bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Programmatic Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinical Utility of Xpert MTB/XDR in Patients With Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis in Georgia
Authors: Pfurtscheller Theresa , Tsutsunava Ana , Maghradze Nino , Gujabidze Mariam , Bablishvili Nino , Yerlikaya Seda , Denkinger Claudia M , Tukvadze Nestani , Gupta-Wright Ankur
Published: January 2025

Background

Xpert MTB/XDR (Cepheid) is recommended by the World Health Organization for drug susceptibility testing in patients with tuberculosis, with potential for rapid detection of isoniazid and fluoroquinolone resistance. However, diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility in a programmatic setting are unknown.

Methods

We evaluated the accuracy and clinical utility of Xpert MTB/XDR in patients with rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis during programmatic implementation in Georgia between July 2022 and August 2024, using phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) as a reference standard.

Results

An overall 140 patients were tested with Xpert MTB/XDR and phenotypic DST, and 94.9% and 33.8% had isoniazid and fluoroquinolone resistance by phenotypic DST, respectively. Xpert MTB/XDR showed 99.2% sensitivity (95% CI, 95.5%–100%) and 100% specificity (95% CI, 54.1%–100%) for isoniazid resistance. Sensitivity and specificity for fluoroquinolone resistance were 88.4% (95% CI, 74.9%–96.1%) and 100% (95% CI, 95.6%–100%). When indeterminate/invalid Xpert MTB/XDR results were included, 17.4% (8/46) and 6.2% (8/129) of patients with phenotypic fluoroquinolone and isoniazid resistance were missed. Median turnaround time for Xpert MTB/XDR was 1 day (IQR, 1–3) and median time to treatment was 4 days (IQR, 1–7). Phenotypic DST results took a median 43 days (IQR, 29–63) longer than Xpert MTB/XDR results. Finally, 95% (115/121; 95% CI, 89.5%–98.2%) of patients had fluoroquinolones appropriately prescribed based on Xpert MTB/XDR results.

Conclusions

Programmatic data confirm the high accuracy of Xpert MTB/XDR, despite being below the World Health Organization target product profile targets for fluoroquinolones, with significantly faster time to results than phenotypic DST.
Barriers to Clinician Reporting to the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry From Within and Outside the United States
Authors: Mantas Stavroula , O’Bryan Jessica , Giles Michelle L , Short William R , Logue-Chamberlain Erin , Krishnaswamy Sushena
Published: January 2025

Background

Excluding pregnant women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from clinical trials results in inadequate pregnancy safety data for new antiretroviral therapies (ART). More rapid accumulation of ART pregnancy safety data is required. The Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry (APR) collects teratogenicity data on ART exposures during conception and pregnancy, yet reporting to the registry is suboptimal, impacting ART choices for women with HIV globally. This research assesses awareness of the APR and barriers to reporting among HIV providers in the United States (US) and Australia.

Methods

Anonymous, online surveys were conceived independently by researchers in the US and Australia. The surveys were distributed through national email distribution lists to healthcare providers for pregnant women with HIV and their newborns or women of reproductive potential with HIV, to assess their awareness of the APR and barriers to reporting.

Results

In total, 146 healthcare providers (66 US, 80 Australia) completed the survey. Respondents from the US had greater awareness of the registry and more reporting experience, describing the process as complex and laborious. Providers from Australia were largely unaware that the APR accepts reports from outside the US. Key barriers to reporting were uncertainty about how to report and incomplete access to all relevant maternal and pediatric data.

Conclusions

Barriers to reporting to the APR are context specific. There is scope to raise the global profile of the APR to expedite data collection, reducing time between antiretroviral licensure and accumulation of sufficient pregnancy safety data.
Improving influenza forecast in the tropics and subtropics: a case study of Hong Kong
Authors: Yuan Haokun , Lau Eric H. Y. , Cowling Benjamin J. , Yang Wan
Published: January 2025

Influenza forecasts could aid public health response as shown for temperate regions, but such efforts are more challenging in the tropics and subtropics due to more irregular influenza activities. Here, we built six forecast approaches for influenza in the (sub)tropics, with six model forms designed to model seasonal infection risk (i.e. seasonality) based on the dependence of virus survival on climate conditions and to flexibly account for immunity waning. We ran the models jointly with the ensemble adjustment Kalman filter to generate retrospective forecasts of influenza incidence in subtropical Hong Kong from January 1999 to December 2019 including the 2009 A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic. In addition to short-term targets (one to four weeks ahead predictions), we also tested mid-range (one to three months) and long-range (four to six months) forecasts, which could be valuable for long-term planning. The largest improvement came from the inclusion of climate-modulated seasonality modelling, particularly for the mid- and long-range forecasts. The best-performing approach included a seasonal-trend-based climate modulation and assumed mixed immunity waning; the forecast accuracies, including peak week and intensity, were comparable to that reported for temperate regions including the USA. These findings demonstrate that incorporating mechanisms of climate modulation on influenza transmission can substantially improve forecast performance in the (sub)tropics.
Mitochondrial chaperonin DNAJC15 promotes vulnerability to ferroptosis of chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells
Authors: Miglietta Stefano , Sollazzo Manuela , Gherardi Iacopo , Milioni Sara , Cavina Beatrice , Marchio Lorena , De Luise Monica , Coada Camelia Alexandra , Fiorillo Marco , Perrone Anna Myriam , Kurelac Ivana , Gasparre Giuseppe , Iommarini Luisa , Ghelli Anna Maria , Porcelli Anna Maria
Published: January 2025

