bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of dexamethasone on antibody response of horses to vaccination with a combined equine influenza virus and equine herpesvirus‐1 vaccine
Authors: Kreutzfeldt Nicole , Chambers Thomas M. , Reedy Stephanie , Spann Kennedy Michelle , Pusterla Nicola
Published: December 2023

Background

Dexamethasone is routinely administered to horses but its effect on the antibody response to a commercial EIV/EHV vaccine is unclear.

Hypothesis

Horses receiving dexamethasone will have lower postvaccination antibody levels against EIV and EHV‐1 than vaccinated controls.

Animals

Fifty‐five healthy adult research horses.

Methods

Randomized cohort study. Control (no vaccine, group 1), vaccination only (EIV/EHV‐1/EHV‐4, Prestige 2, Merck Animal Health, group 2), vaccination and concurrent single intravenous dose of dexamethasone (approximately .05 mg/kg, group 3), vaccination and 3 intravenous doses of dexamethasone at 24 hours intervals (group 4). Serum SAA levels were measured on day 1 and day 3. Antibody levels against EIV (hemagglutination inhibition assay, Kentucky 2014 antigen) and EHV‐1 (multiplex ELISA targeting total IgG and IgG 4/7) were measured on day 1 and day 30.

Results

Significantly increased mean antibody titers after vaccination were only noted against EIV and only after the vaccination alone (n = 14, prevaccine mean [prvm] 166.9, SD 259.6, 95% CI 16.95‐316.8; postvaccine mean [povm] 249.1, SD 257.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 100.6‐397.6, P = .02) and the single dose dexamethasone (n = 14, prvm 93.14, SD 72.2, CI 51.45‐134.8; povm 185.1, SD 118, CI 116.7‐253.6, P = .01), but not after multiple doses of dexamethasone (n = 14, prvm 194.3, SD 258.3, CI 45.16‐343.4; povm 240.0, SD 235.7, CI 103.9‐376.1, P > .05).

Conclusion

The effect of dexamethasone on the postvaccine antibody response varies depending on the dosing frequency and the antigen‐specific antibody type.
Factors affecting depression in adolescents with increased suicidal ideation during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Cha Hyosung , Lee Kyungmi
Published: December 2023

This study examines factors influencing depression in adolescents with increased suicidal ideation during the COVID‐19 pandemic, based on an ecological model and using data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, 2018. We selected adolescents whose suicidal ideation increased between the third and fourth years of the pandemic and who identified their parents as their guardians. Factors related to depression in adolescents were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression, while considering personal and environmental characteristics in the family and school domains. All models were significant, and Model 3 explained 26.8% of the variance. In Model 3, personal characteristics—physical activity, sleep quality on school days, and smartphone dependence—affected adolescents' depression. Parents' life satisfaction and a rejective childrearing attitude were also found to be significant factors affecting adolescents' depression, along with school life satisfaction and school type. Our findings can inform evidence‐based nursing interventions to reduce depression in adolescents with increased suicidal ideation. They can also contribute to building strategies to promote mental health in schools after the pandemic, forming healthy life habits, and laying the foundation for lifelong health.
Skin reactions to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in pediatric patients with chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Toker Michelle , Jaller Jose A. , Delbourgo Patton Caroline , Wu Benedict
Published: December 2023

Cutaneous adverse events are commonly reported in adult patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs); however, little is known about the cutaneous reactions in children receiving TKIs for CML. As pediatric patients may require lifelong TKI therapy, it is essential to understand the wide range of potential cutaneous toxicities. We examined all case studies, cohort studies, and clinical trials in PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase that reported cutaneous reactions to first‐, second‐, and third‐generation TKIs in children 18 years or younger with CML. This review article focuses on the TKI drug types and doses, patient demographic characteristics, features of skin reactions, and clinical outcomes.
Fear of falling and associated factors in older adults with heart failure
Authors: Unes Mevlut , Tasar Pinar Tosun , Karasahin Omer , Birdal Oguzhan , Sevinc Can , Sahin Sevnaz
Published: December 2023

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of fear of falling and associated factors in older adults with heart failure.

Methods

A prospective, cross‐sectional study. The study included 100 geriatric patients who were hospitalised and treated in the cardiology department of our hospital with ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) lower than 50% for at least 1 year. A series of geriatric assessments were performed by face‐to‐face interview on the day of admission. Electrocardiography (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were also performed on the day of admission.

Results

The median age of the patients was 72 years, and 72.0% were men. Falls Efficacy Scale scores indicated a fear of falling in 46 (46.0%) of the patients. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was significantly higher in patients with fear of falling (P < 0.001). Severe depression, severe clinical insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and malnutrition were significantly more frequent among patients with fear of falling. Fear of falling was associated with significantly lower LVEF (P = 0.001). The presence of severe depression increased the risk of fear of falling by 13.97 times (95% CI: 3.064–63.707; P = 0.001), and the presence of daytime sleepiness increased the risk by 3.49 times (95% CI: 1.012–12.037; P = 0.048). A one‐unit increase in CCI increased the risk of fear of falling by 1.56 times (95% CI: 1.093–2.238; P = 0.014).

