bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive overview of the Chloroflexota community in wastewater treatment plants worldwide
Authors: Petriglieri Francesca , Kondrotaite Zivile , Singleton Caitlin , Nierychlo Marta , Dueholm Morten K. D. , Nielsen Per H. 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

Filamentous Chloroflexota are abundant in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) worldwide and are occasionally associated with poor solid-liquid separation or foaming, but most of the abundant lineages remain undescribed. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of Chloroflexota abundant in WWTPs worldwide, using high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and 16S rRNA amplicon data from 740 Danish and global WWTPs. Many novel taxa were described, encompassing 4 families, 13 genera, and 29 novel species. These were widely distributed across most continents, influenced by factors such as climate zone and WWTP process design. Visualization by fluorescence
in situ
hybridization (FISH) confirmed their high abundances in many WWTPs based on the amplicon data and showed a filamentous morphology for nearly all species. Most formed thin and short trichomes integrated into the floc structure, unlikely to form the typical inter-floc bridging that hinders activated sludge floc settling. Metabolic reconstruction of 53 high-quality MAGs, representing most of the novel genera, offered further insights into their versatile metabolisms and suggested a primary role in carbon removal and involvement in nitrogen cycling. The presence of glycogen reserves, detected by FISH-Raman microspectroscopy, seemed widespread across the phylum, demonstrating that these bacteria likely utilize glycogen as energy storage to survive periods with limited resources. This study gives a broad overview of the Chloroflexota community in global activated sludge WWTPs and improves our understanding of their roles in these engineered ecosystems.

IMPORTANCE
Chloroflexota are often abundant members of the biomass in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) worldwide, typically with a filamentous morphology, forming the backbones of the activated sludge floc. However, their overgrowth can often cause operational issues connected to poor settling or foaming, impairing effluent quality and increasing operational costs. Despite their importance, few Chloroflexota genera have been characterized so far. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of Chloroflexota abundant in WWTPs worldwide and an in-depth characterization of their morphology, phylogeny, and ecophysiology, obtaining a broad understanding of their ecological role in activated sludge.
In vitro
optimization of crushed drug-sensitive antituberculosis medication when administered via a nasogastric tube
Authors: Phogole Cassius M. , de Jong Jocelyn , Lalla Usha , Decloedt Eric , Kellermann Tracy 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT
In low-resource settings, access to intravenous formulations of antituberculosis drugs is lacking or absent. Thus, critically ill patients with tuberculosis (TB) are often treated with readily available tablets which are crushed, mixed with water, and administered via a nasogastric tube (NGT). This has been associated with plasma concentrations below the recommended target, particularly of rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH), leading to clinical failure and development of drug resistance. We aimed to identify physiochemical factors contributing to lower plasma concentrations of antituberculosis drugs when administered in this manner using laboratory-based techniques, including the addition of ascorbic acid (AA) for optimum administration. Aqueous solubility of crushed medication using the inversion mixing method was evaluated against easily implementable mixing methods (sonication/vortexing) with or without AA. Stability of crushed medication in simulated-gastrointestinal fluids was evaluated with or without AA. Drug loss via NGT surface adsorption was quantitatively determined. RIF demonstrated poor aqueous solubility of 5.2%. Incorporation of AA improved the solubility to 29.7%, and with the addition of mixing techniques, solubility improved to 86.3%. Mixing methods with AA further improved the solubilities of both INH (80%) and pyrazinamide (PZA, 64%) to over 90%. AA also showed protective effects against unstable RIF in simulated-gastric fluid. Conventional flushing of NGT after drug administration with 10 mL of water resulted in drug losses of 1.5%, 0.13%, and 1.4% for RIF, INH, and PZA, respectively. An additional flushing step halved this amount. These interventions may improve the poor plasma concentrations of crushed antituberculosis drugs in critically ill patients.

