搜索结果：Bulletin

In 2023, a significant increase in the number of pertussis cases was recorded in Poland, which is consistent with the trend of a resurgence of respiratory diseases observed across Europe following the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase is related to factors such as declining population immunity, delays in vaccinations, and diagnostic difficulties, particularly in adults and adolescents. The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation of pertussis in Poland in 2023 compared to the situation in previous years, with particular emphasis on assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and assessing the vaccination status of children against pertussis. The assessment of the epidemiological situation of pertussis in Poland was made based on the results of the analysis of individual reports on pertussis cases registered at the National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute in the EpiBaza system and data from the annual bulletins "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland" and the bulletin "Vaccinations in Poland in 2023". In 2023, 922 cases of pertussis were recorded. The incidence was 2.45/100,000, which was 150% higher than in 2022. The highest incidence of pertussis occurred in children aged 0-4 years (17.3/100,000), and high in children aged 5-9 years (7.6/100,000). Approximately 45% of cases occurred in people over 15 years of age. In 2023, the number of pertussis cases in Poland increased more than 2.5-fold compared to the previous year, which is due, among other things, to the complete lifting of pandemic restrictions and an increase in social contacts. Pertussis remains a significant public health threat, and waning post-vaccination immunity promotes transmission, especially among adolescents and adults, who can infect infants. W 2023 roku w Polsce odnotowano istotny wzrost liczby zachorowań na krztusiec, co wpisuje się w obserwowany w całej Europie trend nawrotu chorób układu oddechowego po pandemii COVID-19. Wzrost ten jest związany m.in. ze spadkiem odporności populacyjnej, opóźnieniami w szczepieniach oraz trudnościami w diagnostyce, zwłaszcza u dorosłych i młodzieży. Celem pracy była ocena sytuacji epidemiologicznej krztuśca w Polsce w 2023 r. w porównaniu z sytuacją w ubiegłych latach, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem oceny wpływu pandemii COVID-19 oraz oceny stanu zaszczepienia dzieci przeciw krztuścowi. Ocena sytuacji epidemiologicznej krztuśca w Polsce została wykonana na podstawie wyników analizy raportów jednostkowych o zachorowaniach na krztusiec zarejestrowanych w NIZP PZH – PIB w systemie EpiBaza oraz danych z biuletynów rocznych „Choroby zakaźne i zatrucia w Polsce” oraz biuletynu „Szczepienia ochronne w Polsce w 2023 r.”. W 2023 r. zarejestrowano 922 zachorowań na krztusiec. Zapadalność wynosiła 2,45 /100 tys. i była wyższa o 150% w porównaniu z zapadalnością w roku 2022. Najwyższa zapadalność na krztusiec wystąpiła u dzieci w grupie wieku 0-4 lata (17,3/100 tys.), a wysoka u dzieci w wieku 5-9 lat (7,6/100 tys.). Około 45% zachorowań dotyczyło osób powyżej 15 r.ż. W 2023 roku w Polsce liczba zachorowań na krztusiec wzrosła ponad 2,5-krotnie w porównaniu z rokiem poprzednim, co wiąże się m.in. z całkowitym zniesieniem ograniczeń pandemicznych i wzrostem liczby kontaktów społecznych. Krztusiec pozostaje istotnym zagrożeniem zdrowia publicznego, a wygasająca odporność poszczepienna sprzyja transmisji, zwłaszcza wśród młodzieży i dorosłych, którzy mogą zakażać niemowlęta. Najwyższą zapadalność odnotowano wśród dzieci w wieku 0-4 lat. Najbardziej narażone na ciężki przebieg i zgon są niemowlęta poniżej 6 miesiąca życia.

For this Special Collection we invited experts in the area of mathematical and computational biology to share their views on the major problems in their areas of interest and their recent research results - focusing on the development of state-of-the-art modeling approaches and computational techniques applied to problems in the life sciences - and to present their vision of the new directions needed for addressing unsolved problems. Papers in this Special Collection address mathematical and computational problems in several areas of the life sciences, including theoretical neuroscience, cancer modeling, and cell and developmental systems. With respect to methodologies, these papers cover dynamical systems, differential equations, stochastic processes, and modern computational techniques, all with an emphasis on techniques in modern modeling and computational methodologies. This Special Collection is jointly hosted by the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology and the Journal of Mathematical Biology.

