bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinician perspectives on electronic health record behavioral alerts and hospital workplace violence prevention: A mixed methods study at 20 organizations
Authors: Weerahandi Himali , Burden Marisha , Kopp Zoë , Callister Catherine , Burke Jamie , Dayton Khooshbu , Keniston Angela , Ledford Russell , Raffel Katie E. , Schnipper Jeffrey , Auerbach Andrew
Published: February 2025

Background

Workplace violence prevention programs are important for safety, but little is known about how they are perceived by clinicians or whether electronic health record (EHR) behavioral alerts are perceived as effective.

Objective

To understand perspectives on the use of EHR behavioral alerts as part of workplace violence prevention programs in hospitals.

Methods

Mixed methods study utilizing semi‐structured focus groups with a structured survey. Focus group participants were members of a national hopsitalist consortium.

Results

Twenty‐eight individuals from 20 different organizations participated in focus groups, with 24 (86%) completing the survey. There was broad uncertainty in best practices for inpatient workplace violence prevention. There was also wide variation in EHR behavioral alert use across multiple domains, including how and why the alerts are placed and how they are used by the end user. Finally, focus groups had mixed sentiments on the potential impacts of these alerts; among participants who responded to surveys, half (50%) noted that alerts caused deviations in care and 21% indicated they witnessed instances where behavioral alerts led to adverse patient outcomes. Most (67%) survey respondents did not think EHR behavioral alerts prevented workplace violence. The majority (88%) of respondents also reported that patient demographic factors impacted whether an alert was placed.

Limitations

The study focused on clinician experience at academic hospitals.

Conclusions and Relevance

Reports of uncertainty in best practices for deploying EHR behavioral alerts, along with perceptions of variability in implementation and potential biases in alert usage, raise concerns about their effectiveness and potential for worsening disparities. Standardized, evidence‐based practices that safeguard healthcare workers without compromising patient care and equity are needed.
New Lower Bound for the Radius of Analyticity for the Modified 2D Zakharov–Kuznetsov Equation
Authors: Getachew Tegegne
Published: February 2025

We consider the initial value problem associated to the 2D modified Zakharov‐Kuznetsov equation. For a class of initial data that is real analytic in a strip around the axis of the complex plane that have a fixed radius of spatial analyticity , we show that the uniform radius of spatial analyticity of solutions at time is bounded from below by as the time goes to infinity. This improves very recent works. Our strategy mainly relies on an almost conservation law in a modified Gevrey spaces, local smoothing estimates, maximal function estimates, Strichartz estimates, and Sobolev embedding.
Comparison of Efficacies of a Blonanserin Transdermal Patch and Blonanserin Oral Formulation for Psychiatric Symptoms in Patients With Schizophrenia Treated With Laxatives Using a Japanese Claims Database
Authors: Inada Ken , Muraoka Hiroyuki , Matsumoto Yuji , Fukui Daisuke , Watanabe Tomomi , Masuda Yuriko , Inoue Sachie , Masuda Takahiro
Published: February 2025

Background

Laxative use has recently been indicated as a risk factor for hospitalization in patients with schizophrenia. Oral antipsychotic therapy for patients with schizophrenia treated with laxatives may be problematic due to gastrointestinal dysfunction, which affects absorption. Therefore, transdermal patches of antipsychotics may be a suitable alternative. We herein compared the efficacies of a blonanserin (BNS) patch and BNS oral formulation in patients with schizophrenia treated with laxatives.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed using a claims database in Japan provided by DeSC Healthcare Inc. Subjects were BNS patch‐ or BNS oral formulation‐prescribed patients with schizophrenia. The primary outcome was hospitalization to psychiatric wards. The hazard ratio (HR) for hospitalization was estimated using Cox proportional hazards model and adjusted by propensity scores.

Results

Among the 3896 patients identified, 1407 were prescribed laxatives (BNS patch group: n = 538, BNS oral group: n = 869). Mean ages in the BNS patch and BNS oral groups were 74 and 58 years, respectively. The adjusted HR for hospitalization (BNS patch group vs. BNS oral group) was 1.31 (95% confidence interval; 0.88, 1.94), with no significant difference.

Conclusions

No significant difference was observed in the risk of hospitalization for patients with schizophrenia treated with laxatives between the BNS patch and BNS oral groups. The effectiveness of antipsychotic patches in these patients warrants further research that considers factors such as patch preference in the elderly.
Innovative Synthesis of Magnetite Nanoparticles and their Interaction with Two Model Proteins: Human Serum Albumin and Lysozyme
Authors: Valizadeh Ali , Mirzapoor Aboulfazl , Hallaji Zahra , Jahanshah Talab Mahtab , Ranjbar Bijan
Published: February 2025

The synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) has gained significant interest due to their broad applications, particularly in biomedicine and environmental purification. In this study, Fe₃O₄ NPs are synthesized using a novel chemical co‐precipitation method, yielding NPs with excellent characteristics such as saturation magnetization of 41.42 emu g−1, a coercivity of less than 4 Oe, and a remanence below 0.4 emu g−1, demonstrating superparamagnetic‐like properties. The particles achieved an average size of 11 nm and displayed robust colloidal stability in aqueous suspension for ≈30 days. Additionally, chitosan‐coated Fe₃O₄ (Fe₃O₄‐CS) NPs are prepared, which maintained similar magnetic properties with a slightly lower magnetization of 38.35 emu g−1 due to the nonmagnetic CS layer. To assess the biomedical applicability of these NPs, their effects on model proteins human serum albumin and lysozyme are examined. Circular dichroism studies revealed only slight decreases in α‐helix content indicating minimal alterations to the secondary structure. Moreover, fluorescence studies indicated local changes in protein tertiary structures without significant disruption. This research highlights the potential of Fe₃O₄ and Fe₃O₄‐CS NPs for applications in drug delivery and controlled release systems due to their stability, biocompatibility, and unique magnetic properties.
Oxygen Defects Enriched Cerium Oxide Nanozyme for Sensitive Colorimetric Detection of Tannic Acid
Authors: Fan Xuke , Yu Haifeng , Zhang Mengpan , Zhou Zitong , Yang Yanling , Pang Yijun
Published: February 2025

Although the application of nanozymes is widely studied, it is still a huge challenge to develop a facile strategy to improve enzyme activity. Herein, a novel nanozyme construction strategy is proposed that involves the modulation of surface defects on CeO2 through controlled atmosphere under mild condition. The CeO2 prepared in this study is subjected to thermal treatment under various atmospheres, such as H2‐Ar and air, resulting in the formation of tunable oxygen vacancies, as confirmed by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–vis spectroscopy characterizations. The Cb‐H demonstrates peroxidase‐mimicking activity and achieves excellent catalytic performance due to the advantageous nanozyme preparation process, which results in the highest fraction of oxygen vacancies. Therefore, a colorimetric sensor is constructed for the fast and sensitive quantitative analysis of TA with good linearity in the range of 0–2.5 µm. This work offers strategies for optimizing the catalytic activity of defect‐engineered nanozymes and highlights the practical potential of Cb‐H in the colorimetric detection of tannic acid (TA).
Conformational flexibility associated with remote residues regulates the kinetic properties of glutamate dehydrogenase
Authors: Godsora Barsa Kanchan Jyotshna , Das Parijat , Mishra Prasoon Kumar , Sairaman Anjali , Kaledhonkar Sandip , Punekar Narayan S. , Bhaumik Prasenjit
Published: February 2025

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a pivotal metabolic enzyme in all living organisms, and some of the GDHs exhibit substrate‐dependent homotropic cooperativity. However, the mode of allosteric communication during the homotropic effect in GDHs remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined two homologous GDHs, Aspergillus niger GDH (AnGDH) and Aspergillus terreus GDH (AtGDH), with differing substrate utilization kinetics to uncover the factors driving their distinct behavior. We report the crystal structures and first‐ever cryo‐EM structures of apo‐ AtGDH and AnGDH that captured arrays of conformational ensembles. A wider mouth opening (~ 21 Å) is observed for the cooperative AnGDH as compared to the non‐cooperative AtGDH (~17 Å) in their apo states. A network of interactions related to the substitutions in Domain II influence structural flexibility in these GDHs. Remarkably, we have identified a distant substitution (R246 to S) in Domain II, as a part of this network, which can impact the mouth opening and converts non‐cooperative AtGDH into a cooperative enzyme. Our study demonstrates that remote residues can influence structural and kinetic properties in homologous GDHs.
Polymorphic Phase‐Change Properties and Memory Characteristics of VTe Thin Film
Authors: Orihara Shuhei , Shuang Yi , Ando Daisuke , Sutou Yuji
Published: February 2025

Phase‐change random access memory (PCRAM) is a leading candidate for emerging nonvolatile memory devices due to its fast switching speed, scalability, and complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility. However, traditional PCRAM relies on amorphous‐to‐crystalline switching, which suffers from high energy requirements and reliability issues. To address these challenges, in this study, the crystalline polymorphic phase‐change behavior as an alternative, which eliminates reliance on the amorphous phase and its associated limitations, is investigated. Herein, the transition‐metal tellurides, specifically a VTe binary system, are focused on and their potential for polymorphic phase transitions is investigated, leveraging insights from the crystalline polymorphic switching's dynamics of MnTe melting free phase‐change material. The binary phase diagram of VTe suggests that the polymorphic transition between the V3Te4 and V5Te8 phases can be obtained in the composition of V:Te ≈ 0.4:0.6. In this study, a VTe thin film is deposited and its polymorphic transition properties are investigated. The associated electrical and optical property changes are also analyzed. Finally, a VTe‐based memory device is fabricated and tested.
Soil Hardness Measurement Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor: Combined Compression Forces Methodology
Authors: Abdulraheem Mukhtar Iderawumi , Moshood Abiodun Yusuff , Ahmed Shakeel , Zhang Wei , Li Linze , Zhang Yanyan , Raghavan Vijaya , Hu Jiandong
Published: February 2025

