bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early assessment and intervention by a dedicated health and social care professional team in the emergency department in older adults compared to treatment-as-usual: Health Economic Analysis Plan for within-trial cost effectiveness analysis
Authors: Corcoran Cian , Ruiz-Adame Manuel , Trépel Dominic
Published: March 2023

Background: Older adults (aged over 65 years) experience high rates of adverse outcomes after presenting to emergency departments (EDs). The OPTI-MEND trial aimed to examine what impact intervention and early assessment by a dedicated health and social care professional (HSCP) team can have on quality of care for older adults in EDs. This paper presents the finalized Health Economic Analysis Plan (HEAP) specifying how the within-trial cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) will be conducted.

Methods: This HEAP was developed retrospectively in collaboration with the OPTI-MEND team and the trial health economist to provide a plan to conduct the CEA. The HEAP aimed to fulfil international recommendations from a consensus of the required items for inclusion in HEAPs. In line with best practice guidelines, and to ensure full visibility in the scientific process, this paper makes the HEAP available in the public domain.

Results: This HEAP illustrates the plan we followed when conducting our CEA. As this paper is a protocol it has no concrete results. A detailed list of all items in the HEAP are provided as Extended data on Open Science Framework at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YVG2P.

Conclusions: Cost effectiveness analysis is an opportunity to extend beyond the primary clinical analysis of a trial. Congruent to a trial’s statistical analysis plan (SAP), a HEAP outlines the plan for estimating cost effectiveness and avoiding potentially spurious post-hoc analysis and questionable policy recommendations.
The impact of COVID-19 on the Persian Gulf: the realist perspective
Authors: Grabowski Wojciech
Published: March 2023

This article aims to show the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on international relations and state policy in the Persian Gulf through the prism of realism theory. COVID-19 became a game changer for the domestic politics of the Persian Gulf countries and for the balance of power in that subregion. The application of realism reveals the statecraft of the Arab Persian Gulf during the pandemic to be a struggle for power and its consolidation. Therefore the hypothesis of the article holds that the authoritarian Arab Gulf states used the global COVID-19 pandemic crisis to consolidate and strengthen regime power and conduct humanitarian/mask/COVID-19 diplomacy toward the regimes most affected by the pandemic, shifting the geopolitical landscape. The first part of the article presents the general assumption of the analysis and the theoretical framework. The second and the third respectively discuss domestic and foreign policies of the Arab Persian Gulf states in the face of the pandemic, highlighting strengthening authoritarian tendencies and authoritarian bilateral cooperation. The fourth part relate to the Gulf Cooperation Council and its reaction on COVID-19. The last part draws on the theoretical framework adopted in the article offer conclusions that answer research questions.
The genome sequence of the Northern Deep-brown Dart, Aporophyla lueneburgensis (Freyer, 1848)
Authors: Boyes Douglas , Holland Peter W.H. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: March 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Aporophyla lueneburgensis (the Northern Deep-brown Dart; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence is 978.3 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.5 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 12,580 protein coding genes.
Inquiry into the Use of Five Whys in Industry
Authors: Barsalou Matthew , Starzyńska Beata
Published: March 2023

Purpose: This research seeks to understand the purpose five whys is used for in industry as well as what quality tools are used together with five whys.
Methodology/Approach: A survey was sent to organizations previously identified for an unrelated survey. The survey was sent to 98 organizations in Poland and 47 organizations responded. There were four respondents who reported being unfamiliar with five whys and their responses were discarded. The reported uses of five whys were assessed using a Chi-square goodness of fit test. The way in which five whys is used, either as a brainstorming tool or a method that requires investigation, and the purpose of five whys were compared to the intended use using a hypothesis test of two proportions. The quality tools used with five whys was then assessed using a Chi-square goodness of fit test.
Findings: Although more respondents use five whys as a root cause analysis (RCA) tool, the difference was not statistically significant. Respondents who used five whys with investigation used five whys as both a method for quality improvement and RCA more often than those who used five whys as a brainstorming tool without investigation. There was no statistically significant difference in using five whys for RCA and those who used five whys as a brainstorming tool reported using five whys for quality improvement more often. Although many different quality tools were reported, the Ishikawa diagram is by far the quality tool used the most with five whys.
Research Limitation/Implication: This paper used a survey that was limited to one region of Poland.
Originality/Value of paper: This paper provides the first insights into the use of five whys in organizations; as a method for quality improvement, RCA, or both.
Modelling Customer Satisfaction of Smartphones in the Czech Republic
Authors: Suchánek Petr , Sobota Radovan
Published: March 2023