Conclusions

Heart failure patients with concomitant depression, sleep disorders, and high comorbidities have greater fear of falling.
The 1942 “Egg Expeditions” to Novaia Zemlia and the Struggle for Food in the Wartime Soviet Union
Authors: Novikova Liudmila
Published: December 2023

In 1942 over 150 schoolchildren from the northern Soviet cities of Arkhangel'sk and Murmansk took part in dangerous expeditions to the Arctic Archipelago of Novaia Zemlia. Their aim was to collect eggs from island bird colonies and hunt seabirds in order to supply famished cities with eggs and salted birds’ carcasses. The voyages were part of the local struggle for food and a reaction to the Soviet government’s urgent call to use all available local resources to ward off large‐scale famine on the Soviet home front. This essay discusses the organization, the course, and the outcome of the expeditions, and evaluates the role of specialist knowledge, local economic tradition, and various agencies—from Soviet, party, and Komsomol organizations to Soviet economic trusts and individual actors—in bringing these expeditions to life. It argues that, rather than being a centralized campaign staged by the state, the struggle for food was largely fought on the local level, with regional institutions assuming substantial responsibility and demonstrating a significant ability to improvise in their search for food. Ultimately, the population’s efforts to survive the famine, and their association with the regime through their collective struggle for food, were important factors that strengthened Soviet resilience.
Effects of planting basins and farmyard manure addition on soil carbon and nitrogen pools under on‐farm conditions in Makueni county of Kenya
Authors: Kichamu‐Wachira Edith , Xu Zhihong , Reardon‐Smith Kathryn , Winowiecki Leigh Ann , Ayele Gebiaw , Biggs Duan , Magaju Christine , Taresh Sabah , Hosseini‐Bai Shahla , Omidvar Negar
Published: December 2023

Climate change, land degradation and inadequate soil nutrients pose significant threats to food security and agricultural sustainability. This study aims to examine the effects of planting basins with farmyard manure on soil total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), isotopic C (δ13C) and N (δ15N) compositions within smallholder‐managed farms in Makueni County, Kenya. The study involved two management practices: planting basins with manure (PM) and conventional farming practices (FP) in 12 experimental sites. Soil samples were taken at three depths (0–10, 10–20 and 20–40 cm), with three replicates for each treatment. Significant interactions were observed between land management practices and sites as well as land management practices and soil depth on soil total C and N. At each of the 12 sites, soil total C was higher under PM (ranging from 0.44% to 1.86%, p < .05) than FP management (ranging from 0.35% to 1.37%), across all soil depths. Soil total N concentrations ranged from 0.027% to 0.100% under FP and (0.060% to 0.190%, p < .05) under PM management. Across soil depths, higher (less negative) soil δ13C values were observed under conventional farmer practice (range − 22.5‰ to −17.1‰) compared with PM management range (−24.3‰ to −18.1‰). Soil δ15N was significantly enriched under PM management (range: 7.4‰ to 12.6‰, p < .05) compared with the conventional farmer practices (range: 6.1‰ to 9.8‰, p < .05). The findings show that planting basins with farmyard manure offers both climate mitigation and adaptation benefits by increasing soil C contents and improving soil fertility. The study provides insights into the real‐world implications of these practices, emphasizing the potential of planting basins with manure in enhancing soil quality and climate resilience.
Universal nucleic acid donor screening revealed epidemiological features of hepatitis E and prevented transfusion‐transmitted infection in Japan
Authors: Tanaka Ami , Matsubayashi Keiji , Odajima Takeshi , Sakata Hidekatsu , Iida Juri , Kai Kazuhiro , Goto Naoko , Satake Masahiro
Published: December 2023

Background

More than 45 cases of transfusion‐transmitted hepatitis E virus infection (TT‐HEV) have been reported in Japan. Therefore, in 2020, universal individual donation nucleic acid amplification testing (ID‐NAT) was implemented for HEV.

Study Design and Methods

We characterized HEV NAT‐positive blood donors. The number of new HEV infections and the asymptomatic infection rate were estimated using the HEV NAT‐positive rate. HEV RNA quantitation, phylogenetic analysis, and antibody tests were performed, and the residual risk of TT‐HEV was assessed based on the lookback study results.

Results

A total of 5,075,100 blood donations were screened with ID‐NAT during the first year of implementation, among which 2804 (0.055%; males: 0.060%, females: 0.043%) were NAT‐positive with regional differences. Approximately 270,000 new HEV infection cases were estimated to occur annually in Japan, with an asymptomatic infection rate of 99.9%. The median HEV RNA concentration, excluding cases below the limit of quantification, was 205 IU/mL. Among the 1113 cases where the genotype could be determined, HEV‐3 and HEV‐4 accounted for 98.8% (1100) and 1.2% (13), respectively. The maximum duration of HEV viremia, including the pre‐ and post‐ID‐NAT window periods, was estimated to be 88.2 days. Within the 3 years since ID‐NAT implementation, no confirmed cases of breakthrough TT‐HEV were observed.

