Present-day Venus, similar to Earth in terms of relative radius, acceleration of gravity and mean density, is characterised by a very strong greenhouse effect and full cloud cover. Numerical simulations and 3D-climate models suggest that Venus may have had a hospitable climate and surface water in the past. Therefore, potential Venusian life could have migrated to the clouds, which provide conditions that might support life. Many fungi have been identified as polyextremophiles, successfully coping with multiple stressors, like irradiation, extremes of temperatures and pH, low water availability. Acidophilic fungi could thus be candidates for potential Venus cloud inhabitants. We have analyzed the UV-Vis spectra of the spores of three acidophilic fungal species, Acidiella bohemica, Acidomyces acidophilus, and Acidomyces acidothermus. The UV-Vis spectrum of A. acidothermus showed three peaks of increased absorbance at 243 nm, 275 nm, and 323 nm, whereas in the case of A. bohemica and A. acidomyces one peak of maximal absorption was observed, at 265 nm and 258 nm, respectively. This partially overlaps with the wavelength range of the Venus "mysterious" UV absorber. Until future Venus missions provide more data, fungi with extremophilic properties should not be overlooked when considering possibility of life in the Venus clouds.
Protea venus, a hybrid of Protea repens and Protea aristata, is a commonly found flower in the South African market. To date, there are no reported chemical or biological studies on this hybrid. This study presents the first investigation of the chemical composition and preliminary biological activity of the methanolic extract of P. venus. Phytochemical analysis of the methanolic extract led to the isolation of nine known phenolic compounds (2-10) and one new compound, p-coumaroyl calleryanin (1). The identified known constituents include calleryanin derivatives (2-4), lacticolorin (5), quercetin derivatives (6-8), protocatechuic acid (9), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (10). Notably, calleryanin (2), protocatechuoyl calleryanin (3), kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside (6), and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (7) are reported for the first time in the genus Protea. Compounds 3 and 9 exhibited strong antioxidant activity in the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, with 9 exceeding vitamin C. Molecular docking studies suggest that the isolated compounds may interact with Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1). In H9c2 cardiomyocytes exposed to high glucose (40 mM) and palmitate (0.15 mM), the extract and compound 6 were non-cytotoxic (≤100 µg/mL) and produced a moderate restoration of ATP levels under glucolipotoxic conditions. These findings expand the phytochemical profile of P. venus and provide preliminary insight into its biological activity under metabolic stress.
Strong compression treatment is an evidence-based first-line treatment that helps reduce the healing time of venous leg ulcers. VenUS 6 is a three-arm RCT conducted in the UK that aimed to compare 4-layer bandages and 2-layer hosiery with compression wraps and 2-layer bandages. The study found that compression wraps are unlikely to reduce time to venous leg ulcer healing compared to the other treatments evaluate, although there was some uncertainty with this estimate. We nested a mixed-methods process evaluation within VenUS 6 to gain a more in-depth understanding of trial participant and nursing staff views on and experiences of various compression therapies, and to consider how these insights may explain VenUS 6 outcomes. We conducted individual, in-depth interviews with 11 trial participants and focus group discussions with 19 relevant health professionals based at seven participating primary, secondary and community care NHS Trust sites. We also used data collected during the trial from patients about their experience of compression use. We conducted a separate UK-wide survey with nurses to learn more about availability of the trial compression treatment options in clinics and their views on the ease of use of the compression treatments in scope. Qualitative data were analysed using framework analysis and quantitative data were analysed descriptively. Data were integrated with the help of the Pillar Integration Process. There was high satisfaction with compression wraps and limited discomfort among trial participants, who appreciated the wraps could be adjusted and taken off to allow them to take showers. Staff mentioned, however, that trial participants were prone to loosen the wraps. Whilst 2-layer hosiery allowed for self-application and could be taken off, trial participants said the hosiery was very tight and difficult to apply. Bandages, on the other hand, whilst bulky and sometimes uncomfortable, would often not be removed by trial participants, leading to greater exposure to effective compression. We have identified that people with venous ulcers wearing compression wraps are more likely to report loosening them and removal at night, than people wearing other types of compression treatment which was confirmed by staff. These reported behaviours could explain longer healing times for compression wraps, compared to other treatments delivered in our RCT. Despite longer times to healing, compression wraps may still be an appropriate compression treatment option for some people, and it is important for nursing staff to have conversations with service users and share decisions about suitable treatment options.
