bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychocutaneous medicine: current global understanding and imperatives for continuing medical education and training opportunities. A systematic review
Authors: Tan Isabella J , Katamanin Olivia M , Barry Jillian , Jafferany Mohammad
Published: November 2024

The intersection of dermatology and psychiatry has gained significant attention in recent years. Psychocutaneous disease affects patient populations who have undiagnosed and undertreated ailments related to the body and mind. These patients have a reduced quality of life due to knowledge gaps and reduced awareness about psychodermatology. This review aims to assess the integration of psychopharmacology topics into continuing medical education (CME) programmes. The review will cover the relevance of CME in clinical practice, its impact on healthcare professionals’ quality of care, and existing knowledge gaps among trainees and young dermatologists. To identify data from inception up to December 2023, a systematic literature review and search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023494609). The PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases were searched using predefined terms including ‘continuing medical education’, ‘dermatology’, ‘psychology’, ‘psychodermatology’, ‘psychocutaneous’, ‘awareness’ and ‘practice patterns’. Inclusion criteria comprised studies evaluating CME programmes, clinical studies and reviews; and publications in the English language. Studies were excluded if they were single case reports. In total, 93 studies were identified, and 12 were included in this review following screening, removal of duplicates and application of the inclusion criteria. The studies revealed lower levels of confidence among professionals in handling psychocutaneous conditions, limited awareness of available resources and high interest in CME programmes. Initiatives like video mentoring and clinical skills lessons showed promise but are currently scarce. Examined data from selected studies demonstrate that current CME programmes in psychodermatology lack depth, leaving practitioners feeling ill equipped and unaware of available resources. There is substantial global interest in enhancing these programmes. Given the breadth of conditions covered, educating dermatologists is crucial for enhanced patient outcomes and satisfaction. Addressing resource scarcity and patient stigma is imperative to developing specialized programmes. Improvement to education can drive stronger outcomes and holistic patient care. Future efforts should prioritize refining programme strategies and conducting thorough assessments to maximize impact.
Data Flows and Data Protection in the Greater Bay Area: The Need for a Coordinated Legal Framework
Authors: Au Adam , Witzleb Normann
Published: November 2024

The ambitious Greater Bay Area (GBA) agenda pursues deeper cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau for further regional development. The integration of the digital economies across the GBA cities depends on effective cross-boundary data flows. However, the free flow of data between Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau is currently hampered by stark differences in data protection and cyber security regimes. While the Mainland restricts data exports outside its jurisdiction, Hong Kong does not specifically regulate cross-border data exchanges. This article explores the potential for greater coordination and harmonization of data privacy laws between Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China. It proposes to explore the potential of facilitating inter-regional data transfers through a coordinated data export framework. The article also explains why this is likely a more realistic medium-term objective than a full harmonization of the data protection regimes in the three jurisdictions.
Regulating FinTech in the Greater Bay Area: RegTech and the Role of Regulatory Sandboxes
Authors: Neuwirth Rostam J , Tan Yuting
Published: November 2024

In parallel to the growing impacts of various new technologies such as artificial intelligence on societies, the environment, ecosystems, and human lives, financial technologies (FinTech) are playing an increasingly important role in the organization of financial systems and economies worldwide. To verify this claim, the present article takes a closer look at the role of the regulation of FinTech in the context of the regional cooperation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The GBA currently comprises the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao and the nine municipalities in the Guangdong Province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which together form one of the world’s most dynamic and innovative regions. Based on each of the GBA members’ unique legal systems, united under the principle of ‘one country, two systems’, the GBA can be regarded as a fertile testing ground, ‘legal laboratory’, or ‘regulatory sandbox’ for the regulation of FinTech worldwide. For this purpose, the article first introduces the existing legal framework, fleshing out the contours of the GBA. Second, it briefly outlines the current scope of FinTech and provides examples of its use in the GBA. The main focus of the article then shifts from FinTech to the regulatory challenges posed by FinTech in the GBA, and the article discusses how these may best be addressed by, for instance, relying on regulatory technology (RegTech) and so-called ‘regulatory sandboxes’. The article concludes by arguing for both an early and a comprehensive discussion about the expected benefits and the potential risks of the rapid implementation and use of FinTech in the GBA and the world at large.
Subcutaneous furosemide in heart failure: a systematic review
Authors: Osmanska Joanna , Petrie Mark C , Docherty Kieran F , Lee Matthew M Y , McMurray John J V , Campbell Ross T
Published: November 2024

Background and aim

Intravenous loop diuretics are the primary treatment for congestion in patients with decompensated heart failure (HF). Furosemide is the most commonly used loop diuretic and is licensed for administration either orally, intramuscularly or intravenously but not subcutaneously. Recently developed, pH-neutral, concentrated, and ‘skin-friendly’ preparations of furosemide have been developed which allow subcutaneous administration. In this systematic review, we summarize and critically appraise the current evidence for subcutaneous furosemide in patients with HF.

