bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embedding Service User Experience (‘Experts by Experience’) Into Undergraduate Mental Health Nursing Education: A Co‐Production Research Project
Authors: Bradley Stephen K. , Fowley Ava , McDonald Dee , Norton Michael , Sulej Marion , Smyth Siobhan
Published: January 2025

Internationally, the need to have service user involvement (the ‘voice’ of recovery journeys) as an established and significant feature on the landscape of professional development has been widely discussed in the area of mental health nursing (MHN) education for over a decade. Service user involvement contributes to a different understanding, bringing ‘new’ ways of knowing in nursing education and potentially new ways of practicing within mental health services. The objective of this co‐produced research was to investigate the current local ‘state of play’ of service user involvement in MHN student education in a regional university in the Republic of Ireland. This was not research ‘on’ participants as conventionally conceived, but rather research ‘with’ participants as co‐researchers. Therefore, a group of people [i.e., ‘experts by experience/service users’ (n = 2), ‘student nurses’ (n = 2), ‘nurse academics’ (n = 2)], came together by agreement in recognition of a problem (service user engagement in education) to seek local knowledge and through ‘creative dialogue’ to identify potential improvements/developments. The key outcomes concentrated on the need for person‐centred care to be more than a one‐off lecture in a course, but to be central to MHN education and ongoing practice. The need for MHNs to be educated to grasp that the individual they work with is not ‘an island’, but is connected to a wider network of family, friends and potentially peer support workers, etc. is highlighted. To enhance MHN education going forward, there is a need for ‘lived experience’ to be a consistent element of education programmes. Achieving this will require stable working relationships with the establishment of career pathways for ‘experts by experience’ to develop skills and experience in education settings. The pace of culture change in MHN education is sporadic at best and downright slow at worst. However, a lot has been done, but there is more to do: ‘We've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go…’.
Impact of the Implementation of a Short Stay Observation Unit Associated With Admitter‐Rounder Model Onto Other Internal Medicine Units in a French University Hospital
Authors: Hoang Michaël , Brunet Aurélie , Lhuaire Lucie , Vallet Catherine , N'Guyen Yohan
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Few data on the impact of specific interventions against Emergency Rooms ‘or Hospitals overcrowding are available in France.

Methods

In the present report, we retrospectively investigated the impact of the implementation of a short‐stay observation unit associated with the admitter‐rounder model, especially onto the other in‐patient internal medicine units in a French University Hospital.

Results

During the first 100 days, 242 patients were admitted into the short‐stay observation unit. The median length of stay (LOS) was 5 days, but it was lower during the first and third parts with the admitter‐rounder model than during the second part without: 4 versus 6 days (p = 0.007).

Internal medicine bed‐spaced patients accounted for 19.5% of the bed‐spaced patients during the study period versus 28.1% during the same period the previous year (p = 0.04). The median LOS increased significantly in two units of internal medicine: 10 versus 8 days (p = 0.005) and 10 versus 8 days (p = 0.01) during the study period versus the same period the previous year, respectively.

Discussion

The reduced number of Internal Medicine bed‐spaced patients, the reduced LOS of patients in short‐stay observation unit when associated with the admitter‐rounder model and the increase of LOS among some of the in‐patient internal medicine units observed in this study should be evaluated elsewhere.
Efficacy of Magnifying Texture and Color Enhancement Imaging With Indigo Carmine as an Alternative to Crystal Violet for Colorectal Tumors
Authors: Ishikawa Tsubasa , Okimoto Kenichiro , Matsumura Tomoaki , Akizue Naoki , Kurosugi Akane , Sonoda Michiko , Kaneko Tatsuya , Ohta Yuki , Taida Takashi , Matsusaka Keisuke , Kato Jun , Ikeda Jun‐ichiro , Kato Naoya
Published: January 2025

Background

Pit pattern diagnosis using crystal violet staining for colorectal tumors is useful for qualitative and depth diagnosis. However, due to its reported carcinogenic potential, the use of crystal violet has been restricted. This study was aimed at investigating the efficacy of texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI) magnification in pit pattern diagnosis.

Methods

This study enrolled consecutive patients with consent obtained and with colonic tumors indicated for magnifying endoscopy in which all modalities' images (magnified observation with crystal violet staining (CV), magnified white light observation with indigo carmine (IC‐WLI), and magnified TXI observation with indigo carmine (IC‐TXI)) were evaluable between July 2020 and January 2023. The visibility of the pit pattern using a 5‐point Likert scale and its diagnostic accuracy were compared (IC‐TXI vs. IC‐WLI, reference: CV, by three experts).

Results

A total of 145 colorectal tumors from 145 patients were included. Visibility scores for the pit pattern were significantly higher with IC‐TXI compared to IC‐WLI (all three experts, p < 0.0001). The pit pattern match rate (Type II/III/IV/V) of IC‐TXI compared to CV was also superior to IC‐WLI (72.9% vs. 59.7%; p = 0.02).

Conclusions

IC‐TXI provided reasonably good and higher visibility and diagnostic accuracy than IC‐WLI for pit pattern diagnosis of colorectal tumors compared to CV, suggesting it as an alternative to CV.
Development and Validation of a Risk Prediction Model for Cognitive Frailty in Elderly Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Yu Qian , Yu Hongyu
Published: January 2025

Aims

This study aimed to develop and validate a risk prediction model for cognitive frailty in elderly patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design

A cross‐sectional design.

