bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultural and linguistic applicability of the English PEDS tools in a low-income community: A caregiver perspective
Authors: Botes M , Swanepoel D W , Graham M , Van der Linde J
Published: October 2023

Background. Regular developmental surveillance using structured developmental screening tools is a proven way to effectively identify developmental delays and disabilities. Most screening tools are developed and standardised in high-income countries and then adapted and translated for low-and middle-income countries. However, cultural differences and viewpoints make it challenging to translate and adapt developmental screening tools for low-income communities.Objectives. To determine caregivers’ perspectives on linguistic and cultural appropriateness of the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) and the PEDS: Developmental Milestones (DM) as a first step in the adaptation process for low-income communities in South Africa.Method. Participants (N=102) were selected using convenience sampling at an immunisation clinic. We employed a survey researchdesign. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative survey feedback survey was analysed using data-driven inductive methodology.Results. On the PEDS questionnaire, 38.2% of participants indicated the term ‘development’ on question 1 was not suitable; and 51%preferred the phrase ‘sometimes worry’ more than the phrase ‘have any concerns’ for questions 2 - 9. On the PEDS:DM, 58 of the 124questions were deemed difficult. Most questions were problematic owing to cultural or linguistic differences (49 questions), while 9questions were too difficult for the child’s age. The expressive language developmental domain had the most challenges.Conclusion. The present study relied on robust community participation, enabling community-led adaptation of the PEDS tools. Items on the tools were viewed solely from a community perspective, empowering the community to be ‘experts’ in this process, ensuring greater contextual relevance and applicability of the tools, as well as generalisability to similar low-income communities.
Variations in intravenous fluid management for paediatric hypernatraemia in South Africa: A survey of junior and senior South African paediatric doctors
Authors: Milovanovic M , Omar S , Lala S G , Dangor Z
Published: October 2023

Background. Paediatric hypernatraemia is a severe and life-threatening electrolyte abnormality that is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Although intravenous (IV) fluid therapy is a crucial component of management, there are no management guidelines, and varying approaches to IV fluid therapy are commonplace in clinical practice.
Objectives. To determine the variance in IV fluid therapy in the management of paediatric hypernatraemia among paediatric registrars and consultants in South Africa.
Methods. A self-administered online survey was conducted from November 2020 to February 2021. The survey assessed paediatricians’ management of three typical clinical scenarios of community-acquired hypernatraemia seen in South Africa. Descriptive results were presented as proportions, frequencies and medians with interquartile ranges. Comparisons were done using contingency tables.
Results. Responses from 119 participants were analysed. Most respondents worked in the state sector (69.8%), and were based mainly in Gauteng (46.2%) or Western Cape (25.2%) province. Most (60.2%) respondents considered a serum sodium level ≥146 mmol/L indicative of hypernatraemia, and 43.6% (n=51/117) reported seeing >10 cases of paediatric hypernatraemia in 2019. For all three cases, at least eight different types of infusate (of varying sodium concentrations) were chosen as maintenance fluids. Fluid deficits were calculated using either the free water method or based on the perceived degree/percentage of clinical dehydration.
Conclusion. There is considerable variability in the management of hypernatraemia among paediatricians in South Africa. There is an urgent need to develop a standardised guideline for the treatment of paediatric hypernatraemia.
Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on low birthweight in Soweto, South Africa
Authors: Drysdale R E , Slemming W , Momberg D , Said-Mohamad R , Richter L M
Published: October 2023

Background. Pregnant women were indirectly affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic owing to heightened stress, fear of mother‐to‐child transmission of COVID‐19 and the disruption of antenatal health services. Increased stress and lack of antenatal healthcare could result in an increase in adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth or low birthweight.Objectives. Using a case‐control design, to compare the prevalence of low birthweight among infants born before and during the pandemic in Soweto, South Africa.
Method. Infants born before the pandemic and national lockdown were included in the control group, while infants who were in utero and born during the pandemic were included in the case group. Only infants born ≥37 weeks’ gestation with no birth complications were included. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to determine whether the pandemic was associated with an increase in low birthweight. A birthweight <2.5 kg was classified as low birthweight.
Results. In total, 199 mother‐infant pairs were included in the control group, with 201 mother‐infant pairs in the case group. The prevalence of low birthweight was 4% in the control group and 11% in the case group, with those born during the pandemic at a higher risk of being of low birthweight.
Conclusion. The high prevalence of low birthweight in infants born ≥37 weeks’ gestation during the pandemic could result in an increase in child stunting and poor development. Future research should measure early child development and growth in infants born during the pandemic to assess whether there is a need to intervene and provide additional support to minimise the negative effects.
National Strategic Plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in South Africa
Authors: Basu D
Published: October 2023

National Strategic Plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in South Africa
Impact of workplace violence towards public service emergency care providers on access to emergency medical care in Gauteng Province, South Africa
Authors: Khosa T , Shibiya M N , Mshunqane N
Published: October 2023

Background. Workplace violence is a global concern that threatens access to equal and efficient healthcare in developing countries. Objective. To discuss the impact of workplace violence towards Gauteng Province-based public service emergency care providers on access to emergency medical care within Gauteng communities.