DNAJC15 is a mitochondrial TIMM23-related co-chaperonin known for its role in regulating oxidative phosphorylation efficiency, oxidative stress response and lipid metabolism. Recently, it has been proposed that the loss of DNAJC15 correlates with cisplatin (CDDP)-resistance onset in ovarian cancer (OC), suggesting this protein as a potential prognostic factor during OC progression. However, the molecular mechanisms through which DNAJC15 contributes to CDDP response remains poorly investigated. Here, we show that high levels of DNAJC15 are associated with accumulation of lipid droplets, decreased tumorigenic features and increased sensitivity to CDDP in OC cells. When overexpressed, DNAJC15 induced a phenotype displaying increased lipid peroxidation and subsequent ferroptosis induction. To prove a role for DNAJC15-induced ferroptosis in promoting sensitivity to CDDP, we reduced lipid peroxidation upon Ferrostatin 1 treatment, which decreased cells’ vulnerability to ferroptosis ultimately recovering their CDDP-resistant phenotype. In conclusion, our study uncovers the role of DNAJC15 in modulating ferroptosis activation and in the onset of CDDP resistance in OC cells.
Urbanization enhances body condition, but not innate immune defences, in a common waterbird
Authors: Chyb Amelia , Matson Kevin D. , Włodarczyk Radosław , Drzewińska-Chańko Joanna , Minias Piotr
Published: January 2025

There is a growing body of evidence that urbanization can affect body condition and immune function in wild birds, although these effects may be complex and taxa-specific. Here, we assessed the effects of urbanization on body condition (size-corrected body mass and haemoglobin concentration) and innate immune defences (haemolysis–haemagglutination assay, haptoglobin concentration and bacterial killing assay) in 136 Eurasian coots (
Fulica atra
) from three urban and three non-urban populations across Poland. We also quantified the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio to control for the potential effect of physiological stress on immune defences. We found that urban coots showed significantly better condition than non-urban ones. At the same time, we found no relationship between any immune defence and urbanization or condition. Thus, our study offers no support for condition-dependent immune function. Our analyses also revealed significant differences between male and female coots in both condition and immune defences; however, we found no evidence for sex-specific responses to urbanization. In conclusion, our study provides correlative evidence that urban habitat enhances condition, but not immune defences in the Eurasian coot.
Is musical ability related to second-language acquisition? A meta-analysis
Authors: Thompson Rachel M. , Salig Lauren K. , Slevc L. Robert
Published: January 2025

In our multicultural and interconnected world, the ability to learn new languages is important. However, there are significant differences in how successfully adults can learn aspects of non-native languages. Given robust relationships between musical ability and native-language processing, musical ability might also contribute to successful second-language acquisition. However, while several studies have assessed this relationship in various ways, the consistency and robustness of the relationship between musical ability and second-language learning remains unclear. Thus, we synthesized 184 effects across 57 independent studies (
n
=3181) with a robust variance estimation multivariate meta-analysis, and we narratively summarized partial correlation effects across 12 studies. The available evidence suggests that musical ability is indeed positively related to second-language learning, even after factoring in publication bias revealed by the meta-analysis. Although future work with more diverse participant populations and methodologies is needed to further disentangle this relationship, it is apparent that individuals with better musical ability are generally more successful at second-language learning.
Development of reed-based cellulose aerogel: a sustainable solution for crude oil spill clean-up
Authors: Thi Thanh Huong Le , Nguyen Minh An Tran , Huu Hoang Tran
Published: January 2025

