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The Great War was marked on the western front mainly by a war of position (for 40 out of the 51 months of the conflict) along the 750 km of the front area from Flanders to Alsace. The objective of this article is to understand the spatial organisation of defence networks in the eastern part of the Champagne region (Champagne sèche), the Vallage d’Aisne and in the Argonne region in 1918 by means of an analysis of geographical information system (GIS)-processed trench maps. This article presents a methodology, involving the transfer of fire trenches, communication trenches and vegetation, integrated into a geodatabase, and then cross-referenced with the digital terrain model (DTM). This comparison of three distinct regions with a chalky plateau (Champagne sèche), a wet plain (Vallage d’Aisne) and a sandy plateau covered with forests (Argonne), not only makes it possible to qualify the role of geographical conditions on the Great War but also to quantify the defence networks.

Proficient communication, particularly reading comprehension, is vital for career progression, yet many college-level English as an Additional Language (EAL) students encounter hurdles in this area. Weak reading skills can impede job prospects, underscoring the need for tailored interventions during students' studies. Therefore, post-entry language assessments (PELAs) can serve as essential tools for post-secondary institutions, aiding in identifying and supporting students struggling with English proficiency. PELAs adopt a diagnostic approach, facilitating language development while maintaining educational experiences. Despite increased interest in PELAs, few diagnostic assessments cater specifically to reading proficiency. This paper explores the creation of a PELA for first-year college students in Canada, designed to prepare them for diverse workplaces. Utilizing Evidence-Centered Design (ECD) ensures validity in assessment development, emphasizing inference-based reasoning from individuals' responses. Insights from a task survey with 12 professionals underscored the significance of understanding instructional texts for academic and professional success, informing the development of a diagnostic reading assessment beneficial to both multilingual and L1 literacy students.

In 2011, the UK medical research charity Cure Parkinsons set up the international Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) committee to help expedite the clinical testing of potentially disease modifying therapies for Parkinsons disease (PD). The first committee meeting was held at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012. This group of PD experts has subsequently met annually to assess and prioritize agents that may slow the progression of this neurodegenerative condition, using a systematic approach based on preclinical, epidemiological and, where possible, clinical data. Over the last 12 years, 171 unique agents have been evaluated by the iLCT committee, and there have been 21 completed clinical studies and 20 ongoing trials associated with the initiative. In this review, we briefly outline the iLCT process as well as the clinical development and outcomes of some of the top prioritized agents. We also discuss a few of the lessons that have been learnt, and we conclude with a perspective on what the next decade may bring, including the introduction of multi-arm, multi-stage clinical trial platforms and the possibility of combination therapies for PD.

The primary purpose of this study is to map the temporal impact of a transformational leadership development intervention on leaders' awareness in the two public universities. Deans and heads from the two universities were involved in a six-week-long intervention. To study the short-term impact, an evaluation was conducted three months after the initial intervention with leaders of University A, and one year later, the next evaluation was conducted with leaders from University B to study the long-term impact. Semi-structured interviews and a case study method were adopted for data collection, and content analysis was carried out to identify indicators of awareness levels in leadership behaviours. Compared to the immediate post-intervention evaluation results, awareness levels decreased, but the results were still sufficiently robust compared to the baseline awareness levels measured in a control group. Implications and recommendations for future research will be discussed.