IMPORTANCE
The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in intensive care units (ICUs) can be as high as 3% in high-burden settings, translating to more than 7,500 patients admitted to the ICU annually. In resource-limited settings, the lack or absence of intravenous formulations of drug-sensitive antituberculosis medications necessitates healthcare practitioners to crush, dissolve, and administer the drugs to critically ill patients via a nasogastric tube (NGT). This off-label practice has been linked to plasma concentrations below the recommended target concentrations, particularly of rifampicin and isoniazid, leading to clinical failure and the development of drug resistance. Optimizing the delivery of crushed drug-sensitive antituberculosis medication via the NGT to critically ill patients is of utmost importance.
Blood cell differential count discretisation modelling to predict survival in adults reporting to the emergency room: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Fumagalli Riccardo Mario , Chiarelli Marco , Cazzaniga Massimo , Bonato Claudio , D'Angelo Luciano , Cavalieri D'Oro Luca , Cerino Mario , Terragni Sabina , Lainu Elisa , Lorini Cristina , Scarazzati Claudio , Tazzari Sara Elisabetta , Porro Francesca , Aldé Simone , Burati Morena , Brambilla William , Nattino Stefano , Locatelli Matteo , Valsecchi Daria , Spreafico Paolo , Tantardini Valter , Schiavo Gianpaolo , Zago Mauro Pietro , Fumagalli Luca Andrea Mario 
Published: November 2023

ObjectivesTo assess the survival predictivity of baseline blood cell differential count (BCDC), discretised according to two different methods, in adults visiting an emergency room (ER) for illness or trauma over 1 year.DesignRetrospective cohort study of hospital records.SettingTertiary care public hospital in northern Italy.Participants11 052 patients aged >18 years, consecutively admitted to the ER in 1 year, and for whom BCDC collection was indicated by ER medical staff at first presentation.Primary outcomeSurvival was the referral outcome for explorative model development. Automated BCDC analysis at baseline assessed haemoglobin, mean cell volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet haematocrit (PCT), absolute red blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and platelets. Discretisation cut-offs were defined by benchmark and tailored methods. Benchmark cut-offs were stated based on laboratory reference values (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute). Tailored cut-offs for linear, sigmoid-shaped and U-shaped distributed variables were discretised by maximally selected rank statistics and by optimal-equal HR, respectively. Explanatory variables (age, gender, ER admission during SARS-CoV2 surges and in-hospital admission) were analysed using Cox multivariable regression. Receiver operating curves were drawn by summing the Cox-significant variables for each method.ResultsOf 11 052 patients (median age 67 years, IQR 51–81, 48% female), 59% (n=6489) were discharged and 41% (n=4563) were admitted to the hospital. After a 306-day median follow-up (IQR 208–417 days), 9455 (86%) patients were alive and 1597 (14%) deceased. Increased HRs were associated with age >73 years (HR=4.6, 95% CI=4.0 to 5.2), in-hospital admission (HR=2.2, 95% CI=1.9 to 2.4), ER admission during SARS-CoV2 surges (Wave I: HR=1.7, 95% CI=1.5 to 1.9; Wave II: HR=1.2, 95% CI=1.0 to 1.3). Gender, haemoglobin, MCV, RDW, PDW, neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophil counts were significant overall. Benchmark-BCDC model included basophils and platelet count (area under the ROC (AUROC) 0.74). Tailored-BCDC model included monocyte counts and PCT (AUROC 0.79).ConclusionsBaseline discretised BCDC provides meaningful insight regarding ER patients’ survival.
Feasibility interventional study investigating PAIN in neurorehabilitation through wearabLE SensorS (PAINLESS): a study protocol
Authors: Moscato Serena , Orlandi Silvia , Di Gregorio Francesco , Lullini Giada , Pozzi Stefania , Sabattini Loredana , Chiari Lorenzo , La Porta Fabio 
Published: November 2023