Purpose: The goal of this paper is to model customer satisfaction of smartphone select manufacturers in the Czech Republic (CR). Furthermore, the paper aims to model the factors which affect customer satisfaction of the smartphone.
Methodology/Approach: A questionnaire was sent to 1,063 respondents in CR to collect data. Using structural equation modelling, relationships between factors of customer satisfaction within three models of customer satisfaction of select smartphone manufacturers were modelled.
Findings: Effects of all investigated factors of customer satisfaction were verified, as well as all items which constituted the factors. Additionally, the functioning of the factor of total satisfaction with dimensions of general satisfaction and price tolerance was verified.
Research Limitation/Implication: The research is limited by its focus exclusively CR, the number of manufacturers included in the research is rather low and small number of factors and items included in those factors.
Originality/Value of paper: The models differed from each other in terms of the strength and direction of the relationships between the factors, which has implications for these recommendations. In general, each manufacturer has its own strengths and weaknesses (factors) that affect customer satisfaction with its product. Individual manufacturers can increase customer satisfaction by strengthening the positive factors or by learning from their competitors and eliminating or improving the factors that currently affect customer satisfaction negatively.
Reversible 'unstable' abdominal angina caused by ruptured plaque of the superior mesenteric artery: clinical and radiological correlations
Authors: Yaari Shaul , Hiller Nurith , Samet Yacov , Heyman Samuel Noam
Published: March 2023

Unstable angina, characteristic of coronary artery disease, is caused by in-situ clot formation complicating ruptured atheromatous plaque. Abdominal angina, however, usually reflects chronic mesenteric ischaemia, caused by multi-vessel stable plaques involving mesenteric arteries. Herein, we describe a patient with new-onset abdominal pain caused by a ruptured atheromatous plaque at the superior mesenteric root. The diagnosis was based on an evident reversible epigastric bruit and high-degree eccentric stenosis caused by a non-calcified atheroma. Symptoms and bruit resolved within 3 weeks on aspirin and statins with regression of the stenotic lesion. Although the condition is likely common, this is the first clear-cut report compatible with 'unstable' abdominal angina, resolved by conservative treatment.
Safety, tolerability and efficacy of incobotulinumtoxinA for the long-term treatment of upper facial lines
Authors: Bonelli Eugenia
Published: March 2023

Aesthetics procedures have increased in popularity over the last few years and have grown to be increasingly affordable to the general population. This literature review aims to explore the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of IncobotulintoxinA in the long-term treating facial lines in response to concerns regarding the effects of repeated treatments with the most currently used formulations in the market. Using the PubMed and CINAHL databases, a review of two prospective studies has been conducted. Results show that IncobotulintoxinA has less concentration of proteins in its formula, leading to less risk of developing neutralizing antibodies down the line with repeated injections. Methodological limitations of the two studies are also discussed.
Fields of U-invariants of matrix tuples
Authors: Panov Aleksandr
Published: March 2023

The general linear group $\mathrm{GL}(n)$ acts on the direct sum of $m$ copies of $\mathrm{Mat}(n)$ by the adjoint action. The action of $\mathrm{GL}(n)$ induces the action of the unitriangular subgroup $U$. We present the system of free generators of the field of $U$-invariants.
Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of Burkitt's Lymphoma Among Sudanese Patients
Authors: M. Alkhanjaf Abdulrab Ahmed , Osman Elradi Wala Eldin , Muddathir Abdel Rahim Mahmoud , Abdelgadir Ream Elzain , Abdallah Elharam Ibrahim , E Hassan Elhashimi
Published: March 2023

Burkitt lymphoma, one of the two main types of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL), is a cancer type that develops in the lymphatic system and is a very aggressive lymphoma. This study looked into the cytogenetic and molecular characteristics of Burkitt lymphoma in Sudanese individuals. Paraffin embedded tissue blocks associated to 34 people who had previously been diagnosed with burkitt's lymphoma and retained were studied as part of a retrospective cross-sectional study in Khartoum state, Sudan, in September 2017. The Soba Teaching Governmental Hospital and private histology laboratories provided these blocks. The analysis component included three translocations, including t(8;14) (q24;q32), t(8;22) (q24;q11), and t(2;8) (p12;q24) for 34 patients. We discovered that the majority of patients have t(8;14) (q24;q32), which was positive in 44.1% (15/34), while t(8;22) (q24;q11) verified in 17.6% (6/34) of patients. Only one (2.9%) displays a positive result for t(2; 8) (p12;q24). Although immune-phenotyping and morphological characteristics for BL were found in the study's 12 cases (35.3%), it is possible that these cases represent a different variety of Burkitt's lymphoma caused by different forms of translocation. According to the study's findings, t(8;14) (q24;q32) remains the most common chromosomal rearrangement among Sudanese individuals with BL. Nevertheless, translocation of BL variations may exist, necessitating the use of advanced tools like sequencing, as these variants may play a significant role in the development and prognosis of disease.
Assessment of Dose Dependent Toxicity of Meloxicam in Gallus Domesticus
Authors: Patel Nisha , Saran Ram Prakash , Kanwar Nisha , Riyad Priyanka
Published: March 2023

