bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
11. Trait-based tools aid conservation planning for predator range shifts
Authors: Green Stephanie
Published: January 2025

Stephanie J. Green. Understanding the dynamics of marine food webs—who eats whom and where—is challenging science. Historically, it has been primarily empirical, sampling prey distributions and characterizing diets of predators through tedious and slow sample processing. We usually describe what food webs used to be like and how we think they functioned in the past. But to predict the structure and function of marine food webs under climate change, this post-hoc approach is doomed to failure. We know both predators and prey are on the move, so when and under what circumstances they will encounter each other is challenging. And knowing what novel predators will eat from novel prey assemblages is a challenge. Here, Green offers new trait-based tools to aid conservation planning for predicted predator range shifts.
16. A conservation practitioner’s guide to using a human-rights-based approach: applications in small scale fisheries
Authors: Finkbeiner Elena , Fitzpatrick Juno , Zhao Lily Z. , Lout Gabrielle , Miller Marissa Anne S. , Jeri Juan Carlos , Kittinger John N.
Published: January 2025

Elena M. Finkbeiner, Juno Fitzpatrick, Lily Z. Zhao, Gabrielle Lout, Marissa Anne S. Miller, Juan Carlos Jeri, and John N. Kittinger’s chapter focuses on small-scale fisheries and the intricacies of engaging local communities in effective conservation planning and interventions. The authors of this piece are practitioners in the communities with which they work and focus on the importance of considering the human rights of local resource users as a critical element in framing plans that are appropriate and ethical. Individuals who are treated with respect are much more likely to engage creatively in planning, but also much more likely to act on the plan they created.
Energy gain kernel for climate feedbacks. Part II: Spatial pattern of surface amplification factor and its dependency on climate mean state
Authors: Hu Xiaoming , Cai Ming , Sun Jie , Ding Feng , Feng Jing
Published: January 2025

In this study, we examine the spatial pattern of the surface amplification factor (SAF). SAF corresponds to the surface element of the energy gain kernel derived in Part I of this three-part series papers, representing the amplification rate of input energy perturbations at the surface. At a given location, SAF amplifies surface energy perturbations at an equal rate regardless of their origins. Therefore, the spatial variation of SAF can provide insight into the spatial variability of climate sensitivity. The global mean of SAF is about 2.6, and its spatial pattern closely resembles the climate mean cloud field. SAF values range from 4 over the western equatorial Pacific, 2.8-3.2 over mid-latitude storm track regions, and 2.0-2.8 over the Arctic, to 1.4-1.7 over the Antarctic.

The more longwave (LW) absorbers in the atmosphere, the greater SAF is. Therefore, SAF is greater in regions where atmospheric water vapor is abundant such as the tropics, and where clouds are prevalent such as mid-latitude storm tracks and the Arctic, but have smaller values close to unity in cold, high-elevation regions. Moreover, SAF tends to negatively correlate with surface temperature when LW absorbers are abundant and positively when they are scarce. With limited LW absorbers, SAF exhibits a negative (positive) correlation in cold (warm) conditions. While the spatial pattern of surface temperature plays a secondary role in shaping SAF, it may help explain why the climate sensitivity in models can either increase or decrease with surface temperature depending on the LW absorbers in the atmosphere.
Recovering from economic coercion: Does the pain stop when sanctions end?
Authors: Allen Susan Hannah , Webb Clayton McLaughlin
Published: January 2025

Sanctions episodes, like those imposed by the United States against Cuba and North Korea, can persist for decades. What are the consequences of lifting sanctions? Do the harmful consequences of economic sanctions outlast the sanctions? How do target states adjust after these coercive policies end? A growing literature identifies a range of adverse effects of economic sanctions for targeted states including shrinking income from trade and investment, declining respect for human rights, increased repression, and negative health outcomes. While scholars have studied the impact of sanctions imposition in great detail, we have considerably less systematic knowledge about the fate of governments, economies, and citizens in the years that follow the lifting of sanctions. What are the effects of lifting sanctions? As a first cut, we explore how government spending on public health shifts following the end of sanctions. Do governments reinvest in health after sanctions as a means of countering the negative well-being effects we know are associated with sanctions? Or do regimes maintain low levels of spending because their populations have learned to cope with scarcity? In this article, we analyze the impact of sanctions termination on government spending on health (1980–2018), finding that after sanctions, spending priorities readjust as trade and revenue increase. This readjustment effort diminishes as time passes.
Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration in peace agreements (1975–2021): Introducing the DDR dataset
Authors: Palik Julia , Celestino Mauricio Rivera , Gomez-Triana David , Marsh Nicholas , Rødningen Ida
Published: January 2025

Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) provisions in peace agreements (PAs) are critical pillars of global peacebuilding efforts. Leading theories suggest that different DDR components address different peacebuilding challenges. Yet existing datasets conceptualize DDR as a binary variable, hindering our ability to observe which DDR components and in what combination are agreed upon by conflict parties and to assess their independent effects on peace. To address this problem, we introduce a global disaggregated dataset on DDR provisions in PAs from 1975 to 2021, identify third-party actors’ involvement, and whether women and children ex-combatants are referenced in the provisions. We show that DDR components do not always come together: 47% of all PAs contain at least one DDR component, but only 26.9% include the full DDR package. Moreover, third-party actors participate in more than half of PAs with at least one DDR provision, and the vast majority of DDR provisions do not reference women and child ex-combatants. We demonstrate the usefulness of our dataset by analyzing the determinants of DDR provisions in PAs. Our analysis shows that different covariates have different effects on different DDR constellations, highlighting the usefulness of our disaggregated approach. The DDR dataset can be a valuable source to better understand the processes, causes, and consequences of DDR provisions.
Preservice Teachers’ Conceptualizations of Equity and Equality: Tensions Between Technical and Humanizing Approaches
Authors: Kwok Michelle , Su-Keene Eleanor , Rios Ambyr
Published: January 2025

Traditionally, preservice teachers (PSTs) have been introduced and socialized to a cartoon of three children attempting to watch a baseball game as the prevailing definition of equity. Yet, in our sociopolitical context where Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ children are continuously marginalized, we critique whether this simple construction of equity is sufficient. Rather, we build upon these understandings by outlining tenets of critical humanism and exploring the degree to which PSTs fluctuate between technical and humanist conceptualizations in their definitions of equal and equitable instruction. In this large-scale qualitative study using data collected between 2022 and 2024, we analyzed 1,528 PST responses about their conceptualizations of equity and equality. We found that PSTs harbor various conceptualizations of equity that are robust around resource-based teaching attributes such as materials, instruction, and accommodations. However, PSTs presented paradoxical understandings of equity related to treatment and opportunities, revealing tensions between technical and humanizing approaches to education.
All nature sings: A sermon inspired by Psalm 98
Authors: Massey Karen
Published: January 2025

While the COVID pandemic of 2020 wreaked dramatic loss upon many throughout the world, it also generated creative approaches to worship, fellowship, and education. Being forced to unplug from life as we know it, the pandemic also allowed some people to experience God’s presence anew in the created order. This renewed awareness enlightens a reading of Psalm 98, in which the Psalmist invites all of creation to join in singing praises to celebrate the reign of God. Reading this Psalm in light of the pandemic and the current environmental crisis reminds us to encourage all nature to sing now. We do so by giving our deliberate attention, respect, and care to all of God’s creation.
Finite-time control of switched stochastic delayed neural networks with Φ-dependent average dwell time
Authors: Liu Bo , Chen Yong , Li Longsuo
Published: January 2025

This study focuses on the finite-time stability analysis and control for a class of switched stochastic delayed neural networks (SSDNNs), introducing the [Formula: see text]-dependent average dwell time ([Formula: see text]DADT) switching method as a novel approach for analyzing the finite-time stability of switched stochastic neural networks with time-varying delay. By applying [Formula: see text]DADT and multiple Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals, some sufficient conditions for the finite-time stability are established. Then, a generalized partially delay-dependent controller is designed to ensure that the closed-loop system achieves stability. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness.
Characterizing Antisense Oligonucleotide-Induced Histopathology Findings in Spinal Cord of Mauritius Cynomolgus Monkeys by Molecular Localization Investigation
Authors: Dubost Valérie , Wuersch Kuno , Penraat Kelley , Johnson Eric , Wekkeli Anja , Ramakrishna Ramprasad , Piequet Aline , Greiner Géeraldine , Jivkov Magali , Erard Esther , Hansen Regine , Brees Dominique , Hartmann Andreas , Balavenkatraman Kamal Kumar , Nunes Jairo
Published: January 2025

The safety of a 2’- O-methoxyethyl antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) was investigated in Mauritius cynomolgus monkeys in a 41-week Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) toxicity study after multiple intrathecal (IT) administrations. Histopathological examination revealed ectopic formation of lymphoid follicles in the spinal cord (SC) at the injection site at all doses and the presence of granular material in neurons of the SC in high-dose animals. The granular material was seen in all the segments of the SC, but mainly in the lumbar segment and persisted at the end of the 26-week recovery period, while the lymphoid follicles showed a reversibility trend. Findings associated with repeated IT administration of ASOs have been described in nonhuman primate (NHP) toxicity studies, specifically in the brain, but findings in the SC are rarely reported. In the present study, we report a high incidence of findings in the SC compared to brain, especially in the lumbar segment in proximity to IT injection sites. An extensive panel of immunohistochemistry markers showed that the ectopic lymphoid follicle formation (LFF) had a cellular composition and organization consistent with tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) without associated axonal damage in the adjacent nervous tissue. In situ hybridization with an miRNA probe complementary to the ASO revealed that the granular material represented a dose-dependent ASO accumulation in the cytoplasm of neurons without inducing cell death or apoptosis. Glial and ependymal cells in the SC also showed dose-dependent accumulation of the ASO preceding detection of granular material by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Based on these molecular localization data, the presence of LFF in SC suggests a chronic local immune activation. Considering the absence of neuronal dysfunction or injury and transient clinical signs previously reported with other 2’- MOE ASOs, the presence of TLS and ASO was considered non-adverse.
Domain-Specific Memory Impairments in Bipolar Mania: Insights from a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Kumar Mohit , Kumar Sanjay , Khusboo  , Maqbool Masood , Singh Vinit Kumar , Soni Amit Kumar
Published: January 2025

