions during 1905-1911 because of his Jewish identity, which at that time was viewed as his race. In 1911, after changing his name, Josiah Morse was hired at the University of South Carolina during the time of explicitly antisemitic Jim Crow. In this article, we reveal the deceptive tactics Moses/Morse used to pass as a White person who was not Jewish with the support of his former doctoral advisor, G. Stanley Hall. We conclude with the examination of the consequences of passing and Morse's influence in psychology and other communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).},
}

@article {pmid40251059,
year = {2025},
author = {Gutiérrez-Ibáñez, C and Němec, P and Paré, M and Wylie, DR and Lefebvre, L},
title = {How do big brains evolve?.},
journal = {Trends in ecology & evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.tree.2025.03.008},
pmid = {40251059},
issn = {1872-8383},
abstract = {In both birds and mammals, variation in brain size predominantly reflects variation in mass or volume of the pallium (neocortex) and, to a lesser extent, of the cerebellum, suggesting convergent coevolution of brains and cognition. When brain measures are based on neuron counts, however, a surprisingly different picture emerges: The number of neurons in the cerebellum surpasses those in the pallium of all mammals (including humans and other primates) and in many but not all birds studied to date. In particular, parrots and corvids, clades known for cognitive abilities that match those of primates, have brains that contain more pallial than cerebellar neurons. Birds and mammals may thus have followed different evolutionary routes of pallial-cerebellar coordination behind enhanced cognitive complexity.},
}

@article {pmid40247751,
year = {2025},
author = {Ren, H and Zha, P and Liu, Y and Zhang, W and Meng, H and Di, T},
title = {Study on Moisturizing Effect of Dendrobium officinale, Sparassis crispa, and Their Compound Extracts.},
journal = {Journal of cosmetic dermatology},
volume = {24},
number = {4},
pages = {e70189},
doi = {10.1111/jocd.70189},
pmid = {40247751},
issn = {1473-2165},
mesh = {Filaggrin Proteins ; *Dendrobium/chemistry ; Humans ; Aquaporin 3/genetics/metabolism ; *Plant Extracts/pharmacology/chemistry ; Hyaluronic Acid/metabolism ; Hyaluronan Synthases/genetics/metabolism ; Claudin-1/metabolism/genetics ; Epidermis/drug effects/metabolism ; *Polysaccharides/pharmacology/chemistry ; *Emollients/pharmacology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Recently, natural plants have been widely developed and applied in moisturizing cosmetics. Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale) is known as one of the "Nine Immortals" of Chinese herbal medicine, whereas Sparassis crispa (Wulf.) Fr. (S. crispa) is known as the "king of mushrooms"; both of which have excellent biological activity.

AIMS: To explore the effects of D. officinale polysaccharide (DOP) with different molecular weights and S. crispa on the expression of moisturizing-related genes and verify the moisturizing performance of their complex.

METHODS: PCR was carried out to explore the aquaporin 3 (AQP3), hyaluronic acid synthetase1 (HAS1), HAS2, and HAS3 genes expression. Immunofluorescence (IF) analysis was used to test the protein level expression of hyaluronic acid (HA), AQP3, claudin-1, and filaggrin (FLG) influenced by moisturizing composition in a reconstructed epidermis skin model. The ability of samples to resist cell drying damage was evaluated by a cell drying damage model. Furthermore, this study validated the effect of the compositions during their application in cosmetics through tests of skin moisture content, crow's feet, and skin elasticity.

RESULTS: The results showed that DOP with molecular weights of 100 k-500 kDa (Dalton) had higher effects on AQP3 gene expression compared to that with molecular weights of 10 k-100 kDa and 1 k-10 kDa. Additionally, the extract of S. crispa significantly promoted the expression of HAS1, HAS2, and HAS3 genes, which are genes encoding hyaluronic acid synthesis. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of HA, AQP3, claudin-1, and FLG were significantly increased as a result of the moisturizing composition consisting of DOP (100 k-500 kDa) and S. crispa. The application of the moisturizing composition markedly increased the skin moisture content, improved eye wrinkles, and enhanced skin elasticity.

CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study proved that D. officinale and S. crispa had good moisturizing effects, and as natural plant humectants, they may have broad applications in future moisturizing cosmetics.},
}

Filaggrin Proteins
*Dendrobium/chemistry
Humans
Aquaporin 3/genetics/metabolism
*Plant Extracts/pharmacology/chemistry
Hyaluronic Acid/metabolism
Hyaluronan Synthases/genetics/metabolism
Claudin-1/metabolism/genetics
Epidermis/drug effects/metabolism
*Polysaccharides/pharmacology/chemistry
*Emollients/pharmacology

@article {pmid40242372,
year = {2025},
author = {Elman, C and Feltey, KM and Wittman, B and Stevens, C and Hartsough, MB},
title = {How the Struggle for Public Health in the Jim Crow South Reflected and Reinforced Systemic Racial Health Inequality.},
journal = {Du Bois review : social science research on race},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {93-117},
pmid = {40242372},
issn = {1742-058X},
support = {P2C HD065563/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; P30 AG034424/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {The twenty-first century COVID-19 epidemic revealed a U.S. public health system that countenanced health inequities and a U.S. public that resisted disease containment policies. This crisis, however, was only the most recent chapter in a longer struggle in the United States to institutionalize public health. We focus on two early twentieth-century public health campaigns in the American South, the unhealthiest U.S. region at the time. Black southerners-denied basic health, political, economic, and social rights under a rising Jim Crow regime-self-organized health services networks, including through the Tuskegee Woman's Club, the Negro Organization Society of Virginia, and the Moveable School (1890s-1915). Around the same time, a philanthropic project, the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission (RSC, 1909-1914), seeded state-level public health agencies in eleven southern states, thereby installing public health in a top-down manner. We use archival data sources to explore key similarities and differences in the public health concerns and coalition-building approaches of each campaign and southern resistance to their efforts. We find Black-led campaigns often blurred the color line to form coalitions that provided services to the underserved while tackling environmental health risks at the community level. In contrast, RSC affiliates in southern states, as directed by RSC administrators, provided health services as short-term public dispensaries. Services reached Black and White communities willing to participate but in a manner that did not overtly challenge Jim Crow-era practices. Southern resistance to public health expansion persisted under each approach. The legacies of these struggles remain; the political-economic and ideological forces that limited public health expansion while marginalizing Black community health efforts reverberate in public health inequities today.},
}

@article {pmid40242340,
year = {2025},
author = {Aota, I and Takano, M and Izawa, EI},
title = {Effects of a short-term removal of the dominant male on vocalization in captive groups of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorynchos).},
journal = {Royal Society open science},
volume = {12},
number = {4},
pages = {241458},
pmid = {40242340},
issn = {2054-5703},
abstract = {Dominance hierarchy is widespread among group-living animals as a conflict resolution strategy to avoid the cost and risk of fights among individuals. Dominance signals are well-known mechanisms that allow individuals to assess their opponent's fighting ability without physical contact, thereby maintaining dominance relationships. In fission-fusion societies, where group composition is fluid, dominance status can shift depending on the current group members. In such situations, vocal signals may be particularly useful as dominance signals due to their easy modification by the signaller. In this study, we investigated the relationship between rank-dependent behaviours and rank ascending by temporarily removing individuals from captive groups of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos). We removed either the first-ranked or third-ranked individuals from the group for 1 day and compared the behaviours of the remaining group members before the removal, during the removal and after the removed individuals rejoined the group. We found that the number of sequential ka calls, which is assumed to be a status signal, increased only during the removal of first-ranked individuals and decreased after they rejoined the group. These results suggest that sequential ka calls serve as dominance signals, and the subordinates flexibly adjust their vocalization depending on the presence of high-ranked individuals.},
}

@article {pmid40242334,
year = {2025},
author = {Husby, M and Slagsvold, T},
title = {The Neophobia Hypothesis: nest decoration in birds may reduce predation by corvids.},
journal = {Royal Society open science},
volume = {12},
number = {4},
pages = {250427},
pmid = {40242334},
issn = {2054-5703},
abstract = {Many birds suffer heavily from nest predation, selecting several behaviours to avoid the risk. Corvids are among the most serious nest predators. However, they are also among the most neophobic of any birds. We suggest that nesting birds may take advantage of this fear by decorating the nest with anthropogenic materials that are novel to the predators (termed the Neophobia Hypothesis). They may also add large, conspicuous feathers that may indicate a site where a bird has recently been killed. In a study in the field, we found that territorial Eurasian magpies Pica pica waited for a longer period to remove eggs from artificial nests decorated with a shiny metal teaspoon, or with large, white feathers compared to adjacent artificial control nests with no decoration. On a landfill, where the birds had become more habituated to forage among anthropogenic material, common ravens Corvus corax also avoided nests decorated with a teaspoon or with feathers. The study supports the hypothesis that birds may suffer less nest predation by corvids if they decorate the nest with anthropogenic material or with large feathers.},
}

@article {pmid40238963,
year = {2025},
author = {Nelson, M},
title = {Honoring Dr. Jay Siwek and 75 Years of American Family Physician.},
journal = {American family physician},
volume = {111},
number = {4},
pages = {293},
pmid = {40238963},
issn = {1532-0650},
}

@article {pmid40233941,
year = {2025},
author = {Mole, J and Ruffle, JK and Nelson, A and Chan, E and Shallice, T and Nachev, P and Cipolotti, L},
title = {A right frontal network for analogical and deductive reasoning.},
journal = {Brain : a journal of neurology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/brain/awaf062},
pmid = {40233941},
issn = {1460-2156},
support = {089231/A/09/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; //Department of Health's National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre's/ ; //National Brain Appeal/ ; MR/X00046X/1//Guarantors of Brain and the Medical Research Council/ ; },
abstract = {Two of the most well-studied types of reasoning are analogical reasoning (AR) and deductive reasoning (DR). Yet, our understanding of the relationship between reasoning abilities and their neuroanatomical basis remains surprisingly limited. We aimed to conduct fine-grained anatomical mapping of performance on tests of AR, DR and fluid intelligence (Gf), in a large sample of patients with unilateral focal frontal or posterior lesions and healthy controls. We assessed 247 prospectively recruited patients using two new tests: the Analogical Reasoning Test (ART) and the Deductive Reasoning Test (DRT); and the best-established measure of Gf: Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM). Non-parametric Bayesian stochastic block modelling was used to reveal the community structure of lesion deficit networks, disentangling functional from confounding pathological distributed effects. ART and DRT performance was significantly impaired in patients with frontal lesions [ART: F(2,238) = 18.93; P < 0.001; Frontal group worse than Posterior group and healthy controls, both P < 0.001; DRT: F(2,387) = 18.491; P < 0.001; Frontal group worse than healthy controls, P < 0.01]. Right frontal effects were evident on both tests. Thus, on the ART, right frontal patients were more impaired than left (P < 0.05). On the DRT, right frontal patients were more impaired than left frontal patients on questions with indeterminate solutions (P < 0.05) but not on questions with determinate ones. Non-parametric Bayesian stochastic block modelling implicated a right frontal network in ART and DRT performance. Strikingly, we found that this network was also implicated in performance on RAPM. Our study represents the most robust investigation of AR and DR in the focally injured brain. Our findings imply that a right frontal network is critical. The ART and DRT appear to be promising new clinical tests, capable of evaluating reasoning abilities and identifying right frontal lobe dysfunction.},
}

@article {pmid40226647,
year = {2024},
author = {Ceolato-Martin, C and Chevallier-Collins, C and Clément, JP and Charles, E and Lacroix, A and Ranoux, D},
title = {OnabotulinumtoxinA in Resistant Depression: A Randomized Trial Comparing Two Facial Injection Sites (OnaDEP Study).},
journal = {Depression and anxiety},
volume = {2024},
number = {},
pages = {1177925},
pmid = {40226647},
issn = {1520-6394},
mesh = {Humans ; *Botulinum Toxins, Type A/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; Male ; Female ; *Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant/drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; *Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy ; Adult ; *Neuromuscular Agents/administration & dosage ; Treatment Outcome ; },
abstract = {Background: OnabotulinumtoxinA (OnaA) injection in glabella area appears to be a promising treatment for major depression. However, one major concern of placebo-controlled studies on botulinum toxin injections is to ensure adequate blinding. Patients and Methods: In this context, all subjects of this trial received the active product (OnaA). After randomization, 58 patients with resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) received OnaA either in the glabella area (N = 29) or in the crow's feet area (N = 29). Subjects were blinded to the supposedly effective area against resistant depression and the examiner was not aware of the injected area. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of responders (50% or greater decrease in MADRS [Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale] score from baseline) in glabella group versus crow's feet group at week 6 after the OnaA injection. Results: The number of responders was significantly higher in the glabella group than in the crow's feet group with 13 responders out of 29 patients (44.8%) in the glabella group and five out of 28 patients (17.9%) in the crow's feet group (p=0.029). The rate of psychomotor agitation as measured by item 9 of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), associated with a shorter span of psychiatric disorder, was a potent positive predictive factor of positive response to treatment. Conclusion: We conclude that OnaA injected in the glabella muscles is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for MDD. We suggest that patients with a high score at item 9 of the HAM-D might be a subgroup of best responders. We assume that OnaA may act as a modulator of the activity of the primary sensorimotor cortex and then of the amygdala. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03484754.},
}

Humans
*Botulinum Toxins, Type A/administration & dosage/pharmacology
Male
Female
*Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant/drug therapy
Middle Aged
*Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy
Adult
*Neuromuscular Agents/administration & dosage
Treatment Outcome

@article {pmid40223762,
year = {2025},
author = {Grossmann, D and Srivastava, S and Winkler, V and Brenner, S and Gupta, KJ and Paliwal, A and Singh, K and De Allegri, M},
title = {Determinants of outpatient healthcare-seeking behaviors among the rural poor affected by chronic conditions in India: a population-based cross-sectional study in seven states.},
journal = {Global health action},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {2480413},
doi = {10.1080/16549716.2025.2480413},
pmid = {40223762},
issn = {1654-9880},
mesh = {Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; India/epidemiology ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Chronic Disease/therapy/epidemiology ; *Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; *Rural Population/statistics & numerical data ; Young Adult ; *Ambulatory Care/statistics & numerical data ; Adolescent ; Poverty ; Health Services Accessibility ; Aged ; Insurance, Health ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: A rising burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) increases demand for outpatient healthcare. Yet, evidence on preferences and barriers to healthcare services for India's most disadvantaged population, the target of India's largest public health insurance scheme (PM-JAY), is lacking.

OBJECTIVE: We explore determinants of outpatient healthcare-seeking behavior among PM-JAY eligible individuals with CNCDs in rural areas of seven states.

METHODS: Using cross-sectional data from a household survey (conducted between November 2019 and March 2020), we employed multilevel multinomial logistic regression to identify factors associated with seeking care from informal (home treatment, pharmacies, traditional healers), formal public, or formal private providers, compared with no care. Anderson's behavioral model informed the selection of independent variables.

RESULTS: Of 51,820 individuals, 5,061 (9.8%) reported a chronic condition. Despite their disease, 1,168 (23.1%) reported not using regular outpatient care. Another 2,421 individuals (48.0%) used formal private, 922 (18.3%) used formal public, and 535 (10.6%) used informal care. Predictors of formal private care were higher socioeconomic status (RRR = 2.441, 95% CI [1.61, 3.70]) and health insurance coverage (RRR = 1.478, 95% CI [1.12, 1.95]). Residents of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Gujarat were more likely to use formal public care (RRR = 23.915, 95% CI [9.01, 63.44]). Suffering from Major CNCDs or experiencing limitations in daily activities increased the probability of using healthcare across all options.

CONCLUSION: Future research should explore the reasons for non-utilization of chronic care and the preference for private providers. Policies to enhance public healthcare utilization and expand insurance for outpatient care could improve access and reduce health inequities.},
}

Humans
Cross-Sectional Studies
India/epidemiology
Male
Female
Adult
Chronic Disease/therapy/epidemiology
*Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data
Middle Aged
*Rural Population/statistics & numerical data
Young Adult
*Ambulatory Care/statistics & numerical data
Adolescent
Poverty
Health Services Accessibility
Aged
Insurance, Health

@article {pmid40221436,
year = {2025},
author = {Al-Matarneh, FM},
title = {Integrating hybrid bald eagle crow search algorithm and deep learning for enhanced malicious node detection in secure distributed systems.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {12647},
pmid = {40221436},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {A distributed system comprises several independent units, each planned to track its tasks without interconnecting with the rest of them, excluding messaging services. This indicates that a solitary point of failure can reduce a method incapable without caution since no single point can achieve all essential processes. Malicious node recognition is a crucial feature of safeguarding the safety and reliability of distributed methods. Numerous models, ranging from anomaly recognition techniques to machine learning (ML) methods, are used to examine node behaviour and recognize deviances from usual patterns that may designate malicious intent. Advanced cryptographic protocols and intrusion detection devices are often combined to improve the flexibility of these methods against attacks. Moreover, real-time observing and adaptive plans are vital in quickly identifying and answering emerging attacks, contributing to the complete sturdiness of safe distributed methods. This study designs a Hybrid Bald Eagle-Crow Search Algorithm and Deep Learning for Enhanced Malicious Node Detection (HBECSA-DLMND) technique in Secure Distributed Systems. The HBECSA-DLMND technique follows the concept of metaheuristic feature selection with DL-based detection of malicious nodes in distributed systems. To accomplish this, the HBECSA-DLMND technique performs data normalization using the linear scaling normalization (LSN) approach, and the ADASYN approach is employed to handle class imbalance data. Besides, the HBECSA-DLMND method utilizes the HBECSA technique to choose a better subset of features. Meanwhile, the convolutional sparse autoencoder (CSAE) model detects malicious nodes. Finally, the dung beetle optimization (DBO) method is employed for the parameter range of the CSAE method. The experimental evaluation of the HBECSA-DLMND methodology is examined on a benchmark WSN-DS database. The performance validation of the HBECSA-DLMND methodology illustrated a superior accuracy value of 98.99% over existing approaches.},
}

@article {pmid40216860,
year = {2025},
author = {Si, S and Jiang, X and Su, Q and Carin, L},
title = {Detecting implicit biases of large language models with Bayesian hypothesis testing.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {12415},
pmid = {40216860},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Bayes Theorem ; *Language ; Humans ; Bias ; Large Language Models ; },
abstract = {Despite the remarkable performance of large language models (LLMs), such as generative pre-trained Transformers (GPTs), across various tasks, they often perpetuate social biases and stereotypes embedded in their training data. In this paper, we introduce a novel framework that reformulates bias detection in LLMs as a hypothesis testing problem, where the null hypothesis [Formula: see text] represents the absence of implicit bias. Our framework leverages binary-choice questions to measure social bias in both open-source and proprietary LLMs accessible via APIs. We demonstrate the flexibility of our approach by integrating classical statistical methods, such as the exact binomial test, with Bayesian inference using Bayes factors for bias detection and quantification. Extensive experiments are conducted on prominent models, including ChatGPT (GPT-3.5-Turbo), DeepSeek-V3, and Llama-3.1-70B, utilizing publicly available datasets such as BBQ, CrowS-Pairs (in both English and French), and Winogender. While the exact Binomial test fails to distinguish between no evidence of bias and evidence of no bias, our results underscore the advantages of Bayes factors, particularly their capacity to quantify evidence for both competing hypotheses and their robustness to small sample size. Additionally, our experiments reveal that the bias behavior of LLMs is largely consistent across the English and French versions of the CrowS-Pairs dataset, with subtle differences likely arising from variations in social norms across linguistic and cultural contexts.},
}

Bayes Theorem
*Language
Humans
Bias
Large Language Models

@article {pmid40216706,
year = {2025},
author = {Jyani, G and Gedam, P and Sharma, S and Dixit, J and Prinja, S},
title = {Financial Viability of Private Hospitals Operating Under India's National Health Insurance Scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).},
journal = {Applied health economics and health policy},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {40216706},
issn = {1179-1896},
support = {F.NO.T.11011/02/2017-HR/3176774//Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Private hospitals account for 46% of all hospitals empanelled in India's national health insurance scheme and contribute to 54% of all the hospitalizations under it. However, insufficient package prices are often cited as a constraint to viable hospital operations. This study assesses the financial viability of establishing such hospitals at district level, with a focus on determining the break-even threshold by forecasting the financial trajectory of hospitals.

METHODS: By utilizing primary data from 27 district hospitals across nine states in India on cost of providing healthcare services, a blend of bottom-up and top-down micro-costing methods was used to estimate financial cost across input resource categories, including land procurement, building construction, human resources, equipment, drugs, consumables, maintenance, and overheads. Revenue from inpatient services was estimated using healthcare provider payment rates under India's largest tax-funded health insurance scheme, coupled with patient volume data stratified by distinct diseases across different specialties. Revenue projections from outpatient services were extrapolated as a fixed proportion of their inpatient counterparts. A 10-year evaluation framework was employed to forecast the hospital operations using revenue-expenditure perspective. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to assess the extent of variations in the output owing to varying bed-occupancy levels and doctor-to-bed ratios.

