Biomechanical and histological evaluation of aspirin in rotator cuff tear rat model.

Background: Aspirin is a representative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) and has been commonly used for the treatment of tendinopathy in clinical practice. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the biomechanical and histological healing effects of aspirin on the healing of the tendon-to-bone interface after rotator cuff tear repair. Methods: A total of 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups of 10 rats each. Group-C performed repaironly, and group-aspirin treated with aspirin after tendon repair. Group-aspirin rat were intraperitoneally injected with aspirin at 10 mg/kg every 24 h for 7 days. Eight weeks after surgery, the left shoulder of each rat was used for histological analysis and the right shoulder for biomechanical analysis. Results: In the biomechanical analysis, there was no significant difference in load-to-failure (group-C: 0.61 ± 0.32 N, group-aspirin: 0.74 ± 0.91 N; p = .697) and ultimate stress (group-C: 0.05 ± 0.01 MPa, group-aspirin: 0.29 ± 0.43 MPa; p = .095). For the elongation (group-C: 222.62 ± 57.98%, group-aspirin: 194.75 ± 75.16%; p = .028), group-aspirin confirmed a lower elongation level than group-C. In the histological evaluation, the Bonar score confirmed significant differences in collagen fiber density (group-C: 1.60 ± 0.52, group-aspirin: 2.60 ± 0.52, p = .001) and vascularity (group-C: 1.00 ± 0.47, group-aspirin: 2.20 ± 0.63, p = .001) between the groups. Conclusions: Aspirin injection after rotator cuff tear repair may enhance the healing effect during the early remodeling phase of tendon healing.

Highly Sensitized Kidney Transplant Outcomes After the 2014 Kidney Allocation System Change.

Introduction: Kidney Allocation System (KAS) was implemented by United Network for Organ Sharing in 2014 to reduce allocation disparities. Research Questions: Outcomes of highly sensitized patients (calculated panel reactive antibody (cPRA) ≥ 97%) before and after KAS were compared to low-risk recipients (cPRA <10%) in the post-KAS era were examined. The impact on racial disparities was determined. Design: This was a retrospective study of national registry data. Two cohorts of adult candidates waitlisted for deceased donor transplantation during 3-year periods before and after KAS were identified. Results: Highly sensitized patients (N = 1238 and 4687) received a deceased donor kidney transplant between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013 and between January 1, 2015 and December, 31, 2017. Racial disparity for highly sensitized patients improved, yet remained significant (P < 0.001), with Black patients comprising 40% and 41% of the highly sensitized candidates and 28% and 34% of the recipients pre- and post-KAS. While posttransplant death-censored graft failure for highly sensitized recipients was similar overall, post-KAS was associated with improved graft survival in the first year after transplant (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40-0.78). When compared to contemporaneous lowrisk recipients, both death-censored and all-cause graft failure were similar for highly sensitized recipients and was associated with increased risk for death-censored graft failure beyond the first year (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.11-1.73). Conclusion: The allocation system led to an increase in transplantation in highly sensitized candidates without compromising outcomes. Although KAS has led to more balanced transplant rates between highly sensitized Black and White patients, racial inequalities persist.

Value of interventional radiology and their contributions to modern medical systems.

Interventional radiology (IR) is a unique specialty that incorporates a diverse set of skills ranging from imaging, procedures, consultation, and patient management. Understanding how IR generates value to the healthcare system is important to review from various perspectives. IR specialists need to understand how to meet demands from various stakeholders to expand their practice improving patient care. Thus, this review discusses the domains of value contributed to medical systems and outlines the parameters of success. IR benefits five distinct parties: patients, practitioners, payers, employers, and innovators. Value to patients and providers is delivered through a wide set of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Payers and hospital systems financially benefit from the reduced cost in medical management secondary to fast patient recovery, outpatient procedures, fewer complications, and the prestige of offering diverse expertise for complex patients. Lastly, IR is a field of rapid innovation implementing new procedural technology and techniques. Overall, IR must actively advocate for further growth and influence in the medical field as their value continues to expand in multiple domains. Despite being a nascent specialty, IR has become indispensable to modern medical practice.

Microhabitat and adhesive toepads shape gecko limb morphology.

