Search Results (923)

We conducted a mark–release–recapture study of the ringlet butterfly, Erebia pronoe glottis, in the Pyrenees to study population density, flight activity, dispersal, and nectar plant preferences. We found differences between both sexes in population density (males: 48/ha; females: 23/ha), sex ratio (2.1), and behaviour (75.4 vs. 20.5% flying). Both sexes used a wide range of nectar plants (Asteraceae, 40.6%; Apiaceae, 34.4%; Caprifoliaceae, 18.8%). However, local abundance appeared to be limited by the availability of nectar plants. Compared to a population of an extensively used pasture in the Alps, a significant increase in flight activity, but not in range, was observed. Movement patterns showed the establishment of home ranges, which significantly limited the dispersal potential, being low for both sexes (mean fight distances-males: 101 m ± 73 SD; females: 68 m ± 80 SD). A sedentary taxon such as E. pronoe glottis does not seem to be able to avoid the pressure of resource shortage by dispersal. As a late-flying pollinator, Erebia pronoe competes seasonally for scarce resources. These are further reduced by grazing pressure and are exploited by honey bees as a superior competitor, resulting in low habitat quality and, consequently, in comparatively low abundance of E. pronoe glottis. Full article

This paper juxtaposes the katechontic political theology of modern sovereignty that sacrifices life in the name of its protection with a paradigm of mystical sovereignty whose purpose is to serve the power of life. Reclaiming the power and politicality not only of theology but also of an overlooked and denigrated discourse, such as mysticism, serves two purposes: it restores the true content of mystery and elucidates the political dimension of theology. Mysticism has been either unduly dismissed in secular modernity as obscurantist, or its meaning has been abused by modern sovereignty for the purpose of investing power with an air of transcendent legitimacy. The proper restoration of the meaning of mysticism may eventually help us reconstruct an alternative conception of sovereignty, one that inverses the attributes Schmitt associates with sovereign power: mastery, supreme potency, legitimate exercise of arbitrary violence. Such an alternative conception of sovereignty, as vulnerability, sacrifice, service, and potent powerlessness may then enable us to appreciate the resources mystical theology can contribute to rethinking the nature of the political and the political nature of theology. Full article

Climate change is generally having a negative impact on forest health by inducing drought stress and favouring the spread of pest species, such as bark beetles. The terrestrial monitoring of bark beetle infestation is very time-consuming, especially in the early stages, and therefore not feasible for extensive areas, emphasising the need for a comprehensive approach based on remote sensing. Although numerous studies have researched the use of optical data for this task, radar data remains comparatively underexplored. Therefore, this study uses the weekly and cloud-free acquisitions of Sentinel-1 in the Bavarian Forest National Park. Time series analysis within a Multi-SAR framework using Random Forest enables the monitoring of moisture content loss and, consequently, the assessment of tree vitality, which is crucial for the detection of stress conditions conducive to bark beetle outbreaks. High accuracies are achieved in predicting future bark beetle infestation (R² of 0.83–0.89). These results demonstrate that forest vitality trends ranging from healthy to bark beetle-affected states can be mapped, supporting early intervention strategies. The standard deviation of 0.44 to 0.76 years indicates that the model deviates on average by half a year, mainly due to the uncertainty in the reference data. This temporal uncertainty is acceptable, as half a year provides a sufficient window to identify stressed forest areas and implement targeted management actions before bark beetle damage occurs. The successful application of this technique to extensive test sites in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia proves its transferability. For the first time, the results clearly demonstrate the expected relationship between radar backscatter expressed in the Kennaugh elements K₀ and K₁ and bark beetle infestation, thereby providing an opportunity for the continuous and cost-effective monitoring of forest health from space. Full article

