In order to study the reinforcement effect of plant roots on soil in open-pit mine waste dump slopes, typical slope protection plants such as Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Cogonggrass (Imperata cylindrica), and Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) were selected. The tensile mechanical properties of their roots and the shear performance of the root-soil composite were investigated. Additionally, the WWM model was used to calculate the shear strength of the soil samples, and model parameters were adjusted to quantify the additional cohesion provided by each plant’s roots at different soil depths. The results showed that the Root Area Ratio (RAR) of all three herbaceous plants decreased with increasing soil depth. Among them, Alfalfa had the highest RAR, which was 3.33 and 2.68 times that of Cogonggrass and Goosegrass, respectively. The Root Length Density (RLD) of Alfalfa initially increased and then decreased with soil depth, while the RLD of Cogonggrass and Goosegrass decreased consistently with increasing soil depth. The RLD values of the three herbaceous plants at different soil depths ranged from 0.07 to 0.4 cm/cm 3 for Alfalfa, 0.06 to 0.67 cm/cm 3 for Cogonggrass, and 0.13 to 1.3 cm/cm 3 for Goosegrass. The tensile properties of the roots of all three herbaceous plants exhibited a power-law relationship with root diameter. The tensile force increased with increasing root diameter, while the tensile strength decreased as the diameter increased. Roots can alter the mechanical characteristics of the shear behavior in the root-soil composite, increasing the shear peak strength, extending the peak shear strain, and enhancing the shear strength of the soil. When the water content is 10.5%, the cohesion and internal friction angle of the rootless soil and root-containing soil reach their maximum values, but decrease as the water content increases. Soil depth and plant roots have minimal impact on the internal friction angle. The shear strength of the root-soil composite was greater than that of rootless soil, with the increment in additional cohesion being highest for Goosegrass, followed by Cogonggrass, and Alfalfa. The correction factor k of the WWM model was optimized, and a more accurate method for quantifying the soil reinforcement effect of plant roots was established. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the ecological restoration of slopes in open-pit mine waste dumps, guiding the selection and configuration of suitable protective plants to enhance the stability of these slopes.

Urbanisation impacts biodiversity in coastal ecosystems. Conservation management is needed to improve species persistence in such areas where populations have become small and fragmented. We built a population viability model to compare management scenarios for an isolated population of the threatened green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) in a peri-urban area of coastal south-east Australia. The breeding population occupies a single wetland that is hydrologically connected to an intermittently open lagoon. The lagoon is periodically drained to reduce flood risk to residential areas, influencing the reproductive output of the L. aurea population. We combined estimates of population size, demographics, dispersal and genetic diversity to predict extinction risk over the next 25 years under four management scenarios: 1) lagoon draining continues at historic rates (status quo); 2) the incidence of lagoon draining is halved; 3) new breeding habitat is created adjacent to the existing population, and; 4) the population is supplemented with 10 adults each year. Our modelling predicts that the L. aurea population has a 58% chance of extinction under the status quo scenario, while halving the frequency of lagoon draining reduced the probability of extinction to 5%. The supplementation scenario performed similarly well, however creating a new but hydrologically disconnected wetland had little benefit to extinction risk compared to the status quo scenario. Our analysis suggests that this L. aurea population will likely go extinct if the current frequency of lagoon draining continues. Improving persistence is best achieved by reducing how often the lagoon is drained so that sufficient water remains in the wetland to support egg and tadpole survival. We highlight that artificially manipulating the hydrology of costal environments to reduce flood risk can compromise the persistence of hydrology-dependent species.

Objective:The objective of this study is to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and its genotypic subtype distribution characteristics among women in Lhasa. The study will provide a theoretical basis for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer in this region.Methods：HPV samples were collected from 8273 subjects at Fukang Hospital of Tibet University from January 2023 to December 2024, and 17 genetic subtypes of HPV were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with universal primers. Of these, 15 were high-risk HPV and 2 were low-risk HPV.Results：Among the 8,273 samples examined, 708 were found to be positive for HPV, yielding a positive detection rate of 8.56%. Of these cases, 54 were male, with an infection rate of 14.67%. The total number of female cases was 654, with an infection rate of 8.27%. The full spectrum of 17 genetic subtypes was detected. The five most prevalent high-risk types were HPV52, HPV58, HPV16, HPV56 and HPV39, in that order. In addition, both low-risk types, HPV6 and HPV11, were identified. Amongst the 654 female infected individuals, 503 cases (76.91%) exhibited a single infection, 107 cases (16.36%) exhibited a double infection, and 44 cases (6.73%) exhibited a multiple infection. A statistically significant difference in the positive rate of HPV was identified among women of different age groups (P<0.05).Conclusion: The high-risk types of HPV infection in women undergoing physical examination in the Lhasa region were HPV52, HPV58, HPV16, HPV56 and HPV39. These were predominantly monoinfected, with obvious heterogeneity in subtype categories and age distribution. It is therefore vital that these types of HPV receive sufficient attention in the infection prevention work in this region.

