Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Zoonotic Disease Transmission May Be Linked to Host Co-Occurrence Network Topology.
Stillson PT, Crow BB, Budnick WR … +1 more , Passy SI
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41249882 · Full text
Most human pathogens are zoonotic, transmitted from vertebrate hosts to humans. However, it is still unclear how the topology of host co-occurrence networks may contribute to disease transmission. To address this uncerta...
Most human pathogens are zoonotic, transmitted from vertebrate hosts to humans. However, it is still unclear how the topology of host co-occurrence networks may contribute to disease transmission. To address this uncertainty, we examined the host co-occurrence networks of 22 zoonotic pathogens from six continents (70 networks). First, we distinguished two major gradients of variability in host network topology-size (numbers of nodes and edges) and connectance/modularity. Larger networks with high connectance but low modularity have a greater potential for zoonotic disease transmission. These networks encompassed the hosts of 10 pathogens that cause emerging, re-emerging, and/or genetically diversifying diseases: St. Louis encephalitis virus, influenza A virus, West Nile virus, Toxoplasma gondii, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Avian orthoavulavirus 1, Japanese encephalitis virus, Usutu virus, Sindbis virus, and Coxiella burnetii. Second, we identified the top 87 hosts with the most connections to other hosts across networks, for example, Columba livia (rock pigeon), Passer domesticus (house sparrow), Hirundo rustica (barn swallow), Sturnus vulgaris (European starling), Anas platyrhynchos (mallard), and Gallinula chloropus (common moorhen). These species were highly connected in 7-27 networks of 2-11 pathogens. Notably, 50 of the 87 hosts were migratory, urban, or semi-urban, highlighting the risk of zoonotic spread in developed areas.
Synergistic Inhibition Mechanism and Performance Enhancement of Methane Hydrate Formation by a Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-Glycine Composite System.
Jing J, Wu C, Zheng T … +3 more , Cao L, Yang J, Sun J
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41239963 · Publisher ↗
The rapid formation of methane hydrates in subsea pipelines threatens flow safety, while conventional inhibitors face environmental and efficiency limitations. This study investigates a poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-glycine (...
The rapid formation of methane hydrates in subsea pipelines threatens flow safety, while conventional inhibitors face environmental and efficiency limitations. This study investigates a poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-glycine (PVCap-glycine) composite system for synergistic methane hydrate inhibition. Experimental results demonstrate superior performance: the composite system extends induction time to 672 min (135% and 37% longer than the single PVCap and glycine, respectively), reduces gas consumption by 72.6%, and lowers peak gas consumption rates by 25-45.5% compared to the blank system. Mechanistically, glycine disrupts water's hydrogen-bond network through carboxyl groups, delaying quasi-clathrate nucleation, while PVCap's hydrophobic chains adsorb on crystal nuclei, forming mass-transfer barriers. Their hydrophobic association generates composite micelles, increasing interfacial resistance by approximately 40% and elevating nucleation energy barriers. Notably, substituting glycine for partial PVCap reduces environmental burdens while achieving 135% longer induction time and 45.2% lower gas consumption than the single PVCap, overcoming the performance limitations of individual inhibitors at their optimal concentrations. The synergy originates from glycine's molecular-scale water perturbation and PVCap's interfacial regulation, coupled with wax-induced physicochemical barriers, enabling dual thermodynamic-kinetic inhibition. This synergistic strategy enables high-performance, low-environmental-impact inhibitors for deep-sea pipeline safety.
Multilayer Chiral 3D AIE-Active Polymers as Ultrasensitive Fe/Cr Fluorescent Probes.
Mao J, Zhao Y, Peng Y … +3 more , Zhang Y, Zhang S, Li G
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41225784 · Publisher ↗
Two multilayer chiral three-dimensional (3D) polymers exhibiting aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties were successfully synthesized through Suzuki-Miyaura crosslinking reactions. Deliberately designed with diffe...
