bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility and psychometric quality of smartphone administered cognitive ecological momentary assessments in women with metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Henneghan Ashley M , Paolillo Emily W , Van Dyk Kathleen M , Franco-Rocha Oscar Y , Bang Soyeong , Tasker Rebecca , Kaufmann Tara , Haywood Darren , Hart Nicolas H , Moore Raeanne C
Published: January 2025

Objective

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is associated with burdensome side effects, including cognitive changes that require ongoing monitoring. Cognitive ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) allow for assessment of individual cognitive functioning in natural environments and can be administered via smartphones. Accordingly, we sought to establish the feasibility, reliability, and validity of a commercially available cognitive EMA platform.

Methods

Using a prospective design, clinical cognitive and psychosocial assessments (cognitive batteries; patient reported outcomes) were collected at baseline, followed by a 28-day daily EMA protocol that included self-ratings for symptoms and mobile cognitive tests (memory, executive functioning, working memory, processing speed). Satisfaction and feedback questions were included in follow-up data collection. Feasibility data were analyzed using mixed descriptive methods. Test-retest reliability was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for each EMA, and Pearson's correlation were used to evaluate convergent validity between cognitive EMAs and baseline clinical cognitive and psychosocial variables.

Results

Fifty-one women with MBC ( n = 51) completed this EMA study. High satisfaction (median 90%), low burden (median 19%), high adherence rates (mean 94%), and 100% retention rate were observed. ICCs for cognitive tests of working memory, executive function, and processing speed were robust (>0.90) and ICC for memory tests acceptable (>0.66). Other correlational findings indicated strong convergent validity for all cognitive and psychosocial EMAs.

Conclusion

Cognitive EMA monitoring for 28 days is feasible and acceptable in women with MBC, with specific cognitive EMAs (mobile cognitive tests; cognitive function self-ratings) demonstrating strong reliability and validity.
A Comparative Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research on Adaptation Interventions for Healthy Aging at Home
Authors: Zhou Wusi , Lyu Xiaoyang , Huang Yuxi , Jiang Biya , Jiang Jianzhong
Published: January 2025

Housing adaptation is recognized as a rehabilitation intervention that makes modifications to the physical environment for older people active aging at home. However, the current delivery of adaptation is centered on a reactive approach that modifies the home when an individual get to crisis. This study aimed to assess the contribution of housing adaptation research outputs across the world and disclose housing adaptation as a public issue not just a private trouble. A comparative bibliometric approach was adopted. All available publications on housing adaptation for healthy aging between 2006 and 2022 in the Web of Science Core Database was retrieved and reviewed systematically. CiteSpace software was first performed to generate a knowledge network, this was followed by HistCite analysis to gain chronological historiographs. There has been a gradual increase of housing adaptation research papers since 2006, with a total of 406 published by 116 journals in 2022. 1,152 authors from 672 institutions in 42 countries have been involved. Housing adaptation has been given research priority in some countries like the US, the UK and Sweden. However, cooperation between researchers is subject to the regional level. Researchers from different countries and institutions came into this scientific field, the dynamic research process can be divided into three stages. Housing adaptation is a public issue in need of expanded interdisciplinary research worldwide. International collaboration will help developing countries to tackle the challenges in the provision of housing adaptation. A gradual shift from reactive towards proactive will encourage an earlier adaptation intervention to maximize inclusive living.
Value of Enterprise Risk Management Integration and Supply Chain Performance: Mediating Role of Firm’s Resilience Capability
Authors: Jidda Jidda Dawud , Zhen Li , Ashraf Sheikh Farhan , Nasir Aemin , Amoako Timothy
Published: January 2025

Every firm aims to generate profit by applying cost-cutting and customer satisfaction approaches in a volatile market. Based on the resource-based theory, this study explored the concept of risk management integration for Nigerian firms regarding supply chain performance. The study proposed a significant relationship between enterprise risk management integration with firm resilience and the supply chain performance of different sector firms. Furthermore, the study also examines the mediating role of firm resilience between enterprise risk management integration and supply chain performance. Data from 572 responses from Nigerian firms were analyzed using AMOS V-26 and Applied Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the validity and reliability. The study findings revealed that factors considering enterprise risk management significantly influence firm resilience and supply chain performance. Firm resilience partially mediates between enterprise risk management integration and supply chain performance. The study concludes that firm resilience helps to enhance supply chain performance through risk management strategies and contingent capabilities.
Looking at NFT Art Through the Eyes of Virtual Communities: A Netnographic Analysis
Authors: Aytas Murat , Karaviran Ceren
Published: January 2025