RESULTS: For a model 100-bed private hospital operating at district level, the average annual expenditure and revenue are projected to be at Indian Rupee (₹)85.27 million (US $1.03 million) and ₹104.36 million (US $1.26 million), respectively, for the initial 10 years. Human resources constitute the primary share (40%) of total expenditure, followed by spending on drugs and consumables (20%). A sequential evaluation of annual revenue and expenditure reveals that hospitals reach breakeven by their fourth operational year, subsequently transitioning into a profitable phase.

CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests a viable financial trajectory for private hospitals at district level, following the pricing structure of government-sponsored health insurance scheme.},
}

@article {pmid40215319,
year = {2025},
author = {Schmidbauer, P and Hahn, M and Nieder, A},
title = {Crows recognize geometric regularity.},
journal = {Science advances},
volume = {11},
number = {15},
pages = {eadt3718},
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.adt3718},
pmid = {40215319},
issn = {2375-2548},
mesh = {*Crows/physiology ; Animals ; Humans ; *Pattern Recognition, Visual/physiology ; },
abstract = {The perception of geometric regularity in shapes, a form of elementary Euclidean geometry, is a fundamental mathematical intuition in humans. We demonstrate this geometric understanding in an animal, the carrion crow. Crows were trained to detect a visually distinct intruder shape among six concurrent arbitrary shapes. The crows were able to immediately apply this intruder concept to quadrilaterals, identifying the one that exhibited differing geometric properties compared to the others in the set. The crows exhibited a geometric regularity effect, showing better performance with shapes featuring right angles, parallel lines, or symmetry over more irregular shapes. This performance advantage did not require learning. Our findings suggest that geometric intuitions are not specific to humans but are deeply rooted in biological evolution.},
}

*Crows/physiology
Animals
Humans
*Pattern Recognition, Visual/physiology

@article {pmid40212605,
year = {2025},
author = {Jiang, X and Liang, W and Zhang, Y},
title = {Host personality and seasonal parasitism risk do not account for egg rejection behavior in the azure-winged magpie.},
journal = {International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife},
volume = {26},
number = {},
pages = {101056},
pmid = {40212605},
issn = {2213-2244},
abstract = {Brood parasitism reduces the reproductive success of hosts and many host birds have evolved a range of anti-parasitism strategies, including egg recognition and egg rejection. Recent studies have shown that host egg rejection behavior can vary according to personality traits and parasitism risk. However, these relationships have not been clearly determined. The aim of this study was to further investigate the influence of seasonal parasitism pressure and host personality traits on egg rejection behavior in the azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus). Our results showed no significant difference in the proportion of egg rejection between hosts with low (before the arrival of cuckoos) and high (after the arrival of cuckoos) parasitism pressure. In addition, no significant difference was detected in the proportion of egg rejection between bold individuals (shorter flight initiation distance, FID) and shy individuals (longer FID). We hypothesized that the relatively weak effect of the presence or absence of cuckoos on this species could be attributed to their inherently strong egg recognition abilities. Moreover, the quantification of host behavior along a single personality axis (boldness-shyness) may be insufficient to capture behavioral differences that arise from the combined effects of various personality traits. Our study provides novel insights into the influence of seasonal parasitism risk and personality traits on host egg rejection behavior.},
}

@article {pmid40208017,
year = {2025},
author = {Gwee, CY and Metzler, D and Fuchs, J and Wolf, JBW},
title = {Reconciling Gene Tree Discordance and Biogeography in European Crows.},
journal = {Molecular ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e17764},
doi = {10.1111/mec.17764},
pmid = {40208017},
issn = {1365-294X},
support = {WO 14262-1//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; INST 86/2050-1 FUGG//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; ERCStG-336536 FuncSpecGen/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; },
abstract = {Reconstructing the evolutionary history of young lineages diverging with gene flow is challenging due to factors like incomplete lineage sorting, introgression, and selection causing gene tree discordance. The European crow hybrid zone between all-black carrion crows and grey-coated hooded crows exemplifies this challenge. Most of the genome in Western and Central European carrion crow populations is near-identical to hooded crows, but differs substantially from their Iberian congeners. A notable exception is a single major-effect colour-locus under sexual selection aligning with the 'species' tree. To understand the underlying evolutionary processes, we reconstructed the biogeographic history of the species complex. During the Pleistocene carrion and hooded crows took refuge in the Iberian Peninsula and the Middle East, respectively. Allele-sharing of all-black Western European populations with likewise black Iberian crows at the colour-locus represents the last trace of carrion crow ancestry, resisting gene flow from expanding hooded crow populations that have homogenised most of the genome. A model of colour-locus introgression from an Iberian ancestor into hooded crow populations near the Pyrenées was significantly less supported. We found no positive relationship between introgression and recombination rate consistent with the absence of genome-wide, polygenic barriers in this young species complex. Overall, this study portrays a scenario where few large-effect loci, subject to divergent sexual selection, resist rampant and asymmetric gene exchange. This study underscores the importance of integrating population demography and biogeography to accurately interpret patterns of gene tree discordance following population divergence.},
}

@article {pmid40204817,
year = {2025},
author = {Bharath, S and Vasuki, A},
title = {Adaptive energy loss optimization in distributed networks using reinforcement learning-enhanced crow search algorithm.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {12165},
pmid = {40204817},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {Modern power distribution network incorporates distributed generation (DG) for numerous benefits. However, the incorporation creates numerous challenges in energy management and to handle the challenges it requires advanced optimization techniques for an effective operation of the network. Unlike traditional methods such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and standard Crow Search Algorithm (CSA), which suffer from premature convergence and limited adaptability to real-time variations, Reinforcement Learning Enhanced Crow Search Algorithm (RL-CSA) which is proposed in this research work solves network reconfiguration optimization problem and minimize energy losses. Unlike conventional heuristic methods, which follow predefined search patterns, RL-CSA dynamically refines its search trajectory based on real-time feedback, ensuring superior convergence speed and global search efficiency. The novel RL-CSA enables real-time adaptability and intelligent optimization for energy loss reduction in distributed networks. The proposed model validation is performed on the IEEE 33 and 69 Bus test systems considering diverse performance metrics such as power loss reduction, voltage stability, execution time, utilization efficiency for DG deployment, and energy cost minimization. Comparative results show that RL-CSA achieves a 78% reduction in energy losses, limiting power loss to 5 kW (IEEE 33-Bus) and 8 kW (IEEE 69-Bus) whereas traditional models converge at higher loss levels. The execution time is optimized to 1.4 s (IEEE 33-Bus) and 1.8 s (IEEE 69-Bus), significantly faster than GA, PSO, and CSA, making RL-CSA more efficient for real-time power distribution applications. By balancing exploration-exploitation using CSA while adapting search parameters through reinforcement learning, RL-CSA ensures scalability, improved DG utilization (98%), and better voltage stability (< 0.005 p.u.), making it a robust and intelligent alternative for modern smart grid optimization.},
}

@article {pmid40199999,
year = {2025},
author = {Chandralekha, M and Jayadurga, NP and Chen, TM and Sathiyanarayanan, M and Saleem, K and Orgun, MA},
title = {A synergistic approach for enhanced eye blink detection using wavelet analysis, autoencoding and Crow-Search optimized k-NN algorithm.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {11949},
pmid = {40199999},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {RSPD2024R697//King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia/ ; },
mesh = {*Blinking/physiology ; Humans ; *Electroencephalography/methods ; *Wavelet Analysis ; *Algorithms ; Machine Learning ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Deep Learning ; Adult ; },
abstract = {This research endeavor introduces a state-of-the-art, assimilated approach for eye blink detection from Electroencephalography signals. It combines the prominent strategies of wavelet analysis, autoencoding, and a Crow-Search-optimized k-Nearest Neighbors to enhance the performance of eye blink detection from EEG signals. This procedure is initiated by escalating the robustness of EEG data through jittering, which integrates noise into the dataset. Consequently, the wavelet transform is highly demanded during feature extraction in identifying the essential time-frequency components of the signals. These features are further distilled using an autoencoder to provide a dense, yet informative representation. Prior to introducing these features into the machine learning system, they were adjusted. Evidently, the hyperparameters of the k-Nearest Neighbors model have been fine-tuned using Crow Search Algorithm, inspired by the hunting characteristics of crows. This optimization method actively samples the search space to balance exploration and exploitation to identify the optimal configuration for the model. The k-NN model that has been optimized using the proposed method demonstrates significantly higher performance in the eye blink detection process in comparison to the deep learning models when equipped with decorous feature extraction and fine tuning. The effectiveness of the developed system has been ascertained according to the assessment indices such as accuracy, classification reports, and confusion matrix. Thus, the present work offers an optimal method of detecting the eye blink from the EEG signals assisting in the development of further EEG applications including user interfaces, fatigue level identification, and neurological disorders analysis through the enhancement of signal processing and optimization methods. It becomes evident after a detailed evaluation that conventional machine learning algorithms if implemented with correct feature extraction and fine-tuning surpass the deep learning approaches including the frameworks composed of Convolutional Neural Network and Principal Component Analysis and empirical mode decomposition by approximately 96% across all datasets. This proves the advantage of optimized traditional Machine Learning models over the Deep Learning models in realistic EEG-based eye blink detection.},
}

*Blinking/physiology
Humans
*Electroencephalography/methods
*Wavelet Analysis
*Algorithms
Machine Learning
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
Neural Networks, Computer
Deep Learning
Adult

@article {pmid40195903,
year = {2025},
author = {Yu, F and Yu, C and Guo, S and Wang, X and Li, J and Li, Z},
title = {The risk perception and response of Azure-winged magpies: On the aspect of feeding behaviour and alarm calls.},
journal = {The Journal of animal ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1365-2656.70044},
pmid = {40195903},
issn = {1365-2656},
support = {2022YFC3202104//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; BK20211151//Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China/ ; },
abstract = {Prey are expected to effectively perceive predation cues, recognise predators and adopt appropriate anti-predator strategies to enhance their chances of survival. Species with high cognitive abilities tend to be better at these processes, while empirical research is still lacking. The role of cognition in avoiding predation requires further investigation, especially in species with complex social structures and communication systems. Azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus) have demonstrated great talents in cognitive tasks. We conducted model presentation and playback experiments to test their predator detection and information transmission in the wild. We found that magpies exhibited distinct responses according to the model type (pigeon, falcon and cat) and eye condition of models (covered or uncovered). Individuals postponed the visit to the feeder and took less food in response to predator and eye-uncovered models. The cat model was perceived as a higher risk, and magpies would emit alarm calls with a wider bandwidth, a higher frequency of 5%, and a higher frequency of 95%. We also found that the playback of alarm calls could induce different anti-predator behaviours from conspecifics. Our study examined how Azure-winged magpies perceive information and make decisions to avoid predators. It indicates that the alarm calls of Azure-winged magpies function in encoding and sharing information, providing an in-depth understanding of complex vocal communication and risk cognition in birds.},
}

@article {pmid40188266,
year = {2025},
author = {Asha, MM and Ramya, G},
title = {Predator crow search optimization with explainable AI for cardiac vascular disease classification.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {11692},
pmid = {40188266},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Humans ; *Cardiovascular Diseases/classification/diagnosis ; *Artificial Intelligence ; Algorithms ; Reproducibility of Results ; },
abstract = {The proposed framework optimizes Explainable AI parameters, combining Predator crow search optimization to refine the predictive model's performance. To prevent overfitting and enhance feature selection, an information acquisition-based technique is introduced, improving the model's robustness and reliability. An enhanced U-Net model employing context-based partitioning is proposed for precise and automatic left ventricular segmentation, facilitating quantitative assessment. The methodology was validated using two datasets: the publicly available ACDC challenge dataset and the imATFIB dataset from internal clinical research, demonstrating significant improvements. The comparative analysis confirms the superiority of the proposed framework over existing cardiovascular disease prediction methods, achieving remarkable results of 99.72% accuracy, 96.47% precision, 98.6% recall, and 94.6% F1 measure. Additionally, qualitative analysis was performed to evaluate the interpretability and clinical relevance of the model's predictions, ensuring that the outputs align with expert medical insights. This comprehensive approach not only advances the accuracy of CVD predictions but also provides a robust tool for medical professionals, potentially improving patient outcomes through early and precise diagnosis.},
}

Humans
*Cardiovascular Diseases/classification/diagnosis
*Artificial Intelligence
Algorithms
Reproducibility of Results

@article {pmid40187177,
year = {2025},
author = {Hu, W and Zhang, X and Shao, J and Wang, Y},
title = {Altruistic behavior in Chinese children with hearing impairment: Associations with power cognition and word comprehension.},
journal = {Acta psychologica},
volume = {255},
number = {},
pages = {104981},
doi = {10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104981},
pmid = {40187177},
issn = {1873-6297},
abstract = {Altruistic behavior is a crucial manifestation in the socialization process of preschool children with hearing impairment, yet research on this topic among Chinese children remains limited. This study investigated the effects of power cognition and word comprehension on altruistic behavior in preschool-aged children with hearing impairment. A sample of 64 children, including both hearing-impaired and typically developing children, completed altruistic behavior tasks, power cognition tasks, word comprehension tasks, and the Raven's Combined Test. The results revealed that: (1) Children with hearing impairment exhibited significantly lower levels of altruistic behavior compared to typically developing children; (2) Both power cognition and word comprehension were positively correlated with altruistic behavior in children with hearing impairment; (3) Word comprehension mediated the relationship between power cognition and altruistic behavior in children with hearing impairment.},
}

@article {pmid40184381,
year = {2025},
author = {Ong, K and Norris, DR},
title = {Experimental evidence demonstrating how freeze-thaw patterns affect spoilage of perishable cached food.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {4},
pages = {e0319043},
pmid = {40184381},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Freezing ; *Feeding Behavior/physiology ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; },
abstract = {For the small number of temperate and boreal species that cache perishable food, previous research suggests that increasing freeze-thaw events can have a negative impact on fitness by degrading the quality of cached food. However, there is no experimental evidence that directly links freeze-thaw events to cache quality. To examine how the timing, frequency, duration, and intensity of freeze-thaw events influenced cached food mass loss, a proxy for caloric content, we conducted a series of month-long laboratory experiments by placing simulated caches (raw chicken placed between two pieces of black spruce Picea mariana bark) in programmable freezers. Freeze-thaw treatments were modelled after weather data from Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, where a population of Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis), a species that caches perishable food for overwinter survival and to support late-winter breeding, has declined by > 70% since the 1980s. First, we found no evidence that an increased frequency of freeze-thaw events influenced mass loss, suggesting that microstructural damage caused by crystal reformation does not significantly influence cache quality. Instead, our experimental results demonstrated that mass loss was positively influenced by longer individual thaws, which likely reflects increased microbial growth, oxidation, and progressive drip loss. We also found that caches lost more weight when subjected to early freeze-thaw events compared to late freeze-thaw events. Finally, we show that milder freezes led to less mass loss and, unexpectedly, warmer than average thaws post-freeze also led to less mass loss. Our results suggest that longer thaw periods post-freezing and milder freezes cause or lead to significantly increased spoilage of perishable cached food. All of these temperature-related conditions are closely associated with long-term changes in climate and, thus, the effects on cache degradation reported in these experiments should be applicable to species caching perishable food in the wild.},
}

Animals
*Freezing
*Feeding Behavior/physiology
*Passeriformes/physiology

@article {pmid40180641,
year = {2025},
author = {Fielding, MW and Yates, LA and Buettel, JC and Stojanovic, D and Brook, BW},
title = {Carcass use by mesoscavengers varied across modified landscapes in the absence of top carnivores.},
journal = {Oecologia},
volume = {207},
number = {4},
pages = {60},
pmid = {40180641},
issn = {1432-1939},
support = {FL160100101//Australian Research Council/ ; CE170100015//Australian Research Council/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Ecosystem ; Carnivora ; *Feeding Behavior ; Raptors ; *Crows/physiology ; Australia ; },
abstract = {The decomposition of carrion is crucial to the functioning and nutrient cycling of ecosystems, and many species use this high-quality resource. However, the availability and reliability of carrion differs across environments. Modified landscapes, such as farms and roads, often produce a high density of carcasses, with disproportionate benefits for generalist mesoscavengers that can tolerate, or are attracted to, human presence. In this study, we placed carcasses strategically across two large islands in southern Australia and used camera traps to investigate how different scavengers locate and use carrion in forested, farmland and roadside habitats. Forest ravens, an avian generalist, were the dominant scavengers across all three habitat types but were three times more likely to discover carcasses deployed in modified landscapes. Raptors were twice as likely to discover and use carcasses in farmland habitats, indicating enhanced scavenging opportunities in these areas. The discovery rate and use of carcasses by feral cats did not differ between habitat types. In this setting, differences in carrion use between diurnal and nocturnal scavengers are potentially due to the absence of top mammalian carnivores (Tasmanian devils and quolls). Diurnal scavengers, such as forest ravens and raptors, followed expected habitat preferences, albeit with greater access to carrion due to increased persistence. However, feral cats demonstrated no preference for carcasses across habitats, likely due to the reduced landscape of fear. Overall, our study underscores the important role of native mammalian carnivores in structuring scavenger communities and further validates the value of trophic rewilding to restore key ecological functions.},
}

Animals
*Ecosystem
Carnivora
*Feeding Behavior
Raptors
*Crows/physiology
Australia

@article {pmid40171387,
year = {2025},
author = {Nishikawa, K and Idogaki, H},
title = {Effect of oral intake of heat-killed Fructobacillus fructosus OS-1010 on human skin: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study.},
journal = {Bioscience of microbiota, food and health},
volume = {44},
number = {2},
pages = {122-127},
pmid = {40171387},
issn = {2186-6953},
abstract = {Fructobacillus spp. comprise a large genus of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria whose growth characteristics differ from those of other common lactic acid bacteria. The genus has been extensively investigated microbiologically and phylogenetically. However, knowledge regarding Fructobacillus nutritional benefits remains unclear. In particular, Fructobacillus fructosus OS-1010 (OS-1010) was recently shown to act on intestinal cells to release extracellular vesicle exosomes that act on distant target cells. The released exosomes reportedly enhanced the expression of longevity-associated genes and intracellular mitochondrial activity in muscle cells. OS-1010 is expected to be a functional ingredient that improves the function of distant tissues such as muscles and skin upon oral intake. This study examined the effects of the oral intake of heat-killed OS-1010 on human skin in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of healthy participants. Significant improvement in skin elasticity was observed after eight weeks of oral OS-1010 intake. Furthermore, although no significant difference was found between the two groups in a wrinkle-related parameter, the OS-1010 group demonstrated improvements in the percentage wrinkle area and overall average wrinkle depth of crow's feet, which were not observed in the placebo group. These results indicate that OS-1010 can contribute to the improvement in skin conditions.},
}

@article {pmid39533155,
year = {2025},
author = {Lara Green, R and Joanne Carrington, S and Shaw, DJ and Kessler, K},
title = {Investigating visual perspective taking and belief reasoning in autistic adults: A pre-registered online study.},
journal = {Autism : the international journal of research and practice},
volume = {29},
number = {4},
pages = {920-933},
doi = {10.1177/13623613241290880},
pmid = {39533155},
issn = {1461-7005},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; *Theory of Mind ; *Autistic Disorder/psychology ; Middle Aged ; *Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology ; Reaction Time ; Adolescent ; *Visual Perception ; },
abstract = {As many autistic individuals report mentalizing difficulties into adulthood, the current pre-registered study investigated potential differences in belief reasoning and/or visual perspective taking between autistic and non-autistic adults. The Seeing-Believing task was administered to 121 gender-balanced participants online (57 with a self- reported diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition and 64 without), as well as Raven's Progressive Matrices (on which the groups did not significantly differ) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient. Non-autistic adults replicated previous findings with this task, revealing slower responses to belief-reasoning than to perspective-taking trials. Autistic adults did not show significantly slower or more error-prone performance during perspective taking and/or belief reasoning. In fact, the autistic group committed significantly fewer mistakes, including fewer altercentric intrusions. The main group difference in response times was a steeper increase with increasing angular disparity between self and other in the autistic group. We discuss our findings in terms of differences in self-other control, but emphasise that our findings cannot be explained in terms of simplistic deficit-based notions of autism and suggest that autistic adults might favour slightly different strategies when judging another's perspective or belief.Lay abstractMany autistic individuals report difficulties in social situations, where they are required to think about what goes on in others' minds. These states of the mind can include how others perceive the world around them, their beliefs, or their desires. While research has shown that autistic children could be delayed in developing their full capacity in this regard, less is known about how adults process others' experiences and beliefs. Here we used a novel task and asked adults to participate online. Participants self-reported whether they had been diagnosed with autism or not and we split them into two groups depending on their response. We also asked participants to fill in a self-report questionnaire about social preferences and habits and we also asked them to conduct a test of their nonverbal reasoning ability. Importantly, the autistic and the non-autistic groups did not differ in their nonverbal reasoning abilities, and on our task, we observed that the autistic group committed fewer mistakes than the non-autistic group. Autistic participants were particularly fast and made fewer mistakes on those responses that overlapped with their own view and belief of reality. In conclusion, our findings do not support a simple view of autism in terms of deficits in either social or more general thinking abilities. Instead, autistic adults might favour slightly different ways of thinking about other's experiences and beliefs that is more firmly linked to their own experience and knowledge.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
Adult
Young Adult
*Theory of Mind
*Autistic Disorder/psychology
Middle Aged
*Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology
Reaction Time
Adolescent
*Visual Perception