Two multilayer chiral three-dimensional (3D) polymers exhibiting aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties were successfully synthesized through Suzuki-Miyaura crosslinking reactions. Deliberately designed with different terminal functional groups (bromine vs. boronic ester), these polymers served as a model system to probe the profound influence of molecular structure on nanoscale aggregation and macroscopic function. Both polymers demonstrated significant AIE behavior, but the variant with less sterically hindered termini formed more uniform aggregates, leading to superior AIE performance. This property enabled their application as ultrasensitive fluorescent probes for the detection of Fe and Cr ions in tetrahydrofuran (THF), achieving detection limits at the nanomolar (nM) level. The materials exhibited outstanding selectivity against competing ions: binding of Fe or Cr inhibited electron transfer, resulting in fluorescence quenching. The distinct terminal groups were found to influence the sensing mechanism, with the boronic ester functionality introducing an additional redox-based pathway for enhanced Fe sensitivity. This study establishes a comprehensive design paradigm for AIE-active materials, linking precise structural engineering to extended sensing functions. These multifunctional polymers show great potential for applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and the development of advanced smart sensors.
Digital Data Donation With Adolescents.
Yap VZY, Skeggs A, Ferguson AM … +5 more , Leyland-Craggs A, Boeschoten L, Welbers K, Kurten S, Orben A
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41214436 · Full text
Growing concerns about digital media's impact on adolescent well-being highlight critical limitations in existing research methodologies that rely predominantly on self-reported screen time measures, which inadequately c...
Growing concerns about digital media's impact on adolescent well-being highlight critical limitations in existing research methodologies that rely predominantly on self-reported screen time measures, which inadequately capture the complexity of digital interactions and behavioral patterns. Data donation, where individuals voluntarily share objective social media data, offers a transformative approach, yet its feasibility with adolescents remains underexplored. This study evaluated the feasibility of implementing data donation methodology with adolescent populations to develop practical guidelines for future studies. We conducted a large-scale, 2-week longitudinal trial (N = 358, aged 13-18) alongside focus groups and youth advisory panels, integrating ecological momentary assessment (EMA), validated psychometrics, and data donation from Instagram and TikTok. Results demonstrated strong feasibility across technical, ethical, and engagement dimensions: Overall, 78.9% of participants donated Instagram data, and 65.8% donated TikTok data, with 74% average EMA response rates. Findings indicate substantial willingness to participate in intensive digital behavioral research when appropriate safeguards and youth-centered approaches are implemented. We propose six key recommendations for data donation studies with adolescents: (1) clearly communicating research value, (2) establishing rigorous consent procedures, (3) centering adolescents' voices through co‑design, (4) selecting appropriate platforms, (5) implementing suitable technical frameworks, and (6) building robust multi‑stakeholder recruitment strategies.
Promoting Social Connectedness Through Interbrain Neurofeedback.
Cheng X, Zhang R, Chen P … +4 more , Song Z, Cheng F, Dikker S, Pan Y
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41214430 · Full text
Humans are inherently driven to form meaningful relationships, yet attempts at social connection often fall short or fail. This study investigates whether social connectedness can be improved by modulating interbrain cou...
Humans are inherently driven to form meaningful relationships, yet attempts at social connection often fall short or fail. This study investigates whether social connectedness can be improved by modulating interbrain coupling-a neural correlate of successful social interactions-through neurofeedback. Using a multibrain computer interface that visualized, in real time, the degree to which dyad members' electroencephalography (EEG) signals synchronized, dyads were randomly assigned to receive either neurofeedback or sham feedback generated from random signals. Compared with the sham group, dyads receiving neurofeedback showed greater interbrain coupling, and increases in coupling were associated with stronger feelings of social connectedness. A chain-mediation analysis suggested that the experience of enhanced social connectedness was driven by a sense of joint control and shared intentionality. Together, these findings demonstrate the potential of interbrain neurofeedback to modulate interbrain coupling and support key components of social connectedness.
Spinal Cord Injury Versus Sciatic Nerve Injury: Divergent Neuromuscular Pathologies and Neural Circuitry Remodeling.