With the rapid advancement of technology, the transformation of images into digital codes has enabled computer technologies and their derivatives to be included in the art environment, production, and exhibition methods, as well as traditional tools used in artworks. Blockchain and NFT technology, which emerged because of these developments, merged with art to create a new digital art field. This new technology offers new perspectives on the preservation, exhibition and evaluation of art and plays an important role in the digital art economy. The main problematic of this study is to develop an in-depth understanding of the rise of NFT (Non-Fungible Token) technology in the art world and how this new digital art form is perceived by virtual communities. The effects of NFT on the production, distribution, appropriation, and evaluation of artworks have provoked different reactions among artists and art lovers. This study aims to reveal the value, acceptance, and criticism of NFT art in virtual communities through a netnographic analysis. In this study, the perspectives of virtual communities on NFT were examined using a netnographic analysis method. For this purpose, forum sites such as Donanım Haber, R10, Reddit, Shift Delete and Technopat, which have high traffic and active members, were selected and the content shared on these sites between January and October in 2021, when NFT was popular, was analyzed. Discussions, comments, and opinions about NFT on these sites were analyzed in depth. As a result of the study, it was determined that NFT has received various reactions in the art world, some users find this technology meaningless and speculative, while others see NFT as a revolutionary step in the digitalization of art. It is concluded that NFT offers new opportunities to artists and collectors by securing the ownership, authenticity, and trade of artworks in a digital environment.
Parents’ Behavioural Control Affects Chinese College Students’ School Burnout and Perceived Employment Stress: Different Effects via Self-Oriented, Other-Oriented, and Socially Prescribed Perfectionism
Authors: Zhang Liying , Liu Luming , Wang Peizhong , Wu Xinchun , Wang Wenchao
Published: January 2025

School burnout and perceived employment stress are worried mental health issues for Chinese college students. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources model, this study examined the effects of solicitation and restriction on college students’ school burnout and perceived employment stress, and explored the mediating roles of self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism (SOP, OOP, and SPP) in the context of Chinese culture. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, the data were self-reported by 3,720 college students. The results of structural equation models indicated that solicitation negatively predicted school burnout and perceived employment stress, while restriction had a positive prediction. SOP, OOP, and SPP played mediating roles. Solicitation and restriction predicted the three types of perfectionism. OOP and SPP served as risk factors for school burnout and perceived employment stress, whereas SOP played a protective role. These findings helped us better understand and intervene in the psychological health issues of college students.
Effects of Early Sport Specialization on Injury Load Management and Athletic Success of National Basketball Association Players
Authors: Sang Luke , Bach Katherine , Feeley Brian T. , Pandya Nirav K.
Published: January 2025

Background:

The effects of early sport specialization on professional athletes’ resilience in handling increased workloads and athletic success have not been fully described.

Hypothesis:

National Basketball Association (NBA) players who were multisport athletes during high school would be able to withstand higher workloads with lower injury rates and have more athletic success compared with their single-sport peers.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

Included were first-round NBA draft picks from 2013 to 2023 who had played ≥1 game in their first 3 seasons after being drafted. Athletes who had participated in ≥1 high school sports in addition to basketball were classified as multisport athletes, while those who had only played basketball were classified as single-sport athletes. For each player's first 3 NBA seasons, workload data (number of games played and distance traveled per game/season in meters), injury history, statistical performance (player efficiency rating), and end-of-season award history were collected through the official NBA advanced statistics database and through publicly available records.

Results:

Overall, 318 athletes were included, of whom 87 (27.4%) were multisport and 231 (72.6%) were single-sport. During their first 3 seasons combined, multisport athletes played in significantly more games (148.9 ± 67.1 vs 125.8 ± 63.8; P < .01), traveled greater total distances (133,183.9 ± 239,923.0 m vs 73,879.5 ± 165,093.9 m; P < .01), and had a significantly lower percentage of games missed due to injury (13.5% vs 16.9%; P < .001) compared with single-sport athletes. There was a significant correlation between increased workload (total distance traveled) and number of injuries in single-sport athletes ( ρ = 0.37; P < .001) but not in multisport athletes ( ρ = 0.14; P = .20). Last, multisport players had a significantly higher player efficiency rating (12.8 ± 11.6 vs 10.5 ± 5.1; P < .05) and award achievement likelihood (40.2% vs 19.0%; P < .001).

Conclusion:

NBA players who had participated in multiple sports during high school demonstrated an ability to withstand higher workloads while having fewer games missed due to injury when compared with players who had only played basketball. Furthermore, athletes who delayed sport specialization had greater statistical and award success in their professional careers than those who focused on early single-sport specialization.
Evaluation of Factors Associated With Short-term Failure After Primary Isolated PCL Reconstruction: A Study of Patients From the Swedish and Norwegian Knee Ligament Registries
Authors: Zsidai Bálint , Winkler Philipp W. , Naarup Eric , Olsson Ebba , Horvath Alexandra , Moatshe Gilbert , Lind Martin , Musahl Volker , Hamrin Senorski Eric , Samuelsson Kristian
Published: January 2025

Background:

The rate of subjective failure after isolated primary posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCL-R) is relatively high, requiring an improved understanding of factors associated with inferior outcomes.