Disasters can strike anywhere in Japan at any time. For patients who rely on life-sustaining equipment such as ventilators, disruption of essential services, including electricity, directly threatens their lives. Many patients with neurological disorders require specialized evacuation support during disasters, making preparedness during peacetime critical. It is desirable for relevant stakeholders to collaborate in developing individualized evacuation plans that address the securing of evacuation support personnel, evacuation methods, and post-evacuation living arrangements. The Japanese Society of Neurology has developed a disaster response manual, utilizes a disaster support network bulletin board, and has appointed network leaders and liaisons for intractable neurological diseases.

This study aimed to identify predictors for maternal morbidity among individuals categorized as low-risk for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) according to American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) Practice Bulletin (no.: 183). A retrospective cohort study of all singleton births between March 2020 and February 2022 at a Level IV maternity center. Individuals deemed at medium- or high-risk for PPH according to the ACOG risk stratification and those with missing data were excluded from the main analysis. Individuals with the composite maternal hemorrhagic outcome (CMHO) were compared with those without. Variables previously associated with maternal morbidity yet absent from the ACOG stratification were examined as potential predictors of the CMHO. Possible predictors were identified using a multivariable logistic regression and further assessed with a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Out of 8,623 deliveries, 3,472 (40.3%) met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 175 (5.0%) had a CMHO. Individuals with the composite outcome were older, had a higher body mass index, and had higher rates of Hispanic race/ethnicity, diabetes, postterm pregnancy, scheduled cesarean delivery, and neonatal birth weight ≥ 4,000 g. The combination of ≥ 2 risk factors among low-risk patients, present in 16%, was associated with a similar CMHO rate compared with those at medium PPH risk by the ACOG criteria. The combined presence of ≥ 4 factors was associated with a CMHO rate of 36% and yielded a 10.47 positive likelihood ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.55-30.90). The area under the curve for the ROC curve of the final model was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.62-0.65). Among low-risk PPH patients, several risk factors with low predictive value flagged roughly one out of six with morbidity similar to medium risk. · Five percent of individuals categorized as low-risk for PPH have hemorrhagic morbidity.. · Several predictors of morbidity were identified.. · Low-risk patients with ≥ 2 predictors had similar morbidity to patients with a moderate PPH risk..

In 2023 there was a significant increase in the number of syphilis cases in Poland, more than 50% new cases were reported compare to previous year. There is still a problem with the clinical differentiation of reported cases, i.e. new infections, reinfections, and residual positive serological tests confirming the presence of antibodies against Treponema pallidum in previously successfully treated individuals. The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation of syphilis cases in Poland in 2023 in comparison to previous years. Analysis of the epidemiological situation was based on case-based data from reports of newly detected syphilis cases received from doctors and laboratories and registered in 2023 year. Additionally aggregated data from MZ-56 reports on infectious diseases, infections and poisoning from 2017 to 2019 sent from Sanitary Inspections to NIPH NIH - NRI was used. Also, data about treatment patients in dermatology/venereology clinics in 2020-2023 reported on MZ-14 forms and published in the NIPH NIH - NRI bulletins were used. In 2023, in Poland, 2,968 syphilis cases were reported (diagnosis rate was 7.89 per 100,000 population), including 130 cases among non-Polish citizens. The most often syphilis cases were detected among people below 30 years old (37.1%) and among men (88.1%). In 2023, early syphilis (ICD-10 code: A51) consisted 36.0% of all cases reported to surveillance (1,068 cases) and other syphilis and undetermined (ICD-10 code: A53) consisted 60.6% (1,799 cases). In 2023, the number of reported syphilis cases increased more than by half compared to the previous year. The percentage of cases of early syphilis (the most infectious), which probably occurred in a short period of time, also remains high, what can influence on transmission this infection in population and lead to increase in the number of new cases. W 2023 roku nastąpił znaczny wzrost liczby przypadków kiły w Polsce, zgłoszono o ponad 50% więcej przypadków niż w roku poprzednim. Nadal pozostaje problemem rozróżnienie kliniczne zgłaszanych przypadków tj. nowych zakażeń, reinfekcji, oraz pozostałości dodatnich testów serologicznych potwierdzających obecność przeciwciał w kierunku Treponema pallidum u osób wcześniej skutecznie leczonych. Celem pracy była ocena sytuacji epidemiologicznej kiły w Polsce w roku 2023 w porównaniu z poprzednimi latami. Ocenę sytuacji epidemiologicznej przeprowadzono na podstawie zgłoszeń przypadków kiły zarejestrowanych w roku 2023 pochodzących od lekarzy i z laboratoriów. Wykorzystano również zagregowane dane ze sprawozdań o zachorowaniach na choroby zakaźne, zakażeniach i zatruciach MZ-56 (meldunki dwutygodniowe, kwartalne, roczne) za lata 2017-2019 przekazane przez Państwową Inspekcję Sanitarną do NIZP PZH – PIB oraz dane ze sprawozdań MZ-14 o leczonych w poradniach skórno-wenerologicznych, publikowane w biuletynach NIZP PZH – PIB za lata 2020-2023. W 2023 roku w Polsce zgłoszono 2 968 przypadków kiły (wskaźnik rozpoznań 7,89 na 100 000 mieszkańców), w tym 130 u obcokrajowców. Najwięcej przypadków stwierdzono u osób poniżej 30 r.ż. (37,1%) oraz mężczyzn (88,1%). W 2023 roku kiła wczesna (ICD-10: A51) stanowiła 36,0% wszystkich rozpoznań kiły zgłoszonych do nadzoru (1 068 przypadków), a kiła inna i nieokreślona (ICD-10: A53) 60,6% (1 799 przypadków). W 2023 roku liczba zgłoszeń przypadków kiły zwiększyła się o ponad połowę w porównaniu z poprzednim rokiem. Na wysokim poziomie pozostawał również odsetek przypadków kiły wczesnej (najbardziej zakaźnej), co może mieć wpływ na rozprzestrzenianie się zakażeń w populacji i wzrost liczby nowych przypadków.