Accurate soil hardness measurement is essential for enhancing agricultural productivity and geotechnical stability. Conventional methods, such as cone penetrometers, offer limited precision as they only measure penetration resistance, without considering soil reaction forces. This study introduces a novel Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor system, which captures both downward penetration and upward push‐back forces, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of soil hardness. By combining theoretical modeling, simulations, and experimental validation, the relationship between soil moisture and penetration resistance is analyzed. Results show a nonlinear correlation between moisture content and force, with forces ranging from 1.2 × 104 N at 0.8 moisture content to 7.8 × 104 N at 0.2 moisture content, at a depth of 0.01 m. Additionally, the FBG‐embedded beam experiences a peak deformation of 1.25 × 10−6 m at a depth of 0.25 m, confirming the sensor's high accuracy. The dual‐force measurement approach significantly enhances the precision of soil hardness evaluations, offering real‐time, high‐resolution data for sustainable soil management. Furthermore, new equations specific to FBG‐based soil resistance and Bragg wavelength shifts are proposed for dual‐force measurement addressing limitations of conventional methods. This study advances soil testing technologies, with potential applications in agriculture, geotechnical engineering, and environmental sustainability.
Inactivating Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria via Advanced Oxidation Processes: Uncovering Genomic Information in Resistance Genes
Authors: Nguyen Thu Hoai , Fujino Takeshi , Takasaki Hironori , Zhang Yi , Sawada Yosuke , Kamura Kenji
Published: February 2025

The increased use of disinfection products, particularly hand sanitizers containing triclosan, has raised significant environmental concerns, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in microorganisms. This study compares the effectiveness of ozone solutions and micro‐nano bubbles (MNB) solutions in addressing AMR. The findings indicate that MNB, particularly due to its stable generation of hydroxyl radicals (HO•), achieved significantly higher bacterial disinfection rates, with over 95% of bacteria killed after only 3 h. This suggests that MNB could be a potent alternative for efficient bacterial inactivation in water treatment systems. Additionally, ozone solutions have been found to be more effective in reducing antimicrobial‐resistance genes presence, particularly at optimized concentrations (50% ozone, 2.5 mg/L). This targeted control over antimicrobial‐resistance genes represents an innovation in managing antibiotic resistance in environmental waters, indicating that ozone at specific concentrations could reduce antimicrobial‐resistance gene proliferation. Moreover, MNB solutions show little to no adverse effect on bacterial DNA structure, even at high concentrations. The combination of these two advanced oxidation treatments offers a promising perspective for disinfection technology, aiming for maximum antimicrobial‐resistance genes inactivation with minimal side effects, thereby exemplifying a more refined approach to ozone‐based disinfection.
Water Quality Index, Heavy Metals, and Endocrine Disruptors in the Saigon River Basin: Pollution Assessment and Correlation Analysis
Authors: Tong Nguyen Xuan , Hoa Nguyen Kim , Tram Nguyen Thi Thu , Khang Luu Tang Phuc
Published: February 2025

The present study aims to assess surface water quality (WQI), wastewater quality (WWQI), and the presence of toxic chemicals, including metals and endocrine‐disrupting compounds (EDCs), in the Saigon River basin. A total of 27 samples from nine locations in the Saigon River basin and 30 wastewater samples from 10 industrial parks were collected in 2023. In addition, Pearson correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA) were employed to investigate the relationships and potential sources of water quality parameters, heavy metals, and EDCs in surface water and wastewater. Water Quality Index (WQI) revealed that five locations (S2, S3, S6, S7, and S9) were classified as poor (WQI: 47–50), while four locations (S1, S4, S5, and S8) exhibited moderate quality (WQI: 53–64). For wastewater, three locations (W2, W3, and W7) showed low‐strength wastewater (WWQI: 36–40), four locations (W4, W6, W8, and W10) had medium‐strength wastewater (WWQI: 54–74), and three locations (W1, W5, and W9) displayed high‐strength wastewater (WWQI: 76–80). In addition, Pb (0.50 mg/L) and Cr (0.10 mg/L) concentrations were higher than the surface water limits set by QCVN 08:2023/BTNMT (Pb < 0.02 mg/L and Cr < 0.05 mg/L). For wastewater, Pb concentration was 0.60 mg/L, higher than the QCVN 40:2021/BTNMT limit (Pb < 0.5 mg/L). The highest amount of nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO) was found in surface water samples (179.67 ± 24.88 ng/L), while the highest amount of octylphenol (OP) was found in wastewater samples (20,000.00 ± 8509.79 ng/L). The Pearson correlation test showed a strong positive relationship in surface water between bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO) (r = 0.80) and Cr and NP1EO (r = 0.99). A strong positive relationship was identified in wastewater between NP and Zn (r = 0.94) and between BPA and Cr (r = 0.96). Notably, no significant correlations were found between other parameters, suggesting pollution originates from multiple point sources related to industrialization and urbanization activities in the Saigon River basin. The PCA and CA results corroborated the correlation analysis, identifying human waste discharge as the primary contributor to pollution. Therefore, the study results highlight the urgent need for comprehensive water quality monitoring strategies, particularly near industrial and residential areas, and to develop and enforce stricter wastewater discharge regulations to mitigate environmental pollution.
A preliminary study on the analysis of methane and ethylene by gas chromatography flame ionization detection (GC‐FID) following the sampling by gas permeation through a polymer membrane
Authors: Nhan Nguyen Van Hoang , Huy Nguyen Gia , Quang Ngo Xuan , Van Dong Nguyen
Published: February 2025