Purpose:

To determine the association between patient and injury-related factors and total (surgical and clinical) failure at 2 years after PCL-R based on data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry (SNKLR) and the Norwegian Knee Ligament Registry (NKLR).

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Patients with primary isolated PCL-R registered between January 1, 2004 (NKLR), or January 1, 2005 (SNKLR), and December 31, 2020, were included. The primary study outcome was the risk of PCL-R failure at the 2-year follow-up, either surgical (≤2 years of index surgery) or clinical (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] Quality of Life subscale [QoL] <44) failure. Risk factors for failure were estimated utilizing univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Results:

Among the 189 included patients (36.0% from the SNKLR and 64.0% from the NKLR), the rate of 2-year surgical failure was 5.8%, while the rate of clinical failure was 45.0%. Multivariable analysis showed a negative association between the baseline KOOS QoL and the risk of PCL-R failure (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.57-0.97; P = .027). Univariable analysis indicated a positive association between traffic-related injury mechanism and PCL-R failure risk (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.48-6.50; P = .0026), with a further positive association shown in the adjusted (OR, 6.08; 95% CI, 2.00-18.50; P = .0015) and multivariable (OR, 6.11; 95% CI, 2.01-18.55; P = .0014) models. An area under the curve of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.60-0.80) was reported for the final multivariable model, implying at best poor to acceptable ability of the model to estimate PCL-R failure risk based on the variables considered.

Conclusion:

Patients with isolated primary PCL-R had a high (45%) rate of short-term clinical failure, and traffic-related injury was associated with increased odds of failure. No modifiable risk factors were determined as potential predictors of failure. Clinicians treating patients with isolated PCL-R associated with a traffic-related injury mechanism should be aware of a >6-fold increased odds of revision surgery and inferior knee-related quality of life at short-term follow-up.
Swimming in the Deep End: School Board Members Making Sense of Their Roles and Responsibilities
Authors: Willoughby Blake , Lee Se Woong , Crawford Emily R.
Published: January 2025

Little has been dedicated to the experience and potential support for local educational policy actors, school board members, that were at the heart of unprecedented decision and sensemaking during the Covid-19 pandemic. Employing sensemaking theory and an interpretivist case study design, this study conducts interviews with four school board members in a Missouri school district. The study explores their motivations for candidacy and perceptions of the role’s responsibilities, especially as individuals elected during the pandemic. The findings highlight that candidates’ decisions to run are influenced by personal and professional experiences, shaping their initial understanding of the position. However, post-election, a transformative process unfolds in the actual enactment of the role, signifying an evolution in their sensemaking journey. This study contributes to the limited but growing literature on school board members who play critical roles in education and whose roles and responsibilities have often been overlooked in the scholarship.
Practice, Experiences, and Facilitators of Simulation-Based Training During One Year of Implementation in 30 Hospitals in Tanzania
Authors: Kamala Benjamin A. , Moshiro Robert , Kalabamu Florence S. , Kjetil Torgeirsen , Guga Godfrey , Githiri Beatrice , Samson Justine , Chavala Philimon , Qorro Grace , Kayera Damas , Kamala Ivony , Massay Catherine , Mdoe Paschal , Daudi Vickfarajaeli , Mduma Esto , Mwashemele Shally , Bundala Felix , Ersdal Hege , Lafontan Sara Rivenes
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Enhancing the proficiency of healthcare workers (HCWs) in handling birth-related complications is crucial for reducing maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. To achieve this, the Safer Births Bundle of Care offers a comprehensive set of innovative, simulation-based training interventions designed to strengthen the skills and competencies of HCWs working as skilled birth attendants.

Objective

To describe the use of in-situ low-dose, high-frequency simulation-based training, and the experiences of this usage among HCWs and stakeholders at facilities in Tanzania.

Methods

This mixed-methods study included quantitative and qualitative data collected between July 2021 and July 2022 across 30 health facilities in five regions of Tanzania. NeoNatalie Live (NNL) simulators were installed for independent skills and scenario training, and in-situ facilitator-led team simulations were introduced. The training frequency was analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics, and mentorship and supervision reports were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

A large and sustained number of in-situ NNL skill-training sessions ( n = 35,101) and facilitator-led team simulations ( n = 266) were conducted during the first year. Clinical burden per HCW did not affect the frequency of NNL skills training at the health facility level ( r = −0.16, p = .40) nor facilitator-led team simulations. There was a positive but weak correlation between the frequency of facilitator-led team simulations and NNL skills training ( r = 0.34, p = .05). Qualitative data showed a high degree of motivation and participation among all stakeholders, and active use of hospital data, both clinical indicators and training data, was perceived as a success factor.