Background:

Cognitive deficits in bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), particularly during manic episodes, are well-documented. However, research on domain-specific memory impairments in bipolar mania is limited, especially in the Indian subcontinent. This study aimed to assess memory impairments in individuals with bipolar disorder using the Postgraduate Institute Memory (PGI-Memory) scale and to highlight domain-specific deficits compared to healthy controls.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center in North India. Twenty subjects diagnosed with bipolar mania and 20 age, sex, and education-matched healthy controls between the ages of 18 and 40 were recruited. Memory functions were assessed using the PGI-Memory scale. Mental control and working memory were also evaluated.

Results:

Both groups were matched in terms of age, sex, and education. Individuals with bipolar disorder demonstrated significant deficits in various memory domains, including immediate ( d = 1.47), recent ( d = 0.93), remote ( d = 1.58), long-term ( d = 2.37), and associative memory (similar pairs: d = 1.4, dissimilar pairs: d = 1.84,), as well as in visual reproduction ( d = 2.3) and recognition tasks ( d = 1.54). In contrast, their working memory performance was comparable to that of the control group. The largest deficits were observed in long-term memory, visual reproduction, and associative memory.

Conclusions:

Bipolar mania is associated with widespread memory impairments, particularly in long-term and associative memory, which may contribute to difficulties in emotional regulation and daily functioning. These findings emphasize the importance of considering memory impairments in the diagnosis and management of BPAD. Further studies are required to investigate the neurobiological foundations of these impairments and to develop specific interventions.
Spanish–English Code-Mixing in U.S. Higher Education: Testing the Use of “Spanglish” in University Materials at a Hispanic-Serving Institution
Authors: Gasiorek Jessica , Pitts Margaret J. , Dragojevic Marko
Published: January 2025

This experiment examined how university students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) responded to the use of “Spanglish,” or English-Spanish code-mixing, in written materials promoting university services. Consistent with predictions, the use of Spanglish reduced students’ processing fluency; contrary to predictions, the use of Spanglish did not prompt higher perceptions of inclusiveness or feeling welcome (relative to English-only texts) for students, although both outcomes were higher for Spanglish with glosses (i.e., English translations) compared to Spanglish without glosses.
Astylus atromaculatus (pollen beetle) gastrointestinal disease experimentally reproduced in sheep
Authors: García y Santos Carmen , García Juan A. , Dutra Fernando , Livio Juan M. , Corro Ana Cecilia , Cantón Germán , Escalona Jorge , Capelli Alejandra , Matto Carolina , Giannitti Federico , Uzal Francisco A.
Published: January 2025

Intoxication of sheep and cattle by Astylus atromaculatus recently occurred in Uruguay and Argentina in association with severe drought. Although the disease was experimentally reproduced in sheep in the 1970s, there is limited information on clinical and pathologic findings of sheep experimentally intoxicated by this beetle. Here, we described the clinical, gross, and microscopic findings in 3 sheep orally dosed with A. atromaculatus (treatment group, TG) and in 2 control sheep (control group, CG) dosed with distilled water. Anorexia, lethargy, ruminal stasis, reluctance to move, prolonged recumbency, and bruxism were observed in the TG but not the CG sheep. Gross postmortem lesions were only observed in TG sheep and included fibrinonecrotizing enteritis affecting the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, and multifocal hemorrhages in rumen, omasum, and abomasum. Microscopically, all 3 TG animals had multifocal necrosis in the small intestine; the lesions were most severe in the jejunum. Multifocal necrosis was seen in the mucosa of the rumen, omasum, and abomasum. No significant gross or microscopic abnormalities were observed in the 2 CG sheep. The study supports the role of A. atromaculatus in acute, fatal gastrointestinal disease like that previously described in experimental and spontaneous cases in sheep.
Investigation of wear and surface quality of raw AISI H13 hot work tool steel in electro-discharge machining machine
Authors: Nas Engin , Zurnaci Erman , Yildirim Gültekin Sıdıka
Published: January 2025

Electrical discharge machining is a thermal erosion method that can be processed independently of the material's mechanical properties and the workpiece's geometry. Electrical discharge machining processing parameters directly affect the material's surface morphology and processing quality. This study investigated the effects of electrical discharge machining process parameters on the machining quality of AISI H13 hot work tool steel. Electrode material, pulse current and pulse on time were determined as factors for the experimental study. As a methodology, Taguchi L27 (3 × 3 × 3) full-factorial experimental design was used to optimise the effect of process parameters on surface roughness ( Ra), processing time, crater diameter and material removal amount, which were identified as output parameters. The optimum factor levels were determined using Taguchi-based signal-to-noise ratio ( S/N) criteria to optimise the output parameters. In addition, the analysis of variance results revealed that the pulse current was the most influential parameter for Ra, T and crater diameter. Conversely, the electrode material was the most noteworthy factor in material wear. The experimentation revealed that when the pulse current and pulse on time were increased, the processing time decreased, but the surface quality deteriorated. Moreover, linear and quadratic regression analyses were utilised to forecast the experiment's outcomes. The predicted and measured values exhibited excellent agreement.
Examining Spatial Transferability of Direct-Demand Models for Estimating Cyclist Counts at Intersections
Authors: Azizi Soldouz Sina , Hellinga Bruce
Published: January 2025