Abstract Background The burgeoning field of regenerative medicine has significantly advanced with recent findings on biotherapies using human platelet lysates (HPLs), derived from clinical-grade platelet concentrates (PCs), for treating brain disorders. These developments have opened new translational research avenues to explore the neuroprotective effects of platelet-extracellular vesicles (PEVs). Their potential in managing neurodegenerative conditions like traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) warrants further exploration. We aimed here to characterize the composition of a PEV preparation isolated from platelet concentrate (PC) supernatant, and determine its neuroprotective potential and neurorestorative effects in cellular and animal models of TBI and PD. Methods We isolated PEVs from the supernatant of clinical-grade PC collected from healthy blood donors utilizing high-speed centrifugation. PEVs were characterized by biophysical, biochemical, microscopic, and LC–MS/MS proteomics methods to unveil biological functions. Their functionality was assessed in vitro using SH-SY5Y neuronal cells, LUHMES dopaminergic neurons, and BV-2 microglial cells, and in vivo by intranasal administration in a controlled cortical impact (CCI)-TBI model using 8-weeks-old male C57/BL6 mice, and in a PD model induced by MPTP in 5-month-old male C57/BL6 mice. Results PEVs varied in size from 50 to 350 nm, predominantly around 200 nm, with concentrations ranging between 1010 and 1011/mL. They expressed specific platelet membrane markers, exhibited a lipid bilayer by cryo-electron microscopy and, importantly, showed low expression of pro-coagulant phosphatidylserine. LC–MS/MS indicated a rich composition of trophic factors, including neurotrophins, anti-inflammatory agents, neurotransmitters, and antioxidants, unveiling their multifaceted biological functions. PEVs aided in the restoration of neuronal functions in SH-SY5Y cells and demonstrated remarkable neuroprotective capabilities against erastin-induced ferroptosis in dopaminergic neurons. In microglial cells, they promoted anti-inflammatory responses, particularly under inflammatory conditions. In vivo, intranasally delivered PEVs showed strong anti-inflammatory effects in a TBI mouse model and conserved tyrosine hydroxylase expression of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra in a PD model, leading to improved motor function. Conclusions The potential of PEV-based therapies in neuroprotection opens new therapeutic avenues for neurodegenerative disorders. The study advocates for clinical trials to establish the efficacy of PEV-based biotherapies in neuroregenerative medicine. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Distributed collaborative learning is a promising approach for building predictive models for privacy-sensitive biomedical images. Here, several data owners (clients) train a joint model without sharing their original data. However, concealed systematic biases can compromise model performance and fairness. This study presents MyThisYourThat (MyTH) approach, which adapts an interpretable prototypical part learning network to a distributed setting, enabling each client to visualize feature differences learned by others on their own image: comparing one client’s 'This’ with others’ 'That’. Our setting demonstrates four clients collaboratively training two diagnostic classifiers on a benchmark X-ray dataset. Without data bias, the global model reaches 74.14% balanced accuracy for cardiomegaly and 74.08% for pleural effusion. We show that with systematic visual bias in one client, the performance of global models drops to near-random. We demonstrate how differences between local and global prototypes reveal biases and allow their visualization on each client’s data without compromising privacy.

International Society of Urological Pathology grade group 1 (GG 1) prostate cancer (PCa) is generally considered insignificant, with recent suggestions that it should even be considered as “noncancerous”. We evaluated outcomes for patients with GG 1 PCa on biopsy (bGG 1) and high-risk features (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] >20 ng/ml and/or cT3–4 stage) to challenge the hypothesis that every case of bGG 1 PCa has a benign disease course. We used the multi-institutional EMPaCT database, which includes data for 9508 patients with high-risk PCa undergoing surgery. We included patients with bGG 1 PCa (n = 848) in our analysis and divided them into three groups according to PSA >20 ng/ml, cT3–4 stage, or both. The estimated 10-yr cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate was 96% in the overall population, 88% in the group with both PSA >20 ng/ml and cT3–4 stage, 97% in the group with PSA >20 ng/ml alone, and 98% in the group with cT3–4 stage alone. Similar CSS outcomes were found in subgroups with GG 1 PCa on pathology (n = 502) and with GG 1 on biopsy diagnosed after 2005 (n = 253). Study limitations include the lack of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) staging and MRI-targeted biopsies. In conclusion, patients with GG 1 and either PSA >20 ng/ml or cT3–4 stage have a low risk of dying from their cancer after surgery. However, patients with GG 1 PCa and both PSA >20 ng/ml and cT3–4 stage are at higher risk of cancer-specific mortality and active treatment should be discussed for this subgroup. Patient summary: We assessed outcomes for patients diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer on biopsy who also had one or two factors associated with high risk disease. Men with both of those risk factors had a higher risk of dying from their prostate cancer. Active treatment should be discussed for this subgroup of patients.

Clearing and construction activities related to the Maya Train (Tren Maya) project resulted in potential and inevitable impacts to archaeological caves sites in largely undeveloped areas of Quintana Roo. An effort coordinated by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) involved accelerated digital documentation of two caves – via SLAM-enabled mobile LiDAR scanning and targeted photogrammetry – to facilitate prompt visualization and evaluation of terrestrial and subterranean geospatial relationships. Mobile LiDAR is well suited to the challenges of capturing the complex, multilevel morphology of caves and was readily deployed across and through priority environments. Specific archaeological features – such as ancient Maya rock art and masonry shrines – were documented via photogrammetry, and the resulting higher-resolution models co-referenced with the georeferenced mobile LiDAR-generated point clouds of each cave and the surrounding topographic context. This integrative approach contributed to a more informed decision-making process, with respect to conservation and construction, and provided baseline data for future monitoring of the affected cave sites.