Radial rainfall pattern changes of intense over‐ocean tropical cyclones under global warming: insights from an MRI HighRes CMIP6 simulation

Tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall is an important hazard. Radial rainfall patterns of intense over‐ocean TCs under global warming are investigated using the MRI HighRes Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 simulation with the SSP5‐8.5 high‐emission scenario. These patterns are characterized by four parameters: rainfall at the cyclone center (To), maximum rainfall (Tm), radius of maximum rainfall (Rm), and e‐folding radius (Re). We find Tm strongly correlates (r = 0.8) with a moisture convergence proxy—boundary‐layer maximum wind times column moisture divided by the radius of maximum wind—across different intensities and under climate change. Under warming, mean Tm and To increase by 8.65%/K and 8.86%/K, while Rm and Re shrink by 1.03%/K and 1.79%/K, respectively. Notably, under warming, Tm exhibits greater sensitivity to TC intensity, and its increases are mainly attributed to column moisture increase

Modulatory effect of levodopa on the basal ganglia-cerebellum connectivity in Parkinson’s disease

Long-term levodopa use in Parkinson’s disease is associated with declining efficacy and motor complications. Understanding its effects on brain reorganisation is vital for optimizing therapy. Using data from Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative, we investigated levodopa’s impact on resting-state functional connectivity within the cortico-basal ganglia-cerebellum system in 29 patients, under drug-naïve and levodopa-medicated conditions. Univariate comparisons of inter-regional connectivity between conditions were conducted, and multivariate combinations of connections within and between networks were assessed. No significant effect of levodopa was found using the univariate seed-based approach. However, the network connectivity pattern between basal ganglia and cerebellum showed robust classification power. Eigenvector Centrality Mapping (ECM) further identified functional hubs, with cerebellar hubs being the only ones within the cortico-basal ganglia-cerebellum system affected by medication. Our study provides further insight into the importance of inter-network functional connectivity in Parkinson’s and the impact of levodopa medication, highlighting the often-overlooked role of the cerebellum

Sex-based differences in inflammatory predictors of outcomes in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy: an inverse probability weighting analysis

Background. Inflammatory biomarkers, key predictors of ischemic stroke prognosis, may exhibit sex-specific predictive patterns. This study investigates sex-based differences in inflammatory biomarkers as predictors of 90-day clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods. This multicentre retrospective study included 970 patients consecutively treated with MT for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) between 2016 and 2023. Inflammatory indices, including NLR, PLR, MLR, CRP, SIRI, and SII, were measured on admission and 24-hour post-MT. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was used to balance baseline characteristics between male and female patients. LASSO regression and logistic regression were used to identify independent predictors of 90-day good functional outcomes(modified Rankin scale score mRS 0-2) and death, stratified by sex and agegroups (<55 and ≥55years). Results. In the male weighted population (516 patients), multivariable analysis showed that MLR (OR:0.37, 95% CI: 0.13–0.95, p=0.041), 24-hour NLR (OR:0.88, 95%CI:0.83–0.94, p<0.001) and 24-hour MLR (OR:0.33, 95%CI:0.12–0.94, p<0.001) were independent predictors of 90-day good functional outcome with age-specific differences noted.24-hour MLR (OR:5.05, 95%CI:1.36–4.28, p=0.047) and ESR (OR:1.02, 95%CI:1.01–1.04, p=0.025) were independent predictors of death, respectively for men < 55 and men ³ 55years. In the weighted female population (454 patients), 24-hour NLR (OR:0.89, 95%CI:0.81–0.96, p=0.007) and 24-hour CRP (OR:0.98, 95%CI:0.97–0.99, p=0.029) were independent predictors of good functional outcomes. 24-hour CRP was also an independent predictor of 90- day death (OR:1.01, 95%CI:1.00–1.02, p=0.017) in women with no age-specific differences noted. Interaction analysis revealed significant sex-specific relationships for MLR and CRP but not for NLR. Conclusions. This study highlights sex-based differences in the predictive value of widely available inflammatory biomarkers for stroke outcomes. MLR was a distinct predictor in men, while CRP was uniquely associated with outcomes in women. These findings underscore the need for sex-stratified approaches in stroke management and research

Differing terminology used to describe antimicrobial resistance can influence comprehension and subsequent behavioural intent

