Salivary proteome and microbiome in pregnancy and postpartum:An exploratory study on the relation with arterial hypertension

Objectives: Arterial hypertension (AH) influences salivary gland physiology and oral health, being associated with a higher incidence of periodontal disease in pregnant women. Evidence points to a bidirectional relationship between the oral microbiota and blood pressure regulation. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the oral health of pregnant women and AH-associated changes in the salivary proteome and microbiome during pregnancy and postpartum. Design: Ten healthy women and ten women with AH were enrolled. Saliva was collected during pregnancy and six months postpartum. The salivary proteome was characterized by shotgun label-free mass spectrometry analysis. Specific proteins were validated through parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). The oral microbiota was characterized via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (V4 region). The periodontal health and the caries history was assessed during pregnancy. Results: Pregnant women with AH had lower junction plakoglobin (JUP)- and desmoplakin (DSP)-specific peptide levels than healthy women, confirmed by the PRM approach. The levels of these proteins correlated negatively with periodontal health indexes, which were higher in pregnant women with AH. In AH, nitrate-reducing microorganisms had lower abundance, correlating positively with JUP and DSP-specific peptides. Conclusions: The salivary proteome and microbiota are shaped by AH during and after pregnancy. Further research is required to understand the underlying mechanisms impairing oral health in AH.</p

Spatial Distributions of Isotope Ratios in Tap Water, Hair, and Teeth from Latin America for Region-of-Origin Predictions of Unidentified Border Crossers

In this article, we present and summarize reference stable isotope data useful in the identification efforts of deceased undocumented border crossers (UBCs) found in southern Arizona and South Texas. In addition, we discuss the use of reference baseline data to refine predictions of region- of-origin of unidentified UBC remains. Overall, Mexican reference hair samples reflect significant consumption of C4 resources, indicating a diet dominated by corn and corn products. Even though meat consumption in the United States is almost twofold that of Mexico, the Mexican δ15N values were elevated over U.S. values, suggesting differences in nitrogen isotope base- lines. The comparison of isotope data collected from deceased UBCs recovered from south Texas versus Arizona suggests only small differences in dietary isotopes between the two groups. Geolocation isotopes showed significant differences in δ18O values of both bone and tooth enamel bioapatite, suggesting differences in the sources of drinking water. However, no significant differences were identified between 87Sr/86Sr ratios for the two groups. Further, we present a case application of successful region-of-origin predictions using the δ18O values and 87Sr/86Sr ratios and also discuss some of the inherent limitations and challenges of applying reference data sets to large-scale humanitarian identification projects.</p

Crossing Borders:International and Multidisciplinary Applications of Isotope Analysis in Forensic Anthropology

This special issue of Forensic Anthropology focuses on applications of stable isotope analysis in forensic anthropologyand originated from a 2020 American Academy of Forensic Sciences symposium titled “Crossing Borders: International and Multidisciplinary Applications of Isotope Analysis in Forensic Anthropology.” Stable isotope applications are still relatively new in forensic anthropology, and current applications focus on the provenancing (i.e., sourcing) of unidentified human remains, the identification of possible evidence of starvation or undernutrition in potential abuse and neglect cases, and estimations of time since death

Soft-tissue prediction based on 3D photographs for virtual surgery planning of orthognathic surgery

Objectives: In orthognathic surgery, preoperative three-dimensional soft-tissue simulations are frequently used to determine the desired jaw displacements to enhance the facial soft tissue. This study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning-based method to predict postoperative facial soft tissue outcomes in real time for various orthognathic procedures. Methods: The study included 458 patients who underwent various orthognathic procedures. A deep learning-based method was developed based on 3D photographs for the real-time prediction of soft-tissue changes following orthognathic surgery. The developed method combined a morphable model, principal component analysis, and a feedforward neural network for predicting the effects of maxilla, mandible, and chin displacements on facial soft tissue. Prediction accuracy was evaluated by comparing the surface distance between predicted and actual postoperative soft tissues across facial regions. Results: The trained network generated postoperative facial predictions within 0.02 s, achieving a mean accuracy of 1.17 ± 0.49 mm across all surgery types. Regional accuracy ranged from 0.55 ± 0.23 mm (nose) to 1.60 ± 0.96 mm (chin). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the potential of a deep learning-based approach for real-time prediction of facial soft-tissue changes following various orthognathic procedures, achieving clinically relevant accuracy comparable to existing deep learning-based methods.</p

Is Antarctica Greening?