Conclusion

Facilitator-led in-situ simulation training was more likely to occur where individual skills-training sessions were recorded. Training sessions took place regardless of the increased workload.
Effects of sex on imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke with unknown onset time: a pooled analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Fukuda-Doi Mayumi , Koga Masatoshi , Thomalla Götz , Jensen Märit , Inoue Manabu , Yoshimura Sohei , Miwa Kaori , Gerloff Christian , Davis Stephen M , Donnan Geoffrey A , Ma Henry , Hacke Werner , Ringleb Peter , Wu Ona , Schwamm Lee H , Warach Steven , Toyoda Kazunori
Published: January 2025

Introduction:

The effects of imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis on outcomes based on patient sex remain unclear. We aimed to investigate whether outcomes among patients with stroke with an unknown onset time and treated with imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis are influenced by their sex.

Patients and Methods:

This study was a pooled analysis of individual patient-level data acquired from the Evaluation of unknown Onset Stroke thrombolysis trials. Patients treated with imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis for stroke with an unknown onset time were included. The primary outcome was a favourable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0–1) at 90 days. The sex-based difference in outcomes was studied using mixed-effect logistic or ordinal regression models, considering potential heterogeneity across trials.

Results:

Out of 509 patients in total, 204 (40.1%) were women. Compared with men, women were older and more likely to have atrial fibrillation. Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was higher and hours from last-known-well to treatment were longer for women than for men. Favourable outcomes occurred less often among women than among men. However, multivariate adjustment revealed a non-significant association between female sex and favourable outcome (adjusted odds ratio: 1.04 [95% confidence interval: 0.66–1.52], p = 0.98).

Discussion and conclusion:

Pooled data from the included clinical trials showed that women with ischaemic stroke with an unknown onset time had worse functional outcomes following imaging-based intravenous thrombolysis than did men. However, this sex-based difference can be explained by the higher age and more severe clinical status at onset among women.
Studying tech adoption with “text-as-data”: Opportunities, pitfalls, and complementarities in the case of transportation
Authors: Chiu Shih-Hung , Han Tianyu , Post Alison E , Ratan Ishana , Soga Kenichi
Published: January 2025

The rapid digitization and publication of local government records presents researchers with an unprecedented chance to study governance processes. In tandem, advances in computer science and statistics—alongside significant increases in computational power—have led to the development of “text-as-data” methods and their application to social science and policy research. This paper evaluates the potential utility of digitized public meeting minutes and video recordings for studying decision-making about technology adoption by local public agencies, using survey data on the same topic as a benchmark. Focusing on transit agencies in California, we evaluate surveys and digitized meeting records with respect to overall data availability, bias in data availability, and the types of information about technology adoption contained. We find that meeting minutes and video recordings are available for more than twice as many agencies than for a state transit agency-sponsored survey, and that the availability of digitized records is not skewed toward larger agencies, as is the case for survey data. Meanwhile, we find important complementarities with respect to the type of information available about technology adoption in these three data sources.
Haunted by hunting: A landscape geneology of the biopolitics, necropolitics, and sovereign power of red deer and wild boar management at the Veluwe
Authors: van Heijgen Eugenie , Turnhout Esther , Driessen Clemens
Published: January 2025

The Veluwe is considered as one of the most important nature areas in the Netherlands. Its public appeal in part derives from the presence of large ungulates, such as red deer and wild boar. These populations of red deer and wild boar are caught up in management practices and spaces of control that have emerged as part of the history of the Veluwe as an elite hunting reserve, including material practices and imaginations of nature and culture. Historically, these deer and boars were considered to be hunting animals, but now they are killed under the name of wildlife management. Yet, the hunting histories of this space persist through certain landscapes, particular animal species and breeds, discourses and symbolic meanings, resulting in the production of particular biopolitical subjects and objects. In this article, we draw on an ethnography of these hunting landscapes and historical and archival research to trace the genealogy of the ways in which certain forms of bio-, necro-, and sovereign power are inscribed into the landscape of the Veluwe and how these forms of power continue to play a role in the lives and deaths of these animals today. The case of the Veluwe contributes to a growing understanding of how conservation in many places has emerged as part of elite hunting practices.
Central nodes and polycentricity at the micro-scale: Evaluating carbon emissions across Beijing’s subdistricts
Authors: Li Yuetong , Lee Seungil
Published: January 2025

This study aims to clarify the impact mechanisms of urban polycentric spatial structures on carbon emissions within micro-planning frameworks. This paper presents new insights into the implementation of carbon-neutrality strategies from two perspectives of urban structure spatial within micro-granular urban subdistricts: “central nodes” and “polycentricity.” Utilizing spatial data from night-time lights, Open-source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2 (ODIAC), and China Land Cover Dataset (CLCD), this study adopts a dual perspective of a “dispersed structure layout—concentrated development” model. Initially, it employs a spatial autocorrelation model to depict the urban internal spatial structure and variations in spatial carbon emissions from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity. Subsequently, the spatial Durbin model is used to empirically examine the effects of the evolution of urban spatial multicentric structures on carbon emissions. The findings indicate that from the perspective of polycentricity, both functional polycentricity with multiple high-economic impact centers and the dispersion of urban construction land under morphological polycentricity lead to increased carbon emissions. From the perspective of central nodes, the polycentric development model, characterized by low centralization and high concentration, is more conducive to carbon neutrality. Last, compared to the monocentric model of low centralization and high concentration in urban areas, the “lightweight” dispersed polycentric model in ecological regions helps to minimize urban expansion, thereby mitigating the impact on carbon emissions.
Providing an e-cigarette starter kit for smoking cessation and reduction as adjunct to usual care to smokers with a mental health condition: findings from the ESCAPE feasibility study
Authors: Kale Dimitra , Beard Emma , Marshall Anna-Marie , Pervin Jodi , Wu Qi , Ratschen Elena , Shahab Lion
Published: January 2025