Background Despite global campaigns, the public’s understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a global emergency remains limited. Behaviour change is crucial in preserving antimicrobials but requires improved understanding of AMR at a population level. Methods Members of the public co-designed intervention arms, selecting three alternatives to AMR to be evaluated in a four-armed online randomised behavioural experiment. The primary outcome was attitudes towards AMR. Secondary and exploratory outcomes included comprehension, behavioural intent and recall. Results In April 2024, 4296 participants completed the online survey. Antibiotic Resistance is the most effective terminology for attitudes towards AMR (p < 3.95E-06), comprehension (p = 0.013) and recall (p < 0.0003). Both Antibiotic Resistance and The Antibiotic Crisis reduce behavioural intent to stop a course of antibiotics early. Conclusions Alternative terminology to describe AMR can impact attitudes, comprehension and behavioural intent towards antimicrobial use. Co-designing such terminology with the public can be an effective way utilising meaningful language in public health campaigns

Validation of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) recording in electronic health records: a systematic review

Objective: Acute exacerbations of COPD(AECOPD) can have severe impacts on patients with the disease and a heavy burden on health care resources. Electronic health records (EHRs) are a valuable resource for identifying cases of AECOPD and research. Studies have attempted to validate case definitions of AECOPD and this review aims to summarize validated AECOPD definitions in EHRs and to provide guidance on the best algorithms to use to ensure accurate cohorts of AECOPD cases are available for researchers using EHRs. Methods: MEDLINE and Embase were searched and studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed by ≥2 reviewers. Data extracted included the algorithms used to identify AECOPD, the reference standards used to compare against the algorithm, and measures of validity. The risk of bias was assessed using QUADAS-2 adapted for this review. Results: Out of 2784 studies found by the search strategy, 12 met the inclusion criteria. The clinical terminology used to build algorithms to detect AECOPD included codes from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and Tenth Revision (ICD-9-CM and ICD-10), along with the Read codes from United Kingdom general practices. AECOPD can be identified within EHRs using validated definitions, however, the validity of AECOPD definitions varies considerably depending on the algorithm used and the settings to which they are applied. Conclusion: Although there are validated definitions that can be used to identify AECOPD, there is no clear consensus on which provides the highest validity or the most sensitive and specific definition to use

Impact of tropical cyclone precipitation on fluvial discharge in the Lancang‒Mekong river basin

Tropical cyclone precipitation (TCP) and associated floods have caused widespread damage globally. Despite growing evidence of significant changes in the activity of tropical cyclones (TCs) in recent decades, the influence of TCs on regional flooding remains poorly understood. Here, we distinguish the role of TCs in fluvial discharge by explicitly simulating discharge with and without observed TCP in the Lancang‒Mekong River Basin, a vulnerable TC hotspot. Our results show that TCs typically contributed approximately 30% of annual maximum discharge during 1967–2015. However, for rare and high-magnitude floods (long return periods), TCs are the dominant driver of extreme discharge events. Moreover, spatial changes in TC-induced discharge are closely related to changes in TCP and TC tracks, showing increasing trends upstream but decreasing trends downstream. This study reveals significant spatiotemporal differences in TC-induced discharges and provides a methodology for quantifying the role of TCs in fluvial discharge

UQ-BoSE: uncertainty quantification on the boundaries of segmented events

We present a new method to estimate the boundary of extended sources in high-energy photon lists and to quantify the uncertainty in the boundary. This method extends the graphed seeded region growing method developed by M. Fan et al. Here, we describe how an unambiguous boundary of a centrally concentrated astronomical source may be defined by first spatially segmenting the photon list, then forcibly merging the segments until only two segments—an extended source and its background—remain, and finally constructing a boundary as the connected outer edges of the Voronoi tessellation of the photons included in the source segment. The resulting boundary is then modeled using Fourier descriptors to generate a smooth curve, and this curve is bootstrapped to generate uncertainties. We apply the method to photon event lists obtained during the observations of galaxies NGC 2300 and Arp 299. We demonstrate how the derived extent and enclosed flux of NGC 2300 obtained with Chandra and XMM-Newton are comparable. We also show how complex internal structure, as in the case of Arp 299, may be subsumed to construct a compact boundary of the object

