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Nurses’ attitudes about RSV vaccination for pregnant women and infants: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for pregnant women and infants became available in 2023 in the United States. However, the uptake of these vaccines has been low. Nurses play an important role in provider-patient vaccine communication. We conducted a survey on nurses’ attitudes about whether pregnant women and infants should receive an RSV vaccination. We distributed a survey to nurses in South Dakota, United States in May 2024. We used multivariate ordered logistic regression to determine the factors influencing nurses’ attitudes toward RSV vaccination. We received 1,908 responses; 44% of participants agreed that pregnant women should receive an RSV vaccination, and 72% agreed that infants should do so. The agreement was associated with personal vaccination status, age, education, and partisan self-identification. Among nurses 60 years and older, the agreement was associated with personal RSV vaccination uptake. Participants were more supportive of infants receiving RSV vaccine than pregnant women. The nurses who attained lower education status, did not receive COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, and identified as Republican or independent were less likely to think that pregnant women and infants should receive RSV vaccination. Strengthening provider knowledge about RSV vaccines for pregnant women and infants can help increase RSV vaccine uptake.

An exploration of basic human values in 38 million obituaries over 30 years

How societies remember the dead can reveal what people value in life. We analyzed 38 million obituaries from the United States to examine how personal values are encoded in individual and collective legacies. Using Schwartz’s theory of basic human values, we found that tradition and benevolence dominated legacy reflections, while values like power and stimulation appeared less frequently. Major cultural events—the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic—were systematically linked to changes in legacy reflections about personal values, with security declining after 9/11, achievement declining after the financial crisis, and benevolence declining for years after COVID-19 began and, to date, not yet returning to baseline. Gender and age of the deceased were also linked to differences in legacy: Men were remembered more for achievement , power , and conformity , while women were remembered more for benevolence and hedonism . Older people were remembered more for tradition and conformity than younger people. These patterns shifted dynamically across the lifespan, with obituaries for men showing more age-related variation than legacies for women. Our findings reveal how obituaries serve as psychological and cultural time capsules, preserving not just individual legacies, but also indicating what US society values collectively regarding a life well lived.

Disease-specific N-glycopeptides in serum of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract The incidence of oropharyngeal cancers is increasing due to human papilloma virus (HPV); however, this phenomenon does not explain the rising incidence of oral cancers, for which the reason remains unknown. These cancers are typically diagnosed at an advanced stage, which adversely affects the prognosis. Improved methods for early detection, such as blood-based biomarkers, could significantly improve patient outcomes. We investigated quantitative and qualitative differences in serum protein N-glycosylation between patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and healthy controls using label-free mass spectrometry-based proteomics and N-glycopeptidomics. Twenty-five N-glycopeptides from seven different proteins were identified, all glycoforms associated with abundant serum proteins. While protein expression differences between OSCC and controls were modest (≤ 2-fold), certain glycoforms showed pronounced changes, with fold differences ranging from 7 to 33, highlighting their role as potential biomarkers. Importantly, the glycosylation patterns observed in OSCC were distinct from those previously reported in oropharyngeal cancer, suggesting a level of disease specificity. These observations support the future potential of N-glycosylation changes to serve as cancer-specific biomarkers.

Retraction: Indigenous knowledge and quantitative ethnobotany of the Tanawal area, Lesser Western Himalayas, Pakistan

Mass support for conserving 30% of the Earth by 2030: Experimental evidence from five continents

Rapid global expansion of protected areas is critical for safeguarding biodiversity but depends on political action for successful implementation. Following widespread ratification of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an unprecedented increase in area-based conservation is required to reach its target of conserving 30% of land, waters, and seas by 2030. These expansions prompt difficult trade-offs between conservation, social, and economic interests. A key factor in securing legitimacy and practical feasibility for expansion regimes is understanding what factors determine public support for them. Using survey and experimental data, we show that in eight countries across five continents, public opinion is 1) strongly in favor of the “30-by-30”-target and 2) highly consistent regarding policy priorities for the design of international- and domestic-level expansion regimes. We find that for international-level policy regimes, support increases with protection responsibilities equally split between countries, rich countries bearing higher costs, more countries actively cooperating, and placement trade not allowed. For domestic-level policy regimes, support generally increases when nature values are prioritized over social or economic values and, in many countries, decreases when costs are borne by a general tax increase, parks are managed by private companies, and when access to parks is restricted. Together, these results demonstrate how protected area expansion policies can be shaped to facilitate reaching 30% protected areas by 2030.