Methods

From February to November 2023, a convenience sample of 430 older adults with T2DM was enrolled at a tertiary hospital in Jinzhou. The study analysed 22 indicators, including sociodemographic characteristics, behavioural factors, information related to T2DM, nutritional status, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and depression. Independent risk factors related to cognitive frailty were identified using LASSO and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A prediction model was created using a nomogram. The calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to evaluate model performance. This study was reported using the STARD checklist (Data S1).

Results

The study found that cognitive frailty was prevalent in 30.7% of elderly patients with T2DM. Age, physical activity, glycosylated haemoglobin (HBA1c), duration of diabetes, nutritional status, IADL and depression were predictors of cognitive frailty. The ROC curve shows that the nomogram has good discriminative power. The calibration plots demonstrated a good fit between the observed and ideal curves. Additionally, DCA highlighted the clinical application of the nomogram.

Conclusions

This study provided an effective and convenient approach to evaluating the risk of cognitive frailty among elderly T2DM patients, which can help in the clinical screening of high‐risk individuals.

Impact

Nurses should emphasise the care of comorbid cognitive frailty in elderly patients with T2DM. The intuitive and noninvasive nomogram can help clinical nurses assess the risk probability of cognitive frailty in this population. Tailored prevention strategies for high‐risk populations can be rapidly developed with this tool, significantly improving patients' quality of life.

Patient or Public Contribution

Some patients were involved in data interpretation. No public contribution.
Understanding the Challenges of Readiness for Hospital Discharge in Stoma Patients: A Mixed‐Methods Study
Authors: Lin Liying , Zheng Jianwei , Lin Zhenglong , Xiao Huimin
Published: January 2025

Aim

To identify key factors influencing readiness for hospital discharge and delve into the experiences of stoma patients regarding their discharge.

Design

A mixed‐methods study.

Method

A total of 374 colorectal cancer patients with stomas were involved to assess discharge readiness and its influencing factors. Additionally, 28 stakeholders—comprising surgeons, nursing managers, surgical nurses, enterostomal therapists, stoma patients and their family caregivers—participated in semistructured interviews. Data on discharge readiness, discharge teaching quality, stoma self‐efficacy and social support were collected using validated scales. In‐depth interviews provided further insights into discharge preparation experiences. Multivariate logistic regression analysis using IBM SPSS 26.0 and thematic analysis via NVivo 12.0 were employed for data analysis.

Results

Six variables accounted for 80% of the variance in discharge readiness: quality of discharge teaching, stoma self‐efficacy, social support, age, gender and family income. Four main themes emerged: ambivalence towards discharge, insufficient preparation time, inadequate communication of discharge information and personal planning needs.

Conclusion

Discharge readiness among stomas patients is influenced by perceived discharge teaching quality, self‐efficacy, social support, age, gender and family income. Insufficient preparation and poor communication hinder effective discharge information transfer. Enhanced, patient‐centred discharge planning is expected to improve the transition from hospital to home.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

To improve hospital discharge readiness and facilitate a smooth transition to family care, it is essential to implement patient‐centred discharge planning.

Reporting Method

Reported with the Mixed Methods Reporting in Rehabilitation & Health Sciences guidelines.

Patient or Public Contribution

None.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ChiCTR2200058756. https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/home
Theoretical analysis, simulation, and field experiment for vibration mitigation of suspender cables/hangers using the four‐wire pendulum tuned mass damper
Authors: An Yonghui , Gong Siyuan , Wang Zhongzheng , Shen Wei , Wang Zhihao , Ou Jinping
Published: January 2025

Suspender cables/hangers occupy a crucial role during the whole service life of suspension bridges/arch bridges/space structures, and their long‐term repeated vibration under corrosion and high‐stress service state will cause fatigue damage and even induce fatigue failure. To mitigate the vibration of the vertical suspender cables/hangers, a four‐wire pendulum tuned mass damper (FWPTMD) is proposed. It mainly consists of the cross bracket, four pendulum ropes, the moving mass, and four universal rotating ball hinges that can rotate in any direction and provide damping. A suspender cable in a real suspension bridge is selected as the research object. First, the design procedure and effect of the modal mass ratio are provided; the optimization design method for parameters of optimal frequency ratio and optimal damping ratio is investigated in detail. Second, simulations are conducted to illustrate its feasibility, and results show excellent vibration mitigation effect. Third, the optimal FWPTMD is designed and fabricated; its performance is further validated by field experiments, and the results are very close to those in simulation. The FWPTMD has the advantages of simple structural form, convenient installation, low cost, easy tuning, easy maintenance, and so forth. Therefore, it can play an obvious vibration mitigation role in the life‐cycle of the suspender cable/hanger, and it has a positive meaning to retard fatigue damage, extend the service life, and assure traffic safety under extreme weather.
Association between nursing workload and staff size with the occurrence of adverse events and deaths of patients with COVID‐19: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Cassiano Carolina , Nogueira Lilia de Souza , Araújo Ana Carolina Unger , Lima Fernanda Rodrigues , Hanifi Nasrin
Published: January 2025

Background

The safety of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is significantly impacted by inadequate staffing of nursing professionals to meet the demand for care of critically ill patients. COVID‐19 patients increased nurses' workload, particularly in high‐intensity care settings like the ICU.