Methods and results

The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov registry were searched up to 30 September 2024. Of the 17 studies identified, 5 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 2 were non-randomized controlled studies, 3 were prospective observational cohort studies, and 7 were retrospective observational studies.

All RCTs utilized novel pH-neutral, subcutaneous preparations of furosemide. Bioavailability of novel subcutaneous preparations were similar to intravenous furosemide 10 mg/mL: 99.7% for an 8 mg/mL preparation and 112% for a 30 mg/mL preparation. Natriuresis and diuresis were also similar with novel subcutaneous and conventional intravenous furosemide. Adverse events related to novel preparations included infusion site pain or discomfort, localized skin erythema and minimal swelling. All studies of subcutaneous conventional furosemide were non-randomized with very few data regarding bioavailability or diuretic and natriuretic effect. Subcutaneous conventional furosemide was associated with substantial skin irritation (affecting 3–23% of patients), and skin infections requiring treatment with antibiotics (3–17%).

Conclusion

Novel, pH-neutral preparations of subcutaneous furosemide achieved similar diuresis, natriuresis, and bioavailability to intravenous furosemide, and were well tolerated. Novel preparations may be a treatment option for patients with HF.
Impact of low physical activity on cardiovascular disease across regions and demographic groups: insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study
Authors: Liu Changxing , Zhang Zhirui , Wang Boyu , Meng Tianwei , Li Chengjia , Liu Hongwei , Zhang Xulong , Kang Kai
Published: November 2024

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death globally, with low physical activity (LPA) as a significant modifiable risk factor. The prevalence of LPA remains high, necessitating a comprehensive assessment of its impact on CVD.

Methods and results

We applied Joinpoint regression to assess trends in deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and employed autoregressive integrated moving average models to project future LPA-related burdens. From 1990 to 2021, CVD-related deaths due to LPA rose from 218 938 to 371 736 globally, with the most significant increases in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. DALYs surged from 4.47 million to 7.29 million. Although age-standardized death rates showed a slight decline in high-income countries (−2.27% EAPC), lower-income regions experienced a steady rise. YLDs grew from 344 680 to 725 181, while YLLs increased from 4.13 million to 6.57 million, with older adults (75+ years) carrying the highest burden.

Conclusion

The growing burden of CVD linked to LPA highlights the urgent need for interventions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to reduce future risks and improve public health outcomes.
Short-term outcome after isolated tricuspid valve surgery: prognostic role of right ventricular strain
Authors: Ancona Francesco , Bellettini Matteo , Polizzi Giovanni , Paci Gabriele , Margonato Davide , Ingallina Giacomo , Stella Stefano , Fiore Giorgio , Tavernese Annamaria , Belli Martina , Biondi Federico , Castiglioni Alessandro , Denti Paolo , Buzzatti Nicola , De Ferrari Gaetano Maria , Alfieri Ottavio , Lapenna Elisabetta , De Bonis Michele , Maisano Francesco , Agricola Eustachio
Published: November 2024

OBJECTIVES

To assess the incremental prognostic value of right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain over conventional risk scores in predicting the peri-operative mortality in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) undergoing isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled 110 consecutive patients with severe TR who underwent isolated TV surgery between November 2016 and July 2022 at San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy. Exclusion criteria were previous TV surgery, urgent surgery, complex congenital heart disease, active endocarditis and inadequate acoustic window. Baseline clinical data were included, as well as laboratory tests and clinical risk score, as TRI-SCORE and MELD-XI. The clinical outcome was peri-operative mortality, defined as all-cause mortality within 30 days.

RESULTS

The final cohort included 79 patients. The end-point occurred in 7 patients (9%), who died within 30 days after isolated TV surgery. Receiver operator characteristic curves analysis showed that, among parameters of right ventricular function, right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain was the best parameter to predict peri-operative mortality (AUC: 0.854, 95% CI 0.74–0.96, P = 0.005, sensitivity 68%, specificity 100%). At univariable analysis, left ventricular ejection fraction, diabetes mellitus, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum sodium, MELD-XI, TRI-SCORE, right ventricular areas, right ventricular global longitudinal strain, right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain, fractional area change and the ratio between right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain/pulmonary arterial systolic pressure were significantly associated with the end-point. The combination of TRI-SCORE and right ventricular Strain, evaluating right ventricular systolic function with speckle-tracking echocardiography, outperformed classic TRI-SCORE in outcome prediction (AUC 0.874 vs 0.787, P = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain has an incremental prognostic value over conventional parameters and significantly improves the ability of clinical scores to predict peri-operative mortality in patients undergoing isolated TV surgery.
World Englishes pedagogy: constructing learner identity
Authors: Zhang Yue , Gonzales Wilkinson Daniel Wong
Published: November 2024

