bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meeting the nutrition and physical activity needs of young people in residential out-of-home care
Authors: Green (nee Cox) Rachael , Savaglio Melissa , Bruce Lauren , Tate Ruby , Hatzikiriakidis Kostas , Smales Madelaine , Crawford-Parker Anna , Marshall Sandra , Graham Veronica , Skouteris Helen
Published: January 2023

Health outcomes for young people living in residential out-of-home care are poor. There has been increased emphasis on the need to prioritize preventative support and upskill residential care workers to better meet young people's health needs. The aim of this study was to examine the food quality and physical activity environment in residential care houses in Victoria, Australia prior to staff undertaking Healthy Eating, Active Living Matters (HEAL) training; 102 residential care houses participated. House representatives completed an online survey exploring: (1) physical activity equipment and engagement and (2) weekly food budget and expenditure.

Findings

The average weekly food expenditure per household was $318.98 (SD = $106.51), with variation between different sized households. The majority (61%) of houses’ weekly food expenditure was spent on ultra-processed food products that are ready to eat with no/little preparation, in comparison to 36% spent on unprocessed foods (fresh fruit and vegetables). The majority of houses reported having two types of equipment. Young people were not often engaged in physical and/or recreational activities in their community.

Application

Residential care houses in Victoria require additional supports to ensure that young people are supported to eat well and be active at home and in the community. HEALing Matters aims to provide this, by offering professional development for residential carers to better facilitate engagement in physical activity and healthy eating among the young people in their care. If successful, HEALing Matters may provide an effective pathway to improved health and wellbeing outcomes for young people in residential care.
How does materiality ‘bite back’? Investigating cassette tapes in local, translocal and virtual music scenes
Authors: Duester Benjamin , Bennett Andy
Published: January 2023

Despite its status as an analogue sound carrier, the cassette has shown remarkable resilience in the digital era. Drawing on qualitative data gathered in three significant markets for cassettes, Japan, Australia and the USA, during 2018 and 2019, this article explores how the cassette tape’s material significance in the 21st century manifests itself in a complex network of interrelated local, translocal and virtual practices of music creation, distribution and consumption. The article draws on Magaudda’s ‘circuit of practice’ concept and Peterson and Bennett’s three tier model of scenes (local, trans-local and virtual). Taking the cassette’s hybrid occurrence and usage throughout a plethora of highly distinctive music scenes in Japan, Australia and the United States as a basis, we argue that Magaudda’s ‘circuit of practice’ theory needs to be structurally extended to grasp the multifaceted circuits of music in the digital age. This requires that the occurrence of a single audio format such as the cassette is recurringly analysed within different cultural contexts in order to map and delineate the format’s overall significance for contemporary music practices.
Solving planning problems with evolutionary computation
Authors: Fernando Ruwan , Michael Ruby
Published: January 2023

Evolutionary design (ED) is a strategy that makes use of computational power to couple generative techniques with evaluation methods, to put forward designs that are better with each iteration. In this research, we present a representation scheme for solving spatial layout problems that is simple to implement as well as extend. The mechanisms for evaluation and mutation are defined and also shown to be extendable. Ultimately, the topic explored here is the ways in which ED and computation can enhance our design thinking and how computers can provide the background to new design processes and workflows.
When Nations Adapt: National Resilience between State(s) and Identity(ies)
Authors: Helled Alon , Pala Carlo
Published: January 2023

Nations are resilient and often taken for granted as an analytical category in most social sciences. Academic literature has highlighted the industrial and capitalistic origins of nationalism, espousing the formation of modern statehood as well as the revitalized re-elaboration of ethno-genetic elements into that same modernity, even when ‘imagined’ and ‘invented’. Certainly, the organizational and ideological capacities of nation-states are sociologically ‘grounded’, yet less attention has been given to nations’ capacity to adapt their sociogenetic identity. This article seeks to interpret and contextualize the issue through the theorization of national resilience as a mid-range concept by offering analytical instruments.
The Influence of Irreversible Electroporation Parameters on the Size of the Ablation Zone and Thermal Effects: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hogenes Annemiek M , Overduin Christiaan G , Slump Cornelis H , van Laarhoven Cornelis J H M , Fütterer Jurgen J , ten Broek Richard P G , Stommel Martijn W J
Published: January 2023