Correction: Disease severity and demographic factors in relation to subjective well being among syrian psoriasis patients

Transcriptomic changes associated with infection of Nicotiana benthamiana plants with tomato ringspot virus (genus Nepovirus) during the acute symptomatic stage and after symptom recovery

We have characterized the transcriptome of Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV), a nepovirus. We analyzed two different stages of infection: the acute systemic symptomatic stage and the symptom recovery stage in which young leaves emerge without visible symptoms. In agreement with previous observations, we note a similar concentration of viral RNAs in symptomatic and recovered leaves. Extensive reprogramming of the plant transcriptome was observed in symptomatic leaves, including upregulation of genes characteristic of biotic stress responses and downregulation of genes associated with the function and translation of chloroplasts. The majority of plant genes that were differentially regulated during the symptomatic stage returned to their basal levels after recovery. Thus, the extent of changes in the plant transcriptome was correlated with symptom intensity. However, we also identified genes that remained upregulated after the symptomatic stage or that were specifically induced at the symptom recovery stage. The list of genes that were upregulated at the symptom recovery stage was diverse and included several types of cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides, notably two defensin-like genes that were specifically upregulated in recovered leaves, as confirmed by droplet-digital PCR. Several plant miRNAs were also differentially expressed in ToRSV-infected plants. Notably, miR391 was upregulated at both stages of infection, whereas miR530 and miR1919 were specifically upregulated during the symptomatic stage of infection. Several predicted miRNA targets were differentially regulated in our dataset, including new targets as well as previously validated targets (e.g., zinc finger A20/AN1 domain-containing stress-associated protein 1, a known target of miR530). Many of the miRNA predicted targets were related to plant defense responses and may contribute to symptom induction and/or symptom recovery.

Thermodynamics of calcium binding to heparin: Implications of solvation and water structuring for polysaccharide biofunctions

Heparan sulfates are found in all animal tissues and have essential roles in living systems. This family of biomacromolecules modulates binding to calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) in low free energy reactions that influence biochemical processes from cell signaling and anticoagulant efficacy to biomineralization. Despite their ubiquity, the thermodynamic basis for how heparans and similarly functionalized biomolecules regulate Ca 2+ interactions is not yet established. Using heparosan (Control) and heparins with different positions of sulfate groups, we quantify how SO 3 − and COO − content and SO 3 − position modulate Ca 2+ binding by isothermal titration calorimetry. The free energy of all heparin-Ca 2+ interactions (Δ G rxn ) is dominated by entropic contributions due to favorable water release from polar, hydrophilic groups. Heparin with both sulfate esters ( O -SO 3 − ) and sulfamides ( N -SO 3 − ) has the strongest binding to Ca 2+ compared to heparosan and to heparin with only O -SO 3 − groups (~3X). By linking Ca 2+ binding thermodynamics to measurements of the interfacial energy for calcite (CaCO 3 ) crystallization onto polysaccharides, we show molecule-specific differences in nucleation rate can be explained by differences in water structuring during Ca 2+ interactions. A large entropic term (- T Δ S rxn ) upon Ca 2+ –polysaccharide binding correlates with high interfacial energy to CaCO 3 nucleation. Combining our measurements with literature values indicates many Ca 2+ –polysaccharide interactions have a shared thermodynamic signature. The resulting enthalpy–entropy compensation relationship suggests these interactions are generally dominated by water restructuring involving few conformational changes, distinct from Ca 2+ –protein binding. Our findings quantify the thermodynamic origins of heparin-specific interactions with Ca 2+ and demonstrate the contributions of solvation and functional group position during biomacromolecule-mediated ion regulation.

Stability analysis and optimization of open pit mine slopes based on the improved Sarma method with nonhomogeneous hydraulic boundary conditions

Missense variant analysis in the TRPV1 ARD reveals the unexpected functional significance of a methionine