Methods. This study was based on a larger non-experimental, convergent parallel mixed-methods study guided by an interpretive framework founded on pragmatism. Evidence on workplace violence towards Gauteng-based public service prehospital emergency care providers was collected from the general population of Gauteng, sampled using multistage cluster sampling, public service emergency care providers, sampled using two-stage cluster sampling and purposively sampled managers of Gauteng Emergency Medical Services as well as South African Police Services. Surveys were used to gather information from the general population, focus group discussions were conducted with prehospital emergency care providers and semi-structured interviews were conducted to engage managers. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently, and findings were triangulated. Parallel mixed-methods analysis that involved separate analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data was used to analyse the data.

Results. A total of 413 survey questionnaires comprising of 196 web-based and 218 paper-based responses were included in the quantitative subphase of the study. The majority (66.1%; n=273) of participants resided in townships, 24.5% (n=101) in the city, 3.6% (n=15) in informal settlements, 2.9% (n=12) in school accommodation or school residences and only 2.9% (n=12) in flats, complexes, rural areas, security estates, smallholdings or suburbs. These are the participants who met the inclusion criteria, and specifically who were non-members of medical schemes and resided in communities where public service emergency care providers mostly render their services. For the qualitative subphase, two subthemes emerged during the interviews of managers supporting access to emergency medical care in Gauteng. The themes were ‘limited access to emergency medical care’ and ‘delayed response time’. At the same time a theme ‘leaving a violent scene’ emerged from the prehospital emergency care providers’ focus group discussions.

Conclusion. The study revealed that workplace violence towards public service prehospital emergency care providers has a negative impact on access to emergency medical care among low- to middle-income communities in Gauteng who depend on state-funded healthcare.
Neonatal sepsis: Challenges in data access, harmonisation and analysis to inform empirical antibiotic recommendations in South African neonatal units
Authors: Bolton L , Bekker A , Govender N , Van Schalkwyk C , Whitelaw A , Dramowski A
Published: October 2023

Severe bacterial and fungal infections (sepsis) are a leading cause of mortality among neonates in sub-Saharan Africa. In African neonatal units, most sepsis episodes are hospital acquired, and caused by Gram-negative, antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. With rising rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in neonatal sepsis pathogens, there is an increasing probability of inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy (so called ‘bug-drug’ mismatch or discordant therapy), as confirmation of pathogen identity and antibiotic susceptibility pattern is either not available or delayed. The impact of AMR and discordant empirical treatment on neonatal sepsis outcomes in Africa is largely unknown owing to the lack of the infection surveillance data needed to derive empirical antibiotic treatment recommendations. The Antibiotics for Neonatal Sepsis in Africa (ANSA) study will address this data gap by pooling and harmonising available single-centre research datasets and/or routine laboratory blood culture data to determine which antibiotics should be used for empirical treatment of neonatal sepsis. However, many challenges hamper these datasets, including: variable laboratory methods for pathogen identification and susceptibility testing; difficulty in collating and harmonising data from multiple sites; problems of record linkage in the absence of a single patient identifier; lack of centralised health data capturing systems; and difficulty accessing data due to complex data sharing agreements and custodian permissions. To overcome some of these challenges, minimum guidelines for the collection of neonatal sepsis data need to be defined, to ensure consistency between datasets. Greater collection of, access to and sharing of neonatal sepsis data from institutional, provincial and national laboratories, as well as individual neonatal units, would enable the establishment of a neonatal surveillance network. Development of a sustainably-funded neonatal sepsis surveillance network is a national priority, to ensure effective, evidence-based antimicrobial treatment of hospitalised neonates in South Africa.
Mamuapuat au bout de la route
Authors: Guimond Laurie , Lapierre Nathalie , Mesténapéo Yvonne , Couture-Cossette Marianne , Bellehumeur Charlotte
Published: October 2023

Si les relations entre Autochtones et Allochtones sont relativement bien documentées au plan politico-institutionnel, notamment de la gouvernance, des relations de « nation à nation », et des négociations d’ententes territoriales, il s’avère que les modalités de cette rencontre, telle qu’elle se déploie au quotidien, demeurent quant à elles peu connues et valorisées. Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons à la cohabitation interculturelle, sur la Côte-Nord, entre la communauté innue de Nutashkuan et le village de Natashquan. À partir d’une démarche partenariale et interculturelle, nous explorons la cohabitation sur les territoires du quotidien, afin de mieux comprendre les facteurs de rapprochement et de distance au sein des communautés ainsi que dans l’arrière-pays, le Nitassinan, territoire ancestral innu, partagés depuis plus de 165 ans avec les Macacains et les Macacaines, de descendance acadienne. Notre article aboutit à une réflexion sur l’expérience des individus et des communautés dites périphériques en mettant de l’avant le vivre-ensemble.
Development of Structural Health Monitoring System for Structures in Operational Conditions
Authors:   , Mironovs Deniss
Published: October 2023

