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Compassion fatigue and its subsets of burnout and secondary trauma syndrome are plaguing nurses working at the bedside. Healthcare facilities have struggled with nursing turnover for some time. These issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 2018 survey, 31.5% of nurses left the bedside due to nurse burnout (Shah et al., 2021). A significant contributor to compassion fatigue among nurses is secondary trauma syndrome (STS). Trauma, both physical and psychological, are pervasive in the patient population. It is not uncommon for traumatic events to occur in early childhood. Statistics show that 62% of adults have suffered at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) or traumatic event, and 25% of adults have suffered at least three ACEs (Center for Healthcare Strategies, 2021). Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to care with the assumption that an individual most likely has a history of trauma. The key principles of realizing the widespread impact of trauma, recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma, responding with knowledge of trauma, and resisting re-traumatization are known as the four R's of TIC (SAMSHA, 2014). Using the four R's: realize, recognize, respond, and resist re-traumatization fosters an understanding of the complexity and effects of trauma. Approaching care using these key principles encourages a safe and supportive environment, which in turn fosters compassion resilience (SAMSHA, 2014). The purpose of this evidence-based practice DNP project was to decrease compassion fatigue and its subset of burnout through the implementation of a TIC model.

Giardia is a prevalent single-celled microaerophilic intestinal parasite causing diarrheal disease and significantly impacting global health. Double diploid (essentially tetraploid) Giardia trophozoites have presented a formidable challenge to the development of molecular genetic tools to interrogate gene function. High sequence divergence and the high percentage of hypothetical proteins lacking homology to proteins in other eukaryotes have limited our understanding of Giardia protein function, slowing drug target validation and development. For more than 25 years, Giardia A and B assemblages have been readily amenable to transfection with plasmids or linear DNA templates. Here, we highlight the utility and power of genetic approaches developed to assess protein function in Giardia, with particular emphasis on the more recent clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats/Cas9-based methods for knockdowns and knockouts. Robust and reliable molecular genetic approaches are fundamental toward the interrogation of Giardia protein function and evaluation of druggable targets. New genetic approaches tailored for the double diploid Giardia are imperative for understanding Giardia's unique biology and pathogenesis.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy of plasma cells. Epidemiological studies indicate a substantial heritable component, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, in a genome-wide association study totaling 10,906 cases and 366,221 controls, we identify 35 MM risk loci, 12 of which are novel. Through functional fine-mapping and Mendelian randomization, we uncover two causal mechanisms for inherited MM risk: longer telomeres; and elevated levels of B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and interleukin-5 receptor alpha (IL5RA) in plasma. The largest increase in BCMA and IL5RA levels is mediated by the risk variant rs34562254-A at TNFRSF13B. While individuals with loss-of-function variants in TNFRSF13B develop B-cell immunodeficiency, rs34562254-A exerts a gain-of-function effect, increasing MM risk through amplified B-cell responses. Our results represent an analysis of genetic MM predisposition, highlighting causal mechanisms contributing to MM development.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy of plasma cells. Epidemiological studies indicate a substantial heritable component, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, in a genome-wide association study totaling 10,906 cases and 366,221 controls, we identify 35 MM risk loci, 12 of which are novel. Through functional fine-mapping and Mendelian randomization, we uncover two causal mechanisms for inherited MM risk: longer telomeres; and elevated levels of B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and interleukin-5 receptor alpha (IL5RA) in plasma. The largest increase in BCMA and IL5RA levels is mediated by the risk variant rs34562254-A at TNFRSF13B. While individuals with loss-of-function variants in TNFRSF13B develop B-cell immunodeficiency, rs34562254-A exerts a gain-of-function effect, increasing MM risk through amplified B-cell responses. Our results represent an analysis of genetic MM predisposition, highlighting causal mechanisms contributing to MM development.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy of plasma cells. Epidemiological studies indicate a substantial heritable component, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, in a genome-wide association study totaling 10,906 cases and 366,221 controls, we identify 35 MM risk loci, 12 of which are novel. Through functional fine-mapping and Mendelian randomization, we uncover two causal mechanisms for inherited MM risk: longer telomeres; and elevated levels of B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and interleukin-5 receptor alpha (IL5RA) in plasma. The largest increase in BCMA and IL5RA levels is mediated by the risk variant rs34562254-A at TNFRSF13B. While individuals with loss-of-function variants in TNFRSF13B develop B-cell immunodeficiency, rs34562254-A exerts a gain-of-function effect, increasing MM risk through amplified B-cell responses. Our results represent an analysis of genetic MM predisposition, highlighting causal mechanisms contributing to MM development.

Consistent knowledge about the increment in European forests gained amplified importance in European policies and decision processes related to forest-based bioeconomy, carbon sequestration, sustainable forest management and environmental changes. Until now, large-area increment information from European countries was lacking international comparability. In this study we present a harmonisation framework in accordance with the principles and the approach established for the harmonisation of National Forest Inventories (NFIs) in Europe. 11 European NFIs, representing a broad range of increment measurement and estimation methods, developed unified reference definitions and methods that were subsequently implemented to provide harmonised increment estimates by NUTS regions (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics of the European Union), main forest types and tree species groups, and to rate the impact of harmonisation measures. The main emphasis was on gross annual increment (GAI), however, also annual natural losses (ANL) and net annual increment (NAI) were estimated. The data from the latest available NFI cycles were processed. The participating countries represent a forest area of about 130 million ha, and 82% of the European Unions’ (EU) forest area, respectively. The increments were estimated in terms of volume (m³ year−1, m³ ha−1 year−1) and above-ground biomass (t year−1, t ha−1 year−1). The harmonised GAI volume estimates deviate in a range of +12.3% to −26.5% from the estimates according to the national definitions and estimation methods. Within the study area, the harmonised estimates show a considerable range over the NUTS regions for GAI, from 0.6 to 12.3 m³ ha−1 year−1, and 0.8–6.4 t ha−1 year−1, of volume and above-ground biomass, respectively. The largest increment estimates are found in Central Europe and gradually decrease towards the North, South, West and East. In most countries coniferous forests show larger increment estimates per hectare

Forest biomass is an essential resource in relation to the green transition and its assessment is key for the sustainable management of forest resources. Here, we present a forest biomass dataset for Europe based on the best available inventory and satellite data, with a higher level of harmonisation and spatial resolution than other existing data. This database provides statistics and maps of the forest area, biomass stock and their share available for wood supply in the year 2020, and statistics on gross and net volume increment in 2010-2020, for 38 European countries. The statistics of most countries are available at a sub-national scale and are derived from National Forest Inventory data, harmonised using common reference definitions and estimation methodology, and updated to a common year using a modelling approach. For those counties without harmonised statistics, data were derived from the State of Europe's Forest 2020 Report at the national scale. The maps are coherent with the statistics and depict the spatial distribution of the forest variables at 100 m resolution.