Background

Smoking rates in the UK have declined steadily over the past decades, masking considerable inequalities, as little change has been observed among people with a mental health condition. This trial sought to assess the feasibility and acceptability of supplying an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) starter kit for smoking cessation as an adjunct to usual care for smoking cessation, to smokers with a mental health condition treated in the community, to inform a future effectiveness trial.

Methods

This randomised controlled feasibility trial, conducted March-December 2022, compared the intervention (e-cigarette starter kit with a corresponding information leaflet and demonstration with Very Brief Advice) with a ‘usual care’ control at 1-month follow-up. Participants were ≥ 18 years, receiving treatment for any mental health condition in primary or secondary care in three Mental Health Trusts in Yorkshire and one in London, UK. They were also willing to address their smoking through either cessation or reduction of cigarette consumption. The agreed primary outcome measure was feasibility (consent ~ 15% of eligible participants; attrition rate < 30%). Acceptability, validated sustained abstinence and ≥ 50% cigarette consumption reduction at 1-month, were also evaluated and qualitative interviews conducted to further explore acceptability in this population.

Results

Feasibility targets were partially met; of 201 eligible participants, 43 (mean age = 45.2, SD = 12.7; 39.5% female) were recruited (21.4%) and randomised (intervention:48.8%, n = 21; control:51.2%, n = 22). Attrition rate was 37.2% at 1-month follow-up and was higher (45.5%) in the control group. At follow-up (n = 27), 93.3% (n = 14) in the intervention group and 25.0% (n = 3) in the control group reported e-cigarette use. The intervention was well received with minimal negative effects. In intention-to-treat analysis, validated sustained abstinence at 1-month was 2/21 (9.5%) and 0/22 (0%) and at least 50% reduction in cigarette consumption 13/21 (61.9%) and 3/22 (13.6%), for the intervention and control group, respectively. Qualitative analysis of participant interviews (N = 5) showed the intervention was broadly acceptable, but they also highlighted areas of improvements for the intervention and trial delivery.

Conclusions

Offering an e-cigarette starter kit to smokers with a mental health condition treated in the community was acceptable and largely feasible, with harm reduction outcomes (i.e. switching from cigarette smoking to e-cigarette use and substantial reduction in cigarette consumption) favouring the intervention. The findings of the study will be used to help inform the design of a main trial.

Trial Registration

Registry: ISRCTN. Registration number: ISRCTN17691451. Date of registration: 30/09/2021
Surveillance of drug prescribing: why outliers miss their targets – a qualitative study
Authors: Gollnick Julia , Zeschick Nikoletta , Hörbrand Franziska , Killian Peter , Sebastiao Maria , Kühlein Thomas , Donner-Banzhoff Norbert
Published: January 2025

Background

Rising costs are a challenge for healthcare systems. To keep expenditure for drugs under control, in many healthcare systems, drug prescribing is continuously monitored. The Bavarian Drug Agreement (German: Wirkstoffvereinbarung or WSV) for the ambulatory sector in Bavaria (the federal state of Germany) was developed for this purpose. Physicians must reach defined drug target quotas for prescribing generic drugs and certain recommended drugs specified and measured with defined daily doses (DDD). A subgroup of physicians, known as outliers, may miss their drug targets. The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the reasons physicians miss their targets.

Methods

We identified outliers based on drug prescribing data from the association of statutory health insurance (SHI)-accredited physicians (KV). Outliers were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews.

Results

Out of 401 outliers thus identified n = 26 physicians were interviewed. Their prescribing behaviours are affected by competing demands regarding drug decisions, such as saving staff time, costs, and discussions with patients. Often, their freedom to prescribe is limited by previous prescribers. Ease of administration of drugs not recommended also plays a role. Uncritical enthusiasm regarding the effectiveness and safety of drugs with recommendations, often reinforced by pharmaceutical marketing, leads to missed targets. Some physicians have coping strategies to avoid becoming outliers.

Conclusions

Investigating physicians not meeting their targets helps us understand beliefs and barriers for appropriate drug prescribing. Based on these kinds of findings, surveillance procedures can be improved, and physicians can receive support to meet targets in the future.

