bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of Industry 4.0 to the CBM practices of the O&G upstream sector in Nigeria
Authors: Onyeme Chinedu , Liyanage Kapila
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study investigates the integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies with condition-based maintenance (CBM) in upstream oil and gas (O&G) operations, focussing on developing countries like Nigeria. The research identifies barriers to this integration and suggests solutions, intending to provide practical insights for improving operational efficiency in the O&G sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The study commenced with an exhaustive review of extant literature to identify existing barriers to I4.0 implementation and contextualise the study. Subsequent to this foundational step, primary data are gathered through the administration of carefully constructed questionnaires targeted at professionals specialised in maintenance within the upstream O&G sector. A semi-structured interview was also conducted to elicit more nuanced, contextual insights from these professionals. Analytically, the collected data were subjected to descriptive statistical methods for summarisation and interpretation with a measurement model to define the relationships between observed variables and latent construct. Moreover, the Relative Importance Index was utilised to systematically prioritise and rank the key barriers to I4.0 integration to CBM within the upstream O&G upstream sector.

Findings

The most ranked obstacles in integrating I4.0 technologies to the CBM strategy in the O&G industry are lack of budget and finance, limited engineering and technological resources, lack of support from executives and leaders of the organisations and lack of competence. Even though the journey of digitalisation has commenced in the O&G industry, there are limited studies in this area.

Originality/value

The study serves as both an academic cornerstone and a practical guide for the operational integration of I4.0 technologies within Nigeria's O&G upstream sector. Specifically, it provides an exhaustive analysis of the obstacles impeding effective incorporation into CBM practices. Additionally, the study contributes actionable insights for industry stakeholders to enhance overall performance and achieve key performance indices (KPIs).
Tanzanian social policy in the new millennium – a cross-sectoral analysis from a gender perspective
Authors: Lambin Roosa Amanda , Nyyssölä Milla
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Mainland Tanzania has seen two decades of significant social policy reforms and transformations in its social and economic structures, whilst the country continues to grapple with persisting gender inequalities. This article examines Tanzania's social policy developments from a gender perspective. The authors analyse the level, reach and quality of social policy delivery to working-age women across the areas of health policy, social protection and employment policy during 2000–2021.

Design/methodology/approach

The article draws on qualitative research deploying the scoping review method. The data consist of diverse secondary materials, including academic publications, government policy documents, relevant statistics and other types of “grey” literature.

Findings

Tanzania has made significant advancements in the legal frameworks around welfare provision and has instituted increasingly gender-responsive government policy plans. The health and social protection sectors, in particular, have witnessed the introduction of large-scale measures expanding social policy implementation. However, social policy delivery remains two-tiered, with differences in provisions for women in the formal and informal sectors.

Originality/value

Social policy delivery and implementation have increased and diversified in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during the new millennium, with a growing integration of gender-specific policy objectives. However, limited social policy scholarship has focused on the gendered effects of broader social policy models in SSA. The article remedies the concomitant knowledge gaps by examining various social policies and their impacts on working-age women in Mainland Tanzania. The authors also engage with the theoretical welfare regime literature and present an analytical framework for gender-sensitive assessment of emerging social policy models in the Global South.
Comparative proteomics analysis of whey fractions from Korean mother's milk with different gender babies in the northeast China
Authors: Xia Boxue , Lu Yingcong , Li Dan , Cheng Jianjun , Jiang Shilong , Guo Mingruo , Wang Cuina
Published: January 2024

Infant's gender may have influences on composition of breastmilk. This study investigated differences in whey fractions from milk of mothers (n = 12, 3 biological repeats) with male or female babies using a 4D label‐free proteomics. Altogether, 1572 proteins were identified and 42 of them were differentially expressed. Majority of the different proteins are located in extracellular position and possessed domain of immunoglobulin V‐set. The screened proteins were observed to contribute greatly to functions of cellular process, binding, and cell part; and pathways of immune system and immune disease. The findings may afford beneficial knowledge for understanding differences in breastmilk composition.
A sensorised surgical glove to improve training and detection of obstetric anal sphincter injury: A preclinical study on a pig model
Authors: Jaufuraully Shireen R. , Salvadores Fernandez Carmen , Abbas Nadine , Desjardins Adrien , Tiwari Manish K. , David Anna L. , Siassakos Dimitrios
Published: January 2024

Objective

To create a sensorised surgical glove that can accurately identify obstetric anal sphincter injury to facilitate timely repair, reduce complications and aid training.

Design

Proof‐of‐concept.

Setting

Laboratory.

Sample

Pig models.

Methods

Flexible triboelectric pressure/force sensors were mounted onto the fingertips of a routine surgical glove. The sensors produce a current when rubbed on materials of different characteristics which can be analysed. A per rectum examination was performed on the intact sphincter of pig cadavers, analogous to routine examination for obstetric anal sphincter injuries postpartum. An anal sphincter defect was created by cutting through the vaginal mucosa and into the external anal sphincter using a scalpel. The sphincter was then re‐examined. Data and signals were interpreted.

