CSRIndeX: A Python tool for computing normative CSR benchmarks from SEC filings

This Data in Brief article presents the draft genome of Pasteurella multocida strain EH32, isolated from a buffalo suspected of having septicemic pasteurellosis in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam. Short-read whole-genome sequencing (2 × 150 bp) was performed on the PacBio Onso platform, using an Illumina-compatible library. The final assembly comprised 2286,381 base pairs with a GC content of 40.2% across 25 contigs. Genome annotation predicted 2158 genes, including 2104 protein-coding sequences, four rRNAs, 49 tRNAs, and one tmRNA. Functional analysis assigned 2060 genes to COG categories and 1432 genes to KEGG pathways. Virulence-associated genes involved in adhesion, antiphagocytosis, endotoxin biosynthesis, immune evasion, iron uptake, secretion, and stress response were detected, while no antimicrobial resistance genes were found. A total of 105 carbohydrate-active enzymes were predicted, predominantly glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases. Raw reads and assembly files have been deposited in Mendeley Data and GenBank. This dataset provides a foundational genomic resource to support comparative genomics and pathogenicity research on P. multocida in livestock.

Emerging thermal and non-thermal technologies and their integrations to innovate Maillard reactions in sustainable food processing: Comparative analysis, challenges, and research needs

This study investigates the pronunciation difficulties encountered by MTs students in East Kalimantan when learning English as a foreign language. Using a comparative qualitative research method combining contrastive analysis between regional languages (as the first language or L1) and English (as a foreign language), this research examines the types of mispronunciations and underlying causal factors affecting 40 students from MTs Negeri 3 Paser and MTs Negeri 1 Penajam Paser Utara. Data collection involved students’ pronunciation recordings, in-depth interviews, and classroom observations. Findings reveal nine primary categories of pronunciation errors: (1) /gh/ endings pronounced as /f/, (2) silent /gh/ in word-medial positions, (3) silent /l/, (4) word-final /-d/, (5) word-initial /t/, (6) word-medial /ʒ/, (7) /ʃ/ substitution, (8) /θ/ substitution, and (9) word-final /-t/. Three main causal factors emerged: regional accent interference, phonological differences between the first language or L1/L2 (second language) and English, and unsupportive language environments. The study contributes to understanding multilingual students' English pronunciation challenges in Indonesian contexts and provides pedagogical implications for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) instruction.

Reshaping heavy metal pathways: A long-term field study on emissions and partitioning in municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration before and after MSW classification.

A comprehensive reference organism is often lacking when studying the adaptation of filamentous fungi to environmental stressors. This work investigates the mechanism underlying the response of N. crassa to stress conditions by focusing on the deletion mutant for the CCG-8 transcription factor. Our molecular analyses revealed that Δccg-8 severely compromises cell surface structure and metabolic homeostasis. Proteomic profiling demonstrated key dysregulations in ribosome biogenesis (consistent with the clock-controlled nature of CCG-8) and fatty acid β-oxidation. These findings, substantiated by changes in ergosterol and fatty acid composition, confirmed the increased susceptibility of deletion mutant to azoles and echinocandins. Furthermore, glycomic and proteomic data suggested that conidia of N. crassa Δccg-8 exhibit protein and glycan alterations. To validate this structural compromise in vivo, we successfully applied the Galleria mellonella larval model. Despite being non-pathogenic, conidia of N. crassa Δccg-8 were cleared significantly faster by the larval immune system than the wild-type strain, mirroring the in vitro observations. This work provides detailed molecular insights into fungal stress adaptation and establishes N. crassa as a viable non-pathogenic organism for in vivo analysis. This approach substantially broadens application of this filamentous fungus, enabling direct comparative research with pathogenic filamentous fungi in the domain of antifungal resistance and host interaction.

