bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti‐Black racism: Gaining insight into the experiences of Black nurses in Canada
Authors: Prendergast Nadia , Boakye Priscilla , Bailey Annette , Igwenagu Honour , Burnett‐Ffrench Tahja
Published: October 2023

The call to address anti‐Black racism in workplaces resonates across several organizations and institutions in Canada. But specifically, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic shed further light on how health inequities negatively impact the Black community. After conducting a literature review of the experiences of Black nurses in Canada, a deeper understanding of their plight was gained. In healthcare, the findings from the Black Nurses' Task Force report conclude that anti‐Black racist practices are pervasive in nursing, and there remains a paucity of research in this area. This study builds off the report by exploring how Black nurses experience anti‐Black racism while working in Canada's healthcare system. Inspired by critical race theory and Black feminist thought, an exploratory qualitative research study was conducted, using semistructured interviews to gather data. The study concludes that Black nurses experience anti‐Black racism within the workplace, and it manifests itself through some of the attitudes of colleagues, patients, and nurses in leadership roles. Despite policies and statements that were in place to protect them, anti‐Black racism continues to occur systematically. The findings point to the need for change in the overall workplace culture, which includes a fair representation of Black nurses in leadership roles, further research to identify best practices for tackling anti‐Black racism within Canada's healthcare system, and mandatory training on anti‐Black racism for healthcare leaders, educators, and service providers.
Why and how is photovoice used as a decolonising method for health research with Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada? A scoping review
Authors: Vining Rebecca , Finn Mairéad
Published: October 2023

Globally, including in North America, Indigenous populations have poorer health than non‐Indigenous populations. This health disparity results from inequality and marginalisation associated with colonialism. Photovoice is a community‐based participatory research method that amplifies the voices of research participants. Why and how photovoice has been used as a decolonising method for addressing Indigenous health inequalities has not been mapped. A scoping review of the literature on photovoice for Indigenous health research in the United States and Canada was carried out. Five electronic databases and the grey literature were searched, with no time limit. A total of 215 titles and abstracts and 97 full texts were screened resulting in 57 included articles. Analysis incorporated Lalita Bharadwaj's Framework For Building Research Partnerships with First Nations Communities. Photovoice was selected to improve knowledge mobilisation and participant empowerment and engagement. Studies incorporated relationship building, meaningful data collection, and public dissemination but had a lesser focus on the inclusion of Indigenous peer researchers or participant involvement in analysis. For photovoice to truly realise its decolonising potential, it must be incorporated into a broader participatory and decolonising research paradigm. In addition, more resources are required to support the involvement of Indigenous people in the research process.
A new Andean species of Merostachys Spreng. from Bolivia (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae): Merostachys nigricans
Authors: Jiménez‐Pérez Iván , Vinícius‐Silva Ronaldo
Published: October 2023

Based on fieldwork and examination of herbarium specimens, a new Andean species, Merostachys nigricans, from the humid montane forest of Bolivia is described and illustrated. We provide notes about distribution, habitat, ecology, conservation status, phenology, common names, uses, and taxonomic affinities with M. ramosa and M. yungasensis. A distribution map is also included. The presence of an unusually black internal surface of basal internodes distinguishes it from all other species in the genus and gives rise to its name.
Institutional factors driving citizen perceptions of AI in government: Evidence from a survey experiment on policing
Authors: Schiff Kaylyn Jackson , Schiff Daniel S. , Adams Ian T. , McCrain Joshua , Mourtgos Scott M.
Published: October 2023

Law enforcement agencies are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI)‐powered tools. While prior work emphasizes the technological features driving public opinion, we investigate how public trust and support for AI in government vary with the institutional context. We administer a pre‐registered survey experiment to 4200 respondents about AI use cases in policing to measure responsiveness to three key institutional factors: bureaucratic proximity (i.e., local sheriff versus national Federal Bureau of Investigation), algorithmic targets (i.e., public targets via predictive policing versus detecting officer misconduct through automated case review), and agency capacity (i.e., necessary resources and expertise). We find that the public clearly prefers local over national law enforcement use of AI, while reactions to different algorithmic targets are more limited and politicized. However, we find no responsiveness to agency capacity or lack thereof. The findings suggest the need for greater scholarly, practitioner, and public attention to organizational, not only technical, prerequisites for successful government implementation of AI.
Accuracy of ultrasound and visual inspection in antral follicular count in crossbred Holstein cows raised under grazing systems at high altitude
Authors: Ayala Luis , Dutan Jorge , Samaniego Jorge , Jácome Andrés , Garay Gabriela , Rodas Ramiro , Astiz Susana
Published: October 2023