Main Outcome Measures

Sensitivity and specificity of the glove in detecting anal sphincter injury.

Results

In all, 200 examinations were performed. The sensors detected anal sphincter injuries in a pig model with sensitivities between 98% and 100% and a specificity of 100%. The current produced when examining an intact sphincter and sphincter with a defect was significantly different (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

In this preliminary study, the sensorised glove accurately detected anal sphincter injury in a pig model. Future plans include its clinical translation, starting with an in‐human study on postpartum women, to determine whether it can accurately detect different types of obstetric anal sphincter injury in vivo.
Future‐proofing a local government authority for a post‐mining future
Authors: Haslam McKenzie Fiona M. , Eyles Suzanne
Published: January 2024

The inevitable mine lifecycle sequences of the mining industry and the eventual closure of mines has dramatic impacts on mining communities. The complexities of mine closure and planning for a different future beyond mining demand prescient preparation, preferably long before mines close, to optimise community participation in planning and enhance change management opportunities. Convincing others of the usefulness of imagining a future that is so different from the status quo is challenging, and it is especially difficult bringing an entire community on a long‐term planning journey. The Shire of Coolgardie, a small Western Australian local government authority, has embarked on a long‐term mission to build economic and social resilience, shoring up funds that will assist the Shire to ride out the inevitable mine lifecycle sequences of and diversify its income bases. This article builds an evidence‐based approximation of the economic and social benefits of the initiatives accrued across the Shire, outlining the calculated risks taken by the Shire in its quest to ultimately reorient the local economy to one less dependent on mining income and employment. The article concludes with lessons learned and a discussion regarding the replicability of the successful initiatives for other local government authorities elsewhere, particularly in Australia where the legislative restrictions to generate own‐source revenues are so severely limiting.
Supporting nutrition and dietetics students' relationships with food and body image: Adopting a co‐created curricula approach
Authors: Bennett Christie Jane , Barber Charlotte , Rose Estelle , Palermo Claire , Dart Janeane
Published: January 2024

Aims

The aims of this study were to: (1) explore perspectives of university students' and academics' regarding disordered eating, eating disorders and body image in relation to pedagogy and curricula and (2) to evaluate a co‐designed student seminar and an academic workshop on these topics.

Methods

A participatory action research approach was employed whereby an educational intervention was co‐created by academics and students. An online seminar was presented to students and a 1‐h workshop was presented to academic staff. Evaluation was conducted via a post‐seminar anonymous survey for students and a pre‐ and post‐anonymous workshop survey for academics with a mix of Likert‐scale questions and open text boxes. Qualitative data were open coded, both deductively and inductively, and quantitative data were analysed descriptively.

Results

One hundred and seventeen students attended the voluntary education seminar. Six themes were identified from student qualitative data which included feeling safe, empowered, inspired, connected, emotional and reflective. Problematic aspects of pedagogy and curricula were identified by students and included: using personal data for teaching, demonising language to describe food/bodies and not always feeling safe or supported to discuss disordered eating. Twenty academics shared divergent perspectives—some reported feeling concerned and challenged by the content (exploring disordered eating with students), others noted the complexity of the area, and others reported low/moderate confidence or indifference in the space and felt this content outside of their scope as educators.

Conclusion

Curricula interventions that reduce triggering and shaming and increase space and support for strengthening students' relationships with food and their bodies are valued by nutrition and dietetics students. We encourage academics to consider pedagogical approaches and expand discourse in this space.
Mealtimes matter: Measuring the hospital mealtime environment and care practices to identify opportunities for multidisciplinary improvement
Authors: Treleaven Elise , Matthews‐Rensch Kylie , Garcia Dwayne , Mudge Alison , Banks Merrilyn , Young Adrienne M.
Published: January 2024

Aims

Hospital inpatients often eat poorly and report barriers related to mealtime care. This study aimed to measure and describe the mealtime environment and care practices across 16 acute wards in a tertiary hospital to identify opportunities for improvement.

Methods

A prospective cross‐sectional audit was undertaken over a two‐month period in 2021. A structured audit tool was used at one breakfast, lunch and dinner on each ward to observe the mealtime environment (competing priorities, lighting, tray table clutter) and care practices (positioning, tray within reach, mealtime assistance). Data were analysed descriptively (%, count), with analyses by meal period and ward to identify variation in practices.

Results

A total of 892 observations were completed. Competing priorities (59%), poor lighting (43%) and cluttered tray tables (41%) were common. Mealtime assistance was required by 300 patients (33.6%; 5.9% eating assistance, 27.7% set‐up assistance) and was provided within 10 min for 203 (66.7%) patients. A total of 54 patients (18.0%) did not receive the required assistance. We observed 447 (50.2%) patients lying in bed at meal delivery, with 188 patients (21.1%) sitting in a chair. Competing priorities, poor lighting, poor patient positioning and delayed assistance were worse at breakfast. Mealtime environments and practices varied between wards.

