bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Japanese Housing Market
Authors: Yoshida Jiro
Published: January 2025

The Japanese housing market presents a unique blend of characteristics shaped by geographical constraints, historical developments, and public policies. One of the most striking features of the Japanese housing market is its adaptation to the country’s geographical constraints. With only 29% of its land area being habitable, Japan has developed a housing sector that revolves around compact and efficient use of space. This limitation, coupled with the frequent occurrence of earthquakes, has necessitated the development of earthquake-resistant buildings and stringent regulations. However, technological advances have led to the rapid depreciation of housing structures, a hallmark of the Japanese market, resulting in early demolitions and a high volume of construction activity.

The post–World War II era brought significant economic growth and societal changes in Japan, influencing housing demands and styles. Urban migration, particularly toward major metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, has resulted in high demand for housing in urban areas. Despite being the world’s largest metropolitan area, Tokyo still enjoys affordable housing when compared to other major global cities. This affordability can be attributed in part to public policies, such as liberal and transparent land use regulations that encourage construction activity. Fiscal programs based on a series of 5-year housing plans, such as the provision of public and quasi-public housing and subsidies and tax incentives to developers, have also addressed housing shortages, particularly in urban areas.

However, tax incentives and legal protections for tenants created unintended distortions in the supply of housing, leading to an abundant supply of small rental units while failing to address the shortage of larger rental units for families. In addition, an aging and shrinking population poses a significant challenge to housing stock management, even in major metropolitan areas. As the population declines, many houses become vacant or underutilized. Despite these significant challenges, Japan’s approach to urban planning, building technology, and market regulation offers valuable insights.
Cryptoeconomics
Authors: John Kose , Saleh Fahad
Published: January 2025

Cryptoeconomics refers to the economic analysis of blockchain technology. This research area can be divided into two broad sub-fields. In that context, one sub-field is the study of economic mechanisms that seek to ensure successful transaction settlement on a blockchain. Such mechanisms are known as consensus protocols because they achieve transaction settlement by enabling all blockchain validators to form a consensus regarding which transactions have been added to the blockchain. More explicitly, if all validators agree that a transaction has been included in the blockchain and, further, if the validators will not deviate from this agreement in the future, then the transaction is deemed to have settled on the blockchain. The consensus protocol dictates both the incentives to generate the initial agreement regarding whether a transaction has been added to the blockchain and also the incentives for the initial agreement to persist indefinitely. The second broad sub-field within cryptoeconomics is the study of business applications that can be deployed on blockchain. Notably, when a blockchain is able to successfully generate transaction settlement, then the blockchain can serve as a commitment device for business policy. In particular, computer programs known as smart contracts can be deployed on a blockchain, and a properly functioning consensus protocol implies that the computer code within a given smart contract cannot be altered. To provide more detail, just as settlement of a peer-to-peer transaction implies that all validators indefinitely agree regarding the associated value transfer, settlement of a smart-contract deployment implies that all validators indefinitely agree on the code within the smart contract. In turn, when the blockchain’s consensus protocol is functioning properly, the deployment of a smart contract entails a commitment to the underlying computer code because the validators achieve consensus on that code. Importantly, within a business context, smart contracts can be used to commit to particular policies (e.g., pricing policy) by specifying those policies within smart-contract code and then deploying to a blockchain. Prominent business applications deployed on blockchains include decentralized exchanges and decentralized lending protocols. Decentralized exchanges enable trading of assets via a blockchain without an intermediary. Decentralized lending protocols enable borrowing and lending of assets via a blockchain without an intermediary.
Climate Change, Human Displacement, and Social Work Practice
Authors: Monico Carmen , Salehin Masooq , Tadese Helen , Cook Kevin
Published: January 2025

Changes in the world’s climate are exposing nations around the world to large environmental risks and frequent climate-related catastrophes, such as floods, droughts, and sea-level rise. Nations in the Global South are more vulnerable to climate change due to the long-term effects of endemic impoverishment, pervasive inequality, and acute food insecurity. The internal migration of impoverished people displaced from rural areas to cities has resulted in rapid urbanization, which produces substantial environmental impacts. Climate change accelerates internal displacement and increases social and environmental problems in marginalized areas, including poverty, child labor, social unrest, and juvenile delinquency. Adapting to climate change and mitigating its effects poses serious challenges, especially to nations with insufficient or inadequate systems and facilities. Examining the social work implications of climate change can provide guidance for clinical work, policy practice, research, and education aligned with climate action priorities set within the profession and global standards.
Melatonin suppresses ethylene biosynthesis by inhibiting transcription factor MdREM10 during apple fruit ripening
Authors: Li Chen , Yu Qian , Si Yajing , Liang Yuling , Lin Shijiao , Yang Guangxin , Liu Weiting , Ji Yinglin , Wang Aide
Published: January 2025

