bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disclosure of Important Issues in Audit Reports: First Year of Implementation
Authors: Petropoulos Georgios , Tsipouridou Maria , Boskou Georgia , Spathis Charalambos
Published: June 2023

The aim of this study is to explore the new International Standard on Audit (ISA) 701 “Communicating Key Audit Matters in the Independent Auditor´s Report”. More specifically, we examine Key Audit Matters (KAMs) in the first year of implementation in Greece, in 2017. We content analyze the audit reports to investigate the number and type of KAMs that are identified and disclosed by industry and by type of audit firm (i.e. Big-4, Crowe-Sol, Grant Thornton, and others). We hand-collect data from 153 audit reports of companies listed on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE). Moreover, an empirical analysis is carried out to examine whether the size of the company being audited, and the type of the audit firm, affect the number of KAMs. Οur results show that the number of KAMs is positively related to the size and leverage of the audited company, as well as the tenure of the audit firm.

 

 Key words: Key Audit Matters, ISA 700, ISA 701

JEL Classification: M41, M42, G38
Project management: Lean vs. Agile methodology
Authors: Georgakalou Maria , Koutsikos Kostas
Published: June 2023

The past decades there has been a large discussion on the suitability of the lean and the agile methodologies for an effective project management. This paper aims at providing an answer to this question. Both theoretical facts and practical case studies are going to be examined in order to be able to reach a result. It seems that both methodologies might be good, depending on the problem under consideration.

The two methodologies have some differences both on their starting point (LEAN was initially used in the manufacturing sector, while AGILE was initially used by the software development sector) and on their general concept (LEAN being more holistic and long-term, while AGILE is a better tool when quick decisions are needed).

Aspects such as reliability of the methodologies and their challenges including reasons that might lead to failure are going to be discussed.

 

EL Classifications: M10 General, M11 Production Management, M19 Other

Keywords: LEAN methodology, AGILE methodology, Project management, effectiveness, efficiency
Accounting Information and Digital transformation: The case of services organizations
Authors: Kartalis Nikolaos , Veletzas Ioannis , Broni Georgia , Ginoglou Emmanouil
Published: June 2023

Services organizations increasingly transforming themselves into digital entities by introducing innovate service and exploiting digital technologies. Not much research  had been done in previous years concerning the adaption of digital transformation using the accounting information. In this article we try to investigate the role of the accounting information in digital transformation in service companies  taking into account the empirical findings from a survey of 45 managers of worldwide entities. The findings shows that the accounting information plays a significant role in decision making process in service organizations and the digital technologies such as social media, internet analytics and artificial intelligence have been intensively used in contemporary businesses.

 

 

JEL CLASSIFICATION CODES : M40, M41.

Keywords: Accounting, Management Accounting
Clinical characteristics and long-term consequences of COVID-19 patients in a dedicated COVID unit of a tertiary care hospital: an 8-month follow-up study
Authors: Roy Utshab , Mahiyuddin Najeeb , Kalam Syeda , Ahmed Tarek
Published: June 2023

Background:

Aim of the study was to assess the demographic, clinical characteristics, long term consequences of Bangladeshi coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and to see any association with severity of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 functional status (PCFS).

Methods:

This prospective cohort study was performed in the COVID-19 unit of Cumilla Medical College and Hospital, Cumilla, Bangladesh. Fifty-eight patients were consecutively selected. Data were collected by direct interview and from hospital archives. All patients were followed up at 6 and 8-months intervals over telephone calls. Data regarding age, gender, contact history with COVID-19 patients, travel history, smoking history, comorbidities, symptoms, severity of COVID-19, post COVID-19 symptoms and functional status were recorded

Results:

About 44 (75.9%) patients recovered with residual damage and one patient died. The common symptoms at admission were fever, cough, dyspnea and fatigue while at follow-up, fatigue, poor memory, dyspnea and insomnia were observed, which persisted after recovery but improved over time. There were 30 (51.7%) patients with severe COVID-19 disease and 11 (21.2%) patients suffered from functional limitation. After multivariate adjustment, patients with severe COVID-19 had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.08 (1.02-1.16) for age and patients with post-COVID-19 functional limitation showed OR of 1.05 (1.00-1.11) for age, OR of 10.83 (2.08-56.35) for female and OR of 27.48 (4.30-175.61) for smoking.

Conclusion:

Majority of the patients recovered but with persistence of post COVID-19 symptoms, and few patients even developed functional limitation. Age was a significant independent predictor for severe disease whereas higher age, female gender and smokers were at increased odds of developing post COVID-19 functional limitation.
Validity and reliability of the questionnaire of academic knowledge of teachers of basic general education
Authors: Basantes-Andrade Andrea , López-Gutiérrez Juan Carlos , Mora Grijalva Milton , Ricardo Yenney
Published: June 2023

Background: The concern and analysis about the knowledge possessed by teachers of basic general education persists in academic debate and professional practice. It is noteworthy that in the studies consulted, there is no precise evidence that determines with accuracy the configurations of these knowledge factors that function as the basis of the teaching profession. Therefore, the objective of this study is to establish the construct validity and reliability of the questionnaire on the nature or origin of the academic knowledge of teachers of basic general education, adapted from the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) Competence Model.