Conclusion

This audit demonstrates opportunities to improve mealtimes in our hospital. Variation between wards and meal periods suggest that improvements need to be tailored to the ward‐specific barriers and enablers. Dietitians are ideally placed to lead a collaborative approach alongside the wider multidisciplinary team to improve mealtime care and optimise intake.
Prevalence and correlates of 12‐step and second‐wave mutual‐help attendance in a nationally representative US sample
Authors: Bergman Brandon G. , Greene M. Claire , Zemore Sarah E. , Kelly John F.
Published: January 2024

Background

Mutual‐help organizations (MHOs) are effective community‐based, recovery support options for individuals with alcohol and other drug use disorders (i.e., substance use disorder; SUD). Greater understanding of second‐wave MHOs, such as SMART Recovery, can help build on existing research that has focused primarily on 12‐step MHOs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, to inform scientific, practice, and policy recommendations.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of the National Recovery Study, a representative sample of US adults who resolved a substance use problem (N = 1984). Using survey‐weighted estimates, we examined descriptive statistics for any lifetime, weekly lifetime, and past 90‐day MHO attendance; we compared rates of 12‐step and second‐wave MHO attendance over time by descriptively examining distributions for calendar year of the first meeting attended. We also used two logistic regression models to examine demographic, substance use, clinical, and recovery‐related correlates of weekly lifetime attendance separately for 12‐step (n = 692) and second‐wave MHOs (n = 32).

Results

For any attendance, 41.4% attended a 12‐step MHO and 2.9% a second‐wave MHO; for weekly attendance, 31.9% attended a 12‐step MHO, and 1.7% a second‐wave MHO. Two‐thirds (64%) of initial second‐wave attendance occurred between 2006 and 2017 compared to 22% of initial 12‐step attendance during this time frame. Significant correlates of weekly 12‐step MHO attendance included histories of SUD treatment and arrest. Significant correlates of weekly second‐wave MHO attendance included Black identity (vs. White) and history of SUD medication.

Conclusions

Attendance at second‐wave MHOs is far less common than 12‐step MHOs, but appears to be on the rise. Observed correlates of second‐wave MHO attendance should be replicated in larger second‐wave MHO samples before integrating these findings into best practices. Enhanced linkages from clinical and criminal justice settings to both second‐wave and 12‐step groups may help to “broaden the base” of MHOs.
Effect of agricultural activity on diet in an assemblage of lizards from Monte, Argentina
Authors: Avellá Machado Elín A. , Méndez Osorio Yamila , Blanco Graciela M. , Acosta Juan C.
Published: January 2024

Even though the encroachment of agriculture is the main cause for biodiversity loss, studies have focused in tropical and temperate environment, mainly in birds, mammals and beneficial and/or pests' invertebrates. However, little is known about the impact in poor environment or lizards communities. Our aim was to compare food use and availability in trophic resources in two assemblages of seven lizard (Liolaemus darwinii,L. riojanus,L. cuyanus,L. wiegmannii,Aurivela longicauda,Homonota underwoodiandTeius teyou) at a cultivated and a non‐cultivated site in a desert area of San Juan, Argentina. We analysed lizard food preferences, taxonomic and functional diversity, dissimilarity and the relationship between morphological variables and prey item frequency. We found that the diet of six species, at both sites, was focused on Hymenoptera (< 80%), whereas secondary and accessory items varied widely between species and sites, with 40% dissimilarity. Prey at the cultivated site were more abundant, rich and diverse than in the non‐cultivated site, with 20% dissimilarity in species composition. Functional diversity showed redundancy when comparing morphological and dietary traits. Results suggest that the greater variation in the diet of species at the cultivated site is likely due to a higher diversity of prey available. We determined that diet could be a limiting factor forL. cuyanus, because there are no native plants at the cultivated site, whereas the remaining species opted for increasing their intake of Hymenoptera.
The social evaluation of accents and perceived social influence in Singapore: A comparison of American and Singaporean English accents
Authors: Ng Matthew H. S. , Cheng Chi‐Ying
Published: January 2024