Ethylene, a plant hormone, is essential for apple (Malus domestica) ripening. The precise molecular mechanism by which melatonin (MT) influences ethylene biosynthesis during apple fruit ripening remains unclear. This study found that exogenous MT treatment inhibited ethylene production and postponed apple fruit ripening. The endogenous MT content of apple fruits exhibited an inverse correlation with ethylene production during fruit ripening, suggesting that MT functions as a ripening suppressor in apple fruits. MT treatment suppressed the expression of key ethylene biosynthesis genes, MdACS1 and MdACO1, during apple fruit ripening. MT treatment decreased the expression levels of transcription factors MdREM10 and MdZF32. MdREM10 binds to the MdERF3 promoter, enhancing its expression and subsequently promoting MdACS1 transcription. Furthermore, MdREM10 directly bound to the MdZF32 promoter, promoting its transcription. MdZF32 directly bound to the MdACO1 promoter, inducing its expression. The findings suggested that MT suppresses ethylene biosynthesis and fruit ripening by inhibiting MdREM10, which indirectly promotes MdACS1 transcription via MdERF3 upregulation, and MdACO1 transcription via MdZF32 upregulation.
Survey of pharmacists’ perspectives on preparing discharge medicine lists: a cross-sectional single-centre study
Authors: Burns Gemma , Gjone Helena , Teasdale Trudy , Hattingh Laetitia
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study explored South-East Queensland Australian pharmacists’ perspectives on preparing discharge medicine lists, specifically involvement of pharmacy assistants, use of electronic medication management software, and expanding pharmacists’ scope during discharge.

Methods

Electronic survey distributed to pharmacists during December 2021 and data collected over 3 weeks.

Key findings

Pharmacists supported increased involvement of pharmacy assistants (with structured collaborative training), pharmacist-led medication reconciliation, and producing the discharge medicine list directly from the electronic record.

Conclusions

Increased scope of pharmacy assistants to complete technical tasks will improve pharmacists’ capacity to integrate with the medical team and perform discharge medication reconciliation.
The Marikana Commission of Inquiry: An Ambiguous Experiment with ‘Truth’ and ‘Justice’
Authors: Lester Claire-Anne Louise
Published: January 2025

The Marikana Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate the events of 16 August 2012, when the South African Police Service shot and killed 34 striking mineworkers at the Lonmin Plc platinum mine. Conceived as a standard commission of inquiry to examine the circumstances surrounding this ‘tragic incident’, widely referred to as the Marikana massacre, the Commission adopted the official motto ‘Truth, Restoration, Justice’. This motto echoed the discourse of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a quintessential transitional justice body. This article analyses the Marikana Commission of Inquiry through the lens of transitional justice, despite its establishment occurring long after South Africa’s transition to democracy. It interrogates the appropriation of transitional justice discourse within the Commission, highlighting fundamental ambiguities in its role and objectives. By situating the Marikana Commission within the broader landscape of truth and justice ‘experiments’ addressing (post)colonial state violence, the article argues that while the Commission attempted to expand its focus to encompass transitional justice goals, its overly legalistic approach to truth-seeking and perfunctory engagement with victims ultimately undermined its restorative potential.
Identification and molecular characterization of Dirofilaria sp. “hongkongensis” (Rhabditida: Onchocercidae) in wild-caught mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): first report from India
Authors: Bhairavi Balasubramanian , Sivalaxmi Balakrishnan , Haritha Haridas Ajitha , Shah Harish Kumar , Fathima Pananchikkaparambil Abdu , Rahi Manju , Saini Prasanta
Published: January 2025

Dirofilariasis is a globally significant emerging-zoonotic-disease caused by nematode parasites belonging to the genus Dirofilaria (Rhabditida: Onchocercidae) and is transmitted by mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Culicidae family. A recent study on molecular prevalence of Dirofilaria sp. “hongkongensis” To, 2012 (nomen nudum) among the dog population in Kerala indicated a high infection rate. However, no data are currently available on the vectors involved in the transmission of this disease. In this study, an entomological survey was conducted to detect natural infection and to characterize the Dirofilaria parasite from Kani tribal settlements in Thiruvananthapuram, India. A total of 356 mosquitoes were collected, morphologically identified, and analyzed for natural infection of Dirofilaria from 4 different villages in the study area. The species composition of the collected mosquito specimens comprised 10 species belonging to 6 genera, namely Anopheles, Aedes, Armigeres, Culex, Uranotaenia, and Heizmannia. Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895) was found to be the predominant species, followed by Armigeres subalbatus Coquillett, 1898. Out of these, 200 female mosquitoes were grouped by species into 31 pools, for genomic DNA extraction. Detection of the nematode parasite was performed using nematode-specific primers via conventional PCR, and the species was subsequently confirmed by sanger sequencing. Natural-infection of Dirofilaria sp. “hongkongensis” was identified in Ae. albopictus and Ar. subalbatus, with a minimum infection rate of 17.6% and 13.3%, respectively. This study represents the first report of natural-infection of Dirofilaria sp. among field-collected mosquitoes in India. These findings underscore the need for robust entomological-surveillance system to prevent potential future outbreaks.
FLOWERING LOCUS C-like mediates low-ambient-temperature-induced late flowering in chrysanthemum
Authors: Hu Qian , Yin Mengru , Gao Zheng , Zhang Zixin , Zhu Yuqing , Hu Rongqian , Cheng Hua , Liu Gaofeng , Chen Sumei , Chen Fadi , Jiang Jiafu
Published: January 2025