This study focused on fabricating a cellulose aerogel for oil spill clean-up, using common reed (
Phragmites australis
) as the cellulose source. The process involved isolating cellulose from reed via traditional Kraft pulping, considering the effects of key factors on the isolated cellulose content. After a two-stage HP bleaching sequence, the highest cellulose content achieved was 27.2%, with 80% ISO brightness and 1% ash content under mild Kraft pulping conditions of 30% sulfidity, 20% active alkali (AA), sustained cooking at 165°C for 3 h, and a liquor-to-reed ratio of 8 : 1. Subsequently, reed-based cellulose aerogel was fabricated via a freeze-drying method using an eco-friendly NaOH/poly(ethylene glycol) aqueous solvent system, which was then modified with methyltrimethoxysilane. The resulting aerogel exhibited remarkable characteristics, including a low density of 0.04 g cm
−3
, high porosity of 96%, high hydrophobicity with a water contact angle (WAC) of 141°, and a superior crude oil adsorption capacity of 35 g g
−1
. Comprehensive characterizations of the fabricated materials, including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry, and WAC measurements, were evaluated. This interdisciplinary study explores the commercial promise of reed-based cellulose aerogel as a sustainable solution for oil spill clean-up efforts.
Female reproductive ageing persists despite high infanticide risk in chacma baboons and geladas
Authors: Feder Jacob A. , Schneider-Crease India A. , Beehner Jacinta C. , Bergman Thore J. , Seyfarth Robert M. , Silk Joan B. , Snyder-Mackler Noah , Lu Amy
Published: January 2025

Across mammals, fertility and offspring survival are often lowest at the beginning and end of females’ reproductive careers. However, extrinsic drivers of reproductive success—including infanticide by males—could stochastically obscure these expected age-related trends. Here, we modelled reproductive ageing trajectories in two cercopithecine primates that experience high rates of male infanticide: the chacma baboon (
Papio ursinus
) and the gelada (
Theropithecus gelada
). We found that middle-aged mothers generally achieved the shortest interbirth intervals in chacma baboons. By contrast, old gelada females often showed shorter interbirth intervals than their younger group-mates with one exception: the oldest females typically failed to produce additional offspring before their deaths. Infant survival peaked in middle-aged mothers in chacma baboons but in young mothers in geladas. While infant mortality linked with maternal death increased as mothers aged in both species, infanticide risk did not predictably shift with maternal age. Thus, infanticide patterns cannot explain the surprising young mother advantage observed in geladas. Instead, we argue that this could be a product of their graminivorous diets, which might remove some energetic constraints on early reproduction. In sum, our data suggest that reproductive ageing is widespread but may be differentially shaped by ecological pressures.
On Labusch’s solid solution depinning and strength estimate
Authors: Holmedal Bjørn , Mánik Tomáš
Published: January 2025

Labusch’s simplified, analytical, mathematical solution of the dislocation-glide model provides an estimate of the strength contribution from atoms in solid solution and plays a fundamental role as part of multi-scale models that scale up local binding estimates from atomistic simulations. Precise numerical solutions of the model show that the stress is proportional to the solute concentration to the power of ¾ and disagrees with the power of ⅔ in Labusch’s analytical solution, where the strength is assumed to be controlled by Larkin-scale bulges forming initially on a straight dislocation. Instead, subsequent bulge coarsening during loading is found to be the mechanism that controls the depinning strength.
Keystone engineering enables collective range expansion in microbial communities
Authors: Şimşek Emrah , Villalobos César A. , Sahu Kinshuk , Zhou Zhengqing , Luo Nan , Lee Dongheon , Ma Helena R. , Anderson Deverick J. , Lee Charlotte T. , You Lingchong
Published: January 2025

Keystone engineers profoundly influence microbial communities by altering their shared environment, often by modifying key resources. Here, we show that in an antibiotic-treated microbial community, bacterial spread is controlled by keystone engineering affecting dispersal— an effect hidden in well-mixed environments. Focusing on two pathogens, non-motile Klebsiella pneumoniae and motile Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we found that both tolerate a β-lactam antibiotic, with Pseudomonas being more resilient and dominating in well-mixed cultures. During range expansion, however, the antibiotic inhibits Pseudomonas’ ability to spread unless it is near Klebsiella— Klebsiella degrades the antibiotic to create a "clear zone" that allows Pseudomonas to expand, at the expense of Klebsiella’s own growth, thus acting as a keystone engineer. As Pseudomonas spreads, it suppresses Klebsiella through resource competition. Our modeling and experimental analyses reveal that this keystone effect operates at a millimeter scale. We also observed similar keystone engineering by a Bacillus species isolated from a hospital sink, in both pairwise and eight-member bacterial communities with its co-isolates. These findings suggest that spatially explicit experiments are essential to understand certain keystone engineering mechanisms and have implications for surface-associated microbial communities like biofilms, as well as for diagnosing and treating polymicrobial infections involving drug-degrading, non-motile (e.g., Klebsiella), and drug-tolerant, motile (e.g., Pseudomonas) bacteria.
Damage signals preferentially activate killer CD8+/-regulatory T cells to protect injured tissue
Authors: Josyula Aditya , Fertil Daphna , Hartigan Devon R. , Rudy Paige , Sharma Sonakshi , Fashina Toluwaleke , Maclean Efua , Coogan Alessandra B. , Ngo Tran B. , Sundaresan Vanathi , Sadtler Kaitlyn
Published: January 2025