Jurisdictions need estimates of bicycle activity levels for road safety and infrastructure planning studies. When counts are not available, direct-demand (DD) models can be used to estimate bicycle activity (often as annual average daily bicycle [AADB] counts) as a function of demographic and network data. However, not all jurisdictions have sufficient count data or resources to develop their own DD model and would benefit from applying a DD model developed in another jurisdiction. However, there is little prior evidence of the spatial transferability performance of DD models or of the factors that affect spatial transferability performance. This paper addresses this gap. The spatial transferability of five DD models from the literature was evaluated across four target jurisdictions: the City of Toronto, the City of Milton, and the Region of Waterloo in Canada, and Pima County, AZ, USA. True AADB data from continuous counts were available for all four target jurisdictions. Spatial transferability was quantified using four metrics. Results demonstrated generally poor spatial transferability, with root mean squared errors (RMSE) up to 600 times higher than those reported in the original model development data sets. Moreover, analysis showed only moderate correlation between model accuracy and the similarity of the target and development jurisdictions (both for average levels of cycling activity and site and network characteristics). These findings underscore a pressing need for enhanced methods to improve the spatial transferability of DD models for estimating bicycle counts.
Varying Levels of Lateral Acceleration Supplied on Interchange Loops with No Speed Signs for Guidance
Authors: Gunay Banihan
Published: January 2025

Highway interchanges should not be left “unattended” when it comes to signage, but in many countries such key locations lack adequate speed limit signs. Therefore, drivers, who normally expect “accustomed” lateral acceleration levels when negotiating the loops of interchanges, have to choose correct speeds on their own. The paper reveals the extent of this problem using ball-bank data collected from four Turkish cloverleaf interchanges. Three criteria are introduced: 1) first maximum, 2) rate of change of radial acceleration, and 3) average riding comfort along the loops. The following features are scrutinized: in criterion 1, the first maximum ball-bank reading for each loop against its corresponding speed; in criterion 2, how quickly the lateral acceleration develops as the test vehicle enters and exits a loop; and in criterion 3, the average values of ball-bank readings as the test vehicle travels along the loops. To maintain the same level of lateral comfort, the test vehicle had to experience about 6 km/h speed variation among the loops of the same interchange, and more than 15 km/h speed variation among the interchanges studied, as far as criterion 1 is concerned. In relation to criterion 2, the test vehicle underwent a faster ball-bank differential when entering a loop than it did when exiting. With regard to criterion 3, about 4 km/h speed variation among the loops of the same interchange and nearly 16 km/h speed variation among the interchanges studied were recorded. The methodology developed in this paper can easily be adapted for similar objectives to study the loops of interchanges in other countries.
Daring to Stop: Challenging Program-Level Learning Outcome Measurement in Urban Planning Accreditation
Authors: Forsyth Ann
Published: January 2025

In past decades, accreditors have asked planning programs in North America to perform increasingly elaborate assessments of student learning. Most recent is a requirement for directly measuring program-level learning outcomes (PLLOs). I ask, does this measurement improve professional planning education? Do the benefits of such measures outweigh the costs? While it seems sensible to pay attention to what students learn, I argue that directly measuring PLLOs is both burdensome and ineffective. That is, planning programs are being asked to do something that wastes time yet we comply out of fear or inertia. It is time to stop.
Human serum albumin microspheres synchronously loaded with ZIF-8 and triptolide (TP) for the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Li Fuxin , Cai Ruiqiang , Ye Zipian , Yang Li , Qiu Xianshuai , Sun Xueqiang
Published: January 2025

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary liver tumor and remains a fatal malignancy in most patients. Only 20% to 30% of patients can be treated with potentially curative surgical resection. Local therapies such as radioembolization and hepatic arterial perfusion may be a more effective treatment strategy. The active ingredients of natural plants have aroused wide interest in the treatment of tumors. Triptolide shows toxic effects on a variety of epithelioid carcinoma cells. However, there is currently a lack of suitable delivery system for the treatment of ICC. In this study, organometallic framework material ZIF-8 was chosen to load TP, and then encapsuled in HSA micro-nanoparticles for the perfusion treatment of ICC. The results of SEM, XRD, and FTIR showed that ZIF-8 nanoparticles were encapsuled in HSA micro-nanoparticles. ZIF-8 nanoparticles (57.89 ± 12.24%) and TP@ZIF-8/HSA (36.8 ± 4.71%) micro-nanoparticles could significantly inhibited proliferation of RBE cell. Also, TP@ZIF-8/HSA micro-nanoparticles of all groups exhibited favorable cytocompatibility to L929 cells and hemocompatibility. RT-qPCR and western blot showed that ZIF-8 and TP induced apoptosis in cancer cells through mitochondria-related pathways. The results demonstrated that TP@ZIF-8/HSA was a potential chemotherapy candidate for the treatment of ICC.
Mapping Interdisciplinary Role Ownership Over Actionable Practices Identified From the Bereaved Family Survey
Authors: Chow Janice Kishi , McCaa Matthew , Bozkurt Selen , Gamboa Raziel Cecilia , Lorenz Karl A. , Giannitrapani Karleen F.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

To determine the feasibility of mapping interdisciplinary role ownership over actionable practices identified from qualitative comments in the Veterans Affairs Bereaved Family Survey (BFS).