Background In order to evaluate interventions aimed at reducing cesarean births, care practitioners’ attitudes are important to measure. The Labor Culture Survey (LCS) is a scale that measures individual and unit attitudes towards supporting vaginal birth. As no equivalent scale exists in Sweden, the aim was to translate, adapt, and validate the LCS and to investigate whether there were differences in attitudes toward supporting vaginal birth between maternity care practitioners. Methods A cross-sectional study including midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants working with intrapartum care in five labor wards in Sweden. The original LCS was translated into Swedish, and six context-specific items were developed for the Swedish setting (SLCS). The translation was tested for face validity. Psychometric analysis was conducted using exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis, parallel analysis, and principal axis factoring. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD were calculated to analyze differences in attitudes between professions on the subscales of the S-LCS. Results A total of 539 midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants participated. The final S-LCS showed a five-factor solution with the following subscales: Best Practices to reduce cesarean overuse, Unpredictability of vaginal birth, Unit Microculture, Maternal Agency, and Organizational Oversight. Chronbach alpha values varied from 0.60 to 0.83. Midwives were more supportive towards vaginal birth and less fearful of potential consequences of vaginal birth compared with physicians. Conclusions The S-LCS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties for use in Swedish maternity care. Further work to improve the scale should include additional items reflecting the subscale Maternal Agency.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) sometimes have lower lumbar lordosis (LL), and the incidence of LSS correlates closely with the loss of LL. The few studies that have evaluated the association between LL and clinical outcomes after non-instrumented surgery for LSS show conflicting results. This study investigates the association between preoperative LL and changes in PROMs 2 years after decompressive surgery. METHOD: This prospective cohort study obtained preoperative and postoperative data for 401 patients from the multicenter randomized controlled spinal stenosis trial as part of the NORwegian degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal STENosis (NORDSTEN) study. Before surgery, the radiological sagittal alignment parameter LL was measured using standing X-rays. The association between LL and 2-year postoperative changes was analyzed using the oswestry disability index (ODI), a numeric rating scale (NRS) for low back and leg pain, the Zurich claudication questionnaire (ZCQ), and the global perceived effect (GPE) score. The changes in PROMs 2 years after surgery for quintiles of lumbar lordosis were adjusted for the respective baseline PROMs: age, sex, smoking, and BMI. The Schizas index and the Pfirrmann index were used to analyze multiple regressions for changes in PROMs. RESULTS: There were no associations in the adjusted and unadjusted analyses between preoperative LL and changes in ODI, ZCQ, GPE, and NRS for back and leg pain 2 years after surgery. CONCLUSION: LL before surgery was not associated with changes in PROMs 2 years after surgery. Lumbar lordosis should not be a factor when considering decompressive surgery for LSS.

Soft magnetorheological elastomers (s-MRE) are a kind of smart material with soft magnetic particles embedded in an elastomer matrix. Under a magnetic field, there is pronounced magnetostriction and magnetically controllable mechanical properties for s-MRE, offering broad application prospects in soft robotics, surface pattern control and vibration control. While most existing literature on s-MRE focuses on the quasi-static behaviour, neglecting inertia effect, the dynamic behaviour and potential nonlinear oscillation phenomenon in certain scenarios of s-MRE-based actuators remain underexplored. In order to addressing this gap, a novel dynamic model which incorporates the magnetization, nonlinear viscoelasticity and inertia effects of isotropic s-MRE is proposed to explore the interplay among magnetic field, inertia and viscoelasticity on its dynamic behaviour. After developing the corresponding two-dimensional finite element implementation platform, this study examines the magnetic-induced dynamic behaviour of an isotropic s-MRE-based bilayer beam through numerical simulation. The influence of inertia and viscoelasticity on the magnetic-induced deformation as well as the unique nonlinear vibration characteristics of isotropic s-MRE-based system, such as superharmonic and resonance jump, are explored. Furthermore, to further enhance practical applications, novel magnetic field control algorithms aimed at mitigating harmonic distortion and tuning the vibration frequency of isotropic s-MRE-based magnetic actuation systems are introduced. These findings significantly advance the understanding the dynamic behaviour of s-MRE, paving the way for practical applications of s-MRE in magnetic field-driven loudspeakers and active noise control devices., QC 20240108

BACKGROUND: In order to evaluate interventions aimed at reducing cesarean births, care practitioners' attitudes are important to measure. The Labor Culture Survey (LCS) is a scale that measures individual and unit attitudes towards supporting vaginal birth. As no equivalent scale exists in Sweden, the aim was to translate, adapt, and validate the LCS and to investigate whether there were differences in attitudes toward supporting vaginal birth between maternity care practitioners. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants working with intrapartum care in five labor wards in Sweden. The original LCS was translated into Swedish, and six context-specific items were developed for the Swedish setting (SLCS). The translation was tested for face validity. Psychometric analysis was conducted using exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis, parallel analysis, and principal axis factoring. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD were calculated to analyze differences in attitudes between professions on the subscales of the S-LCS. RESULTS: A total of 539 midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants participated. The final S-LCS showed a five-factor solution with the following subscales: Best Practices to reduce cesarean overuse, Unpredictability of vaginal birth, Unit Microculture, Maternal Agency, and Organizational Oversight. Chronbach alpha values varied from 0.60 to 0.83. Midwives were more supportive towards vaginal birth and less fearful of potential consequences of vaginal birth compared with physicians. CONCLUSIONS: The S-LCS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties for use in Swedish maternity care. Further work to improve the scale should include additional items reflecting the subscale Maternal Agency.

Aim: To investigate children's experiences of the intervention Me and my Family. Me and my Family is an intervention, for families with parental substance use problems (SUP) provided by Swedish social services outpatient care, includes eight weekly sessions where family members communicate how the SUP affects the family. Method: Data consists of 17 qualitative interviews with children, 7 to 19 years old. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach, initially inductively and then discussed by adding salutogenic perspective. Results: The results are presented in three themes. Regardless of the children's varying ages, the results indicate that participating in the intervention has helped the family break the taboo surrounding parental substance use and enabled the young participants to communicate with their family members differently. The intervention also contributed to stronger bonds between children and their parents., Översatt titel: Children's experiences of an intervention in families where adults have a problematic use of alcohol and drugs

