bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safety During Night Duty: Survey of 3885 Doctors Across India
Authors: Jayadevan Rajeev , Augustine Deepa , Anithadevi TS , Ramachandran Reshmi , Benaven Joseph 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundReports of violence against doctors at the workplace are on the rise. In August 2024, a young female doctor was raped and murdered during night duty at her workplace in Kolkata, India. This incident prompted nationwide protests and a service shutdown by doctors’ organizations advocating for improved workplace safety.AimThis survey was undertaken by the Indian Medical Association to evaluate safety concerns during night shifts among doctors. With 3,885 individual responses, it is the largest study from India on this topic.MethodsAn online survey was sent to doctors across India through a Google form. There were 3885 responses within 24 hours. In addition to seeking suggestions to improve safety, three separate parameters were assessed:0-10 numeric rating scale of perception of safetyAvailability of duty roomAccess to bathroom while on night dutyResultsRespondents were from several states. 85% were under 35 years. 61% were interns or postgraduate trainees. Women constituted 63%, aligning with the gender ratio in some MBBS courses.Several doctors reported feeling unsafe (24.1%) or very unsafe (11.4%), totalling one-third of the respondents. The proportion of those feeling unsafe was higher among women.A duty room was not available to 45% of respondents during night shifts.Those with access to a duty room had greater sense of safety.Duty rooms were often inadequate due to overcrowding, lack of privacy and missing locks, forcing doctors to find alternative rest areas.One-third of available duty rooms did not have an attached bathroom.In more than half the instances (53%), duty room was located far from the ward/casualty area.Suggestions to enhance safety included increasing the number of trained security personnel, installing CCTV cameras, ensuring proper lighting, implementing the Central Protection Act (CPA), restricting bystander numbers, installing alarm systems, and providing basic amenities such as secure duty rooms with locks. For detailed information, refer to Table 13, the synopsis and the verbatim comments section.ConclusionsDoctors across the country, particularly women, report feeling unsafe during night shifts. There is substantial scope for improving security personnel and equipment in healthcare settings. Modifications to infrastructure are essential to ensure safe, clean, and accessible duty rooms, bathrooms, food, and drinking water. Adequate staffing, effective triaging, and crowd control in patient care areas are also necessary to ensure that doctors can provide the required attention to each patient without feeling threatened by their work environment.
Impacts of Global School Feeding Programmes on Children’s Health and Wellbeing Outcomes: A Scoping Review
Authors: Locke Amy , James Michaela , Jones Hope , Davies Rachel , Williams Francesca , Brophy Sinead 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundSchool feeding programmes (SFP) are one of the world’s most extensive interventions to alleviate child poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. Schools are ideal settings to promote healthy eating habits early in life since children have access to at least one main meal per day at school. However, there is a lack of clear evidence for the effectiveness of school feeding programmes on child health outcomes. Additionally, there is considerable debate on whether feeding programmes should be universal or targeted with countries taking different approaches. This review will therefore explore global research on school feeding programmes and consider different health outcomes through targeted or universal policies.MethodsWe conducted a search across four electronic databases. These studies investigated the impacts of school feeding programmes on children’s health outcomes. 207 papers were identified with 76 studies subjected to full text screening.ResultsA total of 42 papers were included in the final review. All papers were published within the past fifteen years (2009-2024) and included thirteen countries in total. SFP were associated with child weight being more in the healthy range. Targeted SFP were negatively associated with stigma.ConclusionsUniversal SFP were effective at improving children’s health outcomes such as healthy weight, improved behaviour and social support. Overall, both targeted and universal SFP positively impact children’s health outcomes and address health disparities.STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDYThe review mapped both universal and targeted provisions, providing a broad overview of the existing literature.The review included an appraisal of the methodological quality of the included studies. Only English studies were included.Only studies published in English were included, potentially excluding relevant research in other languages.The study did not perform a formal assessment of publication bias, which could impact the interpretation of the results.