The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid sub-type 1 (TRPV1) is an ion channel that is activated by heat, extracellular protons, oxidation, and it is implicated in various aspects of inflammatory pain. In this study, we uncover that residue M308 in the TRPV1 ankyrin repeat domain (ARD) stands out from most other buried ARD residues because of the greater number of human missense variants at this position while maintaining a high degree of conservation across species and TRPV channel subtypes. We use mutagenesis and electrophysiology to examine this apparent discrepancy and show that substitutions at position M308 that preserve or reduce side-chain volume have no effect on channel function, whereas substitutions with larger or more polar residues increase channel activity in response to capsaicin or temperature. Substitution of M308 with a histidine bestows channels with pH-dependence that is different from wild type, consistent with the side-chain at position 308 exerting an influence on channel gating. We speculate that M308 is highly conserved because its side-chain could serve as a target for oxidation-dependent modification. On the other hand, we show that a previously described splice variant of TRPV1 that relies on M308 as a start codon diminishes surface expression of co-transfected full-length TRPV1 in HEK293 cells. Together, our findings reveal a functionally important conserved site within the ARD of TRPV1 that could have roles in oxidation-dependent channel regulation as well as tuning the number of active channels in the membrane by enabling expression of a shorter dominant-negative splice variant.

Structure of the <i>Thomasclavelia ramosa</i> immunoglobulin A protease reveals a modular and minimizable architecture distinct from other immunoglobulin A proteases

Immunoglobulin A proteases (IgAPs) are a diverse group of enzymes secreted from bacteria that inhabit human mucosal tissues. These enzymes have convergently evolved to cleave human immunoglobulin A as a means of modulating and evading host immunity. Only two of three known IgAP families have been biochemically characterized beyond their initial discovery. Here, we show using solution-scattering, steady-state kinetic, and crystallographic approaches that the protease from Thomasclavelia ramosa , representing the uncharacterized third family, has a truly modular and minimizable protein architecture. This analysis also revealed a unique metal-associated domain that likely functions as a molecular spacer and generated a working hypothesis detailing the structural mechanism behind the enzyme’s high substrate specificity. Our work provides an in-depth biochemical account of this IgAP family, paving the way for advancing clinically relevant IgAP-related research and our understanding of IgAPs as a whole.

The ecosystem traits index is proposed as a composite index of ecosystem robustness for use in marine resource management

Abstract Ecosystem structure and function are seldom represented in ecological indicators used for resource management and conservation, despite their central position in stated objectives of international agreements and national policy on maintaining and conserving global ecosystems. Network theory provides capacity to change this situation. Inspired by the use of composite indicators in emergency warning, planning systems and in network analyses in many other applications, we show that a small suite of network-based indicators can provide a practical basis for measuring ecosystem structure in fisheries management. We suggest an Ecosystem Traits Index (ETI) that provides a rating of the combined ecosystem state and structural integrity. This index combines information captured by: the Hub index, which identifies species critical to system function; Gao’s resilience score, which provides a measure of system resilience due to the density of connections and flow patterns in the ecosystem’s food web; and the “Green Band” index (which measures pressure on ecosystem structure due to the mortality from human activities such as harvesting). Applying these indices to marine ecosystems of very different types showed that the combination of indicators is informative in each case and that each ecosystem’s unique state results from fishing pressure, environmental change, and inherent ecosystem structural robustness. Simulation-based tests demonstrated the indicators rapidly respond to, and consistently reflect, ecosystem state changes across marine ecosystem types, though they cannot distinguish the effects of individual stressors such as fishing mortality, habitat modification, climate or other environmental changes. We have focused on fisheries because fishery indicators should, in principle, have utility across any form of marine ecosystem pressure.

Ex-vivo Raman spectroscopy and AI-based classification of soft tissue sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a diverse and rare group of malignant tumors arising from the connective tissues of the body, including fibrous tissue, muscles, fat, nerves, and blood vessels. The heterogeneity and infrequency of these tumors pose significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment. Surgical resection remains the primary treatment strategy, often complemented by radiation or chemotherapy, contingent upon the tumor’s size, location, and stage. However, current methods for assessing intraoperative margins are limited, underscoring the need for improved approaches that enhance both efficiency and accuracy. This study investigates the potential of microscopic Raman spectroscopy for distinguishing between different subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas, benign tumors, and normal tissue. Ex-vivo Raman measurements were conducted using a 633 nm excitation wavelength on samples obtained from surgical resections of seven patients (286,672 spectra). After pre-processing of the data, a custom ResNet architecture was developed to accurately classify the different tissue types, achieving an overall weighted accuracy of 97.1% and a clinical alert rate of 1.46%, a critical metric for quantifying the misclassification of malignant tissues. These findings suggest that single Raman spectra could serve as a rapid, non-invasive tool for surgical guidance, aiding in the precise identification of abnormal tissue types and margins.

