bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The phototrophic purple non‐sulfur bacteria Rhodomicrobium spp. are novel chassis for bioplastic production
Authors: Conners Eric M. , Rengasamy Karthikeyan , Ranaivoarisoa Tahina , Bose Arpita 
Published: August 2024

AbstractPetroleum‐based plastics levy significant environmental and economic costs that can be alleviated with sustainably sourced, biodegradable, and bio‐based polymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). However, industrial‐scale production of PHAs faces barriers stemming from insufficient product yields and high costs. To address these challenges, we must look beyond the current suite of microbes for PHA production and investigate non‐model organisms with versatile metabolisms. In that vein, we assessed PHA production by the photosynthetic purple non‐sulfur bacteria (PNSB) Rhodomicrobium vannielii and Rhodomicrobium udaipurense. We show that both species accumulate PHA across photo‐heterotrophic, photo‐hydrogenotrophic, photo‐ferrotrophic, and photo‐electrotrophic growth conditions, with either ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) or dinitrogen gas (N2) as nitrogen sources. Our data indicate that nitrogen source plays a significant role in dictating PHA synthesis, with N2 fixation promoting PHA production during photoheterotrophy and photoelectrotrophy but inhibiting production during photohydrogenotrophy and photoferrotrophy. We observed the highest PHA titres (up to 44.08 mg/L, or 43.61% cell dry weight) when cells were grown photoheterotrophically on sodium butyrate with N2, while production was at its lowest during photoelectrotrophy (as low as 0.04 mg/L, or 0.16% cell dry weight). We also find that photohydrogenotrophically grown cells supplemented with NH4Cl exhibit the highest electron yields – up to 58.89% – while photoheterotrophy demonstrated the lowest (0.27%–1.39%). Finally, we highlight superior electron conversion and PHA production compared to a related PNSB, Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE‐1. This study illustrates the value of studying non‐model organisms like Rhodomicrobium for sustainable PHA production and indicates future directions for exploring PNSB metabolisms.
Guidelines to support the design, and selection and appraisal of multimedia teaching aids for microbiology education
Authors: Van Beek R. , Spijkerman D. J. C. , van der Burgt N. , Hermanns B. , Barendse S. , Sainsbury P. D. , Timmis K. N. , Timmis J. K. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractMicrobiology education has a serious handicap – the lack of visibility of the players of the subject and their interactions – which engenders a disproportionate reliance upon multimedia teaching aids (MTAs). The International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (IMiLI) is creating educational resources in societally‐relevant microbiology complemented by appropriate MTAs. However, proper guidance supporting microbiology educators in locating and selecting, or commissioning the creation of, adequate MTAs for different target audiences and learning objectives is lacking. The aims of this study were to (i) identify important considerations regarding educational/didactical standards and the design of educational multimedia and (ii) create an evidence‐based guideline for selecting and appraising existing, and informing the creation of new, microbiology MTAs. This investigation is based on an exploratory, mixed‐methods approach. The results of two literature reviews (covering educational and good practice multimedia design) informed the collation of a preliminary appraisal guideline for videos, animations, comics, and video games. A web‐scraping approach was utilised to locate and retrieve existing exemplars of the four multimedia types and create four pertinent multimedia databases (including metadata). The preliminary guideline was piloted (and revised accordingly) by appraising quasi‐random (or purposive) samples of each multimedia type. Educational multimedia experts were interviewed to discuss the findings. Finally, the guideline was updated to reflect the expert comments together with the results of the pilot appraisals. The final guideline has four components: (i) central considerations for selecting and appraising multimedia for specific audiences and educational purposes, (ii) multimedia selection tool, (iii) multimedia appraisal tools, and (iv) extensive background information as appendices linking all sections for further comprehension. Broad utilisation of the guideline has significant potential for simplifying and systematising multimedia selection/creation, leading to superior multimedia‐based learning outcomes, establishing a rapid selection database (pre‐appraised multimedia), reducing disparities in microbiology education and incentivising educational content creators.