The PhD Thesis covers a process of the development of a structural health monitoring system for middle-sized operating structures, such as wind turbines, towers or blades. A set of technological and methodological solutions is presented for solving common SHM systems issues. The solutions include the utilization of piezo film deformation sensors, implementation of operational modal analysis, periodic component suppression, and modal passport of a structure. Developed solutions are tried on real structures and models in laboratory conditions and the field.
The studying trends of the issue of voluntary cooperation of Soviets with Nazis during the Great Patriotic War
Authors: Alenicheva Iana Sergeevna
Published: October 2023

Studying the phenomenon of collaboration in times of military conflicts in any country is a difficult and painful process. It becomes difficult to consider this problem objectively, since the topic is often in the field of political regulation and propaganda manipulation. This is especially clearly seen by the example of studying the domestic historiography of the issue: this article presents an overview of the literature of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, including research works by modern historians and foreign authors, which highlight the issues of voluntary cooperation of Soviet citizens with the Nazi occupation authorities. The main directions of studying the designated problem are described and considered step by step: the purpose of the article is to analyze the difference in approaches to the study of the phenomenon of collaboration and identify new trends in this issue. The author's special contribution to the study of the historiography of the issue of Soviet collaboration was the introduction and analysis of foreign-language literature that has no translation into Russian. Taking into account a fundamentally different view of the features of voluntary cooperation of citizens of the USSR with the German occupiers of foreign authors, it can be stated that familiarity with concepts alien to the Soviet tradition helps to expand the research horizons and narrative space of scientists dealing with this issue, to see all the diversity of the issue. It was also possible to draw parallels between the scientific conclusions to the study of the topic not only by foreign and domestic authors, but also between historians of the past and the present: this approach allows you to place historical accents and get closer to an objective consideration of the phenomenon of collaboration.
Digital transformation of anti-corruption: a retrospective and development prospects
Authors: Shamekhina Ellada Vladimirovna
Published: October 2023

The subject of the study is policy and legal documents that are the basis for determining strategic goals and priorities of socio-economic development and ensuring national security of the Russian Federation in the field of combating corruption. The paper considers the development of the processes of digital transformation of public and municipal administration in the aspect of anti-corruption. The anti-corruption potential of integrating end-to-end technologies into traditional models of interaction between society and the state is investigated, and the prospects for countering corruption manifestations through digitalization of public and municipal governance processes are assessed. The importance of the digital transformation of public administration for ensuring openness and transparency of the activities of authorities is substantiated. Particular attention is paid to the absence of a universally recognized definition of digital transformation both in legislation and in the scientific community due to the novelty and "blurring" of the boundaries of this phenomenon. The methodological basis of the study was made up of general scientific and special methods of cognition, the use of which is determined by the specifics of the topic under study (formal legal, historical legal and comparative legal methods). The conducted research made it possible to consider a retrospective of the process of digital transformation of state and municipal administration in the aspect of state anti-corruption policy, as well as to identify promising areas for further development and implementation of digital technologies in anti-corruption activities at the federal level.
Marco Aurelio tra ortoprassia e «nomen Christianum»
Authors: Zarro Gianluca
Published: October 2023

Abstract - It is known that the hostile attitude of Marcus Aurelius towards Christianity has even an autograph attestation in a famous fragment of Marc. Aur. Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν 11.3, based on this testimony the princeps philosophus, on the one hand reproached the Christians for their lack of reasonableness, on the other the obstinate theatricality with which they faced martyrdom. At the end of an analysis aimed at retracing the testimonies of the acts of the Martyrs, apologists and historians and writers, it was decided to 'drop' the individual episodes attributable to the twenty years of the Aurelian principality in the broader context of administrative and legislative reforms of the princeps . What emerged was the absence of an ad hoc regulatory provision and more generally a hostile attitude of administrators and officials, which also reflected a hostility of the ‘intellighenzia’ of the time. In essence, more elements, local – such as the gladiator shows – and global, such as the plague and religious and normative conservatism, as well as the administrative reorganization, contributed, perhaps beyond an ill-concealed antipathy of the princeps, conservative both in the legislative and in the religious one, to create unfavorable conditions for Christians, during the Aurelian age.
ASAVACT: Arabic sentiment analysis for vaccine-related COVID-19 tweets using deep learning
Authors: Alhumoud Sarah , Al Wazrah Asma , Alhussain Laila , Alrushud Lama , Aldosari Atheer , Altammami Reema Nasser , Almukirsh Njood , Alharbi Hind , Alshahrani Wejdan
Published: October 2023

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic that has affected not only the health sector but also economic, social, and psychological well-being. Individuals are using social media platforms to communicate their feelings and sentiments about the pandemic. One of the most debated topics in that regard is the vaccine. People are divided mainly into two groups, pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine. This article aims to explore Arabic Sentiment Analysis for Vaccine-Related COVID-19 Tweets (ASAVACT) to quantify sentiment polarity shared publicly, and it is considered the first and the largest human-annotated dataset in Arabic. The analysis is done using state-of-the-art deep learning models that proved superiority in the field of language processing and analysis. The models are the stacked gated recurrent unit (SGRU), the stacked bidirectional gated recurrent unit (SBi-GRU), and the ensemble architecture of SGRU, SBi-GRU, and AraBERT. Additionally, this article presents the largest Arabic Twitter corpus on COVID-19 vaccination, with 32,476 annotated Tweets. The results show that the ensemble model outperformed other singular models with at least 7% accuracy enhancement.
Death due to Dengue Encephalitis: Section A Rare Case Report
Authors: Kurhade Aniket
Published: October 2023

