Baobab Index

Invasive plant species (IPS) and herbicide resistance pose a critical threat to biodiversity and food security, particularly in arid agroecosystems. Essential oils (EOs) offer a promising biodegradable alternative, yet their global efficacy and governing factors remain unquantified. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and PROSPERO-registered protocol (ID1282253), this systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data from 47 studies to evaluate the phytotoxic potential of IPS-derived EOs. We calculated pooled effect sizes (Hedges' g), investigated heterogeneity through meta-regression, and established structure-activity relationships. Meta-analysis of 47 studies revealed a large, highly significant allelopathic efficacy of invasive plant-derived essential oils (EOs) on target species. Our analysis reveals a large, highly significant inhibitory effect on target species (pooled g = -1.85; 95% CI: -2.12, -1.58), corresponding to a mean 72.3% germination inhibition in laboratory conditions. Efficacy was significantly moderated by EO concentration and chemical class, with ketone-rich oils proving most potent (g = -2.34). Critically, we quantified a substantial lab-to-field efficacy gap, with field studies showing a ~32% relative decline in performance. Also demonstrated significant physiological selectivity, with dicot weeds (e.g., Brassicaceae SMD = -2.45) being far more sensitive than monocots (e.g., Fabaceae SMD = -1.23), and a promising crop safety index. These findings were robust to sensitivity analyses and controlled for publication bias. This study provides quantitative evidence supporting a more predictive framework for allelopathic research. We leverage these data to propose the Quantitative Phytotoxicity Framework (QPF), a model integrating EO chemistry, environmental factors, and biological outcomes. As a primary application, we conceptualize the Smart Bio-Defensive Barrier (SBDB), a novel, ecologically-engineered system for proactive, landscape-level weed management. This work contributes a data-driven framework for developing sustainable herbicide alternatives, providing a data-driven blueprint for the next generation of sustainable herbicides that aligns with global climate resilience (modeled under RCP 4.5/8.5 scenarios) and circular bio-economic goals. This model leverages invasive plant species (IPS) as a bio-resource, integrating their https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD4201282253, identifier CRD4201282253.

Metastatic cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, yet tumor cell-intrinsic mechanisms restraining metastatic dissemination remain incompletely defined. Here, we perform an unbiased in vivo genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function screen in a breast cancer xenograft model to identify regulators of metastatic progression. This approach uncovers clinically relevant metastasis suppressor genes (MSGs), including VPS45, CMTR2, RBSN, and NF2, whose loss enhances lung colonization. Functional validation demonstrates that depletion of these genes promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion, intravasation, and angiogenesis, whereas CRISPR-mediated activation suppresses metastatic spread. Integration with patient datasets reveals reduced expression in tumors and associations with advanced disease, with higher expression trending toward improved outcomes. Notably, CMTR2 loss induces vascular remodeling and intratumoral heterogeneity, supporting a role in tumor-vascular interactions. Collectively, this study identifies a network of MSGs that constrain tumor dissemination and highlights the power of in vivo CRISPR functional genomics to uncover regulators of metastatic disease.

Lipodystrophy comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by reduced adipose tissue often associated with severe metabolic complications. Lipodystrophy may be genetic, acquired, or secondary to medical therapies initiated for other conditions. Despite major advances in understanding adipose tissue biology and in human genetic technologies, diagnosis of lipodystrophy is still commonly delayed or missed. Conversely, increasing use of next-generation sequencing has led to proliferation of proposed new genetic causes of lipodystrophy with variable supporting evidence. To address these challenges, an international expert working group from the European Consortium for Lipodystrophies first developed a consensus definition of lipodystrophy as deficient development and/or inadequate maintenance of adipose tissue not attributable to nutritional deprivation or a systemic catabolic state. Anatomical adipose deficiency alone is generally insufficient for diagnosis, with evidence of adipose tissue dysfunction or pathology also usually required. Building on this definition, a framework for evaluating candidate monogenic lipodystrophy syndromes is suggested, based on the strength of human phenotypic, genetic, and biological evidence. Primacy was assigned to direct evidence from affected individuals, with genetic and biological evidence considered supportive but not determinative. This approach accommodates both the variable penetrance and expressivity characteristic of many lipodystrophy syndromes and potential discrepancies between human observations and experimental models. Although the proposed definition is applicable across all forms of lipodystrophy, the classification system described here is restricted to monogenic disorders. Together, these tools aim to improve clinical recognition, promote diagnostic consistency, and provide a robust and adaptable framework for evaluating emerging gene-disease associations in lipodystrophy.