@article {pmid40168984,
year = {2025},
author = {van Hasselt, SJ and Martinez-Gonzalez, D and Mekenkamp, GJ and Vyssotski, AL and Verhulst, S and Beckers, GJL and Rattenborg, NC and Meerlo, P},
title = {Sleep pressure causes birds to trade asymmetric sleep for symmetric sleep.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.008},
pmid = {40168984},
issn = {1879-0445},
abstract = {Sleep is a dangerous part of an animal's life.[1][,][2][,][3] Nonetheless, following sleep loss, mammals and birds sleep longer and deeper, as reflected by increased electroencephalogram (EEG) slow-wave activity (SWA; ≈1-5 Hz spectral power) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.[4][,][5] Stimulating a brain region during wakefulness also causes that region to sleep deeper afterwards,[6][,][7][,][8][,][9] indicating that NREM sleep is a local, homeostatically regulated process.[10][,][11] Birds and some marine mammals can keep one eye open during NREM sleep,[12][,][13] a behavior associated with lighter sleep or wakefulness in the hemisphere opposite the open eye-states called asymmetric and unihemispheric NREM sleep, respectively.[13][,][14][,][15][,][16][,][17][,][18][,][19][,][20][,][21][,][22][,][23] Closure of both eyes is associated with symmetric NREM or REM sleep. Birds rely on asymmetric and unihemispheric sleep to stay safe.[17][,][24][,][25] However, as sleeping deeply with only one hemisphere at a time increases the time required for both hemispheres to fulfill their need for NREM sleep, increased sleep pressure might cause birds to engage in symmetric sleep at the expense of asymmetric sleep.[26][,][27] Using high-density EEG recordings of European jackdaws (Coloeus monedula), we investigated intra- and inter-hemispheric asymmetries during normal sleep and following sleep deprivation (SD). The proportion of asymmetric sleep was lower early in the sleep period and following SD-periods of increased sleep pressure. Our findings demonstrate a trade-off between the benefits of sleep and vigilance and indicate that a bird's utilization of asymmetric sleep is constrained by temporal dynamics in their need for sleep.},
}

@article {pmid40159384,
year = {2025},
author = {Kocourek, M and Zhang, Y and Sandberg, L and Stehlík, P and Polonyiová, A and Olkowicz, S and Straková, B and Pavelková, Z and Hájek, T and Kušta, T and Lučan, RK and Kverková, K and Němec, P},
title = {Cellular scaling rules for brains of the galliform birds (Aves, Galliformes) compared to those of songbirds and parrots: Distantly related avian lineages have starkly different neuronal cerebrotypes.},
journal = {Brain, behavior and evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-28},
doi = {10.1159/000545417},
pmid = {40159384},
issn = {1421-9743},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Songbirds, especially corvids, and parrots are remarkably intelligent. Their cognitive skills are on par with primates and their brains contain primate-like numbers of neurons concentrated in high densities in the telencephalon. Much less is known about cognition and neuron counts in more basal bird lineages. Here, we focus on brain cellular composition of galliform birds, which have small brains relative to body size and a proportionally small telencephalon and are often perceived as cognitively inferior to most other birds.

METHODS: We use the isotropic fractionator to assess quantitatively the numbers and distributions of neurons and nonneuronal cells in 15 species of galliform birds and compare their cellular scaling rules with those of songbirds, parrots, marsupials, insectivores, rodents and primates.

RESULTS: On average, the brains of galliforms contain about half the number of neurons found in parrot and songbird brains of the same mass. Moreover, in contrast to these birds, galliforms resemble mammals in having small telencephalic and dominant cerebellar neuronal fractions. Consequently, galliforms have much smaller absolute numbers of neurons in their forebrains than equivalently sized songbirds and parrots, which may limit their cognitive abilities. However, galliforms have similar neuronal densities and neuron counts in the brain and forebrain as equally sized non-primate mammals. Therefore, it is not surprising that cognitive abilities of galliforms are on par with non-primate mammals in many domains.

CONCLUSION: Comparisons performed in this study demonstrate that birds representing distantly related clades markedly differ in neuronal densities, neuron numbers and the allocation of brain neurons to major brain divisions. In analogy with the concept of volumetric composition of the brain, known as the cerebrotype, we conclude that distantly related birds have distinct neuronal cerebrotypes.},
}

@article {pmid40131252,
year = {2025},
author = {Yang, S and Liao, W and Zhou, Y and Peng, C and Wang, J and Zhang, Z},
title = {Normative modeling of brain morphometry in self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes.},
journal = {Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)},
volume = {35},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/cercor/bhaf064},
pmid = {40131252},
issn = {1460-2199},
support = {82302293//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2024NSFSC1782//Science and Technology Foundation of Sichuan Province/ ; KYTZ2023036//Talent Introduction Research Projects of Chengdu University of Information Technology/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Female ; Male ; Child ; *Brain/pathology/diagnostic imaging ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Adolescent ; *Epilepsy, Rolandic/pathology/diagnostic imaging/physiopathology ; Child, Preschool ; Electroencephalography ; },
abstract = {Self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes is the most common pediatric epilepsy, characterized by an age-dependent onset that typically arises during childhood brain development and is followed by remission at puberty. However, the heterogeneity in children's brain development at the individual level complicates the challenge of personalized treatment. Our goal is to quantify individual deviations from the normative range of brain morphometric variation in children with Self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes and to assess their associations with clinical manifestations and cognitive functions. We have developed sex-specific normative models on regional subcortical volume, cortical thickness, and surface area data from 457 healthy children sourced from two datasets. These models were then utilized to map the brain morphometric deviations of children with Self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (n = 187) and sex- and age-matched healthy controls (n = 108) from another dataset. In the Self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes group, children exhibited a higher proportion of regions with infra-normal deviations in subcortical volumes, the number of regions with normative deviations correlated with disease duration, seizure frequency, and Raven's total score. Our findings suggest that a few extreme distributions of heterogeneous brain morphometric deviations are present in a minority of individuals, emphasizing the need to monitor brain abnormalities throughout the course of the disease.},
}

Humans
Female
Male
Child
*Brain/pathology/diagnostic imaging
*Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Adolescent
*Epilepsy, Rolandic/pathology/diagnostic imaging/physiopathology
Child, Preschool
Electroencephalography

@article {pmid40129562,
year = {2025},
author = {Feng, W and Liu, H},
title = {Urticaria-Like Hypersensitivity Reaction Following Botulinum Toxin Injection: A Case Report of Possible Interaction with β-Lactam Antibiotics.},
journal = {International medical case reports journal},
volume = {18},
number = {},
pages = {367-371},
doi = {10.2147/IMCRJ.S510203},
pmid = {40129562},
issn = {1179-142X},
abstract = {Botulinum toxin serotype A (BTX-A) is commonly used for treating facial dynamic wrinkles. The clinical safety of BTX-A has been proven, and it has few side effects; despite this, BTX-A has the potential to cause an allergic reaction. This case raises concerns about a possible interaction between botulinum toxin serotype A (CBTX-A) and β-lactam antibiotics, contributing to the limited literature on hypersensitivity reactions. Herein, we described the case of a 35-year-old woman who was injected with Chinese botulinum toxin serotype A (CBTX-A) to treat crow's feet. The treatment was performed after the patient had taken cefprozil for an upper respiratory tract infection. Subsequently, the patient developed urticaria-like symptoms that completely resolved within 24 hours after administration of antihistamines. This case emphasises the need for careful medication history review before botulinum toxin administration, especially in patients receiving β-lactam antibiotics, as hypersensitivity reactions may occur.},
}

@article {pmid40127088,
year = {2025},
author = {Richman, SN and Tomback, DF and Grevstad, N and Kobobel, D},
title = {Dining with wolves: Are the rewards worth the risks?.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {3},
pages = {e0319565},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0319565},
pmid = {40127088},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {*Wolves/physiology ; Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; Reward ; Colorado ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Predatory Behavior ; },
abstract = {Where wild populations of gray wolves (Canis lupus) occur in North America, common ravens (Corvus corax) and, in western regions, black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia) (Family Corvidae), show up quickly at wolf kills and scavenge carcasses, often feeding near wolves. Ravens and magpies also visit wolf enclosures at gray wolf sanctuaries in Colorado, USA, and attempt to take food from wolves, but there is no information regarding how often they obtain food or are injured or killed. Working at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, Divide, Colorado, we asked whether ravens and magpies associate with gray wolves at feeding time; what proportions of ravens and magpies obtain food per enclosure; whether individual wolves react differently to the birds; and if the birds are harmed by interacting with wolves. We also examined the effects of food type, amount, and air temperature on bird numbers. We counted raven and magpie numbers in wolf enclosures and wolf and bird behaviors during daily feeding tours across 20 visits and within eight wolf enclosures per visit. Wolf reactions within each enclosure were categorized as chasing or ignoring birds or removing food. Cumulatively, across all dates and enclosures, 33% of ravens and 43% of magpies obtained food within each enclosure. Because birds were not individually marked, these percentages could be higher. Individual wolves differed in responses to ravens and magpies but most often ignored bird presence. We found no effect of food type on bird numbers but a trend in reward probability with greater food amount for ravens. There were, however, statistically significant negative relationships between daily maximum and average temperature and raven numbers, and significant positive relationships between daily minimum and average temperature and magpie numbers. We conclude that dining with wolves represented a successful foraging strategy with low risk to ravens and magpies.},
}

*Wolves/physiology
Animals
*Crows/physiology
Feeding Behavior
Reward
Colorado
Passeriformes/physiology
Predatory Behavior

@article {pmid40124943,
year = {2025},
author = {Lopez-Rodriguez, B and Sharma, N and Li, Z and van der Kolk, R and van der Boom, J and Scholte, T and Chang, J and Gröblacher, S and Esmaeil Zadeh, I},
title = {Magic Silicon Dioxide for Widely Tunable Photonic Integrated Circuits.},
journal = {ACS photonics},
volume = {12},
number = {3},
pages = {1321-1328},
doi = {10.1021/acsphotonics.4c01373},
pmid = {40124943},
issn = {2330-4022},
abstract = {Integrated photonic circuits have transformed data communication, biosensing, and light detection and ranging and hold wide-ranging potential for optical computing, optical imaging, and signal processing. These applications often require tunable and reconfigurable photonic components, most commonly accomplished through the thermo-optic effect. However, the resulting tuning window is limited for standard optical materials, such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. Most importantly, bidirectional thermal tuning on a single platform has not been realized. For the first time, we show that by tuning and optimizing the deposition conditions in inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICPCVD) of silicon dioxide, this material can be used to deterministically tune the thermo-optic properties of optical devices without introducing significant losses. We demonstrate that we can deterministically integrate positive and negative wavelength shifts on a single chip, validated on amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC), silicon nitride (SiN), and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platforms. This enables the fabrication of a novel tunable coupled ring optical waveguide (CROW) requiring only a single heater. In addition, we observe up to a 10-fold improvement of the thermo-optic tunability and demonstrate athermal ring resonators with shifts as low as 1.5 pm/°C. The low-temperature deposition of our silicon dioxide cladding can be combined with lift-off to isolate the optical devices, resulting in a decrease in thermal crosstalk by at least 2 orders of magnitude. Our method paves the way for novel photonic architectures incorporating bidirectional thermo-optic tunability.},
}

@article {pmid40119198,
year = {2025},
author = {Hahn, LA and Fongaro, E and Rose, J},
title = {Neuronal correlates of endogenous selective attention in the endbrain of crows.},
journal = {Communications biology},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {470},
pmid = {40119198},
issn = {2399-3642},
support = {Freigeist Fellowship 93299//Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung)/ ; Freigeist Fellowship 93299//Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung)/ ; Freigeist Fellowship 93299//Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung)/ ; Project A19 of the collaborative research center SFB1280 Projektnummer 316803389//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/ ; Project A19 of the collaborative research center SFB1280 Projektnummer 316803389//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; *Attention/physiology ; *Neurons/physiology ; *Memory, Short-Term/physiology ; Male ; Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Cognition/physiology ; },
abstract = {The ability to direct attention and select important information is a cornerstone of adaptive behavior. Directed attention supports adaptive cognitive operations underlying flexible behavior, for example in extinction learning, and was demonstrated behaviorally in both mammals and in birds. The neural foundation of such endogenous attention, however, has been thoroughly investigated only in mammals and is still poorly understood in birds. And despite the similarities at the behavioral level, cognition of birds and mammals evolved in parallel for over 300 million years, resulting in different architectures of the endbrain, most notably the absence of cortical layering in birds. We recorded neuronal signals from the nidopallium caudolaterale, the avian equivalent to mammalian pre-frontal cortex, while crows employed endogenous attention to perform change detection in a working memory task. The neuronal activity profile clearly reflected attentional enhancement of information maintained by working memory. Our results show that top-down endogenous attention is possible without the layered configuration of the mammalian cortex.},
}

Animals
*Crows/physiology
*Attention/physiology
*Neurons/physiology
*Memory, Short-Term/physiology
Male
Behavior, Animal/physiology
Cognition/physiology

@article {pmid40111497,
year = {2025},
author = {Suresh, M and Maragatharajan, M},
title = {Optimized ensemble model for accurate prediction of cardiac vascular calcification in diabetic patients.},
journal = {Acta diabetologica},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {40111497},
issn = {1432-5233},
abstract = {AIM: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major threat to diabetic patients, with cardiac vascular calcification (CVC) as a key predictive factor. This study seeks to improve the prediction of these calcifications using advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms. However, current ML and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods face challenges such as limited sample sizes, insufficient data, high time complexity, long processing times, and significant implementation costs.

METHOD: To predict CVC in diabetic patients, the Simple linear iterative clustering based Ensemble Artificial Neural Network (SLIC-EANN) model is proposed in this paper. In this research article, certain biochemical, imaging, and clinical data are used that are captured from Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) dataset. The proposed model employs preprocessing techniques such as image normalization, image resizing, and image augmentation to clean and simplify the input images. Then Localization of the cardiac vascular calcification is done using the simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) algorithm. The ensemble artificial neural network (EANN) classifies calcification severity by integrating outputs from three machine learning techniques Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gradient Boosting (GB), and Decision Tree (DT).

RESULTS: This method achieves an accuracy of 98.7% and an error rate of 1.3%, outperforming existing techniques.

CONCLUSION: A comprehensive analysis is conducted in this research article that concludes that the proposed model achieved better prediction performances of calcification in diabetic patients.},
}

@article {pmid40109883,
year = {2025},
author = {Palaniyappan, L and Liddle, PF},
title = {Seminal Contributions of Timothy J. Crow.},
journal = {Psychological medicine},
volume = {55},
number = {},
pages = {e75},
pmid = {40109883},
issn = {1469-8978},
mesh = {Humans ; History, 20th Century ; *Schizophrenia/history ; Psychotic Disorders/history ; History, 21st Century ; },
abstract = {We recall the life and work of Timothy J. Crow, whose contributions provided great insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and continue to shape many questions in the field. We compile his key works relating to psychotic disorders, focusing on the trajectory of his theoretical stance. Our account is interlaced with our own interpretation of the evidence that influenced Crow's arguments over the years as well as his scientific method. Crow has had a significant impact on the neuroscience of schizophrenia. Many of his observations are still valid and several questions he raised remain unanswered to date.},
}

Humans
History, 20th Century
*Schizophrenia/history
Psychotic Disorders/history
History, 21st Century

@article {pmid40109554,
year = {2025},
author = {Menge, BA},
title = {Impacts of Birds vs. Invertebrate Predators on Rocky Intertidal Community Structure.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {e71121},
pmid = {40109554},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Most studies of species interactions in rocky intertidal communities focus on invertebrate predators and herbivores interacting with sessile invertebrates and macrophytes. However, shorebirds are usually a conspicuous presence on rocky shores and eat sessile and mobile invertebrate prey, often including invertebrate predators and herbivores. Inspired by classic studies of strong bird predation effects in rocky intertidal habitats in Washington state (USA) and South Africa, I tested the effects of bird and invertebrate (sea stars, whelks) predation at multiple sites, wave exposures, and zones on the central Oregon coast from spring 1996 to fall 1997. To gain insight into the effects of birds relative to the effects of invertebrate predators, I used a crossed design, with bird exclusions (present and absent) and invertebrate predator removal (present and reduced). Compared to Washington state and South Africa, birds had little effect on the abundance of sessile or mobile prey in wave-exposed mid, wave-exposed low, and wave-protected mid zones at 2-4 sites. I suggest that differences between Oregon results and those in Washington and South Africa were driven by differences in bird abundance associated with whether the study site had resident colonies of shorebirds (primarily gulls, crows, and oystercatchers). That is, offshore islands often have resident breeding colonies such as in the Washington and South African studies, while sites in this study were all on the mainland where gulls were mostly transient visitors, while resident oystercatchers were usually limited to one or two pairs per site. Comparison with other marine and terrestrial experimental tests suggests that top-down effects of birds often vary in strength, and thus, future investigations should seek to understand the factors that underlie this variation.},
}

@article {pmid40103280,
year = {2025},
author = {Pennington, L and Potts, L and Murray, J and Geytenbeek, J and Laws, K and Sargent, J and Clarke, M and Swettenham, J and Lachkovic, J and Martin, C and McColl, E},
title = {The UK C-BiLLT: Validity and reliability of an online assessment of spoken language comprehension for children with severe motor disorders.},
journal = {International journal of language & communication disorders},
volume = {60},
number = {2},
pages = {e70025},
doi = {10.1111/1460-6984.70025},
pmid = {40103280},
issn = {1460-6984},
support = {GN2742//Action Medical Research/ ; //Great North Children's Hospital Foundation/ ; //Peter Sowerby Foundation/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Female ; Male ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Reproducibility of Results ; *Language Tests ; *Comprehension ; Infant ; United Kingdom ; Language Development Disorders/diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; Psychometrics ; Motor Disorders/diagnosis ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Current UK measures of early spoken language comprehension require manipulation of toys and/or verbal responses and are not accessible to children with severe motor impairments. The Computer-Based Instrument for Low motor Language Testing (C-BiLLT) (originally validated in Dutch) is a computerized test of spoken language comprehension that children with motor disorders control using their usual response methods.

AIMS: To create a UK version of the C-BiLLT, evaluate its validity and reliability, and assess its practicability for children with motor disorders.

METHODS & PROCEDURES: The C-BiLLT was translated into British English and items were adapted to ensure familiarity to UK children. A total of 424 children (233 females, 191 males) aged 1:6-7:5 (years:months) without developmental disabilities were recruited from North East England. Children completed the UK C-BiLLT and Preschool Language Scales 5 (PLS-5) for convergent validity evaluation and either the visual reception subtest of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) (children aged 1:8-5:5) or Ravens Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) (ages 5:6-7:5) to assess divergent validity. A total of 33 children completed the UK C-BiLLT within 4 weeks of initial assessment for test-retest reliability assessment (intraclass correlation coefficient-ICC). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis examined structural validity. A total of 24 children (10 female, 14 male; aged 4-12 years) with non-progressive motor disorders who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), rated the UK C-BiLLT's ease of use and completed British Picture Vocabulary Scales (BPVS) and CPM as for convergent and divergent validity testing.

OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Internal consistency was high for children without motor disorders (α = 0.96). Exploratory factor analysis extracted two factors, together explaining 68% of the total variance. Test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.95; 0.90-0.98 95% confidence interval-CI). UK C-BiLLT scores correlated highly with PLS-5 (r = 0.91) and MSEL (r = 0.81), and moderately with CPM (r = 0.41); and increased across full-year age-bands (F(6, 407) = 341.76, p = < 0.001, η[2] = 0.83). A total of 19 children with motor disorders rated the UK C-BiLLT as easy/ok to use; two judged it hard; three declined to rate the ease of use. Their UK C-BiLLT scores correlated highly with BPVS (r = 0.77) and moderately with CPM (r = 0.57).