Methods

We polled two providers from each of 14 disciplines as to whether an actionable practice that improved end-of-life care quality sits within their scope of practice. We grouped practices by having the greatest, middle, and fewest number of disciplines that claimed role ownership and then characterized what roles were shared.

Major Findings

Medicine, nursing, social work, and occupational therapy claimed role ownership of the greatest number of practices among the 14 disciplines. Chaplaincy and the allied health disciplines had a comparatively more limited range of role ownership of practices. Practices with the greatest number of professionals claiming role ownership were general professional behaviors that do not require specialized training (e.g., being easy to talk to). Practices with the middle number of role ownership required clinical specialization (e.g., offering non-pharmacological interventions to reduce agitation). Practices with the fewest number of disciplines required a narrower skill set (e.g., signing the death certificate in a timely manner) or administrative authority to perform (e.g., providing adequate nursing staff).

Conclusions

This project demonstrated the feasibility of mapping BFS actionable practices across disciplines. A larger sample and rigorous statistical analysis are required for application at a health care system level. Understanding role ownership can then guide efforts relating to role ownership and role sharing for end-of-life quality improvement activities.
Are Firms Voluntarily Disclosing Emissions Greener?
Authors: Shi Yilin , Tang Christopher S , Wu Jing
Published: January 2025

Do firms voluntarily disclosing emissions have lower levels of greenhouse gases in their in-house and outsourced operations? We examine this question using Scope 1 and upstream Scope 3 emission data reported by firms or estimated by S&P Trucost from 2002 to 2020. Our empirical results reveal that “voluntary disclosing firms” tend to have lower levels of “internal emissions” (i.e., Scope 1 emissions) and yet higher levels of “external emissions” from upstream suppliers (i.e., estimated upstream Scope 3 emissions). Overall, disclosing firms tend to have more emissions in the entire supply chain. A plausible explanation is that they may outsource more emissions to upstream suppliers than non-disclosing firms. By exploring the potential mechanisms that explain our results, we find that disclosing firms tend to exert more effort to reduce their internal emissions and outsource more carbon-intensive operations to suppliers. This finding is consistent with their decreasing Scope 1 emissions and increasing Scope 3 emissions. In addition to examining differences in emissions between high- and low-emission industries and across regions, we also investigate the implications of mandatory environmental reporting regulations by different governments and find these regulations can effectively nudge disclosing firms to reduce total emissions, including Scope 1 and Scope 3. As more regulations require the disclosure of Scope 3 emissions, our findings highlight the necessity for firms to develop processes and exert efforts to measure, monitor, and control both in-house and outsourced emissions. Additionally, our findings indicate that Environmental, Social, and Governance investment managers should perform due diligence rather than solely relying on firms that disclose their Scope 1 emissions.
In memoriam Ivana Marková (1938–2024)
Authors: Zittoun Tania , Gillespie Alex
Published: January 2025

A powerful voice in our community faded out on December 1st, 2024. It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the death of Professor Ivana Marková, aged 86. Ivana Marková developed an unique, inspiring, dialogical perspective in social and cultural psychology; she saw dialogism as an ontology, an epistemology and ethics. She also lived dialogism: a life of rich long-term dialogues with so many friends and colleagues all over the world. Ivana Marková was an Associate Editor of Culture & Psychology. She was a visiting professor in many universities, gave keynote addresses in numerous countries, and was a mentor to generations of social psychologists. Ivana Marková will be missed by many academic and professional communities around the world. We have lost a unique personality, a paradigm-challenger, a mentor, and a friend.
Medication adherence and attitudes in adolescent psychiatry: Key influences
Authors: Bayraktar İzgi , Yalçın Nadir , Nalbant Kevser , Kültür Ebru Çengel , Demirkan Kutay
Published: January 2025

Adolescents with mental illnesses often struggle with adhering to prescribed medication regimens. This study investigates how patient perceptions influence medication adherence among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. It also examines the role of patient characteristics and medication-related factors on adherence and attitudes. The Pediatric Medication Adherence Scale (PMAS)- 9 questions and the Pediatric Attitude toward Medication Scale (PAMS)- 18 questions, two reliable self-report scales designed for the adolescent population, were used to assess negative adherence behaviors and patients’ perceptions of medication. Statistical analysis examined correlations between adherence, attitudes, and patient characteristics. The scales were administered to 288 adolescents with psychiatric disorders, and a significant correlation was found between concern scores and attitudes toward medication (r = 0.886, p < .05). Patients receiving monotherapy demonstrated lower concern scores and more positive attitudes ( p < .05). Experiencing side effects was significantly linked to reduced medication adherence and more negative attitudes toward treatment. Patients with eating disorders demonstrated more negative attitudes, while those using antidepressant-antipsychotic combinations demonstrated more negative attitudes than those using stimulants. This study emphasizes the necessity of addressing critical factors that influence medication adherence and attitudes toward psychiatric medication among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. In particular, it highlights the importance of considering concern perception, managing side effects, and evaluating polypharmacy to optimize pharmacotherapy in this population.
Is vital exhaustion distinct? A meta-analytic investigation on the immediate nomological network of vital exhaustion
Authors: Howard Matt C , Murry Allona S
Published: January 2025