The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half of the world's 1·93 billion adolescents (aged 10-24 years). Addressing adolescent health in this region is of global importance, but to date a systematic analysis of key contributors to disease in adolescents has not been done, which is a barrier to responsive action. This systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of adolescent health across the Asia Pacific region, at both the subregional and national levels, encompassing burden of disease, mortality, and prevalence of adolescent risk factors. As part of GBD 2023, we obtained estimates for cause-specific mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and risk factor prevalence by sex for adolescents aged 10-24 years and 5-year age groups (10-14 years, 15-19 years, and 20-24 years) across 44 countries and territories (hereafter referred to collectively as Asia Pacific), grouped by seven UN subregions, from 2000 to 2023. We extracted GBD 2023 population counts and estimates of number and rate (per 100 000 population) for mortality and disease burden (DALYs). Risk prevalence estimates were obtained directly from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and binge drinking estimates were sourced from WHO. Estimates are reported with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) where possible. UIs were estimated by running 250 draws of the posterior distribution, ordering the draws, and selecting the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles for each metric. In 2023, in adolescents across Asia Pacific, there were 637 496 deaths and a total disease burden of 115·8 million DALYs, representing 34·1% of global adolescent deaths and 40·6% of the global adolescent burden of disease. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs; particularly mental disorders) were the leading causes of disease burden and mortality (64·8% of DALYs and 43·9% of deaths). Unintentional and transport injuries were also leading causes of death (14·7% of deaths due to transport injury and 13·3% of deaths due to unintentional injury) and leading causes of disease burden particularly among males in south-eastern Asia. In Melanesia, Micronesia, and some parts of south-eastern Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste), respiratory infections and tuberculosis remained important contributors. Southern Asia had the largest reduction (1·5% per year) in all-cause DALYs over the study period, and Australia and New Zealand (0·2% per year) had the smallest, with females in Australia and New Zealand showing a slight increase contrary to regional trends. Eastern Asia had the largest reduction (2·8% per year) in all-cause mortality rate and Melanesia (0·8% per year) the smallest. Risk factors generally had between-subregion and within-subregion variation; however, some regional trends stood out, with overweight and obesity increasing in all countries across the region, and binge drinking increasing in more countries than not. In 2023, prevalence of smoking in males exceeded that in females in every country, from 40% difference in Timor-Leste to less than 1% difference in Australia. Anaemia prevalence is decreasing in all countries, but female prevalence was higher and reducing at a slower rate than in males. Bullying prevalence was slightly higher in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia combined, Australia and New Zealand, and eastern Asia compared with southern and south-eastern Asian subregions. Several patterns were consistent across the region: the dominance of mental disorders and NCDs, the universal rise in overweight and obesity (particularly high in Oceanic countries but increasing rapidly in south and south-eastern Asia), and persistent sex-specific challenges across subregions: unintentional injuries and smoking in males, and anaemia in females. Actions to tackle shared risk factors (while accounting for context-specific local health profiles, workforce deficits, cultural factors, and health system capacity) should not be forgone due to local variation. Future research could focus on subnational variation, intersecting inequalities, and multi-sectoral interventions targeting shared risk factors. Priority actions should include regional investment in adolescent mental health services and obesity prevention, targeted injury reduction strategies for high-risk populations, and sex-specific approaches to smoking cessation and anaemia reduction, delivered through local health systems with the capacity and cultural responsiveness to meet local needs. Gates Foundation and Australian Government.

