bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experiences of parents of children with rare neurogenetic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Martin Jessica A. , Robertson Kathryn , Richards Caroline , Scerif Gaia , Baker Kate , Tye Charlotte
Published: June 2023

Background

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted parental and child mental health and wellbeing in the UK. This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children with rare neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions with a known or suspected genetic cause (neurogenetic) across the first year of the pandemic in the UK.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 parents of children with rare neurogenetic conditions. Parents were recruited via opportunity sampling from the CoIN Study, a longitudinal quantitative study exploring the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of families with rare neurogenetic conditions. Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Results

Four main themes were identified: (1) “A varied impact on child wellbeing: from detrimental to ‘no big drama’”; (2) “Parental mental health and wellbeing: impact, changes, and coping”; (3) “'The world had shut its doors and that was that’: care and social services during the pandemic”; and (4) “Time and luck: abstract concepts central to parents’ perspectives of how they coped during the pandemic”. The majority of parents described experiencing an exacerbation of pre-pandemic challenges due to increased uncertainty and a lack of support, with a minority reporting positive effects of the pandemic on family wellbeing.

Conclusions

These findings offer a unique insight into the experiences parents of children with rare neurogenetic conditions across the first year of the pandemic in the UK. They highlight that the experiences of parents were not pandemic-specific, and will continue to be highly relevant in a non-pandemic context. Future support should to be tailored to the needs of families and implemented across diverse future scenarios to promote coping and positive wellbeing.
The environmental factors affecting the archaeological buildings in Egypt, “IV deterioration by synergistic marine effects”
Authors: El-Gohary Mohamed A.
Published: June 2023

This paper investigates the marine effects that affect Qait Bey Fortress in Alexandria—Egypt. It presents the results of scientific studies and examinations to evaluate the deterioration conditions that affected archaeological buildings in the marine environment. In Alexandria, many monumental sites and stone buildings have suffered from many aggressive factors of deterioration (mechanical, chemical, and biological), which have caused great harmful appearances and threatened to eradicate them. These effects include the chemical actions resulting from seawater and marine aerosol and the mechanical actions of water waves. (Qait Bey Fortress), as a case study, was periodically investigated by many scientific techniques over five years to check its decay conditions and to define the most suitable conservation approaches and non-destructive methods for preservation. Different techniques and examinations were carried out to evaluate the current deterioration state of the fortress. For example, XRD analysis and PM investigation were used to study the mineralogical compositions, lithotype, and petrographic characteristics of the stone samples. SEM was used to investigate the morphological features of the same samples. AAS was also used for studying the chemical constituents of seawater samples. In addition, microbiological investigations were conducted to evaluate the colored hard crusts that affected the stone surfaces in the fortress. Our results proved that severe deterioration factors influenced the fortress by collaborating with chemical, mechanical, and biological mechanisms. These mechanisms caused several manifestations, such as abrasion and attrition, crystallizing of salt species, mortar desegregation, pitting and minerals’ honeycomb (Alveolar), color changes, in addition to the accumulation of black and colored biogenic hard crusts composed of numerous tightly adjoining pits of several centimeters. Crusts, such as yellow to bluish green, resulted from P. aeruginosa and granular appearance having brownish ting in the center resulted from P. clacis. In addition, other pigmented features resulted from Bacillus firmus and Bacillus atrophaeus. The presence of some black and dark color crusts was attributed to the growth of some fungal species, such as A. niger, A. phoenicis, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Alternaria alternata.
Community engagement group model in basic and biomedical research: lessons learned from the BEAT-HIV Delaney Collaboratory towards an HIV-1 cure
Authors: Dubé Karine , Peterson Beth , Jones Nora L. , Onorato Amy , Carter William B. , Dannaway Christine , Johnson Steven , Hayes Roy , Hill Marcus , Maddox Rease , Riley James L. , Shull Jane , Metzger David , Montaner Luis J.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Achieving effective community engagement has been an objective of U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded HIV research efforts, including participation of persons with HIV. Community Advisory Boards (CABs) have remained the predominant model for community engagement since their creation in 1989. As HIV cure-directed research efforts have grown into larger academic-industry partnerships directing resources toward both basic and clinical research under the Martin Delaney Collaboratories (MDC), community input models have also evolved. The BEAT-HIV MDC Collaboratory, based at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, United States, implemented a three-part model for community engagement that has shown success in providing greater impact for community engagement across basic, biomedical, and social sciences research efforts.

Discussion

In this paper, we review the case study of the formation of the BEAT-HIV Community Engagement Group (CEG) model, starting with the historical partnership between The Wistar Institute as a basic research center and Philadelphia FIGHT as a not-for-profit community-based organization (CBO), and culminating with the growth of community engagement under the BEAT-HIV MDC. Second, we present the impact of a cooperative structure including a Community Advisory Board (CAB), CBO, and researchers through the BEAT-HIV CEG model, and highlight collaborative projects that demonstrate the potential strengths, challenges, and opportunities of this model. We also describe challenges and future opportunities for the use of the CEG model.

