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Marked gender inequity in the invited speakers at the European College of Veterinary Surgeons annual scientific congress 2012–2022
The objective of this retrospective study was to explore gendered equity for invited speakers at the European College of Veterinary Surgery (ECVS) Annual Scientific Meeting between 2012–2022 when compared to speciality demographics for ECVS membership. Our sample populations included the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) Diplomate membership, and all invited speakers at their Annual Scientific Meetings between 2012–2022. Data was extracted from Meeting Programs including year, speaker name, session type, and frequency of invitation. Authors were assigned a binary gender using a web-based algorithm to determine gender by a first name. The number and gender of new Diplomates each year between 1993–2023 was obtained from the ECVS Office and used as a comparison group to assess proportional representation amongst invited speakers. We found that women comprised 27% (249/924) of ECVS Diplomates in 2012 and 33.82% (312/924) in 2022. In this decade, there were 913 invited lectures delivered at ECVS Annual Scientific Meetings, 21% (188/913) were delivered by women. Women were particularly under-represented for higher prestige lectures including State of the Art (0%), Pre-Congress wet labs (0%) and Pre-Congress expert-led sessions (15.8%, 15/95). In conclusion, the proportion of invited speakers that were women at ECVS Scientific Meetings between 2012–2022 was 21%, despite women comprising >25% of ECVS Diplomate membership since 2012. Higher prestige sessions were heavily biased towards speakers being men. We suggest proactive commitment is needed to achieve gender equity in speaker invitations across all session types at ECVS Annual Scientific Meetings.
Correction for Ma et al., Setdb1 ablation in macrophages attenuates fibrosis in heart allografts
Effect of repeated intratracheal instillation of incense smoke condensate in mice
Incense smoke condensate (ISC) can have harmful mutagenic and genotoxic effects. Epidemiological and experimental studies have reported the negative effects of incense use on humans. We investigated the toxicological effects of the incense smoke condensate ISC in a 2-week repeated intratracheal instillation model in mice. Twenty-five male mice were divided into four treatment groups and one control group (n = 5 per group). The treatment groups received daily intratracheal instillations of ISC at doses of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day, and the control group received a vehicle control for the duration of the study. Mortality and body weight were recorded during the study period. At the end of the study, all mice were sacrificed and terminal body weight, organ weight, gross findings, total and differential cell counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and histopathological findings were obtained. Lung inflammatory markers were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that ISC exposure led to dose-dependent increases in both absolute and relative left lung weights, as well as in the number of total cells, macrophages, and neutrophils in BALF. Furthermore, the ISC significantly elevated the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory markers such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and MMP-12 in the lung tissues in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological analysis revealed significant changes in the lungs, including epithelial hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, and macrophage aggregation. These findings indicate that ISC induces lung inflammation. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of ISC was determined to be less than 2.5 mg/kg/day in this mouse model.
A unified model of transient poration induced by antimicrobial peptides
Membrane active peptides (MAPs) represent a diverse group of agents that disrupt the integrity of lipid membranes. One class of MAPs, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), destroy bacteria by transiently porating the bacterial membrane causing leakage of cellular contents. Transient leakage is classified as “graded,” where all vesicles in a population leak partially, or “all-or-none,” where some vesicles leak completely. However, the molecular interactions underlying transient leakage have eluded experimental determination. Here, dye leakage experiments with the AMP piscidin 1 (P1) show that graded leakage can be converted to all-or-none by simply adding a defect-promoting lysophospholipid. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that area stress arising from membrane asymmetry decreases the energy of pore formation and is highly lipid dependent. Furthermore, lipids and peptides translocate the bilayer through these pores, leading to area-relaxed states where poration is highly unfavorable. Even pores too small to leak dye relieve area stress; they are the “none” component of all-or-none release. These observations lead to development of a quantitative model where graded and all-or-none leakage are treated as a continuum explained by a single mechanism that accounts for the local peptide concentration and probabilities of different pore sizes. This unified model accurately reproduces the P1 dye leakage data and provides an explanation for varying pore energy, size, and probability within the framework of asymmetry-driven poration. This model is expected to be applicable to other MAPs, including cell-penetrating peptides, and could provide a framework for designing peptides with greater cellular specificity, a long-sought outcome.
