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VAR2CSA-reactive IgG in Brazilian women exposed to <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> or <i>P. vivax</i> infection during pregnancy
No full textPlacental malaria (PM) causes mortality and severe morbidity in areas with stable Plasmodium falciparum transmission. The selective placental accumulation of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) is mediated by VAR2CSA, a PfEMP1-type parasite ligand that binds exclusively to placenta-restricted CSA. VAR2CSA-specific IgG is therefore generally restricted to women exposed to P. falciparum infection during pregnancy. However, widespread acquisition of VAR2CSA-reactive IgG outside pregnancy among Colombian and Brazilian individuals has been reported, supposedly due to cross-reactivity between VAR2CSA and the P. vivax-specific antigen PvDBP. Here, we measured levels and Fc-afucosylation of VAR2CSA-reactive IgG in plasma from pregnant Brazilian women at delivery, using full-length VAR2CSA (FV2) expressed in baculovirus-transfected insect cells (FV2BIC) or Chinese hamster ovary cells (FV2CHO) as well as the corresponding native antigen (IT4VAR04) on the IE surface. We also measured levels of IgG specific for GLURP (P. falciparum-specific) and PvDBP (P. vivax-specific). FV2CHO-specific IgG levels were lower than FV2BIC-reactive IgG levels. Furthermore, only FV2CHO-specific IgG was restricted to women exposed to P. falciparum during pregnancy. Levels of PvDBP-specific IgG were significantly higher among P. vivax-exposed pregnant women but did not correlate with FV2-specific IgG levels. Finally, FV2CHO-specific IgG was markedly Fc-afucosylated in contrast to FV2BIC-reactive IgG. Our findings caution against using levels of IgG reacting with recombinant proteins expressed in insect cells as a measure of exposure to VAR2CSA during pregnancy, at least in South America. Furthermore, our data do not support the hypothesis that exposure to PvDBP induces IgG that cross-reacts with VAR2CSA and contributes to protection against PM.</p
Evaluating the Accuracy of a Vision‐Based Algorithm for Groundline Estimation in Trotting Horses Using Multiple Camera Angles
No full textBackgroundEquine lameness diagnosis largely relies on subjective visual assessments, which can be biased. Although marker-based methods, force plates and inertial measurement units (IMUs) provide objective measurements, they require specialized setups. Vision-based algorithms offer a portable, markerless alternative, but their accuracy needs thorough testing.ObjectivesTo evaluate a custom vision-based algorithm for estimating the groundline across multiple camera angles, including handheld use in horses trotting on a treadmill.Study designExperimental comparative study.MethodsEight Standardbred trotter mares were recorded trotting on a high-speed treadmill using seven iPhones positioned at various heights and angles, including a handheld device. A trained deep neural network algorithm placed 2D keypoints on each video frame. Vertical Displacement Signals (VDS) for the eye, withers and croup (tuber sacrale) were computed relative to either an algorithm-estimated or a fixed treadmill groundline. Maximum (Maxdiff) and minimum (Mindiff) stride values were compared using Bland–Altman analysis, scatter plots and histograms. The effect of handheld use on variability and accuracy was assessed by comparing results from a handheld camera to those from a static camera.ResultsGroundline estimation closely matched the fixed reference, exhibiting near-zero mean angle error and low mean average error (MAE = 0.45°; n = 242.192). Maxdiff and Mindiff stride-level (n = 36.981) MAE were 0.5 mm, with clinically acceptable additional variability introduced by handheld use at the trial level (Maxdiff and Mindiff MAE < 1.8 mm; n = 357).Main limitationsTreadmill-based data and a single breed/coat colour may limit generalizability to other settings.ConclusionsThe vision-based algorithm accurately estimates the groundline and stride VDS parameters from various camera setups, including handheld. Further validation in diverse environments and against other objective gait analysis systems is recommended.<br/
Conceptualizing the relationship between industrial transformation and accelerating sustainability transitions:A multi-sectoral perspective
No full textThe acceleration of sustainability transitions increasingly hinges on industrial transformation, i.e., structural changes in the sectors that produce, use, and support low-carbon technologies. Such changes shape the pace and direction of transitions by affecting the availability of critical inputs—from manufacturing capacity to materials for batteries, transformers, or solar PV—and by creating new opportunities for industrial value creation. Yet current transition studies frameworks offer only partial views of these dynamics. The MLP whole-systems perspective highlights knock-on effects arising from widespread technology diffusion, while the technological innovation system (TIS) approach examines the upscaling of technology value chains. Because these perspectives are typically discussed separately, they provide limited insight into how industrial transformation and system transitions co-evolve. Drawing on evolutionary economics, we integrate these views into a multi-sectoral perspective that distinguishes between service value chains and technology value chains and conceptualizes how they interact in transitions. We assess and refine this framework through a systematic review of 80 empirical studies. The review confirms the usefulness of the perspective and identifies nine key processes that shape multi-sectoral dynamics. We distill five broader insights for transition studies, including the importance of sectoral overlaps, meta-regime shifts, distributed incumbency, spatially uneven industrial opportunities, and the evolving sectoral scope of transitions. These insights enable more granular analysis of how transitions unfold across interconnected sectors and underscore the need for integrated analytical tools and policy approaches that can more accurately interpret and respond to inter-sectoral dynamics in accelerating transitions.</p