Accents are an important differentiator between groups which influence social perception and interaction, especially in a diverse country like Singapore. Social identity theory suggests that individuals would exhibit favoritism towards their own accents. However, the accent prestige theory demonstrates instances whereby foreign accents are perceived as more prestigious than one's own accent and are associated with more positive characteristics. This paper sought to explore which of these two theories is more prevalent in Singapore by comparing the perceptions of American English accents and local Singaporean English accents along the competence‐warmth paradigm of the Stereotype Content Model. Further, the current research also sought to examine the mediating effect of competence/warmth on the relationship between accents and social influence. Study 1 showed that Singaporeans perceived American‐accented speakers as significantly more competent (but not warmer) than local accented speakers. Furthermore, increased perceived competence significantly mediated the relationship between American accents and social influence. Study 2 further investigated perceived threat as a potential moderator in this mediating relationship. The findings replicated the accent‐competence‐social influence relations in Study 1 but found no effect of perceived threat. Taken together, the findings supported accent prestige towards American accents within Singapore. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
The gut‐lung axis and asthma susceptibility in early life
Authors: Kahhaleh Fariz G. , Barrientos Gabriela , Conrad Melanie L.
Published: January 2024

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children, with more than 300 million cases worldwide. Over the past several decades, asthma incidence has grown, and epidemiological studies identify the modernized lifestyle as playing a strong contributing role in this phenomenon. In particular, lifestyle factors that modify the maternal gut microbiome during pregnancy, or the infant microbiome in early life, can act as developmental programming events which determine health or disease susceptibility later in life. Microbial colonization of the gut begins at birth, and factors such as delivery mode, breastfeeding, diet, antibiotic use, and exposure to environmental bacteria influence the development of the infant microbiome. Colonization of the gut microbiome is crucial for proper immune system development and disruptions to this process can predispose a child to asthma development. Here, we describe the importance of early‐life events for shaping immune responses along the gut‐lung axis and why they may provide a window of opportunity for asthma prevention.
Letter: Prioritising osteosarcopenia assessment in the ongoing care of patients with cholestatic liver diseases
Authors: Arcari Ivan , Colapietro Francesca , Pugliese Nicola
Published: January 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Thomson et al papers. To view these articles, visithttps://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17823andhttps://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17877
Early M‐protein immune reconstitution after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a good prognostic marker for patients with high‐risk cytogenetic multiple myeloma
Authors: Zhu Huihui , Liu Junru , Gu Jingli , Chen Meilan , Kuang Lifen , Huang Beihui , Zou Waiyi , Li Juan
Published: January 2024

The presence of transient abnormal protein banding (M‐protein immune reconstitution) in serum immunofixation electrophoresis after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma has been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of post‐transplant M‐protein immune reconstitution on the prognosis of patients with multiple myeloma. M‐protein immune reconstitution was observed in 25.9% (75/290) of patients. The CR rate and MRD negativity were higher in the M‐protein immune reconstitution group (85.3% vs. 69.3%, p = 0.013, 81.9% vs. 66.5%, p = 0.014). Although there were no significant differences between the groups, the overall median survival time was longer in the M‐protein immune reconstruction group (80 vs. 72 m, p = 0.076; not reached vs. 105 m, p = 0.312). Among patients in the cytogenetic high‐risk group, the occurrence of M‐protein immune reconstitution predicted better PFS and OS (80 vs. 31 m, p = 0.010; not reached vs. 91 m, p = 0.026). Additionally, in revised‐International Staging System stage III patients, PFS and OS were better in those who achieved M‐protein immune reconstitution (80 vs. 20 m, p = 0.025; 57 vs. 32 m, p = 0.103). The better prognosis of M‐protein immune reconstitution patients may be associated with the acquisition of a deeper response. In high‐risk patients, early acquisition of M‐protein immune reconstitution may suggest a better prognosis.
Backfire effects of performance quantification on stress and disidentification: The role of metadehumanization in organizations, sport, and social networks
Authors: Demoulin Stephanie , Stinglhamber Florence
Published: January 2024

Quantification, that is, the shaping of human environments in numerical terms, is so widespread in contemporary societies that it has contaminated almost all spheres of human life. We explore the links between performance quantification and individuals' feelings of being treated in a dehumanized way, that is, metadehumanization. We present an integrative research that assessed the relationships between performance quantification, metadehumanization, and on two of metadehumanization's consequences, that is, stress and disidentification, in three contexts, that is, organizations, sport, and social networks. In addition, we test the moderating roles of two individual variables, that is, competitiveness and tender‐mindedness, in this model. In three samples (Ns = 204, 300, 297, for Samples A, B, and C, respectively), we show a mediation effect of metadehumanization on the links between performance quantification and stress and disidentification that holds despite of contextual variations. Unexpectedly, our two moderated mediation hypotheses did not hold or showed inconsistent effects across samples.
A review of the evidence that people with learning disabilities experience eye health inequalities: What policies can better ensure an equal right to sight?
Authors: Donaldson Lisa , O'Brien Donna , Karas Marek
Published: January 2024

Background

People with a learning disability experience challenges accessing primary health care services, including eye care services.

Methods

Eye care needs of people with a learning disability, and how well they are met by existing services in England, were explored. Barriers and enablers to accessing these services were investigated. This was informed by a scoping review of the literature and a historic literature library.