A multitude of studies have supported that vital exhaustion is an important predictor of physical and psychological well-being, especially in the aftermath of adverse medical events; however, some authors have expressed that vital exhaustion may be repetitive with other popular constructs, namely burnout, fatigue, and depression. We resolve this tension by performing a meta-analysis of 74 sources on the immediate nomological network of vital exhaustion. Our results support that the relations of vital exhaustion with emotional exhaustion ([Formula: see text] = 0.71, [Formula: see text] = 0.82, k = 4, n = 1152) and depression ([Formula: see text] = 0.70, [Formula: see text] = 0.83, k = 59, n = 30,963) approached the magnitude of its convergent validity correlation ([Formula: see text] = 0.75, [Formula: see text] = 0.88, k = 4, n = 1445), suggesting that these constructs share most of their variance. Researchers should reinvestigate whether vital exhaustion relates to outcomes when accounting for these two constructs.
Family perceptions of prolonged hospitalization for children with complex chronic conditions: Between losses and adaptations in an uncertain future
Authors: Matheus de Souza Danton , Nascimento Rodrigo dos Santos , Ferrer Ana Paula Scoleze , Souza Mariana Vieira de , Rossato Lisabelle Mariano , Damião Elaine Buchhorn Cintra
Published: January 2025

The aim of this study was to understand the family perception and emotional impacts on caregivers of children with chronic conditions who remained hospitalized in intensive care units for an extended period. A qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, grounded in symbolic interactionism, was conducted with 10 primary caregivers of children with long-term experience in a Brazilian intensive care unit. Interviews were conducted, either remotely or in person, and were analyzed using thematic content analysis supplemented by lexical analysis. Through symbolic interactions, it was observed that families had to reorganize themselves in the face of a context filled with insecurities and permeated by losses. These losses begin with the diagnosis of the chronic condition and are intensified by prolongated hospitalization, which brings numerous uncertainties about the child’s future, leading to a reorganization of life. Over time, some families experience discharge and must adapt to home care; others remain hospitalized, continuing to face impactful experiences; and some have lost their child, having to reorganize themselves during grief. This study highlights the urgent need to reflect on ways to care for families, aiming to reduce the impacts experienced during prolonged hospitalizations and to empower them in the care of the child.
Self-rated health in preadolescent children as a predictor for hospital contacts and redeemed prescriptions: the Danish National Birth Cohort 1996–2002
Authors: Renneberg Camilla Klinge , Rask Charlotte Ulrikka , Bernstorff Martin , Rytter Dorte , Hansen Stefan Nygaard , Bech Bodil Hammer
Published: January 2025

Aim:

The decline in self-rated health among young people raises concerns for future health outcomes. We examined whether self-rated health in preadolescence predicts hospital contacts and prescription redemption in later adolescence.

Methods:

This longitudinal study uses the Danish National Birth Cohort on children born 1996–2002. A questionnaire was distributed to 96,382 11-year-old preadolescents followed from 2010 to 2018. Number of hospital contacts and prescriptions were obtained from Danish registers. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated, comparing preadolescents with poor (‘Not So Good’/’Poor’) and ‘Good’ self-rated health to those with ‘Excellent’ self-rated health.

Results:

Among the 47,365 (49.1%) 11-year-old participants, 5.3% reported poor self-rated health and 38.3% reported good health. Analyses revealed that children with good self-rated health had higher rates of somatic (IRR, 1.17 [1.14–1.21]) and psychiatric (IRR, 1.63 [1.47–1.81]) hospital contacts. Children with poor self-rated health showed even higher rates, with IRRs of 1.73 [1.62–1.85] for somatic and 3.54 [3.03–4.15] for psychiatric contacts. Additionally, those with good self-rated health had more somatic and psychiatric prescriptions (IRR, 1.25 [1.21–1.30] and 1.75 [1.55–1.97], respectively), whereas children with poor self-rated health had IRRs of 1.67 [1.56–1.80] for somatic and 4.03 [3.39–4.82] for psychiatric prescriptions.