This article examines the impact of a critical pedagogy informed by World Englishes and investment frameworks on one L2 learner in Hong Kong who claims to use ‘Hong Kong English’ (HKE). Taking a critical and proactive stance, we seek to counter insidious (neo)colonial ideologies and practices through our pedagogic investigation in an undergraduate course. Multimodal output during the intervention was jointly analysed to gauge the impact of the pedagogy on one learner’s investment trajectory. The findings revealed that the participant-learner managed to invest in multiple intertwined identities as Hongkonger, legitimate HKE user, and as an L2 English learner. The participant-learner challenged her exonormative orientations to become an invested, self-reflective learner who endorses and embodies endonormative norms in her local English. Overall, the study highlights tasks that create spaces for students to actively resist colonial representations of English.
Influence of betel nut chewing on oral microbiome in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Brucato Nicolas , Lisant Valentine , Kinipi Christopher , Kik Alfred , Besnard Guillaume , Leavesley Matthew , Ricaut François-Xavier
Published: November 2024

Background and objectives

For thousands of years, betel nut has been used as a psychoactive agent in Asian and Oceanian populations. Betel nut chewing was associated with the alteration of human oral microbiome and with diseases such as oral cancer and periodontitis, but only in populations of Asian cultural background. We studied the influence of betel nut chewing on the oral microbiome in Papua New Guinea, where half of the population uses betel nut and the prevalence of these diseases is one of the highest in the world.

Methodology

We characterised the oral microbiomes of 100 Papua New Guineans. We defined two cohorts of betel chewers (n=50) and non-chewers (n=50) based on a genetic approach to identify the presence of betel nut in saliva. We statistically compared the alpha and beta microbial diversities between the two cohorts. We performed linear discriminant analyses to identify bacterial species more prevalent in each cohort.

Results

We found that oral microbial diversity is significantly different between betel chewers and non-chewers. The dysbiosis observed in betel chewers, led to an increase of pathogenic bacterial species including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia, known to be in the aetiology of periodontal diseases.

Conclusions and implications

Our study strongly supports the alteration of human oral microbiome by betel nut use, potentially leading to periodontal diseases. It also shows the need to consider local specificities (e.g. different habits, betel nut types, and oral microbial diversities) to better characterise the impact of betel nut chewing on health.
Improved treatment of coking wastewater and higher biodiversity through immobilization of Comamonas sp. ZF-3 supplemented microbial community
Authors: Yuan Ke , Ma Yanbiao , Li Qiuyu
Published: November 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among pollutant removal performance, microbial community structure, and potential gene function of immobilized microorganisms in coking wastewater (CWW) treatment process. The results showed that the immobilized biomass containing strain Comamonas sp. ZF-3 displayed greater resistance to CWW and higher COD, NH4+-N removal efficiency (92%, 60%) than free cells (48%, 7%), meanwhile, the results from GC–MS proved main organic pollutants in CWW including phenolic compounds, heterocyclic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were basically removed by immobilized microorganisms. During 123 days of degradation experiment, high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis of immobilized carriers showed more stable and diverse microbial community, which was consistent with simultaneous removal of COD and NH4+-N observed in carrier experiment. Among them, Comamonas sp. ZF-3 continuously remained at the highest proportion (23.25%) in immobilized carrier, while Nitrosomonas (1.47%) and Nitrospira (1.90%) were simultaneously detected. Moreover, microbial community of immobilized carriers showed higher relative abundance of potential function in membrane transport and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism, which may indirectly displayed biodegradation activity of immobilized functional microorganisms. This work illustrated the survival status and potential gene function of immobilized microorganisms, and provided basis for practical application of immobilized carriers in CWW treatment.
‘The Patriarchy Is Finished’: Broadcasting Women’s Emancipation on RIAS Berlin
Authors: Clinefelter Joan L
Published: November 2024

This article examines a sudden shift in women’s radio programming in the late 1950s at RIAS Berlin (Radio in the American Sector Berlin). The American-led propaganda radio station had been established in 1946 to support democracy in West Berlin and then also to combat Communism in East Germany. From its initial broadcast day, RIAS targeted female audiences with a mix of household tips and political analysis that highlighted the ways the Communist regime worked against women. However, in 1957 the women’s division began to critique conservative gender norms in arguing for female equality in West Germany. RIAS introduced a new program, the soap opera Gaby and Franz, that modelled a more companionate form of marriage. At the same time, its established women’s programs, including Can You Spare 5 Minutes?, highlighted obstacles to the full realization of legal reforms such as the Law for the Protection of Mothers of 1952 and the Equal Rights Law of 1957. To promote women’s rights in the Federal Republic, the women’s division adapted the presentation style designed to fight East German Communism. Drawing upon scripts held by Deutschlandfunk Kultur, the successor station to RIAS, the article argues that radio offered an ideal medium for women to press for gender equality at the micro level of the home and the macro level of policy well before the women’s rights movement of the late 1960s.
‘Under a Just King Every Soldier Is a Citizen’: Acclaiming Military Honour and Mobilizing Civic Action in the Habsburg Monarchy during the Coalition Wars
Authors: Baird Kurt J G
Published: November 2024