Stability of environmental DNA methylation and its utility in tracing spawning in fish
Authors: Hirayama Itsuki T. , Wu Luhan , Minamoto Toshifumi 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe use of environmental DNA (eDNA) is becoming prevalent as a novel method of ecological monitoring. Although eDNA can provide critical information on the distribution and biomass of particular taxa, the DNA sequences of an organism remain unaltered throughout its existence, which complicates the accurate identification of crucial events, including spawning. Therefore, we examined DNA methylation as a novel source of information from eDNA, considering that the methylation patterns in eggs and sperm released during spawning differ from those of somatic tissues. Despite its potential applications, little is known about eDNA methylation, including its stability and methods for detection and quantification. Therefore, we conducted tank experiments and performed methylation analysis targeting 18S rDNA through bisulphite amplicon sequencing. In the target region, eDNA methylation was not affected by degradation and was equivalent to the methylation rate of genomic DNA from somatic tissues. Unmethylated DNA, abundant in the ovaries, was detected in the eDNA released during fish spawning. These results indicate that eDNA methylation is a stable signal reflecting targeted gene methylation and further demonstrate that germ cell‐specific methylation patterns can be used as markers for detecting fish spawning.
Infantile colic is associated with development of later constipation and atopic disorders
Authors: Stokholm Jakob , Thorsen Jonathan , Schoos Ann‐Marie Malby , Rasmussen Morten Arendt , Brandt Sarah , Sørensen Søren Johannes , Vahman Nilo , Chawes Bo , Bønnelykke Klaus 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundInfantile colic is a common condition with limited knowledge about later clinical manifestations. We evaluated the role of the early life gut microbiome in infantile colic and later development of atopic and gastrointestinal disorders.MethodsCopenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood2010 cohort was followed with 6 years of extensive clinical phenotyping. The 1‐month gut microbiome was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Infantile colic was evaluated at age 3 months by interviews. Clinical endpoints included constipation to age 3 years and prospectively diagnosed asthma and atopic dermatitis in the first 6 years of life, and allergic sensitization from skin prick tests, specific Immunoglobulin E, and component analyses.ResultsOf 695 children, 55 children (7.9%) had infantile colic. Several factors were associated with colic including race, breastfeeding, and pets. The 1‐month gut microbiome composition and taxa abundances were not associated with colic, however a sparse Partial Least Squares model including combined abundances of nine species was moderately predictive of colic: median, cross‐validated AUC = 0.627, p = .003. Children with infantile colic had an increased risk of developing constipation (aOR, 2.88 [1.51–5.35], p = .001) later in life, but also asthma (aHR, 1.69 [1.02–2.79], p = .040), atopic dermatitis (aHR, 1.84 [1.20–2.81], p = .005) and had a higher number of positive allergic components (adjusted difference, 116% [14%–280%], p = .012) in the first 6 years. These associations were not mediated by gut microbiome differences.ConclusionsWe link infantile colic with risk of developing constipation and atopic disorders in the first 6 years of life, which was not mediated through an altered gut microbiome at age 1‐month. These results suggest infantile colic to involve gastrointestinal and/or atopic mechanisms.