The UK C-BiLLT is a valid, reliable measure of early spoken language development and is potentially practicable for children with motor disorders. It may facilitate international research on the language development of children with motor disorders and evaluation of intervention at the national level.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject Young children with motor disorders have difficulties accessing standardized assessments of language comprehension that require children to handle objects or to speak a response. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This study demonstrates the validity and reliability of a UK translation of the C-BiLLT and suggests that the measure is feasible for children with motor disorders who use AAC and have a reliable method of response via computer access. What are the potential or clinical implications of this work? The UK C-BiLLT is a useful addition to the limited tools currently available to assess early spoken language comprehension of children with motor disorders.},
}

Humans
Female
Male
Child
Child, Preschool
Reproducibility of Results
*Language Tests
*Comprehension
Infant
United Kingdom
Language Development Disorders/diagnosis
Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted
Psychometrics
Motor Disorders/diagnosis

@article {pmid40102499,
year = {2025},
author = {Alabduallah, B and Al Dayil, R and Alkharashi, A and Alneil, AA},
title = {Innovative hand pose based sign language recognition using hybrid metaheuristic optimization algorithms with deep learning model for hearing impaired persons.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {9320},
pmid = {40102499},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {KSRG-2024- 238//King Salman Center for Disability Research/ ; },
mesh = {*Sign Language ; Humans ; *Deep Learning ; *Algorithms ; *Gestures ; *Persons with Hearing Disabilities ; Hand/physiology ; },
abstract = {Sign language (SL) is an effective mode of communication, which uses visual-physical methods like hand signals, expressions, and body actions to communicate between the difficulty of hearing and the deaf community, produce opinions, and carry significant conversations. SL recognition (SLR), the procedure of automatically identifying and construing gestures of SL, has gotten considerable attention recently owing to its latent link to the lack of communication between the deaf and the hearing world. Hand gesture detection is its domain, in which computer vision (CV) and artificial intelligence (AI) help deliver non-verbal communication between computers and humans by classifying the significant movements of the human hands. The emergence and constant growth of DL approaches have delivered motivation and momentum for evolving SLR. Therefore, this manuscript presents an Innovative Sign Language Recognition using Hand Pose with Hybrid Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms in Deep Learning (ISLRHP-HMOADL) technique for Hearing-Impaired Persons. The main objective of the ISLRHP-HMOADL technique focused on hand pose recognition to improve the efficiency and accuracy of sign interpretation for hearing-impaired persons. Initially, the ISLRHP-HMOADL model performs image pre-processing using a wiener filter (WF) to enhance image quality by reducing noise. Furthermore, the fusion of three models, ResNeXt101, VGG19, and vision transformer (ViT), is employed for feature extraction to capture diverse and intricate spatial and contextual details from the images. The bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) classifier is implemented for hand pose recognition. To further optimize the performance of the model, the ISLRHP-HMOADL model implements the hybrid crow search-improved grey wolf optimization (CS-IGWO) model for parameter tuning, achieving a finely-tuned configuration that enhances classification accuracy and robustness. A comprehensive experimental study is accomplished under the ASL alphabet dataset to exhibit the improved performance of the ISLRHP-HMOADL model. The comparative results of the ISLRHP-HMOADL model illustrated a superior accuracy value of 99.57% over existing techniques.},
}

*Sign Language
Humans
*Deep Learning
*Algorithms
*Gestures
*Persons with Hearing Disabilities
Hand/physiology

@article {pmid40087823,
year = {2022},
author = {Burgers, TA and Vanderwerff, KJ},
title = {Vision and Radar Steering Reduces Agricultural Sprayer Operator Stress without Compromising Steering Performance.},
journal = {Journal of agricultural safety and health},
volume = {28},
number = {3},
pages = {163-179},
doi = {10.13031/jash.15060},
pmid = {40087823},
issn = {1074-7583},
abstract = {HIGHLIGHTS: Stress was measured in professional sprayer operators who, while working, drove manually and with vision or radar steering. Vision and radar steering reduced the average operator stress rate by 48% relative to manual steering. The use of automatic guidance could have a dramatic positive effect on the health of sprayer operators. Sprayer steering performance was reported for professional operators and both vision and radar guidance for the first time.

ABSTRACT: Self-propelled agricultural sprayer operators work an average of 15 h d[-1] in peak season, and steering is the task that causes the operator the most stress because of the large number of stimuli involved. Automatic guidance systems help reduce stress and fatigue for operators by allowing them to focus on tasks other than steering. Physiological signals like skin conductance (electrodermal activity, EDA) change with stress and can be used to identify stressful events. The objective of this study was to determine if using a commercially available vision and radar guidance system (VSN[®], Raven Industries) reduces agricultural sprayer operators' stress compared to when they are steering manually. Four male professional sprayer operators participated in this study. Each operator performed his job duties normally in GPS-guidance-planted fields, at his self-selected speed, except to drive some passes manually and others with VSN in the same field. EDA was measured with an Empatica E4 wristband, and stressful events were quantified. Machine data (e.g., speed, RTK-GPS, and VSN metrics) were collected from each sprayer via CAN logs. The steering type, stress rate (e.g., stressful events min[-1]), and steering performance (cross-track error standard deviation, XTE SD) were determined for each pass. In total, 51 passes (23 manual, 28 VSN) in six fields were analyzed. Operators using VSN had a significant reduction (48% lower, p < 0.001) in their stress rate compared to when they were steering manually. There was no significant difference in the XTE SD for the steering type. The use of an automatic guidance system such as VSN could have a dramatic positive effect on the health of sprayer operators, especially during the long workdays of the peak spraying season, and could reduce the negative effects that stress and fatigue have on steering performance, mistakes, and accidents.},
}

@article {pmid40084976,
year = {2025},
author = {Heled, E and Levi, O},
title = {The effect of age and fluid intelligence on working memory in different modalities among elderly individuals: a moderated mediation analysis.},
journal = {Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-15},
doi = {10.1080/13825585.2025.2474472},
pmid = {40084976},
issn = {1744-4128},
abstract = {Working memory (WM), the capacity to temporarily hold and manipulate information, is evaluated using the span paradigm, which consists of forward and backward recall tasks to assess storage and manipulation, respectively. In accordance with the dedifferentiation theory, which suggests that different cognitive abilities compensate for the decline of others during the aging process, the current study aimed to examine whether fluid intelligence mediates the relationship between forward and backward recall across verbal, visuospatial, and tactile modalities while including age as a moderator. A total of 106 healthy older adults aged 60-89 years underwent the Digit Span, Visuospatial Span, Tactual Span, and Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test. We found positive correlations between forward and backward recall in all three span tasks. Additionally, the tactile and visuospatial moderated mediation models were significant, whereas the tactile model seemed more robust. However, the verbal model was found to be non-significant. These findings suggest that storage and manipulation are associated across different modalities, but fluid intelligence becomes a more significant factor as age progresses, thus compensating for WM decline. Nevertheless, this pattern varies between modalities, indicating a WM modality-specific differentiation dependent on the cognitive load. Our findings have implications for understanding cognitive aging processes and theoretical frameworks concerning WM.},
}

@article {pmid40079980,
year = {2024},
author = {Burgers, TA and Kamarei, K and Vora, M and Horne, M},
title = {An Automated On-The-Go Unloading System Reduces Harvest Operator Stress Relative to Manual Operation.},
journal = {Journal of agricultural safety and health},
volume = {30},
number = {3},
pages = {89-106},
doi = {10.13031/jash.15992},
pmid = {40079980},
issn = {1074-7583},
mesh = {Humans ; Adult ; *Automation ; *Occupational Stress/prevention & control ; Male ; Workload ; Farmers ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Crop Production/methods ; Young Adult ; },
abstract = {HIGHLIGHTS: Stress was measured in harvest operators who performed on-the-go unloading manually and with an automated system. Automated unloading reduced the average grain cart and combine operator stress rate by 18% and 12%, respectively, compared to manual operation. Harvest operators usually worked more than 9 hours and often worked more than 12hours per workday during harvest. The use of automated unloading systems could positively affect the health of harvest operators.

ABSTRACT: On-the-go unloading improves harvest operational efficiency, but it requires skilled labor because it is challenging and stressful to balance numerous concurrent tasks. Harvest automation reduces workload, stress, and fatigue. The objective of this study was to determine if using a commercially available, automated on-the-go unloading system (Raven Cart Automation[TM], RCA, Raven Industries) would reduce operator stress compared to manual operation. Nine grain cart tractor operators and six combine operators participated in this study. Operators performed their typical harvest operation, except to alternate on-the-go unloading using RCA or operating manually. Skin conductance (electrodermal activity) was measured with an Empatica E4 wristband, and stressful events were quantified. Machine data was collected from the tractor and combine via CAN logs. Over 200 total unload events were analyzed. Grain cart and combine operators using RCA had an 18% (p = 0.022) and 12% (p = 0.18) reduction in stress rate, respectively, compared to operating the grain cart tractor manually. RCA reduced the tractor cross-track error standard deviation by 2.5 cm on straight passes (p < 0.0001). The use of an automated on-the-go unloading system reduces operator stress during harvest and could positively affect the health of operators, especially during the long harvest workdays.},
}

Humans
Adult
*Automation
*Occupational Stress/prevention & control
Male
Workload
Farmers
Female
Middle Aged
Crop Production/methods
Young Adult

@article {pmid40079265,
year = {2025},
author = {Burger, NFV and Nicolis, VF and Botha, AM},
title = {Evaluating long-read assemblers to assemble several aphididae genomes.},
journal = {Briefings in bioinformatics},
volume = {26},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/bib/bbaf105},
pmid = {40079265},
issn = {1477-4054},
support = {CSRU180414320893//National Research Foundation of South Africa/ ; WCT2001/02//South African Winter Cereal Industry Trust/ ; },
mesh = {*Aphids/genetics ; Animals ; *Genome, Insect ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; Software ; },
abstract = {Aphids are a speciose family of the Hemiptera compromising >5500 species. They have adapted to feed off multiple plant species and occur on every continent on Earth. Although economically devastating, very few aphid genomes have been sequenced and assembled, and those that have suffer low contiguity due to repeat-rich and AT-rich genomes. With third-generation sequencing becoming more affordable and approaching quality levels to that of second-generation sequencing, the ability to produce more contiguous aphid genome assemblies is becoming a reality. With a growing list of long-read assemblers becoming available, the choice of which assembly tool to use becomes more complicated. In this study, six recently released long-read assemblers (Canu, Flye, Hifiasm, Mecat2, Raven, and Wtdbg2) were evaluated on several quality and contiguity metrics after assembling four populations (or biotypes) of the same species (Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia) and two unrelated aphid species that have publicly available long-read sequences. All assemblers did not fare equally well between the different read sets, but, overall, the Hifiasm and Canu assemblers performed the best. Merging of the best assemblies for each read set was also performed using quickmerge, where, in some cases, it resulted in superior assemblies and, in others, introduced more errors. Ab initio gene calling between assemblies of the same read set also showed surprisingly less similarity than expected. Overall, the quality control pipeline followed during the assembly resulted in chromosome-level assemblies with minimal structural or quality artefacts.},
}

*Aphids/genetics
Animals
*Genome, Insect
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods
Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods
Software

@article {pmid40075987,
year = {2025},
author = {Ciebiera, O and Czechowski, P and Morelli, F and Rubacha, S and Jerzak, L},
title = {Adaptation of Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) to Urban Environments: Population Dynamics and Habitat Preferences in Zielona Góra (Poland) over 23 Years.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ani15050704},
pmid = {40075987},
issn = {2076-2615},
abstract = {This study investigates the changes in population size, distribution, and habitat preferences of the Eurasian magpie Pica pica in Zielona Góra over 23 years, emphasising the effects of urbanisation and habitat transformation. A comprehensive survey conducted in 2022 identified 953 magpie pairs, with an average density of 8.8 pairs/km[2] across the current administrative boundaries of Zielona Góra (without forests), and 27.7 pairs/km[2] in strictly urbanised zones. The highest densities were observed in the old town (36.5 pairs/km[2]) and residential blocks (34.5 pairs/km[2]), while peripheral areas, like allotment gardens and industrial zones, showed significantly lower densities. The nests were predominantly located in coniferous trees, especially spruces, marking a shift from the previously favoured poplars. The mean nest height was 11.8 m, varying by habitat type, with the highest nests found in the old town and parks. Environmental factors, such as proximity to trash bins, water sources, and tall trees, were significant predictors of nest density and placement. These findings underscore the magpie's adaptability to urban environments, influenced by the availability of anthropogenic resources, habitat structure, and surrounding urban features.},
}

@article {pmid40075929,
year = {2025},
author = {Juozaitytė-Ngugu, E and Švažas, S and Bea, A and Šneideris, D and Villanúa, D and Butkauskas, D and Prakas, P},
title = {Molecular Confirmation of Raptors from Spain as Definitive Hosts of Numerous Sarcocystis Species.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ani15050646},
pmid = {40075929},
issn = {2076-2615},
abstract = {Most raptors are flagship and umbrella species acting as ecosystem engineers. Research on avian parasites in raptors is therefore of interest. There is a lack of studies on Sarcocystis in naturally infected raptors. In the present work, we aimed to identify Sarcocystis spp. in intestinal scrapings of the raptors from Spain. Sarcocystis spp. were identified in 82.5% of the intestinal samples studied by nested PCR and sequencing of the partial ITS1 region and 28S rRNA. A total of nine known Sarcocystis species, S. arctica, S. columbae, S. cornixi, S. glareoli, S. halieti, S. kutkienae, S. cf strixi, S. turdusi, and Sarcocystis sp. ex Corvus corax, and three genetically new organisms, Sarcocystis sp. Rod6, Sarcocystis sp. Rod7, and Sarcocystis sp. 22AvEs1, were identified in the intestines of raptors. This study is the first report of Sarcocystis spp. in the intestines of eleven raptor species from Spain. Furthermore, the new potential definitive hosts have been determined for seven Sarcocystis species. Co-infection of Sarcocystis spp. has also been observed, with more than one species found in 72.5% of birds. Nine different Sarcocystis species were identified in the intestinal samples of the Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo). In conclusion, raptors play an important role in the transmission of Sarcocystis spp.},
}

@article {pmid40065382,
year = {2025},
author = {Rudaitytė-Lukošienė, E and Rehbein, S and Calero-Bernal, R and Butkauskas, D and Prakas, P},
title = {Morphological and molecular characterisation of Sarcocystis capracanis, Sarcocystis cornagliai and Sarcocystis rossii n. sp. infecting the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex).},
journal = {Parasites & vectors},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {96},
pmid = {40065382},
issn = {1756-3305},
mesh = {*Sarcocystis/genetics/classification/isolation & purification/ultrastructure ; *Sarcocystosis/veterinary/parasitology ; Animals ; *Phylogeny ; *RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; Austria ; *Goats/parasitology ; Goat Diseases/parasitology ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/veterinary ; DNA, Protozoan/genetics/chemistry ; Diaphragm/parasitology ; Myocardium/ultrastructure ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The cyst-forming coccidia of the genus Sarcocystis (Sarcocystidae) are widespread protists of mammals, particularly of domestic and wild ruminants. Research on genus Sarcocystis in wild members of the subfamily Caprinae is, however, rather limited. Sarcocystis in the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) have only been investigated in depth once and then solely by morphological techniques. In the current investigation we aimed to morphologically and genetically characterise Sarcocystis species of Alpine ibex in Austria.

METHODS: Sarcocysts detected in the diaphragm and myocardium muscles were morphologically described using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Isolated sarcocysts were molecularly identified and characterised at the level of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and cytochrome c oxidase I gene (cox1). The obtained sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analysis.

RESULTS: Three Sarcocystis species, namely S. capracanis, S. cornagliai and S. rossii n. sp., were found in Alpine ibex. For the first time, we genetically characterised S. cornagliai, which is most closely related to Sarcocystis species that are transmitted by corvid birds. Sarcocysts of S. rossii n. sp. were found to be ribbon-shaped, with pointed tips. Hair-like protrusions about 5 μm in length were observed on sarcocyst walls. Observation of toluidine blue-stained semi-thin sections revealed that the sarcocyst of S. rossii n. sp. was thin-walled. Using TEM, cyst walls were observed to be similar to type 7a, with thin hair-like villar protrusions on the cyst wall, which were filled with many fine electron-dense granules. The ground substance layer was particularly thin, measuring 0.2-0.4 μm. The cox1 sequences of S. rossii n. sp. had the highest similarity to those of Sarcocystis arieticanis and Sarcocystis hircicanis. Sarcocystis rossii n. sp. had a close phylogenetic relationship with species that use canids as definitive hosts.

CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the role of the Alpine ibex as an intermediate host of three Sarcocystis species and sets a new host record for S. capracanis. It also provides the first molecular data on Sarcocystis from Alpine ibex and on S. cornagliai. In addition, a new species, S. rossii, was identified and described. Phylogenetic analyses suggested corvid birds and canids as potential definitive hosts for S. cornagliai and S. rossii n. sp., respectively.},
}

*Sarcocystis/genetics/classification/isolation & purification/ultrastructure
*Sarcocystosis/veterinary/parasitology
Animals
*Phylogeny
*RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics
Austria
*Goats/parasitology
Goat Diseases/parasitology
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/veterinary
DNA, Protozoan/genetics/chemistry
Diaphragm/parasitology
Myocardium/ultrastructure

@article {pmid40052146,
year = {2025},
author = {Lingstädt, F and Apostel, A and Rose, J},
title = {"Distribution of dominant wavelengths predicts jackdaw (Corvus monedula) color discrimination performance".},
journal = {Frontiers in physiology},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1543469},
pmid = {40052146},
issn = {1664-042X},
abstract = {Color vision is an important perceptual ability in most species and a crucial capacity underlying any cognitive task working with color stimuli. Birds are known for their outstanding vision and tetrachromacy. Two jackdaws were trained to indicate whether they perceive two colors as same or different. The dominant wavelengths of the experimental colors were assessed to relate the birds' performance to the physical qualities of the stimuli. The results indicate that the differences or similarities in dominant wavelengths of the colors had a strong influence on the behavioral data. Colors related to a reduced discriminatory performance were colors of particularly close wavelengths, whereas differences in saturation or brightness were less relevant. Overall, jackdaws mostly relied on hue to discriminate color pairs, and their behavior strongly reflected the physical composition of the color set. These findings show that when working with color stimuli, not only the perceptual abilities of the particular species, but also the technical aspects concerning the color presentation have to be considered carefully.},
}

@article {pmid40048071,
year = {2025},
author = {Takakura, Y and Otsuki, M and Takagi, R and Houkin, K},
title = {A feasibility pilot study comparing tablets and smartphones for an app-based speed training program in older people: an open-label, randomized controlled PROBE trial.},
journal = {Cognitive processing},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {40048071},
issn = {1612-4790},
abstract = {This feasibility pilot study examined whether the device type (tablet or smartphone) influences the effectiveness of a brain training program for older adults. Forty-four community-dwelling participants were randomly assigned to the tablet or smartphone group using a stratified block randomisation protocol based on age and sex. Each participant completed 12 supervised training sessions, each lasting approximately 40 min, over 3 to 4 months. Cognitive assessments included general intelligence, attention, memory, and executive function. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the effects of the device type and time (pre- vs. post-intervention). Of the 44 participants, 36 completed the program. No main or interaction effects were observed for device type. However, significant improvements over time were found in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, Frontal Assessment Battery, time required to complete Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, visual cancellation, and Trail-Making Test Part A. These results suggest comparable near-transfer benefits in attention and executive functions across tablets and smartphones. However, neither device produced far-transfer gains in memory measures. These findings underscore the feasibility and potential cost-effectiveness of smartphone-based training interventions for supporting cognitive health in later life.Trial Registration: Registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry on October 15, 2020 (UMIN000042123).},
}

@article {pmid40046655,
year = {2025},
author = {},
title = {Editor's Note: The war on good research: Debating research ethics and methods on the basis of Jay Levy's The war on people who use drugs: The harms of Sweden's aim for a drug-free society (Routledge, 2017).},
journal = {Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {14550725241298435},
pmid = {40046655},
issn = {1458-6126},
}

@article {pmid40044491,
year = {2025},
author = {Hussain, A and Ali, MJ},
title = {Lacrimal History - Part 39: Doyens of Dacryology Series - Jeffrey Jay Hurwitz (1944-2022).},
journal = {Seminars in ophthalmology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-3},
doi = {10.1080/08820538.2025.2474341},
pmid = {40044491},
issn = {1744-5205},
}

@article {pmid40040463,
year = {2025},
author = {Llewellyn, M},
title = {Ali Smith's queer autobiocritical aesthetics.},
journal = {Journal of lesbian studies},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-17},
doi = {10.1080/10894160.2025.2461903},
pmid = {40040463},
issn = {1540-3548},
abstract = {Ali Smith's allusive relationship to the literary and cultural canon is a prominent feature of her writing life. Smith's works offer a rich and diverse perspective on the magpie-like appreciation of cultural mo(ve)ments as accretive and cumulative sites of creative re/construction. But they also provide a sense of the writer as reader, thinker and re-visioner of personalised literary and cultural canons including not only books but paintings, films and music. In this essay, I explore Smith's work through what I term the "autobiocritical" - that is literary texts which serve to play with notions of identity, authorial positioning and critical approaches via an allusive, metafictional and theoretically informed exploration of fiction, form and self-representation. The essay focuses on Smith's Artful (2012) in which I suggest she engages in a complex process of homage and adaptation that is invested in the queering of the acts of reading, re-reading and critical perspective. Smith's subversive approach to the nature of critical analysis when divested of personality, character and readerly interaction presents a degree of cynicism and scepticism about the role of the aesthetic when anaesthetised from the quirks and individualities of character and of reading - that are central to Smith's aesthetic.},
}

@article {pmid40038068,
year = {2025},
author = {Gogola, JV and Joyce, MK and Vijayraghavan, S and Barnum, G and Wildenberg, G},
title = {NSF Workshop Report: Exploring Measurements and Interpretations of Intelligent Behaviors Across Animal Model Systems.},
journal = {The Journal of comparative neurology},
volume = {533},
number = {3},
pages = {e70035},
doi = {10.1002/cne.70035},
pmid = {40038068},
issn = {1096-9861},
support = {//Neuronex: The fabric of the primate neocortex and the origin of mental representations, NSF 2015276/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Intelligence/physiology ; *Models, Animal ; Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Neurosciences/methods ; Brain/physiology ; },
abstract = {Defining intelligence is a challenging and fraught task, but one that neuroscientists are repeatedly confronted with. A central goal of neuroscience is to understand how phenomena like intelligent behaviors emerge from nervous systems. This requires some determination of what defines intelligence and how to measure it. The challenge is multifaceted. For instance, as we begin to describe and understand the brain in increasingly specific physical terms (e.g., anatomy, cell types, activity patterns), we amplify an ever-growing divide in how we connect measurable properties of the brain to less tangible concepts like intelligence. As our appreciation for evolutionary diversity in neuroscience grows, we are further confronted with whether there can be a unifying theory of intelligence. The National Science Foundation (NSF) NeuroNex consortium recently gathered experts from multiple animal model systems to discuss intelligence across species. We summarize here the different perspectives offered by the consortium, with the goal of promoting thought and debate of this ancient question from a modern perspective, and asking whether defining intelligence is a useful exercise in neuroscience or an ill-posed and distracting question. We present data from the vantage points of humans, macaques, ferrets, crows, octopuses, bees, and flies, highlighting some of the noteworthy capabilities of each species within the context of each species' ecological niche and how these may be challenged by climate change. We also include a remarkable example of convergent evolution between primates and crows in the circuit and molecular basis for working memory in these highly divergent animal species.},
}

Animals
Humans
*Intelligence/physiology
*Models, Animal
Behavior, Animal/physiology
Neurosciences/methods
Brain/physiology

@article {pmid40038036,
year = {2025},
author = {Han, J and Yang, X and Gong, Q and Liu, T and Tu, H and Lu, X and Yang, F and Ji, R and Hu, L},
title = {Ocular surface side effects of botulinum toxin type A injections in the treatment of lateral canthal wrinkles (Crow's Feet).},
journal = {Contact lens & anterior eye : the journal of the British Contact Lens Association},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {102389},
doi = {10.1016/j.clae.2025.102389},
pmid = {40038036},
issn = {1476-5411},
abstract = {PURPOSE: This study investigates the impact of Botulinum Toxin Type A (BoNT-A) injections for lateral canthal wrinkles on the ocular surface.

