Skin microbiomes provide vital functions, yet knowledge about their species assemblages is limited - especially for non-model organisms. In this study, we conducted in situ manipulations and repeated sampling on wild-caught individuals of Rutilus rutilus. Treatments included translocation between fresh and brackish water habitats to investigate the role of environment; community rebooting by disinfection to infer host-microbe interactions; and housing in pairs to study the role of inter-host dispersal for the structure of microbiomes colonizing animals. Results revealed that fish skin microbiomes were biodiversity hotspots with highly dynamic composition that were distinct from bacterioplankton communities. External environmental conditions and individual-specific factors jointly determined the colonization-extinction dynamics, whereas inter-host dispersal had negligible effects. The dynamics of the microbiome composition was seemingly non-affected by reboot treatment, pointing to high resilience to disturbance in these microbial communities. Together, the manipulations demonstrate that host individual characteristics and environment interactively shapes the skin microbiome of fish. The results emphasize the role of inter-individual variability for the unexplained variation found in many host-microbiome systems, although the mechanistic underpinnings remain to be identified.

Animal home ranges derive from the distribution of resources across the landscape. For example, home ranges of tortoise species in the U.S. revolve around networks of burrows. However, human disturbances that damage shelter sites can decrease habitat suitability, individual survival, and population persistence. We investigated effects of burrow distribution and availability on space use of the Sonoran Desert Tortoise Gopherus morafkai at two populations with different habitat structures to determine the extent to which habitat capacity is defined by factors subject to management, such as vegetation, relative to more permanent features such as rock shelters. We also demonstrated the superiority of autocorrelated kernel density estimation, illustrating flawed conclusions that could arise from the use of traditional home-range estimators. Home-range size increased with the number of available burrows at both sites. At the Florence Military Reservation (FMR), with numerous caliche caves and few rock burrows, larger home ranges effectively compensated for 1/3 the burrow density as that of Sugarloaf Mountain, which predominantly featured rock burrows. Female tortoises had smaller home ranges than males despite having similar burrow densities. Females revisited individual burrows more often than males at Sugarloaf, which may relate to female use of preferred nesting sites; however, lower availability led males to revisit burrows at similar rates as females at FMR. Pairs of tortoises at FMR shared 72% more burrows than pairs at Sugarloaf, and pairs of females shared 33% fewer burrows than female-male pairs across both sites. Space and burrow use at FMR and Sugarloaf are consistent with predictions of how animals choose patches for their home ranges in ways that are optimal with respect to spatially distributed resources. Populations largely reliant on pallets or soil burrows may be more subject to declines due to anthropogenic impacts from grazing or off-highway vehicle use or due to increasing temperatures.

Title Do non-clinical services help to improve functional outcomes among young adults with mental disorders? A systematic review. Aim This systematic review aims to examine and synthesise the evidence for non-clinical services on improving functional outcomes for young adults with mental disorders. Methods The systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results Only 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. Nine studies were focussed on vocational support services and seven of these examined the impact of the well-established Individual Placement and Support model. Most studies reported increased rates of employment of young adults similar to studies in general adult populations. Six studies reported on lifestyle interventions including a combination of physical activities, nutrition education, health coaching and motivation and behaviour change. The measures of functioning used by the studies were too varied to determine whether lifestyle interventions may be useful in improving functional outcomes for young adults. There were only two studies on family and network support services for young adults. Conclusion Given the importance of improving functional outcomes among young adults with mental disorders to improve daily activities, quality of life and recude future disability, further research is needed to understand the impact of non-clinical services on functioning. This evidence will provide pragmatic guidance for service planners to invest in supports and interventions that make a meaningful difference to the lives of young adults living with mental illness.

Cardiovascular imaging, a fundamental component in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases, has a great potential for evolution with the advent of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and the metaverse. 1,2 These innovations promise to enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline workflows, and transform patient-clinician interactions. However, their true impact on clinical practice remains a topic of debate. 3 While AI’s potential to automate image analysis is actively being explored, the roles of VR and the metaverse are less clear, often appearing more aspirational than immediately practical. 4 This article presents an opinion challenging established thinking about these technologies, focusing on whether they will truly revolutionize cardiovascular imaging or simply augment current approaches without fundamentally changing the landscape.