A lab‐fabricated permeation system hyphenated to a gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector was used to examine the analysis of methane and ethylene. Various concentrations of methane and ethylene in a single or mixture were injected into the permeating chamber containing high‐purity nitrogen or helium atmosphere. The penetrated gases through a poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) membrane were flushed into a GC–FID equipped with a Porapak packed column for separation and detection using N2 or He carrier gas. The permeation processes of CH4 and C2H4 reached a steady state after 10 min. Since this “lag time”, the amounts that penetrated CH4 and C2H4 were proportional to the permeation time. Within a certain permeation time, the amounts of CH4 and C2H4 at both sides of the membrane were linearly correlated, facilitating the possibility of quantitative analysis of CH4 and C2H4. The permeability coefficients for CH4 and C2H4 in various permeation conditions were calculated. They showed that the penetration of CH4 and C2H4 in the He atmosphere was 11 times better compared to the N2 atmosphere, e.g. the sensitivity of the measurements is also better. This study revealed that permeation through a polymeric membrane could be applied to the analysis of CH4 and C2H4 or, on a large scale, to the gases or volatile compounds for various applications.
Waves on mazes
Authors: Bena Iosif , Dulac Raphaël , Houppe Anthony , Toulikas Dimitrios , Warner Nicholas P.
Published: February 2025

Abstract

One way to describe the entropy of black holes comes from partitioning momentum charge across fractionated intersecting brane systems. Here we construct

$$ \frac{1}{8} $$

1
8

-BPS solutions by adding momentum to a maze of M2-brane strips stretched between M5 branes. Before the addition of momentum, the

$$ \frac{1}{4} $$

1
4

-BPS supergravity solution describing the maze is governed by a master function obeying a complicated Monge-Ampère equation. Given such a solution, we show that one can add momentum waves without modifying the

$$ \frac{1}{4} $$

1
4

-BPS M2-M5 background. Remarkably, these excitations are fully determined by a layered set of linear equations. The fields responsible for carrying the momentum are parameterized by arbitrary functions of a null direction, and have exactly the same structure as in brane world-volume constructions. The fact that the momentum and flux excitations of the M2-M5-P system are governed by a linear structure brings us one step closer to using supergravity solutions to capture the entropy of supersymmetric black-holes.
2d QCD and integrability. Part I. ’t Hooft model
Authors: Ambrosino Federico , Komatsu Shota
Published: February 2025

Abstract

We study analytic properties and integrable structures of the meson spectrum in large N

c
QCD2. We show that the integral equation that determines the masses of the mesons, often called the ’t Hooft equation, is equivalent to finding solutions to a TQ-Baxter equation. Our analysis extends some of previous results by Fateev et al. to general quark masses m = m
1 = m
2, as a perturbative series of the mass parameter. This reformulation, together with its relation to an inhomogeneous Fredholm equation, makes accessible the analytic structure of the spectrum in the complex plane of the quark masses. We also comment on applications of our techniques to non-perturbative topological string partition functions.
Kato-Katz versus urine POC-CCA for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni in preschool-aged children in Homa Bay County, Kenya
Authors: Isaiah Phyllis Munyiva , Nyawanda Bryan , Okoyo Collins , Steinmann Peter
Published: February 2025

The diagnosis of schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children (PSAC) is challenging. The point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) assay offers potential improvements in diagnostic access in hard-to-reach areas over the conventional Kato-Katz (KK) test. This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of KK versus POC-CCA in stool and urine samples from PSAC in a PSAC population residing in a S. mansoni endemic hard-to-reach area in Kenya. Using combined positive results of both KK and POC-CCA tests as the “gold standard,” the overall sensitivity of KK (57.6%; 95% CI, 49.1–65.8) was significantly lower than that of POC-CCA (73.2%; 95% CI, 65.0–80.4);

$${\chi }_{m}^{2}$$

χ

m

2

= 5.88, p = 0.015. There was moderate agreement between KK and the combined results (k = 0.599, p < 0.001, concordance 80.9%) and a substantial agreement between POC-CCA and the combined results (k = 0.753, p < 0.001, concordance 88.1%). POC-CCA is a more sensitive diagnostic tool for schistosomiasis surveillance in PSAC compared to KK, particularly in hard-to-reach endemic areas.
Periodic traveling waves for nonlinear Schrödinger equations with non-zero conditions at infinity in $$ \textbf{R}^2 $$
Authors: Mariş Mihai , Mur Anthony
Published: February 2025

We consider the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with nonzero conditions at infinity in

$$\textbf{R}^2$$

R
2

. We investigate the existence of traveling waves that are periodic in the direction transverse to the direction of propagation and minimize the energy when the momentum is kept fixed. We show that for any given value of the momentum, there is a critical value of the period such that traveling waves with period smaller than the critical value are one-dimensional, and those with larger periods depend on two variables.
Population norms for the EQ-5D-5L for Hungary: comparison of online surveys and computer assisted personal interviews
Authors: Péntek Márta , Jáger Viktor , Kincses Áron , Hölgyesi Áron , Zrubka Zsombor , Baji Petra , Kovács Levente , Gulácsi László
Published: February 2025

Background and objectives

The aims of this study were to provide population norms for EQ-5D-5L in Hungary and investigate the differences in EQ-5D-5L normative data by survey mode, i.e. online surveys and computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI).