Different substrates pose varied biomechanical challenges that select specific morphologies, such as long limbs for faster running and short limbs for balanced posture while climbing narrow substrates. We tested how gecko locomotion is affected by the microhabitat they occupy and by a key adaptation-adhesive toepads-through analyzing how those are related to limb morphology. We collected microhabitat and toepads data for over 90% of limbed gecko species, and limb measurements for 403 species from 83 of the 121 limbed gecko genera, which we then used in phylogenetic comparative analyses. Our data highlight the association of adhesive toepads with arboreality, but a phylogenetic analysis shows that this relationship is not significant, suggesting that these traits are phylogenetically constrained. Comparative analyses reveal that pad-bearing species possess shorter hindlimbs and feet, more even limb lengths, and lower crus: thigh ratios, than padless geckos, across microhabitats. Saxicolous geckos have the longest limbs and limb segments. This is probably influenced by selection for long strides, increased takeoff velocity, and static stability on inclined surfaces. Terrestrial geckos have more even hind- and forelimbs than arboreal geckos, unlike patterns found in other lizards. Our findings underline the difficulty to infer on microhabitat-morphology relationships from one taxon to another, given their differing ecologies and evolutionary pathways. We emphasize the importance of key innovation traits, such as adhesive toepads, in shaping limb morphology in geckos and, accordingly, their locomotion within their immediate environment.

Better perceived health among the Swedish-speaking minority as compared with the Finnish-speaking majority in Finland: a cross-sectional study with an intergenerational perspective.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that the Swedish speaking minority in Finland has slightly but significantly better health compared with the Finnish speaking majority. However, a clear explanation for this is lacking. AIM: The aim of the study was to explore differences of perceived health comparing three groups: Swedish speakers with reported dominance of Swedish also in the preceding generation; contemporary Finnish speakers with reported dominance of Finnish in the preceding generation and a group with a reported mixed-language structure of Finnish and Swedish between generations. INDIVIDUALS AND METHODS: Health and Social Support is an on-going population-based survey initiated in 1998 (N = 64,797), aimed at working-age adults. The present study is based on the 2012 follow-up survey, which included a question on the dominating language (Swedish or Finnish) of the respondents and their parents. The outcome was perceived health, which in this study was dichotomized to very good/good and intermediate/poor/very poor. The statistical analysis was carried with logistic regression, using SAS software. Age, gender and occupational training were included as covariates in the multivariable analysis. RESULTS: This study found that the Swedish-speaking group in Finland report better perceived health compared with the Finnish-speaking group (odds ratio 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.57, p < 0.001). The health of the mixed language-speaking group fell between the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results gave some support to a culturally mediated mechanism for the health advantage of Swedish speakers. Cultural features of Swedish-speaking groups in Finland may also support health promotion of the Finnish-speaking majority.

Effectiveness of cladribine compared to fingolimod, natalizumab, ocrelizumab and alemtuzumab in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Comparisons between cladribine and other potent immunotherapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of cladribine against fingolimod, natalizumab, ocrelizumab and alemtuzumab in relapsing-remitting MS. METHODS: Patients with relapsing-remitting MS treated with cladribine, fingolimod, natalizumab, ocrelizumab or alemtuzumab were identified in the global MSBase cohort and two additional UK centres. Patients were followed for ⩾6/12 and had ⩾3 in-person disability assessments. Patients were matched using propensity score. Four pairwise analyses compared annualised relapse rates (ARRs) and disability outcomes. RESULTS: The eligible cohorts consisted of 853 (fingolimod), 464 (natalizumab), 1131 (ocrelizumab), 123 (alemtuzumab) or 493 (cladribine) patients. Cladribine was associated with a lower ARR than fingolimod (0.07 vs. 0.12, p = 0.006) and a higher ARR than natalizumab (0.10 vs. 0.06, p = 0.03), ocrelizumab (0.09 vs. 0.05, p = 0.008) and alemtuzumab (0.17 vs. 0.04, p < 0.001). Compared to cladribine, the risk of disability worsening did not differ in patients treated with fingolimod (hazard ratio (HR) 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-2.47) or alemtuzumab (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.26-2.07), but was lower for patients treated with natalizumab (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.94) and ocrelizumab (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.78). There was no evidence for a difference in disability improvement. CONCLUSION: Cladribine is an effective therapy that can be viewed as a step up in effectiveness from fingolimod, but is less effective than the most potent intravenous MS therapies.