Unveiling hidden connections: How social networks impact diversion in hospital emergency departments: An exploratory social network analysis
Due to a lack of safeguards, controlled substances (CS) can be diverted (stolen) from healthcare facilities. While it is known that healthcare workers (HCWs) can use their social networks within the medication use process (MUP) to facilitate diversion, the specific connections between HCWs and the MUP tasks most vulnerable to diversion remain poorly understood. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to analyze social connections to identify influential relationships between HCWs and tasks susceptible to diversion.To map the social network structures of MUP tasks vulnerable to CS diversion in two Emergency Departments (EDs), identify influential tasks and HCWs, and report HCW perceptions of in-hospital diversion.This study used a mixed methods approach in the ED of two large hospitals in Toronto, Canada. Previously collected clinical observation data was used to identify tasks at risk of diversion, and cross-sectional surveys were conducted to assess HCW’s involvement in the identified vulnerable tasks. A two-mode SNA was conducted to identify connections between HCWs and tasks susceptible to drug diversion.SNA identified a circular structure across both sites, highlighting the network’s redundancy and capacity to efficiently disseminate information. Nurses were central to tasks with a higher risk of diversion. Physicians and Pharmacists had limited direct involvement in these tasks. Tasks with frequent interprofessional interactions, such as creating, following, or reviewing orders for non-admitted patients, are vulnerable to diversion due to HCWs acting on decisions made by other professionals without closely scrutinizing the details. No significant differences were observed between sites, suggesting a shared perception of diversion. The SNA results highlight the critical role of network structure in shaping vulnerability to diversion. The similarities across both sites suggest a systemic challenge across ED settings that require targeted interventions. By uncovering critical points of influence, we can better understand how diversion occurs and develop targeted interventions to prevent it.
Activation of WNK1 signaling through Piezo1
With No lysine (K) 1 (WNK1) is essential for ion and volume homeostasis, sensing osmotic stress and activating pathways that regulate ion transport. Its response to osmotic stress shares similarities with the function of the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1. In this study, we show that Yoda1, a Piezo1 agonist, activates WNK1 downstream kinase targets oxidative stress-responsive 1 (OSR1) and STE20/SPS1-related serine, proline-, and alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) in endothelial cells within minutes. Ionophore-induced Ca 2+ influx similarly triggers their activation. Comparable responses were observed in HDMEC, HUVEC, A549, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa cells. Hypotonic stress also enhances SPAK and OSR1 phosphorylation, which is attenuated by WNK1 inhibition or Piezo1 knockdown, whereas hypertonic stress-induced phosphorylation is not affected by Piezo1 knockdown. Chelating Ca 2+ or depleting intracellular stores prevents their activation, while increasing intracellular Ca 2+ via the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger or thapsigargin enhances it. ER-released Ca 2+ is sufficient to activate SPAK and OSR1 even in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+ , and this effect is diminished by Piezo1 knockdown. Both Yoda1 and ionomycin promote phosphorylation of WNK1 at serine 382, a modification that increases its catalytic activity. These findings identify Piezo1 as an activator of WNK1, linking Ca 2+ dynamics to WNK1-OSR1/SPAK signaling.
Development of a survey tool to assess emotional and social behavioral competencies of science technology engineering math and medicine (STEMM) graduate students
The underrepresentation of women and minority students in STEMM graduate programs remain a significant challenge, compounded by biases in traditional admissions processes and barriers to effective mentoring and retention. This study develops and validates the Quinn Miller Competency Assessment (QMCA), a tool designed to assess emotional and social intelligence (ESI) competencies crucial for STEMM graduate student success. The QMCA was created through an iterative process involving literature review, expert consultations, and empirical studies. It evaluates five key competencies: self-awareness, self-control, adaptability, achievement orientation, and teamwork. The tool’s validity and reliability were tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on diverse samples of STEMM graduate students and applicants. Results demonstrated strong construct validity and reliability and invariance across gender and race/ethnicity supporting the QMCA’s use in both admissions and student development contexts, in conjunction with other measures. By enabling a more holistic evaluation of applicants’ competencies through an assessment that fairly and consistently evaluates individuals across demographic groups, the QMCA aims to improve access and retention for underrepresented groups in STEMM fields, fostering a more inclusive and diverse scientific community. Future research will specifically explore how the QMCA can enhance holistic evaluation processes and contribute to student retention and success efforts. Additionally, we will test its applicability across broader disciplines.