Among carnivorous plants, the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is known for its rapid (<1 s) trap closure. Although buckling instability, hydrostatic pressure, and hydroelastic coupling have all been proposed to be involved, the nature of this process and the relationship between trap size and curvature remain elusive. Here, we monitored the closure of Venus flytraps and performed micro-CT scanning and 3D reconstruction, revealing that increasing angular velocity was correlated with higher values of a non-dimensional shape index. Based on these experimental data, we constructed a geometric model of the trap that takes leaf orientation into account. We found that leaf curvature is dependent on leaf size, a relationship we denote as a size-curvature constraint. We further propose a curvature design derived from differential deformations of a two-layer model of the leaf, which could be a powerful tool to control the curvatures of soft and bending surface structures in the field of biomimetics.
Venus photochemistry couples SO2 variability, chlorine activation, sulfuric-acid cloud formation, and the still-unassigned near-UV absorber, yet several sulfur-chlorine intermediates in this network remain molecularly undefined. ClSO4 is one of them: it has been invoked as a chlorine-assisted route toward SO3 and H2SO4, but its structure and spectroscopy have not been established. We report a focused ab initio characterization of neutral doublet ClSO4 centered on explicit validation of its electronic structure. Multireference calculations with two independent active spaces locate the same O-bound chlorine sulfate radical and show that the relevant structure is not strongly multiconfigurational. An independent second-order perturbation-theory optimization recovers the same bond-localized topology, but the coupled-cluster minus second-order perturbation correction substantially refines the radical-bearing S-O distance, showing that second-order perturbation theory alone is not sufficient for final structural parameters. Final structural parameters are therefore obtained from a composite geometry, including explicit-correlation to account for basis-set extension, post-second-order correlation, and core-valence increments, whereas the vibrational analysis uses a second-order perturbation-theory force field and second-order vibrational perturbation treatment. The resulting vibrational spectrum contains a compact set of intense infrared markers, and the electronic absorption spectrum extends into the near-UV/visible region. These results establish ClSO4 as a chemically plausible and spectroscopically accessible intermediate in Venus sulfur-chlorine chemistry.
Simonetta Vespucci is the model for the world-renowned Venus painted by Sandro Botticelli at the end of the XV Century. Her unexpected death at the age of 23 remained a mystery for more than 500 years, until we proposed in 2019 that she probably suffered from a pituitary adenoma. We now hypothesize with further evidence from historical descriptions of her last days that an expansion of the adenoma was the cause of her premature death, aged twenty-three. Our hypothesis is supported by three elements: (1) tumour characteristics; (2) symptoms presented during her last days; and (3) the historical records of two potential precipitating events. We conclude that Simonetta Vespucci, the Venus by Botticelli, died as a consequence of a rapidly expanding pituitary adenoma causing tumour apoplexy, thereby making this endocrine emergency the likeliest cause of her death.
Plants can move rapidly without muscles, as seen in the Venus flytrap's snapping lobes-a long-standing puzzle in plant biomechanics. Trap closure involves an elastic instability, but the active mechanical driver has remained elusive. Using in situ hydraulic and mechanical measurements, we identified the motor driving this transition. Closure occurs too quickly to be explained by water transport, revealing a distinct, nonhydraulic mechanism: a rapid (about one second) softening of the epidermal cell wall, releasing elastic energy stored in the trap. This represents the fastest modulation of wall mechanics reported in plants. Our finding reveals a mode of plant motility based on dynamic tuning of material properties, suggesting principles for muscle-free, bioinspired actuation.