The main objective of the study was to investigate long term use of meloxicam on avian species especially on Gallus domesticus. Animals were divided into 4 groups each having 5 animals. Group I was control and was fed normal diet (maize, grains and millet). Group II was treated with low dose of meloxicam for 15 days. Group III was treated with low dose of meloxicam for 30 days. Group IV was treated with low dose of meloxicam for 60 days. The effect was studied specially on hepatic and renal functions. Meloxicam was given at low dose (0.1 mg/kg body weight) to treatment groups for 15, 30 and 60 days. For biochemical estimation blood and serum were collected by sacrificing animals. Tissues of vital organs were fixed for histological examination. Long term administration of meloxicam cause variation in liver and kidney functioning. No significant change was observed in organ weight of treated groups as compared with control. No significant changes were observed in treated groups as compared to control in hematological parameters, biochemical parameters and lipid profile except SGOT, SGPT and alkaline phosphate in these parameters significant increase was observed. Significant changes were also observed in antioxidant analysis of treated groups as significant increase was observed in LPO and significant decrease in FRAP concentration was observed which signifies the results of histological changes especially in kidney and liver. Changes in histology of treated groups showed effect on kidney and liver as reduction (shrinkage) in glomerulus size and changes in histoarchitecture of central vein in liver of treated group was observed as compared to control group other histological examinations were normal. From results this can be concluded that long term low dose treatment of meloxicam has altered the histoarchitecture of liver and kidney of Gallus domesticus.
Evaluating Awareness, Perceptions and Practices Regarding Medication Errors in General Public for Achieving Medication Safety. A Questionnaire-Based Survey
Authors: S H Lavanya , L Kalpana
Published: March 2023

Context: Medication errors are a serious threat to patient’s safety. General public are important stakeholders in ensuring medication safety. However, majority are not well-informed about safe use of medicines. Aims: To evaluate knowledge, perception and practices of general public regarding medication errors and to create awareness about ‘Responsible Use of Medicines’ to achieve medication safety. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive, questionnaire-based study that utilized an electronic-survey form to gather information from respondents. The pre-validated questionnaire included various sections to elicit responses regarding demographic details, knowledge, perceptions and practices of general population regarding medication use and safety on a three-point scale, was circulated on social media platforms. On study completion, an awareness video & educational e-booklet based on WHO’s ‘Medication Without Harm’ guidelines were circulated. Statistical analysis used: Descriptive statistics used. Categorical-data was represented in the form of frequencies and proportions. Results: Majority (43.2%) of participants belonged to 31-40 years age-group and 51.5% had Master’s degree. Around 76.2% were aware of the serious implications of medication errors and 69.6% felt that these could be prevented. Approximately >60% believed that healthcare professionals were responsible for medication errors. Majority had safe medication usage practices like informing doctors about other medications, enquiring about drug dosage, proper route, side effects and checking for expiry date. The most common errors committed included not taking prescribed drugs (52%), inappropriate method (25%), incomplete course (19.3%) and wrong dose (7.9%). Conclusions: Ensuring medication safety is the cornerstone of prudent medical care. Creating awareness among patients, public & caregivers holds the key for minimizing medication-errors.
Phase relations in heat treated sodium borosilicate glasses
Authors:   TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Sander S. A. H. , Syrowatka F. ,   Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Enke D. ,   University of Leipzig, Roggendorf H.
Published: March 2023

Sodium borosilicate glasses are processed to porous glasses as well as to Vycor™ type glasses via phase separation and selective leaching. Both materials consist mainly of SiO2. Thermal treatment inducing phase separation is crucial for microstructure development. Sodium borosilicate glasses with molar compositions of 8Na2O.21B2O3.71SiO2 and 8Na2O.28B2O3.64 SiO2 were melted, rapidly cooled and investigated by thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The glasses were thermally treated for 120 h at 630 to 730°C, and then leached, first for 72 h in 0·1 M HCl at 60°C, and subsequently for 4 h in 0·5 M NaOH at 30°C. X-ray fluorescence was applied to characterise the chemical compositions. Microstructure development was first analysed by differential thermal analysis and dilatometry, and the pore structure was characterised by Hg porosimetry and N2 adsorption. Heat treated glasses were then analysed by low voltage scanning electron microscopy, combined in one case with chemical analysis by energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The results are discussed with respect to phase relations. After long term heat treatment, at least three phases exist in two independent metastable two-phase equilibria on different size and time scales.
Europa ante los refugiados
Authors: Garcés Mascareñas Blanca
Published: March 2023

