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Ecological interactions between different species of yeasts have been observed and described extensively, but the mechanisms of interaction remain poorly understood. A hindrance to the characterization of multispecies yeast ecosystems is the lack of accurate methods for rapid real-time analysis of population dynamics in synthetic multispecies consortia. Here, we sought to accelerate and improve the sensitivity of ecological modelling and characterization of a synthetic yeast ecosystem by developing a flow cytometry–based method that tracks and sorts fluorescently tagged individual yeast species in real time during growth in model multispecies consortia. A protocol for integrative genetic modification of non-conventional yeasts was developed. The application of the method was demonstrated in a model four-species synthetic wine-yeast ecosystem that consisted of species commonly isolated from natural wine fermentations. The data show that this method allows for rapid generation of meaningful ecological data that contributes to our understanding of multispecies synthetic yeast ecosystems. Furthermore, interspecies interactions have been shown to impact the evolution of yeasts in natural ecosystems, and this platform will provide an ideal tool to better evaluate the impact of biotic selection pressures.Key Points• Fluorescent labelling of yeast species in a consortium for multicolour flow cytometry• Method developed to track population dynamics of multispecies yeast consortia• Enables real-time visualization, manipulation and response analyses of population dynamics• Produces accurate, reproducible data with powerful visual analyses potential at a rapid rate

Mergers of neutron stars are known to be associated with short γ-ray bursts 1 – 4 . If the neutron-star equation of state is sufficiently stiff (that is, the pressure increases sharply as the density increases), at least some such mergers will leave behind a supramassive or even a stable neutron star that spins rapidly with a strong magnetic field 5 – 8 (that is, a magnetar). Such a magnetar signature may have been observed in the form of the X-ray plateau that follows up to half of observed short γ-ray bursts 9 , 10 . However, it has been expected that some X-ray transients powered by binary neutron-star mergers may not be associated with a short γ-ray burst 11 , 12 . A fast X-ray transient (CDF-S XT1) was recently found to be associated with a faint host galaxy, the redshift of which is unknown 13 . Its X-ray and host-galaxy properties allow several possible explanations including a short γ-ray burst seen off-axis, a low-luminosity γ-ray burst at high redshift, or a tidal disruption event involving an intermediate-mass black hole and a white dwarf 13 . Here we report a second X-ray transient, CDF-S XT2, that is associated with a galaxy at redshift z  = 0.738 (ref. 14 ). The measured light curve is fully consistent with the X-ray transient being powered by a millisecond magnetar. More intriguingly, CDF-S XT2 lies in the outskirts of its star-forming host galaxy with a moderate offset from the galaxy centre, as short γ-ray bursts often do 15 , 16 . The estimated event-rate density of similar X-ray transients, when corrected to the local value, is consistent with the event-rate density of binary neutron-star mergers that is robustly inferred from the detection of the gravitational-wave event GW170817. Observations of an X-ray transient associated with a galaxy at redshift 0.738 suggest that the X-ray transient is powered by a millisecond magnetar and that it is the remnant of a merger between two neutron stars.

Background Social inequalities in health are widely examined. But the reasons behind this phenomenon still remain unclear in parts. It is undisputed that the work environment plays a crucial role in this regard. However, the contribution of psychosocial factors at work is unclear and inconsistent, and most studies are limited with regard to work factors and health outcomes. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the role and contribution of various physical and psychosocial working conditions to explaining social inequalities in different self-reported health outcomes. Methods Data from a postal survey among the workforces of four medium-sized and large companies from diverse industries of the secondary sector in Switzerland were used and analysed. The study sample covered 1,846 employees aged 20 and 64 and included significant proportions of unskilled manual workers and highly qualified non-manual workers. Cross tabulations and logistic regression analyses were performed to study multiple associations between social status, work factors and health outcomes. Combinations of educational level and occupational position wee used as a measure of social status or class. Results Clear social gradients were observed for almost all adverse working conditions and poor health outcomes studied, but in different directions. While physical workloads and other typical blue-collar job characteristics not suprisingly, were found to be much more common among the lower classes, most psychosocial work demands and job resources were more prevalent in the higher classes. Furthermore, workers in lower classes, i.e. with lower educational and occupational status, were more likely to report poor self-rated health, limited physical functioning and long sickness absence, but at the same time were less likely to experience increased stress feelings and burnout symptoms showing a reversed health gradient. Finally, blue-collar job characteristics contributed substantially to the social gradient found in general and physical health outcomes. In contrast, white-collar job characteristics made no contribution to explaining the gradient in these health outcomes, but instead largely explained the reversed social gradient observed for the mental health outcomes. Conclusion The findings suggest a more differentiated pattern of the commonly found social gradient in health and the differential role of work in this respect.