Veterinarians play a crucial role in public health, animal welfare and human-animal relationships, yet their work involves increasing emotional, structural and ethical challenges. This study explored the lived experiences, perceptions, and needs of veterinary professionals in Italy to understand how these dimensions shape wellbeing and professional identity. A qualitative cross-sectional design was adopted. Twenty veterinarians were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured online interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using the framework method. Four interconnected themes emerged: (1) structural vulnerabilities, including workload, economic pressure and contractual insecurity; (2) emotional labour and moral distress, particularly around euthanasia, client grief and ethical decision making; (3) interpersonal complexity, involving emotionally charged client relationships and team dynamics; and (4) professional identity and societal (mis)recognition, reflecting frustration with misconceptions and lack of institutional support. Communication emerged as a transversal challenge, with many participants reporting insufficient training for emotionally demanding interactions. Veterinary professionals face multifaceted challenges that affect their emotional health, job satisfaction and social recognition. Findings underscore the need for improved education, organisational restructuring and stronger institutional commitment to wellbeing. Enhancing public understanding of the veterinary role and promoting healthier human-animal relationships may support a more sustainable professional context. Despite diverse participant representation, the small, self-selected sample and predominance of female participants may have influenced findings. While not statistically generalisable, the study offers transferable insights into veterinarians' lived experiences and points towards future comparative research across contexts.

Pediatric nephrolithiasis continues to pose a substantial clinical challenge in pediatric urology because of its elevated recurrence rate and elevated morbidity with risk of end-stage renal failure. The management of pediatric nephrolithiasis involves dietary modification, pharmacological therapy, and urological intervention, with the choice of treatment guided by stone size, location, and composition. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for the management of renal stones measuring 1-2 cm in pediatrics. This prospective, randomized comparative research was conducted at the Department of Urology, Al-Azhar University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt, between December 2022 and November 2024. Sixty children with single renal stones were enrolled, with 30 undergoing SWL and 30 receiving mini-PCNL. Mini-PCNL achieved a significantly elevated stone-free rate (SFR, 93.33%) in contrast with SWL (33.33%) (p < 0.001). The SWL group also showed a higher rate of auxiliary approaches and retreatment. Overall complication rates were comparable. Mini-PCNL is more effective than SWL for managing renal stones measuring 10-20 mm in children aged 6 months to 6 years. It provides an elevated SFR and lowers the likelihood of retreatment and hospital readmission, with a comparable safety profile.

Resources for observational comparative research have expanded enormously in recent years to include very large sources of granular, routinely collected health care data and modern statistical, epidemiologic, and econometric techniques. This scientific statement provides an overview of best practices and analytic considerations in observational comparative studies from the perspective of investigators, sponsors, publishers, and consumers of observational research. Observational comparative research is a component of the research landscape that fulfills a role distinct from that of interventional studies in the evaluation of drugs, surgical procedures, medical devices, and health policies. Sources of systematic error (ie, bias) in observational comparative studies include selection bias, information bias, and confounding. Principles from statistical science and econometrics can potentially be used to make causal conclusions from observational data. Target trial emulation is a useful framework to guide the rational design and illuminate the limitations of observational studies. As with interventional research, a formal study protocol should be prepared before every observational study to enhance rigor, reduce data manipulation, and promote transparency of study reporting. Selection of the study data source is a key decision early in the design stage of a study, and should be chosen on the basis of concordance between the needs of the specific study question and the properties of the data set. We recommend the use of causal directed acyclic graphs to clearly specify the study exposure, end points, confounders, colliders, moderators, and mediators. Taken together, these recommendations promote rational design choices and cautious interpretation of the results of observational comparative studies.

This study aimed to compare the symptom structures of hikikomori in Korea and Japan through a network analysis approach, addressing the scarcity of comparative research and elucidating potential cross-cultural differences in its manifestation. Data were derived from the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns, Phase 3 (REAP-AD3) study, involving psychiatric patients in Korea and Japan. Social withdrawal symptoms were assessed using the one-month version of the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire (HQ-25M). Network analyses were performed to characterize symptom interconnections and centrality in both cohorts. Differences in network structure, edge strength, and global strength were evaluated using the network comparison test (NCT). The NCT indicated no statistically significant differences in network structure invariance between Korean and Japanese patients. Notably, the most frequently endorsed symptom among Korean psychiatric patients was "no one to discuss important matters with," whereas for Japanese psychiatric patients it was "difficulty enjoying social situations." Although overall network structures were largely comparable, the findings suggest subtle distinctions in the organization of social withdrawal symptoms between Korean and Japanese psychiatric patients. These differences underscore the importance of developing culturally tailored preventive and therapeutic strategies for hikikomori in these populations.