Aim

To evaluate the association of workload and number of patients per nursing professional with the occurrence of adverse events and death in critically ill patients with COVID‐19 in the ICU.

Study Design

This is a retrospective cohort study. This study analysed patients with COVID‐19, aged 12 years or older, admitted between 1 April 2020 and 31 May 2021 in the ICU of a hospital in Brazil. Nursing workload was measured by the Nursing Activities Score (NAS). The independent variables were the ratio of the NAS score per nursing professional (NNR) and the ratio of the number of patients per nursing professional (PNR). Dependent variables included adverse events (pressure injuries and health care‐associated infections—HAIs) and death in the ICU.

Results

Of the 386 included patients, 59.59% were male and the median age was 60.5 years. The median NAS, NNR and PNR values were 72.81%, 128% and 1.64, respectively. The frequency of pressure injuries (31.09%) exceeded that of HAIs (16.06%), and 218 patients (56.48%) died. The NNR was associated with HAIs (OR 1.006; CI95% 1.001–1.012; p = .012), pressure injury (OR 1.005; CI95% 1.000–1.010; p = .033) and death (OR 1.010; CI95% 1.005–1.015; p < .001) in the ICU. There was no association between PNR values and the study's dependent variables.

Conclusion

A high workload per nursing professional was associated with the occurrence of adverse events and deaths of patients with COVID‐19 in the ICU, while the nursing staff sizing was not.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

The results reinforce the importance of evaluating the workload of nursing professionals to establish safety measures for the care of patients with infectious diseases.
Caregiving experiences of Turkish intensive care unit nurses who survived in the most destructive double earthquake of the century: A qualitative study
Authors: Çetinkaya Onur , Aşkar Selva Ezgi , Ovayolu Özlem
Published: January 2025

Background

Turkey has been exposed to many devastating earthquakes in recent years. Considering that nurses are on the front lines of responding to disasters, they need to be prepared at all times. In the literature review, it was seen that despite the roles of intensive care nurses in disasters, their experiences in caring for earthquake victims have not been adequately researched.

Aim

This study aims to investigate the experiences of intensive care nurses during the double earthquake in Turkey in 2023.

Study Design

This descriptive qualitative research was conducted with 11 intensive care nurses working in the double earthquake in Turkey in 2023. Snowball sampling was used to select participants. Data were collected through face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews. Interviews were continued until data saturation was reached.

Results

As part of the analysis of the interviews, the nurses' experiences were grouped under four main themes covering 10 sub‐themes—‘Continuing care despite difficulties’, ‘Staying in a dilemma’, ‘Two faces of the earthquake’ and ‘The need for perfect planning kneaded with experience.’

Conclusion

The main source of the difficulties and dilemmas experienced is the obligation of nurses who experienced the earthquake to continue their profession. Still, continuity of care was maintained and nurses drew positive conclusions from the negativity.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Considering the positive and negative effects of the earthquake, intensive care nurses should be both professionally and psychologically empowered, organizational planning should be conducted as soon as possible and their functionality should be tested through drills.
Insights from the top‐cited papers in the critical care nursing literature: A bibliometric and visualized analysis
Authors: Eltaybani Sameh , McEvoy Natalie
Published: January 2025

Background

Highly cited papers in critical care nursing can offer valuable insights for all stakeholders engaged in the research process by highlighting key research trends, guiding resource allocation and shaping future research priorities.

Aim

To gain insights from the top‐cited papers in the top critical care nursing journals.

Study Design

This was a bibliometric analysis of the top‐cited papers in the top critical care nursing journals as reported by the Journal Citation Report 2023—released in June 2024. Data were tabulated and visualized using Microsoft Excel and the VOSviewer software.

Results

Forty papers from the top four critical care nursing journals (Intensive and Critical Care Nursing [ICCN], Nursing in Critical Care [NICC], Australian Critical Care [ACC] and American Journal of Critical Care [AJCC]) were analysed. Half of the analysed papers were related to the COVID‐19 pandemic, and mental health was the most addressed theme (n = 11 papers). Papers from the ICCN featured contributions from 17 countries, the highest among the journals analysed, followed by NICC, with contributions from 11 countries. Articles received more citations than reviews (median [interquartile range]: 18 [9–23] vs. 8 [8–11.5]), and open‐access papers were cited about twice those published under a subscription model (19 [16–31] vs. 9 [8–15]). In ICCN, 9 of the 10 analysed papers were published open access compared with 3 in NICC and ACC and 2 in AJCC.

Conclusions

The identified themes in this paper underscore the dynamic nature of the field of critical care nursing and the ongoing efforts to address key challenges in critical care nursing practice and health care delivery. Publishing open‐access articles on trending topics and collaborating internationally seem to be effective approaches for gaining more citations.