Objectives: To investigate the influence of genetic factors on persistence to treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy. Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a sample of 3902 Swedish early RA patients initiating MTX in DMARD-monotherapy as their first ever DMARD. The outcome, short- and long-term persistence to this treatment, was defined as remaining on MTX at one and at three years, respectively, with no additional DMARDs added. As genetic predictors, we investigated individual SNPs, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on SNPs associated with RA risk. The SNP-based heritability of persistence was estimated overall and by RA serostatus. Results: No individual SNP reached genome-wide significance (p < 5e-8), neither for persistence at one nor at three years. The RA PRS was not significantly associated with persistence at one (RR = 0.98 (0.96-1.01)) nor three years (RR = 0.96 (0.93-1.00)). The heritability for persistence was estimated to be 0.45 (0.15-0.75) at one year and 0.14 (0-0.40) at three years. Results in seropositive RA were comparable to those in the analysis of RA overall, while heritability estimates and PRS RRs were attenuated towards the null in seronegative RA. Conclusions: Despite being the largest GWAS on an MTX treatment outcome to date, no genome-wide significant associations were detected. The modest heritability observed, coupled with the broad spread of suggestively associated loci, indicate that genetic influence is of polygenic nature. Nevertheless, persistence to MTX monotherapy was lower in patients with a greater genetic disposition, per the PRS, towards RA., Errata: Correction to: Genome-wide investigation of persistence with methotrexate treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology, 2023; kead540. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead540

What are the new possibilities of enacting justice through the vast archives of digital eyewitness images and self-representations produced since 2011 by the grassroots Syrian opposition movement amidst both a nascent revolution and a war entailing gross human rights violations? Based on in-depth interviews with 15 anti-regime Syrian video activists, my article considers how the image makers themselves narrate the role and meaning of these archival records in efforts to reckon with Syria's tormented past and build a more just future. I thus seek to recognize the ongoing agency of the Syrian media activists who struggled, by centering them and their wishes in the current debate about the role that this new type of activist-fueled human rights records can play in helping to build roads to justice and healing in Syria.

Aim: To investigate children's experiences of the intervention Me and my Family. Me and my Family is an intervention, for families with parental substance use problems (SUP) provided by Swedish social services outpatient care, includes eight weekly sessions where family members communicate how the SUP affects the family. Method: Data consists of 17 qualitative interviews with children, 7 to 19 years old. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach, initially inductively and then discussed by adding salutogenic perspective. Results: The results are presented in three themes. Regardless of the children's varying ages, the results indicate that participating in the intervention has helped the family break the taboo surrounding parental substance use and enabled the young participants to communicate with their family members differently. The intervention also contributed to stronger bonds between children and their parents.

Background In order to evaluate interventions aimed at reducing cesarean births, care practitioners’ attitudes are important to measure. The Labor Culture Survey (LCS) is a scale that measures individual and unit attitudes towards supporting vaginal birth. As no equivalent scale exists in Sweden, the aim was to translate, adapt, and validate the LCS and to investigate whether there were differences in attitudes toward supporting vaginal birth between maternity care practitioners. Methods A cross-sectional study including midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants working with intrapartum care in five labor wards in Sweden. The original LCS was translated into Swedish, and six context-specific items were developed for the Swedish setting (SLCS). The translation was tested for face validity. Psychometric analysis was conducted using exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis, parallel analysis, and principal axis factoring. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD were calculated to analyze differences in attitudes between professions on the subscales of the S-LCS. Results A total of 539 midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants participated. The final S-LCS showed a five-factor solution with the following subscales: Best Practices to reduce cesarean overuse, Unpredictability of vaginal birth, Unit Microculture, Maternal Agency, and Organizational Oversight. Chronbach alpha values varied from 0.60 to 0.83. Midwives were more supportive towards vaginal birth and less fearful of potential consequences of vaginal birth compared with physicians. Conclusions The S-LCS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties for use in Swedish maternity care. Further work to improve the scale should include additional items reflecting the subscale Maternal Agency.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) sometimes have lower lumbar lordosis (LL), and the incidence of LSS correlates closely with the loss of LL. The few studies that have evaluated the association between LL and clinical outcomes after non-instrumented surgery for LSS show conflicting results. This study investigates the association between preoperative LL and changes in PROMs 2 years after decompressive surgery. METHOD: This prospective cohort study obtained preoperative and postoperative data for 401 patients from the multicenter randomized controlled spinal stenosis trial as part of the NORwegian degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal STENosis (NORDSTEN) study. Before surgery, the radiological sagittal alignment parameter LL was measured using standing X-rays. The association between LL and 2-year postoperative changes was analyzed using the oswestry disability index (ODI), a numeric rating scale (NRS) for low back and leg pain, the Zurich claudication questionnaire (ZCQ), and the global perceived effect (GPE) score. The changes in PROMs 2 years after surgery for quintiles of lumbar lordosis were adjusted for the respective baseline PROMs: age, sex, smoking, and BMI. The Schizas index and the Pfirrmann index were used to analyze multiple regressions for changes in PROMs. RESULTS: There were no associations in the adjusted and unadjusted analyses between preoperative LL and changes in ODI, ZCQ, GPE, and NRS for back and leg pain 2 years after surgery. CONCLUSION: LL before surgery was not associated with changes in PROMs 2 years after surgery. Lumbar lordosis should not be a factor when considering decompressive surgery for LSS.

BACKGROUND: In order to evaluate interventions aimed at reducing cesarean births, care practitioners' attitudes are important to measure. The Labor Culture Survey (LCS) is a scale that measures individual and unit attitudes towards supporting vaginal birth. As no equivalent scale exists in Sweden, the aim was to translate, adapt, and validate the LCS and to investigate whether there were differences in attitudes toward supporting vaginal birth between maternity care practitioners. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants working with intrapartum care in five labor wards in Sweden. The original LCS was translated into Swedish, and six context-specific items were developed for the Swedish setting (SLCS). The translation was tested for face validity. Psychometric analysis was conducted using exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis, parallel analysis, and principal axis factoring. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD were calculated to analyze differences in attitudes between professions on the subscales of the S-LCS. RESULTS: A total of 539 midwives, physicians, and nurse assistants participated. The final S-LCS showed a five-factor solution with the following subscales: Best Practices to reduce cesarean overuse, Unpredictability of vaginal birth, Unit Microculture, Maternal Agency, and Organizational Oversight. Chronbach alpha values varied from 0.60 to 0.83. Midwives were more supportive towards vaginal birth and less fearful of potential consequences of vaginal birth compared with physicians. CONCLUSIONS: The S-LCS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties for use in Swedish maternity care. Further work to improve the scale should include additional items reflecting the subscale Maternal Agency.