Methods: A methodological study was established that applies a test to the processes of reliability and internal consistency. The construct validity was performed through (n = 8) expert judges, using Cohen's Kappa. An exploratory factor analysis was performed following the criteria of the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Coefficient (KMO), the Bartlett sphericity test and the principal components extraction method in the factor analysis with varimax rotation. The sample consisted of (n = 27) teachers of basic general education of the Ibarra Canton.

Results: The results show a reliability analysis for the instrument obtained a Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.901), estimated to be an excellent level. 

Conclusions: The questionnaire is relevant, valid and reliable, adapting to the needs of teachers of basic general education to determine the nature or origin of the academic knowledge in a fast and reliable manner.
Sativex® for the treatment of Agitation & Aggression in Alzheimer’s Dementia in UK nursing homes (STAND): Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
Authors: Albertyn Christopher P , Johar Iskander , Creese Byron , Young Allan , Carter Ben , Velayudhan Latha , Bhattacharyya Sagnik , Vasconcelos Da Silva Miguel , Samsi Kritika , Jafari Hassan , Guu Ta-Wei , Kaur Simrat , Kandangwa Pooja , Aarsland Dag
Published: June 2023

Background: People living with dementia often experience a myriad of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Agitation is highly common within BPSD, negatively impacting their health, accelerating dementia progression, and is distressing both to patients and those caring for them. It also costs society a great deal, with increased hospitalisations, cost of care and earlier institutionalisation. Unfortunately, current treatments for these symptoms do not work very well and have a lot of unwanted side-effects. Recently, cannabinoid-based medicines have emerged as potentially safer alternative candidates for agitation in dementia. However, there is little systematic and robust evidence to support these encouraging early reports. Therefore, we specifically hope to investigate Sativex®, administered as an oral-spray, containing 50% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 50% cannabidiol (CBD) for agitation in dementia.

Methods: STAND is a mixed-methods, randomised, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled feasibility clinical trial, recruiting 60 people living with Alzheimer’s disease displaying behavioural symptoms from UK nursing homes.

Conclusions: We aim to assess the safety, feasibility and acceptability of Sativex® within a nursing home context, and estimate its efficacy for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease. Findings will be used to inform a potential larger phase III confirmatory effectiveness trial.

ISRCTN registry: 97163562.
Thickening the border: a transnational sovereign assemblage and the privatization of sovereignty
Authors: Riva Sara
Published: June 2023

Australia, the United States, and the European Union enact bordering mechanisms to armor themselves against people who seek asylum transferring the burden of enforcement and containment to countries from the Global South. This configuration reinscribes a regime of limited mobility for certain subjects that reproduces a neocolonial order. The measures developed by these regions to keep people who seek asylum away from their territories thicken the border by effectively creating an overarching transnational sovereign zone that is not country-specific but rather an assemblage of Western countries’ buffer zones. Although the result is a fairly monolithic barrier for refugees, this assemblage is not homogeneous in structure but is instead composed of differently balanced, dyadic relations between countries, heterogeneous dehumanizing narratives prevalent among domestic publics, externalization measures, confinement practices, and other deterrence mechanisms, with different degrees of reach and success. Using a transnational feminist lens and a Critical Border Studies framework, this article shows how the border externalization measures that uphold this assembly rely on public-private partnerships that governments establish with private corporations; and agreements with third countries. The privatization of sovereignty then become the necessary conditions to exercise transnational sovereignty.
The Delegation of the Bohemian King-Elector to the Election of the New Roman King in Frankfurt am Main, 1745
Authors: Kubeš Jiří
Published: June 2023

It may seem that we know a lot about the elections and coronations of Roman kings and emperors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and this also applies to the one of 1745, when Francis I Stephen became emperor. However, very little attention has been paid to the electoral delegations, their tasks, and their role in the pre-election negotiations. This article will therefore analyse the instructions issued by Queen Maria Theresa of Bohemia, who did not personally come to Frankfurt am Main for the election, to her diplomats. The analysis will then be supplemented by additional sources from the National Archives in Prague, where the reports of the delegation and other sources have been preserved. The election of 1745 is thoroughly compared with the elections of 1657–58 (Leopold I), 1711 (Charles VI), and 1742 (Charles VII). The author shows who made up the Bohemian delegation and how some of these diplomats’ tasks changed over time. Although the delegation of three noblemen – Counts Wurmbrand and Khevehüller, and Baron Hilleprand – had mainly ceremonial tasks, its role was also crucial in the actual negotiations, both on the very day of the election, then when it represented the Queen in the cathedral, and finally in conclave vote and when it was given other tasks (such as organising the celebratory banquet, illuminating the houses, etc.). It is evident that the delegation helped Queen Maria Theresa and her family regain possession of the imperial title.
Channel Changes Choice: An Empirical Study About Omnichannel Demand Sensitivity to Fulfillment Lead Time
Authors: Lim Stanley Frederick W. T. , Gao Fei , Tan Tom Fangyun
Published: June 2023