Europa se redibuja con cada crisis migratoria. A inicios de los años 90, llegaron centenares de miles de refugiados procedentes de los Balcanes. En 2015 y 2016, el número rebasó el millón en el contexto de la guerra de Siria. En 2022, la guerra de Ucrania ha provocado una nueva crisis de recepción. Este artículo analiza las crisis de 2015 y 2022. La conclusión es que las crisis no derivan de los números, sino de los miedos de una Europa cada vez más cerrada en sí misma. Hasta tal punto que, como señala Krastev, las crisis migratorias pueden acabar representando el inicio del fin del liberalismo europeo.Palabras clave: refugiados, crisis, Europa, políticas migratorias.
100  Gbps quantum-secured and O-RAN-enabled programmable optical transport network for 5G fronthaul
Authors: Arabul Ekin , Oliveira Romerson D. , Emami Amin , Typos Stavros , Vrontos Constantinos , Wang Rui , Nejabati Reza , Simeonidou Dimitra
Published: March 2023

We have successfully demonstrated the first 5G open radio access network (O-RAN)-enabled and quantum-secured optical network solution and tested its performance in a 5G fronthaul use case. Our proposed solution is unique in a way that it combines a quantum key distribution (QKD)-compatible on-demand programmable 100 Gbps Ethernet encryptor with multi-tenant network operation while satisfying the stringent timing requirements of the 5G O-RAN with ultra-low pipeline latency. Moreover, our encryption cores provide the fastest reconfiguration speeds with the highest transmission capacity. By using dynamic reconfiguration technology, encryption schemes can be switched between Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) variations AES-256, AES-192, and AES-128 and Camellia-256, XOR, or no-encryption configurations in 16.7 ms for encryption and 24.1 ms for decryption. Furthermore, the key slicing functionality was introduced to our system, allowing users to have their separate key storages within the field programmable gate array and different key exchange schemes or refresh rates per client, where a secret key rate of 1.6 keys/s per client for less than 10 Gb of encrypted data could be provided. With encryption, the lowest system latency of 817.6 ns was achieved. Without encryption, the system latency could be as low as 667.2 ns. When our proposed system was tested in 5G fronthaul where our design was placed between a 5G radio unit and a 5G distributed unit/central unit, and the traffic between the 5G customer premises equipment and 5G core user plane function was transported and encrypted by our system over 100 Gbps, no significant impact on network latency on the millisecond scale was observed. Our system’s 10 Gbps fronthaul interface was stressed with a large Ethernet frame (1500B) at a rate of ≈9.8Gbps with 300,000 Internet Control Message Protocol pings, and less than 1% data loss was observed.
Optimizing the optical and magneto-optical response of all-dielectric metasurfaces with tilted side walls
Authors: Gao Siyuan , Ota Yasutomo , Tian Feng , Liu Tianji , Iwamoto Satoshi
Published: March 2023

All-dielectric metasurfaces based on ferrimagnetic iron garnets are a promising platform for realizing ultra-compact magneto-optical (MO) devices with low loss. However, ferrimagnetic iron garnets are notorious for being intractable on fine nanopatterning, hindering the faithful fabrication of designed nanostructures. In this regard, it is important to assess the influence of fabrication imperfections on the performance of MO metasurfaces. Here, we investigate the optical properties of a MO metasurface with structural imperfections. As the most typical fabrication error, we studied the impact of the tilted side walls of cylindrical garnet disks that constitute the metasurfaces. We found that tilting the side walls drastically degrades the MO response and light transmittance of the device. Nevertheless, it was also found that the performance can be recovered by optimizing the refractive index of the material covering the upper half of the nanodisks.
Levitating the noise performance of ultra-stable laser cavities assisted by a deep neural network: the non-intuitive role of the mirrors
Authors: Dickmann J. , Shelling Neto L. , Gaedtke M. , Kroker S.
Published: March 2023

The most precise measurand available to science is the frequency of ultra-stable lasers. With a relative deviation of 4 × 10−17 over a wide range of measuring times between one second and 100 seconds, the smallest effects in nature can thus be made measurable. To enable cutting-edge precision, the laser frequency is stabilized to an external optical cavity. This complex optical device must be manufactured to the highest standards and shielded from environmental influences. Given this assumption, the smallest internal sources of perturbation become dominant, namely the internal noise of the optical components. In this work, we present the optimization of all relevant noise sources from all components of the frequency-stabilized laser. We discuss the correlation between each individual noise source and the different parameters of the system and discover the significance of the mirrors. The optimized laser offers a design stability of 8 × 10−18 for an operation at room temperature for measuring times between one second and 100 seconds.
Bandgap fluctuations and robustness in two-dimensional hyperuniform dielectric materials
Authors: Froufe-Pérez Luis S. , Aubry Geoffroy J. , Scheffold Frank , Magkiriadou Sofia
Published: March 2023

We numerically study the statistical fluctuations of photonic band gaps in ensembles of stealthy hyperuniform disordered patterns. We find that at low stealthiness, where correlations are weak, band gaps of different system realizations appear over a wide frequency range, are narrow, and generally do not overlap. Interestingly, above a critical value of stealthiness χ≳0.35, the bandgaps become large and overlap significantly from realization to realization, while a second gap appears. These observations extend our understanding of photonic bandgaps in disordered systems and provide information on the robustness of gaps in practical applications.
Multi-aperture imaging with Fermat spiral sub-aperture arrangement
Authors: Li Wei , Liao Jiali , Sun Yanling , Gao Yang , Tan Yizhou , Lan Jinrong , Wang Zihao
Published: March 2023