Introduction: The aim of this study was to review the effect of irreversible electroporation parameter settings on the size of the ablation zone and the occurrence of thermal effects. This insight would help to optimize treatment protocols and effectively ablate a tumor while controlling the occurrence of thermal effects. Methods: Various individual studies report the influence of variation in electroporation parameters on the ablation zone size or occurrence of thermal effects. However, no connections have yet been established between these studies. With the aim of closing the gap in the understanding of and personalizing irreversible electroporation parameter settings, a systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A quality assessment was performed using an in-house developed grading tool based on components of commonly used grading domains. Data on the electroporation parameters voltage, number of electrodes, inter-electrode distance, active needle length, pulse length/number/protocol/frequency, and pulse interval were extracted. Ablation zone size and temperature data were grouped per parameter. Spearman correlation and linear regression were used to define the correlation with outcome measures. Results: A total of 7661 articles were screened, of which 18 preclinical studies (animal and phantom studies) met the inclusion criteria. These studies were graded as moderate (4/18) and low (14/18) quality. Only the applied voltage appeared to be a significant linear predictor of ablation zone size: length, surface, and volume. The pulse number was moderately but nonlinearly correlated with the ablation zone length. Thermal effects were more likely to occur for higher voltages (≥2000 V), higher number of electrodes, and increased active needle length. Conclusion: Firm conclusions are limited since studies that investigated and precisely reported the influence of electroporation parameters on the ablation zone size and thermal effects were scarce and mostly graded low quality. High-quality studies are needed to improve the predictability of the combined effect of variation in parameter combinations and optimize irreversible electroporation treatment protocols.
Factors Associated With Self-Efficacy of Foot Self-Care Among Patients With Diabetes Attending a Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al Ayed Musab Yousef , Ababneh Anas , Alwin Robert Asirvatham , Ahmed Rania , Al Ghofaili Ibrahim , Al Saeed Abdulghani , Al Dawish Mohamed Abdulaziz
Published: January 2023

Several reports have shown self-efficacy to be a reliable way of predicting foot self-care behavior in patients with diabetes. However, at a global level in general, and in Saudi Arabia in particular, investigation of the factors related to self-efficacy in executing foot self-care continues to remain inadequate. This study endeavors to identify the factors associated with the self-efficacy of foot self-care among patients with diabetes in Saudi Arabia. From a tertiary diabetes care center in Saudi Arabia, 175 patients with diabetes were selected to participate in this cross-sectional study. Employing the Arabic version of the Foot Care Confidence Scale (FCCS), the principal end results and the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial independent variables were collected and assessed. From the total reported FCCS score, the mean was found to be 28.1 ± 8.2. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated 2 independent factors were positively associated with a higher reported FCCS score; being middle-aged (< 60 years old) (β=0.31, P< .01) and having a higher score on the Foot Care Outcome Expectations Scale (FCOES) (β=0.36, P< .01). In conclusion, patients with diabetes in Saudi Arabia have a mild level of self-efficacy to perform the needed foot self-care. Therefore, this has turned the spotlight on the young or middle-aged < 60-year-old Saudi population with diabetes as the target group, making them the priority for future self-efficacy promotion programs to upgrade the level of foot self-care.
Application of the 5F JL4 Catheter in Bronchial Artery Embolization With the Opening in the Inferior Wall of the Aortic Arch
Authors: An Jianli , Dong Yanchao , Niu Hongtao
Published: January 2023

Background

We investigated the efficacy and safety of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) using a 5F JL4 catheter in patients with hemoptysis and a bronchial artery opening in the inferior wall of the aortic arch.

Methods

This was a single-center retrospective study. Seventeen patients underwent BAE using 5F JL4. We then evaluated technical success (TS), clinical success (CS), incidence of complications, and hemoptysis recurrence rate (RR).

Results

The TS rate of microcatheter superselective catheterization and CS rate after surgery were 100%, and the incidence of severe complications and postoperative RR were 17.6%.

Conclusions

Bronchial artery embolization for hemoptysis with a BA opening in the inferior wall of the aortic arch using the 5F JL4 catheter could be a safe method. The short- and medium-term results were excellent.
Elective Endovascular vs Open Repair for Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Patients ≥80 years of Age: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Guohua , Sun Yifeng , Lin Zhiqiang , Fei Xiaozhou
Published: January 2023

Objective

To provide updated, pooled evidence on clinical outcomes among octogenarians (aged ≥80 years) with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) managed by elective endovascular repair, compared to conventional open repair.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were systematically searched. Studies that were either observational or randomized controlled trials were considered for the review. Included studies were conducted in elderly subjects (≥80 years) with AAA, and clinical and mortality outcomes were compared between endovascular and open surgical repair. Those reporting on outcomes of patients with urgent repair were excluded. The primary outcomes of interest were mortality and risk of complications. The pooled effect sizes were reported as odds ratio (OR) for categorical outcomes and weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous outcomes. STATA software was used for statistical analysis.

Results

The meta-analysis included 15 studies. Compared to those undergoing open repair, patients receiving endovascular repair had significantly reduced risk of immediate post-operative mortality (OR .23, 95% CI: .20, .27), overall complication (OR .30, 95% CI: .20, .44), cardiac (OR .23, 95% CI: .16, .35), renal (OR .29, 95% CI: .18, .46), pulmonary (OR .14, 95% CI: .09, .21) and bleeding related (OR .59, 95% CI: .42, .83) complications. The risk of mortality at latest follow up (at 36 months and 60 months) was similar in the two groups. The total blood loss (ml) (WMD -1126.47, 95% CI: −1497.81, −755.13), operative time (min) (WMD -29.40, 95% CI: −56.19, −2.62), length of intensive care unit stay (days) (WMD -2.27, 95% CI: −3.43, −2.12) and overall hospital stay (days) (WMD −6.64, 95% CI: −7.60, −5.68) was significantly lower in those undergoing endovascular repair.