Tian T, Wang Z, Huang F … +1 more , Li L
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41214412 · Publisher ↗
Spinal cord injury (SCI) and sciatic nerve injury (SNI) represent distinct neurotrauma models with different pathological outcomes. Although both injuries result in severe motor and sensory dysfunction in the lower limbs...
Spinal cord injury (SCI) and sciatic nerve injury (SNI) represent distinct neurotrauma models with different pathological outcomes. Although both injuries result in severe motor and sensory dysfunction in the lower limbs, their divergent mechanisms of muscle atrophy and neural circuit remodeling remain poorly understood. This study systematically compared electrophysiological and morphological alterations at multiple time points post-injury. At 4 weeks, SNI induced severe muscle atrophy and complete loss of compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs), whereas SCI caused mild atrophy and moderate CMAP amplitude reduction. Neuromuscular junctions were fully denervated within 1 week after SNI but remained intact in SCI. Neither SCI nor SNI altered motor neuron number/area, though SNI triggered transient NeuN downregulation in these neurons. Divergent neural circuit reorganization also occurred: SNI eliminated vGluT1⁺ Ia synapses from ventral horn motor neurons, while SCI promoted vGluT1⁺ Ia afferent sprouting alongside reduced GAD65⁺ inhibitory terminals. Additionally, glial responses differed markedly: SCI induced widespread spinal microgliosis/astrocytosis, whereas SNI caused localized ventral/dorsal horn gliosis near axotomized neurons. Nociceptive fiber plasticity also diverged: SCI upregulated CGRP⁺ dorsal horn terminals without affecting IB4⁺ fibers, while SNI abolished both CGRP⁺ and IB4⁺ terminals. These findings demonstrate fundamentally distinct pathological cascades in SCI versus SNI, providing mechanistic insights for developing tailored neurotrauma treatments.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation for Osteogenesis Imperfecta Patients: A Systematic Review.
Khorasani MM, Ebrahimzadeh MH, Dehghani M … +3 more , Sharafoddin M, Moradi A, Jirofti N
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41199520 · Publisher ↗
The following systematic review provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). After reviewing 40 studies, 9 human clinical st...
The following systematic review provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). After reviewing 40 studies, 9 human clinical studies that included case reports or case series were included and resulted in a total of 12 patients with OI. Five studies documented an increase in total body bone mineral (TBBM) content, whereas four studies observed a reduction in fracture rates post-transplantation. Moreover, noticeable improvements in children's growth were recorded. Although both BMSCs and human fetal MSCs (hfMSCs) were found to be effective, studies involving BMSCs were rated higher in terms of methodological quality. Both BMSCs and hfMSCs demonstrated significant improvements in TBBM, growth rates, and fracture reduction, with BMSC studies scoring higher in methodological quality. Future randomized clinical trials with longer follow-ups are necessary.
Key Factors and Predictive Models of Digital Collaborative Education Based on Machine Learning.
Yan D, Yuan X, Li G
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 41199513 · Publisher ↗
Digital collaborative education plays a pivotal role in digital education research and significantly contributes to enhancing teaching quality. Furthermore, it provides a new impetus for family-school-community collabora...
Digital collaborative education plays a pivotal role in digital education research and significantly contributes to enhancing teaching quality. Furthermore, it provides a new impetus for family-school-community collaboration in talent development. Nevertheless, the key drivers and predictive models of digital collaborative education remain underexplored. To address this gap, this study adopts the perspective of teachers' digital literacy, focusing on primary and secondary school teachers as research subjects. Employing machine learning methods such as gradient boosting regression trees (GBRT) and random forest, we identify the key factors influencing digital collaborative education and develop predictive models. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) framework is applied to conduct holistic, heterogeneous, and individual-level explanatory analyses, whereas accumulated local effects (ALE) plots are used for single-feature explanation. The results indicate that random forest outperforms other models in predicting digital collaborative education. Digital academic assessment, digital instructional implementation, digital teaching design, and digital instructional research and innovation are the four most important feature variables in predicting the effectiveness of digital collaborative education, with digital application emerging as the strongest predictor, followed by professional development. These key features exhibit heterogeneity in predicting digital collaborative education across gender, age, educational background, and teaching experience, demonstrating nonlinear relationships. The findings provide empirical support for advancing digital collaborative education and offer valuable insights for enhancing teachers' professional development.