The objective of this research was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of post‐mortem ultrasound in antral follicle count (AFC) determination and compare it with visual AFC in grazing crossbred Holstein cows, at high altitude in Ecuador. Pre‐mortem blood from 80 cows was collected, and AFC and ovarian characteristics were analysed post‐mortem by ultrasound and visual techniques. AFC counts were stratified as high, medium or low by terciles. Mean AMH concentration in pre‐mortem blood was 280.1 ± 15.53 pg/mL. The AFC obtained by visual inspection (26.9 ± 9.49 follicles) was 23.8% higher than by ultrasound (20.5 ± 7.53 follicles) in all ovaries. Body condition score, age and weight of the cattle did not interact with the count technique. In the low AFC group, visual inspection and ultrasound provided similar AFC results. However, in the Medium‐ and High‐AFC groups, AFC by ultrasound was 14.9% lower than AFC by visual inspection. We confirm that ultrasound can be used with great accuracy for AFC >3 mm (close to the resolution limit) in grazing crossbred Holstein cows at high altitude.
Flight-Path Optimization for a Hybrid-Electric Aircraft
Authors: Papadopoulos Konstantinos I. , Nasoulis Christos P. , Gkoutzamanis Vasilis G. , Kalfas Anestis I.
Published: October 2023

This study aims to illustrate a sequence that optimizes the flight-path trajectory for a hybrid-electric aircraft at mission level, in addition to identifying the respective optimum power management strategy. An in-house framework for hybrid-electric propulsion system modeling is utilized. A hybrid-electric commuter aircraft serves as a virtual test-bench. Vectorized calculations, decision variable count, and optimization algorithms are considered for reducing the computational time of the framework. Performance improvements are evaluated for the aircraft's design mission profile. Total energy consumption is set as the objective function. Emphasis lies on minimizing the average value and standard deviation of the energy consumption and timeframe metrics. The best performing application decreases computational time by two orders of magnitude, while retaining equal accuracy and consistency as the original model. It is employed for creating a dataset for training an artificial neural network (ANN) against random mission patterns. The trained network is integrated into a surrogate model. The latter part of the analysis evaluates optimized mission profile characteristics with respect to energy consumption, against a benchmark flight-path. The combined optimization process decreases the multihour-scale timeframe by two orders of magnitude to a 3-min sequence. Using the novel framework, a 12% average energy consumption benefit is calculated for short, medium, and long regional missions, against equivalent benchmark profiles.
Time scales of adaptation to context in horizontal sound localization
Authors: Andrejková Gabriela , Best Virginia , Kopčo Norbert
Published: October 2023

Psychophysical experiments explored how the repeated presentation of a context, consisting of an adaptor and a target, induces plasticity in the localization of an identical target presented alone on interleaved trials. The plasticity, and its time course, was examined both in a classroom and in an anechoic chamber. Adaptors and targets were 2 ms noise clicks and listeners were tasked with localizing the targets while ignoring the adaptors (when present). The context was either simple, consisting of a single-click adaptor and a target, or complex, containing either a single-click or an eight-click adaptor that varied from trial to trial. The adaptor was presented either from a frontal or a lateral location, fixed within a run. The presence of context caused responses to the isolated targets to be displaced up to 14° away from the adaptor location. This effect was stronger and slower if the context was complex, growing over the 5 min duration of the runs. Additionally, the simple context buildup had a slower onset in the classroom. Overall, the results illustrate that sound localization is subject to slow adaptive processes that depend on the spatial and temporal structure of the context and on the level of reverberation in the environment.
Bioacoustics supports genus identification in piranhas
Authors: Raick Xavier , Godinho Alexandre Lima , Kurchevski Gregório , Huby Alessia , Parmentier Éric
Published: October 2023

In different teleost species, sound production can utilize specific coding schemes to avoid confusion between species during communication. Piranhas are vocal Neotropical fishes, and both Pygocentrus and Serrasalmus produce similar pulsed sounds using the same sound-producing mechanism. In this study, we analysed the sounds of three Pygocentrus and nine Serrasalmus species to determine whether sounds can be used to discriminate piranha species at both the species and genus levels. Our analysis of temporal and frequency data supports the idea that the sounds of Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus species are species specific, and that different acoustic features can be used to differentiate taxa at the genus level. Specifically, the sounds of Serrasalmus species are shorter, louder, and have a shorter pulse period (as determined after correction for standard length). This suggests that sounds can be used to support taxonomy at the genus level as well as the species level.
Acoustic study of the Roman theatre of Pompeii: Comparison between existing condition and future installation of two parametric acoustic shells
Authors: Bevilacqua Antonella , Iannace Gino
Published: October 2023