Conclusions

Endovascular repair appears to be better than open repair of AAA in this high-risk, frail population, with respect to short term outcomes. The benefits of reduced risk of short term mortality, complications, and better peri and post-operative outcomes may be considered when making a choice between these two surgical approaches. Randomized controlled trials are needed to provide reliable evidence on the effect of EVAR on long term survival.
Remote Monitoring System for Condition Management of Patients in Free Flap Surgery
Authors: Yoon Kicheol , Cho Sung-Min , Kim Kwang Gi , Cheon Young Woo
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Free flap surgery is inconvenient because an attending physician must observe a patient’s condition every day to ensure that normal tissue is restored within 72 h after the surgery. To address this problem, this paper proposes a remote monitoring technology to observe a patient’s condition in real time.

Methods

To design a monitoring system, the camera consists of MCU board, DC-DC converter, alarm performance, Wi-fil module, and server, and the camera and MCU part is connected to the server through the wi-fi network. A camera obtains the images of the surgical site once every 2 s, and the images are transmitted to the attending physician or nurse via Wi-Fi communication. The working distance between camera and surgical site is 56 cm, and the viewing angle of a camera is 60° (radius).

Results

A video shooting test is also performed, in which the images are obtained once per hour between 17:00 and 08:00 the next day; the results show that high-quality images are obtained in the video shooting test. The imaging error is zero (0 GB) in the video shooting test results.

Discussion and Conclusion

The imaging of the surgical site can be obtained by camera system, and the proposed method is that there no storage error occurs during the shooting process. In addition, the shooting performance has high velocity. It is possible to control the WD according to a patient’s body via a holding manipulator used for the camera. The new method is expected to be used for remote patient management, for a wide range of procedures, in the medical field.
The Future of Games Scholarship: An Interview With James Paul Gee
Authors: Pérez Cortés Luis E. , Kessner Taylor M.
Published: January 2023

James Gee's work at the intersection of literacy, education, and game studies has explored how videogame affinity spaces are examples of how good teaching and learning often occur outside of schooling. His work can be safely characterized as influential in these fields. For instance, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy helped catalyze a lasting surge of interest in videogame studies. Game studies currently represent a diverse group of scholars that continually push the field into promising spaces. With our eyes on these promising spaces, we interviewed Gee on the topic of what is—and should be—the future of game studies. Gee discussed how the future of game studies would be well-advised to explore ways to network multiple experiences and technologies—including the real world—to focus on how to make people healthier, more prosocial, and better able to collaborate. This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
“Community” in Video Game Communities
Authors: Saldanha Lucinda , da Silva Sofia Marques , Ferreira Pedro D.
Published: January 2023

The concept and experience of community have been changing in contemporary societies, from a traditional concept in an idealistic, homogeneous context, characterized by union, to the exploration and experience of new forms of organization and participation. The specific characteristics and dynamics of emerging video game (VG) communities can help us better understand the importance of game cultures. Based on an ethnographic study of five game jams and data from eight focus group discussions with game jam and VG community participants, this study explores five analytic and emerging dimensions of the VG community: meanings and perceptions associated with the VG community, feelings of belonging, issues of access, structure, and organization, and contexts of participation. These results improve our understanding of the ways participants in VG communities can be seen as creators of game culture and how VG communities are recreating the concept and experience of community in contemporary societies.
Lumbar Lordosis Distribution in Asymptomatic Adult Volunteers: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ge Tenghui , Xie Linzhen , Li Jianing , Ao Jintao , Wu Jingye , Sun Yuqing
Published: January 2023

Background:

Restoring lumbar lordosis is important for adult spinal deformity surgery. Several reports have suggested that lumbar lordosis distribution has a significant impact on the outcome of surgery, including lumbar distribution index (LDI), proximal lumbar lordosis (PLL), and distal lumbar lordosis (DLL). The features of lumbar lordosis distribution are inconclusive in asymptomatic adults.

Questions/Purposes:

We sought to evaluate the variation of lumbar lordosis distribution (LDI, PLL, and DLL) and to identify associated factors in asymptomatic adult volunteers.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review of the Embase and Medline databases to identify studies in asymptomatic adult volunteers to evaluate lumbar lordosis distribution including LDI, PLL, and DLL.

Results:

Twelve articles met eligibility criteria and were included in our review. The respective pooled estimates of mean and variance, respectively, were 65.10% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 62.61–67.58) and 13.70% in LDI, 16.51° (95% CI: 5.54–27.49) and 11.46° in PLL, and 35.47° (95% CI: 32.79–38.18) and 9.10° in DLL. Lumbar lordosis distribution was associated with race, age, sex, body mass index, pelvic incidence, and Roussouly classification.