This article highlights the regular soldier’s place in political rhetoric that urged the Habsburg Monarchy’s inhabitants to view support for the war against Revolutionary and Imperial France as a moral imperative. It establishes how military honour as a system of sociality and social disciplining, founded on contemporary ideals of virtue and natural law, promoted acts of selfless citizenship within a newly formed standing army that supported Habsburg state-building in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The article then shows how regular soldiers of the Monarchy’s army were continually represented by the government and its supporters as selfless servants of the state, eliciting acts of loyalty in different places from those untouched by mandatory wartime demands. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which the educated middle class (Bürgertum) contributed to the Habsburg war effort through decades of localized wartime philanthropy. This article argues these people were motivated to do so through social and cultural changes that made self-identifying with the conscripted poor possible. By participating in civic society in this way, a generally progressive prewar segment of the population actively placed their view of the world within the constraints of the reactionary wartime Habsburg state by meeting military exigencies.
Ageing Fast and Slow: A Longitudinal Examination of the Gap Between Subjective Age and Chronological Age and the Role of Functional Health
Authors: Akinocho El-Mouksitou , Vanhoutte Bram
Published: November 2024

Objectives

Although it is known that subjective age is strongly influenced by health, few studies have explored this relation longitudinally. This study aims to examine the longitudinal evolution of the age differential between subjective and chronological age, as well as how functional limitations and birth cohort affect this evolution.

Methods

This study analyses four waves covering 10 years (2004–2014) of the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing, making use of 35,242 observations of 14,219 participants. Using random intercept mixed models in an age vector approach, the difference of the gap between chronological and subjective age is examined over age, conditional on cohort, and subsequently by functional limitations group.

Results

Participants felt, on average, about 9 years younger than their actual age. Subjective ageing happens about a third slower than objective ageing on average. Later-born cohorts feel younger than earlier-born cohorts at a given age. The difference between chronological age and subjective age differs about 8 years between those with and without functional health limitations, but the onset of such functional limitations only decreases the gap with about 1–3 years.

Discussion

This study found that recent cohorts feel younger than older cohorts. The onset of a health limitation represents only about half of the subjective age effect. This illustrates there are large selection effects into the group of people to whom health limitations occur, with people already feeling less young before the actual event occurrence.
Who pays to treat malaria and how much? Analysis of the cost of illness, equity and economic burden of malaria in Uganda
Authors: Snyman Katherine , Pitt Catherine , Aturia Angelo , Aber Joyce , Gonahasa Samuel , Namuganga Jane Frances , Nankabirwa Joaniter , Arinaitwe Emmanuel , Maiteki-Sebuguzi Catherine , Katamba Henry , Opigo Jimmy , Matovu Fred , Dorsey Grant , Kamya Moses R , Ochieng Walter , Staedke Sarah G
Published: November 2024

Case management of malaria in Africa has evolved markedly over the past 20 years and updated cost estimates are needed to guide malaria control policies. We estimated the cost of malaria illness to households and the public health service and assessed the equity of these costs in Uganda. From December 2021 to May 2022, we conducted a costing exercise in eight government-run health centres covering seven sub-regions, collecting health service costs from patient observations, records review and a time-and-motion study. From November 2021 to January 2022, we gathered data on households’ cost of illness from randomly selected households for 614 residents with suspected malaria. Societal costs of illness were estimated and combined with secondary data sources to estimate the total economic burden of malaria in Uganda. We used regression analyses and concentration curves to assess the equity of household costs across age, geographic location and socio-economic status. The mean societal economic cost of treating suspected malaria was $15.12 [95% confidence interval (CI): 12.83–17.14] per outpatient and $27.21 (95% CI: 20.43–33.99) per inpatient case. Households incurred 81% of outpatient and 72% of inpatient costs. Households bore nearly equal costs of illness, regardless of socio-economic status. A case of malaria cost households in the lowest quintile 26% of per capita monthly consumption, while a malaria case only cost households in the highest quintile 8%. We estimated the societal cost of malaria treatment in Uganda was $577 million (range: $302 million–1.09 billion) in 2021. The cost of malaria remains high in Uganda. Households bear the major burden of these costs. Poorer and richer households incur the same costs per case; this distribution is equal, but not equitable. These results can be applied to parameterize future economic evaluations of malaria control interventions and to evaluate the impact of malaria on Ugandan society, informing resource allocations in malaria prevention.
A Chinese conundrum: does higher insurance coverage for hospitalization reduce financial protection for the patients who most need it?
Authors: Zhu Xiaoying , Mahal Ajay , Tang Shenglan , McPake Barbara
Published: November 2024