ABSTRACTThe ProblemTransportability considerations are increasingly important to answer research questions in comparative effectiveness research (CER) to support the transfer of evidence on medicinal products across countries or settings. As drug development costs rise and healthcare systems and professionals face economic and resource pressures, leveraging existing data and evidence generated across borders or settings can improve efficiency and inform decisions in product development and decision‐making (regulatory, health technology assessment [HTA] and clinical care). Differences in population characteristics, healthcare systems, and data availability, including coding discrepancies, may present significant challenges to the transportability of CER evidence. Without rigorous methodological approaches, the utility of transportability analyses is limited.What we DidThis article provides a structured framework for considering transportability exercises in CER analyses. We outlined key methodological principles, when and why to use transportability exercises in CER, feasibility assessments including effect modifier identification and causal inference techniques such as weighting, outcome regression, and combined methods to guide transportability analytical approaches in CER. By synthesizing existing literature and expert insights, we identified opportunities and trade‐offs in applying transportability methods to support decisions across the product lifecycle.Strategies to Disseminate and Facilitate UseTo enhance the adoption of transportability analyses, we proposed best practices for researchers, regulators, HTA bodies, and industry stakeholders. These include early engagement with regulatory agencies and HTA bodies, transparent documentation of data assumptions, quality, fitness, and comparability assessments while ensuring robust analytical approaches. We also emphasized the need for standardized reporting guidelines and cross‐country collaborations to validate transportability methods in real‐world settings and communicate uncertainty in transported evidence.ConclusionsTransportability analyses offer a powerful tool for extending the applicability of CER findings across healthcare systems, improving evidence generation efficiency, and supporting global drug development and evaluation. By implementing best practices that promote a rigorous and transparent approach to the design and conduct of such analyses, stakeholders can maximize the value of transported treatment effects while ensuring scientific rigor and decision‐making relevance. Future research should focus on empirical testing and validation of transportability methods targeting different questions across the product lifecycle and the development of harmonized regulatory and HTA methodological standards. “This manuscript is endorsed by the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE).” Official Endorsement was received on 5/13/26.

Language has long been considered uniquely complex in the animal kingdom; however, animal research over the last decade has begun to challenge some long-standing premises about exactly which language capacities are uniquely human. The task of resolving why and how complex communication systems evolve, particularly human language, has manifested in a rich multi-disciplinary field, which relies on accurate empirical and comparative assessment of natural animal communicative capacities. For example, comparative models of relevant gene and brain functions will remain limited without cracking the animal communication code. To achieve this, empirical research needs an updated, quantitative and comparative framework that distinguishes combinatorial systems from simpler ones. We offer such a framework by integrating new work, demonstrating diverse meaning-bearing combinatorial signalling strategies in natural animal communication, into cross-disciplinary theoretical frameworks. We detail four major mechanistic transitions which we argue offer both evolutionary and ontogenetic routes from non-combinatorial communicators, that mainly rely on single signal utterances, to generative combinatorial signal users, that mainly rely on combinatorial, meaning-based utterances. These transitions are measurable and predictable: (i) signal combination versatility; (ii) signal combination learning and conventionalization; (iii) message expansion through combinatorial mechanism diversity and versatility; and (iv) message expansion through syntax involving linear or hierarchical rules. We offer testable hypotheses for each transition and propose that species demonstrating combinatorial Transitions (i) and (ii) will be prime candidates for testing Transitions (iii) and (iv), where generativity can emerge. We also point to future methodological tools to assess the meaning of signals and their combinations in signal utterance-to-context mapping analyses. Critically, we argue that simply having research on different species is not enough - testing evolution of language theories requires comparative research across species and ontogeny, based on relatable, quantitative measures. To date, only humans demonstrate meaning-based, generative communication. However, recent discoveries, particularly of combinatorial versatility in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and bonobo (Pan paniscus) vocal sequences, open the possibility of generative communication in other species. Whether such traits are human-unique can no longer be assumed but must be tested.

