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Gaming disorder : prevalence and association with psychosocial outcomes in the German general adult population
Threlfall, David; Althaus, Catherine (Wiley, 2026)
This article surveys the arrival of gameful government into Australian public sector practice. Gameful government is a shorthand, descriptive term denoting the interpenetration of (video)games, and design elements and thinking from them, into public sector work. Knowledge of gameful government is limited, in Australia and internationally, due to localised usage, low visibility, and limited understanding beyond informed observers. Our study partially redresses this under-exploration of public sector games and gamification, both empirically and ethically. To do so, we detail the history of gaming for public sector purposes, a story starting with wargaming. Then, we categorise past and current gameful Australian public sector projects into a typology with five categories: recruitment; training and learning; public communication and policy education; engagement; and implementation and evaluation. We analyse the typology categories and characteristic cases within them. Finally, we assess the benefits and risks of gameful government for citizens and public sector practice. POINTS FOR PRACTITIONERS • Knowledge, skills, and practices from (video)game play and development are increasingly prevalent within the Australian public sector. This article descriptively terms this gameful government. • Despite a range of current use cases—for recruitment, training and learning, public communication and policy education, public engagement, implementation, and evaluation—Australian public sector examples are localised, particularly in Defence. • Realising the potential of games for public sector and societal ends will require broader acknowledgement and understanding of this practice, as part of larger shifts in public sector capability and technological transformation.
Perspectives of primary healthcare nurses on cultural practices contributing to late antenatal booking in South Africa
Maluleke- Ngomane, Sharon H.; Ramavhoya, Thifhelimbilu I. (AOSIS, 2025-09-17)
BACKGROUND : Primary health care (PHC) nurses are crucial in reducing late antenatal booking and early detection of pregnancy-related conditions to enhance the best perinatal outcomes. Research confirms that early antenatal care is a key intervention to safe motherhood, aimed at preventing perinatal adverse events; however, cultural practices of pregnant women have a role to play in late antenatal booking. AIM : This study explored and discussed the cultural practices of antenatal clients that contribute to late antenatal booking as related by PHC nurses. SETTING : This study was conducted at PHC facilities in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. METHODS : Following qualitative phenomenological design, PHC nurses’ perceptions of cultural practices of antenatal clients contributing to delayed antenatal booking were explored and described. Purposeful sampling was followed to sample PHC nurses with three or more years of experience to respond to in-depth, open-ended questions. Colaizzi’s thematic data analysis was used to facilitate emerging themes and sub-themes. Measures of trustworthiness were ensured for this study. RESULTS : Results show that PHC nurses believe that antenatal clients intentionally book late and use herbs and religious interventions. Furthermore, PHC nurses neglect the cultural practices of antenatal clients. CONCLUSION : Primary health care nurses may encourage trusting relationships by making cultural adjustments and increasing cultural competency, which may increase early antenatal booking, reduce the use of harmful interventions and improve positive perinatal outcomes. CONTRIBUTIONS : This study contributed to an awareness of cultural inertia among PHC nurses, which may be averting clients from openness to health promotion provided at PHC facilities.
Genomic characterization of Klebsiella pneumoniae causing invasive disease in South African infants : observational studies between 2018 and 2023
Olwagen, Courtney P.; Izu, Alane; Khan, Shama; Jones, Stephanie; Briner, Carmen; Kwatra, Gaurav; Van der Merwe, Lara; Dean, Nicholas J.; Baillie, Vicky L.; Mahtab, Sana; Storath, Kimberleigh; Dunn, Imaan; Andrew, Lubomira; Rajyaguru, Urvi; Nakwa, Firdose L.; Velaphi, Sithembiso C.; Wadula, Jeannette; Strehlau, Renate; Van Niekerk, Anika M.; Naidoo, Niree; Ramsamy, Yogandree; Said, Mohamed; Donald, Robert G.K.; Simon, Raphael; Dangor, Ziyaad; Madhi, Shabir A. (Oxford University Press, 2026-01-20)
Please read abstract in the article.
Genome resources of Xanthomonas vasicola strains from various hosts : reference-guided chromosome and plasmid assemblies for enhanced pathogen genomics
Zim, Nomakula Y.; Yssel, Anna E.J.; Coutinho, Teresa A. (Springer, 2026)
No abstract available.
Genome and transcriptome-based identification and expression profiling of chemosensory gene families across developmental stages and tissues in Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae)
Postma, Alisa; Klynsmith, Leandri; Duong, Tuan A.; Allison, Jeremy D.; Smidt, Werner; Waterhouse, Robert M.; Lesny, Peter; Oeyen, Jan Philip; Petersen, Malte; Martin, Sebastian; Liu, Shanlin; Zhou, Xin; Ziesmann, Tanja; Donath, Alexander; Mayer, Christoph; Misof, Bernhard; Niehuis, Oliver; Peters, Ralph S.; Podsiadlowski, Lars; Coetzee, Martin Petrus Albertus; Joubert, Fourie; Slippers, Bernard (Wiley, 2026)
The Sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio; Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is among the most destructive invasive pests affecting Pinus plantations worldwide. Chemosensory systems offer promising targets for pest control strategies. The identification and characterization of chemosensation genes in non-model, economically significant insects such as S. noctilio, is an important first step towards the development of such control methods. Here we sequenced and assembled a draft genome of S. noctilio and performed RNA-sequencing of 15 olfactory and non-olfactory tissues to study the expression patterns of chemosensation-related genes. Specific genes, such as SnocOR16 and SnocSNMP1, displayed tissue- and sex-specific expression patterns, making them particularly intriguing for their potential roles in chemosensation and oviposition. As woodwasps and their related lineages form a sister group to the majority of other Hymenoptera, including Apocrita, insights into their gene repertoires are crucial for tracing the evolutionary history of chemosensory multigene families of this ecologically and economically significant insect order. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying S. noctilio chemosensation, paving the way for further research in chemical ecology and the functional characterization of S. noctilio chemosensation genes.