Climate change impacts the habitats of medicinal plants and potentially affects the quality of herbal medicines. Siraitia grosvenorii, a crucial medicinal and edible traditional Chinese material endemic to China, requires more research on climate adaptation. This study employed Maxent and ArcGIS software to predict suitable habitats for S. grosvenorii across various periods in China. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measured mogrosides V (MV) content, total flavonoid content (TFC), and total phenolic acid (TPA) in samples from different suitable habitats. Additionally, the in vitro antioxidant potency composite index (APCI) of various samples was compared. The results indicate that precipitation and temperature emerged as significant factors influencing the distribution of S. grosvenorii, with Bio_18, Bio_4, and Bio_16 identified as the top three key factors. Currently, suitable habitats for S. grosvenorii were primarily located south of the Yangtze River, especially in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces. Future projections indicate a northward expansion of suitable habitats. MV content was significantly higher in samples from high- and medium-suitability habitats compared to those from low-suitability habitats. Conversely, TFC, TPA, and APCI values were higher in low-suitability habitats. These findings offer valuable insights for identifying optimal cultivation areas and assessing the quality of S. grosvenorii resources in China.

A document by Shivendra Jha. Click on the document to view its contents.

CASE IMAGE

A document by Brishti Sengupta. Click on the document to view its contents.

Introduction Priority screening has the potential to reduce the number of records that need to be annotated in systematic literature reviews. So‐called technology‐assisted reviews (TAR) use machine‐learning with prior include/exclude annotations to continuously rank unseen records by their predicted rele‐ vance to find relevant records earlier. In this article, we present a systematic evaluation of methods to determine when it is safe to stop screening when using prioritisation. Methods We implement an open‐source evaluation framework that features a novel method to generate rankings and simulate priority screening processes for 86 real‐world datasets. We use these sim‐ ulations to evaluate 12 statistical or rule‐based (heuristic) stopping methods, testing a range of hyper‐parameters for each. Results The work‐saving potential and performance of stopping criteria heavily rely on ‘good’ rankings, which is typically not achieved by a single ranking algorithm across the entire screening process. Our evaluation shows that the existing stopping methods either fail to reliably stop without missing relevant records or fail to utilise the full potential work‐savings. Only one method reliably met the set recall target but stops conservatively. Conclusions Many digital evidence synthesis tools provide priority screening features that are already used in many research projects. However, the theoretical work‐savings demonstrated in retrospective sim‐ ulations of prioritisation can only be unlocked with safe and reproducible stopping criteria. Our results highlight the need for improved stopping methods and guidelines on how to responsibly use priority screening. We also urge screening platforms to provide indicators and authors to transpar‐ently report metrics when automating (parts of) their synthesis.

A document by Jennifer Petkovic. Click on the document to view its contents.

11pt, fleqn, a4paper, ]LegrandOrangeBook Background Autosomal Dominant-Hyper-IgE Syndrome (AD-HIES) is caused by dominant-negative (DN) STAT3 mutations and characterized by high IgE levels, a lack of Th17-cells and recurrent infections with extracellular pathogens. We previously identified an enigmatic population of IL-10 producing CCR6 +B-helper T-cells and investigated here their relationship to Th17-cells and STAT3 signalling requirements. Methods Human blood lymphocytes were analysed by multiparametric flow cytometry in healthy donors and AD-HIES patients. Analysis was performed by conventional gating or with bioinformatic tools. FACS-purified T-cell subsets were activated in vitro and Th17 differentiation assessed. T-cell antigen specificities were assessed by activation with heat-killed pathogens or antigenic peptide pools. B helper capacities were determined according to antibody secretion in B-T co-cultures by ELISA. Results CCR6 +Th-cells that lacked subset-defining differentiation markers were mostly non-polarised central memory T-cells (T CM) that produced IL-10 and expressed RORγt. They were pre-committed to a Th17 fate, since TCR stimulation in the absence of polarising cytokines induced efficient Th17 differentiation. The latter was promoted by an autocrine loop of STAT3-activating cytokines. CCR6 +Th-cells were reduced in patients with DN-STAT3 mutations but contained activated CCR6 +T CM that produced IL-10 and responded vigorously to AD-HIES-associated pathogens. These residual CCR6 +Th-cells provided B-cell help for IgG and IgE production. Conclusions Th17 differentiation in AD-HIES patients was not completely impaired but arrested at an intermediate stage of IL-10 producing “pre-Th17”-cells. Surprisingly, DN-STAT3 mutations did not inhibit IL-10 production by CD4 +T-cells. Pre-Th17-cells were activated by AD-HIES-associated pathogens and possessed B-helper functions, suggesting that they are not protective but promote aberrant IgE production.