IntroductionMillions of people survive injuries to the central or peripheral nervous system for which neurorehabilitation is required. In addition to the physical and cognitive impairments, many neurorehabilitation patients experience pain, often not widely recognised and inadequately treated. This is particularly true for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, for whom pain is one of the most common symptoms. In clinical practice, pain assessment is usually conducted based on a subjective estimate. This approach can lead to inaccurate evaluations due to the influence of numerous factors, including emotional or cognitive aspects. To date, no objective and simple to use clinical methods allow objective quantification of pain and the diagnostic differentiation between the two main types of pain (nociceptive vs neuropathic). Wearable technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to bridge this gap by continuously monitoring patients’ health parameters and extracting meaningful information from them. Therefore, we propose to develop a new automatic AI-powered tool to assess pain and its characteristics during neurorehabilitation treatments using physiological signals collected by wearable sensors.Methods and analysisWe aim to recruit 15 participants suffering from MS undergoing physiotherapy treatment. During the study, participants will wear a wristband for three consecutive days and be monitored before and after their physiotherapy sessions. Measurement of traditionally used pain assessment questionnaires and scales (ie, painDETECT, Doleur Neuropathique 4 Questions, EuroQoL-5-dimension-3-level) and physiological signals (photoplethysmography, electrodermal activity, skin temperature, accelerometer data) will be collected. Relevant parameters from physiological signals will be identified, and AI algorithms will be used to develop automatic classification methods.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the local Ethical Committee (285-2022-SPER-AUSLBO). Participants are required to provide written informed consent. The results will be disseminated through contributions to international conferences and scientific journals, and they will also be included in a doctoral dissertation.Trial registration numberNCT05747040.
Feasibility of linking universal child and family healthcare and financial counselling: findings from the Australian Healthier Wealthier Families (HWF) mixed-methods study
Authors: Price Anna M H , White Natalie , Burley Jade , Zhu Anna , Contreras-Suarez Diana , Wang Si , Stone Melissa , Trotter Kellie , Mrad Mona , Caldwell Jane , Bishop Rebecca , Chota Sumayya , Bui Lien , Sanger Debbie , Roles Rob , Watts Amy , Samir Nora , Grace Rebekah , Raman Shanti , Kemp Lynn , Lingam Raghu , Eapen Valsamma , Woolfenden Susan , Goldfeld Sharon 
Published: November 2023

Objectives‘Healthier Wealthier Families’ (HWF) seeks to reduce financial hardship in the early years by embedding a referral pathway between Australia’s universal child and family health (CFH) services and financial counselling. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and short-term impacts of HWF, adapted from a successful Scottish initiative.MethodsSetting: CFH services in five sites across two states, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: Caregivers of children aged 0–5 years experiencing financial hardship (study-designed screen). Design: Mixed methods. With limited progress using a randomised trial (RCT) design in sites 1–3 (March 2020–November 2021), qualitative interviews with service providers identified implementation barriers including stigma, lack of knowledge of financial counselling, low financial literacy, research burden and pandemic disruption. This informed a simplified RCT protocol (site 4) and direct referral model (no randomisation, pre–post evaluation, site 5) (June 2021–May 2022). Intervention: financial counselling; comparator: usual care (sites 1–4). Feasibility measures: proportions of caregivers screened, enrolled, followed up and who accessed financial counselling. Impact measures: finances (quantitative) and other (qualitative) to 6 months post-enrolment.Results355/434 caregivers completed the screen (60%–100% across sites). In RCT sites (1–4), 79/365 (19%–41%) reported hardship but less than one-quarter enrolled. In site 5, n=66/69 (96%) caregivers reported hardship and 44/66 (67%) engaged with financial counselling; common issues were utility debts (73%), and obtaining entitlements (43%) or material aid/emergency relief (27%). Per family, financial counselling increased income from government entitlements by an average $A6504 annually plus $A784 from concessions, grants, brokerage and debt waivers. Caregivers described benefits (qualitative) including reduced stress, practical help, increased knowledge and empowerment.ConclusionsFinancial hardship screening via CFH was acceptable to caregivers, direct referral was feasible, but individual randomisation was infeasible. Larger-scale implementation will require careful, staged adaptations where CFH populations and the intervention are well matched and low burden evaluation.Trial registration numberACTRN12620000154909.
Outcomes of first emergency admissions for alcohol-related liver disease in England over a 10-year period: retrospective observational cohort study using linked electronic databases
Authors: Bodger Keith , Mair Thomas , Schofield Peità , Silberberg Benjamin , Hood Steve , Fleming Kate M 
Published: November 2023