Conclusions:

This systematic review found that despite a wide variation in LDI and PLL, DLL is maintained in a narrower range in asymptomatic adult volunteers, especially in white populations. Distal lumbar lordosis may be a more reliable radiographic parameter to restore the lumbar lordosis distribution in preoperative planning.
Timeline Mapping as a Methodological Approach to Study Transitions in Health Professions Education
Authors: Basnet Neha , Wouters Anouk , Kusurkar Rashmi
Published: January 2023

The aim of this paper is to highlight timeline mapping exercise as a research tool and the benefits and challenges of incorporating this method into research. Timeline mapping offers a novel methodological approach toward gathering and accessing rich and meaningful data in the study of life transitions for instance from secondary education to higher education or from education to employment. This paper especially focuses on how it can be incorporated into research studies specific to HPE (Health Professions Education). It also offers researchers step-by-step instructions on how to conduct timeline mapping exercises and how to go about analysing the findings and gathering insights from the findings.
The Difficulty of Leaving: Freedom of Movement and the National Security State in Cold War West Germany
Authors: Gehrig Sebastian
Published: January 2023

Histories of the freedom of movement during the Cold War often focus on issues of immigration. Yet, national security frameworks set up after the Second World War also involved restrictions of the right to leave one's own country. This article takes the Federal Republic of Germany as a case study to probe the political tensions between codified constitutional rights of the individual, new human rights norms, and the Bonn government's anti-communist mobilisation during the 1950’s. The example of the right to leave shows that the state retained crucial powers to curtail basic rights in the name of national security state.
Looking beyond the law to respond to technology-facilitated violence and bullying: Lessons learned from Nova Scotia’s CyberScan unit
Authors: Dodge Alexa
Published: January 2023

Legal remedies in response to technology-facilitated violence and bullying (TFVB) have often overshadowed the creation of alternative responses. While the framing of law as the most impactful remedy can result in the false belief that this issue has been adequately dealt with through legal regulation, in practice legal options are not utilized by the majority of those harmed by TFVB, do not provide many of the core supports that targets of TFVB seek to access, and offer limited possibilities for prevention and culture change. Responding to growing demands for alternative responses to TFVB, this article provides an analysis of the province of Nova Scotia’s CyberScan unit—a government enforcement unit offering alternative supports and responses to TFVB—to explore the efficacy of implementing alternative responses to TFVB in practice.
Telecommunication and cyber fraud victimization among Chinese college students: An application of routine activity theory
Authors: Lin Kai , Wu Yuning , Sun Ivan Y , Qu Jia
Published: January 2023

Analyzing survey data from 1037 college students in China, a country with the world’s largest number of Internet users and the world’s largest e-commerce market, the current study demonstrates that consistent with previous research, some routine telecom/cyber activities of Chinese college students predict higher odds of being targeted for telecom/cyber fraud, but online routines do not seem to predict the odds of completed victimization resulting in a financial loss. In contrast, the perceived presence of effective formal guardianship and target suitability exert a greater influence. These findings suggest that those previously and commonly used measures of routine activity theory are better suited for explaining attempted telecom/cyber fraud victimization, whereas completed victimization is chiefly predicted by target suitability such as risky/deviant online behaviors and low self-control.
Parametric design methods development for the comparison of American football faceguards using validated structural stiffness models
Authors: Ferriell William D , Wright Noah P , DesJardins John D , Batt Gregory S
Published: January 2023

Recent advances in headgear design research have sought to inform athletes’ safety related decisions by ranking headgear systems according to impact performance. These rankings have provided athletes with greater agency in their safety-related decisions. Despite these improvements, little quantitative information exists to compare faceguard performance. Using validated structural stiffness finite element models, this study sought to develop a parametric design approach that could be consistently applied to faceguards of different qualitative categories and of different helmet-compatible series. The methods presented in this study detail the objective measurement techniques and parameters of interest used to fully define three common American football faceguards. The results of this study indicate an ability to define parameters consistently for faceguards of different qualitative categories and of different helmet-compatible series. The high degree of correlation between mass and structural stiffness indicates expected model performance – providing increased confidence in results. Intuitively, the greatest effect on mass and structural stiffness was the size of the diameter of the main bars. Increases in mass were achieved with minimal changes in structural stiffness. Conversely, increases in structural stiffness were achieved with minimal changes in mass. These results have implications for manufacturers as some faceguards, such as those classified as “overbuilt,” are banned – in part – for their weight. Future work should continue to compare manufacturers’ original designs and investigate other metrics to further quantify performance and safety for athletes. This tool may be used to improve new faceguard designs by comparing new models to faceguards allowed for use.
Organisation and (Lack of) Democracy in the Chinese Communist Party: A Critical Reading of the Successive Iterations of the Party Constitution
Authors: Cabestan Jean-Pierre
Published: January 2023