We examine a large transaction-level data set of an Italian omnichannel furniture retailer to study channel-specific effects of fulfillment lead time on demand. This omnichannel retailer sells the same products and has the same product fulfillment across three channels: showroom, online, and catalog. The showroom channel carries no inventory but allows customers to touch and feel the products. The online channel provides a website for consumers to browse and order the products. The catalog channel sends a product catalog to all the households in Italy, so they can place an order over the phone. We find that the showroom channel makes consumers less sensitive to fulfillment lead time than both online and catalog channels. In particular, a 10% increase in lead time (1.83 days from the sample mean of 18.26 days) causes a 0.29% reduction in the daily sales volume (approximately 29 units from the sample mean of 10,140 units per day) at the showroom, which is less than the reduction of 1.85% and 0.92% in the online and the catalog channels, respectively. This finding contradicts the common practical and theoretical assumption about homogeneous lead time sensitivity across channels. In addition, we find that niche products and experience goods accentuate the difference of lead time sensitivity between showroom and nonphysical channels. Through an online experiment, we show that higher product information precision, such as that provided in a showroom, can alleviate customers’ anxiety around product uncertainty, thus reducing lead time sensitivity and increasing purchase intent. We further build two analytical models to show the implications of our empirical results for showroom network design and inventory rationing decisions. Our study highlights the previously ignored fulfillment time sensitivity aspect of the physical store’s value.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4839 .
Medical device-related pressure injury knowledge assessment for nurses: development and psychometric validation of a multiple choice test
Authors: Dalli Öznur Erbay , Girgin Nermin Kelebek
Published: June 2023

Objective:

This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable test to measure nurses' knowledge of medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs).

Methods:

The data were collected between May and July 2022. An extensive literature review was performed to develop the instrument. Face and content validity were evaluated in a three-round e-Delphi procedure by an expert panel of 12, including: two wound care nurses; two medical professors; two academic professors/associate professors of nursing with at least 10 years of experience in pressure injuries (PIs) and their care in Turkey; two international professors/associate professors of nursing who have been involved in the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel and other wound care organisations; and nurses from each of four different fields.

Results:

A sample of 155 nurses and 108 nursing students participated to enable evaluation of the validity of the multiple-choice test items (item difficulty, discriminating index), and to construct validity, internal consistency and stability of the instrument. A 16-item test reflecting six themes was developed to assess MDRPI knowledge (MDRPI-KAT). The item difficulty index of the questions ranged from 0.36–0.84, while values for item discrimination ranged from 0.31–0.68. The one-week test–retest intraclass correlation coefficient (stability) was 0.82. The overall internal consistency reliability was 0.77. Group scores of nurses with a (theoretically expected) high level of expertise were found to be statistically significantly higher than those of participants with (theoretically expected) less expertise (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

The MDRPI-KAT showed acceptable psychometric properties, and can be used in research and practice to evaluate nurses' knowledge of MDRPIs.
The importance of temperature monitoring in predicting wound healing
Authors: Zhong Yu-Fan , Wang Zheng-Cai , Xue Ya-Nan , Zhao Wan-Yi , Liu Yan-Qi , Wang Xiao-Feng , Hu Yan-Yan , Fang Qing-Qing , Ma Lie , Wang Xiao-Zhi , Lou Dong , Tan Wei-Qiang
Published: June 2023

The formation and healing of wounds are often accompanied by changes of various indexes, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, pH and exudate composition in the wound microenvironment. Monitoring these changes during the wound healing process is important as it helps in the early detection of abnormal healing, and promotes the implementation of suitable and efficient interventions. Of all the measurable characteristics of wounds, wound temperature is the most reliable index to observe or measure, as temperature changes and trends during the wound healing process vary in different types of wounds. Therefore, the measurement and analysis of wound temperature changes may assist in judging wound status, contributing to the development of treatment plans, and may predict wound healing outcomes. There are two methods of measuring temperature: single point monitoring and remote monitoring, and two comparison methods for measurement data: temperature difference to the same site of the skin opposite and to periwound skin. The focus of this review is to discuss the significant relationship between wound temperature and wound healing, and to evaluate the value of temperature monitoring in predicting wound healing. Local heating treatments, such as thermal radiation dressings and water-filtered infrared-A, and their use in promoting healing in acute and hard-to-heal wounds are also discussed.