Background In wine fermentation starter cultures, the blending of non- Saccharomyces yeast with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve the complexity of wine has become common practice, but data regarding the impact of co-cultivation on yeast physiology and on genetic and metabolic regulation remain limited. Here we describe a transcriptomic analysis of mixed fermentations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lachancea thermotolerans . The fermentations were carried out in carefully controlled environmental conditions in a bioreactor to reduce transcriptomic responses that would be due to factors other than the presence of the second species. Results The transcriptomic data revealed that both yeast species showed a clear response to the presence of the other. Affected genes primarily belonged to two groups: genes whose expression can be linked to the competition for certain trace elements such as copper and iron, as well as genes required for cell wall structure and integrity. Furthermore, the data revealed divergent transcriptional responses with regard to carbon metabolism in response to anoxic conditions. Conclusions The results suggest that the mixed fermentation created a more competitive and stressful environment for the two species than single strain fermentations independently from total biomass, i.e. competition between cells of the same species is less stressful, or may present a different set of challenges, than interspecies competition. The changes in cell wall and adhesion properties encoding genes suggest that the adjustment of physical contact between cells may play a direct role in the response to the presence of competing species.

The Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model postulates that patterns of job demand, job control, and social support lead to eight job types that are associated with well-being and health. This study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify JDCS profiles among Italian hospital workers (n = 1464) and examined the predictive roles of role clarity and negative relationships at work on profile membership. Furthermore, adopting a network perspective, this study explored the interrelationships among JDCS factors within each identified profile. The LPA results revealed four profiles: isolated prisoner, moderate strain, low strain, and participatory leader. In addition, role clarity increased the likelihood of being included in the low-strain, moderate-strain, and participatory leader profiles. In contrast, negative relationships at work increased the risk of being included in the isolated prisoner profile. Finally, the results of network analysis revealed that networks differed across profiles in terms of density (interconnections between nodes) and edge strength (magnitude of relationships between nodes). Our study extends previous JDCS research by highlighting that researchers should consider empirically identified profiles rather than theoretically defined subgroups. The implications for stress theory, future research, and practice are also discussed.

The general interest in microbial ecology has skyrocketed over the past decade, driven by technical advances and by the rapidly increasing appreciation of the fundamental services that these ecosystems provide. In biotechnology, ecosystems have many more functionalities than single species, and, if properly understood and harnessed, will be able to deliver better outcomes for almost all imaginable applications. However, the complexity of microbial ecosystems and of the interactions between species has limited their applicability. In research, next generation sequencing allows accurate mapping of the microbiomes that characterise ecosystems of biotechnological and/or medical relevance. But the gap between mapping and understanding, to be filled by “functional microbiomics”, requires the collection and integration of many different layers of complex data sets, from molecular multi-omics to spatial imaging technologies to online ecosystem monitoring tools. Holistically, studying the complexity of most microbial ecosystems, consisting of hundreds of species in specific spatial arrangements, is beyond our current technical capabilities, and simpler model systems with fewer species and reduced spatial complexity are required to establish the fundamental rules of ecosystem functioning. One such ecosystem, the ecosystem responsible for natural alcoholic fermentation, can provide an excellent tool to study evolutionarily relevant interactions between multiple species within a relatively easily controlled environment. This review will critically evaluate the approaches that are currently implemented to dissect the cellular and molecular networks that govern this ecosystem.Key points• Evolutionarily isolated fermentation ecosystem can be used as an ecological model.• Experimental toolbox is gearing towards mechanistic understanding of this ecosystem.• Integration of multidisciplinary datasets is key to predictive understanding.

In the macroscopic world, ecological interactions between multiple species of fauna and flora are recognised as major role-players in the evolution of any particular species. By comparison, research on ecological interactions as a driver of evolutionary adaptation in microbial ecosystems has been neglected. The evolutionary history of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been extensively researched, providing an unmatched foundation for exploring adaptive evolution of microorganisms. However, in most studies, the habitat is only defined by physical and chemical parameters, and little attention is paid to the impact of cohabiting species. Such ecological interactions arguably provide a more relevant evolutionary framework. Within the genomic phylogenetic tree of S. cerevisiae strains, wine associated isolates form a distinct clade, also matched by phenotypic evidence. This domestication signature in genomes and phenomes suggests that the wine fermentation environment is of significant evolutionary relevance. Data also show that the microbiological composition of wine fermentation ecosystems is dominated by the same species globally, suggesting that these species have co-evolved within this ecosystem. This system therefore presents an excellent model for investigating the origins and mechanisms of interspecific yeast interactions. This review explores the role of biotic stress in the adaptive evolution of wine yeast.