Self-antigens that are obscure to immune cells under homeostasis, are exposed following tissue damage and can trigger autoimmunity. Our previous work showed that conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) mediate immunoregulation after traumatic skeletal muscle injury. Here, we found that, immune responses to injury in cDC1-depleted mice (Batf3-/-) mirror those of autoimmune mice (Aire-/-). Mechanistically, we determined that cDC1s prime killer regulatory T cells (CD8+/-Ly49+Tregs) which express Ly49 inhibitory receptors and HELIOS. These killer-like Tregs are clonally diverse and carry T cell receptors associated with self-reactivity and response to hydrophobicity. cDC1 or CD8 deletion promoted CD62L+CCR7+naïve T cell retention and B cell recruitment to injured muscle. These naïve T cells, which are implicated in autoimmunity, strongly correlate with B cell abundance in the muscle and are selectively pruned by CD8+/-Ly49+Tregs. Furthermore, clinically used materials that promote wound healing enrich CD8+/-Ly49+Treg function whereas those that are associated with pathology promote naïve T cell and B cell accumulation. We hypothesize that CD8+/-Ly49+Tregs maintain self-tolerance after tissue damage and avert autoimmunity by eliminating naive T cells and preventing pathogenic B cell activation.
Deep learning molecular interaction motifs from Receptor structure alone
Authors: Kim Seeun , Seok Chaok , Park Hahnbeom
Published: January 2025

Interactions of proteins with other molecules are often mediated by a set of critical binding motifs on their surfaces. The majority of traditional binder design relied on motifs borrowed from known binder molecules, which highly restricted its applicability to novel targets or to new binding sites. In this work, we present a deep learning network MotifGen that predicts potential binder motifs directly from receptor structures without any further supporting information. MotifGen generates motif profiles at the receptor surface for 14 types of functional groups or 6 chemical interaction classes. These profiles are not only highly human interpretable, but also provide pre-trained embedding inputs for versatile few-shot binder design applications. We demonstrate MotifGen's effectiveness through its application to peptide binder design and small-molecule binding site prediction, where it either surpassed existing methods or added significant value when integrated together. We expect our motif-centric binder design strategy can facilitate discovering novel binders for challenging receptor targets.
Overcoming the Woody Barrier: Dodder Enables Efficient Transfer of Infectious Clones to Woody Plants
Authors: Sierra-Mejia Andrea , Hajizadeh Mohammad , Atanda Habeeb Yinka , Tzanetakis Ioannis E.
Published: January 2025

Woody hosts are notoriously resistant to genetic transformation. Traditional methods, suchas Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, are often inefficient, and this limitation extends to delivering infectious clones to woody plants. Dodder species (Cuscuta spp.)are holoparasitic plants that can establish direct connections with the vascular tissue of the parasitized plants, allowing them to facilitate virus transmission between unrelated botanical species. We demonstrated that a novel dodder-based approach achieved superior transmission inRubusspp. compared to direct agroinoculation. The transmission rates for systemic blackberry chlorotic ringspot virus transmission increased from 9% to 73%, whereas the transmission of the phloem-restricted blackberry yellow vein associated virus rose from 0% to 46%. This novel method expands the toolbox available to plant biologists to study virus-host interactions in woody plants.
Which is the more effective management strategy for irritability and challenging behaviour in autism, medication or psychosocial interventions?
Authors: Hofmann Val
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to critically analyse the current research around the impact of management strategies on challenging behaviour in autism.

Design/methodology/approach

Mixed method analysis.

Findings

Seven studies were included for discussion. The author found significant heterogeneity in the outcome measures of all the studies and was unable to provide a meta-analysis. The results showed that psychosocial interventions offer the most promise in terms of safety and efficacy. The author was unable to explain what part of their intervention had the most significant effect. Antipsychotic interventions demonstrated the most robust methodologies and therefore, the results are more reliable.

Research limitations/implications

These studies provide valuable evidence for UK guidelines and suggest that lower doses of medication do not have a therapeutic effect on patients. Furthermore, these studies do not use psychosocial interventions alongside medication reduction, which may have proven valuable to help the author’s understanding of the different management strategies for treating challenging behaviour in autism. Thus, this literature review recommends further studies in the reduction of medication alongside psychosocial interventions with a larger number of participants recruited from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Practical implications

Gerrard et al. (2019) hope that positive behavioural support will become standard practice for specialist teams following the results of their findings and conclude that in the absence of effective management strategies, there is a greater likelihood of the re-introduction of medication. Admittedly, they do not understand what components of their intervention had the greatest significance on the results and identify this as a limitation of the study. In the single case study by Lee, Rhodes and Gerrard (2019), they claim that medication reduction and discontinuation can be successful if the rate of titration reduction is slowed down. This may offer some insight into the success of the strategy by Gerrard et al. (2019).

Social implications

Bishop-Fitzpatrick et al. (2013) state that the researchers in their systematic reviews used “creative techniques” to address the core deficits of autism (p. 7). It can be argued that psychosocial interventions are highly individualized, making them difficult to implement in practice and are ungeneralizable. For this purpose, the reduction of medication cannot be implemented consistently as it is not clear what strategies are effective.