Intrinsic recreation of moderately uncertain events in macaques.

The article published in this issue of the journal titled "Examining implementation of health exception laws in six countries"1 arrives at a critical juncture in global reproductive health discourse. Across much of the developing world, abortion law - often framed around narrow "health exceptions" - exist in statute but fail in practice. This disjuncture between legal permission and lived access is not merely a technical gap; it is a profound social justice failure with implications for women's health, autonomy, and dignity. Health exception laws typically allow abortion where a woman's physical or mental health is at risk. In theory, they represent a compromise between restrictive legal regimes and broader reproductive rights and social justice. However, evidence consistently shows that legal allowances alone do not guarantee access. Comparative research demonstrates that in many countries, even where abortion is technically legal under health grounds, women are denied services due to poor implementation, lack of guidelines, and restrictive interpretations.2This important article in this issue of the journal extends this insight through a six-country comparative lens, echoing earlier multi-country analyses such as the study by Wendy Chavkin and colleagues3, which examined reforms and implementation strategies across diverse settings including Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa. Together, these studies reinforce a crucial point: the effectiveness of abortion law lies not in its wording, but in its operationalization.

Developmental dynamics of skeletal muscle can be recapitulated in vitro from pig embryonic stem cells.

Robot-assisted ureteral reimplantation (RAUR) has emerged as an important minimally invasive technique in reconstructive urology, yet the global research landscape of this field remains incompletely characterized. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the development trends, knowledge structure, and research hotspots of RAUR through bibliometric and visualization analyses. Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database, covering the period from database inception to December 31, 2025. A total of 380 articles and reviews were included. Bibliometric analyses were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and Microsoft Excel to assess publication trends, collaborative networks, co-citation relationships, and keyword evolution. The results demonstrated a sustained increase in annual publications, with a marked acceleration after 2019, reflecting growing academic interest in RAUR. The United States dominated global research output and institutional contributions, while European countries exhibited relatively stronger international collaboration. Core authors and highly cited researchers were concentrated in North America and Europe, indicating a geographically centralized knowledge structure. Journal analysis showed that publications were mainly distributed in specialized urology and minimally invasive surgery journals, with a limited number of high-impact journals exerting substantial academic influence. Co-citation analysis indicated that the field has progressed from early feasibility studies to comparative outcome research and, more recently, to multicenter studies. Keyword analysis further demonstrated a shift in research focus from initial clinical experience toward outcome evaluation, complication-related issues, and minimally invasive approaches, particularly in pediatric populations. In conclusion, RAUR research has evolved from an exploratory stage to a more clinically oriented phase, with increasing emphasis on outcome evaluation and evidence accumulation. This work offers a structured analysis of worldwide scientific activity in this field and identifies emerging trends, providing useful insights for future studies.