In Japan, seasonal influenza vaccination is recommended for older adults between October and mid-December; however, the optimal vaccination timing remains unclear owing to waning immunity and variable epidemic patterns. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of different vaccination strategies in reducing influenza-related outcomes in older adults. Using data from the VENUS Study, we conducted a target trial emulation including adults aged ≥65 years across four influenza seasons (2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2019/2020). We applied a cloning, censoring, and weighting approach. Each individual was cloned and assigned to one of seven vaccination strategies at the start of October: no vaccination, vaccination during October, October-November, October-December, November, November-December, or December. Outcomes included influenza, influenza-related hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. Risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences (RDs), relative to no vaccination, were estimated at the end of March for each season based on standardized cumulative incidence. Annual cohorts included 131,178-138,438 individuals (median age: 76-78 years; male sex: 40.1-41.0%). The influenza incidences and RRs varied by season. Delayed vaccination was associated with the lowest influenza incidence in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, but not in the other seasons. Influenza-related hospitalizations showed seasonal trends similar to those of influenza. In contrast, early vaccination strategies generally led to reduced all-cause mortality across all seasons. The RRs were 0.80-0.93, 0.80-0.95, 0.82-1.00, and 0.81-0.96 in the 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2019/2020 seasons, respectively. The RDs were larger for mortality than for the influenza-related outcomes. The effectiveness of each timing strategy varied depending on the outcome and season. Although delayed vaccination was associated with a lower influenza incidence in some seasons, early vaccination generally reduced all-cause mortality.
Short peripheral cannula (SPC)-related phlebitis occurs in 7.5% of critically ill patients, and mechanical irritation from cannula materials is a risk factor. Softer polyurethane cannulas reportedly reduce phlebitis, but the incidence of phlebitis may vary depending on the type of polyurethane. Differences in cannula stiffness may also affect the incidence of phlebitis; however, this relationship is not well understood. This study analyzed intensive care unit (ICU) patient data to compare the incidence of phlebitis across different cannula products, focusing on polyurethane. This is a post-hoc analysis of the AMOR-VENUS study that involved 23 ICUs in Japan. We included patients aged ≥ 18 years, who were admitted to the ICU with SPCs. The primary outcome was phlebitis, evaluated using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Based on the market share and differences in synthesis, polyurethanes were categorized into PEU-Vialon® (BD, USA), SuperCath® (Medikit, Japan), and other polyurethanes; non-polyurethane materials were also analyzed. Multivariable marginal Cox regression analysis was performed using other polyurethanes as a reference. In total, 1,355 patients and 3,429 SPCs were evaluated. Among polyurethane cannulas, 1,087 (33.5%) were PEU-Vialon®, 702 (21.6%) were SuperCath®, and 276 (8.5%) were other polyurethanes. Among non-polyurethane cannulas, 1,292 (39.8%) were ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) cannulas, and 72 (2.2%) used other materials. The highest incidence of phlebitis was observed with SuperCath® (13.1%). Multivariate analysis revealed an HR of 1.45 (95% CI 0.75-2.8, p = 0.21) for PEU-Vialon®, 2.60 (95% CI 1.35-5.00, p < 0.01) for SuperCath®, 2.29 (95% CI 1.19-4.42, p = 0.01) for ETFE, and 2.2 (95% CI 0.46-10.59, p = 0.32) for others. The incidence of phlebitis varied among polyurethane cannulas. Further research is warranted to determine the causes of these differences.
Severe aortic stenosis (AS) leads to chronic pressure overload of the left ventricle (LV). We explored the prognostic value of preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) dilation in patients with severe AS. This is a retrospective study of 108 patients with severe AS who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the Venus-A valve. These participants were assigned to the large LVEDD and non-large LVEDD groups. The receiver operating characteristic and Kaplan-Meier curves were generated to assess the predictive value of preoperative LVEDD dilation for poor patient prognosis (readmission or death within 1 year postoperatively), as well as its effects on the readmission risk owing to heart failure, and complications and survival rates within 1 year postoperatively. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in B-type natriuretic peptide, creatinine, aortic valve area, transfemoral access, aortic valve peak velocity, mean transvalvular pressure gradient, LVEDD, left ventricular end-systolic dimension, left atrial dimension, interventricular septal thickness, relative wall thickness, left ventricular mass index, left ventricular ejection fraction, E/A ratio, E/e' ratio, and stroke volume index. Preoperative LVEDD dilation showed a predictive value for poor patient prognosis (AUC = 0.843; 95%CI: 0.761-0.906, 50.9 mm cut-off value, 99.9% sensitivity, 62.07% specificity). Preoperative LVEDD dilation was an independent influencing factor for poor prognosis within 1 year postoperatively, associated with increased readmission risk and reduced patient survival rate. Preoperative LVEDD dilation is an independent influencing factor for poor postoperative prognosis in patients. It helps predict poor prognosis within 1 year postoperatively.