In the trauma resuscitation literature, there are inconsistent definitions of what constitutes massive transfusion and a unit of blood, complicating the use of transfusion cut-points to declare futility. This is problematic as it can lead to the inefficient use of blood products, further exacerbating current blood product shortages. Previous studies have used various transfusion cut-points per hour to define futility in retrospective analyses but have not accurately defined futility at the bedside due to patient survival even at large rates and volumes of blood transfused. In an attempt to use transfusion cut-points as a marker to help define futility, guidelines have been proposed to limit blood product waste in transfusions for severely bleeding trauma patients, such as Suspension of Transfusion and Other Procedures (STOP) for patients older than 15 and the Futility of Resuscitation Measure (FoRM), used to determine futility in patients older than 60. In an effort to construct effective bedside futile resuscitation criteria with 100% positive predictive value and specificity, this review proposes the use of specific blood component transfusion cut-points combined with parameters from both STOP and FoRM to allow for a comprehensive and accurate method of declaring futility in severely bleeding trauma patients. Full article

Coastal ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change and anthropogenic pressures, which can disrupt microbial communities and favor the emergence of pathogenic organisms. In this study, we applied metagenomic analysis to characterize fungal communities in sediment samples from an urban mangrove subjected to environmental stress. The results revealed a fungal community with reduced richness—28% lower than expected for similar ecosystems—likely linked to physicochemical changes such as heavy metal accumulation, acidic pH, and eutrophication, all typical of urbanized coastal areas. Notably, we detected an increase in potentially pathogenic genera, including Candida, Aspergillus, and Pseudoascochyta, alongside a decrease in key saprotrophic genera such as Fusarium and Thelebolus, indicating a shift in ecological function. The fungal assemblage was dominated by the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, and despite adverse conditions, symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi remained present, suggesting partial resilience. A considerable fraction of unclassified fungal taxa also points to underexplored microbial diversity with potential ecological or health significance. Importantly, this study does not aim to compare pristine and contaminated environments, but rather to provide a sanitary alert by identifying the presence and potential proliferation of pathogenic fungi in a degraded mangrove system. These findings highlight the sensitivity of mangrove fungal communities to environmental disturbance and reinforce the value of metagenomic approaches for monitoring ecosystem health. Incorporating fungal metagenomic surveillance into environmental management strategies is essential to better understand biodiversity loss, ecological resilience, and potential public health risks in degraded coastal environments. Full article

Background: The treatment landscape for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has changed significantly with the approval of gene-based therapies such as nusinersen for adults with SMA (pwSMA). Despite their efficacy, high costs and treatment burden highlight the need for biomarkers to objectify or predict treatment response. This study aimed to identify such biomarkers. Methods: A proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from pwSMA (n = 7), who either significantly improved (SMA Improvers) or did not improve in motor function (SMA Non-Improvers) under nusinersen therapy, was performed. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD065345. Candidate biomarkers—Neuronal Pentraxin 2 (NPTX2), Contactin 5 (CNTN5), and Anthrax Toxin Receptor 1 (ANTXR1)—were investigated by ELISA in serum and CSF from an independent pwSMA cohort (n = 14) at baseline, 2 and 14 months after therapy initiation. Biomarker concentrations were correlated with clinical outcomes. Additionally, NPTX2 was stained in spinal cord sections from a mild SMA mouse model (FVB.Cg-Smn1tm1Hung Tg(SMN2)2Hung/J). Results: CSF NPTX2 levels decreased in pwSMA after 14 months of nusinersen therapy, independent of clinical response. The change in NPTX2 serum levels over 14 months of nusinersen treatment correlated with the change in HFMSE during this period. CNTN5 and ANTXR1 showed no significant changes. In the SMA mouse model, NPTX2 immunoreactivity increased at motoneuron loss onset. Conclusions: NPTX2 emerges as a potential biomarker of treatment response to nusinersen in pwSMA suggesting its significant pathophysiological role in late-onset SMA, warranting further investigation. Full article