Phacoemulsification practices: A comprehensive analysis of the surgical landscape in Sweden 2021–2022
Authors: Ursberg Johan , Zetterberg Madeleine , Viberg Andreas 
Published: August 2024

AbstractPurposeThis cross‐sectional survey study aimed to explore the phacoemulsification techniques among Swedish cataract surgeons, and investigate the association between technique preferences and surgical outcomes, particularly posterior capsular rupture (PCR).MethodsA survey questionnaire was responded by 170 cataract surgeons and data from 192 494 cases, linked to the surgeons, were analysed from the Swedish National Cataract Registry (SNCR) for 2021–2022. Surgeons' demographic characteristics, surgical techniques and complications were assessed. Associations between surgical technique preferences and outcomes were analysed with binary logistic regression.ResultsThe chopping technique (stop and chop or direct chop) was favoured by 64.6% of surgeons, followed by divide and conquer (32.4%), and tilt and tumble (7.6%). Surgeons' annual caseloads varied widely (range 11–2687). No significant correlation was found between technique preference and PCR rates, which was consistently 0.5%–0.6% in all groups, except for a trend suggesting reduced risk with tilt and tumble. Mentoring activity (35.0%) and public surgical setting (40.3%) was highest in the direct chop group. Notably, 75% of the surgeries were performed by surgeons with more than 10 years' experience. Confounding factors, such as high‐volume surgeons having a low frequency of complications, have been accounted for in a logistic regression.ConclusionThis study provides insights into cataract surgery practices in Sweden and suggests that surgeons can choose their preferred approach without significantly affecting complication rates. This research also underscores the need for continued exploration of surgical practices and their impact on patient outcomes, particularly in the case of the tilt and tumble technique, which is less commonly employed.
Blood pressure increase preceded spontaneous and paracetamol‐induced, early ductal closure in very preterm infants
Authors: Ukkonen Tiina , Härkin Pia , Härmä Antti , Leskinen Markku , Valkama Marita , Saarela Timo , Hallman Mikko , Aikio Outi 
Published: August 2024

AbstractAimTo investigate the blood pressure (BP) and ductal calibre patterns associated with early ductal closure in very low gestational age (<32 weeks) infants.MethodsBlood pressure was continuously measured intra‐arterially among 43 infants participating in a randomised, double‐blind trial of 4 days prophylactic intravenous paracetamol. Early closure of the ductus was verified by daily ultrasound examinations. The BP recordings, before and after the verified ductal closure, were examined and compared to control infants without ductal closure. In the 24‐h preceding the ultrasound‐verified ductal closure, periods of increased BP were searched and identified as suggestive ductal closure time points. In control infants without ductal closure, BP trends were examined during the corresponding age.ResultsMean arterial BP increased significantly before ductal closure (p < 0.001) and stayed higher than in the control group. Mean BP during the 8 h preceding closure significantly predicted the ductal closure [OR 2.094 (95% CI 1.209–3.630), p = 0.008], and multiple potential confounders failed to abolish this association. A linear decrease pattern in ductal calibre was significantly associated with the ductal closure.ConclusionBlood pressure increased and stabilised before the early ductal closure, offering potential implications on treatment strategies of very premature infants.
Chapter 1. The state of the field: Emerging approaches to the archaeology of agricultural landscapes
Authors: Casana Jesse , McLeester Madeleine 
Published: August 2024

AbstractAlmost 30 years ago, Naomi Miller and Katheryn Gleason edited the influential volume, The Archaeology of Garden and Field, a guide to the identification and interpretation of evidence for past agricultural practice inscribed within the landscape. Here we introduce a new collection of papers that advance both theoretical discourses and methodological approaches to the study of ancient field systems. Contemporary archaeological debates bring new urgency to explorations of relict agricultural features, as they offer powerful perspectives on the entanglements of humans with their environment in the Anthropocene, while also serving to decolonize the past through engagement with Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge. Although many ancient fields are at dire risk of destruction or have already been lost to modern land‐use changes, an emerging suite of new technologies and innovative methods are now enabling archaeologists to find and interpret past agricultural systems as never before. Herein, we argue for the critical importance of archaeological investigations that prioritize discovery and interpretation of relict fields and their constitution within larger landscapes, both as a means to better understand people in the past as well as our role as a species in shaping global ecosystems.