Conclusions

Our CEG model integrating a CBO, CAB and scientists could help move us towards the goal of effective, equitable and ethical engagement in HIV cure-directed research. In sharing our lessons learned, challenges and growing pains, we contribute to the science of community engagement into biomedical research efforts with an emphasis on HIV cure-directed research. Our documented experience with implementing the CEG supports greater discussion and independent implementation efforts for this model to engage communities into working teams in a way we find a meaningful, ethical, and sustainable model in support of basic, clinical/biomedical, social sciences and ethics research.
Prediction of risk of ischemic heart disease in first-diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus patients in taiwan: is air pollution exposure a risk factor?
Authors: Chen Pei-Yun , Tsan Yu-Tse , Yang Chao-Tung , Lee Yun-Mei , Chen Li-Li , Ho Wen-Chao , Lu Shu-Hua
Published: June 2023

Background

Air pollution is a key public health factor with the capacity to induce diseases. The risk of ischemia heart disease (IHD) in those suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from air pollution exposure is ambiguous. This study aimed to: (1) determine the hazard ratio (HR) of IHD after the first-diagnosed SLE and (2) examine the effects of air pollution exposure on IHD in SLE for 12 years.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study. Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database and Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring data were used in the study. Cases first diagnosed with SLE in 2006 cases without IHD were recruited as the SLE group. We randomly selected an additional sex-matched non-SLE cohort, four times the size of the SLE cohort, as the control group. Air pollution indices by residence city per period were calculated as the exposure. Life tables and Cox proportional risk models of time-dependent covariance were used in the research.

Results

This study identified patients for the SLE group (n = 4,842) and the control group (n = 19,368) in 2006. By the end of 2018, the risk of IHD was significantly higher in the SLE group than in the control group, and risks peaked between the 6th and 9th year. The HR of incidence IHD in the SLE group was 2.42 times that of the control group. Significant correlations with risk of developing IHD were noted for sex, age, CO, NO2, PM10, and PM2.5, of which PM10 exposure had the highest risk of IHD incidence.

Conclusions

Subjects with SLE were at a higher risk of IHD, especially those in the 6th to 9th year after SLE diagnosis. The advanced cardiac health examinations and health education plan should be recommended for SLE patients before the 6th year after SLE diagnosed.
Herbal rodent repellent: a dependable and dynamic approach in defiance of synthetic repellent
Authors: Quasim Md. Asad , Karn Abhishek Kumar , Paul Sujata , Hmar El Bethel Lalthavel , Sharma Hemanta Kumar
Published: June 2023

Background

Rodents are the most common and diverse order of mammals, the most troublesome pest in agriculture, gardening, forestry, and public products, and to blame for the spread of many illnesses to humans and animals. In terms of rodenticidal exposure, rodenticide use is only to kill the rodent, not to repel it. On the other hand, herbal rodent repellents are compounds that, by taste, odour, or both, keep rodents away from human habitat and prevent diseases spread due to them. Herbal rodent repellents are more potent, economical, biodegradable, and do not persist in the soil or water, and they also have a broad range of other biological properties.

Main body of the abstract

Rodents are a prevalent and harmful pest that accounts for more than 2277 species distributed all over the world. The growing public awareness of the ethical and animal welfare problems associated with traditional pest animal control methods has progressively switched to non-lethal alternatives for the management of rodents. This article promotes herbal rodent repellents due to the various reported toxic effects of synthetic rodenticides on human health and the environment. The review discusses some of the important herbs that have the potency to repel rodents thereby raising awareness for the use of non-toxic methods for pest control. Data from different database like PubMed, Google Scholar, Research Gate, PLOS One, and others were retrieved, and then, an extensive literature review was carried out to prepare the article.

Short conclusion

From the information provided, it can be concluded that rodenticide poisoning could cause a serious public health issue with a high case death rate. Increasing public understanding of rodenticide toxicity, as well as stringent monitoring of rodenticide sales and use, might assist to reduce indiscriminate use and poisoning. Therefore, herbal rodent repellents, due to their least toxicity, could provide a safe and dynamic approach over the use of synthetic rodenticides.
A persistent median artery piercing the median nerve: a review and clinical implications
Authors: Pavlovsky Ethan , Kistner Gilberto , Loomis Mario
Published: June 2023

Background

This case report documents a rare variation of a persistent median artery. Normally a transient vessel present during embryologic development of the limbs, the median artery typically regresses by the eighth week of life as the radial and ulnar arteries predominate the distal vascular supply of the hand. In a subset of the adult population, this artery remains as a persistent median artery which most often ends in the carpal tunnel or hand without significant vascular dependence.

Case presentation

An 84-year-old female cadaver was found bilaterally to have an artery that penetrated the median nerve in the forearm, continued through the carpal tunnel, then joined the superficial arch, giving rise to the common digital artery to the second webspace. It also gave rise to the radialis indicis, the princeps pollicis, and an anastomotic branch to the radial artery.

