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Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, has been shown to have lower thromboembolism rates compared to placebo in polycythemia vera (PV) patients. This meta‐analysis evaluates ruxolitinib's efficacy and safety against best available therapy (BAT) in patients with PV and in hydroxyurea‐resistant/intolerant PV patients. A comprehensive literature search was conducted up to November 2023. We compared ruxolitinib and BAT for efficacy and safety endpoints. Six studies involving 1061 patients were analyzed, with 620 on BAT and 441 on ruxolitinib. Ruxolitinib showed higher hematocrit control (p = 0.015) and treatment response (p = 0.04) compared to BAT. It also significantly improved Myeloproliferative Neoplasms‐Symptom Assessment Form scores (MPN‐SAF) (p < 0.01). Additionally, patients with PV treated with ruxolitinib had higher rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer (p < 0.01). In subgroup analyses focusing on patients resistant or intolerant to hydroxyurea, ruxolitinib maintained its efficacy, significantly improving treatment response (p < 0.01) and significant improvements in MPN‐SAF (p = 0.02) score when compared to BAT. The safety profile was consistent with the overall analyses, showing significantly reduced thromboembolism rates (p = 0.04), increased rates of anemia (p = 0.01), and increased herpes zoster infections (p = 0.02). Ruxolitinib outperforms BAT in PV and patients with PV‐resistant or intolerant to hydroxyurea, offering better hematocrit control and reducing symptomatic burden and thromboembolism risk. Yet, it is associated with higher rates of anemia, herpes infection, and skin cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider shape optimization problems for sets of prescribed mass, where the driving energy functional is nonlocal and anisotropic. More precisely, we deal with the case of attractive/repulsive interactions in two and three dimensions, where the attraction is quadratic and the repulsion is given by an anisotropic variant of the Coulomb potential. Under the sole assumption of strict positivity of the Fourier transform of the interaction potential, we show the existence of a threshold value for the mass above which the minimizer is an ellipsoid, and below which the minimizer does not exist. If, instead, the Fourier transform of the interaction potential is only non-negative, we show the emergence of a dichotomy: either there exists a threshold value for the mass as in the case above, or the minimizer is an ellipsoid for any positive value of the mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonconservation of the lepton number has been explored at the LHC through the lepton-flavor violating (LFV) Higgs decays h → ℓ a ℓ b , with ℓ a , b = e , μ , τ (a ≠ b). Current limits on these decays are a source of valuable information on the structure of the Yukawa and Higgs sectors. The LFV Higgs couplings can arise within the general two-Higgs doublet model (2HDM). The predicted rates for these decay modes depend on the specific Yukawa structure being considered, ranging from a vanishing branching ratio at tree-level for some versions (2HDM-I, II, X, Y), up to large and detectable ratios within the general 2HDM-III. An attractive scenario is given by the texturized version of the model (2HDM-Tx), with the Yukawa matrices having some texture zeros such as the minimal version with the so-called Cheng–Sher ansatz. We study the constraints on the parameter space of the 2HDM provided by experimental and theoretical restrictions, and use them to study the detection of LFV Higgs modes at LHC. We find several encouraging scenarios to the search for the decay h → τ μ that could be achieved in the high-luminosity LHC. On the other hand, LFV Higgs couplings can also be induced at one-loop level in the 2HDM with neutrino masses, with the loops being mediated by neutrino interactions; we find that the resulting branching ratios are of order 1 0 − 7 at best, which is out of the reach of current and future phases of the LHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer mice models are critical for immune-oncology research; they provide conditions to explore tumor immunoenviroment aiming to advance knowledge and treatment development. Often, research groups breed their own mice colonies. To assess the effect of C57BL/6 mice breeding nuclei in prostate cancer development and intratumoral macrophage populations, an isotransplantation experiment was performed. C57BL/6J mice from two breeding nuclei (nA and nB) were employed for prostate adenocarcinoma TRAMP-C1 cell implantation; tumor growth period and intratumoral macrophage profile were measured. BL/6nB mice (54%) showed tumor implantation after 69-day growth period while BL/6nA implantation reached 100% across tumor growth period (28 days). No difference in total macrophage populations was observed between groups within several tumoral regions; significantly higher M2 macrophage profile was observed in tumor microenvironments from both mice groups. Nevertheless, BL/6nB tumors showed around twice the population of M1 profile (11–27%) than BL6nA (4–15%) and less non-polarized macrophages. The M1:M2 average ratio was 1:8 for group A and 1:4 for B. Our results demonstrate different tumor progression and intratumoral macrophage populations among mice from the same substrain. Data obtained in this study shows the relevance of animal source renewal for better control of murine cancer model variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subterranean rodents of the genus Ctenomys typically occupy fragmented habitats, many currently altered by anthropogenic development. These changes affect functional connectivity among individuals, reducing gene flow levels. This study assessed the functional connectivity of two sympatric species of subterranean rodents, Ctenomys australis and Ctenomys talarum, examining the impact of landscape changes on their population genetic structure at a fine spatial scale. We conducted a spatially continuous sampling over 12 km of coastline in Southeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, genotyping 91 and 106 individuals of C. australis and C. talarum, respectively, using 10-12 microsatellite loci. We applied various spatial layers characterizing both species' habitats to evaluate the landscape configuration's effect on individual gene flow. We employed Bayesian genetic clustering methods to infer population structure levels. Ctenomys talarum showed greater structure than C. australis. NDVI temporal variation was the main factor influencing C. australis' genetic structure, whereas suitable habitat, linked to the current landscape configuration, was the most significant factor in shaping C. talarum's genetic structure. Differences in dispersal