There has always been a lack of democratic life in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Former CCP Secretary General Hu Jintao attempted in the first decade of the twenty-first century to promote reform, including a revision of the party constitution, aimed at enhancing “intra-party democracy” (党内民主, dangnei minzhu). However, Xi Jinping has put on hold this plan, fully restoring the verticality of the institution where it may have been weakened. This article has three objectives. First, it compares the successive versions or iterations of the CCP constitution in the last 100 years and analyses all the changes related to democratic centralism, elections, and democracy that have been introduced. Then, it assesses Hu's reforms and their failure. Finally, it explains why the CCP cannot reform and democratise as long as it remains a party-state and China remains a one-party system.
The relationship of T2 hypointensity and diffusion restriction of brain metastases with the presence and amount of vasogenic edema in MRI
Authors: Yaltırık Bilgin Ezel , Ünal Özkan , Çiledağ Nazan
Published: January 2023

Aim

Brain metastases are seen in 15–40% of patients diagnosed with cancer. We aimed to search the relationship between the T2 hypointensity, diffusion-weighted imaging characteristics, and the presence and amount of vasogenic edema of brain metastasis in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

A total of 292 patients with brain metastasis were included in the study. T2 signals of metastatic lesions, accompanying diffusion restriction and perilesional vasogenic edema findings, were investigated. In metastases accompanied by vasogenic edema, the largest dimension of the vasogenic edema-mass complex on T2-weighted sequences and the largest dimension of the mass in contrast-enhanced T1-weighted series were measured and the edema-mass ratio (EMR) was calculated by comparing these two values.

Results

The frequency of vasogenic edema was statistically significantly higher in T2 hypointense metastases (89.1% vs 58.8%, χ2 = 18.949, p = <.001) and metastases accompanied by diffusion restriction(81% vs 61.5%, χ2 = 6.971, p = .008). EMR values were found to be statistically significantly higher in T2 hypointense metastases (EMR→ Z = −4.507, p = <.001) and metastases with diffusion restriction(EMR→ Z = −3.819, p = .001).

Conclusions

The frequency of vasogenic edema and EMR rates were higher in patients in T2 hypointense metastases and metastases accompanied by diffusion restriction in MRI.
Digital twin in healthcare: Recent updates and challenges
Authors: Sun Tianze , He Xiwang , Li Zhonghai
Published: January 2023

As simulation is playing an increasingly important role in medicine, providing the individual patient with a customised diagnosis and treatment is envisaged as part of future precision medicine. Such customisation will become possible through the emergence of digital twin (DT) technology. The objective of this article is to review the progress of prominent research on DT technology in medicine and discuss the potential applications and future opportunities as well as several challenges remaining in digital healthcare. A review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus and related bibliographic resources, in which the following terms and their derivatives were considered during the search: DT, medicine and digital health virtual healthcare. Finally, analyses of the literature yielded 465 pertinent articles, of which we selected 22 for detailed review. We summarised the application examples of DT in medicine and analysed the applications in many fields of medicine. It revealed encouraging results that DT is being increasing applied in medicine. Results from this literature review indicated that DT healthcare, as a key fusion approach of future medicine, will bring the advantages of precision diagnose and personalised treatment into reality.
The role of citizens in platform governance: A case study on public consultations regarding online content regulation in the European Union
Authors: Papaevangelou Charis
Published: January 2023

This article proposes to start considering the role that citizens play in platform governance as a way of critically reflecting on issues of inclusivity in and effectiveness of current decision-making processes. This article attempts to apply the above suggestion by studying citizens’ discourse in recent European efforts to regulate online content. It does so by employing an experimental methodology, namely, a computationally assisted Critical Discourse Analysis on textual data derived from citizens’ contributions to the European Commission’s Public Consultations on three crucial regulatory texts: the Code of Practice on Disinformation, the Recommendation on Tackling Illegal Content Online and the Digital Services Act. The present analysis suggests that the EU’s strategy to advance participatory governance through public consultations seems to ignore citizens’ qualitative input and, thus, the feedback received can be severely limited. Concluding, the article maintains that scholarship should adopt a more encompassing scope when studying platform governance, especially concerning citizen and user participation, beyond the traditional frame of participation through civil society representation, while critically scrutinising existing ostensibly participatory structures.
The new growth machine and neighborhood redevelopment in the Chinese cities of the Xijinping era: The case of Jinsong, Beijing
Authors: Li Zhigang
Published: January 2023

