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The common house mosquito ( Culex pipiens ) is a native vector for West Nile virus (WNV). Invasive species like the tiger mosquito ( Aedes albopictus ) and Asian bush mosquito ( Aedes japonicus ) are rapidly spreading through Europe, posing a major threat as vectors for dengue, chikungunya (CHIKV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). These mosquitoes share a similar ecological niche as larvae, but the carry-over effects of aquatic larval interactions to the terrestrial adult stage remain largely unknown and their medical relevance requires further investigation. This study examines the context dependency of larval interactions among Aedes albopictus , Aedes japonicus , and Culex pipiens . The survival, development time, growth, and energetic storage were measured in different European populations within density-response (intraspecific) experiments and replacement (interspecific) experiments at 20 °C and 26 °C. Overall, Ae. japonicus was the weakest competitor, while competition between Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens varied with temperature. Adults emerging from this larval competition were infected as follows: Culex pipiens with WNV, Ae. albopictus with CHIKV, and Ae. japonicus with JEV. While no JEV infection was observed, mosquitoes experiencing interspecific interactions during their larval stages exhibited higher infection rates and viral RNA titers for CHIKV and WNV. This increased susceptibility to viral infection after larval competition suggests a higher risk of arbovirus transmission in co-occurring populations.

Objective: To establish a set of clinician and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and present the initial findings of a value-based healthcare (VBHC) program in patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)., Methods: Employing a four-phase approach, we identified the most crucial domains for patients with POI and translated these into PROMs. Prior to each visit, patients completed questionnaires to evaluate: depression (BDI-II), menopausal symptoms (GCS), work ability (WAS) and infertility (FertiQoL). During the visits, cardiovascular health assessments and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans to measure bone mineral density were performed. Data at intake is presented, and comparisons are drawn between women using and those not using hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) were evaluated by a questionnaire., Results: A total of 267 POI patients completed the PROM questionnaires, of whom 58.1 % were using HRT at intake. Over half of the patients (53.5 %), had a BDI-II score of 14 or higher, indicating mild to severe depression. The mean total GCS score was 20.9 (SD 11.3). The median work ability score was 7.5 (IQR 6.0-8.0) and the mean FertiQoL score 63.9 (SD 15.7). Additionally, 22.7 % of patients presented with hypertension, 6.2 % with hypercholesterolemia, and almost 50 % had low bone mass. Patients rated the VBHC program with a mean of 8.6 (SD 1.2)., Conclusions: These findings underscore the necessity of a multidisciplinary VBHC program incorporating standardized screening and psychological treatment. We advocate for the implementation of patient-centered outcomes for clinical practice, which have been found to be highly relevant by patients with POI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest G. Jiskoot received an unrestricted research grant from the Waterloo Foundation and she received consultancy fees from Ferring. Y.V. Louwers received an internal research grant from the Erasmus MC (The Synergy grant) and she received fees from Ferring and Merck for presentations. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a rare condition characterized by loss of ovarian function before the age of 40. POI seems associated with mood disorders and sexual dysfunction. However, there is a lack of high-quality evidence relating to the impact of POI on sexual function. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate sexual function in women with POI compared to women without the condition. The following online databases were systematically searched up to January 2023: EMBASE, Medline (Ovid), Web of Science, Cochrane, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar. Random effects models were used for analyses, with data reported as Hedges' g and 95 % confidence interval, and the risk of heterogeneity was evaluated. The protocol of this study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023437203). A total of 10 studies were included in the systematic review and 5 studies involving 352 women with POI were included in the meta-analysis. Eight of the ten studies concluded that women with POI have reduced sexual function. An overall medium Hedges' g effect size of -0.72 was found (ranging between -0.20 and -1.29) in favor of control women, with moderate heterogeneity (I 2  = 64 %). Stratified studies of women on systemic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) showed an even higher Hedges' g effect size, of -0.82 (95 % CI -1.18, -0.47). In conclusion, sexual function in women with POI is reduced compared with control women. Sexual function should be discussed with women with POI and they should be offered psychosexual counseling., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest G. Jiskoot received an unrestricted research grant from the Waterloo Foundation and she received consultancy fees from Ferring. Y.V. Louwers received an internal research grant from the Erasmus MC (The Synergy grant) and she received fees from Ferring and Merck for presentations. J.L. reports grants from Ansh Labs, Webster, Tx, USA, from Ferring, Hoofddorp, NL, from Dutch Heart Association, Utrecht, NL, from Zon MW, Amsterdam, NL, from Roche Diagnostics, Rothkreuz, Switzerland and personal fees from Ferring, Hoofddorp, NL, from Titus Healthcare, Hoofddorp, NL, from Gedeon Richter, Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium, and is an unpaid board member and president of the AE-PCOS Society, outside the submitted work. The author(s) declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) cultures are prone to genetic drift, because cells that have acquired specific genetic abnormalities experience a selective advantage in vitro. These abnormalities are highly recurrent in hPSC lines worldwide, but their functional consequences in differentiating cells are scarcely described. In this work, we show that the loss of chromosome 18q impairs neuroectoderm commitment and that downregulation of SALL3, a gene located in the common 18q loss region, is responsible for this failed neuroectodermal differentiation. Knockdown of SALL3 in control lines impaired differentiation in a manner similar to the loss of 18q, and transgenic overexpression of SALL3 in hESCs with 18q loss rescued the differentiation capacity of the cells. Finally, we show that loss of 18q and downregulation of SALL3 leads to changes in the expression of genes involved in pathways regulating pluripotency and differentiation, suggesting that these cells are in an altered state of pluripotency., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)