bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gut microbiota variation across generations regarding the diet and life stage in Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Wang Yansong , Gao Ping , Qin Wenquan , Li Hongran , Zheng Jie , Meng Ling , Li Baoping 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe attempt to determine the effect of the dietary switch from a native to non‐native prey on the gut microbiota in the predaceous ladybird Harmonia axyridis larvae and adults and examine how the dietary effect may vary across generations. We fed H. axyridis with different diets, native aphid Megoura japonica (Matsumura) versus non‐native mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley), for 5 generations and sequenced microbes in the gut of the 3rd instar larvae and adults of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th generations. In addition, we identified microbes in M. japonica and P. solenopsis. The 2 prey species differed in microbial community as measured by abundances of prevalent microbial genera and diversity. In H. axyridis, abundances of some prevalent microbial genera differed between the 2 diets in the 1st and 3rd generations, but the difference disappeared in the 5th generation; this tendency is more obvious in adults than in larvae. Overall, gut microbial assemblages became gradually cohesive over generations. Microbial diversity differed between diets in the 1st and 3rd generations but became similar in the 5th generation. Major prevalent gut microbial genera are predicted to be associated with metabolic functions of H. axyridis and associated genera are more abundant for consuming the mealybug than the aphid. Our findings from this study suggest that the gut microbiota in H. axyridis is flexible in response to the dietary switch, but tends toward homogeneity in microbial composition over generations.
A pan‐genomic approach reveals novel Sulfurimonas clade in the ferruginous meromictic Lake Pavin
Authors: Biderre‐Petit Corinne , Courtine Damien , Hennequin Claire , Galand Pierre E. , Bertilsson Stefan , Debroas Didier , Monjot Arthur , Lepère Cécile , Divne Anna‐Maria , Hochart Corentin 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe permanently anoxic waters in meromictic lakes create suitable niches for the growth of bacteria using sulphur metabolisms like sulphur oxidation. In Lake Pavin, the anoxic water mass hosts an active cryptic sulphur cycle that interacts narrowly with iron cycling, however the metabolisms of the microorganisms involved are poorly known. Here we combined metagenomics, single‐cell genomics, and pan‐genomics to further expand our understanding of the bacteria and the corresponding metabolisms involved in sulphur oxidation in this ferruginous sulphide‐ and sulphate‐poor meromictic lake. We highlighted two new species within the genus Sulfurimonas that belong to a novel clade of chemotrophic sulphur oxidisers exclusive to freshwaters. We moreover conclude that this genus holds a key‐role not only in limiting sulphide accumulation in the upper part of the anoxic layer but also constraining carbon, phosphate and iron cycling.
Lessons from assembling UCEs: A comparison of common methods and the case of Clavinomia (Halictidae)
Authors: Bossert Silas , Pauly Alain , Danforth Bryan N. , Orr Michael C. , Murray Elizabeth A. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractSequence data assembly is a foundational step in high‐throughput sequencing, with untold consequences for downstream analyses. Despite this, few studies have interrogated the many methods for assembling phylogenomic UCE data for their comparative efficacy, or for how outputs may be impacted. We study this by comparing the most commonly used assembly methods for UCEs in the under‐studied bee lineage Nomiinae and a representative sampling of relatives. Data for 63 UCE‐only and 75 mixed taxa were assembled with five methods, including ABySS, HybPiper, SPAdes, Trinity and Velvet, and then benchmarked for their relative performance in terms of locus capture parameters and phylogenetic reconstruction. Unexpectedly, Trinity and Velvet trailed the other methods in terms of locus capture and DNA matrix density, whereas SPAdes performed favourably in most assessed metrics. In comparison with SPAdes, the guided‐assembly approach HybPiper generally recovered the highest quality loci but in lower numbers. Based on our results, we formally move Clavinomia to Dieunomiini and render Epinomia once more a subgenus of Dieunomia. We strongly advise that future studies more closely examine the influence of assembly approach on their results, or, minimally, use better‐performing assembly methods such as SPAdes or HybPiper. In this way, we can move forward with phylogenomic studies in a more standardized, comparable manner.