Aim: To investigate children's experiences of the intervention Me and my Family. Me and my Family is an intervention, for families with parental substance use problems (SUP) provided by Swedish social services outpatient care, includes eight weekly sessions where family members communicate how the SUP affects the family. Method: Data consists of 17 qualitative interviews with children, 7 to 19 years old. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach, initially inductively and then discussed by adding salutogenic perspective. Results: The results are presented in three themes. Regardless of the children's varying ages, the results indicate that participating in the intervention has helped the family break the taboo surrounding parental substance use and enabled the young participants to communicate with their family members differently. The intervention also contributed to stronger bonds between children and their parents., Översatt titel: Children's experiences of an intervention in families where adults have a problematic use of alcohol and drugs

Objectives: To investigate the influence of genetic factors on persistence to treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy. Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a sample of 3902 Swedish early RA patients initiating MTX in DMARD-monotherapy as their first ever DMARD. The outcome, short- and long-term persistence to this treatment, was defined as remaining on MTX at one and at three years, respectively, with no additional DMARDs added. As genetic predictors, we investigated individual SNPs, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on SNPs associated with RA risk. The SNP-based heritability of persistence was estimated overall and by RA serostatus. Results: No individual SNP reached genome-wide significance (p < 5e-8), neither for persistence at one nor at three years. The RA PRS was not significantly associated with persistence at one (RR = 0.98 (0.96-1.01)) nor three years (RR = 0.96 (0.93-1.00)). The heritability for persistence was estimated to be 0.45 (0.15-0.75) at one year and 0.14 (0-0.40) at three years. Results in seropositive RA were comparable to those in the analysis of RA overall, while heritability estimates and PRS RRs were attenuated towards the null in seronegative RA. Conclusions: Despite being the largest GWAS on an MTX treatment outcome to date, no genome-wide significant associations were detected. The modest heritability observed, coupled with the broad spread of suggestively associated loci, indicate that genetic influence is of polygenic nature. Nevertheless, persistence to MTX monotherapy was lower in patients with a greater genetic disposition, per the PRS, towards RA., Errata: Correction to: Genome-wide investigation of persistence with methotrexate treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology, 2023; kead540. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead540

Nucleic acids are abundant in terrestrial ecosystems and are degraded by DNases, mostly from microbial origin, contributing significant quantities of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which enter their respective nutrient cycles. However, the impact of agronomic management practices on this important soil function and the bacterial community involved has received little attention. This thesis research consisted of an indoor and a long-term field study used to determine the responsiveness of extracellular DNA (exDNA) degradation, extracellular DNase (exDNase) producing bacteria, bacterial diversity, community composition, and functional capabilities as influenced by crop species and weed seedbank density levels in agricultural soils. A high-throughput DNA methyl green (DNA-MG) spectrophotometric assay was developed and successfully adopted for estimating instantaneous exDNA degradation potential in soils. Potential DNase activity in soils was best estimated using soil leachates, and the assay was observed to be stable over a wide range of temperatures. The assay is simple, affordable, and rapid means to estimate potential DNase activity of soils. The assay demonstrated that crop species, crop developmental stages and soil properties influenced instantaneous exDNA degradation potential in agricultural bulk soils, while weed seedbank density did not have a significant effect on this soil function. Moreover, crop species, crop developmental stages, and soil type greatly shaped the populations of culturable exDNase-producing bacteria inhabiting agricultural soils. Several key exDNase-producing bacteria were identified and were dominated by Bacillota (Firmicutes) and Actinobacteria at the phyla level and the Bacillus genera group. The Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla groups dominated the bacterial species in bulk soils from the field study and those positively associated with instantaneous exDNA degradation potential. The chemical fallow and prairie trea

This project aims to develop a simulator for generating realistic data from vehicles operating in underground mines, encompassing positional data and sensor values of the velocity and angle. The project addresses the challenge of analyzing the Hybrid Positioning algorithm within Mobilaris Onboard, a navigation system for underground mines. The absence of the 100% ground truth for vehicle positions in the post-analysis of sensor log files necessitates the creation of this simulator. The project's mission includes generating vehicle paths and corresponding sensor readings, focusing on realism. Additional considerations include introducing realistic noise and integrating the simulator's output with visualization tools. Furthermore, the project aims to develop a tool for comparing simulated sensor values with actual sensor data, facilitating algorithm refinement and development. The project also incorporates time series analysis to interpret the sensor data generated by the simulator. This approach is crucial for understanding patterns and trends in the vehicle's positional and velocity data over time, providing valuable insights for refining the navigation algorithm.

This report presents the results of a project undertaken by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark related to the National Nitrogen Budget (NNB) with a focus on the NNB pool Forests and semi-natural vegetation (FS). The NNB involves calculations of reactive nitrogen (Nr) inflows and outflows within the FS pool, and the study compares these calculations to reports of carbon sequestration in climate reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).Norway and Finland initiated their work on NNB, concentrating on Forests and semi-natural vegetation (FS). The UNECE LRTAP Task Force on Reactive Nitrogen (TFRN) methodology was also used for compiling the FS pool for Denmark, while Sweden had established its FS pool prior to the project.The FS pool comprises three sub-pools: forests, wetlands, and other lands. Inflows of reactive nitrogen (Nr) to the FS pool are primarily from deposition and biological N-fixation, with major outflows being leaching, harvest, and denitrification.In Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, the inflows and outflows are in balance, while in Norway, there is an accumulation of Nr, indicating a surplus of nitrogen. Wetland sub-pools in all four countries and the forest sub-pool in Norway show nitrogen accumulation.All four countries report carbon sequestration in forests to UNFCCC. There is a link between nitrogen and carbon cycles, since the organic matter forming the carbon stock in forests and wetlands relies on nitrogen. The origin of nitrogen contributing to the estimated C-stock increase needs further investigation.There is a discrepancy between the calculated nitrogen changes in the FS pool and the nitrogen needed to support reported carbon stock changes. Possible explanations for the discrepancies are re-location of nitrogen within pools, changes in the C/N ratio, expansion of forested areas, and uncertainties in N-fixation rates and denitrification.There is a need for better integration of carbon and nitrogen flux and s, Denna rapport presenterar resultaten från ett projekt som genomförts av Norge, Finland, Sverige och Danmark relaterat till den nationella kvävebudgeten (NNB) med fokus på NNB-poolen ”Forests and semi-natural vegetation” (FS). NNB omfattar beräkningar av inflöden och utflöden av reaktivt kväve (Nr) inom FS-poolen, och studien jämför dessa beräkningar med rapporter om kollagring i klimatrapporteringen till FN:s ramkonvention om klimatförändringar (UNFCCC).Norge och Finland inledde sitt arbete med NNB och koncentrerade sig på skogar och seminaturlig vegetation (FS) enligt metodiken från UNECE LRTAP Task Force on Reactive Nitrogen (TFRN). Danmark hade sedan tidigare gjort en kvävebudget enligt annan metodik och använde för första gången TFRN:s metodik för FS och Sverige hade redan före projektet sammanställt data för FS.FS-poolen består av tre underpooler: skogar, våtmarker och annan mark. Inflödet av reaktivt kväve (Nr) till FS-poolen kommer främst från deposition och biologisk N-fixering, medan de största utflödena är utlakning, skörd och denitrifikation.I Finland, Sverige och Danmark är inflöden och utflöden i balans, medan det i Norge finns en ackumulering av Nr, vilket tyder på ett överskott av kväve. Våtmarker i alla fyra länderna och skog i Norge uppvisar kväveackumulering.Alla fyra länderna rapporterar kollagring i skog till UNFCCC. Det finns en koppling mellan kväve- och kolomsättning, eftersom det organiska material som bildar kollagret i skogar och våtmarker är beroende av kväve. Ursprunget till kvävet som bidrar till den beräknade ökningen av kollagret behöver undersökas ytterligare.Det finns en diskrepans mellan de beräknade kväveförändringarna i FS-poolen och det kväve som behövs för att möjliggöra rapporterade förändringar i kollagret. Möjliga förklaringar till avvikelserna är omfördelning av kväve inom poolerna, förändringar i C/N-kvoten, expansion av skogsområden och osäkerheter i N-fixeringshastigheter och denitrifikation.Det finns ett behov av bättre