Conclusion:

Upon wound formation, the wound temperature rises in the first 3–4 days until reaching its peak. It then falls at about one week after wound formation. In the second week after wound formation, the wound temperature decreases steadily to the baseline indicating a good wound condition and progression towards healing. While a continuous high temperature is often a sign of excessive inflammation or infection, which indicates urgent need of intervention and treatment.
A vessel sealing system can help reduce the risk of postoperative complications after tumour resection in the medial thigh
Authors: Toda Yu , Iwata Shintaro , Kobayashi Eisuke , Ogura Koichi , Osaki Shuhei , Fukushima Suguru , Mawatari Masaaki , Kawai Akira
Published: June 2023

Aims

The risk of postoperative complications after resection of soft-tissue sarcoma in the medial thigh is higher than in other locations. This study investigated whether a vessel sealing system (VSS) could help reduce the risk of postoperative complications after wide resection of soft-tissue sarcoma in the medial thigh.

Methods

Of 285 patients who underwent wide resection for soft-tissue sarcoma between 2014 and 2021 at our institution, 78 patients with tumours in the medial thigh were extracted from our database. Information on clinicopathological characteristics, preoperative treatment, surgical treatment (use of VSS, blood loss volume, operating time), and postoperative course (complications, postoperative haemoglobin changes, total drainage volume, and drainage and hospitalization durations) were obtained from medical records. We statistically compared clinical outcomes between patients whose surgery did or did not use VSS (VSS and non-VSS groups, respectively).

Results

There were 24 patients in the VSS group and 54 in the non-VSS group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of clinicopathological background. The total drainage volume in the VSS group was significantly less than that in the non-VSS group (1,176 ml vs 3,114 ml; p = 0.018). Moreover, the drainage and hospitalization durations were significantly shorter in the VSS group compared to the non-VSS group (p = 0.017 and p = 0.024, respectively).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that use of VSS can help reduce the risk of postoperative complications after wide resection of soft-tissue sarcoma in the medial thigh.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(6):442–446.
O Potencial para recomposição de Leguminosas arbustivo-arbóreas da mata ciliar da Cachoeira Domingos Lopes
Authors: Érica Alves Sampaio  , Flavio Franca
Published: June 2023

A região do Semiárido que ocupa área de 969.589 km2 , o que abrange cerca de 1.262 municípios brasileiros, a maior porção do ambiente semiárido está localizada na região Nordeste, incluindo os Estados do Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, a maior parte da Paraíba e Pernambuco, Sudeste do Piauí, estendendo-se até o estado de Minas Gerais, e ocupa cerca de 18% do território deste Estado (Brasil, 2005).
Minimizing the cost of hierarchical optical transport network traffic grooming boards in metro networks
Authors: Attarpour Aryanaz , Ibrahimi Memedhe , Di Cicco Nicola , Musumeci Francesco , Castoldi Andrea , Ragni Mario , Tornatore Massimo
Published: June 2023

Metro network operators aim to design scalable and cost-effective network architectures to address the capacity expansion due to ongoing traffic growth. While coherent transmission (e.g., at 100 Gbps and 200 Gbps) can address capacity growth, operators must also support legacy non-coherent transmission technology (e.g., at 10 Gbps). Therefore, operators must devise new practical solutions to jointly support new and legacy transmission technologies, while minimizing the network cost. This study investigated the optimization problem arising when deploying a metro network with a hierarchical architecture of grooming nodes. More precisely, we optimized the deployment cost of hierarchical traffic-grooming stacked optical transport network (OTN) boards with a mix of coherent and non-coherent transmission technologies in metro/regional networks composed of interconnected rings, while considering a filterless node architecture. We formulated the optimization problem using integer linear programming. Then, to deal with problem scalability, we proposed a comprehensive set of novel heuristic approaches based on genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, and a knowledge-domain heuristic (local search). We also compared the proposed approaches with baseline strategies used by network operators and showed that we can reach up to 50% cost savings compared to these baselines.
Intra-cavity laser-assisted solar-energy conversion
Authors: Jiménez I. , Wallentowitz S. , Seifert B. , Volkmann U. G. , Diaz-Droguett D. E. , Cabrera A. L. , Gence L.
Published: June 2023

It is shown how to efficiently convert solar into electrical energy, taking advantage
of laser amplification and intra-cavity use of a low-efficiency
converter. The latter may consist of a low-efficiency transparent
photovoltaic cell or a thermoelectric cell integrated into a metallic
laser-cavity mirror, constituting a minor intra-cavity loss for the
laser operation. The overall power-conversion efficiency is derived
and discussed for a variety of current solid-state laser materials. It
is shown that power-conversion efficiencies comparable with commercial
silicon photovoltaic cells are obtained with current laser
materials.
Photon blockade in the Jaynes-Cummings model with two-photon dissipation
Authors: Zhang Haoliang , Duan Zhenglu
Published: June 2023