The 2025 measles outbreak in Mexico (5741 cases) marked a severe decline in immunization resilience. We aimed to measure this systemic vulnerability and project 2026 coverage. A Bayesian Ridge Regression model was built using a high-resolution (2015-2025) dataset (WHO indicator WHS8_110 and national bulletins). To validate the model, Leave-One-Out Cross Validation and Bootstrap (n = 5000) methods were used. Our results project a MCV1 vaccine coverage of 85.41% (95% confidence interval: 64.45-100.00%) for 2026, which remains below the 95% herd immunity threshold. High postpandemic volatility limited the model's predictive performance (R² = -0.36), reflecting an atypical deviation from historical trends. Prior coverage (89.59%) is the primary driver, while outbreak load and crisis status (10.41% combined) trigger the projected downturn. This indicates a delayed immunization recovery where past performance no longer reliably dictates the future due to logistical saturation. The immunization system of Mexico has reached a state of prolonged vulnerability, and there is an urgent need for structural reinvestments and catch-up campaigns to prevent the re-establishment of endemic measles transmission.

Food and waterborne diseases are a significant Public Health problem. In recent years, their epidemiology has been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing burden of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). Assessment of epidemiological situation of foodborne infections and intoxications in Poland in 2021-2023. Routine surveillance data collected by the District Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations (PSSE) through the Registry of Epidemic Outbreaks and data from the bulletins "Infectious Diseases and Poisonings in Poland" (2021-2023) were analyzed. Incidence, etiology, outbreak settings and hospitalization rates were assessed. In 2021-2023, an increase in the number of cases of bacterial infections and intoxications was registered (over 90,000 cases, incidence 80.2/100,000) related to an increase in Clostridioides difficile infections (56.4/100,000 in 2023 vs. median 29.5/100,000 in 2015-2019). Also, there was an increase in listeriosis incidence. Among viral infections most prevalent were rotaviral infections, with an increase in 2022 and a decrease in 2023 and incidence between 15.7-20.1/100,000. Between 2021 and 2023, 2,722 foodborne outbreaks were reported, in which 20,102 cases occurred (compared to 2,767 outbreaks and 22,681 cases between 2017 and 2019). Majority of outbreaks were of bacterial etiology (53%), among which the most prevalent were salmonellosis outbreaks, and in this category 80% were S. Enteritidis outbreaks. Proportion of Clostridioides difficile outbreaks was 21.5% (16.5% of all outbreak cases), in medical facilities, outbreaks of this aetiology accounted for 78% of outbreaks. Overall, 27.9% of outbreak cases were hospitalized, most frequently in CDI and hepatitis A outbreaks. Outbreaks occurred mainly in household settings; however, most cases occurred in food-serving facilities and medical facilities. In 2021-2023, the number of foodborne infections and intoxications outbreaks was comparable with the pre-pandemic period, but its aetiology-related structure changed (increases in CDI and viral etiology outbreaks. Those results may confirm the need of ongoing surveillance enhancement and laboratory diagnostic capacity development. Choroby przenoszone drogą pokarmową stanowią istotny problem zdrowia publicznego na świecie. W ostatnich latach na sytuację epidemiologiczną tych chorób w Europie wpływały zarówno zmiany związane z pandemią COVID-19, jak i rosnące znaczenie zakażeń Clostridioides difficile (CDI). Ocena sytuacji epidemiologicznej zatruć i zakażeń pokarmowych w Polsce w latach 2021-2023. Wykorzystano dane z rutynowego nadzoru epidemiologicznego gromadzone przez PSSE w systemie Rejestr Ognisk Epidemicznych (ROE) oraz dane z biuletynów „Choroby zakaźne i zatrucia w Polsce” z lat 2021-2023. Analizowano