Discussion

Multiple indigenous HEV strains are prevalent in Japan, infecting a significant number of individuals. However, since the implementation of ID‐NAT, TT‐HEV has been prevented due to the test's high sensitivity.
The flower ofAbelmoschus manihot(L.)medikexerts antioxidant effects by regulating theNrf2signalling pathway in scald injury
Authors: Song Ying , Fu Zailin , Zhu Xinyi , Zhang Jun , Bai Wenwen , Song Biwei
Published: December 2023

Scald is a common skin injury in daily life. It is well known that skin burns are associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. In our previous study, we found thatAbelmoschus manihot (L.) medikhad excellent therapeutic effects on scald‐induced inflammation, but its effect on scald‐induced oxidative stress was not reported. In this study, a deep second‐degree scald model in mice was established, and the wound healing rate, healing time, malondialdehyde (MDA) and total superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) levels, and nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related Factor 2 (Nrf2) expression in wound tissue were measured to evaluate the scald wound healing performance ofextraction fromA. manihot (L.) medik(EAM). Scalding activity in mice was examined in vivo by hot water‐induced finger swelling. The treatment scald activities were also examined in vivo by subjecting mice to thermal water‐induced digit swelling. Additionally, the antioxidant effect ofEAMon fibroblasts was also used to determine the mechanism in vitro. The results showed thatEAMnot only decreased the wound healing time but also effectively regulated the levels of oxidising, MDA and T‐SOD in wound tissue. Concurrently,EAMsuppressed digit swelling and hyperalgesia. Furthermore,EAMhad a significant protective effect on NIH‐3T3 cells after H2O2injury by regulating the Nrf2 signalling pathway against oxidative injury. Therefore,EAMis a promising drug for the treatment of scald‐induced inflammation.
Gâteaux or Fréchet differentiable norms on duals of interpolation spaces
Authors: Daher Mohammad
Published: December 2023

Let be an interpolation couple of Banach spaces, let , and let be the corresponding real interpolation space. We consider a norm on the space , equivalent to the usual interpolation norm, and we show that if the norms of the dual spaces  and  are Gâteaux (resp., Fréchet) differentiable, then the dual norm on has the same property. If we only assume that one of the two duals is Gâteaux (or Fréchet) differentiable, we are able to show that there is an equivalent Gâteaux (or Fréchet) differentiable dual norm on the space .
Changes in Perceptions of the Near-Home Walking Environment Among US Adults—2015 and 2020 National Health Interview Survey
Authors: Soto Graycie W. , Whitfield Geoffrey P. , Smith Akimi , Berrigan David , Fulton Janet E.
Published: December 2023

Background: The built environments in which we work, live, and play can influence physical activity behaviors, and perceptions of these environments are associated with walking behavior. This study’s objective is to compare national-level data on perceptions of the near-home walking environment from the 2015 and 2020 National Health Interview Survey. Methods: Adults in 2015 (n = 30,811) and 2020 (n = 29,636) reported perceptions of walkable supports (roads, sidewalks, paths, or trails; sidewalks on most streets), destinations (shops, stores, or markets; bus or transit stops; movies, libraries, or churches; places that help you relax, clear your mind, and reduce stress), and barriers to walking (traffic; crime; animals). Age-adjusted prevalence estimates, prevalence differences, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated overall and by demographic characteristics. Results: The reported prevalence of roads, sidewalks, paths, or trails for walking increased overall (85.3% in 2015 to 88.0% in 2020) and for many subgroups. Perceived places to walk to for relaxation, to clear your mind, and to reduce stress increased overall (72.1% in 2015 to 77.1% in 2020) and for all subgroups. Perceptions of crime as a barrier to walking decreased overall (12.5% in 2015 to 11.2% in 2020) and for some subgroups. From 2015 to 2020, the proportion of adults perceiving roads, sidewalks, paths, or trails; places to relax; and crime as a barrier to walking improved. Conclusions: Continuing to monitor perceptions of the walking environment could contribute to progress toward national walking and walkability goals in the United States.
Epidural analgesia and tattoos: a modified technique to minimise risks and improve safety
Authors: Retroz-Marques Carla , Correia Ana Filipa Albuquerque , Marques Acilio , Gomes Piedade
Published: December 2023

A healthy young woman with a sizeable lumbar tattoo was admitted to the delivery room in active labour at full-term gestation. She was experiencing strong, painful contractions and anxiety, concerned about the possible risks of receiving an epidural through a tattoo. Although there is little published evidence to suggest complications of performing an epidural through a tattoo, some studies report ‘tissue coring phenomenon’. The anaesthesiology team informed the patient of the risks inherent in a traditional epidural and the potential long-term risks of receiving an epidural through the tattoo. Upon signing the informed consent form, the modified epidural technique was performed, and its administration proceeded without complications. A healthy boy was born 3.5 hours later in a vacuum-assisted delivery. This article describes the modified epidural technique designed to minimise tissue coring, and the results of 18 months of uneventful patient follow-up.
Massive haemothorax and haemorrhagic shock due to cervical vascular injury caused by a seat belt
Authors: Nishino Tomoya , Tsuchiya Asuka , Morita Seiji , Nakagawa Yoshihide
Published: December 2023