Cerebral edema is a common yet poorly defined neuroimaging feature in cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), and its influence on downstream clinical outcomes has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to characterize cerebral edema subtypes and evaluate their effect on functional outcomes in patients with CVT. We conducted a retrospective analysis using the CLOT-VENUS (Collaboration on Cerebral Venous Thrombosis) registry, an international cohort of patients with acute CVT treated at 2 major stroke centers in the United States and Mexico between 2004 and 2024. Admission neuroimaging (MRI and/or CT) was independently reviewed to classify cerebral edema into 3 subtypes: global cerebral edema, cytotoxic edema, and vasogenic edema. The primary outcome was the 6-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, which was assessed as an ordinal shift. Secondary outcomes included ordinal mRS score at discharge, poor functional outcome (mRS 3-6 vs 0-2 and mRS 2-6 vs 0-1), in-hospital mortality, 6-month mortality, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Multivariable models adjusted for prespecified baseline confounders were used to estimate the effect of cerebral edema on these outcomes. We included 394 patients with CVT (mean age was 42.7 ± 16.9 years; 65.5% female). Cerebral edema was identified in 220 patients and classified as cytotoxic edema (32.5%), global cerebral edema (25.6%), or vasogenic edema (24.9%). At discharge, global cerebral edema (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.79; 95% CI 1.83-4.27; p < 0.001) and cytotoxic edema (aOR: 1.89; 95% CI 1.27-2.80; p = 0.002) increased the odds of worse mRS scores. Similarly, at 6-month follow-up, both global cerebral edema (aOR: 1.83; CI 1.19-2.81; p = 0.006) and cytotoxic edema (aOR: 1.92; CI 1.28-2.88; p = 0.002) had a direct effect on higher odds of mRS scores. In addition, cytotoxic edema increased the risk of in-hospital mortality (aOR: 3.17; 95% CI 1.22-8.96; p = 0.021). Global cerebral edema led to a prolonged LOS (+2.00 days at median; p = 0.014). Our results suggest that cytotoxic and global cerebral edema independently worsened 6-month functional outcomes in patients with CVT, with cytotoxic edema also increasing the risk of in-hospital mortality. Prospective studies should evaluate whether early cerebral edema subtypes can serve as critical entities that could potentially stratify patients for adjunctive therapies beyond anticoagulation.
Here, we present a protocol to visualize and quantify β-arrestin-dependent signaling of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). We describe steps for detecting receptor-β-arrestin interactions during early trafficking events under our imaging conditions using an afCFP-Venus FRET pair. We then detail procedures for visualizing early intracellular signaling dynamics following AT1R activation and for analyzing GPCR trafficking and signaling dynamics in living cells.
Prior research suggests that health messages can affect men and women differently, yet these differences and their underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Based on the premise that many health messages are implicitly gendered, this randomized controlled experiment (N = 1116), conducted in a high-risk real-world context, investigates the effectiveness of implicitly gendered messages on psychosocial determinants of protective behaviors, including cognitive, attitudinal, and motivational dimensions, as well as behavioral intentions. Twelve public health messages, derived from commonly used communications and theoretical frameworks, were first evaluated according to their perceived masculinity or femininity, and their effects were then experimentally tested across participants. Results indicate that messages strongly aligned with gender stereotypes produce the largest differences in effectiveness between men and women. For example, authority-based messages (a masculine stereotype) are more effective among men, whereas messages emphasizing social reciprocity or concern for others (feminine stereotypes) are more effective among women. These effects emerge only when recipients are likely to engage in systematic processing, particularly when their political stance diverges from that of the message source (the French government). The results support the gendered message-recipient gender congruence hypothesis, rather than alternative explanations based on gender-specific processing styles, with substantial practical implications.
Chronic severe pulmonary regurgitation following repair of right ventricular outflow dysfunction may result in progressive right ventricular dilatation, heart failure, and arrhythmias. In patients with a complex surgical history, particularly those with mechanical tricuspid valve prostheses, standard transvenous access for pulmonary valve implantation can be technically challenging and carries risks for prosthetic valve injury. We report a successful hybrid perventricular Venus P-Valve implantation via left mini-thoracotomy in a 29-year-old man with 2 prior cardiac surgeries, mechanical mitral and tricuspid valves. The procedure was performed on the beating heart without cardiopulmonary bypass, avoiding the risks of a third open-heart surgery. This case highlights the advantages of a hybrid perventricular pulmonary valve implantation strategy in patients with a mechanical tricuspid valve. Hybrid perventricular access can expand transcatheter self-expanding pulmonary valve options in selected high-risk redo patients with a mechanical tricuspid valve and enlarged right ventricular outflow tract.
