bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visualization at exascale: Making it all work with VTK-m
Authors: Moreland Kenneth , Athawale Tushar M , Bolea Vicente , Bolstad Mark , Brugger Eric , Childs Hank , Huebl Axel , Lo Li-Ta , Geveci Berk , Marsaglia Nicole , Philip Sujin , Pugmire David , Rizzi Silvio , Wang Zhe , Yenpure Abhishek
Published: August 2024

The VTK-m software library enables scientific visualization on exascale-class supercomputers. Exascale machines are particularly challenging for software development in part because they use GPU accelerators to provide the vast majority of their computational throughput. Algorithmic designs for GPUs and GPU-centric computing often deviate from those that worked well on previous generations of high-performance computers that relied on traditional CPUs. Fortunately, VTK-m provides scientific visualization algorithms for GPUs and other accelerators. VTK-m also provides a framework that simplifies the implementation of new algorithms and adds a porting layer to work across multiple processor types. This paper describes the main challenges encountered when making scientific visualization available at exascale. We document the surprises and obstacles faced when moving from pre-exascale platforms to the final exascale designs and the performance on those systems including scaling studies on Frontier, an exascale machine with over 37,000 AMD GPUs. We also report on the integration of VTK-m with other exascale software technologies. Finally, we show how VTK-m helps scientific discovery for applications such as fusion and particle acceleration that leverage an exascale supercomputer.
Single-cell RNA Sequencing Identifies Natural Kill Cell-Related Transcription Factors Associated With Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Luo Yili , Liu Jianpeng , Feng Wangqiang , Lin Da , Chen Mengji , Zheng Haihua
Published: August 2024

Background:

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) poses a growing global health concern as the leading cause of central vision loss in elderly people.

Objection:

This study focuses on unraveling the intricate involvement of Natural Killer (NK) cells in AMD, shedding light on their immune responses and cytokine regulatory roles.

Methods:

Transcriptomic data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were utilized, employing single-cell RNA-seq analysis. High-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA) and single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC) analysis were applied to reveal the regulatory mechanisms of NK cells in early-stage AMD patients. Machine learning models, such as random forests and decision trees, were employed to screen hub genes and key transcription factors (TFs) associated with AMD.

Results:

Distinct cell clusters were identified in the present study, especially the T/NK cluster, with a notable increase in NK cell abundance observed in AMD. Cell-cell communication analyses revealed altered interactions, particularly in NK cells, indicating their potential role in AMD pathogenesis. HdWGCNA highlighted the turquoise module, enriched in inflammation-related pathways, as significantly associated with AMD in NK cells. The SCENIC analysis identified key TFs in NK cell regulatory networks. The integration of hub genes and TFs identified CREM, FOXP1, IRF1, NFKB2, and USF2 as potential predictors for AMD through machine learning.

Conclusion:

This comprehensive approach enhances our understanding of NK cell dynamics, signaling alterations, and potential predictive models for AMD. The identified TFs provide new avenues for molecular interventions and highlight the intricate relationship between NK cells and AMD pathogenesis. Overall, this study contributes valuable insights for advancing our understanding and management of AMD.
Awareness, Safety Practices and Associated Factors Among E-Waste Recycling Workers in Bangladesh
Authors: Munni Meherun Nahar , Karim Mohammad Rezaul , Haque Mohibbul , Khan Sumaiya , Khan Md Abdullah Saeed , Hossain Irin
Published: August 2024

Awareness of electronic waste (e-waste) improves safety practices among workers, thereby reducing health risks associated with pollutants. Investigating the awareness and safe practices among these workers could help identify areas for improvement, a task not yet undertaken in Bangladesh. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the awareness, safety measures, and associated factors among e-waste workers in the country. In this cross-sectional study, 236 workers from an e-waste recycling facility located near Dhaka were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire from August to September 2022. Eight questions captured information on socio-demographics and work factors, 24 questions on e-waste awareness, and 11 questions on safety practices. Total awareness and safety scores were calculated and categorized as “good” and “poor” based on a cut-off point of 80% of the total score. Bivariate and regression analyses were done to determine associated factors. Only 25% of workers had good e-waste awareness; major knowledge gaps were regarding minimization, health hazards, and environmental impact. Good awareness was significantly associated with female gender, higher education, income, smoking, experience ⩾5 years, and training. About 58% followed good safety practices, but the use of boots and helmets was inadequate. Good safety practices were significantly associated with higher education, income, smoking, experience, training, and overtime work. On multivariable analysis, those with higher education had 12 times (95% CI 4.83-32.81) and 6 times (95% CI 2.94-12.81) higher odds of good awareness and practices, respectively. Trained workers had 3.6 times (95% CI 1.67-7.52) higher odds of good practices. There was a significant correlation between awareness and practices (r = .70, P < .001). The study found poor awareness and inadequate safety practices related to e-waste among the workers. Urgent interventions like training, the use of protective gear, and stringent policies are warranted to increase awareness and safety behaviors.
A novel suggestion on how to adequately treat stochastic non-stationary seasonality in tourism export forecasting
Authors: Gunter Ulrich , Smeral Egon
Published: August 2024