The flowering time of Chrysanthemum morifolium predominantly depends on day length but is also sensitive to ambient temperature. However, the mechanisms underlying the response of chrysanthemum to ambient temperature are mainly unknown. This study identified a MADS-box transcription factor called CmFLC-like, a representative low ambient temperature-responsive factor induced in chrysanthemum leaves and shoot apical meristems at 15°C. Subsequently, CmFLC-like localizes to the cell nucleus and membrane and functions as a transcriptional repressor. CmFLC-like overexpression made plants more sensitive to low-temperature-induced late flowering, whereas the chimeric activator CmFLC-like-VP64 was less sensitive at 15°C, indicating that CmFLC-like was involved in thermosensory flowering. Transcriptome profiling of CmFLC-like transgenic plants suggested that the potential target genes for low ambient temperature-responsive CmFLC-like regulation are predominantly flowering integrators, MADS-box transcription factors, and AP2 genes. Subsequent examination revealed that the orchestrated repression of CmAFL1 and CmFTL3 by CmFLC-like was mediated by its direct binding to the CArG-box element of their promoters. This study offers novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying chrysanthemum flowering and highlights the essential role of CmFLC-like proteins in the thermosensory pathway.
Advance care planning in primary malignant brain tumors: Knowledge, experiences, and preferences of patients and caregivers
Authors: Chikada Ai , Arakawa Yoshiki , Takenouchi Sayaka , Narita Yoshitaka
Published: January 2025

Background

Advance care planning (ACP) can help patients with primary malignant brain tumors to align treatments with their preferences. However, insights into patients’ and caregivers’ engagement with ACP remain scarce. This study elaborates on their knowledge, experiences, and preferences concerning ACP.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of data from the “National Survey on the Needs and Support of Brain Tumor Patients and Caregivers” in Japan. Responses from 128 patients and 106 caregivers were included. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and qualitative analyses of free-text responses were performed.

Results

Patients were more willing than caregivers to participate in decisions regarding their treatment (96.8% vs. 82.5%, p < 0.001). Knowledge about ACP was low in both groups (12.3% of patients and 10.7% of caregivers), but willingness to participate in ACP was high (68.9% of patients and 65.9% of caregivers). Preference to initiate ACP at diagnosis was low in both groups, with caregivers showing a higher preference than patients (29.0% vs. 11.1%). A greater percentage of patients preferred to start ACP at recurrence than caregivers (47.0% vs. 18.3%, p < 0.0001). Frequent family discussions were significantly associated with actual experiences of ACP (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.6–9.3, p = 0.0019).

Conclusions

The mismatch between respondents’ willingness to participate in ACP and their knowledge and experience reveals a need to increase ACP awareness. Differences in ACP preferences between patients and their caregivers may indicate the need for improved communication strategies by healthcare professionals. Further research is needed to understand these differences.
Declaration of Sweeteners on Food Labels: A Scoping Review of Methodological Issues and Prevalence
Authors: Milano Elisa , Gines Geraldo Ana Paula , Kraemer Mariana V S , Ares Gastón , Vasconcellos de Barros Beatriz , Chaddad Maria Cecília Cury , Fernandes Ana Carolina , Bernardo Greyce Luci , Uggioni Paula Lazzarin , da Costa Proença Rossana Pacheco
Published: January 2025

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published a guideline that recommends against the use of nonsugar sweeteners. Food labels are a key source of information for consumers, to enable them to make informed decisions regarding the consumption of food additives. However, discrepancies in the concepts and categorizations of sweeteners in labeling recommendations and regulations may influence the results of studies on the prevalence of sweeteners in foods. This study aimed to analyze the scientific literature related to the declaration of sweeteners on food labels. Focus was placed on methodological issues related to data collection and analysis, including the categorization of sweeteners, as well as on the reported prevalence of sweetener declaration on food labels. A scoping review was conducted based on a search for terms related to sweeteners, food labeling, and packaged foods. Nine studies, published between 2012 and 2022, were included. Variability among studies was observed in terms of data collection methods, approaches for identifying the sweeteners declared on food labels, the criteria for categorizing sweeteners, and the definitions underlying the categorization. Moreover, there was a lack of standardization in the bibliographic sources consulted in formulating the categorization, and failure to report specific sources, leading to heterogeneity in the substances regarded as sweeteners. The prevalence of the declaration of sweeteners in food labeling ranged from less than 1% to 43.6%. The findings of the present work emphasize the need to standardize the methodologies used for the identification of sweeteners declared on food labels and the criteria for their categorization.
“Bureaucrats with Badges”: Bylaw Enforcement and the Invisibilization of Homelessness
Authors: Martino Natasha , Dej Erin , Sanders Carrie B
Published: January 2025

