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Abstract Polar ecosystems are experiencing amongst the most rapid rates of regional warming on Earth. Here, we discuss ‘omics’ approaches to investigate polar biodiversity, including the current state of the art, future perspectives and recommendations. We propose a community road map to generate and more fully exploit multi-omics data from polar organisms. These data are needed for the comprehensive evaluation of polar biodiversity and to reveal how life evolved and adapted to permanently cold environments with extreme seasonality. We argue that concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems via conservation efforts, to sustainably manage these unique habitats and their ecosystem services, and for the sustainable bioprospecting of novel genes and compounds for societal gain.

Introduction: Neurosurgery is considered a technically demanding specialty; nonetheless, it also requires non-technical skills (NTSs) to reach mastery. Research question: This study seeks to understand how important NTSs are perceived by neurosurgeons across diverse roles and socio-economic backgrounds. The objective is to identify key NTSs and explore their role in surgical precision, teamwork, and collaboration. Material and method: An international survey involving 372 neurosurgeons from various socio-economic and cultural contexts was conducted. The extensive sample and inclusive methodology provide a comprehensive perspective on the perceived importance of NTSs in neurosurgery. Results: The survey results highlight the universal significance of NTSs among neurosurgeons. Attention to detail, humility, and self-awareness are considered essential for surgical precision, effective teamwork, and collaboration. The findings underscore the necessity for integrated training programs that combine NTSs with technical skills. Discussion and conclusion: The study emphasizes the importance of effective training methods such as simulations, mentorship, and role-playing in equipping neurosurgeons to navigate the complexities of their profession. Future research should focus on optimizing teaching methods for NTSs, comparing traditional courses, online modules, and hybrid training programs. Addressing the global disparity in neurosurgical care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, is crucial for improving patient outcomes worldwide.

Abstract Crustal magnetic anomaly maps over oceanic regions are based largely on marine trackline surveys. These surveys, collected from the 1950s to the present, span a wide range of data quality and reliability. We discuss a methodology for constructing grids from these data with associated cell by cell estimates of grid uncertainty. The method is tested with a modern airborne survey for a representative region in the eastern Caribbean. The results are promising, producing an uncertainty estimate that is accurate to one standard deviation for the test area. As magnetic anomaly maps and grids are increasingly applied as constraints for geologic interpretation as well as for alternative navigation (e.g., navigation by magnetic field patterns in the absence of GPS), it is important to quantify the accuracy of these maps.

Introduction Electronic health (eHealth) interventions integrate different elements of care in treating and preventing mental ill-health in patients with somatic illnesses. Identifying different sociodemographic characteristics that might be associated with higher perceived usability can help in improving the usability of these e-health interventions. Objectives This study aimed to identify sociodemographic characteristics that might be associated with the perceived usability of the NEVERMIND e-health system, comprised of a mobile application and a sensorized shirt, developed to reduce co-morbid depressive symptoms in patients with breast or prostate cancer. Methods The study included 129 patients with a diagnosis of breast or prostate cancer who received the NEVERMIND system. Sociodemographic data were collected at baseline. Usability outcomes included the System Usability Scale (SUS), the Mobile Application Rating Scale: user version (uMARS), and a usage index. Results The analysis was based on 108 patients (68 breast cancer and 40 prostate cancer patients) who used the NEVERMIND system. The overall mean SUS score at 12-weeks was 73.4 with no statistical differences among different sociodemographic characteristics. The global uMARS score was 3.8, and females scored the app higher than males (β coefficient= 0.16; p=.03, 95% CI 0.02 - 0.3). Females had significant lower usage (β coefficient= -0.13; p=.04, 95% CI -0.25 to -0.01) after adjusting for other covariates. Conclusions There was a higher favourability of the mobile application among females compared to males. However, males had significantly higher usage of the NEVERMIND system. The NEVERMIND system does not suffer from ‘digital divide’ where certain sociodemographic characteristics are more associated with higher usability. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Swarms of crustaceans called krill dominate Antarctic ecosystems, yet their influence on biogeochemical cycles remains a mystery. Here Cavan and colleagues review the role of krill in the Southern Ocean, and the impact of the krill fishery on ocean fertilisation and the carbon sink.