Originality/value

This is the author’s own work, and to the best of the author’s knowledge, it does not infringe upon anyone’s copyright and that any ideas, techniques or any other material are fully acknowledged in accordance with the Harvard referencing guidelines.
Navigating international waters: the board’s role in enhancing intellectual capital efficiency
Authors: Ain Qurat Ul , Javaid Hafiz Mustansar , Cafaro Emanuela Mattia , D’Alessio Raffaele
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Considering the growing global significance of intellectual capital, we explore the impact of foreign directors on the effectiveness of intellectual capital.

Design/methodology/approach

Using 21,352 firm-year observations of Chinese-listed firms, for 2006–2020, we employ a modified value-added intellectual coefficient model to evaluate intellectual capital efficiency. The author use ordinary least squares regression as the main method, with a variety of methods for endogeneity and ensure robustness, including the fixed-effects method, propensity score matching, Two-step system GMM and Heckman’s two-step model, as well as other techniques.

Findings

Our findings indicate that foreign board directors significantly increase aggregate intellectual capital and its components, including capital employed efficiency, human capital efficiency, structural capital efficiency, and relational capital efficiency. Further, foreign directors have more impact on the intellectual capital efficiency of non-state-owned versus state-owned enterprises. We also observe that the impact becomes significantly greater with the presence of three or more foreign directors. Our findings hold up to various measures of board internationalization and a battery of robustness tests.

Practical implications

The research results show that the foreign directors on boards are related to IC efficiency, and IC efficiency is crucial to enterprises' value creation and competitive advantage in the era of the knowledge economy. Our findings are useful for companies and governments that are interested in improving the performance of IC.

Originality/value

This study provides novel evidence by using the MVAIC model to investigate foreign directors on boards and their relationship with IC efficiency among Chinese companies, while most previous studies have linked IC efficiency to financial performance. The findings also suggest that the influence of nationality diversity differs concerning ownership structure and their threshold.
Knowledge sharing mediates relationship between collaborative culture and innovation performance: the moderating role of absorptive capacity
Authors: Le Phong Ba , Vu Khoa Dinh
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the influence of collaborative culture and knowledge sharing on innovation performance via moderating role absorptive capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used structural equation modeling to examine the level of how collaborative culture and knowledge sharing impact on innovation performance using data collected from 271 Vietnamese firms.

Findings

The research findings show knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between collaborative culture and innovation performance. It highlights the moderating role of absorptive capacity in fostering the effects of tacit and explicit knowledge sharing on innovation performance.

Research limitations/implications

Further research should examine the potential moderating effects of absorptive capacity in the knowledge management–innovation relationship to bring deeper understanding on the role of knowledge resource and innovation.

Practical implications

This paper offers leaders a deeper understanding of the necessary factors and conditions to promote innovation performance in their firms.

Originality/value

This paper significantly contributes to theoretical and practical initiatives of innovation by highlighting the antecedent roles of collaborative culture, the mediating role of knowledge sharing and moderating role of absorptive capacity.
A decision support system to evaluate product recovery strategies and performance
Authors: Kuik Swee , Diong Li
Published: January 2025

Purpose

An important consideration in the recovery strategies and performance of any given returned product is to make appropriate decisions for post-use. This paper aims to examine how the small and medium manufacturing enterprises can utilise a model-driven collaborative decision support system to evaluate product recovery strategies and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

An optimisation model using a genetic algorithm (GA) approach is developed to assess product recovery plans for any returned products based on the decisions of component reuse, remanufacture and recycle potentials. The model evaluates the key decisions of cost, time, quality and waste, and proposes an optimal recovery plan for manufacturer. A case study was also conducted using the proposed model to evaluate and examine different air compressor piston-types with recovery strategies.

Findings

Assessing a product recovery plan for any product is a challenge to the manufacturer due to higher operating costs associated with recovery. The nature of this challenge is complex. In this study, the results indicate that a developed optimisation model using a GA can assess the utilisation value of used products by considering suitable recovery strategies for the components and/or parts to be appropriately reused, remanufactured and recycled upon return.

Research limitations/implications

The developed model assesses utilisation values of returns by considering both key decisions associated with returned products, and aspects of complexity of operational processes.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the practical understanding of product recovery strategies and extended producer responsibility using a case study. Also, the significance of this research is to provide a simple method of proposing an optimal recovery plan for any given returned product within a decision support system. Another innovation of the developed model is that an optimal recovery plan considers the trade-off decisions of cost, time, quality and waste aspects.
Out‐Of‐Network Utilization and Plan Selection Among Medicare Advantage Cost Plan Enrollees
Authors: McCormack Grace , Trish Erin
Published: January 2025

Objective

To understand how Medicare Advantage (MA) networks impact utilization patterns and plan choices, using the 2019 discontinuation of MA 1876 Cost plans as a natural experiment.