capacity and habitat specificity appear to have influenced the population genetic structures of these species. The results indicated varying sensitivities to landscape changes; temporal landscape variations primarily impacted C. australis' genetic connectivity, whereas for C. talarum, the current landscape configuration was more influential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate the facilitation effects of an aluminum (Al) hyperaccumulator species bearing cluster roots, Gevuina avellana, on the seedling growth and performance of an Al-intolerant and phosphorus (P)- deficient-sensitive plant, Vaccinium corymbosum. For this, seedlings of G. avellana and V. corymbosum were grown alone or together as follows: i) two G. avellana seedlings, ii) one G. avellana + one V. corymbosum and iii) two V. corymbosum, in soil supplemented with Al (as Al2(SO4)3) and in the control (without Al supplementation). We determined relative growth rate (RGR), photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll concentration, lipid peroxidation and Al and nutrient concentration [Nitrogen (N), P, potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and sulfur (S)] in leaves and roots of both species. The results showed that, in general, G. avellana did not assist V. corymbosum to enhance its RGR nor reduce its Al uptake. However, G. avellana assisted V. corymbosum in enhanced N acquisition and, consequently, to increase its chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic rate. Besides, V. corymbosum had lower lipid peroxidation in leaves when grown in the soil with high Al supplementation in association with G. avellana. Our results suggest a facilitating effect of G. avellana to V. corymbosum when grown in soils with high Al concentration, by enhancing chlorophyll concentrations and photosynthetic rate, and decreasing the oxidative damage to lipids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irazú and Turrialba are a twin volcanic complex that marks a distinct stop in volcanism along the Central America volcanic arc. We present a new traveltime velocity model of the crust beneath Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes, Costa Rica, and interpret it considering the results of previous ambient noise tomographic inversions. Data were acquired by a temporary seismic network during a period of low activity of the Irazú–Turrialba volcanic complex in 2018–2019. Beneath the Irazú volcano, we observe low P -wave velocities (V P = 5 km s−1) and low velocity ratios (V P/ V S = 1.6). In contrast, below the Turrialba volcano, we observe low S -wave velocities (V S = 3 km s−1) and a high V P/ V S (= 1.85) anomaly. We found that locations of low V P and V S anomalies (−15 %) correspond well with shear wave velocity anomalies retrieved from ambient noise tomography. At shallower depths, we observe high V P and V S anomalies (+15 %) located between the summits of the volcanoes. Subvertical velocity anomalies are also observed at greater depths, with high V P and V S anomalies appearing at the lower limits of our models. We propose a complex structure of an intermediate magmatic reservoir, presenting multiphase fluid states of a liquid-to-gas transition beneath Irazú and a juvenile store of magmatic fluid beneath Turrialba, while shallow fluid transport provides evidence of magmatic–hydrothermal interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skilled adult readers are those who read fluently, but multilingual learners do not always exhibit the same reading proficiency in the different languages they know. Among the variables that influence learners' silent reading fluency, a research trend points to musical aptitude as an individual ability that affects language learners' reading competency. Common auditory features of reading and musical skills have been observed in studies with children and adolescents, but studies involving multilingual adults learning an additional language are scarce. This study aims to observe the potential relationship of multilingual learners' musical aptitude and their silent reading fluency in all the languages the learners know and in Spanish, an additional language they are learning as adults. 157 Flemish university students were tested in Dutch, French, English, and Spanish. Learners' sociocultural data , their musical aptitude and their silent contextual word reading fluency in all languages were tested. In addition, a reading comprehension test in L4 (Spanish) was administered. The statistical results indicate a significant correlation between their musical aptitude and their L1, L2, L3 silent reading fluency, but not with L4 (Spanish). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain and heavy alcohol consumption are prevalent among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), each contributing to impaired functioning and diminished quality of life. Each of these conditions may have negative effects on the HIV care continuum, but less is known about their combined influences. The current study examined how heavy drinking and pain were associated with HIV viral suppression and CD4 cell count among participants receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study sample consisted of 220 PLWH with past 12-month substance dependence or ever injection drug use enrolled in a large HIV cohort study. Logistic regression analyses showed an interaction between pain level (no/mild pain vs moderate/severe) and heavy drinking on viral suppression such that heavy drinking was a significant predictor of poorer viral suppression only for those who experienced moderate/severe pain. We also examined whether ART adherence differentially mediated the association between heavy drinking and HIV viral suppression by level of pain. Although there was a significant indirect effect of heavy drinking on viral suppression among those with moderate/severe pain, moderated mediational analyses did not indicate that the indirect effect of heavy drinking on viral suppression through ART adherence differed significantly by level of pain. Pain level did not significantly moderate the association between heavy drinking and CD4 cell count. We conclude that heavy drinking may be particularly likely to be associated with poorer HIV viral suppression among PLWH with moderate or severe pain. Providers should routinely address comorbid heavy drinking and pain to improve HIV outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The care-kill response determines whether a sick individual will be treated or eliminated from an insect society, but little is known about the physiological underpinnings of this process. We exploited the stepwise infection dynamics of an entomopathogenic fungus in a termite to explore how care-kill transitions occur, and identify the chemical cues behind these shifts. We