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and genetic characteristics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli in wastewater collected in Dakar, Senegal. All samples (n = 48) carried ESBL-producing isolates. The concentrations of ESBL-producing E. coli ranged from 1.4 × 10⁴ to 3.3 × 10⁵ CFU/100 mL, whereas the ratio of ESBL-producing E. coli among the total E. coli population varied between 0.2% and 16.3%. All the 107 isolated ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR), with 100% resistance to beta-lactams (ampicillin, cefalotin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefepime, aztreonam) and high resistance rates to non-beta-lactam antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (77.6%). No resistance was observed to imipenem. CTX-M-type genes were present in all isolates, with bla

The 2026 Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda exposes a persistent structural flaw in global health security: preparedness remains overwhelmingly reactive and pathogen-specific. Despite the $518 million Africa CDC-WHO joint continental plan, no licensed BDBV vaccine or therapeutic is available; a 21-day (three-week) detection delay and cross-border transmission expose inadequate inter-epidemic investment in non-Zaire ebolavirus countermeasures. We argue for sustained, ring-fenced financing, institutionalised cross-border coordination, species-inclusive diagnostics, and real-time genomic data sharing to move African Ebola preparedness from reactive to pre-emptive.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by developmental regression, loss of purposeful hand use, and stereotypic movements after apparently normal early development. We report a 26-month-old girl who presented with severe self-injurious behavior (SIB), including repetitive biting of the left forearm and head banging, associated with restlessness, frequent yelling, and poor sleep. Further evaluation revealed regression of motor, language, and hand skills with stereotypic hand wringing. Examination showed impaired social interaction, ataxic gait, and hypertrophic scars on the left forearm, while neurologic and systemic examinations were otherwise non-focal. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography were normal. In the absence of genetic testing, the diagnosis of RTT was established based on internationally accepted clinical diagnostic criteria. Parents were counseled for multidisciplinary care and followed up over a six-month period. This case highlights that prominent SIB may obscure the diagnosis of RTT and delay recognition, particularly in resource-limited settings where genetic testing is unavailable.

Neonatal lung biopsy guides management of unusually severe, diffuse lung disease with an uncertain diagnosis. Childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD) constitutes a diverse group of uncommon respiratory diseases which are associated with major morbidity and mortality. The incidence, outcome and mortality of chILD and other severe respiratory diseases in resource-limited settings (RLS) are unclear. This retrospective, descriptive study examined lung biopsy in an RLS on infants up to 3 months of age to diagnose and facilitate management. This study included neonates with severe respiratory distress not responding to surfactant replacement. Lung biopsy was diagnostic in 94% (29/31) of patients without procedure-related mortality. The mean gestational age at birth was 35.8 weeks (SD ± 4.6). The mean presentation age was 20 days of life (IQR 1-28). Of 31 participants, 16% (n = 5) had histological findings in keeping with pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis (PIG) only. Sixteen percent (n = 5) of biopsies showed findings in keeping with adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette subfamily A member 3 (ABCA3) deficiency in combination with features of PIG on electron microscopy. Surfactant protein (SFTP)-B deficiency and undefined surfactant deficiency were equally prevalent (6% (n = 2). Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) featured in 61% (n = 17) of infants. Genetic testing was performed on 29% (n = 9) of infants, with 56% (n = 5) showing normal results. The cohort mortality was 42% (n = 13). ChILD should be considered in neonates with severe respiratory distress and PHT not responding to surfactant replacement. Lung biopsy is safe and diagnostic and may prevent long and futile treatment. Histopathological diagnosis frequently assists treatment decisions. Future multicentre studies should include children from an RLS to collect information on diagnoses, genetics and treatment responses.

One hundred diatom species have been selected for genome and transcriptome sequencing. The 100 Diatom Genomes Project aims to provide a scalable framework for understanding diatom biodiversity, ecology and evolution, and for investigating their use in biotechnology.