Findings

Adults with a learning disability are 10 times more likely than other adults to have a serious sight problem and children with learning disabilities are 28 times more likely. There is good evidence of high levels of unmet eye care need special schools in England with over 4 in 10 children attending having no history of any eye care.

Conclusion

The authors discuss possible systemic changes to address these inequalities in England. These include automatic entitlement to an NHS sight test annually, specialist pathways in community opticians, eye care services in special schools, and peer to peer and peer to professional promotion of services by people with lived experience. Dedicated care pathways have improved uptake of services in other areas of primary care. Research into the effectiveness of lived experience eye health advocacy is needed.
Do sociodemographic and clinical characteristics affect mortality rates in people with intellectual disability and dysphagia who have a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy? A cohort study between 2000 and 2022
Authors: Broad Laura , Wee Christine , Harries Anthony D.
Published: January 2024

Background

People with intellectual disability frequently have eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) and are at greater risk of premature mortality, particularly from aspiration and respiratory infections. The insertion of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), as part of a multidisciplinary management plan, may help to maintain and improve nutrition. This study included people with intellectual disability who had ever had a PEG inserted and who presented to the specialist Speech and Language Therapy team in one Greater Manchester borough between 2000 and 2022 and assessed the risk of death and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with this.

Methods

This was a cohort study using secondary data. Kaplan–Meier estimates were used to construct the probability of mortality curves. Cox proportional hazards were used to compare death rates in the different sociodemographic and clinical characteristic groups and were presented as hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Findings

Of 42 people included in the study, 18 (43%) died from the point of PEG insertion to the end of the study (December 2022). The median (interquartile range) time to death from PEG insertion was 5 (2–10) years, with four people (10%) dying in the first year. Aspiration pneumonia and unspecified pneumonia were responsible for seven (39%) deaths. No significant associations were found between sociodemographic and clinical factors and risk of death.

Conclusion

In persons with intellectual disability and a PEG who were followed up between 2000 and 2022, the mortality was around 40% with deaths occurring in the first year and respiratory conditions being an important cause. The lack of association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics may have been due to a limited sample size. Further research is needed with larger samples and more variables, including quality of life data, to help understand and improve clinical practice in this area.
Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography could reduce the risk of anastomotic leakage in rectal cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lucarini Alessio , Guida Andrea Martina , Orville Marion , Panis Yves
Published: January 2024

Aim

Several papers have shown that use of indocyanine green (ICG) decreases incidence of anastomotic leakage (AL) during colonic surgery, but no clear evidence has been found for rectal cancer surgery. Therefore, with this systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) we aimed to assess if ICG could also reduce risk of AL in rectal cancer surgery.

Method

PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Cochrane databases were searched for RCTs assessing the effect of intraoperative ICG on the incidence of AL of the colorectal anastomosis. Pooled relative risk (RR) and pooled risk difference (RD) were obtained using models with random effects. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Rob2 tool and the quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE Pro tool.

Results

Four RCTs were included for analysis, with a total of 1510 patients (743 controls and 767 ICG patients). The rate of AL was 9% in the ICG group (69/767) and 13.9% (103/743) in the control group (p = 0.003, RR −0.5, 95% CI −0.827 to −0.172, heterogeneity test 0%, p = 0.460). The RD in terms of incidence of AL was significantly decreased by 4.51% (p = 0.031, 95% CI −0.086 to −0.004, heterogeneity test 28%, p = 0.182) when using ICG.

Conclusion

Our meta‐analysis suggested that use of ICG during rectal cancer surgery could reduce the rate of AL.
Introduction: MoHoA guest editorial
Authors: Denison Edward , Vawda Shahid
Published: January 2024

This special edition of Curator on Modern Heritage in the Anthropocene draws on the 2nd International MoHoA conference of the same title held from October 26 to 28, 2022, at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UK), in partnership with the University of Liverpool's School of Architecture. As a global collaborative established in 2020, MoHoA is concerned with decentring the theory and practice of modern heritage and joins the wider global effort to decolonize institutional practices that engage with the research, collection, valorization, or transformation of material culture associated with our collective recent past—from museum curators and creative practitioners to academics, and the built environment professions. Founded on the fact that our precarious present reflects an inequitable past and a perilous future, MoHoA asserts that modern heritage—inextricably bound as it is to Western notions of progress, modernization, and modernity—conceptually, practically, and as artifact, uniquely and disproportionately privileges western, invariably white, experiences and values. Unlike other kinds or classifications of heritage, modern heritage also reflects the existential paradox central to MoHoA whereby the cultural legacies of our recent past are simultaneously of modernity and yet threatened by its consequences. Through its workshops, conferences, publications, and website, MoHoA provides a platform for sharing knowledge, methods, and approaches that challenge the modernist canon and support the construction of new epistemologies centered not on race, color, or ethnicity but on humankind and our self‐inflicted precarious position on this planet. This epistemic and canonical reconfiguration has important implications for museums and heritage practice globally as the reconstitution of modern heritage and its associated modes of knowledge production and registers will direct the composition of collections, lists, and archives away from mythologizing hegemonic Western epistemic traditions, to reflect instead decentred planetary experiences, whether human or non‐human. An important outcome of this collective and restitutive endeavor is the publication of The Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage, an equitable and decentering policy proposal presented to UNESCO and its advisory bodies in 2023.
Juvenile hormone and temperature effects in the postzygotic parental investment of male waterbug Abedus ovatus (Belostomatidae)
Authors: Argaez Víctor , Munguía‐Steyer Roberto
Published: January 2024