Conclusions

This anatomic variant of a persistent median artery piercing the median nerve, traversing the carpal tunnel, and providing aberrant primary blood supply to a large area of the hand are details clinically relevant to those who treat hand disorders and injuries.
Key roles of amylopectin synthesis and degradation enzymes in the establishment and reactivation of chronic toxoplasmosis
Authors: Chen Pu , Lyu Congcong , Wang Yidan , Pan Ming , Lin Xingyu , Shen Bang
Published: June 2023

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular parasite with a wide range of hosts, including humans and many warm-blooded animals. The parasite exists in two interconvertible forms, namely tachyzoites and bradyzoites in intermediate hosts that are responsible for acute and chronic infections respectively. Mature bradyzoites accumulate large amounts of amylopectin granules but their roles have not been fully characterized. In this study, the predicted key enzymes involved in amylopectin synthesis (UDP-sugar pyrophospharylase, USP) and degradation (alpha-glucan water dikinase, GWD) of ME49 strain were individually knocked out, and then bradyzoite-related phenotyping experiments in vitro and in vivo were performed to dissect their roles during parasite growth and development. Deletion of the usp or gwd gene in the type II strain ME49 reduced the replication rates of tachyzoites in vitro and parasite virulence in vivo, suggesting that amylopectin metabolism is important for optimal tachyzoite growth. Interestingly, the Δusp mutant grew slightly faster than the parental strain under stress conditions that induced bradyzoite transition, which was likely due to the decreased efficiency of bradyzoite formation of the Δusp mutant. Although the Δgwd mutant could convert to bradyzoite robustly in vitro, it was significantly impaired in establishing chronic infection in vivo. Both the Δusp and Δgwd mutants showed a dramatic reduction in the reactivation of chronic infection in an in vitro model. Together, these results suggest that USP and GWD, which are involved in amylopectin synthesis and degradation have important roles in tachyzoite growth, as well as in the formation and reactivation of bradyzoites in T. gondii.
Inflamed Adipose Tissue: Therapeutic Targets for Obesity-related Endothelial Injury
Authors: Dai Wanlin , Liu Ziqi , Yang Shaojie , Kong Jing
Published: June 2023

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and is primarily associated with obesity, visceral adiposity, and unhealthy perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). The inflammatory polarization of immune cells residing in adipose tissue and abnormal levels of adipose-related cytokines are crucial factors contributing to the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. We reviewed the most relevant papers in the English literature regarding PVAT and obesity-related inflammation and CVD, aiming to explore potential therapeutic targets for metabolic alterations related to CV health. Such an understanding will help determine the pathogenetic relationship between obesity and vascular injury in efforts to ameliorate obesity-related inflammatory responses. In the context of obesity, dysregulation of adipose tissue immune function, which consists of immune cells and adipose-derived cytokines, plays a crucial role in vascular injury and endothelial dysfunction, especially the PVAT. Metabolic changes between typical VAT and PVAT in obese conditions would be beneficial in improving the risk of obesity-induced endothelial dysfunction and CVDs.
Herpes Simplex Virus Diencephalitis Leading to Panhypopituitarism
Authors: Casey Caoimhe , O’Connor Antoinette , Cronin Simon , Tuthill Antoinette
Published: June 2023

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most common causes of viral encephalitis. Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction has rarely been reported in HSV encephalitis, with few reports into the longer term outcomes for these patients. A 46-year-old male presented with a 10-day history of delirium, fever, and polydipsia. Initial computed tomography of the brain and cerebrospinal fluid cell counts were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging showed T2-hyperintensity affecting bilateral infundibuli, hypothalami, subthalamic nuclei, and optic radiations. Serial cerebrospinal fluid detected HSV1 DNA and we diagnosed him with HSV diencephalitis. He had marked biochemical abnormalities from the outset, with dramatic changes in serum sodium levels. He was ultimately diagnosed with permanent central diabetes insipidus and panhypopituitarism following evidence of central hypothyroidism, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, and a flat cortisol response to an insulin tolerance test. Neurocognitive recovery took several months, but subtle deficits in executive function and information processing remain. Hypothalamic hyperphagia developed as well as temperature dysregulation. He requires lifelong hormonal replacement and is undergoing regular endocrine follow up. This case highlights hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction as a rare endocrine complication of HSV diencephalitis and illustrates the complexity of managing this in the long term.
Infrastructures of Aging: Form and Institutional Care in Dementia Fiction
Authors: Vermeulen Pieter
Published: June 2023

The fictional representation of the cognitive experience of people with dementia is often credited with providing an occasion for readerly empathy and a privileged mimetic account of dementia experience. This essay draws on recent scholarship by Caroline Levine and Anna Kornbluh that expands the notion of form to include infrastructures, institutions, and other entities that provide sustenance and continuity to offer a different account of the cultural work such fictions do. The essay argues that two canonical works of fiction about dementia— J. Bernlef's Out of Mind and B. S. Johnson's House Mother Normal—do not merely offer a mimesis of dementia experience (the focus of existing research). These works take seriously dementia experience's challenge to formal coherence as they (however ambivalently) displace the task of providing continuity and sustenance to caring institutions rather than to residual ratiocinative capacities. Both novels repurpose the ellipses and blanks that are typical of the representation of dementia “mind styles” for something other than an indication of deficient subjectivity: in Bernlef, they become an indicator of lyrical and timeless sustenance and suspension; in Johnson, they point to regularities that invite the reader to coconstruct an imaginative space that sustains the lives the novel evokes.
Images at War: An Introduction
Authors: Phu Thy
Published: June 2023