The aim of the paper is to investigate the main differences between the accounting systems in Romania and Poland, since the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have undergone many political, structural, social and economic changes in the last 50 years. The research methodology is based on a critical analysis of specialized works that have developed a professional framework, on the analysis of Polish and Romanian accounting standards, respectively on the analysis of legal acts necessary to complete the general accounting. On the basis of deductive reasoning, the paper reveals key determinants and differences of accounting frameworks in Romania and Poland. The paper demonstrates that it is crucial to consider economic and cultural differences in comparative international accounting research. Our choice was influenced by the lack of research on our country, although other CEE countries benefit from a significant presence. Notably, we have discovered a broad research on Poland's state of economy which has been compared to Czehia, Slovakia, Hungary and so on. Therefore, it would be a beneficial intake in our field to discover the differences in comparison to Romania.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the tensions that inform the curriculum development in Cyprus and Australia, with a focus on the extent to which these include all students. The diachronic analysis of the historical development of tensions entailed a mapping exercise using archival materials linked with curriculum development in each country, leading to their comparison. Curriculum development and tensions are presented separate for each country, and are discussed in the context of existing studies referring to each context. Despite the geographical, historical, cultural and sociopolitical differences of Cyprus and Australia, similar competing tensions are evident. From the analysis five themes emerged: policy borrowing and international policy influences; persistence of special education arrangements; continuing tensions between separate and inclusive curriculum; ‘annexing’ of curriculum for students with disability; and, individualised approach to planning. The paper concludes that ableist thinking is dominant in the wider education policies and curriculum development, despite the inclusive education rhetoric. There is need to keep theorising and researching the curriculum and comparative research adds unique dimensions in this process.

TomOmics: An integrative multi-omics platform for comparative and functional research in tomato.

This study aims to trace the evolution trajectory of the concept of "facial aesthetics" in modern Chinese literature (from the Late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period) and its social and cultural roots; by integrating the clinical practice and aesthetic orientation of contemporary craniofacial aesthetic surgery, it explores the operational reference significance of the literary aesthetic concept for the "personalization and localization" development of contemporary craniofacial aesthetic surgery, thereby providing humanistic support for clinical aesthetic decisions and addressing prominent clinical issues such as aesthetic homogenization and excessive plastic surgery. This study adopted a combined research design of qualitative textual analysis and comparative research. (1) Qualitative textual analysis: we included 56 representative works of Modern Chinese Literature from 1840 to 1949, covering late Qing satirical novels, May Fourth Literature, and popular literature of the Republic of China. Using NVivo 12 software, we conducted standardized coding analysis on the facial aesthetic descriptions in the texts, with a double-coder back-to-back coding procedure to ensure coding reliability (kappa ≥0.85). (2) Comparative research: we systematically retrieved clinical research literature on craniomaxillofacial aesthetic surgery from 2015 to 2026, extracted the core elements of clinical aesthetic orientation and surgical practice, and conducted dimensional matching analysis with the coding results of literary aesthetic concepts from 3 dimensions of "individuality, localization, and humanistic care." Close textual reading and cultural interpretation were used to analyze the evolutionary characteristics of aesthetic concepts against the background of social transformation in modern China. The facial aesthetic concepts in Modern Chinese Literature have gone through three core stages: the adherence to the traditional paradigm of dignified countenance in the Late Qing Dynasty, the aesthetic awakening of natural vividness in the May Fourth Period, and the aesthetic compatibility of Chinese-Western integration in the Republic of China Period. Statistical results of textual coding showed that 100% of positive facial descriptions in the Late Qing Dynasty conformed to the "dignified countenance" paradigm, 81.6% of facial descriptions in the May Fourth Period focused on "natural vividness" of individual traits, and 76.8% of facial descriptions in the Republic of China Period presented the feature of "Chinese-Western integration". Its evolution is closely related to ideological emancipation, the impact of Western culture, and social stratum mobility. Contemporary craniomaxillofacial aesthetic surgery is undergoing a transformation from "standardized templates" to "individualized adaptation", and from "pure pursuit of morphology" to "equal emphasis on function and aesthetics". The concepts of "respect for individual traits", "conformity to local aesthetics", and "balance between external form and inner verve" in literature are highly consistent with the development orientation of contemporary craniomaxillofacial aesthetic surgery, with clear clinical convergence points verified by comparative analysis. The evolution of facial aesthetic concepts in Modern Chinese Literature provides abundant humanistic and clinical references for contemporary craniomaxillofacial aesthetic surgery, which is conducive to promoting the realization of "technical precision, aesthetic localization, and humanistic individualization" in clinical aesthetic practice, and avoiding problems such as excessive plastic surgery and aesthetic homogenization. This study provides a standardized interdisciplinary research framework for the integration of literary aesthetics and clinical aesthetic surgery.