Relevance to Research

Understanding these prevalent themes has significant implications for guiding research priorities, informing clinical practice, shaping policy and improving patient outcomes. Academic journals need to encourage increasing the representation of researchers from the Global South in both journals' editorial boards and submissions to the journals.
Prevalence of and risk factors analysis for post‐intensive care syndrome among survivors of critical care during 3‐month longitudinal follow‐up
Authors: Gao Shuang , Liang Xifeng , Lyu Yaning , Zhang Xiuping , Zhang Liwen
Published: January 2025

Background

Patients discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) can experience post‐intensive care syndrome (PICS), which is comprised of cognitive, physical and psychological impairments.

Aim

The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of and risk factors associated with all three domains of PICS at the first and third month after ICU discharge.

Design

A prospective descriptive‐analytic study was conducted in two ICUs of a Chinese university hospital. We used the Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor Self‐Report Chinese version, a scale from 1 to 57, with 57 indicating the worst outcome, to comprehensively assess PICS at the first and third month follow‐ups after patients left the ICU. We performed an analysis of stepwise multiple linear regression to explore the relationship between risk factors and PICS.

Results

We enrolled 654 and 584 participants at the first‐ and third‐month follow‐ups, respectively. More than 60% of patients experienced different degrees of PICS, with the most severe impairment being in the physical domain. We classified risk factors associated with PICS, categorized as patient‐related, disease‐related, and ICU‐related factors. Among these risk factors, only being the main income provider for the family, the diagnosis of digestive system disease, trauma and the number of invasive catheters at ICU discharge significantly predicted PICS at both follow‐ups. ICU‐related risk factors should be given greater attention, given their potential for modification.

Conclusions

The prevalence and severity of PICS were high in this population after their ICU stay. ICU nurses and medical staff members should collaborate to pay more attention to the comprehensive risk factors and implement targeted preventive measures.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

ICU staff must have a holistic view of PICS and a comprehensive understanding of its risk factors to proactively evaluate patients at high risk of PICS upon admission to the hospital.
U2DDS‐Net: A New Architecture Based on U2Net With Disaster Type for Building Damage Assessment Under Natural Disasters
Authors: Wang Bo , Zhao Chenting , Li Jun , Sheng Qinghong , Ling Xiao
Published: January 2025

Building damage assessment in the face of natural disasters is crucial for economic development, disaster relief, and post‐disaster reconstruction. However, existing algorithms often overlook the impact of the disaster class when extracting difference features from high‐resolution pre‐ and post‐disaster image pairs obtained through satellite remote sensing, without considering the influence of the disaster type, that is, the different ways in which different disasters affect buildings. To address this limitation, we propose U2DDS‐Net, a two‐stage model based on U2Net and Swin Transformer. In stage 1, U2Net locates and segments buildings in pre‐disaster images. In stage 2, we enhance the model with the disaster‐type token and the diff swin stage module, which consider the disaster type and extract difference information at multiple scales. Experimental results on the xBD dataset demonstrate the significant improvement achieved by our approach, surpassing state‐of‐the‐art performance. Our research fills the gap by considering specific disaster types, and our two‐stage model provides accurate building damage assessment across various disaster scenarios.
Gestural Iconicity and Alignment as Steps in the Evolution of Language
Authors: Cartmill Erica A.
Published: January 2025

Studies of the evolution of language rely heavily on comparisons to nonhuman primates, particularly the gestural communication of nonhuman apes. Differences between human and ape gestures are largely ones of degree rather than kind. For example, while human gestures are more flexible, ape gestures are not inflexible. In this piece, I closely consider two features of the gestural communication of apes and humans that might display differences in kind: iconicity and temporal alignment. Iconicity has long played a privileged role in theories of gestural language origins, the proposal being that it provided a steppingstone into language through a stage of pantomime. However, iconicity is not as easy as it seems. Evidence from co‐speech gestures of hearing children and from homesign suggests that iconic reference is both cognitively complex and slow to develop in humans. There is no conclusive evidence that nonhuman apes understand or produce iconic gestures; some gestures may appear iconic to human observers but the apes themselves may not understand the similarity between form and meaning. Far from providing an easy pathway into the emergence of symbolic communication, iconicity relies on sophisticated capacities for analogy and abstraction, ones often lacking in apes and young children. Temporal alignment between gesture and vocalization is another area that may show sharp contrasts between adult humans and apes, though data here is sparser. I discuss the tight synchronization of gesture and speech that emerges over the first year of life in human children and contrast it with gesture and vocalization in apes, which typically are described as overlapping but not simultaneous. Human ancestors probably communicated in ways similar to other apes, but the dual emergence of the ability to use iconic reference and the alignment of hand and mouth may have set our ancestors down a unique evolutionary road toward language.
Guandu River Sediment Plume Space-Time Variability Characterization on Sepetiba Bay – Rio de Janeiro, SE Brazil
Authors: Barbosa dos Santos Ferreira Caio Eduardo , Sander de Carvalho Lino Augusto , Nunes Ramalho da Rocha Beatriz , Valle Machado Wilson Thadeu , Vantrepotte Vincent
Published: January 2025