Sociohydrodynamics: Data-driven modeling of social behavior
Living systems display complex behaviors driven by physical forces as well as decision-making. Hydrodynamic theories hold promise for simplified universal descriptions of socially generated collective behaviors. However, the construction of such theories is often divorced from the data they should describe. Here, we develop and apply a data-driven pipeline that links micromotives to macrobehavior by augmenting hydrodynamics with individual preferences that guide motion. We illustrate this pipeline on a case study of residential dynamics in the United States, for which census and sociological data are available. Guided by Census data, sociological surveys, and neural network analysis, we systematically assess standard hydrodynamic assumptions to construct a sociohydrodynamic model. Solving our minimal hydrodynamic model, calibrated using statistical inference, qualitatively captures key features of residential dynamics at the level of individual US counties. We highlight that a social memory, akin to hysteresis in magnets, emerges in the segregation–integration transition even with memory-less agents. While residential segregation is a multifactorial phenomenon, this physics analogy suggests a simple mechanistic explanation for the phenomenon of neighborhood tipping, whereby a small change in a neighborhood’s population leads to a rapid demographic shift. Beyond residential segregation, our work paves the way for systematic investigations of decision-guided motility in real space, from micro-organisms to humans, as well as fitness-mediated motion in more abstract spaces.
Exploring the association between secondhand smoke exposure and hearing loss among U.S. nonsmokers
Objective Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has been implicated as a risk factor for hearing loss. However, there is a relative paucity of inconsistent findings with limited frequency-specific details. The goal of this study is to better characterize the relationship between SHS exposure and hearing loss among adult nonsmokers in the U.S. Study design Cross-sectional. Setting 2015-2016 NHANES cycle. Patients 1644 nonsmokers between ages 20 and 69 and without diabetes, stroke, or heart disease. Intervention Serum cotinine level (ng/ml) indicated SHS exposure. Main outcome measures Outcomes were hearing thresholds at low-frequencies and high-frequencies as well as hearing loss defined by hearing threshold 20 dB in the better ear. Linear regressions between hearing thresholds and SHS exposure stratified by Body Mass Index (BMI) category and controlled for socio-demographic variables. Logistic regression modeling hearing loss by SHS exposure controlled for the same. Results SHS exposure was associated with elevated hearing thresholds at low-frequencies (β = 0.47, p = .03) only in the obese (BMI 30) population. SHS exposure was associated with greater odds of hearing loss (Odds Ratio: 1.17, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.06–1.29, p = .005) and demonstrated a dose-response relationship. Conclusion While SHS exposure was associated with hearing loss and showed a dose-response relationship, its relationship with hearing thresholds was not demonstrated across all hearing frequencies or BMI categories. Additional research is needed to establish the clinical significance of these findings and clarify the role of obesity in this relationship.
Reconfigurable photothermal doping filament for selective spin manipulation and addressing
The room temperature manipulation of solid-state spins provides an opportunity to develop quantum applications under ambient conditions. Local electromagnetic fields, that usually produced by current in micro/nanoscale metal wires, have been employed for the coherent driving and addressing of spin qubit. However, the fixed distribution limits the spatial selectivity and efficiency of qubit manipulation, which is of central importance in a scaled-up quantum system. Here, we report a solution by demonstrating a reconfigurable current with arbitrary shape to engineer microwave and DC magnetic field at microscale. A “photothermal doping” method was proposed to optically control local insulator-to-metal transition in vanadium dioxide. It generates a conducting filament with adjustable position, direction, and width. Universal manipulation and selective addressing of spins at arbitrary sites are realized, by freely changing the filament and electromagnetic field on demand. Our work paves the way for developing quantum devices with large-scale spin qubits.