BackgroundInfluenza vaccination may reduce the risk of infection-triggered ischemic stroke (IS), but evidence remains limited, particularly in Japan.MethodsThis nested case-control study examined the association between influenza vaccination and the occurrence of IS among persons aged ≥65 years in a Japanese municipality between October 2016 and September 2023. IS cases were identified from insurance claims and matched with controls based on sex, age, and month of IS occurrence. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the association between vaccination and IS occurrence while adjusting for covariates such as comorbidities and prescription drugs.ResultsA total of 21,476 IS cases and 107,360 matched controls were analyzed. Influenza vaccination was significantly associated with a lower odds of IS (reference: unvaccinated) when administered 0-14 days (odds ratio: 0.74, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.88), 15-30 days (0.51, 0.43-0.59), 31-60 days (0.50, 0.45-0.56), 61-90 days (0.79, 0.72-0.87), and 91-120 days (0.81, 0.73-0.89) before IS occurrence. In a subgroup analysis, this association was observed only during the pre-epidemic and epidemic phases. Sex- and age-stratified analyses revealed similar patterns, with some variation in the magnitude of association.ConclusionsThese findings suggest a possible short-term inverse association between influenza vaccination and IS risk in older adults, but the influence of residual confounding cannot be excluded. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and clarify the potential role of influenza vaccination in reducing IS risk.
Safety data on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in the Japanese population remain limited owing to the lack of healthcare databases available for vaccine safety assessment. In this study, we assessed the risk of adverse events of special interest (AESIs) following HPV vaccination among females aged 12-26 y using medical claims data linked to routine or catch-up vaccination records provided by municipalities. We conducted a population-based cohort study and self-controlled case series (SCCS) from April 2015 to March 2023 for bivalent/quadrivalent vaccines and from April 2023 to March 2024 for the 9-valent vaccine. All females eligible for the vaccination program were included in the cohort study, whereas only those who experienced AESIs were included in the SCCS. The observation period was classified according to vaccination status as unvaccinated and post-vaccination risk periods following the first, second, and third doses. Adjusted rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated for the cohort and SCCS. In the bivalent/quadrivalent vaccines analysis cohort (25131 females), 1763, 1492, and 975 received the first, second, and third doses, respectively. In the 9-valent vaccine analysis cohort (38970 females), 3931, 2389, and 934 received the first, second, and third doses, respectively. Rates of 54 AESIs were calculated during unvaccinated periods. AESIs with feasible quantitative analyses for either the bivalent/quadrivalent or 9-valent vaccines included migraine, hypotension, asthma, polycystic ovary syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and epilepsy. No statistically significant increased risk following HPV vaccination was observed for these AESIs. Larger datasets are needed to assess rarer AESIs.
Strong compression is a recommended first line venous leg ulcer treatment. With limited research comparing the clinical effectiveness of compression wraps (CW) and two-layer compression bandage treatments with evidence-based compression (EBC) (four-layer compression bandages and two-layer compression hosiery), this study aimed to evaluate their clinical effectiveness on time to venous leg ulcer healing. A pragmatic, three-arm, randomised controlled trial in 33 United Kingdom primary, community and hospital sites between 03.02.2021 and 31.08.2024. Adults with a venous leg ulcer appropriate for compression therapy were randomised 1:1:1 to be offered CW, two-layer bandage, or EBC (two-layer hosiery or four-layer bandage). Participants and clinical staff were not blinded. The primary outcome was time to blind assessed ulcer healing (date of ulcer healing: date of earliest photograph showing healing). Analyses included a noninferiority comparison of two-layer bandage and EBC (handling key intercurrent events under hypothetical and treatment policy strategies), and superiority comparisons of CW with both EBC and two-layer bandage (handling key intercurrent events under a treatment policy strategy). Healing times were analysed using Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for fixed effects (treatment allocation, baseline ulcer area and duration, participant age, and mobility status), and shared frailties (recruitment site). The trial was pre-registered: ISRCTN67321719. 637 participants were randomised to be offered CW (n = 213), two-layer bandage (n = 211) or EBC (n = 213). Mean age was 70.3 (range 24.6 to 97.0) years, 55% (n = 351) were male, and the majority (n = 606, 95%) were white. 