The immediate metabolomic effects of whole-genome duplication in the greater duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza.

PREMISE: In plants, whole-genome duplication (WGD) is a common mutation with profound evolutionary potential. Given the costs associated with a superfluous genome copy, polyploid establishment is enigmatic. However, in the right environment, immediate phenotypic changes following WGD can facilitate establishment. Metabolite abundances are the direct output of the cell's regulatory network and determine much of the impact of environmental and genetic change on the phenotype. While it is well known that an increase in the bulk amount of genetic material can increase cell size, the impact of gene dosage multiplication on the metabolome remains largely unknown. METHODS: We used untargeted metabolomics on four genetically distinct diploid-neoautotetraploid pairs of the greater duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza, to investigate how WGD affects metabolite abundances per cell and per biomass. RESULTS: Autopolyploidy increased metabolite levels per cell, but the response of individual metabolites varied considerably. However, the impact on metabolite level per biomass was restricted because the increased cell size reduced the metabolite concentration per cell. Nevertheless, we detected both quantitative and qualitative effects of WGD on the metabolome. Many effects were strain-specific, but some were shared by all four strains. CONCLUSIONS: The nature and impact of metabolic changes after WGD depended strongly on the genotype. Dosage effects have the potential to alter the plant metabolome qualitatively and quantitatively, but were largely balanced out by the reduction in metabolite concentration due to an increase in cell size in this species.

Clinical and computed tomography angiography characteristics of infected vs. non-infected abdominal aortic aneurysm: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and multi-slice spiral computed tomography angiography (MSCTA) characteristics for the diagnosis of infected AAA. METHODS: This retrospective comparative study included patients who were diagnosed with AAA at our hospital between January 2014 and May 2023. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients were included, comprising 20 with infected AAA and 20 with non-infected AAA. Patients with infected AAA were more likely to be younger (62.9 ± 10.1 vs. 70.0 ± 4.4 years, P = 0.007) and to present with fever [7 (35%) vs. 1 (5%), P = 0.026], pain [15 (75%) vs. 2 (10%), P < 0.001], higher C-reactive protein levels (60.4 ± 57.0 vs. 4.1 ± 2.9 mg/l, P = 0.005), and higher erythrocyte sedimentation rates (47.7 ± 23.4 vs. 15.2 ± 8.3 mm/h, P < 0.001) compared to those with non-infected AAA. Moreover, those with infected AAA exhibited significantly more eccentric saccular morphology [17 (85%) vs. 1 (5%), P = 0.002], a smaller longitudinal-transverse ratio (1.12 ± 0.33 vs. 2.33 ± 0.54, P = 0.001), thicker peri-aneurysmal soft tissue (2.29 ± 1.48 vs. 0.73 ± 0.55 cm, P < 0.001), more lobulated margins [18 (90%) vs. 1 (5%), P = 0.001], lower aortic calcification scores (49 vs. 56, P < 0.001), more pneumatosis [6 (30%) vs. 0 (0%), P = 0.014], more ruptures [15 (75%) vs. 5 (20%), P = 0.002], more blurred peri-abdominal aortic fat spaces [16 (80%) vs. 2 (10%), P = 0.001], more adjacent bone destruction [5 (25%) vs. 0 (0%), P = 0.025], more involvement of the psoas major muscle [8 (40%) vs. 1 (5%), P = 0.005], more lymphadenectasis [8 (40%) vs. 1 (5%), P = 0.020], and less tortuous aortas [2 (10%) vs. 9 (45%), P = 0.034] compared with those with non-infected AAA. CONCLUSION: The clinical manifestations and MSCTA characteristics may differ between infected and non-infected AAA.

An outbreak of severe or lethal infections by a multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ST126 strain carrying a plasmid with blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-58 carbapenemases.