Unveiling street art: A multimodal and multitechnique approach for analyzing and mapping painting materials on large murals

Street art murals are increasingly recognized as valuable contemporary artworks, often attaining significant artistic, historical, and social importance. As these murals become integral parts of cultural heritage, finding efficient strategies for their conservation is crucial. However, their typical large surface areas, heterogeneous materials, and high variability in exposure to environmental and pollution factors pose significant challenges in establishing appropriate analytical strategies to obtain the necessary information. This study proposes a multiscale and multitechnique noninvasive approach to investigate and monitor street art murals in situ. By combining portable point techniques—such as external reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, visible, near infrared, and short-wave infrared reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy—with visible and near infrared hyperspectral imaging, the mural’s composition across a square meter surface could be analyzed. Additionally, multispectral imaging mounted on a drone provided a global reconstruction and characterization of the overall mural. This method was complemented by microdestructive laboratory analyses of selected samples, using pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry, to further investigate selected samples and support noninvasive results. The approach was applied to the iconic mural “Musica Popolare” (2017) by Orticanoodles in Milan, Italy, revealing detailed information about its pigments, binders, fillers, and degradation. The findings demonstrate the potential of this integrated methodology for the effective material identification, conservation assessment, and short-and long-term monitoring of urban heritage.

Automated analysis of emotional expressions in dogs based on geometric morphometrics

Abstract Automated analysis of facial expressions is a vibrant field in human affective computing, while research in nonhuman animals is still in its early stages. Compared to labour-intensive manual coding, automation can provide a more reliable and objective alternative, eliminating subjectivity and bias. However, using automated approaches of facial analysis in nonhuman animals “in the wild”, i.e. outside of controlled laboratory conditions, is a challenge given the nature of noisy datasets. Here we present the first study using a fully automated analysis of facial landmarks associated with different emotional states in a morphologically diverse sample of pet dogs. We applied a novel AI-pipeline to study fear expressions of dogs in their home environment, analysing owner-provided video recordings during a real-life firework situation on New Year’s Eve in comparison to a control evening without fireworks. Using a static geometric morphometrics-inspired analysis, the pipeline allows for quantifying dog facial expressions in an extremely noisy and diverse “in the wild” dataset, encompassing various breeds, angles and environments. We used an automated facial landmark system of 36 dog facial landmarks based on the Dog Facial Action Coding System. Due to the great variety in morphology of the included dogs, landmarks denoting the ear pinnae were excluded. Nonetheless, landmarks relating to the base of the ears differentiated most strongly between the conditions, suggesting backwards-drawn ears as the best indicator of the firework condition, which is in agreement with manually coded data. Additionally, the firework condition was associated with more mouth-opening, possibly reflecting panting in a subset of dogs. We conclude that automated analysis of dog facial expressions, based on the previously validated landmark system, is feasible in a diverse sample of pet dogs, paving the way towards automated emotion detection.

Research on influencer marketing strategies based on double-layer network game theory

The breakthroughs in communication technologies, such as 5G, have significantly accelerated the popularity of high-traffic consumption entertainment activities, including short video live streaming and real-time broadcasting, making them one of the most prevalent social interaction methods today. It is the high activity level of such online engagements that has given rise to diversified online marketing business models, opening up new channels and opportunities for interactions between brands and consumers. This study focuses on the emerging “influencer marketing” strategy rooted in content marketing, employing double-layer network game theory to construct a dual-layer relationship network between “brands” and “influencers” and establish a game-theoretic mechanism between them. During the construction of the influencer network, a novel concept—tunable clustering of influencers’ followers—is specifically introduced, followed by an analysis of how micro-level decision-making factors (from brands and influencers) and network structures influence the evolutionary mechanisms of macro-level cooperative emergence. This study focuses on the emerging “influencer marketing” strategy rooted in content marketing, employing double-layer network game theory to construct a dual-layer relationship network between “brands” and “influencers”, establishing a game-theoretic mechanism between them and analyzing how micro-level decision-making factors (from brands and influencers) influence the evolutionary mechanisms of macro-level cooperative emergence. Specifically, during the construction of the influencer network, the network structural metric—tunable clustering—is integrated with the practical scenario of uneven follower distribution among influencers, thereby investigating the impact of influencer network clustering intensity on the system’s evolutionary dynamics. The research findings reveal that:(1) Influencer marketing represents a win-win cooperative model. (2) Brands’ decision-making outcomes are significantly affected by profit margins, additional costs, and commission rates. (3) Creative incentives and tunable clustering predominantly shape influencers’ decision-making behaviors. (4) Product lifecycles and platform extraction rate impact decisions of both parties, with brands exhibiting higher sensitivity to environmental changes. Followers’ trust levels in influencers have minimal influence on either party’s decisions. Finally, applying reasonable values derived from parameter experiments to the influencer marketing model in the cosmetics industry demonstrates that this approach effectively enhances mutual benefits and stabilizes the overall business environment.