Neuronal differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells induced by co-treatment of ergothioneine
Objective Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are promising adult stem cells that present multilineage differentiation ability. Interestingly, ergothioneine (ERGO) has the potential to uptake into the organic cation transporter N1 (OCTN1) to promote neuronal differentiation. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the effect of co-treatment of ergothioneine on the neuronal differentiation of hDPSCs. Methods The hDPSCs were established from the impacted third molars. Subsequently, the hDPSCs investigated the cell viability with ergothioneine at concentrations of 0–500 µM for 30 hours. The non-cytotoxic concentration of ergothioneine was synergistically induced with the neuronal induction medium. The characteristics of differentiated cells were verified as neuronal cells (d-hDPSCs) by identification of the Nissl substance. The optimal concentration of ergothioneine, which triggered the highest neuronal differentiation of hDPSCs, was further confirmed by neuronal phenotypes via immunofluorescent staining, gene expression, and the ability of neurotransmitter release by intracellular calcium oscillation. Results The isolated cells from human dental pulp tissue were characterized as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), verified as hDPSCs. The cellular toxicity of ergothioneine was not observed up to 500 µM for 30 hours. The d-hDPSCs presented a neuronal-like shape and positively expressed the Nissl substance. Interestingly, the highest number of neuronal-like cells was detected at 500 µM of ergothioneine. These neuronal-like cells exhibited the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) expression and dynamic change of intracellular Ca2+, suggesting potential functional neuronal characteristics. Furthermore, co-treatment of ergothioneine at 500 µM triggered neurogenic maturation by decreasing Nestin and NES expression and increasing Beta-III tubulin, TUBB3, and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) expression, respectively. Conclusion Co-treatment of ergothioneine at 500 µM can enhance neuronal differentiation, which has the potential to promote neurogenic maturation. Therefore, these findings suggest the alternative of using hDPSCs and the potential of ergothioneine co-treatment as stem cell-based therapy for further transplantation to cure various neurological diseases.
A genome-scale drug discovery pipeline uncovers therapeutic targets and a unique p97 allosteric binding site in <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i>
Schistosomes are parasitic flatworms that infect more than 200 million people globally. However, there is a shortage of molecular tools that enable the discovery of potential drug targets within schistosomes. Thus, praziquantel has remained the frontline treatment for schistosomiasis despite known liabilities. Here, we have conducted a genome-wide study in Schistosoma mansoni using the human druggable genome as a bioinformatic template to identify essential genes within schistosomes bearing similarity to catalogued drug targets. Then, we assessed these candidate targets in silico using a set of unbiased criteria to determine which possess ideal characteristics for a ready-made drug discovery campaign. Following this prioritization, we pursued a parasite p97 ortholog as a bona-fide drug target for the development of therapeutics to treat schistosomiasis. From this effort, we identified a covalent inhibitor series that kills schistosomes through an on-target killing mechanism by disrupting the ubiquitin proteasome system. Fascinatingly, these inhibitors induce a conformational change in the conserved D2 domain P-loop of schistosome p97 upon modification of Cys519. This conformational change reveals an allosteric binding site adjacent to the D2 domain active site reminiscent of the “DFG” flip in protein kinases. This allosteric binding site can potentially be utilized to generate new classes of species-selective p97 inhibitors. Furthermore, these studies provide a resource for the development of alternative therapeutics for schistosomiasis and a workflow to identify potential drug targets in similar systems with few available molecular tools.