found collective responses towards pathogen-injected individuals to vary according to severity and timing of pathogen challenge, with elimination, via cannibalism, occurring sooner in response to a severe active infection. However, injection with inactivated fungal blastospores also resulted in increased albeit delayed cannibalism, even though it did not universally cause host death. This indicates that the decision to eliminate an individual is triggered before pathogen viability or terminal disease status has been established. We then compared the surface chemistry of differently challenged individuals, finding increased amounts of long-chained methyl-branched alkanes with similar branching patterns in individuals injected with both dead and viable fungal blastospores, with the latter showing the largest increase. This coincided with the highest amounts of observed cannibalism as well as signs of severe moribundity. Our study provides new mechanistic insight into the emergent collective behaviors involved in the disease defense of a termite society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social Prescribing is a Primary Health Care service that provides people with non-clinical care alternatives that may have an impact on their health. Social Prescribing can be more or less formal and structured. Social Prescribing Schemes are formal Social Prescribing of health assets by Primary Health Care teams in coordination and follow-up of patients with providers. The emerging evidence suggests that this service can improve people's health and well-being, create value and provide sustainability for the healthcare system. However, some evaluations note that the current evidence regarding social prescribing is insufficient and needs further investigation. The EvaLRA project aims to elaborate an evaluation model of Social Prescribing Schemes in Primary Health Care based on a set of structure, process, and outcomes indicators. Methods: In the region of Aragon, the Community Health Care Strategy aims to promote the development of social prescription schemes in Primary Health Care teams. This study is divided into two stages. Stage 1: identification of primary health care teams that implement social prescribing schemes and establish a first set of indicators to evaluate social prescribing using qualitative consensus techniques with experts. Stage 2 evaluation of the relevance, feasibility and sensitivity of selected indicators after 6 and 12 months in primary health care teams. The results will provide a set of indicators considering structure, process and outcomes for social prescribing schemes. Discussion: Current evaluations of the application of social prescribing schemes use different criteria and indicators. A set of agreed indicators and its piloting in primary health care teams will provide a tool to evaluate the implementation of social prescription schemes. In addition, the scorecard created could be of interest to other health systems in order to assess the service and improve its information system, deployment and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Since the advent of HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), stigma has been shown to be a major barrier to its uptake and adherence. It is therefore essential to define the proportion of users who consider that PrEP can negatively impact their image and the factors associated with this perception. Method: We performed a multivariable logistic regression on data from the 2567 participants in the ANRS‐PREVENIR study who answered the outcome question. Results: Almost one‐third of the sample (comprising mostly cisgender men who have sex with men [94.3%]) considered that taking PrEP could give others a negative image of them. Younger participants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97–0.99) and more psychologically vulnerable participants (i.e., lower self‐esteem score [aOR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96–0.99] and higher depression score [aOR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00–1.03]) were also more likely to have this perception. In contrast, participants encouraged to take PrEP by their main partner (aOR 0.67; 95% CI 0.51–0.88) and friends (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.66–0.95), and those who protected themselves more because they had knowledge of their most recent sexual partner's HIV status (aOR 0.83; 95% CI 0.69–0.99) and systematic use of PrEP and/or condoms during intercourse in the previous 3 months (aOR 0.80; 95% CI 0.67–0.96) were less likely to have this perception. Discussion: Given the strong interrelation between stigmatization (real or perceived), risky behaviours and adherence, our results emphasize the need for HIV prevention campaigns to promote a positive image of PrEP users. They also show that stigmatization and its effects need to be fully considered to improve HIV prevention offers to current and potential PrEP users who are most likely to be psychologically vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gundo-So is a community-based programme developed by and for women living with HIV (WLHIV) in Mali through the ARCAD-Santé-PLUS association. It provides support, co-constructed with WLHIV, to develop strategies on whether or not to disclose their status. The aim of the ANRS-12373 research is to evaluate the impact of this programme in the short and medium term. As part of this research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants (14). These interviews were analysed thematically. Three themes are presented here: positive feedback from the programme, which enabled them to be listened to and supported them both psychologically and financially. The impact of the programme on the participants' social network is also described, in terms of the links made with peers met during the programme. Finally, a new perspective on issues such as disease management, which improved through the contribution of knowledge, and also through the development of psychosocial resources. The programme enabled participants to acquire psychosocial skills, the ability to effectively self-manage their condition, and strategies on whether or not to disclose their HIV status. Participants' empowerment and social support in relation to the disease were developed through the programme, particularly through the links created with other women living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article emphasizes the importance of multiliteracies in the context of adult language learners from migrant backgrounds. It discusses the evolving concept of literacy, incorporating elements such as multimodality, multilingualism and digital skills. It also touches upon the role of language policies in addressing the needs of adult language learners in diverse contexts.