Using a quarterly data sample of 28 EU countries ranging from 2004Q1 to 2016Q4, real tourism exports are modeled and estimated as a function of relative tourism export prices and aggregate real GDP. For almost all countries, HEGY tests applied to first-differenced variables cannot reject the null hypothesis of the presence of seasonal unit roots. Seasonal differencing would be necessary to remove the seasonal patterns from the data, yet employing seasonally differenced data results in information loss, distorted elasticity estimates, and mediocre forecast accuracy. Our suggestion is therefore to perform estimation and forecasting for each quarter separately. This approach avoids the use of seasonal differencing, results in plausible, seasonally varying estimates of income elasticities, and yields statistically significantly superior forecast accuracy, also in comparison to two data-driven benchmarks for seasonal data (i.e., SARIMA and ETS).
Exploring the influence of cultural values on green purchasing and its consequence
Authors: Sun Bongran Lucia , Kim Woo Gon
Published: August 2024

The principal aim of this research is to elucidate the causal dynamics among cultural values (namely collectivism, long-term orientation, and power distance), ethical attitudes (with a focus on teleological evaluation), and the propensity of consumers to opt for green hotels, all conceptualized within the Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) theoretical framework. This study further investigates the moderating role of status consumption on the relationship between power distance and ethical attitudes, as well as the impact of green purchasing behaviors on consumers’ subjective well-being. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze data from 380 Korean respondents. The results confirmed the significance of all six hypothesized relationships: the three cultural values significantly impact teleological evaluations, status consumption has a significant moderating effect between power distance and teleological evaluation, and teleological evaluations significantly influence green purchase behavior, which in turn enhances consumers’ subjective well-being. These findings advance theoretical discussions and provide practical insights for the tourism and hospitality industry.
The United Kingdom’s Rejoin movement: A post-Brexit analysis of framing strategies
Authors: Steemers Kai
Published: August 2024

Within the growing body of work on post-Brexit politics, there is a notable absence of research on pro-European activism. Although anti-Brexit activism received attention in the aftermath of the 2016 referendum, its development following the UK’s departure from the EU remains underexplored. This article addresses this gap by using discourse network analysis to examine posts authored by National Rejoin March speakers and organisers on X (formerly Twitter). Analysing the framing strategies of the post-2020 Rejoin movement, the article delineates existing conceptualisations of diagnostic and prognostic framing tasks by focusing on four key components: grievances, perpetrators, solutions, and strategy. The findings reflect the Rejoin movement’s emergence from the anti-Brexit movement, now advocating for EU membership in a post-Brexit context. Although economic grievances and anti-Conservative sentiment continue to dominate the movement’s framing, Rejoin placed a greater emphasis on solutions offered by the EU. Despite this, the movement displayed a lack of coherence in addressing key issues including free movement and democracy, both of which had been problematic for previous pro-European campaigns. This lack of coherence underscores the ongoing challenges in crafting a unified and compelling pro-European narrative within an evolving post-Brexit political landscape.
Looking for the International in international relations and political science: Evidence from author locations in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 1999-2023
Authors: Belgioioso Margherita , Mehrl Marius
Published: August 2024

Political science and international relations have undergone substantive internationalisation over the last 25 years. This short article uses a dataset covering all papers published in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations to investigate how authorship in the journal has changed over time in light of this. It finds that while, overall, BJPIR has been dominated by authors based at institutions in the United Kingdom, the journal has clearly internationalised over the past 10 to 15 years. This internationalisation has mostly been driven by increasing numbers of authors based at European institutions whereas work by authors from outside Europe, North America, and Oceania remains relatively rare. These results provide insights into the journal’s development over the past 25 years, but also the extent and the limitations of the internationalisation of political science and international relations more generally.
Told and untold stories: Finding new ways to represent the voices of culturally diverse learners through narrative vignettes
Authors: Dakin Justine , Giampapa Frances
Published: August 2024

This article considers the challenges of representing young, ethnically diverse learners via narrative vignettes. Aware of young learners’ underrepresentation in research reporting compared to adult teaching perspectives, we feel it important to review methodologies that claim to represent young learners’ stories. Looking back at a year-long critical ethnography, we return to the data, reflecting on old conversations while revisiting the motivations behind writing narrative vignettes. Our new conversations consider how this brought participants (and researchers) in from the ‘margins’ of research. We reflect through an embodied, emotional and affective lens, raising important questions around the ethics of representation and making socially just choices. We conclude that narrative vignettes are not giving voice to young learners, but that the methodology captures both told and untold stories which benefit from a reflexive approach to data at the time of the research as well as retrospectively.
How platformisation shapes sports betting consumption practices and implications for harm
Authors: Cahill Hayden D , Gordon Ross , Gurrieri Lauren , Harada Theresa
Published: August 2024