Chapter 10. Intensification does not require modification: Tropical Swidden and the Maya
Authors: Ford Anabel 
Published: August 2024

AbstractWhat is involved in finding fields? Agricultural intensification and its archaeological correlates are not always obvious. Archaeologists frequently equate capital‐based investment and arable farming as the sole path to intensified production. The presence of terraces to slow water flows across land, canals to bring water to drier lands, and raised and drained fields to reduce water, are methods to bring marginal lands into productive use. Labor‐based economies, especially those of the Americas before European conquest, present an entirely distinct pathway toward intensification based on tending the landscape. Tropical societies in general, and the Maya in particular, demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the natural world, cultivating biological capital as a product of their culture with skill, hand tools, scheduling, and fire. Asynchronous and embedded fields transform into forests in a poly‐cultivation practice, emphasizing the diversity that prevails in tropical woodlands. As with most traditional land‐use systems around the world, the Maya milpa cycle reduces temperature and evapotranspiration, conserves water, maintains biodiversity, builds soil fertility, inhibits erosion, and nurtures people. Labor investments per se do not leave direct evidence on the landscape, apart from the implicit density of settlement, yet the imprint of their management lies in the forest landscape itself.
Chimerism and mosaicism shape our physical constitution and impact medical conditions
Authors: Flegel Willy Albert 
Published: August 2024

ABO blood group discrepancies in healthy individuals were caused by body‐wide chimerism and mosaicism. They can be evaluated with new diagnostic options for disease‐related cell clones that are typically associated with mosaicism. The observations raise the attention for sporadic mixed‐field observations of any blood group antigen.Commentary on: Dauber et al. Body‐wide chimerism and mosaicism are predominant causes of naturally occurring ABO discrepancies. Br J Haematol 2024 (Online ahead of print). doi:10.1111/bjh.19618.
PembroWM: A phase II trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of rituximab and pembrolizumab in relapsed/refractory Waldenström's Macroglobulinaemia
Authors: Kothari Jaimal , Eyre Toby , Rismani Ali , Ediriwickrema Kushani , Edwards Darren , Galani Sevasti , Wilson William , Lawrie Anthony , Clifton‐Hadley Laura , McCarthy Helen , Collins Angela , Lewis David , Arulogan Suzanne , Auer Rebecca , Pratt Guy , de Tute Ruth , Owen Roger , D'Sa Shirley 
Published: August 2024

SummaryThe optimal therapeutic approach for relapsed/refractory (R/R) Waldenström's Macroglobulinaemia (WM) has not been clearly defined, especially after treatment with chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) and covalent Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (cBTKi). The PembroWM trial is a multi‐centre, phase II, single‐arm study assessing the safety, tolerability and efficacy of rituximab with pembrolizumab in R/R WM patients who had received at least one prior line of treatment, with all having relapsed post‐CIT and most also exposed to cBTKi. A total of 17 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 70, and median of three prior lines of therapy with 15 either refractory or intolerant of a cBTKi. A significant proportion was identified as genomically high risk with BTKC481, CXCR4 and MYD88 L265P wild‐type aberrations. Twenty‐four‐week overall response rate was 50% (60% CI 39.3%–60.7%), and median duration of response was 11.6 months (IQR: 6.3–17). The median progression‐free survival was 13.6 months (95% CI 3–19.8), and the median overall survival (OS) was not reached. Treatment was well tolerated, with minimal numbers of immune‐mediated AEs typically seen with checkpoint inhibitors. PembroWM is the first study to evaluate the feasibility of PD‐1 axis modulation in WM and has shown that in combination with Rituximab the combination is safe and deliverable.
Observational learning and firm dynamics
Authors: Mahone Zachary , Rebessi Filippo 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThis article investigates the implications of observational learning for firm dynamics. Because consumers learn through past purchase decisions, monopolistic firms can induce information cascades through prices. We characterize when cascades arise and argue that the fragile nature of cascades is reflected in firm‐level data. We measure fragility using reversals: periods when a firm with historically stable revenues experiences a large, sudden change in earnings. We document a robust pattern that the frequency of reversals among stable firms declines with age, and show a calibration exercise delivers an untargeted age profile in line with the data. Finally, efficiency is discussed.