A woman in her 50s was transported to our hospital after experiencing a road traffic crash that led to a massive haemothorax and haemorrhagic shock due to a cervical vascular injury caused by the seat belt. Contrast-enhanced CT of the chest showed extravascular leakage of the contrast medium from the vicinity of the right subclavicular area and fluid accumulation in the thoracic cavity. The patient was intubated, and a thoracic drainage catheter was placed. She underwent angiography and embolisation of the right costocervical trunk, right thyrocervical trunk and right suprascapular artery using a gelatine sponge and 25%N-butylcyanoacrylate-Lipiodol. She was extubated on the second day after stabilisation of the respiratory and circulatory status. In cases where the bleeding vessel is known and an emergency thoracotomy can serve as a backup, embolisation by interventional radiology should be considered the initial treatment approach.
Complete clinical remission of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma with systemic pemetrexed and bevacizumab in a patient with a BAP1 mutation
Authors: Lee Jimmy , Turetsky Jordan , Nasri Elham , Rogers Sherise C
Published: December 2023

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) is a rare malignancy with historically poor prognosis. Recent research has started to reveal increasingly prevalent genetic mutations seen in this malignancy. Here, we report a case of complete clinical remission of unresectable, metastatic MPeM with systemic chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry of our patient’s malignant cytology sample showed loss of Breast Cancer Gene 1-associated protein-1 expression (BAP1). The patient had synchronous diagnoses of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the anus, benign schwannoma and meningioma. Following the completion of 18 cycles of pemetrexed and bevacizumab, the patient has remained in clinical remission for 8 months. We examine the unusual susceptibility of unresectable MPeM to systemic chemotherapy and attribute susceptibility to the molecular milieu created by mutations in multiple DNA repair pathways. We encourage increased testing for and analysis of mutations in DNA repair pathways to improve future treatment outcomes in this rare malignancy.
Varicella zoster encephalitis in an immunocompetent patient
Authors: Chakravorty Kajori , Bhardwaj Astha , El-Houjairy Joseph
Published: December 2023

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often caused by viruses. Historically, data have shown herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 to be the most common causes of viral encephalitis, with cases due to varicella zoster virus (VZV) more often seen in older age and immunocompromised states. However, emerging data show VZV as an increasingly common culprit of encephalitis in young, immunocompetent patients. PCR analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid is the most accurate diagnostic modality for viral encephalitis. Appropriate and complete treatment hinges on accurate identification of the cause of encephalitis, underscoring the need for comprehensive testing. We present a case of VZV encephalitis in an immunocompetent male patient in his 40s.
Non-ischaemic preservation of the donor heart in heart transplantation: protocol design and rationale for a randomised, controlled, multicentre clinical trial across eight European countries
Authors: Brouckaert Janne , Dellgren Göran , Wallinder Andreas , Rega Filip
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Ischaemic cold static storage (ICSS) is the gold standard in donor heart preservation. This ischaemic time frame renders a time constraint and risk for primary graft dysfunction. Cold oxygenated heart perfusion, known as non-ischaemic heart preservation (NIHP), theoretically limits the ischaemic time, while holding on to the known advantage of hypothermia and cardioplegia, a low metabolic rate.

Methods and analysis

The NIHP 2019 study is an international, randomised, controlled, open, multicentre clinical trial in 15 heart transplantation centres in 8 European countries and includes 202 patients undergoing heart transplantation, allocated 1:1 to NIHP or ICSS. Enrolment is estimated to be 30 months after study initiation. The patients are followed for 12 months after transplantation.

The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of NIHP on survival, allograft function and rejection episodes within the first 30 days after transplantation. The secondary objectives are to compare treatment groups with respect to survival, allograft function, cardiac biomarkers, rejection episodes, allograft vasculopathy, adverse events and adverse device effects within 12 months.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee (EC) for Research UZ/KU Leuven, Belgium, the coordinating EC in Germany (Bei Der LMU München), the coordinating EC in the UK (West Midlands—South Birmingham Research), the EC of Hospital Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain, the EC of Göteborg, Sweden, the coordinating EC in France, the EC of Padova, Italy and the EC of the University of Vienna, Austria. This study will be conducted in accordance with current local regulations and international applicable regulatory requirements according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and ISO14155:2020. Main primary and secondary outcomes will be published on modified intention-to-treat population and per-protocol population.

Trial registration number

NCT03991923.
Analysis of cardiovascular risk factors for the viability of cornea donors: a case–control study
Authors: Montero-Salinas Alejandro , Martínez-Isasi Santiago , Fieira-Costa Eva , Suanzes-Hernández Jorge , Fernández-García Daniel , Gómez-Salgado Juan , Rendal-Vazquez Esther
Published: December 2023

Objective

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of arterial hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, smoking, alcoholism and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) on the viability of the extracted tissue as well as the donor.