In this paper, we explore how platformisation facilitates potentially harmful consumption practices of sports betting. Our research draws on ideas from the platformisation and social practice theory literature and features a netnographic study of a sports betting community of practice hosted on the English-language platform Reddit. We consider how platformisation shapes sports betting consumption practices, and the implications for consumers. Our findings demonstrate how platformisation facilitates harmful sports betting consumption practices by causing: (1) intrusion of these practices into work, time, and the consumption of sport; and (2) competitive intensification among and between consumers, against the gambling industry, and against consumers themselves. We discuss the implications from our research findings for platformisation theory, the platformisation of consumption practices, and sociocultural perspectives on gambling. Further, we offer suggestions for how policy and practice can ameliorate gambling harms that are facilitated through platformisation, and identify opportunities for further research.
‘We live to write, from our life, the best of stories’: exploring Colombian women’s embodied narratives of displacement through body mapping
Authors: Whitson Risa , Gómez Nancy R , Pérez Quintero Camilo
Published: August 2024

Drawing on research conducted in June 2019, this article explores the narratives produced by eight Colombian women to examine the embodied nature of their experiences of displacement and trauma. We frame this examination both through recent feminist geographic scholarship on displacement, trauma, and the body, as well as through the concept of territorio cuerpo-tierra, which has recently emerged from Latin American feminist communitarianism. These narratives used in this research were produced through the process of body mapping conducted as a part of an eight-day workshop in which research participants engaged in multiple arts-based methodologies. The results of this research underscore how the concept of territorio cuerpo-tierra is materialized in the experiences of displaced women through a sustained connection of self and place. They also highlight the ways that displacement and trauma connect the body/territory; refuse to be spatially or temporally contained; and provide the resources for healing, emplacement, and spatial repossession.
Subsidiarity, sphere sovereignty, and state sovereignty
Authors: Billingham Paul
Published: August 2024

An important question for liberal political theory is whether its account of political morality is compatible with religious political thought. This paper examines one aspect of that broad question, namely the compatibility of the Christian pluralist tradition with liberalism's account of state sovereignty. According to Cécile Laborde, a central commitment of liberalism—and perhaps its most radical—is the claim that the state possesses a form of sovereignty that she dubs ‘competence-competence’. This refers to the state's meta-jurisdictional authority to decide the areas of competence of associations within it. The Christian pluralist tradition, in contrast, emphasises the independent authority of various kinds of social groups and the external limits this places on the state. The paper argues that, despite appearances to the contrary and the claims of many pluralist thinkers, these two views are compatible. It does so through a detailed examination of the two main strands of Christian pluralism, namely subsidiarity and sphere sovereignty, and by comparing pluralists’ and liberals’ approaches to the regulation of religious groups.
Meta-model structural monitoring with cutting-edge AAE-VMD fusion alongside optimized machine learning methods
Authors: Hassani Sahar
Published: August 2024

Transfer learning significantly enhances machine learning by leveraging knowledge from one dataset to boost performance on another, which is particularly beneficial when labelled data ares limited or costly. Sensor fusion, an essential technique in structural health monitoring, improves the effectiveness of transfer learning by combining data from multiple sensors to extract more informative features. This article proposes a novel meta-model structural monitoring using a new data fusion method named the adversarial autoencoder (AAE)–variational mode decomposition (VMD) algorithm, which integrates optimization algorithms, transfer learning, and machine learning techniques for damage detection tasks. The proposed meta-model combines transfer learning with an optimized machine learning framework for training and employs pretrained models for testing across diverse datasets. First, the tensors are fused using the AAE approach into 300 data points, reducing noise and outliers, performing dimensionality reduction, and enriching the training and test datasets. Then, a preprocessing step involves decomposing and denoising tensors using the VMD algorithm, followed by selecting the most informative intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) based on their variance. These selected IMFs are concatenated, and 13 statistical features are extracted from them and used as inputs for machine learning models. Various optimization algorithms are employed to fine-tune the hyperparameters of the machine learning models for optimal classification results. Validation of this meta-model utilizes the dataset collected from a steel grandstand structure, available in benchmark dataset format. For decomposed fused tensors, both particle swarm optimization and covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy emerge as equally effective optimization techniques for K-nearest neighbours (KNN), consistently achieving the highest mean test accuracy and F1 score of 99.5%. Conversely, KNN stands out as a robust and reliable classification algorithm for denoised fused tensors in transfer learning classification problems, consistently demonstrating perfect accuracy and an F1 score of 1.0 ± 0.0 across all optimization techniques.
Influence of Fractures and Dislocations in Severity of Rocker-Bottom Deformity in Patients with Charcot Foot
Authors: Molines-Barroso Raúl J. , López-Moral Mateo , García-Madrid Marta , García-Morales Esther , García-Álvarez Yolanda , Lázaro-Martínez José Luis
Published: August 2024

The objective of this study was to identify bone fractures and joint dislocations that have greater association with the severity of arch collapse in patients with Charcot foot involving the midfoot.