This study examines Jinsong, a typical old and dilapidated Beijing neighborhood that has recently been renewed, as an example of the changing dynamics of urban redevelopment in Xijinping-era China. During the past several years, a new round of urban redevelopment has begun, the modalities of which have not yet been fully explored. I argue that a new growth machine (NGM) is in the making, differing from the old mode of mass destruction, reconstruction, and resident relocation in that it features micro, incremental, and in situ redevelopments. To examine this NGM, this paper sheds light upon the case of Jinsong, with an analysis largely based on fieldwork, surveys, and semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders involved in the neighborhood’s redevelopment process. In comparison to the old growth machine, the NGM moves more slowly and yields profits on a smaller scale. The NGM is still state-oriented, and there is a strong coalition of state and market enterprises through which the state achieves its political goal of ‘people-centered’ development; the market enterprises, however, also generate revenues in innovative ways, largely through property management, assetization, and the deeper marketization of neighborhood space.
Polymorphism detection of PRKG2 gene and its association with the number of thoracolumbar vertebrae and carcass traits in Dezhou donkey
Authors: Wang Tianqi , Liu Ziwen , Wang Xinrui , Li Yuhua , AKHTAR FAHEEM , Li Mengmeng , Zhang Zhenwei , Zhan Yandong , Shi Xiaoyuan , Ren Wei , Huang Bingjian , Wang Changfa , Chai Wenqiong
Published: January 2023

Background

Previous studies have shown that the protein kinase cGMP-dependent 2 (PRKG2) gene is associated with dwarfism in humans, dogo Argentines, and Angus cattle, as well as with height and osteoblastogenesis in humans. Therefore, the PRKG2 gene was used as the target gene to explore whether this gene is associated with several thoracolumbar vertebrae and carcass traits in Dezhou donkeys.

Results

In this study, fifteen SNPs were identified by targeted sequencing, all of which were located in introns of the PRKG2 gene. Association analysis illustrated that the g.162153251 G > A, g.162156524 C > T, g.162158453 C > T and, g.162163775 T > G were significantly different from carcass weight. g.162166224 G > A, g.162166654 T > A, g.162167165 C > A, g.162167314 A > C and, g.162172653 G > C were significantly associated with the number of thoracic vertebrae. g.162140112 A > G was significantly associated with the number and the length of lumbar vertebrae, and g.162163775 T > G was significantly associated with the total number of thoracolumbar vertebrae.

Conclusion

Overall, the results of this study suggest that PRKG2 gene polymorphism can be used as a molecular marker to breed high-quality Dezhou donkeys.
Mortality in hemodialysis patients in Ethiopia: a retrospective follow-up study in three centers
Authors: Desta Beza Zewdu , Dadi Abel Fekadu , Derseh Behailu Tariku
Published: January 2023

Background

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is between 10 and 15% worldwide. Ethiopia is seeing a consistent increase in the number of dialysis patients. Patients on chronic hemodialysis have high mortality rates, but there is little information available in Ethiopia. Thus, this study looked into patient mortality and the factors that contributed to it at three dialysis centers in Addis Ababa for hemodialysis patients.

Method

A facility-based retrospective follow-up study was employed among End-Stage Renal Disease patients on hemodialysis from 2016 to 2020 at St. Paul Millennium Medical College (SPMMC), Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH), and Menelik II Hospital. The proportional hazard assumption was checked by using the Log (-log (St)) plots and tests. Life-table analysis was fitted to estimate the one and five-year’s survival probability of these patients and Cox Proportional regression analysis to model the predictors of mortality at p-value < 0.05.

Result

Over the course of 2772 person-months, 139 patients were tracked. Of these patients, 88 (63.3%) were male and the mean age (± SD) of the patients was 36.8 (± 11.9) years. During the follow-up period, 24 (17%) of the patients died, 67 (48.2%) were alive, 43 (30.9%) received a kidney transplant, and 5 (3.6%) were lost to follow-up. The mean survival time was 46.2 months (95% CI: 41.8, 50.5). According to estimates, there were 104 deaths per 1000 person-years at the end of the follow-up period. The likelihood that these patients would survive for one and 5 years was 91%% and 65%, respectively. Our analysis showed that patients with hypertension (Adjusted Hazard Rate (AHR) = 4.33; 95% CI: 1.02, 34.56), cardiovascular disease (AHR = 4.69; 95% CI: 1.32, 16.80), and infection during dialysis (AHR = 3.89; 95% CI: 1.96, 13.80) were more likely to die.

Conclusion

The hemodialysis patients' death rate in the chosen dialysis facilities was high. Preventing and treating comorbidities and complications during dialysis would probably reduce the mortality of CKD patients. Furthermore, the best way to avoid and manage chronic kidney disease is to take a complete and integrated approach to manage hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
The Western Australian preterm birth prevention initiative: a whole of state singleton pregnancy cohort study showing the need to embrace alternative models of care for Aboriginal women
Authors: Berman Ye’elah E. , Newnham John P. , White Scott W. , Brown Kiarna , Doherty Dorota A.
Published: January 2023

Background

Preterm birth (PTB) is the greatest cause of mortality and morbidity in children up to five years of age globally. The Western Australian (WA) PTB Prevention Initiative, the world’s first whole-of-population whole-of-state program aimed at PTB prevention, was implemented across WA in 2014.