Seismic swarms are defined as a group of earthquakes occurring very close in time and space but without any distinctively large event triggering their occurrence. Up to now no simple law has been found to describe the swarm occurrence rate. Here we find an expression able to fit the average occurrence rate on some volcanic areas. This expression exhibits some differences in respect to the classical Omori law. Namely the c parameter of the Omori law is equal to zero and the power law decay of the average occurrence rate of the earthquakes is followed by an exponential decaying regime. Both the results can be interpreted in term of fluid injection and/or movements. Indeed this is a more impulsive phenomenon compared to the occurrence of a large earthquake, with a duration compatible with a c = 0. The exponential decay following the power law one could be explained by a viscoelastic relaxation of the stress induced by the injection and/or movements of fluids in the earth crust. Key Points: We find an analytical expression of volcanic earthquakes occurrence rateWe analyze some volcanic seismic catalogsWe found some differences respect the traditional Omori law [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2Ca2Co2 − xCuxOy + 4 wt%Ag (with x between 0 and 0.20) thermoelectric materials were prepared through a sol-gel method via nitrates. Powder XRD patterns showed the presence of thermoelectric phase as the major one, accompanied by metallic silver. SEM observations identified three different secondary phases in the samples, together with an exaggerated grain growth with Cu doping. The microstructural modifications are reflected in an important decrease of electrical resistivity, ∼ 3% when compared to undoped samples, due to the reduction on the number of grain boundaries, and the increase of Co4+ in the conducting layer. The minimum values at 650 ºC were obtained in 0.10 Cu-doped samples, 69 mΩ cm, which are lower than the reported in sintered samples. On the other hand, Seebeck coefficient was only slightly affected and reached the highest values at 650 ºC in 0.15 Cu-doped samples, 215 µV/K, which is practically the same measured in undoped ones, 211 µV/K, and lower than those reported for sintered samples. Consequently, the highest PF at 650 ºC has been determined in 0.10 Cu-doped samples, which is around 50% higher than the obtained in samples prepared through the classical solid-state method, or the undoped ones prepared in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present general formulae for the calculation of LFV Higgs decays H r → l a l b at one-loop, with H r being part of the Higgs spectrum of a generic multi-scalar extension of the Standard Model (SM) with neutrino masses. We develop a method based on a classification of the particles appearing in the loop diagrams (scalars, fermions and vectors), and by identifying the corresponding couplings, we are able to present compact expressions for the form factors involved in the amplitudes. Our results are applicable to models where Flavor Changing Neutral Currents (FCNC) are forbidden at the tree level, but change of flavor is induced by charged currents. Then, as applications of our formalism, we evaluate the branching ratio for the mode h → l a l b , for two specific models: the See-Saw Type I- ν SM and the Scotogenic model (here h = H 1 corresponds to the SM-like Higgs boson); we find that the largest branching ratio for SM-like Higgs h boson within the ν SM is of the order ℬ ℛ (h → μ τ) ≃ 1 0 − 1 6 , while for the Scotogenic model we find ℬ ℛ (h → l a l b) ≲ 1 0 − 9 , which satisfy the latest experimental LHC results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of a novel diagnostic method called detective flow imaging endoscopic ultrasonography (DFI-EUS) in the diagnosis and differentiation of gastrointestinal subepithelial lesions (SELs), specifically gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and leiomyomas. The study compared the utility and diagnostic accuracy of DFI-EUS with contrast-enhanced EUS (CE-EUS). The results showed that DFI-EUS was comparable to CE-EUS in terms of diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. The authors suggest that larger multicenter studies are needed to further evaluate the use of DFI-EUS in clinical practice for differentiating SELs. [Extracted from the article]

This article, published in the journal Endoscopy, presents the outcomes of lumen apposing metal stent (LAMS) placement in patients with surgically altered anatomy (SAA). LAMS is a procedure that allows access to different parts of the gastrointestinal tract for various interventions. The study, conducted at 19 tertiary-care centers across multiple countries, found that LAMS placement in patients with SAA had high technical and clinical success rates. However, the study also noted a noteworthy rate of adverse events, emphasizing the importance of these procedures being performed by experienced endoscopists. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses a novel therapeutic approach for treating gastric varices (GV), which are associated with severe bleeding. The approach involves using a combination of cyanoacrylate (CYA) and coils to target the feeder vessel or afferent component of the varices. The study, conducted over eight years, found that this approach had a high technical success rate and a low recurrence rate. Immediate disappearance of varices was a significant predictive factor for non-recurrence. The study also found that previous treatment with B-blockers was associated with a lower recurrence rate, while previous CYA attempts increased the risk of recurrence. Overall, the study suggests that EUS-guided coils and CYA can be an effective treatment for GV. [Extracted from the article]

Motivational processes underlie behaviors that enrich the human experience, and impairments in motivation are commonly observed in psychiatric illness. While motivated behavior is often examined with respect to extrinsic reinforcers, not all actions are driven by reactions to external stimuli; some are driven by 'intrinsic' motivation. Intrinsically motivated behaviors are computationally similar to extrinsically motivated behaviors, in that they strive to maximize reward value and minimize punishment. However, our understanding of the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie intrinsically motivated behavior remains limited. Dysfunction in intrinsic motivation represents an important trans-diagnostic facet of psychiatric symptomology, but due to a lack of clear consensus, the contribution of intrinsic motivation to psychopathology remains poorly understood. This review aims to provide an overview of the conceptualization, measurement, and neurobiology of intrinsic motivation, providing a framework for understanding its potential contributions to psychopathology and its treatment. Distinctions between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are discussed, including divergence