A retrospective study in 28 (N = 29 feet) patients who had Charcot foot deformity of the midfoot. The study included stage III of Eichenholtz classification, and Schon classification types I to III. Talar-first metatarsal and calcaneal pitch angles and cuboid height were used to evaluate the severity of the midfoot deformity in a weightbearing lateral radiograph. Two investigators evaluated the bone fracture and joint dislocation involved in weightbearing antero-posterior and lateral radiographs.

There were 13 (46%) feet that showed pattern 1, 9 (31%) feet with pattern 2, and 7 (25%) feet with pattern 3 according to the Schon classification. One foot had a combination of patterns 1 and 2. Midfoot ulceration occurred in 64% (n = 19) of feet. In the multivariate analysis, plantarflexion of talar-first metatarsal angle was predicted by navicular-medial cuneiform dislocation (p = .007 [−20.620–3.683]), an increase of the negative calcaneal pitch angle by fragmentation of the cuboid (p = .003 [−15.568–3.626]), and increment of the negative cuboid height by navicular-medial cuneiform and medial cuneiform-first metatarsal dislocations (p = .040 [−12.779–0.317], p = .002 [−13.437–3.267], respectively).

Bone fractures and dislocations in the sagittal plane seem to contribute to midfoot collapse, but navicular-medial cuneiform dislocation/non-union and cuboid fragmentation predict severe rocker-bottom deformity in cases of Charcot foot.
Latina Mothers Recommendations on a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group Intervention for Perinatal Depression
Authors: Merced Kritzia , Parameswaran Uma D. , Dearden Susan , Pentecost Ryoko , Latendresse Gwen
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Perinatal depression affects 5–15% of childbearing women. However, literature suggests that Latina women are twice as likely to experience depression during pregnancy. Group telehealth-based interventions are a promising approach to increasing access and reducing barriers to mental health. However, little is known about the experience that Latinas have with navigating this approach. This paper aimed to explore Latina mothers’ perspectives and recommendations in using telehealth to deliver a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCBT) group intervention. Methods: Fourteen pregnant or postpartum women participated in focus groups and individual interviews. Interview topics included perinatal depression, knowledge and content of interventions, and the feasibility and acceptability of the telehealth approach. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results: Three broad themes emerged; (1) accessibility to telehealth, (2) relational connection through technology, and (3) technological issues affecting access (i.e., level of familiarity with portal, video quality, etc.). Enhancers promoting participation in the telehealth intervention included reduced scheduling concerns and no need for childcare. Barriers included mistrust of providers’ engagement, concerns about privacy, and potential for lack of relational connection through technology. Conclusion: Specific recommendations were provided to increase participation and effectiveness of telehealth groups among Latinas.
Clinical and radiographic outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy in medium-vessel posterior cerebral artery occlusions: Subgroup analysis from STAR
Authors: Almallouhi Eyad , Findlay Matthew C , Maier Ilko , Jabbour Pascal , Kim Joon-Tae , Wolfe Stacey Quintero , Rai Ansaar , Starke Robert M , Psychogios Marios-Nikos , Shaban Amir , Goyal Nitin , Yoshimura Shinichi , Cuellar Hugo , Howard Brian , Alawieh Ali , Alaraj Ali , Ezzeldin Mohamad , Romano Daniele G , Tanweer Omar , Mascitelli Justin , Fragata Isabel , Polifka Adam , Siddiqui Fazeel , Osbun Joshua , Crosa Roberto , Matouk Charles , Park Min S , Levitt Michael R , Brinjikji Waleed , Moss Mark , Daglioglu Ergun , Williamson Richard , Navia Pedro , Kan Peter , De Leacy Reade , Chowdhry Shakeel , Altschul David J , Spiotta Alejandro , Grandhi Ramesh
Published: August 2024

Background

Whereas mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become standard-of-care treatment for patients with salvageable brain tissue after acute stroke caused by large-vessel occlusions, the results of MT in patients with medium-vessel occlusions (MEVOs), particularly in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA), are not well known.

Methods

Using data from the international Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR), we assessed presenting characteristics and clinical outcomes for patients who underwent MT for primary occlusions in the P2 PCA segment. As a subanalysis, we compared the PCA MeVO outcomes with STAR's anterior circulation MeVO outcomes, namely middle cerebral artery (MCA) M2 and M3 segments.