We propose a scheme to generate a single-photon source based on photon blockade in the Jaynes-Cummings (J-C) model with a two-photon dissipation (TPD) process. We present the optimal conditions for conventional/unconventional photon blockade via the wave function method with an effective Hamiltonian involving TPD. The results show that the second-order correlation function for the J-C model with TPD is considerably less than that of the J-C model with single-photon dissipation. Additionally, the average photon number can reach 0.5 in the large atomic detuning regime. This feature makes the J-C model with TPD a high-quality single photon source.
Vernier effect-based optical fiber sensor for dynamic sensing using a coarsely resolved spectrometer
Authors: Zhu Chen , Alsalman Osamah
Published: June 2023

Vernier effect-based optical fiber sensors have been demonstrated for high-sensitivity measurements of a diverse array of physical and chemical parameters. The interrogation of a Vernier sensor typically needs a broadband source and an optical spectrum analyzer to measure amplitudes over a broad wavelength window with dense sampling points, facilitating accurate extraction of the Vernier modulation envelope for sensitivity-improved sensing. However, the stringent requirement on the interrogation system limits the dynamic sensing capability of Vernier sensors. In this work, the possibility of employing a light source with a small wavelength bandwidth (35 nm) and a coarsely resolved spectrometer (∼166 pm) for the interrogation of an optical fiber Vernier sensor is demonstrated with the assistance of a machine learning-based analysis technique. Dynamic sensing of the exponential decay process of a cantilever beam has been successfully implemented with the low-cost and intelligent Vernier sensor. This work represents a first step towards a simpler, faster, and cheaper way to characterize the response of optical fiber sensors based on the Vernier effect.
Vortex-antivortex pair control in quadrupole Gaussian beams
Authors: Ferrando Albert , Popiołek-Masajada Agnieszka , Masajada Jan , Markevich Raman , Khoroshun Anna
Published: June 2023

A multi-vortex system nested in a Gaussian beam forms complex paths when it propagates in a free space. We consider a configuration of vortex quadrupole and present a systematic way to control the creation and annihilation of vortex pairs using only one parameter. It is shown that three classes of quadrupole vortex beams can be identified by the number of vortex pairs created or annihilated. The beam symmetry, asymptotic behavior, and stability are analyzed. The main theoretical results are verified experimentally.
AL-aided AMC in a multi-user white-light OFDMA VLC system over a light-diffusing fiber loop
Authors: Wei Zixian , Nacke Codey , Khalil Mostafa , Sun Hao , Stitt Kyle , Lougheed James , Chen Lawrence R. , Plant David V.
Published: June 2023

To develop an adaptive modulation scheme for flexible high-speed multi-user visible light communication (VLC), automatic modulation classification (AMC) is adopted for monitoring the modulation formats of different subcarrier groups. An AMC scheme based on a joint convolutional neural network (CNN), active learning (AL), and data augmentation (DA) is demonstrated over an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA) VLC system. The configuration of the diffuse white-light VLC system is combined with a pair integrated transceiver module, a light-diffusing fiber (LDF), and a wireless channel, which can provide white-light illumination and ubiquitous access. Within the forward error correction (FEC) threshold, the data rates of the white-light VLC links can reach 325.5 Mbps with a bit error rate (BER) of 2.163 × 10−3. An experiment with two-user access via the proposed VLC link with an unequal bandwidth allocation was demonstrated. The performance of the AL-aided CNN AMC scheme also shows a classification accuracy rate of 95.48% for the constellation diagrams of different subcarriers of the OFDMA signal over 240 training samples and faster convergence than a CNN-based AMC.
Extreme pulses in gain-switched semiconductor lasers
Authors: Suelzer Joseph S. , Simpson Thomas B. , Usechak Nicholas G.
Published: June 2023

Semiconductor lasers subjected to strong current modulation produce gain-switched optical pulse trains. These lasers can also produce pulse trains at sub-harmonic repetition rates relative to the driving current modulation. We experimentally observe, and numerically model, that these pulse trains can be interrupted by single-cycle extreme pulses whose characteristics and statistics are similar to rogue waves. Modeling indicates that drops in the circulating optical power in the optical cavity precede the appearance of extreme pulses. At the single photon level, the stochastic source terms in the optical field equation dominate the circulating optical power.
Sharp angular and unidirectional filter based on accidental degeneracy between two twisted Weyl semimetal-based defect modes in a one-dimensional photonic crystal
Authors: Zhang Ruihong , Liu Guangfan , Hong Sen , He Yuran , Yin Chengping , Xu Kunyuan
Published: June 2023