Flavin-deficient erythrocytes offer protection against malaria parasites

Studies from the 1980s and 1990s conducted in Italy, where malaria was once endemic, hypothesized that individuals with erythrocytes deficient in flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)—collectively known as flavins—are partially protected against malaria. The condition was reported to be familial, consistent with a genetic element. This hypothesis, however, has never been tested. Using an erythrocyte FAD-dependent glutathione reductase activity assay, we identified individuals with flavin-deficient erythrocytes (FDE) in Ferrara, Italy (23% of 150 individuals screened), and in Huye, Rwanda (13% of 169 individuals). None of the individuals with FDE had a dietary riboflavin deficiency. Importantly, FDE from individuals in Ferrara, as well as erythrocytes depleted of flavins in vitro by riboflavin starvation, inhibited the intraerythrocytic proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum . We provide evidence that these erythrocytes are susceptible to oxidative stress, potentially explaining their inhibitory effect on parasite proliferation. Genetic analysis identified mutations in the FAD synthase gene of three individuals with FDE from Huye, consistent with a potential genetic basis.

Screening of lentil genotypes against stemphylium blight disease and molecular identification of causal organism

“I think they are infected because of their ignorance and lack of responsibility”: A mixed-methods study on HIV-related stigma in the healthcare system in Kazakhstan

Background HIV-related stigma among healthcare providers remains a significant barrier to effective HIV care and treatment. This study aimed to assess HIV-related stigma and associated factors among healthcare providers in primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Methods A mixed-methods design was employed, involving quantitative surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. Eight PHCs were randomly selected, and 448 healthcare providers participated in the survey. The cross-sectional surveys took place at the PHCs between May 2, 2019, and July 2, 2019. The sample size was predetermined statistically with a 2.5% precision using a 95% confidence level. For the qualitative component, 10 participants were chosen for in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariable logistic regression models were performed for quantitative data analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed through manual thematic analysis. Results The study revealed high levels of HIV-related stigma, with 87% of respondents agreeing with at least one stigmatizing statement about people living with HIV (PLHIV). Fear of HIV infection was also prevalent, with 85% of healthcare providers expressing some level of concern about contracting HIV during medical procedures. Logistic regression analysis indicated that longer years of work in healthcare were protective against stigmatizing opinions (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR)=0.25; 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI)=0.09,0.67; p = 0.006), while not having seen a patient living with HIV in the last 12 months was associated with higher stigma (AOR = 3.31; 95%CI = 1.73, 6.31; p &lt; 0.001). Qualitative interviews corroborated these findings and highlighted differential attitudes towards PLHIV based on modes of transmission, with particularly negative views towards sex workers and individuals with non-traditional sexual orientations. Conclusions The study demonstrates significant HIV-related stigma among healthcare providers in Almaty PHCs, influenced by a lack of exposure to PLHIV and specific socio-demographic factors. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to reduce stigma and enhance HIV care in Kazakhstan.

Rising global temperatures reduce soil microbial diversity over the long term

Soil microbial diversity is crucial to sustaining ecosystem productivity and improving carbon sequestration. Global temperature continues to rise, but how climate warming affects microbial diversity and its capacity to sequester soil organic carbon (SOC) remains uncertain. Here, by conducting a global meta-analysis with 251 paired observations from 102 studies, we showed that, on average, warming reduced bacterial and fungal diversity (measured by richness and Shannon index) by 16.0 and 19.7%, respectively, and SOC by 18.1%. The negative responses of both soil bacterial and fungal diversity to warming became more pronounced with increasing warming magnitude, experimental duration, and decreasing soil nitrogen availability. Under the worst-case climate warming scenario (2010 to 2070, 3.4 increase in °C), soil bacterial diversity and fungal diversity are projected to reduce by 56% and 81%, respectively, over 60 y. Importantly, in addition to the direct impact of warming on SOC, warming-induced declines in microbial diversity also contributed to SOC losses. We highlight that prolonged warming could substantially reduce soil microbial diversity and decrease SOC sequestration, accelerating future warming and underscoring the urgent need for decisive actions to mitigate global climate change.