Multi-aperture optical telescopes have been extensively studied owing to their high resolution, low cost, and light weight. The next generation of optical telescopes is predicted to be equipped with dozens or even hundreds of segmented lenses; therefore, it is necessary to optimize the arrangement of the lens array. This paper proposes a new structure called the Fermat spiral array (FSA) to replace the conventional hexagonal or ring array for the sub-aperture arrangement of a multi-aperture imaging system. The point spread function (PSF) and modulation transfer function (MTF) of the imaging system are compared in detail at single and multiple incident wavelengths. The FSA can effectively weaken the sidelobe intensity of the PSF, which is 12.8 dB lower on average than conventional ones with a single incident wavelength in the simulation and 4.45 dB lower in the experiment. A new MTF evaluation function is proposed to describe the mean level of MTF at mid-frequencies. The FSA can improve the MTF of the imaging system and weaken the ringing effect in the images. The imaging simulation indicates that FSA has superior imaging quality compared to conventional arrays, with a higher peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM). The imaging experiments also achieve a higher SSIM with the FSA, which agrees well with the simulation results. The proposed FSA multi-aperture will help improve the imaging performance of next-generation optical telescopes.
Recommendations and guidelines for creating scholarly biomedical journals: A scoping review
Authors: Ng Jeremy Y. , Cobey Kelly D. , Ahmed Saad , Chow Valerie , Maduranayagam Sharleen G. , Santoro Lucas J. , Sikora Lindsey , Marusic Ana , Shanahan Daniel , Townsend Randy , Ehrlich Alan , Iorio Alfonso , Moher David
Published: March 2023

Background

Scholarly journals play a key role in the dissemination of research findings. However, little focus is given to the process of establishing new, credible journals and the obstacles faced in achieving this. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe existing recommendations for starting a biomedical scholarly journal.

Methods

We searched five bibliographic databases: OVID Medline + Medline in Process, Embase Classic + Embase, ERIC, APA PsycINFO, and Web of Science on January 14, 2022. A related grey literature search was conducted on March 19, 2022. Eligible sources were those published in English in any year, of any format, and that described guidance for starting a biomedical journal. Titles and abstracts of obtained sources were screened. We extracted descriptive characteristics including author name, year and country of publication, journal name, and source type, and any recommendations from the included sources discussing guidance for starting a biomedical journal. These recommendations were categorized and thematically grouped.

Results

A total of 5626 unique sources were obtained. Thirty-three sources met our inclusion criteria. Most sources were blog posts (10/33; 30.30%), and only 10 sources were supported by evidence. We extracted 51 unique recommendations from these 33 sources, which we thematically classified into nine themes which were: journal operations, editorial review processes, peer review processes, open access publishing, copyediting/typesetting, production, archiving/indexing/metrics, marketing/promotion, and funding.

Conclusions

There is little formal guidance regarding how to start a scholarly journal. The development of an evidence-based guideline may help uphold scholarly publishing quality, provide insight into obstacles new journals will face, and equip novice publishers with the tools to meet best practices.
The reference dependence roots of inaction inertia: A query theory account
Authors: Pogacar Ruth , Brigden Neil , Plant Emily , Kardes Frank R. , Kellaris James
Published: March 2023

Inaction inertia is the tendency to forego an opportunity after missing a significantly better opportunity. We show that inaction inertia is rooted in reference dependence. This is consistent with prior work finding that smaller discounts are devalued and inertia is motivated by avoidance of loss. We further illuminate the process by showing that consumers treat the missed discount (rather than the regular price) as a reference point relative to which a smaller discount feels like a loss. Missing a significantly better deal causes people to focus first and foremost on thoughts critical of the current deal. Notably, consumers who miss a smaller discount also construe the second deal as a loss, even if they take it. This research integrates inaction inertia and reference dependence theory using query theory analysis to contextualize inaction inertia with biases such as loss aversion, anchoring, and the default effect.
Outpatient medications associated with protection from COVID-19 hospitalization
Authors: Sandhu Harpal Singh , Lambert Joshua , Steckler Zach , Park Lee , Stromberg Arnold , Ramirez Julio , Yang Chi-fu Jeffrey
Published: March 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic remains the pre-eminent global health problem, and yet after more than three years there is still no prophylactic agent against the disease aside from vaccines. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether pre-existing, outpatient medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reduce the risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients from across the United States infected with COVID-19 in the year 2020. The main outcome was adjusted odds of hospitalization for COVID-19 amongst those positive for the infection. Outcomes were adjusted for known risk factors for severe disease. 3,974,272 patients aged 18 or older with a diagnosis of COVID-19 in 2020 met our inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Mean age was 50.7 (SD 18). Of this group, 290,348 patients (7.3%) were hospitalized due to COVID-19, similar to the CDC’s reported estimate (7.5%). Four drugs showed protective effects against COVID-19 hospitalization: rosuvastatin (aOR 0.91, p = 0.00000024), empagliflozin-metformin (aOR 0.69, p = 0.003), metformin (aOR 0.97, p = 0.017), and enoxaparin (aOR 0.88, p = 0.0048). Several pre-existing medications for outpatient use may reduce severity of disease and protect against COVID-19 hospitalization. Well-designed clinical trials are needed to assess the efficacy of these agents in a therapeutic or prophylactic setting.
Inferring potential non-disclosed men who have sex with men among self-reported heterosexual men with HIV in Southwest China: A genetic network study
Authors: Chen Yi , Lan Guanghua , Feng Yi , Ruan Yuhua , Shen Zhiyong , McNeil Edward B. , Tang Kailing , Huang Jinghua , Shao Yiming , Lin Mei , Chongsuvivatwong Virasakdi
Published: March 2023