Trial registration

This trial has been registered in the German Register of Clinical Trials (DRKS: DRKS00016161; registration date 07. December 2018).
Events supposedly attributable to vaccination or immunization of COVID-19 vaccines in Brazil: a cross-sectional study
Authors: do Carmo Pimenta Poliana , Geraldine Vitoria Gabriele Souza , de Aquino Lima Thais Cristina , Tourinho Fillipe Silva , de Oliveira Rodrigues Denis , do Nascimento Murilo César , Dias Lívia Máris Ribeiro Paranaiba
Published: January 2025

COVID-19 vaccines effectively reduce morbidity and mortality but are associated with Events Supposedly Attributable to Vaccination or Immunization (ESAVI). This cross-sectional study examined the incidence and characteristics of ESAVI in Brazil during 2021, using data from e-SUS Notifica and Vacivida. Among 109,424 reports, the incidence rates were 30.82 ESAVI and 83.08 symptoms per 100,000 doses. Most reports involved women (70.83%), individuals aged 30–39, and residents of the southern region. Common symptoms included headache, fever, and myalgia. AstraZeneca accounted for 56.79% of cases. Non-severe cases predominated (95.03%), with 78.7% classified as “product-related according to the literature.” Mortality was rare (0.03%), but a significant association was identified between DNA vaccines and deaths (χ2 = 4.333; p = 0.037; OR = 2.673; 95% CI 1.020–7.007). Regional disparities were evident, with higher incidences in the South and Southeast. Underreporting of non-severe cases remains a challenge. Logistic regression showed lower odds of severe ESAVI among adults and Black/Brown individuals, while Pfizer vaccines and initial doses were linked to higher odds. These results highlight the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in Brazil while emphasizing the need for strengthened post-vaccination surveillance to address regional disparities, health inequities, and vaccine hesitancy.
Exploring the relationship between proactive inhibition and restrictive eating behaviours in severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN)
Authors: Bartholdy Savani , Dalton Bethan , Rennalls Samantha J. , Kekic Maria , McClelland Jessica , Campbell Iain C. , O’Daly Owen G. , Schmidt Ulrike
Published: January 2025

Background

There is a need for improved understanding of why 20–30% of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) develop a severe and enduring form of illness (SE-AN). Previously, we reported differences in proactive inhibition (a pre-emptive slowing of responses) in individuals with AN compared to healthy controls (after controlling for intolerance of uncertainty). The present study is a preliminary exploration of proactive inhibition in which we compared women with SE-AN with healthy comparison (HC) women and explored its association with restrictive/avoidant eating behaviours.

Methods

Thirty-four women with SE-AN (defined by >3 years of illness and a previous unsuccessful course of eating disorder treatment) and 30 HCs completed (a) a cued reaction time task, to assess proactive inhibition, and (b) questionnaires assessing restrictive/avoidant eating behaviours and intolerance of uncertainty.

Results

Both SE-AN and HC participants showed slower reaction times under conditions of uncertainty, indicating proactive inhibition in both groups. There was a main effect of group, with SE-AN participants showing significantly slower reaction times compared to HC. There was no interaction between group and condition, suggesting that individuals with SE-AN did not differ in proactive inhibition compared to HCs. However, post-hoc analysis between-group tests for each trial type revealed that group differences were only present under conditions of uncertainty. Proactive inhibition was not significantly associated with self-reported restrictive/avoidant eating behaviours, including when taking intolerance of uncertainty into consideration.

Conclusions

It is unlikely that proactive inhibition contributes to avoidant and restrictive eating behaviours seen in SE-AN. Our findings suggest that the SE-AN group are relatively more cautious when responding under conditions of uncertainty. Longitudinal studies and between-group comparisons of individuals across different stages of illness will be required to elucidate the way in which proactive inhibition is specifically implicated in SE-AN, rather than in AN more generally.
Innovative financial solutions for sustainable investments using artificial intelligence-based hybrid fuzzy decision-making approach in carbon capture technologies
Authors: Yüksel Serhat , Eti Serkan , Dinçer Hasan , Gökalp Yaşar , Olaru Gabriela Oana , Oflaz Nihal Kalaycı
Published: January 2025