Study Setting and Design

We study 1876 Cost plans, MA plans for which out‐of‐network care is covered through traditional Medicare (TM) and many of which CMS discontinued in 2019. We characterize the proportion of Cost plan enrollees who utilized out‐of‐network care in 2018 from different types of medical specialties. We then study how enrollees in discontinued plans selected into new plans in 2019. We use regression analysis to characterize whether higher risk enrollees selected into TM at higher rates.

Data Sources and Analytic Sample

We identify discontinued plans using public MA plan data. We employ administrative Medicare enrollment and TM claims data to identify 2018 enrollees of discontinued plans, their 2018 out‐of‐network utilization, and their subsequent 2019 enrollment decisions.

Principal Findings

Among Cost plan enrollees, 69% utilized non‐emergency room related care out of network in 2018. Out‐of‐network utilization was distributed across several types of specialties: 43% of Cost plan enrollees had at least one out‐of‐network claim with a primary care physician and over 20% had a claim with a medical specialist, surgical specialist, or nurse practitioner. We find evidence of adverse selection among enrollees of discontinued Cost plans in 2019. Conditional on one's 2018 Cost plan and county of residence, a standard deviation increase in risk score was on average associated with a 26.35% (95% CI, 25.57%–27.12%) increased likelihood of enrolling in TM.

Conclusion

The high rate of out‐of‐network utilization suggests that MA enrollees value access to care outside of standard MA networks. Subsequent selection patterns indicate that preferences for broader networks and subsequent enrollment in TM is highest among higher risk enrollees, suggesting limited networks may induce extensive margin selection.
How lipids, as important endogenous nutrient components, affect the quality of aquatic products: An overview of lipid peroxidation and the interaction with proteins
Authors: Ying Xiaoguo , Li Xinyang , Deng Shanggui , Zhang Bin , Xiao Gengsheng , Xu Yujuan , Brennan Charles , Benjakul Soottawat , Ma Lukai
Published: January 2025

As the global population continues to grow and the pressure on livestock and poultry supply increases, the oceans have become an increasingly important source of quality food for future generations. However, nutrient‐rich aquatic product is susceptible to lipid oxidation during storage and transport, reducing its nutritional value and increasing safety risks. Therefore, identifying the specific effects of lipid oxidation on aquatic products has become particularly critical. At the same time, some lipid oxidation products have been found to interact with aquatic product proteins in various ways, posing a safety risk. This paper provides an in‐depth exploration of the pathways, specific effects, and hazards of lipid oxidation in aquatic products, with a particular focus on the interaction of lipid oxidation products with proteins. Additionally, it discusses the impact of non‐thermal treatment techniques on lipids in aquatic products and examines the application of natural antioxidants in aquatic products. Future research endeavors should delve into the interactions between lipids and proteins in these products and their specific effects to mitigate the impact of non‐thermal treatment techniques on lipids, thereby enhancing the safety of aquatic products and ensuring food safety for future generations.
Caste criminalisation in South India and permanent migration to Fiji, 1903–1927
Authors: Persaud Alexander
Published: January 2025

Does the official criminalisation of a group lead to permanent out‐migration? In the early 20th century, British officials in south India designated multiple castes as inherently criminal under the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA). The CTA required police registration and could force entire groups into special settlements. Utilising unique, individual‐level administrative data on all south Indian indentured labourers in Fiji, I analyse criminalisation's effects on return migration. Members of criminalised castes returned to India less even when offered free repatriation, with a statistically and economically significant fall of 18%. My results show the impact of policies of criminalisation on migration.
Is There an Unrecognized Potential Pool of Foster Carers?
Authors: Lind Judith , Lindgren Cecilia , Sköld Johanna
Published: January 2025

There is a shortage of foster carers in many countries, which means that, in addition to retaining active foster carers, social services must strive to recruit new ones. This study examines how great the interest in becoming foster carers is amongst the general public and what characterizes people who express such an interest. Data were collected through a survey responded to by 2106 members of the Swedish citizen panel, aged 25–64, and recruited on a probability basis. Due to its hesitant approach to placing many children in the same foster home, Sweden is perhaps even more dependent than other countries on the recruitment of new foster carers and therefore serves as an interesting example. The analysis focuses on the small group of respondents, who say that they are likely to apply to become foster carers in the future, the reasons for why they have not done so already and on the factors that might further increase their inclination to become foster carers. Conceptualizing fostering as a hybrid between work, family life and voluntary services, we discuss the implications of the fact that 50% of these respondents express an interest in fostering as an alternative to employment and the fact that almost as many rated a lasting relationship with the child as important for their inclination to foster.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Expression in Merkel Cell Carcinoma Is Associated With Clinical and Histopathologic Parameters
Authors: Cunningham Christopher R. , Dimopoulos Yiannis P. , García‐Quiñones Ian M. , Milton Denái R. , Delgado‐Vélez Manuel , Cho Woo Cheal , Prieto Victor G. , Lasalde‐Dominicci José A. , Ballester Leomar Y. , Aung Phyu P.
Published: January 2025

Background

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cutaneous malignancy with neuroendocrine differentiation. Several molecular pathways have been implicated in MCC development and multiple cell‐of‐origin candidates have been proposed, including neural crest cells, which express acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). The role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in MCC has not been explored. In this study, we investigated if MCC expresses nAChRs and if nAChR expression correlates with patient characteristics.