METHODS: A total of 30 patients (30 eyes) who received BoNT-A injections were followed over a three-month period. Evaluations included tear meniscus height (TMH), strip meniscometry test, fluorescein tear film break-up time (FTBUT), corneal staining score, meibomian gland orifice and meibum quality score. Observations were recorded at baseline, one week, one month, and three months post-injection.

RESULTS: Upper and total eyelid meiboscore, meibomian gland orifice obstruction, and meibum quality score peaked at three months post-injection, while FTBUT was shortest during the same period, with significant differences observed across time points (P < 0.05). Post-hoc analysis indicated a significant reduction in FTBUT between baseline and three months (P = 0.048). Corneal staining scores were highest at one week, with significant differences across time points (P < 0.001); post-hoc analysis revealed a significant difference between one week and three months (P = 0.037). No significant changes were found in TMH or strip meniscometry test score (P = 0.374, P = 0.732).

CONCLUSIONS: BoNT-A injections may temporarily compromise ocular surface stability by decreasing tear film stability, disrupting meibomian gland function, and causing corneal epithelial disruption.},
}

@article {pmid40033487,
year = {2025},
author = {Huang, MH and Kuan, YH and Tu, PC and Chan, YE and Su, TP},
title = {Differential involvement of trait impulsivity, fluid intelligence, and executive function in creativity among euthymic patients with bipolar disorder.},
journal = {Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1097/JCMA.0000000000001221},
pmid = {40033487},
issn = {1728-7731},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: While anecdotal evidence suggests a link between bipolar disorder and heightened creativity, empirical studies are scarce, and the underlying cognitive mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between trait impulsivity, executive function, fluid intelligence, and creativity among euthymic patients with bipolar disorder.

METHODS: Euthymic outpatients with bipolar disorder and age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Creativity was assessed using the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults and the Chinese Word Remote Associates Test, which examined divergent thinking and convergent thinking, respectively. Trait impulsivity was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, while cognitive flexibility was evaluated using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Fluid intelligence was assessed using Raven's Progressive Matrices. General linear models were used to assess the associations between these cognitive measures.

RESULTS: Fifty-seven euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and fifty-six controls were recruited. Euthymic patients with bipolar disorder exhibited comparable overall creativity to controls but underperformed in convergent thinking. General linear models confirmed a negative association between trait impulsivity and creativity, primarily observed in patients with bipolar disorder. Cognitive flexibility positively correlated with creativity among patients with bipolar disorder, independent of fluid intelligence.

CONCLUSION: Our study showed that euthymic patients with bipolar disorder do not have heightened creativity. The findings underscore the importance of considering trait impulsivity and cognitive factors in understanding creativity in bipolar disorder.

LAY SUMMARY: Bipolar disorder (BD) is often linked to creativity, but scientific evidence on this connection is limited. Some individuals with BD may have creative strengths, while others struggle with cognitive challenges. This study explored how impulsivity, cognitive flexibility, and fluid intelligence affect creativity in euthymic patients with BD. Creativity was assessed by measuring divergent thinking (generating many different ideas) and convergent thinking (problem solving ability). The results showed that patients with BD do not have heightened creativity compared to healthy individuals. Importantly, higher impulsivity was linked to lower creativity, while better cognitive flexibility was associated with greater creativity in BD. The findings suggest that while BD does not enhance creativity, certain cognitive traits-such as lower impulsivity and stronger cognitive flexibility-may support creative thinking.},
}

@article {pmid40031162,
year = {2025},
author = {Wei, Q and Chen, D and Yuan, B},
title = {Multi-Viewpoint and Multi-Evaluation with Felicitous Inductive Bias Boost Machine Abstract Reasoning Ability.},
journal = {IEEE transactions on image processing : a publication of the IEEE Signal Processing Society},
volume = {PP},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1109/TIP.2025.3530260},
pmid = {40031162},
issn = {1941-0042},
abstract = {Great efforts have been made to investigate AI's ability in abstract reasoning, along with the proposal of various versions of RAVEN's progressive matrices (RPM) as benchmarks. Previous studies suggest that, even after extensive training, neural networks may still struggle to make decisive decisions regarding RPM problems without sophisticated designs or additional semantic information in the form of meta-data. Through comprehensive experiments, we demonstrate that neural networks endowed with appropriate inductive biases, either intentionally designed or fortuitously matched, can efficiently solve RPM problems without the need for extra meta-data augmentation. Our work also reveals the importance of employing a multi-viewpoint with multi-evaluation approach as a key learning strategy for successful reasoning. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the unique role of metadata by demonstrating that a pre-training model supervised by meta-data leads to an RPM solver with improved performance. Codes are available in: https://github.com/QinglaiWeiCASIA/RavenSolver.},
}

@article {pmid40024953,
year = {2025},
author = {Xia, Y and Ye, Y and Liu, M and Wang, Y and Shang, L and Wang, P and Sun, H},
title = {Impact of high lodine and fluoride intake on children's IQ in rural China.},
journal = {European journal of nutrition},
volume = {64},
number = {2},
pages = {104},
doi = {10.1007/s00394-025-03617-w},
pmid = {40024953},
issn = {1436-6215},
mesh = {Humans ; China ; Child ; Female ; Male ; *Fluorides/urine/analysis/administration & dosage ; *Rural Population/statistics & numerical data ; *Intelligence/drug effects ; *Iodine/urine/administration & dosage ; Intelligence Tests ; Drinking Water/chemistry ; Cognition/drug effects ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Excessive intake of both fluorine and iodine can lead to various health effects. The potential influence of excessive fluorine and iodine intake on the intelligence of school-age children has become a notable concern.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between urinary fluoride (UF) levels, urinary iodine (UI) levels, and intelligence quotient (IQ).

METHODS: This study involved 711 children aged 8 to 12 from rural Jiangsu, China. Water iodine levels were measured using As[3+]-Ce[4+] catalytic spectrophotometry, while UI levels were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Fluoride levels in urine and drinking water were measured using the ion-selective electrode method. Children's cognitive function, evaluated through IQ scores, was assessed using the Combined Raven's Test. The results were considered significant at the P < 0.05 level.

RESULTS: The average IQ score was 107.6, the median UF was 281 µg/L, and the median UI was 1.39 mg/L. The correlation coefficient (β) and confidence interval (95%CI) for UF and UI on IQ were - 3.34 (-4.14, -2.43) and - 3.31 (-4.19, -2.41), respectively (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). UF > 1.4 mg/L and UI ≥ 300 µg/L were negatively correlated with IQ scores in all school-age children (P < 0.001, P < 0.001), with β and 95% CIs of -3.59 (-5.45, -1.74), -4.06 (-5.91, -2.21), respectively. The interaction term (UF > 1.4 mg/L: UI ≥ 300 µg/L) was negatively correlated with IQ scores in all (P = 0.041) and female school-age children (P = 0.007), with β and 95%CIs of -4.43 (-8.66, -0.19) and - 8.87 (-15.16, -2.40), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: High levels of both fluoride and iodine intake negatively affect the IQ of school-age children. Monitoring and regulating these elements in children's diets is essential to prevent cognitive impairment.},
}

Humans
China
Child
Female
Male
*Fluorides/urine/analysis/administration & dosage
*Rural Population/statistics & numerical data
*Intelligence/drug effects
*Iodine/urine/administration & dosage
Intelligence Tests
Drinking Water/chemistry
Cognition/drug effects

@article {pmid40022279,
year = {2025},
author = {Wang, Y and Chen, Z and Cai, Z and Ao, W and Li, Q and Xu, M and Zhou, S},
title = {Exploring Graph Theory Mechanisms of Fluid Intelligence in the DLPFC: Insights From Resting-State fNIRS Across Various Time Windows.},
journal = {Brain and behavior},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {e70386},
pmid = {40022279},
issn = {2162-3279},
support = {//the National Natural Science Foundation Project of China/ ; //Humanity and Social Science Research Project of Jiangxi Educational Committee/ ; //Technology Planning Project of Health Commission of Jiangxi Province/ ; //Graduate Innovation Special Fund of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine/ ; //Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Innovation Team Development Program/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Intelligence/physiology ; Male ; Female ; *Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods/standards ; Adult ; Young Adult ; *Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Time Factors ; Functional Neuroimaging/methods/standards ; Rest/physiology ; Brain Mapping/methods ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Brain imaging technologies can measure fluid intelligence (gF) levels more directly, objectively, and dynamically, compared to traditional questionnaire scales. To clarify the temporal mechanisms of graph theory in measuring gF, this study investigated the relationship between graph theoretical indicators in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and gF levels under various time windows.

METHODS: Using 30-min resting-state fNIRS (rs-fNIRS) data and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices from 116 healthy participants, the relationship between individual gF levels and DLPFC brain signals was analyzed using average degree (AD) and global efficiency (Eglob).

RESULTS: AD and Eglob in the resting-state DLPFC were significantly negatively correlated with the RAPM score. Considering the effectiveness and efficiency of gF measurement, a 2-min data collection might suffice, while for Eglob, more than 15-min collection was more effective.

CONCLUSION: These findings help clarify brain indicators and demonstrate the effectiveness of rs-fNIRS in intelligence measurement, providing a theoretical and practical basis for portable and objective gF assessment .},
}

Humans
*Intelligence/physiology
Male
Female
*Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods/standards
Adult
Young Adult
*Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex/diagnostic imaging/physiology
Time Factors
Functional Neuroimaging/methods/standards
Rest/physiology
Brain Mapping/methods

@article {pmid40020660,
year = {2025},
author = {Linderoth, T and Deaner, L and Chen, N and Bowman, R and Boughton, RK and Fitzpatrick, SW},
title = {Translocations spur population growth but fail to prevent genetic erosion in imperiled Florida Scrub-Jays.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.058},
pmid = {40020660},
issn = {1879-0445},
abstract = {Land and natural resource use in addition to climate change can restrict populations to degraded and fragmented habitats, catalyzing extinction through the reinforced interplay of small population size and genetic decay. Translocating individuals is a powerful strategy for overcoming direct threats from human development and reconnecting isolated populations but is not without risks.[1] Habitat Management Plan analyses under section 7 of the U.S. Endangered Species Act determined that multiple subpopulations of Federally Threatened Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens, hereafter FSJ) belonging to a metapopulation on Florida's west coast were declining demographic sinks, occupying areas where agriculture and fire suppression had degraded and fragmented the habitat.[2] In order to increase the viability of the overall metapopulation, 51 FSJs from five of these small subpopulations in areas to be mined were translocated throughout 2003-2010 into a larger site of more contiguous, recently restored habitat at the core of the metapopulation, which contained a small resident population.[3] Prior to translocations and for nearly two decades afterward, this core population, referred to as the M4 core region (CR) population, was extensively monitored, yielding a nearly complete pedigree. We used this pedigree, along with temporal genomic analyses and simulations, to show that translocations coupled with habitat restoration generated rapid population growth, but high reproductive skew increased inbreeding and led to genetic erosion. This mechanistic understanding of mixed conservation outcomes highlights the importance of monitoring and the potential need for genetic rescue to offset consequences of reproductive skew following translocations, regardless of demographic recovery.},
}

@article {pmid40019547,
year = {2025},
author = {Vernouillet, A and Huang, N and Kelly, DM},
title = {Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) and Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) can discriminate between pilfering and non-pilfering conspecifics, but not between heterospecifics.},
journal = {Animal cognition},
volume = {28},
number = {1},
pages = {19},
pmid = {40019547},
issn = {1435-9456},
support = {BOF.PDO.2021.0035.01//University of Ghent/ ; RGPIN-2017-04944//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Passeriformes/physiology ; *Feeding Behavior ; Male ; Female ; Social Behavior ; Species Specificity ; Discrimination, Psychological ; },
abstract = {When foraging, individuals often need to assess potential risk from competitors. Within many food-caching (food-storing) species, individuals can modify their caching behavior depending on whether other individuals are present during the caching event. During caching, individuals may interact with not only conspecifics but also heterospecifics. However, the extent to which individual cachers can discriminate between conspecifics and heterospecifics that present a pilfering threat or not, has received little attention. During this study, we examined this issue with food-storing birds, highly social pinyon jays and less social Clark's nutcrackers. Cachers were given a choice to store their seeds in one of two visually distinct trays. Subsequently, one of the trays was given to an individual (either a conspecific or a heterospecific) who pilfered the caches, whereas the other tray was given to an individual (either a conspecific or a heterospecific) who did not pilfer the caches. When the two trays were returned to the cachers, they recached the seeds from the tray given to the pilfering observer individual more so than the tray given to the non-pilfering observer, but only when the pilferer was a conspecific. Our results suggest that the pinyon jays and nutcrackers could distinguish between conspecifics based on their pilfering behavior, but not between heterospecifics. Together, our results reconsider the ability of corvids to discriminate between individuals based on their pilfering risk and the importance of doing so while caching.},
}

Animals
*Passeriformes/physiology
*Feeding Behavior
Male
Female
Social Behavior
Species Specificity
Discrimination, Psychological

@article {pmid40011843,
year = {2025},
author = {Singhal, R and Namdev, R and Kumar, A and Bhagol, A and S, S},
title = {Correlation of fluoride intake with haemoglobin level and intelligence quotient in 8-12 year aged children: an observational study from India.},
journal = {BMC public health},
volume = {25},
number = {1},
pages = {788},
pmid = {40011843},
issn = {1471-2458},
support = {F.N. 5/9/1458/2022-Nut//Indian Council of Medical Research/ ; F.N. 5/9/1458/2022-Nut//Indian Council of Medical Research/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; *Fluorosis, Dental ; India ; *Hemoglobins/analysis ; *Fluorides/urine/analysis ; *Intelligence Tests ; *Intelligence/drug effects ; Drinking Water/chemistry ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Fluorosis caused by excess intake of fluoride can affects various soft tissues of the body, such as the gastrointestinal tract, blood, brain tissues and thyroid gland apart from dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis. Nonskeletal fluorosis is considered reversible if diagnosed early and treated promptly. Therefore, diagnostic methods that can be easily performed even by primary health care workers and depict any ongoing health problems, should be validated. Dental fluorosis, assessment of fluoride in urine and water are tests that fulfill these requirements. To date, no study has correlated haemoglobin (Hb) with dental fluorosis; moreover, studies focusing on intelligence quotient (IQ) had conflicting results and need further research. Hence, study was conducted to determine any relationship among different fluoride assessment parameters (severity of dental fluorosis, fluoride level in urine and drinking water) with IQ status and hemoglobin level of children aged 8-12 years, affected with or without dental fluorosis.

METHODS: A total of 300 children aged 8-12 years were evaluated for dental fluorosis via Dean's index, IQ level via Raven's coloured progressive matrices test, Hb level, and fluoride content in water and urine.

RESULTS: Water fluoride, age and gender were significantly associated with Hb. Intelligence was significantly related to urinary fluoride levels. Presence or absence of dental fluorosis and its severity were not significantly related to IQ or Hb.

CONCLUSIONS: Excess fluoride intake has adverse effects on hematological parameters and children's cognitive neurodevelopment, which were evaluated by current fluoride exposure markers, i.e., water and urinary fluoride. However, dental fluorosis cannot be used as a definitive assessment marker for these conditions, as it is not significantly correlated with these conditions.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
Child
*Fluorosis, Dental
India
*Hemoglobins/analysis
*Fluorides/urine/analysis
*Intelligence Tests
*Intelligence/drug effects
Drinking Water/chemistry

@article {pmid40007017,
year = {2025},
author = {Dirks, KR and Pinto, SM and Pham, KN and Byrne-Haber, TJ and Thompson, RW and Ratnayake, OC and Rovnak, J and Perera, R},
title = {The 24th Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Virology Association.},
journal = {Viruses},
volume = {17},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/v17020262},
pmid = {40007017},
issn = {1999-4915},
mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Virology ; Colorado ; Virus Diseases/immunology ; Viruses/genetics/immunology ; Arboviruses/physiology ; Prions ; },
abstract = {Located in the Rocky Mountains within the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado State University's Mountain Campus in Pingree Park hosted the 24th Annual Rocky Mountain Virology Association's meeting in 2024. A total of 165 participants, both regional and international, participated in the 3-day event, which consisted of 48 talks and 42 posters. These presentations discussed developments in prion research, current affairs, and novel tools in virology; investigated arboviruses and their vectors, as well as molecular foundations of viral interactions; and provided increased understanding of viral immunology and vaccines. This year's Randall Jay Cohrs keynote presentation unveiled how viral infections disrupt intestinal homeostasis via Sting-dependent NK-kB signaling. This novel research demonstrated the importance of immunological pathways in the virus-induced disruption of homeostasis. Nested in the valley of the Rocky Mountains, participants could enjoy the fall colors and partake in hiking and fishing all while discussing science and networking amongst a variety of scientists. This report encapsulates selected presentations from the 24th Annual Rocky Mountain Virology Association meeting.},
}

Humans
Animals
*Virology
Colorado
Virus Diseases/immunology
Viruses/genetics/immunology
Arboviruses/physiology
Prions

@article {pmid40003498,
year = {2025},
author = {Grant, TJ},
title = {COVID-19 as a Mirror: Reflecting the Pandemic of Racism and the Historical Roots of Health Inequities.},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
volume = {22},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ijerph22020273},
pmid = {40003498},
issn = {1660-4601},
mesh = {*COVID-19/epidemiology/ethnology ; Humans ; *Racism/history ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Pandemics/history ; United States/epidemiology ; Health Inequities ; History, 20th Century ; Social Determinants of Health ; Black or African American ; History, 21st Century ; Health Status Disparities ; White ; },
abstract = {Historically, the attribution of biology to race has shaped societies and manifested in innumerable disparities and irreparable harm, especially in communities of color. From the earliest days of the United States to the present day, the dehumanization and "othering" of African Americans have caused deep racial inequities that have been perpetuated and embedded in American culture. The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the deep racial inequalities in the US, especially in health outcomes for communities of color. Structural racism has played a critical role in exacerbating disparities, with Black, Hispanic, Latinx, and Indigenous populations experiencing higher rates of severe disease and mortality. The interconnectedness of racism with the social determinants of health, concomitant with higher rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, increases vulnerability to severe COVID-19. Health disparities are compounded by implicit biases in the medical field, a lack of diversity among healthcare providers, and historical medical mistrust among marginalized groups. Underrepresentation in the medical field, biomedical sciences, and academia hinders efforts to address health disparities effectively. This essay seeks to raise awareness of how the concepts of race and racism have resulted in racial hierarchies that perpetuate systems of oppression and impede efforts toward racial and health equity. Specifically, this essay covers time periods in American history, including slavery, the Jim Crow Era, the Civil Rights Movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic, and discusses how addressing race and racism and the achievement of racial health equity require targeted efforts to increase diversity in healthcare and biomedical fields, improve cultural competence, and foster trust between medical professionals and communities of color.},
}