Dengue is a global public health concern, affecting around 50 million individuals and causing mortality in 20,000 patients per year. It is an arboviral disease caused by a single-stranded Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) virus belonging to the Flavivirus group and is transmitted by mosquitoes, specifically Aedes aegypti or albopictus. It comprises four serotypes, DENV1 to DENV4, and infection from one serotype only provides lifelong immunity for that subtype. Due to antibody-dependent enhancement, past infection with one serotype increases the prevalence of dengue haemorrhagic fever. The disease spectrum can range from asymptomatic infection to fever, fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever, or dengue shock syndrome. Due to improved disease knowledge, its involvement in the neurological system has been explored. Neurological abnormalities in dengue infection are rare and can be misdiagnosed due to other causes. Present case is of a young 23-year-old male with a history of fever 3-4 days prior, which later manifested with seizures and drowsiness. Despite emergency treatment, encephalitis and viral myocarditis developed, eventually leading to brain death within 24 hours of admission.
“Detubularised Non Augmented Urethroplasty”- A Promising Option for Pananterior Urethral Stricture: A Case Series
Authors: Roy Rahul , Anand Anupam , Mandal Tapan Kumar , Chatterjee Uday Sankar , Sasmal Manas , Debnath Sauvik
Published: October 2023

Pananterior urethral stricture involving the penile and bulbar urethra is a challenging urological condition in the Indian population. In India, Balanitis Xerotica Obliterans (BXO) or Lichen Sclerosus (LS) is the most common cause of pananterior urethral stricture. Various surgical techniques have been described in the literature for present condition, with varied outcomes. However, there is still a need for a simple and effective procedure to address this problem. Hereby, the authors present a case series that included five male patients with BXO and pananterior urethral stricture who underwent Detubularised Non Augmented (DNA) urethroplasty between January 2022 and December 2022. The median age of the patients was 45 years, with a mean stricture length of 13 cm. The median follow-up period was 11 months. During the procedure, a scroto-perineal incision was made, and the anterior urethra was ventrally cut open from the meatus to the junction of the stricturous and normal urethra. A right-sided Tunica Vaginalis (TV) flap was raised (left is left), and the cut-open anterior urethra was wrapped with the TV flap, creating a “controlled fistula” at the proximal end of the detubularised urethra. The average operative time was 1.5 hours. The success of the procedure was determined by a postoperative peak flow rate of 12 mL/sec or more, with no further need for urethral dilatation or direct vision internal urethrotomy. The procedure was successful in 4 out of 5 cases (80%). One patient developed a narrowed urethra during follow-up and required serial catheter upgradation for urethral dilatation. In conclusion, DNA urethroplasty was found to be a simple and effective treatment option for the notorious pananterior urethral stricture associated with BXO.
Assessing Sustainable Development Goals Implementation in Pasuruan’s Great Disability House
Authors: Wahyuni Sandiani Sri , Nabilah Sakinah Ilfi , Khusnudin  , Wardana Guntur Kusuma
Published: October 2023

Sustainable development is a form of achieving social justice for every generation that aims to support economic growth based on social and environmental development. Pasuruan City as one of the cities in Pasuruan Regency which forms a sustainable development program by presenting Great Disability House which was established to facilitate persons with disabilities in Pasuruan City to receive various skills training. The purpose of this study was to determine the goals of sustainable development at Great Disability Home based on OJK (Authority Service Finance) sustainable indicators, and the role of Great Disability House  in the sustainable development of Pasuruan City. To conduct research related to these objectives, researchers used a mix-method approach, namely a quantitative method on the results of direct interviews with Great Disability House in Pasuruan City, and a qualitative method with an indicators of sustainable development goals in Indonesia study approach. The results of the study show that  indicators of sustainable development can be identified as follows: (1) ecologically sustainable, through creating salable products through recycling both organic and inorganic waste; (2) economic sustainability, through good product marketing through an online sales platform where the output is able to prosper the members of Great Disability House; (3) socio cultural sustainability, through handmade craft products that reflect the local culture of Pasuruan City (4) sustainable politics, defense and security, through the creation of various types of products that do not oppose elements of SARA (Ethnicity, Religion, Race, and Inter-group), elements of political campaign means and elements of plagiarism.
Review of Airbag Injuries: A Sri Lankan Case Series
Authors: Hulathduwa S. R.  , Priyanath W. A. K. M.
Published: October 2023