Abstract: A systemic and local inflammatory immune imbalance is thought to be the cause of traumatic tracheal stenosis (TS). However, with CD4+ T lymphocytes being the predominant immune cells in TS, the mechanism of action and recruitment has not been described. In our research, using flow cytometry, ELISA, immunofluorescence, and Transwell chamber assays, the expression, distribution, and potential chemotactic function of CD4+ T cells in TS patients were examined before and after treatment. The results showed that the untreated group had significantly more CD4+ T cells and their secreted TGF-β1 than the treated group. Additionally, the untreated group’s CD4+ T cells showed a significant rise in CCL22 and CCL1, as well as a larger proportion of CCR4 and CCR8. CD4+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages located in TS also expressed CCL1 and CCL22. In vitro, anti-CCL1 and anti-CCL22 can partially block the chemoattractant effect of TS bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on purified CD4+ T cells. The findings of this study indicated that TS contained unbalanced CD4 immune cells that were actively recruited locally by CCR4/CCL22 and CCR8/CCL1. As a result, it is anticipated that CD4 immune rebalancing can serve as a novel treatment for TS.

Hymenopteran queens are collectively highly fecund, often long-lived individuals that undergo dramatic physiological changes after they mate and establish a nest. However, the degree to which these changes are conserved among species with different life histories is not well-defined. We conducted a comparative proteomic study investigating differences between reproductive stages (virgins, mated, and established queens) of Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, B. terrestris, and Lasius niger. We identified conserved upregulation of proteins involved in anatomical and system development as queens transition to establishing a nest in all species except B. terrestris. We also identified conserved patterns of vitellogenin, vitellogenin receptor, and immune responsive protein (IRP)30, all of which are proteins typically associated with oviposition. However, expression patterns of other immune proteins, heat-shock proteins (HSPs), detoxification enzymes, and antioxidant enzymes were more dissimilar, with some species exhibiting similar trends and coregulation through reproductive stages, while others exhibited variable or opposite patterns. These conserved and unique profiles likely in part reflect similarities and differences in selective pressure on reproductive stages of each species and may indicate differing abilities to respond to emergent pathogens or environmental change.

Key Clinical MessagePatients with hemophilia A can safely undergo cardiac surgery. Combining continuous infusion and boluses of factor VIII is both safe and cost-effective. Interdisciplinary approach and meticulous planning are crucial in the prevention of bleeding complications.

The dimensions of phylogenetic research have expanded to encompass the study of large-scale populations at the microevolutionary level and comparisons between different species or taxonomic units at the macroevolutionary level. Traditional phylogenetic tools often struggle to handle the diverse and complex data required for these different evolutionary scales. In response to this challenge, we introduce PhyloForge, a robust tool designed to seamlessly integrate the demands of both micro- and macro-evolution, comprehensively utilizing diverse phylogenomic signals, such as genes, SNPs, structural variations, as well as mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. PhyloForge’s innovation lies in its capability to seamlessly integrate multiple phylogenomic signals, enabling unified analysis of multidimensional genomic data. This unique feature empowers researchers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of diverse aspects of biological evolution. PhyloForge not only provides highly customizable analysis tools for experienced researchers but also features an intuitively designed interface, facilitating effortless phylogenetic analysis for beginners. Extensive testing across various domains, including animals, plants, and fungi, attests to its broad applicability in the field of phylogenetics. In summary, PhyloForge has significant potential in the era of large-scale genomics, offering a new perspective and toolset for a deeper understanding of the evolution of life. PhyloForge codes could be found in GitHub (https://github.com/wangyayaya/PhyloForge/) and the program could be installed in Conda (https://anaconda.org/wangxiaobei/phyloforge).