Background/Objectives: The emergence of cathinone-based psychostimulants necessitates ongoing research and analysis of the characteristics and properties of novel derivatives. The metabolic fate of five novel cathinone-derived substances (ASProp, MASProp, MASPent, PySProp, and PySPent) containing a selenophene moiety was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Methods: All compounds were incubated individually with pooled human liver S9 fraction. A monooxygenase activity screening investigating the metabolic contribution of eleven recombinant phase I isoenzymes was conducted. Rat urine after oral administration was prepared by urine precipitation. Liquid chromatography–high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry was used for the analysis of all samples. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) were used to evaluate and compare the metabolites’ chromatographic resolution. Results: Phase I reactions of ASProp, MASProp, MASPent, PySProp, and PySPent included N-dealkylation, hydroxylation, reduction, and combinations thereof. The monooxygenase activity screening revealed the contribution of various isozymes. Phase II reactions detected in vivo included N-acetylation and glucuronidation. Both chromatographic columns complemented each other. Conclusions: All substances revealed metabolic reactions comparable to those observed for other synthetic cathinones. Contributions from isozymes to their metabolism minimized the risk of drug–drug interactions. The identified metabolites should be considered as targets in human biosamples, especially in urine screening procedures. RPLC and HILIC can both be recommended for this purpose. Full article

The bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) impacts the health and performance of bovine herds. In the present retrospective study, the impact of BVDV control on the production performance of suckler herds was tested by vaccinating all female cows of the herd on the same day (DV). The performance of cows in two commercial suckler herds was analysed during 12 months before DV (PREVAC, n = 497 cows) and 9 to 21 months after vaccination (POSTVAC, n = 531 cows). The proportion of calves born compared to the initial number of cows subjected to mating did not differ (PREVAC and POSTVAC, 87% and 84%, respectively). The proportion of calves weaned compared to the initial number of cows subjected to mating also did not differ between PREVAC (71%) and POSTVAC (74%). However, the proportion of calves weaned compared to the number of calves born was higher than POSTVAC (87%) when compared to PREVAC (81%). Thus, the data demonstrate that a BVDV control programme using vaccination in suckler herds can improve calf survival. Full article

Background: Osteomyelitis, particularly affecting the lower extremities, is a serious and increasingly common complication. Accurate diagnosis is essential for successful treatment, yet standardized evidence-based protocols are lacking and diagnostic knowledge remains limited. This study aimed to identify characteristic histological and MRI findings in osteomyelitis to support diagnostic accuracy and guide treatment decisions. Methods: In a prospective case-control pilot study conducted from February 2020 to January 2021, all patients with suspected osteomyelitis of the lower limbs were included. Each underwent contrast-enhanced MRI and sampling for microbiological and histological analysis. Findings from five confirmed osteomyelitis cases were compared to five controls where osteomyelitis was ruled out. Results: All osteomyelitis cases showed typical MRI signs, including contrast-enhancing bone edema. Two had early, and two had pronounced intramedullary abscesses. In three controls, contrast-enhancing edema was limited to soft tissue; two showed mild adjacent bone edema. Histologically, all osteomyelitis samples revealed bone fragmentation and inflammatory cell infiltration—absent in controls. Additionally, four showed medullary fibrosis and one fibrin deposits. Conclusions: A comprehensive understanding of both histological and radiological findings is key to effective osteomyelitis treatment. This pilot study is the first to systematically compare MRI and histology findings side by side, offering valuable insights that may enhance diagnostic precision and support evidence-based treatment decisions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Spinal metastatic disease is a life-altering problem for individuals with cancer. Prognostication is key for tailored treatment of spinal metastases. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the genomic profiles of metastatic spine tumors and investigates the potential of mutational data to stratify overall survival (OS) across various histologies. Methods: This is a cohort study of consecutive patients with spine metastatic disease whose tumors were sequenced on a next generation sequencing platform; a machine learning (ML) algorithm was used to stratify OS risk. Results: Targeted sequencing and stratification of OS risk of 282 spine metastases (breast (84), non-small cell lung (56), prostate (49), other (93)) was performed. TP53 (HR 1.80; 95% CI 1.26, 2.56) and KEAP1 (HR 3.95, 95% CI 2.24, 6.98) mutations were associated with poor survival across the entire cohort in univariate Cox proportional hazards models. The ML algorithm categorized breast cancer metastasis into low- and high-risk groups, revealing a median OS of 71 compared to 22 months (HR 3.3, p < 0.001). TP53 mutations and ESR1 mutations conferred poor prognosis. In lung cancer, low- and high-risk groups with median OS of 30 and 6 months (HR 8.3, p < 0.001), respectively, were identified with poor prognosis linked to MET amplification. No significant prognostic associations were identified for spinal prostate metastases. Conclusions: Metastatic spine tumor molecular data allows for the identification of prognostic groups. We present an open-source machine learning algorithm utilizing genomic mutational data that may aid in prognostication and tailored decision making. Full article