Results

Of the 9812 patients in STAR, 43 underwent MT for isolated PCA MeVOs. The patients’ median age was 69 years (interquartile range 61–79), and 48.8% were female. The median NIH Stroke Scale score was 9 (range 6–17). After recanalization, 67.4% of patients achieved successful recanalization (modified treatment in cerebral infarction score [mTICI] ≥ 2b), with a first-pass success rate of 44.2%, and 39.6% achieved a modified Rankin score of 0–2 at 90 days. Nine patients (20.9%) had died by the 90-day follow-up. In comparison with M2 and M3 MeVOs, there were no differences in presenting characteristics among the three groups. Patients with PCA MeVOs were less likely to undergo intra-arterial thrombolysis (4.7% PCA vs. 10.1% M2 vs. 16.2% M3, p = 0.046) or to achieve successful recanalization (mTICI ≥ 2b, 67.4%, 86.7%, 82.3%, respectively, p < 0.001); however, there were no differences in the rates of successful first-pass recanalization (44.2%, 49.8%, 52.3%, respectively, p = 0.65).

Conclusions

We describe the STAR experience performing MT in patients with PCA MeVOs. Our analysis supports that successful first-pass recanalization can be achieved in PCA MEVOs at a rate similar to that in MCA MeVOs, although further study and possible innovation may be necessary to improve successful PCA MeVO recanalization rates.
Unveiling informal learning of gender roles on Tik Tok: The #Stayathomegirlfriends phenomenon
Authors: Tirocchi Simona , Taddeo Gabriella
Published: August 2024

This study delves into the emergent and polarising representations of women on social media by analysing the issue of #StayAtHomeGirlfriends (SAHGF) profiles on TikTok. These profiles depict young women showcasing their domestic lives, emphasising activities such as cooking, cleaning, relaxing, meditating and exercising while being financially supported by their partners. The SAHGF trend emerged on TikTok in 2022 and received over 328.3 million views in one year. The research method involved a thematic analysis of three TikTok SAHGF case studies from different social contexts, focusing on both the creators’ self-representations and the audience's reception, as reflected in user comments. The findings point to a contradictory relationship with instances of postfeminism and popular feminism, showing the use of social media as gender learning environments, where digital creators become informal educators transmitting norms, values and lifestyles, but also ‘triggers’ for dialogue and critical discussion.
Video-on-demand series in education programmes to tackle gay male stereotypes in young people
Authors: Angulo-Brunet Ariadna , Sánchez-Soriano Juan-José , Vázquez-Tapia Esmeralda A. , Vicente-Cruz Emerson
Published: August 2024

There is a current interest in implementing education programmes to reduce prejudice towards gay individuals. This study investigates how adolescents recognise gay stereotypes in characters and how video-on-demand series could be utilised to reduce bias in Spain and Mexico. Six focus groups (Spain: (1) gay, (2) heterosexual, (3) LBTQ+; Mexico: (4) gay, (5) heterosexual, (6) LBTQ+) are used to explore the main stereotypes, to analyse how they are perceived in serialised fiction and to investigate their potential use in education programmes. The thematic analysis reveals that the primary stereotypes identified by young Mexicans and Spaniards are associated with femininity and perversion, as well as the belief that the main factors that encourage these stereotypes are religion and politics. LBTQ+ participants are also more critical of the depictions than heterosexuals. Education programmes should not only target young people but also engage the individuals and institutions that are close to them.
Effect of Lavender Essential Oil Topical Treatment on the Autonomic Nervous System in Human Subjects Without Olfactory Influence: A Pilot Study
Authors: Satou Tadaaki , Koutoku Yukino , Touma Taiga , Tomiyama Ryuto , Ishikawa Ayumi , Odato Kai
Published: August 2024

Objective/background

As part of a scientific study into the effects of aromatherapy, we investigated the effects of lavender essential oil (LEO) treatment on the autonomic nervous system in subjects for whom the sense of smell had been eliminated.

Methods

This study used a single-blinded cross-over design for verification. Heart rate variability was measured and effects on the autonomic nervous system were investigated.

Results and discussion

Although no significant differences were found, aromatherapy treatment with 1% LEO tended to increase parasympathetic nervous system activity. Further, when differences between values before and during aromatherapy treatment were compared, LEO treatment significantly increased parasympathetic nervous system activity. Given these findings, LEO appears to increase parasympathetic nervous system activity, even in the absence of a psychological effect due to an absence of olfactory stimulation.

Conclusion

The present results provide a scientific method for verifying the effects of aromatherapy and will aid in further elucidation of aromatherapy.
A refined ICD-10 diagnoses-based approach for retrospective analysis of potential palliative care need and coverage in claims data of deceased
Authors: Slotina Ekaterina , Ditscheid Bianka , Meissner Franziska , Marschall Ursula , Wedding Ulrich , Freytag Antje
Published: August 2024

Objectives:

ICD-10-based approaches often provide the basis for retrospective estimation of potential palliative care need. Applying the ICD-10-based Murtagh et al. classification from 2014 (Murtagh classification), developed using mortality data, to administrative claims data leads to inconsistencies in estimating palliative care need. The aim of the study was to refine the classification for palliative care need estimation in deceased individuals with cancer and non-cancer diagnosis.