633 participants contributed time at risk of healing and were included in the analysis. Using a treatment policy strategy to handle key intercurrent events (modified intention-to-treat analysis), the estimated hazard ratio (HR) for the noninferiority comparison (EBC and two-layer bandage) was 1.01 (95% CI [0.79, 1.28]), meeting the pre-specified noninferiority margin of 1.33. The corresponding hypothetical strategy analysis gave a HR of 1.16 (95% CI [0.86, 1.58]), which did not demonstrate noninferiority. For the superiority comparisons, healing was slower in the CW group than in the EBC group (HR 0.78, 95% CI [0.61, 1.00]; p = 0.046). Results were similar for the two-layer bandage group (HR 0.79, 95% CI [0.61, 1.01]; p = 0.056), although this did not reach statistical significance. Both comparisons showed considerable statistical uncertainty, with confidence intervals ranging from a 39% reduction in the hazard of healing to little or no difference between groups. Nine serious adverse events occurred; one potentially related to treatment (cause of death could not be ascertained). Departures from allocated compression treatment were common, which limits generalisability to settings with different adherence patterns. These departures, lower than expected ulcer healing incidence rates and slight under-recruitment, resulted in the number of healing events being smaller than the number required for 80% power. CW is unlikely to reduce the time to venous leg ulcer healing compared to two-layer bandage or EBC, although confidence intervals included treatment effects indicating little or no difference between groups. Despite remaining uncertainty, these findings may not support CW as a first line strong compression treatment for venous leg ulcers. ISRCTN - reference 67321719.
The plasma environment of our neighboring planets, Venus and Mars, differs significantly from Earth's. Although neither of them possesses a dominant intrinsic dipolar magnetic field, there are still induced magnetospheres forming around the two planets, due to the interaction of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) with their conductive ionospheres, exospheres, and the localized crustal magnetic fields in the case of Mars. Induced magnetospheres, their associated plasma environments, and the physical processes within them are particularly susceptible to the changing upstream conditions. The increasing number of successful and long-lived missions during the last few decades has been key for describing the fundamental structures and processes comprising the induced magnetospheres of the two planets. Nevertheless, their induced magnetotails have been more challenging to probe, due to the restrictions of the orbital geometry of planetary missions. Here, we present the latest discoveries and a comprehensive comparison between the Venusian and Martian induced magnetotails, and we highlight the need for further exploration of these regions. Atmospheric escape and energy transfer processes and paths are inextricably linked with the climate history and the disappearance of water at Mars, though there are many unknowns still in the case of Venus. Past and current missions utilizing particle and fields instruments have explored a great part of the plasma environments of Venus and Mars. Several plasma boundaries, shaped by both internal and external factors, divide the planetary environments and magnetospheres into different plasma regimes and have been described by observations and models. Simulations and observations have also been utilized to investigate the magnetotail structure of the two planets, which appears to be governed mainly by the IMF, the solar wind dynamic pressure, and the crustal magnetic fields in the case of Mars. At Mars, the presence of the crustal magnetic fields, which are regions of crustal magnetization on the surface of the planet clustered mostly in the southern hemisphere, further complicates the interaction of the solar wind and the IMF with the planet's plasma environment, thus justifying the term 'hybrid' - instead of induced - that is often used to describe the Martian magnetosphere. The existence of a magnetotail twist, as well as a first approach on mapping the structure of the current systems, has been reported at Mars, whereas different types of magnetotail current sheet flapping motion have been observed at both Mars and Venus. The magnetic topology, which describes the morphology of closed, open, and draped magnetic field lines over a planet, has also been inferred and explained for both planets. Escape processes, escape rates and their response to space weather have been reported, and we now have a better idea of the differences between the two planets. Escaping structures, contributing with a bulk removal of plasma, have also been observed in their magnetotails. Nevertheless, much still remains unknown, for example the specifics of how individual processes respond to solar drivers. Mars and Venus are not the only solar system bodies with no global intrinsic magnetic field. Induced magnetotails are formed around Saturn's moon Titan and comets too. A comparison between those bodies and Venus and Mars will provide a broader and general picture of induced and hybrid magnetotails, which could help future investigations of the plasma environments and tails of exoplanets. Lastly, in this review paper, we also summarize the questions that remain unanswered, emphasizing the need for future missions.