Background

In Guangxi province of China, there is a high prevalence of HIV in the general population and in men who have sex with men (MSM). However, there is still a low proportion of MSM among people living with HIV. This apparent contradiction could be due to the high proportion of potential non-disclosed MSM (pnMSM) among reported heterosexual men. We analyzed the genetic linkage of HIV specimens to address this problem aiming to (1) identify the optimal genetic distance threshold, which gave the highest number of genetic clusters, (2) document the proportion of potential non-disclosed MSM (pnMSM) among self-reported heterosexual men, and (3) determine predictors for pnMSM.

Methods

Pairwise genetic distances were computed among all samples. The genetic distance threshold giving the highest number of genetic clusters was identified. Self-reported heterosexual men were identified as belonging to the pnMSM group if they could be linked to any MSM in their cluster. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine associated factors of being pnMSM.

Results

The optimal genetic distance threshold was 0.75% substitutions/site. Among 896 self-reported heterosexual men, the frequency (percentage and 95% confidence interval) was 62 (6.9%, 5.2–8.6%) for pnMSM, 779 (86.9%, 84.7–89.1%) for indeterminate men and 55 (6.1%, 4.5–7.7%) for potential heterosexual men, respectively. Self-reported heterosexual men who were younger, single and more educated were more likely to be pnMSM.

Conclusion

Based on these findings, there is a need to pay more attention to sexually active, young and educated self-reported heterosexual men and provide them with voluntary counselling and testing and specific HIV prevention services.
Prediction of mobilized hematopoietic stem cell yield in patients with multiple myeloma: Usefulness of whole-body MRI-derived indices
Authors: Takasu Miyuki , Higashino Ryo , Sueoka Takahiro , Kawai Saki , Tanitame Nobuko , Tamura Akihisa , Iida Makoto , Kawase Takakazu , Ichinohe Tatsuo , Awai Kazuo
Published: March 2023

Introduction

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant is the mainstay of treatment for multiple myeloma (MM). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of MRI-derived indices to predict mobilized hematopoietic stem cell yield.

Materials and methods

In this exploratory pilot work, we retrospectively analyzed 38 mobilization procedures for MM. Successful mobilization procedure was defined as a total yield of >4.0×106 CD34+ cells/kg. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors with a significant effect on successful mobilization from among clinical characteristics including number of prior lines of therapy, period from diagnosis to harvest, type of monoclonal protein (M protein); and radiological characteristics including total diffusion volume (tDV), median apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of tDV, and mean fat fraction of bone marrow calculated by MRI.

Results

Univariate analyses showed that relatively poor mobilization was significantly associated with M protein of Bence-Jones type and with median ADC of tDV (P = 0.02 and P = 0.004, respectively). Multivariate analyses using these two indices showed that median ADC of tDV was a significant predictive factor for adequate mobilization (P = 0.01), with an area under the curve of 0.784 (cutoff value, 1.18×10−3 mm2/s; sensitivity, 72.7%; specificity, 87.5%).

Conclusion

The present data indicate that median ADC of tDV is a predictive factor for relatively poor mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells in MM patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplant.
Enhanced therapeutic window for antimicrobial Pept-ins by investigating their structure-activity relationship
Authors: Wu Guiqin , Khodaparast Laleh , Khodaparast Ladan , De Vleeschouwer Matthias , Louros Nikolaos , Gallardo Rodrigo , Yi Pengpeng , Rousseau Frederic , Schymkowitz Joost
Published: March 2023