Methods

A pooled database was built comprising six online (N = 7,034) and two CAPI (N = 3,020) population-based studies with the EQ-5D-5L. Descriptive statistics were performed. Multinominal logistic and linear regression analyses were applied to compare the online and CAPI samples. Traditional and machine learning regression tools were used to investigate the determinants of EQ-5D-5L index values.

Results

‘No problems’ in any of the five EQ-5D-5L domains were reported by 33.9% (online) and 58.9% (CAPI) of the participants. Most problems were reported on the pain/discomfort domain in both study types (51.9% and 33.6%, respectively). Men and more educated respondents had significantly higher average EQ-5D-5L index values. EQ-5D-5L index values and EQ VAS scores were significantly higher in the CAPI sample, except in age groups 65–74 (no difference) and 75+ (online scores were significantly higher). Only 7–10% of variance in the EQ-5D-5L index values was explained by the variables survey mode, education, sex and age, with age having the largest and sex the smallest effect.

Conclusions

EQ-5D-5L population norms derived from online and CAPI studies may differ significantly from each other. It is recommended to consider the survey mode, sampling and sociodemographic characteristics of the participants when choosing population norms as reference set. Further comparative studies investigating EQ-5D-5L population norms by different study designs and administration modes are encouraged.
Assessing genetic conservation of human sociability-linked genes in C. elegans
Authors: Roozen Mila C. , Kas Martien J. H.
Published: February 2025

Social behavior is a common though variable trait across animal species. How much of the variation in social behavior is due to biological common mechanisms across animal species is unknown. In this study we examined to what extent human genetic variation in sociability is affected by pathways shared with Caenorhabditis elegans and whether any conserved sociability-linked genes show enhanced levels of essential functions and interactivity. We found inconsistent evidence of increased conservation with more thorough analyses resulting in no evidence of increased conservation of human sociability-linked genes. Conserved genes were highly interactive compared to nonconserved and random genes, while only a limited number of genetic interactions were found to be conserved. No evidence was found for enrichment of social phenotypes in C. elegans orthologs of human sociability-linked genes while evidence for associations with essential functions were limited. The activin A receptor type 2A (ACVR2A) gene appears to play a role in social behavior in both humans and C. elegans, making it an interesting gene for further study.
Monocyte-related markers as predictors of immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy and immune-related adverse events: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ezdoglian Aiarpi , Tsang-A-Sjoe Michel , Khodadust Fatemeh , Burchell George , Jansen Gerrit , de Gruijl Tanja , Labots Mariette , van der Laken Conny J.
Published: February 2025

The efficacy and off-target effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in cancer treatment vary among patients. Monocytes likely contribute to this heterogeneous response due to their crucial role in immune homeostasis. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of monocytes on ICI efficacy and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with cancer. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for clinical studies from January 2000 to December 2023. Articles were included if they mentioned cancer, ICI, monocytes, or any monocyte-related terminology. Animal studies and studies where ICIs were combined with other biologics were excluded, except for studies where two ICIs were used. This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023396297) prior to data extraction and analysis. Monocyte-related markers, such as absolute monocyte count (AMC), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), specific monocyte subpopulations, and m-MDSCs were assessed in relation to ICI efficacy and safety. Bayesian meta-analysis was conducted for AMC and MLR. The risk of bias assessment was done using the Cochrane-ROBINS-I tool. Out of 5787 studies identified in our search, 155 eligible studies report peripheral blood monocyte-related markers as predictors of response to ICI, and 32 of these studies describe irAEs. Overall, based on 63 studies, a high MLR was a prognostic biomarker for short progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) hazard ratio (HR): 1.5 (95% CI: 1.21–1.88) and 1.52 (95% CI:1.13–2.08), respectively. The increased percentage of classical monocytes was an unfavorable predictor of survival, while low baseline rates of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (m-MDSCs) were favorable. Elevated intermediate monocyte frequencies were associated but not significantly correlated with the development of irAEs. Baseline monocyte phenotyping may serve as a composite biomarker of response to ICI; however, more data is needed regarding irAEs. Monocyte-related variables may aid in risk assessment and treatment decision strategies for patients receiving ICI in terms of both efficacy and safety.
ChIP provides 10-fold microbial DNA enrichment from tissue while minimizing bias
Authors: Bhute Shrikant , Sanders Jon G. , Song Se Jin , Lavoie Sydney , Swafford Austin , Guccione Caitlin , Patel Lucas , Gonzalez Antonio , Rooks Michelle G. , Knight Rob , Bartko Andrew
Published: February 2025

Background

Host DNA depletion is a critical tool for accessing the microbiomes of samples that have a small amount of microbial DNA contained in a high host background. Of critical practical importance is the ability to identify microbial DNA sequences in frozen tissue specimens. Here, we compare four existing commercial methods and two newly introduced methods involving chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) on frozen human and pig intestinal biopsies.