zapadalność, etiologię i miejsca występowania ognisk zakażeń i zatruć pokarmowych oraz odsetek hospitalizacji. W latach 2021–2023 odnotowano wzrost liczby przypadków bakteryjnych zakażeń i zatruć pokarmowych (łącznie ponad 90 tys., zapadalność 80,2/100 tys.). Wzrost zachorowań był związany ze zwiększeniem liczby zakażeń Clostridioides difficile: w 2023 r. zapadalność wyniosła 56,4/100 tys. (mediana 2015-2019: 29,5/100 tys.). Odnotowano także wzrost zapadalności na listeriozę. Wśród zakażeń wirusowych dominowały rotawirusy, ze wzrostem w 2022 r. i spadkiem w 2023 r., zapadalność norowirusów utrzymywała się w przedziale 15,7-20,1/100 tys. W 2021-2023 zarejestrowano 2 722 ogniska obejmujące 20 102 zachorowania, wobec 2 767 ognisk i 22 681 zachorowań w 2017-2019. Dominowały ogniska o etiologii bakteryjnej (53,3% ognisk), przede wszystkim salmonelozowe, głównie S. Enteritidis (80% ognisk salmonelozowych). Udział ognisk wywołanych przez Clostridioides difficile wyniósł 21,5% oraz 16,5% liczby zachorowań, w placówkach medycznych ogniska o tej etiologii stanowiły 78% ognisk. Hospitalizowano 5 609 (27,9%) chorych w ogniskach, najczęściej w przebiegu CDI (78,4%) oraz WZW A (69,4%). Ogniska najczęściej występowały w gospodarstwach domowych, natomiast najwięcej zachorowań było w podmiotach gastronomicznych i placówkach medycznych. W latach 2021-2023 liczba ognisk chorób przenoszonych drogą pokarmową była porównywalna z okresem przedpandemicznym, natomiast istotnym zmianom uległa ich struktura etiologiczna, w tym wzrost udziału CDI i spadek ognisk wirusowych. Wyniki te podkreślają potrzebę dalszego wzmacniania rutynowego nadzoru epidemiologicznego oraz rozszerzania diagnostyki laboratoryjnej.

The fullPIERS (The Preeclampsia Integrated Estimate of Risk) model was developed and used in a prospective, multicenter study to identify women with preeclampsia at risk of developing complications within 7 days. This research aimed to elucidate the fullPIERS model and conduct its Turkish validation. A total of 214 women with singleton pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia at or before 40 weeks of gestation were retrospectively evaluated; 170 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The diagnosis of preeclampsia was established in accordance with the diagnostic criteria outlined in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Practice Bulletin. FullPIERS scores were calculated using the online calculator available on the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine website. There were statistically significant differences in gestational age at hospital admission and gestational age at delivery between patients who experienced maternal and/or fetal adverse events and those who did not (p < 0.05). There was also a significant difference in birth weight in combined maternal-fetal adverse event group and only maternal adverse event group (p = 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). There were differences in systolic blood pressure, creatinine, and AST values between those who experienced adverse events in mother and baby and those who did not (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.011, respectively). There were differences in systolic blood pressure, creatinine, AST, platelet count, proteinuria and oxygen saturation values between those who experienced only maternal adverse events and those who did not (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p = 0.009, p < 0.05, p < 0.05 and p < 0.016 respectively). There was a significant difference in the fullPIERS score between those who experienced maternal, fetal, or combined maternal-fetal adverse events and those who did not (p < 0.001, p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The fullPIERS model captures key pathophysiological features of severe preeclampsia and demonstrates robust risk discrimination in a Turkish cohort in maternal and/or fetal adverse events, supporting its broader application in complication risk-oriented obstetric care.