This paper evaluates the relationship between the degree of cost-sharing and the utilization of outpatient and inpatient health services in China. Using data from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we estimated the association between outpatient and inpatient service utilization and cost-sharing levels associated with outpatient and inpatient services, as well as a comparative metric that quantifies the relative cost-sharing burden between the two. We found that patients in areas with higher levels of cost-sharing for outpatient services exhibit a lower propensity to use outpatient care and a higher inclination to utilize costly hospitalization services. Conversely, as the ratio of cost-sharing for outpatient services to that for inpatient services increases, the likelihood of patients forgoing doctor-initiated hospitalization correspondingly increases. This suggests that when cost-sharing for outpatient care rises relative to inpatient care, observed increases in inpatient care utilization reflect an escalation in moral hazard rather than a correction for the underutilization of inpatient services. We conclude that both substitution and complementary roles exist between outpatient and inpatient services. Our findings suggest that a more effective design of cost-sharing is needed to enhance the equity and efficiency of China’s health system.
Strategic Implications of Legal Constitution: Between Necessity and Contingency
Authors: Adams Zoe
Published: November 2024

This article offers a novel perspective on the ‘constitutive role’ of law and discusses the contribution that such a perspective can make to our understanding of law’s potential role in radical political struggles. It suggests that a distinction should be drawn between the necessary dimension of law’s constitutive role—the fact that law is one of capitalism’s necessary power relations—and the contingent dimension of that role—the historically variant ways in which those relations have been institutionalised, and the legal form of power given concrete expression. The article shows how this distinction can help refocus questions about the role of law in radical political struggles and can help inform strategic decisions about whether, when and how law might be mobilised in the context of such struggles, including how law might be used in explicitly subversive ways.
What Is Human Resources Law?
Authors: Doorey David J , Dukes Ruth
Published: November 2024

Human Resources (‘HR’) Law is not a term much used by legal scholars. In law schools throughout the English-speaking world, one encounters courses on employment law, labour law and, less frequently, work law, but no courses on ‘HR law’. Outside of law schools, however, the term is common parlance, at least in North America. But what is HR law? Is it nothing other than employment law, rebranded to appeal to firms and other employing organisations? In this paper, we argue that HR law reflects and reinforces a particular paradigm or vision of work relations that is quite distinct from traditional understandings of labour law’s defining purpose. When it comes to interpreting and applying employment law, moreover, human resource management professionals and HR lawyers assume positions of authority—positions of authority that might be recognised within firms by senior management and, beyond the firm, by courts, policy makers and legislatures. To what extent and with which consequences this is so, is likely to be jurisdiction-specific and demands further investigation.
Fitness of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariants in Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Cell Lines as Determined by Reverse-Transcription Droplet Digital PCR and Whole-Genome Sequencing
Authors: Hénaut Mathilde , Carbonneau Julie , Levade Inès , Boivin Guy
Published: November 2024

The fitness of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariants was determined in human epithelial and continuous cells of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Competition experiments over 4 days were performed followed by quantification of variant ratios by reverse transcription-droplet digital PCR. These quantitative data were correlated with whole-genome sequencing. In competition experiments of 2 subvariants, the more recent XBB.1 subvariant outcompeted the BA.1.15 subvariant at early time points in the upper respiratory tract epithelium. No difference in replication was observed between the 2 subvariants in the lower respiratory tract. Furthermore, XBB.1 predominated over BA.1.15 and JN.1.1 subvariants in the gastrointestinal tract.
Isolate-anchored comparisons reveal evolutionary and functional differentiation across SAR86 marine bacteria
Authors: Ramfelt Oscar , Freel Kelle C , Tucker Sarah J , Nigro Olivia D , Rappé Michael S
Published: November 2024

SAR86 is one of the most abundant groups of bacteria in the global surface ocean. However, since its discovery over 30 years ago, it has remained recalcitrant to isolation and many details regarding this group are still unknown. Here, we report the cellular characteristics from the first SAR86 isolate brought into culture, Magnimaribacter mokuoloeensis strain HIMB1674, and use its closed genome in concert with over 700 environmental genomes to assess the phylogenomic and functional characteristics of this order-level lineage of marine Gammaproteobacteria. The SAR86 order Magnimaribacterales invests significant genomic resources into the capacity for $\beta$-oxidation, which is present in most genomes with high gene copy numbers. This cyclical set of reactions appears to be fed by components of cell membranes that include lipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, glycolipids, and sulfolipids. In addition to the widespread capacity to degrade the side chain of steroidal compounds via $\beta$-oxidation, several SAR86 sublineages also appear able to fully degrade the steroid polycyclic ring structure as well as other aromatic, polycyclic, and heterocyclic molecules. Read recruitment from publicly available metagenomes reveals that the Magnimaribacterales compose up to 6% of the global surface ocean microbial community. Only a subset of genera drives these high relative abundances, with some more globally dominant and others restricted to specific oceanic regions. This study provides an unprecedented foundation through which to understand this highly abundant yet poorly understood lineage of marine bacteria and charts a path to bring more representatives of this order into laboratory culture.
Aminolipids in bacterial membranes and the natural environment
Authors: Liu Shengwei , Silvano Eleonora , Li Mingyu , Mausz Michaela , Rihtman Branko , Guillonneau Richard , Geiger Otto , Scanlan David J , Chen Yin
Published: November 2024