Roman theatres have always been the subject of research that takes into account not only acoustics, but also archaeological and architectural aspects. It is difficult to draw the boundary line between these disciplines since the interrelation between the different types of expertise is necessary to allow a good production of contemporary architecture in a specific context, such as a Roman theatre. This paper deals with the acoustic analysis of three specific scenarios in the context of the Roman theatre of Pompeii. The reconstruction of the original form, which represents the first scenario, is based on the recent archaeological findings of the ancient city, which was buried for almost two millennia after the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius. The second scenario envisions a future acoustic shell in the form of a mushroom, where the ceiling is the continuation of the vertical surface. The third scenario consists of a parametric design of a shell, representing a modern style velarium; as the curve creates focusing effects, the addition of reflective panels directs the sound evenly to the audience. These latest two architectural designs are intended to make the archaeological site of Pompeii suitable for live concerts and contemporary venues. The digital model representing the current conditions was calibrated with the measured values; the calibrated model was used to study the design of two parametric shell options, proposed as alternatives to provide good acoustics to the audience. The simulated results indicate that the main acoustic parameters are closer to or within the optimal values, resulting in a significant improvement in the acoustic performance of the space.
Match Running Performance in Australian Football Is Related to Muscle Fiber Typology
Authors: Hopwood Henry J. , Bellinger Phillip M. , Compton Heidi R. , Bourne Matthew N. , Derave Wim , Lievens Eline , Kennedy Ben , Minahan Clare L.
Published: October 2023

Purpose: To examine the association between muscle fiber typology and match running performance in professional Australian football (AF) athletes.
Methods: An observational time–motion analysis was performed on 23 professional AF athletes during 224 games throughout the 2020 competitive season. Athletes were categorized by position as hybrid, small, or tall. Athlete running performance was measured using Global Navigation Satellite System devices. Mean total match running performance and maximal mean intensity values were calculated for moving mean durations between 1 and 10 minutes for speed (in meters per minute), high-speed-running distance (HSR, >4.17 m·s−1), and acceleration (in meters per second squared), while intercept and slopes were calculated using power law. Carnosine content was quantified by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the gastrocnemius and soleus and expressed as a carnosine aggregate z score (CAZ score) to estimate muscle fiber typology. Mixed linear models were used to determine the association between CAZ score and running performance.
Results: The mean (range) CAZ score was −0.60 (−1.89 to 1.25), indicating that most athletes possessed a greater estimated proportion of type I muscle fibers. A greater estimated proportion of type I fibers (ie, lower CAZ score) was associated with a larger accumulation of HSR (>4.17 m·s−1) and an increased ability to maintain HSR as the peak period duration increased.
Conclusion: AF athletes with a greater estimated proportion of type I muscle fibers were associated with a greater capacity to accumulate distance running at high speeds, as well as a greater capacity to maintain higher output of HSR running during peak periods as duration increases.
Does the Position of the Ankle Matter During the Single Gluteal Bridge in Futsal Players? An Electromyographic Analysis
Authors: Elias Gonzalo , Jerez-Mayorga Daniel , Intelangelo Leonardo
Published: October 2023

Context: The aim of this study was to analyze the muscle activity of the hamstring muscles and the lateral gastrocnemius during different variants of the single-leg bridge (SLB) in futsal players. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Twenty-two futsal players (age = 24.8 [3.9] y) volunteered to participate in this study. The participants performed 3 variations of the SLB with the knee flexed at 45°. The first position was performed with the ankle in plantar position with flat support, the second with the ankle in dorsiflexion (DF) with heel support, and the third with the ankle in DF and external rotation (ER) with heel support. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test assessed the difference between variables for samples with the rank-biserial correlation effect size. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to examine the associations of the percentage maximal voluntary isometric contraction for each muscle with peak force and rate of force development with 3 different variances of the SLB. Results: The variation of ankle DF and ER with heel support generated higher muscle activity in BF in concentric (P < .01, effect size [ES] = −0.613); isometric (P < .042, ES = −0.494); and eccentric (P < .005, ES = −0.668) contraction than ankle DF with heel support. In contrast, the variation of ankle DF and ER with heel support generated fewer muscle activity in lateral gastrocnemius in concentric (P < .001, ES = 0.779); isometric (P < .003, ES = 0.708); and eccentric (P < .014, ES = 0.589) contraction than ankle DF with heel support. Conclusions: The position of DF and ER was the best position in SLB to train the BF. It could be convenient to start rehabilitation of the BF with flat foot postition or ankle in DF with heel support and progress with the position of the ankle in DF and ER with heel support.
Comprehensive summary of steroid metabolism in
Comamonas testosteroni
TA441: entire degradation process of basic four rings and removal of C12 hydroxyl group
Authors: Horinouchi Masae , Hayashi Toshiaki
Published: October 2023

Comamonas testosteroni
is one of the representative aerobic steroid-degrading bacteria. We previously revealed the mechanism of steroidal A,B,C,D-ring degradation by
C. testosteroni
TA441. The corresponding genes are located in two clusters at both ends of a mega-cluster of steroid degradation genes. ORF7 and ORF6 are the only two genes in these clusters, whose function has not been determined. Here, we characterized ORF7 as encoding the dehydrase responsible for converting the C12β hydroxyl group to the C10(12) double bond on the C-ring (SteC), and ORF6 as encoding the hydrogenase responsible for converting the C10(12) double bond to a single bond (SteD). SteA and SteB, encoded just upstream of SteC and SteD, are in charge of oxidizing the C12α hydroxyl group to a ketone group and of reducing the latter to the C12β hydroxyl group, respectively. Therefore, the C12α hydroxyl group in steroids is removed with SteABCD via the C12 ketone and C12β hydroxyl groups. Given the functional characterization of ORF6 and ORF7, we disclose the entire pathway of steroidal A,B,C,D-ring breakdown by
C. testosteroni
TA441.