To address the challenges associated with the realization of optical non-reciprocity and enhance the efficiency of GaAs solar cells, among other systems, in this study, we investigated defect-mode interactions in a one-dimensional photonic crystal containing two Weyl semimetal-based defect layers. Moreover, two non-reciprocal defect modes were observed, namely, when defects are identical and nearby. Increasing the defect distance weakened the defect-mode interactions, thus causing the modes to gradually move closer and then degenerate into one mode. It should be noted that by changing the optical thickness of one of the defect layers, the mode was found to degrade to two non-reciprocal dots with different frequencies and angles. This phenomenon can be attributed to an accidental degeneracy of two defect modes with dispersion curves that intersect in the forward and backward directions, respectively. Moreover, by twisting Weyl semimetal layers, the accidental degeneracy occurred only in the backward direction, thus resulting in a sharp angular and unidirectional filter.
Scalable angular spectrum propagation
Authors: Heintzmann Rainer , Loetgering Lars , Wechsler Felix
Published: June 2023

A scalable angular spectrum (SAS) algorithm with zoom capability for numerical propagation of scalar wave fields in homogeneous media is presented. The proposed method features three properties that distinguish it from existing methods: (1) It allows for propagation models where the destination pixel pitch is larger than the source pixel pitch, (2) it requires a computational complexity proportional to the cost of three successive fast Fourier transform (FFT) operations of the input field, and (3) it is valid for high numerical aperture (NA) propagation geometries. We find that our method approaches the precision of computationally far more expensive wave propagation models such as the angular spectrum method in conjunction with zero padding, as demonstrated on the canonical examples of diffraction from circular and square apertures under straight and oblique illumination. Finally, we discuss the validity of the proposed SAS method, derive practical bandlimit criteria, and state a limit for the propagation distance. The scalability, efficiency, and accuracy at high NA of our proposed wave propagation algorithm make it an attractive candidate for a large variety of forward and inverse modeling problems with the ability to apply automatic differentiation.
An information theoretic method to resolve millisecond-scale spike timing precision in a comprehensive motor program
Authors: Putney Joy , Niebur Tobias , Wood Leo , Conn Rachel , Sponberg Simon
Published: June 2023

Sensory inputs in nervous systems are often encoded at the millisecond scale in a precise spike timing code. There is now growing evidence in behaviors ranging from slow breathing to rapid flight for the prevalence of precise timing encoding in motor systems. Despite this, we largely do not know at what scale timing matters in these circuits due to the difficulty of recording a complete set of spike-resolved motor signals and assessing spike timing precision for encoding continuous motor signals. We also do not know if the precision scale varies depending on the functional role of different motor units. We introduce a method to estimate spike timing precision in motor circuits using continuous MI estimation at increasing levels of added uniform noise. This method can assess spike timing precision at fine scales for encoding rich motor output variation. We demonstrate the advantages of this approach compared to a previously established discrete information theoretic method of assessing spike timing precision. We use this method to analyze the precision in a nearly complete, spike resolved recording of the 10 primary wing muscles control flight in an agile hawk moth, Manduca sexta. Tethered moths visually tracked a robotic flower producing a range of turning (yaw) torques. We know that all 10 muscles in this motor program encode the majority of information about yaw torque in spike timings, but we do not know whether individual muscles encode motor information at different levels of precision. We demonstrate that the scale of temporal precision in all motor units in this insect flight circuit is at the sub-millisecond or millisecond-scale, with variation in precision scale present between muscle types. This method can be applied broadly to estimate spike timing precision in sensory and motor circuits in both invertebrates and vertebrates.
Improving community health worker treatment for malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia in Uganda through inSCALE community and mHealth innovations: A cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Källander Karin , Soremekun Seyi , Strachan Daniel Ll , Hill Zelee , Kasteng Frida , Kertho Edmound , Nanyonjo Agnes , Ten Asbroek Guus , Nakirunda Maureen , Lumumba Patrick , Ayebale Godfrey , Bagorogoza Benson , Vassall Anna , Meek Sylvia , Tibenderana James , Lingam Raghu , Kirkwood Betty
Published: June 2023

The inSCALE cluster randomised controlled trial in Uganda evaluated two interventions, mHealth and Village Health Clubs (VHCs) which aimed to improve Community Health Worker (CHW) treatment for malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia within the national Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) programme. The interventions were compared with standard care in a control arm. In a cluster randomised trial, 39 sub-counties in Midwest Uganda, covering 3167 CHWs, were randomly allocated to mHealth; VHC or usual care (control) arms. Household surveys captured parent-reported child illness, care seeking and treatment practices. Intention-to-treat analysis estimated the proportion of appropriately treated children with malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia according to WHO informed national guidelines. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01972321). Between April-June 2014, 7679 households were surveyed; 2806 children were found with malaria, diarrhoea, or pneumonia symptoms in the last one month. Appropriate treatment was 11% higher in the mHealth compared to the control arm (risk ratio [RR] 1.11, 95% CI 1.02, 1.21; p = 0.018). The largest effect was on appropriate treatment for diarrhoea (RR 1.39; 95% CI 0.90, 2.15; p = 0.134). The VHC intervention increased appropriate treatment by 9% (RR 1.09; 95% CI 1.01, 1.18; p = 0.059), again with largest effect on treatment of diarrhoea (RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.04, 2.34, p = 0.030). CHWs provided the highest levels of appropriate treatment compared to other providers. However, improvements in appropriate treatment were observed at health facilities and pharmacies, with CHW appropriate treatment the same across the arms. The rate of CHW attrition in both intervention arms was less than half that of the control arm; adjusted risk difference mHealth arm -4.42% (95% CI -8.54, -0.29, p = 0.037) and VHC arm -4.75% (95% CI -8.74, -0.76, p = 0.021). Appropriate treatment by CHWs was encouragingly high across arms. The inSCALE mHealth and VHC interventions have the potential to reduce CHW attrition and improve the care quality for sick children, but not through improved CHW management as we had hypothesised.

Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01972321).
Socio-political and organizational influences on national infectious disease surveillance for refugees: A qualitative case study in Lebanon
Authors: Saleh Majd , Howard Natasha
Published: June 2023

Infectious disease surveillance provides actionable information on displaced populations and helps identify outbreaks. Though not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Lebanon has experienced large refugee influxes (e.g. Palestinians in 1948, Syrians in 2011), yet information on socio-political and organizational influences shaping surveillance targeting refugees is limited. We thus aimed to examine how Lebanese socio-politics affected infectious disease surveillance for refugees in Lebanon. We conducted a qualitative multimethod single case study of government engagement with refugee infectious disease surveillance (2011–2018) drawing from document analysis, semi-structured observations, and semi-structured key informant interviews at four surveillance sites in Lebanon. We analysed data thematically, using deductive and inductive coding. National politics delayed government and thus its epidemiological surveillance program’s (ESU) engagement with refugee disease surveillance, largely due to Lebanon not being a 1951 Refugee Convention signatory and internal policy disagreements. Thus, it was initially difficult for the ESU to lead surveillance activities, though it later became more active. The ESU was limited by unclear reporting mechanisms and resources and its reliance on aggregated surveillance data prevented provision of data-informed responses. Though the ESU led surveillance nationally, and we identified positive provincial level collaborations due to individual efforts, some partners still conducted parallel surveillance. We found no systematic approach to infectious disease surveillance for refugees. The ESU could improve surveillance for refugees by collaborative strategic planning with partners for preparedness, surveillance, reporting, and sustainable resource allocation during refugee crises. Further suggestions include collecting disaggregated data, and piloting potentially more efficient syndromic surveillance, based on symptom clusters, for refugee populations.
Multiple electrolyte derangements among perioperative women with obstructed labour in eastern Uganda: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Nantale Ritah , Mukunya David , Mugabe Kenneth , N. Wandabwa Julius , Obbo John Stephen , W. Musaba Milton
Published: June 2023

There is a dearth of information on the patterns of electrolyte derangements among perioperative women with obstructed labour. We measured the levels and patterns of electrolyte derangements among women with obstructed labour in eastern Uganda. This was a secondary analysis of data for 389 patients with obstructed labour, diagnosed by either an obstetrician or medical officer on duty between July 2018 and June 2019. Five milliliters of venous blood was drawn from the antecubital fossa under an aseptic procedure for electrolytes and complete blood analyses. The primary outcome was the prevalence of electrolyte derangements, defined as values outside the normal ranges: Potassium 3.3–5.1 mmol/L, Sodium 130–148 mmol/L, Chloride 97–109 mmol/L, Magnesium 0.55–1.10 mmol/L, Calcium (Total) 2.05–2.42 mmol/L, and Bicarbonate 20–24 mmol/L. The most prevalent electrolyte derangement was hypobicarbonatemia [85.8% (334/389)], followed by hypocalcaemia [29.1% (113/389)], then hyponatremia [18% (70/389)]. Hyperchloraemia [4.1% (16/389)], hyperbicarbonatemia [3.1% (12/389)], hypercalcaemia [2.8% (11/389)] and hypermagnesemia [2.8% (11/389)] were seen in a minority of the study participants. A total of 209/389 (53.7%) of the participants had multiple electrolyte derangements. Women who used herbal medicines had 1.6 times the odds of having multiple electrolyte derangements as those who did not use herbal medicines [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.6; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): (1.0–2.5)]. Having multiple electrolyte derangements was associated with perinatal death although this estimate was not precise [AOR 2.1; 95% CI: (0.9–4.7)]. Women with obstructed labour in the perioperative period have multiple electrolyte derangements. Use of herbal medicines in labour was associated with having multiple electrolyte derangements. We recommend routine assessment of electrolytes prior to surgery in patients with obstructed labour.
Efficacy, safety and clinical outcome associated with statin use for primary prevention in Korean patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level ≥ 190 mg/dL: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kim Hack-Lyoung , Lim Woo-Hyun , Seo Jae-Bin , Zo Joo-Hee , Kim Myung-A , Kim Sang-Hyun
Published: June 2023

Background

Although the current guideline recommends the use of high-intensity statin to reduce the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level by 50% in patients with baseline value of ≥ 190 mg/dL, direct application of this recommendation to Asian populations is still questionable. This study was performed to investigate the statin response of LDL-C in Korean patients with LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL.