Our comprehension of membrane function has predominantly advanced through research on glycerophospholipids, also known as phosphoglycerides, which are glycerol phosphate-based lipids found across all three domains of life. However, in bacteria, a perplexing group of lipids distinct from glycerol phosphate-based ones also exists. These are amino acid-containing lipids that form an amide bond between an amino acid and a fatty acid. Subsequently, a second fatty acid becomes linked, often via the 3-hydroxy group on the first fatty acid. These amide-linked aminolipids have, as of now, been exclusively identified in bacteria. Several hydrophilic head groups have been discovered in these aminolipids including ornithine, glutamine, glycine, lysine, and more recently, a sulfur-containing non-proteinogenic amino acid cysteinolic acid. Here, we aim to review current advances in the genetics, biochemistry and function of these aminolipids as well as giving an ecological perspective. We provide evidence for their potential significance in the ecophysiology of all major microbiomes, i.e. gut, soil, and aquatic as well as highlighting their important roles in influencing biological interactions.
Mini-mental status examination phenotyping for Alzheimer’s disease patients using both structured and narrative electronic health record features
Authors: Idnay Betina , Zhang Gongbo , Chen Fangyi , Ta Casey N , Schelke Matthew W , Marder Karen , Weng Chunhua
Published: November 2024

Objective

This study aims to automate the prediction of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, a widely adopted standard for cognitive assessment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) on structured and unstructured EHR data.

Materials and Methods

We extracted demographic data, diagnoses, medications, and unstructured clinical visit notes from the EHRs. We used Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for topic modeling and Term-Frequency Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) for n-grams. In addition, we extracted meta-features such as age, ethnicity, and race. Model training and evaluation employed eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Stochastic Gradient Descent Regressor (SGDRegressor), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP).

Results

We analyzed 1654 clinical visit notes collected between September 2019 and June 2023 for 1000 Alzheimer’s disease patients. The average MMSE score was 20, with patients averaging 76.4 years old, 54.7% female, and 54.7% identifying as White. The best-performing model (ie, lowest root mean squared error (RMSE)) is MLP, which achieved an RMSE of 5.53 on the validation set using n-grams, indicating superior prediction performance over other models and feature sets. The RMSE on the test set was 5.85.

Discussion

This study developed a ML method to predict MMSE scores from unstructured clinical notes, demonstrating the feasibility of utilizing NLP to support cognitive assessment. Future work should focus on refining the model and evaluating its clinical relevance across diverse settings.

Conclusion

We contributed a model for automating MMSE estimation using EHR features, potentially transforming cognitive assessment for Alzheimer’s patients and paving the way for more informed clinical decisions and cohort identification.
Harmonized Tubular Maximum Phosphate Reabsorption per Glomerular Filtration Rate (TmP/GFR) reporting in adults and children in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Chiang Cherie , Choy Kay Weng , Coates Penelope , Carrivick Simon , Farrell Christopher J , Clifton-Bligh Roderick J , Lim Ee Mun
Published: November 2024

Tubular maximum phosphate reabsorption per glomerular filtration rate (TmP/GFR) is a key diagnostic test for renal phosphate wasting. However, there is a lack of international consensus regarding the reporting of age-related reference intervals. The TmP/GFR Harmonization Working Group, formed by The Australasian Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine and The Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society, aimed to evaluate analytical differences amongst commercial creatinine and phosphate assays, harmonize age-specific cut-offs and compare the ANZBMS TmP/GFR online calculator with existing products. A total of 11 360 results from The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs were analyzed to assess creatinine and phosphate assay performance amongst five In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) companies. Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics analyzers had a positive bias of up to 32% for serum phosphate and up to 29% for TmP/GFR. The other IVD companies produced comparable results and are suitable for harmonized reference intervals. To date, the AACB-ANZBMS TmP/GFR online calculator is the only validated Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry-creatinine aligned tool which caters for both pediatric and adult individuals, providing automatic interpretive comments to aid clinicians managing patients with hypophosphatemia.
Using ecological niches to determine potential habitat suitability for Psacothea hilaris (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and its natural enemies in China under future climates
Authors: Zhang Liang , Wang Ping , Xie Guanglin , Wang Wenkai
Published: November 2024