Conclusion:

Preadolescents with both good and poor self-rated health show higher rates of hospital contacts and prescription redemption in adolescence, especially pronounced in children with poor self-rated health. This indicates that early-life health perceptions impact long-term wellbeing, particularly psychiatric health. This simple self-rated health measure provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals by aiding in identifying children in need of support and early intervention.
Brief Ectopic Banking and Immediate Plate Fixation With Free Omental Flap Addresses Multiple Fundamental Problems for Single-Stage Replant of Transhumeral Amputation
Authors: Chi David , Johnson Anna Rose , Biaggi-Ondina Andrea , Felder John M. , Tanaka Shoichiro , Tung Thomas H.
Published: January 2025

High-velocity traumatic amputations of the proximal upper extremity are devastating to the patient and represent an extreme surgical challenge to the treatment team. The hand surgeon must simultaneously battle devascularization with timely microvascular anastomosis, gross contamination with meticulous debridement, and amputation with stable fixation. In restoring a functional extremity, many of these goals are in contention with each other. This case describes a novel management strategy for a left transhumeral amputation sustained by a 23-year-old man in a motorcycle accident. The amputated arm was temporized by ectopic banking via the lateral circumflex femoral artery to allow for thorough debridement and immediate open reduction internal plate fixation with coverage provided by a free omental flap and subsequent split-thickness skin graft. This strategy allows for a single-stage treatment of upper arm amputations with immediate microvascular anastomosis, stable internal fixation, and soft tissue coverage by the omentum providing immunogenic and lymphangiogenic properties to combat infection, lymphedema, and swelling. Functional reconstruction was then performed in a staged fashion with a free functional muscle transfer using the contralateral gracilis.
Using ethnomethodology to explore how nurses, in an acute setting, make sense of care
Authors: Healy Ray
Published: January 2025

Aim:

To explore how nurses understand and make sense of multiple definitions of nursing practice.

Methodology:

The study used ethnomethodology to explore how nurses in an acute hospital ward shape, construct and sensemake nursing practice in their everyday worlds. Multiple data sources were used to triangulate different constructions of reality and generate a broader understanding, including non-participant shadowing of nurses during eight shifts, semi-structured interviews with six registered nurses and a review of the nursing section of the hospital’s Electronic Patient Record system. Data were collected in two surgical wards in an acute hospital (2019–2020). Data were iteratively coded and refined through all stages of the study.

Findings:

Nurses make sense of conflicting expectations by creating multiple realities which they apply in different situations to structure how they deliver care. This finding suggests that nurses move seamlessly and unknowingly through these created realities, supported by using specific but discrete languages that they can effortlessly adopt. A consequence is that no single model or theory contains all the realities.

Conclusion:

This study goes some way to explain the described difference between work-as-imagined and work-as-done. Failure to acknowledge the multiple realities constructed in practice during pre-registration education may explain the theory–practice gap that many new graduates experience and why anticipated outcomes described in research projects might not be realised in everyday practice.

Implications:

Nursing practice is not governed by a single theory or model, and nurses make pragmatic transitions between different expectations. Recognition of this is critical to effective planning and leadership of the nursing resource. Using electronic records as a single measure of nursing work has the potential to create a bias towards one reality and thereby render other aspects of nursing value invisible. Failure to embrace the totality of nursing practice may impede the delivery of anticipated patient outcomes and system efficiencies.
Studying gender in the experiences of patients with heart failure: A scoping review of qualitative studies and methodological recommendations
Authors: Thomas Elias , Verdonk Petra , Roeters-van Lennep Jeanine , Rhodius-Meester Hanneke , Handoko Louis , Schoonmade Linda , Muller Majon , Muntinga Maaike
Published: January 2025

Background:

Considering how gendered experiences play a role in the lives of patients with heart failure (HF) is critical in order to understand their experiences, optimise clinical care and reduce health inequalities.

Objectives:

The aim of our study was to review how gender is being studied in qualitative research in HF, specifically to (1) analyse how gender is conceptualised and applied in qualitative HF research; and (2) identify methodological opportunities to better understand the gendered experiences of patients with HF.

Eligibility criteria:

We conducted a systematic search of literature, including qualitive or mixed-methods articles focussing on patients’ perspectives in HF and using gender as a primary analytical factor, excluding articles published before 2000.

Sources of evidence:

Our search returned 3121 records, which were independently screened by two authors, resolving disagreements through a consensus procedure.

Charting methods:

Two reviewers extracted the characteristics of the included studies and methodological quality. We applied the Integrating Sex and Gender Checklist and gender theory as an analytical tool to synthesise results relating to the conceptualisation and application of gender in the included studies.

Results:

We included 11 qualitative articles that used interviews ( n = 10) or focus groups ( n = 1) to investigate the role of gender in experiences of patients with HF. None of the included studies defined their conceptual approach to gender, or used gender-related theoretical frameworks. This led to results and conclusions which were drawn along binary lines – representing gender as two separate, oppositional and mutually exclusive categories, and paying little attention to the dynamic, relational and context-dependent aspects of gender.

Conclusions:

Although researchers have investigated the role of gender in the experiences of patient with HF, methodological improvements are needed to prevent the current retelling of gender as a binary variable with two opposed and mutually exclusive categories. To better understand gendered experiences in HF, researchers need to avoid a reductionist and essentialist approach to gender. To this end, researchers should clearly state their conceptual approach to gender and analyse their findings using state-of-the-art gender theoretical frameworks and intersectional approaches. Ultimately, this will allow the development of tailored and effective clinical care.
Life cycle assessment and optimisation of surgical instrument trays for reverse shoulder arthroplasty
Authors: Klarenbeek Isabella C , van der Eijk Anne C , Janssen Esther RC , Hollman Freek , Willems Paul C , Lambers Heerspink Okke
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Shoulder arthroplasty has a large environmental impact. Part of the environmental impact is caused by the sterilisation of surgical instruments. This study examines the effect of optimising surgical instrument trays for reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), to reduce the environmental impact.