IMPORTANCE

Studies on bacterial steroid degradation were initiated more than 50 years ago, primarily to obtain materials for steroid drugs. Now, their implications for the environment and humans, especially in relation to the infection and the brain-gut-microbiota axis, are attracting increasing attention.
Comamonas testosteroni
TA441 is the leading model of bacterial aerobic steroid degradation with the ability to break down cholic acid, the main component of bile acids. Bile acids are known for their variety of physiological activities according to their substituent group(s). In this study, we identified and functionally characterized the genes for the removal of C12 hydroxyl groups and provided a comprehensive summary of the entire A,B,C,D-ring degradation pathway by
C. testosteroni
TA441 as the representable bacterial aerobic degradation process of the steroid core structure.
Identification of “missing links” in C- and D-ring cleavage of steroids by
Comamonas testosteroni
TA441
Authors: Horinouchi Masae , Hayashi Toshiaki
Published: October 2023

Comamonas testosteroni
TA441 is capable of aerobically degrading steroids through the aromatization and cleavage of the A- and B-rings, followed by D- and C-ring cleavage via β-oxidation. While most of the degradation steps have been previously characterized, a few intermediate compounds remained unidentified. In this study, we proposed that the cleavage of the D-ring at C13-17 required the ScdY hydratase, followed by C-ring cleavage via the ScdL1L2 transferase. The anticipated reaction was expected to yield 6-methyl-3,7-dioxo-decane-1,10-dioic acid-coenzyme A (CoA) ester. To confirm this hypothesis, we constructed a plasmid enabling the induction of targeted genes in TA441 mutant strains. Induction experiments of ScdL1L2 revealed that the major product was 3-hydroxy-6-methyl-7-oxo-decane-1,10-dioic acid-CoA ester. Similarly, induction experiments of ScdY demonstrated that the substrate of ScdY was a geminal diol, 17-dihydroxy-9-oxo-1,2,3,4,5,6,10,19-octanorandrost-8(14)-en-7-oic acid-CoA ester. These findings suggest that ScdY catalyzes the addition of a water molecule at C14 of 17-dihydroxy-9-oxo-1,2,3,4,5,6,10,19-octanorandrost-8(14)-en-7-oic acid-CoA ester, leading to D-ring cleavage at C13-17. Subsequently, the C9 ketone of the D-ring cleavage product is converted to a hydroxyl group, followed by C-ring cleavage, resulting in the production of 3-hydroxy-6-methyl-7-oxo-decane-1,10-dioic acid-CoA ester.

IMPORTANCE

Studies on bacterial steroid degradation were initiated more than 50 years ago primarily to obtain substrates for steroid drugs. In recent years, the role of steroid-degrading bacteria in relation to human health has gained significant attention, as emerging evidence suggests that the intestinal microflora plays a crucial role in human health. Furthermore, cholic acid, a major component of bile acid secreted in the intestines, is closely associated with the gut microbiota. While
Comamonas testosteroni
TA441 is recognized as the leading bacterial model for aerobic steroid degradation, the involvement of aerobic steroid degradation in the intestinal microflora remains largely unexplored. Nonetheless, the presence of
C. testosteroni
in the cecum suggests the potential influence of aerobic steroid degradation on gut microbiota. To establish essential information about the role of these bacteria, here, we identified the missing compounds and propose more details of C-, and D-ring cleavage, which have remained unclear until now.
A core-genome multilocus sequence typing scheme for the detection of genetically related
Streptococcus pyogenes
clusters
Authors: Toorop Myrthe M. A. , Kraakman Margriet E. M. , Hoogendijk Irene V. , van Prehn Joffrey , Claas Eric C. J. , Wessels Els , Boers Stefan A.
Published: October 2023

The recently observed increase in invasive
Streptococcus pyogenes
infections causes concern in Europe. However, conventional molecular typing methods lack discriminatory power to aid investigations of outbreaks caused by
S. pyogenes
. Therefore, there is an urgent need for high-resolution molecular typing methods to assess genetic relatedness between
S. pyogenes
isolates. In the current study, we aimed to develop a novel high-resolution core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) scheme for
S. pyogenes
and compared its discriminatory power to conventional molecular typing methods. The cgMLST scheme was designed with the commercial Ridom SeqSphere+ software package. To define a cluster threshold, the scheme was evaluated using publicly available data from nine defined
S. pyogenes
outbreaks in the United Kingdom. The cgMLST scheme was then applied to 23 isolates from a suspected
S. pyogenes
outbreak and 117
S
.
pyogenes
surveillance isolates both from the Netherlands. MLST and
emm
-typing results were used for comparison to cgMLST results. The allelic differences between isolates from defined outbreaks ranged between 6 and 31 for isolates with the same
emm-
type, resulting in a proposed cluster threshold of
<
5 allelic differences out of 1,095 target loci. Seven out of twenty-three (30%) isolates from the suspected outbreak had an allelic difference of
<
2, thereby identifying a potential cluster that could not be linked to other isolates. The proposed cgMLST scheme shows a higher discriminatory ability when compared to conventional typing methods. The rapid and simple analysis workflow allows for extended detection of clusters of potential outbreak isolates and surveillance and may facilitate the sharing of sequencing results between (inter)national laboratories.
Draft genome sequence of
Bifidobacterium breve
DSM 32583, isolated from human milk
Authors: Kujawska Magdalena , Schaubeck Monika , Hall Lindsay J. , Neuhaus Klaus
Published: October 2023