11pt, fleqn, a4paper, ]LegrandOrangeBook Background: Early catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) improves outcomes, but the optimal timing, especially in heart failure (HF) subtypes, remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the impact of ablation timing on outcomes in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods: We used the TriNetX database (2010–2024) to identify HF patients with AF who underwent ablation. Patients were classified as early ablation (≤1 year of first AF diagnosis) or delayed ablation (1–3 years), with propensity score matching (PSM) applied to balance the baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was AF recurrence, defined by repeat ablation, direct current cardioversion (DCCV), or antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) use after a 3-month blanking period. Secondary outcomes included stroke, hospitalization, and mortality over 5 years. Results: After PSM, delayed ablation was associated with higher AF recurrence in both HFrEF (HR 1.25, p < 0.001) and HFpEF (HR 1.27, p = 0.01), as seen in multivariate analysis. In HFrEF, delayed ablation was associated with higher incidence of re-do ablation, AAD use, and DCCV, while in HFpEF, higher recurrence with delayed ablation was associated with increased AAD use. Both cohorts had similar stroke and mortality rates between early and delayed ablation. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed ablation in HFrEF and HFpEF was linked to higher AF recurrence, driven by increased redo ablations, DCCV, AAD use in HFrEF, and higher AAD use in HFpEF. Stroke and mortality rates were similar, suggesting earlier ablation may enhance rhythm control without affecting long-term survival. Condensed Abstract Delayed atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation was associated with higher (AF) recurrence in both HFrEF and HFpEF. In HFrEF, delayed ablation led to increased use of re-do ablation, cardioversion and antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs). In HFpEF, only AAD use was significantly higher with delayed ablation. Stroke and mortality rates were similar between early and delayed ablation groups.

Objective To evaluate the role of social media in promoting menopause-related supplements and assess the evidence supporting their efficacy and safety. Design Observational content analysis. Setting Public Instagram posts using menopause-related hashtags. Population or Sample A dataset of 1,000 Instagram posts retrieved using 10 menopause-related hashtags. Methods Using a newly created Instagram account, we reviewed the top 100 posts from each of the 10 most popular menopause hashtags. Posts advertising branded oral supplements were categorized by poster type and message intent. The 20 most frequently promoted supplements were analyzed for active ingredients, monthly cost, and evidence-based efficacy. Data were collected in June 2024. Main Outcome Measures Poster background, content category, ingredient profile, product cost, and safety and efficacy data. Results Of 1,000 Instagram posts reviewed, 661 (66.1%) promoted branded menopause supplements. Only 7.7% were authored by physicians, while most were posted by businesses (30.4%) or non-clinical individuals, including influencers and naturopaths (51.3%). Among the top 20 advertised supplements, common ingredients such as black cohosh and chaste tree extract showed inconsistent evidence. Nearly half (45%) contained proprietary blends, limiting transparency. The average monthly cost was $43.49. Conclusions Menopause supplement marketing on Instagram is dominated by non-clinicians and often lacks supporting evidence or regulatory oversight. Clinicians should be aware of this online landscape and address supplement use during patient consultations.