in the types of associated rewards or outcomes that drive behavioral action and choice. A useful framework for understanding intrinsic motivation, and thus separating it from extrinsic motivation, is developed and suggestions for optimization of paradigms to measure intrinsic motivation are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A subset S of vertices of a connected graph G is a distance-equalizer set if for every two distinct vertices x , y ∈ V (G) \ S there is a vertex w ∈ S such that the distances from x and y to w are the same. The equidistant dimension of G is the minimum cardinality of a distance-equalizer set of G. This paper is devoted to introduce this parameter and explore its properties and applications to other mathematical problems, not necessarily in the context of graph theory. Concretely, we first establish some bounds concerning the order, the maximum degree, the clique number, and the independence number, and characterize all graphs attaining some extremal values. We then study the equidistant dimension of several families of graphs (complete and complete multipartite graphs, bistars, paths, cycles, and Johnson graphs), proving that, in the case of paths and cycles, this parameter is related to 3-AP-free sets. Subsequently, we show the usefulness of distance-equalizer sets for constructing doubly resolving sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research indicates that individuals with depressive disorders (DD) have aberrant resting state functional connectivity and may experience memory dysfunction. While resting state functional connectivity may be affected by experiences preceding the resting state scan, little is known about this relationship in individuals with DD. Our study examined this question in the context of object memory. 52 individuals with DD and 45 healthy controls (HC) completed clinical interviews, and a memory encoding task followed by a forced-choice recognition test. A 5-min resting state fMRI scan was administered immediately after the forced-choice task. Resting state networks were identified using group Independent Component Analysis across all participants. A network modeling analysis conducted on 22 networks using FSLNets examined the interaction effect of diagnostic status and memory accuracy on the between-network connectivity. We found that this interaction significantly affected the relationship between the network comprised of the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and hippocampal formation and the network comprised of the inferior temporal, parietal, and prefrontal cortices. A stronger positive correlation between these two networks was observed in individuals with DD who showed higher memory accuracy, while a stronger negative correlation (i.e., anticorrelation) was observed in individuals with DD who showed lower memory accuracy prior to resting state. No such effect was observed for HC. The former network cross-correlated with the default mode network (DMN), and the latter cross-correlated with the dorsal attention network (DAN). Considering that the DMN and DAN typically anticorrelate, we hypothesize that our findings indicate aberrant reactivation and consolidation processes that occur after the task is completed. Such aberrant processes may lead to continuous "replay" of previously learned, but currently irrelevant, information and underlie rumination in depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philodendron Schott subg. Philodendron is the largest of three subgenera, with 457 described species, which are mainly distributed in the Andes, Amazonia, Central America, and the Chocó ecoregion. Through the exhaustive revision of herbarium specimens and recent explorations in remote areas of Panama, seven species are described as new to science, P. cerrojefense M. M. Mora & Croat, P. chepiganense O. Ortiz, Croat & Rodr.-Reyes, P. coibense Croat & O. Ortiz, P. darienense O. Ortiz, Croat & Rodr.-Reyes, P. longilobum M. M. Mora & Croat, P. martinezii Croat & O. Ortiz, and P. samudioense Croat & O. Ortiz, and two new records of Philodendron have been identified for Panama, P. anisotomum Schott and P. auriculatum Standl. & L. O. Williams, all belonging to the subgenus Philodendron. For each taxonomic novelty, illustrations, taxonomic information, and notes on its distribution and conservation status are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main reasons for studying a foreign language is communicating with others, but many students do not feel confidently enough when trying to develop their speaking skills. Among adolescents' frequent activities are that of listening to music while paying attention to song lyrics. We hypothesize that these musical experiences could influence their speaking skills. The present study aims to consider different factors that could influence students' speaking proficiency. Among these factors, students' emotional understanding, their willingness to communicate in a FL and their musical experience are considered. One hundred and twenty-four students of English as a foreign language (EFL) in the fourth year of Secondary Education from three different high schools in Spain took part in the study. Oral data were collected through individual interviews and three scales were administered to measure the different factors. Students' musical experience and emotional response to music were measured through The Absorption in Music Scale, their emotional understanding of verbal texts through The Situational Test of Emotional Understanding – Brief, and their willingness to communicate in the EFL class through Willingness to Communicate Scale. Although no direct connection was found between students' musical experience and their speaking proficiency, results demonstrate that students with high emotional understanding show better speaking skills and that students with musical experience exhibited higher emotional understanding. We detected a significant positive connection between emotional understanding and all the five parameters considered to assess students' speaking proficiency. The connection between willingness to communicate in the EFL class and students' speaking skills is even greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper, we study the metric dimension problem in maximal outerplanar graphs. Concretely, if β (G) denotes the metric dimension of a maximal outerplanar graph G of order n, we prove that 2 ≤ β (G) ≤ ⌈ 2 n 5 ⌉ and that the bounds are tight. We also provide linear algorithms to decide whether the metric dimension of G is 2 and to build a resolving set S of size ⌈ 2 n 5 ⌉ for G. Moreover, we characterize all maximal outerplanar graphs with metric dimension 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we characterise the minimisers of a one-parameter family of nonlocal and anisotropic energies I α defined on probability measures in R n , with n ≥ 3 . The energy I α consists of a purely nonlocal term of convolution type, whose