Methods

We conducted a prospective population-based cohort study using pregnancy data for singleton births in WA from 2009 to 2019. Logistic regression using the last full year before the Initiative (2013) as the reference, and run charts were used to examine changes in PTB rates compared to pre-Initiative levels, by gestational age group, hospital type, low and high risk of PTB in mid-pregnancy, and onset of labour (spontaneous/medically initiated). Analyses were stratified by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal maternal ethnicity.

Results

Amongst non-Aboriginal women, there was initially a reduction in the PTB rate across the state, and in recent years it returned to pre-Initiative levels. Amongst Aboriginal women there was a small, non- significant reduction in the state-wide PTB rate in the first three years of the Initiative, followed by a rise in recent years. For non-Aboriginal women, the reduction in the rate of PTB at the tertiary centre was sustained and improved further for women of all risk levels and onsets of labour. This reduction was not observed for Aboriginal women giving birth at the tertiary centre, amongst whom there was an increase in the PTB rate overall and in all subgroups, with the exception of medically initiated PTB. Amongst Aboriginal women the PTB rate has also increased across the state. At non-tertiary hospitals there was a large increase in PTB amongst both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women, largely driven by medically initiated late PTB. Maternal risk factors cannot account for this increase.

Conclusions

The reduction in PTB rates amongst non-Aboriginal women at the state’s tertiary hospital demonstrates that with the right strategies, PTB can be reduced. A sustained collaborative model is required to realise this success in non-tertiary hospitals. The series of interventions was of limited use in Aboriginal women, and future efforts will need to be directed at strategies more likely to be successful, such as midwifery continuity of care models, with Aboriginal representation in the healthcare workforce.
Prevalence study of mental disorders in an Italian region. Preliminary report
Authors: Silvestri Caterina , Carpita Barbara , Cassioli Emanuele , Lazzeretti Marco , Rossi Eleonora , Messina Valentina , Castellini Giovanni , Ricca Valdo , Dell’Osso Liliana , Bolognesi Simone , Fagiolini Andrea , Voller Fabio ,   Mental Disorders Study group
Published: January 2023

Background

Mental disorders are a major public health problem. However, over the last few years, there have been few studies aimed at evaluating their diffusion. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating: the prevalence of the most frequent psychiatric disorders in the general population residing in Tuscany using a clinical scale administered by trainee in psychiatry.

Methods

The study was carried out on a representative sample of the general population aged > 18 years, randomly extracted from the register of patients in the Tuscany region, adopting a proportional sampling method stratified by gender, age group and Local Health Units (LHU). Each person was contacted by letter followed by a phone call from an operator who makes an appointment with the trainee in psychiatry. The diagnostic interview conducted was the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Point and lifetime prevalence by gender and age group were calculated. Differences and associations were considered statistically significant if their p-values were less than 0.05.

Results

Of the 408 people involved, 390 people were enrolled (of which 52.6% female). The 28.5% of the sample had been affected by a psychiatric disorder during their lifetime.

In their lifetime, the most represented psychiatric disorders were major depressive episode (20.4%), major depressive disorder (17.0%) and panic disorder (10.3%), more frequent in the female than the male group. Current conditions were predominantly major depressive episode (3.1%) and agoraphobia (2.8%). A 5.9% rate of current suicidal ideation was also found.

Conclusions

In the general population, 28.5% of people reported a psychiatric disorder during their lifetime. This prevalence is considerably higher than that reported in a previous study carried out in central Italy.
The effect of social determinants of health on quality of life among Afghan refugees in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic: a path analysis
Authors: Mahmoodi Zohreh , Bahrami Giti , Ghavidel Nooshin , Seddighi Hamed
Published: January 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges in 2020 in the world and Iran. To help vulnerable groups such as refugees during the response and recovery phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying the quality of life (QOL) and its associated factors is helpful. Considering that research in this field is limited, this study evaluated the effect of social determinants of health on the quality of life among Afghan refugees in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study on 300 Afghan refugees and migrants in Alborz province, Iran, from February to May 2022 using Convenience sampling. Data were completed using the socioeconomic status scale (SES), World Health Organization's quality of life -BREF (WHOQOL), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 Items (DASS-21), and COVID-19 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (COVID-PTSD). In addition, path analysis was applied to evaluate the relationships among the research variables with quality of life.

Results

64.3% of the study participants were male, with a mean of 29.29 ± 9.64 years. The path analysis showed that SES had the most positive relationship (B = .266), and the number of COVID-19 cases had the most negative relationship (B = -.169) with the quality of life from both paths. The self-rated health had the most positive relationship (B = .25), and the DASS score had the most negative relationship (B = -.2) with the quality of life through only one path. Access to medical services was the only variable that indirectly had a positive causal relationship with QOL (B = .044).