Here, we describe the draft genome sequence of
Bifidobacterium breve
DSM 32583 isolated from human milk obtained from a healthy mother. Potentially, this
B. breve
strain could serve as a probiotic.
In vitro
antibacterial activity of dinuclear thiolato-bridged ruthenium(II)-arene compounds
Authors: Bugnon Quentin , Melendez Camilo , Desiatkina Oksana , Fayolles de Chaptes Louis , Holzer Isabelle , Păunescu Emilia , Hilty Markus , Furrer Julien
Published: October 2023

The antibacterial activity of 22 thiolato-bridged dinuclear ruthenium(II)-arene compounds was assessed
in vitro
against
Escherichia coli
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
. None of the compounds efficiently inhibited the growth of the three
E. coli
strains tested, and only compound
5
exhibited a medium activity against this bacterium [MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of 25 µM]. However, a significant antibacterial activity was observed against
S. pneumoniae
, with MIC values ranging from 1.3 to 2.6 µM for compounds
1–3
,
5,
and
6
. Similarly, compounds
2
,
5–7,
and
20–22
had MIC values ranging from 2.5 to 5 µM against
S. aureus
. The tested diruthenium compounds have a bactericidal effect significantly faster than that of penicillin. Fluorescence microscopy assays performed on
S. aureus
using the BODIPY-tagged diruthenium complex
15
showed that this type of metal compound enters the bacteria and does not accumulate in the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria. Cellular internalization was further confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry experiments. The nature of the substituents anchored on the bridging thiols and the compounds molecular weight appears to significantly influence the antibacterial activity. Thus, if overall a decrease of the bactericidal effect with the increase of compounds’ molecular weight is observed, however, the complexes bearing larger benzo-fused lactam substituents had low MIC values. This first antibacterial activity screening demonstrated that the thiolato-diruthenium compounds exhibit promising activity against
S. aureus
and
S. pneumoniae
and deserve to be considered for further studies.

IMPORTANCE

The
in vitro
assessment of diruthenium(II)-arene compounds against
Escherichia coli
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
showed a significant antibacterial activity of some compounds against
S. pneumoniae
, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 1.3 to 2.6 µM, and a medium activity against
E. coli
, with MIC of 25 µM. The nature of the substituents anchored on the bridging thiols and the compounds molecular weight appear to significantly influence the antibacterial activity. Fluorescence microscopy showed that these ruthenium compounds enter the bacteria and do not accumulate in the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria. These diruthenium(II)-arene compounds exhibit promising activity against
S. aureus
and
S. pneumoniae
and deserve to be considered for further studies, especially the compounds bearing larger benzo-fused lactam substituents.
Probability of outbreaks and cross-border dissemination of the emerging pathogen: a genomic survey of
Elizabethkingia meningoseptica
Authors: Hu Shaohua , Chen Yingying , Xu Hao , Chen Jing , Hu Shaojun , Meng Xiaohua , Ni Shujun , Xiao Yonghong , Zheng Beiwen
Published: October 2023

The emerging infectious agent
Elizabethkingia meningoseptica
is associated with life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. However, there are limited data on its geographic distribution, phylogenetic evolution, pathogenesis, and transmission. In this study, we comprehensively analyze and compare the genomic features, evolutionary history, emergence date, and transmission networks of global
E. meningoseptica
. Geographical distribution reveals the presence of the emerging bacteria in Asia, Europe, and North America, three continents with similar latitudes. Phylogenetic analyses show no relationship between the strain’s evolutionary history and its location, origin, or source, despite the presence of genetic diversity. Analysis of the emergence timeline suggests that America is the most likely source of
E. meningoseptica
with the common ancestor of this pathogen dating back 90 years. Putative transmission networks indicate that
E. meningoseptica
bacteria can spread within the same hospital and even across borders. Minor variations in resistance genotypes and virulence genes are observed, supporting existing evidence of inherent resistance and pathogenicity in
E. meningoseptica
. Additionally, minocycline and doxycycline demonstrate potent antimicrobial activity against this pathogen, making them promising candidates for treating
E. meningoseptica
infections. Our research highlights the potential for severe nosocomial outbreaks caused by
E. meningoseptica
with horizontal transmission occurring between countries worldwide. To prevent future outbreak infections, increased genomic surveillance of global
E. meningoseptica
populations is necessary.