Design

Observational case–control study.

Setting

Regional hospital in Northern Spain.

Participants

1517 corneas were registered.

Interventions

Patients’ medical history was reviewed after corneal donation and evaluation. Previous medical information (age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs)) and data related to the donor (type of donor), the corneal tissue and its evaluation, and the viability of the implant were collected.

Results

A total of 1517 corneas were registered and 81.5% of the donors presented at least one CVRF. In relation to the viability of the donor, it was observed that having suffered from COPD reduced the viability of the donor (no COPD: 93.8% vs COPD: 88%; OR=0.49; 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.84) while alcohol consumption increased it (drinker or ex-drinker: 95.8% vs non-drinker: 92.5%; OR=1.84; 95% CI: 1.01 to 3.33). Regarding tissue viability, decreased viability was observed in the presence of COPD (no COPD: 72.5% vs COPD: 64; OR=0.67; 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.96) and diabetes mellitus (no diabetes: 72.9% vs diabetes: 67.2%; OR=0.76; 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.99). As regards the viability of the implant, a total of 1039 corneas (68.9%) were suitable, observing decreased viability when suffering from COPD (no COPD: 69.8% vs COPD: 60.7%; OR=0.67; 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.94) and increased when having an active smoking habit (no habit: 65.3% vs habit: 74.1%; OR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.91).

Conclusions

Through this study, it can be concluded that in the absence of absolute exclusion criteria for donors, the assessment of how CVRF, alcoholism and COPD may affect the donor provides details about the quality of the tissue to be obtained.
Hypertension, socioeconomic status and depressive and anxiety disorders: a cross-sectional study of middle-aged and older Chinese women
Authors: Wang Xueyin , Gao Di , Wang Xu , Zhang Xiaosong , Song Bo
Published: December 2023

Objectives

To investigate the association of hypertension with depressive and anxiety disorders in middle-aged and older Chinese women, and to further assess whether the association was influenced by socioeconomic status (SES).

Design

Nationwide cross-sectional study.

Setting

Six provinces of the eastern, central and western regions of China.

Participants

Women aged 40–70 years were included by a multistage stratified random cluster sampling in 2018 (N=9900).

Primary outcome measures

Depressive and anxiety disorders were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the OR and 95% CI for hypertension and the odds of depressive and anxiety disorders.

Results

18.5% of participants reported having hypertension; 20.9% and 15.3% of women experienced depressive and anxiety disorders, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, women diagnosed with hypertension were more likely to have depressive (OR=1.27, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.45) and anxiety disorders (OR=1.48, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.71) than those without hypertension. Stratified analyses demonstrated that hypertension was significantly associated with higher odds of depressive disorders in women living in rural areas (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.59), with lower levels of education (OR=1.28, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.46) and with average monthly household income <¥3000 (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.59), while hypertension was significantly correlated with increased odds of anxiety disorders in women living in urban (OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.79) and rural areas (OR=1.53, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.84), with lower levels of education (OR=1.47, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.70), and with average monthly household income <¥3000 (OR=1.45, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.75) and ≥¥3000 (OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.86).

Conclusions

Hypertension was associated with increased odds of depressive and anxiety disorders among middle-aged and older women, especially in those with low SES. Effective strategies and actions for identification and management of hypertension and depressive and anxiety disorders are needed.
Delivering maternal and child health interventions through the private sector in LMIC: a scoping review of strategies and effective approaches
Authors: Awor Phyllis , Kinengyere Alison Annet
Published: December 2023

Despite growing evidence on the role of private health providers, the global public health response to date has primarily focused on the provision of public sector health services for women and children in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Limitations of this approach are well documented and include shortage of human resources, inefficient institutional frameworks and inadequate quality especially in rural areas. In order to achieve universal health coverage, it is important to strengthen both the public and private sectors. The objective was to determine effective strategies for engagement with private health providers for maternal and child health in LMIC.

A scoping review of both published and grey literature from 2000 to 2023 was undertaken, including papers reporting on either population-level data on the extent of utilisation of the private sector for maternal and child health services in more than one country; or interventions for service provision in the private sector using population-level results in one or more country; or both of the above. PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched, 362 full-text articles were reviewed and 43 studies were included in the synthesis. Aggregate results were extracted, and content analysis was used to identify engagement strategies/themes.

The results confirm that the private sector is the dominant provider of outpatient care for women and children in LMIC, and a significant provider of reproductive and maternal health services including for inpatient care. Effective strategies and recommendations for engagement with private health providers are presented across challenges of private health provider engagement.
Supportive care and healthcare service utilisation in older adults with a new cancer diagnosis: a population-based review
Authors: Mariano Caroline , Willemsma Kaylie , Sattar Schroder , Haase Kristen , Bates Alan , Nunez John Jose
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Older adults have unique needs and may benefit from additional supportive services through their cancer journey. It can be challenging for older adults to navigate the siloed systems within cancer centres and the community. We aimed to document the use of supportive care services in older adults with a new cancer diagnosis in a public healthcare system.