ObjectivesTo examine time trends in patient characteristics, care processes and case fatality of first emergency admission for alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) in England.DesignNational population-based, retrospective observational cohort study.SettingClinical Practice Research Datalink population of England, 2008/2009 to 2017/2018. First emergency admissions were identified using the Liverpool ARLD algorithm. We applied survival analyses and binary logistic regression to study prognostic trends.Outcome measuresPatient characteristics; ‘recent’ General Practitioner (GP) consultations and hospital admissions (preceding year); higher level care; deaths in-hospital (including certified cause) and within 365 days. Covariates were age, sex, deprivation status, coding pattern, ARLD stage, non-liver comorbidity, coding for ascites and varices.Results17 575 first admissions (mean age: 53 years; 33% women; 32% from most deprived quintile). Almost half had codes suggesting advanced liver disease. In year before admission, only 47% of GP consulters had alcohol-related problems recorded; alcohol-specific diagnostic codes were absent in 24% of recent admission records. Overall, case fatality rate was 15% in-hospital and 34% at 1 year. Case-mix-adjusted odds of in-hospital death reduced by 6% per year (adjusted OR (aOR): 0.94; 95% CI: 0.93 to 0.96) and 4% per year at 365 days (aOR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.95 to 0.97). Exploratory analyses suggested the possibility of regional inequalities in outcome.ConclusionsDespite improving prognosis of first admissions, we found missed opportunities for earlier recognition and intervention in primary and secondary care. In 2017/2018, one in seven were still dying during index admission, rising to one-third within a year. Nationwide efforts are needed to promote earlier detection and intervention, and to minimise avoidable mortality after first emergency presentation. Regional variation requires further investigation.
Which curve is better? A comparative analysis of trauma scoring systems in a South Asian country
Authors: Merchant Asma Altaf Hussain , Shaukat Natasha , Ashraf Naela , Hassan Sheza , Jarrar Zeerak , Abbasi Ayesha , Ahmed Tanveer , Atiq Huba , Khan Uzma Rahim , Khan Nadeem Ullah , Mushtaq Saima , Rasul Shahid , Hyder Adnan A , Razzak Junaid , Haider Adil H. 
Published: November 2023

ObjectivesA diverse set of trauma scoring systems are used globally to predict outcomes and benchmark trauma systems. There is a significant potential benefit of using these scores in low and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, its standardized use based on type of injury is still limited. Our objective is to compare trauma scoring systems between neurotrauma and polytrauma patients to identify the better predictor of mortality in low-resource settings.MethodsData were extracted from a digital, multicenter trauma registry implemented in South Asia for a secondary analysis. Adult patients (≥18 years) presenting with a traumatic injury from December 2021 to December 2022 were included in this study. Injury Severity Score (ISS), Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Mechanism/GCS/Age/Pressure score and GCS/Age/Pressure score were calculated for each patient to predict in-hospital mortality. We used receiver operating characteristic curves to derive sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) for each score, including Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).ResultsThe mean age of 2007 patients included in this study was 41.2±17.8 years, with 49.1% patients presenting with neurotrauma. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 17.2%. GCS and RTS proved to be the best predictors of in-hospital mortality for neurotrauma (AUC: 0.885 and 0.874, respectively), while TRISS and ISS were better predictors for polytrauma patients (AUC: 0.729 and 0.722, respectively).ConclusionTrauma scoring systems show differing predictability for in-hospital mortality depending on the type of trauma. Therefore, it is vital to take into account the region of body injury for provision of quality trauma care. Furthermore, context-specific and injury-specific use of these scores in LMICs can enable strengthening of their trauma systems.Level of evidenceLevel III.
Probe nuclear structure using the anisotropic flow at the Large Hadron Collider
Authors: Lu Zhiyong , Zhao Mingrui , Li Xiaomei , Jia Jiangyong , Zhou You 
Published: November 2023