Parental investment is any expenditure of time or energy by parents that increases their offspring survival at the cost of future reproduction. The costs associated with parental investment can be reflected in a deterioration of their physiological condition. In insects, juvenile hormone has been identified as having a role in the control of parental care. However, its effects on parental investment remain unclear for many taxa, especially in species with exclusive paternal care. We evaluated whether juvenile hormone influences postzygotic parental investment in Abedus ovatus, a waterbug with exclusive paternal care. Males provide parental care by carrying eggs on their backs and ventilating them by generating water currents through push‐ups called brood pumping. In an experiment, we applied methoprene (an analog of juvenile hormone) to males at early and late parental care stages and quantified the frequency of brood pumping and the contents of energy reserves (lipids, carbohydrates, and glycogen) at the end of parental care as a measure of physiological condition. We found that methoprene increases the frequency of brood pumping only when the water temperature increases. However, there was no correlation between the parent's energy reserves and methoprene treatments. We found that males who cared for large egg pads had lower amounts of lipids and carbohydrates at the end of parental care, and both effects are greater as the water temperature increases. These results suggest that energy expenditure during parental care is high due to intense muscular activity during brood pumping, which depletes male energy reserves and could affect future reproduction.
Prospective, longitudinal assessment of subchondral bone morphology and pathology using standing, cone‐beam computed tomography in fetlock joints of 2‐year‐old Thoroughbred racehorses in their first year of training
Authors: Ciamillo Sarah A. , Wulster Kathryn B. , Gassert Taryn M. , Richardson Dean W. , Brown Kara A. , Stefanovski Darko , Ortved Kyla F.
Published: January 2024

Background

Catastrophic injuries of the fetlock joints occur in Thoroughbred racehorses and are preceded by stress‐induced bone injury. Early detection of subchondral bone injury is essential to prevent irreversible damage or bone failure.

Objectives

To investigate the use of standing, robotic cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) for assessing longitudinal changes in subchondral bone morphology and pathology of the fetlock joints associated with race training in young Thoroughbreds.

Study design

Observational cohort study.

Methods

Forty‐one 2‐year‐old Thoroughbred racehorses were recruited prior to the start of race training. Standing CBCT and radiographs of all 4 metacarpo‐/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joints were obtained at 0, 6 and 12 months. Hyperdensity, as an estimate of subchondral bone sclerosis, was measured in the distal third metacarpal (MC3)/metatarsal (MT3) bone and proximal phalanx (P1) at each time point on computed tomography. CBCTs were examined for subchondral bone pathology consisting of areas of hypodensity within regions of hyperdensity.

Results

Subchondral bone sclerosis increased significantly over time in the medial and lateral MC3/MT3 condyles and in the medial and lateral parasagittal grooves of MC3/MT3. The presence of subchondral bone pathology increased significantly over time in the medial and lateral palmar condyles of MC3/MT3, the lateral parasagittal groove, the medial dorsal condyle and the medial and lateral ridges of P1.

Main limitations

There was attrition of horses due to relocation, change in ownership, and retirement from racing. Husbandry, training regimens and racing schedules were not controlled for in the study.

Conclusions

Standing CBCT is an efficient and effective screening tool for assessing subchondral bone morphology and identifying pathology of the fetlock joint in young Thoroughbred racehorses. CBCT may facilitate early detection of bone pathology allowing for timely intervention and prevention of more serious injuries.
Respiratory oscillometry testing in relation to exercise in healthy and asthmatic Thoroughbreds
Authors: Lo Feudo Chiara Maria , Stucchi Luca , Bizzotto Davide , Dellacà Raffaele , Lavoie Jean‐Pierre , Ferrucci Francesco
Published: January 2024

Background

Racehorses may experience exercise‐induced bronchodilation or bronchoconstriction, with potential differences between healthy and asthmatic individuals.

Objectives

To identify exercise‐related lung function variations by oscillometry in racehorses, compare lung function between healthy and mild equine asthma (MEA) horses, assess oscillometry's potential as a predictor of racing fitness.

Study design

Prospective case–control clinical study.