Prognostic factors and benefit populations of ovarian function suppression in premenopausal HR+/HER2+ early‐stage breast cancer patients who received trastuzumab: Evidence from a real‐world study with long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Ju Jie , Gao Song‐Lin , Wang Jia‐Yu , Sang Die , Kang Yi‐Kun , Wang Xue , Yue Jian , Shuai You , Qi Yi‐Xin , Yuan Peng 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundHormone receptor‐positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‐positive (HER2+) breast cancer exhibits considerable heterogeneity, and it is of great interest whether patients with premenopausal HR+/HER2+ breast cancer treated with trastuzumab can benefit from ovarian function suppression (OFS) therapy similarly to HR+/HER2‐ breast cancer. Here, we conducted a real‐world study in this population to identify both who would derive substantial benefits from the addition of OFS and clinicopathological factors with potential prognostic value.MethodsMulticenter data from 253 premenopausal patients with HR+/HER2+ early‐stage breast cancer who received trastuzumab from October 2009 to October 2018 were retrospectively included. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for survival analysis, while the log‐rank test was used to compare the survival rates. Univariate and multifactor Cox regression analyses were performed to analyze the independent risk factors affecting invasive disease‐free survival (IDFS).ResultsAfter a median follow‐up of 98.50 months, compared with tamoxifen/toremifene alone, tamoxifen/toremifene/aromatase inhibitors plus OFS demonstrated significant benefits in the overall study population (HR = 0.289, 95% CI: 0.100–0.835, p = 0.022, 8‐year IDFS rate: 90.78% vs. 95.54%), especially in the lymph node‐positive subgroup and age ≤40 years subgroup. Age ≤40 years, histological grade >2, lymph node involvement, PR ≤50%, and tamoxifen alone were independent prognostic factors.ConclusionsFor premenopausal HR+ breast cancer patients, HER2 positivity alone is an indication for the addition of OFS in adjuvant endocrine therapy. Age, histological grade, lymph node status, the expression of PR, and OFS treatment were independent prognostic factors in this population.
Marx, exploitation, and socioeconomic justice: Analytical and strategic possibilities
Authors: Lafferty George 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMarx's concept of exploitation, developed in Capital, retains the laissez‐faire premises of classical liberal political economy, whereby capitalist wage labor denotes a contract between formally free, legally equal, employers and workers. Marx, though, inserts the political‐economic conflict between capitalists and workers over surplus value, rendering the concept distinctively ‘Marxist’. Both liberal economists and ‘free marketeer’ politicians had long since distanced themselves, to varying degrees, from the classical laissez‐faire construction, during the debates and campaigns leading to the UK's series of Factory Acts (1802–1853). A dialogue of socioeconomic justice had emerged, driven primarily by public outrage over employment conditions in the textiles industry. In engaging with this dialogue, Marx's critique of capitalist wage labor extends beyond the parameters of his own, political‐economic concept of exploitation, intersecting with other, moral‐economic critiques of capitalist wage labor. This paper examines these points of intersection, going on to evaluate the possibilities of analytical and strategic pluralism. It concludes by assessing the contemporary relevance of Marx's concept of exploitation: to what extent and in what ways might it retain analytical and strategic relevance, with respect to the achievement of socioeconomic justice?
Gig workers in precarious life: The trajectory of exploitation, insecurity, and resistance
Authors: Pankaj Ajeet Kumar , Jha Manish K. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe growing informal nature of employment in the gig economy does not only merely provide employment for many but also causes exploitation, insecurity, and exclusion from social security because of its informal status. Workers in gig work often go through long working hours, low wages, fear of losing their job, and insecurity which result in their precarious life condition. They experience vulnerabilities related to their employment, residency status, and unfamiliarity with local frameworks—labor law, health, and safety hazards at work which certainly highlights precarious life situations. Besides precarity, gig workers from poor socio‐economic backgrounds often experience discrimination and exclusion because of their social positioning in society. Therefore, the article tries to unfold their experiences of exploitation and insecurity, struggles, and challenges. Further, the article also examines the contemporary agitation and resistance of gig workers against the exploitative policies of aggregators and state measures to address the problem of gig workers in India.
Methods of induction of labor in women with obesity: A secondary analysis of two multicenter randomized controlled trials
Authors: Croll Dorothée M. R. , De Vaan Marieke D. T. , Moes Shinta L. , Bloemenkamp Kitty W. M. , Ten Eikelder Mieke L. G. , De Heus Roel , Jozwiak Marta , Kooiman Judith , Mol Ben Willem , Verhoeven Corine J. M. , De Boer Marjon A. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIntroductionObesity is an increasing public health concern worldwide and can lead to more complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Women with obesity more often require induction of labor for various indications. The aim of this study is to assess which method of induction of labor is safest and most effective in women with obesity.Material and methodsThis is a secondary analysis of two randomized controlled trials about induction of labor. Women with a term singleton pregnancy in cephalic presentation, an unfavorable cervix, intact membranes and without a previous cesarean section were randomly allocated to cervical priming with a Foley catheter or vaginal prostaglandin‐E2‐gel (PROBAAT‐I) or a Foley catheter or oral misoprostol (PROBAAT‐II). The inclusion and exclusion criteria for the studies were identical. Induction methods were compared in women with obesity (body mass index ≥30.0). Main outcomes were cesarean section and postpartum hemorrhage (blood loss >1000 mL).ResultsA total of 2664 women, were included in the trials, 517 of whom were obese: 254 women with obesity received a Foley catheter, 176 oral misoprostol and 87 prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). A cesarean section was performed in 29.1% of women allocated to Foley vs 22.2% in the misoprostol and 23.0% in the PGE2 groups. Comparisons between groups revealed no statistically significant differences: the relative risk [RR] was 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94–1.84) in the Foley vs misoprostol group and 1.27 (95% CI 0.83–1.95) in the Foley vs PGE2 group. The rates of postpartum hemorrhage were comparable (10.6%, 11.4% and 6.9%, respectively; P = 0.512). In women with obesity, more often a switch to another method occurred in the Foley group, (20.1% vs 6.3% in misoprostol vs 1.1% in the PGE2 group; P < 0.001). The risk of a failed Foley placement was higher in women with obesity than in women without obesity (8.3% vs 3.2%; adjusted odds ratio 3.12, 95% CI 1.65–5.90).ConclusionsIn women with obesity we found a nonsignificant trend towards an increased rate of cesarean sections in the group induced with a Foley catheter compared to oral misoprostol; however, the study lacked power for this subgroup analysis. The finding of a higher risk of failed placement of a Foley catheter in women with obesity can be used in shared decision making.