Optimizing manufacturing processes to reduce scrap and enhance process stability presents significant challenges, particularly when multiple conflicting objectives must be addressed concurrently. As the number of objectives increases, the complexity of the optimization task escalates. This difficulty is further intensified in online optimization scenarios, where optimal parameter settings must be delivered in real time within active production environments. In this work, we propose a reinforcement learning-based framework for the multi-objective optimization of manufacturing parameters, demonstrated through a case study on pinion gear manufacturing. The framework utilizes the Multi-Objective Maximum a Posteriori Optimization (MO-MPO) algorithm to train a reinforcement learning agent. A high-fidelity simulation of the pinion manufacturing process is constructed in Simufact, serving both data generation and validation purposes. The agent’s performance is assessed using a hold-out test set along with additional simulations of the physical process. To ensure the generalizability of the approach, further validation is performed using open-source manufacturing datasets and synthetically generated data. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method for real-time industrial deployment. Moreover, Pareto-optimality is verified via half-space analysis, emphasizing the framework’s effectiveness in managing trade-offs among competing objectives. Full article

Background: Respiratory support required by preterm infants involves contact between their immature skin and ventilation devices, which can lead to skin breakdown. Methods: A prospective observational study including newborns with a nasal injury related to respiratory support, born at gestational age < 33 weeks, from May 2020 to January 2022, in the neonatal intensive care unit of Strasbourg. Injuries were recorded using a validated scale at inclusion and 3, 7 and 28 days. Sequelae were evaluated at discharge and 4, 9 and 12 months post-menstrual age. Results: In total, 64/276 newborns (23%) had a nasal injury. Most of the injuries were stage 2 (34/64, 53%) and stage 1 (25/64, 39%). The interface most frequently associated with injury was continuous positive airway pressure (53/64, 83%). Favorable evolution was associated with the injury site (p < 0.01) and the type of respiratory support needed when collecting at the 28th day (p = 0.04). At discharge, 34/58 infants (59%) had sequelae. The presence of a scar was associated with the maximum injury severity (p < 0.001) and total duration of respiratory support (p = 0.02). At 12 months, 31/47 infants (66%) had esthetic sequelae. Conclusions: Nasal injuries related to respiratory support in preterm infants were frequent, and more than half of the injuries resulted in medium-term sequelae. Full article