The Sepetiba Bay (Rio de Janeiro, SE Brazil) is an important coastal environment due to its ecological characteristics, extensive biodiversity, vast green area and connection to the sea, and vast socio-economic impact due to its importance to the surrounding communities and for the country. The bay receives a considerable amount of sediments through several small rivers and artificial channels along its coast, creating a “river plume” dynamic that influences its biogeochemical processes within the bay. This study analyzes a 20-year remote sensing temporal series from MODIS-Terra, combined with a semi-analytical algorithm based on wellestablished literature, to retrieve surface sediment concentration. The results reveal an inhomogeneous spatio-temporal pattern of the plume, which varies with climatological seasons. Summer and Spring present higher sediment concentrations and range, compared to Autumn and Winter. The observed patterns in the plume suggests a heterogeneous specialization that depends on the riverine inflow, which agrees with previous literature studies. Future studies should tackle both, the increase of remote sensing algorithms’ accuracy to retrieve sediment concentration and focus on plume change detection events to better understand the impact of land cover changes within the drainage basins surrounding Sepetiba Bay.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Parallel Flow Evacuated U-Tube Solar Collector With Parabolic Reflector: Impact of Particulate Matter
Authors: Sunkarwar Omkar P. , Naik B. Kiran , Dasore Abhishek
Published: January 2025

The article explores the performance of an evacuated U-tube solar collector integrated with a parabolic reflector under extremely hot tropical conditions, both with and without the presence of particulate matter, using experimental and simulation approaches. Experimental results showed that at peak conditions of 1017-W/m2 solar intensity and 42 ℃ ambient temperature, the heat transfer fluid (HF) exhibited a temperature increase of 11.5 ℃, accompanied by a heat gain of 1100 W, with a flowrate ranging from 0.028 to 0.03 L/s and a U-tube contact area of nearly 0.18 m2. In these tropical conditions, the maximum thermal efficiency achieved was 66% without particulate matter and 61% with particulate matter treatment (PMT), which simulated the accumulation of particles on the evacuated tube's surface. The introduction of PMT on the evacuated tube's outer surface led to slight deteriorations, including a 2 ℃ reduction in HF temperature increase, a 200-W decrease in heat gain, and a 17% drop in thermal efficiency compared to the scenario without PMT. The study also includes case studies using two numerical models to assess the time required to reach a steady state and to understand the system's thermal behavior throughout the day, both with and without PMT. The analyses reveal that under peak solar conditions, a steady state is achieved in 117 s with PMT and 131 s without, at a flowrate between 0.026 and 0.028 L/s. Additionally, the impact of HF flowrate, solar intensity, and HF inlet temperature on thermal performance is examined, revealing intricate temperature patterns along the U-tube's radial and axial directions. Detailed 3D temperature contours for hourly variations on sunny days and transient analyses along the collector length are presented. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing solar collector systems for extremely hot tropical climates.
The effect of spaced vs massed repetition on variability phonetic training among Saudi English as foreign language learners
Authors: Alfotais Ahmed , Mahdi Hassan Saleh , Alkhammash Reem
Published: January 2025

This study investigated the effects of spaced and massed repetition on the acquisition and retention of English /b/ and /p/ sounds among Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Forty-nine university students participated in a quasi-experimental design comparing two learning conditions: massed repetition and spaced repetition. Participants were taught the pronunciation of 40 new English words containing the target sounds through video-based instruction. The experiment utilized a within-subjects design, where each participant in both the control and experimental groups was exposed to a total of 40 words: 20 words taught using massed repetition and 20 words taught using spaced repetition. Pronunciation performance was assessed through tests administered immediately after the treatment (Time 1) and after 4 weeks post-treatment (Time 2). The study also explored the interaction between repetition type and input variability by incorporating High Variability Phonetic Training and Low Variability Phonetic Training conditions. Results revealed significant differences between spaced and massed repetition, with spaced repetition showing superior outcomes in both immediate and delayed tests. The study revealed no significant differences were found between High Variability Phonetic Training and Low Variability Phonetic Training conditions. These findings contribute to our understanding of effective pronunciation training methods in EFL contexts and highlight the importance of distributed practice in language learning.
Understanding patients’ emotional well-being, perceptions and concerns during an unprecedented deferment of arthroplasty: an Italian qualitative study
Authors: Urakcheeva Iuliia , Ciccarelli Paola , Tenti Michael , Torre Marina , Toccaceli Virgilia
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Nearly 40 000 Italian patients had their arthroplasty postponed between March and May 2020 (lockdown period) and experienced a period of several months without knowing when surgeries would resume. The hypothesis was that such conditions caused changes in perceived well-being and quality of life. The study aimed to explore the feelings, perceptions and concerns of orthopaedic patients in Italy during COVID-related arthroplasty rescheduling.

Design

The study designed by an interdisciplinary research group, used a qualitative methodology based on thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews.

Setting

Interviews were conducted by phone from August to November 2021.

Participants

A purposive sample of orthopaedic patients (from North, Centre and South of Italy), whose elective arthroplasty was delayed due to the COVID-related healthcare measures, was selected. Patients who opted for further voluntary deferment were included. Participants were mainly recruited through orthopaedic surgeons.