LLMs are increasingly applied in clinical medicine, but their performance in protocol-driven fields like anesthesiology remains underexplored. Obstetric anesthesia demands timely and accurate decision-making, where adherence to established guidelines is essential. This study investigates how prompting strategies and model architectures influence LLM performance in a high-stakes clinical domain. To evaluate the performance of four Large Language Models (LLMs)&#x2014;ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4o-mini, DeepSeek-V3, and DeepSeek-R1&#x2014;in answering guideline-based questions in obstetric anesthesia using three distinct prompting strategies. Eleven clinical questions derived from the 2019 ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 209 were posed to each model using three prompting strategies: Isolated Prompting (IP), Batch Prompting (BP), and Contextual Isolated Prompting (CIP). Responses were rated across four clinical dimensions (Accuracy, Overconclusiveness, Supplementary Value, and Completeness) using a 5-point Likert scale, and assessed for readability using Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch&#x2013;Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL). Statistical analyses included ANOVA and post hoc comparisons. No significant differences were found across models for Accuracy, Overconclusiveness, or Completeness (p&#x2009;>&#x2009;0.05). However, Supplementary Value differed significantly (p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.008), with ChatGPT-4o under CIP outperforming DeepSeek-V3 under IP (p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.021). ChatGPT-4o demonstrated the highest overall readability (lowest FKGL), while ChatGPT-4o-mini&#x2019;s readability improved significantly under CIP. DeepSeek-V3 under BP outperformed R1 under IP in FKGL scores (p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0294). LLMs demonstrate comparable core clinical accuracy in obstetric anesthesia tasks, with ChatGPT-4o offering the most readable and context-rich responses. Prompting strategy, especially CIP, enhances response quality. These findings support the potential of LLMs as clinical aids, contingent on thoughtful prompt design and domain validation.

This study investigated interword spacing effects on eye movement during Arabic reading, focusing on the distinctive orthographic system of Arabic text. Research on Roman-script languages (e.g., English) concluded that interword spacing facilitates word identification and sentence comprehension (Rayner et al. in Vision Research 38:1129&#x2013;1144, 1998, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0042-6989(97)00274-5 ; Slattery et al. in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied 22:406&#x2013;422, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000104 ), whereas studies on other languages could not replicate these results (Bai et al. in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 34:1277&#x2013;1287, 2008, https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.34.5.1277 ). While written Arabic uses interword spaces between words, we showed that manipulating interword spaces did not inhibit reading-related eye movements. However, we found a significant influence of interword spacing on saccadic programming. Overall, the lack of an &#x2018;interword spacing effect&#x2019; in Arabic led us to postulate that Arabic orthography might have an important role in guiding saccades despite the absence of interword spacing. Our conclusions are also in line with the proposal that there is an independent level of abstract letter representation of Arabic which encodes allographs and letter positions (e.g., Carreiras et al. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 19:685&#x2013;690, 2012, https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-012-0260-8 ).