*COVID-19/epidemiology/ethnology
Humans
*Racism/history
SARS-CoV-2
Pandemics/history
United States/epidemiology
Health Inequities
History, 20th Century
Social Determinants of Health
Black or African American
History, 21st Century
Health Status Disparities
White

@article {pmid39997167,
year = {2025},
author = {Okur, M and Aksoy, V},
title = {The Effect of a Working Memory Intervention Package on the Working Memory Performance of Primary School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities.},
journal = {Journal of Intelligence},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {},
pmid = {39997167},
issn = {2079-3200},
abstract = {This study examines the effects of a working memory (WM) intervention package on the WM performance of students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs). A pre-test post-test experimental design was applied with 40 students, divided equally into experimental (20 students) and control groups (20 students). Data were collected using the Working Memory Scale (WMS), Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM), and the Working Memory Performance Tasks Form (WM-PTF). The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in WMS and WM-PTF scores relative to the control group (p < 0.006, d = 1.96 for WMS; d = 1.42 for WM-PTF). Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between the increase in WM performance and intelligence scores, suggesting that intelligence may influence WM gains. In conclusion, the WM intervention package was significant in improving the WM performance of students with SLDs, indicating that such interventions have significant potential for enhancing cognitive functions and memory. These findings highlight the critical role of WM interventions in contributing to the cognitive development of students with learning difficulties.},
}

@article {pmid39997165,
year = {2025},
author = {Liu, Y and He, K and Man, K and Zhan, P},
title = {Exploring Critical Eye-Tracking Metrics for Identifying Cognitive Strategies in Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices: A Data-Driven Perspective.},
journal = {Journal of Intelligence},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/jintelligence13020014},
pmid = {39997165},
issn = {2079-3200},
abstract = {The present study utilized a recursive feature elimination approach in conjunction with a random forest algorithm to assess the efficacy of various features in predicting cognitive strategy usage in Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices. In addition to item response accuracy (RA) and response time (RT), five key eye-tracking metrics were examined: proportional time on matrix (PTM), latency to first toggle (LFT), rate of latency to first toggle (RLT), number of toggles (NOT), and rate of toggling (ROT). The results indicated that PTM, RLT, and LFT were the three most critical features, with PTM emerging as the most significant predictor of cognitive strategy usage, followed by RLT and LFT. Clustering analysis of these optimal features validated their utility in effectively distinguishing cognitive strategies. The study's findings underscore the potential of specific eye-tracking metrics as objective indicators of cognitive processing while providing a data-driven method to identify strategies used in complex reasoning tasks.},
}

@article {pmid39993628,
year = {2025},
author = {Gore, S and Mhamane, S and Jadhav, S and Padvi, N and Mhatre, A and Joshi, P and Sawakare, S and Samant, V and Chaturvedi, P and Pramesh, CS and Gupta, S and Budukh, A},
title = {Implementation challenges of government-funded health schemes for cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Centre.},
journal = {Journal of cancer policy},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {100564},
doi = {10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100564},
pmid = {39993628},
issn = {2213-5383},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The study aims to understand the Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY)health scheme awareness, challenges faced by the scheme beneficiaries, facilitators and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

METHODS: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study approved by the Tata Memorial Centre Ethics Committee. We collected data by interviewing participants through a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS: Out of 515 participants, 489 (95%) were beneficiaries (patients/caregivers) of the schemes, 15 (2.9%) MJPJAY staff, 6 (1.1%) medical social workers (MSW), and 5 (1.0%) AB PM-JAY staff. Of the 489 beneficiaries, only 162 (33.1%) were aware of the scheme. Most patients were satisfied with the benefits of the scheme; of the 83 (17%) who were dissatisfied, 30 (36%) cited incomplete coverage at a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [0.26-0.46] and 19 (23%) 95% CI [0.14-0.32] cited OOPE as the reason for dissatisfaction. Participants opined a need to increase package coverage of cancer treatment and essential investigations. The beneficiaries highlighted delays in the approval process and technical issues of the scheme as potential areas of improvement.

CONCLUSION: Government health schemes are effective in improving treatment completion without impoverishment and have the potential to improve treatment outcomes and cancer survival. Study results indicate the need to increase awareness about these schemes in the general population, improving the health benefit packages for cancer treatment, with inclusion investigations, supportive care, nutritional care, palliative care, immunotherapy, chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapy, bone marrow transplantation, and hormonal therapy.

POLICY SUMMARY: Government-funded health schemes are effective in reducing impoverishment related to healthcare costs and promoting Universal Health Coverage. However, periodic review of the breadth of coverage as well as feasibility of completing treatment using these packages is necessary to eliminate out-of-pocket expenditure and facilitate treatment completion.},
}

@article {pmid39990470,
year = {2025},
author = {Edwards, SV and Fang, B and Khost, D and Kolyfetis, GE and Cheek, RG and Deraad, D and Chen, N and Fitzpatrick, JW and McCormack, JE and Funk, WC and Ghalambor, CK and Garrison, E and Guarracino, A and Li, H and Sackton, TB},
title = {Comparative population pangenomes reveal unexpected complexity and fitness effects of structural variants.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2025.02.11.637762},
pmid = {39990470},
issn = {2692-8205},
abstract = {Structural variants (SVs) are widespread in vertebrate genomes, yet their evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood. Using 45 long-read de novo genome assemblies and pangenome tools, we analyze SVs within three closely related species of North American jays (Aphelocoma, scrub-jays) displaying a 60-fold range in effective population size. We find rapid evolution of genome architecture, including ~100 Mb variation in genome size driven by dynamic satellite landscapes with unexpectedly long (> 10 kb) repeat units and widespread variation in gene content, influencing gene expression. SVs exhibit slightly deleterious dynamics modulated by variant length and population size, with strong evidence of adaptive fixation only in large populations. Our results demonstrate how population size shapes the distribution of SVs and the importance of pangenomes to characterizing genomic diversity.},
}

@article {pmid39987304,
year = {2025},
author = {Qian, Y and Su, Q and Liu, W and Ma, L and Ma, M and Ma, L},
title = {The influence of socioeconomic status on intelligence in school-age children in Xuyong County: a mediation analysis of nutrition literacy and dietary diversity.},
journal = {European journal of nutrition},
volume = {64},
number = {2},
pages = {100},
pmid = {39987304},
issn = {1436-6215},
support = {06/00180176//Southwest Medical University/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Child ; Female ; Male ; *Intelligence/physiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; *Social Class ; *Diet/methods/statistics & numerical data ; China ; *Mediation Analysis ; *Health Literacy/statistics & numerical data/methods ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Nutritional Status ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data ; },
abstract = {PURPOSE: While children's nutrition in rural areas has garnered attention, the most studies focus on underweight, obesity and anemia, neglecting the importance of intelligence in children's current academic performance and future success. This study aimed to examine how food and nutrition literacy (FNLIT) and dietary diversity score (DDS) mediate the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on the intelligence development, offering insights for improving childhood nutrition.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study employed a stratified cluster random sampling method and included 1704 children aged between 8 and 16 years. Questionnaires was used to collect demographic data, FNLIT, DDS and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) scores. SES was constructed using principal component analysis. Linear regression analysis was used to explore the interrelationship between the variables.

RESULTS: The mean scores for FNLIT, DDS, and SPM were 58.06 ± 7.00, 6.25 ± 1.64, and 37.60 ± 8.91, respectively. SES is positively correlated with SPM (B = 0.434, p < 0.01); FNLIT mediates the relationship between SES and SPM (B = 0.065, 95% CI: 0.035, 0.098). Among participants with DDS ≤ 6, DDS mediates the relationship between SES and SPM (B = 0.017, 95% CI: 0.0002, 0.044). For students with DDS ≤ 6, FNLIT + DDS has a positive mediated (B = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.0004, 0.007), while for primary students, it show a negative effect (B = - 0.003, 95% CI: - 0.008, - 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Both FNLIT and DDS have impacts on children intelligence. Nutrition education and dietary interventions should prioritize children with low SES and inadequate DDS to enhance intellectual development.},
}

Humans
Child
Female
Male
*Intelligence/physiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Adolescent
*Social Class
*Diet/methods/statistics & numerical data
China
*Mediation Analysis
*Health Literacy/statistics & numerical data/methods
Surveys and Questionnaires
Nutritional Status
Rural Population/statistics & numerical data

@article {pmid39987138,
year = {2025},
author = {Nazari, MA and Abbasi, S and Rezaeian, M and Heysieattalab, S and Safakheil, H and Nasrabadi, AM and Barzegar, Z and Joghataei, MT and Asgharian, Z and Ghobadzadeh, F and Alizadeh, M and Amini Yeganeh, P and Khayyat Naghadehi, A and Azizi, K and Alizadeh Chakharlou, M and Nasiri, A and Davoudkhani, M and Rezaeian, M and Safakheil, M and Katebi, A and Hasanzadeh Tahraband, M and Delkhahi, S and Soltani, H and Shahrabi Farahani, V and Ghasemkhani, K and Nazari, E and Farkhondeh Tale Navi, F},
title = {Iranian 6-11 years age population-based EEG, ERP, and cognition dataset.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {319},
pmid = {39987138},
issn = {2052-4463},
support = {12286//Cognitive Sciences and Technologies Council (CSTC)/ ; 12286//Cognitive Sciences and Technologies Council (CSTC)/ ; 12286//Cognitive Sciences and Technologies Council (CSTC)/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; Child ; *Electroencephalography ; *Cognition ; Iran ; Male ; Female ; Memory, Short-Term ; Evoked Potentials ; Learning Disabilities/physiopathology ; Brain/physiology ; Longitudinal Studies ; },
abstract = {This report presents an open-source dataset investigating neurodevelopmental profiles in children. The dataset consists of EEG, ERP, and cognitive assessments from 100 Iranian non-clinical participants (age range 6-11 years, Mean = 8.52 ± 1.5 SD). Notably, this is a smaller group drawn from a larger longitudinal ongoing study. The research aligns with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, aiming to enhance diagnostic precision and intervention efficacy for specific learning disabilities (SLD) using EEG/ERP measures and machine learning. Cognitive assessments included non-verbal intelligence (Raven Test), attention (IVA-2), and working memory tasks. EEG recordings captured resting-state (eyes closed/open) and brain activity during working memory tasks with numerical and non-numerical stimuli (ERPs). Additionally, demographic information such as age, gender, education, handedness, parental history of learning difficulties, and child symptom inventory-4 (CSI-4) were collected. This dataset provides a valuable resource for exploring the neurophysiological correlates of cognitive functions in typically developing children, which can advance our understanding of the neural foundations of cognitive development in children.},
}

Humans
Child
*Electroencephalography
*Cognition
Iran
Male
Female
Memory, Short-Term
Evoked Potentials
Learning Disabilities/physiopathology
Brain/physiology
Longitudinal Studies

@article {pmid39985626,
year = {2025},
author = {Daw, F and Beheim, BA and Wascher, CAF},
title = {Evolutionary drivers of caching behaviour in corvids.},
journal = {Animal cognition},
volume = {28},
number = {1},
pages = {17},
pmid = {39985626},
issn = {1435-9456},
mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Feeding Behavior ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {Caching has recurrently evolved across a range of animal taxa to withstand fluctuations in food availability and in the context of intraspecific competition. It is widespread in the corvid family, which exhibit considerable interspecific variation in their behavioural and morphological adaptations to caching. However, the evolutionary drivers responsible for this diversity have seldom been explored. The present study systematically reviews the literature on caching behaviour in corvids globally to determine (1) which food caching strategies species have adopted (specialist, generalist or non-cacher) and (2) whether ecological factors affect the occurrence of different strategies, namely (a) climate breadth, (b) trophic niche, (c) habitat breadth, (d) centroid latitude, (e) centroid longitude, (f) breeding system, and (g) body mass. In addition, the ancestral states of caching are reconstructed to assess the evolutionary trajectory of each strategy. Caching strategies were identified in 63 species from 16 genera (out of 128 corvid species and 22 genera). Ancestral state analysis suggested specialist caching as the ancestral state in corvids. Type of caching is associated with distance from equator and by average body mass, with generalist caching concentrated around the equatorial zone and among heavier corvids, while specialist caching occurring more commonly in smaller species found farther from the equator. Although specialist caching most likely was the ancestral state in corvids, both specialist and generalist caching evolved several times independently in the family of corvids. Our results show caching to be widespread in corvids and affected by body size and latitude but ecological factors such as topic niche and habitat breadth and breeding system, not to be strong drivers shaping caching behaviour.},
}

Animals
*Biological Evolution
*Feeding Behavior
Ecosystem

@article {pmid39979404,
year = {2025},
author = {Clark, FE and Burdass, J and Kavanagh, A and King, A},
title = {Palaeognath birds innovate to solve a novel foraging problem.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {4512},
pmid = {39979404},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Feeding Behavior/physiology ; *Palaeognathae/physiology ; Problem Solving ; Cognition ; Birds/physiology/classification ; Behavior, Animal/physiology ; },
abstract = {The ability to innovate implies flexible cognition, and is used as a broad metric of intelligence. Innovation in birds has been intensively studied in the larger and more taxonomically diverse Neognathae clade (particularly crows and parrots) and overlooked in the smaller and more ancestral Palaeognathae clade. The current study provides the first known evidence of technical innovation in palaeognath birds. We tested the ability of nine individuals of three species to move a hole towards a chamber to access a food reward. This problem was different to traditional innovation puzzle-boxes where an obstacle is moved away from a food chamber. Three emus and one rhea produced a wheel-turning innovation, moving the hole in the most efficient direction (closer to the nearest food item) in 90% of cases. One rhea dismantled the task twice by removing the central bolt, which we suggest is a second type of innovation, and it did not persist once they innovated the wheel turning solution. Ostriches did not innovate. We classify innovation in palaeognaths as low level/simplistic, relying on general exploration and asocial trial and error learning. Our research suggests that technical innovation may have evolved far earlier in birds than previously thought, and palaeognath birds are a compelling taxonomic group for further cognitive research.},
}

Animals
*Feeding Behavior/physiology
*Palaeognathae/physiology
Problem Solving
Cognition
Birds/physiology/classification
Behavior, Animal/physiology

@article {pmid39978703,
year = {2025},
author = {Plinio, SD and Perrucci, MG and Ferrara, G and Sergi, MR and Tommasi, M and Martino, M and Saggino, A and Ebisch, SJ},
title = {Intrinsic Brain Mapping of Cognitive Abilities: A Multiple-Dataset Study on Intelligence and its Components.},
journal = {NeuroImage},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {121094},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121094},
pmid = {39978703},
issn = {1095-9572},
abstract = {This study investigates how functional brain network features contribute to general intelligence and its cognitive components by analyzing three independent cohorts of healthy participants. Cognitive scores were derived from 1) the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV), 2) the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices (RPM), and 3) the NIH and Penn cognitive batteries from the Human Connectome Project. Factor analysis on the NIH and Penn cognitive batteries yielded latent variables that closely resembled the content of the WAIS-IV indices and RPM. We employed graph theory and a multi-resolution network analysis by varying the modularity parameter (γ) to investigate hierarchical brain-behavior relationships across different scales of brain organization. Brain-behavior associations were quantified using multi-level robust regression analyses to accommodate variability and confounds at the subject-level, node-level, and resolution-level. Our findings reveal consistent brain-behavior relationships across the datasets. Nodal efficiency in fronto-parietal sensorimotor regions consistently played a pivotal role in fluid reasoning, whereas efficiency in visual networks was linked to executive functions and memory. A broad, low-resolution 'task-positive' network emerged as predictive of full-scale IQ scores, indicating a hierarchical brain-behavior coding. Conversely, increased cross-network connections involving default mode and subcortical-limbic networks were associated with reductions in both general and specific cognitive performance. These outcomes highlight the relevance of network efficiency and integration, as well as of the hierarchical organization in supporting specific aspects of intelligence, while recognizing the inherent complexity of these relationships. Our multi-resolution network approach offers new insights into the interplay between multilayer network properties and the structure of cognitive abilities, advancing the understanding of the neural substrates of the intelligence construct.},
}

@article {pmid39976791,
year = {2025},
author = {Accinelli, C and Bruno, V and Abbas, HK and Morena, C and Khambhati, VH and Shier, WT},
title = {Microplastic uptake by birds: from observation to development of a novel seed coating to prevent bird predation of corn seeds.},
journal = {Environmental science and pollution research international},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {39976791},
issn = {1614-7499},
abstract = {The occurrence of microplastics in soil is an emerging issue that not only impacts soil ecology but also has the potential to affect terrestrial birds foraging in agricultural fields. Foraging birds may unintentionally take up soil-borne microplastics along with soil adhering to crop residues and seeds of cultivated species. Microplastic uptake by foraging terrestrial bird species, including Pica pica (magpie), Corvus cornix (hooded crow), and Columba palumbus (common wood pigeon), studied using camera traps, showed that the risk of MP uptake by these birds microplastics from compostable plastic bags was elevated by 27 and 78% when the microplastic particles were associated with corn seed grits or corn seeds, respectively. When these film fragments were coated with a slurry containing tannic acid, saponin, and juglone, microplastic uptake was significantly reduced. Similarly, coating corn seeds with this repellent slurry reduced seed predation by birds up to 86%, and completely wrapping corn seeds with a repellent plastic film resulted in no observed seed predation by birds. The same results were obtained when the wrapping film was replaced by a seed coating containing hairy cotton fibers which may have triggered a feather fear or repulsion response in the birds. This study demonstrated that covering corn seeds with natural repellents or hairy filaments provided complete protection from bird predation.},
}

@article {pmid39970819,
year = {2025},
author = {DeLisi, LE},
title = {A Tribute to Timothy J. Crow: 1938-2024.},
journal = {Schizophrenia research},
volume = {277},
number = {},
pages = {18-19},
doi = {10.1016/j.schres.2025.01.011},
pmid = {39970819},
issn = {1573-2509},
}

@article {pmid39968405,
year = {2025},
author = {Alamshah, AL and Marshall, BM},
title = {Distribution-wide morphometric data of Jungle Crows (Corvus macrorhynchos).},
journal = {Data in brief},
volume = {59},
number = {},
pages = {111325},
pmid = {39968405},
issn = {2352-3409},
abstract = {Understudied, widespread species may harbour underappreciated variation in morphology. Museum specimens represent a rich source of morphometric data, and for many species this information is untapped. Here we present a dataset derived from standardised photography of museum specimens of Jungle Crows (Corvus macrorhynchos), a widespread Asian Corvid. We photographed 1105 crows, for which 1069 we managed to collect measurements of hard tissue (i.e., bill characteristics and tarsus length). We combined these measurements with museum-curated data on the locality of the specimens, resulting in a geotagged dataset of Jungle Crow morphology. The measured crows originated from across their distribution, representing the most comprehensive morphometric dataset for Corvus macrorhynchos to date. The dataset is a valuable resource for exploring the driving forces behind morphological variation in Corvus macrorhynchos, as well as a foundation for intraspecific comparison of proposed subspecies and interspecific comparisons of other bird species.},
}

@article {pmid39966284,
year = {2025},
author = {Double, KS},
title = {Survey measures of metacognitive monitoring are often false.},
journal = {Behavior research methods},
volume = {57},
number = {3},
pages = {97},
pmid = {39966284},
issn = {1554-3528},
support = {DE230101223//Australian Research Council/ ; },
abstract = {Metacognitive monitoring is an extremely important ability that predicts a wide range of outcomes. However, do people have insight into their own metacognitive monitoring capacity? This study measured participants' perceived metacognitive monitoring abilities using a novel psychometrically validated questionnaire (Study 1) and then examined how well survey responses aligned with online measures of metacognitive monitoring (resolution, discrimination, sensitivity, efficiency) taken from confidence ratings participants made while performing a perceptual decision-making task and Raven's Progressive Matrices (Study 2). We found a negative correlation between the questionnaire responses and many of the online measures of metacognitive monitoring - those who reported being better at metacognitive monitoring, in fact tended to be worse according to the online metacognitive ratings. This occurred because, in general, high self-perceptions of monitoring ability were, in fact, related to higher confidence and lower cognitive performance. These findings suggest that we may have inaccurate insights into our own metacognitive monitoring capacity and questionnaire-based measures of metacognitive abilities may be problematic as they may represent unrealistic self-perceptions.},
}