Homelessness affects at least 25,000 people every day in Canada alone. Although research has documented responses to homelessness involving the police and private security, there is much less scholarship investigating municipal bylaw enforcement officers’ role in the governance of homelessness. We explore how bylaw officers regulate homelessness in Ontario, Canada. Drawing on surveys and semi-structured interviews with bylaw officers, our analysis demonstrates that bylaw officers have been called upon to manage a “crisis of complaints” related to the increasing visibility of homelessness across Ontario. To manage these complaints, bylaw officers rely on burden shuffling, first, moving people along because it is the most efficient way to manage homelessness complaints in their jurisdiction. Bylaw officers also engage in bureaucratic burden shuffling, reclassifying complaints to other agencies. We argue that, through their mechanisms of enforcing public space orders, bylaw officers engage in reluctant criminalization using invisibilization tactics. These strategies constitute another form of pervasive penality, or a punitive process of policing, through move along orders and threats of arrest, ultimately leading to the invisibilization of homelessness. Such responses increase the precarity that often characterizes unhoused people’s lives and misrepresents homelessness as a deviancy issue rather than a human rights violation.
Long-term Clinical outcomes and Optimal Treatment Approaches of Degenerative Cervical Spondylosis
Authors: Li Pan , Lei Runbo , Ding Lixiang , Wang Youxue , Ye Zhengxu , Yu Dechen , Su Kangkang , Yang Xuerui , Wei Bin , Huang Jinfeng , Cao Xiongfei , Chang Le , Chen Yongfeng , Gan Lu , Du Junjie , Shangguan Lei , Li Mo , Luo Zhuojing
Published: January 2025

Study Design/Setting.

A retrospective cohort study.

Objective.

To compare long-term outcomes and complications of cervical disc replacement (CDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with cage-plate constructs (CPC) and stand-alone (SA) cages in treating degenerative cervical spondylosis.

Summary of Background Data.

ACDF is commonly used for cervical radiculopathy but may increase adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). CDR has gained popularity by preserving motion and potentially reducing ASD, while SA cages offer a simpler alternative to CPC. Despite widespread adoption, further research is needed to clarify the long-term outcomes and associated complications.

Methods.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1,146 patients who underwent cervical surgery between 2009 and 2012 at three Chinese hospitals, grouped into CDR (n=220), CPC-ACDF (n=540), and SA-ACDF (n=386). Primary outcomes included overall success rate and complications. Secondary measures were JOA, VAS, SF-36 scores, and imaging parameters.

Results.

The CDR group exhibited a significantly higher overall success rate compared to CPC-ACDF and SA-ACDF groups. Dysphagia incidence immediately post-surgery was significantly lower in the CDR and SA-ACDF groups compared to CPC-ACDF. At the final follow-up, implant subsidence was lowest in the CDR group. Radiographic-ASD incidence was significantly lower in the CDR and SA-ACDF groups compared to CPC-ACDF, with SA-ACDF having the lowest rate of symptomatic-ASD. The reoperation occurred in 38 (7.0%) CPC-ACDF, 18 (4.7%) SA-ACDF, and 8 (3.6%) CDR patients. Despite a 65.5% incidence of heterotopic ossification (HO), CDR partially preserved angular range of motion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that SA-ACDF and CDR were protective factors against postoperative radiographic-ASD. Conditional nomograms demonstrated good predictive performance for symptomatic-ASD, supported by receiver operating characteristic and calibration curves.

Conclusion.

This study suggests that CDR provides similar clinical outcomes with fewer complications compared to ACDF. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings, particularly considering the variability between different CDR devices and potential for selection bias.
The global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer attributable to smoking from 1990 to 2021: a population-based study
Authors: Wang Shuai , Zhang Tao , Li Dongming , Cao Xueyuan
Published: January 2025

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with smoking being a significant risk factor. Understanding the temporal and spatial patterns of the CRC burden attributable to smoking is crucial for global public health strategies. Data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 were used to calculate the number of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) per 100 000 population, and age-standardized disability-adjusted life year rate (ASDR). The average annual percentage change (AAPC) was calculated from 1990 to 2021 to analyze disease burden trends. Frontier analysis was conducted to assess efficiency, and predictions were made for the next decade. In 2021, the global death toll and DALYs attributable to smoking were 47 613 and 1 235 667, respectively. From 1990 to 2021, the absolute number of deaths and DALYs increased, while ASMR (AAPC: −1.20) and ASDR (AAPC: −1.22) showed a significant decline. The disease burden was notably higher in males than females. Analysis by the Social Development Index revealed that more developed regions had a higher burden than less developed areas. China ranked first in the number of deaths and DALYs, while Greenland had the highest ASMR and ASDR. From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized burden of CRC attributable to smoking decreased globally. However, the absolute burden remains a significant public health challenge, requiring sustained and targeted interventions.
A Case of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in a Young Boy With Allgrove Syndrome
Authors: Sharda Shipra , Koli Omeshwer , Bharti Nisha
Published: January 2025

Purpose:

This report presents a case of Triple-A syndrome (Allgrove syndrome), a rare autosomal recessive disorder, and emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis through ocular manifestations, particularly dry eye. The goal is to highlight that the dry eye demonstrated in Allgrove syndrome could be considered as part of dysfunctional main lacrimal gland and meibomian gland because of defective innervation.