IMPORTANCE

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica
is an emerging infectious agent associated with life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. However, there are limited data available on the genomic features of
E. meningoseptica
. This study aims to characterize the geographical distribution, phylogenetic evolution, pathogenesis, and transmission of this bacterium. A systematic analysis of the
E. meningoseptica
genome revealed that a common ancestor of this bacterium existed 90 years ago. The evolutionary history showed no significant relationship with the sample source, origin, or region, despite the presence of genetic diversity. Whole genome sequencing data also demonstrated that
E. meningoseptica
bacteria possess inherent resistance and pathogenicity, enabling them to spread within the same hospital and even across borders. This study highlights the potential for
E. meningoseptica
to cause severe nosocomial outbreaks and horizontal transmission between countries worldwide. The available evidence is crucial for the development of evidence-based public health policies to prevent global outbreaks caused by emerging pathogens.
Occidiofungin inhibition of
Candida
biofilm formation on silicone elastomer surface
Authors: Kumpakha Rabina , Gordon Donna M.
Published: October 2023

Biofilms are the leading cause of clinically acquired fungal infections and contribute to significantly high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients.
Candida
biofilms exhibit increased resistance to currently available antifungal agents that contribute to persistent reoccurring infections and are driving efforts to identify novel fungicidal compounds. The natural product, occidiofungin, is an antifungal compound with demonstrated activity against hyphal morphogenesis in polymorphic
Candida
species. In this study, we use an
in vitro
static biofilm model to demonstrate the efficacy of occidiofungin against
C. albicans
and
C. tropicalis
at all stages of biofilm development, including inhibiting cell dispersal. Consistent with prior findings, we demonstrate that actin organization is altered following occidiofungin exposure to include loss of F-actin cables and accumulation of actin aggregates. Altogether, our results provide strong evidence of the antibiofilm activity of occidiofungin toward
Candida
biofilms and support its potential as a therapeutic for
Candida
infections.

IMPORTANCE

Candida
are opportunistic fungal pathogens with medical relevance given their association with superficial to life-threatening infections. An important component of
Candida
virulence is the ability to form a biofilm. These structures are highly resistant to antifungal therapies and are often the cause of treatment failure. In this work, we evaluated the efficacy of the antifungal compound, occidiofungin, against
Candida
biofilms developed on a silicone surface. We demonstrate that occidiofungin eliminated cells at all stages of biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with our understanding of occidiofungin bioactivity, we noted alterations to actin organization and cell morphology following antifungal exposure. Given the challenges associated with the treatment of biofilm-associated infections, occidiofungin exhibits potential as a therapeutic antifungal agent in the future.
Products and dynamics of lava-snow explosions: The 16 March 2017 explosion at Mount Etna, Italy
Authors: Cioni R. , Andronico D. , Cappelli L. , Aravena A. , Gabellini P. , Cristaldi A. , Corsaro R.A. , Cantarero M. , Ciancitto F. , De Beni E. , Ganci G.
Published: October 2023

Volcanic hazards associated with lava flows advancing on snow cover are often underrated, although sudden explosions related to different processes of lava-snow/ice contact can occur rapidly and are only preceded by small, easily underrated precursors. On 16 March 2017, during a mildly effusive and explosive eruption at Mount Etna, Italy, a slowly advancing lava lobe interacted with the snow cover to produce a sudden, brief sequence of explosions. White vapor, brown ash, and coarse material were suddenly ejected, and the products struck a group of people, injuring some of them. The proximal deposit formed a continuous mantle of ash, lapilli, and decimeter-sized bombs, while the ballistic material travelled up to 200 m from the lava edge. The deposit was estimated to have a mass of 7.1 ± 0.8 × 104 kg, which corresponds to a volume of 32.0 ± 3.6 m3 of lava being removed by the explosion. Data related to the texture and morphology of the ejected clasts were used to constrain a model of lava-snow interaction. The results suggest that the mechanism causing the explosions was the progressive build-up of pressure due to vapor accumulation under the lava flow, while no evidence was found for the occurrence of fuel-coolant interaction processes. Although these low-intensity explosions are not particularly frequent, the data set collected provides, for the first time, quantitative information about the processes involved and the associated hazard and suggests that mitigation measures should be established to prevent potentially dramatic accidents at worldwide volcanoes frequented by tourists and with fairly easy access, such as Etna.
British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy
Authors: Sidhu Reena , Turnbull David , Haboubi Hasan , Leeds John S , Healey Chris , Hebbar Srisha , Collins Paul , Jones Wendy , Peerally Mohammad Farhad , Brogden Sara , Neilson Laura J , Nayar Manu , Gath Jacqui , Foulkes Graham , Trudgill Nigel J , Penman Ian
Published: October 2023

Over 2.5 million gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures are carried out in the United Kingdom (UK) every year. Procedures are carried out with local anaesthetic r with sedation. Sedation is commonly used for gastrointestinal endoscopy, but the type and amount of sedation administered is influenced by the complexity and nature of the procedure and patient factors. The elective and emergency nature of endoscopy procedures and local resources also have a significant impact on the delivery of sedation. In the UK, the vast majority of sedated procedures are carried out using benzodiazepines, with or without opiates, whereas deeper sedation using propofol or general anaesthetic requires the involvement of an anaesthetic team. Patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy need to have good understanding of the options for sedation, including the option for no sedation and alternatives, balancing the intended aims of the procedure and reducing the risk of complications. These guidelines were commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Endoscopy Committee with input from major stakeholders, to provide a detailed update, incorporating recent advances in sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy.