AbstractRecent studies have shown that the shape and radial profile of the colliding nuclei have strong influences on the initial condition of the heavy ion collisions and the subsequent development of the anisotropic flow. Using A Multi-Phase Transport model (AMPT) model, we investigated the impact of nuclear quadrupole deformation $$\beta _2$$

β
2

and nuclear diffuseness $$a_0$$

a
0

of $$^{129}$$

129

Xe on various of flow observables in Xe–Xe collisions at $$\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}=$$

s
NN

=

5.44 TeV. We found that $$\beta _2$$

β
2

has a strong influence on central collisions while $$a_0$$

a
0

mostly influences the mid-central collisions. The relative change of flow observables induced by a change in $$\beta _2$$

β
2

and $$a_0$$

a
0

are also found to be insensitive to the values of parameters controlling the strength of the interaction among final state particles. Our study demonstrates the potential for constraining the initial condition of heavy ion collisions using future system scans at the LHC.
The microscopic Ampère formulation for the electromagnetic force density in linear dielectrics
Authors: Anghinoni Bruno , Partanen Mikko , Astrath Nelson G. C. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWe present a detailed derivation of the electromagnetic force density and pressure in linear dielectric media according to the so-called microscopic Ampère formulation, which considers the classical dipolar sources in matter along with the hidden momentum contribution. It is seen that, among the other formulations existing in the literature, our proposal is the only one universally compatible with the experimental works reported to date. A new radiation pressure equation for non-magnetic dielectrics under oblique illumination from p-polarized beams is also derived.
State Machines for Large Scale Computer Software and Systems
Authors: Yodaiken Victor 
Published: November 2023

The behavior and architecture of large scale discrete state systems found in computer software and hardware can be specified and analyzed using a particular class of primitive recursive functions. This article begins with an illustration of the utility of the method via a number of small examples and then via longer specification and verification of the “Paxos” distributed consensus algorithm [26]. The “sequence maps” are then shown to provide an alternative representation of deterministic state machines and products of state machines.Distributed and composite systems, parallel and concurrent computation, and real-time behavior can all be specified naturally with these methods—which require neither extensions to the classical state machine model nor any axiomatic methods or other techniques from formal logic or other foundational methods. Compared to state diagrams or tables or the standard set-tuple-transition-maps, sequence maps are more concise and better suited to describing the behavior and compositional architecture of computer systems. Staying strictly within the boundaries of classical deterministic state machines anchors the methods to the algebraic structures of automata and makes the specifications faithful to engineering practice.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Geraldius galapagoensis (Nematoda: Chambersiellidae) associated with lichens in Argentina
Authors: Rusconi José Matías , García Renato , Salas Augusto , Balcazar Darío , Shimabukuro Marina Ibáñez , Achinelly María Fernanda 
Published: November 2023

Lichens are symbiotic organisms, usually composed of a fungal partner, the mycobiont, and one or more photosynthetic partners, the photobiont, which is most often either a green alga or a cyanobacterium, that harbor a diverse community of invertebrates such as rotifers, tardigrades, mites, springtails, crustaceans, and nematodes. In this work, we isolated the nematode Geraldius galapagoensis (Chambersiellidae) associated with the lichen Hyperphyscia syncolla (Physciaceae) in a region of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. This species was discovered in a tropical forest of Ecuador and is characterized mainly by a head offset by a constriction from the rest of the body, a esophagus with a cylindrical pharyngeal corpus without a median bulb, a narrow isthmus and an oval basal pharyngeal bulb with strong transverse/butterfly valve apparatus, a tail curved ventrally, ending in dorsally hooked end; the male with seven pairs of latero-ventral pre-anal papillae and three pairs of post-anal in the following positions: one pair latero-ventral and two pairs dorso-lateral and two slightly curved spicules with asymmetric manubrium with an anterior extension. The comparison of the morphometrics of our G. galapagoensis male with that of the original description shows that the body length is shorter, as are the distance of the excretory pore to the anterior end and the tail. On the other hand, the distance from the anterior end to the nerve ring and the esophagus length are greater. The head width, body diameter and spicule length are quite similar. We provide a morphological and morphometrical characterization of a G. galapagoensis second isolate and the first world report of molecular sequences belonging to this species.