Functional Parcellation Between Bilingual Language Control and Cognitive Control in the Cerebellum.
Chen J, Chang Q, Yuan Q … +4 more , Ma F, Chen M, Koch CG, Guo T
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41190816 · Publisher ↗
Previous research has implicated involvement of the cerebellum in high-level cognitive functions. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the cerebellum in bilingual language control and domain-general cogniti...
Previous research has implicated involvement of the cerebellum in high-level cognitive functions. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the cerebellum in bilingual language control and domain-general cognitive control. Chinese-English bilinguals were instructed to perform a language-switching task and a cognitive control task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Using both univariate and multivariate analyses, we aimed to explore the functional overlaps and dissociations in the cerebellum between these two cognitive processes. The results demonstrated that the bilateral posterolateral cerebellum, including bilateral lobule VI and right Crus I, is engaged in both language control and cognitive control. In contrast, multivariate analyses identified distinct activation patterns in the right Crus I/II and right lobule VIII between the two tasks. For the first time, our study demonstrates that the cerebellum, analogous to the cerebral cortex, exhibits hierarchical processing in these two cognitive processes.
Synergies Between Observed Warming and ENSO Episodes on Extreme Events.
Estrada F, Perron P, Yamamoto Y
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41186966 · Full text
El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant interannual variability mode of the global climate system with significant effects on a variety of weather conditions, including extremes. Past events illustrate the se...
El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant interannual variability mode of the global climate system with significant effects on a variety of weather conditions, including extremes. Past events illustrate the severe societal consequences this phenomenon has through weather disasters, food security, health, economic growth, migration, and conflict. ENSO's interactions with global warming are not well understood, although they can lead to significant changes in the characteristics of extreme events. Climate conditions in 2024/2025 may favor widespread severe extreme events with global temperature anomalies nearing or surpassing 1.5°C and a transition from strong El Niño to La Niña conditions. Here, we show that current warming has amplified the effects of ENSO on temperature and precipitation extremes worldwide. Results show that warming has produced a considerable amplification of the effects of ENSO episodes over such extremes, as well as extensively modified spatial patterns. We show that considerable shares of the population, gross domestic product, agriculture, and ecosystems now face a higher risk from extreme events due to the interactions between increased anthropogenic forcing and ENSO.
Music Reward Sensitivity Associated With Frontostriatal Function and Structure in Congenital Amusia.
Jin Z, Huyang S, Jiang L … +2 more , Lian Q, Wu D
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41183065 · Publisher ↗
Congenital amusia is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting musical ability. Previous studies have demonstrated that music reward sensitivity has both functional and structural bases. However, the nature of music reward...
Congenital amusia is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting musical ability. Previous studies have demonstrated that music reward sensitivity has both functional and structural bases. However, the nature of music reward sensitivity and its neural underpinnings in amusia remains unclear. This study combined the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire and magnetic resonance imaging to investigate resting-state functional and structural correlates of music reward sensitivity in individuals with amusia. Behavioral results indicate individuals with amusia exhibit reduced sensitivity to music, including social rewards, mood regulation, emotional evocation, sensorimotor processing, and music seeking. Brain imaging revealed abnormalities in several classic cognitive and reward-related functional and structural brain areas. Specifically, individuals with amusia have abnormal resting-state functional activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) along with altered functional and structural connectivity between the IFG and the striatum. Notably, reduced sensorimotor sensitivity to music in amusia is associated with increased resting-state functional activity in the IFG and enhanced structural connectivity between the IFG and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Furthermore, the function of the IFG appears to influence the sensorimotor sensitivity via the IFG-NAcc structural connectivity in amusia. These findings suggest the cognitive system and its interactions with the reward system play crucial roles in developmental music disorder.