@article {pmid39961891,
year = {2025},
author = {Larkum, AWD and Falkowski, PG and Edwards, D and Osmond, CB and Lambers, H and Sanchez-Baracaldo, P and Ritchie, RJ and Runcie, JW and Ralph, PJ and Westoby, M and Maberly, S and Griffiths, H and Smith, FA and Beardall, J},
title = {John Raven, FRS, FRSE: a truly great innovator in plant physiology, photosynthesis and much more.},
journal = {Photosynthesis research},
volume = {163},
number = {2},
pages = {18},
pmid = {39961891},
issn = {1573-5079},
mesh = {*Photosynthesis/physiology ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Plant Physiological Phenomena ; Botany/history ; },
abstract = {This is a tribute to a truly inspirational plant biologist, Prof. John A. Raven, FRS, FRSE (25th June 1941- 23rd May 2024), who died at the age of 82. He was a leader in the field of evolution and physiology of algae and land plants. His research touched on many areas including photosynthesis, ion transport, carbon utilisation, mineral use, such as silicon, iron and molybdenum, the evolution of phytoplankton, the evolution of root systems, the impact of global change, especially on the acidification of the oceans, carbon gain and water use in early land plants, and ways of detecting extraterrestrial photosynthesis. Beginning his research career in the Botany School, University of Cambridge, John studied ion uptake in a giant algal cell. This was at the time of great strides brought about by Peter Mitchell (1920-1992) in elucidating the role of energy generation in mitochondria and chloroplasts and the coupling of ion transport systems to energy generation. With Enid MacRobbie and Andrew Smith, John pioneered early work on the involvement of ion transport in the growth and metabolism of plant cells.On leaving Cambridge John took up a lectureship at the University of Dundee in 1971, where he was still attached upon his death. His primary focus over the years, with one of us (Paul Falkowski), was on phytoplankton, the photosynthetic microalgae of the oceans. Still, his publication list of 5 books and over 600 scientific papers spans a very broad range. The many highly cited papers (see Table 1) attest to an outstanding innovator, who influenced a multitude of students and coworkers and a very wide readership worldwide. At the personal level, John Raven was a wonderful human being; he had an extraordinary memory, dredging up facts and little-known scientific papers, like a scientific magician, but at the same time making humorous jokes and involving his colleagues in fun and sympathetic appreciation. Table 1 Ten best cited articles (from google scholar) Citations Date Aquatic Photosynthesis, 3rd Edition P.G. Falkowski & J.A. Raven Princeton University Press, 2013 3854 2013 The evolution of modern eukaryotic phytoplankton P.G. Falkowski, M.E. Katz, A.H. Knoll, A. Quigg, J.A. Raven, et al Science 305, 354-360 1790 2004 CO2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution M. Giordano, J. Beardall & J.A. Raven Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 56 (1), 99-131 1648 2005 Algae as nutritional food sources: revisiting our understanding M.L. Wells, P. Potin, J.S. Craigie, J.A. Raven, S.S. Merchant, et al Journal of applied phycology 29, 949-982 1527 2017 Plant Nutrient acquisition strategies change with soil age H. Lambers, J.A. Raven, G.R. Shaver & S.E. Smith Trends in ecology & evolution 23, 95-103 1488 2008 Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide J. Raven, K. Caldeira, H. Elderfield, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, P. Liss, et al The Royal Society, Policy Document, June 2005 1470 2005 Phytoplankton in a changing world: cell size and elemental stoichiometry Z.V. Finkel, J. Beardall, K.J. Flynn, A. Quigg, T.A.V. Rees & J.A. Raven Journal of plankton research 32, 119-137 1198 2010 Opportunities for improving phosphorus efficiency in crop plants E.J. Veneklaas, H. Lambers, J. Bragg, P.M. Finnegan, C.E. Lovelock, et al New phytologist 195, 306-320 951 2012 Adaptation of unicellular algae to irradiance: an analysis of strategies K. Richardson, J. Beardall & J.A. Raven New Phytologist 93, 157-191 914 1983 Nitrogen assimilation and transport in vascular land plants in relation to Intracellular pH regulation J.A. Raven & F.A. Smith New Phytologist 76, 415-431 893 1976 Temperature and algal growth J.A. Raven & R.J. Geider New phytologist 110, 441-461 867 1988 The role of trace metals in photosynthetic electron transport in O2 -evolving organisms J.A. Raven, M.C.W. Evans & R.E. Korb Photosynthesis Research 60, 111-150 840 1999.},
}

*Photosynthesis/physiology
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Plant Physiological Phenomena
Botany/history

@article {pmid39961427,
year = {2025},
author = {Yatsuda, C and Izawa, EI},
title = {Sex difference of LiCl-induced feeding suppression and, autonomic and HPA axis responses in crows.},
journal = {Physiology & behavior},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {114846},
doi = {10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114846},
pmid = {39961427},
issn = {1873-507X},
abstract = {Visceral sensation is crucial for feeding, emotion, and decision making in humans and non-human animals. Visceral discomforting stimulation activates stress-coping systems, such as the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamus-pit-adrenal (HPA) axis, with varied responses and thresholds between sexes. Despite these systems working together during visceral discomfort, ANS and HPA have been separately investigated with few studies examining the co-occurrence of the ANS and HPA responses to visceral stimulations. The basic profiles of the ANS and HPA responses to visceral discomfort and sex differences in birds are poorly elucidated. This study investigated the effects of visceral stimulation via intraperitoneal injection of lithium chloride (LiCl) on feeding behavior, ANS and HPA activities, and sex differences in crows. We identified the LiCl dose that suppressed the intake of a preferred food and compared the LiCl-induced feeding suppression between sexes. Changes in heart rate variability (HRV), as a proxy of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities, and serum corticosterone (CORT) levels by LiCl injection were compared. Feeding suppression occurred at higher LiCl doses in males than in females. HRV analysis revealed that LiCl injection reduced HR and increased parasympathetic activity; however, it did not change sympathetic activity, with no sex differences in any variables. In contrast, LiCl injections at lower doses increased serum CORT levels more in males than in females. Our findings provide the first evidence of sex-specific response profiles to feeding suppression and ANS and HPA activities associated with LiCl-induced visceral discomfort in birds.},
}

@article {pmid39960921,
year = {2025},
author = {Park, SH and Park, SO and Jung, JA},
title = {Clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of home-used LED and IRED mask for crow's feet: A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study.},
journal = {Medicine},
volume = {104},
number = {7},
pages = {e41596},
doi = {10.1097/MD.0000000000041596},
pmid = {39960921},
issn = {1536-5964},
mesh = {Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Middle Aged ; *Skin Aging ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Aged ; Low-Level Light Therapy/methods/instrumentation/adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome ; Infrared Rays/therapeutic use ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: As the elderly population continues to grow, the demand for antiaging products is increasing concurrently. On our face, wrinkles begin to form first around the eyes, where the skin is the thinnest. Previous studies have suggested that irradiating the skin with light-emitting diode (LED)/infrared emitting diode (IRED) light at 600 to 660 nm/800 to 860 nm, stimulates the cells of the dermis and epidermal tissue and is effective in wrinkle improvement and antiaging. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-level light therapy masks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind clinical trial was conducted at 2 institutions. Sixty Asian descent individuals between the ages of 30 and 65 years who showed type II to V skin type on the Fitzpatrick scale were included. Among participants with a score of 2 to 4 on the crow's feet grading scale (CFGS) at rest (without expression), those who sought temporary improvement in both crow's feet were selected. The participants were categorized into 2 groups: the experimental group, which used a device with a combination of 630 nm LED (max 10 mW/cm3) and 850 nm IRED (max 10 mW/cm3), and the control group, which used the sham device. Efficacy evaluation included various evaluations, including the CFGS as rated by independent raters, CFGS scores assigned by investigators, and the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale evaluation by both investigators and the participants.

RESULTS: After using the LED mask for 16 weeks, the CFGS score of the independent raters and investigators showed significant differences at 8, 12, and 16 weeks. In addition, considering the success criteria of this study, a comparison of independent raters showed an improvement rate of ≥69.2% (full analysis set [FAS]: 86.2%, per-protocol set [PPS]: 89.3%) and a difference of ≥49.2% from the control group (FAS: 69.5%, PPS: 72.6%). The change in scores from the baseline showed significant differences between the test group and the control groups at 8, 12, and 16 weeks for both independent raters and investigators.

CONCLUSION: LED and IRED phototherapies at 630 nm and 850 nm, respectively, are effective, safe, well-tolerated, and painless treatment for skin rejuvenation.},
}

Humans
Double-Blind Method
Middle Aged
*Skin Aging
Female
Male
Adult
Aged
Low-Level Light Therapy/methods/instrumentation/adverse effects
Treatment Outcome
Infrared Rays/therapeutic use

@article {pmid39957524,
year = {2025},
author = {Barrón-Martínez, JB and Salvador-Cruz, J},
title = {Executive function abilities in Mexican people with Down syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic.},
journal = {Journal of intellectual & developmental disability},
volume = {50},
number = {1},
pages = {116-126},
doi = {10.3109/13668250.2024.2410846},
pmid = {39957524},
issn = {1469-9532},
mesh = {Humans ; *Down Syndrome/psychology ; *COVID-19/psychology/epidemiology ; *Executive Function/physiology ; Mexico ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Child ; Neuropsychological Tests ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Memory, Short-Term/physiology ; North American People ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The aim was to explore the executive function profile of a group of Mexican people with Down syndrome (DS) aged 12-30 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: To analyse the relationships between mental, chronological age and eight domains of executive function.

METHOD: Participants were 42 people with DS with a chronological age (CA) of 12-30 years and a mean nonverbal mental age (MA) of 7 years. MA was evaluated with Raven's Progressive Matrices test and executive function with the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2); both were administered online.

RESULTS: The Monitor, Emotional Control, Initiative, and Organisation of Materials scales showed strengths, while Working Memory, Plan/Organise, Shift, and Inhibit scales showed weaknesses. CA correlated negatively with seven of the eight executive domains. Chronologically older participants showed less impairment in skills such as inhibition, emotional control, working memory, and monitoring. Nonverbal MA correlated negatively with two domains: emotional control and monitoring.

CONCLUSION: Participants' executive profile during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistent with that reported in studies prior to the pandemic.},
}

Humans
*Down Syndrome/psychology
*COVID-19/psychology/epidemiology
*Executive Function/physiology
Mexico
Male
Female
Adult
Adolescent
Young Adult
Child
Neuropsychological Tests
SARS-CoV-2
Memory, Short-Term/physiology
North American People

@article {pmid39943112,
year = {2025},
author = {Yakhlef, V and Magalhães-Sant'Ana, M and Pereira, AL and Azevedo, A},
title = {A Global Survey on the Perception of Conservationists Regarding Animal Consciousness.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ani15030341},
pmid = {39943112},
issn = {2076-2615},
abstract = {Human perceptions of animal consciousness have evolved over time, influencing how they are treated. This study aimed to assess perceptions of animal consciousness in people working in conservation. An online survey of 87 participants evaluated their perceptions of animals' capabilities across 10 dimensions of consciousness, including self-consciousness, learning, and reasoning. The sum of the answers to the questions was validated as a "perception index" using a principal component analysis. Next, its variation according to taxonomic, demographic, professional factors, and the duration, type, and frequency of interaction with animals was assessed with generalized linear models and stepwise model selection. Participants' perceptions varied with taxonomic class and the level of education, with mammals obtaining higher indexes than birds (-0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.24, -0.03, p < 0.01) or reptiles (-0.41; 95% CI -0.55, -0.27, p < 0.01), and respondents holding a PhD exhibiting higher perception indexes than those with BScs (-0.19; 95% CI -0.32, -0.06, p < 0.01) or lower education (-0.18; 95% CI -0.32, -0.03, p = 0.01). The attribution of consciousness followed a phylogenetic pattern, but several exceptions (e.g., the octopus and raven) were noted on a finer scale supporting a multifactorial influence on the perception of animal consciousness that emerges upon a baseline phylogenetic pattern. Finally, the results suggest that conservationists are influenced by culture and scientific knowledge, as much as their personal experiences, when evaluating animals' perceptions, highlighting the need for further research on the convergence between perception, belief, and evidence.},
}

@article {pmid39935089,
year = {2025},
author = {Fink, B and Campiche, R and Shackelford, TK and Voegeli, R},
title = {Effects of under-eye skin and crow's feet on perceived facial appearance in women of five ethnic groups.},
journal = {International journal of cosmetic science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/ics.13045},
pmid = {39935089},
issn = {1468-2494},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Age-related skin changes in the periorbital region caused by intrinsic (e.g. atrophy of collagen and fat) and extrinsic (e.g. sun exposure) factors, including skin wrinkling, hyperpigmentation, dark circles and lateral canthal lines ('crow's feet'), are a concern for women. We investigated the impact of under-eye skin and crow's feet on perceptions of women's faces in different ethnic groups.

METHODS: Facial images of women (n = 180) from five ethnic groups were rated for age, health and attractiveness by naïve assessors of the same ethnic group (n = 120). Digital image analysis was used to quantify visible skin characteristics in two facial regions, that is, under the eyes (colour, gloss, tone evenness and wrinkles) and in the crow's feet region (wrinkles only). Skin image measurements were used to predict face ratings in the full sample and separately by ethnicity.

RESULTS: Ethnic differences were detected for measurements of skin colour, gloss, tone evenness and wrinkles - the latter under the eyes and in the crow's feet region. Correlational and regression analysis indicated a major role of wrinkles (both regions) in predicting rated age, health and attractiveness from the facial portraits across ethnic groups, with some variation in the types or the predictive magnitude of skin characteristics.

CONCLUSION: The predictive utility of under-eye wrinkles and crow's feet for rated age, health and attractiveness correspond to women's reported concern with under-eye bags, dark circles and crow's feet. Despite some ethnic differences in these features, their impact on women's facial appearance ratings is similar across ethnic groups.},
}

@article {pmid39929864,
year = {2025},
author = {Khan, MA and Latif, M and Mansha, M and Hussain, T and Bin Jardan, YA and Metouekel, A and Dauelbait, M and Belkahia, H and Iqbal, F and Said, MB},
title = {Genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of common house crows (Corvus splendens).},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {4871},
pmid = {39929864},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Phylogeny ; *Crows/genetics ; Pakistan ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods ; },
abstract = {The Common House Crow (Corvus splendens) exhibits remarkable ecological adaptability, enabling its rapid expansion across continents. However, despite its wide distribution, there is a need for genetic studies to clarify its evolutionary history and population structure. This research employs DNA barcoding, focusing on the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (Cox1), which is effective for species identification and phylogenetic analysis. Blood samples were collected from 70 C. splendens specimens across seven cities in Punjab, Pakistan: Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Pakpattan, Gujranwala, and Bahawalpur. Genomic DNA extraction was performed, and a partial sequence of the COX1 gene was amplified using PCR techniques. Sequencing of the Cox1 marker from 10 randomly selected specimens revealed nine distinct genetic variants. Interspecific analysis positioned our C. splendens sequences alongside various Corvus species available in GenBank, while intraspecific analysis identified a total of 15 genetic variants. These variants showed nucleotide identity rates ranging from 98.7 to 99.8%, with genetic distances between 0.002 and 0.013. The analysis indicated that the C. splendens group consists of a single heterogeneous clade with variants from multiple countries, including Pakistan, Tanzania, Nepal, South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya, Australia, and Singapore. This study significantly enhances our understanding of genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships within C. splendens populations, highlighting the necessity of genetic research to inform conservation strategies. Further research employing advanced molecular techniques and broader geographic sampling is essential to assess the genetic diversity and population dynamics of this adaptable species.},
}

Animals
*Phylogeny
*Crows/genetics
Pakistan
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
Genetic Variation
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods

@article {pmid39928177,
year = {2025},
author = {Zhang, R and Guo, R and Xin, Y and Jiang, Q and Qiu, J},
title = {A bibliometric analysis of immune response in oral cancer.},
journal = {Discover oncology},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {146},
pmid = {39928177},
issn = {2730-6011},
support = {20232BAB216073, 20242BAB25514//Jiangxi Natural Science Foundation/ ; GZY-KJS-2023-028//Key Projects of Jiangxi Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine/ ; 82260194, 82403716//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a type of oral cancer, has a high mortality rate and unfavorable outcomes. Its tumor microenvironment (TME) is intricate and adaptable, with research frequently focusing on the immune reaction. Scholars are exploring ways to enhance survival by bolstering the immune response within the TME. However, a comprehensive trend analysis is lacking. Bibliometric analysis can address this by visualizing research patterns. This study aimed to map these trends in OSCC immunology from 2003 to 2023.

METHODS: An immunology-focused search on OSCC was executed within the Web of Science Core Collection, spanning 2003 to 2023. Despite its narrow focus, the search offers a telling glimpse of current researches in this domain. Bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer, Citespace, Scimago Graphica, and R software.

RESULTS: From 2003 to 2023, the field has published 805 publications, predominantly from China and the United States. The most valuable contributing author is Friedman Jay, topping co-citation counts. The journal Oral Oncology is the leading journal with the highest publication volume. An analysis of keyword bursts indicated that research into nivolumab and chemotherapy is a prevalent area of interest within the clinical community. These findings suggest that neoadjuvant immunotherapy represents a promising avenue for future therapeutic development.

CONCLUSIONS: This study presented a summary of the current trends and research frontiers in the field of immunological aspects of OSCC. This summary can serve as a valuable reference and a source of new insights into this area of research.},
}

@article {pmid39927110,
year = {2024},
author = {Wrigley-Field, E},
title = {Stolen Lives: Redress for Slavery's and Jim Crow's Ongoing Theft of Lifespan.},
journal = {The Russell Sage Foundation journal of the social sciences : RSF},
volume = {10},
number = {2},
pages = {88-112},
doi = {10.7758/rsf.2024.10.2.04},
pmid = {39927110},
issn = {2377-8253},
abstract = {Reparations proposals typically target wealth. Yet slavery's and Jim Crow's long echoes also steal time, such as by producing shorter Black lifespans even today. I argue that lost time should be considered an independent target for redress; identify challenges to doing so; and provide examples of what reparations redressing lost lifespan could look like. To identify quantitative targets for redress, I analyze area-level relationships between Black lifespans and six measures of intensity of slavery, Jim Crow, and racial terror. Results reveal inconsistent relationships across measures, suggesting difficulties in grounding a target for redress in such variation. Instead, I propose that policies aim to redress the national lifespan gap between White and Black Americans. The article concludes with a typology of potential strategies for such redress.},
}

@article {pmid39921575,
year = {2025},
author = {Moll, FW and Kersten, Y and Erdle, S and Nieder, A},
title = {Exploring Anatomical Links Between the Crow's Nidopallium Caudolaterale and Its Song System.},
journal = {The Journal of comparative neurology},
volume = {533},
number = {2},
pages = {e70028},
pmid = {39921575},
issn = {1096-9861},
mesh = {Animals ; *Vocalization, Animal/physiology ; *Crows/anatomy & histology/physiology ; *Neural Pathways/anatomy & histology/physiology ; *Telencephalon/anatomy & histology/physiology/cytology ; Male ; Neurons/physiology/cytology ; },
abstract = {Crows are corvid songbirds that exhibit remarkable cognitive control, including their ability to vocalize on command. The activity of single neurons from the crow's associative telencephalic structure nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) is correlated with the execution of this vocal and many non-vocal behaviors. However, whether anatomical connections directly link the crow NCL to its "song system" remains unclear. To address this, we used fluorescent tracers along with histological staining methods to characterize the connectivity of the crow's NCL in relation to its song system. Consistent with previous findings in other songbirds, we found that the NCL sends dense projections into the dorsal intermediate arcopallium (AID) directly adjacent to the song system's telencephalic motor output, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA). Similarly, we demonstrate dense NCL projections into the striatum engulfing the basal ganglia song nucleus "area X." Both of these descending projections mirror the projections of the nidopallial song nucleus HVC (proper name) into RA and area X, with extremely sparse NCL fibers extending into area X. Furthermore, we characterized the distribution of cells projecting from the lateral part of the magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (MAN) to NCL. Notably, a separate medial population of MAN cells projects to HVC. These two sets of connections-MAN to NCL and MAN to HVC-run in parallel but do not overlap. Taken together, our findings support the hypothesis that the NCL is part of a "general motor system" that parallels the song system but exhibits only minimal monosynaptic interconnections with it.},
}

Animals
*Vocalization, Animal/physiology
*Crows/anatomy & histology/physiology
*Neural Pathways/anatomy & histology/physiology
*Telencephalon/anatomy & histology/physiology/cytology
Male
Neurons/physiology/cytology