Methods:

A 5-year-old male patient with a history of dry eyes since birth and dysphagia for 3 months was evaluated. Ophthalmic assessment included Schirmer test, tear meniscus measurement, and meibography. Laboratory tests assessed serum cortisol and electrolytes. The diagnosis was confirmed through clinical presentation, ophthalmic findings, and laboratory results. The patient was treated with topical lubrication, glucocorticoids for adrenal insufficiency, and surgical correction of achalasia.

Results:

The patient exhibited alacrima (Schirmer test: 2 mm right, 4 mm left), meibomian gland dysfunction (increased tear osmolarity, meibographic abnormalities, low tear break-up time), and low serum cortisol levels, confirming adrenal insufficiency. Management entailed warm compresses to melt thickened oils in the glands, daily lid hygiene to remove debris and bacteria, and topical lubricants (preservative-free artificial tears) to relieve dryness.

Conclusions:

Our patient displayed markedly reduced tear production as evidenced by Schirmer test, coupled with elevated tear osmolarity and shortened break-up time. This suggests that meibomian gland dysfunction in our patient is intricately linked to autonomic disturbance. Thus, the dry eye observed in Allgrove syndrome could be attributed to dysfunction in both main lacrimal gland and meibomian gland because of defective innervation.
Surgical Management of Gestational Gigantomastia: A Case Report Highlighting Therapeutic Intervention
Authors: Lemma Misha A. , Debodina Yisihak S. , Gebremedhin Martha F. , Aman Meki K. , Lucero-Prisno Don Eliseo III
Published: January 2025

Gigantomastia is an exceedingly rare condition characterized by extraordinary growth of breasts during pregnancy, and its underlying etiology remains elusive. Although surgical intervention is the primary treatment modality, there have been emerging prospects for utilizing adjunctive medical therapies, such as bromocriptine, to address this challenging condition. Herein, we report the case of a 26-year-old woman who experienced abrupt and asymmetric bilateral breast enlargement commencing in the second month of her pregnancy. Remarkably, this enlargement persisted for an extended duration of 3 years. Despite the absence of prior medical therapy involving bromocriptine or other interventions, the patient ultimately underwent a simple mastectomy coupled with nipple-areola complex reconstruction. Although bromocriptine treatment holds potential benefits, its availability may vary in different healthcare settings. Therefore, the consideration of surgical management as an alternative approach becomes crucial, particularly when bromocriptine is not accessible or proves ineffective. This approach ensures the appropriate management of gestational gigantomastia, with the choice of treatment tailored to the individual patient’s needs and resource availability.
Routine HIV Testing for People Who Inject Drugs Hospitalized With Infective Endocarditis in the United States: A Commentary
Authors: Dippel Kathryn , Tomlinson Starr , McCauley Paula , Jackson Kristopher
Published: January 2025

HIV screening is not routinely offered to acutely ill, hospitalized patients. For some patients a hospitalization represents a crucial opportunity to identify undiagnosed HIV infection and interrupt HIV transmission chains. Among people who inject drugs, a hospitalization for infective endocarditis may be one of the only touchpoints they have with a health care provider. Nurse-led HIV screening initiatives in the acute care and emergency medicine settings are being trialed across the United States. Nurses and nurse practitioners are uniquely poised to establish universal, comprehensive HIV testing protocols for people who inject drugs hospitalized for the management of infective endocarditis.
Genomic insights support the taxonomic differentiation of Streptococcus thermophilus Orla-Jensen 1919 (Approved Lists 1980) and Streptococcus salivarius Andrewes and Horder 1906 (Approved Lists 1980) as individual species
Authors: Tang Tengfei , Liu Yiru , Cao Yanhua , Cheng Kun , Lindsay Denise , Bourdichon Francois , Dubois-Lozier Aurélie , Bassett Shalome , Xu Yunmei , Feng Huifen , Song Zhiquan , Liu Rui , Guo Lizheng , Yao Su
Published: January 2025