This guideline covers aspects from pre-assessment of the elective ‘well’ patient to patients with significant comorbidity requiring emergency procedures. Types of sedation are discussed, procedure and room requirements and the recovery period, providing guidance to enhance safety and minimise complications. These guidelines are intended to inform practising clinicians and all staff involved in the delivery of gastrointestinal endoscopy with an expectation that this guideline will be revised in 5-years’ time.
New aboveground biomass equations by components for small black spruce in peatland ecosystems of Western Canada
Authors: Wagers Steven , Castilla Guillermo , Voicu Mihai , Rea Tyler , Sanchez-Azofeifa G. Arturo
Published: October 2023

Black spruce is the most common tree species in Canada, dominating treed peatlands where they are usually stunted. We used 495 destructively sampled trees from 56 plots to develop allometric models of aboveground biomass by components (stem, branches, and needles) for small (<5 m tall) black spruce from peatlands in the Taiga Plains and Boreal Plains Ecozones of Western Canada, for which there were no specific models available of biomass by components. We used leave-one-plot-out cross-validation to assess transferability and compare our models with existing national and ecozone-specific equations. Our models predicted total tree biomass with better accuracy and less biased estimates than the national model (relative RMSE: 30% versus 35% national; relative bias: +1% versus –12% national). Similar results were obtained in other external datasets. Existing ecozone equations performed worse than either our models or the national ones. When we applied the models at the plot level to predict aboveground biomass density (Mg·ha−1), our models outperformed the national model again (relative RMSE: 15.9% versus 18.6% national, relative bias: +3.5% versus –13.6% national). These results indicate that at least for peatlands of Western Canada, our models provide better aboveground biomass estimates for small black spruce trees than existing models.
Efficient Strategy to Exchange Road Messages Between Smart Vehicles and Wireless Sensor Networks in Hybrid Sensor and Vehicular Networks
Authors: Bensiradj Taha
Published: October 2023

The aim of the intelligent transport system (ITS) is the improvement of road safety. This system is based on intelligent vehicles composing a network called Vehicular Ad hoc NETwork (VANET). This network suffers from a disconnection problem due to its dynamic topology. Therefore, a framework of collaboration between the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and VANET called Hybr1id Sensor and Vehicular Networks (HSVN) has been proposed. In HSVN, the WSN can play the role of a relay between disconnected vehicles. This paper aims to propose a strategy allowing the exchange of messages between the two networks. That reduces the number of accidents and improves the management of road traffic. We can summarize our proposition in three essential points. First, an algorithm is proposed to decompose the vehicular network into clusters. This algorithm takes into account the mobile aspect of vehicles and the road model. Second, a data encoding model and a message model have been proposed to improve the quality of messages. That reduces the response time of drivers to a critical situation. Finally, an exchange algorithm is proposed to ensure the transmission of road messages between vehicles and sensors. Its principle of work is based on several scenarios defined relative to the network condition. Obtained results show an improvement in the delivery delays of road messages and the number of exchanged road messages between the vehicles.
CAREER MOTIVATORS AND DYNAMICS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY
Authors: DEMARTINO RICHARD , MURTHY RAJENDRAN S. , ATKINS W. SCOT
Published: October 2023

The entrepreneurship proclivities of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community are under-researched or often grouped together into the broad disability literature. This study represents the first effort in developing a framework for deaf entrepreneurship. It departs from prior work by employing a mixed method study to examine the drivers, career motivations and prevalence of entrepreneurial activity of the deaf community in the United States. Building on the nascent entrepreneurship disability literature, this research develops and tests a deaf entrepreneurship framework. Results indicate that entrepreneurship in the deaf community is limited, primarily driven by push-oriented motivations–tightly linked to unique contextual factors. It also finds that the dynamics of entrepreneurship in the deaf community differ substantially from the existing disability entrepreneurship literature revealing the need for different policies. Implications for theory and policy along with directions for future research are discussed.
ENABLING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: AN INFORMAL ECONOMY PERSPECTIVE
Authors: SIMBA AMON , TAJEDDIN MAHDI
Published: October 2023

Research presents the informal economy as a fading phenomenon mainly confined to the peripheries of mainstream economics. However, such views overlook its transformative effect on the social and economic spheres of many regions of the developing world through employment creation. Drawing from a new dataset combining World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Africa Index databases, this study examines the effect of country-level variables (informal economy size, economic and sustainable development) on economic and social change in twenty sub-Saharan African nations. Results reveal that informal work and informal business sustain livelihoods by providing income that helps tackle poverty, malnutrition and mortality rates. This has implications for academic research and policy making because it induces debate on the need to balance economic and social change with policy initiatives.
INSTITUTIONAL DIMENSIONS AND ALLOCATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL TALENTS TOWARD INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY IN NIGERIA
Authors: ABDU MUSA , OĞUZ FUAT
Published: October 2023