National Adoption of World Health Organization Recommendations on Calcium Supplementation During Pregnancy.
Romero IB, Puchulu MB, Perez SM … +7 more , White C, Rana ZH, Bourassa MW, Delgado C, Belizán JM, Salva F, Cormick G
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41183008 · Full text
In several countries, pregnant women have suboptimal intakes of calcium and high rates of mortality due to maternal hypertensive disorders. Calcium supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of these disorders and...
In several countries, pregnant women have suboptimal intakes of calcium and high rates of mortality due to maternal hypertensive disorders. Calcium supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of these disorders and is recommended for pregnant women with low dietary calcium intake to prevent preeclampsia. Our objective was to evaluate the global adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for calcium supplementation during pregnancy to prevent pre-eclampsia. Each WHO member state's Ministry of Health website, Google, and WHO databases were searched, between January and July 2024, to identify national antenatal care guidelines. We found pregnancy-related guidelines published between 2007 and 2024 in 92 countries of the 194 countries included in this review (47.4%), of which 58 (63%) included calcium intake recommendations, and 29 recommended calcium supplementation with doses varying from 0.5 to 2 g of elemental calcium per day. Most of these guidelines were from upper middle- or high-income countries (19, 65.5%), whereas in countries where this recommendation is most needed, there is a lack of published calcium supplementation recommendations during pregnancy.
A Real-Time Defect Detector With Content-Guided Feature Extraction and Detail Enhancement.
Huang Y, Fang T, Ye M
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41182952 · Publisher ↗
Surface defect detection in industrial materials faces two main challenges: complex backgrounds and missed small defects. To address these problems, this paper presents CGRNet, an efficient real-time detector. CGRNet int...
Surface defect detection in industrial materials faces two main challenges: complex backgrounds and missed small defects. To address these problems, this paper presents CGRNet, an efficient real-time detector. CGRNet introduces a content-guided feature extraction network that uses global context to guide adaptive high-frequency filtering. This suppresses low-frequency noise and enhances edge and local features. The detail enhancement module with a double residual attention mechanism integrates channel-specific spatial attention maps for multi-scale feature interaction. This integration improves the detection of small defects. The SIoU loss function and Lion optimizer speed up convergence and improve localization accuracy. Experimental results show that CGRNet achieves a 93.6% mAP on the PVEL_AD dataset, surpassing existing methods in accuracy. On the NEU-DET dataset, the model runs at 81.9 frames per second, satisfying real-time application requirements.
Skin Lesion Classification Using Focal Modulation Networks.
Zan H
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41178745 · Publisher ↗
The automatic classification of dermoscopic images is essential for the early diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. However, this task remains challenging due to high visual similarity among lesion types, variations in...
The automatic classification of dermoscopic images is essential for the early diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. However, this task remains challenging due to high visual similarity among lesion types, variations in lesion appearance across progression stages, and the presence of artifacts in the images. While deep learning-based approaches have outperformed traditional machine learning methods, many existing models are computationally intensive and offer limited interpretability. These limitations hinder their integration into clinical workflows where efficiency and transparency are critical. In this study, I propose a framework based on focal modulation networks (FMNs) for skin lesion classification. FMNs are designed to efficiently capture both local and global features, addressing the limitations of transformer-based models in processing high-resolution medical images. I evaluate four FMN variants, namely, Tiny, Small, Base, and Large, on three public datasets: ISIC 2017, ISIC 2018, and ISIC 2019. The highest classification accuracy was obtained on ISIC 2019 with 97.8%, followed by 96.4% on ISIC 2018, and 88.1% on ISIC 2017. These results match or exceed those reported in several previous studies. Additionally, FMNs offer model interpretability through modulator visualization. Overall, the proposed method provides an accurate, efficient, and transparent solution for automated skin lesion classification.
What Sustains Wars: Will to Fight Versus Military Might.