Streptococcus thermophilus is widely used as a starter culture in the production of cheese, yoghurt and various cultured dairy products, which holds considerable significance in both research and practical applications within the food industry. Throughout history, the taxonomy of S. thermophilus has undergone several adjustments and revisions. In 1984, based on the result of DNA–DNA hybridization, S. thermophilus was reclassified as Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus. Subsequently, in 1991, Schleifer et al. proposed the revival of the species S. thermophilus also relying on a DNA–DNA hybridization study conducted under stringent conditions. At present, both the taxonomic names, S. thermophilus and S. salivarius subsp. thermophilus, are considered as synonyms and adopted within scientific research, regulatory oversight and relevant industries, leading to a certain degree of confusion. A precise and scientifically accurate taxonomic status is imperative as a foundational prerequisite for a strain evaluation and its application in food manufacture and regulatory contexts. In this study, we utilized whole-genome sequencing to evaluate the genetic relationship of S. thermophilus and S. salivarius. At the gene level, phylogenetic analyses were conducted on 52 S. thermophilus strains and 63 S. salivarius strains based on sequences of both the 16S rRNA gene and the housekeeping gene, recA. Additionally, a core-gene phylogeny was inferred using the whole-genome sequencing data of 216 strains within the Streptococcus genus. This analysis facilitated an exhaustive evaluation of the evolutionary interconnections among the studied strains. At the genetic level, average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) were used to verify the species identity of S. thermophilus and S. salivarius. The results of phylogenetic analysis, ANI and dDDH all collectively confirm that S. thermophilus and S. salivarius are distinct species. These research results provide sufficient scientific evidence to support the definitive scientific and rational application of the name of S. thermophilus.
Microbial Primer: Microbiome and thermal tolerance – a new frontier in climate resilience?
Authors: Li Jingdi , King Kayla
Published: January 2025

Microbiome-animal host symbioses are ubiquitous in nature. Animal-associated microbiomes can play a crucial role in host physiology, health and resilience to environmental stressors. As climate change drives rising global temperatures and increases the frequency of thermal extremes, microbiomes are emerging as a new frontier in buffering vulnerable animals against temperature fluctuations. In this primer, we briefly introduce key concepts of microbiome-host symbiosis and microbial responses to temperature shifts. We then summarize the current evidence and understanding of how microbes can buffer the thermal stress faced by their hosts. We identify key challenges for future research. Finally, we emphasize the potential of harnessing microbiomes to improve conservation strategies in a rapidly changing climate, offering a concise overview of this evolving field.
Tunable porosity in a hydrogel with extreme vibration damping properties
Authors: Day Graham J. , Zhang Qicheng , Remillat Chrystel D. L. , Comandini Gianni , Perriman Adam W. , Scarpa Fabrizio
Published: January 2025

We have developed hydrogel systems with tunable porosity through dialysis casting by varying alginate and poloxamer compositions from 0% to 10%. These gels feature diverse porosity topologies, yielding loss factors between 16% and 29% in the 50 Hz to 300 Hz frequency range. The dynamic modulus shows a remarkable increase of over an order of magnitude, reaching approximately 3 MPa compared to the static modulus. Vibration transmissibility tests and dynamic mechanical analysis reveal that the poroelastic and pneumatic-like effects from the tunable porous structures contribute significantly to this damping effect. Furthermore, these hydrogels are biosourced and biodegradable, providing a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-based damping materials.
Efficient count-based models improve power and robustness for large-scale single-cell eQTL mapping
Authors: Zhang Zixuan Eleanor , Kim Artem , Suboc Noah , Mancuso Nicholas , Gazal Steven
Published: January 2025

Population-scale single-cell transcriptomic technologies (scRNA-seq) enable characterizing variant effects on gene regulation at the cellular level (e.g., single-cell eQTLs; sc-eQTLs). However, existing sc-eQTL mapping approaches are either not designed for analyzing sparse counts in scRNA-seq data or can become intractable in extremely large datasets. Here, we propose jaxQTL, a flexible and efficient sc-eQTL mapping framework using highly efficient count-based models given pseudo-bulk data. Using extensive simulations, we demonstrated that jaxQTL with a negative binomial model outperformed other models in identifying sc-eQTLs, while maintaining a calibrated type I error. We applied jaxQTL across 14 cell types of OneK1K scRNA-seq data (N=982), and identified 11-16% more eGenes compared with existing approaches, primarily driven by jaxQTL ability to identify lowly expressed eGenes. We observed that fine-mapped sc-eQTLs were further from transcription starting site (TSS) than fine-mapped eQTLs identified in all cells (bulk-eQTLs;P=1×10-4) and more enriched in cell-type-specific enhancers (P=3×10-10), suggesting that sc-eQTLs improve our ability to identify distal eQTLs that are missed in bulk tissues. Overall, the genetic effect of fine-mapped sc-eQTLs were largely shared across cell types, with cell-type-specificity increasing with distance to TSS. Lastly, we observed that sc-eQTLs explain more SNP-heritability (h2) than bulk-eQTLs (9.90 ± 0.88% vs. 6.10 ± 0.76% when meta-analyzed across 16 blood and immune-related traits), improving but not closing the missing link between GWAS and eQTLs. As an example, we highlight that sc-eQTLs in T cells (unlike bulk-eQTLs) can successfully nominateIL6STas a candidate gene for rheumatoid arthritis. Overall, jaxQTL provides an efficient and powerful approach using count-based models to identify missing disease-associated eQTLs.
Keep the hospital clean: diagnostic performance of ten different molecular and culture-based methods to detectCandidozyma auris
Authors: Korsten Koos , Gerrits van den Ende Bert , Pique Rick D. , Hagen Ferry , van Dijk Karin
Published: January 2025

Rationale

Candidozyma auris(formerlyCandida auris) is a globally emerging potentially multi-drug resistant human pathogenic yeast. To detectC. auriswe aimed to compare different culture-, and molecular-based methods.