Methods:

A retrospective population-based study comparing Murtagh classification to a new ICD-10-based classification (revised by expert opinion) was conducted using outpatient and inpatient claims data, including billing codes for palliative care. Palliative care need was estimated for diagnoses groups and was contrasted with palliative care utilization rates in the last year of life. Our dataset included records of 417,405 individuals who deceased in 2016–2019.

Results:

Out of individuals deceased in 2019 ( n = 117,436), 81.4% had at least one diagnosis from the new classification, while 97.0% had at least one diagnosis from the Murtagh classification. Classification revision thus identified fewer individuals as potentially in need of palliative care. Among individuals with cancer, 70.7% (vs. 55.7% via Murtagh classification) received palliative care. In non-cancer subgroups, the utilization rate was considerably lower, with a maximum of 36.7% (vs. 33.7% via Murtagh classification) in 2019. Similar results were observed for the other years.

Conclusion:

Compared to the ICD10-based Murtagh classification, the revised ICD-10-based classification enables more realistic estimations if the cause of death is unavailable and reveals higher rates of palliative care coverage and differences especially in cancer versus non-cancer diseases. German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00024133).
Digital health literacy and associated factors among health professionals during the outbreak of corona virus pandemic in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kasaye Mulugeta Desalegn , Kebede Natnael , Kalayou Mulugeta Hayelom , Kebede Shimels Derso , Molla Asressie
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on healthcare delivery worldwide. Digital tools emerged as a preferred solution for maintaining healthcare services during this crisis. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of digital health literacy among healthcare professionals in Ethiopia in 2020–2023.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles published from 2020 to 2023 were reviewed using various electronic databases such as Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane Library, CINAHL, HINARI, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Global Health. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 17, and publication bias and heterogeneity were assessed.

Results

Six studies involving a total of 2739 participants were included in the analysis. The pooled level of high digital health literacy among health professionals in Ethiopia during the pandemic was found to be 56.0% (95% CI: 55, 58). Several factors were identified as significant contributors to high digital health literacy, including internet use (AOR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.86, 3.98), perceived ease of use (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.83, 4.25), favorable attitude (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.61, 3.85), perceived usefulness (AOR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.65, 3.18), information-communication-technology training (AOR = 6.09, 95% CI: 1.83, 24.27), and educational level (AOR = 3.60, 95% CI: 2.96, 4.37).

Conclusion and recommendation

The study findings revealed a moderate level of high digital health literacy among Ethiopian health professionals. Factors such as internet use, favorable attitude, and information-communication-technology training were associated with high-level digital health literacy. To enhance digital health literacy, it is crucial to provide timely training and improve internet access for healthcare professionals. Additionally, promoting the perception of digital tools as useful and supporting evidence-based decision-making can further improve digital health literacy. Comprehensive information-communication-technology training programs should be implemented to equip healthcare professionals with necessary skills to effectively combat outbreaks like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adolescents’ Online Risks and Parental Mediation in Nigerian Families: Gender in Focus
Authors: Adigwe Ifeanyi
Published: August 2024

This study investigates the gender perspectives of adolescents’ online risk-taking and parental mediation in Nigerian families. Because the “the-one size fits all” relating to effective mediation of adolescents’ digital media may not apply to adolescent boys and girls in the same way. Accounting for gender differences in digital media use that lead to risky behavioral outcomes will enhance parents’ efforts in interceding their online media activities. The population for this study includes parents and students in public secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria. The sample size for this study was 1,050 parents and their children. The questionnaire was the data collection instrument to obtain information about adolescent online media activities and parental mediation practices. The study’s findings show that girls engage in chatting with strangers and social networking more than boys, and boys engage in online gambling, online gaming and pornographic content more than girls. The findings also show that the risky online behavior of adolescent girls correlates with increased time spent on online media activities. Interventions targeted at female adolescents relating to digital media use, online media activities and risky online behavior will enhance parental efforts in interceding in their risky behaviors.
Job Crafting, Task Performance, and Employability: The Role of Work Engagement
Authors: Güçlü Nergiz Hatice , Unsal-Akbiyik Banu S.
Published: August 2024