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hand hygiene has taken on a prominent role in efforts to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission and infection, which has led to a radical increase in the number and types of hand sanitizers manufactured to meet public demand. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated or compared the antimicrobial performance of hand sanitizers that are being produced under COVID-19 emergency authorization.

An elemental function of brain dopamine is to coordinate cognitive and motor resources for successful exploitation of environmental energy sources. Dopamine transmission, goal-directed behavior, and glucose homeostasis are altered in schizophrenia patients prior to and after initiation of pharmacological treatment. Thus, we investigated the relationship between blood glucose levels and brain dopamine signaling in drug-naïve patients with first-episode psychosis.We quantified blood glucose levels and binding of the dopamine D2/3 receptor agonist radioligand (+)-[11C]-PHNO in 15 medication-naïve patients and 27 healthy volunteers employing positron emission tomography.Whole-brain voxel-wise linear model analysis identified two clusters of significant interaction between blood glucose levels and diagnosis on (+)-[11C]-PHNO binding-potential values. We observed positive relationships between blood glucose levels and binding-potential values in healthy volunteers but negative ones in patients with first episode psychosis in a cluster surviving rigorous multiple testing correction located in the in the right ventral tegmental area. Another cluster of homologous behavior, however at a lower level of statistical significance, comprised the ventral striatum and pallidum. Extracellular dopamine levels are a major determinant of (+)-[11C]-PHNO binding in the brain. In line with the concept that increased dopamine signaling occurs when goal-directed behavior is needed for restoring energy supply, our data indicate that in healthy volunteers, extracellular dopamine levels are high when blood glucose levels are low and vice-versa. This relationship is reversed in patients with first-episode psychosis, possibly reflecting an underlying pathogenic alteration that links two seemingly unrelated aspects of the illness: altered dopamine signaling and dysfunctional glucose homeostasis.

The verification of many practical systems - in particular, embedded systems - involves processes executing over time, for which it is common to use models based on temporal logic, in either its linear (LTL) or branching (CTL). Some of today’s most advanced automatic program verifiers, however, rely on non-temporal theories, particularly Hoare-style logic. Can we still take advantage of this sophisticated verification technology for more challenging systems? As a step towards a positive answer, we have defined a translation scheme from temporal specifications to contract-equipped object-oriented programs, expressed in Eiffel and hence open for processing by the AutoProof program prover. We have applied this scheme to a published CTL model of a widely used realistic example, the “landing gear” system which has been the subject of numerous competing specifications. An attempt to verify the result in AutoProof failed to prove one temporal property, which on further inspection seemed to be wrong in the original published model, even though the published work claimed to have verified an Abstract State Machine implementation of that model. Correcting the CTL specification to reflect the apparent informal attempt, re-translating again to contracted Eiffel and re-running the verification leads to success. The LTL-to-contracted-Eiffel process is still ad hoc, and tailored to generate the kind of scheme that the target verification tool (AutoProof) can handle best, rather than the simplest or most elegant scheme. Even with this limitation, the results highlight the need for rigor in the verification process, and (on the positive side) demonstrate that the highly advanced mechanized proof technology developed over several decades for the verification of traditional programs also has the potential of handling the demanding needs of embedded systems and other demanding contemporary developments.

In Hungary, wind erosion is one of the most serious natural hazards. Spatial and temporal variation in the factors that determine the location and intensity of wind erosion damage are not well known, nor are the regional and local sensitivities to erosion. Because of methodological challenges, no multi-factor, regional wind erosion sensitivity map is available for Hungary. The aim of this study was to develop a method to estimate the regional differences in wind erosion sensitivity and exposure in Hungary. Wind erosion sensitivity was modelled using the key factors of soil sensitivity, vegetation cover and wind erodibility as proxies. These factors were first estimated separately by factor sensitivity maps and later combined by fuzzy logic into a regional-scale wind erosion sensitivity map. Large areas were evaluated by using publicly available data sets of remotely sensed vegetation information, soil maps and meteorological data on wind speed. The resulting estimates were verified by field studies and examining the economic losses from wind erosion as compensated by the state insurance company. The spatial resolution of the resulting sensitivity map is suitable for regional applications, as identifying sensitive areas is the foundation for diverse land development control measures and implementing management activities.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.