The deployment of airbags in vehicles has significantly contributed to occupant safety during accidents. This review article discusses their history, evolution, types, chemical composition, mechanisms, defects, safety issues and hazardous practices by vehicle occupants. The evolution of airbags, from early designs to advanced designs is presented highlighting their life-saving impact and defects. The article addresses common hazardous practices by vehicle occupants that could lead to airbag-related injuries such as resting hands or feet on the dashboard. A series of typical and atypical airbag-related injuries from Sri Lanka is given in the latter part of the article. These cases include incidents of metal objects detaching from airbags causing fatal injuries, fractures resulting from improper hand placement during airbag deployment, burns, cranio-facial and dental injuries and so on.
Significant Drivers of Labour-Only Subcontracting in Housing Delivery in Ghana
Authors: Alimisiwon Akansak Edward , Kheni Nongiba Alkanam , Issah Abdallah , Mahama Kadir,
Published: October 2023

World Bank (1984) for instance defined the domestic labour subcontracting DLS as a union of activities that leads to the construction of buildings at relatively low-cost. This study was conducted to explore the role of labour-only subcontracting in the housing delivery in Ghana and the factors that drive this system, Tamale Metropolis was the research area. The significant of this study is to help the government, clients, contractors and other stake holders in the building industry appreciate how the use of labour-only subcontracting can improve the supply of housing in the Ghanaian building industry. Descriptive survey design with quantitative methods was utilized. The researcher used purposive sampling technique to sample 190 individual house owners whiles census technique was adopted to use the 42 estate developers in the Metropolis for the study. Two separate questionnaires were used which was a 5-point likert scale to gather data to address the research question. The instruments were pilot tested and the reliability coefficients were estimated to be .893 and .843 for the individual house owners and estate developers respectively. The statistical tools adopted for the analysis of the research question were means and standard deviations, frequencies and percentages for the demographic data. Independent sample t-test tool was used to determine whether there was any statistically significant difference between the estate developers and the individual house owners sampled in relation to the drivers of labour-only subcontracting. The data analyzed showed that there was no statically significant difference between the two groups. The findings of the study showed that an increase in productivity, quality and cooperation, highly flexibility and convenience and lack of ready funds/cash were identified as the major drivers of the labour-only subcontracting. It is recommended that the necessary policies be implemented to create training centers in the country with proper regulatory measures to ensure that the youth build much more skills to meet modern requirements.
Eligibility for Human Leukocyte Antigen–Based Therapeutics by Race and Ethnicity
Authors: Olivier Timothée , Haslam Alyson , Tuia Jordan , Prasad Vinay
Published: October 2023

Importance

The development of therapeutics for patients who are positive for specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) subtypes evokes the question of whether certain racial and ethnic groups are more or less likely to be eligible for novel products.

Objective

To determine whether racial and ethnic inequities were present with regard to trial eligibility in trials investigating a therapeutic restricted to patients with specific HLA subtypes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study included all clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov through March 18, 2022, that investigated an interventional study of a therapeutic strategy and restricted participants to those with at least 1 HLA subtype. Data were analyzed from May 8 to July 1, 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The type of therapeutics used in trials, the condition under study, the HLA subtypes used, and the likelihood of being enrolled in such a trial according to race and ethnicity.

Results

Of 2135 trials identified, 263 met inclusion criteria. Overall, the estimated likelihood of being eligible for an HLA-based trial was 50.3%. Individuals of African American descent had the lowest likelihood of eligibility (33.0%), while being an individual of European descent conferred the highest (53.0%; 1.6 times more likely than African American individuals). Most trials studied anticancer therapeutics (258 [98.1%; 95% CI, 96.4%-99.7%]), and most were a therapeutic vaccine (179 [68.1%; 95% CI, 62.4%-73.7%]). The HLA-A*02:01 allele and the HLA-A2 serotype were the most frequent HLA subtypes for trial eligibility. The frequency of the HLA-A*02:01 allele in the population varied, with 11.9% (95% CI, 11.8%-12.0%) in African or African American individuals and 27.1% (95% CI, 27.1%-27.1%) in individuals of European descent.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that enrollment restrictions for clinical trials investigating novel HLA therapeutics may be associated with racial and ethnic inequities with regard to trial eligibility. Overcoming these restrictions poses biological challenges, but solutions must be implemented to provide equal access to innovative strategies regardless of race or ethnicity.
Perinatal Trajectories of Maternal Depressive Symptoms in Prospective, Community-Based Cohorts Across 3 Continents
Authors: Kee Michelle Z. L. , Cremaschi Andrea , De Iorio Maria , Chen Helen , Montreuil Tina , Nguyen Tuong Vi , Côté Sylvana M. , O’Donnell Kieran J. , Giesbrecht Gerald F. , Letourneau Nicole , Chan Shiao Yng , Meaney Michael J.
Published: October 2023

Importance

Depressive symptoms during pregnancy influence the development and health of the offspring, underscoring the need for timely intervention. However, the course of depressive symptoms across the perinatal period remains unclear, thus complicating screening and referral guidelines.