Methods

Fourteen Thoroughbred racehorses (5 healthy, 9 MEA) underwent a protocol including respiratory oscillometry at rest, exercise with fitness monitoring, oscillometry at 15 and 45 min post‐exercise, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) cytology. Oscillometry parameters (resistance [Rrs] and reactance [Xrs]) were compared within and between healthy and MEA groups at different timepoints. Associations between Rrs and Xrs at rest and 15 min post‐exercise and BALf cytology and fitness indices were evaluated.

Results

MEA horses showed higher Rrs at 15 min post‐exercise (0.6 ± 0.2 cmH2O/L/s) than healthy horses (0.3 ± 0.1 cmH2O/L/s) (p < 0.01). In healthy horses, Rrs decreased at 15 min post‐exercise compared with resting values (0.5 ± 0.1 cmH2O/L/s) (p = 0.04). In MEA horses, oscillometry parameters did not vary with time. Post‐exercise Xrs inversely correlated with total haemosiderin score (p < 0.01, r2 = 0.51). Resting Rrs inversely correlated with speed at 200 bpm (p = 0.03, r2 = −0.61), and Xrs with maximum heart rate (HR) during exercise (p = 0.02, r2 = −0.62). Post‐exercise Rrs inversely correlated with mean (p = 0.04, r2 = −0.60) and maximum speed (p = 0.04, r2 = −0.60), and HR variability (p < 0.01, r2 = −0.74).

Main limitations

Small sample size, oscillometry repeatability not assessed, potential interference of upper airway obstructions, external variables influencing fitness indices.

Conclusions

Oscillometry identified lung function differences between healthy and MEA horses at 15 min post‐exercise. Only healthy horses exhibited exercise‐induced bronchodilation. Oscillometry showed potential in predicting subclinical airway obstruction.
Probing polypharmacy, ageing and sex effects on physical function using different tests
Authors: Gemikonakli Gizem , Mach John , Tran Trang , Wu Harry , Hilmer Sarah N.
Published: January 2024

Background

Ageing, sex and polypharmacy affect physical function.

Objectives

This mouse study investigates how ageing, sex and polypharmacy interact and affect grip strength, balance beam and wire hang, correlating and comparing the different test results between and within subgroups.

Methods

Young (2.5 months) and old (21.5 months) C57BL/6 J male and female mice (n = 10–6/group) were assessed for physical function at baseline on grip strength, balance beam and wire hang with three trials of 60 s (WH60s) and one trial of 300 s (WH300s). Mice were randomised to control or diet containing a high Drug Burden Index (DBI, total anticholinergic and sedative drug exposure) polypharmacy regimen (metoprolol, simvastatin, citalopram, oxycodone and oxybutynin at therapeutic oral doses). Following 6–8 weeks of treatment, mice were reassessed.

Results

High DBI polypharmacy and control mice both showed age group differences on all tests (p < 0.05). Only control mice showed sex differences, with females outperforming males on the WH60s and balance beam for old mice, WH300s for young mice (p < 0.05). Polypharmacy reduced grip strength in all subgroups (p < 0.05) and only in old females reduced wire hang time and cumulative behaviour and balance beam time and %walked (p < 0.05). Physical function assessments were all correlated with each other, with differences between subgroups (p < 0.05), and mice within subgroups showed interindividual variability in performance.

Conclusion

Age, sex and polypharmacy have variable effects on different tests, and behavioural measures are useful adjuvants to assessing performance. There was considerable within‐group variability in change in measures over time. These findings can inform design and sample size of future studies.
Carbon sequestration in the subsoil and the time required to stabilize carbon for climate change mitigation
Authors: Sierra Carlos A. , Ahrens Bernhard , Bolinder Martin A. , Braakhekke Maarten C. , von Fromm Sophie , Kätterer Thomas , Luo Zhongkui , Parvin Nargish , Wang Guocheng
Published: January 2024

Soils store large quantities of carbon in the subsoil (below 0.2 m depth) that is generally old and believed to be stabilized over centuries to millennia, which suggests that subsoil carbon sequestration (CS) can be used as a strategy for climate change mitigation. In this article, we review the main biophysical processes that contribute to carbon storage in subsoil and the main mathematical models used to represent these processes. Our guiding objective is to review whether a process understanding of soil carbon movement in the vertical profile can help us to assess carbon storage and persistence at timescales relevant for climate change mitigation. Bioturbation, liquid phase transport, belowground carbon inputs, mineral association, and microbial activity are the main processes contributing to the formation of soil carbon profiles, and these processes are represented in models using the diffusion–advection–reaction paradigm. Based on simulation examples and measurements from carbon and radiocarbon profiles across biomes, we found that advective and diffusive transport may only play a secondary role in the formation of soil carbon profiles. The difference between vertical root inputs and decomposition seems to play a primary role in determining the shape of carbon change with depth. Using the transit time of carbon to assess the timescales of carbon storage of new inputs, we show that only small quantities of new carbon inputs travel through the profile and can be stabilized for time horizons longer than 50 years, implying that activities that promote CS in the subsoil must take into consideration the very small quantities that can be stabilized in the long term.
Clinical parameters that affect performance and patient satisfaction of root‐retained overdentures: A systematic review of randomised controlled clinical trials
Authors: Pachiou Aspasia , Karakostas Panagiotis , Roulias Panagiotis , Naka Olga
Published: January 2024

Objective

To evaluate clinical parameters that affect the performance of root‐supported overdentures (ROD) and to identify the possible factors that may affect it.