Methods

We used population-based databases in British Columbia to document referrals to supportive care services. Patients aged 70 years and above with a new diagnosis of solid tumour in the year 2015 were included. Supportive care services captured were social work, psychiatry, palliative care, nutrition and home care. Chart review was used to assess visits to the emergency room and extra calls to the cancer centre help line.

Results

2014 patients were included with a median age of 77, 30% had advanced cancer. 459 (22.8%) of patients accessed one or more services through the cancer centre. The most common service used was patient and family counselling (13%). 309 (15.3%) of patients used community home care services. Patients aged 80 years and above were less likely to access supportive care resources (OR 0.57) compared with those 70–79 years. Patients with advanced cancer, those treated at smaller cancer centres, and patients with colorectal, gynaecological and lung cancer were more likely to have received a supportive care referral.

Conclusions

Older adults, particularly those above 80 years, have low rates of supportive care service utilisation. Barriers to access must be explored, in addition to novel ways of holistic care delivery.
Critical Analysis of “Divided Nation” Model Applications to China-Taiwan: A Case Study of Germany’s Annexation of Austria in 1938
Authors: THOMPSON JAMES
Published: December 2023

Scholars have argued that “divided nations” (i.e., countries that have split into separate political entities) have distinct characteristics in the international system, and this model has been applied to China-Taiwan relations. Yet, despite ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and historical ties, the current state of cross-Strait relations does not resemble classic cases of the “divided nation” model such as East and West Germany, North and South Vietnam, or North and South Korea, not least because power asymmetry is a major feature of the relationship. China’s largely one-sided demands for “reunification” with Taiwan share more similarities with Germany’s approach to Austria in the 1930s. Both are cases of an aggressor state seeking to annex the territory of a smaller, sovereign neighbor based on a revanchist ideology that stems from perceived notions of “national humiliation” by outside powers and ethno-nationalist ideas of a shared blood community. Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938 was the result of overwhelming German military power and political decision-making in the dictatorship of the Third Reich rather than ethnic, cultural, or historical ties. Germany’s invasion and occupation of Austria and the transformations of German and Austrian national identity after 1945 show that the “divided nation” model is contingent on historical and ideological subjectivities and not objective, scholarly analysis. Scholars of cross-Strait relations should approach the subject without reference to this model and instead focus on the political struggle between Chinese authoritarianism and Taiwanese democracy on the question of Taiwanese sovereignty in addition to Taiwan’s pivotal role in the great power conflict between the United States and China.
Dominantly Truthful Peer Prediction Mechanisms with a Finite Number of Tasks
Authors: Kong Yuqing
Published: December 2023

1

In the setting where participants are asked multiple similar possibly subjective multi-choice questions (e.g., Do you like Panda Express? Y/N; Do you like Chick-fil-A? Y/N), a series of peer prediction mechanisms have been designed to incentivize honest reports and some of them achieve dominantly truthfulness: Truth-telling is a dominant strategy and strictly dominates other “non-permutation strategy” with some mild conditions. However, those mechanisms require the participants to perform an infinite number of tasks. When the participants perform a finite number of tasks, these mechanisms only achieve approximated dominant truthfulness. The existence of a dominantly truthful multi-task peer prediction mechanism that only requires a finite number of tasks remains to be an open question that may have a negative result, even with full prior knowledge.

This article answers this open question by proposing a family of mechanisms, VMI-Mechanisms, that are dominantly truthful with a finite number of tasks. A special case of this family, DMI-Mechanism, only requires ≥ 2
C
tasks where
C
is the number of choices for each question (
C
=2 for binary-choice questions). The implementation of these mechanisms does not require any prior knowledge (detail-free) and only requires ≥ 2 participants. To the best of our knowledge, any mechanism of the family is the first dominantly truthful peer prediction mechanism that works for a finite number of tasks.

The core of these new mechanisms is a new family of information-monotone information measures: volume mutual information (VMI). VMI is based on a simple geometric information measure design method, the volume method. The volume method measures the informativeness of an object by “counting” the number of objects that are less informative than it. In other words, the more objects that the object of interest dominates, the more informative it is considered to be.

Finally, in the setting where agents need to invest efforts to obtain their private signals, we show how to select the mechanism to optimally incentivize efforts among a proper set of VMI-Mechanisms.
A Systematic Literature Review on Hardware Reliability Assessment Methods for Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Ahmadilivani Mohammad Hasan , Taheri Mahdi , Raik Jaan , Daneshtalab Masoud , Jenihhin Maksim
Published: December 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and, in particular, Machine Learning (ML), have emerged to be utilized in various applications due to their capability to learn how to solve complex problems. Over the past decade, rapid advances in ML have presented Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) consisting of a large number of neurons and layers. DNN Hardware Accelerators (DHAs) are leveraged to deploy DNNs in the target applications. Safety-critical applications, where hardware faults/errors would result in catastrophic consequences, also benefit from DHAs. Therefore, the reliability of DNNs is an essential subject of research.