Hypothalamic structure and function in Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy-body dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Laurell Axel AS , Shah Sita N , Rahmati Masoud , O’Brien John T , Underwood Benjamin R 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundChanges to sleep, weight, and endocrine function are common in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Lewy-body dementia (LBD). The cause of these is not known, but they may be related to hypothalamic neurodegeneration.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE of studies using structural magnetic resonance imaging to examine hypothalamic volume in people with AD or LBD. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using the standardised mean difference (SMD) in hypothalamic volume as the effect measure, and a narrative synthesis was used to examine the relationship between hypothalamic volume and sleep, eating, and endocrine function.ResultsWe identified 6542 articles which resulted in 12 included studies, most which had a low to moderate risk of bias. The meta-analysis included 454 people with mild-moderate AD (Mini-Mental State (MMSE) range: 19.2-26.1) and 715 controls. We found that people with AD had a significantly smaller hypothalamus (pooled SMD: -0.49, t=-3.47, p=0.018, 95%CI: -0.86 to - 0.13). There was significant heterogeneity of a moderate degree (Tau2=0.0665, 95%CI:0.005-0.8090; I2=67%, 95%CI:21.5%-86.1%; Q=15.16, p<0.01), but no evidence of publication bias. Only one study examined people with LBD, finding qualitative evidence of lower hypothalamic volume compared to controls. Hypothalamic volume loss in AD was more marked in men and may be associated with plasma levels of sex hormones and decreased bone mineral density.ConclusionReduced hypothalamic volume is seen early in AD and LBD and this may influence endocrine function. A better understanding of hypothalamic degeneration in dementia may help elucidate how pathology relates to symptoms in AD and LBD and reveal new targets for intervention.
From impact metrics and open science to communicating research: Journalists’ awareness of academic controversies
Authors: Fleerackers Alice , Moorhead Laura L. , Alperin Juan Pablo , Riedlinger Michelle , Maggio Lauren A. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis study sheds light on how journalists respond to evolving debates within academia around topics including research integrity, improper use of metrics to measure research quality and impact, and the risks and benefits of the open science movement. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 19 health and science journalists, we describe journalists’ awareness of these controversies and the ways in which that awareness, in turn, shapes the practices they use to select, verify, and communicate research. Our findings suggest that journalists’ perceptions of debates in scholarly communication vary widely, with some displaying a highly critical and nuanced understanding and others presenting a more limited awareness. Those with a more in-depth understanding report closely scrutinizing the research they report, carefully vetting the study design, methodology, and analyses. Those with a more limited awareness are more trusting of the peer review system as a quality control system and more willing to rely on researchers when determining what research to report on and how to vet and frame it. We discuss the benefits and risks of these varied perceptions and practices, highlighting the implications for the nature of the research media coverage that reaches the public.
Temporal proteomic and PTMomic atlas of cerebral organoid development
Authors: Elmkvist Sofie B. , Bogetofte Helle , Jensen Pia , Jakobsen Lene A. , Havelund Jesper F. , Ryding Matias , Brewer Jonathan , Færgeman Nils J. , Lancaster Madeline A. , Larsen Martin R. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractCerebral organoids (CBOs) are generated from pluripotent stem cells that undergo neuroectoderm specification and neuronal differentiation in three dimensions. The developing neurons in CBOs migrate and self-organize into cerebral cortex-like layers, mimicking human brain development. CBOs develop according to intrinsic signaling mechanisms and offer unique insights into mechanisms of early human brain development. This process requires coordinated spatiotemporal regulation of protein expression and function, where the latter can be achieved by post-translational modifications (PTMs) on proteins. Despite the importance of proteins in brain development and function, profiling of protein abundance and the involvement of PTMs in CBO development remain underexplored. To gain insight into protein and PTM abundance in CBOs, we performed a high-resolution temporal analysis of CBOs up to day 200 using proteomics, PTMomics and metabolomics. We quantified more than 9,300 proteins and various neurodevelopmentally relevant PTMs (including phosphorylation, lysine acetylation, sialylated N-glycosylation, and cysteine modifications). We demonstrate that protein abundance and dynamic PTMs show significant temporal changes during CBO development related to neuronal differentiation and energy metabolism, whereas calcium signaling is mainly regulated by dynamic PTMs. We further show that synaptic protein content correlated with neurotransmitter levels, and we detected astroglia beyond day 100. Lastly, comparative analysis showed proteomic similarities between CBOs and human fetal brain tissue, supporting the physiological relevance of CBOs. Overall, our study presents a temporal atlas of protein and PTM abundance in CBOs and provides a valuable resource for studying neurodevelopment in neural organoids.