Atran S
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41177947 · Full text
This essay explores the contributions of psychosocial factors in sustaining wars and other extreme group conflicts. It uses the Devoted Actor Framework (DAF) to better understand will to fight (WTF) as a quest for ontolo...
This essay explores the contributions of psychosocial factors in sustaining wars and other extreme group conflicts. It uses the Devoted Actor Framework (DAF) to better understand will to fight (WTF) as a quest for ontological significance. Devoted actors are viscerally and inseparably fused to one another and to their group by moral ideals often held to be sacred and indivisible, and thus highly resistant to negotiation and compromise. The quest for ontological significance involves affirming and securing group identities and associated moral ideals. The importance of WTF and reasons for its postwar neglect are highlighted in an analysis of initial versus later stages of the European theater in WWII. Next is an assessment of the limits of rational realism and the significance of religion and nationalism, followed by an examination of psychosocial factors involved in WTF via behavioral and brain studies in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and North America. The discussion section examines the scope and limits of DAF in terms of descriptive and explanatory power and in relation to other approaches to war and group conflict. A final coda addresses the Israel-Palestine conflict and the recent Gaza War to illustrate DAF's relevance for understanding and managing seemingly intractable conflicts.
Retroflexion in the Stomach During Endoscopy: Importance of the Examination and Its Utility.
Huang K, Mashimo H
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41170845 · Publisher ↗
Endoscopic retroflexion in the stomach is an important diagnostic and therapeutic maneuver that is often underappreciated and underperformed by general endoscopists. Beyond providing a comprehensive visualization of the...
Endoscopic retroflexion in the stomach is an important diagnostic and therapeutic maneuver that is often underappreciated and underperformed by general endoscopists. Beyond providing a comprehensive visualization of the gastric cardia and fundus, the retroflexed endoscope is key to assessing the esophagogastric junction, identifying diaphragmatic hernias, and assessing wrap integrity after fundoplication. Such evaluation is critical given the ever-rising incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disorder, prevalence of diaphragmatic hernias, and demand for antireflux and antiobesity surgeries. Careful retroflexed inspection of the gastric cardia is also important in Helicobacter pylori infection, junctional cancers, and neoplasia associated with Barrett's esophagus. Retroflexion provides therapeutic options in ablation of Barrett's esophagus and dilation of subtle strictures. We review here the diagnostic and potential therapeutic importance of the retroflexed endoscope.
Mycoplasma agassizii Multilocus Sequence Typing Using Nanopore Sequencing: Insights Into Genetic Diversity and Isolate Characterization.
Cacciotto C, Zobba R, Louro M … +7 more , Alves M, Valença A, Patrício R, Bazzoni E, Pittau M, Lecis R, Alberti A
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41168653 · Full text
Mycoplasma agassizii (Mycoplasmopsis agassizii) is a major pathogen responsible for upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) in tortoises, contributing to worldwide population declines. Despite its significance, tools for...
Mycoplasma agassizii (Mycoplasmopsis agassizii) is a major pathogen responsible for upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) in tortoises, contributing to worldwide population declines. Despite its significance, tools for strain-level identification and epidemiological tracking remain limited. This study proposes a Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) scheme based on eight housekeeping genes (uvrB, tpiA, gyrB, efTu, rpoB, uvrA, gmK, and atpG), combined with Nanopore sequencing, to characterize M. agassizii isolates from tortoises in Italy and Portugal. Among 127 samples, 73 (57.5%) tested positive for M. agassizii. Analysis of 15 isolates revealed 14 distinct sequence types (STs). High genetic diversity was observed, even among samples from the same rescue centers. No correlation was found between STs and geographic origin or tortoise species. Four loci (uvrB, gyrB, rpoB, and gmK) were sufficient to discriminate all STs at a haplotype diversity cut-off ≥ 0.83. The standardized index of association (I = 0.2246) suggests a partially clonal population with evidence of recombination. This MLST scheme offers a promising tool for tracking M. agassizii strain diversity and understanding its epidemiology. Broader application across symptomatic and asymptomatic hosts is needed to evaluate associations between specific strains and disease outcomes, which will support conservation and URTD control efforts in tortoises.