interaction kernel reduces to the Coulomb potential for α = 0 and is anisotropic otherwise, and a quadratic confinement. The two-dimensional case arises in the study of defects in metals and has been solved by the authors by means of complex-analysis techniques. We prove that for α ∈ (- 1 , n - 2 ] , the minimiser of I α is unique and is the (normalised) characteristic function of a spheroid. This result is a paradigmatic example of the role of the anisotropy of the kernel on the shape of minimisers. In particular, the phenomenon of loss of dimensionality, observed in dimension n = 2 , does not occur in higher dimension at the value α = n - 2 corresponding to the sign change of the Fourier transform of the interaction potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the journal Endoscopy, examines the impact of cholangioscope diameter variation on cholangioscopy outcomes. The study compares the success rates of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures using cholangioscopes of different diameters. The results show that the 9.3F cholangioscope is more suitable for diagnostic procedures and has a higher technical success rate, while the 11.1F cholangioscope is preferable for therapeutic interventions, especially for larger biliary stones. The study also suggests that the 7F cholangioscope can be an effective alternative for evaluating intrahepatic ducts. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses a study that compares the diagnostic accuracy of an artificial intelligence (AI) model with that of expert and nonexpert gastrointestinal endoscopists in identifying normal anatomical structures during endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) procedures. EUS is a valuable tool in gastroenterology, but its accuracy can vary depending on the operator. The AI model, called AIWorks-EUS, achieved higher diagnostic accuracy than both expert and nonexpert endoscopists in identifying normal anatomical structures. The study suggests that this AI model could provide assistance during live procedures and may have potential applications in EUS training programs. [Extracted from the article]

This article compares the quality and adverse events of three different techniques for liver biopsy: percutaneous liver biopsy (PC-LB), transjugular liver biopsy (TJ-LB), and endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB). The study analyzed 21 original studies from 1993 to 2023 and found that EUS-LB had comparable quality to PC-LB and superior quality to TJ-LB in terms of total sample length (TSL). The mean number of complete portal triads (CPT), rate of appropriate sample for diagnosis, and major adverse events were similar among the three techniques. However, further studies are needed to determine the rate of sample fragmentation for each technique. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses a study that compared the feasibility and effectiveness of a new portable probe called the EndoSound Vision System (N-EUS) with conventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in terms of identifying anatomical structures. The study included 31 patients who underwent both conventional EUS and N-EUS procedures. The results showed that N-EUS was able to identify structures such as the liver, gallbladder, common bile duct, pancreas, kidneys, and adrenal gland with high accuracy. The study concluded that N-EUS is a safe and effective tool for EUS evaluation, and that prior training may be necessary for first-time N-EUS users. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses a study comparing the effectiveness of plastic pancreatic stents (PPS) and biodegradable stents (BDS) in preventing post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP). The study was conducted on 97 patients with biliary tract disease who underwent ERCP. The results showed that there was a lower, but not statistically significant, rate of PEP prevention with BDS compared to PPS. The study provides valuable information on the efficacy of different types of pancreatic stents for preventing PEP. [Extracted from the article]

• Novel traits for rabbit feeding behaviour and cage hierarchy rank were identified. • Resource distribution traits and feed priority reveal an animal's hierarchical status. • Efficient animals ate less often, consumed smaller meals, and spent less time eating. • Efficient animals appeared to be subordinate. • An individual could impact cage mate feed efficiency by limiting its access to feed. Due to the lack of a recording system for individual consumption of group-housed rabbits, published studies about feeding behaviour are based on information recorded at the group- and not at the individual level and periods covering only a few days or, in some cases, only part of a day. Such information could be used to inform rabbit management systems but cannot be used for genetic selection. We aimed to generate and use information from a novel automated feeder for group-housed rabbits to identify new phenotypes for individual animals that could be incorporated into breeding programs to improve feed efficiency and social behaviour under different feeding regimens. At 39 d of age, rabbits from 15 batches were placed in cages and fed ad libitum to become used to the electronic feeder. From 42 to 58–59 d, one group of 1 086 rabbits was fed ad libitum (AL), while another group of 1 134 rabbits was fed on a restricted feeding schedule (R) by limiting the feeding time to the period between 1800 and 0600 h of the following day. We implemented a reliable multivariate method to remove anomalous feeding behaviour records. We then defined novel traits for feeding behaviour that apply to both types of feeding regimes, and for social behaviour that indicates an animal's rank within the cage hierarchy. We based these traits on feeder records and a biologically sound definition of a meal. Finally, we estimated the phenotypic correlations of those traits with growth and feed efficiency traits. Our findings demonstrate that variables about resource distribution among cage mates and an animal's priority for feed access were found to be good indicators of an animal's dominant or subordinate status within the cage. Based on results obtained in R animals (results were similar in AL animals), the most efficient animals were those that ate less frequently (phenotypic correlation with feed conversion ratio, rho = 0.6), and consumed smaller amounts per meal (rho = 0.7), spent less time at the feeder (rho = 0.4), and appeared to be subordinate, as they did not have priority access to the feeder (rho = −0.3), and had the smallest share of resources (range of rho = 0.2–0.6). We conclude that quantifying feeding and social behaviour traits can enhance the understanding of the mechanisms through which individuals exert their effects on the performance of their cage mates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The muscular dystrophies encompass a broad range of pathologies with varied