Background

ROD still serve as an alternative and successful treatment plan nowadays for partially edentulous patients. Nonetheless, there is not yet conclusive evidence about their clinical evaluation.

Materials and Methods

A search strategy was developed following a PIO (Population, Intervention, Outcome) framework including an electronic search in the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library and Scopus. The systematic search included only randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs), published until January 2023 in English language and was performed by two independent reviewers. Quality assessment of the included studies was conducted according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Results

The final selection of studies included 11 RCTs. Clinically relevant variables derived from this search were: Complications, with caries being the most frequently reported, periodontal aspects and bone changes around abutment teeth. Additionally, methods and clinical suggestions for the maintenance of these restorations and patient‐related outcomes were assessed. According to the risk of bias assessment, nine studies were considered of high risk, whereas only 2 of low risk. A meta‐analysis was not feasible.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this systematic review, ROD remain a viable treatment plan, offering better denture stability and bone preservation around abutment teeth and high patient satisfaction. Thorough oral hygiene and regular follow‐ups are of utmost importance. Further well‐designed RCTs are necessary for firmer conclusions.
Item development for a patient‐reported measure of compassionate healthcare in action
Authors: Chatburn Eleanor , Marks Elizabeth , Maddox Lucy
Published: January 2024

Background

Compassionate care is a fundamental component of healthcare today; yet, many measures of compassionate care are subjective in focus and lack clarity around what compassionate care looks like in practice. Measures mostly relate to physical healthcare settings, neglecting mental healthcare. They also lack significant involvement of people with lived experience (PLE) of healthcare delivery in their development. This study aimed to begin the process of developing a new patient‐reported measure, one that captures the observable actions of compassionate care delivery or ‘compassionate healthcare in action’ by any healthcare professional working in any care setting. The study involves PLE of healthcare delivery, both patients and staff, throughout.

Methods

A multistage mixed‐methods scale development process was followed. First, items were derived inductively from reflexive thematic analysis of patient and clinician interviews about what compassionate care meant to them (n = 8), with additional items derived deductively from a literature review of existing measures. Next, a panel of patient, clinician and researcher experts in compassionate care was recruited (Round 1: n = 33, Round 2: n = 29), who refined these items in a two‐round modified online Delphi process.

Results

Consensus was reached on 21 items of compassionate care in action relating to six facets: understanding, communication, attention, action, emotional sensitivity and connection. These items will form the basis for further scale development.

Conclusions

This item development work has laid the foundation of a potential new tool to systematically measure what compassionate healthcare in action looks like to patients. Further research is underway to produce a valid and reliable version of this proposed new measure. We have outlined these initial stages in detail in the hope of encouraging greater transparency and replicability in measure development, as well as emphasising the value of involving PLE throughout the process.

Patient or Public Contribution

This study involved PLE of both physical and mental healthcare (as staff, patients and service users) throughout the development of the new measure, including initial project conceptualisation and participation in item generation and refinement stages.
Public participation in healthcare students' education: An umbrella review
Authors: Nowell Lorelli , Keogh Bryn , Laios Eleftheria , Mckendrick‐Calder Lisa , Lucas Molitor Whitney , Wilbur Kerry
Published: January 2024

Background

An often‐hidden element in healthcare students' education is the pedagogy of public involvement, yet public participation can result in deep learning for students with positive impacts on the public who participate.

Objective

This article aimed to synthesize published literature reviews that described the impact of public participation in healthcare students' education.

Search Strategy

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, PsychINFO, CINAHL, PubMed, JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and the PROSPERO register for literature reviews on public participation in healthcare students' education.

Inclusion Criteria

Reviews published in the last 10 years were included if they described patient or public participation in healthcare students' education and reported the impacts on students, the public, curricula or healthcare systems.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Data were extracted using a predesigned data extraction form and narratively synthesized.

Main Results

Twenty reviews met our inclusion criteria reporting on outcomes related to students, the public, curriculum and future professional practice.

Discussion and Conclusion

Our findings raise awareness of the benefits and challenges of public participation in healthcare students' education and may inform future research exploring how public participation can best be utilized in higher education.

Patient or Public Contribution

This review was inspired by conversations with public healthcare consumers who saw value in public participation in healthcare students' education. Studies included involved public participants, providing a deeper understanding of the impacts of public participation in healthcare students' education.