Climate change impacts the distribution of pests and its natural enemies, prompting this study to investigate the dynamics and shifts in distribution under current and future climate conditions. The spatial pattern of Psacothea hilaris (Pascoe) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in China was analyzed, and the MaxEnt model was optimized to predict the potential geographic distribution of P. hilaris and its two natural enemies (Dastarcus helophoroides (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Bothrideridae) and Dendrocopos major (Linnaeus) (Piciformes: Picidae)) in China, to further analyze the key environmental factors affecting the survival of P. hilaris and its natural enemies, and to determine the potential of using D. helophoroides and D. major as natural enemies to control P. hilaris. The results showed that the suitable ranges of P. hilaris and natural enemies are expanding under the influence of climate change, and both have migrated to higher latitudes. The potential ranges of D. helophoroides, D. major, and P. hilaris are highly similar. It is noteworthy that the potential range of D. helophoroides completely covers the potential range of P. hilaris. This indicates that D. helophoroides and D. major can be employed as biological control agents to manage P. hilaris populations. This study provides a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for the development of early warning and green control strategies for P. hilaris.
Influence of trap type on the captures of Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): trials from different European countries
Authors: Agrafioti Paraskevi , Lampiri Evagelia , Bohinc Tanja , Roig Anna , Levi-Mourao Alexandre , Boukouvala Maria C , Skourti Anna , López Carmen , Eizaguirre Matilde , Pons Xavier , Tsikas Angelos , Sarajlić Ankica , Fail Jozsef , Benavent Fernandez Enrique , Bravo Sergio Fita , Dominguez Solera Elena , Trdan Stanislav , Kavallieratos Nickolas G , Athanassiou Christos G
Published: November 2024

The spongy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Eribidae), is a serious pest of deciduous forests and causes widespread defoliation. Despite this, few studies have evaluated the wide-ranging surveillance of adult male L. dispar using different types of pheromone-baited traps. We evaluated the effect of trap type on captures of adult male L. dispar at 18 sites in Europe; two in Slovenia, two in Spain, 12 in Greece, one in Hungary, and one in Croatia. Seven different trap types, G trap and eGymer 1–6, were evaluated June–September 2022 and 2023. Generally, captures of L. dispar started in late June and lasted until mid-August. Trap type affected captures. The G trap (consisting of a dark brown plastic rectangular parallel-piped body) caught significantly more L. dispar than other trap types in many instances, particularly when the peak of the flight period occurred. Captures of L. dispar in pairs of different trap types showed a significant correlation in trap catch in most investigations, suggesting that most detected comparable fluctuations in L. dispar abundance. We recommend that the G trap be used for wide-ranging surveillance of L. dispar in Europe.
An effective discontinuous Galerkin method for solving acoustic wave equations in heterogeneous media
Authors: He Xijun , Wang Qiyue , Zhou Yanjie , Huang Jiandong , Huang Xueyuan
Published: November 2024

A discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is introduced for solving 2D and 3D first-order velocity-pressure acoustic wave propagation problems in heterogeneous media. First, acoustic equations are reformulated into a first-order hyperbolic system, which can be integrated into the framework of the DG method. Then, we introduce an effective numerical flux in DG spatial discretization, which preserves physical laws on both sides of interfaces with discontinuous material parameters. It is compared with both the classic Lax–Friedrichs flux and the exact upwind flux, with the latter derived from solving the Riemann problem and satisfying the Rankine–Hugoniot condition. The comparison reveals that while our flux is formally similar to the classic local Lax–Friedrichs flux, its numerical behavior is analogous to the exact upwind flux. The primary advantage of this method lies in its simplicity and straightforward computation yet can maintain physical continuity conditions near interfaces with discontinuous material parameters. Several numerical experiments of acoustic wave propagation in 2D and 3D heterogeneous media are carried out, illustrating the effectiveness of this method.
Rural-urban disparities and trends in cancer screening: an analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (2018-2022)
Authors: Benavidez Gabriel A , Sedani Ami E , Felder Tisha M , Asare Matthew , Rogers Charles R
Published: November 2024

Background

Despite evidence of the benefit of routine cancer screenings, data show a concerning decline in cancer screening uptake for multiple cancers. This analysis aimed to examine rural-urban differences in recent trends for being up-to-date with screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers.

Methods

We used 2018, 2020, and 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to assess up-to-date cancer screening status among eligible adults in the United States. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates overall and stratified by county-level rural-urban classification. We used survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models to examine rural-urban disparities in cancer screening up-to-date status by year.

Results

Prevalence of being up-to-date with each cancer screening was lower in 2022 than it was in 2018. The largest decline in screening overall was for cervical cancer, which dropped from 81.89% in 2018 to 47.71% in 2022. Rural-urban disparities were observed for breast cancer screening from 2018 to 2022, with the odds of up-to-date screening being 14% to 27% lower for rural populations than for urban populations. For colorectal and cervical cancers, the odds of being up-to-date with screenings were lower for rural populations in 2018 and 2020, but no statistically significant difference was observed in 2022 (colorectal screening odds ratio = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.90 to 1.02; cervical screening odds ratio = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.93 to 1.03).