Perception of flood hazard risk and people's trust in the government have vital influences on risk communication. We conducted three studies to examine the relation and mechanism of trust and flood hazard risk perception. In Study 1, we found that people's risk perception and government trust were significantly negatively correlated. In Studies 2 and 3, using correlational and experimental methods, we found that the higher the public's trust in the government, the more they used heuristics to process risk information, and their risk perception was lower than the group with low trust in the government. Our results suggest that government trust can influence risk perception via heuristics.

The use of tramadol and other opioids for pain management has been accompanied by a multitude of challenges and concerns worldwide. The use of tramadol saw a decline in Denmark during 2017-2019 accompanied by a slight increase in the use of morphine and oxycodone. Using the Danish National Prescription Registry and utilizing data until and including 2023, we aimed to provide updated data on the utilization patterns of tramadol and other opioids in Denmark. We found a 35% decline in the use of tramadol from 2017-2023 most likely due to media attention, regulatory actions, health campaigns, and targeted education of physicians and patients by the Danish health authorities. This decline was accompanied by an increase in the number of new (+90%) and current users of morphine (+57%) which surpassed those of tramadol, oxycodone, and other opioids in 2023.

Introduction

It is of great importance to study the detachment/attachment behaviors of cells (cancer cell, immune cell and epithelial cell), as they are closely related with tumor metastasis, immunoreaction and tissue development at variety scales. To characterize the detachment/attachment during the interaction between cells and substrate, some researchers proposed using cell traction force (CTF) as the indicator. To date, various strategies have been developed to measure the CTF. However, these methods only realize the measurements of cell passive forces on flat cases. In order to quantify the active CTF on non-flat surfaces, which can better mimic the in vivo case, we employed elastic hydrogel microspheres as a force sensor. The microspheres were fabricated by microfluidic chips with controllable size and mechanical properties to mimic substrate. Cells were cultured on microsphere and the CTF led to the deformation of microsphere. By detecting the morphology information, the CTF exerted by attached cells can be calculated by the in-house numerical code. Using this microspheres, the CTF of various cells (including tumor cell, immunological cell, and epithelium cell) were successfully obtained on non-flat surfaces with different curvature radii. The proposed method provides a versatile platform to measure the CTF with high precision and to understand the detachment/attachment behaviors during physiology processes.

The current study aims to investigate the complication rate of equine appendicular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed under general anesthesia at a tertiary referral center. 1655 horses, donkeys, and mules were included in the study. A complication rate of 1.5% was found in this 9-year study period. The most common complication was post-anesthetic fever with 11 horses becoming pyrexic in the immediate post-anesthetic period. Four of these horses went on to develop clinical pneumonia and one horse had an outbreak of respiratory herpesvirus. The incidence of neuropathy was 0.4% and colic was 0.4%. This study concludes that peri-anesthetic antimicrobial administration would not decrease the risk of complications in horses or donkeys undergoing general anesthesia for MRI of the appendicular skeleton at this tertiary referral center.

The image contrast and probing depth of optical methods applied to in vivo skin could be improved by reducing skin scattering using the optical clearing method. The aim of the present study was to quantify, from line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) 3D images, the modifications of skin scattering properties in vivo during optical clearing. Nine mixtures of optical clearing agents were used in combination with physical and chemical permeation enhancers on human skin of three healthy volunteers. Scattering coefficient and anisotropy factor of the epidermis and the upper dermis were estimated from the 3D LC-OCT images of skin using an exponential decay model of the in-depth intensity profile. We were able to demonstrate a decrease in epidermal scattering (down to 33%)  related to optical clearing with the best results obtained by a mixture of Polyethylene Glycol, Oleic Acid and Propylene Glycol.