Earth's polar regions are experiencing significant climate change, impacting global oceanographic and weather patterns. Arctic “greening” is well studied, but a debate has emerged about whether similar trends are occurring in Antarctica and whether and how remote sensing can assess them. Recent studies have introduced a concept of “greening” in Antarctica, framed primarily around moss cover expansion over bare ground. This interpretation differs from Arctic greening studies, which focus mainly on changes in vascular plant productivity and successional dynamics. This paper evaluates the Antarctic greening concept, focusing on how Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)-based methods are applied and interpreted in this context, considering regional limitations in technology, data availability, and the unique Antarctic vegetation characteristics. Unlike the Arctic, Antarctic vegetation consists mainly of nonvascular organisms (algae, cyanobacteria, lichens, and bryophytes) that interact with slow-weathering soils with minimal organic inputs. These biological and environmental differences likely influence NDVI greening metrics and their ecological relevance, but remain poorly understood due to limited long-term data and validation. Despite advances in remote sensing, Antarctic vegetation mapping remains in its early stages. The small size and patchy distribution of vegetation complicate detection of presence and extent, and even with modern satellites, capturing subcentimeter annual growth rates remains challenging. The lack of historical high-resolution imagery hampers change detection, limiting our ability to track habitat expansion, vegetation dynamics, and community composition changes over time. Based on critical assessment, we identify serious concerns regarding the accuracy and interpretation of NDVI-based greening trends in Antarctica in recent studies, particularly in relation to technological constraints and biological realism. To address these issues, we propose a refined framework for interpreting NDVI data in Antarctica, aiming to prevent misleading conclusions about vegetation changes and trends. This framework suggests an urgent need for re-evaluation of how “greening” is both quantified and interpreted in Antarctica.</p

Reading from this place?:A personal reckoning with whiteness and Bible scholarship

This article offers a critical autoethnographic engagement with the enduring influence of whiteness in biblical scholarship. The author, a white South African New Testament scholar, reflects on how his theological formation and social location (which is marked by institutional privilege and Eurocentric frameworks), shaped his early interpretive practices and hindered more just, contextual readings of Scripture. Drawing on Welile Mazamisa’s challenge to ‘read from this place’, the article traces a personal and theological journey from detachment to engagement, from reader to hearer, from teacher to learner. Framed by decolonial hermeneutics and contextual theology, the author explores how encounters in the church, academy and society at large disrupted inherited paradigms and called forth new modes of interpretation rooted in solidarity and accountability. Some primary (South) African perspectives are engaged to illuminate the epistemic and ethical imperatives of reading from below. The article demonstrates how critical reflexivity and intercultural reading practices can help dismantle the hermeneutical injustices perpetuated by whiteness and recover liberative meanings obscured by dominant theological traditions. Contribution: This article contributes to ongoing conversations about decolonising biblical scholarship by providing a personal, methodologically rigorous case study. It models how critical autoethnography can serve as a theological practice of unlearning and reimagining, offering a path for scholars situated in privilege to read the Bible differently. By centring Southern African voices and interpretive traditions, the article advances the work of contextual, justice-oriented hermeneutics within and beyond the South African academy.</p

Time as a Resource in Involving Patients in Cancer Treatment Decision Making:An Interview Study

Background: Time is often seen as a barrier to shared decision making (SDM). It is unclear how time can be a resource for patient involvement in routine cancer treatment decision-making processes and how time may be used more effectively. Aims: To determine how time is reported to be used to facilitate patient involvement, when time is experienced to be most constrained, and how time may be used more effectively. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with patients and physicians were held. Patients who had faced treatment decisions for primary treatment of acute myeloid leukemia or adjuvant treatment for colon cancer were included. We chose these diagnoses because patients face a decision between two medically reasonable treatment options, the amount of time available for decision making markedly differs between the two diagnoses, and patients with solid and non-solid tumors may perceive the role of time differently. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: We interviewed 18 Patients and 23 physicians. We identified three themes: (1) preparing for the decision-making consultation, (2) time to spend together, and (3) time to arrive at a decision. We divided each theme into two subthemes. Conclusions: Patients differ in the time they need for decision making. It became clear that time is not a guarantee for a better decision-making process. Patients are not always choice aware, and rather perceive the decision as self-evident. Future research should focus on how to effectively raise patient choice awareness and allocate time in decision-making processes more effectively.</p