The goal of this study is to determine the function of work engagement as a mediating factor in the relationship between job crafting, task performance, and employability in the hospitality sector. A questionnaire was applied and participants were drawn from 209 hotel employees in İstanbul, and Kocaeli, Türkiye. To test these hypotheses, structural equation modeling was implemented. The findings show that job crafting is linked to employability and task performance positively. Furthermore, this research looks into the role of work engagement as a mediator in the links between job crafting, perceived employability and task performance. The findings reveal that there are considerable indirect effects, implying that work engagement is mediated. Thus, our results suggest that job crafting was a positive predictor of perceived employability and task performance and work engagement has a mediator role between those variables in the hospitality sector.
The Reciprocity of Intergenerational Support and Self-rated Health Among Chinese Older Adults
Authors: Liu Sizhe , Zhang Wei , Wu Bei
Published: August 2024

To move beyond the focus on individual types of support, we examined the overall reciprocity of support between older adults and their adult children. Drawing on the theory of esteem enhancement, we hypothesized that the under benefited older adults, defined as older adults whose support provided is larger than support received in intergenerational relationships, may have better health conditions than those with a more or less balanced exchange of support. To test the hypothesis, we examined the relationship between the reciprocity of intergenerational support and self-rated health (SRH) among older adults in China. We also investigated the moderating role of gender in this relationship. Using data collected from 832 older adults in Wuhan, China, we found that compared to those with a balanced level of reciprocal support in the intergenerational relationship, older adults who were under benefited from the intergenerational support had better SRH. This finding is in line with the esteem enhancement theory. We also found that gender moderated the association between the reciprocity of intergenerational support and SRH. Specifically, older women who under benefit from the support had better SRH than older women with a balanced level of reciprocal support. In contrast, older men who under benefit from the support had worse SRH than older men with a balanced level of reciprocal support. This finding highlights the necessity of constructing social psychological frameworks that are attuned to gender variations for a more comprehensive comprehension of health and health-related behaviors among older adults in China.
Risk Factors for Depression Among Middle-Aged to Older People Living With HIV in Lima, Peru
Authors: Failoc-Rojas Virgilio E , Jia Dan Tong , Gil-Zacarias Marcela , Latorre Alana , Cabello Robinson , Garcia Patricia J , Diaz Monica M
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Depression is prevalent among aging people living with HIV (PLWH) worldwide. We sought to identify depression risk factors among a group of middle-aged and older PLWH in Lima, Peru.

Materials and Methods

We assessed risk factors for depression among PLWH over age 40 receiving care in an HIV clinic in Lima, Peru. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was administered. We performed descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses.

Results

Mean age was 51.7 ± 7.7 years with 15.3% females. One-quarter of participants had depression with higher frequency in females. Risk factors that significantly increased the risk of depression included female sex (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 2.19 [95%CI 1.07-4.49]), currently smoking (aPR = 2.25 [95%CI 1.15-4.43]), and prior opportunistic infection (aPR = 2.24 [95%CI 1.05-4.76]).

Discussion

Our study demonstrates that PLWH who are female, current smokers, or had an opportunistic infection have higher risk of depression. Identifying PLWH at-risk for depression is key to early mental health interventions.
Parents Experiences of Racism in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Smith Olga , Karvonen Kayla L. , Gonzales-Hinojosa Maria D. , Lewis-Zhao Sarah , Washington Taylor , McLemore Monica R. , Rogers Elizabeth E. , Franck Linda S.
Published: August 2024

Few studies have investigated parent's experiences with racism in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Our objective was to explore how parents perceive their interactions with NICU staff and if/how racism in the NICU was experienced. Parents of infants receiving care in an urban NICU completed fixed choice surveys regarding their experiences and demographics, with 6 open-ended questions to elaborate on their fixed-choice responses. Using a constant comparative method informed by Constructivist Grounded Theory, we identified 3 main themes from the comments provided by 97 respondents: Care and harm coexisting, racism often manifesting as neglectful care, and the power differential is most impactful during times of parent advocacy. Parents spoke positively regarding their experiences and also reported disparate treatment attributed to their racial/ethnic identity. Racism was experienced by inappropriate comments and apathy toward parent requests, occurring during intimate interactions between staff and parents. Descriptions of parental advocacy efforts highlighted the lack of power they held in relation to the NICU staff. We recommend strengthening the focus on equity and mitigating power imbalances in the NICU.
Fostering the Job Performance of Nurses: A Responsibility of an Ethical Hospital
Authors: Thuy Hua Thanh , Lan Bui Thi
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices refer to the deliberate actions and strategies implemented by a company or organization to generate positive outcomes for its stakeholders beyond the sole objective of profit maximization. Internal CSR is a significant management and investment concept within enterprises, such as hospitals, that enhances organizational performance excellence.

Objectives

The article aims to trace how hospitals thrive in nurses’ job performance by leveraging internal CSR practices.

Methods

Cross-sectional design quantitative research through structured questionnaire interviews on 215 nurses in Vietnam. Data collection was conducted from May 2023 to August 2023. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypotheses.