This introduction contends that debates on militarized visual cultures need to consider the active role of images in shaping perspectives on war and in mediating memories of its aftermaths in and across Asia. Doing so entails taking account of quotidian experiences of war as well as reckoning with the limits of archives.
Ergolide mediates anti-cancer effects on metastatic uveal melanoma cells and modulates their cellular and extracellular vesicle proteomes
Authors: Sundaramurthi Husvinee , Tonelotto Valentina , Wynne Kieran , O'Connell Fiona , O’Reilly Eve , Costa-Garcia Marcel , Kovácsházi Csenger , Kittel Agnes , Marcone Simone , Blanco Alfonso , Pallinger Eva , Hambalkó Szabolcs , Piulats Rodriguez Jose Maria , Ferdinandy Péter , O'Sullivan Jacintha , Matallanas David , Jensen Lasse D. , Giricz Zoltán , Kennedy Breandán N.
Published: June 2023

Background: Uveal melanoma is a poor prognosis cancer. Ergolide, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Inula Brittanica, exerts anti-cancer properties. The objective of this study was to 1) evaluate whether ergolide reduced metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM) cell survival/viability in vitro and in vivo; and 2) to understand the molecular mechanism of ergolide action.

Methods: Ergolide bioactivity was screened via long-term proliferation assay in UM/MUM cells and in zebrafish MUM xenograft models. Mass spectrometry profiled proteins modulated by ergolide within whole cell or extracellular vesicle (EVs) lysates of the OMM2.5 MUM cell line. Protein expression was analyzed by immunoblots and correlation analyses to UM patient survival used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data.

Results: Ergolide treatment resulted in significant, dose-dependent reductions (48.5 to 99.9%; p<0.0001) in OMM2.5 cell survival in vitro and of normalized primary zebrafish xenograft fluorescence (56%; p<0.0001) in vivo, compared to vehicle controls. Proteome-profiling of ergolide-treated OMM2.5 cells, identified 5023 proteins, with 52 and 55 proteins significantly altered at 4 and 24 hours, respectively (p<0.05; fold-change >1.2). Immunoblotting of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) corroborated the proteomic data. Additional proteomics of EVs isolated from OMM2.5 cells treated with ergolide, detected 2931 proteins. There was a large overlap with EV proteins annotated within the Vesiclepedia compendium. Within the differentially expressed proteins, the proteasomal pathway was primarily altered. Interestingly, BRCA2 and CDKN1A Interacting Protein (BCCIP) and Chitinase Domain Containing 1 (CHID1), were the only proteins significantly differentially expressed by ergolide in both the OMM2.5 cellular and EV isolates and they displayed inverse differential expression in the cells versus the EVs.

Conclusions: Ergolide is a novel, promising anti-proliferative agent for UM/MUM. Proteomic profiling of OMM2.5 cellular/EV lysates identified candidate pathways elucidating the action of ergolide and putative biomarkers of UM, that require further examination.
Effects of Training Images on CNN-Based Demodulation for Digital Signage and Image Sensor-Based VLC
Authors: Iyoda Yuki , Kobayashi Kentaro , Chujo Wataru
Published: June 2023

This paper studies a visible light communication (VLC) system using a digital signage and an image sensor. The authors have focused on the demodulation part of the communication system, which modulates data signals without disturbing the visual information on the digital signage, and have proposed a novel concept that uses machine learning to demodulate the data signals from images received by the image sensor. However, it has not been fully clarified which parameters of the training images contribute to the performance of the machine learningbased demodulation. This paper extends the convolutional neural network (CNN)-based demodulation method and clarifies how much the number of parallelized data signals and the number of patterns of data signals in the training images contribute to the demodulation performance. The results show that the performance improves with the number of parallelized data signals in the training images, and that half of the signal patterns are sufficient for learning.
Samoocena i zaspokojenie podstawowych potrzeb psychologicznych jako predyktory wypalenia akademickiego wśród studentek pedagogiki specjalnej
Authors: Strzelecki Dominik
Published: June 2023

Wypalenie akademickie to złożone zjawisko, które szkodliwe jest dla dobrostanu jednostki. Zgodnie z dotychczasowymi doniesieniami badawczymi coraz częściej dostrzega się wysoki poziomu objawów wypalenia studentów. Celem przeprowadzonych badań była próba empirycznej diagnozy zjawiska wypalenia akademickiego studentek pedagogiki specjalnej, a także określenie siły i kierunku związków pomiędzy poszczególnymi komponentami wypalenia akademickiego, samooceną a zaspokojeniem trzech podstawowych potrzeb psychologicznych (autonomii, kompetencji, relacji). W badaniach zastosowano metodę sondażu diagnostycznego. Wykorzystane narzędzia badawcze to: OLBI-S, skala SES Rosenberga oraz polska wersja BPNSFS. W rezultacie wykazano związki pomiędzy samooceną a wypaleniem akademickim oraz wypaleniem akademickim, a zaspokojeniem potrzeby autonomii oraz kompetencji. Na podstawie otrzymanych wyników badań można wywnioskować, iż adekwatnie wysoki poziom samooceny i zaspokojenia podstawowych potrzeb psychologicznych – szczególnie potrzeby autonomii i kompetencji, może przyczyniać się do obniżenia poziomu wypalenia akademickiego studentek pedagogiki specjalnej.