High costs, technical difficulties, and policy uncertainties are the main challenges in carbon capture technology investments. Therefore, innovative financial products are required to develop projects that overcome these difficulties. Some issues must be considered when developing innovative financial products. An important problem in this process is that these features cannot possibly exist together in the new financial product, because each of these features incurs some costs. Therefore, identifying the most important features of innovative financial products is necessary. Accordingly, this study develops a new and innovative financial product to increase the effectiveness of investments in carbon capture technologies. For this purpose, a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based fuzzy decision-making model is constructed. First, the weights of the experts were calculated by considering AI methodology. Second, the factors affecting investment in carbon capture technologies were weighted using a spherical fuzzy DEMATEL. Finally, the financial features required for investments were ranked using the spherical fuzzy ARAS method. This study’s main contribution is its creation of a novel fuzzy decision-making model by integrating AI methodology with fuzzy decision-making theory. In this process, the weights of the experts are calculated using an AI approach. It is concluded that cost-effectiveness must be prioritized in the development of new financial products. Technological competence is another aspect that should be considered in this process. However, innovative financial products should include risk management and flexible financing.
Evidence for microbially-mediated tradeoffs between growth and defense throughout coral evolution
Authors: Epstein Hannah E. , Brown Tanya , Akinrinade Ayọmikun O. , McMinds Ryan , Pollock F. Joseph , Sonett Dylan , Smith Styles , Bourne David G. , Carpenter Carolina S. , Knight Rob , Willis Bette L. , Medina Mónica , Lamb Joleah B. , Thurber Rebecca Vega , Zaneveld Jesse R.
Published: January 2025

Background

Evolutionary tradeoffs between life-history strategies are important in animal evolution. Because microbes can influence multiple aspects of host physiology, including growth rate and susceptibility to disease or stress, changes in animal-microbial symbioses have the potential to mediate life-history tradeoffs. Scleractinian corals provide a biodiverse, data-rich, and ecologically-relevant host system to explore this idea.

Results

Using a comparative approach, we tested if coral microbiomes correlate with disease susceptibility across 425 million years of coral evolution by conducting a cross-species coral microbiome survey (the “Global Coral Microbiome Project”) and combining the results with long-term global disease prevalence and coral trait data. Interpreting these data in their phylogenetic context, we show that microbial dominance predicts disease susceptibility, and traced this dominance-disease association to a single putatively beneficial symbiont genus, Endozoicomonas. Endozoicomonas relative abundance in coral tissue explained 30% of variation in disease susceptibility and 60% of variation in microbiome dominance across 40 coral genera, while also correlating strongly with high growth rates.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that the evolution of Endozoicomonas symbiosis in corals correlates with both disease prevalence and growth rate, and suggest a mediating role. Exploration of the mechanistic basis for these findings will be important for our understanding of how microbial symbioses influence animal life-history tradeoffs.
Development of an implementation intervention to promote adoption of the COMFORT clinical practice guideline for peripartum pain management: a qualitative study
Authors: Sharif Limi , Cocroft Shelytia , Smith Shawna N. , Benincasa Christopher , Peahl Alex F. , Low Lisa Kane , Waljee Jennifer , Miller Carrie , Simpson Carey , Moniz Michelle H.
Published: January 2025

Background

Pain management after childbirth is widely variable, increasing risk of untreated pain, opioid harms, and inequitable experiences of care. The Creating Optimal Pain Management FOR Tailoring Care (COMFORT) clinical practice guideline (CPG) seeks to promote evidence-based, equitable acute peripartum pain management in the United States. We aimed to identify contextual conditions (i.e., barriers and facilitators) and discrete implementation strategies (i.e., theory-based actions taken to routinize a clinical practice) likely to influence COMFORT CPG uptake and specify corresponding multi-component implementation interventions at the perinatal quality collaborative- and unit-level.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study involving virtual individual interviews and focus groups. Interviews included individuals undergoing childbirth from 2018–2023, (recruited through two online registries), and actively practicing maternity clinicians and surgeons, (recruited via snowball sampling with the eDelphi panel creating the COMFORT CPG), caring for pregnant people in the United States. Focus groups included physicians, midwives, nurses, and unit-based quality improvement (QI) staff working at Michigan hospitals within the Obstetrics Initiative, a statewide perinatal quality collaborative funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change taxonomy, and Replicating Effective Programs framework informed data collection and analysis. Qualitative content analysis characterized influential contextual conditions, which were linked to implementation strategies and tools using principles of implementation mapping. We then specified multi-component implementation interventions for use by quality collaboratives and unit-based teams.

Results

From May–September 2023, we completed 57 semi-structured individual interviews (31 patients, 26 clinicians) and six focus groups (44 QI champions). Participants identified 10 key conditions influential for COMFORT CPG adoption. Findings enabled identification of five collaborative-level implementation strategies, 27 unit-level implementation strategies, and 12 associated tools to promote COMFORT CPG adoption including the specification of each strategy’s hypothesized mechanism of action and each tool’s goal and potential uses.