Results

We conducted and analysed 26 interviews (12 males and 14 females; age range 50–85 years). We identified six themes describing negative feelings, deterioration of quality of life, resources behind coping strategies associated with surgery postponement and lockdowns. A psychosocial phenomenon we called the ‘lockdown paradox’ was detected. It was induced by the general condition of isolation at home that made orthopaedic patients share restricted mobility with all the people in the country and, therefore, suffer less.

Conclusions

Arthroplasty suspension in the context of anti-COVID measures had implications on emotional well-being and perceived quality of life. Deterioration appeared mitigated by inner resources, favourable living conditions and, in some cases, by the psychosocial phenomenon, not detected in other studies, of the ‘lockdown paradox’ associated with mobility and autonomy restrictions shared by the whole community. Future studies are needed to investigate predictors of negative feelings and deterioration of quality of life in patients experiencing sudden major surgery delays.
Nation-wide cohort of device-measured sedentary time and physical activity in the USA—the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) Accelerometry Substudy: cohort profile
Authors: Rees-Punia Erika , Nelson Jillian , Briggs Peter J , Joiner Nance , Hodge James M , Bontemps-Jones Jeuneviette E , Bloodworth Den E , Yeager Ashley , McCrary Jeshondria , Patel Alpa
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper describes the data collection and management methods for the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) Accelerometry Substudy, a nested cohort of device-based physical activity and sedentary time data.

Participants

US-based CPS-3 participants (initially enrolled 2006–2013) who completed the 2018 follow-up survey and had a valid email address were invited to the Accelerometry Substudy (n=109 780). Among the 23 111 participants who registered and were shipped an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer, 21 219 participants returned the device with a complete wear log (91.8%) and 20 950 (90.6%) provided at least three adherent days of data (eg, days with at least 10 hours of wear).

Findings to date

Participants with ≥3 adherent days were predominantly female (n=16 187, 77.3%), non-Latino white (n=17 977, 85.8%) and had an average age of 58 years (SD=9.8). The median daily wear time was 15.3 hours, which did not vary considerably by wear day. The median time spent in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity was 29 min/day (IQR=36), and the median time in vigorous physical activity was 3 min/day (IQR=13). Participants were sedentary for 9.4 hours (564 min, IQR=171 min) and accumulated a median of 6474 steps per day (IQR=5348).

Future plans

The full CPS-3 cohort will be linked with the National Death Index and state cancer registries biennially. Participants will be sent triennial surveys for the next two decades. Future analyses within the CPS-3 Accelerometry Substudy more specifically aim to identify relationships between physical activity, sedentary time and health outcomes, primarily cancer incidence, survival and survivorship.
You cannot be what you cannot see: a retrospective natural longitudinal cohort study exploring the impact of face-to-face rural immersion on student medical training satisfaction and intention to practice rurally
Authors: Nasir Bushra F , Chater Alan Bruce , Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan Srinivas , McGrail Matthew R
Published: January 2025

Objective

Community-engaged immersive rural experiences were limited during the COVID-19 pandemic when online learning was instigated across medical institutions globally. This study aimed to explore the impact of online learning on medical students’ satisfaction levels and intentions to practice in a rural area after graduation.

Design, setting and participants

We conducted a natural quasi-experimental longitudinal retrospective cross-sectional study during 2011–2022 for all Australian domestic medical students who undertook a Rural and Remote Medicine (RRM) placement at the University of Queensland. Anonymous administrative course evaluation data were collected for the same two questions in each cohort over 12 years, between 2011 and 2022.

Outcome measures

Change in students’ intention to pursue a rural medical career and teaching and placement satisfaction levels was determined. Longitudinal data illustrated trends in students’ intention and overall satisfaction across cohorts before and during COVID-19 disruptions.

Results

2695 students participated in the surveys with an average response rate of 81%. Intention levels remained steady between 2011 and 2019, during which students experienced a consistent face-to-face orientation and rural placement immersion. During the COVID-19 disruption phase, primarily in 2020 and 2021, students’ intention to pursue a rural medical career significantly decreased when online-only learning placements were implemented, with only 25% of students in the most impacted rotation indicating a strong positive intention, compared with a previous steady 75%. Comparatively, students’ satisfaction with the RRM programme remained steady across all the years at about 85–90%.

Conclusions

There appears to be a detrimental impact of a lack of immersive community-engaged education experiences on medical student’s intention to pursue a rural medical career. This natural experiment demonstrates that while online learning maintains student satisfaction levels, it lacks value and authenticity and does not inspire students to consider future rural careers. The value of face-to-face and immersive community-engaged experiences is fundamentally an important contributor to inspiring students to work in rural areas in the future.
Malnutrition among under-5 children and its determinants in the southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh: A community-based study
Authors: Akter Shahinur , Nishu Nishana Afrin
Published: January 2025

Objective

The study examines the prevalence of stunting, the most common form of malnutrition and its determinants among children under-5 in the southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh.

Design

Cross-sectional survey.

Settings

Two coastal villages of the Bagerhat and Khulna districts of Bangladesh.

Participants

Participants were selected using the simple random sampling technique with the following criteria: mothers who had at least one under-5 child and resided in the study area for not less than three consecutive years.

Outcome measures

To assess the nutritional status particularly, stunting (height for age) in children under-5, a standardised anthropometric measurement tool, such as a height-measuring vertical scale, was used and categorised into severely stunted, moderately stunted and normal height.