Objective

To examine the course and stability of depressive symptoms across the perinatal period in multiple, ethnically diverse independent observational cohorts.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study included self-reported depressive symptoms at multiple time points from 7 prospective cohorts spanning 3 continents (United Kingdom: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children from 1991 to 1995; Canada: Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment from 2003 to 2007; Montreal Antenatal Well-being Study from 2019 to 2022; Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition from 2009 to 2014; and Singapore: Growing Up in Singapore Toward Healthy Outcomes from 2009 to 2013; Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes from 2015 to 2019; and Mapping Antenatal Maternal Stress from 2019 to 2022). Participants were recruited either during preconception or pregnancy and observed into the postnatal period. All data from each cohort were analyzed from July 2022 to April 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Self-reported depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 2 years following childbirth using either the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale or the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression were analyzed independently within each cohort using item response theory (IRT) techniques. K-means clustering was used to identify groups of participants with similar trajectories.

Results

A total of 11 563 pregnant women (mean [SD] age, 29 [5] years; 569 [4.9%] East Asian women; 304 [2.6%] Southeast Asian women; 10 133 [87.6%] White women) self-reported depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 2 years following childbirth. Analytic methods from Item Response Theory identified 3 groups of mothers based on depressive symptoms: low, mild, and high levels in each of the 7 cohorts. Mothers within and across all cohorts had stable trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms from pregnancy onwards. Mothers with clinical levels of depressive symptoms likewise showed stable trajectories from pregnancy into the postnatal period.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, trajectories of depressive symptoms remained stable from pregnancy across the perinatal period, a finding that conflicts with a continuing emphasis on postpartum or postnatal onset of depression that persists in some health policy guidelines. Interventions and public health initiatives should focus on reducing depressive symptoms during pregnancy in addition to following birth.
Natural history of Becker muscular dystrophy: a multicenter study of 225 patients
Authors: Nakamura Akinori , Matsumura Tsuyoshi , Ogata Katsuhisa , Mori‐Yoshimura Madoka , Takeshita Eri , Kimura Koichi , Kawashima Takahiro , Tomo Yui , Arahata Hajime , Miyazaki Daigo , Takeshima Yasuhiro , Takahashi Toshiaki , Ishigaki Keiko , Kuru Satoshi , Wakisaka Akiko , Awano Hiroyuki , Funato Michinori , Sato Tatsuharu , Saito Yoshiaki , Takada Hiroto , Sugie Kazuma , Kobayashi Michio , Ozasa Shiro , Fujii Tatsuya , Maegaki Yoshihiro , Oi Hideki , Tachimori Hisateru , Komaki Hirofumi
Published: October 2023

Objective

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is a milder variant of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a lethal X‐linked muscular disorder. Here, we aim to investigat the clinical involvement of skeletal, respiratory, cardiac, and central nervous systems in patients with BMD, as well as genotype–phenotype relationships.

Methods

This nationwide cohort study investigated the clinical manifestations and genotype–phenotype relationships in 225 patients with BMD having in‐frame deletion from 22 medical centers. The primary outcome was to elucidate the association of genotype with skeletal muscle, respiratory, cardiac, and central nervous system disorders. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results

The average age of the subjects was 31.5 (range, 1–81) years. Initial symptoms of BMD were muscular (60%), followed by asymptomatic hypercreatine kinasemia (32.4%) and central nervous system disorders (5.3%). Gait disturbance was observed in 53.8% of patients and the average age at wheelchair introduction was 36.5 years. The ventilator introduction rate was 6.7% at an average age of 36.6 years. More than 30% of patients had an abnormal electrocardiogram and approximately 15% had heart failure symptoms. Cardiac function on echocardiography varied significantly among the patients. The frequencies of seizures and intellectual/developmental disability were 8.0% and 16.9%, respectively. Exon 45–47deletion (del) was the most common (22.6%), followed by exon 45–48del (13.1%). Patients with exon 45–49del patients demonstrated severe skeletal muscle damage. Patients with exon 45–47del and exon 45–55del patients did not require ventilator use.

Interpretation

The study provides important prognostic information for patients and clinicians to establish therapy plans and to implement preventative medicine.
Comparison on the Fatigue Crack Propagation of High‐Strength Aluminum Alloys
Authors: Gong BaiShan , Zhang ZhenJun , Duan QiQiang , Wang HongWei , Wang XueGang , Liu HanZhong , Cong FuGuan , Purcek Gencaga , Zhang ZheFeng
Published: October 2023

To investigate the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behaviors of high‐strength 7075 and 2024 Al alloys, FCP experiments are conducted for the two alloys at different aging states (underaged [UA], peak aging, and overaged). It is found that strength and plasticity are the main factors influencing the FCP. For 7075 Al alloy, the FCP curves almost coincide for the three aging states that have similar tensile properties. However, 2024 Al alloy shows the lowest FCP rate at the UA state which has the strongest strength–plasticity match among the three aging stages. Based on the low‐cycle‐fatigue damage model, the effect of strength–plasticity balance on FCP rate of the two Al alloys at different aging states is quantitatively analyzed. It is found that the larger the strength–plasticity balance of the alloy, the smaller the FCP rate under the same stress intensity factor. This study indicates that the FCP rate of high‐strength Al alloys is mainly influenced by the strength–plasticity balance due to the difference in the aging states.
Crystalline Orientation‐Tunable Growth of Hexagonal and Tetragonal 2H─PtSe2 Single‐Crystal Flakes
Authors: Zeng Shiyan , Zhao Minmin , Li Fang , Yang Zhihao , Wu Haijuan , Tan Chao , Sun Qiang , Yang Lei , Lei Li , Wang Zegao
Published: October 2023