Differential splice isoforms of mouse CDK2 play functionally redundant roles during mitotic and meiotic division
Authors: Palmer Nathan , Talib S. Zakiah A. , Ow Jin Rong , Tabaglio Tommaso , Goh Christine M.F. , Zhao Li Na , Guccione Ernesto , Liu Kui , Kaldis Philipp 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn most mammals, the cell cycle kinase; cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is expressed as two major isoforms due to the inclusion or exclusion of an alternatively spliced exon. The shorter CDK2 isoform: CDK2S, is expressed constitutively during the cell cycle and can be detected in many different tissue types. In contrast, the longer isoform: CDK2L, shows preferential expression in meiotically dividing cells of the germ cells and upon S-phase entry during mitotic cell division. Both CDK2L and CDK2S form heteromeric complexes with cyclins A2 and E1in vitro. However, complexes comprised of each isoform differ considerably in their kinase activity towards known CDK substrates. It is currently unknown whether the long and short isoforms of CDK2 play functionally different rolesin vivoduring either mitotic and meiotic divisions as conventional knockout methodology leads to the loss of both isoforms. In this study, we find that both CDK2L and CDK2S are sufficient to support both mitotic and meiotic division when expressed in the absence of the other. This data contributes to the explanation of the apparent tolerance of the evolutionary loss of CDK2L expression in humans.
Using a Bacterial Protein to Selectively Target Bacterial Biofilms: Treatment of S. epidermidis Biofilms with Targeted Photothermal Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Amarasekara Dhanush L. , Somarathne Radha P. , Shaikh Tanveer , Hejny Madison A. , McCaffrey Elizabeth R. , Fitzkee Nicholas C. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBiofilm-related infections are associated with high mortality and morbidity, combined with increased treatment costs. Traditional antibiotics are becoming less effective due to the emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains. The need to treat biofilms on medical implants is particularly acute, and one persistent challenge is selectively directing nanoparticles to the biofilm site. Here, we present a protein-based functionalization strategy that targets the extracellular matrix of biofilms. The protein, derived from the extracellularStaphylococcus epidermidisautolysin, directs nanoparticles toS. epidermidiscell wall components, which are not expected to be present in mammalian tissues. This functionalization is applied to a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) core, along with elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), which generate a robust photothermal response. In addition to biofilm targeting, the particles exhibit low protein binding, and the photothermal conversion can be modulated by changing the ELP transition temperature. These functionalized AuNPs strongly interact with biofilms under static and flow conditions but exhibit weak interactions with serum-coated surfaces. Near-infrared laser irradiation resulted in a 10,000-fold improvement in killing efficiency compared to untreated controls (p < 0.0001). The targeting strategy utilized here represents a versatile approach to targeting drug-resistant infections and could be readily expanded to other anti-biofilm nanoparticle platforms.Graphical Abstract
Cell type specific suppression of hyper-recombination by human RAD18 is linked to PCNA K164 ubiquitination
Authors: Rogers Colette B. , Leung Wendy , Baxley Ryan M. , Kram Rachel E. , Wang Liangjun , Buytendorp Joseph P. , Le Khoi , Largaespada David A. , Hendrickson Eric A. , Bielinsky Anja-Katrin 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTHomologous recombination (HR) and translesion synthesis (TLS) promote gap-filling DNA synthesis to complete genome replication. One factor involved in both pathways is RAD18, an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Although RAD18’s role in promoting TLS through the ubiquitination of PCNA at lysine 164 (K164) is well established, its requirement for HR-based mechanisms is currently less clear. To assess this, we inactivatedRAD18in three human cell lines. Our analyses found that loss of RAD18 in HCT116, but neither hTERT RPE-1 nor DLD1 cell lines, resulted in