Research letterTesting the broad definition of pre-eclampsia: should chronic hypertension with fetal growth restriction be included?AuthorsPeter von Dadelszen 1Terry Lee 2Joel Singer 2Laura A Magee 1For the CHIPS Study GroupAffiliationsDepartment of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London, London, UKSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaCorresponding author:Professor Laura Magee, 6th Floor, Addison House, Guy’s Campus, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 1UL, UK; email: laura.a.magee@kcl.ac.ukIntroductionHistorically, pre-eclampsia was defined as proteinuric gestational hypertension or that superimposed on chronic hypertension. The 2021 International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP) guidelines updated the broad definition of pre-eclampsia (1). One controversy has been whether women with chronic hypertension whose pregnancies are complicated by fetal growth restriction (FGR) fulfil a clinically-relevant definition of pre-eclampsia, or whether FGR is solely a complication of chronic hypertension and not a useful criterion. Therefore, we examined Control of Hypertension in Pregnancy Study (CHIPS) trial data (2) to determine whether or not including pregnant women living with chronic hypertension whose pregnancies are complicated by small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants are at increased risks of adverse perinatal and, in particular, maternal events, compared with women with chronic hypertension who give birth to babies with birthweights at or above the 10th percentile for gestational age.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis limited to those women with chronic hypertension who participated in the international CHIPS trial (2). Women were included if they had non-severe, non-proteinuric pre-existing/chronic hypertension; a diastolic blood pressure (dBP) of 90 to 105 mmHg if they were not receiving antihypertensive therapy, or 85 to 105 mmHg if they were receiving such treatment; and a live singleton fetus at 14+0 weeks to 33+6 weeks of gestation (determined in most cases by early pregnancy ultrasound examination). Chronic hypertension was defined as dBP ≥90 mmHg before pregnancy or at randomised to ‘tight’ (target diastolic BP = 85 mmHg) vs less tight’ (target dBP = 100 mmHg) control. To be conservative, infants who were SGA, defined as birthweight <10th percentile for sex and gestational age (3), were selected as a surrogate for FGR, recognising that ≈50% of SGA infants are growth-restricted due to placental dysfunction (4). We compared the rates of the CHIPS trial outcomes between women who gave birth to infants who were SGA, compared with those with birthweights ≥10th percentile, using logistic regression. A p<0.05 was considered statistical significance (SAS 9.4, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC).Results987 women participated in the CHIPS trial, of whom 727 women had chronic hypertension and known birthweights and gestational age at birth; 122/727 (16.8%) gave birth to SGA infants (Table). Recruited women were generally in their 30s, parous, and recruited during the second trimester. Women who gave birth to SGA infants were slightly older, less frequently overweight or obese, and more frequently randomised to ‘tight’ control (Table). Women with chronic hypertension complicated by SGA (vs those without SGA) more frequently experienced episodes of severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg), new proteinuria (≥300 mg/24h; protein-to-creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/mL; ≥ ++ dipstick proteinuria), pre-eclampsia (defined as either proteinuric hypertension or chronic hypertension with symptoms, signs, and/or abnormal laboratory tests of pre-eclampsia), preterm birth (<34+0 weeks or stillbirth specifically), receipt of high-level neonatal care ≥48 hours, or pregnancy loss or receipt of high-level neonatal care ≥48 hours; however, symptoms of pre-eclampsia and serious maternal complications did not differ (Table).ConclusionsThe data from this secondary analysis of the CHIPS trial support the inclusion of FGR as a diagnostic criterion for pre-eclampsia in women whose pregnancies are complicated by chronic hypertension (1), as such women were more likely to experience episodes of severe maternal hypertension and to evolve into pre-eclampsia, as defined contemporaneously. Severe maternal hypertension, especially severe systolic hypertension, is a surrogate for stroke risk (5). That adverse perinatal events were more common in women who gave birth to SGA infants was unsurprising.References1. Magee LA, Brown MA, Hall DR, Gupte S, Hennessy A, Karumanchi SA, et al. The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: the 2021 International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy classification, diagnosis and management recommendations for international practice. Pregnancy Hypertens. 2022;27:148-69.2. Magee LA, von Dadelszen P, Rey E, Ross S, Asztalos E, Murphy KE, et al. Less-tight versus tight control of hypertension in pregnancy. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(5):407-17.3. Kramer MS, Platt RW, Wen SW, Joseph KS, Allen A, Abrahamowicz M, et al. A new and improved population-based Canadian reference for birth weight for gestational age. Pediatrics. 2001;108(2):E35.4. Benton SJ, McCowan LM, Heazell AE, Grynspan D, Hutcheon JA, Senger C, et al. Placental growth factor as a marker of fetal growth restriction caused by placental dysfunction. Placenta. 2016;42:1-8.5. Martin JN, Jr., Thigpen BD, Moore RC, Rose CH, Cushman J, May W. Stroke and severe preeclampsia and eclampsia: a paradigm shift focusing on systolic blood pressure. Obstet Gynecol. 2005;105(2):246-54.Table: Characteristics and effect of small-for-gestational birthweight on outcomes in pregnant women with chronic hypertension (n (%) or mean (standard deviation))