Due to the narrow bandgap, environment stability, and Pt vacancy‐induced magnetism, PtSe2 has been considered a promising candidate for future broadband photodetection and electronics. However, the growth of single‐crystal PtSe2 is still a challenge. Herein, the synthesis of hexagonal and tetragonal 2H─PtSe2 single‐crystal flakes by precisely tailoring the growth temperature is reported. Through atomic structure analysis, hexagonal and tetragonal flakes are proven c‐axis and a‐axis orientations of 2H─PtSe2, indicating the preferred nucleation orientations are along the basal plane and vertically basal plane, respectively. The crystalline orientation‐dependent properties are studied including high‐pressure and polarized in situ‐Raman, electrical transport. The out‐of‐basal plane vibration (A1g) is sensitive to pressure showing 2.744 and 3.282 cm−1 GPa−1 corresponding to c‐2H─PtSe2 and a‐2H─PtSe2, respectively. The conductivity of c‐2H─PtSe2 is 57 times higher than that of a‐2H─PtSe2. Furthermore, by studying magnetic transport at low temperatures, both c‐2H─PtSe2 and a‐2H─PtSe2 exhibit butterfly‐shaped magnetoresistance hysteresis suggesting their ferromagnetic property. The c‐2H─PtSe2 has a higher |MR| ratio and higher coercive field compared with a‐2H─PtSe2, indicating that across multilayer carrier regulation for c‐2H─PtSe2 is more difficult than intra‐layer carrier regulation for a‐2H─PtSe2. This study opens the way to grow different crystalline orientations of 2D materials and will bring more abundant properties.
Hierarchical Conical Metasurfaces as Ultra‐Broadband Perfect Absorbers from Visible to Far‐Infrared Regime
Authors: Hu Jin , Xu Kang , Huang Peilin , Wang Min , Xu Shaolin , Wei Qi‐Huo
Published: October 2023

Wideband perfect absorbers are widely demanded for various applications, including efficient photodetection, radiation cooling. However, achieving perfect absorption across an extensive range of wavelengths on engraved structured substrate remains a challenge due to the complex light responses. It presents a hierarchical conical metasurface that demonstrates distinct perfect absorption from visible to far‐infrared range (0.4–16 µm), which is composed of surface‐engraved high aspect ratio nanogratings on microcones. The perfect absorption in the typical reststrahlen band of 4H‐SiC primarily relies on a light‐trapping‐enhanced surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) mechanism, where the microcones effectively confine and enhance the SPhPs excited by the nanogratings through light trapping. Outside the reststrahlen band, the dominant mechanism for light antireflection is the light trapping of microcones assisted by nanogratings, which act as an equivalent antireflection layer. The hierarchical cones exhibit exceptional broadband performance, achieving an average absorptance of 98% over the spectrum of 0.4–16 µm with wide‐angle feasibility, and are fabricated using one‐step ultrafast‐laser ablation with ring‐shaped vector beams. Notably, the hierarchical cones can be applied to various materials, showing significant potential for use in photodetectors.
Stem Cell Self‐Triggered Regulation and Differentiation on Polyvinylidene Fluoride Electrospun Nanofibers
Authors: Wu Hanbai , Shi Shuo , Zhou Huiqun , Zhi Chuanwei , Meng Shuo , Io Weng‐Fu , Ming Yang , Wang Yuchao , Lei Leqi , Fei Bin , Hao Jianhua , Hu Jinlian
Published: October 2023

Smart electroactive materials that can dynamically regulate stem cell fate without external stimuli have fascinated increasing attention. Meanwhile, noninvasive electrical stimulation has emerged as a less restrictive approach, generating considerable interest in its potential biomedical applications. The intricate interplay between cells and materials within complex microenvironments includes encompassing substrate response, ion exchange, and membrane potential alterations. However, the mechanisms by which smart materials influence stem cells have yet to be fully elucidated. Herein, electrospinning technology is utilized to fabricate bone‐mimicking microenvironments comprising disordered and highly oriented polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers. The aligned annealed PVDF (AA) and random annealed PVDF (RA) membranes present high fractions of β‐phase. By comparing the osteogenic ability, calcium activity, and F‐actin distribution of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) cultured with these PVDF nanofibers, it is proposed that the stem cells autonomously regulate their differentiation by remodeling the cytoskeleton on the electrospun membranes. Electrical stimulation, more adhesion area, and active calcium influx support the greater osteogenesis of BMSCs on RA than AA. This mechanism can provide a basic theory for the design and preparation of bone tissue engineering scaffolds and contribute to the further study of cells and microenvironments.
Breaking the Selectivity Barrier: Reactive Oxygen Species Control in Photocatalytic Nitric Oxide Conversion
Authors: Dai Wenrui , Zhang Shao , Shang Huan , Xiao Shuning , Tian Zhangliu , Fan Wenbo , Chen Xiaolang , Wang Shike , Chen Wei , Zhang Dieqing
Published: October 2023