Methods

Rectal swabs routinely collected in clinical care were spiked with different concentrations ofC. auris. Co-infection/colonization was mimicked by spiking part of these samples with other pathogenicCandidaspecies. Spiked materials were cultured at 37°C or 42°C using CHROMagar Candida and CHROMagar CandidaPlus plates. In parallel, samples were incubated in a dulcitol salt enrichment broth. Additionally, we compared seven in-house and commercial molecular tests on the direct material and from the broth one day after inoculation.

Results

Culture-based methods showed sensitivities up to 100% within 48 hours of incubation, although sensitivity decreased as low as 44% at lower concentrations (≤50 CFU per inoculum), in the presence of an abundance of other species and at higher temperature (42°C). Incubation at 42°C made visual identification possible since other species with similar colony morphologies did not grow at this temperature. No added value of using the dulcitol salt enrichment broth was found. qPCR on direct materials was highly sensitive and specific (both up to 100%) but major differences between various molecular tests were observed.

Conclusion

We showed that both culture-based and molecular methods are sensitive for diagnosingC. auris. The clinical setting (routine screening versus an outbreak), local prevalence and the load in those that carry or are infected byC. aurisare important factors to consider when determining which diagnostic tests should be employed.
Machine learning models for tuberculous pleural effusion diagnosis in Africa setting
Authors: Pefura-Yone Eric Walter , Balkissou Adamou Dodo , Endale-Mangamba Laurent-Mireille , Bane Jodie , Massongo Massongo , Ngah Komo Marie Elisabeth , Poka-Mayap Virginie , Kuaban Alain , Nsounfon Abdou Wouliyou , Amadou Djenabou , Ntyo’o’ Nkoumou Arnaud Laurel , Tendap-Ndam Paul Ledoux , Ntsama-Essomba Marie Josiane , Ekongolo Marie Christine , Mbobara-Yapele Christian , Ama-Moor Vicky Jocelyne
Published: January 2025

Background

Traditional diagnostic methods for Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) are often limited by their invasiveness, low sensitivity, and lack of accessibility. This study aims to develop and evaluate ML models for diagnosing TPE in African contexts, using readily available clinical and laboratory data.

Methods

A cross-sectional study carried out in Yaoundé, Cameroon (2018-2023), included patients with non-purulent exudative pleural effusion. Pleural fluid was analysed for total protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose, C-reactive protein (CRP) and cytology. TPE diagnosis relied on detection of tuberculous bacilli or tuberculous granuloma . Five ML models namely Random Forest (RF), XGBOOST, Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) were tested using binary classification (TPE vs non-TPE) in Python software. The performance of models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), F1 score, accuracy, sensitivity, and precision.

Results

Of the 302 participants included, 175 (57.9%) were male and their median age (interquartile range) was 46 (34-61) years. Overall, 58.9% of participants had TPE, 15.9% had pleural metastasis and 25.2% had other causes of pleural effusion. Patients with TPE were younger, more often male and had a higher prevalence of HIV-infection. They also had higher pleural protein and CRP levels. The RF model showed the best performance with an AUC of 0.846 and an F1 score of 0.811 in the testing sample. Sensitivity was higher for MLP (0,944) and precision was higher for LR (0.806). Key predictors identified by the RF model were pleural CRP levels, age, pleural LDH levels, body mass index, and pleural protein levels.

Conclusion

The RF model had the best performance. MLP and LR had the best sensitivity and precision respectively. The models can be used to improve diagnosis of TPE in Africa settings.

KEY MESSAGES

What is already known on this topic

Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) diagnosis is invasive and lacks sensitivity in resource-limited African settings, with limited ML models available.

What this study adds

This study developed and evaluated five ML models for TPE diagnosis using clinical and pleural fluid data from Africa setting. The Random Forest model outperformed others in diagnosing TPE, using pleural CRP levels, age, pleural LDH levels, body mass index, and pleural protein levels as key predictors.

How this study might affect research, practice, or policy

Machine learning models can enhance TPE diagnosis in Africa using accessible and reliable biomarkers.
Psychosocial Risk Factors for Injury in Performing Artists: A Scoping Review of Screening and Predictive Tools
Authors: Cahalan Róisín , Walsh Caoimhe Barry , Ni Bhriain Orfhlaith , de Gallaí Breandán , Fahey de Brún Hannah , Pye Michele , Schmieg Rose
Published: January 2025