Methods

The study included 71 MCC cases diagnosed with sufficient tissue available to perform immunohistochemical analysis. The median follow‐up was 29.8 months (range, 2.7–234.1). We performed immunohistochemistry using antibodies against the α3, α5, and α7nAChR subunits.

Results

Our results show that the majority of MCC cases expressed α3, α5, and α7‐nAChR subunits. Of the 71 cases, 59 (83%) expressed α3‐nAChR, 71 (100%) expressed α5‐nAChR, and 63 (88%) expressed α7‐nAChR. Location of immunoreactivity differed between cases and included cytoplasmic only and nuclear/peri‐nuclear, with variation in the intensity of staining. There were significant correlations between the intensity or location of immunoreactivity and clinical and histopathologic parameters.

Conclusions

These findings seem to support that MCC displays the features of neural crest cells, and suggest the potential for nAChR‐targeted therapy.
Contagious Crying Revisited: A Cross‐Cultural Investigation Into Infant Emotion Contagion Using Infrared Thermal Imaging
Authors: Vreden C. , Renner E. , Ainamani H. E. , Crowther R. , Forward B. , Mazari S. , Tuohy G. , Ndyareeba E. , Clay Zanna
Published: January 2025

Contagious crying in infants has been considered an early marker of their sensitivity to others’ emotions, a form of emotional contagion, and an early basis for empathy. However, it remains unclear whether infant distress in response to peer distress is due to the emotional content of crying or acoustically aversive properties of crying. Additionally, research remains severely biased towards samples from Europe and North America. In this study, we address both aspects by employing the novel and non‐invasive method of infrared thermal imaging, in combination with behavioural markers of emotional contagion, to measure emotional arousal during a contagious crying paradigm in a cross‐cultural sample of 10‐ to 11‐month‐old infants from rural and urban Uganda and the United Kingdom (N = 313). Infants heard social stimuli of positive, negative, and neutral emotional valence (infant laughing, crying, and babbling, respectively) and a non‐social, acoustically matched artificial aversive sound. Results revealed that overall changes (as opposed to positive or negative) in infant nasal temperature were larger in response to crying and laughing compared to the artificial aversive sound and larger for crying than for babbling. Infants showed stronger behavioural responses for crying than for the artificial stimulus, as well as for crying than for laughing. Overall, our results support the view that infants within the first year of life experience emotional contagion in response to peer distress, an effect that is not just explained by the aversive nature of the stimuli. Sensitivity to others’ emotional signals in the first year of life may provide the core building blocks for empathy. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/JbwL3BHkKlU.
Synaptic Targets and Cellular Sources of CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor and Vesicular Glutamate Transporter‐3 Expressing Nerve Terminals in Relation to GABAergic Neurons in the Human Cerebral Cortex
Authors: Somogyi Peter , Horie Sawa , Lukacs Istvan , Hunter Emily , Sarkany Barbara , Viney Tim James , Livermore James , Plaha Puneet , Stacey Richard , Ansorge Olaf , El Mestikawy Salah , Zhao Qianru
Published: January 2025

Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) regulates synaptic transmission through presynaptic receptors in nerve terminals, and its physiological roles are of clinical relevance. The cellular sources and synaptic targets of CB1‐expressing terminals in the human cerebral cortex are undefined. We demonstrate a variable laminar pattern of CB1‐immunoreactive axons and electron microscopically show that CB1‐positive GABAergic terminals make type‐2 synapses innervating dendritic shafts (69%), dendritic spines (20%) and somata (11%) in neocortical layers 2–3. Of the CB1‐immunopositive GABAergic terminals, 25% were vesicular‐glutamate‐transporter‐3 (VGLUT3)‐immunoreactive, suggesting GABAergic/glutamatergic co‐transmission on dendritic shafts. In vitro recorded and labelled VGLUT3 or CB1‐positive GABAergic interneurons expressed cholecystokinin, vasoactive‐intestinal‐polypeptide and calretinin, had diverse firing, axons and dendrites, and included rosehip, neurogliaform and basket cells, but not double bouquet or axo‐axonic cells. CB1‐positive interneurons innervated pyramidal cells and GABAergic interneurons. Glutamatergic synaptic terminals formed type‐1 synapses and some were positive for CB1 receptor with a distribution that appeared different from that in GABAergic terminals. From the sampled VGLUT3‐positive terminals, 60% formed type‐1 synapses with dendritic spines (80%) or shafts (20%) and 52% were also positive for VGLUT1, suggesting intracortical origin. Some VGLUT3‐positive terminals were immunopositive for vesicular‐monoamine‐transporter‐2, suggesting 5‐HT/glutamate co‐transmission. Overall, the results show that CB1 regulates GABA release mainly to dendritic shafts of both pyramidal cells and interneurons and predict CB1‐regulated co‐release of GABA and glutamate from single cortical interneurons. We also demonstrate the co‐existence of multiple vesicular glutamate transporters in a select population of terminals probably originating from cortical neurons and innervating dendritic spines in the human cerebral cortex.
Novel pain assessment tool specific for pulp symptoms to aid diagnosis
Authors: Kumar Vipin , Sharma Sidhartha , Kumar Vijay , Chawla Amrita , Kalaivani Mani , Baidya Dalim Kumar , Tomson Phillip L. , Abbott Paul V. , Logani Ajay
Published: January 2025