Improved medical treatments have extended survival and life expectancy in adults with congenital heart defects (ACHD), placing greater emphasis on psychosocial health. Up to one-third of ACHD experience anxiety or depression, and half develop a mental illness during their lifetime. While there is solid evidence on the prevalence of mental health, many do not receive psychological, psychotherapeutic, or psychiatric treatment (PST) and the psychological care situation remains understudied. In a nationwide, online cross-sectional survey conducted in Q1 2024, 1486 ACHD aged 18 to 85 (M_age = 36.84 years; 60.8% female) registered in the German National Register for Congenital Heart Defects (NRCHD) completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographics, illness identity (Illness Identity Questionnaire), mental well-being, and utilisation of PST. CHD diagnoses were determined in conformity with the International Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) and CHD was classified according to Warnes et al. (simple/moderate/complex). Analyses included chi-square tests, t-tests, and binary logistic regression. Overall, 32.8% of participants reported current and/or previous PST (women 37.5%, men 25.3%). PST utilisation was significantly higher in those with complex (40.2%) compared to moderate (29.6%) and simple CHD (25.3%) (ps < 0.01). Primary treatment reasons were mental illness (41.7%) and CHD-related concerns (37.2%). Nearly half of treatments were self-initiated (45.8%) and about one-third were physician-recommended (30.8%). Logistic regression revealed CHD severity as a significant predictor of PST use (ps < 0.05), with lower odds for simple (OR = 0.48) and moderate (OR = 0.66) compared to complex CHD when controlling for sex (p < 0.001, OR = 1.87), age (p = 0.022, OR = 1.011), education level (ps between 0.060 and 0.780), and net income (ps < 0.05). Those receiving PST showed significantly higher maladaptive illness-identity scores (engulfment, rejection) and lower acceptance. Approximately one in three ACHD requires mental health support, particularly those with complex CHD. The CHD itself acts as a key stressor and treatment motivator. Findings underscore the need for integrated care linking cardiological and psychosocial services. Routine screening for psychological distress and low-threshold access to PST—also for patients with simple and moderate CHD—are essential to identify and address mental health needs early. Full article

Background: Physical activity induces a range of physiological and molecular adaptations, particularly affecting skeletal muscle and the cardiovascular system, regulating both tissue architecture and metabolic pathways. Emerging evidence suggests that PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) may serve as potential biomarkers for these adaptations. Here, we analyzed piRNA patterns in the context of exercise. Methods: This study selected eight participants of the iReAct study (DRKS00017446) for piRNA analysis. Baseline assessments included demographic profiling and fitness evaluation, particularly maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) assessment. In addition, blood samples were collected pre- and (for six of the eight participants) post- standard reference training sessions. Subsequently, subjects underwent 6-week training protocols, employing standardized high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) regimens. Next, RNA sequencing was conducted to identify differentially expressed piRNAs, and correlation analyses were performed between piRNA expression patterns and training-associated changes in V̇O2max. Finally, to identify piRNAs potentially of interest in the context of exercise, different screening procedures were applied. Results: There were unique and specific changes in individual piRNA expression levels in response to exercise. In addition, we could define correlations of piRNA expression patterns, namely of piR-32886, piR-33151, piR-12547, and piR-33074, with changes in V̇O2max. These correlations did not reach significance in the small sample size of this pilot study, but might be verified in larger, confirming studies. Conclusions: This hypothesis-generating study identifies characteristic piRNA patterns in the context of exercise. Their significance as biomarkers is yet to be determined. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of C. sinensis extract, orlistat, and their combination on biochemical, hormonal, inflammatory, and oxidative stress parameters in female rats. The extract was characterized by the presence of citric acid, ferulic acid, and quercetin, along with antioxidant activity. Five experimental groups were established: (1) control; (2) obese; (3) orlistat (1.72 mg/kg); (4) C. sinensis extract (7.15 mg/kg); (5) a combination of both treatments. Treatment with the extract, orlistat, or their combination resulted in biochemical parameters (glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides) that were comparable to the control group and significantly different from the obese group. Notably, only the C. sinensis extract alone restored pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8) to values similar to the control. All treatments improved the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase, while a significant increase in superoxide dismutase activity was observed only in the extract group. Among the oxidative damage markers, TBARS was the most responsive to treatment, whereas protein carbonylation was less affected. Histological analysis showed that all treatments promoted structural normalization. These results provide a rationale for further pre-clinical and clinical investigations into the use of C. sinensis extract as an adjunctive therapy for metabolic disorders. Full article