elevated sister chromatid exchange, gene conversion, and gene targeting,i.e. HCT116 mutants were hyper-recombinogenic (hyper-rec). Loss of RAD18 also impaired TLS activity in HCT116 cells, but unexpectedly, did not reduce clonogenic survival. Interestingly, these phenotypes appear linked to PCNA K164 ubiquitination, as HCT116PCNAK164R/+mutants were also hyper-rec and showed reduced TLS activity, consistent with previous studies inrad18-/-orpcnaK164Ravian DT40 mutant cells. Importantly, knockdown of UBC9 to prevent PCNA K164 SUMOylation did not affect hyper-recombination, strengthening the link between increased recombination and RAD18-catalyzed PCNA K164 ubiquitination, but not K164 SUMOylation. Taken together, these data suggest that the roles of human RAD18 in directing distinct gap-filling DNA synthesis pathways varies depending on cell type and that these functions are linked to PCNA ubiquitination.
High-throughput DNA engineering by mating bacteria
Authors: Matsui Takeshi , Hung Po-Hsiang , Mei Han , Liu Xianan , Li Fangfei , Collins John , Li Weiyi , Miller Darach , Wilson Neil , Toro Esteban , Taghon Geoffrey J. , Sherlock Gavin , Levy Sasha 
Published: September 2024

AbstractTo reduce the operational friction and scale DNA engineering, we report here anin vivoDNA assembly technology platform called SCRIVENER (SequentialConjugation andRecombination forInVivoElongation ofNucleotides with lowERrors). SCRIVENER combines bacterial conjugation,in vivoDNA cutting, andin vivohomologous recombination to seamlessly stitch blocks of DNA together by matingE. coliin large arrays or pools. This workflow is simpler, cheaper, and higher throughput than current DNA assembly approaches that require DNA to be moved in and out of cells at different procedural steps. We perform over 5,000 assemblies with two to 13 DNA blocks that range from 240 bp to 8 kb and show that SCRIVENER is capable of assembling constructs as long as 23 kb at relatively high throughput and fidelity. Most SCRIVENER errors are deletions between long interspersed repeats. However, SCRIVENER can overcome these errors by enabling assembly and sequence verification at high replication at a nominal additional cost per replicate. We show that SCRIVENER can be used to build combinatorial libraries in arrays or pools, and that DNA blocks onboarded into the platform can be repurposed and reused with any other DNA block in high throughput without a PCR step. Because of these features, DNA engineering with SCRIVENER has the potential to accelerate design-build-test-learn cycles of DNA products.
PRODUCTION OF BIOETHANOL FROM WATER HYACINTH USING MONOCULTURE AND CO-CULTURE OF MICROORGANISMS
Authors: DADA Idowu Samuel , FEMI-OLA Titilayo , LASISI Opeyemi , ADEOSUN Olalekan 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTWater hyacinth is a lignocellulosic raw material for long-term suitable production of bioethanol. Though water hyacinth is considered to be a cause of ecological disorder, however, due to its inherent chemical composition consisting of higher cellulosic components, it may be proven to be a source for lignocellulosic ethanol and other value-added products. This study investigated bioethanol production from water hyacinth using fermentation usingAspergillus niger,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, andBacillus cereus. The effect of the pH on the bioethanol fermentation was studied, also changes in reducing sugar content and ethanol concentration were determined. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) was used to identify the functional groups of the bioactive component which measures the vibration of bonds in chemical functional groups for the samples obtained after distillation. The pH of the fermentation media for mono-culture and co-culture fermentation of water hyacinth withAspergillus niger,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, andBacillus cereusreduced from 6.0 to 3.7. There was an increase in the reduced sugar concentration during the fermentation period with the highest value (27%) obtained after 10 days of co-culture fermentation of water hyacinth withA. nigerandS. cerevisiae.Co-culture fermented water hyacinth withA. nigerandS. cerevisiaeyielded the distillate with the highest ethanol concentration (35.4%). The FT-IR analysis of the distillate showed the presence of alcohol, aldehydes, and ketones.