wypalenie akademickie, studentki pedagogiki specjalnej, samo- ocena, podstawowe potrzeby psychologiczne.
Electronic Payment Technology and Business Finance: A Randomized, Controlled Trial with Mobile Money
Authors: Dalton Patricio S. , Pamuk Haki , Ramrattan Ravindra , Uras Burak , van Soest Daan
Published: June 2023

We conducted a randomized, controlled trial with small- and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya to estimate the causal impact of an electronic payment (e-payment) technology on business finance. Using an encouragement design, we exogenously increased e-payment usage among a random subset of firms by relaxing adoption transaction costs and information barriers. Sixteen months after the intervention, we find that the e-payment technology increased access to mobile loans (in the number of loans as well as in the amount borrowed) by at least 50% (0.17 standard deviation), likely because of the reduction of information asymmetries brought by an increase in digital transactions. We find no effect of the e-payment technology on sales and profits, but we do find a reduction of sales volatility and precautionary investment, especially for smaller firms. This suggests that mobile loans help smaller firms cope with short-term negative shocks. We provide a stylized model of business finance that rationalizes these findings.

This paper was accepted by Bruno Biais, finance.

Funding: This paper was produced under the framework of the “Enabling Innovation and Productivity Growth in Low Income Countries (EIP-LIC/PO5639)” project, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom and implemented by Tilburg University.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4821 .
The Irrelevance of Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosure to Retail Investors
Authors: Moss Austin , Naughton James P. , Wang Clare
Published: June 2023

Using an hourly data set on retail investor individual security positions from Robinhood Markets, we find no evidence that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures inform retail investors’ buy and sell decisions. The response on ESG press release days by retail investors is indistinguishable from nonevent days. In contrast, these same investors make economically meaningful changes to their portfolios in response to non-ESG press releases, especially those that pertain to earnings announcements. We use stock return tests to show that there is economic content in ESG press releases, and we conduct subsample analyses showing that retail investors do not respond to the most salient and economically transparent ESG disclosures. Collectively, these tests suggest that a lack of economic content, a lack of visibility, and difficulty with investment integration are unlikely to explain our findings.

This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.

Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4822 .
Patient falls while under supervision: trends from incident reporting
Authors: Roberts Matthew
Published: June 2023

In one large UK hospital trust, data from the electronic incident reporting system were studied to determine the number of falls within one division taking place while patients were under enhanced supervision. This supervision was commonly carried out by registered nurses or healthcare assistants. It was noted that, despite increased supervision, patients were still falling and when they did the degree of harm they suffered was often greater than for those patients not under supervision. It was also noted that more male patients fell under supervision than female patients, although the reasons for this were not clear, suggesting an area for further research. A large number of patients fell while in the bathroom, where they were often left alone for periods of time. This shows an increasing need to find a balance between maintaining patient dignity and ensuring patient safety.
Restorative clinical supervision: a chance for change but are we ready?
Authors: Featherbe Rebecca
Published: June 2023

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are experiencing increasing stress, burnout and mental health problems. The Advocating and Educating for Quality ImProvement (A-EQUIP) model of clinical supervision aims to support staff wellbeing, promote positive work cultures and improve patient care. Although a growing body of empirical evidence supports the positive impact of clinical supervision, several individual and organisational barriers may impede the implementation of A-EQUIP in practice. Organisational culture, staffing and workforce pressures all affect employees' ability to engage with supervision, and organisations and clinical leaders must consciously work to sustain lasting change.
Interest of non-university teachers in educational research projects
Authors: Pizà-Mir Bartolomé , Moreno-Vecino Beatriz , Monserrat-Monserrat Maria-Ventura
Published: June 2023

INTRODUCTION. Educational research is a source of proven information and evidence for improving classroom teaching. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the concept of teacher motivation to engage in educational research.
METHOD. This study examined the levels of interest and participation in educational research of a sample of 429 teachers.
RESULTS. The results showed that there is a high correlation between all variables (participation, research competencies, motivation, and research knowledge) and three distinct teacher clusters/groups were determined. The first cluster was characterized by a high level of interest in research and active participation in research activities. The second cluster had a moderate level of interest and believed that research was positive and necessary but did not participate in research. Finally, the third cluster had no interest in research and did not participate in research activities.
DISCUSSION. These results have important implications for promoting research in the education field and suggest that efforts are needed to specifically engage the teachers who are currently not interested in research or are not involved in research activities.
High-absorption optical stack for aluminum kinetic inductance detectors
Authors: Mai Zhanzhang , Dai Xucheng , Chen Yingni , Shi Zhongyu , Wang Haoyu , Pan Changzhao , Liu Xuming , Wang Zhao , Guo Weijie , Wang Yiwen
Published: June 2023