Modeling trust in assistive human-robot interaction: a data-driven approach

In human-robot interaction, particularly in assistive robotics where users rely on autonomous or semi-autonomous systems for physical support, trust is central to safe and effective collaboration. While research on trust in robotics has grown, many studies use simplified scenarios that fail to capture the complexities of real-world interactions. This thesis addresses these gaps by investigating trust through experimental user studies, introducing novel measurement tools, and developing machine learning models tailored to realistic assistive robotics applications. Through reviewing empirical studies, we establish that existing work often uses constrained methodological approaches missing critical aspects of embodied interaction. Building on these insights, we develop and validate experimental platforms for studying trust in naturalistic settings. Using an autonomous wheelchair system, we show that trust is strongly influenced by robot performance in real navigation tasks: good performance enhances trust and attitudes, while poor performance harms perception and engagement. To capture dynamic trust changes, we introduce Trusty, a handheld device enabling continuous trust measurement without disrupting interaction flow. In a user study with our wheelchair system, Trusty is validated against established questionnaires and shown to provide reliable real-time trust feedback. Leveraging continuous trust data alongside video, gaze tracking, and physiological signals, we design a transformer-based model to predict user trust. Fusing these modalities with auxiliary perceptual tasks improves classification accuracy, with eye-gaze data proving particularly valuable. We also present AMIGA (Assistive Mobile Interactive Grasping Agent), a mobile manipulation platform combining a UR10e arm with a powered wheelchair base for robust, cost-effective assistive tasks. Using AMIGA, we develop Trust-ACT, an imitation learning approach that incorporates trust annotations for policy refinement. Trust-based trajectory selection improves success rates and execution times in block-stacking tasks. This work advances reliable, user-centered assistive robotics by deepening the understanding of trust and providing practical tools and frameworks.Open Acces

Monetary valuation of congenital heart disease in Indonesia: economic modeling study

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) constitutes a significant health and economic burden in low- and middle-income countries, including Indonesia. However, its macroeconomic impact across provinces remains poorly quantified. Objective: This study aims to estimate the economic burden associated with premature death and disability due to CHD in Indonesia, with a focus on regional and gender disparities. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, we assessed the value of lost welfare (VLW) attributable to CHD across all 34 Indonesian provinces. Economic valuation was conducted using 3 approaches: the US Department of Transportation model, a method based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and a national wage–based estimate. Analyses were stratified by sex and derived from both disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years of life lost. We examined disparities using two approaches: (1) gender disparity was measured as the relative difference in VLW between males and females, and (2) geographical disparity was quantified using both location quotients (for raw VLW) and a disparity index (for VLW-to–gross domestic product ratios). Results: The national CHD-related VLW derived from DALYs was estimated at US $16.83 billion (US Department of Transportation), US$11.41 billion (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and US $9.03 billion (wage-based). West Java recorded the highest provincial VLW (US$1.60 billion), followed by East Java (US $0.83 billion), North Sumatra (US$0.80 billion), and Central Java (US $0.79 billion), indicating a concentration of burden in populous provinces. In contrast, Yogyakarta (US$0.04 billion), North Kalimantan (US $0.04 billion), and West Papua (US$0.06 billion) had the lowest estimates. In several provinces, male-attributed VLW was more than 150% higher than female VLW, with extreme gaps observed in Riau Islands (281.25%), Aceh (166.10%), and Banten (145.86%). These patterns were consistent across both DALY- and years-of-life-lost-based estimates. Based on the location quotients, provinces such as Papua (2.42), West Sulawesi (2.37), Maluku (1.78), East Nusa Tenggara (1.75), and Central Sulawesi (1.66) bore VLW burdens far greater than their population share. The burden was disproportionately high in several eastern provinces, including East Nusa Tenggara (3.35%), Maluku (2.61%), and West Sulawesi (2.66%). Conclusions: CHD is a macroeconomically manageable burden across most of Indonesia. However, the presence of deep gender disparities and geographically concentrated burdens in eastern and underserved provinces calls for targeted pediatric cardiac health investments

European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition – hormone replacement therapy, other common medical therapies and cancer

Several medical therapies modify the risk of developing certain cancers in an individual. The aim of this paper was to provide the scientific justification for the 5th edition of the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC5) recommendation on the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other drugs used at population scale, such as hormonal contraceptives and aspirin. HRT modifies the risk of developing certain cancers in an individual. Except for vaginal oestrogens, all forms of HRT are associated with an increased breast cancer risk; the risk of serous ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer may also be increased. Despite such an increase in cancer risk, HRT often remains the only option for the management of certain menopausal symptoms for the restoration of quality of life and mental health. Therefore, the ECAC5 recommends using HRT for bothersome menopausal symptoms only after a thorough discussion with a healthcare professional and limiting its use for as short a duration as possible. On review of up-to-date evidence for hormonal contraceptives and aspirin, the ECAC5 Working Group elected not to make a recommendation for the average-risk general population regarding the use of these therapies