Stroke care in the United Kingdom before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns: A retrospective nationwide cohort study
Background and aim The COVID-19 pandemic imposed significant pressures on healthcare services such as stroke care. This study aimed to assess the quality of stroke care and, outcome before, during and post lockdown. Methods Nationwide registry-based cohort study of patients with acute stroke admitted to hospitals in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland were analyzed. This included 114 hospitals for study cohorts of 261,451 in the pre-pandemic control period (01/04/2017–25/03/2020). The exposures studied include 16,843 during the first lockdown (26/03/2020–23/06/2020), 48,004 during the second lockdown (05/11/2020-17/05/2021), and 82,732 post-lockdowns (18/07/2021–30/06/2022). Logistic regression was used to compare odds of receiving aspects of acute stroke care across pandemic periods compared to the pre-pandemic period. Survival after stroke was assessed using restricted mean survival time (RMST) analysis, with models adjusted for age, sex, and stroke severity. Results Admission to a stroke unit within 4-hours increased by 8% during the first lockdown but fell by 7% in the second lockdown and remained lower post-pandemic. During the first lockdown, brain imaging within 1-hour increased by 3%, but was not maintained thereafter. Stroke multidisciplinary access increased during the first lockdown but decreased in subsequent periods. Access to thrombectomy sequentially increased across time periods; by 40% during first lockdown (adjusted Odd-Ratio: 1.4; 95% CI:1.24–1.58), second lockdown (aOR: 1.77; 1.66–1.92), and 2-folds post-lockdown (aOR: 2.03; 1.92–2.15). Thrombolysis rates fell during the pandemic and did not recover post-pandemic. Although proportion of patients discharged with good recovery did not alter, 7-day mortality increased by 10% (hazard ratio: 1.10, 1.04-1.18) in the first lockdown period but improved thereafter. Conclusion This nationwide population data showed unprecedented levels of pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic which have had an enduring effect on the quality of hospital stroke care and patient outcomes. Stroke care has not fully recovered post-pandemic period suggesting limited resilience.
A theoretical framework for scaling ecological niches from individuals to species
The niche is a key concept that unifies ecology and evolutionary biology. However, empirical and theoretical treatments of the niche are mostly performed at the species level, neglecting individuals as important units of ecological and evolutionary processes. So far, a formal mathematical link between individual-level niches and higher organismal-level niches has been lacking, hampering the unification of ecological theories and more accurate forecasts of biodiversity change. To fill in this gap, we propose a bottom–up approach to derive population and higher organismal-level niches from individual niches. We demonstrate the power of our framework by showing that 1) the statistical properties of higher organismal-level niches (e.g., niche breadth, skewness, etc.) can be partitioned into individual contributions and 2) the species-level niche shifts can be estimated by tracing the responses of individuals. By using individual-level GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking data from three different species, we show that climate change could have contrasting consequences on population-level niche shift depending on individual niche compositions. Our method paves the way for a unifying niche theory and enables mechanistic assessments of organism–environment relationships across organismal scales.
Unveiling a novel S-Box strategy: The dynamic 3D scrambling approach
A close study about the varied anatomies of the S-Box algorithms published in the literature indicates that no attempt has been made using the notion of 3D. To cement the more cryptographic security, this research article ventures to present a novel S-Box algorithm exploiting the notion of 3D. First of all, the algorithm initializes a 3D scrambled S-Box with the value of -1. After that, a 1D array is initialized with all the numbers of the potential S-Box. Now, the values placed in the 1D array are inserted randomly to the different cells of the 3D scrambled S-Box until all the numbers from the 1D array are not shifted. The way, the S-Box has been developed bears an ample promise to raise the inherent non-linearity of the required S-Box which, in turn, equips the S-Box to defy the potential cryptanalytic threats from the hackers and other adversaries. Lorenz chaotic system has been employed to produce streams of random numbers. Through rigorous analysis and experimentation, we demonstrate the efficacy of our approach in enhancing cryptographic security, offering robust protection against various cyber threats. Our research contributes to the advancement of S-Box design methodologies, providing a promising avenue for strengthening encryption algorithms in contemporary cryptographic systems. Potential real-world applications include secure communications in IoT devices, encryption in smart grid infrastructures, and data protection in medical imaging systems.
Patient stratification reveals the molecular basis of disease co-occurrences
Epidemiological evidence shows that some diseases tend to co-occur; more exactly, certain groups of patients with a given disease are at a higher risk of developing a specific secondary condition. Here, we develop an approach to generate a disease network that uses the accumulating RNA-seq data on human diseases to significantly match an unprecedented proportion of known comorbidities, providing plausible biological models for such co-occurrences and effectively mirroring the underlying structure of complex disease relationships. Furthermore, 64% of the known disease pairs can be explained by analyzing groups of patients with similar expression profiles, highlighting the importance of patient stratification in the study of comorbidities. These results solidly support the existence of molecular mechanisms behind many of the known comorbidities, with most captured co-occurrences implicating the immune system. Additionally, we identified new and potentially underdiagnosed comorbidities, providing molecular insights that could inform targeted therapeutic strategies. We provide a functional and comprehensive resource to explore diseases, disease co-occurrences, and their underlying molecular processes at different resolution levels at http://disease-perception.bsc.es/rgenexcom/ .