Prediction of brain age using structural magnetic resonance imaging:a comparison of clinical utility of publicly available software packages
No full textBACKGROUND: Brain age estimated from structural magnetic resonance images is commonly used as a biomarker of biological ageing and brain health. Ideally, as a clinically useful biomarker, brain age should indicate the current state of health and be predictive of future disease onset and detrimental changes in brain biology.METHODS: In this preregistered study, we evaluated and compared the clinical utility, i.e., diagnostic and prognostic performance, of six publicly available brain age prediction packages using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).FINDINGS: Baseline brain age differed significantly between groups consisting of individuals with normal cognitive function, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease for all packages, but with comparable performance to estimates of grey matter volume. Further, brain age estimates were not centred around zero for participants with normal cognition and showed considerable variation between packages. Finally, brain age was only weakly correlated with disease onset, memory decline, and grey matter atrophy within four years from baseline in individuals without neurodegenerative disease.INTERPRETATION: The systematic discrepancy between chronological age and brain age among healthy subjects, combined with the weak associations between brain age and longitudinal changes in memory performance or grey matter volume, suggests that the current brain age estimates have limited clinical utility as a biomarker for biological ageing.FUNDING: This work was supported by a Longevity Impetus Grant from the Norn Group, the Karolinska Institutet Loo och Hans Ostermans Stiftelse, Gun och Bertil Stohnes Stiftelse, Stiftelsen Gamla Tjänarinnor, Stiftelsen Söderström - Königska and Åhlén-stiftelsen (243016). PPS was supported by a grant from the Swedish Brain Foundation (PD2024-0444) and the Åke Wibergs Stiftelse (M24-0117).</p
Seeking Subjectivity in/with/Through Esther’s Mobility
No full textThe erasure of mobile female-identified bodies amongst both biblical and migration scholars is being redressed, to a certain point. Building upon the work of both disciplines, this article attempts to provide a thorough feminist analysis of the mobility of the Hebrew Bible character Esther. The article begins with a discussion on what feminist migration studies might include, along with a critical look at the framework of forced migrations. Thereafter, the article brings together multiple scholars of the ancient world in conversation, using the work that has rightly labeled her movement by the story world regime as trafficking, along with comparative analysis to captivity studies. The article argues, however, that a feminist hermeneutic of the Bible should not only speak to the world, but also practice and model active reflexivity. Thus, a holistic account of interpreting Esther’s mobility in the Masoretic Text requires an interrogation of both the author of the biblical text and the author of the article itself
Scarcity reimagined: global green imaginaries, frontier-making, and resource conflict in Africa
No full textLong-term impact of a community pharmacist-led theme day on medication knowledge for primary school students: a questionnaire survey
No full textBackground: The autonomy of children in medication use has increased globally, with many children using medicines without parental awareness. Children‘s knowledge about medication, however, is often inadequate. With education on medication limited in elementary schools in many countries, including in Denmark, community pharmacists may play a crucial role in enhancing medication knowledge among children. In the national Danish project School Medicines Theme Day (SMT intervention), community pharmacists, in cooperation with teachers, spent a full day teaching primary school students (4th to 6th grade) about safe medication use through hands-on activities. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate primary school students’ long-term knowledge about medication and handling of medication before and 1–2 months after the SMT intervention. We hypothesized that increased knowledge would lead to safer and more appropriate medication handling by the students. Methods: A survey (comprising 12 items) was distributed to the 81 primary school classes participating in the SMT intervention between 2023 and 2024, with a pre-intervention (Survey 1) and a post-intervention survey (Survey 2). Data analysis was conducted at class level by the use of a nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test to evaluate changes in students’ responses, with a significance level set at 5%. Results: The response rates were 100% for Survey 1 (1,394 students) and 88% for Survey 2 (949 students). Significant improvements in students’ knowledge about medication and its handling were observed for 9 out of 12 items, indicating a lasting effect of the SMT intervention. No significant change was noted for the 2 items related to scientific concepts in the Danish curriculum. Conclusion: The SMT intervention led by community pharmacists significantly improved primary school students’ knowledge about medication months after the intervention. A broader implementation of such activities could enhance long-term medication literacy and safe handling practices among students