Perception of corporate social responsibility in a morally contentious industry: the roles of consumption motives and ethical perspectives
Authors: Souiden Nizar 
Published: September 2024

PurposeThis study investigates the roles of consumption motives and ethical perspectives in explaining individuals’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the context of the recreational marijuana industry, often characterized as morally contentious.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted in Canada, a country where recreational marijuana is legally permitted. Through an online survey, 411 participants were recruited, and the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and SmartPLS4, employing ANOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques.FindingsANOVA analyses reveal significant differences across four ethical perspectives: absolutism, subjectivism, situationism and exceptionism. Conformity motives are most prominent in the exceptionism group, while expansion motives are more common in the subjectivism group. CSR perceptions vary among these groups, with situationism showing the most favorable views. In the absolutism group, expansion and social motives positively influence CSR perception, whereas conformity motives negatively impact it. Conversely, in the exceptionism and situationism groups, only expansion motives positively affect CSR perception. Unexpectedly, within the subjectivism group, only conformity motives have a significant negative effect on CSR perception.Originality/valueThis study examines a controversial industry and contributes to research on recreational marijuana by comparing consumer motives from ethical perspectives. Unlike previous research focused on consumption behaviors (e.g. use frequency), this study investigates how CSR perceptions are shaped by consumption motives and vary with ethical viewpoints.
Online platform promotional activity and purchase behavior of consumer with different self-control in China
Authors: Zhu Yuqi 
Published: September 2024

PurposeThe study explores the relationship between self-control and various online promotional methods faced by consumers simultaneously, simulating how consumers with distinct levels of self-control act in the current Chinese Internet market.Design/methodology/approachThe sample was collected from response of participants to the survey containing a self-control test and attitudes towards different promotional methods. This is a quantitative study using regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA).FindingsInitially, the empirical study focuses on discount margin for both price-discounts and full-discounts, which implies that high discount margin has a negative impact on the quality perception of consumers. However, this impact is weakened under full-discounts. Subsequently, the study identifies that the negative influence of high discounts on quality perception is insignificant for the high self-control group facing various promotional activities simultaneously. Furthermore, it is found that consumers with a high level of self-control rely more on their quality perception rather than the discount margin of products.Originality/valueThe study covers self-control of consumers, a variety of promotional methods and simulation of the present Chinese online market, enriching the research topic of consumer behavior as well as Internet marketing.
Understanding burnout among special education teachers: an exploratory structural equation model in a burnout high risk profession
Authors: Buzzai Caterina , Pace Ugo , Aparici Aznar Melina , Passanisi Alessia 
Published: September 2024

PurposeThe present study was intended to investigate the relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy, sentiments and concerns toward disability and burnout in pre-service special education teachers.Design/methodology/approachThree hundred seventy-two special education teachers participated in the study. Participants were administered the following self-reports: Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices, Sentiments and Concerns Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to examine the study’s hypotheses.FindingsSEM analysis showed the role of teachers’ concerns as a mediator for teacher efficacy in inclusive practices for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Furthermore, the findings showed a significant association between teacher efficacy in inclusive practices, sentiments and concerns and each dimension of burnout. In addition, significant relations between teachers’ concerns, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were clear.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study suggest the importance of promoting special education teachers’ self-efficacy to change negative attitudes and prevent burnout.Originality/valueThis study extends the current literature on special education teachers and provides new information on the relationship between self-efficacy, attitudes and burnout.