Acinetobacter baumannii poses a significant health threat because of its frequent implications in hospital outbreaks and multidrug resistance (MDR). Here, we studied four A. baumannii isolates recovered during a hospital outbreak of severe or fatal cases to elucidate their diversity and factors contributing to their increased virulence and antibiotic resistance. The isolates were identified using MALDI-ToF and characterized using comparative genomics, PCR, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. They were classified as ST126 and exhibited fewer than five chromosomal single-nucleotide variants and the same extrachromosomal content, indicating that they are a single strain (A. baumannii AB01). A. baumannii AB01 showed an MDR phenotype that could be linked to the carriage of parC and gyrA mutations, efflux transporters, aminoglycoside resistance genes, a class C beta-lactamase, and three carbapenemases, some of which are encoded on a 72 kb plasmid. ST126 is infrequent and has not been reported in Latin America, and our genomic data indicate a plausible origin for A. baumannii AB01 within the Pan Pacific region.

Tracing macroplastics redistribution and fragmentation by tillage translocation.

Soil is polluted with plastic waste from macro to submicron level. Our understanding of macroplastics (> 5 mm) occurrence and behavior has remained comparatively elusive, mainly due to a lack of a tracing mechanism. This study set up a methodology to trace macroplastic displacement, which combined magnetic iron oxide-tagged soil and macroplastic pieces tagged by an adhesive passive radiofrequency identification transponder. By utilizing these techniques, a field study was carried out to analyze the effect of tillage implement and plastic sizes on plastic displacement, to understand the fate of macroplastics in arable land. Results indicated that the displacement of macroplastics did not depend upon plastic sizes but did depend upon the tillage implement used. The mean macroplastics displacement per tillage pass was 0.36 ± 0.25 m with non-inversion chisel tillage and 0.15 ± 0.13 m with inversion disk tillage, which was similar to bulk soil displacement. However, only inversion disk tillage caused fragmentation (41 %) of macroplastics and generated microplastics (< 5 mm). In contrast, both tillage implements drove to similar burial of surface macroplastics into the tilled layer (74 % on average). These results highlight that tillage is a major process for macroplastics fate in arable soils, being one of the first studies to investigate it.

Integrative genomics reveals the polygenic basis of seedlessness in grapevine.

Seedlessness is a crucial quality trait in table grape (Vitis vinifera L.) breeding. However, the development of seeds involved intricate regulations, and the polygenic basis of seed abortion remains unclear. Here, we combine comparative genomics, population genetics, quantitative genetics, and integrative genomics to unravel the evolution and polygenic basis of seedlessness in grapes. We generated the haplotype-resolved genomes for two seedless grape cultivars, "Thompson Seedless" (TS, syn. "Sultania") and "Black Monukka" (BM). Comparative genomics identified a ∼4.25 Mb hemizygous inversion on Chr10 specific in seedless cultivars, with seedless-associated genes VvTT16 and VvSUS2 located at breakpoints. Population genomic analyses of 548 grapevine accessions revealed two distinct clusters of seedless cultivars, and the identity-by-descent (IBD) results indicated that the origin of the seedlessness trait could be traced back to "Sultania." Introgression, rather than convergent selection, shaped the evolutionary history of seedlessness in grape improvement. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis identified 110 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with 634 candidate genes, including previously unidentified candidate genes, such as three 11S GLOBULIN SEED STORAGE PROTEIN and two CYTOCHROME P450 genes, and well-known genes like VviAGL11. Integrative genomic analyses resulted in 339 core candidate genes categorized into 13 functional categories related to seed development. Machine learning-based genomic selection achieved a remarkable prediction accuracy of 97% for seedlessness in grapevines. Our findings highlight the polygenic nature of seedlessness and provide candidate genes for molecular genetics and an effective prediction for seedlessness in grape genomic breeding.

A New Horizon for Understanding the Comparative Effectiveness for Cooling Prospectively Infants with Mild Encephalopathy.

The authors summarize the methodology for a new pragmatic comparative effectiveness research investigation, Cooling Prospectively Infants with Mild Encephalopathy (COOLPRIME), which uses sites' existing mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) treatment preference (hypothermia or normothermia) to assess hypothermia effectiveness and safety. COOLPRIME's primary aim is to determine the safety and effectiveness of hypothermia compared to normothermia in mild HIE. Engagement of Families and Community Affected by Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy strongly favored Effectiveness over Efficacy Trials leading to COOL PRIME design.

Taxonomic characterization and comparative genomic analysis of a novel Devosia species revealed that phenolic acid-degrading traits are ubiquitous in the Devosia genus.