In recent years, several studies have been published accordingly to assess the reliability of DNNs. In this regard, various reliability assessment methods have been proposed on a variety of platforms and applications. Hence, there is a need to summarize the state-of-the-art to identify the gaps in the study of the reliability of DNNs. In this work, we conduct a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the reliability assessment methods of DNNs to collect relevant research works as much as possible, present a categorization of them, and address the open challenges.

Through this SLR, three kinds of methods for reliability assessment of DNNs are identified, including Fault Injection (FI), Analytical, and Hybrid methods. Since the majority of works assess the DNN reliability by FI, we characterize different approaches and platforms of the FI method comprehensively. Moreover, Analytical and Hybrid methods are propounded. Thus, different reliability assessment methods for DNNs have been elaborated on their conducted DNN platforms and reliability evaluation metrics. Finally, we highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the identified methods and address the open challenges in the research area. We have concluded that Analytical and Hybrid methods are light-weight yet sufficiently accurate and have the potential to be extended in future research and to be utilized in establishing novel DNN reliability assessment frameworks.
Ad Hoc Transactions through the Looking Glass: An Empirical Study of Application-Level Transactions in Web Applications
Authors: Wang Zhaoguo , Tang Chuzhe , Zhang Xiaodong , Yu Qianmian , Zang Binyu , Guan Haibing , Chen Haibo
Published: December 2023

Many transactions in web applications are constructed ad hoc in the application code. For example, developers might explicitly use locking primitives or validation procedures to coordinate critical code fragments. We refer to database operations coordinated by application code as
ad hoc transactions
. Until now, little is known about them. This paper presents the first comprehensive study on ad hoc transactions. By studying 91 ad hoc transactions among eight popular open-source web applications, we found that (i) every studied application uses ad hoc transactions (up to 16 per application), 71 of which play critical roles; (ii) compared with database transactions, concurrency control of ad hoc transactions is much more flexible; (iii) ad hoc transactions are error-prone—53 of them have correctness issues, and 33 of them are confirmed by developers; and (iv) ad hoc transactions have the potential for improving performance in contentious workloads by utilizing application semantics such as access patterns. Based on these findings, we discuss the implications of ad hoc transactions to the database research community.
Impact of Grinding and Sorting Particle Size on Phytochemical Yield in Dipterocarpus alatus Leaf Extract
Authors: Senawong Kritsadang , Katekaew Somporn , Juntahum Suchat , Laloon Kittipong
Published: December 2023

The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of grinding (pretreatment) with a pin mill on the crude extract yields of Dipterocarpus alatus (Yang-Na) leaves. A factorial design in a completely randomized design was conducted to study the combinational effects of sieve sizes (1.0, 1.5, and 3.0 mm) and feed rates (1.0, 1.5, and 3.0 kg min−1), examining the interaction of parameters for grinding oven-dried Yang-Na leaves. Ethanol extraction initially evaluated the influence of Yang-Na leaf powder with diverse particle sizes. When sorting particle size, the crude extract yield increased as the particle size decreased, with 0.038–0.150 mm particles yielding the highest extraction, although yields decline when the particle size is lower than 0.038 mm. The average particle sizes, production capacity, and fineness modulus all exhibited a significant decrease as the sieve size and feeding rate were reduced, while the specific energy consumption showed an inversely proportional relationship with these parameters. Intriguingly, the crude extract yield remained independent of the average particle size. Notably, the highest yield (14.79 g kg−1) was derived from a 0.31 mm average particle size, ground with a 1.5 mm sieve and a 3 kg min−1 feeding rate. This suggests that the pretreatment, involving both grinding conditions and sorting size, has an impact on the performance of the extraction process. However, this study offers an energy-efficient alternative, advocating for using average particle sizes without prior sorting, streamlining the extraction process while maintaining substantial yields. These insights underline the crucial influence of particle size and grinding techniques, advancing our understanding of efficient herbal extraction techniques for industrial applications.
A Voice-Based Personal Assistant for Mental Health in Kreol Morisien
Authors: Gobin-Rahimbux B. , Gooda Sahib N. , Peerthy N. , Taylor A.
Published: December 2023

Voice-based smart personal assistants (VSPAs) are applications that recognize speech-based input and perform a task. In many domains, VSPA can play an important role as it mimics an interaction with another human. For low-resource languages, developing a VSPA can be challenging due to the lack of available audio datasets. In this work, a VSPA in Kreol Morisien (KM), the native language of Mauritius, is proposed to support users with mental health issues. Seven conversational flows were considered, and two speech recognition models were developed using CMUSphinx and DeepSpeech, respectively. A comparative user evaluation was conducted with 17 participants who were requested to speak 151 sentences of varying lengths in KM. It was observed that DeepSpeech was more accurate with a word error rate (WER) of 18% compared to CMUSphinx at 24%, that is, DeepSpeech fully recognized 76 sentences compared to CMUSphinx where only 57 sentences were fully recognized. However, DeepSpeech could not fully recognize any 7-word sentences, and thus, it was concluded that the contributions of DeepSpeech to automatic speech recognition in KM should be further explored. Nevertheless, this research is a stepping stone towards developing more VSPA to support various activities among the Mauritian population.
Factor Analysis Related to the Change in Activities of Daily Living Performance of Stroke Patients
Authors: Kim Hye Eun , Cho Ki Hun
Published: December 2023