Results

The study has proven that a hospital's internal CSR practices impact nurses’ job performance. Income and benefits, human resource training and development, and work-related quality of life directly and significantly impact three dimensions of a nurse's job performance (competence to practice patient care, attitude to performance work, and management and professional development capacity). Connection and trust in the workplace and health and safety at work significantly affect two dimensions of a nurse's job performance (namely, competence to practice patient care and attitude to performance work). Diversity in the workplace impacts nurses’ competence in practicing patient care and their management and professional development capacity. Demographic variables did not correlate statistically significantly with dimensions of internal CSR and nurses’ job performance.

Conclusion

The study presents significant findings on the influence of internal CSR on nurses’ job performance within the hospital management theory of an emerging market. The results of the present study contribute to a better understanding of the benefits of hospitals’ socially responsible actions and contribute further to resource management in hospitals, especially nursing. If the nursing staff positively perceives the hospital's internal CSR practices, they will be more able to perform their job, impacting the hospital's overall performance. This study has certain limitations regarding the representative nature of the sample, the use of the self-report survey instrument, and the use of cross-sectional data.
Decentralisation advocacy and inter-government coordination: A local government association perspective
Authors: Henderson Steven R
Published: August 2024

Local government engages in inter-government advocacy to increase functional and financial autonomy and to better respond to community needs. Adopted narratives frequently highlight the problems of centralisation and the perceived benefits of decentralisation, not least democratic proximity. This paper conceptualises local government advocacy within the context of the strategic-relational state and regionalised new state spaces, and distinguishes between advocacy as an assemblage of ambitions and practices and advocacy as a source of analytical insight. The relevance of normative perspectives in enabling critical reflection is further acknowledged. In consideration of local government association advocacy in devolved Scotland, a three-dimensional analytical perspective is embedded whereby Schumacher’s normative interpretation of decentralisation is used to analyse advocacy narratives; local government advocacy enables reflection upon inter-government relations and regionalisation; and evidence of strained inter-government relations prompts further consideration of normative interpretations. Conclusions highlight that local government must guard against scalar privileging in response to problematised relationships; that regionalisation perspectives must give considered attention to inter-government coordination and that community empowerment requires further elaboration.
Grade control drillhole spacing and mining selectivity determination using high resolution simulations applied on distinctly heterogeneous open pit mines
Authors: Faraj Fouad
Published: August 2024

The grade control drillhole spacing and mining selectivity decisions are typically made using the resource model estimated from exploration and infill drilling data. Once production starts, large quantities of grade control data are collected to delineate ore and waste boundaries for ore control. In this work, a grade control drillhole spacing and mining selectivity optimization workflow is presented which allows the practitioner to use site specific knowledge to determine the most profitable ore control mining scenario. The densely gridded production data is used to simulate a ground truth block model from which scenarios of variable drillhole spacing and selectivity are evaluated against their corresponding costs to determine the maximum profit scenario. Eleven mining scenarios are evaluated using year production data from three distinctly heterogeneous mine with drillhole spacing and mining selectivity varying from 3 × 3 × 3 m (27 m3) to 30 × 30 × 15 m (13,500 m3). The profit differences from the optimum scenario varied by millions of dollars (1–8%) against the next best case depending on the heterogeneity of the deposit. Practitioners could apply this workflow to inform grade control drillhole spacing and mining selectivity decisions for different domains within the mine or multiple pits especially if distinctly heterogeneous volumes exist.
Experiment analysis on defects in ultrasonic-assisted drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic with different diameter drills
Authors: Hu Chen , Han Sheng , Chen Meiling , Zhu Yongwei
Published: August 2024

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) are increasingly used in aerospace, military, and automotive applications due to their high specific strength and corrosion resistance. CFRP components usually require small-hole machining before assembly. CFRP parts are susceptible to defects such as tears and uncut fibers during hole machining. Ultrasonic-assisted drilling (UAD) contributes to the suppression of their defects. However, preliminary experiments revealed that the effect at different diameters is not the same. Therefore, this paper innovatively compares the effect of ultrasonic-assisted machining on the suppression of defects under different hole diameters and investigates the mechanism. The effects of machining parameters such as ultrasonic power, feed rate, and rotational speed on burr and tear defects of holes under different hole diameters are experimentally studied and theoretically analyzed. It was shown that the lowest defective machined holes were obtained at 50% (4 μm) ultrasonic power for all hole diameters, while higher ultrasonic power would result in an increase in machining defects. Compared with small hole diameters, there are relatively fewer uncut fibers at large hole diameters, but the tearing defects are more severe. The defect suppression effect of ultrasound is more pronounced at larger holes. The change in cutting force due to ultrasound is an important reason for the difference in machining defects. At a diameter of 6 mm, the longitudinal cutting force decreased by 58.7%, while uncut fibers and tearing defects decreased by 45.1% and 12.6%, respectively. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the selection of ultrasonic power and other parameters when machining holes of different diameters.