Phenolic acids (PAs) are widely distributed allelochemicals in various environments. To better understand the fate of PAs in environments, a halotolerant PAs-degrading bacterium (named strain RR2S18T) isolated from rhizosphere soil was identified as a novel species of Devosia, named Devosia rhizosphaerae sp. nov. The strain initially degraded PAs into central ring-fission intermediates (protocatechuic acid) using the CoA-dependent non-ß-oxidation pathway. The produced ring-fission intermediates were then consecutively degraded by an ortho-cleavage reaction and the ß-ketoadipic acid pathway. A comparative genomics analysis of 62 Devosia strains revealed that PAs-degrading genes were ubiquitous in their genomes, indicating that PAs degradation is universal among members of this genus. The analysis also suggested that the genes involved in CoA-dependent non-ß-oxidation are inherent to Devosia strains, while those involved in ring-fission and ß-ketoadipic acid pathways were obtained by horizontal gene transfer.

Correlative three-dimensional X-ray histology (3D-XRH) as a tool for quantifying mammalian placental structure.

Mammalian placentas exhibit unparalleled structural diversity, despite sharing a common ancestor and principal functions. The bulk of structural studies in placental research has used two-dimensional (2D) histology sectioning, allowing significant advances in our understanding of mammalian placental structure. However, 2D histology sectioning may be limited if it does not provide accurate information of three-dimensional (3D) tissue architecture. Here, we propose correlative 3D X-ray histology (3D-XRH) as a tool with great potential for resolving mammalian placental structures. 3D-XRH involves scanning a formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue block with 3D X-ray microscopy (microCT) prior to histological sectioning to generate a 3D image volume of the embedded tissue piece. The subsequent 2D histology sections can then be correlated back into the microCT image volume to couple histology staining (or immunolabelling) with 3D tissue architecture. 3D-XRH is non-destructive and requires no additional sample preparation than standard FFPE histology sectioning, however the image volume provides 3D morphometric data and can be used to guide microtomy. As such, 3D-XRH introduces additional information to standard histological workflows with minimal effort or disruption. Using primary examples from porcine, bovine, equine, and canine placental samples, we demonstrate the application of 3D-XRH to quantifying placental structure as well as discussing the limitations and future directions of the methodology. The wealth of information derived from 2D histological sectioning in the biomedical, veterinary, and comparative reproductive sciences provides a rich foundation from which 3D-XRH can build on to advance the study of placental structure and function.

Real-world comparative effectiveness of venetoclax-obinutuzumab versus Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors for frontline chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Real-world evidence comparing clinical outcomes between venetoclax and Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKis) in patients with frontline (1 L) chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is lacking. We compared treatment effectiveness of 1 L venetoclax plus obinutuzumab (VenO) versus BTKi-based regimens. This retrospective observational study using Optum Clinformatics Data Mart® included adult patients with CLL (≥2 outpatient or ≥1 inpatient claim) who received VenO or BTKi-based regimens in 1 L (1/2019-9/2022). Baseline characteristics were balanced using stabilised inverse probability weighting. Outcomes included duration of therapy (DoT), persistence, time to next treatment or death (TTNT-D), and time off-treatment. Among 1506 eligible patients (VenO: 203; BTKi: 1303), the median follow-up duration was 12.6 (VenO) and 16.2 months (BTKi). Median DoT for VenO was 12.3 months; persistence remained higher in VenO versus BTKi through expected 1 L fixed treatment duration. Median TTNT-D was not reached for VenO; however, more VenO- versus BTKi-treated patients had not switched therapies/experienced death through Month 12 (87.1% vs. 75.3%). Among patients that discontinued, median time to discontinuation was 11.7 vs. 5.9 months for VenO versus BTKi and median time off-treatment was 11.3 vs. 4.3 months. In this real-world study, VenO was associated with better effectiveness outcomes than BTKi-based regimens in 1 L CLL.

MIGS in Severe Glaucoma: 12-Month Retrospective Efficacy and Safety of Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery with Cataract Extraction.

