Journals
2026 EN
Duke Kyle R. · Cuenca Daniela D. · Myers Steven P.
+1 more
Abstract Protocol verification is a fit‐for‐purpose test of laboratory procedures. We present here verification testing of a DNA mixture interpretation protocol, following ANSI/ASB Standard 020, Standard for Validation Studies of DNA Mixtures , and Development and Verification of a Laboratory's Mixture Interpretation Protocol . The blind testing called for in the standard was performed on a set of nine DNA mixtures created with contributors unique to the verification, using a range of donor ratios (distinguishable and indistinguishable), DNA inputs (0.25–3.6 ng), and numbers of contributors (2–4). The testers (“verifiers”) were given .hid files, along with limited contextual information that simulated the state of caseworker knowledge prior to PCR amplification, and they were tasked with determining contributor number and suitability for interpretation, analyzing each interpretable mixture, and generating simple likelihood ratios (LRs) and corresponding verbal predicate assignments. Although the differences observed across verifiers were within the scope of the draft mixture interpretation procedure and resulted in non‐consequential differences among the calculated LRs, we found that the process led to significant improvements in training efficiency and pre‐release protocol refinement. We also found that DNA mixture selection, verifier training prior to verification testing, and assessment criteria development must all be considered carefully to make the process as effective as possible, particularly in a multi‐laboratory system. The planning and results summarized in this paper can serve as a template to other forensic DNA laboratories seeking to incorporate the recommendations of ANSI/ASB Standard 020 into their quality assurance systems.
Journals
2026 EN
Lumsden Chad · Maitland Leah · Rossiter Rachel
+1 more
ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate whether a collaboration between Mid‐North Coast Virtual Care (MNCVC) and NSW Ambulance (NSWA) was effective in diverting ED transfers. Methods A retrospective observational study over 30 months examined NSWA referrals to MNCVC. Referral characteristics, 7‐day and 28‐day ED presentations were analysed. ED avoidance was defined as an accepted referral without an ED presentation within 28 days. Results Of 629 referrals, 542 (86%) were accepted for management. ED presentations occurred in 53 (9.8%) within 7‐days and 130 (24.0%) within 28‐days, resulting in a 76% (412 patients) ED avoidance rate over 30 months. Conclusions An ambulance‐diversion model to a virtual‐care service showed a favourable ED avoidance rate.
Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Journals
2026 EN
Treviño Len J. · GómezMejia Luis R. · Caudill Steven B.
+3 more
ABSTRACT We develop new theory on when and why the greater risk aversion often observed in female managers enhances or hinders organizational performance. Our framework centers on the alignment between cognitive propensities and the duration of the decision‐making task cycle. We argue that female managers' risk aversion enhances performance in contexts with ample time for deliberation, but dampens performance in contexts requiring rapid decisions. Consistent with this theory, analysis of archival data from 135 NCAA Division I women's basketball teams reveals that female head coaches outperform their male counterparts on long‐cycle decision tasks (e.g., recruiting), where time for decision‐making is ample. Conversely, male head coaches outperform on short‐cycle decision tasks (e.g., in‐game decisions), where time is limited, even after adjusting for the quality of human capital available.
Journals
2026 EN
Alam Md Shahabul · Johnson Ryan · Neisary Savalan Naser
+2 more
ABSTRACT The increasing frequency of hydrological extremes highlights the need for event‐based approaches to evaluate hydrological model performance and support water resource management. Traditional long‐term continuous simulations often overlook model behavior during critical flood and drought periods, limiting their operational value. To address this gap, we developed a coupled SEED–CSES framework for large‐sample, event‐based benchmarking. SEED identifies flood and drought events using the Log‐Pearson Type III (LP3) distribution for multiple return intervals (2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years), while CSES evaluates model skill. We demonstrate the framework by assessing the extreme‐event prediction performance of the National Water Model (NWM) v3.0 at more than 7000 USGS NWIS stations, including over 600 CAMELS basins. Across the CONUS domain, NWM 3.0 shows higher skill for flood events (median KGE ≈0.20) than for drought events (median KGE ≈−0.78). Wetter eastern, southeastern, and northwestern regions perform better (median KGE ≈0.387), while arid western and southwestern regions show low performance (median KGE ≈−0.447), illustrating how event‐based benchmarking reveals hydrological behaviors masked in long‐term evaluations. The integrated SEED–CSES framework provides a standardized and automated platform for hydrological model assessment, supporting improved flood forecasting, drought monitoring, and climate resilience.