Conclusions

This work identifies contextual conditions and implementation strategies and tools at the perinatal quality collaborative and unit levels to promote COMFORT CPG adoption on maternity units. These findings may foster more rapid CPG implementation and thereby promote more equitable and evidence-based perinatal pain management care.
One-year outcome and quality of life of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to intensive care unit: a single-center retrospective pilot study
Authors: Bergamini Carlo , Brogi Etrusca , Salvigni Sara ,   Cesena Outcome Group, Castagnoli Diletta , Catucci Mattea , Gasperini Chiara , Cecchini Erica , Bevoni Moana , Bartoletti Sabina , Russo Maria , Faedo Serena , Pietrantozzi Dario , Passero Silvia , Romoli Michele , Bini Giovanni , Venditto Alessandra , Lafe Elvis , D’Andrea Marcello , Tosatto Luigino , Ruggiero Maria , Agnoletti Vanni , Russo Emanuele
Published: January 2025

Patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) after non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) represent a group with distinctive characteristics and few data are available on long-term outcome in this population. We conducted a single-center retrospective study in an Italian intensive care unit. All patients with non-traumatic SAH (ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 430) admitted to ICU were included. Disability and quality of life were evaluated via telephone interview after 12–15 months after initial bleeding using GOSE and EuroQoL, respectively. Baseline and clinical course characteristics were analyzed to evaluate relation with poor outcome defined as GOSE ≤ 3. Final population consisted of 38 patients. Twenty-four patients (63.2%) had favorable outcome (GOSE ≥ 4). Among 29 patients (76.3%) who survived at 1 year, median EQ-5D Index was 0.743 (IQR 0.287), while median EQ-VAS was 74.79 (IQR 18.5). Median EQ-5D Index and median EQ-VAS were higher among patients with favorable outcome (EQ-5D Index p = 0.037, EQ-VAS p = 0.003). Among baseline characteristics, only HH scale showed a significant relation with disability at one year (p = 0.033). Between complications occurred during ICU-stay only early HICP was related with unfavorable outcome (p = 0.028). Higher HH scale and early HICP were related with unfavorable outcome. Among patients with unfavorable outcome, quality of life has a broad range of variability, and this result should be taken into account when reporting patient-centered outcomes.
Evaluation of Entomopathogenic Nematode Isolates against Subterranean Termites under Laboratory and Field Conditions
Authors: Abate Gutema Belay , Melisie Achlehum Dawit , Tesfaye Edosa Tariku , Feyisa Belay , Yimer Fikremariam , Daba Dinka Teshale
Published: January 2025

Background Termites are a major insect pest affecting agricultural production and woody materials. They cause severe devastation in the ecosystem, and lead to bare soil. This phenomenon causes the soil to become difficult to plow, which in turn leads to a reduction in the productivity of crops. It can cause 100 % yield losses based on crop types, level of the damage, and size of its populations. To manage this pest, different management options have been evaluated in Ethiopia. While insecticide usage is the dominant option, less attention has been given to Entomopathogenic Nematode (EPN) based management options. Therefore, this research was initiated to screen locally collected EPN isolates and evaluate promising isolates under field conditions on maize crop. Methods 37 EPN isolates were screened under laboratory condition, while two isolates were evaluated at field condition. The screening of EPN isolates was laid out in a completely randomized design, and the field evaluation used a completely randomized block design, and treatments were replicated thrice. Mortality of insect, damaged root, stem, cob, damage severity, foraging termites, and yield of the crop data were collected. Results The study indicated that all screened EPN isolates caused mortality on termites under laboratory conditions. The isolates achieved complete mortality of the insect pest within 12 days of exposure. The finding indicated that AEH and S#50 were the more pathogenic and virulent isolates on termites under laboratory conditions and taken to field study. The S#50 isolate was most pathogenic and reduced the infestation and severity of the insect pest on the maize crop under field conditions. Conclusions This result showed that the entomopathogenic nematode isolates have the potential to manage subterranean termites in the maize field. Future studies should be based on collection of local isolates and develop a full package for the virulent isolates.
Concurrent stunting among under-five children in Egypt
Authors: Elmighrabi Nagwa Farag , Fleming Catharine A. K. , Agho Kingsley E.
Published: January 2025

Background Stunting still represents a major public health problem in Egypt, impacting around one-third of children under five and leading to a 2-3% drop in Gross domestic product (GDP). Therefore, this study examined the trends in the prevalence of stunting and its associated factors among children aged 0-23 months, 24-59 months and 0-59 months in Egypt. Methods The study used combined data from the 2005, 2008, and 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), with a total sample of 39,857 children aged 0-59 months. A multilevel logistic regression that adjusts for sampling weights and clustering was performed to analyse the factors associated with stunting among children in Egypt. Results The prevalence of stunting was 24.8% in children aged 0-23 months, 24.3% in children aged 24-59 months, and 24.5 % in children aged 0-59 months. After controlling for potential confounders, the common factors associated with stunting in three age groups were mothers with primary education and mothers who did not have an antenatal care (ANC) visit during pregnancy. Maternal short stature (height < 155 cm) was associated with an increased risk of stunting in three age groups compared to mothers taller than 160 cm. Conclusion Addressing the causes of stunting in Egypt necessitates sectoral collaboration, including health, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and social protection, with the implementation of targeted interventions focusing on children born to short mothers. Interventions must be accessible for families with low socioeconomic status, focusing on improved healthcare access, parent education, and infant and young child feeding practices. A systematic nutrition monitoring framework that enables routine data collection on nutritional outcomes to monitor and improve child health is recommended.