Semiconductor photocatalytic technology holds promise in efficiently reducing low concentrations of gaseous nitric oxide (NO). However, the suboptimal selectivity in NO removal, leading to the undesired production of NO2 byproducts, poses a challenge. In this study, a defective CdS/Na2Ti3O7 heterostructure is rationally designed with strong electronic interaction and intimate interface contact for promoting charge transfer kinetics. This design refines reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, resulting in an impressive 81% NO elimination and 99.7% selectivity toward nitrates. Detailed mechanistic studies reveal an intriguing catalysis scenario in which reactant molecules are selectively adsorbed and activated at different sites. Anionic vacancies on the CdS/Na2Ti3O7 surface render the activation of molecular O2 to reactive superoxide radicals (O2
−) species. Furthermore, intrinsic surface basicity and O vacancy sites of the Na2Ti3O7 cocatalyst facilitate the capture and activation of acidic nitrogen oxides (NOx) molecules as nitrate species, contributing to enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity. As a result, anionic vacancies and basic sites over CdS/Na2Ti3O7 heterostructure synergistically regulate the NOx oxidation pathway, refining the products toward nitrate with remarkable selectivity. These insights guide the development of advanced photocatalytic systems for environmental remediation, highlighting the importance of managing ROS production for efficient pollutant removal.
Blue TADF Conjugated Polymers with Multi‐Resonance Feature toward Solution‐Processable Narrowband Blue OLEDs
Authors: Luo Wenbo , Wang Tao , Huang Zhongyan , Huang Haoxin , Li Nengquan , Yang Chuluo
Published: October 2023

The development of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) polymers with narrowband emission, particularly in the blue region, remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a new approach is demonstrated for blue TADF conjugated polymers by integrating multiresonance TADF moiety into the conjugated backbone. All the new polymers exhibit TADF characteristics with narrowband blue emission with full‐width at half‐maximums (FWHMs) of 23 nm. The solution‐processed OLEDs based on these polymers achieve a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 17.9% with the emission peak at 479 nm and FWHM of 28 nm. The main‐chain type MR‐TADF polymer shed light on the development of narrowband emissive TADF conjugated polymers.
Hierarchical Ohmic Contact Interface Engineering for Efficient Hydrazine‐Assisted Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Yang Yifan , Li Xuanyang , Liu Guanglei , Liu Huixiang , Shi Yuehao , Ye Chuming , Fang Zhan , Ye Mingxin , Shen Jianfeng
Published: October 2023

Hydrazine oxidation reaction coupled with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is an effective strategy to achieve low energy water splitting for hydrogen production. In order to realize the application of hydrazine‐assisted HER system, researchers have been focusing on the development of electrocatalysts with integrated dual active sites, while the performance under high current density is still unsatisfying. In this work, hierarchical Ohmic contact interface engineering is designed and used as a bridge between the NiMo and Ni2P heterojunction toward industrial current density applications, with the charge transfer impedance greatly eliminated via such a pathway with low energy barrier. As a proof‐of‐concept, the importance of charge redistribution and energy barrier at the Ohmic contact interface is investigated by significantly reducing the voltage of overall hydrazine splitting (OHzS) at high current density. Intriguingly, the NiMo/Ni2P hierarchical Ohmic contact heterojunction can drive current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm−2 with only 181 and 343 mV cell voltage in the OHzS electrolyzer with high electrocatalytic stability. The proposed hierarchical Ohmic contact interface engineering paves new avenue for hydrogen production with low energy consumption.
Lewis Acid Driving Asymmetric Interfacial Electron Distribution to Stabilize Active Species for Efficient Neutral Water Oxidation
Authors: Zhao Sheng , Wang Yue , Hao Yixin , Yin Lijie , Kuo Chun‐Han , Chen Han‐Yi , Li Linlin , Peng Shengjie
Published: October 2023

Neutral oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with unique reactive environments exhibits extremely slow reaction kinetics, posing significant challenges in the design of catalysts. Herein, a built‐in electric field between the tungstate (Ni‐FeWO4) with adjustable work function and Lewis acid WO3 is elaborately constructed to regulate asymmetric interfacial electron distribution, which promotes electron accumulation of Fe sites in the tungstate. This decelerates the rapid dissolution of Fe under the OER potentials, thereby retaining the active hydroxyl oxide with the optimized OER reaction pathway. Meanwhile, Lewis acid WO3 enhances hydroxyl adsorption near the electrode surface to improve mass transfer. As expected, the optimized Ni‐FeWO4@WO3/NF self‐supporting electrode achieves a low overpotential of 235 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in neutral media and maintains stable operation for 200 h. Furthermore, the membrane electrode assembly constructed by such self‐supporting electrode exhibits robust stability for 250 h during neutral seawater electrolysis. This work deepens the understanding of the reconstruction of OER catalysts in neutral environments and paves the way for development of the energy conversion technologies.