Co-designed Yoga Intervention for Anxiety in Autistic Children: Protocol for a Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial.
Loftus T, Yau SH, Byrne J … +1 more , Mathersul DC
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41166558 · Publisher ↗
Autistic children experience higher rates of anxiety compared to their nonautistic peers; however, psychotherapeutic treatments for anxiety such as cognitive behavioral therapy often have limited effectiveness in this po...
Autistic children experience higher rates of anxiety compared to their nonautistic peers; however, psychotherapeutic treatments for anxiety such as cognitive behavioral therapy often have limited effectiveness in this population. This study protocol presents a novel, co-designed video-recorded yoga intervention for anxiety, tailored to the unique needs of autistic children. The proposed randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of this intervention compared to a treatment-as-usual waitlist control group. Primary outcomes include changes in anxiety severity, assessed using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule or DSM-5 (ADIS-5) and the Anxiety Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASC-ASD). Secondary outcomes examine emotion regulation and intolerance of uncertainty using the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI) and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale Child version (IUSC), alongside physiological changes in heart rate variability. Data will be analyzed using repeated measures analysis to assess intervention effects, with mediation analysis exploring the roles of emotion regulation, intolerance of uncertainty, and autonomic function in anxiety reduction. Findings will contribute to the growing evidence base for complementary interventions in autistic populations. If effective, this co-designed yoga intervention could provide an accessible, adaptable, and scalable option for treating anxiety in autistic children, particularly those facing barriers to traditional therapies.
Enhancing Understanding and Interpretation of Ultrasound Images: A Tool for Fetal Congenital Heart Diseases.
Wei C, Yang Z, Yan X … +9 more , Lin M, Xiao L, Wang F, Wang M, Huang Q, Wu Y, Zou A, Chen Z, Gou Z
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41166455 · Publisher ↗
This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of using a modeling tool named uSketch for generating patient-specific diagrams in cases of fetal congenital heart disease (CHD). Furthermore, it sought to explore...
This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of using a modeling tool named uSketch for generating patient-specific diagrams in cases of fetal congenital heart disease (CHD). Furthermore, it sought to explore the feasibility of employing uSketch to improve communication efficacy across diverse clinical settings. uSketch successfully produced matched diagrams for 941 cases (98.4%) by single-click, semi-automatic, or manual methods. The mean time required for diagram generation was significantly shorter with uSketch than that with hand-drawn sketches (0.88 ± 0.58 vs. 6.75 ± 2.95 min, p < 0.05). The expert panel unanimously concluded that uSketch exhibits professional-level capability in generating anatomical schematics for fetal CHD. Families with a CHD fetus receiving uSketch diagrams in addition to textual reports showed significantly higher questionnaire scores compared to those who received textual reports alone (p < 0.05). The questionnaire scores of medical students who utilized uSketch diagrams were significantly higher than those of their peers who employed traditional methods (p < 0.05). In conclusion, uSketch facilitates the generation of anatomical diagrams for fetal CHD. It achieves a remarkable coverage rate of 98.4% by automatic, semi-automatic, or manual methods. The deployment of uSketch can substantially enhance communication effectiveness across various clinical and educational contexts.
Cybersecurity public health: Institutions and disciplines.
Shostack A
Ann N Y Acad Sci · 2025 Dec · PMID 41166451 · Publisher ↗
Cybersecurity makes extensive use of a small set of paradigms, including warfare, criminology, and to a lesser extent, medicine (such as computer viruses or hygiene). The admirable goal of adopting public health methodol...
Cybersecurity makes extensive use of a small set of paradigms, including warfare, criminology, and to a lesser extent, medicine (such as computer viruses or hygiene). The admirable goal of adopting public health methodologies for societal-scale digital platforms can be helpfully accelerated and enabled by a broader movement for institutions and disciplines of cybersecurity public health. In this short perspective, I outline some of the steps that will be needed.
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