Methods

An adjusted LEAN 5s method was used to optimise the number of instruments of shoulder arthroplasty specific trays. A Life Cycle Assessment was performed to calculate the CO2-eq.

Results

After careful selection, 139 of the 254 (55%) instruments were removed from the original RSA trays. Out of the 139 removed instruments, 19 were placed in a supplemental tray. The number of base trays was reduced with 3 trays. The estimated impact by reducing these trays from the standard pre-operative setup is a reduction of 28% of the environmental impact annually (524 kg CO2 equivalent).

Discussion

This study confirms the feasibility of optimising instrument trays for RSA, offering a straightforward method to reduce the environmental impact of shoulder arthroplasty. Our results show that strategic instrument selection can contribute to lowering the environmental impact of orthopaedic surgery.
Evaluation of the Femoral Condyle Radius of Curvature at the Chondral Surface Shows Significant Correlation With the Anterior-Posterior Length
Authors: Jerban Saeed , Tabbaa Suzanne M. , Caldwell Paul E. , Jones Kristofer J. , Bugbee William , Crawford Dennis C. , Chang Eric Y.
Published: January 2025

Background

Accurate donor-recipient matching of the femoral condyle radius of curvature (ROC) in osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation may aid in minimizing articular surface incongruities. Matching linear femorotibial dimensions, such as the femoral condyle anterior-posterior length (APL), femoral condyle width (lateral-medial length, LML), femoral hemicondyle width (HCW), and tibial plateau width (TPW), can provide similar results if they correlate well with ROC. This study investigates the relationship between femorotibial dimensions and ROC at the cartilage surface using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

Deidentified MRI images of 63 patients (35 men, 33 ± 10 years old, and 28 women, 27 ± 8 years old) were analyzed. Axial images were used for APL, LML, and TPW (TPW-Ax) measurements, while coronal images were used for HCW and TPW (TPW-Cor) measurements. Cartilage was segmented in true sagittal images at the medial femoral condyle (MFC) and lateral femoral condyle (LFC) to calculate their specific cartilage surface ROCs. Linear regression models were used to determine the relationship between the femorotibial dimensions and ROC.

Results

Cartilage ROC was significantly correlated with all the linear femorotibial dimensions at the MFC ( P < 0.01, R2 = 0.78, 0.69, 0.67, 0.59, and 0.37 for ROC correlations with APL, LML, TPW-Ax, TPW-Cor, and HCW, respectively), and the LFC ( P < 0.01, R2 = 0.81, 0.61, 0.56, 0.54, and 0.41 for ROC correlations with APL, LML, TPW-Ax, TPW-Cor, and HCW, respectively).

Conclusions

The APL was the most predictive femorotibial dimension of the cartilage surface ROC. Donor-recipient APL matching in OCA transplantation may provide a similar level of matching to that achievable by direct ROC measurements. The APL matching may help reduce cartilage incongruities, particularly for patients with large osteochondral lesions, in which the ROC measurement cannot be accurately determined.
The JN.1 variant of COVID-19: immune evasion, transmissibility, and implications for global health
Authors: Naveed Siddiqui Araj , Musharaf Imshaal , Gulumbe Bashar Haruna
Published: January 2025

The emergence of the COVID-19 JN.1 variant has raised global health concerns as it gains prevalence in several regions worldwide. First identified in August 2023, JN.1 evolved from the Omicron lineage’s BA.2.86 subvariant. Patients infected with JN.1 commonly exhibit symptoms such as sore throat, fever, dry cough, nausea, and vomiting. While the World Health Organization has labeled JN.1 a Variant of Interest, it currently presents a low global health risk. However, its increased transmissibility, particularly in cold, dry climates, is concerning. This review provides a comprehensive overview of JN.1’s biological characteristics, epidemiology, transmissibility, immune evasion, and the efficacy of existing antiviral treatments and vaccination strategies. A literature search across key databases targeted studies from January 2023 to August 2024, emphasizing recent insights into JN.1’s spread and clinical impact. Findings reveal that JN.1 exhibits higher infectivity and immune evasion than previous variants, largely due to the L4555 mutation. From November 2023 to March 2024, JN.1 showed an increasing trend in transmission. Previously approved antivirals, including Paxlovid, Veklury, and Lagevrio, demonstrate effectiveness against JN.1, and current vaccines still protect against severe illness from this variant. However, vaccination rates remain low. Monitoring efforts include genomic assessments, wastewater surveillance, and digital tracking to contain the variant’s spread. It is essential to encourage the public to maintain vaccination and preventive measures to reduce JN.1’s impact. Continued research is critical for understanding and managing the evolving landscape of COVID-19 and its emerging variants.