Results

We find that all methods that rely on differential lysis of host and microbial cells introduce substantial biases as assessed by 16 S rRNA gene amplicon profiling. However, ChIP enables 10-fold enrichment of microbial DNA while introducing less bias, sufficient to make assessment possible against background, in both pigs and humans.

Conclusions

We recommend ChIP in situations where host depletion is important but where minimizing taxonomic bias is essential, and the MolYsis or Zymo kit for situations where host depletion level is more important than taxonomic bias.

Conclusions

We recommend ChIP in situations where host depletion is important but where minimizing taxonomic bias is essential, and the MolYsis or Zymo kit for situations where host depletion level is more important than taxonomic bias.
Seeing in Mirrors, Without Seeing-in
Authors: Marchetti Luca
Published: February 2025

Voltolini (J Aesthetics Art Criticisim, 79(3):315–327, 2021) has recently claimed that mirrors are bona fide pictures, for they are grasped via what he identifies as the defining characteristic of a picture: a certain seeing-in experience. Voltolini refines the somewhat elusive concept of seeing-in, originally described by Wollheim, and then demonstrates its applicability to mirror experience. However, in this paper, I contend that Voltolini’s improved version of seeing-in does not aptly describe the experience of viewing mirrors. In fact, according to the first aspect of Voltolini’s reconceived seeing-in, the configurational fold of a seeing-in experience must be an enriched perception of the picture’s vehicle that grasps how the vehicle’s elements are perceptually arranged. But, contra Voltolini, I argue that this does not hold true for the experience of looking at mirrors. Indeed, when looking at mirrors, we don’t perceive the configuration as an organizational structure; our visual system does not represent, even unconsciously, the properties of the mirror’s configuration as such. Mirror experience does not include an enriched perception of the picture’s vehicle; it does not grasp how the vehicle’s elements are perceptually arranged. My argument proceeds in two directions: firstly, through a phenomenological analysis of mirror experience and secondly, by corroborating these phenomenological observations with evidence from perceptual psychology. Thus, I conclude that if mirrors are to be considered bona fide pictures, it is not because they elicit a (reconceived) seeing-in experience.
Old signals, new era: Reconsidering how customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction impact shareholder wealth
Authors: Zamudio César , Mah Suyun , Swaminathan Vanitha
Published: February 2025

Extant research suggests that higher levels of customer and employee satisfaction signal a firm’s competitive advantage, resulting in greater firm value. This article advances the understanding of how firms can manage customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction to increase shareholder wealth in a new environment due to the emergence of social media and a new class of retail investors. Drawing from stakeholder theory and signaling theory, we argue that inconsistency in customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction can be informative to investors and lead to greater shareholder wealth in such a new environment. Our findings demonstrate that there is a negative joint effect of the two on shareholder wealth, such that unanticipated increases in employee satisfaction reduces shareholder wealth when customer satisfaction has also increased. Social media visibility and industry concentration are two key moderators that strengthen the negative joint effect. Our study provides important theoretical implications and valuable suggestions to managers to determine what their satisfaction indicators communicate in a new era where social media and the retail investor class have gained outsized importance.
Re-defining ‘success’ in relation to outreach programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: centering the voices of students, staff and caregivers
Authors: Barney Katelyn , Williams Hayley
Published: February 2025

Most universities run outreach camps that bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students onto university campuses to demystify university and build and sustain student engagement with university. However, there are varying perspectives on how ‘success’ should be defined and measured in relation to these programs. The staff who run outreach camps are often under pressure from university leadership and/or sponsors to set specific targets on the numbers of Indigenous students transitioning to that specific university where the camp occurred. This highlights the ongoing tensions and juxtapositions between widening participation and university marketing agendas. In addition, there has been little published evidence drawing on the voices of Indigenous students themselves in relation to how they articulate the successes of such programs. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore: How do Indigenous students and staff who run outreach camps view ‘success’ in relation to outreach programs? And what might this mean for the evaluation of outreach programs? Drawing on findings from an Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (formerly NCSEHE) funded Equity Fellowship, this article identifies student, staff and parent/caregiver perspectives on what ‘success’ means in relation to outreach programs for Indigenous high school students. We draw on interviews with Indigenous university students who had participated in outreach programs while at school, staff who work on outreach programs, and parents/carers of students who had participated in outreach programs to explore how they articulate ‘success’ in relation to outreach programs and the need to develop more broader ‘measures of success’ for outreach programs. We argue that the markers of ‘success’ of outreach programs are multi-dimensional and should extend beyond (only) a focus on transition to university enrolment to include a fuller picture of the potential multiple ‘successes’ to include other understandings of success such as students building a sense of community with their peers and affirming and connecting to their own cultural identities.
Scoping potential dams: utilising remote sensing products to analyse topographic characteristics, runoff-to-storage ratio, and sedimentation—a Port Sudan case study
Authors: Delaney Robert G. , Ahmed Hatim M. , Folkard Andrew M. , M. Salih Mohammed A. , Whyatt James D.
Published: February 2025