Journals
2026 EN
Sanchez Théophile · Stalder Steven · Lamperti Letizia
+13 more
Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has revolutionized biodiversity monitoring, offering non‐invasive tools to assess ecosystem health. The complexity of eDNA metabarcoding data poses major challenges for conventional ordination methods in understanding assemblage similarities and assessing biodiversity patterns. Here, we introduce ORDNA (ORDination via Deep Neural Algorithm), a new deep learning method tailored for eDNA sample ordination. Leveraging artificial neural networks, ORDNA processes raw sequences from eDNA samples directly, bypassing potentially biased and cumbersome expert‐based bioinformatic steps. The method is trained with a contrastive self‐supervised learning approach, the triplet loss, to derive a two‐dimensional representation of eDNA samples based on their read composition. We apply ORDNA to four distinct eDNA datasets, demonstrating its robustness and superiority over traditional ordination techniques in capturing and visualizing ecological patterns. Our results he potential of deep learning in advancing eDNA analysis, with ORDNA serving as a promising tool for more accurate and efficient biodiversity assessments.
Journals
2026 EN
Knappskog Kristine · Botnar Kostiantyn · Kleinhapl Julia
+7 more
ABSTRACT Background Vasopressors are often introduced in severe burn patients who respond poorly to fluid resuscitation to maintain adequate blood pressure and avoid fluid creep . This study aims to characterise these patients and explore potential correlations between vasopressor use and patient outcomes. Methods Medical records from 2010 to 2023 for patients aged ≥ 18 years with burns ≥ 20% of the total body surface area (TBSA) were extracted from the TriNetX Research Network, a global federated health research platform aggregating de‐identified electronic health records. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received vasopressors within the first 2 days of hospitalisation and those who did not. Statistical analysis included Cramér–von Mises and χ 2 test, with significance set at p < 0.05. Propensity score matching (PSM) in a 1:1 ratio was applied for the variables age, sex, pre‐existing comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, chronic heart disease, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, and alcohol or opioid addiction), presence of inhalation injury, %TBSA burned, and burn injury year. Odds ratios (OR) for outcomes were calculated, with p ‐values adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini–Hochberg correction. Results Of 6872 included patients, 17.7% received vasopressors within the first two days of hospitalisation. These patients were older, had more comorbidities and sustained more severe burns. After PSM we included 1206 patients in both cohorts (VP+ and VP−). Acute kidney injury occurred within 3 days in 51.0% of the VP+ group and 28.4% in VP− (OR 2.62, 95% CI: 2.20–3.11). VP+ patients also had higher rates of sepsis (30.8% vs. 22.9%, OR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.25–1.81) and higher mortality (45.1% vs. 32.7%, OR 1.69, 95% CI: 1.43–2.01) within 30 days following hospitalisation. Conclusion While vasopressors are frequently administered as part of burn resuscitation, their use was associated with higher rates of early acute kidney injury and an increased 30‐day mortality rate. Editorial Comment Potent vasopressor use to support the circulation is commonly combined with fluid resuscitation in modern intensive care, and this is a prominent aspect of care in major burn cases. In this retrospective analysis of a commercial, de‐identified health care dataset (primarily from US hospitals or health systems), matched cases over 14 recent years were analysed by early vasopressor use (or not) and then for important outcomes including mortality. Vasopressor use was associated with some complications and negative outcomes, though there are likely many factors which may contribute to negative outcomes which were not included in this analysis.
Journals
2026 EN
Parab Adwaita R. · Salazar Arnold M. · Bark Steven J.
+6 more
ABSTRACT Aging leads to a progressive decline in overall bladder function resulting in lower urinary tract symptoms and increased susceptibility to infections. However, tissue‐specific mechanisms of aging, specifically the contributions of the urothelium, remain elusive. Here, we introduce mouse bladder epithelium‐derived organoids (mBEDOs) as a scalable platform to model urothelial aging. mBEDOs from aged mice recapitulate key features of age‐associated cellular reprogramming, including oxidative stress, senescence, and DNA damage. We demonstrate the utility of mBEDOs for modeling Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) infection, generating assembloids between mBEDOs and macrophages to model epithelial‐immune interactions, and genetic perturbation. Using the mBEDO platform, we also identify urothelium‐specific changes in purine, amino acid, and glycerophospholipid metabolism, which may contribute to age‐associated cellular perturbations. Lastly, supplementation with depleted metabolites, nicotinamide and d ‐mannose, reduces DNA damage and oxidative stress and restores mitochondrial integrity in aged mBEDOs. These findings establish mBEDOs as an effective platform for investigating molecular and cellular underpinnings of urothelial aging and exploring metabolism‐based interventions for age‐associated bladder dysfunction.