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) – the creation, enhancement, and upscaling of carbon sinks – has become a pillar of national and corporate commitments towards Net Zero emissions, as well as pathways towards realizing the Paris Agreement's ambitious temperature targets. In this perspective, we explore CDR as an emerging issue of Earth System Governance (ESG). We draw on the results of a workshop at the 2022 Earth System Governance conference that mapped a range of actors, activities, and issues relevant to carbon removal, and refined them into research questions spanning four intersecting areas: modeling and systems assessment, societal appraisal, policy, and innovation and industry. We filter these questions through the five lenses of the ESG framework and highlight several key ‘cross-cutting’ issues that could form the basis of an integrated ESG research agenda on CDR.

While the ocean has long been portrayed as a victim of climate change, threatened by ocean warming and acidification, it is now increasingly framed as a key solution to the climate crisis. In particular, the promising carbon sequestration potential of the ocean is being emphasised. In this paper, we seek to historicise the practices, discourses and actors that have constructed the ocean as a climate change solution space. We conceptualise the debate about the mitigation potential of the ocean as a contested site of governance, where varying actors form alliances and different sociotechnical narratives about climate action play out. Using an innovative quali-quantitative methodology which combines scientometrics with document analysis, observational fieldwork, and interviews, we outline three historical phases in the history of ocean carbon sequestration that follow recurring cycles of hype, controversy and disappointment. We argue that the most recent hype around ocean carbon sequestration was not triggered by a technological breakthrough or a reduction in scientific uncertainty, but by new socio-technical configurations and coalitions. We conclude by showing that how climate change solutions are put on the agenda and become legitimised is both a scientific and political process, linked to how science frames the climate crisis, and ultimately, its governance.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Umsetzung der Saatgutbibliotheken in den Öf-fentlichen Bibliotheken Deutschlands. Weil es sich hierbei um einen unerforschten Bereich handelt, sollen die Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede der Saatgutbibliotheken anhand der Er-fassung grundlegender Daten über die Motivation, den Aufbau und die Finanzierung, die Aus-leihe, den Bestand, die Erschließung und Präsentation, die Zuständigkeit, die Veranstaltungs- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und die Evaluation erarbeitet werden.:Abbildungsverzeichnis 4 1 Einführung 6 2 Theoretische Einordnung 9 2.1 Begriff Saatgutbibliothek 9 2.2 Gründe für Saatgutbibliotheken 13 2.2.1 Kurze Geschichte der Saatgutproduktion 13 2.2.2 Samenfeste Sorten versus Hybridsorten 14 2.2.3 Ziele einer Saatgutbibliothek 15 2.3 Gründe für die Umsetzung einer Saatgutbibliothek in einer Öffentlichen Bibliothek . 17 2.3.1 Agenda 2030 17 2.3.2 Grüne Bibliothek 20 2.3.3 Sharing Economy 21 2.3.4 Bibliothek als Dritter Ort 23 2.4 Entwicklung der Saatgutbibliotheken in Bibliotheken 25 2.4.1 Saatgutbibliotheken außerhalb von Deutschland 25 2.4.2 Projekte und Beispiele in Deutschland 28 2.5 Was muss bei der Umsetzung einer Saatgutbibliothek beachtet werden? 30 3 Methode 34 3.1 Ermittlung der Befragungsteilnehmenden 34 3.2 Vor- und Nachteile der Methode 38 3.3 Erstellung des Fragebogens 39 3.4 Durchführung der Online-Befragung 40 3.5 Reflektion der Durchführung und des Fragebogens 41 4 Ergebnisse der Befragung 43 4.1 Allgemeines 43 4.2 Motivation 44 4.3 Aufbau 46 4.3.1 Partner 46 4.3.2 Finanzierung 46 4.4 Ausleihe 47 4.5 Bestand 50 4.6 Erschließung und Präsentation 53 4.7 Zuständigkeit 56 4.8 Veranstaltungs- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit 57 4.9 Evaluation 59 4.10 Bemerkungen 62 5 Ergebnisdiskussion 63 6 Fazit 70 Literatur- und Quellenverzeichnis 72 Selbstständigkeitserklärung 82 Anhang 83

Success in Artificial Insemination (AI) is largely determined by the quality of the stored semen, therefore storage devices, especially straws or ampoules, are an important part that cannot be separated from the overall semen cryopreservation technology. Making a prototype of semen storage ampoules from nanocalcium silicophosphate biomaterials is based on the need for straws or ampoules. Semen storage in spermatozoa cryopreservation technology for the needs of AI and livestock breeding and from the results of an examination of previously patented inventions. The aim of this research was to determine the quality of simental cow sperm and the success of AI with the addition of nanocalcium phosphate to the Tris aminomethane egg yolk diluent using semen storage ampoules made from nanocalcium silicophosphate biomaterial. This research method uses laboratory research with a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 2 factors, namely the diluent factor consisting of 2 treatments (tris aminomethane egg yolk and tris aminomethane egg yolk + phosphate 1% w/v) and the shelf life factor. Consisting of 5 treatments (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 days). The second factor is the use of ampoules and without ampoules. Each treatment was repeated 10 times. The results of the research showed that the addition of nanocalcium phosphate to the egg yolk tris aminomethane diluent using semen storage ampoules made from nanocalcium silicophosphate biomaterial had a very significant effect (p<0.01) on motility, viability and abnormalities. Likewise, the AI results show the NRR, CR, and S/C values in the good category. This study concluded that the addition of phosphate to the egg yolk tris aminomethane diluent can increase the durability of semen for up to three days at room temperature and with storage at 5°C for up to 3-5 days, likewise, the results of artificial insemination success tests are also good and appropriate standard.