Results

The study found that 57.5% of children were severely and 29% were moderately stunted. Findings revealed that mothers’ age, prior experience of under-5 mortality, mothers’ working status and age of the children were significant determinants of stunting prevalence among children under-5. Moreover, children of mothers aged 21–30 years (AOR = 2.190; 95% CI: 1.039 to 4.613;p= 0.039) and children of mothers without prior experience of under-5 mortality (AOR = 4.426; 95% CI: 1.461 to 13.405;p= 0.009) were more possibly to be severely and moderately stunted, respectively. Additionally, children of non-working mothers were more likely to be moderately (AOR = 4.037; 95% CI: 1.382 to 11.792;p= 0.011) and severely stunted (AOR = 2.538; 95% CI: 1.033 to 6.238;p= 0.042). Moreover, children aged ≤24 months (AOR = 0.151; 95% CI: 0.034 to 0.661;p= 0.012) and 25–36 months (AOR = 0.195; 95% CI: 0.046 to 0.829;p= 0.027) were less possibly to be moderately stunted.

Conclusion

The study recommends training young mothers on effective child-rearing practices, creating income opportunities for women in rural Bangladesh, implementing local awareness programmes about appropriate growth standards for children and expanding facility-based healthcare centres in rural areas for better access to quality healthcare.
Decoding Extracellular Protein Glycosylation in Human Health and Disease
Authors: Steigmeyer Alexandra D. , Lowery Sarah C. , Rangel-Angarita Valentina , Malaker Stacy A.
Published: January 2025

Protein glycosylation, the covalent attachment of carbohydrate, or glycan, structures onto the protein backbone, is one of the most complex and heterogeneous post-translational modifications (PTMs). Extracellular protein glycosylation, in particular N- and mucin-type O-glycosylation, plays pivotal roles in a number of biophysical and biochemical processes, such as protein folding and stability, cell adhesion, signaling, and protection. As such, aberrant glycosylation is implicated in a variety of diseases, including cancer. However, the nontemplated nature and structural heterogeneity of protein glycosylation hinder glycoprotein characterization with traditional methods. Recent advances in analytical techniques have improved capabilities for decoding glycan complexity, a promising step toward understanding the role of glycosylation in human health and disease. In this review, we highlight key and emerging techniques to study protein glycosylation, and we emphasize how these techniques have improved our understanding of glycosylation in a biologically relevant context.
Clinical Microbiome Analysis by Mass Spectrometry–Based Metaproteomics
Authors: Zhang Xu , Ning Zhibin , Mayne Janice , Figeys Daniel
Published: January 2025

Mass spectrometry–based proteomics and metaproteomics have long been used in the study of human microbiomes, with the potential of metaproteomics only recently being fully harnessed. This progress is due to the advancements of high-performance mass spectrometers, innovative proteomics strategies, and the development of dedicated bioinformatics tools. In this review, we critically examine the recent technological developments that enhance the application of metaproteomics in clinical microbiome analysis. We also summarize significant advancements in the application of metaproteomics to study human microbiomes across various body sites under disease conditions. Despite these, the potential of metaproteomics remains underutilized due to typically small sample sizes and insufficient data mining. We thereby highlight some key aspects that could facilitate the broader and more effective application of mass spectrometry–based metaproteomics in clinical microbiome analysis, including the development of microbiome assays for translational research and application.
Reconstructing Tropical Cyclone Activity from Sedimentary Archives
Authors: Donnelly Jeffrey P.
Published: January 2025

The brevity of the instrumental record limits our knowledge of tropical cyclone activity on multidecadal to longer timescales and hampers our ability to diagnose climatic controls. Sedimentary archives containing event beds provide essential data on tropical cyclone activity over centuries and millennia. This review highlights the advantages and limitations of this approach and how these reconstructions have illuminated patterns of tropical cyclone activity and potential climate drivers over the last millennium. Key elements to developing high-quality reconstructions include confident attribution of event beds to tropical cyclones, assessing the potential role of other mechanisms, and evaluating the potential influence of geomorphic changes, sea-level variations, and sediment supply on a settings’ susceptibility to event bed deposition. Millennium-long histories of severe tropical cyclone occurrence are now available from many locations in the western North Atlantic and western North Pacific,revealing clear regional shifts in activity likely related to intervals of large-scale ocean-atmosphere reorganization.

▪

Prior to significant human influence in Earth's climate, natural climate variability dramatically altered patterns of tropical cyclone activity.

▪

For some regions (e.g., The Bahamas and the Marshall Islands), earlier intervals of tropical cyclone activity exceeded what humans have experienced during the recent period of instrumental measurements (∼1850 CE–present).

▪

Risk assessments based on the short instrumental record likely underestimate the threat posed by tropical cyclones in many regions.

▪

Changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation associated with the Little Ice Age (∼1400–1800 CE) resulted in significant regional changes in tropical cyclone activity.