clinical outcomes. In the case of patients carrying defects in fukutin-related protein (FKRP), these diverse pathologies arise from mutations within the same gene. This is surprising as FKRP is a glycosyltransferase, whose only identified function is to transfer ribitol-5-phosphate to α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Although this modification is critical for extracellular matrix attachment, α-DG's glycosylation status relates poorly to disease severity, suggesting the existence of unidentified FKRP targets. Here we reveal that FKRP directs sialylation of fibronectin, a process essential for collagen recruitment to the muscle basement membrane. Thus, our results reveal that FKRP simultaneously regulates the two major muscle-ECM linkages essential for fibre survival, and establishes a new disease axis for the muscular dystrophies. FKRP mutations cause muscular dystrophies with varied clinical presentations. The target of FKRP is α-dystroglycan, but here the authors show that FKRP also directs sialylation of fibronectin, a process that is essential for recruitment o collagen to the muscle basement membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the recent resurrection of Sciodaphyllum P. Browne (Araliaceae) to accommodate the majority of Neotropical species formerly included in Schefflera J. R. Forst. & G. Forst., we have begun to describe the many new members of this genus documented during field and herbarium studies conducted over the past several years. Here we describe and illustrate four new hemi-epiphytic species of Sciodaphyllum from a small area of the eastern Andes in central Ecuador: the western slopes of the Cordillera Abitagua in canton Baños, Tungurahua Province, in the buffer zone of Llanganates National Park. The four new species described, all collected within a few days in an area of less than 10 km² and not known from any other locality, are S. merinoi D. A. Neill, G. M. Plunkett, Lowry & M. M. Mora, S. purocafeanum G. M. Plunkett, M. M. Mora, D. A. Neill & Lowry, S. recaldiorum Lowry, G. M. Plunkett, M. M. Mora & D. A. Neill, and S. zunacense M. M. Mora, Lowry, G. M. Plunkett & D. A. Neill. The conservation status of all four species is assessed as Vulnerable (VU D2) according to the IUCN Red List criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of groundwater for irrigation with submerged pumps in deep wells is energy intensive, but is essential for irrigated agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. To evaluate the performance of these pumping stations, there are several commonly used energy efficiency indicators that show whether the pumping system is working properly or not, but they do not indicate the cause of inadequate performance. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to propose, calibrate and validate a set of new indicators, to identify the possible cause of inefficiencies in the design and operation of deep-well pumps and to serve as a helpful tool in decision-making throughout their life cycle. After their definition, they were applied to 22 pumping wells for calibration, and were validated in a single pumping well in three different stages of its life cycle. The results show that wells with low energy efficiency (41%) have operational problems (33%), design problems (11%) or both (56%). The application of the indicators to a well in three stages of its life cycle allowed preventive maintenance to be performed, generating energy savings of 11% with a payback period of 0.6 years, which proves the usefulness of the indicators with regard to improving energy management and the maintenance of well pumping in the different phases of the life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of biological complexity is associated with the emergence of bespoke immune systems that maintain and protect organism integrity. Unlike the well-studied immune systems of cells and individuals, little is known about the origins of immunity during the transition to eusociality, a major evolutionary transition comparable to the evolution of multicellular organisms from single-celled ancestors. We aimed to tackle this by characterizing the immune gene repertoire of 18 cockroach and termite species, spanning the spectrum of solitary, subsocial and eusocial lifestyles. We find that key transitions in termite sociality are correlated with immune gene family contractions. In cross-species comparisons of immune gene expression, we find evidence for a caste-specific social defence system in termites, which appears to operate at the expense of individual immune protection. Our study indicates that a major transition in organismal complexity may have entailed a fundamental reshaping of the immune system optimized for group over individual defence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for the diagnosis of skin diseases has shown promise in experimental settings but has not been yet tested in real‐life conditions. Objective: To assess the diagnostic performance and potential clinical utility of a 174‐multiclass AI algorithm in a real‐life telemedicine setting. Methods: Prospective, diagnostic accuracy study including consecutive patients who submitted images for teledermatology evaluation. The treating dermatologist chose a single image to upload to a web application during teleconsultation. A follow‐up reader study including nine healthcare providers (3 dermatologists, 3 dermatology residents and 3 general practitioners) was performed. Results: A total of 340 cases from 281 patients met study inclusion criteria. The mean (SD) age of patients was 33.7 (17.5) years; 63% (n = 177) were female. Exposure to the AI algorithm results was considered useful in 11.8% of visits (n = 40) and the teledermatologist correctly modified the real‐time diagnosis in 0.6% (n = 2) of cases. The overall top‐1 accuracy of the algorithm (41.2%) was lower than that of the dermatologists (60.1%), residents (57.8%) and general practitioners (49.3%) (all comparisons P < 0.05, in the reader study). When the analysis was limited to the diagnoses on which the algorithm had been explicitly trained, the balanced top‐1 accuracy of the algorithm (47.6%) was comparable to the dermatologists (49.7%) and residents (47.7%) but superior to the general practitioners (39.7%; P = 0.049). Algorithm performance was associated with patient skin type and image quality. Conclusions: A 174‐disease class AI algorithm appears to be a promising tool in the triage and evaluation of lesions with patient‐taken photographs via telemedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocalorimetry at ultrafast heating rates is used to investigate the glass transition of nanometer thick films of metastable amorphous solid water grown by vapor deposition in an ultrahigh vacuum environment. Apparent heat capacity curves exhibit characteristic features depending on the deposition temperature. While films grown at T ≥ 155 K are completely crystallized, those deposited at 90 