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is characterized by the acquisition of a somatic mutation in a hematopoietic stem cell that results in a clonal expansion. These driver mutations can be single nucleotide variants in cancer driver genes or larger structural rearrangements called mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs). The factors that influence the variations in mCA fitness and ultimately result in different clonal expansion rates are not well understood. We used the Passenger-Approximated Clonal Expansion Rate (PACER) method to estimate clonal expansion rate as PACER scores for 6,381 individuals in the NHLBI TOPMed cohort with gain, loss, and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity mCAs. Our mCA fitness estimates, derived by aggregating per-individual PACER scores, were correlated (R2 = 0.49) with an alternative approach that estimated fitness of mCAs in the UK Biobank using population-level distributions of clonal fraction. Among individuals with JAK2 V617F clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential or mCAs affecting the JAK2 gene on chromosome 9, PACER score was strongly correlated with erythrocyte count. In a cross-sectional analysis, genome-wide association study of estimates of mCA expansion rate identified a TCL1A locus variant associated with mCA clonal expansion rate, with suggestive variants in NRIP1 and TERT.

Shellfish harvesting is central to coastal Alaska Native ways of life, and tribes in Southeast Alaska are committed to preserving sustainable and safe access to subsistence foods. However, consumption of non-commercially harvested shellfish puts Alaska Native communities at elevated risk of exposure to shellfish toxins. To address a lack of state or federal toxin testing for subsistence and recreational harvesting, tribes across Southeast Alaska have formed their own toxin testing and ocean monitoring program. In this study, we interviewed environmental managers responsible for tribes' testing and others with shellfish toxin expertise to report on perceptions of barriers to tribally led testing in Southeast Alaska. Tribal staff identified 40 prospective key informants to interview, including all environmental managers responsible for shellfish toxin testing at subsistence sites in Southeast Alaska. All 40 individuals were invited to participate in an interview and 27 individuals were interviewed. The most frequently discussed barriers to shellfish toxin testing in Southeast Alaska relate to logistical and staffing difficulties associated with communities' remote locations, inconsistent and inadequate funding and funding structures that increase staff burdens, risk communication challenges related to conveying exposure risks while supporting subsistence harvesting, and implications of climate change-related shifts in toxin exposures for risk perception and risk communication. Participants stressed the social origins of perceived barriers. Disinvestment may create and sustain barriers and be most severely felt in Native communities and remote places. Climate change impacts may interact with social and cultural factors to further complicate risk management.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have become well-powered to detect loci associated with telomere length. However, no prior work has validated genes nominated by GWAS to examine their role in telomere length regulation. We conducted a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of 211,369 individuals and identified five novel association signals. Enrichment analyses of chromatin state and cell-type heritability suggested that blood/immune cells are the most relevant cell type to examine telomere length association signals. We validated specific GWAS associations by overexpressing KBTBD6 or POP5 and demonstrated that both lengthened telomeres. CRISPR/Cas9 deletion of the predicted causal regions in K562 blood cells reduced expression of these genes, demonstrating that these loci are related to transcriptional regulation of KBTBD6 and POP5. Our results demonstrate the utility of telomere length GWAS in the identification of telomere length regulation mechanisms and validate KBTBD6 and POP5 as genes affecting telomere length regulation.

Viruses target mitochondria to promote their replication, and infection-induced stress during the progression of infection leads to the regulation of antiviral defenses and mitochondrial metabolism which are opposed by counteracting viral factors. The precise structural and functional changes that underlie how mitochondria react to the infection remain largely unclear. Here we show extensive transcriptional remodeling of protein-encoding host genes involved in the respiratory chain, apoptosis, and structural organization of mitochondria as herpes simplex virus type 1 lytic infection proceeds from early to late stages of infection. High-resolution microscopy and interaction analyses unveiled infection-induced emergence of rough, thin, and elongated mitochondria relocalized to the perinuclear area, a significant increase in the number and clustering of endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contact sites, and thickening and shortening of mitochondrial cristae. Finally, metabolic analyses demonstrated that reactivation of ATP production is accompanied by increased mitochondrial Ca2+ content and proton leakage as the infection proceeds. Overall, the significant structural and functional changes in the mitochondria triggered by the viral invasion are tightly connected to the progression of the virus infection.

Contemporary society’s perception of past wars is almost exclusively driven by historic sources such as film recordings, photographs and written documents that are presented in mass media. However, the legacy of these wars is still present throughout European soil and waters, including the Baltic Sea. The marine waters of every Baltic Sea state contain warfare materials. Resulting risks may be direct and short-term. Fishermen, divers, offshore wind farm constructors and beachgoers can potentially be exposed to their remains while performing their daily work or while collecting objects in the surf. Other potential effects might be indirect and long-term such as the accumulation of carcinogenic toxic substances and their metabolites in the marine food web. Since 1974 Contracting Parties of the Helsinki Convention are seeking to address the increasing environmental challenges from human activities and that were having a severe impact on the marine environment. This includes the protection of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, and thus munitions in the Baltic Sea are addressed by HELCOM since 1993. The convention commits the signatories to take measures to conserve habitats and biological diversity and for the sustainable use of marine resources. In addition, warfare materials potentially constitute a hazard and an obstacle for the utilization of the sea floor for economic purposes. The global ocean economy is predicted to double in size by 2030, as compared to 2010 (OECD 2016). In the Blue Growth Strategy laid out by the European Commission the economic potential for the extended economic usage of the oceans was recognized and focus was placed on five blue growth sectors. Two of these sectors (ocean energy and seabed mining) require the ability to safely access large areas of the sea floor (European Commission 2017). In order to exploit the economic potential of the ocean energy and seabed resources sectors, the detection and removal of warfare materials in

Epigenetic dysregulation has emerged as an important etiological mechanism of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Pathogenic variation in epigenetic regulators can impair deposition of histone post-translational modifications leading to aberrant spatiotemporal gene expression during neurodevelopment. The male-specific lethal (MSL) complex is a prominent multi-subunit epigenetic regulator of gene expression and is responsible for histone 4 lysine 16 acetylation (H4K16ac). Using exome sequencing, here we identify a cohort of 25 individuals with heterozygous de novo variants in MSL complex member MSL2. MSL2 variants were associated with NDD phenotypes including global developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, and motor issues such as coordination problems, feeding difficulties, and gait disturbance. Dysmorphisms and behavioral and/or psychiatric conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, and to a lesser extent, seizures, connective tissue disease signs, sleep disturbance, vision problems, and other organ anomalies, were observed in affected individuals. As a molecular biomarker, a sensitive and specific DNA methylation episignature has been established. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from three members of our cohort exhibited reduced MSL2 levels. Remarkably, while NDD-associated variants in two other members of the MSL complex (MOF and MSL3) result in reduced H4K16ac, global H4K16ac levels are unchanged in iPSCs with MSL2 variants. Regardless, MSL2 variants altered the expression of MSL2 targets in iPSCs and upon their differentiation to early germ layers. Our study defines an MSL2-related disorder as an NDD with distinguishable clinical features, a specific blood DNA episignature, and a distinct, MSL2-specific molecular etiology compared to other MSL complex-related disorders.