▪

Given the past sensitivity of tropical cyclone activity to climate change, we should anticipate regional shifts in tropical cyclone activity in response to ongoing anthropogenic warming of the planet.
Gas-Diffusion Composite Electrode Containing Zeolite and Carbon in the Gas-Diffusion Layer
Authors: Abrashev B. , Terziev V. , Todorova St. , Spassov T.
Published: January 2025

A composite gas-diffusion electrode containing carbon and zeolite, for rechargeable metal-air batteries was developed. To ensure the uniform distribution of the clinoptiolite particles in the carbon matrix, as well as mechanical stability of the gas-diffusion layer high-energy milling (5000 rpm for 1 min) and subsequent pressing of the mixture (300 kg.cm−2 at 280 °C) were applied. By partially replacing the teflonized carbon black in the gas-diffusion layer with clinoptiolite the necessary hydrophobicity could be attained while maintaining the high gas permeability of the zeolite material. The teflonized carbon black: zeolite mass ratio was optimized in terms of the mechanical stability of the electrode and its electrochemical performance. The catalytic layer comprised a bimetallic catalyst consisting of Ag and γ-MnO2 in a 1:1 mass ratio. The morphology of the catalytic layer, as well as the pore size in the gas-diffusion layer, were studied using scanning electron microscopy and the Brunnauer-Emmett-Teller method. The determined pore size below 10 nm implies mainly the Knudsen diffusion through the gas-diffusion layer. In the preliminary durability tests high mechanical, chemical, and electrochemical stability (more than 750 cycles) was obtained for the newly developed composite gas-diffusion electrode.
Feature selectivity of corticocortical feedback along the primate dorsal visual pathway
Authors: Korkian Yavar , Nakhla Nardin , Pack Christopher C.
Published: January 2025

Here, we show that corticocortical feedback influences are often determined by the selectivity of the individual neurons. A common motif is the occurrence of inhibitory feedback among neurons with very different stimulus preferences. This results in strong suppression of responses in area MT when MST is electrically stimulated. Interestingly, this feedback shows a complex interaction with ongoing visual stimulation, being powerfully suppressive when visual inputs are strong, yet excitatory when visual inputs are weak.
Supplementary Information from PHGDH Induction by MAPK Is Essential for Melanoma Formation and Creates an Actionable Metabolic Vulnerability
Authors: Jasani Neel , Xu Xiaonan , Posorske Benjamin , Kim Yumi , Wang Kaizhen , Vera Olga , Tsai Kenneth Y. , DeNicola Gina M. , Karreth Florian A.
Published: January 2025

Supplementary Information
Figure S6 from PHGDH Induction by MAPK Is Essential for Melanoma Formation and Creates an Actionable Metabolic Vulnerability
Authors: Jasani Neel , Xu Xiaonan , Posorske Benjamin , Kim Yumi , Wang Kaizhen , Vera Olga , Tsai Kenneth Y. , DeNicola Gina M. , Karreth Florian A.
Published: January 2025

Figure S6
Supplemental Table S5 from The EP3–ZNF488 Axis Promotes Self-Renewal of Glioma Stem-Like Cells to Induce Resistance to Tumor Treating Fields
Authors: Chen Dongjiang , Le Son B. , Manektalia Harshit , Liu Tianyi , Hutchinson Tarun E. , O’Dell Adam , Salhia Bodour , Tran David D.
Published: January 2025

Summary of patient data. (Supporting Main Figure 8B-C)
Supplemental Table S4 from The EP3–ZNF488 Axis Promotes Self-Renewal of Glioma Stem-Like Cells to Induce Resistance to Tumor Treating Fields
Authors: Chen Dongjiang , Le Son B. , Manektalia Harshit , Liu Tianyi , Hutchinson Tarun E. , O’Dell Adam , Salhia Bodour , Tran David D.
Published: January 2025

The top 10 nSCORE ranked MRs in the same 7D and 28–35D TTFields-treated conditions of the 3 GBM lines, showing that ZNF488 is the highest ranked master regulator that is upregulated in the stemness hub after EP3, suggesting that it may be a co-master regulator with EP3 in controlling the stem cell fraction of GBM. (Supporting Main Figure 6)
Supplemental Table S1 from The EP3–ZNF488 Axis Promotes Self-Renewal of Glioma Stem-Like Cells to Induce Resistance to Tumor Treating Fields
Authors: Chen Dongjiang , Le Son B. , Manektalia Harshit , Liu Tianyi , Hutchinson Tarun E. , O’Dell Adam , Salhia Bodour , Tran David D.
Published: January 2025

Bulk RNA-seq output of the 3 established GBM lines treated with TTFields for 0 (NT), 7 (7D), and 28/35 (28/35D) days. (Supporting Main Figures 1, 2, and 7)
Supplementary Table 7 from FOXR2 Targets LHX6+/DLX+ Neural Lineages to Drive Central Nervous System Neuroblastoma
Authors: Jessa Selin , De Cola Antonella , Chandarana Bhavyaa , McNicholas Michael , Hébert Steven , Ptack Adam , Faury Damien , Tsai Jessica W. , Korshunov Andrey , Phoenix Timothy N. , Ellezam Benjamin , Jones David T.W. , Taylor Michael D. , Bandopadhayay Pratiti , Pathania Manav , Jabado Nada , Kleinman Claudia L.
Published: January 2025

Reference dataset labels used for cell type annotation of mouse model single-cell datasets.