Repeat left ventricular‐assisted device exchange and upgrade from second‐ to third‐generation devices in a high‐volume single center
Authors: Kassi Mahwash , Avenatti Eleonora , Hoang Khanh‐Doan , Zook Salma , Yousafzai Rayan , Guha Ashrith , Bhimaraj Arvind , Chou Lin‐Chiang Philip , Suarez Erik E. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundPump exchange is an established strategy to treat LVAD‐related complications such as thrombosis, infection, and driveline failure. Pump upgrades with an exchange to newer generation devices are being performed to the advantage of the patient on long‐term support. The safety and efficacy of a repeat LVAD exchange with a concomitant upgrade to a third‐generation pump have not been reported.MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients who underwent a repeat LVAD device exchange and upgrade to HeartMate III (HMIII) at Houston Methodist Hospital between December 2018 and December 2020.ResultsFive patients underwent exchange and upgrade to HMIII within the specified timeframe. Four patients had already had two prior exchanges (all HMII to HMII), and one patient had one prior exchange (HVAD to HVAD). In all cases, implantation was performed as destination therapy. The surgical exchange was performed via redo median sternotomy on full cardiopulmonary bypass. No unplanned redo surgery of the device component was required. In‐hospital mortality was 20% in this very high‐risk population. At 1‐, 3‐, and 6‐month follow‐up, all discharged patients were on HMIII support, with no major LVAD‐related adverse events reported.ConclusionWe report the feasibility and safety of a repeat pump exchange with an upgrade to HMIII in a high‐volume center. The decision for medical therapy versus surgical exchange has to be tailored to individual cases based on risk factors and clinical stability but in expert hands, even a re‐redo surgical approach grants options for good medium‐term outcomes.
Evaluation of the management of intestinal perforation in very low birth infants, a 10‐year review
Authors: Raba Ali Ahmed , Coleman John , Cunningham Katie 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to assess outcomes of peritoneal drainage and laparotomy in the management of intestinal perforation secondary to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation.MethodsA retrospective review of all preterm infants (birthweight ≤1500 g) who underwent surgical intervention (peritoneal drainage and/or laparotomy) for intestinal perforation between March 2010 and March 2020.ResultsA total of 43 infants who underwent surgical intervention for intestinal perforation were included [19 (44%) with NEC and 24 (56%) with spontaneous intestinal perforation]. Peritoneal drainage was more commonly placed as the initial surgical procedure for management of spontaneous intestinal perforation compared with surgical NEC [23 (96%) vs. 11 (58%), p = 0.003]. Mortality was greater for infants who were initially managed with peritoneal drainage [11 (32%)] compared with those who underwent primary laparotomy [2 (22%), p = 0.5].ConclusionInitial surgical management of intestinal perforation is more often according to underlying pathology. Our data support primary laparotomy for infants with perforated NEC.
Outbreak of group B Streptococcus in a neonatal care unit confirmed by whole‐genome sequencing
Authors: Delettre Nicolas , Billion Elodie , Guyonnet Cécile , Jarreau Pierre‐Henri , Patkaï Juliana , Tazi Asmaa 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAimClusters of group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) are poorly documented. We aimed to assess GBS cross‐transmission during an outbreak of GBS sepsis.MethodsThe study was carried out between October and November 2021 in a French University Hospital. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients with GBS sepsis were included. Clinical data were retrieved from electronic patient records. Group B Streptococcus isolates were characterized at the molecular level using capsular genotyping and whole‐genome sequencing (WGS).ResultsThe outbreak of GBS sepsis affected three very preterm neonates with a gestational age of less than 26 weeks, including one recurrent male index case aged 26 days, and two female secondary cases aged 5 and 17 days. The microbiological investigation identified a GBS isolate of capsular type III and Sequence Type 17 as responsible for the four infectious episodes. Whole‐genome sequencing confirmed the identity between the isolates. The outbreak and the results of the microbiological investigations led to an immediate reinforcement of hygiene measures.ConclusionClustered cases of GBS infections in NICU and horizontal transmission of the hypervirulent GBS Sequence Type 17 are likely underestimated. Prospective investigation of all nosocomial cases using WGS should contribute to improving vigilance regarding GBS cross‐transmission and infection prevention.