The influence of kinematic viscosity of oils on the energy consumption of a gear pump used for pumping oil in machines and vehicles
The general theory of oil pumping using gear pumps shows that as kinematic viscosity increases, so does the energy requirement to drive the pump shaft. However, modern oils used in machines and vehicles are characterized by a wide range of modifiers that alter their physical and chemical properties. This article presents a study on the energy demand for driving a gear pump while pumping commercial oils used in machines and vehicles (16 types), such as those for combustion engines in single-drive and hybrid vehicles, gearboxes, hydraulic systems, shock absorbers, chainsaw lubrication, and two-stroke engine fuel mixtures. For the tested oils, kinematic viscosity was determined at 25°C and 50°C, and the mechanical power required to pump them at an ambient temperature of approximately 25°C was measured. Based on the measured power and rotational speed, the energy demand for driving the gear pump was calculated. The main analysis was conducted under recommended operating conditions, where the pump operates most efficiently—namely, at a rotational speed of 2000 rpm and a pressure of 20 MPa. It was shown that within the tested group, kinematic viscosity is not the primary factor determining the energy intensity of the oil pumping process. However, this relationship becomes more evident when oils are grouped by application. The energy consumption during pumping of oils with kinematic viscosity at 25°C ranging from 21 to 784.5 mm2/s varies from 606 to 734 Wh. The difference due to the type of oil is approximately 21%. The lowest energy consumption was observed for the HL 46 hydraulic oil, which, although not having the lowest kinematic viscosity, was specifically designed by the manufacturer for use with gear pumps—indicating that pump designs are tailored to the specific type of oil being pumped.
ARRDC4-mediated glycolysis enhances innate immunity to influenza A virus through fructose-1,6-bisphosphate
Glucose metabolism impacts the innate immune response against viral infection. However, the key enzymes or the natural products and mechanisms involved are not well elucidated. Here, we found that arrestin domain containing 4 (ARRDC4), a critical regulator of glucose metabolism, senses influenza A virus (IAV) infection by interacting with viral PA protein. Upregulated ARRDC4 increases the enzymatic activity of phosphofructokinase, muscle type (PFKM) via binding its His298 site to promote the production of the metabolite fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP). Consequently, FBP inhibits the K48-linked ubiquitination degradation of HSP90β, subsequently enhances its interaction with IKKβ and IKKε, and enhances NF-κB- and IRF7-mediated antiviral innate immunity, respectively. Importantly, FBP supplementation enhanced IFN-β-mediated antiviral innate immunity in vitro and in vivo. Our findings highlight a unique immunometabolic regulatory mechanism in which ARRDC4 senses IAV infection and regulates antiviral innate immunity through the PFKM-FBP metabolic axis and provide a strategy for manipulating FBP-related metabolism to treat viral infection.
Investigating factors influencing fatalities and injuries in animal-vehicle crashes using a random parameters logit model and ensemble machine learning approaches
Animal-vehicle crashes (AVC) pose risks in rural areas, often leading to casualties and injuries. Despite their infrequent occurrence, AVC can have significant consequences, especially when larger animals are involved. This study investigates factors contributing to fatalities and injuries resulting from animal-involved collisions. It examines 24 variables using 1403 animal-vehicle crash observations on intercity and major intra-city roads from 2016–2021. The study employs a random parameters logit model (RPLM) and ensemble machine learning approaches to explore the contributory factors in crashes. The RPLM accounts for unobserved heterogeneity, identifying significant variables. Meanwhile, the ensemble learner and Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) provide further insights. Key findings show that expressways, roads with one or two lanes per direction, horizontal curvature, and structurally poor pavement surfaces increase the risk of severe crashes, i.e., fatalities and injuries. Side fence barriers and speed bumps also impact crash severity. The absence of side fencing and damaged fencing both positively influence severe crashes, while the presence of speed bumps is likely to increase severe crashes. Camel exposure, vacation-period crashes, and adverse weather also play positive roles. However, heavy truck involvement is negatively associated with severe crashes. Policymakers and road safety authorities can use these findings to implement effective countermeasures to prevent such collisions.