Non-neoplastic diseases, such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders, are major global health challenges with complex pathophysiologies that demand precise and innovative therapeutic strategies. Nanozymes, artificial nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic functions, have recently emerged as promising candidates for such interventions. Distinguished by their programmable structures, tunable activities, and excellent biocompatibility, nanozymes can mimic multiple natural enzymes (e.g., superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase) to modulate oxidative stress and inflammation. Beyond catalytic activity, their functional integration enables immune regulation and metabolic reprogramming, facilitating multi-level (molecular to tissue) microenvironmental remodeling. This review highlights recent progress in nanozyme development for non-neoplastic disease therapy, emphasizing structure–function relationships, activity regulation in pathological conditions, and mechanistic roles in disrupting the oxidative stress–inflammation–immune dysregulation loop. We further summarize representative applications across cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, metabolic disorders, and inflammatory pathologies, focusing on advances in targeted delivery, responsive release, and multimodal theranostics. These insights collectively underline the transformative potential of nanozymes in next-generation precision medicine.

In pollination networks, indirect plant-plant interactions mediated by their shared pollinators, can shape community dynamics and species fitness; yet, the influence of floral traits on species roles remains unclear, particularly in diverse ecosystems like the tropical Andes. We studied hummingbird-mediated interactions among 31 flowering plants in three high-elevation shrubby habitats located in southern Ecuador. During August and November 2022, and January 2023, we collected stigma samples and constructed weighted interaction networks linked by heterospecific pollen grains. Species roles were determined by defining if they were overall donors or receptors of pollen. We also explored the association between the abundance of flowers and different floral traits and species roles. Finally, we assessed the potential influence of floral roles on species fitness by calculating the ratio of conspecific-to-heterospecific pollen grains observed in each species. We found that the identity of donor and receptor species was highly dynamic across sites and time. Donor species were characterized by being highly abundant, and having long and wide corollas, while receptor species had low abundance, and short and narrow corollas. Donor species received less heterospecific pollen than conspecific pollen, indicating that the pollen sharing roles of species could have fitness consequences. Our findings highlight the importance of floral traits and abundance in shaping floral roles and their potential fitness consequences in hummingbird-mediated indirect interactions.

More Than Just a Plaque: Primary Cutaneous Localized Nodular Amyloidosis Masquerading as Common DermatosesAuthor names and Affiliations: Sandesh Shah1, Joshana Shrestha2Lecturer, Department of Dermatology, Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, NepalResident Doctor, Department of Dermatology, Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal

As natural aromatic macrocyclic compounds with an 18-π electron system, porphyrins exhibit key values in multiple fields such as biosensing, imaging, photothermal/photodynamic therapy due to their unique photophysical properties and chemical tunability. Their integration with low toxicity carbon dots (CDs) with tunable optical and physicochemical properties has opened diverse innovative pathways for interdisciplinary nanotechnology research. This review presents a critical analysis of porphyrin-based CDs (p-CDs), highlighting their structural versatility and transformative applications in nanomedicine. By integrating porphyrin’s photophysical prowess with CDs’ biocompatibility, these hybrid materials enable breakthroughs in near-infrared bioimaging, enzymatic-optical dual sensing, and synergistic phototherapies. Synthetic strategies, including covalent π-conjugation, natural precursor carbonization, and metal-nanozyme engineering, are discussed to underscore their structure-activity relationships. In the landscape of biomedicine, p-CDs have emerged as a revolutionary tool, facilitating early disease detection, precise molecular diagnosis, and targeted therapeutic interventions, thereby reshaping the paradigms of clinical practice and patient care. However, challenges remain in large-scale production and biocompatibility assessment. Future research should prioritize biomimetic design and multimodal integration to realize the full potential of p-CDs in precision medicine.

Host–parasite interactions are strongly influenced by the dispersal behaviour of both partners, yet direct evidence of parasite-driven active suppression of host dispersal has been lacking. Here, we provide evidence that the parasitic nematode Sphaerularia bombi manipulates its hosts, bumble bee queens (Bombus spp.), to limit their dispersal. We conducted genetic analyses of S. bombi and its hosts in Japan and the Netherlands, and found pronounced genetic differentiation among local S. bombi populations, despite minimal structure among host populations, indicating that infected queens exhibit severely restricted movement. Mark–recapture experiments further confirmed that infected queens tend to remain near their hibernation sites. We also identified cryptic species within S. bombi, based on concordance between mitochondrial haplotypes and nuclear clades, suggesting weak host specificity. Our findings provide the first empirical demonstration that a parasite can actively constrain host dispersal—a strategy likely enhancing mating opportunities and local transmission at the cost of broader range expansion. Parasite populations are probably established through rare, accidental transport of infected hosts, leading to strong founder effects and rapid cryptic speciation. This work highlights a novel mechanism by which parasites can shape host movement ecology and drive their own evolutionary trajectories.