Journals
2026 EN
Kraus Virginia Byers · Ma Sisi · Naz Syeda Iffat
+10 more
ABSTRACT To investigate the relevance of small RNAs to human longevity, we pursued three goals: (a) to validate epigenetic (small RNA) factors underlying survival of older adults, (b) to develop and validate prediction models of survival for potential clinical application, and (c) to identify plausible druggable targets prolonging longevity. We evaluated 828 small non‐coding RNAs—687 microRNAs (miRNAs) and 141 piwi‐interacting RNAs (piRNAs)—in baseline plasma from 1271 community‐dwelling older adults (≥ 71 years) in the Duke‐EPESE study. Our predictive model incorporating smRNAs, clinical variables (demographics, lifestyle, mood, physical function, standard clinical laboratory tests, NMR‐derived lipids and metabolites, and medical conditions) and age achieved strong performance, with cross‐validated AUCs of 0.92 for 2‐year survival in Discovery and 0.87 in external Validation. Nine piRNAs, all reduced in longer‐lived individuals, were identified as potential therapeutic targets. Under the assumption of causal sufficiency, these data provide causal evidence linking circulating small RNAs with survival outcomes in humans. While such inference does not replace experimental validation, it complements mechanistic studies by identifying candidate molecular drivers most relevant to human longevity. Supporting biological plausibility, reduced piRNA biogenesis has been shown to double lifespan in C elegans. Together, our findings identify circulating piRNAs and miRNAs as promising biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets to advance human longevity.
Journals
2026 EN
Hong Namki · Cho Sang Wouk · Cohen Alan A.
+8 more
ABSTRACT Entropy may play an underappreciated role in human aging, such as in skeletal muscle functional declines. Histologically, muscle appears increasingly disorganized with aging, with greater fiber size variability and fiber‐type grouping. We tested the hypothesis that entropy is associated with reduced physical performance and muscle function, independent of muscle mass. We quantified a homeostatic dysregulation index of muscle (HDI M ) as a proxy for entropy of muscle fiber disorganization based on cross‐sectional images of vastus lateralis biopsies from 299 adults age 70 or older. HDI M was derived from three traits: fiber area diversity, fiber‐type heterogeneity, and the mean of the shortest path lengths through adjacent fiber networks. HDI M derived from muscle fibers was highly correlated with Shannon entropy, a different measure of entropy of muscle fiber traits. Higher HDI M derived from participants was associated with slower 400‐m walk speed, lower peak VO 2 , muscle power, and decreased maximum rate of oxidative phosphorylation by mitochondria in muscle. These findings suggest that muscle fibers accumulate entropy with aging which contributes to decline in physical performance, muscle power, and mitochondrial energetics, advancing the entropy framework in aging research.
Journals
2026 EN
Sun Peixin · Shao Shiying · Creemers Robin W.
+5 more
ABSTRACT Early‐life nutrition can exert long‐lasting effects on later‐life health. Given that lactose is extensively consumed during early mammalian development, this raises the intriguing possibility that lactose or its constituent galactose may exert beneficial nutritional programming effects. We tested here whether early‐life (larval period) co‐consumption of galactose and glucose (GALGLU; as in hydrolysed lactose) shapes later‐life (adult) lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster . Larval GALGLU versus isocaloric glucose consumption (GLU) significantly extended the developmental time of larvae, increased the pupal volume, decreased pupal oxygen consumption, and reduced the pupal mitochondrial mass. These early‐life effects were translated into sexually dimorphic effects on adult lifespan. Specifically, larval GALGLU consumption extended the lifespan of females when challenged with an obesogenic adult diet, whereas it reduced lifespan in males. To identify molecular correlates of the female‐specific benefit, we profiled transcriptomes and lipidomes. Notably, larval GALGLU induced later‐life transcriptional activation of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC)‐synthesizing enzymes, including the diene‐producing desaturase Fad2 , without changes in the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)‐producing desaturase Desat1 , indicating increased MUFA demand without increased supply. Lipidomic analysis revealed decreased MUFA‐containing and increased polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)‐containing glycerophospholipids. These data suggest that enhanced CHC biosynthesis depletes cellular MUFAs, driving compensatory incorporation of PUFAs into glycerophospholipids. Concluding, early‐life galactose and glucose co‐consumption programs sexually dimorphic lifespan, specifically by counteracting the lifespan‐shortening effects of obesogenic diets in adult females, and redirects adult female lipid metabolism toward a PUFA‐enriched glycerophospholipid profile.