Methods

A total of 1,075 Korean patients (age 60.7 ± 12.2 years, women 68%) with baseline LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL without cardiovascular disease was retrospectively reviewed. Lipid profiles at 6 months, side effects and clinical outcomes during the follow-up period after statin treatment were assessed according to statin intensity.

Results

Most of the patients (76.3%) were treated with moderate-intensity statins, 11.4% with high-intensity statins, and 12.3% with a statin + ezetimibe. The reductions in LDL-C percentage at 6 months were 48.0%, 56.0% and 53.3% in patients treated with moderate-intensity statins, high-intensity statins and statin + ezetimibe, respectively (P < 0.001). Side effects requiring dose reduction, medication switch or drug interruption were observed in 1.3%, 4.9% and 2.3% of patients treated with moderate-intensity statin, high-intensity statin and statin + ezetimibe, respectively (P = 0.024). During the median follow-duration of 815 days (interquartile range, 408–1,361 days), the incidences of cardiovascular events were not different among the 3 groups (log-rank P = 0.823).

Conclusions

Compared to high-intensity statin, moderate-intensity statin was effective enough in reaching target goal of LDL-C without increase in cardiovascular risk and with fewer side effects in Korean patients with LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL.
Horse behavior and facial movements in relation to food rewards
Authors: Carmo Laize G. , Werner Laís C. , Michelotto Pedro V. , Daros Ruan R.
Published: June 2023

Food rewards are believed to have a positive valence in horses. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of food rewards on horse behavior before entering a horse chute, and behavior and facial movements while restrained in it. Thirteen female adult horses were brought once daily to an animal handling facility for three weeks. In week 1, baseline period, no reinforcement was applied. In weeks 2 and 3, experimental phase, half of the horses received positive reinforcement treatment after entering and remaining in the chute; the remaining horses were considered as controls (no positive reinforcement applied). There was a cross-over between the groups during the experimental phase. Horses were individually brought to the restraining chute and videos recorded during 60-sec. The duration and number of entries into the area close to the gate leading to the chute were measured before restraining and body posture, neck position, and tail swinging were recorded in the chute. Facial movements were also recorded and scored using EquiFACS methodology. Multilevel linear and logistic models were built to assess behavioral changes from baseline to the treatment phase and between phases (control and positively reinforced). Horses did not change their body posture or tail swings across the different phases (P > 0.1) and were less likely to show lowered neck during the positively reinforced phase (OR: 0.05; CI95%: 0.00–0.56; P = 0.05) compared to baseline. The likelihood of a lowered neck did not differ between the positive reinforcement and control phases (P = 0.11). In the positively reinforced phase, horses seemed to be more attentive (ears forward) and active (less eye closures, more nose movements) than in the control phase. A three-day positive reinforcement phase did not elicit major changes in body behavior in the chute but affected the facial movements of group-housed mares.
Application of the double bounded dichotomous choice model to the estimation of parent’s willingness to pay for the hand foot mouth disease vaccination: A survey in Selangor, Malaysia
Authors: Rajamoorthy Yogambigai , Taib Niazlin Mohd , Harapan Harapan , Wagner Abram Luther , Munusamy Subramaniam
Published: June 2023

Hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a notifiable viral disease in Malaysia, and is transmitted primarily among young children. Although vaccines for enteroviruses 71 (EV-71) were approved in China against HFMD, the availability and the acceptance of the vaccine in the Malaysia are unknown. This study investigated and ascertained the determinants of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for HFMD vaccination in Selangor Malaysia. This study adopted a cross-sectional, contingent valuation method involving 390 parents of young children aged six and below. The double bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) approach was employed to assess the WTP for HFMD vaccine among respondents. A bivariate probit model was used to assess the key determinants of WTP for HFMD vaccine, while the mean WTP was measured using the Krinsky and Robb procedure. We found that 279 (71.5%) of parents were willing to pay for the HFMD vaccination. The estimated single bounded mean WTP was MYR460.23 (equivalent to US$ 102.17) for two doses of HFMD vaccination. The double bounded analysis revealed that the vaccine’s price, poor education background and lower income were the key factors that significantly affected the WTP, with the estimated mean WTP being MYR394.00 (US$ 87.47). In conclusion, most Malaysian parents are willing to pay for the HFMD vaccination. The estimated WTP identifies the optimal price point for HFMD vaccination in Malaysia. Furthermore, the government should focus on an awareness programme for the HFMD vaccination among parents who have lower income or education level.