While the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States labor market are well-established, less is known about the long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and Long COVID on employment. To address this gap, we analyzed self-reported data from a prospective, national cohort study to estimate the effects of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms at three months post-infection on missed workdays and return to work. The analysis included 2,939 adults in the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE) study who tested positive for their initial SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of enrollment, were employed before the pandemic, and completed a baseline and three-month electronic survey. At three months post-infection, 40.8% of participants reported at least one SARS-CoV-2 symptom and 9.6% of participants reported five or more SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. When asked about missed work due to their SARS-CoV-2 infection at three months, 7.2% of participants reported missing ≥10 workdays and 13.9% of participants reported not returning to work since their infection. At three months, participants with ≥5 symptoms had a higher adjusted odds ratio of missing ≥10 workdays (2.96, 95% CI 1.81-4.83) and not returning to work (2.44, 95% CI 1.58-3.76) compared to those with no symptoms. Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 symptoms were common, affecting 4-in-10 participants at three-months post-infection, and were associated with increased odds of work loss, most pronounced among adults with ≥5 symptoms at three months. Despite the end of the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 and efforts to return to normal, policymakers must consider the clinical and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on peoples employment status and work absenteeism, particularly as data characterizing the numerous health and well-being impacts of Long COVID continue to emerge. Improved understanding of risk factors for lost work time may guide efforts to support people in returning to wor

Background Neurodevelopmental disorders have a strong male bias that is poorly understood. Placenta is a rich source of molecular information about environmental interactions with genetics (including biological sex), that affect the developing brain. We investigated placental-brain transcriptional responses in an established mouse model of prenatal exposure to a human-relevant mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Results To understand sex, tissue, and dosage effects in embryonic (E18) brain and placenta by RNAseq, we used weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to create correlated gene networks that could be compared across sex or tissue. WGCNA revealed that expression within most correlated gene networks was significantly and strongly associated with PCB exposures, but frequently in opposite directions between male-female and placenta-brain comparisons. In both WGCNA and differentially expressed gene analyses, male brain showed more PCB-induced transcriptional changes than male placenta, but the reverse pattern was seen in females. Furthermore, non-monotonic dose responses to PCBs were observed in most gene networks but were most prominent in male brain. The transcriptomic effects of low dose PCB exposure were significantly reversed by dietary folic acid supplementation across both sexes, but these effects were strongest in female placenta. PCB-dysregulated and folic acid-reversed gene networks were commonly enriched in functions in metabolic pathways involved in energy usage and translation, with female-specific protective effects enriched in PPAR, thermogenesis, glycerolipids, and O-glycan biosynthesis, as opposed to toxicant responses in male brain. Conclusions The female protective effect in prenatal PCB exposures appears to be mediated by dose-dependent sex differences in transcriptional modulation of metabolism in placenta. Graphical Abstract

Astrocytes respond and contribute to neuroinflammation by adopting inflammatory reactive states. Although recent efforts have characterized the gene expression signatures associated with these reactive states, the cell biology underlying inflammatory reactive astrocyte phenotypes remains under-explored. Here, we used CRISPR-based screening in human iPSC-derived astrocytes to identify mTOR activation a driver of cytokine-induced endolysosomal system remodeling, manifesting as alkalinization of endolysosomal compartments, decreased autophagic flux, and increased exocytosis of certain endolysosomal cargos. Through endolysosomal proteomics, we identified and focused on one such cargo-IL-32, a disease-associated pro-inflammatory cytokine not present in rodents, whose secretion mechanism is not well understood. We found that IL-32 was partially secreted in extracellular vesicles likely to be exosomes. Furthermore, we found that IL-32 was involved in the polarization of inflammatory reactive astrocyte states and was upregulated in astrocytes in multiple sclerosis lesions. We believe that our results advance our understanding of cell biological pathways underlying inflammatory reactive astrocyte phenotypes and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Kari Standal,1 Ole Andre Solbakken,2 Jorun Rugkåsa,3– 5 Margrethe Seeger Halvorsen,2 Allan Abbass,6 Christopher Wirsching,2 Ingrid Engeseth Brakstad,2 Kristin S Heiervang7,8 1District Psychiatric Center Nedre Romerike, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway; 2Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; 3Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway; 4Department of Mental Health, Oslo Metropolitan University Oslo, Norway; 5Centre for Care Research, University of Southeastern Norway, Porsgrunn, Norway; 6Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada; 7Research and Development Department, Division of Mental Health Services, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway; 8Centre of Medical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayCorrespondence: Kari Standal, District Psychiatric Center Nedre Romerike, Akershus University Hospital, Akershus universitetssykehus HF, DPS Nedre Romerike, Postboks 1000, Lørenskog, 1478, Norway, Tel +47 679 60 155, Email kari.standal@ahus.noBackground: Norwegian authorities have implemented treatment units devoted to medication-free mental health treatment nationwide to improve people’s freedom of choice. This article examines how medication-free treatment differs from treatment as usual across central dimensions.Methods: The design was mixed methods including questionnaire data on patients from a medication-free unit and two comparison units (n 59 + 124), as well as interviews with patients (n 5) and staff (n 8) in the medication-free unit.Results: Medication-free treatment involved less reliance on medications and more extensive psychosocial treatment that involved a culture of openness, expression of feelings, and focus on individual responsibility and intensive work. The overall extent of patient influence for medication-free treatment compared with standard treatment was not substantially different to standard treatment but varied on

IMPORTANCE: Chronic symptoms reported following an infection with SARS-CoV-2, such as cognitive problems, overlap with symptoms included in the definition of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of ME/CFS-like illness subsequent to acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, changes in ME/CFS symptoms through 12 months of follow-up, and the association of ME/CFS symptoms with SARS-CoV-2 test results at the acute infection-like index illness. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective, multisite, longitudinal cohort study (Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry [INSPIRE]) enrolled participants from December 11, 2020, to August 29, 2022. Participants were adults aged 18 to 64 years with acute symptoms suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection who received a US Food and Drug Administration-approved SARS-CoV-2 test at the time of illness and did not die or withdraw from the study by 3 months. Follow-up surveys were collected through February 28, 2023. EXPOSURE: COVID-19 status (positive vs negative) at enrollment. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: The main outcome was the weighted proportion of participants with ME/CFS-like illness based on the 2015 Institute of Medicine clinical case definition using self-reported symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 4378 participants were included in the study. Most were female (3226 [68.1%]). Mean (SD) age was 37.8 (11.8) years. The survey completion rates ranged from 38.7% (3613 of 4738 participants) to 76.3% (1835 of 4738) and decreased over time. The weighted proportion of participants identified with ME/CFS-like illness did not change significantly at 3 through 12 months of follow-up and was similar in the COVID-19-positive (range, 2.8%-3.7%) and COVID-19-negative (range, 3.1%-4.5%) groups. Adjusted analyses revealed no significant difference in the odds of ME/CFS-like illness at any time point between COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative individuals (marginal odds