The overconsumption and inappropriate use of antibiotics is escalating antibiotic resistance development, which is now one of the 10 top threats to global health. Introducing antibiotics with a novel mode of action into clinical use is urgently needed to address this issue. Deliberately inducing aggregation of target proteins and disrupting protein homeostasis in bacteria via amyloidogenic peptides, also called Pept-ins (from peptide interferors), can be lethal to bacteria and shows considerable promise as a novel antibiotic strategy. However, the translation of Pept-ins into the clinic requires further investigation into their mechanism of action and improvement of their therapeutic window. Therefore, we performed systematic structure modifications of 2 previously discovered Pept-ins, resulting in 179 derivatives, and investigated the corresponding impact on antimicrobial potency, cellular accumulation, and ability to induce protein aggregation in bacteria, in vitro aggregation property, and toxicity on mammalian cells. Our results show that both Pept-in accumulation and aggregation of target proteins in bacteria are requisite for Pept-in mediated antimicrobial activity. Improvement of these two parameters can be achieved via increasing the number of arginine residues, increasing Pept-in aggregation propensity, optimizing the aggregate core structure, adopting β-turn linkers, or forming a disulphide bond. Correspondingly, improvement of these two parameters can enhance Pept-in antimicrobial efficacy against wildtype E. coli BL21 used in the laboratory as well as clinically isolated multidrug-resistant strain E. coli ATCC, A. baumannii, and K. pneumoniae.
Precision agricultural robotic sprayer with real-time Tobacco recognition and spraying system based on deep learning
Authors: Nasir Fazal E. , Tufail Muhammad , Haris Muhammad , Iqbal Jamshed , Khan Said , Khan Muhammad Tahir
Published: March 2023

Precision agricultural techniques try to prevent either an excessive or inadequate application of agrochemicals during pesticide application. In recent years, it has become popular to combine traditional agricultural practices with artificial intelligence algorithms. This research presents a case study of variable-rate targeted spraying using deep learning for tobacco plant recognition and identification in a real tobacco field. An extensive comparison of the detection performance of six YOLO-based models for the tobacco crop has been performed based on experimentation in tobacco fields. AnF1-score of 87.2% and a frame per second rate of 67 were achieved using the YOLOv5n model trained on actual field data. Additionally, a novel disturbance-based pressure and flow control method has been introduced to address the issue of unwanted pressure fluctuations that are typically associated with bang-bang control. The quality of spray achieved by attenuation of these disturbances has been evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively using three different spraying case studies: broadcast, and selective spraying at 20 psi pressure; and variable-rate spraying at pressure varying from 15-120 psi. As compared to the broadcast spraying, the selective and variable rate spray methods have achieved up to 60% reduction of agrochemicals.
Qualitative investigation of barriers to providing an electronic hospital to community pharmacy referral service for discharged patients
Authors: Khayyat Sarah M. , Nazar Hamde
Published: March 2023

There has been a sustained interest in transfer of care (ToC) services, from hospital to home, in the past twenty years. In England, an electronic referral (e-referral) service from hospital to community pharmacy has been provided since 2014. However, to date, there has been little information about service implementation and delivery. This study investigates the barriers to this referral process in hospital and community pharmacy settings, and barriers to providing subsequent community pharmacy interventions from the perspectives of the service leaders (SLs), hospital pharmacy staff (HPS) and community pharmacists (CPs). Semi-structured face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted with the key informants from two tertiary hospitals and nine pharmacies. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) tool informed the data collection tools and data analysis. A total of three SLs, ten HPS and nine CPs were interviewed. Data analysis identified various barriers to the provision of the e-referral service. Some were related to (1) patient engagement, e.g., patients’ awareness/acceptance of the service, (2) the SLs and other National Health Service hospitals, e.g., lack of monitoring of the service progress, (3) the HPS, e.g., resource limitations, or (4) the CPs, e.g., lack of understanding/appreciation of the service. In-depth understanding of barriers related to the provision of e-referral service are essential to drive improvement and facilitate wider diffusion and adoption. The use of implementation science and behaviour change model as a lens to assess this service enables the identification of certain behaviours that can be modified to produce the required change to drive better implementation and delivery.
Exploring if and how evidence-based practice of occupational and physical therapists evolves over time: A longitudinal mixed methods national study
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad Zafar , Rochette Annie , Mayo Nancy E. , Valois Marie-France , Bussières André E. , Ahmed Sara , Debigaré Richard , Letts Lori Jean , MacDermid Joy C. , Ogourtsova Tatiana , Polatajko Helene J. , Rappolt Susan , Salbach Nancy M. , Thomas Aliki
Published: March 2023

Background

Occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) are expected to provide evidence-based services to individuals living with disabilities. Despite the emphasis on evidence-based practice (EBP) by professional entry-level programs and professional bodies, little is known about their EBP competencies upon entry to practice and over time or what factors impact EBP use. The aim of the study was to measure and understand how EBP evolves over the first three years after graduation among Canadian OTs and PTs, and how individual and organizational factors impact the continuous use of EBP.