Caries lesions progression in adults: A prospective 2‐year cohort study
Authors: Abdalla Hoda , Allison Paul J. , Madathil Sreenath A. , Veronneau Jacques E. , Pustavoitava Natallia , Tikhonova Svetlana 
Published: August 2024

AbstractObjectiveDental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic non‐communicable diseases worldwide. There is a lack of evidence, especially in adult populations, documenting caries disease progression considering lesion severity, activity and tooth surface‐level characteristics. The study aimed to investigate the extent to which primary active caries lesions in adults affect caries lesions progression compared with inactive caries lesions over a 2‐year follow‐up period, considering their severity, surface and tooth type.MethodsA prospective study data set from a cohort of workers in a factory in Belarus were used. Participants aged 18–64 years with 20 or more natural teeth were included in the study. The participants were clinically examined twice within an interval of 2 years and completed a self‐reported questionnaire. One calibrated examiner evaluated caries lesions using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) and the Nyvad system. The primary outcome was caries lesions' progression. The lesion was classified as ‘progressed’ if it turned to a more advanced severity stage, was restored or missing/extracted due to caries. A multilevel Poisson regression was used to estimate the association between baseline caries lesions' characteristics and caries lesion progression.ResultsOut of 495 participants, 322 people completed clinical examinations at baseline and 2 years later, with an attrition rate of 35%. The prevalence of active DS1‐6 and DS5‐6 lesions at the baseline was 83.8% and 64.8%, respectively. In 2 years, 24% of active non‐cavitated and 31% of active micro‐cavitated/shadowed caries lesions progressed, while 15% of inactive caries lesions, non‐ or micro‐cavitated/shadowed, progressed. The adjusted rate ratio (RR) for ICDAS3 + 4 caries lesions progression was 1.41 (CI 95% 1.16, 1.70) than ICDAS1 + 2 lesions. The RR for ICDAS1 + 2, active and ICDAS3 + 4, active lesions was 1.78 (CI 95%, 1.40, 2.27) and 1.97 (CI 95%, 1.53, 2.55), respectively than ICDAS1 + 2, inactive lesions. The RR for caries lesions progression on proximal surfaces and on pits and fissures was 1.57 (CI 95%, 1.30, 1.89) and 1.37 (CI 95%, 1.11, 1.67), respectively than smooth surface lesions.ConclusionIn caries active adults over 2 years, most non‐ and micro‐cavitated/shadowed active and inactive caries lesions did not progress. Among caries lesions that showed progression, more severe lesions were more likely to progress than less severe lesions; active lesions were more likely to progress than inactive lesions. Pit and fissure caries lesions and proximal lesions were more likely to progress than smooth surface lesions.
‘I Don't Know What I'd Do if My Kid Was Being Violent to Me, but These Parents Just Keep Pushing Through’: A Narrative Inquiry of Practitioner Responses to Child to Parent Violence
Authors: Toole‐Anstey Chye , Townsend Michelle , Keevers Lynne 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTChild to parent violence (CPV) is a serious concern. However, there is a paucity of research exploring practices for supporting families experiencing this violence. Many responses for CPV sit within a criminal justice setting and are underpinned by skill development and psychological approaches. This study is aimed at examining ‘What responses from services, including the conditions that enable responses, are identified as supportive for families experiencing CPV in services?’ Utilising a narrative inquiry methodology, this study analyses interviews with mothers who experience CPV (n = 11) and practitioners who work with CPV (n = 19). Three overarching themes for responding to CPV were found: (1) relatings underpin responses, (2) response‐ability and CPV and (3) strategies for addressing CPV. Foundational to all responses is the need for connections between parent and child, worker and family, and worker and worker, with a range of practices to foster connection identified in this study. Practitioners frame the response‐ability of the violence varyingly, which makes addressing the violence both possible and impossible. Responses for addressing CPV by practitioners predominantly include psychological based, behaviour based, skills/education based, relationship based and referrals to other services. Recommendations for practice with families experiencing CPV are explored, as are future research and education.