Background and Objectives: Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the most efficacious treatment for vasomotor symptoms and genitourinary conditions associated with menopause. Modern menopause care increasingly encompasses women with multimorbidity, renal or hepatic impairment, previous malignancies or thromboembolic disorders, advanced age, and polypharmacy-groups frequently underrepresented in randomized clinical trials. This evidence gap prompts significant inquiries about the relevance of trial-based recommendations to actual clinical practice. Materials and Methods: This narrative review offers a concentrated assessment of prominent worldwide clinical guidelines regarding menopausal hormone therapy through thematic synthesis. We examined position statements from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS), NICE clinical guidelines, the ACOG Practice Bulletin on menopausal symptom management, the Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline, and pertinent UK guidance from RCOG, BMS, and BGCS. Data from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and extensive observational studies were analyzed to contextualize guideline recommendations for populations often underrepresented in clinical trials, including women aged &#x2265;65 years and individuals with multimorbidity or polypharmacy. Results: Only the NICE and EMAS recommendations expressly acknowledge clinical vulnerability or complexity (multimorbidity, frailty, and cancer survivorship) as foundational principles. NAMS and ACOG delineate risk categories but fail to offer a cohesive taxonomy of vulnerability. Polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions are inconsistently addressed across guidelines, and there is a deficiency of standardized prescribing algorithms. While routine safety monitoring is universally advocated, the intervals for follow-up and methods for risk categorization differ. Observational evidence consistently indicates route-dependent variations in cardiovascular and thromboembolic risk, with transdermal estrogen linked to a more advantageous safety profile in higher-risk individuals. Conclusions: Present menopausal therapy guidelines are methodologically sound; however, they insufficiently address the complexities of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and organ dysfunction. A systematic conceptual framework that incorporates areas of clinical vulnerability may facilitate personalized benefit-risk evaluation in practical applications. Future guideline revisions should enhance clarity by incorporating polypharmacy concerns, monitoring strategies, and systematic risk stratification methods for clinically complicated patients.

Research misconduct undermines scientific credibility and public trust. Embedding research integrity (RI) education within institutions is a cornerstone of responsible conduct of research (RCR), however practical and scalable strategies remain under documented in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) established a Research Integrity Committee (RIC) in 2023 to institutionalize RI training. This paper describes the training strategies adopted by the KEMRI RIC to enhance institution-wide awareness and practices of RCR. Five complementary approaches were implemented: (1) a train-the-trainer (TTT) programme for RIC members; (2) the integration of RI symposia into national scientific and bioethics conferences; (3) geographically clustered, centre-specific training tailored to local needs; (4) hybrid in-person/virtual training delivery platforms; and (5) digital dissemination through bulletins, social media, and the institutional website. Over 1200 of over 4000 of the participants were reached across all 15 KEMRI research centers. Presentation of the committee work at the WCRI (Athens 2024) raised the profile of the RI awareness efforts locally and globally. This KEMRI experience describes opportunities for institutions seeking to foster a culture of responsible research.

First-person accounts (FPAs) provide multi-faceted insights into the lived social experiences of schizophrenia. We examined FPAs and third-person accounts (TPAs) using automated linguistic and network analyses to extract narrative patterns in relation to interpersonal difficulties. Narratives from 279 articles published in Schizophrenia Bulletin (1979-2025) were screened to identify 133 FPAs and 44 TPAs. Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire was used to assess syndromes of schizotypy expressed in the narratives. At least one cognitive-perceptual syndrome (ideas of reference, odd beliefs, magical thinking) was detected in every FPA (n&#xa0;=&#x2009;133). Interpersonal difficulties (social anxiety, no close friends, constricted affect) were detected in 56 FPAs and designated as the "interpersonal difficulties" group. We used the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software to extract interpersonally relevant features: authenticity, emotional tone, pronoun use, social behavior, and confidence. Linguistic features of narratives in FPAs with and without interpersonal difficulties were compared using network analysis. Greater authenticity and lower confidence were detected in FPAs compared to TPAs. FPAs contained fewer social words and more "I" words than TPAs. FPAs with interpersonal difficulties were longer, more negative, and less linguistically formal than FPAs without interpersonal difficulties. Network analysis indicated a link between interpersonal difficulties and "voices." Narratives categorized by interpersonal difficulties exhibit distinct linguistic signatures revealed through automated linguistic tools and network analyses. Despite the vast range of topics in FPAs, these computational methods provide a robust quantitative framework for validating the lived experience of negative syndrome in schizotypy.

Khvostov et al. (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 32: 2903-2912, 2025) present compelling evidence that observers have explicit access to detailed ensemble feature distributions, challenging the traditional view that only summary statistics are available. Here, we demonstrate that the Target Confusability Competition (TCC) ensemble model (Robinson & Brady, Nature Human Behaviour, 7: 1638-1651, 2023) provides a straightforward process-level account of these results. Without any parameter tuning, the model accurately predicts the observed response patterns across Gaussian, uniform, and bimodal color distributions. This alignment underscores the utility of TCC-ensemble in explaining ensemble perception and highlights the value of similarity-based encoding and integration mechanisms in supporting access to distributional structure.