Aim

Although many pain assessment tools exist, none are specific to the relatively unique presentation of pulpal pain. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a novel pain assessment tool based on pulp symptoms.

Methodology

A preliminary list of items best‐describing pulpitis was developed based on deductive and inductive approaches and the preliminary tool was piloted (n = 80). A final 11‐item pain assessment tool was developed comprising 5 closed‐ended items evaluating pain intensity to diverse stimuli (thermal and sweet) and 6 closed‐ended items assessing various aspects of pulp pain (such as spontaneity, duration, referral, postural pain, pain upon biting and requirement for analgesics). The tool was tested on 300 adult patients (age range = 18–54 years) who presented with symptoms indicating some form of pulpitis. The 11 items were each scored from 1 to 4, yielding a total score between 11 and 44. These scores were subsequently compared to a set of diagnoses made utilizing established clinical reference standards, these include patient history, clinical examination, periapical radiographs, and pulp testing.

Results

All items in the tool reached an excellent content validity index score (≥0.83) for relevance. Following the pilot, six items were rephrased and five were removed. After final testing the constructed tool had a reliability coefficient of .8641, indicating a high level of internal consistency. Factor analysis extracted two factors that accounted for 59.61% of variance. The sensitivity and specificity was 95.36% and 86.58%, respectively. Likelihood ratio was 7.104 (LR+) and 0.05 (LR−) at cut‐off point. The area under the ROC curve was 0.9714 with a SE of 0.0076. The cut off score by Youden index was 25 between reversible and irreversible pulpitis.

Conclusions

The developed tool proved to be both valid and reliable. It is the first comprehensive multidimensional tool designed to standardize the pulp pain assessment protocol, covering various attributes of pulp pain and effectively distinguishing between reversible and irreversible pulpitis with a defined cut‐off score. Furthermore, its use is anticipated to provide support in diagnosing ambiguous cases of inflamed pulp, which is especially helpful for less experienced dentists.
Translingual Entanglements of Emotions and Translanguaging in Language Learning and Teaching Contexts
Authors: Dovchin Sender , Wang Min , Steele Carly
Published: January 2025

In this review article, we present the idea of “translingual entanglements of emotions,” which seeks to illustrate how emotions can be inherently entangled within language learning and teaching contexts in relation to language users’ translanguaging practices. Just like the trajectory of translanguaging approaches seeks to transcend what is generally seen as language or divisions between named languages, we suggest the idea of translingual entanglements of emotions to explore the multiple ways translanguaging is connected to, and part of, one's language education. Emotion is enmeshed within local modes of translanguaging, and it is bound up with changing modes of translingual resources embedded within translanguaging. It is entrenched in the everyday translanguaging practices of language teachers and learners in the classroom. From this perspective, unpacking translingual entanglements of emotions through translanguaging is essential, and we achieve this through an examination of recent literature that explicitly and implicitly addresses language teacher and learner emotion in relation to translanguaging.
Making Arguments at Lower Proficiencies: Move–Bundle Connection in Korean University Students’ English Argumentative Writing
Authors: Xia Detong , Kessler Matt
Published: January 2025

Recent research has suggested that the use of formulaic language such as lexical bundles may be important for helping second language (L2) English students construct arguments and achieve higher proficiency scores in testing situations. However, more research is needed that investigates such issues with learners of lower‐level proficiencies. This study investigates the use of lexical bundles across the argumentative writing of beginning‐ and intermediate‐level L2 English learners (N = 780). Using the Yonsei English Language Corpus, this study examines the frequency, structural features, and functional characteristics of three‐word lexical bundles and their role in achieving six rhetorical moves, including position, claim, counterclaim, rebuttal, evidence, and conclusion. The findings reveal that intermediate learners used more lexical bundles in two moves (i.e., claims and evidence). There were also differences both in the bundle structures used by beginners and intermediate learners, and in the functions realized through those bundles. How lexical bundles are used across lower levels of L2 proficiency, and the implications of these findings for L2 writing instruction, are discussed.