This study explores how certain institutional dimensions influence entrepreneurial allocations in Nigeria and its sectorial heterogeneity. We apply unconditional fixed-effect Tobit regression estimators on a combined dataset extracted from various sources over the period 2011-2015. Our findings suggest that property rights and oil rents strongly encourage young entrepreneurs to be innovative, while a number of business procedures and the rule of law discourage them from being innovative. The findings suggest that some of the institutions are complementary to one another in improving entrepreneurial innovativeness. Interactions between them are positive and significant. Sectorial results reveal that property rights, government effectiveness and oil rents significantly enhance entrepreneurial innovativeness, whereas government size reduces innovativeness among young entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector. In the IT sector, property rights, control of corruption, regulatory quality and government effectiveness increase entrepreneurial innovativeness. Government size, business procedures and the rule of law reduce innovativeness. Overall, the institutions appear to have stronger and bigger effects in the IT sector than they do in the manufacturing sector. Policy implications include the need for institutional reforms targeting productive entrepreneurship to focus more on making business regulation and procedures more competition-friendly and less cumbersome and strengthening the quality of anti-graft and property right institutions.
40 Years of Designing Code Comprehension Experiments: A Systematic Mapping Study
Authors: Wyrich Marvin , Bogner Justus , Wagner Stefan
Published: October 2023

The relevance of code comprehension in a developer’s daily work was recognized more than 40 years ago. Consequently, many experiments were conducted to find out how developers could be supported during code comprehension and which code characteristics contribute to better comprehension. Today, such studies are more common than ever. While this is great for advancing the field, the number of publications makes it difficult to keep an overview. Additionally, designing rigorous code comprehension experiments with human participants is a challenging task, and the multitude of design options can make it difficult for researchers, especially newcomers to the field, to select a suitable design.

We therefore conducted a systematic mapping study of 95 source code comprehension experiments published between 1979 and 2019. By structuring the design characteristics of code comprehension studies, we provide a basis for subsequent discussion of the huge diversity of design options in the face of a lack of basic research on their consequences and comparability. We describe what topics have been studied, as well as how these studies have been designed, conducted, and reported. Frequently chosen design options and deficiencies are pointed out to support researchers of all levels of domain expertise in designing their own studies.
Latent L-systems: Transformer-based Tree Generator
Authors: Lee Jae Joong , Li Bosheng , Benes Bedrich
Published: October 2023

We show how a Transformer can encode hierarchical tree-like string structures by introducing a new deep learning-based framework for generating 3D biological tree models represented as Lindenmayer system (L-system) strings. L-systems are string-rewriting procedural systems that encode tree topology and geometry. L-systems are efficient, but creating the production rules is one of the most critical problems precluding their usage in practice. We substitute the procedural rules creation with a deep neural model. Instead of writing the rules, we train a deep neural model that produces the output strings. We train our model on 155k tree geometries that are encoded as L-strings, de-parameterized, and converted to a hierarchy of linear sequences corresponding to branches. An end-to-end deep learning model with an attention mechanism then learns the distributions of geometric operations and branches from the input, effectively replacing the L-system rewriting rule generation. The trained deep model generates new L-strings representing 3D tree models in the same way L-systems do by providing the starting string. Our model allows for the generation of a wide variety of new trees, and the deep model agrees with the input by 93.7% in branching angles, 97.2% in branch lengths, and 92.3% in an extracted list of geometric features. We also validate the generated trees using perceptual metrics showing 97% agreement with input geometric models.
A Survey of Dataset Refinement for Problems in Computer Vision Datasets
Authors: Wan Zhijing , Wang Zhixiang , Chung Cheukting , Wang Zheng
Published: October 2023

Large-scale datasets have played a crucial role in the advancement of computer vision. However, they often suffer from problems such as class imbalance, noisy labels, dataset bias, or high resource costs, which can inhibit model performance and reduce trustworthiness. With the advocacy of data-centric research, various data-centric solutions have been proposed to solve the dataset problems mentioned above. They improve the quality of datasets by re-organizing them, which we call dataset refinement. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive and structured overview of recent advances in dataset refinement for problematic computer vision datasets.

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Firstly, we summarize and analyze the various problems encountered in large-scale computer vision datasets. Then, we classify the dataset refinement algorithms into three categories based on the refinement process: data sampling, data subset selection, and active learning. In addition, we organize these dataset refinement methods according to the addressed data problems and provide a systematic comparative description. We point out that these three types of dataset refinement have distinct advantages and disadvantages for dataset problems, which informs the choice of the data-centric method appropriate to a particular research objective. Finally, we summarize the current literature and propose potential future research topics.