Conclusion

We provided an empirical model that illustrates the relationships between quality of life and social determinants of health among Afghan refugees and migrants during the Covid19 pandemic. The negative emotional states of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAS) as a mediator play an essential role in the quality of life and other variables.
Risk and protective factors associated with health risk behaviours among school learners in Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: Osuafor Godswill N. , Okoli Chinwe E. , Phateng Reamogetse
Published: January 2023

Background

Health risk behaviour is rife among school learners in the Western Cape province. This paper assesses risk and protective factors related to health risk behaviours among high school learners. Method: Longitudinal data were sourced from 2950, 2675 and 2230 at Time 0, Time 1 and Time 2 among grade 8 learners aged 13–18 years between 2012 and 2013. Health risk behaviours were assessed on alcohol consumption, smoking cannabis in the past six months, and ever having sexual intercourse. The sociodemographic variables examined were age, sex, residence, socioeconomic status (SES), family structure and population group. Contextual variables studied were the feeling of learners about the intervention program, participation in religious activities, paid casual work and school sports. Descriptive statistics, bivariate associations and binary logistic analyses predicting health risk behaviours were carried out using generalized linear mixed models after restructuring the data collected at different time points.

Result

Health risk behaviours increased consistently for alcohol consumption (25.7–42.7%), smoking cannabis (10.4–22.1%) and (22.3–36.0%) engaging in sexual intercourse. Increasing age emerged as a risk factor for all the health risk behaviours: alcohol consumption [OR:1.3 (1.2–1.4), p < 0.001]; smoking cannabis [OR:1.3 (1.2–1.4), p < 0.001] and had sex [OR:1.5 (1.4–1.7), p < 0.001]. Participation in paid casual work also predicted health risk behaviour: alcohol use [OR:1.5 (1.2–1.8), p < 0.001]; smoking cannabis [OR:1.3 (1.0-1.7), p < 0.05] and sex [OR:1.4 (1.1–1.7), p < 0.01]. High SES and feelings about the EPEP programme enhanced alcohol consumption and smoking cannabis. Smoking cannabis was augmented by residing in an urban area. Participation in school sports was associated with increased alcohol consumption and engaging in sexual intercourse. Participation in religious activities was protected against alcohol consumption [OR:0.7 (0.53–0.83), p < 0.001]; and sex [OR: 0.5 (0.4–0.7), p < 0.001]. Being a female and belonging to a coloured population group diminished engaging in sexual intercourse, and the family structure of both parents attenuated involvement in smoking cannabis.

Conclusion

The findings of the study on risks and protective factors on health risk behaviours mirror those of school-based programmes in developing countries. Learners who participated in paid work and school sports are at risk of adverse health outcomes. Furthermore, participation in religious practices and family structure roles in attenuating health risk behaviours should be integrated and considered in the school-based intervention programme.
Coping strategies and associated factors among people with physical disabilities for psychological distress in Ethiopia
Authors: Desalegn Getachew Tesfaw , Zeleke Tadele Amare , Shumet Shegaye , Mirkena Yohannes , Kassew Tilahun , Angaw Dessie Abebaw , Salelew Endalamaw
Published: January 2023

Background

Coping strategies are frequently used among individuals with physical disabilities when they face adversities. Low- and middle-income countries are not investigated coping styles among psychological distress persons with disabilities despite the high prevalence of psychological distress. The aim of this study was to identify coping strategies among people with physical disabilities for their psychological distress in Ethiopia has a crucial role to improve the health status of persons with physical disabilities.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed among individuals living with physical disabilities at the University of Gondar staff and students from May to June 2021. All staff and students with physical disabilities were screened for psychological distress (n = 269). The census sampling technique was used to select the study participants for psychological distress. The Brief Cope with Problems Experienced (COPE-28) was used to assess coping strategies. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with coping strategies. An odd ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) atP < 0.05 was computed to assess the strength of the association.

Results

The emotional-focused coping strategy was the most frequently used when dealing with psychological distress among participants with physical disabilities. The most commonly used emotional-focused coping strategy was spirituality. In the multivariate analyses; urban residence (β = 3.05, 95% CI: 0.98, 5.12), and stigma (β = 3.10, 95% CI: 0.61, 2.83) were factors positively associated with emotion-focused coping strategy, and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHO QOL) (β = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.22), and stigma (β = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.61, 2.83) were factors significantly associated with problem-focused coping. Urban residence (β= -0.96, 95% CI: -1.69, -0.22) was negatively associated with dysfunctional coping strategy, but WHO QOL (β = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.38) was positively correlated with dysfunctional coping.

Conclusion

In this study revealed that spirituality is the most frequently used coping strategy among the study participants. Urban residents, stigma, and WHO QOL significantly correlated with coping strategies among such patients. The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and other concerned organizations may find the present findings useful to strengthen the coping styles to minimize psychological distress among people with physical disabilities.