Study design: A prospective cohort study. Objective: The aim was to investigate changes in lumbar lordosis (LL) and its association to changes in patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) after decompressive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Summary of background: Few studies have addressed change in LL after decompression surgery for LSS in relation to outcomes. Method: Pre- and postoperative data from 310 patients having standing x-ray both before and 2 years after surgery were included. The patients were grouped based on the change in LL preoperatively to 2 years after surgery; group 1: <5 degrees (n=196), group 2: ≥5 <10 degrees (n=55) or group 3: ≥10 degrees (n=59) of change in LL. The changes in function, disability and pain were assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the Zurich claudication questionnaire (ZCQ). The three groups were compared regarding baseline variables using the ANOVA test for continuous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables. The groups were further compared with a likelihood ratio test in relation to changes in PROMs 2 year after surgery and outcomes were adjusted for respective baseline PROMs, age, sex, smoking, BMI, Schizas and Pfirrmann scores. Results: LL was significantly changed at group level 2 years after surgery with a mean difference of 2.2 (SD 9.4) degrees (P=0.001). The three LL change groups did not show any significant differences in patient characteristics, function, disability, and pain at baseline. The two groups with a change of more than 5 degrees in LL 2 year after surgery (group 2 and 3) had significantly greater improvements in ODI (P=0.022) and ZCQ function (P=0.016) in the adjusted analyses, but was not significant for back and leg pain Conclusion: Changed LL after decompressive surgery for LSS was associated with improved ODI and physical function.

Introduction: Risk stratification scores such as the European Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) are used to guide individuals on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Adding high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) to such risk scores has the potential to improve accuracy of CVD prediction. We investigated how applying hsTnI in addition to SCORE may impact management, outcome, and cost-effectiveness. Methods: Characteristics of 72,190 apparently healthy individuals from the Biomarker for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Europe (BiomarCaRE) project were included into a discrete-event simulation comparing two strategies for assessing CVD risk. The standard strategy reflecting current practice employed SCORE (SCORE); the alternative strategy involved adding hsTnI information for further stratifying SCORE risk categories (S-SCORE). Individuals were followed over ten years from baseline examination to CVD event, death or end of follow-up. The model tracked the occurrence of events and calculated direct costs of screening, prevention, and treatment from a European health system perspective. Cost-effectiveness was expressed as incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in € per quality-adjusted life year (QALYs) gained during 10 years of follow-up. Outputs were validated against observed rates, and results were tested in deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Results: S-SCORE yielded a change in management for 10.0% of individuals, and a reduction in CVD events (4.85% vs. 5.38%, p<0.001) and mortality (6.80% vs. 7.04%, p<0.001). S-SCORE led to 23 (95%CI: 20–26) additional event-free years and 7 (95%CI: 5–9) additional QALYs per 1,000 subjects screened, and resulted in a relative risk reduction for CVD of 9.9% (95%CI: 7.3–13.5%) with a number needed to screen to prevent one event of 183 (95%CI: 172 to 203). S-SCORE increased costs per subject by 187€ (95%CI: 177 € to 196 €), leading to an ICER of 27,440€/QALY gained. Sensitivity analysis was p

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a challenging cancer with high mortality rates, limited predictability, and a lack of effective prognostic indicators. The relationship between small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and HCC is poorly understood. Based on the literature data, snoRNA studies were primarily focused on viral-related causes of HCC, such as Hepatitis B or C viruses (HBV or HCV). According to these studies, we selected four snoRNAs (snoRA12, snoRA47, snoRA80E, and snoRD126) for exploration in the context of non-viral-related causes, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), and alcohol steatohepatitis. The primary goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how snoRNA expression affects patient outcomes and whether it can serve as a prognostic tool for non-viral HCC. We conducted a study on tissue samples from 35 HCC patients who had undergone resection at Pilsen University Hospital. SnoRA12, snoRA47, snoRA80E, and snoRD126 were studied by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in tumor and non-tumor adjacent tissue (NTAT) samples. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the association of snoRNAs expression levels with patient outcomes: time to recurrence (TTR), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). In tumor tissues, snoRA12, snoRA47 and snoRA80E were upregulated, while snoRD-126 was downregulated compared to NTAT. Low expression of snoRA47 and snoRD126 in patients was associated with longer TTR and DFS. The individual expression of snoRA12 and snoRA80E did not show associations with TTR and DFS. However, a combination of medium expression of snoRD126 and snoRA80E was associated with longer TTR and DFS, while high and low expressions of the combined snoRA126 and snoRA80E showed no significant association with TTR, DFS, and OS. Conversely, a combination of high expression of snoRA12 and snoRD126 was associated with shorter TTR. In conclusion, the results indicate that snoRA47 and

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an opportunistic Gram-negative periodontopathogen strongly associated with periodontitis and infective endocarditis. Recent evidence suggests that periodontopathogens can influence the initiation and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Herein we aimed to investigate the effect of A. actinomycetemcomitans-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) on OSCC cell behavior compared with EVs from periodontopathogens known to associate with carcinogenesis. EVs were isolated from: A. actinomycetemcomitans and its mutant strains lacking the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Fusobacterium nucleatum; and Parvimonas micra. The effect of EVs on primary and metastatic OSCC cells was assessed using cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and tubulogenesis assays. A. actinomycetemcomitans-derived EVs reduced the metastatic cancer cell proliferation, invasion, tubulogenesis, and increased apoptosis, mostly in CDT- and LPS O-antigen-dependent manner. EVs from F. nucleatum impaired the metastatic cancer cell proliferation and induced the apoptosis rates in all OSCC cell lines. EVs enhanced cancer cell migration regardless of bacterial species. In sum, this is the first study demonstrating the influence of A. actinomycetemcomitans-derived EVs on oral cancer in comparison with other periodontopathogens. Our findings revealed a potential antitumorigenic effect of these EVs on metastatic OSCC cells, which warrants further in vivo investigations.

The study examines the performance of different organic phosphate and nitrogen fertilisation methods in organic farming.

The study examines the performance of different organic phosphate and nitrogen fertilisation methods in organic farming.

The study examines the performance of different organic phosphate and nitrogen fertilisation methods in organic farming.

The study examines the performance of different organic phosphate and nitrogen fertilisation methods in organic farming.