The performing arts are a broad church and include artists from various ﬁelds including dance, music and circus. Despite obvious differences in disciplines, much is shared in terms of an elevated risk of injury, and a common identity as a performer and artist. Injury screening protocols are imperative to mitigate injury risk. However, current programmes focus overwhelmingly on physical risks for injury and fail to appropriately consider psychosocial drivers injury affecting this cohort. This scoping review will synthesize the information on tools used to evaluate psychosocial factors related to injury in non-recreational performing artists, to identify robust instruments for use in future screening protocols. The scoping review will conform to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Evidence Synthesis guidelines. Multiple databases relating to health, medicine, kinesiology, sport and dance will be searched for relevant articles. Two independent reviewers will conduct title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening. Data charting will be completing using a modiﬁed standardised form. Descriptive results will be reported using tabular and graphical media. The published scoping review will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders in the performing arts as well as to clinicians working with these artists. The resulting outputs will be in the form of both peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed publications (e.g. blog posts, academic publications and conference presentations to reach key stakeholders such as performing artists and their support teams). An infographic of key ﬁndings will be developed and shared on social media platforms as appropriate. Ethical approval was not required for this study.

What is already known on this topic

– Although injury in the performing arts is extremely prevalent with implications for the biopsychological and ﬁnancial wellbeing of the artists, there are few screening instruments which consider drivers of injury apart from physical factors.

What this study adds

– this study will identify psychosocial screening and predictive tools used to identify injury in performing artists, and the psychometric properties and utility of each.

How this study might affect research, practice or policy

– the outputs of this scoping review will raise stakeholder awareness of the psychosocial drivers of injury in performing artists. It will also identify a range of robust instruments that will aid in the holistic identiﬁcation of those artists at risk of injury.
Summarizing Clinical Notes using LLMs for ICU Bounceback and Length-of-Stay Prediction
Authors: Choudhuri Akash , Polgreen Philip , Segre Alberto , Adhikari Bijaya
Published: January 2025

Recent advances in the Large Language Models (LLMs) provide a promising avenue for retrieving relevant information from clinical notes for accurate risk estimation of adverse patient outcomes. In this empirical study, we quantify the gain in predictive performance obtained by prompting LLMs to study the clinical notes and summarize potential risks for downstream tasks. Specifically, we prompt LLMs to generate a summary of progress notes and state potential complications that may arise. We then learn representations of the generated notes in sequential order and estimate the risks of patients in the ICU getting readmitted in ICU after discharge (ICU bouncebacks) and predict the overall length of stay in the ICU. Our analysis in the real-world MIMIC III dataset shows performance gains of 7.17% in terms of AUC-ROC and 14.16% in terms of AUPRC for the ICU bounceback task and 2.84% in terms of F-1 score and 7.12% in terms of AUPRC for the ICU LOS Prediction task. This demonstrates that the LLM-infused models outperform the approaches that only directly rely on clinical notes and other EHR data.
Bat-Human Interactions and associated factors among communities in Bundibugyo District, Uganda: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Baguma James Natweta , Namusisi Shamilah , Ninsiima Lesley Rose , Musiitwa Rogers , Tamale Bridget Nagawa , Amperiize Mathius , Bulafu Douglas , Muleme James , Musoke David , Kankya Clovice , Kato Charles Drago
Published: January 2025

Background

More than 70% of new, emerging, and reemerging infectious diseases are from animal origin. Human interaction with bats has been associated as a driver for various fetal zoonoses, including numerous viral diseases of bat-origin. A lot of serological evidence has been gathered around human-bat interaction, yet very little is known regarding the underlying risk factors at community level. This study was aimed at understanding the human-bat interactions and associated factors among communities in Bundibugyo District in Uganda.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods in Harugale, Burondo and Ntandi Subcounties in Bundibugyo District between November 2022 and March 2023. A total of 344 participants were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire installed on the Kobo Collect Software. Key Informant interviews were also conducted among purposively selected individuals who have vast knowledge on human-bat interaction. Proportional piling and focus group discussions were conducted among groups of men, women, and youths to get their insights into human-bat interaction. Quantitative data was cleaned using Microsoft Excel and exported to Stata 15 for analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed using Atlas. ti (version 8.0). Our study was limited by response and recall bias during data collection.

Results

The study revealed that 54.1% of the respondents were males, 42.1% were aged above 40 years. Households headed by males (APR=1.31, 95% CI:1.07-1.62, Batwa communities (APR=3.03, 95% CI:1.87-3.94), residing in urban areas (APR=1.72, 95 CI%:1.35-2.20), trading of food and animal products (APR=0.6, 95 CI%:0.36-0.99), no occupation (APR=0.27, 95 CI%:0.12-0.57) and residing in incomplete houses (APR=1.57, 95 CI%:1.25-1.98) were significantly associated with exposure of humans to bats. There was high exposure of humans to bats in Ntandi compared to Burondo and Harugale. Women groups highlighted use of bat repellants and killing of bats using sticks as the measures to reduce human bat interaction during the Focus Group Discussions.

Conclusion

Generally, there is high exposure to bats among human communities in Bundibugyo district which increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission at human-bat interface. Findings from this study aim to enable the one health interventions to reduce bat-human interaction potential risks in both urban and rural areas and support design of feasible interventions for Bundibugyo district and Uganda at large.