We present a high-absorption optical stack design for aluminum (Al)
kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). Aluminum can be easily processed
in micro-fabrication and is the most conventional superconducting
material for KIDs. However, it is challenging to achieve high
absorption in the Al absorber because of its high reflection at
optical wavelengths. By embedding the thin Al film between an
anti-reflection (AR) coating layer and a dielectric-based distributed
Bragg reflector, we show that close-to-unity absorption can be
achieved around a single wavelength (e.g., ≈98.9% at 1518 nm). The reflection
and transmission measurements agree well with the calculation based on
the transmission matrix model. We also show our preliminary results of
absorption ≥70% in a broader wavelength range (≈230nm) with multilayer AR coatings. The
absorber design in a lumped-element KID is discussed. Our work paves
the way to high-efficiency photon-counting and energy-resolving
Al-based KIDs in the optical to NIR range.
Ultra-high sensitivity Bloch surface wave biosensor design and optimization
Authors: Wei Yuanshi , Shi Jiakang , Liu Hui , Ge Daohan , Zhang Liqiang
Published: June 2023

In this paper, lithium niobate is used as a grating-coupling layer and Bragg reflector defect layer to couple the incident light and break the periodicity of the photonic crystal, which results in localized electric field enhancement and the excitation of Bloch surface waves. By adjusting the incident angle of the light, the structure can achieve two detection modes: surface diffraction detection and guided mode Bloch detection. The average detection sensitivities for the two modes are 452°/RIU and 3170°/RIU, respectively, with maximum detection sensitivities of 480°/RIU and 4380°/RIU. The designed guided mode Bloch detection has the highest sensitivity currently known.
Revised spectral optimization approach to remove surface-reflected radiance for the estimation of remote-sensing reflectance from the above-water method
Authors: Lin Junfang , Lee Zhongping , Tilstone Gavin H. , Liu Xiaohan , Wei Jianwei , Ondrusek Michael , Groom Steve
Published: June 2023

The effective sea-surface skylight reflectance (ρ) is an important parameter for removing the contribution of surface-reflected radiance when measuring water-leaving radiance (Lw) using the above-water approach (AWA). Radiative simulations and field measurements show that ρ varies spectrally. To improve the determination of Lw (and then remote sensing reflectance, Rrs) from the AWA, we further developed a wavelength-dependent model for ρ to remove surface-reflected radiance, which is applied with a spectral optimization approach for the determination of Rrs. Excellent agreement was achieved between the AWA-derived and skylight-blocked approach (SBA)-obtained Rrs (coefficient of determination > 0.92, mean absolute percentage deviation < ∼ 11% for Rrs > 0.0005 sr-1), even during high wave conditions. We found that the optimization approach with the new ρ model worked very well for a wide range of water types and observation geometries. For developing remote sensing algorithms and evaluating satellite products, it would be beneficial to apply this approach to current and historical above-water in situ measurements of Rrs to improve the quality of these data. In addition, this approach could also increase the number of useable spectra where previously rendered unusable when processed with a traditional scheme.
Coherent terahertz laser feedback interferometry for hydration sensing in leaves
Authors: Kashyap Mayuri , Torniainen Jari , Bertling Karl , Kundu Urbi , Singh Khushboo , Donose Bogdan C. , Gillespie Tim , Lim Yah Leng , Indjin Dragan , Li Lianhe , Linfield Edmund H. , Davies A. Giles , Dean Paul , Smith Millicent , Chapman Scott , Bandyopadhyay Aparajita , Sengupta Amartya , Rakić Aleksandar D.
Published: June 2023

The response of terahertz to the presence of water content makes it an ideal analytical tool for hydration monitoring in agricultural applications. This study reports on the feasibility of terahertz sensing for monitoring the hydration level of freshly harvested leaves of Celtis sinensis by employing a imaging platform based on quantum cascade lasers and laser feedback interferometry. The imaging platform produces wide angle high resolution terahertz amplitude and phase images of the leaves at high frame rates allowing monitoring of dynamic water transport and other changes across the whole leaf. The complementary information in the resulting images was fed to a machine learning model aiming to predict relative water content from a single frame. The model was used to predict the change in hydration level over time. Results of the study suggest that the technique could have substantial potential in agricultural applications.
Impact of longitudinal phase-matching variations on three-wave nonlinear interactions
Authors: Dorrer Christophe
Published: June 2023

A general study of three-wave nonlinear mixing in the presence of longitudinal variations in phase-matching conditions is presented. The efficiency of second-harmonic generation and optical parametric amplification is quantified using a normalized set of equations and a polynomial description of the wave-vector mismatch as a function of the longitudinal coordinate. These modeling results are used to estimate the impact of spatial variations in wave-vector mismatch experimentally obtained for five partially deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals. The longitudinal inhomogeneities in the properties of crystals of similar quality are not expected to have a significant impact on their use for second-harmonic generation and optical parametric amplification, but the efficiency of nonlinear processes in crystals with larger variations could decrease.
Host-specific sensing of coronaviruses and picornaviruses by the CARD8 inflammasome
Authors: Tsu Brian V. , Agarwal Rimjhim , Gokhale Nandan S. , Kulsuptrakul Jessie , Ryan Andrew P. , Fay Elizabeth J. , Castro Lennice K. , Beierschmitt Christopher , Yap Christina , Turcotte Elizabeth A. , Delgado-Rodriguez Sofia E. , Vance Russell E. , Hyde Jennifer L. , Savan Ram , Mitchell Patrick S. , Daugherty Matthew D.
Published: June 2023