This study is aimed at investigating the factors influencing the change (improvement) in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients. This study utilized data collected from 123 stroke patients at admission and discharge from a local rehabilitation hospital in South Korea between 2019 and 2022. We analyzed the correlations between ADL (Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index) and spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale), muscle strength (Manual Muscle Test), gait ability (Functional Ambulation Category), cognitive function (Korean version of Mini Mental Status Examination), upper extremity function (Manual Function Test), and balance function (Berg Balance Scale). In addition, to identify the factors influencing the change in ADL in line with the 3 months of rehabilitation, a multiple regression analysis was performed. The results of the correlation analysis showed that balance function (r = 0.925, p < 0.01) and gait ability (r = 0.921, p < 0.01) had strong positive correlations with ADL. Multiple regression analysis (F = 34.547, p ≤ 0.001, adj.R2 = 0.466) indicated that changes in the upper extremity (β = 0.494, p ≤ 0.001), cognitive (β = 0.197, p = 0.008), and balance (β = 0.163, p = 0.029) functions influenced changes in ADL. Our results found that the recovery of upper extremity function along with the improvement of cognitive and balance functions had a significant effect on the improvement of independence in ADL in stroke patients.
A Synthetic Voice for an Assistive Conversational Agent: A Survey to Discover Italian Preferences regarding Synthetic Voice’s Gender and Quality Level
Authors: Cuciniello Marialucia , Amorese Terry , Greco Claudia , Callejas Carrión Zoraida , Vogel Carl , Cordasco Gennaro , Esposito Anna
Published: December 2023

Based on a previous investigation, a quantitative study aimed to identify user’ preferences towards four synthetic voices of two different quality levels (classified through the sophistication of the synthesizer: low vs. high) is proposed. The voices administered to participants were developed considering two main aspects: the voice quality (high/low) and their gender (male/female). 182 unpaid participants were recruited for the study, divided in four groups according to their age, and therefore classified as adolescents, young adults, middle-aged, and seniors. To collect data regarding each voice, randomly audited by participants, the shortened version of the Virtual Agent Voice Acceptance Questionnaire (VAVAQ) was exploited. Outcomes of the previous study revealed that the voices of high quality, regardless of their gender, received a higher acclaim by all participants examined rather than the corresponding two voices assessed as lower quality. Conversely, findings of the current study suggest that the four new groups of participants involved agreed in showing their strong preference towards the high-quality voice gendered as female compared to all the other considered voices. Regarding the two voices gendered as male, the high-quality one was considered as more original and capable to arouse positive emotional states than the low-quality one. Moreover, the high-quality male voice was judged as more natural than the female low-quality one. Results provide some insights for future directions in the user experience and design field.
Figure S10 from Discovery of KRB-456, a KRAS G12D Switch-I/II Allosteric Pocket Binder That Inhibits the Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Patient-derived Tumors
Authors: Kazi Aslamuzzaman , Ranjan Alok , Kumar M.V. Vasantha , Agianian Bogos , Garcia Chavez Martin , Vudatha Vignesh , Wang Rui , Vangipurapu Rajanikanth , Chen Liwei , Kennedy Perry , Subramanian Karthikeyan , Quirke Jonathan C.K. , Beato Francisca , Underwood Patrick W. , Fleming Jason B. , Trevino Jose , Hergenrother Paul J. , Gavathiotis Evripidis , Sebti Said M.
Published: December 2023

KRB-456 inhibits the viability in 2D, 3D, and 3D co-cultures with pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), of primary and metastatic mt KRAS adenocarcinoma cells derived from 8 pancreatic cancer patients.
FIGURE 3 from Discovery of KRB-456, a KRAS G12D Switch-I/II Allosteric Pocket Binder That Inhibits the Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Patient-derived Tumors
Authors: Kazi Aslamuzzaman , Ranjan Alok , Kumar M.V. Vasantha , Agianian Bogos , Garcia Chavez Martin , Vudatha Vignesh , Wang Rui , Vangipurapu Rajanikanth , Chen Liwei , Kennedy Perry , Subramanian Karthikeyan , Quirke Jonathan C.K. , Beato Francisca , Underwood Patrick W. , Fleming Jason B. , Trevino Jose , Hergenrother Paul J. , Gavathiotis Evripidis , Sebti Said M.
Published: December 2023

Determination of binding affinities of KRB-456 for KRAS G12D-NE, KRAS G12D NH-GTP, KRAS G12D NH-GDP, KRAS WT-NE, KRAS G12V-NE, and KRAS G12C-NE using ITC. ITC assays were performed using 2 mmol/L KRB-456 in the ITC injector and 100 µmol/L protein in the ITC sample cell as described in Materials and Methods.