Purpose: Despite holding promise, reports of using MIGS in severe glaucoma are scarce, and none has described combining multiple MIGS in this population. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest study to report outcomes of phacoemulsification and MIGS (Phaco/MIGS) in patients with severe glaucoma. Methods: This retrospective review comprised 327 clinical visits of 71 patients with severe glaucoma who underwent Phaco/MIGS with iStent, endocyclodestruction, Kahook Dual Blade, Hydrus Microstent, or a combination of these MIGS (cMIGS) performed between 2016 and 2021. Primary outcomes included intraocular pressure (IOP) and medication burden evaluated by Generalized Estimating Equations, as well as Kaplan-Meier Estimates. Further analyses compared the efficacy of cMIGS and single Phaco/MIGS (sMIGS), procedure duration, visual acuity, and complications. Results: Mean preoperative IOP was 16.7 mmHg ± 5.8 (SD) on 2.3 ± 1.9 medications overall (N = 71), 16.9 ± 6.3 mmHg on 1.7 ± 1.9 medications in the sMIGS group (N = 37), and 16.4 ± 5.3 mmHg on 2.9 ± 1.6 medications in the cMIGS group (N = 34). Throughout 12 months, Phaco/MIGS led to significant reduction patterns in IOP (p < 0.001) and medications (p = 0.03). At 12 months, 47.5%, 87.5%, and 64.7% of the patients achieved IOP ≤ 12 mmHg, 17 mmHg, or predetermined goal IOP, respectively, without additional medication or procedure. Mean 12-month IOP was 13.5 ± 3.1 mmHg on 1.8 ± 1.7 medications. After adjusting for baseline medication burden, the reduction pattern in IOP (p < 0.05) was different between cMIGS and sMIGS, favoring cMIGS, and the groups had similar reduction patterns in medications (p = 0.75). Conclusion: The use of Phaco/MIGS in patients with cataract and severe glaucoma may significantly reduce IOP and medication burden throughout 12 months and, thus, may serve as a stepping stone in severe glaucoma patients with visually significant cataract before proceeding with more invasive glaucoma surgery. This effect may be potentiated by the combination effect of cMIGS.

Many patients with cataract and mild or moderate glaucoma who undergo cataract surgery also benefit from microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) performed at the same time, but the role of MIGS in patients with severe glaucoma and cataract is not clear. We report that combined cataract surgery and MIGS were associated with significant reductions in eye pressure in patients with severe glaucoma for more than 12 months.

Exploring the enzymatic repertoires of Bacteria and Archaea and their associations with metabolic maps.

The evolution, survival, and adaptation of microbes are consequences of gene duplication, acquisition, and divergence in response to environmental challenges. In this context, enzymes play a central role in the evolution of organisms, because they are fundamental in cell metabolism. Here, we analyzed the enzymatic repertoire in 6,467 microbial genomes, including their abundances, and their associations with metabolic maps. We found that the enzymes follow a power-law distribution, in relation to the genome sizes. Therefore, we evaluated the total proportion enzymatic classes in relation to the genomes, identifying a descending-order proportion: transferases (EC:2.-), hydrolases (EC:3.-), oxidoreductases (EC:1.-), ligases (EC:6.-), lyases (EC:4.-), isomerases (EC:5.-), and translocases (EC:7-.). In addition, we identified a preferential use of enzymatic classes in metabolism pathways for xenobiotics, cofactors and vitamins, carbohydrates, amino acids, glycans, and energy. Therefore, this analysis provides clues about the functional constraints associated with the enzymatic repertoire of functions in Bacteria and Archaea.

Aurantiacibacter hainanensis sp. nov. and Qipengyuania zhejiangensis sp. nov., two novel Erythrobacteraceae species isolated from tidal flat sediments.