Enrolled medical undergraduates face high exam competition and stress, reducing life quality, well-being, learning abilities and health; supporting their exam stress management is critical. This study used a 2-h forest bathing intervention to alleviate their exam-related stress. One week prior to the intervention, 160 students were recruited via university bulletin boards; eligibility screening, defined by a State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State score >40, was administered 1 day before the 2-h sensory exposure. Ultimately, 60 final-examination-preparing medical undergraduates (male:female&#x202f;=&#x202f;7:53) were randomly assigned to two groups (n&#x202f;=&#x202f;30 per group). Analyses focused on oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), physiological functions, and psychological changes under specific tasks. Forest environments characterized by lower noise levels, and higher negative air ion concentrations-with a comfort index of 0.971-1.368 (vs. 2.221-3.647 in urban areas) and negative oxygen ion concentrations of 1,000-1,200 ions/cm3 (vs. 400-500 ions/cm3 in urban areas). For the PFC region, forest group had significantly greater oxy-Hb reduction during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) [t(29)&#x202f;=&#x202f;3.038, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.005]. At the channel-specific level, forest group had decreased oxy-Hb in the left PFC and bilateral Frontopolar Area during the TSST, while the urban group exhibited increased oxy-Hb in the right PFC during the MT. No between-group oxy-Hb differences were observed in the Stroop task or rumination task. Forest group showed lower heart rate [F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;4.227, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.044], salivary cortisol [F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;4.590, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.036], higher Nature Connection Scale [F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;4.822, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.032], Digit Span Backward Test [F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;6.164, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.016], Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores [F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;12.040, p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001], lower Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire [F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;11.318, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.001]/Perceived Stress Scale scores [F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;6.076, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.017], 56.7% positive facial expressions (U&#x202f;=&#x202f;263.000, n&#x202f;=&#x202f;60, p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.002), and elevated positive affect [Profile of Mood States: F(1,57)&#x202f;=&#x202f;17.063, p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001]. Short-term forest bathing reduces physiological stress markers, enhances nature connectedness/positive emotions, alleviates stress via modified cerebral blood flow, and improves memory and reduce cognitive fatigue to a certain extent. As a low-cost, easy-to-implement strategy, it is may recommended for enrolled medical undergraduates' mental health curricula to build sustainable stress management.

Timely, clinically relevant outbreak intelligence is critical in an evolving infectious disease landscape. Over twelve years, the Amsterdam UMC Centre of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine produced weekly Epi Alerts (EAs), summarizing reports for travel and tropical medicine clinicians. We analysed these EAs to describe pathogen and disease distributions, explore temporal and geographic trends and reporting biases, and evaluate cited source accessibility. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all EAs (April 2013-December 2024). Data from 454 bulletins yielded 10,619 entries classified by pathogen type, disease category, and location. The study was reported in accordance with the STROBE guidelines for observational studies. Viral infections predominated (7,234/10,619; 68%), followed by bacterial (2,562; 24%), parasitic (646; 6%), and fungal (83; 1%) diseases. Arboviruses comprised 46% of viral entries (3,312/7,234), mainly dengue (1,210; 17%), chikungunya (328; 5%), and West Nile fever (314; 4%). Viral haemorrhagic fevers accounted for 17% (1,209/7,234) of all viral entries, predominantly Ebola virus disease (321; 4%), yellow fever (292; 4%), and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (246; 3%). Measles featured prominently (1,114/10,619; 11%). Reporting favoured English-language sources with higher internet visibility and well-resourced surveillance systems. Rare/emerging pathogens (e.g. Powassan, Oropouche, Kyasanur Forest disease viruses) were consistently captured. At analysis, 67% of hyperlinks were defunct (7,150/10,619). Although two-thirds of cited hyperlinks had become at the time of analysis, the EA archive offers durable, clinically relevant outbreak intelligence supporting diagnosis, travel advice, education. While selective, it captures emerging, rare and geographically unexpected infections relevant to clinical reasoning. Integration into ESCMID's Emerging Infections Subcommittee since mid-2025 ensures continuity and supports development into a searchable, continuously updated resource.