When assessing sites for water harvesting structures, it is common to evaluate multiple locations using earth observation datasets before committing to detailed assessments. Traditionally, this practice relies on limited metrics, primarily topographic slope or wetness index. In this study, we present a comprehensive approach tailored to Port Sudan, a city urgently needing sustainable water resources. We defined the area of interest and used satellite-derived terrain data to identify over 25,000 potential dam sites, filtering out locations using Strahler stream order. We then used the geospatial tool ‘SiteFinder’ to determine dam sizes and reservoir dimensions for potential schemes, ranked for suitability using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on five local topographic characteristics. Next, we applied a rainfall-runoff model that integrates transmission losses to estimate runoff at each potential site. Schemes were filtered to retain only those predicted to receive sufficient runoff, based on the ratio of annual runoff volume to storage capacity. We then modelled storage capacity loss due to sediment retention to retain schemes with less than 2% per year volume loss to sedimentation. This resulted in 55 favourable schemes being identified. This approach may interest planners involved in water harvesting site selection studies, considering criteria such as storage volume, dam size, runoff, and sediment retention. Results are presented within a GIS environment, enabling the inclusion of additional criteria in the final decision-making process.
Greenhouse gas removal in agricultural peatland via raised water levels and soil amendment
Authors: Jeewani Peduruhewa H. , Brown Robert W. , Rhymes Jennifer M. , McNamara Niall P. , Chadwick David R. , Jones Davey L. , Evans Chris D.
Published: February 2025

Peatlands are an important natural store of carbon (C). Drainage of lowland peatlands for agriculture and the subsequent loss of anaerobic conditions had turned these C stores into major emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Practical management strategies are needed to reduce these emissions, and ideally to reverse them to achieve net GHG removal (GGR). Here we show that a combination of enhanced C input as recalcitrant organic matter, CH4 suppression by addition of terminal electron acceptors, and suppression of decomposition by raising water levels has the potential to achieve GGR in agricultural peat. We measured GHG (CO2, N2O, and CH4) fluxes for 1 year with intensive sampling (6 times within the first 56 days) followed by monthly sampling in outdoor mesocosms with high (0 cm) and low (− 40 cm) water table treatments and five contrasting organic amendments (Miscanthus-derived biochar, Miscanthus chip, paper waste, biosolids, and barley straw) were applied to high water table cores, with and without iron sulphate (FeSO4). Biochar produced the strongest net soil C gain, suppressing both peat decomposition and CH4 emissions. No other organic amendment generated similar GGR, due to higher decomposition and CH4 production. FeSO4 application further suppressed CO2 and CH4 release following biochar addition. While we did not account for life-cycle emissions of biochar production, or its longer-term stability, our results suggest that biochar addition to re-wetted peatlands could be an effective climate mitigation strategy.
Analysis and removal of spurious pressure oscillations in Boltzmann-equation-based mesoscopic simulation of incompressible turbulence
Authors: Qi Yiming , Wang Lian-Ping , Guo Zhaoli , Chen Shiyi
Published: February 2025

The lattice Boltzmann method has become a popular tool for simulating complex flows, including incompressible turbulent flows; however, as an artificial compressibility method, it can generate spurious pressure oscillations whose impact on the statistics of incompressible turbulence has not been systematically examined. In this work, we propose a theoretical approach to analyse the origin of compressibility-induced oscillations (CIOs) and explore ways to suppress or remove them. We begin by decomposing the velocity field and pressure field each into the solenoidal component and the compressive component, and then study the evolution of these two components analytically and numerically. The analysis yields an evolution equation of the mean-square pressure fluctuation which reveals several coupling effects of the two components. The evolution equation suggests that increasing the bulk-to-shear viscosity ratio can suppress CIOs, which is confirmed by numerical simulations. Furthermore, based on the derived evolution equation and data from the simulation, a model is developed to predict the long-term behaviours of the mean-square pressure fluctuations. In the case of decaying turbulence in a periodic domain, we show that the Helmholtz–Hodge decomposition can be used to obtain the solenoidal components reflecting the true evolution of incompressible turbulent flow, from the mesoscopic artificial compressibility approach. The study provides general theoretical guidelines to understand, suppress and even remove CIOs in other related pseudo-compressibility methods.
Colonial Mapmaking, Ethnic Identity, and Traditional Authority in Africa
Authors: Houle Christian , Conroy-Krutz Jeffrey
Published: February 2025

One common explanation for ethnicized politics and limited national identification in Africa lies with colonial boundaries. Europeans frequently divided ethnic groups as they divvied territory in the nineteenth century; this might have long-run repercussions, as individuals prioritize ties with coethnics in neighboring states rather than with non-coethnic co-nationals. Contra these expectations, we argue that divided groups should have weaker attachments to their ethnicity than non-divided groups will, because partition particularly disrupted pre-existing traditional institutions of governance and exchange within these groups. We argue that partition weakened traditional authorities and, consequently, ethnic identities through three mechanisms: (1) administrative shifts that reduced traditional authorities’ power; (2) limitations on leaders’ capacity to raise revenues; and (3) exacerbating intra-group divisions among co-ethnics living on different sides of the borders. We test this using georeferenced data from rounds 3-6 of the Afrobarometer and find support for our argument. These results are robust to different measures of the extent to which an ethnic group was split and various considerations of ethnic groups’ local and national demographic and political power. Our findings have important implications for studies of the legacies of colonialism and identity politics in Africa today.
First report of the crinoid-associated scale worm Paradyte crinoidicola from the mainland Indian coastline
Authors: Baroliya Hitisha , Kavathiya Jenish , Kundu Rahul
Published: February 2025