Methods

A longitudinal, mixed methods sequential explanatory study. We administered a survey questionnaire measuring six EBP constructs (knowledge, attitudes, confidence, resources, use of EBP and evidence-based activities) annually, followed by focus group discussions with a subset of survey participants. We performed group-based trajectory modeling to identify trajectories of EBP over time, and a content analysis of qualitative data guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework.

Results

Of 1700 graduates in 2016–2017, 257 (response rate = 15%) responded at baseline (T0) (i.e., at graduation), and 83 (retention rate = 32%), 75 (retention rate = 29%), and 74 (retention rate = 29%) participated at time point 1 (T1: one year into practice), time point 2 (T2: two years into practice, and time point 3 (T3: three years into practice) respectively. Group-based trajectory modeling showed four unique group trajectories for the use of EBP. Over 64% of participants (two trajectories) showed a decline in the use of EBP over time. Fifteen practitioners (7 OTs and 8 PTs) participated in the focus group discussions. Personal and peer experiences, client needs and expectations, and availability of resources were perceived to influence EBP the most.

Conclusions

Though a decline in EBP may be concerning, it is unclear if this decline is clinically meaningful and whether professional expertise can offset such declines. Stakeholder-concerted efforts towards the common goal of promoting EBP in education, practice and policy are needed.
Etiology and risk factors for diarrheal disease amongst rural and peri-urban populations in Cambodia, 2012–2018
Authors: Kelly Gerard C. , Rachmat Agus , Hontz Robert D. , Sklar Marvin J. , Tran Long Khanh , Supaprom Chonthida , Luy Malen , Lina Sin , Gregory Michael J. , Sopheab Heng , Brooks John S. , Sutherland Ian W. , Corson Karen S. , Letizia Andrew G.
Published: March 2023

Diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, disproportionally affecting persons residing in low and middle-income countries. Accessing high-resolution surveillance data to understand community-level etiology and risk remains challenging, particularly in remote and resource limited populations. A multi-year prospective cohort study was conducted in two rural and two peri-urban villages in Cambodia from 2012 to 2018 to describe the epidemiology and etiology of acute diarrheal diseases within the population. Suspected diarrheal episodes among participants were self-reported or detected via routine weekly household visits. Fresh stool and fecal swabs were tested, and acute-illness and follow-up participant questionnaires collected. Of 5027 enrolled participants, 1450 (28.8%) reported at least one diarrheal incident. A total of 4266 individual diarrhea case events were recorded. Diarrhea incidence rate was calculated to be 281.5 persons per 1000 population per year, with an event rate of 664.3 individual diarrhea events occurring per 1000 population per year. Pathogenic Escherichia coli, Aeromonas spp., and Plesiomonas shigelloides were the most prevalent bacterial infections identified. Hookworm and Strongyloides stercoralis were the predominant helminth species, while Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia were the predominant protozoan species found. Norovirus genotype 2 was the predominant virus identified. Mixed infections of two or more pathogens were detected in 36.2% of positive cases. Risk analyses identified unemployed status increased diarrhea risk by 63% (HR = 1.63 [95% CI 1.46, 1.83]). Individuals without access to protected water sources or sanitation facilities were 59% (HR = 1.59 [95% CI 1.49, 1.69]) and 19% (HR = 1.19 [95% CI 1.12, 1.28]) greater risk of contracting diarrhea, respectively. Patient-level surveillance data captured in this long-term study has generated a unique spatiotemporal profile of diarrheal disease in Cambodia. Understanding etiologies, together with associated epidemiological and community-level risk, provides valuable public health insight to support effective planning and delivery of appropriate local population-targeted interventions.
Anchoring effects in the assessment of papers: An empirical survey of citing authors
Authors: Bornmann Lutz , Ganser Christian , Tekles Alexander
Published: March 2023

In our study, we have empirically studied the assessment of cited papers within the framework of the anchoring-and-adjustment heuristic. We are interested in the question whether the assessment of a paper can be influenced by numerical information that act as an anchor (e.g. citation impact). We have undertaken a survey of corresponding authors with an available email address in the Web of Science database. The authors were asked to assess the quality of papers that they cited in previous papers. Some authors were assigned to three treatment groups that receive further information alongside the cited paper: citation impact information, information on the publishing journal (journal impact factor) or a numerical access code to enter the survey. The control group did not receive any further numerical information. We are interested in whether possible adjustments in the assessments can not only be produced by quality-related information (citation impact or journal impact), but also by numbers that are not related to quality, i.e. the access code. Our results show that the quality assessments of papers seem to depend on the citation impact information of single papers. The other information (anchors) such as an arbitrary number (an access code) and journal impact information did not play a (important) role in the assessments of papers. The results point to a possible anchoring bias caused by insufficient adjustment: it seems that the respondents assessed cited papers in another way when they observed paper impact values in the survey. We conclude that initiatives aiming at reducing the use of journal impact information in research evaluation either were already successful or overestimated the influence of this information.