Conclusion

There is a concerning trend of decreasing uptake of cancer screenings that will challenge future efforts in cancer prevention and control. There is a need to better understand the factors contributing to the decline in cancer screening update.
Depth-dependent bacterial colonization on model chitin particles in the open ocean
Authors: Roberts Cordelia , Bird Kimberley , Chrismas Nathan , Hartman Susan , Cunliffe Michael
Published: November 2024

Sinking particles transport carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. Microbial colonization and remineralization are important ecosystem services constraining ocean biogeochemistry by recycling and redistributing nutrients from the surface to the deep ocean. Fragmentation of particles by zooplankton and the resulting colonization by microorganisms before ingestion, known as ‘microbial gardening’, allows for trophic upgrading and increased microbial biomass for detritivorous zooplankton. Using model chitin particles incubated with seawater collected from the surface, mesopelagic and bathypelagic depths in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, we determined particle-attaching bacterial communities to identify general and depth-specific candidates of particle colonization. Comparison of particle-attached communities at the amplicon sequence variant level showed that bacteria found on surface particles were also colonizers in the bathypelagic, in line with sinking particles promoting vertical connectivity. Bathypelagic particle-attached communities were most diverse. We propose that some particle colonizers attach to the surface and sink out with the particle, whilst other colonizers are depth-specific. This suggests that candidates for particle colonization differ with depth, which may be important when considering the implications for the delivery of ecosystem services, including carbon cycling and the role they play for zooplankton grazers.
Negative Social Exchanges are Associated With More Severe Depressive Symptoms Above and Beyond the Effects of Positive Social Exchanges in Male U.S. Service Members and Veterans
Authors: Shah Rishika V , Blais Rebecca K
Published: November 2024

Introduction

Risk for depression is heightened among male service members/veterans relative to civilians. Research suggests social support protects service members/veterans from depressive symptoms, but most studies focus on positive social support. Negative social support, which can include unwanted emotional involvement or social negativity, could be more impactful on depressive symptoms than positive; however, this has not been examined in military samples. Moreover, it is unclear whether positive interactions buffer the effects of negative interactions.

Materials and Methods

SM/Vs (N = 508) were recruited online using convenience sampling and completed demographics, and measures of depression and social exchange frequencies, a metric of positive and negative social support. This secondary data analysis was drawn from a parent study that was approved by an institutional review board. A correlation comparison calculator compared the strength of bivariate associations of positive social exchanges and negative social exchanges with depression. Linear regression examined the simultaneous effects of positive and negative social exchanges, and subsequently examined whether positive social exchanges moderated the association of negative social exchanges and depression.

Results

The positive bivariate association of negative exchanges and depression (r = 0.48, P < .001) was statistically stronger than the negative bivariate association of positive exchanges and depression (r = −0.40, P < .001). A regression analysis revealed that higher negative exchanges were positively associated with depression (partial r = 0.40, P < .001) and higher positive exchanges were negatively associated with depression (partial r = −0.32, P < .001) after accounting for covariates, but positive exchanges did not mitigate the association of negative exchanges and depression (P > .05).

Conclusions

Decreasing the frequency of negative social exchanges is associated with lower depressive symptoms and may have a stronger relationship with depression than positive exchanges, suggesting independent pathways to depression. Longitudinal assessments are needed to determine the potential directionality of these relationships and to address the limitations associated with convenience sampling and cross-sectional data collection.
Low-mass contact binaries: orbital stability at extreme low mass ratios
Authors: Wadhwa Surjit S , Landin Natália R , Arbutina Bojan , Tothill Nicholas F H , De Horta Ain Y , Filipović Miroslav D , Petrović Jelena , Djurašević Gojko
Published: November 2024

With the ever-increasing number of light-curve solutions of contact binary systems, an increasing number of potential bright red nova progenitors are being reported. There remains, however, only one confirmed event. In this study, we undertake a comprehensive review of the orbital stability of contact binary systems, considering the effects of the stellar internal composition (metallicity) and age on the evolution of the gyration radius and its effect on the instability mass ratio of contact binaries. We find that both metallicity and age have an independent effect on orbital stability, with metal-poor and older systems being more stable. The combined effects of age and metallicity are quite profound, such that for most systems with primaries of solar mass or greater, which are halfway or more through the main-sequence lifespans have instability mass ratios at levels where the secondary component would be below the hydrogen fusion mass limit. We find that from the currently available solutions we cannot confidently assign any system as unstable. Although we identify eight potential red nova progenitors, all have methodological or astrophysical concerns, which lowers our confidence in designating any of them as potential merger candidates.