Feather stars (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) are known to host a diversified associated fauna. Surprisingly, very few accounts on the crinoid epiphytic communities from the coasts of the India are available. The present contribution reports for the first time the crinoid-associated scale worm Paradyte crinoidicola (Potts, 1910) from Gujarat coastline, India. The species has been so far recorded from the southern part of Indian subcontinent, the Lakshadweep Islands as its first record from Indian coastline. Further research and documentation of these species will contribute to enhance our understanding of the diverse associations and complex interactions within Indian marine ecosystems. This highlights the necessity for more thorough field surveys and ongoing monitoring, as the region remains surprisingly underexplored.
Codes in the Making. A New Appraisal of Neolithic Imagery in Southwest Asia
Authors: Cartolano Mattia , Ferrara Silvia
Published: February 2025

Marks and figurative representations have been recognized as crucial socio-cognitive components that contributed to the transition from foraging to farming of the Neolithic in southwest Asia, during a period in which communities adopted novel social interactions and economic strategies. This article investigates image production and the trajectories tied to the creation of visual codes. We show that since the early Neolithic phases (c. 9700–6600 cal. bc) societies in southwest Asia engaged with specific symbols and created narrative and operational semasiographies, intended to serve as key communicative devices that functioned as community ties and contributed to social interaction across distant groups.
Story-writing Workshops as Archaeological Interventions: Local Perceptions of Galapagos Marine Plastic Litter
Authors: Praet Estelle , Guézou Anne
Published: February 2025

Marine plastic pollution is an issue that threatens most places around the world, including the remote and unique Galapagos archipelago. We used the archaeological framework of object itineraries as part of a story-writing workshop to explore perceptions of marine plastic litter (MPL) by students from two schools in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. Their stories, adopting an archaeological approach to plastic litter as artefacts, told the itinerary of MPL collected on Galapagos shores. We also analysed surveys evaluating their self-reported knowledge, pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) and perceptions of the issue of MPL before and after the workshop. Our findings showed good awareness of MPL origins and impacts, reflecting the specific pathways of litter reaching this Pacific archipelago from mainland South America, regional marine activities including fishing in and around the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and local sources, although those are thought to be limited. Yet the lack of focus on solutions in the stories and the emphasis on recycling PEBs suggest more targeted activities are needed to address the need of complementary solutions and to place more emphasis on reducing plastic use.
Blebbisomes are large, organelle-rich extracellular vesicles with cell-like properties
Authors: Jeppesen Dennis K. , Sanchez Zachary C. , Kelley Noah M. , Hayes James B. , Ambroise Jessica , Koory Emma N. , Krystofiak Evan , Taneja Nilay , Zhang Qin , Dungan Matthew M. , Perkins Olivia L. , Tyska Matthew J. , Knapik Ela W. , Dean Kevin M. , Doran Amanda C. , Coffey Robert J. , Burnette Dylan T.
Published: February 2025

Cells secrete a large variety of extracellular vesicles (EVs) to engage in cell-to-cell and cell-to-environment intercellular communication. EVs are functionally involved in many physiological and pathological processes by interacting with cells that facilitate transfer of proteins, lipids and genetic information. However, our knowledge of EVs is incomplete. Here we show that cells actively release exceptionally large (up to 20 µm) membrane-enclosed vesicles that exhibit active blebbing behavior, and we, therefore, have termed them blebbisomes. Blebbisomes contain an array of cellular organelles that include functional mitochondria and multivesicular endosomes, yet lack a definable nucleus. We show that blebbisomes can both secrete and internalize exosomes and microvesicles. Blebbisomes are released from normal and cancer cells, can be observed by direct imaging of cancer cells in vivo and are present in normal bone marrow. We demonstrate that cancer-derived blebbisomes contain a plethora of inhibitory immune checkpoint proteins, including PD-L1, PD-L2, B7-H3, VISTA, PVR and HLA-E. These data identify a very large, organelle-containing functional EV that act as cell-autonomous mobile communication centres capable of integrating and responding to signals in the extracellular environment.
Diffraction minima resolve point scatterers at few hundredths of the wavelength
Authors: Hensel Thomas A. , Wirth Jan O. , Schwarz Ole L. , Hell Stefan W.
Published: February 2025

Resolving two or more constantly scattering identical point sources using freely propagating waves is limited by diffraction. Here we show that, by illuminating with a diffraction minimum, a given number of point scatterers can be resolved at distances of small fractions of the wavelength. Specifically, we identify an 8 nm distance, which corresponds to 1/80 of the employed 640 nm wavelength, between two constantly emitting fluorescent molecules in the focal plane of an optical microscope. We also measure 22 nm side length for a quadratic array of four molecules. Moreover, we show that the measurement precision improves with decreasing distance and with increased scatterer density. This work opens up the prospect of resolving individual scatterers in clusters that are far smaller than the wavelength.