Background Research shows that leaders influence the health and well-being of employees, by being either a buffer or major source of employee’s work stressors. Various leadership behaviors and their relation to employee outcomes have been examined. Yet, a satisfactory explanation of how leaders’ behavior influences health has not been found. A new line of research investigates the construct of “health-oriented leadership”, that is, the health awareness of leaders towards themselves (“self-care”) and towards their employees (“staff-care”). It is hypothesized that this health-orientation has a direct effect on both leader’s and employees’ health, as well as an indirect effect mediated by their working conditions. Methods Data were derived from four company research projects, that involved employee and leader surveys on work, health, and well-being. The sample consisted of 50 teams, with 191 leaders and 604 team members. To test the relation between a leader’s self-care and his/her engagement, exhaustion, as well as staff-care, multiple regression analyses and mediation analyses were conducted. The relation between a leader’s staff-care, the team’s job resources and demands, and the individual employee outcomes engagement and exhaustion were tested with multilevel analyses. Results Regression analysis showed that the stronger a leader’s health-orientation towards him/−herself (“self-care”), the stronger was the health-orientation towards his/her employees (“staff-care”). A leader’s self-care was also associated with higher work engagement and lower exhaustion and this relation was mediated by his/her job resources and demands, respectively. Multilevel analysis showed that a leader’s staff-care was associated with employee work engagement and exhaustion, and that this relation was mediated by team-level job resources and demands, respectively. Conclusions The health-orientation of leaders relates to their own as well as their teams’ engagement and exhaustion, which is partly mediated by job demands and resources. Thus the construct of health-orientation may prove worthy of further exploration. For practical conclusions, this study provides support for researching not different leadership styles with very specific facets, but a general orientation towards health, which can be implemented into coaching and consulting sessions for organizations.

Background Cancer prevalence is rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income countries, where late diagnosis and limited healthcare resources contribute to poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare presentation patterns and survival outcomes between Groote Schuur Hospital (South Africa) and Karolinska University Hospital (Sweden) to highlight disparities between high- and middle-income healthcare settings. Method This retrospective cohort study used data from the International Bone Metastasis Registry. Patients who underwent surgery for pathological fractures between 2018 and 2023 were included. The primary objective was to compare the proportion of patients presenting with malignancy not diagnosed prior to surgery between the two centres. Secondary outcomes included newly diagnosed malignancy within two months from surgery, indication for surgery, ECOG performance status, and survival. Results A total of 362 patients were included; 107 from Groote Schuur Hospital (GS) and 255 from Karolinska University Hospital (KS). GS had a higher proportion of patients with malignancy not diagnosed prior to surgery (13% vs 4%; p =  0.004) and newly diagnosed malignancy within two months (50% vs 25%; p <  0.001). GS patients were younger, more often female, and more frequently had breast cancer. They had fewer visceral metastases and better ECOG performance status. Prophylactic fixation was more common at GS, while surgical techniques were similar. No statistically significant difference in postoperative survival from surgery was detected between centres ( p =  0.065); however, median postoperative survival was longer at GS (13 months) compared with KS (6 months), and the proportion of long-term survivors (> 2 years) was higher at GS (17% vs 3%; p <  0.001). Median overall survival from cancer diagnosis was longer at KS (247 months) compared with GS (43 months; p <  0.001). Conclusions Patients at GS were more likely to present with previously undiagnosed or newly diagnosed malignancy, reflecting delayed detection and referral. They had better performance status, fewer visceral metastases, and more frequent prophylactic surgery. Despite similar surgical methods, postoperative survival did not differ significantly. These findings underscore the need for earlier cancer detection and improved access to systemic therapy in resource-limited settings.

Background Occupational well-being is a key element of employee health and a crucial determinant of productivity. The present exploratory study investigates longitudinal changes in work engagement and exhaustion as indicators of occupational well-being during different stages of the COVID-19 crisis among employees in Switzerland and Germany. Methods Using a four-wave panel design, we collected data from 2,137 participants during various stages of the pandemic from April 2020 to December 2021. We applied latent change score modeling to examine changes within groups and differences between employee groups over time. Results Results show that work engagement declined significantly between April and July 2020, partially recovered between July and December 2020, and then remained stable until December 2021. Multi-group analysis highlighted the importance of national context, social connections, and work flexibility as working in Switzerland, living with others, caregiving responsibilities for children, and remote work were consistently associated with higher work engagement. In contrast, exhaustion levels remained relatively stable across all time points. However, some significant differences emerged between groups, with employees in Switzerland reporting an overall lower level of exhaustion. Age-specific trends were also identified, with older employees reporting overall lower levels of exhaustion compared to younger employees across the whole measurement period. Conclusion The study contributes to the understanding of the dynamic nature of occupational well-being during the pandemic, with implications for organizations aiming to support their employees not only in times of crises.