The underwater soundscape was recorded in Seaview Bay off Inexpressible Island, Ross Sea region Marine protected area, for three days in December 2021. Leopard seal Hydrurga leptonyx vocalizations were a prominent sound source that led to variations in ambient sound pressure levels in a frequency range of approximately 150 to 4,500 Hz. Among the 14 call types previously identified, except ultrasound vocalizations, six types of broadcast calls were classified, and their acoustic characteristics were analyzed. We focused on the acoustic characteristics of four low-frequency calls, clustered in a relatively narrow bandwidth, which have been relatively less studied. We identified a new call type of a triple ascending trill consisting of three trill parts, expanding upon the findings of previous studies. The audio data extracted from leopard seal vocalization videos, recorded by a monitoring camera on sea ice, enhanced the reliability of identifications of the underwater triple ascending trill. We present the unique results of underwater passive acoustic monitoring conducted at Seaview Bay, designated as Antarctic Specially Protected Area No 178. Our results could contribute to the development of detection and localization algorithms for leopard seal vocalizations and can be used as fundamental data for studies related to the vocalization and behavior of this species.

Background: The study examines alloparental care and adoption in the Sri Lankan leopard population at Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Using the Multi Point Leopard Identification Method, it documents a remarkable instance: a leopard cub initially adopted by its maternal aunt, and later by an unrelated female with no prior connection to the cub. The cub had a sibling litter mate, who was not seen in the park after the initial adoption ended by the maternal aunt. We consider this behavior noteworthy in especially solitary animal species such as leopards.Methods: Our study was conducted for a period of two years and five months (from February 2021 to July 2023). Our observations highlight the dynamics of these adoptions, and the behaviors exhibited. Altruistic acts, such as feeding, brushing, and shielding the cubs, were observed. These inspections challenge the conventional knowledge regarding leopard behaviors. Notably, the adoption of the cub by unrelated females, despite the absence of genetic ties, exemplifies a form of mutually beneficial reciprocal altruism, offering advantages to both parties.Discussion: The following study explains leopard adoptions using evolutionary theories like kin altruism and reciprocal altruism. It suggests factors such as genetic relatedness, mutual dependency, and possible misidentification influenced the act of adoption. These rare altruistic acts benefit the leopard population. Conclusion: Our study opposes traditional concepts of solitary Sri Lankan leopards. Altruistic behaviors, influenced by genetic relatedness and reciprocal benefits, emphasize social dynamics in predator populations. These findings enhance the understanding of evolutionary mechanisms and cooperative behaviors in maintaining population fitness in the Sri Lankan leopard populationKeywords: Alloparenting, Leopard, Kin, Altruism, Adoption

Among 1550 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) over three years in Guangzhou, China, individuals (8.2%) achieved HBsAg loss. HBsAg loss was positively associated with a longer treatment (median 6.57 years) and a lower HBsAg level (median 645.2 COI) at the baseline. However, HBV pre-genomic RNA (pgRNA), a promising viral biomarker for asserting HBV functional cure, was still detected in 43.9% (44/98) of them, implying an active HBV replication in the HBsAg loss individuals. Our observation suggested that HBsAg loss alone could not reliably predict HBV functional cure in HIV/HBV coinfection.

Extraordinary events are rarely observable in a single rainfall gauge, and this make extremely challenging the correct prediction of their arrivals. However, it may be possible to develop a more robust approach by employing a space-time modelling scheme that is able to capture the spatial dynamics of such phenomena. Therefore, a space-time Poisson model of rainfall cells with circular shape and random depth has been exploited for the first time to interpret the behaviour of this family of extraordinary events. This category of events that may be connected to larger meteorological phenomena not necessarily connected with local heterogeneity of the landscape. Following the identification of the observed extraordinary event across southern Italy, six zones with significantly different dynamics in terms of the frequency of such extremes were identified. Subsequently, a simple mathematical representation was adopted to calibrate the model parameters, leading to an estimate of regional probability distributions defined on the space-time occurrences of extraordinary events over homogeneous zones. The approach allows to overcome the limitations posed by point observations allowed the definition of a probability distribution that pertains to an entire area rather than just a point. The obtained quantiles of rainfall estimated seems to align well with the upper bound of the probability distribution of the annual maxima observed over the areas of interests.