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: Steatosis severity and subclinical atherosclerosis in metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease
Authors: Jamalinia Mohamad , Zare Fatemeh , Noorizadeh Kiarash , Bagheri Lankarani Kamran 
Published: January 2024

SummaryBackgroundMetabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prevalent liver condition recognised as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, there is ongoing debate regarding the effective strategy for cardiovascular risk assessment in MASLD.AimTo investigate the relationship between liver imaging, specifically focusing on the severity of steatosis and subclinical atherosclerosis.MethodsWe conducted a thorough search across four databases, from 1950 to April 2023, to identify eligible studies employing imaging to explore the relationship between different degrees of steatosis and subclinical atherosclerosis among MASLD. Additionally, we conducted a quality assessment using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale, performed a meta‐analysis employing the DerSimonian‐Liard random‐effects model, and conducted subgroup analyses for validation.ResultsIn total, 19 studies, encompassing 147,411 middle‐aged individuals without previous CVD (74.94% male; mean age 45.53 years [SD 10.69]; mean BMI 24.3 kg/m2 [SD 3.35]), were included. The pooled odds ratio for subclinical atherosclerosis was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.13–1.41, I2 = 76.68%) in mild steatosis and significantly increased to 1.68 (95% CI: 1.41–2.00, I2 = 89.02%) in moderate to severe steatosis. Sensitivity analysis, focusing on high‐quality studies, consistently supported this finding and the results remained robust across subgroup analyses. Furthermore, meta‐regression revealed that a higher mean AST and ALT, alongside a lower mean HDL, were significant moderators of this association.ConclusionsEven mild steatosis is associated with CVD risk, and steatosis severity further intensifies this association. These findings suggest that liver fat quantification enhances CVD risk stratification in patients with MASLD.
Ectogenesis and the value of gestational ties
Authors: Kennedy Susan 
Published: January 2024

AbstractEctogenesis technology would make it possible to support the complete gestational development of a human being outside the female body. Proponents argue that this technology offers a welcome opportunity to expand reproductive options for those unable or unwilling to gestate. However, by completely bypassing pregnancy, the use of ectogenesis prevents the formation of gestational family ties. Consequently, it has faced criticism for perpetuating a patriarchal view of the family that undermines the moral significance of gestation. The concern is that the introduction of this technology might result in the loss of reproductive autonomy for those who desire to experience pregnancy, as they face pressures to opt for ectogenesis instead. Existing accounts of family values define parents' rights to rear a child, but they fail to establish a right to gestate that can protect an individual's interest in bearing a child. To provide a more comprehensive account of family values, I argue that pregnancy involves a unique quality of intimacy and can make distinct contributions to one's flourishing. Based on this premise, I defend a fundamental moral right to gestate that can help safeguard the option of pregnancy for those who desire it. In conclusion, I consider how a prospective gestator need not provide optimal conditions for fetal development in the way that ectogenesis promises in order for their choice of pregnancy to be justified.
Employee financial participation and corporate social and environmental performance: Evidence from European panel data
Authors: Braam Geert , Poutsma Erik , Schouteten Roel , Heijden Beatrice van der 
Published: January 2024

AbstractCompensation and benefit practices are mainly considered as instruments to align employee behaviour to an organization's strategic goals, such as economic outcomes. Going beyond this economic focus, this study examines whether and how employee financial participation, may drive corporate sustainability performance (CSP; i.e. social and environmental performance). We investigate the relationship between employee share ownership, stock option and profit‐sharing plans, on the one hand, and CSP, on the other hand. In addition, we investigate the relationship between narrow‐based employee share ownership plans (only eligible for top management) and broad‐based employee share ownership plans (all employees eligible), on the one side, and CSP, on the other side. Using a unique European panel dataset, the results indicate that companies with (broad‐based) employee share ownership plans portray higher CSP, while companies with profit‐sharing plans exhibit lower CSP when there is no share ownership plan present. Also, the positive effect of broad‐based employee share ownership plans on CSP is magnified when the employees own a larger stake in the company. The results indicate that employee share ownership increases stakeholder orientation, strengthening the mutual interests of the organization and employees to long‐term investments in terms of CSP, at the same time broadening their orientation to long‐term external stakeholders’ interests.