@article {pmid39916800,
year = {2025},
author = {Chantoufi, A and Canário, AM and Baud, T and Vallé, C and Baux, A and Jiguet, F},
title = {Seed and Color Preferences of Wild Carrion Crows From Cafeteria Experiments.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {2},
pages = {e70944},
pmid = {39916800},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Birds can cause significant damage to agricultural fields, notably in Europe, where corvid species like carrion crows (Corvus corone) and rooks (Corvus frugilegus) target spring crops, posing challenges for conservation and wildlife management. Among targeted crops, sunflower and maize suffer the highest levels of damage from corvids' foraging. While both lethal and non-lethal strategies are employed to mitigate bird damage, their effectiveness is limited and context-dependent. Consequently, there is growing interest in identifying natural bird repellents. To improve our understanding of corvid food selection and explore potential non-lethal management strategies, we conducted (1) cafeteria trials with five common seed types (maize, sunflower, soy, pea, and wheat) and (2) two-choice color tests with maize seeds in four colors (blue, green, orange, and red) on an urban population of carrion crows accustomed to human presence. Results indicated a marked preference for sunflower and wheat, while soy and pea were largely avoided, and maize was moderately consumed. The crows also demonstrated a preference for green-colored maize over blue, orange, red, and natural maize seeds. These findings suggest that strategic planting of preferred crops like wheat alongside sunflower or maize may help mitigate damage. Further, incorporating colors into repellent seed coatings could reinforce the aversive learning process in birds, although color may play a less significant role in food selection when seeds are sown.},
}

@article {pmid39911412,
year = {2025},
author = {Tomita, KM and Matsuyama, H},
title = {Cleaning Interactions Between Crows and Sika Deer: Implications for Tick-Borne Disease Management.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {2},
pages = {e70845},
pmid = {39911412},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Cleaning interactions between mammals and birds have been widely observed worldwide. Here, we report cleaning interactions between sika deer and crows in Japan, based on a field observations using camera traps and online research. Online research was performed on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and personal blogs. We finally collected 27 cases of cleaning associations between sika deer and crows. Crows associated with male more than female deer and mainly pecked their heads or necks, suggesting that crows remove Ixodid ticks from the deer's surface. Given that ticks on sika deer are vectors of several zoonotic pathogens such as Rickettsia and Borrelia spp., further studies should be conducted to examine the roles of crows as biocontrol agents of ticks and tick-borne diseases.},
}

@article {pmid39904394,
year = {2025},
author = {Hahn, LG and Hooper, R and McIvor, GE and Thornton, A},
title = {Pair-bond strength is consistent and related to partner responsiveness in a wild corvid.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {292},
number = {2040},
pages = {20242729},
pmid = {39904394},
issn = {1471-2954},
support = {/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; //Leverhulme Trust/ ; //Natural Environment Research Council/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; *Pair Bond ; Female ; Male ; Social Behavior ; Cognition ; },
abstract = {The need to maintain strong social bonds is widely thought to be a key driver of cognitive evolution. Cognitive abilities to track and respond to information about social partners may be favoured by selection if they vary within populations and confer fitness benefits. Here we evaluate four key assumptions of this argument in wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula), corvids whose long-term pair bonds exemplify one of the putative social drivers of cognitive evolution in birds. Combining observational and experimental behavioural data with long-term breeding records, we found support for three assumptions: (i) pair-bond strength varies across the population, (ii) is consistent within pairs over time and (iii) is positively associated with partner responsiveness, a measure of socio-cognitive performance. However, (iv) we did not find clear evidence that stronger pair bonds lead to better fitness outcomes. Strongly bonded pairs were better able to adjust hatching synchrony to environmental conditions but they did not fledge more or higher quality offspring. Together, these findings suggest that maintaining strong pair bonds is linked to socio-cognitive performance and may facilitate effective coordination between partners. However, they also imply that these benefits are insufficient to explain how selection acts on social cognition. We argue that evaluating how animals navigate trade-offs between investing in long-term relationships versus optimizing interactions in their wider social networks will be a crucial avenue for future research.},
}

Animals
*Crows/physiology
*Pair Bond
Female
Male
Social Behavior
Cognition

@article {pmid39904153,
year = {2025},
author = {Asano, D and Takeda, M and Gima, H and Nobusako, S},
title = {Development of fluid intelligence in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: A cross-sectional study.},
journal = {Research in developmental disabilities},
volume = {158},
number = {},
pages = {104928},
doi = {10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104928},
pmid = {39904153},
issn = {1873-3379},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy (CP) often presents alongside cognitive developmental delays and motor impairments. This study aimed to identify the function most closely linked to the development of fluid intelligence in individuals with CP, and to estimate the point at which the fluid intelligence of children with CP diverges from that of typically developing (TD) children.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) were used to evaluate the fluid intelligence of participants. Fifty-one participants with CP aged 4-18 years and 33 TD children aged 3-9 years were included in this study and underwent RCPM testing. The severity of CP was assessed using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS).

RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that within the three distinct functional levels, MACS was a significant predictor of fluid intelligence in children with CP (β = - 0.29, p < 0.05). Significant disparities in the development of fluid intelligence between the CP and TD groups emerge after 57.6 months of age.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings offer valuable insights into timely and functionally targeted interventions to prevent cognitive stagnation.},
}

@article {pmid39896779,
year = {2025},
author = {Feng, J and Wang, M and Zhang, Q and Xia, C},
title = {Winter Roost Preferences of Crows in Beijing City.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {2},
pages = {e70931},
pmid = {39896779},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {During the winter season, an extensive population of crows (predominantly the carrion crow Corvus corone) seek refuge in Beijing's urban landscapes for roosting, subsequently generating noise and droppings that adversely affect the quality of life of residents. This study elucidates the selection criteria employed by crows in Beijing's urban areas for roosting sites. Drawing upon historical records and the outcomes of our survey, we observed a remarkable consistency in the selection of roosting locations by crows over time, with the same locations being preferentially chosen across different years. We also conducted a quantitative analysis of the habitat characteristics associated with the crow roosting sites. We discovered that crows demonstrate a preference for roosting sites situated in proximity to human structures, particularly towering buildings, which are often adjacent to broad roads. By understanding the factors that influence the selection of roosting sites by crows, policy-makers and urban planners can devise targeted interventions aimed at mitigating conflicts between humans and crows.},
}

@article {pmid39896409,
year = {2024},
author = {Banumathy, D and Vetriselvi, T and Venkatachalam, K and Cho, J},
title = {Quantum-inspired seagull optimised deep belief network approach for cardiovascular disease prediction.},
journal = {PeerJ. Computer science},
volume = {10},
number = {},
pages = {e2498},
pmid = {39896409},
issn = {2376-5992},
abstract = {The early detection and accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases is vital to reduce global morbidity and death rates. In this work, the quantum-inspired seagull optimization algorithm (QISOA) combined with a deep belief network (DBN) is proposed to improve the identification of cardiovascular disorders. As part of preprocessing, cleaning, transformation, and standardization are performed to eliminate noise, inconsistencies, and scaling issues in the data. QISOA is used to optimize the weights and biases of the DBN model, enhancing its prediction efficiency. The algorithm incorporates quantum mechanics concepts to develop its exploration potential further, leading to faster convergence and increased global search efficiency. Optimized DBN provides efficient acquisition of hierarchical representations of the data, which results in improved feature learning and classification accuracy. The publicly accessible Cleveland Heart Disease dataset is used to assess the performance of the suggested model. Extensive experiments are conducted to demonstrate the superior performance of the QISOA-optimized DBN model compared to traditional machine learning and other metaheuristic-based models. Initially, machine learning models such as support vector machines, decision trees, Random Forests, multi-layer perceptrons, and fully connected networks were considered for comparison with the cardiovascular predictive performance of the DBN model. Further, meta-heuristic optimization algorithms such as particle swarm optimization, genetic algorithm, grey wolf optimization, cuckoo search optimization and crow search algorithm are combined with the machine learning models and the classification efficiency is evaluated. Additionally, few state-of-the-art techniques proposed in the existing literature are investigated and compared against the proposed model. It was evident from the comprehensive performance assessment of the proposed model that it yields a higher accuracy of 98.6% with precision, recall, and F1-scores of 97.6%, 96.8%, and 97.1%, respectively, compared to other traditional and existing models for cardiovascular disease prediction.},
}

@article {pmid39886338,
year = {2024},
author = {Bruno, F and Spadafora, P and Veltri, I and Cuconati, ML and Condino, F and Cerantonio, A and De Benedittis, S and Greco, BM and Di Palma, G and Gallo, O and Citrigno, L and Qualtieri, A and Cundari, M and Cavalcanti, F},
title = {Sex and APOE genotype modulate neuropsychological profile and depression in temporal lobe epilepsy.},
journal = {Frontiers in neuroscience},
volume = {18},
number = {},
pages = {1514902},
pmid = {39886338},
issn = {1662-4548},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common form of focal epilepsy, often associated with cognitive impairments, particularly in memory functions, and depression. Sex and APOE ε4 genotype play a crucial role in modulating cognitive outcomes and depression in various neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease. However, the combined effects of APOE genotype and sex on cognitive performance and depression in temporal lobe epilepsy have not been previously investigated.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to (i) identify impaired cognitive performance and clinically relevant depression; (ii) explore the interaction between sex and APOE ε4 genotype on cognitive performance and depression in individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy.

METHODS: We used a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to assess domains such as learning and memory, attention, executive functions, language, and visuo-spatial constructional skills and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. We also performed APOE genotyping to assess its role in the study. The final sample was composed by fifty-four patients (53.7% female). Cognitive performance and depression were analyzed using normative cut-off scores. To examine the main effects and interactions of sex and APOE ε4 carrier status on neuropsychological test scores and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, we also conducted a two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS: Female APOE ε4 carriers compared to normative cut-offs, exhibited poor performance on multiple test scores, including the MMSE, The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (immediate and delayed recall), The Corsi Block-Tapping Task, The Verbal Fluency Test, The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices and The Pentagon-copying Test. Males showed impairment only in visuo-spatial short-term memory. ANOVA analysis revealed significant main effects of APOE ε4 status and sex on the MMSE, The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, The Verbal Fluency, The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices and The Pentagon-copying Test scores. Specifically, female APOE ε4 carriers performed consistently worse than other groups on many tasks. For depression, only an effect of sex emerged. Females scored higher besides APOE genotype.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of considering both sex and APOE genotype when assessing cognitive performance in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. The significant cognitive deficits we observed among females carrying the APOE ε4 allele highlight previously unexplored genetic and sex-related influences on cognition. This has potential implications for personalized therapeutic strategies, emphasizing the need for targeted assessment and intervention.},
}

@article {pmid39876722,
year = {2025},
author = {Hahner, L and Nieder, A},
title = {Volitional spatial attention is lateralized in crows.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {292},
number = {2039},
pages = {20242540},
pmid = {39876722},
issn = {1471-2954},
support = {//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Crows/physiology ; *Attention ; *Cues ; *Functional Laterality/physiology ; Space Perception/physiology ; Visual Fields/physiology ; Male ; Reaction Time ; Female ; Volition/physiology ; Visual Perception ; },
abstract = {Like humans and many other animal species, birds exhibit left-right asymmetries in certain behaviours due to differences in hemispheric brain functions. While the lateralization of sensory and motor functions is well established in birds, the potential lateralization of high-level executive control functions, such as volitional attention, remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that carrion crows exhibit more pronounced volitional (endogenous) attention for stimuli monocularly viewed with the left eye and thus in the left visual hemifield. We trained four crows on Posner-like spatial cueing tasks using informative cues to evaluate their volitional top-down attention. The crows detected cued targets using either the left or right eye. As a measure of volitional attention, we calculated reaction time differences for detecting targets that were correctly (validly) and incorrectly (invalidly) cued, separately for the left and right visual hemifields. We found that cued targets were detected more quickly and efficiently in the left visual field compared with the right visual field. Because the left-eye system of the crow's brain processes information primarily from the left visual hemifield, these findings suggest that crows, like humans, exhibit superior executive control of attention in the left-eye/right hemisphere system of their brains.},
}

Animals
*Crows/physiology
*Attention
*Cues
*Functional Laterality/physiology
Space Perception/physiology
Visual Fields/physiology
Male
Reaction Time
Female
Volition/physiology
Visual Perception

@article {pmid39875490,
year = {2025},
author = {Zheng, M and Wan, W and Fang, Z},
title = {Abstract visual reasoning based on algebraic methods.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {3482},
pmid = {39875490},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {2020AAA0109300//Ministry of Science and Technology/ ; 2020AAA0109300//Ministry of Science and Technology/ ; },
abstract = {Extracting high-order abstract patterns from complex high-dimensional data forms the foundation of human cognitive abilities. Abstract visual reasoning involves identifying abstract patterns embedded within composite images, considered a core competency of machine intelligence. Traditional neuro-symbolic methods often infer unknown objects through data fitting, without fully exploring the abstract patterns within composite images and the sequential sensitivity of visual sequences. This paper constructs a relation model with object-centric inductive biases, learning end-to-end multi-granular rule embeddings at different levels. Through a gating fusion module, the model incrementally integrates explicit representations of objects and abstract relationships. The model incorporates a relational bottleneck method from information theory, separating the input perceptual information from the embeddings of abstract representations, thereby restricting and differentiating feature processing to encourage relational comparisons and induce the extraction of abstract patterns. Furthermore, this paper bridges algebraic operations and machine reasoning through the relational bottleneck method, extracting common patterns of multi-visual objects by identifying invariant sequences within the relational bottleneck matrix. Experimental results on the I-RAVEN dataset demonstrate a total accuracy of 96.8%, surpassing state-of-the-art baseline methods and exceeding human performance at 84.4%.},
}

@article {pmid39871427,
year = {2025},
author = {Patil, VI and Patil, SR},
title = {Optimized Transfer Learning With Hybrid Feature Extraction for Uterine Tissue Classification Using Histopathological Images.},
journal = {Microscopy research and technique},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/jemt.24787},
pmid = {39871427},
issn = {1097-0029},
abstract = {Endometrial cancer, termed uterine cancer, seriously affects female reproductive organs, and the analysis of histopathological images formed a golden standard for diagnosing this cancer. Sometimes, early detection of this disease is difficult because of the limited capability of modeling complicated relationships among histopathological images and their interpretations. Moreover, many previous methods do not effectively handle the cell appearance variations. Hence, this study develops a novel classification technique called transfer learning convolution neural network with artificial bald eagle optimization (TL-CNN with ABEO) for the classification of uterine tissue. Here, preprocessing is done by the median filter, followed by image enhancement by the multiple identities representation network (MIRNet). Moreover, pelican crow search optimization (PCSO) is used for adapting weights in MIRNet, where PCSO is generated by combining the crow search algorithm (CSA) and pelican optimization algorithm (POA). Then, segmentation quality assessment (SQA) helps in tissue segmentation, and deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) helps in parameter selection that is trained by fractional PCSO (FPCSO). Furthermore, feature extraction is done and, finally, cell classification is done by TL with CNN, which is trained by the proposed ABEO algorithm. Here, ABEO is newly developed by the integration of the bald eagle search (BES) algorithm and artificial hummingbird algorithm (AHA). Furthermore, ABEO + TL-CNN achieved a high accuracy of 89.59%, a sensitivity of 90.25%, and a specificity of 89.89% by utilizing the cancer image archive dataset.},
}

@article {pmid39854035,
year = {2025},
author = {Yip, CCH and Wong, TT and Wong, BHD and Hsu, LS},
title = {Development and validation of a short form for the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices using a machine learning approach.},
journal = {The British journal of developmental psychology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/bjdp.12542},
pmid = {39854035},
issn = {2044-835X},
support = {//University Research Committee (URC), The University of Hong Kong/ ; },
abstract = {Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) is a widely used assessment tool for measuring general cognitive ability in developmental and educational research, particularly in studies involving young children. However, administering the full set of the 36-item CPM can be burdensome for young participants, hindering its practicality in large-scale studies and reducing research efficiency. In the current study, a short form of the CPM was developed based on a sample of preschoolers (n = 336, mean age = 5.8 years) using penalised regression, a machine learning approach that allows for variable selection. The resulting 12-item CPM short form demonstrated a very strong correlation with the total score of the 36-item full form (r = .94). Further investigations into the short form's item stability, content validity, and concurrent validity collectively supported its psychometric properties as a reliable and valid alternative to the full form. The significance of the CPM short form is also discussed.},
}

@article {pmid39850750,
year = {2025},
author = {Chen, Y and Xu, Y and Wang, J and Chen, T and Liu, B and Chen, P and Lu, C},
title = {The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous-throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {e70905},
pmid = {39850750},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Native animals worldwide are experiencing long-term coexistence with invasive plants, leading to diverse behavioral changes. Invasive plants may create new habitat structures that affect the distribution or behavior of prey, which in turn might attract predators to these novel habitats, thereby altering predator-prey dynamics within the ecosystem. However, this phenomenon is rarely reported. Our previous research found that in the Yellow Sea wetlands of China, the native bird species, the vinous-throated parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana), has adapted to breeding in the invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) by increasing its nesting height. Here, our observations indicate that in cordgrass habitats, the main nest predator of parrotbills was the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), accounting for 75% of predation events. In contrast, in native habitats, the primary predators were mammals and snakes, accounting for 83% of predation events, with no nests being predated by magpies. We believe that changes in the breeding and nesting behavior of parrotbills may have attracted magpie predation in cordgrass habitats. Our findings may provide an empirical case of how behavioral changes induced by invasive plants can lead to dynamic shifts in predation relationships. We advocate for further research into this intriguing phenomenon, as it could enhance our understanding of changes in interspecific relationships and their ecological consequences within the context of biological invasions.},
}

@article {pmid39846022,
year = {2024},
author = {Kim, M and Wut Hmohn, ZZ and Jang, W and Baek, G and Han, JI},
title = {Hematologic and clinical chemistry reference intervals for six species of wild birds frequently rescued in the Republic of Korea.},
journal = {Frontiers in veterinary science},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {1484082},
pmid = {39846022},
issn = {2297-1769},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Reference intervals for hematologic and clinical chemistry values are useful when diagnosing a pathologic condition in animals. This study establishes relevant reference intervals for six species of wild birds that are frequently rescued at wildlife rescue centers in the Republic of Korea.

METHODS: Forty-two Eurasian eagle owls (Bubo bubo), 34 Oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis), 73 domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica), 27 brown hawk-owls (Ninox scutulata), 76 common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus), and 25 Eurasian magpies (Pica pica) were included in this study. Only released birds were included because they were judged to be clinically healthy through physical examinations, blood examinations, radiographic examinations, and flight evaluations. The reference intervals were set according to the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology guideline, and if there were fewer than 20 birds, the reference intervals were set between the 2.5th percentile and the 97.5th percentile. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare hematologic and clinical chemistry parameters among species.

RESULTS: The total protein levels in carnivorous birds (Eurasian eagle owl, brown hawk-owl, and common kestrel) were significantly higher than those in omnivorous birds (Oriental turtle dove and domestic pigeon). The common kestrel exhibited significantly lower white blood cell counts and heterophil counts than other species. The Eurasian magpie had significantly higher eosinophils than other species.

CONCLUSION: This study provides reference intervals for wild birds often rescued at wildlife rescue centers in Korea. It is expected that these reference intervals will be used as important data in diagnosing diseases in rescued wild birds.},
}

@article {pmid39843880,
year = {2025},
author = {Dutry, M and Vereeck, A and Duyck, W and Derous, E and Schelfhout, S and Szmalec, A and Woumans, E and Schittekatte, M and Debeer, D and Dirix, N},
title = {Validation of the Children's International Cognitive Ability Resource (Ch-ICAR).},
journal = {Behavior research methods},
volume = {57},
number = {2},
pages = {66},
pmid = {39843880},
issn = {1554-3528},
mesh = {Humans ; Child ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; *Psychometrics/methods/instrumentation ; *Cognition/physiology ; Pilot Projects ; *Intelligence Tests/standards ; Reproducibility of Results ; Intelligence ; Wechsler Scales/standards ; },
abstract = {The International Cognitive Ability Resource, abbreviated ICAR, counters some of the practical problems researchers face when using good, but proprietary, licensed intelligence tests like the Wechsler tests, which include unfeasible administration times and financial costs. So far, ICAR has been validated for adolescents and adults in many countries, offering a viable test alternative for these populations. For use among children, however, the appropriateness of this resource was yet unknown. Therefore, we set out to develop a children's ICAR: an instrument composed of ICAR-items, which provides a measure of cognitive ability in children between 11 and 14 years of age. The present article discusses the compilation process of the Ch-ICAR drawing from a pilot study, and evaluates its validity based on two additional studies. The pilot study involved 99 primary school pupils and aimed to select items for the Ch-ICAR instrument. Study 1 investigated the basic psychometric qualities of the Ch-ICAR in a sample of 820 secondary school pupils. Study 2 examined the construct validity by cross-validating the Ch-ICAR with on the one hand Raven's 2 Progressive Matrices, and on the other hand the Flemish CoVaT-CHC Basic Version, relying on samples of 91 secondary and 96 primary school pupils, respectively. Results support the utility of the Ch-ICAR as a measure of children's cognitive abilities within a research context.},
}

Humans
Child
Adolescent
Male
Female
*Psychometrics/methods/instrumentation
*Cognition/physiology
Pilot Projects
*Intelligence Tests/standards
Reproducibility of Results
Intelligence
Wechsler Scales/standards