Two Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, aerobic and carotenoid-producing strains, belonging to the family Erythrobacteraceae, designated as H149T and Z2T, were isolated from tidal flat sediment samples collected in Hainan and Zhejiang, PR China, respectively. Growth of strain H149T occurred at 15-42 °C, 0-10.0 % (w/v) NaCl, and pH 6.0-8.5, with the optima at 35-37 °C, 3.0-3.5 % (w/v) NaCl and pH 7.0. Strain Z2T grew at 15-37 °C, 0-6.0 % (w/v) NaCl, and pH 6.0-9.5, with the optima at 25-30 °C, 0.5-1.0 % (w/v) NaCl and pH 6.0-6.5. Ubiquinone-10 was the sole ubiquinone in two strains. The predominant cellular fatty acids of strain H149T were C16 : 0, summed feature 3 and summed feature 8, while those of strain Z2T were C17 : 1 ω6c, summed feature 3 and summed feature 8. Strains H149T and Z2T shared diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingoglycolipid as major polar lipids. The 16S rRNA gene sequence identity analysis indicated that strain H149T had the highest sequence identity of 98.4 % with Aurantiacibacter odishensis KCTC 23981T, and strain Z2T had that of 98.2 % with Qipengyuania pacifica NZ-96T. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene and core-genome sequences revealed that strains H149T and Z2T formed two independent clades in the genera Aurantiacibacter and Qipengyuania, respectively. Strain H149T had average nucleotide identity values of 74.0-81.3 % and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values of 18.5-23.1 % with Aurantiacibacter type strains, while strain Z2T had values of 73.3-78.7 % and 14.5-33.3 % with Qipengyuania type strains. The genomic DNA G+C contents of strains H149T and Z2T were 64.3 and 61.8 %, respectively. Based on the genetic, genomic, phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic results, strains H149T (=KCTC 8397T=MCCC 1K08920T) and Z2T (=KCTC 8396T=MCCC 1K08946T) are concluded to represent two novel Erythrobacteraceae species for which the names Aurantiacibacter hainanensis sp. nov. and Qipengyuania zhejiangensis sp. nov. are proposed, respectively.

Users' willingness to adopt metaverse drawing on flow theory: An empirical study using PLS-SEM and FsQCA.

As a rapidly developing information technology in recent years, the metaverse has significantly transformed how we live, learn, and work. In order to accelerate the use of metaverse technology and promote users' acceptance of the metaverse, this study constructs an integrated model based on flow theory and use and satisfaction theory, to further explore the factors affecting users' acceptance of the metaverse. A total of 265 valid questionnaires were obtained through a situational questionnaire survey. Considering the limitations of a single analysis technique, we use two methods to analyze the data. Among them, the symmetric PLS-SEM method is mainly used to analyze the effects of single variables, while the asymmetric fsQCA method is used to analyze the combined effects of variables. The PLS-SEM results manifest that flow experience, perceived risk, and personal innovation directly influence users' acceptance of the metaverse, while perceived cost has no effect. Simultaneously, interactivity, presence, and social presence indirectly affect users' acceptance of the metaverse, while informativeness and enjoyment have no indirect effect. Significantly, fsQCA unveiled five configurations resulting in a high user acceptance of the metaverse, as well as six configurations leading to a negative acceptance. The complementary findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA offer valuable insights for both theoretical understanding and practical implementation.

Flexible information-seeking in chimpanzees.

Humans can flexibly use metacognition to monitor their own knowledge and strategically acquire new information when needed. While humans can deploy these skills across a variety of contexts, most evidence for metacognition in animals has focused on simple situations, such as seeking out information about the location of food. Here, we examine the flexibility, breadth, and limits of this skill in chimpanzees. We tested semi-free-ranging chimpanzees on a novel task where they could seek information by standing up to peer into different containers. In Study 1, we tested n = 47 chimpanzees to assess if chimpanzees would spontaneously engage in information-seeking without prior experience, as well as to characterize individual variation in this propensity. We found that many chimpanzees engaged in information-seeking with minimal experience, and that younger chimpanzees and females were more likely to do so. In two subsequent studies, we then further tested chimpanzees who initially showed robust information-seeking on new variations of this task, to disentangle the cognitive processing shaping their behaviors. In Study 2, we examined how a subset of n = 12 chimpanzees applied these skills to seek information about the location versus the identity of rewards, and found that chimpanzees were equally adept at seeking out location and identity information. In Study 3, we examined whether a subset of n = 6 chimpanzees could apply these skills to make more efficacious decisions when faced with uncertainty about reward payoffs. Chimpanzees were able to use information-seeking to resolve risk and choose more optimally when faced with uncertain payoffs, although they often also engaged in information-seeking when it was not strictly necessary. These results identify core features of flexible metacognition that chimpanzees share with humans, as well as constraints that may represent key evolutionary shifts in human cognition.