Hosts have evolved diverse strategies to respond to microbial infections, including the detection of pathogen-encoded proteases by inflammasome-forming sensors such as NLRP1 and CARD8. Here, we find that the 3CL protease (3CLpro) encoded by diverse coronaviruses, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), cleaves a rapidly evolving region of human CARD8 and activates a robust inflammasome response. CARD8 is required for cell death and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines during SARS-CoV-2 infection. We further find that natural variation alters CARD8 sensing of 3CLpro, including 3CLpro-mediated antagonism rather than activation of megabat CARD8. Likewise, we find that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in humans reduces CARD8’s ability to sense coronavirus 3CLpros and, instead, enables sensing of 3C proteases (3Cpro) from select picornaviruses. Our findings demonstrate that CARD8 is a broad sensor of viral protease activities and suggests that CARD8 diversity contributes to inter- and intraspecies variation in inflammasome-mediated viral sensing and immunopathology.
“It’s my life, not theirs!” Therapeutic itineraries and refugee reflections on referral health care in western Tanzania
Authors: Enumah Zachary Obinna
Published: June 2023

Globally, refugees number over 25 million. Yet, little attention has been paid to how refugees access referral health care in host countries. By referral, I mean the process by which a patient deemed too sick to be managed at a lower-level health facility is transferred to a higher-level facility with more resources to provide care. In this article, I provide reflections on referral health care from the perspective of refugees living in exile in Tanzania. Through qualitative methods of interviews, participant observation, and clinical record review, I trace how global refugee policy on referral health care manifests itself in the lives of refugees locally in a country like Tanzania that has strict policies and limitations on freedom of movement. In this space, refugees experience complex medical problems, many of which began prior to or during their flight to Tanzania. Many refugees indeed are approved to be referred to a Tanzanian hospital for further treatment. Others are denied care or pursue other therapeutic itineraries outside the formal system. But, all are subject to policies of Tanzania that restrict freedom of movement and almost all experience delays on several levels (e.g., waiting for a referral, waiting at the referral hospital, waiting for follow-up appointments). In the end, refugees in this context emerge not simply as passive beings upon which biopower is enacted, but also as active agents, sometimes circumventing a system of power in their pursuit of their right to health, all in the context of strict policy that seeks to enforce state security over one’s right to health. In the process, refugee experiences with referral health care become a window into the larger politics of refugee hosting in Tanzania in the present day.
More is not enough: High quantity and high quality antenatal care are both needed to prevent low birthweight in South Asia
Authors: Neupane Sumanta , Scott Samuel , Piwoz Ellen , Kim Sunny S. , Menon Purnima , Nguyen Phuong Hong
Published: June 2023

Antenatal care (ANC) is an opportunity to receive interventions that can prevent low birth weight (LBW). We sought to 1) estimate LBW prevalence and burden in South Asia, 2) describe the number of ANC visits (quantity) and interventions received (quality), and 3) explore associations between ANC quantity, quality and LBW. We used Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Afghanistan (2015), Bangladesh (2018), India (2016), Nepal (2016), Pakistan (2018) and Sri Lanka (2016) (n = 146,284 children <5y). Women were categorized as follows: 1) low quantity (<4 ANC visits) and low quality (<5 of 10 interventions received during ANC), 2) low quantity and high quality (≥5 of 10 interventions), 3) high quantity (≥4 visits) and low quality, 4) high quantity and high quality. We used fixed effect logistic regressions to examine associations between ANC quality/quantity and LBW (<2500 grams). LBW prevalence was highest in Pakistan (23%) and India (18%), with India accounting for two-thirds of the regional burden. Only 8% of women in Afghanistan received high quantity and high quality ANC, compared to 42–46% in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, 65% in Nepal and 92% in Sri Lanka. Compared to the low quantity/quality reference group, children of women with high quantity/quality ANC had lower odds of LBW in India (Adjusted Odds Ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.78–0.89), Nepal (0.57, 0.35–0.94), Pakistan (0.45, 0.23–0.86), and Sri Lanka (0.73, 0.57–0.92). Low quantity but high quality ANC was protective in India (0.90, 0.84–0.96), Afghanistan (0.53, 0.27–1.05) and Pakistan (0.49, 0.23–1.05). High quantity but low quality ANC was protective in Sri Lanka (0.76, 0.61–0.93). Neither frequent ANC without appropriate interventions nor infrequent ANC with appropriate interventions are sufficient to prevent LBW in most South Asian countries, though quality may be more important than quantity. Consistent measurement of interventions during ANC is needed.
In vitro knockdown of TsDNase II-7 suppresses Trichinella spiralis invasion into the host’s intestinal epithelial cells
Authors: Wang Jing , Jin Xuemin , Li Chengyao , Chen Xinhui , Li Yanfeng , Liu Mingyuan , Liu Xiaolei , Ding Jing
Published: June 2023

Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) adult-specific deoxyribonuclease II-7 (TsDNase II-7), a member of the DNase II-like nuclease family with no DNase II activity, was identified in the excretory–secretory (ES) products of adult worms (AWs). However, its biological functions are still unclear. Our previous study revealed that TsDNase II-7 is located around the infection site in the intestinal tissue, speculating that it was involved in the T. spiralis invasion of host intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). This study aimed to use RNA interference to verify our speculation that TsDNase II-7 in 3-day old adult T. spiralis (Ad3) plays a role in intestinal invasion. TsDNase II-7-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were delivered into muscle larvae (MLs) to knockdown TsDNase II-7 expression by electroporation. Twenty-four hours later, the MLs transfected with 2 μM siRNA-841 exhibited decreased in TsDNase II-7 transcription and expression as compared to the control MLs. The knockdown of TsDNase II-7 expression did not affect ML viability, and the low expression of TsDNase II-7 still maintained in Ad3 recovered from TsDNase II-7-RNAi-ML infected mice, resulting in a weakened ability of Ad3 to invade intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). These results indicated that knockdown of TsDNase II-7 gene expression via RNA interference (RNAi) suppressed adult worm invasion and confirmed that TsDNase II-7 plays a crucial role during the intestinal phase of T. spiralis infections, which provided new candidate for vaccine development of T. spiralis.
The antenatal psychological experiences of women during two phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: A recurrent, cross-sectional, thematic analysis
Authors: Jackson Leanne , Davies Siân M. , Podkujko Anastasija , Gaspar Monic , De Pascalis Leonardo L. D. , Harrold Joanne A. , Fallon Victoria , Soulsby Laura K. , Silverio Sergio A.
Published: June 2023

Initial COVID-19-related social distancing restrictions, imposed in the UK in March 2020, and the subsequent lifting of restrictions in May 2020 caused antenatal disruption and stress which exceeded expected vulnerabilities associated with this lifecourse transition. The current study aimed to explore the antenatal psychological experiences of women during different phases of pandemic-related lockdown restrictions in the UK. Semi-structured interviews were held with 24 women about their antenatal experiences: twelve were interviewed after the initial lockdown restrictions (Timepoint 1; T1), and a separate twelve women were interviewed after the subsequent lifting of those restrictions (Timepoint 2; T2). Interviews were transcribed and a recurrent, cross-sectional thematic analysis was conducted. Two themes were identified for each timepoint, and each theme contained sub-themes. T1 themes were: ‘A Mindful Pregnancy’ and ‘It’s a Grieving Process’, and T2 themes were: ‘Coping with Lockdown Restrictions’ and ‘Robbed of Our Pregnancy’. COVID-19 related social distancing restrictions had an adverse effect on women’s mental health during the antenatal period. Feeling trapped, anxious, and abandoned were common at both timepoints. Actively encouraging conversations about mental wellbeing during routine care and adopting a prevention opposed to cure attitude toward implementing additional support provisions may serve to improve antenatal psychological wellbeing during health crises.
Identifying temporal variations in burn admissions
Authors: Beyene Robel T. , Stonko David P. , Gondek Stephen P. , Morrison Jonathan J. , Dennis Bradley M.
Published: June 2023

Background

Variations in admission patterns have been previously identified in non-elective surgical services, but minimal data on the subject exists with respect to burn admissions. Improved understanding of the temporal pattern of burn admissions could inform resource utilization and clinical staffing. We hypothesize that burn admissions have a predictable temporal distribution with regard to the time of day, day of week, and season of year in which they present.

Study design

A retrospective, cohort observational study of a single burn center from 7/1/2016 to 3/31/2021 was performed on all admissions to the burn surgery service. Demographics, burn characteristics, and temporal data of burn admissions were collected. Bivariate absolute and relative frequency data was captured and plotted for all patients who met inclusion criteria. Heat-maps were created to visually represent the relative admission frequency by time of day and day of week. Frequency analysis grouped by total body surface area against time of day and relative encounters against day of year was performed.

Results

2213 burn patient encounters were analyzed, averaging 1.28 burns per day. The nadir of burn admissions was from 07:00 and 08:00, with progressive increase in the rate of admissions over the day. Admissions peaked in the 15:00 hour and then plateaued until midnight (p<0.001). There was no association between day of week in the burn admission distribution (p>0.05), though weekend admissions skewed slightly later (p = 0.025). No annual, cyclical trend in burn admissions was identified, suggesting that there is no predictable seasonality to burn admissions, though individual holidays were not assessed.

Conclusion

Temporal variations in burn admissions exist, including a peak admission window late in the day. Furthermore, we did not find a predictable annual pattern to use in guiding staffing and resource allocation. This differs from findings in trauma, which identified admission peaks on the weekends and an annual cycle that peaks in spring and summer.