K show a relaxation exotherm prior to crystallization. Films grown between 135 and 140 K and subsequently cooled down to 90 K reveal a clear endothermic feature before crystallization, which is compatible with a glass-to-liquid transition. The onset temperature is located at 174 K at a heating rate of 2.4 × 104 K/s and is independent of film thickness in the range of 16-150 nm. Comparison of our data with other calorimetric measurements at various heating rates suggests that water is a strong glass former in the deeply supercooled state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing ultrathin nanogranular (NG) metallic films with continuously varying thickness is of great interest for studying regions of criticality and scaling behaviors in the vicinity of quantum phase transitions. In the present work, an ultrathin gold plasmonic NG film was grown on a sapphire substrate by RF magnetron sputtering with an intentional deposition gradient to create a linearly variable thickness ranging from 5 to 13 nm. The aim is to accurately study the electronic phase transition from the quantum tunneling regime to the metallic conduction one. The film structural characterization was performed by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, as well as x-ray diffraction and reflectivity techniques, which indicate the Volmer–Weber film growth mode. The optical and electrical measurements show a transition from dielectric-isolated gold NPs towards a continuous metallic network when t becomes larger than a critical value of tM = 7.8 nm. Our results show that the onset of the percolation region occurs when a localized surface plasma resonance transforms to display a Drude component, indicative of free charge carriers. We demonstrate that, by using a continuously varying thickness, criteria for metallicity can be unambiguously identified. The onset of metallicity is clearly distinguished by the Drude damping factor and by discontinuities in the plasma frequencies as functions of thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To provide cross-national data for selected countries of the Americas on service utilization for psychiatric and substance use disorders, the distribution of these services among treatment sectors, treatment adequacy and factors associated with mental health treatment and adequacy of treatment. Methods: Data come from data collected from 6710 adults with 12 month mental disorder surveys across seven surveys in six countries in North (USA), Central (Mexico) and South (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru) America who were interviewed 2001–2015 as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. DSM-IV diagnoses were made with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Interviews also assessed service utilization by the treatment sector, adequacy of treatment received and socio-demographic correlates of treatment. Results: Little over one in four of respondents with any 12 month DSM-IV/CIDI disorder received any treatment. Although the vast majority (87.1%) of this treatment was minimally adequate, only 35.3% of cases received treatment that met acceptable quality guidelines. Indicators of social-advantage (high education and income) were associated with higher rates of service use and adequacy, but a number of other correlates varied across survey sites. Conclusions: These results shed light on an enormous public health problem involving under-treatment of common mental disorders, although the problem is most extreme among people with social disadvantage. Promoting services that are more accessible, especially for those with few resources, is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health professionals commonly use gait speed in the evaluation of functional status in older people. However, only a limited number of studies have assessed gait speed in the absence of disorders of gait, using confounding factors and exclusion criteria coming from studies conducted in younger people. Our study aims to analyse which factors are associated with gait speed in older people with normal clinical gait. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 119 community-dwelling residents without relevant comorbidities (Charlson index < 2), preserved function (Barthel > 85) and normal gait by visual exploration. Exclusion criteria included suffering from any illness that could modify the characteristics of gait, terminal status or the presence of an acute medical illness in the past 3 months. We used a stepwise linear regression of several variables (sociodemographic characteristics, cognition, body composition, drugs, falls, sarcopenia, frailty and physical activity) on 6-metre gait speed. Results: The mean age was 78 years (range 70–96 years) and 71.4% were women. Variables that remained associated with gait speed in the multivariate final model were age (B = − 0.020, p < 0.001); gender (B = − 0.184, p < 0.001); waist-to-height ratio (B = − 0.834, p = 0.002); number of falls (B = − 0.049, p = 0.003) and the number of Fried's frailty criteria (B = − 0.064, p = 0.019). Conclusion: Falls, frailty and the waist-to-height ratio modify gait speed in older people with normal gait. Studies analysing the potential effect of several factors on gait speed should consider them as confounding factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The aim was to assess the value of insoluble PABPN1 muscle fibre nuclei accumulation in the diagnosis of atypical cases of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Methods: Muscle biopsies from a selected cohort of 423 adult patients from several Italian neuromuscular centres were analysed by immunofluorescence: 30 muscle biopsies of genetically proven OPMD, 30 biopsies from patients not affected by neuromuscular disorders, 220 from genetically undiagnosed patients presenting ptosis or swallowing disturbances, progressive lower proximal weakness and/or isolated rimmed vacuoles at muscle biopsy and 143 muscle biopsies of patients affected by other neuromuscular diseases. Results: The detection of insoluble nuclear PABPN1 accumulation is rapid, sensitive (100%) and specific (96%). The revision of our cohort allowed us to discover 23 new OPMD cases out of 220 patients affected with nonspecific muscle diseases. Conclusions: Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy is often misdiagnosed leading to diagnosis delay, causing waste of time and resources. A great number of these cases present symptoms and histological findings frequently overlapping with other muscle diseases, i.e. inclusion body myositis and progressive external ophthalmoplegia. PABPN1 nuclear accumulation is a reliable method for diagnostic purposes and it is safe and useful in helping pathologists and clinicians to direct genetic analysis in the case of suspected OPMD, even when clinical and histological clues are deceptive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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